Veteran Ross Taylor to retire from international cricket
Wellington, Dec 30 (AP) Veteran New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor says he will retire from international cricket after the current domestic season.
The second test against Bangladesh next month, in which he likely will equal Daniel Vettori's record of 112 tests for New Zealand, will be his last.
Taylor won't play in the Black Caps test series against South Africa in February but will play one-day international series against Australia in Australia in February and against the Netherlands at home in late March and early April.
The fourth ODI against the Netherlands in Taylor's home town of Hamilton on April 4 will be his last match for New Zealand.
It's been an amazing journey and I feel incredibly fortunate to have represented my country for as long as I have, Taylor said in a statement Thursday.
It's been such a privilege to play with and against some of the greats of the game and to have created so many memories and friendships along the way. But all good things must come to an end and the timing feels right for me.
Taylor will retire as New Zealand's top-scorer in test and one-day international matches. He has 7,584 test runs and 19 centuries, second only to current captain Kane Williamson, and 8,581 runs in ODIs, ahead of Stephen Fleming (8,007). His 21 ODI centuries also are a New Zealand record.
Taylor made his test debut against South Africa in 2008 and played the first of 233 ODIs against the West Indies in 2006. He has also played 102 Twenty20 internationals, becoming the first player to play more than 100 matches for New Zealand in all three formats.
New Zealand coach Gary Stead said Taylor unquestionably in one of the country's greatest players.
Ross has always been a hugely respected member of the side and we're thankful for his contributions to the Black Caps over an incredible career, Stead said.
His skills and temperament as a batsman have been world-class and his ability to perform at such a high level for so long speaks volumes of his longevity and professionalism.
Williamson also praised the achievements of his long-time batting partner.
"Ross has been at the core of the side for so long and can be extremely proud of having brought the game in this country to a better place, Williamson said.
He's a world-class player, our best with the bat over such a long period of time and personally it's been a pleasure to be involved in so many partnerships with him across the formats.
We've shared some pretty cool moments together most recently the World Test Championship final which was obviously really special.
New Zealand beat India by eight wickets in the test championship final in June.
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US warns shipping firms they could face sanctions over paying Iranian tolls in Strait of Hormuz
Dubai (AP): The United States is warning shipping companies that they could face sanctions for making payments to Iran to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The alert posted Friday by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control adds another layer of pressure in the standoff between the US and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
About a fifth of the world's trade in oil and natural gas typically passes through the strait at the mouth of the Persian Gulf in peacetime.
Iran effectively closed the strait to normal traffic by attacking and threatening to attack ships after the US and Israel launched a war on Feb. 28. It later began offering some ships safe passage by detouring them through alternate routes closer to its shoreline, charging fees at times for the service.
That "tollbooth” effort is the focus of the US sanctions warning.
The payment demands could include transfers not only in cash but also “digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments,” including chartibale donations and payments at Iranian embassies, OFAC said.
“OFAC is issuing this alert to warn US and non-US persons about the sanctions risks of making these payments to, or soliciting guarantees from, the Iranian regime for safe passage. These risks exist regardless of payment method,” it said.
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The US responded to Iran's closure of the strait with a naval blockade of its own on April 13, preventing any Iranian tankers from leaving and depriving Iran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy.
The US Central Command said 45 commercial ships have been told to turn around since the blockade began.
Trump rejects Iranian proposal
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The warning came as US President Donald Trump swiftly rejected Iran's latest proposal to end the war between the countries.
“They want to make a deal, I'm not satisfied with it, so we'll see what happens,” Trump said Friday at the White House. He didn't elaborate on what he saw as its shortcomings but expressed frustration with the Iranian leadership.
“It's a very disjointed leadership,” Trump said. “They all want to make a deal, but they're all messed up.”
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported Iran handed over its plan to mediators in Pakistan on Thursday night.
The shaky three-week ceasefire between the US and Iran appears to be holding, though both countries have traded accusations of violations. The standoff is increasingly putting pressure on the global economy, driving up prices and leading to shortages of fuel and other products tied to the oil industry.
Negotiations continued by phone after Trump called off his envoys' trip to Pakistan last week, the president said. Trump this week floated a new plan to reopen the critical passageway used by America's Gulf allies to export their oil and gas.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has briefed many of his regional counterparts on the country's initiatives to end the ear, according to his social media. He also held talks Friday with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who is in contact with the EU's Gulf partners.
China's UN envoy urges Iran to lift restrictions
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Fu Cong, the Chinese ambassdor to the United Nations, said Friday that maintaining the ceasefire is “the most urgent issue" as well as bringing together the sides to resume good faith negotiations “to make sure that the ground is laid for reopening of Hormuz.”
Foreign Minister Wang Yi “has been on the phone almost constantly” with representatives from all sides, Fu said, adding that China supports Pakistan's efforts to mediate between the parties.
Fu stressed the root cause of the tremendous suffering in Iran and neighboring countries and the growing turmoil in the global economy, especially in developing countries, “is the illegitimate war by the US and Israel.
