Fans are already contemplating their team's prospects after the draw for the opening round of the 32-team tournament.

Thirty-two teams that qualified for the 2006 Football World Cup Finals in Germany were on Friday drawn into eight groups.

FIFA's World Cup Organising Committee will decide on Tuesday the seedings for the 32 finalists involved in next year's tournament in Germany.

Tunisian fans invaded the stade Charlety pitch when striker Santos scored for their team to make it 2-2.

Samuel Eto'o, Didier Drogba and Michael Essien have been nominated for the African Footballer of the Year award

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India lost to Cuba in their penultimate league match in the men's Junior Volleyball World Championship.

International bandwidth prices in India are going to fall further by the end of this year once the SEA-ME-WE-4 cable commences operations in October 2005.\n\n

Brazilian-born Francileudo dos Santos scored twice to give the Africans a 2-0 win over Australia in the Confederations Cup.

Muslim nations will form a preferred trading group by the end of the year aimed at greater economic integration among the Organisation of Islamic Conference countries, while plans are afoot to form a giant 'Islamic bank'.

Argentina staved off a strong rally by Australia to win 4-2 and qualify for the semi-finals in the Confederations Cup.

The South Americans beat Tunisia 2-1 in the opening match of the Confederations Cup football tournament.

Italy's Roberto Rosetti will take charge of the opening match at the Confederations Cup between Argentina and Tunisia in Cologne.

Singapore is the world's most successful economy in exploiting ICT developments; US fifth, China 41st.

The Indian tennis sensation played superbly to beat the Russian in straight sets.

Conchita Martinez rallied from a set down to beat Roberta Vinci of Italy 5-7, 6-0, 6-2 in the first round of the Qatar Open.

The German won the Delhi leg of the ITF Futures tournament to pick his fifth career title.

Divorce by pronouncing talaq thrice at one go is prohibited in several Islamic nations, including Turkey, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Iran, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the book compiled by NCW member Nafisa Hussain says.

India will use the services of its former diplomats in its pursuit of energy security through acquisition of oil and gas properties abroad particularly in West Asia, Africa and Central Asia.

Former Foreign Secretary Romesh Bhandari talks about his friendship with Yasser Arafat.

The World champions and European champions meet in the group stage of the tournament while hosts Germany meet Argentina.