Steve Smith insists he does not feel "hard done by" after the West Indies' Nicholas Pooran received a four-match ban for ball-tampering compared to the master Australian batsman's year-long suspension.
The talented Pooran was last week suspended by the International Cricket Council for four Twenty20 internationals for "changing the condition of the ball" in a one-day match against Afghanistan in India.
Smith and David Warner were exiled by Cricket Australia for a year, while Cameron Bancroft was suspended for nine months, for their part in a plot to use sandpaper to alter the ball during a Test against South Africa last year.
Smith said he had no issues with the wide disparity in the punishments.
"Everyone is different, every board is different, and the way they deal with certain issues," he told reporters ahead of the opening Test against Pakistan in Brisbane this week -- his first Test at home since the tampering scandal.
"For me, I copped it on the chin... it is what it is.
"I ...

Smith has no problem with short ban for ball-tamperer Pooran

PTI Automatic

Every member of the Internationals team wants to take on Tiger Woods at the Presidents Cup, with assistant captain Geoff Ogilvy suggesting Australians Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith and former number one Jason Day are frontrunners.
Woods will be playing captain when he leads a star-studded United States against the Internationals skippered by Ernie Els in the biennial team match-play showdown at Royal Melbourne from December 12-15.
Australian Ogilvy, who played in three Presidents Cups, said all of the 12-man had put their hand up to face the 15-time major winner, but favoured one of his fellow Australians to take on Woods.
"Jason (Day) can clearly hang with Tiger and go down the stretch with him," Ogilvy, who with Els was a member of the losing International team at Royal Melbourne in 2011, told the Melbourne Herald Sun.
"But Cam and Leish, they have really stood up the last couple of years and they are so bought into this. Cam is bouncing out of his skin. We have 12 great players, ...

Internationals all fancy Presidents Cup crack at US captain Woods

Sydney was shrouded in dangerous haze Tuesday as smoke from bushfires blazing along Australia's eastern seaboard sent pollution levels soaring in the country's biggest city.
Official data showed that pollution had reached "hazardous" levels across Sydney, with the highest readings of PM 2.5 particulates in the city's northwest reaching 186 parts per million on the air quality index -- comparable to Delhi -- and residents warned to avoid outdoor exercise.
The usually blue skies of the harbour city turned a miserable grey, with world-famous landmarks the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge dulled against the skyline.
Although the smog had begun to ease under the midday sun, it would increase again on Tuesday evening, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
"Sydney is also known as the 'big smoke' and is living up to the nickname today," the weather forecaster tweeted.
The New South Wales state environmental health director Richard Broome said the fine particles in smoke could irritate the ...

Smoke haze blankets Sydney as bushfire threat rises

Hong Kong's chief executive said Tuesday that protesters occupying a city centre university had no option but to surrender if there were to be a peaceful resolution to a three-day standoff.
"This objective could only be achieved with the full cooperation of the protesters, including of course the rioters that they have to stop violence, give up the weapons and come out peacefully and take the instructions from the police," she told a press conference in her first comments on the siege.

Hong Kong leader says campus protesters must surrender

Police in London on Friday said they were investigating an assault after a Hong Kong minister fell to the ground as she was jostled by demonstrators.
Justice secretary Teresa Cheng had been due to give a lecture at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) in Bloomsbury Square, central London, on Thursday evening.
But the CIArb said the event was cancelled because "whilst entering the building (Cheng) was assaulted by a crowd".
It added: "As a result she sustained an injury to her arm."
Video of the incident circulating on social media shows Cheng being surrounded by jeering pro-democracy protesters, who followed her through the streets near the CIArb headquarters.
She fell to the ground and was then escorted away.
China called the incident an "appalling attack" and urged London to provide better security.
The CIArb said it was "committed to peacefully resolving conflict and deplores the use of violence, particularly to a guest to the United Kingdom".
The Metropolitan Police said 

London police launch assault probe after HK minister injured

Iraq will be deeply marked by weeks of demonstrations demanding sweeping reform, its top Shiite cleric said on Friday in some of his strongest remarks yet on the protest movement.
In his weekly sermon delivered by a representative in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani piled pressure on authorities to enact sweeping reforms in response to the deadly demonstrations.
"If those in power think that they can evade the benefits of real reform by stalling and procrastination, they are delusional," Sistani said.
"What comes after these protests will not be the same as before, and they should be aware of that." Protests erupted on October 1 in an outpouring of anger over high unemployment  and widespread corruption but have escalated into demands for root-and-branch reform of the political system.
Sistani, 89, cautiously backed the demonstrators when they first took to the streets, calling their demands "legitimate." But he has firmed up his backing in recent days and .

Iraq 'will never be the same' after protests: top Shiite cleric

A new Airbus plane will be sent back to engineers in France following complaints of a "smell of wet sock" from cabin crew in the Pacific island territory of New Caledonia.
The Airbus A330neo came into service on October 4 as part of a fleet renewal at Air Caledonie International (ACI), the french territory's international airline.
However "a smell of 'wet sock' has repeatedly inconvenienced crew members during take off and landing", ACI's general manager Didier Tappero told AFP.
An investigation was carried out and identified oil fumes.
According to an Airbus report sent to the company, the analysis indicated that the air quality in the cabin was in accordance with international guidelines and below the toxicity threshold, ACI said.
However, blood samples were taken from the flight crew who inhaled the bad smell.
The Airbus A330neo, one of two in ACI's fleet, has been grounded for two weeks and will shortly be sent to Airbus' workshops in Toulouse.
"We are working on a solution to ...

Airbus plane winging its way to France after 'wet sock' complaint

At least 50 Sri Lankan election officials at the capital Colombo's main counting centre were admitted to hospital on Friday with food poisoning on the eve of presidential polls, officials said.
Hospital spokeswoman Pushpa Soysa said the 50 men and women were being treated at the National Hospital after a meal at the centre, responsible for tallying hundreds of thousands of votes.
"We have 50 officials at the moment," Soysa said. "They are being treated for food poisoning." Police said an investigation was under way just a day before Sri Lanka votes in what has become a closely fought presidential election.
Officials said that reserve staff would be brought in if the 50 remain sick.  Campaigning ended on Wednesday night, but police reported sporadic violence, including the stabbing of an author who had published a book on corruption under the former regime.
Over 150,000 officials have been deployed to conduct the election at 12,600 polling booths and nearly 50 counting centres ...

Food poisoning hits Sri Lanka officials ahead of vote

Rebels have killed six members of the same family in eastern DR Congo, local officials said on Friday, more than two weeks after the Congolese army announced an offensive to root out insurgents.
Officials said a man and his five children had been killed and three other people injured in the assault late Thursday in the Beni region, an area plagued by armed groups.
Local administrator Donat Kibwana blamed the attack on an Islamist-inspired rebel group, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) -- a militia of Ugandan origin that has long operated in the border region in North Kivu province.
The shadowy group -- a legacy of the Congo Wars of the 1990s and 2000s -- has been accused of killing hundreds of civilians over the past five years.
"The situation is currently tense. We are calming the population down," Kibwana said, adding that the attack had taken place in Oicha, around 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the Ugandan border.
Local army spokesman Major Mak Hazukay confirmed that six members ..

DR Congo rebels kill six members of same family

Lebanese protesters who have been demanding radical reform reacted with anger Friday to the reported designation of a new prime minister they regard as emblematic of a failed political system.
According to senior officials speaking on condition of anonymity and Lebanese press reports, key political players agreed that Mohammed Safadi should be tasked with forming the next government.
Outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned on October 29, nearly two weeks into the unprecedented nationwide protests demanding the wholesale removal of a ruling elite seen as corrupt and incompetent.
President Michel Aoun has said he will support the formation of a government including technocrats but he has not yet announced consultations over a new line-up and there was no official confirmation that Safadi had been designated.
Demonstrators in his hometown of Tripoli wasted no time in rejecting Safadi, however, and gathered in front of one of his properties to protest against a reported nomination ...

Lebanon protesters angered by PM pick

Iran imposed petrol rationing and raised pump prices by 50 per cent or more on Friday, in a new move to cut costly subsidies that have fuelled high consumption and rampant smuggling.
The Islamic republic provides some of the most heavily subsidised petrol in the world, with the pump price previously standing at just 10,000 rials (less than nine US cents) a litre.
Each driver with a fuel card will now have to pay 15,000 rials (13 US cents) per litre for the first 60 litres of petrol bought each month, the state-run National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company said.
Each additional litre will be charged at 30,000 rials.
Fuel cards were first introduced in 2007 with a view to reforming the subsidies system and curbing large-scale smuggling.
The head of Iran's Planning and Budget Organisation, Mohmmad Bagher Nobakht, said the proceeds from the price hike will be used to provide additional subsidies for 60 million people in need.
He said President Hassan Rouhani had insisted that ...

Iran moves on ultra-cheap petrol

A Turkish investor has acquired Intourist, one of Russia's largest tour operators and former Soviet monopolist, from collapsed travel group Thomas Cook Group, the Russian company said Friday.
Neset Cockar, "the second largest shareholder in the Thomas Cook Group, has today announced the signing of an agreement to acquire Intourist from the Thomas Cook Group," Intourist said in a statement, not revealing how much the deal was worth.
Cockar, who also owns Turkish tour operator Anex, was quoted as saying: "Once we have recapitalized and restructured Intourist, we intend to share Intourist with the Russian people through an IPO to celebrate its glorious comeback."
Intourist is Russia's oldest tour operator, created by the Soviet authorities in 1929 to organise highly controlled visits to the USSR for foreign visitors. It was privatised in the early 1990s.
Late last year Thomas Cook bought Intourist from billionaire Vladimir Yevtushenkov's Sistema holding firm.
Thomas Cook collapsed in ...

Turkish investor acquires Russia's Intourist from Thomas Cook

Chile announced Friday it will stage a referendum to replace the country's dictatorship-era constitution -- a key demand of protesters after nearly a month of sometimes violent civil unrest.
The current charter, in force since 1980 and enacted by the former military junta of Augusto Pinochet, has been changed numerous times in the years since.
But it does not establish the state's responsibility to provide education and healthcare -- two demands made by millions of Chileans who have taken to the streets.
Lawmakers in Chile's National Congress agreed early Friday to hold the plebiscite in April 2020 after hours of intense negotiations between the governing coalition and opposition parties.
"This agreement is a first step, but it is a historic and fundamental first step to start building our new social pact, and in this the citizenry will have a leading role," said Interior Minister Gonzalo Blumel.
The referendum will ask voters whether the constitution should be replaced and if so, how 

Chile to vote on new constitution in response to protests

China on Friday condemned an incident in which Hong Kong's justice secretary was jostled by masked demonstrators in London, and accused Britain of fuelling pro-democracy unrest.
Teresa Cheng, Hong Kong's deeply unpopular Secretary for Justice, fell while being surrounded by a crowd of jeering pro-democracy protesters as she prepared to attend a speaking event on Thursday night in London.
She regained her feet moments later and was escorted away with no visible signs of injury in video footage of the incident.
But China called it an "appalling attack" and has demanded that Britain offer security protection to the Hong Kong minister.
"If the British side does not change its wrong practices, and continues to add fuel to the fire, sow discord and instigate others, and make false countercharges, then it will bring calamity on itself," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular press briefing.
Geng said that failing to act on "anti-China elements" in Hong Kong will not only ...

China says Britain fuelling protests after HK minister jostled

A Japanese man detained by Beijing reportedly on allegations of spying has been released and returned to the country, government officials in Tokyo said on Friday.
Tokyo confirmed last month that a Japanese man in his 40s had been held by Chinese authorities since September on suspicion of violating Chinese laws, without providing details.
Japanese media have identified him as a professor from Hokkaido University who was detained on suspicion of spying.
"We confirmed his return... I'm glad he is back to Japan safely," Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters without disclosing the details of the charges.
"This is a case that Prime Minister (Shinzo) Abe and I strongly pressed on China and this has borne fruit." Late last month, Abe strongly demanded "a positive response from China regarding the detention of a Japanese national" when he met China's vice president Wang Qishan.
The man, who has not been named, previously worked for the National Institute for Defense Studies in ...

Japanese man detained in China freed

Britain's main opposition Labour party on Friday promised free, fast broadband internet for everyone, in an eye-catching pledge for next month's election.
Following on from promises to nationalise the railways, the mail delivery service and water firms, Labour wants to bring the parts of telecoms firm BT that deal with broadband into public ownership.
"The internet has become such a central part of our lives. It opens up opportunities for work, creativity, entertainment and friendship," said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
"What was once a luxury is now an essential utility. That's why full-fibre broadband must be a public service, bringing communities together, with equal access, in an inclusive and connected society."
But Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative party called it a "fantasy plan", while a technology lobby group said it would be a "disaster" for the industry.
Labour says there would be a one-off cost to establish the network of GBP 20.3 billion (23.7 billion euros, USD 

UK Labour promises free broadband for all

Heavy snowfall  across a large swath of southeast France has left one person dead and cut power to some 300,000 homes, with icy conditions snarling train and road traffic Friday.
A 63-year-old man was killed Thursday evening in the Isere department after a snow-laden tree fell on him while he was trying to clear away another downed tree, local officials said.
Grid operator Enedis said 300,000 homes were without electricity Friday, mainly in the Drome, Ardeche, Isere and Rhone departments, which include the cities of Lyon and Grenoble, a spokesman told BFM television.
"It's an exceptional situation because the snow is heavily concentrated in a single area, which is why we have significant damage to our power lines," said the spokesman, Robin Devogelaere.
"We've had trees knocked down, and branches weighed down with snow have frozen and caused short-circuits," he said, adding that treacherous roads were making it hard for teams to reach and fix the cables.
Up to 30 centimetres (one ...

Heavy snow leaves one dead, 300,000 homes without power in France

Thousands of pro-democracy protesters took to Hong Kong's streets Friday, defying a warning by Chinese President Xi Jinping, as a campaign of mass disruption extended into a fifth straight day.
Black-clad protesters also occupied university campuses, while office workers endured another day of transport chaos with suspensions on the vandalised train network and roads blocked by barricades.
Hong Kong has seen relentless protests since June as many in the city of 7.5 million people have vented fury at eroding freedoms under Chinese rule.
Those protests had been mainly in the evenings and on weekends, allowing the international financial hub to still function relatively smoothly during the week albeit with its economy dragged into recession.
With China offering no concessions, protesters switched tactics on Monday when they launched a "blossom everywhere" campaign to cause as much disruption as possible across Hong Kong and overwhelm the police force.
Their actions through the week have .

Thousands in Hong Kong defy Xi with pro-democracy rallies

Chile's interior minister hailed a "historic" decision on Friday to put Chile's dictatorship-era constitution to a national vote -- a key demand by protesters after nearly a month of sometimes violent civil unrest.
"This agreement is a first step, but it is a historic and fundamental first step to start building our new social pact, and in this the citizenry will have a leading role," said Interior Minister Gonzalo Blumel.

Chile referendum decision 'historic': interior minister

Vietnam sentenced a music teacher to 11 years in prison on Friday for Facebook posts that allegedly undermined the one-party state, which has been accused of tightening the noose on online dissent.
Communist Vietnam has long jailed its critics but has come under fire recently for targeting users on Facebook, a popular forum for activists in the country where all independent media is banned.
Nguyen Nang Tinh is the latest activist jailed for his Facebook comments, including posts about a Taiwanese steel firm that dumped toxic sludge into the ocean, killing masses of fish in central Vietnam.
He also wrote about police brutality and land rights -- both flashpoint issues in Vietnam.
Authorities accused the college music teacher of posting "hostile thoughts" and "profound anti-government material" on social media.
The 42-year-old was sentenced to 11 years for "producing, disseminating or spreading information and documents aimed at undermining" Vietnam, his lawyer Nguyen Van Mieng told AFP 

Vietnam jails music teacher for 'undermining' state

South African Airways workers on Friday embarked on an indefinite strike for higher wages and against the national carrier's retrenchment plan, forcing the cash-trapped airline to ground hundreds of flights.
The strike has forced South Africa's largest carrier to cancel more than 200 domestic, regional and international flights between Friday and Saturday.
The company has asked travellers who had flights booked between Friday and Saturday not to turn up at airports and offered them a chance to rebook for free or to fly on other flights operated by partner airlines.
More than 3,000 workers, including cabin crew, check-in, ticket sales, technical and ground staff, are taking part in the open-ended, according to unions.
Hundreds of placard-waving workers picketed near O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg - one of the continent's busiest airport - singing and dancing.
"We will continue with the strike (until demands are met)," Sifiso Mabena, an aircraft mechanic at the airport 

AFP

AFP

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