Rugby World Cup match preview Wales v Namibia

Mon 26 Sep 2011
Location: Stadium Taranaki, New Plymouth. 7.30pm kick off.

THEY might need a cricket scoreboard out here at New Plymouth’s Taranaki Stadium on Monday because Pool D minnows Namibia are on their knees.
Their shattered squad have been given just three days to recover from a hammering by South Africa before meeting Warren Gatland’s Wales on Monday.

One of the world’s biggest sporting events is coming to the world’s best small city when three Rugby World Cup 2011 matches are contested at New Plymouth’s Stadium Taranaki!
Rugby World Cup 2011 will take place at venues around New Zealand from 9 September to 23 October 2011.

Platinum 2011 – Category A seating:
The Platinum hospitality is delivered within a lounge at the stadium. It is a formal seated function with fine food and beverage. For a complete summary of the package inclusions see website. The seats are category A covered and are located between the 22m and the try line.
Premier 2011 – Category B seating:
This is delivered at a venue in the CBD (so offsite). Guests are transferred in and out of the stadium by bus. The seats are category B. See website for a complete summary of the package inclusions.
Club 2011 – Category C seating:
This informal, stand-up hospitality package is a must for rugby fans who want to be at the heart of the action during Rugby World Cup 2011. Savour the pre-match atmosphere from your dedicated facility based at the stadium and enjoy plenty of appetising food accompanied by complimentary beers and wines, before witnessing some world-class Rugby action. After the match, catch up on all the highlights with your colleagues and friends and enjoy another serving of hospitality. See website for a complete summary of the package inclusions.

Troy Davis issues parting cry before execution

Protesters hold signs in support of death row inmate

ATLANTA, Georgia — Troy Davis, an American convicted two decades ago of killing an off-duty policeman, has urged opponents of the death penalty to fight on after he is executed Wednesday following a failed bid for clemency.
The Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles ruled Tuesday against Davis, who is black, and refused to commute his sentence for the shooting in 1989 of Mark MacPhail, a married white father of a two-year-old girl and an infant boy.

The campaign to spare Davis's life drew high-profile support from former US president Jimmy Carter and Pope Benedict XVI, helping him escape three previous dates with death in a racially-charged case.

"The struggle for justice doesn't end with me," Davis said in a letter to supporters released to the public via Amnesty International USA after his legal appeal was refused.

"This struggle is for all the Troy Davises who came before me and all the ones who will come after me," he said in the message.

"I'm in good spirits and I'm prayerful and at peace. But I will not stop fighting until I've taken my last breath."

There was no physical evidence tying Davis, then 20-years-old, to the shooting and several witnesses at his trial later recanted their testimony.

MacPhail, 27, had been working nights as a security guard when he intervened in a brawl in a Burger King parking lot in Savannah, Georgia and was shot in the heart and the head at point-blank range.

Some 2,000 protesters gathered, at Amnesty's urging, at the Georgia state capitol at 7:00 pm (2300 GMT) Tuesday, exactly 24 hours before Davis is due to become the 34th person executed in the United States this year.

The family of the victim have long maintained that Davis was guilty and that the execution should go ahead, with MacPhail's daughter telling journalists emotionally how she had been robbed of her father.

Davis, now 42, has always maintained his innocence amid doubts over his conviction and says the state of Georgia is about to execute an innocent man, but justice officials refused to commute his sentence.

"The board has considered the totality of the information presented in this case and thoroughly deliberated on it, after which the decision was to deny clemency," said a written statement. It did not disclose the vote breakdown. "We've been here three times before," said Anneliese MacPhail, the mother of the slain police officer. "We are ready to close this book and start our lives. This has been a long haul."

MacPhail's daughter Madison, now 23, choked back the tears after Monday's parole board hearing.

"The death penalty is the correct source of justice," she said.

All avenues for Davis now appear exhausted as Georgia's governor does not have the power to stay executions and experts said any last-minute filings to the state courts or the US Supreme Court would likely prove unsuccessful.

"I am utterly shocked and disappointed at the failure of our justice system at all levels to correct a miscarriage of justice," Davis attorney Brian Kammer said, as rights groups and activists rushed to condemn the decision.

African American leaders condemned the parole board's decision as emblematic of a US criminal justice system riven with racial inequality.

"This is Jim Crow in a new era," declared Reverend Raphael Warnock of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, referring to American segregation laws overruled by the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The American Civil Liberties Union urged Georgia's prison workers to strike in a desperate bid to deprive the state of the wherewithal to carry out the execution.

Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, said there was next-to-no chance Davis could earn a reprieve in what he called the "biggest capital punishment case in at least a decade."

The Supreme Court became involved in the Troy Davis case in 2009 and ordered a federal judge in Savannah to convene a hearing to consider new evidence.

In August 2010, however, a US District Court in Georgia ruled that Davis had failed to prove his innocence and denied him a new trial. The top US court turned down a subsequent appeal

Brooke Burke's Superhot Celeb Reel

Brooke Burke-Charvet (née Brooke Lisa Burke) [1] (born September 8, 1971), better known by her maiden name, Brooke Burke[2], is an Actress, dancer, model and television personality. She is perhaps best known for Rock Star (2005–2006), for winning the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars and for co-hosting Dancing With the Stars starting in 2010 (Season 10).[3]
Contents
Early life and career
Burke is the oldest of nine children born to Donna and George Burke.[citation needed] Burke is Jewish on her mother's side,[4][5][6] and has Irish, French, and Portuguese ancestry.[7] She was born in Hartford, Connecticut and raised in Tucson, Arizona. She attended both Sahuaro High School and Palo Verde High School in Tucson where she was homecoming queen in 1989, and later studied broadcast journalism at UCLA.

Burke first appeared nude during her early modeling career for the website BlueNudes,[8] and most notably after gaining fame in the May 2001 and November 2004 issues of Playboy. She also appeared in men's magazines such as Maxim, Stuff, and FHM. In 2007, she was listed as one of Blender's hottest women of film and TV.

In 2001 Burke also competed in the TV show host edition of The Weakest Link where she was voted off in the second round.

Burke has fronted infomercials promoting a Swiss ball video home fitness workout named Gunnar Peterson's Core Secrets, and appears in the first video of the series titled 20 Minute Full Body Workout. The infomercials have screened in New Zealand and Australia.

In 2005 and 2006, Burke hosted the CBS summer reality show Rock Star, an American Idol-like series in which aspiring singers competed to front a rock band.

She was the voice and face of "Rachel Teller" in Electronic Arts' video game Need for Speed: Underground 2, and asks the "People and Places" questions in the video game Trivial Pursuit Unhinged. Burke starred as a playable character in the Burger King advergaming title PocketBike Racer and in Big Bumpin'.[9] Burke has also landed roles in several television commercials for Discover Card, Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch, M Professional Cosmetics, and Skechers.

In 2007, Burke started a company called Baboosh Baby, which offers wraps for pregnant women. The company's website features a blog from Burke about her children.[10]

In 2009, Burke hosted NBC's pre-show for the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards with Tiki Barber and Nancy O'Dell.[11]

Burke, along with Derek Hough as her partner, won season 7 of Dancing with the Stars.[12][13] She later went on to replace Samantha Harris as co-host of the program.[14] Burke began hosting season 10 of Dancing with the Stars alongside Tom Bergeron.[15] In August 2010, Burke hosted the third season of the TV Land series She's Got the Look,[16] a modeling competition show for women over 35.[17]

Burke's first book, The Naked Mom: A Modern Mom's Fearless Revelations,Savvy Advice, and Soulful Reflections, was published February 1, 2011 by New American Library, and features her reflections on motherhood, Hollywood, romance and the challenges of creating a blended family.[18]

She co-hosted the Miss America 2011 Pagent with Chris Harrison.[19]

In 2011, Burke announced that she would be taking her husband David Charvet's last name.[20]

Dancing with the Stars
Burke's partner was Derek Hough. Burke and Hough won the Season 7 competition. In Season 10, Burke took over the show's co-hosting duties.

Brooke Burke Biography

You’d never know by looking at her now, but Brooke Burke used to be quite the tomboy. A native of Hartford, Connecticut, Burke was raised in Tucson, Arizona where she spent her childhood helping to fulfill her father’s need for a son. “I played football, I collected matchbox cards and I grew up watching [sports] with my dad,” she says. “We even built model airplanes and model cars together. I did all the things that my dad would have done with the son that he never had.”

brooke burke launches her modeling career
Brooke Burke eventually began gravitating towards more feminine pursuits and was signed to her first modeling contract in her late teens after accompanying a friend to an audition. What started out as a lark soon turned into a profitable career as Burke began landing national television spots for Discover Card, Coca-Cola.

Sex Appeal
Brooke Burke is making motherhood sexy again. A devoted mother of four, this 38-year-old stunner is actually flattered when male admirers refer to her as a MILF. “I think it’s great that there are guys that find my being a mother sexy,” she says. “I don’t feel any less sexy being a mother.” And she certainly doesn’t look any less sexy either, a fact she credits to her excellent work ethic and positive attitude. “I really believe feeling sexy is a state of mind,” she says. “Our bodies change when we have babies, but if you are lucky, work hard and take care of yourself, I really do believe that you can get your body back.”

With a bid for statehood, the Palestinians challenge the established order

Abbas asks UN for full Palestinian statehood

Washington and its Old World allies in Europe couldn’t head it off at the pass. It’s an indicator of the superpower’s waning influence over the global diplomatic process, and the role of emerging nations.This is, at least to the diplomatic players, no run-of-the-mill nuisance vote at the UN, the kind Israel and Washington have lost, badly, many times before. This is the big one, with major symbolic implications, and perhaps some practical ones, too.For Canada, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper – who heads to New York for UN-related events this week but who won’t stick around to speak to the General Assembly and wade more heavily into the Palestinian statehood issue – it has been an issue for behind-the-scenes diplomacy, but not repeated vocal statements. Mr. Harper’s pro-Israel stance has long been known, but Canada has deferred to the United States which is leading the “no” campaign.In the past, the United States could have been expected to muster enough weight with other countries to avoid confrontation: either by drowning the measure in the UN Security Council before the United States is forced to use its veto, or by forcing the Palestinians to back down or compromise. Not this time.In the 15-member UN Security Council, U.S. friends Britain and France have been trying to divert the resolution to a less black-and-white outcome; but in addition to Russia and China, a host of emerging-power members – India, Brazil and South Africa – are keen on asserting their independence from that Old World influence.Beyond that little club, there are some countries who aren’t sticking tightly to their past positions or expectations and seem to be spinning in their own orbits. They are moving away from the United States, Europe and Old World allies and seem less easily swayed.

Turkey: It was once considered the closest thing Israel had to an ally in the Muslim world, but now Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has emerged as the leading campaigner for Palestinian statehood. Public opinion turned when an Israeli raid of a Gaza-bound flotilla killed eight Turks. But Turkey is also following an increasingly independent foreign policy, has a booming economy that is expanding markets in the Arab world to the east, and is emerging as a regional power.

Greece: Once one of the most pro-Palestinian countries in Europe, Greece is now one of the few countries that could shift against statehood: it’s undeclared now, but Israel and Washington hope it will vote against it, or abstain. Athens has shifted support toward Israel, including trying to stop a new Gaza flotilla this year. It’s also become more dependent on the Western orbit: its financial troubles mean it needs the support of U.S.-dominated international financial institutions, and the backing of major European economies such as Germany, which opposes the statehood resolution.

Chile: Among its South American neighbours, Chile’s conservative government might have been seen as a potential candidate to break ranks with left-of-centre neighbours in Brazil and Argentina, and vote along with its largest trading partner, the United States. But Chile has firmly backed the Palestinian statehood quest. It’s emerging as a prosperous trading nation with more than one pole to its interests. Trade across the Pacific, to Asia, now accounts for 48 per cent of Chile’s exports.

Colombia: A South American representative on the UN Security Council, Colombia stands out on Palestinian statehood: it will abstain from the vote, to indicate it believes recognition would be “premature.” What Chile has in international trade ties, Colombia lacks: it still wants a free-trade agreement with the United States, and depends on the United States for security co-operation and other aid. In addition to the United States, its recent governments have also counted another staunch pro-Israel country – Canada – as an ally.

Grenada: The tiny Caribbean nation is one of several bit players on the international stage that has been courted by lobbying diplomats and politicians from the United States and Israel. On a visit to Israel, Grenada’s foreign minister, Karl Hood, was greeted by the president, prime minister and foreign minister. Some members of the U.S. Congress have proposed a bill to cut off some forms of aid to countries that support Palestinian recognition. It is an escalation of long-standing practice on Mideast votes in the UN, where a handful of small island states from the South Pacific and Caribbean have been consistent allies of Israel and Washington on votes in the general assembly.

Canada: Mr. Harper has left no doubt about where his government stands on Palestinian recognition. On Friday, he said that recognition would be unhelpful for Mideast peace, and that Canada will oppose it. It has also worked to lobby against it behind the scenes. Canada’s UN votes on Mideast issues have shifted in recent years, first under Paul Martin and more under Mr. Harper – where it used to abstain on some pro-Palestinian resolutions, it now votes “no” – making Ottawa one of Israel’s most staunch allies at the UN.

Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool

Team news,manager quotes, facts and stats ahead of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool's Premier League clash on Sunday.

TEAM NEWS

Harry Redknapp will revert to his first-choice XI after resting a number of key players for clash at PAOK Salonika. Rafael van der Vaart (hamstring), Aaron Lennon (groin) and William Gallas (calf) are making good progress in their recovery from injury and could play some part. Steven Pienaar (groin), Tom Huddlestone (ankle) and Ledley King (knee) face fitness tests but Michael Dawson (Achilles) is out and Sandro (knee) is unlikely to be risked despite returning to light training following a knee injury.

Liverpool right-back Glen Johnson will miss the match at White Hart Lane after a recurrence of a hamstring injury last weekend. Captain Steven Gerrard is nearing a return to fitness after six months out following a groin operation but he may not be risked. Defender Martin Kelly is also close to a recall after coming back from a hamstring injury.

MANAGER QUOTES

Harry Redknapp: "Yes, Carlo (Cudincini) played well (in the Europa League goalless draw against PAOK Salonika), but Brad Friedel has been fantastic. At the moment, in the Premier League, Brad has the jersey. I think he's been magnificent. I'm lucky. We've got three top goalkeepers here."

Kenny Dalglish: "There are lots of things that have been pleasing for everyone. The supporters, the staff, the players - everybody. As we always say, if we stick together we are going to be a formidable unit."

MATCH FACTS

Since taking over, Harry Redknapp has overseen five wins in seven games in all competitions for Spurs against Liverpool.

There has been a penalty awarded in each of the last four Premier League matches between Tottenham and Liverpool.

Jamie Carragher has scored the same number of Premier League goals for Liverpool as he has for Tottenham

Defeat last time out against Manchester City ended a run of 17 Premier League home games without a loss for Spurs, but they have won just one of their last five at White Hart Lane.

Spurs have conceded as many goals (14) in their last six home matches as they did in the previous 25 matches at White Hart Lane.

Spurs have won the last three home games against Liverpool by a 2-1 scoreline and their previous victory back in January 2004 was also by that score.

Liverpool have kept just one clean sheet in their last seven Premier League matches.

Liverpool have won 35 corners this term, more than any other team in the Premier League.

The Reds have allowed their opponents the joint-fewest shots on target against them than any team in the Premier League (11).

Tottenham have allowed their opponents more shots on target against them than any other side in the Premier League.

UAFE Champions League - Dinamo Zagreb vs Real Madrid

Watch Dinamo Zagreb v Real Madrid Online Free Live Streaming Video – UEFA Champions League




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TEAM NEWS

Dinamo defender Igor Biscan has been ruled after the former Liverpool defender underwent surgery on his left ankle. Fellow defender Leandro Cufre is also out, with adductor problems, after he pulled up in training earlier in the week.The biggest-name absentee for Madrid is banned coach Jose Mourinho. Kaka has failed to recover from a bruised heel. The Brazilian playmaker has been working apart from the rest of the group since Saturday, when he came on as a substitute in Real's 4-2 home win over Getafe in La Liga. Nuri Sahin and Hamit Altintop, who have yet to make their debuts since joining Real, are also out with knee and back injuries respectively. Sami Khedira was included in the squad after recovering from a thigh problem, while Lassana Diarra is also in.

MANAGER QUOTES

Krunoslav Jurcic: "During the last few years I have analysed [Mourinho's] work as a coach a lot, and I can say he is my idol," Jurcic told UEFA. "I don't want to hide that. I like his way of managing matches a lot, and his reactions during matches, he brings a lot of emotion into matches. If there are no emotions, football is not a real sport for me. Without people like Jose, football would never be as popular as it is at the moment."Assistant coach Aitor Karanka stood in for the suspended Jose Mourinho: "They are a Croatian team, so have quality, and it has been many years since they were in the Champions League. They will be an opponent that create many problems. If we are going to think that they are an easy opponent, we will be in trouble."

MATCH FACTS

In their 16 previous seasons in the Champions League, Real Madrid have never been eliminated in the group stage.Dinamo Zagreb are making their third appearance in the Champions League group stages after 1998/99 and 1999/00.Dinamo Zagreb have won only one of their 10 competitive encounters with Spanish sides, against Villarreal in the Europa League last season. That’s also the only time the Croatian side have kept a clean sheet in their 10 meetings with Spanish teams.Real Madrid have only failed to score once in their last 13 Champions League games.Real Madrid’s only encounter with a Croatian side was back in the 1984/85 UEFA Cup – the Merengues lost their away leg against NK Rijeka (3-1) but won their home tie 3-0.Iker Casillas has played more games than any other goalkeeper in the Champions League (since 1992/93): 112.Karim Benzema scored six goals in 373 minutes of action in the Champions League last season, that’s one every 62 minutes, the best ratio among players who score at least five goals.

Man City v Napoli UEFA Champions League

Milner (left) and Barry will struggle to be fit to face Napoli

 Champions League
    * Venue: City of Manchester Stadium
    * Date: Wednesday, 14 September
    * Kick-off: 1945 BST

Manchester City begin their UEFA Champions League campaign in what is another step towards their dream of one day becoming the best team in Europe.

After finishing third in the Premier League last season, Roberto Mancini's club were drawn in Group A alongside Wednesday's opponents, Napoli, as well as Bayern Munich and Villarreal.It is a difficult group, but, having made a stylish 100 per cent start to their domestic season, City will still be confident of achieving the 10 points which are usually enough to progress from the group stages.All eyes will be on the brilliant combination of Sergio Aguero, who will be playing against the club where his father-in-law, Diego Maradona, inspired league title wins in 1987 and 1990, and David Silva following their stunning form.The pair combined superbly to rip apart Wigan at the weekend and, although there is a long way to go, all the signs are there to suggest Mancini's team are evolving into a major force to beware.Comparisons to European champions Barcelona have been premature and indeed City need to guard against a reality check against a dangerous opponent on what will be a famous night under the floodlights at Etihad Stadium.Top table
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City are back in the continent's premier club competition for the first time since 1968/69, but Serie A outfit Napoli are also making a fond return to the top table after missing out for 21 years.Walter Mazzarri secured third place in the Italian league last season in what is steady progress for the club, who played against Liverpool in the Europa League in 2010/11 and only succumbed at Anfield to a late Steven Gerrard hat-trick.

Napoli defeated Cesena at the weekend in what was their first competitive game of the season following the strike action in Italy and summer signings Gokhan Inler, Blerim Dzemaili and Mario Santana all made their debuts.Attacking duo Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani will both need to be carefully marshalled by City following a summer in which the pair were linked with moves to some of Europe's top clubs.Edin Dzeko is expected to return for City after being rested against Wigan in the wake of his four goals against Tottenham and he is likely to replace Carlos Tevez as the attacking partner for Aguero.Nigel de Jong has not played since injuring his ankle in the first game of the season against Swansea, but he has been back in training.

Gareth Barry missed the win over Wigan after picking up his own ankle problem, but Micah Richards was fit enough to start after overcoming a tight hamstring.A thigh injury sustained in early September meant summer signing Marco Donadel missed Napoli's win over Cesena on Saturday.Miguel Britos has also been omitted from Napoli's Champions League squad after fracturing a metatarsal in pre-season, which is likely to leave him unavailable until November.