Jason Roy is expected to be the high-profile omission from England's T20I squad for next month's tour of Pakistan, and thereafter the T20 World Cup in Australia in October, after failing to emerge from a season-long form slump.
Roy, 32, was an integral influence within the white-ball dressing-room under Eoin Morgan's leadership, and a mainstay of the side from the moment of his debut in the wake of the 2015 World Cup. His uncompromising aggression at the top of the order has yielded nearly 5,500 white-ball runs in 171 appearances, including 1,522 at 24.15 and a strike rate of 137.61 in T20Is, and has been crucial in dictating the team's proactive approach - one that ultimately delivered glory at the 2019 50-over World Cup.
However, Roy has struggled for form this summer, with just 78 runs at 12.66 in six T20Is, and at a subdued strike rate of 77.55. A century in the third ODI against Netherlands in Amstelveen in June boosted his ODI numbers, but he failed to reach fifty in five further appearances against India and South Africa.
England's T20I squads are due to be announced on Friday. Jos Buttler - Morgan's successor - is still recuperating from the calf injury he sustained during Manchester Originals' Hundred captain, and will only come into contention for the second half of the tour, with Moeen Ali likely to deputise at the start of the series. Roy, however, is understood to have informed his Oval Invincibles team-mates that he has missed out on selection.
Given the huge regard with which Roy is held in England's white-ball set-up, he could have rescued his place in the team with a strong showing for Invincibles in this year's Hundred. However, he began his campaign disastrously with three ducks in four innings, while his haul of 51 runs at 8.50 culminated in a tortuous 21 from 19 balls against Birmingham Phoenix.
He missed Invincibles' last two matches of the competition after suffering stiffness in his lower back, including Wednesday night's decisive loss to Originals at Old Trafford, and finds his place in the England squad for the Pakistan tour taken by his domestic opening partner, Will Jacks, whose impressive run of form included a century against Southern Brave. Another of Roy's Invincibles team-mates, Jordan Cox - a star of Kent's T20 Blast victory last summer - is also understood to be under consideration as a potential bolter for that trip.
Will Smeed, who scored the Hundred's first century - also against Brave - is another name in the frame but it is Phil Salt who seems most likely to get first crack at replacing him, initially in Pakistan and then in Australia.
Among the current incumbents, Dawid Malan's stellar returns at the top of the order for Trent Rockets - a tournament-high 358 runs at 59.66 and a strike-rate of 172.11 - are likely to earn him a promotion to open at some stage of the Pakistan tour after his prolonged run at No. 3 in England's T20I side.
Alex Hales, Malan's opening partner at Rockets, and a player who has been blackballed by England ever since he failed two recreational drugs tests on the eve of the 2019 World Cup, has also been mentioned for a recall. After several years of impressive displays on the global T20 circuit, Hales this summer became the first English player to pass 10,000 runs in the format.
However, even with Morgan - his most ardent critic - now retired, a rapprochement under the new regime of Buttler and Matthew Mott seems an outside bet. It is understood no discussions have taken place between Hales and the England set-up, and there is little appetite for Hales to be recalled among senior players in the group.
Another likely absentee from the Pakistan squad will be England's Test captain, Ben Stokes, who retired from ODI cricket this summer in a bid to focus on the other two international formats. His immediate priority, however, is the forthcoming Test series decider against South Africa at the Kia Oval next week, which concludes just days before the team is due to depart for their seven-match tour of Pakistan.
On the bowling front, the uncapped left-arm quick Luke Wood is likely to make his England debut in Pakistan, having been an unused squad member in the Netherlands earlier this year. He has bowled with pace and penetration throughout Rockets' run to the Hundred final, with nine wickets at 24.33, and is likely to be among an abundance of seam options in an enlarged, 19-man squad.
Mark Wood, who has missed the whole English summer through injury, is also in line for his comeback and will train with the Test squad at the Kia Oval this week as part of his preparation. A 19-man squad to tour Pakistan will be named on Friday morning, along with a 15-man squad (plus three reserves) for the T20 World Cup and the three Australia T20Is which precede it. Among those reserves will be Tymal Mills, who featured in the last T20 World Cup in the UAE but has been out of action since undergoing toe surgery earlier this month.
Former World Champion Ye Zhaoying has made a shocking revelation against the Chinese Olympic Committee, saying that she was asked to lose the 2000 Sydney Olympics semifinal against the eventual champion Gong Zhichao for China to have a better chance to bag a gold medal.
Zhaoying reckons that it was a conspiracy against the Denmark women’s singles player Camilla Martin in China’s pursuit of a gold medal.
"They told me it was important that no one could see that I was losing deliberately," Zhaoying said while talking to TV 2 Sport.
"You feel so powerless because it’s just you against the whole system. The Olympic Games are almost a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an athlete, and it feels so desperately tragic when you have to throw it all away. But I’m just one person, and there was nothing I could do against the system.
"If I had won my semi-final and then gone on to lose to Camilla in the final, all of China would have considered me a traitor. My previous victories would have been meaningless, had I not won gold. Everything was about the Olympics,” she added.
"The only thought was to ensure the country’s success. The Olympics is the most important tournament for China. Not just for the players, but especially for the coaches and top management of the Chinese Sports Association. They told me that it must not be too obvious that I lost on purpose. I was also not allowed to make Gong Zhichao tired and I was going to lose in two sets. The match was not allowed to go to the third game, because then Zhichao would be too exhausted," Zhaoying revealed.
In a press release, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) said it “can’t comment on specific details related to this historic incident” but that measures were in place to combat corruption.
“Accusations of this nature are something we consider very seriously,” said BWF president Thomas Lund in the statement.
“Match manipulation of any kind is not tolerated in badminton. We are committed to protecting the integrity of the sport by putting in place very robust measures for monitoring and investigating acts of match manipulation.”
Lund said the federation needed to remain “vigilant” in its attempt to keep the sport clean, while encouraging individuals to come forward through the BWF’s ‘whisteblower’ system.
The interview with the Chinese player was conducted in Malaga, Spain, where Ye lives in exile with her husband, former Chinese soccer star Hao Haidong.
--- ENDS ---
Mandatory cookies are used on our website www.aa.com.tr in order to provide you with a better service. These cookies cannot be disabled via the "Cookie Control Panel". You can view the cookies used on our site via the "Cookie Control Panel" and change your preferences.
Necessary Cookies
This cookie is used to distinguish between humans and bots. This is beneficial for the web site, in order to make valid reports on the use of their web site.
Functional Cookies
Remembers the user's selected language version of a website.
Performance/Analytical Cookies
Registers a unique ID that is used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the website.Used by Google Analytics to throttle request rate.
Advertising/Marketing Cookies
This cookie is used to collect information on consumer behavior, which is sent to Alexa Analytics. (Alexa Analytics is an Amazon company.)
For the first time, researchers have used historical imagery to reconstruct a visual timeline of Switzerland's glaciers, which they found lost half of their volume between 1931 and 2016. In the past six year's alone, they lost another 12% of their volume.
And in the 85 years ending in 2016, Switzerland's glaciers lost an area the size of Manhattan every ten years.
The before-and-after imagery is stunning.
The analysis, conducted by scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, resulted in a striking visual contrast between Switzerland's glaciers today and what they looked like nearly a century ago.
Given the record-high temperatures that enveloped vast swaths of the Northern Hemisphere this summer, Daniel Farinotti, a glaciologist and co-author of the study, told CNN that he expects this year's glacier loss will be the worst.
"The year 2022 is extreme — not only have we had a very snow-poor winter, we also had an extremely warm summer, and this combination is truly the worst case," Farinotti said. "We expect this year's losses to be larger than the ones experienced in 2003, which so far was the 'record year,' in the negative sense, for glacier mass loss."
Glacier loss causes ecoystem loss across plants and animals. It also affects the landscape's appearance and impacts local tourism. And, importantly, glaciers are a critical source of fresh water for drinking and agriculture that disappears as the ice recedes.
"If glaciers were to disappear entirely, various regions might face issues related to water supplies — especially during summers such as we have had and are still having this year," said Farinotti.
Farinotti said researchers expect to see another 60% loss in glacier mass by the end of the century — even if the world meets the climate targets set by the 2015 Paris Agreement.
"If climate change were to continue unabated, we might well find ourselves with European Alps that are virtually ice-free," Farinotti warned.
Biden Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm suggested in a recent interview that the United States’ green energy push will be the "greatest peace plan" in world history.
"If we want to be energy secure and energy independent, that means we've got to produce our own energy," Granholm said in an interview with VOA News on Friday. "My counterpart in Ireland, the energy minister there, has said that no one has ever weaponized access to the sun. No one has ever weaponized the wind. Perhaps a move to clean energy will be the greatest peace plan the world has ever known."
Granholm’s comment immediately received criticism from conservatives on Twitter and was highlighted in a post from an account operated by the Republican National Committee.
"The war in Ukraine and ensuing energy crisis were entirely brought about by 'clean energy' and climate idiocy," author and Fox News contributor Steve Milloy responded. "Lying. Airhead."
ENERGY SEC. GRANHOLM CLAIMS BAN ON RUSSIAN OIL PROVES ‘WE CAN’T RELY ON THE VOLATILITY OF FOSSIL FUELS’
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington.
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Granholm’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Granholm has referenced the conversation with her Irish counterpart in the past including an instance in April that prompted Republican Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers to call her out on Twitter for a "dangerous" line of thinking.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Nov. 23, 2021, in Washington.
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
SPECIAL COUNSEL RULES BIDEN'S ENERGY SECRETARY VIOLATED HATCH ACT
In the interview, Granholm said that the increasing oil production is what the administration is calling for "right now" but "ultimately we've got to move to clean."
"That's what the bill that the president signed yesterday, for the United States, it is the largest commitment to combating climate change of any country in the world," Granholm said, referring to the recently signed spending bill passed through Congress by Democrats. "It's by 10 the largest bill that we've ever passed in the United States to combat climate change. So it is so important for our energy security. And I know our European allies are trying to do the same."
U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm attends the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, November 4, 2021.
(Reuters/Phil Noble/File Photo)
Granholm was asked if the upcoming winter months will be "difficult" for Europe given efforts to cut back on Russian energy dependence that many fear will cause an energy crisis as temperatures drop and more Europeans require heating.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"I think it will be," Granholm said, adding that NATO allies are united in their opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and will not back down on the effort to "wean" off of Russian fuel.
"There's no doubt it's going to be an expensive winter," Granholm said. "I know that the European leaders are looking for how they can alleviate the pain for real people in these increases in prices. But I know ultimately, they are determined to move away from Russian fuels and toward clean energy."
Andrew Mark Miller is a writer at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.
"We are not a strong side when it comes to T20 matches, and to do something about that, we have decided to bring drastic changes in our thought process and mentality," Hassan said. "'We want to start anew from the Asia Cup, and if we don't do it now, we will face even worse results in the World Cup. We have done appallingly in the last T20 World Cup. We don't know if we can get out of the circle of substandard results in T20 games. Since the Asia Cup is the biggest stage after the World Cup, we will try to change our way of playing and bring results."
More than a million fans are expected to visit the Gulf nation, where organisers hold a trial of what is being touted as "the most complex transport operations ever mounted for a major sporting event."
Oganisers mimicked the schedule for the busiest days of the tournament when about 300,000 fans could be in Doha at the same time.
(AFP)
World Cup organisers have sent 1,300 buses onto the streets of Qatar's capital Doha in a test of what they have called one of the most elaborate transport operations ever mounted for an international event.
"This is the most complex transport operations ever mounted for a major sporting event," said Ahmad al Obaidly, chief operating officer of Mowasalat, on Thursday.
Mowasalat operates Qatar's bus and taxi services.
In the first scrutiny of their years of preparations, organisers mimmicked the schedule for the busiest days of the tournament when about 300,000 fans could be in Doha at the same time.
Amid sweltering summer heat, hundreds of air-conditioned but mainly empty buses went out to stadiums, metro stations and pickup points.
At the Al Wakra metro station in the Doha suburbs, more than 1,000 Mowasalat drivers pretended to be fans to be ferried to the Al Janoub stadium five kilometres away.
The Al Bayt stadium, where the opening game will be held on November 20, does not have its own metro station.
With more than one million people expected to descend on the tiny Gulf state for the tournament, the government is taking no chances with their multi-billion dollar preparations.
And getting the football hordes around the city and between the eight stadiums promises to be one of the biggest challenges.
Hundreds of buses without passengers plied the 25 kilometres to the nearest station in the new city of Lusail, as they will when they take England and US fans to their match.
The buses even made the return journey after midnight to copy conditions for the Group B late night game.
"We want to make sure our plans are going in the right direction," said Thani Al Zarraa, mobility operations director for the Qatar organisers.
Obaidly said 3,000 buses had been purchased and there would be more than 4,000 on the streets for the World Cup.
The company has also doubled its number of drivers to 14,000 for the event. Most have been brought in from South Asia and Africa.
They have been trained in "defensive driving" to avoid on-the-road hazards and there are "contingency plans" for troublesome spectators, the executive said.
Each bus also has five CCTV cameras monitored at a central command centre for troublemakers.
After the tournament, Qatar's older buses will be given away and as part of its World Cup legacy, it will be "one of the first countries in the world to have a pure electric public transportation service," said Obaidly.
Al Zarraa advised visiting fans to plan their trips in advance and "be patient". But the bus company chief promised: "No fan will be left behind."
Andre Russell has insisted he still wants to win "another World Cup - or two more - for West Indies" and that he still has ambitions to play international cricket.
Russell has not played for West Indies since the T20 World Cup in November 2021. Last week, he responded to head coach Phil Simmons' suggestions that he should not be "begging" players to make themselves available for international cricket, writing "I know this was coming but am gonna stay quiet!!!" with four 'angry' emojis in a since-deleted Instagram post.
Russell, who is currently in England playing for Manchester Originals in the Hundred, was asked about his situation by Daren Sammy, the former West Indies captain, during Sky Sports' build-up to their game against Welsh Fire on Tuesday night.
"I'm going to be quiet," Russell said, "because at the end of the day, we had a discussion, and the discussion was very clear. So now, making me look bad, throwing me under the bus… I was expecting it. I'm going to stay quiet, Daren, to be honest."
But Russell did respond when Sammy asked if he still wanted to play for West Indies, saying: "Of course, of course. The maroon is all over.
"Honestly, I have two franchise hundreds and I wish those hundreds were actually playing for West Indies. I don't regret saying this just now. I really enjoyed playing for Jamaica Tallawahs but those two hundreds, it would be more special coming in international cricket.
"I always want to play and give back. But at the end of the day, if we are not agreeing on certain terms, you terms is my terms [sic], and they have to respect my terms as well. At the end of the day, it is what it is. We have families and we have to make sure that we give our best opportunity while we have one career.
"It's not like I can start over again. I'm 34 and I want to win another World Cup - or two more - for West Indies because at the end of the day, I'm here now, and I'm just taking it day by day."
Russell will leave the Hundred next week to play in the CPL for Trinbago Knight Riders, and Desmond Haynes, West Indies' lead selector, has suggested that performances in that tournament will be a major factor in World Cup selection. "If there is a competition that is run by the West Indies [and] somebody is playing well, I think his name should really come up for selection," he said last week.
The actress, speaking to Insider, said she was paid "so much less" than her co-star Chris Pratt for their work in the "Jurassic World" films, released in 2015, 2018 and 2022.
"When I started negotiating for 'Jurassic,' it was 2014, and it was a different world, and I was at a great disadvantage," she said. "And, unfortunately, you have to sign up for three movies, and so your deals are set."
Eventually, she said, she discussed the disparity with Pratt, who took action to get his co-star equal terms on other franchise-related opportunities, like games and theme park rides.
"He literally told me: 'You guys don't even have to do anything. I'm gonna do all the negotiating. We're gonna be paid the same, and you don't have to think about this, Bryce,'" Howard said. "And I love him so much for doing that. I really do, because I've been paid more for those kinds of things than I ever was for the movie."
CNN has reached out to Howard's representative for further comment.
In the films, Howard stars as Claire Dearing, the Jurassic World operations manager, and Pratt plays Owen Grady, a Velociraptor expert and dinosaur handler.
"Jurassic World: Dominion," the sixth film in the Jurassic Park franchise, brought in an estimated $143.3 million in its opening weekend.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in his address largely focused on the damages Japan suffered on its turf, including the US atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and massive firebombings across the country.
Some 900 participants observed a minute of silence at noon during the ceremony held at the Budokan arena.
(Reuters)
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has renewed Japan's no-war pledge at a sombre ceremony to mark his country's 77th anniversary of its World War II defeat.
In his first address as prime minister since taking office in October, Kishida said on Monday Japan will “stick to our resolve to never repeat the tragedy of the war."
Kishida did not mention Japanese aggression across Asia in the first half of the 20th century or the victims in the region.
Kishida largely focused on the damages Japan suffered on its turf — the US atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, massive firebombings across Japan and the bloody ground battle on Okinawa.
He said the peace and prosperity that the country enjoys today is built on the suffering and sacrifices of those who died in the war.
Emperor Naruhito repeated his “deep remorse” over Japan's wartime actions in a nuanced phrase in his speech, like his father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, who devoted his career to making amends for a war fought in the name of the wartime emperor, Hirohito, the current emperor’s grandfather.
A minute of silence
Some 900 participants observed a minute of silence at noon during the ceremony held at the Budokan arena.
The crowd was reduced from about 5,000 before the pandemic, participants were asked to wear masks, and there was no singing of the national anthem.
While Kishida on Monday stayed away from praying at the Yasukuni Shrine and sent a religious ornament instead, three of his Cabinet members visited — Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi and Disaster Reconstruction Minister Kenya Akiba earlier Monday and Trade and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura on Saturday.
“I paid respects to the spirits of those who sacrificed their lives for the national policy,” Takaichi told reporters, adding that she also prayed so that there will be no more war dead in Ukraine.
Victims of Japanese actions during the first half of the 20th century, especially China and the Koreas, see the shrine as a symbol of Japanese militarism because it honours convicted war criminals among about 2.5 million war dead.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, on Sunday after Nishimura’s visit, criticised it as "Japanese government’s erroneous attitude toward historical issues."
Wang urged Japan to “deeply reflect on its history of aggression, properly handle relevant issues with a sense of responsibility and win the trust of its Asian neighbours and the larger international community through concrete actions.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L), US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. — Twitter/@RusEmbPakistan/@SecBlinken/AFP/File
As Pakistan celebrates its 75th Independence Day on Sunday wishes from world leaders and foreign dignitaries poured in to commemorate the country’s diamond jubilee.
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated his counterpart Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on the occasion. In his message, President Putin wished for “Pakistan’s success in economic and social development, well-earned respect possessed by it on international arena.”
United States’ Secretary of State Antony Blinken in his message offered best wishes to the people of Pakistan.
“For more than seven decades, the US and Pakistan have worked together in partnership […] I look forward to strengthening our relationship in years to come as we look for opportunities to advance our shared goals of security, stability, and prosperity in South Asia.”
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also sent their wishes for the Pakistani nation and congratulated PM Shahbaz and President Alvi.
UAE’s President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Deputy Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also extended their congratulatory messages to the PM and President of Pakistan.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, in a statement, also wished Pakistan and Canadian-Pakistanis on the auspicious occasion citing that his nation celebrates the strong bonds that unite Canadian and Pakistani people.
“Canada and Pakistan enjoy a longstanding relationship, and this year also marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries. We remain committed to fighting climate change, advancing women's empowerment, and promoting regional peace and stability,” Trudeau stated.
Chinese ambassador in Pakistan Nong Rong tweeted a video sharing the bilateral ties and friendship shared by both nations through the years.
Taking to Twitter German Ambassador-Designate Alfred Grannas and Acting British High Commissioner Andrew Dalgleish also shared video messages for Pakistanis on the special occasion.
“Right now the UK and Pakistan are collaborating to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges from driving forward action on climate change to improving gender equality,” Dalgleish said.
British High Commissioner Christian Turner, shared a letter for Pakistanis on Twitter.
“Our history unites us but does not define our future. The UK and Pakistan are EK Saath,” Turner wrote in his letter.
Special message by the Charge d'Affaires of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Sardar Ahmed Shakeeb was also shared by the Government of Pakistan’s official twitter account.
“Since the establishment of the new Islamic government in Kabul, we have been supporting the vital interests of each other and facilitating close cooperation and affairs of trade, education, culture, health and people-to-people relations,” Shakeeb said, adding that the friendship between people of both the nations are “strengthening with each passing day”.
Australian envoy Neil Hawkins dressed up in green and white celebrated the people-to-people links between the two nations, also emphasising on the passion shared by both country’s for the game of cricket.
Shakib Al Hasan is back in charge for Bangladesh in T20Is, being named captain for the upcoming Asia Cup, New Zealand tri-series and the T20 World Cup.
The BCB made the announcement this afternoon, bringing to an end the uncertainty of the past couple of weeks, when Shakib was told by the board to choose between playing for Bangladesh or keeping his endorsement with a "betting company". Shakib had duly ended his deal with Betwinner News. It is understood that he is likely to be asked to stay on as a long-term captain in the format. He was appointed Test captain in June after Mominul Haque stepped down.
The BCB also announced a 17-member squad for the Asia Cup, which will be played in the UAE from August 27. Middle-order batter Sabbir Rahman, who last played a T20I in 2019, returns to the squad, while Mushfiqur Rahim, who was rested for the T20I series against Zimbabwe, is also back. While Litton Das misses out due to his hamstring injury, there was no place for Shoriful Islam, Munim Shahriar and Najmul Hossain Shanto.
Allrounder Mohammad Saifuddin returns though his recurring back problem remains a concern, while fast bowler Ebadot Hossain also earns a place. Nurul Hasan has been named in the squad despite a finger injury, but BCB said they are expecting an update on him on August 21.
While Sabbir did not have a great BPL season - where he made 109 runs in six matches - he scored 515 runs at 39.61 average in the Dhaka Premier League one-day tournament. He also caught the eye during the Bangladesh Tigers programme, where a number of fringe players are trained. Sabbir has been sent to the Caribbean to play one-day matches For Bangladesh A against West Indies A. He has played 44 T20Is so far, for 946 runs at an average of 24.89.
"We have seen him [Sabbir] in the domestic T20 side," selector Minhajul Abedin said. "We think he has the experience. We have sent him to play in the one-day series against West Indies A, to give him some game time."
Bangladesh had missed the initial deadline for naming the Asia Cup squad, while the board sorted out the Shakib sponsorship issue. Bangladesh will be one of six teams contesting the main round of the Asia Cup, along with India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and a qualifier. The identity of the qualifier will be known via a qualifying tournament that starts on August 20.
Yunus: 'We have asked Shakib to not commit such a mistake again' Shakib was "misguided" into the deal with Betwinner and vowed not to repeat the "mistake", according to BCB's cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus. Shakib had met with the BCB high-ups, including board president Nazmul Hassan, in Dhaka earlier in the day.
"Shakib admitted his mistake (regarding Betwinner controversy), but he is important for us," Yunus said. "He is still our best player. We had already decided on Shakib being the captain earlier, so we are sticking to it. He thought it was an online news website. He felt he was misguided. He has said he has terminated the (Betwinner) contract. We are hopeful he will not repeat it again. We have asked him not to commit such a mistake again. We have ended the whole thing."
Nurul had taken over in T20Is from long-time white-ball captain Mahmudullah for Bangladesh's previous assignment, in Zimbabwe, before being sidelined by a fractured finger. Mosaddek Hossain then captained the team in the last of three T20Is in Zimbabwe, as Bangladesh went down 2-1.
The T20I tri-series in New Zealand, which also involves the hosts and Pakistan, starts on October 7 and will be Bangladesh's last chance to fine-tune for the T20 World Cup, which is set to be played in Australia in October-November.
Bangladesh's Asia Cup squad: Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Anamul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Mahmudullah, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, Nasum Ahmed, Sabbir Rahman, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Ebadot Hossain, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nurul Hasan, Taskin Ahmed
Popovici had eased into the final earlier with a new European record of 46.98 seconds but today the 17-year-old Romanian double world champion swam 46.86sec.
In June, Popovici became the first man to complete the 100-200m freestyle double at the World Championships in nearly 50 years.
(AFP)
David Popovici broke the men's 100m freestyle world record to win gold at the European Championships in Rome.
The 17-year-old Romanian double world champion swam 46.86sec on Saturday to slice 0.05sec off the old mark set by Brazilian Cesar Cielo in the same pool at the 2009 World Championships in the era of buoyant body suits.
The fastest time in a textile suit had been 46.96 set by American Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel at the 2019 World Championships.
Hungary's Kristof Milak was second on Saturday with Italy's Alessandro Miressi third.
Popovici had eased into the final on Friday with a new European record of 46.98 seconds.
Only two other swimmers managed to dip under 48sec on Friday, Milak and Miressi in the other semi-final, but both were some way off Popovici.
In June, Popovici became the first man to complete the 100-200m freestyle double at the World Championships in nearly 50 years.
In a golden summmer, he also won three European junior titles in his home town of Bucharest.
The fastest 100 freestyle in history by the 17-year-old phenom David Popovici. 46.86. Absolutely insane.pic.twitter.com/NDYQiPXalC
Another 17-year-old world champion also added European gold on Saturday.
Italian Benedetta Pilato won the women's 100m breaststroke in 1:05.97, more than a second-and-half outside the world record set by American Lilly King in 2017.
Pilato was followed home by compatriot Lisa Angiolini and Lithuania's Ruta Meilutyte, the 50m world champion.
Pilato imitated her compatriot Federico Poggio, who won the men's 200m breaststroke on Friday.
Italy with the 1️⃣, 2️⃣ finish!
Benedetta Pilato led the Women's 100m Breaststroke heats to qualify with a time of 1:05.77 🇮🇹
Swedish veteran Sarah Sjostrom won the women's 50m butterfly gold for the fifth time in 24.96. The 28-year-old is the only woman to go under 25 seconds in the events in a 50m pool.
France's Marie Wattel won silver in 25.33 with Maaike de Waard of the Netherlands a distant third in 25.62.
Frenchman Yohann Ndoye Brouard won the opening final of the evening when he took the men's 200m backstroke in 1 min 55.62 sec.
Ndoye Brouard had to swim his semi-final twice on Friday because of a problem with his starting block and ended up qualifying on time in an empty pool.
He beat Hungary's Benedek Kovacs in 1:56.03 and England's Luke Greenbank (1:56.15).
Fierce fighting between Moscow and Kiev continues in eastern and southern territories on day 169 of the conflict even as both sides trade blame for imperilling Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant with attacks nearby.
Bombardment near the plant has raised the spectre of a nuclear catastrophe in Ukraine.
(AFP)
Thursday, August 11, 2022
Ukraine calls for end to Russian control of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the international community to "react immediately" to force Russian forces to leave the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant targeted by shelling in recent days.
"The entire world must react immediately to chase out the occupiers from Zaporizhzhia," Zelenskyy said in his daily video address.
"Only the Russians' full withdrawal... would guarantee nuclear safety for all of Europe," he added, condemning "Russian nuclear blackmail".
The bombardment near the plant also occurred last week, raising the spectre of a nuclear catastrophe in a country that suffered the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.
Russia doubles rate of air strikes on Ukraine positions
Russia has doubled the number of air strikes on Ukraine's military positions and civilian infrastructure compared with the previous week, Ukrainian Brigadier General Oleksiy Hromov said.
"The enemy's planes and helicopters avoid flying into the range of our air defences, and therefore the accuracy of these strikes is low," he told a news conference.
Ukraine, Russia blame each other for shelling of nuclear plant
Ukraine and Russia-installed local officials blamed each other for a renewed shelling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power complex in southern Ukraine.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate end to military activity near the plant, the largest in Europe, which Russia seized in March.
Ukraine's nuclear power company Energoatom said the plant's area was struck five times on Thursday, including near the site where radioactive materials are stored, but nobody was injured and radiation levels remained normal.
Satellite images show destruction at Russian air base in Crimea
Released satellite pictures have shown devastation at a Russian air base in Crimea, hit in an attack that suggested Kiev may have obtained new long-range strike capability.
Pictures from independent satellite firm Planet Labs showed three near-identical craters where buildings at Russia's Saki air base had been struck with apparent precision. The base, on the southwest coast of Crimea, suffered extensive fire damage with the burnt-out husks of at least eight destroyed warplanes clearly visible.
Russia has denied aircraft were damaged and said explosions at the base on Tuesday were accidental. Ukraine has not publicly claimed responsibility for the attack or said exactly how it was carried out.
Ukraine and Russia are trading accusations over shelling around a Moscow-controlled nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia that has killed 14 civilians and left thousands of people without electricity.
Donors pledge more than $1.55B for Ukraine -Denmark
A group of 26 countries have pledged more than $1.55 billion in aid to boost Ukraine's military capabilities in its war against Russia, Danish Defence Minister Morten Bodskov told a news conference.
Ukraine expects $3B US financial aid in August
Ukraine expects $3 billion of US financial aid to arrive in August and a further $1.5 billion in September, Finance Minister Sergiy Marchenko has said.
Marchenko said the payments were part of the $7.5 billion financial aid package agreed by Ukraine and the United States at the start of the summer and would be used to finance "critical spending" such as healthcare and pension costs.
Russia claims shooting down Ukrainian helicopter
Russia has claimed that it shot down a Mi-24 military helicopter belonging to the Ukrainian army near the Dnipro region of Ukraine.
In a statement on the Russian-Ukraine conflict, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that the Russian forces continue their attacks on the military elements in Ukraine and that 50 percent of the soldiers of the 14th and 66th mechanised brigades of the Ukrainian armed forces were neutralised.
He said that 20 brigade and battalion command posts and 8 ammunition depots were hit, adding that 1 S-300 anti-aircraft missile system locator near Kramatorsk was also destroyed. The spokesperson said that 7 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were also destroyed over the last 24 hours.
Russia launched a satellite of its ally Iran into orbit, raising concerns across the Western bloc that it could be used on the Ukraine conflict and anti-Iranian military targets in the Middle East. But do those concerns have merit? https://t.co/pT2VWLUQqG
Russia has accused Kiev on the "nuclear terrorism," claiming that Ukrainian shelling of the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant could lead to a disaster worse than the notorious 1986 Chernobyl accident.
On Wednesday, the G-7 and EU voiced concern over the threats posed by Russia's possession of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, urging Moscow to hand over the war-torn country's nuclear facilities to the government in Kiev.
Ukraine and Russian officials blamed each other for the shelling of the power plant.
UK-UAE coordination on Ukraine important for the world - UK
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan on a call that co-operation between the two countries on Ukraine and regional stability was "hugely important for the world", Johnson's spokesperson said.
"The Prime Minister praised the Crown Prince's success in bringing prosperity to both the UAE and the Gulf more generally," the Downing Street spokesperson said.
"He (Johnson) expressed his confidence that this co-operation will continue in the years ahead."
Germany rejects calls for EU ban on tourist visas for Russians
Germany has rejected calls for an EU ban on tourist visas for Russian citizens, stressing that sanctions should not harm innocent people.
“This war is Putin’s war,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz told a news conference in Berlin, adding that EU sanctions should target President Putin and those responsible for the conflict in Ukraine.
“We have adopted far-reacting, concrete sanctions against many Russian officials, oligarchs, and powerful groups in Russia and we’ll certainly continue to take further steps,” he said.
Ukraine exports nearly 400,000 tonnes of grain in the first week following the announcement of a Türkiye-brokered deal to address global food insecurity https://t.co/FEzBNI2dRy
Guatemala hails Turkish diplomacy's role in Ukraine conflict
The foreign minister of Guatemala has praised Türkiye's role as a mediator since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict over five months ago.
"I admire the role played by Turkish diplomacy here (in the Ukraine conflict). I would like to thank the (Turkish) Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mevlut Cavusoglu) as well. They made a very important agreement (the grain deal) and gave hope to the world . This was a very important step for all of us, for Türkiye. You gave hope to the world," Mario Bucaro Flores told Turkish envoys on the fourth day of the 13th Ambassadors Conference in Ankara.
On July 22, Türkiye, the UN, Russia and Ukraine signed a deal in Istanbul to reopen three Ukrainian Black Sea ports for exporting Ukrainian grain stuck due to the conflict.
Britain says sanctions also impact Russia's defence sector
The European Union's full ban on Russian coal imports have kicked in at a time when British defence intelligence said that Western sanctions were increasingly having an impact, even on Russia's defence exports.
Britain said that Moscow was already strained by the need to produce armoured fighting vehicles for its troops in Ukraine and hence “is highly unlikely to be capable of fulfilling some export orders,” in a sector it has long taken pride in.
The British defence intelligence update, highlighting “the increasing effect of Western sanctions,” links with Western belief that the series of measures they imposed on the Kremlin since the February 24 offensive on Ukraine are increasingly having an impact on the Russian economy.
Indian firms are using dirham, yuan and euro more often to pay for Russian coal imports, according to Reuters, circumventing US dollar and avoiding risk of breaching Western sanctions against Moscow https://t.co/LhT5VpzgqC
UK, Denmark to supply additional aid, weapons to Ukraine
Britain and Denmark have announced more aid to Ukraine in the form of money and weapons in connection with an international donor conference in Copenhagen.
Britain in a statement said it will supply Ukraine with more multiple-launch rocket systems that can strike targets up to 80 kilometres away.
British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the supply of weapons would help Ukraine defend itself against Russian heavy artillery.
Denmark will meanwhile increase its financial aid to Ukraine by $113.6 million, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told the conference attended by several European defence ministers.
Latvian parliament declares Russia 'state sponsor of terrorism'
Latvian MPs have adopted a statement declaring Russia a "state sponsor of terrorism" and said its actions in Ukraine constituted "targeted genocide against the Ukrainian people".
The statement said the parliament "recognises Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, and calls on other like-minded countries to express the same view".
MPs said they considered "Russia's violence against civilians committed in pursuit of political aims as terrorism". They also condemned its use of cluster munitions "to sow fear and indiscriminately kill civilians".
UN denies that Ankara received a discount in grain prices from Ukraine under a Türkiye-brokered deal aimed at tackling global food crisishttps://t.co/I22EZQeQTM
Belarus dismisses reported explosions at airfield near Ukraine
Moscow's ally Belarus has played down reports of overnight explosions at a military airbase near the border with Ukraine that is said to be used by Russian troops.
"On August 10, at around 23:00 (2000 GMT), during a test run, a piece of equipment that had its engine replaced caught fire," the Belarusian defence ministry said in a statement.
It added that the fire was extinguished "in a timely manner" and there were no casualties.
Russia: Switzerland cannot represent its interests in Ukraine
The Russian foreign ministry has said that Switzerland could not represent Ukrainian interests in Russia and Moscow's interests in Ukraine because it is no longer a neutral country.
"Switzerland... has stopped being a neutral state and joined sanctions (against Russia)," Russian foreign ministry official Ivan Nechayev said.
Russia-backed separatists claim to have taken Pisky village in northwestern Donetsk. Our correspondent Melinda Nucifora has more from Odessa pic.twitter.com/IpS4yBhR06
Creditors agree to 2-year pause on Ukraine $20B debt
Ukraine's lenders have agreed to a pause for the payment of its $20 billion debt, as its economy has been severely impacted by Russia's attacks on the country, the prime minister has said.
"Investors in Ukraine's foreign debt agreed to postpone payments until 2024. It allows Ukraine to maintain macro-financial stability and strengthen economic sustainability", Denys Shmygal tweeted on Wednesday.
Holders of about 75 percent of Ukraine's debt agreed to the pause, the finance ministry said in a press release.
Pro-Russia rebels: Ukraine shells brewery, causing ammonia leak in Donetsk
Pro-Russian separatists have accused Ukraine of shelling a brewery in the occupied eastern city of Donetsk, killing one person and triggering a leak of ammonia, Interfax news agency reported.
The emergency ministry in the Russian-backed self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic said a shell had hit an ammonia line late at night, sparking a fire that at one point covered 6,500 square feet.
Pictures from the scene showed flames lighting the sky above one part of the city as well as firefighters donning masks. One picture appeared to show a corpse on the ground.
For live updates from Wednesday (August 10), click here
The condition grabbed international attention last week when US President Joe Biden tested positive for the virus six days after testing negative following his first bout of the illness.
The White House said Biden, who is back in isolation, was experiencing a bit of a "loose cough" but did not have a fever and his lungs were "clear."
The President tested positive again after being treated with the antiviral Paxlovid. White House officials had previously suggested a rebound case of Covid was unlikely, based on reports of cases around the country, but Biden's doctors continued to monitor his health and test him.
Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House Covid response coordinator, said clinical data shows the rate of rebound infections is low and noted that even those who suffer them are still generally protected from serious illness.
Biden is not the only high-profile patient to develop the condition. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci also experienced rebound Covid-19. Unlike Biden's, his symptoms got worse when they returned after treatment with Paxlovid, and his doctors prescribed another course of the drug.
Experts have been calling for more systematic research into the instances of rebound to understand who is most at risk and whether the standard five-day course of Paxlovid should be lengthened to prevent it.
Studies have shown that people can pass the infection to others during a rebound, which is another reason to try to understand it better.
The United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health alert to doctors in May about the potential for Covid-19 rebound, saying symptoms sometimes come back, and that may just be how the infection plays out in some people, regardless of whether they're vaccinated or treated with medications like Paxlovid.
The CDC said most cases of rebound involve mild disease and that Paxlovid "continues to be recommended for early-stage treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 among persons at high risk for progression to severe disease."
Pfizer, the company that makes Paxlovid, has said its studies showed rebounds were rare, and that they happened in both people who took the drug and those who took a placebo pill. Because investigators noted the phenomenon in both groups, the company doesn't believe it is tied to the medication.
YOU ASKED. WE ANSWERED.
Q: How does Paxlovid work?
A: Considered a game-changer when it was authorized in December because of its strong performance in lowering the risk of severe Covid-19, Paxlovid -- in combination with vaccines and boosters -- is thought to be one of the best ways to protect people at high risk for severe illness.
The drug suppresses the coronavirus, blocking an enzyme that helps it reproduce inside the body.
As with all antivirals, the treatment is thought to work best if started within five days of the first symptoms appearing.
Clinical trials of Paxlovid showed that it reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by 88% when given within five days of the start of symptoms.
Send your questions here. Are you a health care worker fighting Covid-19? Message us on WhatsApp about the challenges you're facing: +1 347-322-0415.
READS OF THE WEEK
Most US public schools plan to keep masks optional for start of classes
Students are heading to another school year amid the Covid-19 pandemic, but this time, there seem to be fewer discussions and less fretting about masks and other mitigation measures -- despite a rise in infections across the country.
Most of the largest public school districts in the US are not requiring masks for the new school year, making masking optional as students return to classes and the highly transmissible BA.5 subvariant spreads.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Are we making the same mistakes?
The pandemic, which has held the US and almost every other country in its grip, should have taught us valuable lessons about how to manage a public health emergency. But it seems we are making some of the same mistakes with the monkeypox virus that we made not even three years ago when the SARS-CoV-2 virus started to spread.
Testing for monkeypox, once very limited, is now more available, but underused. The demand for vaccines is outpacing the supply. There are nearly 2 million courses of the highly effective TPOXX antiviral sitting in the Strategic National Stockpile, but many health care providers are still having a hard time getting the medication for their patients.
At this time, only 336,710 doses have been shipped to states. Ordering only just began for about 800,000 more doses. This scarcity has created long lines in monkeypox hotspots like New York City, which has the highest number of cases in the country.
Updated Covid-19 booster shots could be available in September
Moderna and Pfizer booster shots updated to target Omicron coronavirus subvariants could be available in the US in the early fall, pending signoff by federal health agencies, the US Department of Health and Human Services said Friday.
The US Food and Drug Administration advised vaccine makers in June to update the boosters to add an Omicron BA.4/5 component and create a bivalent booster that would work for two different strains.
"Pfizer and Moderna have indicated that they anticipate the modified vaccines being available as early as September," an FDA spokesperson said.
TOP TIP
Many children will soon be returning to schools -- while coronavirus cases are still high.
Parents and caregivers have a lot of questions about what precautions they should take. Do kids need to wear masks again? How often should families test kids? What happens if their kids contract Covid-19? How long should they stay out of school? CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen answers the most pressing questions.
The ICC Board has finalised Lord's as the venue for the next two World Test Championship finals in 2023 and 2025. The decision was approved at the ICC's AGM, which concluded on Tuesday in Birmingham. The inaugural WTC final was held in Southampton in 2021 when New Zealand got the better of India in four days. That match was originally scheduled for Lord's, too, but had to be moved to the Ageas Bowl because of Covid-19 restrictions in place at that time.
ICC chair Greg Barclay had indicated in a chat with BBC's Test Match Special earlier this season that Lord's was the preferred option mainly because the WTC final is scheduled in June - both in 2023 and 2025. "It's June so that rules out a number of other venues and we've got to get certainty around where it's hosted," Barclay had said. "We're out of Covid now so subject to arrangements being made and being able to be hosted out of Lord's I think that's the intention."
Nine Full Members (all other than Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan) are part of the WTC which runs over a two-year cycle with each country playing six series - three home and three away. Several teams are still in the race for a place in the 2023 final in this cycle of the WTC.
Meanwhile, former India batter VVS Laxman and former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori have been added to the ICC Men's Cricket Committee which is headed by Ganguly. Both Laxman and Vettori were added as current player representatives while former West Indies allrounder Roger Harper was appointed to the committee as past player representative.
ICC chairman election process tweaked
The ICC Board also approved a change in the process to elect the next chair of the board. That election is due to take place in November 2022 and will now be decided by a simple majority, instead of a two-thirds majority - a system which led to a protracted and fractions process last time. That election brought Barclay to the chair and he is expected to fight for another term. The next chairperson's tenure will run from 1 December 2022 to 30 November 2024.
ICC continues to monitor Afghanistan cricket
The ICC's working group as well as representatives from the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) updated the ICC Board on the situation in the country and specifically on women's cricket. ICC representatives are hoping to meet with ACB and government officials in the coming weeks an ICC release said to take the matter further.
New members
Cambodia, Cote D'Ivoire and Uzbekistan received Associate membership status at the AGM, though Ukraine's application has been deferred until cricket can safely resume in the country. The Ukraine Cricket Federation has been asked to show that it satisfies a couple of clauses of the Membership criteria, including that they have an administrative structure in place that is fit for purpose, and a pathway for women's cricket. Cricket activities have come to a halt in the country because of the continuing Russian invasion.
With the addition of Cambodia, Cote D'Ivoire and Uzbekistan the ICC now has 108 Members in total, including 96 Associates.
Meanwhile, Cricket Russia has had its membership terminated. The board had been suspended at last year's AGM for continued non-compliance since July 2019 on several criteria revolving around the board's governance.
India will host the 2025 Women's World Cup. Bangladesh and England, meanwhile, will host T20 World Cups in 2024 and 2026 respectively, while Sri Lanka, subject to their qualifying for the tournament, will host the inaugural Women's Champions Trophy in 2027. The venues for the four marquee women's global events, which are part of the next cycle of the ICC's Future Tours Programme, were ratified by the ICC Board on Thursday in Birmingham, on the final day of the global cricket body's annual conference.
The venues had been originally shortlisted and recommended by an ICC working group comprising the former New Zealand fast bowler Martin Snedden, who is also chair of New Zealand Cricket, former India captain and current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, Cricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt, and former England Women captain Clare Connor, who is also the acting ECB CEO.
For the first time, the ICC has decided to sell media rights for the women's global events separately from the men's events, and this was the main yardstick for the working group as well as the ICC Board to consider before they made their final choice.
It is no surprise, then, that three countries from the Indian subcontinent were allotted the global events considering the main broadcasters want the event to be played in the Indian time zone.
The 2024 T20 World Cup in Bangladesh will be the first global women's event in the 2023-27 FTP, which, according to an ICC media release published on Tuesday, has been finalised and will be made public later this week. The tournament will feature 10 teams playing a total of 23 matches, and is scheduled to be played in the September-October period. This will be Bangladesh's first global event in a decade, after the country hosted the 2014 men's T20 World Cup.
India will host the Women's ODI World Cup for the fifth time, in 2025, and its first global women's tournament since 2016 when the T20 World Cup ran parallel to the men's event. The 2025 edition is set to be similar to the 2022 edition, with eight teams taking part and playing a total of 31 matches.
Just like it has done with men's cricket, the ICC has decided to increase the number of teams taking part in the T20 World Cup, with 12 teams set to play 33 matches during the 2026 edition, which will be held for the first time in England, one of the countries that has consistently championed women's cricket. In 2017, Heather Knight's England won the ODI World Cup, defeating India in the final in front of a sell-out crowd at Lord's. That match was a turning point in women's cricket as not just the ICC, but also member countries and sponsors, decided to support the sport aggressively. Former England women's captain Clare Connor, the ECB's acting chief executive officer, recounted the 2017 World Cup, saying it had "captured people's imagination" on "that magical day".
Sri Lanka were awarded the hosting rights for the inaugural edition of the Women's Champions Trophy, which is set to be played in 2027, in the T20 format. The six-team tournament, comprising 16 matches, will be played in February 2026. The ICC, though, has said that the tournament could be moved to a different venue in case Sri Lanka fail to qualify. Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva said it was an "an excellent opportunity" to further the growth of women's cricket globally.
