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France captain Zinedine Zidane, sent off for headbutting Marco Materazzi late in Sunday’s World Cup final loss to Italy, won the Golden Ball award for the tournament’s best player. The results were released on Monday morning in Berlin by Fifa.
Little seems to frighten Taliban fighters in their relentlessly bold and bloody attacks on British bases across Helmand. Little, that is, except the menacing throb of an approaching Apache. The British Apache attack helicopters have blunted numerous Taliban offensives and become a key battlefield weapon, according to commanders who are quickly forgetting earlier controversies over the -million per-plane cost.
When Richard Branson swanned around with a piece of (apparently fake) leopard skin over his shoulders at the Virgin Money launch recently, he tuned into a growing trend among urban fashionistas to adorn themselves with the skins of endangered species. Branson’s representative, Tracey Meaker, insisted he was wearing fake fur.
Defence Secretary Des Browne was expected to announce details on Monday of promised reinforcements for the 3Â 300 British troops in Afghanistan whom he admits are facing an "energised" Taliban. Browne revealed last week that commanders in the restive southern province of Helmand had asked for more troops.
South African Trevor Immelman claimed his first United States PGA Tour title when he held off world number one Tiger Woods to win the Western Open on Sunday. Immelman clinched victory by sinking a 30-foot breaking putt for birdie at the last to complete a round of 67 for a total of 13-under 271, two clear of Woods and Australian Mathew Goggin.
The Somali transitional federal government has called for the powerful Islamist militia to be excluded from peace talks this week after sparking clashes in the capital that killed at least 21 people on the weekend, officials said on Monday. Deputy Prime Minister Hussein Aidid said the Supreme Islamic Council of Somalia militants had violated a truce deal.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) issued an urgent appeal on Monday for ,7-million to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of children in Ethiopia. Unicef said that unless it secured the funding, it would have to cancel the second half of a programme that reaches seven million children twice a year.
Springbok coach Jake White said on Monday his side would target the Australian scrum in this week’s Tri-Nations clash, after the Wallabies’ front five was humbled by the mighty All Blacks. New Zealand pummelled the Australian scrum in Christchurch, helping the Kiwis secure a crushing 32-12 victory against the visitors on Saturday.
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The South African Students’ Congress (Sasco) on Sunday called for a speedy corruption trial for African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma. Although it has not organised any pro-Zuma rallies, Sasco believes in Zuma’s innocence until proven otherwise in court.
Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini’s suggestion that KwaZulu-Natal’s name be changed should be supported because the current name is associated with suffering and humiliation, the Pan Africanist Congress said on Monday. Zwelithini has also called for the history of the Zulu nation to be rewritten to correct ”falsifications” of history.