LAHORE // Pakistan cricket on Thursday braced for another storm when former Twenty20 captain Mohammed Hafeez and current one-day captain Azhar Ali refused to train with tainted paceman Mohammed Amir in an ongoing fitness camp.
Hafeez told coach Waqar Younis he would not attend any part of the camp in which Amir will participate, sources close to the matter said.
“Hafeez had talked about his reservations when Amir was included in the camp and after meeting with Waqar. Hafeez told him categorically that he will not attend any part of the camp in which Amir is present,” a source close to Hafeez told Agence France-Presse.
Azhar also backed Hafeez in boycotting the camp staged to train the team for next month’s tour of New Zealand where they will play three one-day internationals and as many Twenty20 internationals.
“Hafeez and I can’t accept Amir’s presence in the camp,” Ali said. “We are firm on our stance but are ready to talk to officials.”
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Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said it was making moves to convince Hafeez and Azhar, adding that it would respond to media in more detail only after meetings are completed.
Amir, along with Salman Butt and Mohammed Asif, was banned from the sport for a minimum of five years in 2011.
The trio were charged for spot-fixing after taking money to arrange deliberate no-balls in the Lord’s Test against England in 2010.
But in September this year the International Cricket Council lifted sanctions against the three players. Amir’s ban was relaxed in January this year and he was allowed to play domestic matches.
He showed remarkable form on his return, taking 22 wickets in the non-first-class event followed by 34 in four qualifying rounds of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy.
He then took 16 wickets in four first-class matches of the Quaid Trophy before taking 14 wickets in 11 Bangladesh Premier league games.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPECS
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ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
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Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
FOOTBALL TEST
Team X 1 Team Y 0
Scorers
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Man of the Match
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Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
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How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
