Dubai

Injured Williams still hopes to play Barclays event

Serena WilliamsDubai, UAE  - World number one Serena Williams withdrew with a right knee injury before a Saturday Paris semi-final but said she hopes to be fit for next week's appearance in Dubai.

The Australian Open champion was to have faced Russian Elena Dementieva at the GDF tournament in Paris. But Williams said she felt something in her knee and withdrew as a precaution.

"I didn't feel well during the warm-up this morning, my knee hurt," said the American. "I'm extremely disappointed."

Williams said the first noticed the problem during her Friday quarter-final win over Emilie Loit.

Two Baghdad blasts kill at least 16 people

Hungary, Bulgaria and South Korea to pull out of Iraq Baghdad- Two blasts in Baghdad killed at least 16 people and wounded at least 43 more, in the most deadly of a series of attacks that rocked Iraq on Wednesday, the Dubai-based al-Arabiya satellite network reported.

The twin Baghdad blasts followed an attack in the northern city of Mosul, some 400 kilometres north of Baghdad.

ICC not to tolerate doping scandals to tarnish cricket’s image

International Cricket Council (ICC) LogoDubai, Feb. 11 : Shortly after the Indian Premier League (IPL) slapped a year long ban on Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif , the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday said that it would not tolerate doping scandals in the sport.

ICC's Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said the apex international cricket body maintains a zero tolerance on doping.

The ICC also confirmed that it had received notification about Asif's ban from IPL, and it expects other members of the Council to respect it.

Second ICC Broadcaster and Sponsor Forum ends in Dubai

ICC LogoDubai, Feb. 11 : The second annual two-day ICC Broadcaster and Sponsor Forum was held in Dubai this week.

The forum brought together all ICC's major commercial partners - ESPN STAR Sports, Reliance Mobile, LG Electronics, Pepsico, Yahoo!, Emirates Airline and Reebok - as well as the ICC's main suppliers and service providers.

The theme of the forum was partnerships and ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat told the meeting that it was incumbent on the ICC to forge successful partnerships with the commercial sector.

Media accreditation process opens for ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier

ICC LogoDubai, Feb. 10 : The accreditation process for all members of the media intending to cover the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier (CWCQ) is now open.

Members of the media who wish to carry out their work at the event are urged to submit their applications before the close of business on Friday 20 February 2009 (Dubai time).

The tournament will see the world's top 12 Associate and Affiliate teams compete at nine venues in 19 days from 1 to 19 April. Three of the nine grounds - at Benoni, Potchefstroom and Centurion - are ODI-accredited venues.

Collision sets tanker on fire in Dubai port

Dubai - A gas tanker burst into flames after it collided with a container ship off the coast of Dubai on Tuesday, the Emirates News Agency WAM reported.

The ship, which the news agency identified as the "Kashmir," collided with a container ship about 5 kilometres from the Jabil Ali port, which is about 35 kilometres south-west of Dubai.

A spokesman for the Dubai ports authority DP World told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that the collision took place at 12:23 pm (0823 GMT). He said he was unable to confirm the name or the owners of either of the two ships involved.

Two crewmen were rescued from the water with light injuries, the spokesman said, and no one else was injured.

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