Fifteen doctors, including specialists from Jordan, Tunisia and Egypt, examined the ailing Palestine leader before taking the decision to send him abroad.

Top seed Lindsay Davenport had little difficulty advancing to the semi-finals at the Cincinnati Open on Friday.

The Sydney Games bronze medallist will be in action in the 63ks women's weightlifting event on Wednesday.

The Cameroon captain's header gave his country a 2-1 win over Benin in their World Cup qualifying match.

One of the politically sensitive issues on which the United Progressive Alliance government will have to decide soon is the subsidy increase on phosphatic fertilisers by up to Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 10 billion) to keep a check on domestic prices.

The former South Africa President said hosting the 2010 soccer World Cup would be a perfect gift for the country as it celebrates 10 years of democracy.

The leaked FIFA technical report rates South Africa's ability to host the 2010 World Cup as 'excellent', South African newspapers said.

India, who were the 127th-ranked men's team in December, dropped 12 places since.

FIFA's Status Committee will discuss the case of Tottenham Hotspur's Frederic Kanoute, Leeds United's Lamine Sakho and Valencia's Mohamed Sissoko.

In the Global Corruption Index, a survey of 133 nations conducted by Transparency International (an anti-graft watchdog), India stood 83rd, recording a score of 2.8 out of 10.

India have been drawn in along with Japan, Oman and Singapore in the Asian qualifying group for the 2006 World Cup football finals.\n\n

French President Jacques Chirac has said Islamic head scarves are a sort of 'aggression' that is difficult for his countrymen to accept.

The Indian challenge in the men's singles ended with the ouster of Punna Vishal.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said two African nations could co-host the 2010 football event.