Sunday 22 December 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Karachi: 25 accused arrested during targeted operation

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – According to details, police conducted a targeted operation in Banaras area in the jurisdiction of Pirabad Police Station on a tip-off that some criminal are present in the area.All the entry and exit points of the area were sealed off before the operation after which police launched a house-to-house search and arrested 25 accused.However, no arms or drugs were recovered from the accused.

Turk PM Tayyip Erdogan reaches Pakistan

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan reached Pakistan on two-day official visit on Monday to strengthen bilateral ties and enhance co-operation in various fields.Chief Minister Punjab, Mian Shahbaz Sharif and some provincial ministers received the distinguished guest at the Lahore Airport.The Turkish Prime Minister is leading a delegation comprising ministers‚ businessmen and entrepreneurs to explore the investment avenues in diverse fields in Pakistan.The Turkish PM would move to Islamabad on Tuesday and meet with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The meeting will be followed by delegation level talks.President Mamnoon Hussain will also host a luncheon for the Turkish Prime Minister.

Data Ganj Bakhsh's Urs begins in Lahore

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LAHORE (Online) - The 970th three-day annual Urs of Hazrat Syed Abul Hassan Ali Bin Usman Hajveri‚ famously known as Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh (RA) started here on Sunday.Rasm-e-Chaddar Poshi was performed by Senator Ishaq Dar who was also the chief guest in the inaugural ceremony.Strict security measures are in place to avoid any untoward incident during the Urs.Millions of devotees and visitors from all parts of the country have reached to witness the Urs and offer special prayers.

Toll from airstrike on Syria's Aleppo rises to 42: NGO

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BEIRUT (AFP) - The death toll from aerial bombing of an Aleppo neighbourhood Sunday has risen to 42, a monitor said, as Syria's air force targeted other areas of the city and nearby villages.The toll has risen to 42 people killed in Hanano, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, referring to the neighbourhood hit by massively destructive TNT-packed barrel bombs.Hundreds of people have been killed during the past week in Aleppo as Syrian aircraft have dropped crude barrel bombs on the country's onetime commercial hub, now largely reduced to rubble, according to activists, medics and other witnesses.The Aleppo Media Centre, a network of citizen journalists in the northern city, had singled out the bombing of Hanano as especially deadly, as the barrel bombs had struck a bus, leaving no survivors.The Observatory's Rami Abdel Rahman said President Bashar al-Assad's regime is trying to turn people in opposition areas against the rebels. It is killing and forcing people to flee in order to secure that goal.Other air attacks struck the rebel-held Sakhur, Ahmadiyeh, Baideen and Ard al-Hamra neighbourhoods of the city, which has been cleaved into regime- and rebel-held enclaves since the summer of 2012.Elsewhere in Aleppo province, Marea and Atareb villages were also hit Sunday, said the Observatory.The Syrian Revolution General Commission, a network of grassroots activists, described panic and mass flight to the countryside, despite the intense cold.It also said two of the fatalities were ambulance workers, who died in the unrelenting bombardment as they tried to help wounded people.Meanwhile, Aleppo's opposition Provincial Council announced schools in rebel-held areas would be closed for a week... because of the systematic, deliberate bombing.The council also said in a statement that two schools had been hit in Sunday's bombing.Footage distributed by Shahba Press, another network of citizen journalists, showed a child in his badly damaged school saying that the bombing in Marea village happened while classes were being held.On Saturday, Human Rights Watch said government forces had used means and methods of warfare that... could not distinguish between civilians and combatants, making attacks indiscriminate and therefore unlawful.It also condemned the reported use of the highly destructive barrel bombs, adding that military commanders should not... order the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas.

Karzai should sign US pact: new German defence minister

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MAZAR-I-SHARIF (AFP) - Germany's first female defence minister visited troops in Afghanistan on Sunday and appealed for President Hamid Karzai to sign a troubled deal to allow some foreign forces to stay in the country after 2014.Ursula von der Leyen, who was appointed a week ago, made an unannounced two-day trip to the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif to meet German soldiers in the NATO coalition that is now withdrawing from Afghanistan.The US and other coalition members are pushing Karzai to sign a long-delayed deal with Washington to enable several thousand troops to remain in Afghanistan to train the local security forces and target Al-Qaeda remnants.It's important to us that we have a secure legal framework, von der Leyen said. Therefore we hope that the bilateral agreement between the US and Afghanistan is soon signed by Karzai.The ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) mission is coming to an end, but an enormous amount has been achieved here and we want to protect that.Karzai, who is due to stand down at elections in April, has been in a long and bitter standoff with US officials over the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA).The Afghan president first endorsed the deal -- which lays out rules for US troops, and would be the basis for other NATO forces -- but later said it might only be signed after the election.NATO's combat mission is due to end by December 2014, 13 years after the extremist Taliban regime was ousted from power.About 3,000 German troops are deployed in Afghanistan, where the country is the lead nation in the relatively peaceful northern region.Germany has offered to keep hundreds of soldiers in the country after 2014, without giving precise numbers.Leyen said that she was pleased to meet the soldiers before Christmas and pledged that they could rely on her support.If no BSA deal is signed, many observers fear a collapse of the still fragile Afghan forces and a resurgence of the Taliban.

Iran nuclear talks suspended for Christmas

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TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran's foreign minister and the EU's top diplomat agreed during telephone call Sunday to postpone until after Christmas talks on implementing a landmark nuclear agreement, the country's chief negotiator said.During this telephone conversation, it was agreed to continue the negotiations, but with the Christmas holidays in sight it was decided to interrupt and resume (the talks) a week after the holidays, said Abbas Araqchi.The Iranian nuclear negotiator said the agreement was reached during a call that lasted 45 minutes between Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.Araqchi, who is also deputy foreign minister, said the discussions were progressing slowly because of interpretations of points of the agreement that Iran and world powers clinched in Geneva on November 24.The negotiations, which are aimed at setting a framework and a timeline for the nuclear accord, stretched into a fourth day in Geneva on Sunday.Zarif said little progress had been made in the talks with the P51 -- UN Security Council permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany.The talks on implementing the accord are not easy. They are progressing, but slowly, he told a joint news conference on Sunday with visiting Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino.I hope all sides will avoid delving into issues that could become troublesome and complicate the process, Zarif added without elaborating.Under the Geneva accord, Iran agreed to roll back or freeze parts of its nuclear drive for six months in exchange for modest sanctions relief and a promise by Western powers not to impose new sanctions.Western powers suspect Iran's nuclear activities mask military objectives, despite repeated denials in Tehran that they are entirely peaceful.

Fourteen killed in Brazil bus accident

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SAO PAULO (AFP) - Fourteen people died Sunday when a bus drove off a road and plunged into a ravine in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, highway police told AFP.The bus, carrying 50 people, was traveling from the city of Curitiba to Rio de Janeiro when it left the road in a wooded area near the city of Sao Paulo and fell down a gully some 50 meters (165 feet) deep.Thirteen people were killed at the scene, with one more victim dying in hospital, said a spokeswoman for the Regis Bittencourt highway.Many injured passengers were taken to medical centers, though the number of people hurt was not officially confirmed.Some 22 ambulances scrambled to the scene of the accident, which occurred around 2:00 am (0400 GMT).

Football: Five-star Bayern win Club World Cup

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MARRAKECH (AFP) - European champions Bayern Munich claimed their fifth title of 2013 as they lifted the Club World Cup with a 2-0 win over Raja Casablanca in Saturday's final.The Bavarian giants had few problems against Moroccan champions Raja as Bayern grabbed both goals inside the opening 22 minutes from Brazil centre-back Dante, then midfielder Thiago.Having become the first German team to win the treble of Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup titles last season, Bayern now add the Club World Cup to the UEFA Super Cup title they won in August.This was the third time Bayern coach Pep Guardiola has won the Club World Cup after lifting the trophy with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011.Even without injured Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger and Netherlands winger Arjen Robben, Guardiola's Bayern had too much firepower for Raja at the 45,000 sell-out Marrakech Stadium.Just as they had done in Wednesday's 3-0 semi-final win over Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande, the Germans dominated throughout. Bayern took the lead after only seven minutes when Germany star Jerome Boateng found his centre-back partner Dante onside with the goal at his mercy.The Raja offside trap had failed and with his second touch, Dante hit the back of the net.Munich doubled their lead on 22 minutes when left-back David Alaba won the ball, then laid it back for Thiago, who blasted his shot into the top right-hand corner from the edge of the area.Bayern gifted Casablanca a strong first-half chance when goalkeeper Manuel Neuer's lazy clearance was snapped up by Chemseddine Chtibi who fired wide from 26 metres out with 38 minutes gone.The Moroccans have earned admirers for a tremendous run which saw them beat Auckland City, Monterrey and Atletico Mineiro en route to the final where they had plenty of home support.With time running out, they so nearly grabbed a consolation goal.After substitute Vianney Mabide's shot was parried by Neuer, Raja's captain Mouhcine Moutouali fired the rebound over the bar six minutes from time.Bayern are on course to defend all their titles in 2014 having reached the Champions League knock-out phase as group winners.They are also seven points clear in the Bundesliga with a game in hand having broken or equalled 25 German league records last season.In the third-place play-off earlier Saturday, Atletico Mineiro defeated Guangzhou 3-2 thanks to a last-minute strike from substitute Luan.The Brazilians played the closing minutes of the match with 10 men after veteran star Ronaldinho, who had scored his team's second goal, was red-carded.

Football: Liverpool go top, City rally, United roll on

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LONDON (AFP) - Liverpool took over at the top of the Premier League table on Saturday, while Manchester City climbed to second place and Manchester United continued their recent revival.With previous leaders Arsenal and Chelsea facing off at the Emirates Stadium on Monday, Liverpool took advantage with a 3-1 win over Cardiff City that took them a point above Arsene Wenger's side.Manchester City followed their lead by winning 4-2 at Fulham to move above Arsenal on goal difference.United, meanwhile, beat West Ham United 3-1 at Old Trafford to record a fourth consecutive victory in all competitions after the shock of successive home defeats by Everton and Newcastle United.At Anfield, Luis Suarez celebrated his new Liverpool contract by scoring twice against Cardiff to take his tally of league goals to 19 for the season.The Uruguayan, who signed a new long-term contract on Friday, opened his account in the 25th minute when he met Jordan Henderson's left-wing centre with a controlled volley that found the bottom-left corner.The Uruguayan teed up Raheem Sterling to tap home the second goal in the 42nd minute and three minutes later he made it 3-0, curling a glorious shot into the bottom-right corner from Henderson's back-heel.Jordon Mutch replied for Cardiff with a 58th-minute header from a Peter Whittingham free-kick.Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers praised Suarez, telling BT Sport: For me he's got this in-built brain for football. His view of the game is different to others and he has an anticipation of where the ball is going to drop.The result added to the gloom around 15th-place Cardiff, whose manager, Malky Mackay, is thought to be on the brink of losing his job after falling out with club owner Vincent Tan.Mackay struck a defiant tone after the game, however, saying: I won't be walking away. That's the first thing. I'm proud to be the manager of Cardiff City.Manchester City let a 2-0 lead slip at Fulham, but late goals from Jesus Navas and James Milner saw them record a fifth win in their last six league games.Yaya Toure put City ahead in the 23rd minute with the latest fine free-kick from his growing collection, before Vincent Kompany stabbed home the second shortly before half-time.Kieran Richardson reduced the arrears early in the second period though, and Kompany inadvertently gifted Fulham an equaliser in the 70th minute when he somehow conspired to slice Sascha Riether's cross over recalled goalkeeper Joe Hart for an own goal.However, David Silva freed fellow Spaniard Navas to restore City's advantage eight minutes later and Milner added a fourth from a magnificent Alvardo Negredo cross in the 83rd minute.Before they scored for 2-1, we had three or four chances to score and when you miss so many chances, the other team often scores, said City manager Manuel Pellegrini.We had some bad luck for their second goal -- it was unbelievable -- but it was important for us to recover.United moved to within five points of the Champions League places with a breezy win at home to West Ham.Wayne Rooney returned to the United line-up after missing the mid-week win at Stoke City in the League Cup with an unspecified injury and he teed up Danny Welbeck to give the hosts a 26th-minute lead.Adnan Januzaj extended United's advantage 10 minutes later with his first goal at Old Trafford, skilfully skirting James Collins before bending home right-footed.Ashley Young added a third in the 72nd minute with a sumptuous curler, again created by Rooney, before Carlton Cole replied for West Ham.We played well today, United manager David Moyes told the BBC.The job is to keep our head down and keep winning games. There is confidence among the players. We are creating a lot of opportunities right now.Newcastle United climbed to sixth place by winning 3-0 at third-bottom Crystal Palace through a goal from Yohan Cabaye, a Danny Gabbidon own goal and a late Hatem Ben Arfa penalty.Matej Vydra came off the bench to earn West Bromwich Albion a 1-1 draw at home to Hull City in the first game since Steve Clarke's dismissal as manager, netting four minutes from time to cancel out Jake Livermore's opener.Goals from Charlie Adam and Peter Crouch gave Stoke City a 2-1 win at home to Aston Villa, who hit back through Libor Kozak, while bottom club Sunderland spurned a chance to close on the teams above them in a 0-0 draw at home to Norwich City.

Football: Hat-trick hero Pedro revive Barcelona

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MADRID (AFP) - Barcelona ensured they will finish 2013 on top of La Liga as a Pedro Rodriguez hat-trick helped them come from 2-0 down to win 5-2 at Getafe on Sunday.The hosts had got off to a flying start as goals from Sergio Escudero and Lisandro Lopez put them 2-0 up inside 14 minutes.However, the Catalans responded like champions as Pedro scored three times in eight minutes before the break.Cesc Fabregas gave Barca breathing space when he volleyed home Pedro's cross 22 minutes from time and the former Arsenal captain doubled his tally from the penalty spot moments later.Barca's comeback means they edge ahead of Atletico Madrid on goal difference at the top of the table, whilst Real Madrid can cut the gap on the top two to five points with a win at Valencia later on Sunday.Without the suspended Neymar and injured Lionel Messi, the spotlight was on the Catalans' fringe players in attack to make their claim for a regular starting spot.And Barca boss Gerardo Martino hailed Pedro's impact having previously seen his opportunities limited this season.Pedro has a great eye for goal, everyone in Spain knows that.He has a great attitude, he never gives up and he understands that he is an important player, even if he does play in an area of the field where Barcelona have other great players.Barca had gotten off to a disastrous start as Escudero played a wonderful one-two with Angel Lafita before firing home from close range.Four minutes later Lisandro rose highest to power home Pedro Leon's corner to double Getafe's advantage.Despite such a poor opening, though, Martino praised his side's patience to find a way back into the game.I want to stress how we maintained our way of playing and continued in the manner we had planned before the match.Obviously we have to analyse what happened in the first 15 minutes, but we kept our heads and didn't panic which is the Barcelona way.The Barca revival began 10 minutes before half-time when Fabregas released Pedro in behind the defence and his chipped finish had just enough elevation to take it past Miguel Angel Moya.Pedro then curled home into the top corner from the edge of the area and pounced on a defensive error by Juan Valera to give his side the lead at half-time.Diego Castro should have restored parity for Getafe when he curled inches wide of the far post after turning Gerard Pique inside the area on the hour mark.And that miss was to prove crucial as Barca killed off the contest with a wonderful team move eight minutes later that culminated with Fabregas volleying home Pedro's cross at the back post.Pedro could have had his fourth seconds later as his attempted lob of Moya drifted just over, but he was also involved in Barca's fifth as was clipped inside the area by Borja Fernandez and Fabregas sent Moya the wrong way from the resultant spot-kick.

Tennis: Ferrer splits with long-time coach Piles

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ABU DHABI (AFP) - World number three David Ferrer said Sunday that he has split with coach Javier Piles after a 15-year working relationship.Tomorrow I will make a statement because I finished my relation with my coach Javier Piles three or four days ago, Ferrer told www.sport360.com.I am sad because it was a very familial relationship and next year I will begin with Jose Altur along with my same team.Ferrer, 31, who reached his first Grand Slam final this year at the French Open where he lost to compatriot Rafael Nadal, made his announcement at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship which gets underway in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.I broke my relation with Javier, it was okay, we didn't have any personal problems. We worked together for many years and we decided to end the coaching relationship.Ferrer and Piles had endured a close but sometimes roller-coaster relationship.The coach once locked Ferrer in a cupboard as punishment for a poor performance on the practice courts.Ferrer is the second top three player to change coaches in the last week after world number two Novak Djokovic shocked the sport by hiring German legend Boris Becker as his head coach on Wednesday.

Golf: Europe snatch thrilling Royal Trophy victory

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GUANGZHOU (AFP) - Former Ryder Cup-winning captain Jose Maria Olazabal masterminded another miraculous European fightback as his team celebrated a remarkable Royal Trophy triumph in China.Seemingly down and out, Europe stunned their Asian rivals with a startling late surge, reminiscent of the continents Ryder Cup success against America at Medinah last year and at the 2011 Royal Trophy.In a gripping climax at Guangzhous Dragon Lake Golf Club, the honour of securing the winning point went to Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, who held off home favourite Liang Wenchong on the final green in the final match to clinch an 8-7 victory -- the fifth time in seven editions of the Royal Trophy that Europe has won.Spaniard Olazabal, twice previously a losing Royal Trophy captain, said: Our players did something extraordinary today. We knew it was going to be difficult. I thank all eight of these fantastic guys. Im proud of the way all of the team played.For his part, Asia captain Y.E. Yang was clearly stunned by the defeat.I congratulate Europe for an outstanding comeback. It was a great tournament but unfortunately a shocking loss for us, he said.I never expected this because we were so far in front. The loss is a huge blow and a big surprise. Hopefully well learn from the mistakes we made and return stronger next year.Trailing 5-3 overnight, Europe appeared doomed to lose when the Thai duo of Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Thongchai Jaidee maintained their 100 per cent winning records, claiming the first two of eight singles contests to extend the home teams advantage to 7-3.But with their backs firmly against the wall, the Europeans then rose to the challenge while the Asians wilted.Europe collected 5 of the final six points on offer with Marc Warren, David Howell, Thorbjorn Olesen, Bernd Wiesberger and Nicolas Colsaerts all winning their matches and Alvaro Quiros halving with Kim Kyung-Tae.Scotsman Warren began the comeback, holding his nerve to two-putt the final hole for par and secure a one-up victory against Ryo Ishikawa, who held his head in his hands after duffing his chip from the back of the green.Howell then took centre stage. From three-down with four to play, the Englishman won 15 and 16 with birdies and 17 and 18 with pars as Kim Hyung-Sung collapsed under the strain.Davids win was the turning point. After that everything looked possible, said Olazabal.With Olesen and Wiesberger recording comfortable 3&2 successes over Wu Ashun and Hiroyuki Fujita respectively, the contest was squared at 7-7.Kim Kyung-Tae made a brave par at 18 to finish all square with Quiros, leaving the destiny of the Royal Trophy in the hands of Liang and Colsaerts, beaten in a play-off that determined the outcome in Brunei last year.Level through 14, Colsaerts edged ahead with a birdie at 15. The next two holes were halved before the Belgian sealed the deal with a par on 18. We came back from the dead. It was incredible, he said.

Spacewalk astronauts make speedy station repairs

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Two American astronauts made quick progress during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Saturday to replace a broken equipment cooling system, NASA said.The risky outing was called for earlier this week after a cooling valve failed on December 11, leaving NASA no other option but to replace an ammonia pump at the orbiting lab.The problem caused a partial shutdown in the system that regulates equipment temperature at the space station, but did not pose any danger to the six-man crew, NASA said.Saturdays spacewalk began at 7:01 am (1201 GMT) and ended at 12:29 (1729 GMT), an hour earlier than planned.Astronauts made fast work of their key task for the day, disconnecting the old pump, and were also able to take on the extra task of removing the pump.A second spacewalk is set for Monday to work on installing the new pump module.They will be replanning that spacewalk, a NASA commentator said, in light of the extra progress made on Saturday.The venture outside the space station was the seventh for veteran spacewalker Rick Mastracchio, 53, and the first for rookie Mike Hopkins, 44.Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata operated the stations 50-foot (15-meter) robotic arm, hoisting Mastracchio and the refrigerator-sized ammonia pump module from one section of the lab to another.With Mastracchio grasping the 780-pound (350-kilogram) module and unable to see where he was going, Wakata eased him into the right spot for stowing the pump.The two US astronauts sported helmet cameras, and NASA TV showed the operations in real-time from the perspective of the spacewalkers.NASA also had to rig up some last-minute contingency gear inside the US-made spacesuits, which had not been used since a helmet water leak nearly drowned a European astronaut in July.Now the helmets carry an extra absorption pad and a snorkel inside, in case there is a malfunction in the water pump system in the 35-year-old suits.The investigation into the cause of the helmet leak is ongoing. Hopkins wore the suit that had the problem, though its inner water pump had been replaced.NASA checked with the astronauts at regular intervals throughout the day to make sure they were not feeling any squishy sensation behind their necks, which might have indicated a water buildup and would cut short the spacewalk, space agency commentators said.The astronauts reported dry conditions and no problems in their spacesuits or gloves, NASA said.At one point, Mastracchio said his toes were getting cold, but they warmed again once he alerted mission control in Houston and heaters were activated in his spacesuit boots.The astronauts trained for the emergency spacewalks by watching video of a previous outing to replace an ammonia pump in 2010.A third spacewalk was initially projected for December 25, but it is possible the astronauts will be able to complete all their work Monday.If not, the Christmas Day outing would be the first since 1974, when a pair of NASA astronauts did work outside the Skylab space station.Saturdays spacewalk was the 175th for maintenance and repair aboard the 15-year-old ISS, NASA said.

Tributes flow following Swann's shock exit

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Tributes flowed for England spinner Graeme Swann after his bombshell retirement from international cricket Sunday midway through the Ashes series.Swann explained his shock decision in press conference in Melbourne on Sunday, telling reporters England's 150-run defeat in last week's Perth Test -- which gave Australia a 3-0 series lead and the Ashes for the first time since 2009 -- had sealed his decision.His retirement, effective immediately, comes days before the fourth Test as a rattled England side try to stave off a 5-0 clean sweep in the series.Australia and England players, plus former greats, said they were stunned by Swann's decision.I don't know what to say, I thought he'd bowled OK in the series, just without luck I guess, said fast-bowler Ryan Harris.Something's obviously not quite right with him, or he's fulfilled whatever he wanted to do, but to me that's a huge shock.Spinner Nathan Lyon said he had been pretty shocked by the news.He's someone who I've looked up to a lot, Lyon said. His career stats stand for themselves, he's been an unbelievable spinner and someone who I watched pretty closely in my time.I'm sure he will be sorely missed in the England team but I wish him all the best in the future.Swann's England team-mates took to Twitter to bid farewell to a player they described as one of the greats.Congrats @swannyg66 on brilliant career, will miss playing with the fellow twin.. spintwins, wrote Monty Panesar.What a career Swanny has had, very sad to see him retire, great bloke, won a lot of games for England and one of the funniest around, added rising England star Ben Stokes.Tim Bresnan offered his huge congratulations on a great career in cricket and said he would miss the jovial and popular Swann's constant putdowns and abuse of my mental capacity.Also, many batsmen around the world have just exhaled a huge sigh of relief. Due to your constant challenge of the stumps and prodigious spin, Bresnan said.Former England skipper Michael Vaughan said on Twitter he believed it was too soon for Swann to call it a day, describing him as finger spin out of the top draw.Of all the England players over the last 20 yrs he is the one the team (will) miss the most .. Spinners of his quality are a rare breed... Vaughan tweeted.He has also been a brilliant character who plays the game how it should be played .. With a energy of fun and humour.. OldSchoolVaughan said Swann's departure reinforced that this Ashes tour is a absolute Disaster, lamenting that just 4 weeks ago England were favourites to win this series.But he defended Swann from accusations of selfishness, saying he had made the right call for the team knowing he wouldn't make it to the 2015 World Cup.Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal said he was disappointed that Swann had called it quits.Swann earned his status as one of the best through his guile and it was wonderful playing against him. It's his decision and I think he knows his body well. I wish him the best, said the Pakistan star.Former Pakistan seamer and national coach Waqar Younis believes Swann's decision to quit illustrated the pressures on the top players.It's sad news. I think the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) must look deep into it, said Waqar.Their players are playing heaps of county cricket and at international level which is taking its toll. They are getting sick of it, like three months after an Ashes in England they got into another Ashes which has its pressures, like the event, the Barmy Army, the Australian team, and depression creeps in.There was (Marcus) Trescothick, then (Jonathan) Trott and now Swann. It's happening to one country so they must sort this out.

South Africa just fall short in record run chase

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JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers hit centuries as South Africa and India fought out an epic draw in the first Test at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday.Set a world record victory target of 458, South Africa finished eight runs short on 450 for seven after a day of tension and drama.Du Plessis (134) and De Villiers (103) shared a fifth wicket partnership of 205 -- a world record for a fifth wicket stand in the fourth innings of a Test match.For much of the day, a draw seemed to be the best result that South Africa could hope for, but with De Villiers in particular batting with positive intent, the required run rate was always below five runs an over.With Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni forced to set defensive fields, De Villiers was bowled with 56 runs required in 13.5 overs, attempting to run the ball down to third man but edging it into his stumps.JP Duminy cracked a boundary off Mohammed Shami but was then bowled off an inside edge, attempting another drive.Vernon Philander, who hit a half-century in the first innings, joined Du Plessis and pushed the score along while Du Plessis remained rock solid.With 20 needed off four overs, Du Plessis pulled Zaheer Khan for four but was then run out by a direct hit from Ajinkya Rahane at mid-off as he attempted to retain the strike.Du Plessis, who saved a Test with a century against Australia in similar circumstances on his debut in Adelaide last year, batted for 395 minutes, faced 309 balls and hit 15 fours.South Africa settled for the draw but Dale Steyn hit the last ball of the match from Shami for six to leave the hosts tantalisingly close.We showed a lot of mental strength not to fade away. I thought Faf and Abs knocks would go down as the best in all time, said South Africa captain Graeme Smith.You gotta back the guys decision out there. The run out was unfortunate, the win would have been incredible, but weve still done very well to take it this far.Dhoni praised his attack for seeing his side through to the draw.We usually play only one spinner outside India and we needed a big effort from the quicks and they delivered. Our batting did extremely well too, he said.Du Plessis and De Villiers came together before lunch and batted through the afternoon session with only minimal alarms on a pitch which played reasonably easily, although there was still some uneven bounce and deviation from a cracked surface.The partnership was launched after Khan claimed his 300th Test wicket when he won a leg before wicket decision against Jacques Kallis, South Africas senior batsman.Kallis, who made 34, looked surprised when he was given out by umpire Rod Tucker. Replays showed the ball had come off an inside edge. In a series in which the decision review system is not being used, it was the first major error made by umpires Tucker and Steve Davis.Fast bowler Shami bowled Alviro Petersen in the fifth over of the day, after South Africa resumed at 138 for two, with Petersen failing to add to his overnight score of 76.Petersen played a tentative defensive shot to a ball outside his off stump and was bowled off an inside edge.Kallis, who was leg before wicket first ball to a full delivery from Ishant Sharma in the first innings, came within millimetres of suffering a similar fate to the first ball he faced from Shami. It was full and struck Kallis on the pads but umpire Steve Davis ruled correctly that it was just outside the line of leg stump.Kallis, who failed to reach double figures in six of his previous seven Test innings, struck Shami through the covers for four in his next over to open his score but was then dropped by Cheteshwar Pujara at short leg, with the fielder getting his left hand to the ball but failing to hold a sharp chance.After his initial struggles, Kallis batted with authority to score his 34 runs off 37 balls before he was given out.At that stage there were 74.2 overs remaining and India were favourites to close out victory, but Du Plessis continued to play an anchor role, while AB de Villiers played positively.The world record for a successful run chase is 418 for seven by West Indies against Australia in St Johns in 2002/03.
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