Cameron White century seals Australia win over Pakistan

　　

　　

　　A dazzling century from Cameron White helped Australia chase down 275 to beat Pakistan in the first in a series of five one-day internationals.

　　White hit 105 from 88 balls under the Brisbane lights as the Aussies sealed a five-wicket win with nine balls left after Pakistan had made 274 all out.

　　With 75 wanted from the last 60 balls Australia were only slight favourites.

　　But White blasted three consecutive sixes from Shahid Afridi to make the final stages of the chase easy.

　　

　　Australia's number five batsman was in exhilarating form, which was just as well given the problems encountered by a top three - who had given the chase an uncertain start at 84-3 from the first 18 overs.

　　But White and Michael Clarke (58 from 76 balls) put on 102 in good time, and Michael Hussey intelligently gave White as much of the strike as possible.

　　The game had begun pretty well for Pakistan, Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal putting on 62 for the first wicket.

　　But there was a lack of acceleration until Afridi walloped 48 from 26 balls, and Pakistan's long tail - with Mohammad Aamer batting at eight - was unable to produce much.

　　Ricky Ponting's direct hit to run out Mohammad Asif ended the innings two balls prematurely.

　　By far the most successful Australia bowler was Shane Watson (4-36 from his 10).

　　

　　As for Pakistan's bowlers, Aamer (1-29 from nine overs) bowled beautifully. But spinners Saeed Ajmal and Afridi were targeted for some savage treatment and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan was also hit for plenty of boundaries.

　　Naved, who had run out Clarke with an athletic pick-up and dive, finally bowled White with a well-disguised slower delivery in his final over.

　　But it came too late to make a difference as Hussey deposited Ajmal over extra-cover for the winning boundary.

 

Gary Neville and Carlos Tevez avoid FA punishment

　　Gary Neville and Carlos Tevez avoid FA punishment

　　

　　Manchester United's Gary Neville and Manchester City's Carlos Tevez have escaped punishment by the Football Association, BBC Sport understands.

　　Neville was under investigation for a one-fingered gesture that took place in United's 2-1 loss to City on Tuesday.

　　Tevez called former team-mate Neville a "boot-licker" and a "moron" for his comments about the Argentine before the Carling Cup semi-final first leg.

　　However, both players have been warned about their future conduct by the FA.

　　It is understood if the players were to be formally disciplined in future the FA reserves the right to refer to Neville's conduct and Tevez's words.

　　

　　The FA has also been in touch with Greater Manchester Police with a view to ensuring the second leg passes off without incident.

　　Both clubs will be under huge scrutiny both before, during and after Wednesday's second-leg at Old Trafford.

　　In September, Neville was cautioned about his future conduct following United's dramatic 4-3 derby win in the Premier League when he ran towards City fans to celebrate Michael Owen's injury-time winner at Old Trafford.

　　The England defender received a £5,000 FA fine and was warned over his future conduct in 2006 because he celebrated in front of Liverpool's fans after United secured a late winner over their rivals.

　　Argentine Tevez joined City in July 2009 following an extended, two-season loan deal with United, with whom he won two Premier League titles and the Champions League.

　　His move to bitter rivals City angered United fans as Tevez was a firm favourite with Old Trafford supporters.

　　Before the first-leg tie at Eastlands, Neville said United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had been right to let Tevez leave the club last summer, rather than signing him on a permanent deal after his two-year loan spell ended.

　　Tevez scored twice in City's 2-1 win, and gestured and cupped his ears after scoring his second goal

　　Cameras appeared to catch Neville making an obscene gesture in response, and afterwards Tevez said his celebration had not been aimed at the United bench but specifically at his former team-mate.

　　"My celebration was directed at Gary Neville," Tevez told ESPN Argentina.

　　"He acted like a complete boot-licker when he said I wasn't worth £25m, just to suck up to the manager.

　　"I don't know what the hell that moron [tarado] is talking about me for. I never said anything about him.

　　"I didn't go overboard in my celebration and it was directed at Gary, not at Ferguson and not at the fans.

　　"I think he did the wrong thing because I was his team-mate and I never said anything bad about him."

　　The row has made plenty of headlines and has done little to help the FA's hopes of reducing tensions between the clubs.

　　And Greater Manchester Police assistant chief constable Ian Hopkins has called for fans to be on their best behaviour, with around 9,000 City fans expected at Old Trafford.

　　He said: "As one of the host cities for the 2018 World Cup bid, the second leg truly is a great day for Manchester to shine. We would ask that fans play their part by behaving sensibly and do the city proud.

　　"I would like to stress that although the rivalry has always been there between the fans, previous derby matches have passed off largely peacefully and without major incident.

　　"I would ask that fans adhere to this tradition on Wednesday, regardless of what happened in the first leg."

 

ECB denies Ottis Gibson will switch to West Indies

　　ECB denies Ottis Gibson will switch to West Indies

　　

　　The England and Wales Cricket Board says there is no truth reports that bowling coach Ottis Gibson is to resign and take over as West Indies coach.

　　Radio Jamaica claims on its website that Gibson "is set to arrive in time to take up the job before South Africa's tour of the Caribbean in May."

　　But an ECB spokesman told BBC Sport: "We are certainly not aware of this and no deal has been agreed."

　　Gibson, 40, played two Tests and 15 one-day internationals for West Indies.

　　A fast bowler, he ended his playing career after the summer of 2007 at Durham - and was immediately taken on as England's bowling coach.

　　He has since been given a full-time staff job at the ECB.

　　

　　Radio Jamaica claims West Indies' current coach David Williams, employed in the main role on a short-term basis, will act as Gibson's deputy. Nobody from the West Indies Cricket Board was available for comment.

　　Gibson played a crucial role as England won back the Ashes last summer, with star bowlers James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff keen to credit his influence on separate occasions.

　　After England won the 2005 Ashes with Troy Cooley in the Gibson role, the ECB failed to extend his contract and Cooley switched allegiance to his native Australia.

　　The loss of Cooley was later cited as a significant reason behind England's 5-0 drubbing by the Aussies in the 2006-07 Ashes.

 

Manchester City will be world's best club - Garry Cook

　　Manchester City will be world's best club - Garry Cook

　　

　　Manchester City executive chairman Garry Cook is confident the club is on the path to global domination.

　　City are one of the richest clubs in the world following their takeover by billionaire Arab tycoon Sheikh Mansour.

　　"This football club is, without doubt, going to be the biggest and best football club in the world," Cook told a fans forum in New York.

　　"I will make no excuses for saying it, as I truly believe it - with the resources and capabilities we have."

　　Cook was speaking before the Football Association urged both Manchester clubs to show restraint ahead of their Carling Cup semi-final second leg next Wednesday after City won the first leg 2-1.

　　In a tense game former United striker Carlos Tevez's goal celebrations prompted a one-fingered gesture from Gary Neville, while subsequently the Argentine branded his ex-United team-mate a "moron" and a "foot-licker".

　　Since Mansour took over in 2008, City have spent almost £200m on players as they look to break Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal's stranglehold on the Premier League's top-four places.

　　

　　City's spending power has also eclipsed their neighbours, with United's holding company debt growing to more than £700m, though it did announce on Friday that a bond issue had raised £504m.

　　Last summer Sheikh Mansour's financial muscle ensured City brought Tevez, Gareth Barry, Emmanuel Adebayor and Joleon Lescott, while United opted not to spend the bulk of the £80m brought in by Cristiano Ronaldo's sale.

　　City also angered United in the summer by displaying a "Welcome to Manchester" poster on completing the transfer of Tevez from his advisors, the Argentine striker having been on loan at United who deemed an asking price of £25m to be excessive.

　　United manager Sir Alex Ferguson retorted by branding City a "small club" while later describing them as "noisy neighbours" after his side's controversial 4-3 derby victory in September.

　　"It's City isn't it? They're a small club with a small mentality. All they can talk about is Manchester United; they can't get away from it," added Ferguson.

　　"They think taking Carlos Tevez away from Manchester United is a triumph. It is poor stuff."

　　Cook's comments follow on from those he made at the club's tour of South Africa in the summer where he said he hoped Manchester City would become "the darling of world football".

　　After Tevez moved to City he explained that the club's vision and "ambition to become the biggest club in the world," had helped convince him to join.

　　The 25-year-old scored just once in his first six games for City, but has recently hit 13 goals in 11 games, including both efforts in City's midweek Carling Cup success.

Venezuela oil 'may double Saudi Arabia'

　　Venezuela oil 'may double Saudi Arabia'

　　

　　A new US assessment of Venezuela's oil reserves could give the country double the supplies of Saudi Arabia.

　　Scientists working for the US Geological Survey say Venezuela's Orinoco belt region holds twice as much petroleum as previously thought.

　　The geologists estimate the area could yield more than 500bn barrels of crude oil.

　　This assessment is far more optimistic than even the best case scenario put forward by President Hugo Chavez.

　　The USGS team gave a mean estimate of 513bn barrels of "technically recoverable" oil in the Orinoco belt.

　　Chris Schenk of the USGS said the estimate was based on oil recovery rates of 40% to 45%.

　　Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), Venezuela's state oil company, has not commented on the news.

　　However, Venezuelan oil geologist and former PDVSA board member Gustavo Coronel was sceptical.

　　"I doubt the recovery factor could go much higher than 25% and much of that oil would not be economic to produce", he told Associated Press news agency.

　　Venezuela holds the largest oil reserves outside the Middle East. Saudi Arabia has proven reserves of 260bn barrels.

'Bomb detector' maker Jim McCormick arrested

　　

　　

　　The director of a company which sold a bomb-detecting device to 20 countries, including Iraq, has been arrested.

　　ATSC's Jim McCormick, 53, was detained on Friday on suspicion of fraud by misrepresentation, Avon and Somerset police said. He has since been bailed.

　　It comes after a BBC investigation alleged the ADE-651 did not work.

　　Earlier, the British government announced a ban on the export of the device to Iraq and Afghanistan, where British forces are serving.

　　Anti-theft tag

　　Mr McCormick has said the device, sold from offices in Sparkford, Somerset, used special electronic cards slotted into it to detect explosives.

　　But a BBC Newsnight investigation reported that a computer laboratory said the card it examined contained only a tag used by shops to prevent theft.

　　There are concerns the detectors have failed to stop bomb attacks which have killed hundreds of people.

　　

　　The device consists of a swivelling aerial mounted to a hinge on a hand-grip. It does not operate by battery, instead promotional material says it is powered only by the user's static electricity.

　　The ADE-651 has been sold to a range of Middle Eastern countries and as far afield as Bangkok.

　　The Iraqi government has spent US$85m (£52m) on the hand-held detectors, now used at most checkpoints in Baghdad.

　　It is understood Iraq paid about US$40,000 for each device. No Western government uses them.

　　The BBC has learned the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has ordered an investigation into the bomb detectors, expected to report shortly.

　　The government ban, brought in by Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, starts next week.

Sri Lanka campaign enters final day

　　Sri Lanka campaign enters final day

　　

　　Although the war in the north of the island is now over, the campaign in other parts of the island has become bitter, violent and personal.

　　The two main candidates are both closely associated with the government's defeat of the Tamil Tigers last May.

　　But now President Mahinda Rajapaksa and General Sarath Fonseka have fallen out bitterly.

　　Groups monitoring the conduct of the campaign say there have been hundreds of violent incidents, resulting in four deaths and many more wounded.

　　Early on Friday, one of Gen Fonseka's campaign managers had his house firebombed.

　　He blamed the president, but the government said it was "gravely concerned at this wanton act of violence".

　　Both candidates have toured the country, including the northern Tamil city of Jaffna from which the rebels once ran their self-declared homeland.

　　But Saturday will see them both addressing rallies in the capital, and hoping for huge turnouts.

Indefinite Guantanamo detention plans condemned

　　Indefinite Guantanamo detention plans condemned

　　

　　The American Civil Liberties Union has criticised a recommendation that 47 Guantanamo Bay inmates should be held indefinitely without trial.

　　Justice department officials said the men were too dangerous to release, but could not be tried as evidence against them would not stand up in a US court.

　　ACLU executive director Anthony Romero said their detention would reduce the camp's closure to a "symbolic gesture".

　　The White House said the president did not have to accept the recommendation.

　　It came as the deadline President Barack Obama had set himself on his second day in office for closing the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay passed.

　　'Not evidence at all'

　　Earlier on Friday, officials said a task force led by the justice department had recommended that while 35 detainees could be prosecuted through trials or military tribunals, 110 could be released either now or at a later date.

　　

　　The other 47 detainees were considered too dangerous to release, but could not be tried because the evidence against them was too flimsy or was extracted from them by coercion, so would not hold up in court, it concluded.

　　In a statement, the ACLU said it disputed that any significant category of such detainees existed, and renewed its call for the closure of the prison.

　　"If there is credible evidence that these prisoners are dangerous, there is no reason why that evidence could not be introduced against them in criminal trials," said Jameel Jaffer, director of the ACLU National Security Project.

　　"The criminal laws, and the material support laws in particular, are broad enough to reach anyone who presents a serious threat, and the federal courts are fully capable of affording defendants fair trials while protecting the government's legitimate interest in protecting information that is properly classified."

　　Mr Jaffer said evidence that had been "tainted" according to the task force's recommendation, was "not evidence at all". The US justice system, he added, "excludes coerced evidence not only because coercion and torture are illegal, but because coerced evidence is unreliable".

　　"Just as important as closing the prison quickly is closing it right, and that means putting an end to the illegal policy of indefinite detention without charge or trial," said Mr Romero.

　　Former detainee Moazzam Begg criticised Mr Obama for failing to keep his promise on closing Guantanamo Bay.

　　"The whole talk that change has come to America is simply a lie," he told the BBC.

　　'Dismay'

　　The BBC's Adam Brookes in Washington says the recommendation will dismay many of Mr Obama's supporters, who had hoped the president would end the practice of detention without trial.

　　However, a White House official stressed that this was only a recommendation, which Mr Obama did not have to accept. The task force's findings will also be subject to review by the National Security Council.

　　Congress has laid down that only those to be tried can be moved to US soil, so the question of what to do with those who officials want to be detained indefinitely without trial has yet to be resolved.

　　More than 40 detainees have been transferred out of the prison during Mr Obama's first year in office.

　　But diplomatic hurdles and domestic opposition to the government's plan to house suspects on US soil have hampered his plans to close it down completely.

　　Plans to move detainees approved for trial to a prison facility in Illinois remain under consideration.

　　Yemen suspension

　　The task force recommended that among those cleared for release, 80 detainees, including about 30 Yemenis, could be freed immediately, the Washington Post said.

　　The panel said the release of another 30 Yemenis should be contingent on an improved situation in Yemen, the newspaper reported.

　　However, the US recently suspended the repatriation of Yemeni prisoners indefinitely, following an airliner bomb plot that was allegedly planned in Yemen.

　　Yemenis account for approximately half of the inmates at Guantanamo.

　　Mr Obama set himself the 22 January closure deadline a year ago, shortly after being sworn in.

　　He has subsequently said he wants the camp closed this year, without setting a specific deadline.