Dubai, Sept 24: Al Wasl football club manager Diego Maradona kicked a fan, who interrupted a pre-match photo session.

The supporter was continuously lifting Maradona's banner to catch his glimpse.

The banner, which was sent to Maradona by his daughters Delma and Giannina, read: `Babu Estoy con vos te amo -Benja,' meaning `Grandfather I love you and I am with you' and was signed by his grandson Benjamin.

Dubai, Sep. 23 : International Cricket Council (ICC) President Sharad Pawar has paid tribute to Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, the former India captain, who died aged 70 on Thursday.

Dubai, Sep 22: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the match schedule and unveiled the event logo of the 2012 World Twenty20, which will be staged in Sri Lanka from September 18 to October 7.

Reigning champion England will start its title defence at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on September 21, against one of the two qualifiers for the tournament.

Stuart Broad's side will complete its opening group commitments two days later against 2007 champion India at the same venue.

Dubai, Sep 19: Indian batsman Rahul Dravid has signed off on an illustrious ODI career in 118th position in International Cricket Council (ICC)'s Player Rankings after playing his first series in two years.

Dravid had scored 128 runs in the recently-concluded five-match series against England, which earned him three places in the batting chart.

Dubai, Sep 19: India captain M. S. Dhoni has moved up the order in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Player Rankings for ODI batsmen after producing a player of the series performance in the recently-concluded five-match series against England.

Dhoni finished the series as the leading run-getter with 236 runs at an average of little under 79.

According to the official reports, the United Arab Emirates is pressing Washington about buying the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. So is Israel. That's part of the United States' dilemma as it seeks to bolster the military forces of its Arab allies to counter Iran.

The Americans also want their Arab friends, particularly the Persian Gulf states that neighbor Iran, to take more responsibility for their own defense at a time when the U. S. military is tied down in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Dubai, Jan 11 : The International Cricket Council (ICC) Monday confirmed it has received a report from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on the Ferozshah Kotla pitch.

The ICC's General Manager - Cricket, David Richardson, and the ICC's chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle will now consider all the evidence, including studying video footage of the match, before reaching their decision in due course.

Abu Dhabi, Jan 9 : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has issued a law restricting the use of tobacco and its marketing, WAM news agency reported.

UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued the law banning the import of tobacco and its by-products unless specific standard requirements are met.

The conditions include posting of clear written warnings on the boxes containing tobacco products. The law also bans all kinds of advertisements, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products.

St. Louis, Jan 7 - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has signed a contract for the acquisition of six Boeing C-17 Globemaster III advanced airlifters for its air force, the company announced here.

Under the agreement announced Wednesday. the UAE will take delivery of four C-17s in 2011 and two in 2012. Financial terms are not being disclosed. The UAE is the second Middle East nation after Qatar to order this big four-engine airlifter.

Abu Dhabi, Jan 5 : Officials of developed and developing countries, including India, will meet here Jan 18 at the World Future Energy Summit 2010, WAM news agency reported Tuesday.

Finland's Economic Affairs Minister Mauri Pekkarinen will be the keynote speaker at the panel session on the first day of the summit.

India's Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah will also attend.

Abu Dhabi, Jan 5 : Fuel stations across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have adopted the litre instead of the imperial gallon as a unit of measurement from Jan 1 this year, WAM news agency reported Tuesday.

The new unit of measurement for gasoline is effective in all fuelling stations run by oil companies and corporations in the UAE.

The new provision will remain effective for a period of four months in line with the cabinet's decision, which mandates the use of international system of units.

The imperial gallon equals to approximately 4.5 litres.

Dubai, Jan 4 : United Arab Emirates (UAE) Vice-President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum inaugurated the world's tallest building Burj Dubai here Monday, WAM news agency reported.

Sheikh Mohammed unveiled the commemorative plaque at the site announcing the official opening of the world's tallest building.

The gleaming glass and steel tower of more than 160 floors extends more than 800 metres into the sky, making it some 300 metres taller than Taipei 101, currently listed as the world's tallest inhabited structure.

Dubai, Jan 4 : US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Monday sent a special message of felicitation to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice-president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on the occasion of unveiling of Burj Dubai, the world's tallest building, WAM news agency reported.

"Your efforts to create international cooperation in our global economy are an important endeavor. I applaud your commitment to sustainable development," Clinton said.

Dubai, Jan 4 : Security was tight in the Gulf city-state of Dubai Monday, as officials prepared for the opening of the Burj Dubai, the world's tallest skyscraper.

The gleaming glass and steel tower of more than 160 floors extends more than 800 metres into the sky, making it some 300 metres taller than Taipei 101, currently listed as the world's tallest inhabited structure.

Designed by British architect Adrian Smith, the complex includes 1,000 residences, 160 luxury hotel rooms, and 37 office floors with corporate suites.

Uncertain conditions of the financial market due to global financial crisis failed to discourage companies worldwide to find place in UAE during 2009 with registration of foreign firms in UAE witnessed rise during the outgoing year.

Mariam Shamlan Issa, Head of the Foreign Companies Registration Section at the Ministry of Economy (MoE) confirmed that UAE continued to maintain its reputation as a business hub as indicated by large number of companies get listed in the country.

Gulf's skies are set to be busier as a new Abu Dhabi-based low-cost airline has been planned which would be the third budget airline of Emirates. The move is aimed to tap the huge potential of the low cost segment of the market in tandem with the growth of Gulf's premium airlines.

David J Bentley, Joint Managing Director of Big Pond Aviation added, "The Middle East is still playing 'catch up' with the rest of the world as far as LCCs (Low Cost Carriers) go."

Dubai, Dec 31 : Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Thursday issued a decree specifying the limits on increase in property rent values for the year 2010, WAM news agency reported.

The decree aims at ensuring stability of Dubai's property market and preventing any rental increases that are not based on clearly defined legal references and standards.

For properties rented in 2009 and before, the maximum increase in rent value shall be set as per the previous relevant similar decree for 2009.

Dubai, Dec 31 : England off-spinner Graeme Swann has capped off a memorable year by breaking into the top five of the Reliance Mobile International Cricket Council's rankings for Test bowlers.

Swann finishes 2009 in third position in the bowlers' category after his man-of-the-match performance in the second Test against South Africa in Durban.

The 30-year-old took match haul of nine wickets, including a five-wicket haul in the second innings and, that pushed him up by eight places, moving ahead of spin rivals Harbhajan Singh and Muttiah Muralitharan.

Abu Dhabi, Dec 30 : Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has withdrawn as a late injury victim from the Capitala World Tennis Championship after injuring himself in training, to be replaced in the six-man field by Spain's David Ferrer.

"I'm extremely disappointed not to be able to participate in the Capitala World Tennis Championship due to an injury," said Tsonga, the 2008 Australian Open finalist who will now be on the back foot in his preparation for the Grand Slam starting January 18 in Melbourne.

Dubai, Dec 28 : A reporter working in Iran for the Dubai Media Corporation has failed to make contact with the company since deadly clashes at the weekend, the company announced in a statement Monday.

The 27-year-old Syrian national, Reza al-Bacha, had previously been in constant communication with editors, according to the statement carried by the official WAM news agency.

Al-Bacha has worked in Iran for the past year for the Dubai conglomerate, which runs various media outlets in the emirate.