| Sports Briefs
WNB maintained their unbeatable record to book their grand final berths in women, men and open mix divisions of touch football today.
They are the current defending champions of the gold (men), silver (mix) and bronze in the women divisions from 2005 PNG Games.
Coach Benny Fieldis praised his players for the top performance, adding they are aiming for the gold.
The women moved one step forward from bronze to the silver/gold play-off while in open mix they are in the contest for gold.
According to tournament director Micah Vele, WNB will lock horn with East New Britain in the men's division semi-finals while Morobe take Bougainville in the other game before the winners meet in the grand final in the afternoon. The losers will play for bronze.
In the open women, WNB will meet Bougainville in the gold play-off while in open mix East New Britain take WNB.
Boy hurt after Ferrari horror crash in Balsall Common
A YOUNG boy was last night fighting for his life in hospital after being seriously injured when the car he was in smashed into a tree and killed the driver. The nine-year-old was a passenger in a Ferrari which burst into flames after the crash in Balsall Common on Saturday. He is said to be in a critical but stable condition at Birmingham Children's Hospital with a fractured skull and chest injuries, The boy was pulled from the passenger seat and dragged clear of the burning wreckage by two heroic bystanders. The driver, who is believed to be a 27-year-old local man, was killed when the yellow sports car smashed into a tree at a notorious accident blackspot. .
Healy strike sinks Danes
Northern Ireland maintained their faint hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008 after coming from behind to beat Denmark 2-1 in Belfast. Things looked bleak for Nigel Worthington's men shortly after half-time when Niclas Bendtner stabbed home from close range. However, the home side never threw in the towel and got back on level terms when Warren Feeney headed Chris Brunt's cross past Thomas Sorensen. The contest was illuminated 10 minutes from the end when David Healy's superb chip nestled inside the far post - moving him past Davor Suker's 12-goal qualifying record. The victory means Northern Ireland can still qualify, although they will still need to win in Spain and hope Sweden lose at home to Latvia in order to feature in Austria and Switzerland next summer.
Quotes of the week
Jeff Stelling gets about four months ahead of himself on Soccer Saturday. (Philippa, England). "I know it's not enough to have just one point from two games. We now have only one hope and that is the Ivory Coast and God......." Berti Vogts, Nigeria coach. That is two hopes, surely? (Martin Belam, Greece). "If a player plays well, he will stay in the team. Even if I sign Samuel Eto'o, Akinbiyi will still play on Saturday." Burnley boss Owen Coyle on Ade Akinbiyi's good form - although Eto'o couldn't play anyway because he's at the Africa Cup of Nations. (Abduly, UK). .
Driver sentenced to 1 to 7 years for hit and run
A Middletown man who turned himself in to police one day after he ran his pickup truck over a motorcyclist on New Falls Road, was sentenced Monday to one to seven years in a state prison. Paul Spaeth, 35, of Queen Lilly Road, pleaded guilty before county Judge Rea Boylan to hit and run and related offenses. He admitted that he fled to Philadelphia after hitting Jesse Cartlidge, 24, of Levittown, after leaving The Roadhouse bar around 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 28. Cartlidge, a musician who was performing at The Roadhouse, also had just left the bar. Cartlidge was not drinking, police said. Witnesses said Spaeth appeared to be chasing the cyclist and didnt brake as he hit him from behind. Cartlidge was wearing a helmet. He was dragged more than 600 feet through a red light and suffered numerous broken bones and other injuries, including road rash on his ribs that went through almost to his bones, said prosecutor Robert James.
Mitsubishi would owe taxpayers: Rann
Premier Mike Rann says the South Australian Government would demand that Mitsubishi repay millions of dollars in taxpayers' support if it pulls out of Australia. The company's board meets in Japan today to consider a closure of the loss-making Australian operation in Adelaide. Mr Rann has told Adelaide commercial radio that the SA and Federal Governments have spent millions of dollars on subsidies for the car maker. "If they announce today the closure of Mitsubishi in total breach of the arrangements that they entered into ... and I have to say there are other things they entered into - they were going to set up an R & D (research and development) centre to employ up to 300 engineers, develop a new luxury export vehicle, then I'll be asking for the money back, simple as that," Mr Rann said.
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