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By Mike Collett BERLIN (Reuters) - A member of FIFA's executive committee has admitted selling World Cup tickets at three times their face value and has been ordered to leave Germany as soon as possible, world soccer's governing body said on Saturday. Ismail Bhamjee of Botswana has signed a statement admitting selling 12 tickets for England's match against Trinidad & Tobago on Thursday for 300 e ...

Labour Party chairman Hazel Blears has said the party will listen more to its rank-and-file while acknowledging many were discontent with the leadership. She made the pledge at the end of a day-long London conference organised by left-wing think-tank Compass. She also warned Labour supporters the party could not afford to underestimate Tory leader David Cameron. Treasury minister Ed Balls said governing was getting "more difficult" for Labour. 'Same old Conservatism' Ms Blears said she was  ...

A former Belmarsh detainee suspected of being a senior member of a terror group has been deported to Algeria, the Home Office has said. The man, only identified as "I", was returned to Algeria after dropping his appeal against deportation moves by the UK government. He is the second Algerian terror suspect to be removed on national security grounds. On Friday, an Algerian known as "V" was returned after dropping his appeal. Britain is seeking to sign a "memorandum of understanding" with Alg ...

By Ibon Villelabeitia BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A series of bombs killed at least 43 people in and near Baghdad on Saturday, police said, in one of the bloodiest days in Iraq since a U.S. military air strike killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi 10 days ago. The violence, a day after a suicide bomber killed 10 people in a Baghdad Shi'ite mosque, came despite a security crackdown in the Iraqi capital and followed a vow by al Qaeda's new leader in Iraq to avenge the death of his predecessor on June 7. The atta ...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Former Enron Corp. President Jeffrey Skilling says he contemplated suicide after his company crumbled and authorities began to ratchet up legal pressure on him. "I've come to the conclusion that life is better than the alternative, which was not a conclusion that was real clear to me for a period of time," Skilling told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published in Saturday editions. Skilling, 52, said he sought psychiatric help but was only able to emerge fr ...

By Annika Breidthardt FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Portugal on Saturday became the sixth team to qualify for the knockout stage of the World Cup in Germany, a stunning goal from Deco and a penalty by Cristiano Ronaldo giving them a 2-0 win over Iran. Playmaker Deco hit a right-footed shot from outside the penalty area in the 63rd minute to give Portugal the lead and Ronaldo slammed home a penalty in the 80th minute. The result in Frankfurt's Waldstadion ensures that Portugal, with a maximum six poin ...

By Trevor Huggins BUHLERTAL, Germany (Reuters) - Midfielder Frank Lampard said on Saturday that England would not play to lose their final group game against Sweden just to avoid Germany in the second round. England would face the host nation if Germany failed to beat Group A leaders Ecuador and Group B leaders England avoided defeat by the Swedes on Tuesday. Lampard and England will already know the Germany result as their game kicks off five hours later. "In top level football, I think it' ...

A body has been found at the bottom of a 100ft-deep gully in Snowdonia, north Wales. The body is thought to have lain there for several weeks. North Wales Police said on Saturday a specialist team had been sent out in an attempt to recover the body. The force added it would release further information once the body had been recovered from the gully and examined.

JOWHAR, Somalia (AP) -- The leader of the Somali Islamist group that captured the capital this week said 300 Ethiopian troops had crossed into the country Saturday, but an Ethiopian official said his country's troops were at the border and had not crossed it. Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, chairman of the Islamic Courts Union, said Ethiopian troops entered Somalia through the border town of Dolow in the southwestern region of Gedo early Saturday. "We want the whole world to know what's going ...

The government of Bolivia has announced a radical plan to reduce poverty and create employment in the poorest country in South America. Almost $7bn (£3.8bn) will be invested in ambitious public works programmes. The economic plan announced by Planning and Development Minister Carlos Villegas aims to create 100,000 jobs a year for the next five years. It is the latest measure in a series implemented by President Evo Morales since taking office in January. The people of South America, and ...