Monday 7 March 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Tennis: Maria Sharapova announces failed drug test at Australian Open

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Five-time Grand Slam tennis champion Maria Sharapova said Monday she failed a dope test at the Australian Open, and isnt sure what punishment shell face for her huge mistake.The former world number one from Russia said a change in the World Anti-Doping Agencys banned list for 2016 led to an inadvertent violation, which has left her provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Federation.Sharapova tested positive for Meldonium, a drug she said she had been taking since 2006 but one that was added to the banned list this year.I did fail the test and I take full responsibility for it, a sombre Sharapova said at a press conference at a downtown Los Angeles hotel.I made a huge mistake. I let my fans down. I let my sport down that Ive been playing since the age of four that I love so deeply, added Sharapova, her voice wavering.I know that with this, I face consequences and I dont want to end my career this way -- and I really hope I will be given another chance to play this game.The ITF confirmed in a statement that the former world number one from Russia had tested positive on January 26 and had accepted the finding when she was notified on March 2.Ms. Sharapova will be provisionally suspended with effect from 12 March, pending determination of the case, the ITF said.Sharapova said she was cooperating with the ITF and did not yet know the extent of the sanctions she would face.Her attorney, John Haggerty, said the positive test could carry a ban of up to four years, but that mitigating circumstances could see a lesser penalty.Shamil Tarpishchev, head of the Russian tennis federation, promptly said he believed Sharapova would still have a chance to play at the Rio Olympics in August.I believe its rubbish, nothing else, TASS news agency quoted Tarpishchev as saying. The athletes take the medicines, which their physiotherapists or doctors recommend them to take. I believe Sharapova will nevertheless play at the Olympics.However, we need to wait and see how the things will go on.Sharapova, 28, burst onto the international scene as she giggled and grunted her way to the Wimbledon crown in 2004.She won the US Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008 and the French Open in 2012 and 2014.Her ferocity on the court, business acumen and glamorous looks have all combined to make her a marketing juggernaut and the overseer of such successful ventures as her Sugarpova line of candy.She has 35 WTA singles titles and more than $36 million in career earnings, and is currently ranked seventh in the world.I am very saddened to hear this news about Maria, WTA chief executive Steve Simon said in a statement.Maria is a leader and I have always known her to be a woman of great integrity. Nevertheless, as Maria acknowledged, it is every players responsibility to know what they put in their body and to know if it is permissible.Sharapova said she originally began taking Meldonium for a variety of worrying symptoms, including a tendency to become ill often, an irregular EKG heart test and a family history of diabetes.Meldonium is used to treat heart trouble, including angina and heart failure.It was added to the banned list beginning this year, with the World Anti-Doping Agency saying there was evidence it has been used by athletes with the intention of enhancing performance.Several sports figures have tested positive for it this year, including Russian ice dancer Ekaterina Bobrova, whose positive test was revealed earlier on Monday.WADA issued a statement saying officials were aware of Sharapovas case, but would not comment further until the ITF had ruled.Sharapova has struggled with injuries during her career and has played just three tournaments since Wimbledon last year.She pulled out of the 2015 US Open with a leg injury and withdrew from the tournament starting this week in Indian Wells, California with a left forearm injury.Her most recent match was her Australian Open quarter-final loss to long-time rival Serena Williams.The short-notice press conference promising a major announcement had sparked speculation that she might be preparing to announce her retirement.I know many of you thought I would be retiring today, but if I was ever going to announce my retirement it would probably not be in a downtown LA hotel with this ugly carpet, Sharapova said, trying with little success to inject a lighter tone into the proceedings.Asked if the doctor who prescribed the drug should have been aware it was now banned, Sharapova refused to shift the blame.I have to take full responsibility for it, she said. At the end of day, everything you do is about you.

Golf: Scott up to 6th in rankings, McIlroy takes 2nd from Day

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PARIS (AFP) - Adam Scotts thrilling victory in the World Golf Championships Cadillac Championship has moved him up to number six in the latest world golf rankings released on Monday.The Australian became the first back-to-back winner on the PGA Tour since Billy Horschel in 2014 after also winning the Honda Classic.Rory McIlroy held a four-shot lead early in the final round at Doral but struggled to finish two back, although the Northern Irishman does retake second spot in the rankings from Jason Day, while closing the gap on number one Jordan Spieth.The other big mover in the top 20 is Englishman Danny Willett, the 28-year-old moving to the brink of the top 10 after a run of three top-three WGC finishes in the last year.Phil Mickelson has ended a long spell out of the top 20, the five-time major champion finishing fifth in Florida despite being the oldest player in the field, and rising to 17th.World top 20 rankings (as of March 7):1. Jordan Spieth (USA) 11.35 average points2. Rory McIlroy (NIR)9.87 (1)3. Jason Day (AUS)9.644. Bubba Watson (USA)9.025. Rickie Fowler (USA) 8.186. Adam Scott (AUS) 7.48 (3)7. Henrik Stenson (SWE) 7.19 (-1)8. Justin Rose (ENG) 6.22 (-1)9. Dustin Johnson (USA) 5.99 (-1)10. Patrick Reed (USA) 4.90 11. Danny Willett (ENG) 4.72 (4)12. Branden Grace (RSA) 4.70 (-1)13. Sergio Garcia (ESP) 4.68 (-1)14. Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 4.53 (-1)15. Jim Furyk (USA) 4.37 (-1)16. Brandt Snedeker (USA) 4.11 17. Phil Mickelson (USA) 4.02 (4)18. Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 4.00 (1)19. Brooks Koepka (USA) 4.00 (-1)20. Zach Johnson (USA) 3.99 (-3).

Cycling: Demare wins Paris-Nice first stage, Matthews holds lead

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VENDOME (AFP) - Frances Arnaud Demare of the FDJ team won a sprint finish for the first stage of the Paris-Nice race on Monday as Australias Michael Matthews of Orica holds the race lead.Demare, junior world champion in 2011 and French champion in 2014, crossed ahead of Britains Ben Swift and Frances Nacer Bouhanni after the 198km stage between Conde-sur-Vesgre and Vendome.Swift launched the sprint but was caught with Demare, 24, claiming his second success of the season after winning a stage in the Tour of the Mediterranean last month.Tuesdays second stage will favour the sprinters, covering 213.5km from Contres to Commentry in central France.

Oil prices surge 5.5%; Brent tops $40

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices surged higher Monday, pushing Brent above $40 a barrel, in a second session of solid gains as investors hope for relief from the global oversupply.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in April jumped $1.98 to $37.90 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.In London, Brent North Sea crude for May delivery advanced $2.12 to $40.84 a barrel, its highest close since early December.Despite the fact that stockpiles are going higher, the market is hoping that were going to see a reduction in production in the US, said Bart Melek of TD Securities.Reductions could very well be a lot stronger than anyone thinks mainly because drilling activity is considerably down, he said. The number of active drilling rigs in the United States fell last week to the lowest level since December 2009.Comments on production by the energy minister of the United Arab Emirates on Monday were taken as a positive signal. Suhail Mazrouei said current prices are forcing everyone to freeze. So I think it is happening as we speak.Saudi Arabia, Russia, Qatar and Venezuela last month agreed to freeze output at January levels if other producers followed suit.All this talk about a freeze has been helping to sustain the recent rally, said John Kilduff of Again Capital. But he pointed out the market still has no details about a producers meeting that could take place on March 20.Melek said the market found positive signals for oil demand after China unveiled over the weekend its five-year economic plan and the US reported Friday robust jobs growth of 242,000 payrolls in February.Its all reversing a lot of the negativity weve seen earlier in the year, Melek said.

Commodity gains boost Australian, Canadian dollars

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - A surge in commodity prices, from oil to iron to copper, boosted the Australian and Canadian dollars against the US greenback Monday but other major pairings were stable.Australias dollar jumped 0.7 percent to 74.7 US cents while the Canadian currency traded up 0.4 percent at CAN$1.3284 per one US dollar.But with markets already having prepared for more stimulus from the European Central Bank this week, and lack of any clear policy signal from two senior federal Reserve officials in speeches Monday, the US dollar-euro rate was little-changed from Friday at $1.1013. The yen edged up against both the euro and dollar.The ECB is widely expected to ease monetary policy this week yet the euro refuses to fall, which leads many investors to wonder if easing has been completely priced in, said Kathy Lien of BK Asset Management.After disappointing financial markets with what were widely perceived as half-hearted measures in December, ECB chief Mario Draghi is expected to announce bolder policy moves Thursday. They could include a further cut in interest rates, and an expansion of its quantitative easing program.Meanwhile in Washington, Fed Vice Chair Stanley Fischer gave no hint of what the US central bank would or should do in its March 15-16 policy meeting, while Lael Brainard, who also sits on the Fed board of governors, counseled patience on interest rate decisions, given the slow global economy and the absence of inflationary pressures.Given weak and decelerating foreign demand, it is critical to carefully protect and preserve the progress we have made here at home through prudent adjustments to the policy path, she said.But Fischer signaled more optimism over the US economy this year, saying that once oil prices stabilize, he expects to see strong signs of growth and inflation.

Faisalabad: 4 dead as house catches fire due to short circuit

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FAISALABAD (Dunya News) – Four members of the same family were burnt alive on Monday night when a house in Basin Line area of Milat Town in Faisalabad caught fire due to short circuit, Dunya News reported.According to details, the fire erupted in the house of Manzoor in Milat Town on Monday which engulfed the entire house, killing Manzoor’s wife Khalida and three children, 8-year-old Tayyaba, 6-year-old Hasnain and 2-year-old Ilyas, on the spot. Manzoor and his son Awais were critically injured in the blaze. The rescue teams reached the spot and shifted the injured to a nearby hospital.

US to deliver F16 fighter jets to Pakistan very soon

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WASHINGTON (Dunya News) - State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner has said that US considers Pakistan as an important partner in the region and expressed the commitment to continue cooperation with Pakistan.“We believe it’s in our vital national security interests to support Pakistan in carrying out its efforts to destroy terrorist networks,” he said.Talking exclusively to Dunya News, State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner said that the matter of proposed sale of F16 fighter jets to Pakistan is still pending in US congress. He hoped that the fighter jets would be delivered to Pakistan very soon.Mark Toner said that US consider Pakistan as an important ally in the region and welcomed Pakistan’s efforts to support Afghan-led reconciliation talks, for example. They hosted the Heart of Asia ministerial (meeting) recently and two of the first three meetings of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group.State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner admitted that no country in the region had been more touched by terrorism than Pakistan.

Pakistan assesses security, recalls Shehzad for World T20

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KARACHI (AFP) - Pakistan Cricket Board on Monday has sent a security team to India to survey the situation on the ground before the country’s cricket squad travels to play against their arch-rival during an upcoming India-Pakistan World T20 tie.Pakistan has voiced repeated concern about security for the tournament, and participation could depend on the delegations assessment. The South Asian adversaries have not played a bilateral series for more than three years due to diplomatic tensions.A senior Pakistan Cricket Board official confirmed the delegation had departed and was likely to return Tuesday. Pakistans Interior Minister Chowdhry Nisar Ali Khan said Saturday the team would only travel to India if the security assessment was positive. If cleared, they are set to fly on Wednesday. Chief selector Haroon Rasheed announced the decision to recall Shehzad, saying the inclusion of opener Khurram Manzoor backfired at the Asia Cup in Bangladesh, where Pakistan lost to India and the hosts.We have included Shehzad in the 15-man squad for the World Twenty20 as the decision to include Manzoor backfired, for which I take the whole responsibility, Rasheed told AFP.Shehzad, 25, was initially dropped from the World Twenty20 squad announced last month after he managed just 65 runs in his last five Twenty20 matches.Manzoor scored just 11 runs in three matches of the Asia Cup, at which Pakistan beat only Sri Lanka and minnows the United Arab Emirates.Rasheed said Shehzad batted well in the last phase of the Pakistan Super League, staged in the United Arab Emirates last month.We dropped Shehzad because of poor form in New Zealand but he did well in the PSL and we need experience in the World Twenty20, said Rasheed of the event, the first round of which starts in India from Tuesday.Pakistan are scheduled to play their first match against a qualifier team in Kolkata on March 16. They are due to meet India in a high-profile match in Dharamsala on March 19.Pakistans revised squad: Shahid Afridi (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Khalid Latif, Imad Wasim, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Sami.

Overs and out -- five likely World T20 swansongs

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - The World Twenty20 opens on Tuesday starting with the preliminary phase. Here are five players considered likely to retire from international cricket after the tournament:SHAHID AFRIDI (Pakistan)Pakistan legend Afridi quit Test cricket in 2010 and ODIs after last years World Cup, and the destructive batsman that fans call Boom Boom clearly has retirement on his mind. The 36-year-old, Pakistans T20 skipper, has seen a big dip in his batting form over the last few years years and more recently his leg-spinners have also failed to trouble batsmen. His decline, including poor performances against New Zealand in January and England in November, has coincided with a slump in form for Pakistan in T20 internationals. I have to look at the results of the team in the Asia Cup and then at World Twenty20 and that will help me take a final decision, Afridi told AFP recently.MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI (India)Dhoni, then sporting long hair, entered Indian folklore when he captained the country to the inaugural World T20 title in 2007. Nine years later and if hosts India become the first country to lift the trophy for a second time, anticipation is high that Captain Cool will decide the time is right to walk away from international cricket. The 34-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman has already retired from Tests and despite remaining the brains behind Indias on-field strategy, there is gathering evidence that his best playing days are behind him.LASITH MALINGA (Sri Lanka)Malinga, 32, is the highest wicket-taker in T20 history and captained Sri Lanka to the World Twenty20 crown two years ago. His ability to bowl yorkers at will as he spearheaded Sri Lankas pace attack has made him a mainstay of the islands recent success in short-form cricket. Major injuries have curtailed his career, however. Malinga gave up Tests at a relatively young age in 2011, had ankle surgery three years later and then suffered a grave knee injury in 2015. If at this stage I have to take one or one-and-a-half years of rest, I would rather have to finish my career, Malinga said during the Asia Cup.SHANE WATSON (Australia)Shane Watson has consistently defied critics to bounce back into the Australian side after serious injuries, and was the highest earner in this years Indian Premier League auction. But at 34, time is surely running out for Watson on the international stage. After quitting Test cricket following last years Ashes defeat to England, Watson was dropped from the ODI squad and admitted that a return to the international team was unlikely. But a successful season with Sydney Thunder in Australias Big Bash League earned Watson a berth for this years series against India.TILLAKARATNE DILSHAN (Sri Lanka)Popular opener Tillakaratne Dilshan has enjoyed a lengthy career and is an expert exponent of T20 cricket, thanks in part to his invention of the Dilscoop, a reverse flip-shot played over his head. But at age 39, the former Sri Lankan captain is unlikely to be able to put off retirement for much longer.

Women's Day being celebrated across globe

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LAHORE: (Dunya News) – Women’s Day is being celebrated today (Tuesday) across the globe, including Pakistan. The motive behind observing this day is to provide information to the people about women rights and highlight their importance in the society, reported Dunya News.Around 100 years ago, women working at a textile factory in New York protested for reducing their work hours and increase in wages as they were working for 10 hours daily. Police not only beat them brutally but they were also tied behind the horses and dragged on the roads. However, the women continued their movement against forced labour.As a result of these women’s legendary campaign, the first global conference for women was held in Copenhagen in 1910 and was attended by over 100 women from 17 countries. It was decided in this conference to hold a Women’s Day every year against the exploitation of women.United Nations (UN) decided to observe March 8 as Women’s Day in 1956. Workshops and conferences are now organised every year on this day and the resolve to provide equal rights to women is reiterated.

Punjab govt approves ordinance for terror victims

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Governor Punjab Malik Muhammad Rafique Rajwana approved an ordinance on Monday, paving way to allocate financial aid to the victims of terrorism, reported Dunya News.Rajwana approved an ordinance according to which a fund would be established for those who had been victimsed by terrorism.The ordinance further stated that family members of those killed in terrorism-related incidents will be compensated with Rs 10 million. In case of injury or disability Rs 5 million and Rs 1 million in case of any partial loss will be allocated.Rs 5 million will be compensated in case of business loss or a truck or any heavy vehicle is destroyed due to terrorism attack. Rs 80 thousand will be given to those with partial and Rs 2 million to total loss of car, jeep and rickshaw.Similarly, motorcycle owners will be given Rs 20 thousand, Rs 5 million to complete property and Rs 2 million to partial property loss. Any kind of cattle loss will also be compensated.

Football: Zidane ready for biggest test in Roma return

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MADRID, (AFP) - Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane is preparing for his biggest game since taking charge as the Spanish giants eye a place in the Champions League quarter-finals against Roma on Tuesday.Madrid hold a commanding 2-0 lead from the first leg in the Italian capital three weeks ago, but have little room for error with the Champions League their last realistic hope of a trophy this season after a poor domestic campaign.For me it is the most important game because it is the next one, said Zidane.The only thing we have to do is win the game tomorrow. That is our goal, we need to think solely about tomorrows game.Many people think it is going to be easy and it wont be.Indeed, Roma have won their last seven Serie A games since coach Luciano Spallettis return to the club in January to propel themselves back up to third.Spalletti believes his players are capable of the impossible and will be encouraged by the fact Real scraped through after losing 4-3 at home to Schalke at the same stage of the competition last season having also won the first leg 2-0 away.All coaches are demanding, but I ask for the impossible, said Spalletti.Yesterday in training I saw the team was open to this chance, although it appears impossible.They have the advantage that we have to force something because the result of the first leg penalised us too much for what you saw on the pitch.We had bad luck in the small details, so we will play like we did in the previous match.Madrid also sit third in La Liga, 12 points adrift of runaway leaders Barcelona and four behind city rivals Atletico.However, Zidanes men did at least bounce back from their derby defeat against Atletico last weekend with a 7-1 thrashing of Celta Vigo on Saturday with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring four.

Mexico leader says Trump's rhetoric recalls Hitler's rise

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MEXICO CITY, (AFP) - President Enrique Pena Nieto stepped up Mexicos criticism of Donald Trumps inflammatory comments about his country, saying his strident rhetoric recalls the rise of Hitler and Mussolini.Pena Nieto urged Americans to vote with caution as he used newspaper interviews published Monday to slam the Republican front-runners criticism of the Mexican government and migrants.The Mexican leader condemned Trumps strident tone, saying such comments seek very simple solutions to complicated problems, and he warned that they can hurt US-Mexican relations.There have been episodes in the history of humanity, unfortunately, where these expressions, this strident rhetoric, has only really led to ominous scenarios in the history of humanity, he told the daily Excelsior.Thats how Mussolini and Hitler arrived. They took advantage of a context, maybe a problem, that humanity was experiencing at the time, after an economic crisis. And I think that what was proposed led to what we know from history, a global conflagration, the president said.Pena Nietos comments follow tough reactions from his predecessors, with former president Felipe Calderon also drawing a parallel with Hitler and Vicente Fox dropping the F-bomb against Trumps call for Mexico to pay for a border wall.Trump, who leads the race for the Republican nomination, has railed against immigrants and especially immigration from Mexico, accusing the country of sending drug dealers and rapists to the United States.As for the billionaires vow to make Mexico pay for a border wall, Pena Nieto told Excelsior there was no scenario in which his government would foot the bill.I hope that the electorate there is really cautious and that in the end it results in a government with which -- as we have up to now -- we seek dialogue and we continue building bridges of understanding, within the framework of absolute mutual respect, he said.In an interview with El Universal, Pena Nieto warned that Trumps statements hurt a relationship that Mexico has sought with the United States of bridges, of dialogue, of rapprochement, of seeking solutions to shared problems.He added: It seems to me (such statements) come from an ignorance of Mexico.The Mexican leader said, however, that he would seek a constructive dialogue with whoever is elected the next US president on November 8.

Greek bailout monitors to return as soon as Tuesday

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BRUSSELS, (AFP) - Bailout monitors from the EU and IMF will return to Greece as soon as Tuesday in an effort to complete a long-delayed review of the programme and unlock rescue cash, European Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said.Eurozone ministers will finally address debt relief for Greece, added Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem, meeting a key demand of Athens that has been resisted by the EU following its third bailout last year.I am very happy that mission chiefs are going to Athens as soon as tomorrow, Moscovici said at a news briefing Monday after a meeting of the eurozones 19 finance ministers in Brussels.The ministers were trying to defuse a bitter dispute between top EU and IMF officials over how strictly to hold Greece to the ambitious reform commitments made as part of its 86-billion-euro bailout agreed last July. The IMF encourages debt relief.We have a long-standing promise that if the Greek government fulfils its commitments... we will do what is necessary to make debt service manageable, Dijsselbloem told the same news conference.Today... we made explicit that the discussion is on our table, the Dutch finance minister said.

Oil prices extend rally; Brent back above $40

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LONDON, (AFP) - Oil prices rallied further Monday, boosted by strong US jobs growth and as a cut in the countrys crude drilling activities sparked hopes of an easing supply glut, analysts said.Recent dollar weakness helped also to lift demand for the commodity priced in the greenback, as did indications that producers were already making moves to limit output.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in April jumped $1.58 to trade at $37.50 a barrel around 1715 GMT.Brent North Sea crude for May delivery surged $1.73 to $40.45 a barrel compared with Fridays close.Brent earlier Monday hit a near three-month high at $40.68 a barrel and WTI reached a two-month peak at $37.68.Prices had rallied Friday on the back of sliding US production and after the US Labor Department reported that the worlds top economy added a robust 242,000 jobs in February.There was a bit of a double-win. On the one hand we had strong US jobs growth but on the other hand, we had lower wage growth and therefore, a weaker US dollar, Ric Spooner, chief market analyst at CMC Markets in Australia, told AFP.Theres an ongoing... momentum in commodity prices generally and oil is part of that, he said Monday.Bloomberg News reported that US drillers have slashed the number of active rigs to their lowest level in more than six years.However, analysts say that for an even greater gain for battered commodity prices there needs to be production cuts in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).Were a long way away from any production cut agreement. The market did react to the initial (announcement of) meetings but since then there hasnt been much to give markets any encouragement, Spooner said.Saudi Arabia, Russia, Qatar and Venezuela last month agreed to freeze output if other producers followed suit.Emirati Oil Minister Suhail Mazrouei on Monday said that current market prices were already forcing most producers to freeze oil output levels, insisting it made no sense to pump more crude.Current prices are forcing everyone to freeze. So I think it is happening as we speak, Mazrouei told reporters in Abu Dhabi.It does not make any sense for anyone to increase production at current prices.Mazrouei said he was aware of talks on holding a meeting between OPEC and non-OPEC producers, but stressed that he had not received an invite.African oil kingpin Nigeria last week said that key crude producers planned to meet in Russia later this month to discuss the proposed output freeze.The oil markets will continue to watch closely the negotiations with other OPEC producers, and economic data coming out of China and the eurozone, said EY analyst Sanjeev Gupta.
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