Rubbish bidding

Berlin, Dec. 28 (Reuters): German decorator Matthias Blume said he had re-launched the bidding process for the name tags of the 32 World Cup finalists used in the televised draw after receiving bogus offers.

Blume, who found the slips in a rubbish bag after the draw in Leipzig on December 9, said the auction for the slip reading “Germany” hosts for the 2006 World Cup, started on Monday and bids were at 15,000 euros.

Unruly celebs fined

Los Angeles (Reuters): French basketball star Tony Parker, driving with actor girlfriend Eva Longoria, star of the TV show Desperate Housewives, was fined in San Antonio on Christmas Eve for impeding traffic and failing to show a US driver’s license. The two had been verbally abusive, police said.