A woman has complained to Paris police that her husband beat her after they had an argument over which World Cup match to watch on television. Police said the couple had their fight last Saturday night after her football-mad husband insisted on watching Korea play Mexico, then Spain v Nigeria followed by Holland against Belgium. The man evidently felt that almost five hours of non-stop football was not asking for too much.

Maradona on his way

Former Argentina skipper Diego Maradona said he will after all come to France to watch the World Cup, after previously saying he would stay away. Maradona told Radio Libertad he would come to a few matches including those of his compatriots, but only as a spectator.

Penguin hits Rio

Penta, the penguin, came in from the cold to warm the hearts of Brazilian soccer fans. When the stray Penguin turned up in the sea off Rio de Janeiro, surprised beachgoers took it as a sign of luck for the national team and adoptedit as a mascot. They draped the bird in a green and yellow national flag after rescuing it and nicknamed it Penta, or fifth, for the fifth title they are hoping to win.

Politics shunned

The World Cup has relegated a Palestinian cabinet reshuffle to the sidelines for a soccer-hungry public in the West Bank and Gaza strip. "What cabinet reshuffle? I don't read the papers for news of the cabinet or the peace process. I just want to know about the World Cup," said Jamal Haddad, 32, owner of the "used to be called Bata," coffee shop named after his father's former shoe store.

Jacquet loses his shirt

French coach Aime Jacquet was among investors defrauded of millions of francs in an insurance scam, a court in Lyon was told. Two agents for a insurance company were jailed on Monday for embezzling the money from clients. Jacquet will receive some 3.5 million Francs ($600,000) in compensation. "The money represents his life savings from a career in football when players didn't earn very much," hislawyer Jean-Pierre Versini said.

Thai curry too hot

Nigeria has turned down a Thai offer of 30 servings of spicy curry to fire them up for their clash with Bulgaria, a Thai ministry official said. The Nigerian Ambassador to Paris declined the offer, saying the team was on a strict diet for the finals, but added they would welcome a sack of aromatic Thai rice. The Thai embassy had been ordered to offer 30 servings of "khao kang," a fiery meat curry poured over steamed rice.

Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.