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Germany go up against Italy in Dortmund with a slot in the World Cup final at stake on Tuesday, while France and Portugal head for Munich and their clash on Wednesday in the second semifinal. German hopes of reaching a second successive final were dealt a body blow late on Monday with the news that midfield dynamo Torsten Frings would miss the game after being suspended.
One of the Brazil’s top stars, defender Roberto Carlos, has announced he is retiring from international football following his country’s World Cup quarterfinal defeat against France. ”My days playing with the national side are over,” the Real Madrid wing-back said on his personal website.
The 37-year-old man who allegedly killed his wife before driving into Durban’s harbour in a bid to cover up the crime has claimed he is mentally unstable. Dhanendra Heeralall appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday to face charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice.
South Africa will pledge an additional R1-million this year to the global fund to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria, Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said in Durban on Tuesday. ”We further remain committed to supporting the global fund consistent with our potential and ability to do so,” she said.
Twelve people were killed, including two women, as rebels from the war-torn region of Darfur seized a town in central Sudan, officials said on Tuesday. The Sudanese army said the town of Hamrat al-Sheikh in North Kordofan province was attacked on Monday by forces linked to the Justice and Equality Movement.
President Robert Mugabe may have bought himself more time after skilfully evading United Nations pressure by persuading the world body’s Secretary General, Kofi Annan, to cancel his visit to Zimbabwe and instead back mediation between Harare and former colonial power London, analysts say.
England fans seeking solace from their World Cup woes are shunning Portugal as a holiday destination after the national squad knocked England out of the tournament, travel agents said on Tuesday. Portugal beat England on penalties after Saturday’s goalless quarterfinal in Gelsenkirchen, causing misery for England supporters.
Dmitry Tursunov expects he’ll be fined for an outburst during his fourth-round loss at Wimbledon on Monday. If not, a few things the Russian said in his news conference — such as calling the chair umpire an ”idiot” — should do the trick. After losing his service in the 15th game of the fifth set to give Jarkko Nieminen an 8-7 lead, Tursunov hit a ball in anger towards chair umpire Fergus Murphy.
A French radio reporter has been expelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for not having the right papers, said an Agence France-Presse (AFP) reporter who was at the airport. Ghislaine Dupont, special reporter for Radio France International was put on a Belgian plane late on Monday bound for Brussels.
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The World Cup is soccer’s greatest spectacle. It’s also a month-long grind, and the fatigue is starting to show. Games every few days, many played under a summer sun. Travel back and forth across Germany. Pressure that grows with every game. And that’s on top of the nine months that many players just spent with soccer’s best clubs.