Pramod Thomas is a senior correspondent with Asian Media Group since 2020, bringing 19 years of journalism experience across business, politics, sports, communities, and international relations. His career spans both traditional and digital media platforms, with eight years specifically focused on digital journalism. This blend of experience positions him well to navigate the evolving media landscape and deliver content across various formats. He has worked with national and international media organisations, giving him a broad perspective on global news trends and reporting standards.
LIAM LIVINGSTONE's stunning unbeaten 62 paved the way for England's colossal 186-run win over world champions Australia in the fourth one-day international at Lord's on Friday (27).
The victory pulled a youthful England ODI side level at 2-2 in a five-match series ahead of Sunday's finale at Bristol.
Livingstone's whirlwind 27-ball innings took England to 312-5 in a match reduced by rain to 39 overs per side after captain Harry Brook just fell short of successive hundred with 87.
Australia made a sound start to their daunting chase but lost six wickets for 28 runs in slumping from 68-0 to 96-6.
They were eventually dismissed for 126 inside 25 overs, with paceman Matthew Potts taking an ODI-best 4-38.
Fit-again opener Travis Head's 34 was the top score in an Australia innings where only four batsmen made it into double figures.
Adil Rashid celebrates after taking the wicket of Australia's Josh Hazlewood. Reuters/Paul Childs
This was England's second-biggest win at this level over arch-rivals Australia in terms of runs, following their mammoth 242-run success at Trent Bridge in 2018.
"We've taken all the positives and the momentum and brought them here," player-of-the-match Brook, 25, told Sky Sports. "Livingstone, we know what he's capable of and he showed that tonight."
"We just identify the times we need to apply pressure."
Australia captain Mitchell Marsh accepted his side had been outclassed.
"We were a bit off today but fair play to England they put us under pressure," he said. "They out-played us today... Liam Livingstone played a gem of an innings."
England were 16 runs shy of 300 when Mitchell Starc began to bowl the last over of their innings.
But Livingstone, renowned as a big-hitter, then hammered the left-arm fast quick for 28 runs -- the most expensive over by an Australian bowler in men's ODIs -- including four sixes in five balls, before finishing with a four.
Livingstone started the 39th over by driving Starc into the pavilion for six.
And two balls later, Livingstone lofted Starc for six over midwicket and next ball drove him for another six. The fifth ball also went for six, via a monster pull, before Livingstone scythed the last ball of the over for four.
Livingstone struck three fours and seven sixes in total as Starc finished with hugely expensive figures of 0-70 in eight overs.
Australia, who saw their run of 14 straight ODI wins ended by England at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday, were up against it after that late blitz.
But Head, who made a superb 154 not out in Australia's series-opening win in Nottingham, launched Brydon Carse for a huge six onto the roof of the Mound Stand.
Carse, however, had his revenge when he bowled left-hander Head for 34 from around the wicket.
Australia's 68-1 then became 75-2 when Potts had star batsman Steven Smith caught behind for just five.
After Marsh was bowled for 28 by a superb delivery from express fast bowler Jofra Archer that nipped past his outside edge, Carse struck twice in the 15th over to remove Josh Inglis and Marnus Labuschagne.
Potts just missed out on a hat-trick before leg-spinner Adil Rashid ended the match by bowling last man Josh Hazlewood for a duck.
Earlier, Brook -- fresh from a match-winning maiden ODI century at Chester-le-Street -- came in with England faltering at 71-2.
But he responded with an exhilarating 58-ball innings including 11 fours and a six.
Australia thought Brook had been caught behind down the legside for 17 by Inglis, playing his first match of the series after injury, off Starc.
But an umpire review made it clear the ball had bounced into Inglis's gloves -- with boos ringing round Lord's as the replay was shown on the giant screen.
It was the second controversial incident involving an Australia wicketkeeper at Lord's in as many matches after Alex Carey -- playing as a batsman only on Friday -- stumped Jonny Bairstow during an Ashes Test last year when the England batsman believed the ball was dead.
Brook fell when he holed out in the deep off leg-spinner Adam Zampa.
Asus leak reveals potential pricing for new Xbox handhelds ahead of official announcement
ROG Xbox Ally expected to cost £499, with ROG Xbox Ally X priced around £799 in the UK
Devices feature improved processors, memory and battery life over earlier ROG Ally models
Listings appeared on an Asus store in Barcelona and were spotted via localised Google search
Official release may take place in October, with pre-orders rumoured for August
Asus has accidentally revealed the likely pricing of Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox handhelds, with listings for the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X briefly appearing online.
The two handhelds, which were officially announced during the Xbox Games Showcase in June, are the result of a collaboration between Microsoft and Asus. They are based on Asus’s existing ROG Ally models but are expected to include performance upgrades such as an improved AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor and extended battery life.
Pricing appears via Asus Spain store
According to a report by Spanish gaming site 3DJuegos, the pricing information surfaced via a localised Google search showing listings from an Asus store in Barcelona. The base ROG Xbox Ally was listed at €599, while the higher-spec ROG Xbox Ally X showed a price of €899.
These European prices would likely convert to approximately £499 for the standard model and £799 for the Xbox Ally X in the UK. This puts the entry-level Xbox handheld £100 cheaper than the original ROG Ally’s launch price, which has since dropped to around £449.
Specification differences
The ROG Xbox Ally X is expected to justify its higher price with several key upgrades:
A more powerful 'extreme' processor
24GB of memory (compared to 16GB in the standard model)
1TB of storage (vs 512GB)
Enhanced battery life
Thunderbolt 4-compatible USB4 display port
These features mirror those found in the existing ROG Ally X model, which also launched at €899 in Europe.
Official announcement expected soon
Neither Microsoft nor Asus has confirmed pricing or release dates for the Xbox-branded handhelds. However, these leaked figures align with previous information shared by insider eXtas1. Some speculation suggests prices could vary by region, particularly in light of recent US tariffs.
Leaks also indicate that the handhelds could launch in October 2025, with pre-orders potentially opening in August. A formal announcement may take place during Gamescom 2025, which is scheduled for 20–24 August in Cologne, Germany.
Until then, pricing remains unconfirmed, but the accidental leak offers the clearest indication yet of what consumers can expect when Microsoft enters the handheld gaming market.
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Deepika Padukone as Veronica in Cocktail (2012) — a performance that redefined the Bollywood 'bad girl'
When Cocktail hit screens in 2012, it was supposed to be a Saif Ali Khan rom-com. Instead, it became Deepika Padukone’s breakthrough moment, largely thanks to her turn as Veronica, a character that was anything but the typical Bollywood heroine.
Now, 13 years on, it’s clear Cocktail wasn’t just a hit, it was a gamechanger. Here’s why Veronica remains one of the boldest characters of Deepika’s career, and arguably, a milestone in the way mainstream Hindi cinema wrote women.
Messy, magnetic, and miles ahead of her time — Deepika’s Veronica still hits different 13 years laterYoutube Screengrab
1. Veronica wasn’t made to be likeable—and that worked
She drank, she partied, she refused to apologise for being a mess. Bollywood had shown wild girls before, but usually only as cautionary tales. Veronica wasn’t punished for her flaws, she was allowed to feel, grow, and still not fit the box. For 2012, that was rare.
2. The emotional messiness felt honest
Deepika brought an unexpected vulnerability to Veronica. The crying in the bathroom, the reckless dancing, the craving for love under all the bravado, it wasn’t subtle, but it was real. That performance helped audiences take Veronica seriously, not just as a manic pixie contrast to the "good girl" Meera played by Diana Penty.
3. It wasn’t just a role—it was a career pivot
Even Deepika has said Veronica changed everything. After years of being seen as just a pretty face in glossy roles, Cocktail gave her the edge. It showed she could carry emotional weight, and wasn’t afraid to look messy while doing it. From here, her career took a sharper, more ambitious turn.
4. The music gave Veronica her own universe
It wasn’t just the acting, the soundtrack helped shape the film’s tone. Songs like Jugni, Tumhi Ho Bandhu, and Daaru Desi gave Veronica a carefree, chaotic rhythm that stuck. These tracks still pop up on nostalgia playlists, a decade later.
5. In hindsight, she was the real protagonist
While the film tried to balance the love triangle, it was Veronica’s arc that people remembered. Not because she got the guy, she didn’t, but because she evolved. She wasn’t a footnote in someone else’s story. She was the story.
Veronica wasn’t the ‘good girl’, but she made audiences feel everything — and Deepika nailed itYoutube Screengrab
She shifted how leading women were written
After Cocktail, Bollywood slowly started embracing female characters who didn’t always make the 'right' choices. Veronica made it okay to be complicated on screen. That legacy may not always be acknowledged, but it shows up in every “imperfect” female lead we see today.
Thirteen years since Cocktail released, Veronica remains one of Deepika Padukone’s most unforgettable charactersZEE5
Deepika Padukone may have played many iconic characters since, but Veronica remains a turning point for her and for Bollywood. Thirteen years on, she’s still the cool, chaotic outlier who made room for women to be more than just nice.
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he Port Talbot EAF will produce up to 3 million tonnes of steel per year using UK-sourced scrap.
TATA STEEL UK has started construction of a new Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) at its Port Talbot site in South Wales. Tata Group chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran marked the groundbreaking ceremony on July 14, joined by Tata Steel CEO and managing director TV Narendran and Tata Steel UK CEO Rajesh Nair.
The EAF project is part of Tata Steel UK’s £1.25 billion plan to transition to low-carbon steelmaking, backed by £500 million from the UK government. The furnace is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2027 and aims to reduce carbon emissions at Port Talbot by about 90 per cent, or 5 million tonnes of CO₂ annually. The project is expected to support 5,000 jobs.
“This is an important day for Tata Group, Tata Steel and for the UK,” said Mr Chandrasekaran. “Today’s groundbreaking marks not just the beginning of a new Electric Arc Furnace, but a new era for sustainable manufacturing in Britain. At Port Talbot, we are building the foundations of a cleaner, greener future, supporting jobs, driving innovation, and demonstrating our commitment to responsible industry leadership.”
Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “This is our Industrial Strategy in action and is great news for Welsh steelmaking backing this crucial Welsh industry, which will give certainty to local communities and thousands of local jobs for years to come.”
Wales Secretary Jo Stevens said: “The UK Government acted decisively to ensure that steelmaking in Port Talbot will continue for generations to come, backing Tata Steel with £500 million to secure its future in the town.”
The Port Talbot EAF will produce up to 3 million tonnes of steel per year using UK-sourced scrap. Construction is being led by Sir Robert McAlpine, with support from regional contractors and technology providers including Tenova, ABB, and Clecim.
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South Park fans call out Paramount Plus for pulling the show worldwide
• South Park pulled from Paramount+ globally after licence expiry • Fans in UK, Canada, Australia, and Europe react with outrage • Dispute linked to £6.3 billion (₹673 billion) Paramount-Skydance merger and ongoing contract standoff • Season 27 premieres 23 July on Comedy Central in the US, leaving global fans stranded
Fans around the world are up in arms after South Park disappeared from Paramount+ outside the US. With just days to go until the season 27 premiere, international viewers are calling out Paramount Global for yanking the show due to a lapsed streaming deal and are threatening to cancel subscriptions over what they see as corporate mishandling.
Streaming blackout angers fans just days before new South Park seasonPrime Video
Paramount+ drops South Park amid licensing fallout
Viewers from the UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, and Latin America were left stunned last week when South Park vanished from Paramount+ in their regions. The move follows the expiration of an international streaming licence and ongoing tension between the show’s creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and Paramount Global, which owns Comedy Central.
The timing couldn’t be worse: after a two-year wait, season 27 is set to debut on Comedy Central in the US on 23 July. But thanks to the unresolved deal, international fans are now scrambling to figure out how they’ll be able to watch the new episodes.
The backlash has been swift and loud. On Reddit and X, long-time viewers expressed frustration, many vowing to quit Paramount+ altogether.
"The only reason I had Paramount+ was to watch South Park. I just cancelled,” wrote one user. Another fumed, “How does one go about setting Paramount on fire?”, a comment met with dark humour by others who blamed the platform for “setting itself on fire.”
— (@)
Some users began sharing ways to legally access older episodes via platforms like Apple TV and Amazon Prime, while others admitted they were considering alternative, less official methods.
— (@)
Parker and Stone threaten legal action
Behind the scenes, the show’s creators are fighting their own battle. Trey Parker and Matt Stone, through their company Park County, have accused Skydance’s incoming president Jeff Shell of meddling in licensing talks. Their allegations claim Shell tried to skew negotiations with Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix to favour Paramount’s streaming ambitions.
They argue this interference ultimately led to the shortened contract term and the fallout with HBO Max, leaving the show without a cohesive global distribution strategy just as a new season approaches.
Global outrage grows as South Park vanishes from Paramount PlusWikipedia
What’s available—and what’s not
While South Park episodes remain available on Comedy Central’s traditional TV networks in several international markets, streaming access is now patchy. Some specials are still on Paramount+, and ad-supported options exist via Pluto TV in select regions like Canada and Europe.
Back episodes can be purchased on services like Amazon Prime and Apple TV, and in countries like Germany and across Latin America, some content is accessible through a standalone South Park website. But for many fans, none of this replaces the convenience of a centralised platform like Paramount+.
Fans slam Paramount and Skydance for blocking South Park accessRotten Tomatoes
Season 27 still coming—but not for everyone
Despite the chaos, South Park season 27 will premiere in the US as planned on 23 July on Comedy Central. But for fans outside the country, there’s still no confirmed way to watch the new season legally on demand.
Some fans are already hoping this real-life drama makes its way into a future episode. As one Reddit user joked, “The silver lining of all this merger crap is that it’s gonna make for an excellent South Park takedown.”
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Lauren Pisciotta has accused Kanye West of repeated sexual misconduct
Kanye West has dismissed ex-assistant Lauren Pisciotta’s latest lawsuit as a “delusional” and “contradictory” narrative.
Pisciotta accuses West of multiple acts of sexual assault and misconduct, including forced oral sex and workplace harassment.
West’s team argues the claims are inconsistent and defamatory, pledging to fight them in court.
Pisciotta’s attorney Lisa Bloom insists West has already admitted to key parts of the allegations and will face justice.
Kanye West has hit back at explosive sexual assault and sex trafficking allegations from former Yeezy employee Lauren Pisciotta, branding her newly amended lawsuit as a fabricated and conflicting tale. The rapper’s legal team released a fiery statement slamming the accusations, which include claims of rape, forced sexual exposure, and workplace abuse.
Kanye West’s spokesperson says the claims are inconsistent and defamatoryBBC/Getty Images
West’s team rejects allegations as “outlandish” and “contradictory”
On 13 July, West’s spokesperson issued a strongly worded denial of Pisciotta’s lawsuit, the fourth version she has filed since 2024. Calling her claims “fantasy fiction,” the representative argued that each amended complaint undermines the previous ones. “Each new revision contradicts the others; each is more absurd and outlandish than all previous claims combined,” the statement read.
The rep further claimed Pisciotta’s testimony “discredits all past, present and future” versions, vowing to “annihilate” her narrative in front of a jury. Milo Yiannopoulos, also speaking on behalf of West, claimed Pisciotta “chose the wrong target,” describing West as a non-violent man with no criminal record or firearm ownership.
Photo of Kanye West from a past public appearance Getty Images
Pisciotta accuses West of repeated sexual violence and harassment
In her newly revised legal complaint, Pisciotta details multiple disturbing incidents that allegedly occurred while she worked for West from 2021 to 2022. She accuses the rapper of groping her, masturbating in her presence, forcibly kissing her, and later sexually assaulting her in a hotel room during a business trip to San Francisco.
She alleges he raped her orally while she was frozen in shock and later offered her to other men as a “sexual gift.” Pisciotta claims the rapper subjected her to constant verbal harassment, sent her unsolicited explicit images, demanded sexual content from her in return, and attempted to involve her in his sexual encounters, all of which she says she refused. The complaint also alleges that after firing her, West moved into her apartment building and physically assaulted her by grabbing her throat and licking her ear.
Attorney Lisa Bloom says Kanye West has already admitted to key allegations Expresso
Lisa Bloom says Kanye’s own words will “destroy him in court”
Pisciotta’s attorney Lisa Bloom fired back at West’s response, stating that much of what Pisciotta alleges has already been acknowledged publicly by the rapper himself.
“While Kanye West’s publicist has come up with a slickly worded and outrageously false and defamatory attack on Ms. Pisciotta, Kanye himself has publicly admitted much of what she’s claiming,” Bloom told Daily Mail. “His spin team cannot protect him in court.”
She added that Pisciotta’s case would be built on these admissions and challenged West to face the allegations directly under legal scrutiny.
Kanye West’s spokesperson says the claims are inconsistent and defamatoryGetty Images
West’s team maintains lawsuit is a “cash grab”
West’s lawyers have consistently dismissed Pisciotta’s claims since she filed her original wrongful termination and sexual harassment suit in June 2024. They insist the lawsuit is “baseless,” “frivolous,” and part of a larger effort to extort money from a high-profile figure.
Despite the strong public denials, the legal battle is expected to escalate as both sides prepare for a potential trial.