FIFA award: Lionel Messi wins

Lionel Messi won his second straight FIFA player of the year award, with his mesmerizing play for Barcelona outweighing a disappointing World Cup.

The Argentine forward beat out Barcelona teammates Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta for the renamed FIFA Golden Ball Award, which merged the FIFA player of the year with France Footballs Golden Ball. Messi became the first repeat winner since Ronaldinho in 2004 and 2005. Messi received 22.65 percent of the votes cast by national team coaches and captains plus selected reporters. Iniesta followed with 17.36 percent and Xavi received 16.48 per cent to finish third for the second straight year.

NATO soldiers among dozens killed in Afghan unrest

Three NATO soldiers and more than two dozen other people including women and children were killed in a wave of violence across war-troubled Afghanistan Tuesday, authorities said.The soldiers and eight civilians including at least three women and a child lost their lives in Taliban-style bomb explosions from late Monday, the alliance’s force and Afghan officials said.The NATO soldiers, whose nationalities were not disclosed, died in two separate attacks, one in eastern and the other in western Afghanistan, NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.Both attacks took place on Tuesday, ISAF said.Afghan officials said two civilians were killed when a bomb placed on a motorcycle went off in the southern province of Ghazni, also on Tuesday.

Flood devastation continues; hundreds of villages deluged

Pakistan’s worst floods in recorded history began more than two weeks ago in the mountainous northwest and have spread throughout the country. Some 20 million people and 62,000 square miles (160,000 square kilometers) of land about one-fifth of the country have been affected.
The UN children’s agency warned 3.5 million children were at high risk of deadly waterborne disease such as diarrhea and cholera. It said it did not have enough funds to distribute clean water to victims, or give them medical care.
Helpless affectees reached Benazir Bhutto’s tomb in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh when no one stepped in for their help. A breach has been occurred in safety embankment on Sindh River near Village Bangal Khan Bardi and inundated 10 villages on Tuesday.
Authorities have issued orders to the people of Kot Sabzal to evacuate due to the surging water in River Indus while areas of upper Sindh including Shahdad Kot, Sajawal, Rato Dero and Qabo Saeed Khan have also been declared red zone.
Motorway spokesman has also asked people to not travel for next two days between Sadiq Abad and Sukkur. But heavy tariff can run between this area. Rahim Yar Khan Motorway Police has sent a truck full of relief goods for flood affectees.
Flood has been entered into Rohilanwali city and submerged Ward No. 4, Mushtaq Colony, Ilyas Abad and Habib Wala. In Rohilanwali, water has been entered into Wapda Office, Project Manager Office, Union Council Office, Canal Resthouse and Punjab Cooperative Bank. Traffice was also blocked at Shahrah-e-Pakistan due to floods and Rohilanwala bypass was also inundated. Flood was also hit the safety bank of Sultan city. All the banks were closed down. Record of Rohilanwali police station has been shifted to safe place. Rohilanwalis nearby 70 villages including Aloday Wali, Bhonday Wali, Nasim Abad, Magsi Wala, Mori Wala, Khaki Wala and Bahodi Wala have been submerged. Hundred of hectares of agricultural land has been flooded and cotton crop has also been completely destroyed. Thousands of people are being shifted shifted to safe places. No rescue team reached the area to shift trapped people. Around 350 villages in Jatoi including Rampur, Landi Patafi, Khanghardoma, Mirani, Alipur have been flooded completely and there has been no sign of any rescue operation so far. There is severe shortage of food, clean water and petrol in the area.
Floods have turned their directions towards Keerthar Canal in Jacobabad after water was seen flowing backwards due to destruction of gates located at Karang Regulator near Shahdadkot.
DCO Shahdadkot directed evacuation of 150 villages including Qabo Saeed Khan on emergency basis after the district was alerted against potential flooding. As many as 25 villages located in Tehsil Manjhand of Jamshoro District have been flooded, leaving thousands of people stranded. A gigantic flood torrent is marching towards Larkana and Khairpur districts after a huge crack was developed in under construction security bund: aimed at turning direction of River Indus away from civic population in both the districts. The level of floodwater spread around Jacobabad district is rising alarmingly owing to arrival of more water from broken bund along Indus River.
Meanwhile, Guddu and Sukkur Barrages are in exceptionally high flood while a medium flood is reported at Kotri Barrage.This would result in inundation and riverine flooding in low-lying areas of Khairpur, Jacobabad, Ghotki, Sukkur, Larkana, Benazirabad, Hyderabad and Naushero Feroze districts. Water flow at Guddu is 10, 767, 86 cusecs and outflow is 10, 761, 90 cusecs while in Sukkur inflow is 10,256, 30 cusecs and outflow is 9,938,80 cusecs. River Swat at Khwazakhela, River Kabul at Nowshehra and River Adezai at Adezai are all in high flood.

Pakistan to face England in third test match today

Third Test match between Pakistan and England will start today in Oval. The national team made four changes in the side. Muhammad Yousaf and Yasir Hameed have been included in the team in place of Shoaib Malik and Umer Amin while Wahhab Riaz has been successful in making test debut. Team Manager Yawar Saeed told Dunya News that Kamran Akmal will replace unfit wicket keeper Zulqarnain Haider. After Azhar Ali and Umer Amin, Wahhab Riaz will be third player to make test debut.

Briton jailed over stolen Shakespeare text

LONDON: A court jailed a British antiques dealer for eight years Monday for smuggling a stolen William Shakespeare manuscript to the United States and trying to sell it to pay for his playboy lifestyle.

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Briton jailed over stolen Shakespeare text

Obama reaffirms Iraq exit plan

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama says the United States is on track to end its combat mission in Iraq by the end of this month, transitioning from a military to a civilian-led effort.

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Obama reaffirms Iraq exit plan

Former players criticise Pak selections

KARACHI: Former Pakistan Test players on Monday criticised two of their cricket board’s selections for the second Test against England, saying the decision would make the national team a laughing stock.

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Former players criticise Pak selections

Training camp for Asia Cup begins tomorrow in Lahore

LAHORE: The training camp for the Asia Cup cricket tournament to be held in Sri Lanka will begin tomorrow in Lahore in which four reserve players will also participate besides the 15-man squad.

Coach Waqar Younis told that training camp would be held under flood lights due to heat of the day and also because of the day and night matches of the Asia Cup.

The players will undergo net practice from 6-00 pm to 9-00 pm daily during which fielding will also be focused.

The training camp will continue until June 10 while the national team will go from Karachi to Sri Lanka where the Asia Cup will be played from June 15.

Butt dismisses allegations of match-fixing

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt on Sunday dismissed allegations of match-fixing against the national team players.

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Butt dismisses allegations of match-fixing

russian flag

The captain of the Russian national team, Alexei Morozov, playing for Ak Bars Kazan in the KHL, will carry the Russian flag at the Olympics opening ceremony, says the official Russian Hockey Federation site.

“I’m very pleased to be entrusted with such an honor”, said Morozov to Russian site sportbox.ru (translation by RussianHockeyFans.com). “Hundreds of sportsmen will represent Russia at the Olympics and I was entrusted with the flag, which increases responsibility. I won’t say that I was shocked by this news but rather pleasantly surprised.”

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