Thursday 29 October 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Iran joins first talks on Syria's fate

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VIENNA (AFP) - Major powers, including arch-rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia who back opposing sides in Syria, meet for the first time Friday in search of a political solution to the devastating war.Top diplomats from more than a dozen nations have gathered in Vienna to narrow differences over the fate of President Bashar al-Assad, who has defied Western demands to step down.In a sign of its growing diplomatic clout, Iran, a longtime sponsor of Assads regime, is joining the talks for the first time, months after striking a landmark nuclear deal with world powers.But there was no talk of representatives of the Syrian regime or the opposition attending the talks aimed at ending a four-year war that has claimed a quarter of a million lives.In Washington, which along with its Arab and Turkish allies backs Syrian rebels, officials had expressed a cautious hope that the players would agree the outline of a transition that would eventually see Assad step aside.US Secretary of State John Kerry, while warning against an immediate solution, has described the talks as the most promising opportunity for a political opening we have seen.He met separately with Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Russias Sergei Lavrov on the eve of Fridays meeting.Now it is the right time to bring Iran to the table, Kerry said.Later, Kerry and Lavrov were joined by foreign ministers Feridun Sinirlioglu of Turkey and Adel al-Jubeir of Saudi Arabia.Russia, which has waged a month of intense air strikes against Assads armed opponents, has also urged preparations for parliamentary and presidential elections in Syria.But the idea has been rejected by rebels who say a vote would be impossible in the current circumstances, with millions of Syrians displaced, cities standing in ruins and two-thirds of the country in the hands of jihadists and other armed groups.There are also doubts about whether Tehran and Moscow are ready to push Assad to step aside, particularly at a time when the Islamic State group is seeking to tighten its grip on swathes of the country for its self-proclaimed caliphate.Even so, mounting international concerns about the outpouring of Syrian refugees and the growing jihadist threat could set the scene for some kind of political compromise, experts say.Overall, we have for the very first time around the table all the major actors and we have a situation of fatigue on the ground, so it could lead to a potential breakthrough, said Karim Bitar of the Paris-based Institute for International and Strategic Relations.Even getting Iran and Saudi Arabia -- the Middle Easts foremost Shiite and Sunni powers which back opposing sides in conflicts across the Arab world -- to sit at the same table would mark progress.Jubeir, in an interview with the BBC, made it clear that Riyadh is sticking by its view that Assad must leave office quickly.He will go either through a political process or he will be removed by force, he warned.Russia and Iran have made it equally clear that Assad has a right to play a role in an eventual transition towards a mooted transitional unity government and later elections.Apparently those who have tried to solve the Syrian crisis reached the conclusion that without Irans presence there will be no possibility of reaching a rational solution, Zarif said, according to Iranian state news agency IRNA.The West has accused Russia of concentrating its air campaign in Syria on moderate opposition groups opposed to Assads rule, although Moscow says it is focusing on defeating the Islamic State group and other terrorist organisations.Iran and Lebanons Shiite armed movement Hezbollah also have troops in Syria to advise or support Assads forces.Representatives from Britain, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Lebanon, the European Union and possibly other Arab states, were also expected to attend Fridays talks.

Pakistan seek series win as farewell gift for Misbah

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SHARJAH (AFP) - Pakistan target victory over England in the third and final Test from Sunday in what would be a fitting farewell for Misbah-ul-Haq, the countrys most successful captain who has hinted hes ready to retire.The 41-year-old, who quit one-day cricket after the World Cup earlier this year, had suggested that he would leave the game after a two-Test series against India in December-January.But with relations between the arch-rivals once again strained and with that series in doubt, this England series may be Misbahs last.To be honest, I havent made a decision on my retirement yet. I dont know if we will be playing against India this season or if there will be an alternative series coming up, so Ive not made up mind yet, Misbah wrote in his column for cricket.com.au.Pakistan are 1-0 up against England after winning the second Test by 178 runs in Dubai. The first Test ended in a draw in Abu Dhabi.A 2-0 series win will lift Pakistan to number two in ICC (International Cricket Council) Test rankings, previously briefly attained by them for few days in August 2006.Misbahs personal form and fitness suggest he can carry on, having scored 3, 51, 102 and 87 in the four innings of the series.But he said a player should leave the game on a high.One should think about leaving the game with respect rather than leaving it when he is forced to leave, said Misbah.Misbah will hope his team does not squander a good opportunity to win another Test series, like they did against New Zealand to who fought back for 1-1 in Sharjah last year.The Sharjah stadium pitch has been relaid and is likely to help spinners, with leggie Yasir Shah, who took eight wickets in Dubai, and left-armer Zulfiqar Babar, who managed three wickets, playing a key role.Shah worked with legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne in the nets on Thursday.Pakistan are likely to bring in Azhar Ali -- who missed the first Test with injury and second after his mother-in-law died -- to open the innings in place of Shan Masood.England, who were routed 3-0 by Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates three years ago, are likely to bring in middle-order batsman James Taylor for Jos Butler who has failed as wicket-keeper/batsman, managing just 34 in four innings.If that happens, Jonny Bairstow will keep wicket.Skipper Alastair Cook said changes will be decided after inspecting the pitch. Naturally when you lose a game or people havent performed as well as they would have liked, people will look at the team. We have a good squad and players itching to get in, said Cook.Well look at our team and if we sustain the type of cricket weve played for five days rather than four-and-a-half weve got a really good chance.If England, currently third in the rankings, lose the series 2-0 they will drop to as low as sixth.Teams (from):Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Fawad Alam, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan, Rahat Ali, Junaid Khan, Bilal Asif, Mohammad Rizwan.England: Alastair Cook (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Samit Patel, Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Chris Jordan, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, Mark Wood.Umpires: Bruce Oxenford (AUS) and Chris Gaffaney (NZL).TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS).Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM).

Ch Sher Ali lashes out at Rana Sanaullah, presents evidence in address

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FAISALABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s (PML-N) leader and Federal Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali’s father Chaudhary Sher Ali on Thursday lashed out against Punjab’s Law Minister Rana Sanaullah. Sher Ali presented evidence against the Minister for Law while addressing supporters during campaign for the Local Bodies (LB) election in Dhobi Ghat area of Faisalabad. Sher Ali accused Sanaullah of murdering 20 people and stated that he has brought a pile of evidence along which implicates the Minister for Law in the killings. Sher Ali predicted that Sanaullah will soon be sent to jail and will be hanged for his crimes.According to the details, Sher Ali kept venting his anger well after the official deadline of midnight for the election campaigns, without much consideration for the electoral codes. Sher Ali commented that the division of party tickets was a joke. Addressing the supporters, he further stated that whosoever abuses Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif they will burn down their house.The PML-N leader went on to criticize Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) leadership stating that PTI Chairman Imran Khan should not consider Faisalabad as Lahore. He stated that PTI’s leader Chaudhary Sarwar was from Britain and had no idea about the politics of Pakistan and advised that Sarwar should visit him sometime if he wanted to learn.In a talk with Dunya News earlier, Chaudhary Sher Ali’s son Abid Sher Ali stated that Rana Sanaullah was not accused by him or his father but by the arrested suspect. He also said that they are holding just a workers’ convention in Faisalabad, not a rally or show of power against anyone. Abid Sher Ali had accused the Law Minister for the target-killing few days ago. Abid Sher Ali said that truth has been revealed by the suspect Naveed Commando, who accused Rana Sanaullah in the court. He further stated:““Bhola Gujjar was like a brother to me and we spent good time together. Police should investigate further in accordance with Naveed’s statment”Read further: Abid Sher Ali says arrested target killer accused Rana SanaullahRelations between the two leaders have become sour in the recent past over the allegations of target-killing by Sher Ali family.Chaudhary Sher Ali recently criticised the PMLN leadership severely. Chaudhry Sher Ali stated that the party leadership is humiliating their workers using Rana Sanaullah as Punjab’s Law Minister. He also alleged that Rana Sanaullah has murdered twenty people in Faisalabad.Read further: Ch Sher Ali criticizes PML-N leadershipChaudhary Sher Ali flared further and criticized the Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif saying Shahbaz Sharif cannot control Lahore. He claimed that he will soon cut tail and ear of the fake ‘lion’.Meanwhile, responding to the accusations, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah had said that Chaudhry Sher Ali is mentally unstable and is blackmailing the party leadership to appoint his son as mayor of Faisalabad.

NASA spacecraft plunges through Saturn moon's icy spray

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MIAMI (AFP) - On the hunt for alien worlds that might support life, NASAs unmanned Cassini spacecraft has survived its closest-ever dive through the icy spray coming from Saturns moon Enceladus.The flyby took place Wednesday at 11:22 am (1522 GMT), NASA said.The probe skimmed 30 miles (49 kilometers) above the moons southern polar region, sampling and collecting data on the spray that is believed to emanate from a subterranean ocean.While the spacecraft is not equipped to detect life, scientists hope that the pass will give them a better understanding of what is contained in the icy spray, how much there is, and if conditions might be hospitable to life.The first images are expected in the next 24-48 hours, NASA said.Mission controllers established two-way communication with the spacecraft this afternoon and expect it to begin transmitting data from the encounter this evening, NASA said in a statement late Wednesday.The tiny moon orbiting the sixth planet from the sun stunned scientists when they discovered it had an icy plume in 2005.After years of observations, NASA announced earlier this year that Enceladus definitely has a subterranean ocean, widening the search for alien life in our solar system.The $3.26 billion mission is a joint project by the US space agency, European space agency and Italian space agency.Cassini is the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn, and it has been circling the planet since 2004.

Top US, Chinese naval officers hold video talks

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The chief of US naval operations spoke with his Chinese counterpart via video on Thursday, two days after a US destroyer sailed close to artificial islands built by Beijing in the South China Sea.The call between Admiral John Richardson and Admiral Wu Shengli, who commands the Chinese navy, lasted about an hour.Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said the men discussed freedom of navigation operations, the relationship between the two navies including pending port visits, senior leader engagement and the importance of maintaining an ongoing dialogue.Navy spokesman Lieutenant Tim Hawkins said the conversation was professional and productive.A US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Chinese had expressed no desire to cancel scheduled visits by Chinese ships to a Florida port next week, and that an upcoming visit to China by the commander of the US Pacific Command would still take place.We look forward to continue this dialogue, the official said.The USS Lassen guided missile destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of at least one of the land formations claimed by China in the disputed Spratly Islands chain on Tuesday.The move infuriated Beijing, which summoned the US ambassador and denounced what it called a threat to its sovereignty.Davis said the sailing was not intended as a challenge to the sovereignty of land features in the South China Sea.The US takes no position in competing sovereignty claims, he said.Wu and Richardson agreed to speak again via video conference later this year, he added.Tensions have mounted since China transformed reefs in the area -- also claimed by several neighboring countries -- into small islands capable of supporting military facilities, a move the US says threatens freedom of navigation.Washington has repeatedly said it does not recognize Chinese claims to territorial waters around the artificial islands.A US official told AFP on Tuesday that the US Navy would send more warships to sail close to the controversial islets.

Nearly 600 killed in Russian strikes in Syria: monitor

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BEIRUT (AFP) - Nearly 600 people have been killed in Russian air strikes in Syria nearly a month into Moscows campaign, two-thirds of them opposition fighters, a monitor said on Thursday.A total of 595 people have been killed in Russian strikes since September 30, two-thirds of them fighters with opposition forces including the jihadist Islamic State group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.The other third, some 185 people, were civilians, including 48 children, the Britain-based monitor said.Russia has carried out strikes throughout Syria, with only four of the countrys 14 provinces untouched by the aerial campaign since it began, according to the group.The Observatory said it had documented the deaths of 131 IS fighters and 279 other opposition fighters, including moderate and Islamist rebels and members of the Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front.Russia says its aerial campaign targets IS and other terrorists but rebel forces and their backers accuse Moscow of focusing on moderate and Islamist fighters over jihadists.Several medical groups have also accused Russia of strikes that have hit field clinics and hospitals in Syria.Russias air campaign has given new momentum to Syrias ground forces, who have launched offensives in several provinces with air cover from Moscow.But the offensives have had mixed results.In the central province of Hama province, the regime has taken several villages but failed to advance much towards a key town on a highway in the region.And in Aleppo, it has captured at least six villages from rebel forces, along with several hilltops.But an IS advance meanwhile has severed the only route in and out of the government-held west of Aleppo city.Russias intervention in Syria follows that of a US-led coalition that has been carrying out strikes against IS in the country since September 2014.The US-led coalition does not coordinate with Damascus however.According to the Observatory, the US-led strikes have killed 3,649 people since they began, around six percent of them civilians.The monitor said earlier this week that US-led raids had killed 3,276 IS fighters, 147 members of Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra front or Islamist groups and 226 civilians.

IMF mulls rule changes to maintain aid to Ukraine

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The International Monetary Fund is considering changing its rules to allow continued aid to Ukraine even if the country defaults on debt owed to Russia, a spokesman said Thursday.Russia has refused to renegotiate $3 billion in debt that cash-short Ukraine is scheduled to repay by the end of the year.But the stalemate between the two sides puts at risk the IMFs $17.5 billion financial rescue of Ukraine agreed in March.Under its current internal rules, the IMF is not allowed to lend money to a country when it is in default on debt to the official sector, such as another government.If Kiev defaults on the $3 billion Ukrainian Eurobond bought by Russia, the IMF in principle should cut off credit to Ukraine, even as the country reels from economic crisis and a pro-Russian insurrection.The IMF is working on a reform of its lending policies to ease the rule in carefully circumscribed circumstances, said Fund spokesman Gerry Rice.This has been part of a broader program of work related to the reform of our lending framework governing sovereign debt restructuring, Rice said.The final decision on the ongoing work will come from the IMFs executive board, which should take up the matter in the near future, he said, without providing further details.Under pressure from the IMF, Ukraine has reached an agreement with private creditors that wipes out $3.6 billion in debt and reschedules repayment on $8.5 billion.In a statement Thursday, the Ukrainian finance ministry said that creditors involved in the debt restructuring should expect to receive new Ukrainian sovereign securities on November 12.It had given Russia a deadline of Thursday to either accept the same restructuring terms or face a legal war in court.Moscow refused to join the debt restructuring talks because it views the Eurobond as a sovereign loan that must be repaid by its due date on December 20.The IMF reiterated its call Thursday for Ukraine and Russia to negotiate a deal to shore up the war-torn economy.Rice said Thursday that all sides should be involved in constructive discussion on the debt restructuring, which would allow the IMF to keep supporting Ukraine to help rebuild its finances.Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested in mid-October that the IMF simply give Kiev an additional $3.0 billion loan so that Ukraine can pay back its Russian debt.

Bigger Pharma: Allergan in merger talks with Pfizer

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Botox-maker Allergan said Thursday it was in friendly merger talks with Pfizer that have the potential of forming a $300 billion pharmaceutical behemoth.Based on its market value, Allergans price could run $113 billion or more, making the deal, if it happens, the largest takeover in what is already a record year of merger and acquisition activity on Wall Street.Ireland-based Allergan said in a statement that it had been approached by US-based Pfizer and that it is in preliminary friendly discussions regarding a potential business combination transaction.In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Pfizer chief executive Ian Read confirmed the talks and said that a key motivation was to move the US companys tax domicile offshore to take advantage of Irelands much lower corporate tax regime, in what it called a corporate tax inversion.Were in a tremendous disadvantage right now, he said. Our tax code is hugely disadvantageous to American high tech multinational companies.A deal would combine Allergan, with nearly $20 billion in annual sales, with Pfizer, which is valued at $218 billion and has nearly $50 billion in sales.The news sent Allergan shares up 6.0 percent to $304.38, while Pfizer shares lost 1.9 percent to $34.77.Allergan is best known for its rejuvenating Botox drug, while Pfizers top-line treatments include the anti-cholesterol treatment Lipitor and Viagra, used to help with erectile dysfunction.If Pfizer relocates its statutory headquarters to Allergans base in Dublin, the deal could bring huge tax savings.Pfizer had been looking for an address-changing tax inversion merger despite opposition to such deals by the administration of President Barack Obama.In 2014 it was rebuffed by British drug maker AstraZeneca in a hostile $117 billion bid.In a call with analysts on Tuesday, Reed stressed, when asked about the inversion option, that his team is not afraid of taking bold steps, and were looking at opportunities. And when we make our decision as to what is the best way of enhancing value, we will move.Asked Thursday about the potential Pfizer-Allergan inversion deal, White House spokesman Josh Earnest declined to address it specifically but said Obama has made quite clear that this is the kind of loophole that leaves a lot of Americans shaking their head and wondering.Allergan said that the negotiations would not interrupt plans to sell off its global generic drugs business to Israels Teva, a $40 billion deal announced in July.The company said it expects to complete the generics division sale by the first quarter of 2016.That sale would give Allergan cash to pay down some of the debt that came with its acquisition of Actavis earlier this year for $70 billion.If concluded, a Pfizer-Allergan merger would be the largest of a series of giant takeovers in the health and drugs industries.The news of the talks came two days after the number-two and number-three US drugstore chains, Walgreens Boots Alliance and Rite Aid, respectively, announced a merger valued at $17.2 billion.

Low-fat diets not best for weight loss: study

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PARIS (AFP) - Low-fat diets do not yield greater weight loss than other slimming regimes, said a study Friday, adding to the long-running debate on how best to shed extra pounds or kilos.A review of 53 scientific studies, covering nearly 70,000 adults in several countries, found no good evidence for recommending low-fat diets, said lead author Deirdre Tobias of the Brigham and Womens Hospital in Massachusetts.The science does not support low-fat diets as the optimal long-term weight loss strategy.In fact, low-carbohydrate diets led to greater weight loss than low-fat ones, according to study results published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal.Weight loss on a low-fat diet was just 360 grammes (13 ounces), compared to 1.15 kilogrammes (2.5 pounds) on a higher-fat, low-carbohydrate eating plan.As the worlds population grows ever fatter, the quest for an easy weight-loss plan has taken a high priority.Dietary fat has long been targeted, said the study, for the reason that every gram (0.04 ounce) of it contains more then double the calories of a gram of carbohydrates or protein.But research through the years has yielded contradictory results.Just last month a small-scale study in the journal Cell Metabolism said cutting back dietary fat caused obese people to lose more body fat than restricting carbohydrates.But the latest contribution, in the form of a meta-analysis of other studies comparing low-fat diets to other ones, found the contrary.Behind current dietary advice to cut out the fat... the thinking is that simply reducing fat intake will naturally lead to weight loss, Tobias said in a statement.But our robust evidence clearly suggests otherwise.Tobias said more research must be done to identify better approaches for long-term weight loss and weight maintenance.A comment on the study, published by the same journal, said it showed that weight loss overall was poor, regardless of the diet chosen.What seems to be clear is that long-term diet adherence is abysmal, irrespective of whether low-fat or other diets... are prescribed, wrote Kevin Hall of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in Maryland, United States.Added Tom Sanders of Kings College London: the best diet is to eat less and exercise more.To me, the take-home message from this paper is that energy intake determines the extent of weight loss rather than the relative proportions of fat and carbohydrates in the diet, he said via the Science Media Centre.

Tennis: Federer into Basel last-eight after 11th win over Kohlschreiber

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BASEL (AFP) - Six-time champion Roger Federer defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber for the 11th time on Thursday with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win which booked a Swiss Indoors last-eight place.Top seed Federer, playing at the venue where he got his start in the game as a ballboy two decades ago, will Friday face Belgiums David Goffin who he beat for the title in 2014.After defeating his German friend Kohlschreiber in 98 minutes with 13 aces and two breaks of serve, Federer was happy to escape with the win.The support really made the difference for me tonight, especially at the end of the match, said Federer. The fans helped me a lot and probably drove him down a bit -- thanks to everyone.Its always difficult against Philipp, hes such a tough opponent. I may have beaten him a lot but its not been easy.Today was another battle and Im just relieved to get to the quarter-finals.Federer, with five titles this season, won his 55th match of 2015 against nine losses. Americas Donald Young stunned South African fourth seed Kevin Anderson 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) to reach the quarters.Young, the world number 49, goes on to face 29th-ranked compatriot Jack Sock who withstood 14 aces from fellow American and sixth seed John Isners racquet in a 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 win.Sock earned his second win from six attempts against Isner as the 23-year-old claimed his 34th match of the season.Seventh-seeded 2014 US Open winner Marin Cilic earned a place in the quarter-finals, beating Russian Teimuraz Gabashvili 6-3, 6-1 but managing just seven aces in the process.Cilic will face 14-time major winner Rafael Nadal on Friday for a place in the semi-finals.Serve king Ivo Karlovic enjoyed a 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 win over Serbias Dusan Lajovic, with the Croatian firing 25 aces just a day after knocking out Swiss second seed Stan Wawrinka with 21.Anderson, Isner and Karlovic have each delivered more than 1,000 aces in ATP play this season, the first time that mark has been achieved since records began in 1991.Fifth-seeded Richard Gasquet extended his outside bid for a place in the season-ending World Tour Finals as he beat Dominic Thiem 7-6 (7/1), 6-4.The Frenchman needs to win the Basel title and next weeks Paris Masters to have a chance to claim a place in the eight-man London showpiece. He next faces Karlovic.I played a good tiebreaker which was key, said Gasquet.I hit some great shots when I needed to. My backhand was working really well and I got confidence from it.It was a super match for me and keeps me in the race for London. Karlovic is such a tough opponent. His serve is unbelievable. I just have to concentrate on returns, I will need to play really well.With the last two spots in the season wrap-up still in play, the situation was complicated by the pullout in Valencia of David Ferrer.The 33-year-old Spaniard, who won the Vienna title last weekend, was suffering with an elbow injury, a problem which forced him off court for three months this season.Ferrer stands joint seventh in the points chase, level with Japans Kei Nishikori who is also out injured.

Tennis: Halep crashes, Sharapova in semis at WTA Finals

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SINGAPORE (AFP) - Agnieszka Radwanska sent top seed Simona Halep crashing out of the WTA Finals on Thursday with a 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 win which also put a resurgent Maria Sharapova into the semi-finals.But despite her 500th career victory, Polands Radwanska now faces an anxious wait as she needs the Russian to beat Italys Flavia Pennetta in straight sets later if she is to enter the semis.All I can do is watch and cheer for Maria, Radwanska said.There are no such complex round-robin calculations left for Halep, whose campaign was ended by Radwanskas defensive skills and experience accumulated over seven appearances at the season finale.The Romanian world number two, last years runner-up to Serena Williams on debut, made a strong start when she immediately broke Radwanska in the first game.But the Pole broke back to level the match 3-3.Long rallies led to a tie-break that Halep looked set to wrap up at 5-1 until Radwanska, seeded fifth, made spectacular saves at the net and went on to clinch it 7-5.That definitely was a crazy set, she said.I was pretty relaxed and still fighting, still playing. I think when you (are) really relaxed, I think its sometimes better, as we see, Halep added.The second set became a lopsided affair as Radwanska played with renewed confidence and the now demoralised Haleps energy flagged.I was done. No energy anymore. I was tired. I felt that I lost the chance to win the first set and probably I lost the chance to win the match in that moment, Halep said.She insisted she was still happy with her injury-marred 2015 season and looked forward to a holiday.Halep retired at the China Open with a left Achilles tendon problem going into Singapore.Williams, who won a hat-trick at the WTA Finals last year, opted to skip Singapore to rest after losing at the US Open, leaving the field wide open.The WTA Finals features the worlds top eight players split into Red and White round-robin pools. The top two in each pool will reach the semis, with the group winner facing the runner-up in the other to determine the finalists.Spains Garbine Muguruza is on top of White Group, which also includes Germanys Angelique Kerber and Czech players Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova. Final standings in the group are to be determined on Friday.

Tennis: No tears, no drama as Pennetta enjoys 'perfect' ending

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SINGAPORE (AFP) - Italys reigning US Open champion Flavia Pennetta said losing to Maria Sharapova at the WTA Finals in Singapore was the perfect way to end her late-blooming career on Thursday.The 33-year-old world number eight announced her retirement at the end of this season just moments after becoming the oldest first-time Grand Slam winner in the Open era last month.Despite the US Open title, Pennetta had to compete for more points to make her debut appearance at the elite, eight-player season finale.Its perfect to lose against her, Pennetta said after her 7-5, 6-1 defeat to Russias Sharapova, who is back in convincing form after months out with injury.I dont know. I feel really good. Im happy to have the chance to play this tournament. I think to have the last match against Maria was amazing, she said.Pennetta, who turned professional in 2000, has 11 singles and 17 doubles titles to her name with career earnings of almost $14 million before Singapore.Pennetta left the court without fanfare but she was cheerful when she met journalists after the match.Right now I feel like its not my last match. I feel normal completely. I dont know why. Maybe in few days I will feel more the difference. Right now its so far so good, she said to laughter.But she admitted that lingering on court after her loss would have been emotional.I dont like drama and I dont like to cry, and I know if I was there I will cry. So why? No.Pennetta said that after 15 years of professional tennis, she will miss the players who make the tour like a family.I think also I will miss the competition. When you go on the court, the central court, its something special, Pennetta added.But in the other way, I am really happy to start a new part of life, new things, said the girlfriend of mens world number 10 and fellow Italian Fabio Fognini.

Tennis: Young stuns Anderson to reach Basel quarter-finals

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BASEL (AFP) - Americas Donald Young stunned South African fourth seed Kevin Anderson 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) to reach the Basel Indoors quarter-finals on Thursday.Young, the world number 49, goes on to face 29th-ranked compatriot Jack Sock who withstood 14 aces from fellow American and sixth seed John Isners racquet in a 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 win.Sock earned his second win from six attempts against Isner as the 23-year-old claimed his 34th match of the season. Seventh-seeded 2014 US Open winner Marin Cilic earned a place in the quarter-finals, beating Russian Teimuraz Gabashvili 6-3, 6-1 but managing just seven aces in the process.Cilic goes on to face 14-time major winner Rafael Nadal on Friday for a place in the semi-finals.Serve king Ivo Karlovic enjoyed a 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 win over Serbias Dusan Lajovic, with the Croatian firing 25 aces just a day after knocking out Swiss second seed Stan Wawrinka with 21.Anderson, Isner and Karlovic have each delivered more than 1,000 aces in ATP play this season, the first time that mark has been achieved since records began in 1991.Later Thursday, fifth-seeded Richard Gasquet was trying to extend his outside bid for a place in the season-ending World Tour Finals.The Frenchman needs to win the Basel title and next weeks Paris Masters to have a chance to claim a place in the eight-man London showpiece.With the last two spots in the season wrap-up still in play, the situation was complicated by the pullout in Valencia of David Ferrer.The 33-year-old Spaniard, who won the Vienna title last weekend, was suffering with an elbow injury, a problem which forced him off court for three months this season.Ferrer stands joint seventh in the points chase, level with Japans Kei Nishikori who is also out injured.Gasquet was looking for a win over Austrian Dominic Thiem to keep his year-end hopes alive.Hometown hero and six-time winner Roger Federer was also in action later Thursday against German Philipp Kohlschreiber, 10 times a loser to the top-seeded Swiss.

Tennis: Lopez, Fognini latest seeds to fall in Valencia

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VALENCIA (AFP) - American Steve Johnson ousted world number 16 Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) to reach the quarter-finals as the seeds continued to fall at the Valencia Open on Thursday.Indeed the top five seeds all failed to make the last eight as Germanys Mischa Zverev shocked Fabio Fognini 6-2, 7-6 (7/3) and Joao Sousa beat Frances Benoit Paire 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.Top seed and three-time champion David Ferrer withdrew from the tournament on Wednesday due to an elbow injury.Spains Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, at six, is the highest remaining seed in the draw and will face Johnson in Fridays quarter-finals after sweeping aside Japans Taro Daniel 6-3, 6-4.Seventh seed Roberto Bautisita Agut eased past Russian newcomer Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-3 and will take on Zverev in the last eight.Portugals Sousa will meet third seed Bernard Tomics conqueror, Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas. German qualifier Daniel Brands faces Canadas Vasek Pospisil after overcoming lucky loser Albert Montanes, who had replaced Ferrer, 6-2, 6-2.

Football: Sheikh Salman's 'exit strategy' boosts Platini's FIFA quest

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PARIS (AFP) - Michel Platinis damaged bid to become FIFA president was boosted on Thursday when it emerged one of his main rivals could step aside if the Frenchman was cleared to run in the election.European football boss Platinis ambition to succeed his one time friend turned arch enemy Sepp Blatter is currently on hold as he serves a 90-day suspension.The ban was imposed over a disloyal $2 million (1.8 million euro) payment Platini received from Blatter on behalf of FIFA in 2011 for consultancy work carried out years before.But the UEFA chiefs presidential chances improved with the news that Asian football head Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa could withdraw from the FIFA contest should Platini emerge unscathed from the investigation.That exit strategy was raised by FIFA executive committee member Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah in an interview with Olympic watchdog website insidethegames.biz.Sheikh Ahmed, a prominent International Olympic Committee member who is close to Sheikh Salman, said: I was a supporter for Michel, I still am a supporter for Michel.I fully know that hes innocent but I dont know the system that will happen.He paid all the tax for this (the payment) and is not hiding something, but the mechanism is creating a problem.If he has the right to run we will support him.From the beginning the will was with Michel as the successor of the house.And when asked if Sheikh Salman would pull-out of the race rather than stand against Platini, he replied: I think so.I believe a lot of the candidates would withdraw.Aside from Sheikh Salman and Platini the other contenders in the February 26 election are Jordans Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, Liberias Musa Bility, Jerome Champagne of France, Switzerlands Gianni Infantino, and South African Tokyo Sexwale.Sheikh Ahmeds intervention came just hours after Platini had made an impassioned defence of his suitability to become the next head of FIFA.In all modesty, I am the best-placed to lead world football, the 60-year-old former Juventus and France star told Swiss daily Le Matin.I am the only one to have a broad vision for football, the UEFA president added.He is adamant he will be cleared by the ongoing investigation.I was always assured that the payment (from FIFA to himself) had followed the rules of internal compliance.His suspension is due to expire on January 5, although FIFAs Ethics Committee have the power to extend the suspension by a further 45 days, which would deal a fatal blow to his hopes of occupying the FIFA throne.
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