World Cup Update

Co-organiser Michel Platini said counterfeiters would be foiled by a special quot;lockquot; mechanism in the ticket, which also features in the country8217;s state-of-the-art bank notes. The tickets depict the earth surrounded by nine footballs, evoking planets in the galaxy.

They also feature a watermark of Footix, the event mascot, layers of iridescent colour impossible to photocopy, a hologram of France and the World Cup trophy. The tickets will also bear the purchaser8217;s name.

Psyhic trouble for England coach

LONDON: England coach Glenn Hoddle is happy to have faith healer Eileen Drewery along to assist his injury-prone team at the World Cup. But he8217;s threateninglegal action against psychic Uri Geller who8217;s also trying to help out. Geller, an Israeli who is a big fan of England, boasts that he smuggled the World Cup trophy to his home to positively energise in England8217;s favour. He also said he sprinkled crystals on the playing surface at Marseille where Hoddle8217;s team plays its first World Cup game against Tunisia.

After reading a newspaper report that Hoddle and Drewery visited Geller two years ago and took part in some kind of healing process, the England coach issued a statement saying the meeting never took place.