World Cup

Recent U.S. military activity in Somalia is causing ripples throughout the African community. AFP is reporting that Monday's closing of the American embassy in Pretoria, South Africa was due to threats from an al-Qaeda splinter group seeking revenge for Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan's death last week in Somalia.

Last week's raid in Somalia signifies a shift in US policy toward the region, and may be linked to the increasing militarization of AFRICOM since its inception in 2007. Officials continue to argue its role is as a "force for peace." However, the perception by others is increasing negative. Recently, the American National Conference on Black Lawyers petitioned Attorney General Eric Holder to dismantle the operation in an open letter blasting AFRICOM as:

"A military command that is designed to facilitate warfare. In the context of African politics, the mere presence of AFRICOM will be perceived as an act of aggression that will decrease, not increase, the likelihood of peaceful resolution of conflicts."

The embassy threat could be the beginnings of  increased hostility toward U.S. interests in southern Africa, opening up a new counter-terrorism arena rather than pre-empting one.

Five years ago, when South Africa won the right to host the 2010 World Cup, many were concerned whether the country had the infrastructure to host the huge tournament. With one year to go, though, most observers agree that the country will be pass that test. Instead, the biggest complaints have centered on an instrument called the vuvuzela.

Described by one newspaper as "a unique brightly coloured elongated trumpet that makes a sound like a herd of elephants approaching", the vuvuzela has become the biggest controversy at this summer's Confederations Cup [a small tournament between continental champions that functions as a World Cup warm-up].

Fans argue that it is an essential way to express their national identity. But players and TV commentators have called for it be banned at the World Cup.

Liverpool's Xabi Alonso, playing for Spain in the current tournament, said: "They make a terrible noise and it's not a good idea to have them on sale outside the grounds. Here's a piece of advice for Fifa [football's world governing body,] - try to ban them."

The South African Association of Audiology has warned that vuvuzelas can damage hearing.

But supporters are sticking to their horns. Chris Massah Malawai, 23, watching the national team beat New Zealand, said: "This is our voice. We sing through it. It makes me feel the game."

It's hard to say the vuvuzela is melodious; its sound can be best described as a monotone swarm of bees (judge for yourself with this news report). But the biggest problem with the vuvuzela may not be the noise. Rather, whereas most fans in other countries correlate their noise to what's going on on the pitch, it is typical in South Africa to blow the horn for the entire match. Not surprisingly, the monotone sound becomes far more grating in 45-minute doses.

Still, as FIFA president Sepp Blatter has said:

"I always said that when we go to South Africa, it is Africa. It's not western Europe. It's noisy, it's energy, rhythm, music, dance, drums. This is Africa. We have to adapt a little."

So next summer, sit back, and get ready to hit the mute button.

GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/Getty Images

In the wake of the Iran's soccer team wearing opposition armbands in a match this week, Judah Grunstein at World Politics Review has a list of his "admittedly U.S.-centric" top 5 international sports events with political significance. His explanations are worth reading, but here's the bare list:

1. U.S. vs. USSR, 1980 Olympic hockey.
2. Hungary vs. USSR, 1956 Olympic water polo.
3. Jesse Owens vs. Adolph Hitler, 1936 Olympics.
4. Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling, 1936 and 1938 World Heavyweight boxing title.
5. U.S.-USSR, 1972 Olympic basketball.

Can you think of any others you would add?

Getty Images 

SEAN GALLUP/Getty Images

The excitement aroused by the World Cup soccer tournament in Germany in 2006 may have increased that country's birthrate as much as 15 percent nine months later. But the intensely emotional matches have now also been correlated with a spike in the number of cardiac emergencies.

A study published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine examined the number of cardiac emergencies in the greater Munich area in the summer of 2006. It compared that number with the numbers in similar periods in 2003 and 2005, and for several weeks before and after the 2006 World Cup.

On days when the German team played, the incidence of cardiac emergencies was 2.66 times higher than during the comparison periods. For men, the incidence was 3.26 times higher; for women, it was 1.82 times higher. People with a history of heart disease were particularly affected.

The study's authors say emotional stress was the main trigger, but they add that sleep deprivation, excessive consumption of junk food and alcohol, and smoking might also be contributing factors. They suggest that spectators with heart problems should take preventive measures, such as consulting their doctors about increased medication dosages during intense sports events.

So should Americans be worried about this weekend's Super Bowl? Study author Gerhard Steinbeck says:

It's reasonable to think that something quite similar might happen.

Though if the Vegas odds-makers have it right, the greater danger on Sunday may turn out to be irate New York Giants fans.

Remember when French soccer star Zinedine Zidane shoved his head against Italian half-forward Marco Materazzi at last year's World Cup soccer finals? European and Latin American soccer fans certainly do, but Americans may have missed it.

Not to worry: Alabama state Senators Charles Bishop and Lowell Barron just staged a replay of that fight, and their dust-up was caught on camera. In stereotypical "hawks vs doves" fashion, Republican Bishop hit Democrat Barron in the head before bystanders pulled them apart.

"He called me a son of a b****," explained Jasper when the fistfight was over. "I responded to this comment with my right hand," he added. That follows the Zidane-Materazzi script, wherein Zidane accused Materazzi of provoking him by insulting his sister.

News of the Alabama Senate's fisticuffs has already been joyfully picked up by foreign news outlets. For once, the rest of the world gets a chance to lecture the United States on good democratic practice.

(If you enjoy stories about legislative rumbles as much as we do, check out this Passport post on Taiwan's rowdy parliament.)

French football star Zinedine Zidane has apologized for headbutting Italian player Marco Materazzi during Sunday's World Cup final, an infraction that sent Zidane off the field with a red card just minutes from his retirement. But does he regret it? Nope. Zidane stands by the move because, though he won't reveal exactly what Materazzi said, the Italian apparently insulted Zidane's mother and sister. And for this chivalric explanation, the French love Zidane once again.

Head over to The Register to see the email making the rounds about how the headbutt heard round the world was seen by different nationalities.

When the World Cup kicked off a month ago, there was a ton of controversy about Germany's legalized brothels and whether women had been trafficked into the country to service football fans. FP ran a piece at the time that took you inside a brothel and the scandal. So, we'd be remiss not to fill you in on the final score. 

Turns out that football, beer, and prostitutes don't mix after all. The Daily Telegraph's Berlin correspondent reports that the brothels didn't get anywhere near the business they were expecting. One hooker laments that the "fans were happier to celebrate with beer than sex." But there was one silver lining for these ladies of the night: Italy's progress. Indeed, the World Cup winners were such good customers that the owner of Berlin's biggest brothel even found himself willing the Azzurri on in their semi-final against Germany.

It's a pleasant surprise to find that Germany's brothels didn't get rich off the tournament. But it does make you wonder if they asked Sven-Goran Eriksson for advice on tactics.

Even though Germany has been knocked out of contention for the World Cup finals, much has been made of the way the tournament has let Germans feel comfortable with their patriotism again. As Constanze Stelzenmüller puts it in a piece for the IHT today: "Germans Feeling Good About Themselves and Not Apologizing For It Every Minute is not what we grew up with."

The trend is hardly lost on the people over at Deutsche Welle. For more than three months, the station's Web site has been posting daily additions to a series called, somewhat cryptically, "100 Reasons for Germany." The last, 100th reason will be posted on Sunday, the final day of the World Cup.   

Among the "reasons for Germany" are some obvious ones: Fairy tales, BMW, and Günter Grass. But what's more revealing--and a little hilarious--are the ones where the writers get a little desperate, even defensive. Have a look:

#6 Thoroughness: "Despite what some mean people have to say about them, Germans are actually a fun-loving people. It's just that the German idea of fun verges on the compulsive and does not always coincide with what people from other countries do when they want to kick back and relax."

The hilarity continues after the jump.