Ferguson wants focus from United

Sir Alex Ferguson wants his Manchester United players to dismiss the critics and focus on the league title.

United extended their unbeaten run to 20 matches this season and opened up a three point lead over nearest challengers Manchester City and Arsenal thanks to a 2-1 win over Stoke at Old Trafford.

Yet even two excellent goals from Javier Hernandez and Nani left many feeling underwhelmed at the general performance of the team.

Not that Ferguson is bothered. He feels the best answer is for United to carry on as they are.

We are an easy target for that kind of thing, he said.

But we just have to dismiss it and concentrate on our ambitions and that is to win the league.

Opposite number Tony Pulis offered a more expansive summary after watching his team be undone by the same scoreline for the second time this season, on each occasion leaving the Stoke boss with a...

Waqar Younis, the Pakistan coach, has said the team will focus on fielding ahead of the upcoming series against South Africa in the UAE, which starts on October 26. The Pakistan squad will have a week-long preparatory camp ahead of the series.

We have set up a six-day camp from October 17 before departing for the UAE on October 23, Waqar told the Express Tribune newspaper. Although I am placing emphasis on the three departments of batting, bowling and fielding - fielding, once again is our highest priority as it has never been good.

Pakistan's catching during the recent tour of England was abysmal, with plenty of simple chances being put down. Waqar was also unhappy with the level of fielding in the Faysal Bank T-20 competition in Lahore this week. I see weak fielding in the ongoing domestic Twenty20 championship...

New York: Half of the world's population should have access to high-speed internet within five years, the UN said Sunday.

The world's governments should put internet access at the top of their agendas, said Hamadoun Toure, secretary general of the UN's International Telecommunications Union.

The leaders of the world are unified: the future will be built with broadband, he said.

Even in developed countries, broadband access has yet to reach 50 percent. The ITU estimates the figure to be closer to 30 percent in the developed world and only one in 10 in developing countries. In the poorest countries, the figure is closer to one in 100.

However, there is no universally agreed upon definition of what constitutes broadband.

Wed Jul 28 06:30am PDT

Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related
stories to digest with your nectar surprise.
Jason Quick, The Oregonian: At the urging of
Rudy Fernandez and his agent, the Trail Blazers
have engaged in accelerated trade discussions
to deal the disgruntled, once-popular shooting
guard to one of three Eastern Conference teams.
Boston, Chicago and New York are all in the
running to land the 6-foot-6 Spaniard,
who set an NBA rookie record two seasons
ago by making 159 three-pointers.
Fernandez, 25, is unhappy in Portland
because of limited playing time behind
All-Star Brandon Roy and because of the
playing style of coach Nate McMillan,
who primarily used Fernandez as an outside
shooter, not the playmaker Fernandez
believes he can be in the NBA.
Fernandez has two years remaining on
his contract, which will pay him $1.25 million
...

LONDON: Former Pakistan Test captain Shahid Afridi vowed to return to England on Sunday, saying the limited over series starting next month will be the launch pad for his ambitions to win the 2011 World Cup.

The 30-year-old announced he would retire from Test cricket after the second and final Test against Australia at Leeds starting Wednesday, citing a lack of temperament for the five-day game.

His announcement came minutes after he led Pakistan to a 150-run defeat against Australia in the first Test on Friday, where Afridi slogged 31 in the first innings and hold out for two in the second.

But a side strain meant the batsman was ruled out of the second Test and he was released from the Pakistan squad which, after the Australia series, will stay on to play four Tests against England.

However, Afridi - who led Pakistan to the 2009 World Twenty20 title - is determined to return for the subsequent limited over series against England.
...

ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said her country wants the stability of Pakistan’s economy and the democratic institutions here, Geo News reported Monday.

Addressing a joint press conference along with her Pakistan counterpart Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi at Foreign Office after Strategic Dialogues, she said the US would give Pakistan $7 billion in non-military aid over five years.

She said her meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani were positive and various issues relating Pakistani public were mulled over.

Clinton said the US wants lasting and enduring relations and cooperation with Pakistan, adding her country will cooperate with Pakistan in sectors including energy, health and education.

She told that dialogues focused on raising the standards of living of Pakistan’s people and the projects of water and electricity were discussed.
...

Thompson wears pink, but wants gold

The 21-year-old super-heavyweight from Lenexa, Kan., is seeking his second title at the USA boxing national championships Saturday night and has found a unique way to promote both himself and the fight against breast cancer.
He fights his opponents decked out in light pink trunks adorned with the cause's signature pink ribbon, pink headgear and a pink T-shirt that reads Fighting is a lot easier when your opponent isn't cancer.
He sells shirts outside the ring to raise funds and he also goes to mixed martial arts fights and sets up shop hawking T-shirts that have all the fighting disciplines from jujitsu to kick boxing listed on one side with a giant pink X over them and the M.M.A. initials standing for Much More Awareness written on the other side. Beneath, is his motto: Team CAM: Get a mam, ma'am.
He's adding black tank tops with pink writing to his clothing line for guys who don't dare don the...

Paul Collingwood wants England to get back to playing intense cricket as they look to recover from the shock of losing to Bangladesh with victory over the Tigers in their one-day finale.

The all-rounder was in the England team that went down by five runs to Bangladesh in the second one-day international at Bristol on Saturday.

That result gave Bangladesh a first win over England in 21 attempts following defeats in eight Tests and 12 Twenty20s.

And it meant they levelled the three-match series at 1-1 ahead of Monday's concluding match here at Edgbaston.

Before this contest, England beat world champions Australia 3-2 in a five-match one-day series but saw hopes of a clean sweep evaporate with convincing defeats in the final two matches.

England have now lost three out of their last four matches and while Collingwood said now was not...

http://viprasys.org/xfs/index.php/image/direct/wzP_K1CMwm/1.jpg

After struggling for years to win a major, Paula Creamer is aiming to make it two in a row at the Women's British Open, which starts Thursday at Royal Birkdale.

Creamer shed the title of being the best women's golfer to not win a major with her U.S. Women's Open at Oakmont this month. Now she hopes the momentum will put her right back on top of the leaderboard at Birkdale.

I know now what it takes to win a major and I've been waiting to do that for a very long time, Creamer said. I feel very confident coming into this event and I know what I need to do.

Creamer played her first Women's British Open when it was last held at Birkdale in 2005, finishing 15th. That tournament was plagued by some miserable weather, and Creamer said she won't mind more of the same this time.

I enjoy links golf, I always have, she said. It's a nice change to come out, put your five layers on...

NEW YORK: Britain's WBA super lightweight champion Amir King Khan made a smashing US debut at Madison Square Garden, pummelling local favourite Paulie Malignaggi before immediately switching his sights to bigger things.

Having stopped former champion Malignaggi in the 11th round on Saturday to retain his crown, Khan said he wanted to reign supreme in the 140-pound division and give Muslims something to cheer about in boxing.

I have made my debut here, I know how it feels, said Khan, whose dismantling of New York's Malignaggi was his first bout outside of Britain. It's the best feeling fighting in America. It's a dream come true.

I'd love to fight in Vegas now and have a big fight there.

Golden Boy Promotions chief Richard Schaefer said plans were to have Khan return home for a bout in July before coming back for another US fight in late autumn.

Khan had a game plan in mind.

I'd like to fight (Marcos) Maidana next, the 23-year-old Khan said about the hard-hitting...

Roberto Mancini wants Wayne Rooney to face his Manchester City side on Saturday - so there will be no excuses from Manchester United if they lose the derby.

Rooney has been an influential figure for the faltering champions this season, scoring 34 goals in all competitions. However he has been troubled by an ankle injury and sat out the goalless draw against Blackburn on Sunday.

City have already beaten United at home this season in the Carling Cup with Rooney playing and Italian manager Mancini does not see why his team cannot repeat that win again. I think it is better if Rooney plays on Saturday, he told www.mcfc.co.uk He is a fantastic player and has had an amazing season.

He added: He will be a danger, of course, but United have many fine players in their team - but we have beaten them once at home already and can do it again.
...