RAFINHA CATCHES BRUCE'S EYE

Mignolet move scrapped

SUNDERLAND manager Steve Bruce has been looking to Germany for possible reinforcements with Rafinha believed to be one of the names on his radar.

The Black Cats boss is keen to reinforce his defence this month and is eyeing up a number of potential targets with Guy Demel of Hamburg also on his wanted list.

It is understood that Brazilian right-back Rafinha has been watched by the Wearsiders and emerged as an option for Bruce, should any move for ex-Arsenal man Demel fail to materialise.

Rafinha, 24, has one cap for his country and is currently with Bundesliga outfit Schalke.

A move to January could be in the pipeline as Wolfsburg are on his trail and, although a loan move to Corinthians has been dismissed as speculation, Schalke have not totally ruled out a transfer.

Bruce is interested in adding another right-back to his ranks as he has also been keeping tabs on Alan Hutton's situation at Tottenham.

Collapsed

Meanwhile, Sunderland have pulled out of a move for Simon Mignolet in January but the keeper hopes they will resurrect their interest in the summer.

We told you of the Black Cats' interest in the Sint-Truiden shot-stopper last month as Bruce sought to provide more cover for current first-choice Marton Fulop with Craig Gordon still working his way back to full fitness.

The youngster, who is under contract with the Belgian club until 2011, would have been patiently groomed for first-team football.

However, a dream move has collapsed for Mignolet, who is happy to remain in his homeland for now.

"Of course it's what you want when a club from the Premier League is interested in you," he told HBvL.

"If they come with a proposal, you always listen.

"I'm not at all disappointed. I'm always happy at STVV and won't push for a transfer. Sunderland are not gone but maybe things will be different in the summer."

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ENGLAND HOLD OUT IN DRAMATIC FINALE

ENGLAND battled for a draw that ensures they cannot lose the series with South Africa after an absorbing finale in Cape Town.

Dogged resistance from Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell, who stayed together at the crease for 57 overs, put the tourists in a good position, only for a spectacular collapse late in the day to threaten to undo all the good work.

Collingwood and Matt Prior went in quick succession and, when Bell was finally dismissed for 78, it left Graeme Swann and Graham Onions clinging on for dear life with 17 balls remaining.

JP Duminy raised hopes for the hosts when dismissing the excellent Collingwood and Prior.

Collingwood made 40 from 188 balls before being caught by Jacques Kallis at slip and wicketkeeper Prior lasted only nine balls as AB de Villiers held on at short-leg.

Stuart Broad did not last long either as he gloved a catch to de Villiers off Paul Harris.

Bell, so often criticised, followed up his 140 in Durban in the second Test with an innings of dedication and determination. However, he edged Morne Morkel to Graeme Smith to leave everybody on tenterhooks.

Swann, who has proved to be a real hero this series, and Onions survived some nervy moments to maintain England's 1-0 lead with one Test left to play.

It was Onions who had to see out the final over, from Morkel, and he was forced to wait for a referral on the penultimate ball of the match before rightly being given not out.

England finished on 296-9 as the travelling fans celebrated, safe in the knowledge that South Africa need victory in Johannesburg to avoid defeat in the four-match series.

"Just when we thought we'd nearly got there, South Africa came back again," said skipper Strauss.

"Graham Onions? He's a legend isn't he? We keep asking our number 11 to do the job for us.

"We're very thankful still to be 1-0 up in the series.

"I know how desperate Ian Bell's been to play an innings like that for England.

"He showed his class.

"It bodes well for the future and he's a pretty satisfied guy in the dressing room."

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FRESH SUITORS EMERGE FOR MACHEDA

BOLOGNA have made an approach to Manchester United to take Federico Macheda on loan.

The promising striker recently signed a new long-term contract at Old Trafford that runs until 2014 as Sir Alex Ferguson is convinced he will become a first-team regular at Old Trafford.

However, there is a feeling the teenager would benefit from a loan spell away from the Premier League champions to learn more about the game.

Macheda burst onto the scene in precocious fashion with winners against Aston Villa and Sunderland last season but has struggled to earn too many opportunities this term.

Injury has prevented him from making the squad recently but, with Senegalese import Mame Biram Diouf now adding to the striking options available to Ferguson, Macheda may be released on a temporary basis.

Real Zaragoza and Newcastle have already showed an interest in his services but Bologna are hoping a return to Italy will best suit the ex-Lazio youngster.

Ferguson will be wary of being able to keep a close check on his progress should he farm Macheda out this month although an argument could be made for him staying put to add to United's firepower.

Bologna are currently struggling in Serie A as they lie in 17th position in the table.

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'Nine killed' in suspected Afghanistan suicide bombing

A suspected suicide bomber has attacked a market in the eastern Afghan city of Gardez, killing at least nine people.
The dead included four young children. Police say 28 others were wounded, some seriously.
A BBC correspondent in Kabul says the target appears to have been the commander of a private security firm working for American forces.
The man, his brother, and two bodyguards were killed. Many civilians were also caught in the blast.
Gardez is the capital of Paktia province, and Thursday's attack happened at 1630 local time (1200 GMT) when the suspected suicide bomber, wearing an explosives-filled vest, detonated his device.
"This was a suicide attack," said the spokesman for the governor of Paktia province, Rohullah Samon.
The BBC's Mark Dummett in Kabul says the Taliban regularly target senior government and security officials in Afghanistan's south and east along the Pakistan border, where the insurgency is at its strongest.
Earlier on Thursday the governor of neighbouring Khost province was injured after a bomb was detonated just outside his office.
It is not the first time Gardez has been targeted.
In December, Taliban militants seized a building near a police station and in the ensuing firefight two militants were killed and a number of police officers and civilians injured.

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Aid groups warn of Sudan civil war risk

Ten international aid groups say a 2005 peace deal in Sudan is on the verge of collapse and that the world must act now to prevent renewed conflict.
The agencies blamed a "lethal cocktail" of rising violence, chronic poverty and political tensions.
The oil-rich south is due to hold a referendum on independence in 2011.
The peace deal five years ago ended a 22-year civil war that left some 1.5 million people dead. The region remains one of the poorest areas of the world.
The peace deal saw President Omar al-Bashir's northern National Congress Party (NCP) enter government with the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) rebels from the south.
But tensions are again rising between the former enemies in the run-up to the referendum and April's general election - the first nationwide poll for 24 years.
The SPLM has accused the NCP of stirring up ethnic violence in the south to destabilise the region ahead of the polls - charges the northern party denies.
More people died from violence in southern Sudan last year than in Darfur.
South 'deteriorating'
In their report, the aid agencies cite disputes over Sudan's oil resources, April's election and the independence referendum as potential flashpoints.
The situation is not as good as we were expecting after the signature of the comprehensive peace agreement
Omar Muhammad Siddiq
Sudanese ambassador in London
A return to conflict would have devastating consequences extending far beyond southern Sudan, they say.
The BBC's James Copnall in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, says the country is clearly at the start of a highly charged and risky 12 months.

However, he says that there is a heavy international presence in the country - unlike previous crises the country has gone through.
The strength of the UN peacekeeping mission has yet to be tested, but almost 10,000 military personnel are charged with keeping the peace in the south, he says.
Sudan's ambassador to London, Omar Muhammad Siddiq, acknowledged that the situation in southern Sudan was "deteriorating".
He said communities were competing for scarce resources and were arming themselves and fighting "tribal wars".
"The situation is not as good as we were expecting after the signature of the comprehensive peace agreement," he said.
South Sudan awaits oil bonanza
Could clashes herald return to war?
However, he argued that the unrest would not affect the election, in which he said parties and voters were preparing to participate.
Meanwhile, the UK says it has pledged £54m ($87m) in aid to help rebuild southern Sudan and prepare for April's elections.
British Foreign Office minister Glenys Kinnock, who is due to visit Sudan, noted that many Sudanese still live in poverty.
"They are doing disastrously, and that is reflected in the terrible poverty and relentless suffering of the people," she said.
But she added that fully blown conflict could still be averted.
"What we're asking is for the leadership of both sides... [to] ensure that they talk together, they work together with the same motivation, which is to bring peace and security to Sudan," she said.
SUDAN'S STRUGGLING SOUTH
Southern Sudan All Sudan

Population: 7.5m to 9.7m Population: 42.2m
Area: 640,000 sq km Area: 2.5m sq km
Maternal mortality: 1,700 Maternal mortality: 1,107
deaths per 100,000 births deaths per 100,000 births
Access to clean water: 50% Access to clean water: 70%
Life expectancy: 42 years Life expectancy: 58.92 years
Sources: CIA, UN, UNFPA

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Nigeria President Yar'Adua budget signature 'forged'

Allies of Nigeria's ailing president forged his signature on the country's supplementary budget last month, opposition politicians have alleged.
They have written to the police asking them to investigate the forgery claims.
The government said President Umaru Yar'Adua signed the budget despite being treated for a heart condition in Saudi Arabia.
Mr Yar'Adua has been away for six weeks, fuelling fears of a power vacuum in Africa's most populous nation.
Doctors say he is suffering from acute pericarditis - inflammation of the lining of the heart. He also has a long-standing kidney complaint.
In a bid to dispel fevered speculation over Mr Yar'Adua's health, ministers have insisted the president is recovering from treatment.
Information Minister Dora Akunyili said the president had spoken to his colleagues over the telephone on Tuesday.
Several court cases have been launched demanding that power be officially handed to the vice-president.
And one group of activists has even suggested the president should be declared a missing person, and a search party should be sent out.
'Utter dismay'
In the latest move, an umbrella group for the main opposition parties known as the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has demanded that the police investigate the alleged forgery.
The group's lawyer, opposition official Femi Falana, said in the letter that the CNPP had tried to verify claims by the government that the budget had been taken to Saudi Arabia for the president to sign on his sick bed.
"To its utter dismay our client (CNPP) has confirmed that the signature of the president and the seal of the Federal Republic of Nigeria were forged by some persons in the presidency," the letter read.
"Our client has instructed us to request you to use your good offices to set the engine in motion for the investigation and prosecution of those who carried out the nefarious act."
The CNPP said it would take the issue to the federal court next week if the police failed to act.
Mr Falana, who is also senior opposition activist, is behind one of the court cases being brought against the government.
He wants judges to annul all decisions taken by the cabinet during the president's absence.
In the other cases, one activist wants Mr Yar'Adua to be sacked because of his ill health and the Nigerian Bar Association is demanding that power be handed over to Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan.
The courts have asked for the three cases to be merged, and the consolidated case is due to be heard next week.

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Bull leapers

Bull leapers take to the ring in Valencia, Spain

Modern day Spanish 'Recortadores' continue a bull leaping tradition that goes back to the legendary King Minos from Crete's Minoan civilisation

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Heiress Casey Johnson

The latest news of Heiress Casey Johnson is found dead in Los Angeles

The socialite heiress to the Johnson & Johnson fortune has been found dead at home in Los Angeles.
Casey Johnson, 30, whose father owns the New York Jets American football team, had a history of alcohol and drug abuse.

Detectives, who discovered her body at her West Hollywood home on Monday morning, said there was no evidence of foul play but are awaiting the results of toxicology tests.

Officials were unable to provide a time of death and there was speculation yesterday that she may have been dead for days.

Miss Johnson, whose hard-partying ways had led to estrangement from her family, was reportedly "engaged" to Tila Tequila, a bisexual star of a US reality television show.

After the body was found, Tequila – who told a celebrity newsite she had a row with Miss Johnson last week – said her girlfriend's phone had been shut down since December 29.

At a Hollywood showbusiness party a few weeks ago, a witness told Fox News that Tequila spent the night holding up her Miss Johnson, who could "hardly stand straight".

A police spokesman said: "We do have an investigation that's in progress. The term 'apparent natural [causes]' has been used but we're still trying to get more information."

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Hollywood actress Brittany Murphy

Brittany Murphy: British husband has 'world destroyed' by actress's death

The British husband of Brittany Murphy, the Hollywood actress, has said that his "world was destroyed" by her sudden death at 32.

Simon Monjack said that his wife of two years had been suffering from laryngitis and was "tired" after working on two films, but there was nothing to indicate that she was seriously ill.

Monjack said Sunday began as "a regular day". Then Murphy's mother, Sharon, walked into the bathroom of the couple's Hollywood home and discovered the actress lying unconscious on the floor.

"Sharon went into the bathroom because [Murphy] had been in there a long time. Her mom screamed for me and I ran then called 911," he said. "My world was destroyed yesterday."

In his first interview since Murphy's death, Monjack denied that his wife was linked to people who were "bad influences" on her life. "I don't know why anyone would think that. She found love. We found love. Brittany didn't get to where Brittany was with anyone controlling her."

Monjack is expected be questioned by the authorities as they attempt to establish a cause of death. There is no evidence of foul play and the LA County Assistant Chief Coroner, Ed Winter, said the death "appears to be natural".

An autopsy has been concluded and the coroners are awaiting the results of toxicology tests, which could take several weeks.

The investigation is expected to focus on whether there were any prescription drugs in Murphy's system. According to the website TMZ.com, several kinds of prescription medications were found in her home.
On the flight back from the film set in Puerto Rico, Monjack was taken ill and was rushed to hospital when the plane landed in LA. Reports claimed Monjack had stopped breathing, but Murphy later played down the incident and said he had suffered an asthma attack.

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Las Vegas Casino

Lady GaGa Offered Residency In Las Vegas Casino

Lady GaGa has been rising in popularity, and catching the eyes of many people who are fans around the world. One fan happened to be a big name in the casino industry, and has made GaGa an offer that she may not be able to refuse.

Celebrity status has its perks, but Lady GaGa may soon become a resident in a Las Vegas Casino due to her stardom. George Maloof, owner of Palms Casino Resort, had been so impressed, "blown away," in fact, by Lady GaGa's performance last month at the Palms, that he decided to offer her a multi-million dollar deal to for her to become a resident act at the Palms in Vegas.
"She's dedicated to being the top artist in the world," said Maloof about Gaga.
Whether or not GaGa will accept has yet to be determined. Many other female vocalists, including Mariah Carey and Celine Dion, have also taken up residency at Las Vegas locations. This could push GaGa's already powerful career over the edge, all because she decided to play through a casino.
On the other side of the fence, Las Vegas has had tough times, and Lady GaGa could be precisely what casinos need in order to hook players back into the walls. While some.

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