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Friday, January 1, 2016

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Tennis: Nadal confident of being 'very competitive' in 2016

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ABU DHABI (AFP) - Rafael Nadal is confident he will be very competitive in 2016 after a difficult 2015 during which the world number five struggled with his early form.The Spaniard made a strong push at the end of last season to finish inside the top-five but his results in 2015 were the worst he has recorded in more than a decade as he admitted he was struggling with confidence.But the 29-year-old revealed he had a strong off season where he practised hard in Mallorca and is ready to step on the court at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship exhibition event in Abu Dhabi on Friday before heading to Doha for his official season-opener.The off season has been great. In Mallorca we had unbelievable weather and we were able to practise as much as we wanted, he told reporters in the UAE capital on Thursday.I had the chance to enjoy it. Im happy for everything. I feel that I worked well enough, I finished the 2015 season with good feelings and I just keep practising with these positive feelings. Im excited to start another new season. I feel myself well and I hope to be ready for whats coming.I dont know if Ill start well from the beginning but I feel ready. Then the results you never know whats going on. But I feel that Im doing the right things, Im playing well and I hope to start with good feelings. Im going to be passionate. Im confident that Im going to be very competitive.Having already successfully launched numerous comebacks throughout a career that has been marred with injury, Nadal is not viewing his current situation in similar light. Not a big comeback, I am number five in the world actually, he said of what he expected of himself in 2016. It seems like Im number 50 or something like this. I didnt have the best season possible last year. But without having the best season possible, to be able to finish number five is actually not bad news. Im happy the way I finished the season. I dont expect an amazing comeback, I expect an improvement of my level of tennis and my level of competition and if I made that happen I hope to be competing for the good things.World number one Novak Djokovic will also commence his season in Doha next week and the Serb, whose tremendous 2015 saw him win three more Grand Slams and put together one of the most impressive 11 months of tennis in history, will be looking to pick up where he left off.Asked if he expects another dominant display from Djokovic, Nadal said: What Novak has been doing the last couple of years is just amazing and we have to congratulate him for that.If he is able to maintain that kind of level then only thing that you can say is applaud him. Thats it. The rest of the players, we work hard and I hope to be competitive enough to compete against everybody this year, including Novak, and well see if I can make that happen.

Tennis: Targeting third Grand Slam win off Wawrinka's radar

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ABU DHABI (AFP) - Stan Wawrinka has won more Grand Slams than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal combined over the past two seasons but the Swiss world number four insists that adding to his Major tally is a goal that is too far away.Wawrinka, who handed Novak Djokovic his only Grand Slam defeat in 2015 by stunning the world number one in the French Open final, will kick off his season in Abu Dhabi at the six-player exhibition Mubadala World Tennis Championship on Friday, but said winning a third career Major was not on his list of goals for 2016.Its been only two years and a half, three years that Im back in the top 10, that Im in the top five. Yes I know I won two Grand Slams in two years but its still something incredible for me, something not normal, so its tough for me to put a goal to win a Grand Slam again, Wawrinka, 30, told reporters in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.I know how difficult it is, I know the challenge is big. Thats why its not my goal. Its too far away to put that as a goal. My goal is to give me the chance to be at my top in Grand Slams and then I know I can beat the top guys. But for that you need to do all the right things during the year.Wawrinka spent his off season training in Geneva, where he says he worked hard on his body and his tennis, and will officially inaugurate his ATP season in Chennai next week, where he targets a fourth title there.He remains Swiss number two, behind his third-ranked compatriot Federer, who at 34 is still in peak shape, having made two Grand Slam finals in 2015.Asked if he sees himself competing at the top level of the sport well into his 30s like Federer, Wawrinka said: Hopefully yes, hopefully I can play for many more years. But again, Im going to try to play as much as I can thats for sure. Where Ill be in a few years, which ranking, what level? I really dont know. I will always push myself to be at my top and well see where it will be.On whether hell be teaming up with Federer at the Rio 2016 Olympics in doubles - they won gold together in Beijing 2008 - Wawrinka added: We dont know yet. We havent decided. We have to talk about the beginning of the year and see what were going to do.

Tennis: Gael Monfils withdraws from Hopman Cup

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Frenchman Gael Monfils has pulled out of the Hopman Cup in Western Australia with a leg injury.Monfils, the World No.24, will be replaced by fellow Frenchman Kenny de Schepper in the tournament from January 3-9 ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open in Melbourne.I was really looking forward to travelling to Perth for the first time and teaming up with Caroline Garcia, 29-year-old Monfils said in a statement about the mixed team tournament, according to the Australian Associated Press.World number one Serena Williams, the Australian Open defending champion, and world number two Andy Murray, the Open mens runner-up, start their 2016 seasons at the Hopman Cup.

Football: Van Gaal thanks Man Utd fans for support

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MANCHESTER (AFP) - Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal said on Thursday that the backing of the clubs supporters was a vital element in his attempts to improve his sides spiralling form.Van Gaal was thought to be close to losing his job in the run-up to Christmas as United were eliminated from the Champions League and slipped out of the Premier League top four.A poor performance in a 2-0 defeat at Stoke City on Boxing Day did little to help his cause, but his side played much better in a 0-0 draw at home to Chelsea on Monday.However, that result extended Uniteds run without victory to eight games in all competitions and they have now dropped to sixth place in the table, nine points behind leaders Arsenal.Van Gaal is aware that results have to improve along with performances, starting on Saturday, when his side are at home to Swansea City.I am doing my work, Van Gaal told his pre-match press conference at Uniteds Carrington training base. You have to do what you have to do.There are members of staff saying: Boss, can I help you more? I say: You help me by doing the things you have to as well as possible, and then I am satisfied. I also expect that from my players.This is not the first club, though it may be the last club, where I have had a bad period. I have had bad periods at all my clubs and I have to say the best fans are at Manchester United.In such a difficult period, they still applaud the performances of the players and that is fantastic.But still we need to win because at the end of the season, we want to be at the top of the league and not in the middle.We have to get points otherwise the gap will be too big and that is why we have to do what we have to do.Asked if he felt the pressure on him had been lifted by the performance against Chelsea, Van Gaal replied: I dont know because pressure can be what you experience by yourself, but also what the players feel.And the players are the most important factor because they have to perform on the pitch.But the way we played under that pressure against Chelsea, in the style we want to play -- yes, that was fantastic.Van Gaal has lost all three of his matches against Swansea since taking charge at Old Trafford in July 2014, including a 2-1 defeat at the Liberty Stadium in late August.He rejects the idea that the Swans are a bogey team, but has been working to find out what went wrong in the previous three meetings.You come up with a game plan to beat your opponent and then you have to convince your players, said the Dutchman. Then you have to train. Then you can be committed and try to perform it.I have lost three times against Swansea, and so you have to evaluate why you lost. It is always like that, then you continue with the same vicious circle of working.There is no magic. It is about looking at what has happened and what can improve, as a team but also as an individual player.

Boxing: Japan's Uchiyama fends off challenge to WBA title

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TOKYO (AFP) - Undefeated champion Takashi Uchiyama of Japan on Thursday successfully defended his World Boxing Association super featherweight title for the 11th time, beating Nicaraguan Oliver Flores with a technical knockout.Uchiyama (24-0-1, 20 knockouts) went into the New Years Eve bout clearly at ease against his challenger, 24.Victory for the veteran Japanese titleholder, 36, came quickly -- one minute and 47 seconds into the third round -- when a single left body blow put the Nicaraguan fighter flat on the canvas.It was a technical knockout as Flores (27-2-2, 17 knockouts) was declared no longer capable of continuing to fight before the end of the count. I am in very good condition, Uchiyama said after the bout. I tried to take it easy in the first few rounds.The headline bout was part of a WBA doubleheader at Ota Ward General Gymnasium in Tokyo.

Yachting: Australia's Balance wins overall Sydney-Hobart honours

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Australian 52-footer Balance was Thursday crowned the overall winner of the Sydney to Hobart race, after overcoming the roughest conditions in years which forced dozens of yachts to retire.Balance was awarded the Tattersalls Cup -- handicap honours for the vessel that performs best according to size -- after main rival and one of the smallest competing boats, local 33-footer Quikpoint Azzurro, missed a pre-dawn arrival deadline.American 100-footer supermaxi Comanche was first over the finish line -- completing the 628-nautical-mile course in two days, eight hours, 58 minutes and 30 seconds to be the first victorious US entry since 1998.Finishing second and third in the line honours was Ragamuffin 100 and another American entrant, Rambler.Quikpoint Azzurro finished up in third place overall with a time of four days, 18 hours, 37 minutes and 59 seconds, behind French 35-footer Courrier Leon, which reached Hobart after four days, five hours, 28 minutes and 53 seconds.Balance -- which won the race in 2008 under the name Quest -- had finished seventh in line honours with a time of three days, three hours, 50 minutes and 45 seconds.Owner-skipper Paul Clitheroe, 60, said it was an absolute honour to win the blue water classic with his 10-year-old yacht, which has now taken out handicap honours in two out of five Sydney to Hobart attempts.I thought the little boat had beaten us, until the Derwent River decided otherwise, the financial guru said.Some 108 yachts had left Sydney on Saturday, battling strong winds and punishing conditions as they headed towards Hobarts Constitution Dock on the island state of Tasmania, with more than 30 boats unable to complete the race.Owner-skipper of second-placed Courrier Leon, Gery Trentesaux, said he had bought a whole new sail wardrobe, including a heavy maxi spinnaker, as he knew the race conditions would be tough.We did this because I broke all the sails with the Beneteau 45 in the 2008 race, he said.I also told the builder we had to do this race.They asked what it would take to psych me up to race. I said, the Rolex Sydney Hobart, so here we are, with Michel Quintin, who used to own Lady Courrier.Quikpoint Azzurros owner Shane Kearns told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the lack of wind in the pond-like Derwent River in the final stretch of the race was frustrating.We really wanted to come first. But there was just no wind, said Kearns, who had bought the boat on his credit card for Aus$23,000 (US$16,800).And then the cruellest cut of all at the end there, we lost second by a couple of minutes.So sailing can be a fun and cruel sport all in one go.The most prominent retirements were last years champion Wild Oats XI, an eight-time line honours winner, and supermaxi Perpetual Loyal.Comanche was also damaged during the race, hitting an unidentified submerged object which broke one of her twin rudders and a daggerboard.

German police warn NYE 'terror attack' planned in Munich

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BERLIN (AFP) - German police said Thursday that they had indications that a terror attack was being planned by Islamists for New Years Eve in the southern city of Munich.Current indications show that a terror attack is being planned in Munich. Please avoid gatherings of people and the Munich and Pasing train stations, police said in a tweet.Both stations have been evacuated, they said, and train services were no longer running at the two sites. The attackers have an Islamist background, police added.A police spokeswoman also told AFP that they had reliable information that the group was planning to act as festivities were well under way on New Years Eve.Although the train stations have been evacuated, the spokeswoman said it could not be ruled out that the attackers could seek another target.Police said on Facebook they were taking the threat very seriously and that a large deployment of officers were working to track down the suspects.European capitals are on high security alert, with Brussels and Paris both scrapping fireworks for New Years celebrations.Belgian police were also holding five people over an alleged New Year plot in Brussels.In Berlin, police presence has been stepped up at the Brandenburg Gate, where hundreds of thousands of people have gathered for festivities. All large bags and backpacks have been banned from the site of the huge street party.Days after the November 13 attacks in Paris claimed by the Islamic State group that left 130 dead, German police called off an international football match at the last minute due to a bomb threat.No explosives were subsequently found, and no arrests made after the Germany-Netherlands friendly in Hanover -- which was to be attended by Chancellor Angela Merkel -- was cancelled and thousands of fans evacuated.

More than 55,000 killed in Syria in 2015: monitor

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BEIRUT (AFP) - More than 55,000 people were killed in Syria in 2015, the countrys fifth year of war, including over 2,500 children, a monitor said Thursday.The total number of dead since the beginning of the conflict had reached more than 260,000, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, though the number of those killed in 2015 was lower than the 76,021 people who died in 2014.In 2015 alone, the monitor documented the deaths of 55,219 people, including 13,249 civilians. Among them were 2,574 children, it said.As in previous years the dead were mostly combatants, including 7,798 rebels and more than 16,000 jihadists from the Islamic State group, Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front and associated organisations.The group also documented the deaths of 17,686 regime forces, among them over 8,800 army troops, more than 7,000 Syrian pro-regime militiamen, and 378 members of Lebanons Hezbollah movement.A total of 1,214 foreign fighters from other countries, including Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, died fighting for the regime, the Observatory said.The group said it had recorded the deaths of an additional 274 people whose identities could not be established.Since the war began in March 2011, the Observatory has documented the deaths of 260,758 people, including more than 76,000 civilians.Over 45,000 rebels and more than 95,000 regime forces have been killed.Another 40,121 jihadists have also been killed in fighting and air strikes including by a US-led coalition and Russian warplanes.Syrias conflict began with peaceful anti-government protests but descended into a brutal civil war after a regime crackdown on dissent.

Erdogan says Turkey killed 3,100 PKK rebels in 2015

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - Turkish security forces killed 3,100 Kurdish militants in 2015, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday, vowing no let-up in a relentless offensive to oust rebels from towns and mountains in the southeast.His remarks, which were part of a televised New Years address, come as alarm grows over the humanitarian impact of curfews in the southeast to back up the latest military campaign against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that began earlier this month. In 2015, 3,100 terrorists were neutralised in operations at home and abroad, he said referring to the military operations on PKK strongholds in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq.Our security forces are flushing out the terrorists from every inch of the mountains and the towns and will continue to do so, he said.Our fight.. will continue until the very end, added Erdogan.It was not possible to independently verify the toll. Erdogan said another 200 members of the security forces had been killed, as well as an unspecified number of civilians.Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also chaired a four-and-a-half hour meeting of top government and security figures that agreed to continue fighting the PKK in the most comprehensive and decisive fashion, a statement said.A new upsurge of violence between the security forces and Kurdish rebels erupted in July in the wake of attacks blamed on Islamic extremists, shattering a fragile two-and-a-half year truce.The authorities sent tanks into the southeast and also carried out bombing raids on PKK storage facilities and hideouts in southeast Turkey and northern Iraq.In the latest operations, curfews imposed on December 14 are still in place in the towns of Silopi and Cizre in Sirnak province which normally have populations of some 100,000. A partial curfew is also in force in the Sur district of the Diyarbakir region which was put in place on December 2.In a repeat of scenes that have become familiar over the last days, police in Diyabarkir used tear gas and water cannon to prevent protesters from marching on the Sur district.In sub-zero temperatures, protesters were easily repelled by the freezing water from the water cannon, an AFP correspondent said.Ankara says the extreme measures are needed to root out the PKK from urban areas where they had erected barricades and dug trenches. We all know very well that those trenches are not only aimed at making it difficult to enter that area but also preventing Turkey from reaching its goals, said Erdogan.But opponents say the use of force has been excessive, with civilians killed, residential areas flattened and cultural heritage destroyed.According to the opposition pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), 56 civilians have been killed during curfews this month alone.These curfews, whose aims are public order and security, have led to terrorising the public, the killing of civilians, the destruction of cultural heritage sites, and the ruining of the cities, said HDP MP Ayhan Bilgen. The PKK launched a formal insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984, initially fighting for Kurdish independence although it now presses more for greater autonomy and rights for the countrys largest ethnic minority. The conflict has left tens of thousands dead.

Iran-US tensions flare over sanctions threat, rocket claim

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TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran accused the United States of lying Thursday about alleged test-firing of rockets near an American warship and anger rose in Tehran at the spectre of new sanctions from Washington.Irans Revolutionary Guards denied that its naval forces had been involved in a December 26 incident in which the US said rockets came close to the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.The naval unit is responsible for securing Iranian interests in the Strait, a vital waterway for a large proportion of the worlds oil, regularly patrolling the area and conducting exercises.The Guards naval force had no exercise in the past week when the Americans claim that a missile or rocket was fired in the Hormuz Strait area, spokesman General Ramezan Sharif said.The purported incident comes five months after Iran and world powers led by the US agreed a landmark deal -- yet to be finally implemented -- to limit the Islamic republics nuclear programme in exchange for lifting economic sanctions.A US military official said an Iranian vessel had test-fired several rockets near three Western warships including the aircraft carrier. A French frigate and the USS Bulkeley destroyer were also in the area.Though the rockets were not fired toward any warship, their proximity to them and several commercial ships -- reportedly around 1,500 yards (metres) -- was highly provocative, said the official, who was not authorised to be named.Sharif, quoted on the Guards website, accused the US of fabricating the incident -- which reportedly occurred after Iranian naval forces announced via radio that the test-firing was to begin.Publishing such lies in the current situation is more a psychological operation, Sharif said.The security and peace of the Gulf is of serious strategic importance to Iran. The Guards conduct exercises to increase our required preparedness at due times, based on our own schedule.The nuclear deal was heralded by moderates, such as Irans President Hassan Rouhani, who staked his reputation on the negotiations. But hardliners in Tehran as well as Republican lawmakers have denounced the agreement.Several Republicans running for the White House have pledged to rip up the deal if they are elected in November 2016.Since the accord was struck, Irans military has conducted missile tests that were condemned by the US. Iran also recently aired footage on state television of an underground missile base.On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the US was preparing fresh sanctions against companies and individuals in Iran, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates over alleged links to Tehrans ballistic missile programme.Such a step by the US Treasury Department would be the first American sanctions against Iran since the nuclear agreement and presents a potential barrier to its durability.Although Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei explicitly endorsed the nuclear accord in October he warned that new sanctions, under any pretext, would constitute a violation.The deal as it stands is due to come into effect on Implementation Day, expected within weeks when UN monitors sign off that Iran has fulfilled its obligations and applied agreed curbs to its nuclear programme.Rouhani criticised Thursday the apparent US moves, saying Irans domestic defence had never been within the remit of the nuclear talks.If US continues its illegitimate interference w/ Irans right to defend itself a new program will be devised to enhance missile capabilities, the president wrote on Twitter.In a series of messages from his personal account he said in response to new US sanctions planned against Irans ballistic missile program he had ordered the Defense Minister to expedite the program.He did not detail what such a measure would involve but added: We have never negotiated regarding our defense capabilities including our missile program & will not accept any restrictions in this regard.

Hacker attack blacks out BBC website

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LONDON (AFP) - Hackers brought down the BBCs websites for several hours on Thursday in a large-scale hacking attack, the British public broadcaster reported.Sources within the BBC said the sites were offline thanks to what is known as a distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack, the BBC reported.Users trying to access BBC.com and related websites could only see an error message saying: The site could be temporarily unavailable or too busy.The BBC press office blamed the problem on a technical issue.Were aware of a technical issue affecting the BBC website and are working to fix this now, it said in a statement.Despite continued problems with access to the sites, it said in a later update: The BBC website is now back up and operating normally.The BBCs international website BBC.com and its news app reached a readership of more than 101 million unique browsers a month earlier this year.DDOS attacks are used to slow down or disable a network by flooding it with communication requests.

Oil ends 2015 battered by supply glut

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices pared losses Thursday but ended 2015 sharply lower as the black gold was battered by prolonged global oversupply and a slowdown in energy-hungry Chinas economy.North Sea Brent, the European benchmark for oil, dropped almost 35 percent over the year, while the US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell 30 percent. With Brent crude oil hovering near 11-year lows and WTI not faring all that much better, the markets are ending the year on a somber note, consistent with what we see as ongoing physical oversupply, said Tim Evans of Citi Futures.The key futures contracts finished Thursday with modest daily gains. WTI for delivery in February rose 44 cents to close at $37.04 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.In London, Brent for February delivery rose 82 cents to $37.28 a barrel.The modest rebound Thursday may stem from investors trying to minimize risks after betting on prices to fall ahead of the long New Years weekend, said Andy Lipow of Lipow Oil Associates. Markets are closed Friday.It could be simply end-of-year short-covering because the market has been so bearish, he said, and people squaring their positions.Crude futures have dived from more than $100 a barrel in mid-2014 as abundant supplies were exacerbated by strong output by OPEC and the United States.Prices have particularly slumped since December 4 when the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries decided against limiting production as members fight to keep market share.Also weighing on market sentiment was China as growth slowed in the economy of the worlds largest energy consumer. And OPEC member Iran was poised to boost crude exports after sanctions are lifted, part of its landmark nuclear agreement with major powers.We know the market is oversupplied and as we go into 2016 the market will await the return of Iranian oil, Lipow said.Potentially adding to the supply worries was action by the US Congress earlier this month to end the 40-year-old US ban on exports of crude oil producted in the country.NuStar Energy and ConocoPhillips announced Wednesday they were loading what they believe to be the nations first export cargo of US-produced light crude oil since the ban was lifted.

Euro, pound sag on final day of year

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The euro and pound sagged on the final day of the year Thursday ahead of a long holiday weekend and next weeks gush of US economic data.After holding steady against the greenback for more than a week, the euro lost 0.6 percent at $1.0855 around 2200 GMT, amid mounting analyst predictions that the US currency will strengthen further in early 2016.The euro also slipped 0.8 percent on the yen to 130.59 yen.The pound, which has steadily fallen since early November on rising doubts that the Bank of England will begin tightening monetary policy in the near future, lost another 0.5 percent at $1.4737. That nevertheless was still nearly two cents higher than the years low struck in April.Markets are looking ahead to 2016 when the Federal Reserve has penciled in a series of dollar-bolstering interest rate rises, said forex market analyst Joe Manimbo of Western Union Business Solutions.2016 looks bright for the buck but it will need the cooperation of a better economic backdrop at home and abroad for it to sustain its run.

Pakistan coach excited over Amir return

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KARACHI (AFP) - Pakistans head coach Waqar Younis expressed excitement Thursday over the imminent return of Mohammad Amir following a five-year ban for spot-fixing.Amir, 23, is favourite to get the selectors nod for a tour of New Zealand, where Pakistan will play three Twenty20s and three one-day internationals.The squad for the Twenty20s is likely to be announced on Friday.Waqar, himself a fast bowler, said Amir had plenty to offer.I am very excited over his comeback, Waqar told AFP. Amir is on the right path and has worked really hard in the fitness camp and I believe this kid has plenty to offer to Pakistan cricket, he added.Waqar said Amir needed support.It may take time for Amir to attain the same zip which he had in 2010, so we should not pressurise him and support him so that he can get back to his best.Amir, then Test captain Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were charged with accepting money in exchange for arranging deliberate no-balls during a Test match at Lords in England in 2010.The three players and their agent Mazhar Majeed were jailed by a British court in 2011. Amir, Butt and Asif were also banned from cricket for five years.But in September this year the International Cricket Council lifted sanctions against the three players. Amirs ban was relaxed in January this year and he was allowed to play domestic matches.At the time of the ban, Amir was tipped as one of the most talented fast bowlers in the world.Since his return, he has taken 22 wickets in four non first-class games, while his tally of wickets in the qualifying rounds of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy stood at 34.

Huge fire erupts at Dubai hotel, near New Year celebrations

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DUBAI (AFP) - A huge fire ripped through a luxury Dubai hotel Thursday night, injuring 16 people, just a few hours before the emirate celebrated the new year with a spectacular fireworks display nearby.The Address Downtown hotel, which is a few blocks from the iconic Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest tower, was engulfed in flames across several floors as sirens wailed and helicopters hovered overhead, witnesses said.Dubais police chief said all the residents of the five-star hotel had been evacuated from the scene of the blaze, the cause of which was unknown and which had still not been extinguished some four hours after it broke out.All the residents are out, General Khamis Matar al-Mzeima said.Until the fire is put out, we will not have information on what caused it, he added.At least 14 people have been slightly injured, along with one medium injury, and a heart attack case registered due to people pushing amid the smoke, the media office tweeted.Witness Raphael Slama told AFP the fire started at around 9:30 pm (1730 GMT) and rapidly spread upwards across dozens of floors.An AFP photographer at the scene said it began in the middle of the hotel, then went down like lightning before shooting up again.People in the vicinity began to run in panic to get away from the area, he added.Kumar, an Indian resident in Dubai who was near the hotel with his wife, told AFP: We saw fire coming out of the top storeys two hours before midnight and people began screaming and running away from the hotel.What was strange is that the fire was disappearing and then reappearing again, said Mohammed al-Majed, a Saudi tourist who was at the restaurant around a kilometre (mile) away. It was mainly concentrated in the middle of the building.We were worried about casualties and afraid the celebrations would be cancelled.A video circulating on social media showed anxious shoppers at the huge nearby Dubai Mall as they rushed to get out, with a woman shouting: Folks dont run... dont panic.Another witness who asked not to be named and was near the hotel area told AFP that New Years Eve event organisers and security personnel started panicking and were screaming and ushering people into the nearby Dubai Mall, one of the worlds largest shopping centres.Half an hour later, they told us to get out of the mall because they were closing it down, he said, adding that people began running out.There were a lot of screams... There were a lot of people who fainted and there were many ambulances as well as crowding and pushing.The government tweeted that the hotel fire erupted on the 20th floor and affected only the outer facade of the building.Four firefighting teams have been deployed to fight the blaze, it added.Authorities said earlier Thursday that they had deployed thousands of security personnel to ensure visitors and residents could enjoy the New Years festivities safely.History of skyscraper firesThe hotel is one of the tallest buildings in Dubai, with seven lounges and restaurants as well as a beauty spa, according to its website.A spectacular fireworks display kicked off as planned at midnight (2000 GMT), beginning at the 828 metre (2,700 foot) high Burj Khalifa before spreading across the skies of the cash-flush city above thousands of cheering spectators.Lasers flashed through the skies over the chic district surrounding the tower, even as smoke was still billowing from the blaze nearby.From @BurjKhalifa to the world: Happy New Year 2016, said the Dubai government media office on Twitter.Dubais futuristic cityscape is famous for its hugely varied skyscrapers.In November, a massive blaze engulfed three residential blocs in central Dubai and led to services on a metro line being suspended, although no one was hurt.In February, a huge fire gutted one of the emirates tallest buildings, destroying luxury flats in the Torch tower and triggering an evacuation of nearby blocs in the Dubai Marina neighbourhood -- a district popular among expatriates.And in 2012, a huge blaze gutted the 34-storey Tamweel Tower in the nearby Jumeirah Lake Towers district. It was later revealed to have been caused by a cigarette butt thrown into a bin.Watch Video:

Posted by IMRAN ALI SOOMRO (DARVESH) at 1/01/2016 08:07:00 AM

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