UK soldiers' families getting 'nuisance calls' from Iraqi insurgents

LONDON: British soldiers in Iraq have been warned about the threat of insurgents intercepting their mobile phone calls and using the numbers to threaten their families back home, sources reported early Sunday.

The newspaper said it had seen a document sent to army reservists, detailing how insurgents in southern Iraq had managed to obtain the home telephone numbers of British soldiers using sophisticated electronic intercept devices.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed that there has been concern about reports of "nuisance calls" to servicemen's families but it played down suggestions that the calls included death threats.

According to the Sunday Telegraph, the Territorial Army (TA) document said there had been "many instances in the last weeks of relatives and friends of personnel serving abroad on operations getting nuisance phone calls".

It advised personnel to be aware of the danger if they used their mobile phones to ring home.



Argentina 2-1 Mexico

LEIPZIG: A superb goal eight minutes into extra-time by Maxi Rodriguez sealed Argentina's 2-1 win over Mexico here Saturday and a mouthwatering clash with Germany in the World Cup quarter-finals next Friday.

Regulation time had finished 1-1 after two goals in an action-packed first quarter of the game, but it was a moment's brilliance from Rodriguez that ensured Mexico would not make their third ever World Cup quarter-final.

The Atletico Madrid midfielder chested down an innocuous Juan Sorin pass on the edge of the area, swivelled and fired a looping left-footed volley into the far top corner beyond the reach of diving goalkeeper Osvaldo Sanchez.

The early pressure of an entralling match, however, had been all Mexican as the Argentinian midfield struggled with the pace of the game and it paid off in the sixth minute.

Captain Rafael Marquez lost Gabriel Heinze to come rushing in to the far post unopposed to drive home a Pavel Pardo free-kick that had been headed superbly on by Mario Mendez from the near post.

Argentina responded immediately, pressure from Hernan Crespo forcing Jared Borgetti, who was returning after missing the last two games through injury, to head Juan Riquelme's swirling corner into his own net in the 10th minute.

Lacking the incisive passing and running of Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez, both benched by coach Jose Pekerman despite their outstanding display in the goalless draw against the Netherlands, Argentina looked one-dimensional against the more dynamic Mexican side.

Borgetti, who scored 14 goals in Mexico's qualifying run, was a constant threat to Argentina, whose strikers were continually thwarted by the stout defending of the outstanding Marquez, Carlos Salcido, Ricardio Osario and Andres Guardado.

Last-ditch defence by West Ham defender Lionel Scaloni deflected Borgetti's header in the opening minutes, Heinze was forced into a sliding block on a vicious shot after 14 minutes, and goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri then tipped a blistering 25-yard shot over the bar.

Marquez was on hand in the 18th minute of a gripping game to parry a shot by Crespo after a slicing through ball from Esteban Cambiasso.

Crespo was almost on the scoresheet five minutes later, the Chelsea striker's lob off a delicate Cambiasso chip beating goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez but also the far post.