Messi wonder goal as Barca wins Copa

A wonder goal from Lionel Messi set Barcelona on its way to the second leg of the treble by lifting the Copa del Rey Saturday with a 3-1 victory against Athletic Bilbao.

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Press release: Foreign Secretary condemns further Syrian barrel bomb use

The Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said:

I am appalled by this latest brutal attack by Assad’s regime, just over a week after video footage emerged showing Syrian regime aircrew dropping barrel bombs out of helicopters.

This is further shocking proof of the horrific and indiscriminate methods the Assad regime is using to kill and injure innocent civilians, including children.

Our position remains as strong as ever – we will continue to call for a political transition to a future in which Assad has no part.

Further information

• Follow the Foreign Secretary on Twitter @PHammondMP

• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice

• Follow the Foreign Office on Facebook and Google+

Media enquiries

Email newsdesk@fco.gov.uk

News Desk 020 7008 3100

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Record 12th FA Cup for Gunners

Holders Arsenal wrapped up a record 12th FA Cup triumph by brushing aside Aston Villa 4-0 in a one-sided final at Wembley Saturday.

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Rafa and Nole head for showdown

Defending champion Rafael Nadal and top seed Novak Djokovic are one win away from a mouthwatering quarterfinal showdown at the French Open after the pair secured routine third round victories Saturday.

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Blatter blames U.S., Europe for FIFA woes

FIFA's newly re-elected chief, Sepp Blatter, has pointed the finger at the United States and European football governing body UEFA over the corruption allegations that threatened to derail his presidential bid.

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News story: Defence Secretary attends Asia Security Summit

Leading the UK delegation, Mr Fallon met with key allies including German Defence Minister, Ursula Von der Leyen, Gerry Brownlee, New Zealand Defence Minister, and Malaysian Defence Minister Hishamuddin, discussing a wide range of defence and security challenges.

The Summit saw the Defence Secretary deliver an insightful speech on preventing conflict escalation, in which he explored the UK’s interests in the Asia region and underlined the UK Government’s position on key questions relating to the South China Sea.

He said:

“The UK has immensely strong bonds with Asia and a huge interest in the region.

“The IISS Shangri-La Dialogue has provided a timely opportunity for me to meet with my counterparts who share similar values of tolerance, justice and respect, and to exchange views on how best to protect those values in the face of aggression and extremism all over the world.

Today’s dialogue and the bilateral meetings I have had all highlight the importance of partnership and cooperation. From our trading partners to those with whom we are combating extremism, our strong and long standing relationships have created a tapestry of capabilities throughout the region which we must continue to nurture and strengthen.

This year’s Shangri-La Dialogue saw the attendance of 450 delegates representing over 30 nations and the highest number ever of attending Defence Ministers, eighteen.

During the Shangri-La Dialogue, Mr Fallon and his New Zealand counterpart, Defence Minister, the Honourable Gerry Brownlee, signed a defence cooperation statement, reaffirming the long-standing historic ties and shared values between the countries.

Mr Fallon said:

The UK has long-standing historic ties with New Zealand with closely aligned values and culture. We are also important Defence partners with an active exchange officer programme and shared operational experience. This statement is an important affirmation of this close relationship; it formalises our mutual commitment to continue improving existing areas of defence cooperation and has given our engagement structure by setting out strategic objectives for our future defence activities.

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'No sex in Qatar' - Blatter's own-goals and gaffes

Sepp Blatter has been returned to serve a fifth term as the head of FIFA despite the recent allegations of corruption to hit football's governing body -- and his own long list of embarrassing controversies.

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