Robert Mugabe Will Grace Us With His Presence

Robert Mugabe Is Joining Us For The Final – Kim Jong il is going to be very jealous that another (although not nearly as successful) dictator will be attending the final of the 2010 World Cup. It has been confirmed that Zimbabwe’s Bob Mugabe will be in attendance, along with 14 other heads of state from around the world. No word yet on Gadafi. [mail&guardian]

Vatican Puts Its Foot Down And Bans Child Pornography – The Vatican next week will revise Church law on sexual abuse of children by priests, doubling a statute of limitations and introducing penalties for child pornography. The changes come as Pope Benedict struggles to control the damage a sexual abuse scandal in the United States and several European countries, including his native Germany, has done to the Catholic Church’s image. Are you sure you want to do this, Ben? [reuters]

Solar Powered Plane Lands Safely After 26 Hours – In an effort to redefine the limits of renewable energy, a Swiss research group said their solar powered aircraft successfully completed an overnight flight Thursday thanks to its ability to store energy gathered during daylight hours. The four-engine Solar Impulse, whose wingspan greatly exceeds its fuselage length for maximum lift, took off from Switzerland’s Payerne airbase early Wednesday and returned at dawn Thursday. [infoweek]

Mel Gibson Is Under Investigation – Mel Gibson was named Thursday as a potential suspect in a domestic violence investigation involving his ex-girlfriend, Russian singer Oksana Grigorieva, earlier this year, sheriff’s officials said. The disclosure came after detectives interviewed Grigorieva about the alleged attack at an undisclosed location in Malibu. Danny Glover could not be reached for comment. [associated]

SA’s World Cup Crime Score Card Is Something To Be Proud Of – Well done South Africa, you have impressed the world! This New York Times articles breaks it down beautifully and gives the worst as “A homeless South African stole a blanket from a tourist’s unlocked minivan. A friend of Paris Hilton’s was caught with a marijuana cigarette. A hotel’s cleaning crew helped themselves to underwear belonging to the English soccer team.” [newyorktimes]

Hot Russian Spy Might Be Swapped For US Spies In Russia – In an apparent throwback to the Cold War, Moscow and Washington are discussing a deal to swap the 10 suspected deep-cover Russian agents arrested last month in the U.S. for prisoners held in Russia. Two U.S. officials said talks about a possible plea agreement are ongoing. This would include Anna Chapman, our favourite spy. [wallstreetjournal]

George Michael Gets Pissed, Crashes Car Again – Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou has been arrested after his car crashed into a shop on the night of a gay festival. The troubled singer, 47, was held Sunday on suspicion of being unfit to drive after he lost control of his Range Rover and it smashed into a Snappy Snaps. The impact buckled a door frame and shattered windows at the photo store in posh Hampstead. Brilliant! Maybe play some online games at home instead, George? [thesun]

Expats Returning From “Grim” UK – Many South Africans seeking a land of milk and honey in the UK are finding misery and Marmite instead. While the majority of the estimated 250 000 to 500 000 South Africans in the UK are expected to stick it out, many are returning to SA amid weak employment prospects, alarm over the effects of staggering public cuts and tax increases. [koos]

LeBron James Is Getting Punished – Those of you who know the name LeBron James will be aware that he is something of a basketball God – a modern day Michael Jordan you could say. Except the world has changed since Jordan played and LeBron is dragging out the announcement of which team he is signing with, to such a degree that the US journalists are starting to hate him. And yes, I know “hate” is a strong word. But seriously, check this out.. [deadspin] (ps. he signed for Miami, but you still need to read that article!)

You Should Be Following 2oceansvibe On Twitter – Apart from radical sunsets and pictures of weird and wonderful things (let alone people), you’ll also get hot-off-the-press news about things you really care about and topics people are really talking about. Not to mention cool competitions, spot prizes and Cape Town hidden gems and “inside” tips! [twitter]

Julius Malema Is Back! – Wow, it looks like I jinxed myself after all! We’ve been eagerly awaiting the reappearance of ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, to see how the rebellions in two provinces are affecting him. On Wednesday we got the answer: it has helped him shed years and once again become the orator that charmed his way into the job in the first place. [dailymaverick]

Gorgeous World Cup Angels – The World Cup is rapidly coming to a close — just a pair of games remain in the 2010 tournament — and the number of contenders has been narrowed down to two. But while only the Netherlands and Spain can still win the World Cup, the number of countries that supported their team with beautiful fans is significantly higher. [huffpo]

New Couture Shows From Paris: Armani Privé, Margiela, Alexis Mabille, and Dior – Couture Fashion Week kicked off yesterday in Paris, amid a flurry of exquisite tulle and gigantic bows (Alexis Mabille), exceptionally elegant tailoring (Armani Privé), John Galliano’s garden of electric color (Christian Dior), and what even appears to be a cowboy-boot-themed bodysuit (Margiela). Check out the complete collections & video footage. [nymag]

Saturday’s SuperEna Jackpot Is R934 Million – Sorry, did you say you just need R10 million? No problem. If you win this you can distribute the rest to your mates. In fact, you could give 90 mates of yours R10 million each as well. Personally I would probably keep a bit more to myself. I mean, how else am I going to buy The Stormers? AND The Sharks? Exactly. Buy your tickets safely online now. [2oceansvibelottos]

[thanks paul, simon]