Lahore, Jan 12: Suspended Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Asif has been barred from entering the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after being deported from Dubai last year for possession of an opium substance weighing 0.24 grams.

Asif, 26, was detained at the Dubai International Airport for nearly three weeks in June 2008, for possession of a banned substance before public prosecutors determined that the amount of the drugs was insignificant and deported him.

London, Jan 12: An avid Rubik''s Cube fan has finally solved the puzzle after 26 years' attempt.

Graham Parker from Portchester, Hants, was endlessly trying to solve the puzzle ever since he bought the Rubik''s Cube in 1983.

After spending over 27,400 hours on it, he finally managed to complete the puzzle.

"I cannot tell you what a relief it was to finally solve it. It has driven me mad over the years - it felt like it had taken over my life," the Telegraph quoted him as saying.

"I have missed important events to stay in and solve it and I would lay awake at night thinking about it.

Sydney - Dinara Safina carried momentum from last week's Hopman Cup final into her start at the Medibank International on Monday with a 6-2, 6-1 opening defeat of Romanian Sorana Cirstea.

Safina, who lost the teams final in Perth alongside her brother Marat Safin to Slovakia, dropped the first game against 18-year-old Cirstea but then opened up her firepower to sweep to victory.

"When I'm playing my best I know I can beat everybody," said the winner, who next takes on compatriot Vera Dushevina, who crushed Aussie wild card Emelyn Starr 6-0, 6-1.

Karachi, Jan 12 : A 65-year old Hindu temple in Karachi is in a horrendous condition in the absence of proper maintenance and renovation work by the Sindh Government.

Laxmi Narain Hanuman Mandir, located on the edge of the Arabian Sea under the Native Jetty Bridge, is suffering from oil pollution that flows from the Karachi port.

Washington, January 12 : U. S. President-elect Barack Obama has revealed that his family will be owning either a labradoodle or a Portuguese water hound.

He said that it was really tough to decide on which dog to keep as pet, in order to fulfil a key campaign promise he made to his daughters Malia and Sasha.

Earlier, Obama had revealed that the family wanted a rescue dog, but also needed a hypoallergenic puppy because of Malia''s allergies.

According to him, they have finally narrowed their choices to the two medium-sized breeds.

Lahore, Jan 12 : Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has said that PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif would have been Pakistan President right now if he had approached his party after the February 18 elections.

Speaking during a luncheon hosted by the PML-Q for the Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) office-bearers, Shujaat said the process of unification between various factions of the Muslim League was in progress, adding any alliance should be made on the basis of equality.