So sad

Italy v Ukraine, Koln 30 June - 6, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

I just found this article on BBC, which I will copy and paste.

Here is a photo of Germans, Italians and Ukrainians and others getting excited in front of a big screen showing Fabio Cannavaro, the fabulous captain of Italy, from last weekend. People from around the world come together to enjoy watching the most popular sport in the world, a great spirit of camaraderie and so on..... a time when people can normally put aside their worries about politics and economic rivalries.

And yet here we have another example of the pernicious influence of religion and the people who mis-use it for their own ends. Disgraceful.... especially in a country where so much needs to be done to mend the wounds of the last 40 years of tyranny and anarchy.

Somali World Cup viewers killed

Two people are reported dead after Islamist gunmen in central Somalia opened fire in a cinema where people were watching a banned World Cup match.

The cinema owner and a young girl were reportedly killed by militia loyal to the Union of Islamic Courts, who seized control of parts of Somalia last month.

The courts have introduced Sharia law in areas under their authority, including a World Cup broadcast ban.

According to reports on a Somali news network, gunmen arrived to close down the cinema in the town of Dhuusa Marreeb in central Galgadud district, where a crowd had gathered to watch the Germany-Italy World Cup semi-final.

Some of the football fans began to protest and according to reports, the gunmen fired in the air in an attempt to disperse them. When this failed, shots were fired at the demonstrators and two people were killed.

The Islamic courts have introduced Sharia in areas under their authority. This has included in some parts a ban on cinemas and on broadcasts of World Cup games because they have carried advertisements for alcohol.