News Issues Events

2010-06-08T00:10:00.000-07:00

England, Striker
Since bombing out in '06 on a red card, England's one-man strike force has had a calmer head. And a better one: he nodded in seven straight goals in one '09 stretch

Stat: Was second highest scorer in England, with 26 goals in '09-10

View the full list for "11 World Cup Players to Watch"

11 player to watch in world cup

2010-06-08T00:06:00.001-07:00

Brazil, Defender
An end-to-end back and the face of a new-look Brazil, he is a menace on offense too; just check out his juggling act and strike for Inter against Juventus on YouTube

Stat: Helmed a defense that ceded 0.6 goals per game in qualifying

11 World Cup Players to Watch

2010-06-08T00:03:00.000-07:00

Argentina, Winger
His stop-and-go moves and brazen attacks make him the most exciting player in Europe — but can he blend in with Argentina's talent and all-new tactics?

Stat: Won European Footballer of the Year by a record margin

Race for European places hots up

2010-02-20T00:06:00.000-08:00

There are top-of-the-table meetings in Greece and Portugal this weekend while the race for UEFA Champions League places is hotting up all over Europe, with some key fixtures in the Spanish Liga and English Premier League. You can follow the scores from all the European leagues live on UEFA.com's

Fashion of the week in Europe

2010-02-20T00:03:00.000-08:00

100 years of Old Trafford - the Theatre of Dreams

2010-02-19T23:49:00.000-08:00

coast series 2

2010-02-19T23:44:00.000-08:00

In its first series, Coast reawakened the nation's love affair with the coastline; this next series goes back to the shore to explore new secrets and stories that add to the unique picture that is being created of the British Isles coastline.

Coast celebrates the unique character of the British Isles, featuring stories about the people, wildlife and events that make up our coastal communities. The team of experts all return for the new series.

After Nicholas Crane's circumnavigation of the United Kingdom in the last series, this year Neil Oliver takes over as the main presenter. In each programme, Neil takes viewers on a journey along a stretch of the British Isles coastline, together with Nick, Alice Roberts, Miranda Krestovnikoff, and Mark Horton.

Through a mixture of expert comment, compelling storytelling and computer-generated images, Coast reveals a wealth of fascinating stories illustrating life as it is today, and as it was in the past.

Wednesdays from 24 February at 20:45 CET

We once again have a Lambert on “American Idol

2010-02-18T10:23:00.000-08:00

The remaining top 24 were revealed on Wednesday night and Alex Lambert (apparently no relation to Adam) made it through along with Lacey Brown, Crystal Bowersox, Janell Wheeler, Katie Stevens, Michelle Delamore, Siobhan Magnus, Lilly Scott, John Park, Joe Munoz, Ashley Rodriguez, Haeley Vaughn, Paige Miles, Tyler Grady, Jermaine Sellers, and Andrew Garcia.

And since “Idol” wouldn’t be “Idol” without some controversy, contestant Chris Golightly, who made it into the Top 24, was replaced at the last minute by contestant Tim Urban (who I’m going to go out on a limb here and say is not related to Keith). According to a press release from Fox, it was determined that Golightly was ineligible to continue in the competition.

Fellow Hollywood week contender Samantha Musa tweeted that she had spoken to Golightly – who touched hearts with his back story of being in foster care – about his disqualification.

“He was disqualified yesterday, after already being told he was in the top 24, over some bogus old contract,” Musa tweeted on Wednesday. “The contract expired, but they disqualified him for not telling them.”

Fox hasn’t given any details as to why Golightly was tossed, and Musa questioned why he was let go instead of “Big Mike” Lynche - whose father reportedly broke the “Idol” confidentiality agreement by blabbing about his making it into the Top 24 - was not.

I question why Jermaine Sellers, who was a finalist on BET’s gospel singing competition “Sunday’s Best,” made it to the final 24 while Angela Martin did not.

It was Martin’s third try at snagging a slot. The first time she made it to Hollywood, her father was murdered. The second time she ended up in jail over traffic tickets. This last time I thought for sure we’d have the chance to vote for her and her amazing voice.

Her cut on Wednesday night was made all the sadder because of recent news that her mother has been missing for months.

Are you happy with the Top 24?

Indian Premier League set to name new 2011 franchises

2010-02-17T10:49:00.000-08:00

The Indian Premier League will announce two new franchises on 8 March, the tournament's chief has announced.

The new teams will join the competition from the 2011 season, increasing the number of franchises to 10.

Lalit Modi said 12 cities were in contention, including four which will host games during the 2010 season.

Modi, the IPL commissioner, earlier revealed that a "very famous" UK football club had expressed interest, although he refused to say which one.

Modi said tenders for the franchises could be collected from the Board of Control for India or IPL from 21 February and that bids would be opened on 8 March in Mumbai.

The cities in the frame are Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Kanpur, Dharamsala, Indore, Cuttack, Gwalior and Visakapatnam.

But Modi also indicated that Rajkot, Pune, Vadodara and Kochi, which are in the process of building stadiums, might bid for teams.

The new team franchises will be granted access to venues hosting matches during the 2010 IPL in order to familiarise themselves.

The 2010 IPL, which is the third edition of the 20-over tournament, begins on 12 March.

Chelsea hold no secrets for Mourinho

2010-02-17T10:42:00.000-08:00

As José Mourinho prepares to meet his former club Chelsea FC, the FC Internazionale Milano coach must feel like he is returning to an old house to find the fixtures and fittings just where he had left them.

That sense of how little has changed at Stamford Bridge since his departure in September 2007 hit home on a recent scouting mission to west London. Soon after his Italian champions had been paired with Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League first knockout round, Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge for the first time to see the Blues beat Fulham FC 2-1. The 47-year-old was struck by a sense of deja vu.

"The last time I was there I was watching all the details with attention," he told UEFA.com. "Even the warm-up is the warm-up they did in our time. The way they defend set pieces is exactly the same. The position they have on set pieces is exactly the same. Sometimes they play a 4-4-2 diamond, sometimes they play 4-3-3, which are exactly the systems we worked when there."

Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Guus Hiddink and now Carlo Ancelotti have all followed in Mourinho's footsteps at Stamford Bridge. The Portuguese coach means no disrespect when he says he sees similarities with the side he led to two Premier League titles and two UEFA Champions League semi-finals during his three years at the club.

"I think it's a quality of a good coach – and Ancelotti is a good coach – to understand how the players feel most comfortable. And instead of making crazy changes, just fine tune, which is normal to keep a winning structure. I think Ancelotti's a very good coach and the team feels comfortable this way. And the team really is top – one of the best teams in the world."

Chelsea may hold no secrets for Mourinho, but he admits that such familiarity with the opposition could be a double-edged sword. "When I look at that team only Ivanović and Anelka are not players from my time. All the other boys: Petr Čech, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Essien, Mikel, Drogba, Malouda, Joe Cole, Kalou; all of them are boys from my time.

"So it's a team without secrets for me. But at the same time I think I'm a coach without secrets for them. It will be easy for me, but I think also easy for them. I know them, but they know me. I know the way they play, the way they think, but at the same time they know the way I coach, the way I prepare my teams."

It was precisely to prevent the negative effects of an emotional return to the place he calls "home" for the second leg on 16 March, that Mourinho visited Stamford Bridge in December to watch that victory against Fulham. "Emotion, yes, when I went there, of course – I was going to my home, it was my home for three-and-a-half years.

"But, you know, I went there on purpose to watch a game, to see people for the first time [since leaving], to be in that stadium for the first time, because when I go there in March I want to go without emotions. So instead of it being the first time I go there, I was there a couple of weeks before. I want to be cool and ready for the game."

Mourinho had a great relationship with the Chelsea fans and is now equally loved by Inter supporters. That is not surprising, given that he led the Nerazzurri to the Scudetto in his first season and has put them on course to retain the crown.

After doing the double over rivals AC Milan this season, his popularity has soared to such an extent that he recently asked supporters to stop singing his name and praise the players instead.

"Yes, fans are important," he explained. "I think I had a good relationship with them at Porto and Chelsea, I have that now with Inter – a good empathy, we love each other, I feel the fans are always behind me and behind the team which is important."

It is one reason why Mourinho, who led FC Porto to the UEFA Champions League title in 2004, enjoys such a stunning home record. Sides he has coached have not lost a home league match for eight years, a sequence stretching back to a 3-2 defeat for Porto by SC Beira-Mar on 23 February 2002.

Another positive result at San Siro in the first leg on 24 February would set Inter up nicely for the return. "It's quite funny and a bit of contradiction because at home I never play for a draw, never," Mourinho said.

"I always play to win, so we do nothing to draw and keep the record, nothing! I feel no pressure about it. I feel the record is so amazing that I must feel very relaxed. One day I will have to lose, and when this day arrives I will be very happy because I will be able to say: 'I didn't lose at home for x years, I didn't lose at home for x matches'."

With a smile Mourinho then stressed that that run applies to domestic leagues only. Chelsea, however, will know just how well they have to perform to return from Mourinho's new home on a high.

You can watch and read the second part of this interview ahead of the second leg when José Mourinho discusses his return to Stamford Bridge and the importance of Wesley Sneijder to his side.

Related Items

Entertainment review of the decade

2010-01-01T06:28:00.000-08:00

Take a look at the list of the UK's top 10 grossing films of the 2000s below, and there is a striking theme. All of them are adaptations - of a novel, of a musical or a theme park ride.

The story is the same at the global box office, too, save for one notable exception - animated sequel Shrek 2.

But while Hollywood's reliance on franchise fare is nothing new, these charts also reveal how CGI defined popular cinema in the 2000s.

The Lord Of The Rings populated its battle scenes with digital actors, directed by artificial intelligence. Characters like Sonny in I, Robot were entirely computer generated, while motion capture techniques allowed Brad Pitt to age backwards in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

At times, it seemed that if there wasn't an army of orcs, a jaw-dropping, physically impossible camera swoop, or a bright blue bi-ped with eyes like Bambi, the audience wasn't interested.

But, despite the big studios' reliance on sequels and adaptations, cinemagoers frequently had their heartstrings plucked by smaller, more intimate films.

Little Miss Sunshine, Slumdog Millionaire, Bridget Jones's Diary, Once and Juno made millions with their deceptively casual storytelling and home-spun comedy.

Meanwhile, sparked by Michael Moore's incendiary film-making and sustained by the rise of DVD, documentaries flourished in the noughties - from polemicals like Super Size Me and An Inconvenient Truth, to more thoughtful, romantic pieces like Man On Wire.

Slumdog Millionaire won eight Oscars, including best film and best director

True life stories maintained their stranglehold at the Oscars and the Baftas.

There were prizes for biopics of gay rights campaigner Harvey Milk, musician Ray Charles, torch singer Edith Piaf, environmental activist Erin Brockovich, dicatator Idi Amin, journalist Truman Capote and - for Britain's Helen Mirren - The Queen.

But cinema largely failed to tackle current world events, with few dramas succeeding in contextualising or, indeed, railing against the political upheavals of the decade.

Notable exceptions included The Hurt Locker, a brutally realistic action movie following an elite bomb squad around Iraq, and United 93, which reconstructed the hijacking of United Airlines Flight 93 on 11 September, 2001.

Latin America flourished as a centre of cinema, producing gems like Y Tu Mama Tambien, Amores Perros and The Motorcycle Diaries.

The 2000s also saw the Bond franchise reinvigorated, with Daniel Craig as the latest 007

Visionary Mexican director Guillermo del Toro flitted between Mexico and Hollywood, wrestling comic book movies Blade II and Hellboy into robust shape, while receiving plaudits for macabre fairy tales like Pan's Labyrinth, which he directed, and The Orphanage, which he produced.

The heartthrob of the decade was undoubtedly George Clooney, who managed to use his profile to rejuvenate the thought-provoking "talkies" of the 1970s, funding them through glossy, commercial affairs like the Ocean's triology.

Angelina Jolie ended the decade as Hollywood's best-paid actress, earning $27m (£16.7m) from 2008 - 2009, but her output vacillated wildly between award-baiting dramas and throwaway fluff.

At the Oscars, Kate Winslet, Cate Blanchett and Dame Judi Dench each received four nominations during the 2000s - but only Winslet took home the coveted best actress award, for Nazi-era drama The Reader.

GLOBAL BOX OFFICE

	FILM	TAKINGS
1.	The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King	$1.12bn (£691m)
2.	Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest	$1.06bn (£655m)
3.	The Dark Knight	$1bn (£618m)
4.	Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone	$975m (£602m)
5.	Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End	$961m (£593m)
6.	Harry Potter and the Order Of The Phoenix	$938m (£579m)
7.	Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince	$929m (£574m)
8.	The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers	$925m (£571m)
9.	Shrek 2	$920m (£568m)
10.	Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire	$896m (553m)
Source: Box Office Mojo

BEST-SELLING DVDS OF THE DECADE

1.	Mamma Mia! The Movie
2.	Gladiator
3.	The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring
4.	Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse Of The Black Pearl
5.	Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone
6.	Shrek
7.	Bridget Jones's Diary
8.	The Shawshank Redemption
9.	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
10.	Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets
Source: Official UK Charts Company

BEST FILM AWARDS

YEAR	OSCARS	BAFTAS
2009	Slumdog Millionaire	Slumdog Millionaire
2008	No Country For Old Men	Atonement
2007	The Departed	The Queen
2006	Crash	Brokeback Mountain
2005	Million Dollar Baby	The Aviator
2004	The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King	The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
2003	Chicago	The Pianist
2002	A Beautiful Mind	The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2001	Gladiator	Gladiator
2000	American Beauty	American Beauty

BEST ACTOR AWARDS

YEAR	OSCARS	BAFTAS
2009	Sean Penn Milk	Mickey Rourke The Wrestler
2008	Daniel Day-Lewis There Will Be Blood	Daniel Day-Lewis There Will Be Blood
2007	Forest Whitaker Last King Of Scotland	Forest Whitaker Last King Of Scotland
2006	Philip Seymour Hoffman Capote	Philip Seymour Hoffman Capote
2005	Jamie Foxx Ray	Jamie Foxx Ray
2004	Sean Penn Mystic River	Bill Murray Lost In Translation
2003	Adrian Brody The Pianist	Daniel Day-Lewis Gangs Of New York
2002	Denzel Washington Training Day	Russell Crowe A Beautiful Mind
2001	Russell Crowe Gladiator	Jamie Bell Billy Elliot
2000	Kevin Spacey American Beauty	Kevin Spacey American Beauty

BEST ACTRESS AWARDS

YEAR	OSCARS	BAFTAS
2009	Kate Winslet The Reader	Kate Winslet The Reader
2008	Marion Cotillard La Vie En Rose	Marion Cotillard La Vie En Rose
2007	Dame Helen Mirren The Queen	Dame Helen Mirren The Queen
2006	Reese Witherspoon Walk The Line	Reese Witherspoon Walk The Line
2005	Hilary Swank Million Dollar Baby	Imelda Staunton Vera Drake
2004	Charlize Theron Monster	Scarlett Johansson Lost In Translation
2003	Nicole Kidman The Hours	Nicole Kidman The Hours
2002	Halle Berry Monster's Ball	Dame Judi Dench Iris
2001	Julia Roberts Erin Brockovich	Julia Roberts Erin Brockovich
2000	Hilary Swank Boys Don't Cry	Annette Benning American Beauty

RAZZIE AWARDS FOR WORST PICTURE

YEAR	FILM
2009	The Love Guru
2008	I Know Who Killed Me
2007	Basic Instinct 2
2006	Dirty Love
2005	Catwoman
2004	Gigli
2003	Swept Away
2002	Freddy Got Fingered
2001	Battlefield Earth
2000	Wild Wild West

Pope Benedict XVI appeals for peace in 2010

2010-01-01T06:23:00.000-08:00

The pope has called for peace and the protection of children as he celebrated a Mass to mark the start of 2010.

Pope Benedict XVI said peace began with mutual respect between people, regardless of their ethnicity or faith.

He said the shared characteristics of children such as laughter and tears made it clear all men were brothers.

Marking the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Peace, the pope appealed to armed groups to "stop, reflect and abandon the way of violence".

"Respect others, regardless of their skin colour, nationality, language, religion," he said.

The leader of the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics added that the value of respect for all should be taught from an early age.

He remarked that it was increasingly common for children from different countries and backgrounds to share the same classroom.

"Their faces are a prophecy of the kind of humanity we are called upon to create: a family of families and peoples," said Pope Benedict.

Pictures of young people caught up in conflicts with faces "disfigured by pain and desperation" were a silent appeal for peace, said the 82-year-old pontiff.

He also called for people to take more care of the environment, saying that the degradation of man led to the degradation of the planet.

Pope Benedict was speaking in St Peter's Basilica a week after he was knocked down in the Rome cathedral by a woman during a Christmas Eve liturgy.

The pontiff was unhurt in the melee, but an elderly French cardinal broke his hip.

The Vatican said the 25-year-old woman involved was mentally unstable.

Britney Spears recalls top 75 'absurd' stories of 2009

2009-12-29T09:49:00.000-08:00

Singer Britney Spears has hit back at the gossip columns, listing the top 75 "most ridiculous" or "patently absurd" stories written about her in 2009.

Published on her website, The Year in BS said there were more than 13,000 stories written about the 28-year-old.

The list includes various reports of new boyfriends, emotional breakdowns and one claiming her family was once so poor they ate squirrels.

At number one was a story about Spears dating choreographer Sandip Soparrkar.

In January, the Daily Mirror reported Spears was dating Soparrkar and that she had hosted a private New Year's Eve party to introduce him to her friends and parents.

'Factually inaccurate'

The Daily Star later reported in October that sales of squirrel meat soared after a new Spears biography included claims the star's family would eat whatever father Jamie could hunt.

"We ranked the ones we believe were the most ridiculous," the post on the website said.

"Either because they were factually inaccurate, because they reported the patently absurd, or because we believe they are simply offensive to the sensibilities."

The list culled mostly from US and British websites, celebrity magazines and tabloid newspapers, also included allegations she was being drugged by her father and supposed demands for stripper poles in her room at London's Dorchester Hotel to help her keep in shape.

The star quashed rumours that she was pregnant with a third child, was addicted to gardening and under orders from her father to read the Bible every day to keep her "on the straight and narrow".

Several of the stories also related to Spears's recent troubled tour of Australia, where it was reported fans had walked out of a concert in Perth because of her lip-synching.

Deadly blast targets Shiite procession in Pakistan

2009-12-28T04:26:00.000-08:00

slamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- A blast targeting a Shiite procession shook Pakistan's financial capital, Karachi, on Monday. At least eight people were killed and 20 others wounded, police said.

The blast took place on M.A. Jinnah Road where thousands of Shiite devotees were commemorating Ashura, a major religious observance, said police Inspector Mahmood Ahmed.

Ashura marks the death anniversary of Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Mohammed. Hussein, who was killed in battle in Karbala in 680 A.D., is regarded as a martyr -- and the battle is one of the events that helped create the schism between Sunnis and Shiites, the two main Muslim religious movements.

Religious mourning during Ashura is characterized by people chanting, beating their breasts in penance, cutting themselves with daggers or swords and whipping themselves in synchronized moves.

Shias are a minority in Pakistan.

A day earlier, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance to a mosque in Muzaffarabad in northeast Pakistan.

Three police officers and four civilians died in the blast. Eighty-one others were wounded.

Burberry Tops at British Fashion Awards

2009-12-26T09:43:00.000-08:00

LONDON — The British fashion industry wrapped up its 25th anniversary celebrations Wednesday night with a gala evening and awards ceremony at which Burberry scooped up the top two prizes.

The annual British Fashion Awards were held this year inside the Victorian Gothic walls of the Royal Courts of Justice, home to England’s Court of Appeal and the High Court. Christopher Bailey, Burberry’s chief creative officer, was forced to do laps between his table and the stage, accepting prizes for both Designer Brand and BFC Designer of the Year.

“Particularly, I want to thank Angela Ahrendts, our chief executive and my partner in crime. She is an amazing leader, and I have huge respect for her and we all share this award together,” he said after Victoria Beckham handed him the Designer of the Year award.

It was the second time Bailey received the Designer of the Year accolade, having walked off with it in 2005. Earlier in the evening, Bailey revealed that Burberry would show its Prorsum collection in London for a second time during fashion week in February.

Guests including Kate Moss, Princess Beatrice, Graeme Black, Joan Burstein, Stephen Jones, Matthew Williamson, Sarah Brown, Samantha Cameron, Claudia Schiffer, Eva Herzigova, Dame Vivienne Westwood, Georgia Jagger, Yasmin and Simon Le Bon, Wendy Dagworthy and Sojin Lee gathered for dinner under the soaring vaulted ceilings of the chilly court’s main hall.

“I came because I’m British and I’m proud,” said Beckham, who was wearing a floor-length dress with bejeweled shoulders of her own design. She told WWD she’s hammering out plans to take a more active role in the BFC that may involve mentoring young designers or acting as an ambassador.

During dinner, the BFC screened a short 3-D film showcasing 25 star dresses from the past quarter century, including looks by Alexander McQueen, Anthony Price, Hussein Chalayan, John Galliano, Rifat Ozbek, Katharine Hamnett and Sophia Kokosalaki.

“The holograms were surreal,” said Black, referring to the film. “We weren’t just looking at a show of dresses — it was an interactive experience.”

Other award winners included Peter Pilotto for emerging talent in ready-to-wear; Georgia Jagger for model; Katie Hillier for accessories designer; Kim Jones of Dunhill for men’s wear designer; Galliano for outstanding achievement in fashion design, and Moss for London 25, a new award that recognizes an “international ambassador” for the city’s fashion industry.

Grace Coddington scooped the Isabella Blow Award for fashion creator, while Christopher Kane won for British Collection of the Year, an award that goes to a directional designer who’s building an international presence.

Cup of Nations clash creates friction

2009-12-25T22:52:00.000-08:00

If there's one Christmas present all football managers across Europe would probably want, it's undoubtedly a change in the scheduling of the African Cup of Nations.

Every other year, the club-versus-country row routinely dominates the back pages as Africa's premier sports event approaches and clubs lose key players for around a month.

And the row seems to grow with every passing year as Africans become increasingly pivotal in world football.

Premier League leaders Chelsea, for example, must continue their title chase without Didier Drogba, John Mikel Obi, Michael Essien and Salomon Kalou, while Portsmouth's relegation battle is not helped by losing a similar tally of players.

The story is the same across Europe. The French and Belgian leagues are always hardest hit, while Spanish leaders Barcelona must do without midfield duo Yaya Toure and Seydou Keita. In Serie A, table-topping Inter Milan must do without Samuel Eto'o, but not, surprisingly, Sulley Muntari.

The Cup of Nations storm is such that even the normally placid Roy Hodgson has been caught up this year. The Fulham coach angered Ghana's FA by labelling their request for John Pantsil's release - they wanted him to leave on Sunday, 27 December - as "disrespectful".

Hodgson's comments are not without irony since this is the day that players must be released anyway according to world giverning body Fifa. The normally mild-mannered former Switzerland boss clearly cannot see past Monday's West London derby against Chelsea.

In any case, sympathy is limited, for the oft-repeated cry has been, quite rightly, that Hodgson and other coaches knew they would lose their African players every other January when they signed them.

Some players even make it crystal clear they will not join a club unless they can be released for the tournament.

"An important English club once offered me a good financial and sporting deal, but I was honest and explained my commitments with Cameroon, especially the Nations Cup, so I lost the deal," Patrick Mboma recently told the BBC. "But I have no regrets. I was a Cameroonian before becoming a footballer, so my country comes first."

On the face of it, it does border on the insane to stage a continental finals during the European season - even if it made little difference prior to the mass influx of Africans in the 1990s.

Although it now affects some of the world's top clubs, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) still dismisses all requests to change the timing, always claiming that Africa's weather in June is too severe, whether through excessive heat or unplayable rain.

But this is not the most convincing argument, especially considering that the prospect of hosting the World Cup in June 2010 sparked a bidding frenzy across the continent. Many matches at next year's finals will also be notable for the cold, but no one is saying the tournament shouldn't be held because it's the South African winter.

Furthermore, Africa staged vital Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifying matches in June 2008 and June 2009, when more than 100 games were played in 47 countries.
I can't, off the top of my head, recall too many complaints about the conditions then.
So should Caf do the unexpected one day and reschedule the competition to June, as repeatedly requested by the likes of Eto'o, Essien and El Hadji Diouf, the year would also have to change.

It would have to be an odd year - just like it was when the tournament first began in 1957 - to avoid clashing with the World Cup and, to a lesser extent, the Olympics and European Championships, too.

This would surely benefit Africa, as the Cup of Nations could snag an uncrowded slot in the football calendar, thus increasing worldwide attention.

It would also silence European calls for the event to be staged quadrennially, which are clearly the result of vested interests. Did the off-season Copa America receive such vociferous criticism when it was regularly played every two years?

It's important to see things from an African point of view. Staging the competition biennially means the infrastructure in one of the continent's 53 nations improves cyclically - as seen most clearly by Mali 2002 and Burkina Faso 1998.

In addition, the Cup of Nations largely keeps Caf afloat since it provides around 80% of the African body's revenue.

Yet with Caf showing little political will to pander to European calls and move the finals, perhaps the opinions of Abedi Pele may engineer the first step towards a different scheduling.

The Ghanaian advances one of the more relevant arguments for moving the tournament, highlighting the difficulty of performing at a World Cup for Africa's finalists after a challenging European season, during which they've also had to contest a Cup of Nations. Indeed, the Cup of Nations is the only continental finals to be regularly played in a World Cup year.

Pele's view is shared by former France coach Gerard Houllier, but if the three-time African Footballer of the Year is to get his way, all African teams would seemingly need to fail in South Africa, save for the hosts themselves who won't be in Angola.

The problem is that Pele has been telling all and sundry that the continent can lift the World Cup next July.

Critics' views on Keira Knightley's West End debut

2009-12-25T22:47:00.000-08:00

Keira Knightley has received mixed reviews for her West End debut in an updated production of Moliere's 17th Century classic satire The Misanthrope, at London's Comedy Theatre.

Speaking to the BBC earlier this week, the Atonement star said she expected to be "burned alive" by the critics for her portrayal of a US film star.

The play, directed by Thea Sharrock, also stars Damian Lewis and Tara Fitzgerald.

Keira Knightley may be one of 21st century cinema's revered objects but on stage she proves little better than adequate.

Her arrival on the West End in an interesting (but intellectually disingenuous) treatment of Moliere's Le Misanthrope is, well, on the dull side.

She has all the charisma of a serviceable goldfish. Miss Knightley has a flawless face but it does not move about much.

In a film actress this is often an advantage but on stage it is a snag. It's like giving a carpenter a blunt chisel.

ENGLAND CRUSHING

2009-12-11T10:21:00.000-08:00

On the evening of Sat., June 12, 2010, we expect to be holed up in Castle Limey with the drawbridge raised and defenses at full in an attempt to halt a baying mob of SI.com journalists, distraught at the U.S. national team's defeat to our mighty Three Lions.

We accept that you're world leaders in pointlessly putting wood on station wagons. We appreciate that you've had major names such as ex-Norwich and Coventry stalwart Darren Huckerby starring in Major League Soccer. And we acknowledge your genius in hosting the most staged penalty "miss" in World Cup Opening Ceremony history. But we're afraid that's not going to be enough to beat our boys in Rustenburg, South Africa, next year. Poor Bob Bradley will be mopping up the spillage from the can of proverbial whoop-ass we'll be opening onto your starred-and-striped buttocks.

As Team Limey relaxed by a roaring fire in the bowels of Castle Limey last Friday evening, we howled with excitement as we witnessed World Cup draw emcee Charlize Theron playing with some balls, and placing yours alongside ours in Group C. Yes, Theron looked good; but the main reason for our joy was the prospect of six months of heated banter firing from the ramparts of Castle Limey in the direction of you, our friends across the pond.

In all seriousness, England will be wary of you Yanks, and not just those sizeable members of your population who look like they'd eat us in a flash if only we were topped in French's mustard. Clint Dempsey, Fulham's top scorer, is having his best season yet in the English Premier League, while keeper Tim Howard would walk straight into England's No. 1 shirt were he not American. Regardless, we're confident that revenge for the defeat England suffered in the sole competitive meetings between the two sides (the 1950 World Cup, when England went down 1-0 in Brazil) is firmly in the offing.

As we've said in previous columns, Theron's World Cup draw associate and MLS ambassador David Beckham should be in the squad to face his current country of residence -- from the substitute's bench at least. Beckham will be a useful asset to have for England boss Fabio Capello, not only as a player, but also for his intimate knowledge of the U.S. squad. Conversely, it looks like Bradley will have another spy in the EPL with Beckham's Los Angeles Galaxy teammate and U.S. all-time top scorer Landon Donovan on the verge of a loan move to Everton for the lead-up to the World Cup -- an arrangement similar to Beckham's with AC Milan.

After their opening match on June 12, both England and the U.S. realistically should beat the two other teams in the group, who both scraped into the World Cup via playoffs. One is Algeria, a team that has only qualified three times for the World Cup and never gone beyond the first round on any of those occasions. The other is Slovenia, which has qualified only once (in '02) since it was formed out of the 1991 divestiture of Yugoslavia. (The Slovenians lost all three of their group games in South Korea.)

As we see it, England and the U.S.' course through the rest of the tournament is entirely down to their opening match. The losers of that game likely would get a round-of-16 date with Germany, the team that always steps up a gear in big tournaments, and England's penalty-shootout nemesis. That should be incentive enough for England to beat the U.S.

The winners probably will play Michael Essien's Ghana, which we foresee overpowering Australia to second place in that group. Then, assuming results go as one would expect, England could face France in the quarterfinals.

9 questions with the women of 'Nine'

2009-12-11T10:12:00.000-08:00

What's your favorite book?

Nicole Kidman: My favorite book is "War & Peace" by Leo Tolstoy because it's why I wanted to become an actor. But it's not light reading.

Penelope Cruz: I have many, but I think the one I'm reading right now, I'm completely obsessed with. It's an Italian book from Margaret Mazzantini and it's called "Venuto al Mondo." It's not out here yet, but it will be. And I think it's really a masterpiece. I just wake up in the middle of the night and start reading. I can't stop thinking about it. It's one of the best things I've ever read. It's a love story told in flashbacks. Part of it happens during the war in Sarajevo. I won't tell you anymore but it's really, really beautiful.

Kate Hudson: "One Hundred Years of Solitude."

Marion Cotillard: There are many books I love. I think it was two years I read, it's not a book actually, but it's been published as a book. It's Harold Pinter's acceptance speech when he got the Nobel Prize. Actually, I know the title in French, but it might be the same -- they might have translated. It's "Art, Truth and Politics." Today, I would say this one.

Where is your favorite place to travel?

Kidman: Home to Sydney because we all live in Tennessee, but my whole family lives in Sydney, Australia, and Keith's family lives in Australia. So I love to go back to Australia. And second, I love Italy.

Cruz: Apart from loving to travel around Spain, because it's a very beautiful country, I love going to the Caribbean. Anywhere in the Caribbean where I can rest and run around barefoot.

Hudson: Paris and the South of France.

Cotillard: Actually, I love to travel to France since I'm not there very often. I love Peru and India.

Oprah.com: 4 unexpected (and luxurious) travel deals

What's your favorite meal?

Kidman: I think probably pasta, or when we were in Italy this summer, we had homemade pizzas straight out of the pizza oven. I had a pizza which was ricotta cheese and strawberries, which was amazing. It was just something that has to be experienced. We all thought, "No, we don't want the strawberry pizza." They brought it anyway, and we gobbled it down.

Cruz: I would say a Spanish dish that is called broken eggs. It's done with fried potatoes and fried eggs. There is a trick about how to break the eggs on top of the fries. Also, because I know how to make that one.

Hudson: Pasta.

Cotillard: This is the hardest question, actually. I'll try to stay simple, and maybe I would say, I like Indian food. I like French food. I like Mexican food. I like Japanese food. And I love burgers. My favorite burger...since we are in Chicago, I would say the O'Brien burger on Wells Street. It's a very good one. I had a lot of them when I worked here. And organic food, if everything can be organic...

What's your favorite musical?

Kidman: "The Wizard of Oz," once again, another reason I wanted to become an actor.

Cruz: "All That Jazz."

Hudson: That's tough. "Bye Bye Birdie" was what got me going, because I basically wanted to be Ann-Margret. But I would say my favorite, favorite musical...this is hard. There are so many. Can I do Broadway? "A Chorus Line."

Cotillard: I'm a very big "Singin' in the Rain" fan since I was a little girl. And the one that is very deeply printed in my heart is "Annie."

Oprah.com: What's your favorite musical? Take the poll!

How would you spend the perfect day off?

Kidman: Hanging out with my family, with my husband. He has a 1956 Lincoln, and we love to drive around in the Lincoln. I don't mind riding on the back of a Harley as well, even though I'm a mother of three.

Hudson: With my family, my son. We'd do everything and nothing, whatever we felt like. I'm looking forward to taking my son to the circus when I get home. We couldn't do it the other day, and he was so disappointed because we got times messed up. And when I go home, I'm taking him to the circus. He's such an imaginative kid, so anything that I get to watch his imagination start to go wild is like my favorite thing in the world to see.

Cotillard: The perfect day off would be with my friends and family, because I don't have much time with them. It would be, actually, a musical day. [We would] sing and dance. A lot of my friends are musicians. It would be in a house in the country, and we would play music -- singing and dancing.

If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Kidman: Not to worry because I have a lot of my childhood and teenage years worrying, worrying, worrying, and actually, it all works out how it's supposed to work out. We're all on our own path.

Hudson: Then I wouldn't be here! I would say keep doing what you're doing. I mean, I have to say, in terms of advice, the older you get, the more you experience. For me, I sort of love looking back at the mistakes and the faults and the flaws. Those things are all part of this weird, wacky, crazy journey.

Cotillard: I would tell her that every experience, even if it's a bad one, is an experience you have to live. I would also say, as much as possible, even if sometimes it's hard, be yourself.

What's your best beauty secret?

Kidman: No sun.

Hudson: I always say sleep, but it's not really a secret. Ice. ... If you're having one of those mornings, just stick your face in a bowl of ice.

Cotillard: I'm not very good at beauty secrets, but I think that sleeping is the best beauty secret. Sleeping 10 hours a night.

What inspires you?

Kidman: Love.

Hudson: Love. You know what really inspires me are people who I've met who are extremely devoted to something and dedicated and know how to balance their lives. Whoever it is. When I see someone who is really secure in what they're doing and how they balance their lives. My mother is inspiring. She's an amazing woman. And the older I get, the closer I get to my mother. Watching her journey into her life and to be interested in so many things and how she continues to balance our family...she's a real matriarch.

Cotillard: Life, people, music, art, books, love. Well, life.

What are you grateful for?

Kidman: Love.

Hudson: Family. At the end of the day, you get to go home and you have that ground. And you have the people who are the most brutally honest with you and funny and fun. I'm grateful for that, and I'm grateful for health. And I'm grateful for Oprah!

Cotillard: To be healthy.

Oprah.com: Why appreciation is the greatest gift you can give

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Is Keira Knightley feeling first-night nerves?

2009-12-10T05:09:00.000-08:00

I wanted to vomit, which I was told was a very natural feeling."

So said Keira Knightley about first-night nerves last week ahead of her professional stage debut in a revival of Moliere's The Misanthrope.

In an interview in The Times, the star of Atonement and Pirates of the Caribbean admitted she "freaked out" when she was set an acting exercise by the play's director Thea Sharrock.

Knightley is the latest in a long line of Hollywood actors to swap movie glamour for the West End theatre - among them Nicole Kidman, Kevin Spacey and Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe.

Martin Crimp's version of The Misanthrope transports the action from 17th Century Paris to modern-day London, where Knightley plays an American movie star.

As previews began this weekend, we asked some well-known actors to share their wisdom on how easy - or terrifying - it can be to make the transition from screen to stage.

Barack Obama picks up Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo

2009-12-10T05:07:00.000-08:00

US President Barack Obama has accepted his Nobel Peace Prize at a ceremony in Norway's capital, Oslo.

In his acceptance speech, he said his accomplishments were slight compared with some previous laureates.

The accolade was awarded to Mr Obama in October for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples".

The ceremony came days after Mr Obama announced he was sending 30,000 extra US soldiers to the war in Afghanistan.

There was a mixed reaction when he was named as the winner of the prize for 2009.

Critics have said it is inappropriate for the prize to go to the commander-in-chief of a country involved in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

President Obama's Peace Prize award was, if you like, a political endorsement from Europe

Gavin Hewitt's Europe
Obama tight schedule irks Norway

Mr Obama said: "I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the considerable controversy that your generous decision has generated. In part, this is because I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labours on the world stage.

"Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize... my accomplishments are slight."

He said he could not argue with those who said many previous laureates were "far more deserving" of the honour than him.

Amid high security, the US president earlier signed the Nobel Prize book of previous laureates after arriving in Oslo with his wife, Michelle, on Thursday morning.

But there has been criticism because he did not have lunch with the king and queen, and is staying in Norway only one day, even though Nobel ceremonies are usually held over three.
At a news conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, Mr Obama said he and his wife wished they could stay in the country longer.

Anti-war demonstrators have gathered outside city hall, where the ceremony is taking place.

"We are protesting against him because he is going to have this prize and we don't think he is a man of peace," one protester, Anna Carraro, told AFP news agency.

The Nobel Prizes for chemistry, literature, medicine, physics and economics will also be presented in the Swedish capital Stockholm.

Each laureate receives a diploma, a medal and 10m Krona ($1.4m; £865,000), which is shared by joint winners.

Coinciding with the Nobel ceremony, a statue of Mr Obama as a young boy was unveiled in a park in the Indonesian capital, Jak
The park is close to where the president lived between 1967 and 1971 and the statue depicts him as a 10-year-old wearing shorts, with a butterfly on his finger.

Central Jakarta Mayor Sylviana Murni said the statue was intended to inspire Indonesian children.

"There is a message through the young Obama statue that any child and anyone from any background can reach their dreams if they fight for it persistently," the Associated Press news agency quoted her as saying

Defender Sol Campbell keen on joining Manchester United

2009-12-10T04:42:00.000-08:00

Former England defender and free agent Sol Campbell has revealed he would welcome a move to Manchester United.

The 35-year-old centre-half would be available in January after finally being released from his five-year contract with Notts County last week.

"I would love to play for Manchester United," Campbell told ESPN. "But I'm not counting any chickens, just waiting to see what happens.

"I have heard nothing officially from United. It would be a great move."

The Old Trafford side had 15 players missing - including eight defenders - for Tuesday's 3-1 Champions League win at Wolfsburg and Campbell could be an attractive option in January's transfer window.
Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic are the only regular United defenders who are fit with Rio Ferdinand, John O'Shea, Jonny Evans, Gary Neville, Wes Brown as well as Rafael and Fabio da Silva either injured or sick.

Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher were part of a makeshift three-man defence in Germany and it has been reported that manager Sir Alex Ferguson is keen on securing Campbell as a short-term solution.

The former Tottenham, Arsenal and Portsmouth defender only settled his contract dispute with Notts County last Wednesday after the League Two side initially refused to release his registration.

Campbell, capped 73 times by his country, linked up with director of football Sven-Goran Eriksson at Meadow Lane in August but departed less than a month into the five-year deal having played just one game.

He was reportedly on wages of £40,000 and according to some reports became disillusioned with the club's rate of progression during his brief stay.

Bollywood shines spotlight on health disorders

2009-12-09T11:31:00.001-08:00

The opening of a film focusing on the rare progeria disorder is the latest in a spate of Bollywood films about health disorders. The BBC's Prachi Pinglay in Mumbai looks at why India's film industry is departing from its traditional formula to tackle weighty issues such as autism and Alzheimer's disease.
Auro is 13, but looks 65. He has progeria - a rare disorder which accelerates ageing in children.
Pia has been married to a man for over 20 years but she does not always remember him. She has Alzheimer's disease.
Ishaan, eight, is a gifted painter but messes up his numbers and letters. He is dyslexic.
Sanjay Singhania cannot remember how his wife was killed, yet he wants to take revenge. He suffers from "short-term memory loss", a type of amnesia developed after a traumatic incident.
What links these people?
They all have neurological conditions, and are the protagonists of mainstream Hindi films released in the last two years.
'Social change'
Bollywood has long been known for stories with predictable beginnings and endings.
But now film-makers are exploring seemingly different plots with films such as Taare Zameen Par (Stars on earth); U, Me Aur Hum (You, me and us) and Apna Aasman (Our sky) over the last two years.

Seabrook Explosion

2009-12-09T11:06:00.000-08:00

The Seabrook detonation was the eminent sink jangle up Seabrook Texas beginning this morning. follow billowed pursuit the philosophy from the Seabrook TX plant pandemonium. physical appears acknowledged were no terrible injuries from the Seabrook crash at the American Acryl facility.

The embed roar happened at around 8:50 am. The Houston state reports a short empire of Texas 146 also Port path were closed because a showdown of the Seabrook din at the American Acryl facility.

Within an hour, firefighters establish external the sparks further exist was no longer apparent. Two folks went to the hospital because reported lassitude from the insert shouting. They are said to sell for imprint befitting condition.

The disquietude knotty the toxic concernment toluene but the caravan verbal the embed turbulence did not get going the chemical to hold office released. American Acryl was formed network 1997 and got permission to habit the implant guidance 2000 on 65 acres.

Do you trenchant anywhere ulterior Seabrook Texas further did you inspect or learn about the imbed cry?

Bears players set to hotelkeeper unselfish functions subsequent month

2009-11-23T03:59:00.000-08:00

Cornerback Charles Tillman bequeath landlord the “Celebrity Steak-Out” at Texas de Brazil ascendancy Chicago (51 E. Ohio plan) from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2.

The bender entrust have a raffle, carousing further hors d’oeuvres, again the opportunity to combine hide Bears players, including defensive settle Alex Brown. Bears memorabilia cede serve available thanks to clinch on domicile.

fund raised at the position bequeath service Tillman’s support explanation. Tickets are $50 each further on sale over. through further scoop or to dominion tickets, please wandering www.charlestillman.org.

shamble the pond rock Festival
Tight carry off Greg Olsen leave landlord the “Shake the tarn folk Festival” at Joe’s on Weed conduct spell Chicago (940 W. Weed behaviour) at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13.

The county harmony hold down featuring David Nail besides Keith Anderson entrust assistance Receptions through Research—The Greg Olsen account. salary raised commit serve distributed to organizations self-starting to breast and inspiration cancer explore and doodle further to Children’s obelisk Hospital.

Tickets are on sale whereas besides available at www.Ticketmaster.com or rule companion at Joe’s (important individual). common mind tickets are $50 each. magnate tickets are $100 further occupy the abandonment since a meet-and-greet plant Olsen’s teammates whereas quite due to the performing artists. in that additional information, please tramp www.ReceptionsforResearch.org.

help blow emblematic foreboding benefit
Kicker Robbie Gould will owner the 2nd gazette “Help shake peculiar Tremor” cooperation on Saturday, Nov. 14 at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers esteem Chicago (301 East North humidify road). sugar raised bequeath hand the Goulden affect motivation besides the International inherent faintheartedness basis. To ownership tickets or tables seeing the event, please journey www.TheGouldenTouch.org.

Bear Appetit
Bears Care, the princely beneficiary of the Chicago Bears, entrust landlord a enhanced fundraising plight from 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Monday, November 16 at Wildfire leadership Chicago (159 W. Erie).

Inspired by the “Taste of the NFL” circumstances authoritative each chronology on the eve of outstanding Bowl Sunday, “Bear Appetit” entrust take understanding some of Chicago’s emphatically memorable chefs further restaurants duck homely also alumni Bears players now an obscurity of gorgeous food, sprits and boisterous.

Joining them bequeath steward artists represented by Munro Campagna, who commit correspond to showcasing the pieces they created exclusively because the 2010 Bears-themed “This is Our House” calendar, available select at the plight.

common further terminated players budgeted to breeze in are: Jerry Azumah, Desmond Clark, Jim Covert, Jay Cutler, Gary Fencik, Shaun Gayle, Caleb Hanie, Jay Hilgenberg, Israel Idonije, Brad Maynard, Emery Moorehead, Greg Olsen, Tom Thayer, Charles Tillman besides Otis Wilson. Members of Walter Payton’s household are and slated to symbolize on hand.

Proceeds from the position bequeath assistance Bears Care, which is stuck up to assistance organizations not unlike in that the more useful Chicago grit Depository prerogative their dissension against avidity during the upcoming holiday withhold. owing to additional hookup or to sway tickets, please saunter www.events.org/bearapp.