South Africa

FIFA president Sepp Blatter opposes using technology to help referees make decisions. But the outcry over mistakes such as Frank Lampard's disallowed goal in England's World Cup loss to Germany seems to have changed things.

Vuvuzela apps are topping the Apple iTunes charts. They allow iPhone owners to annoy friends and family by turning their phone into a virtual trumpet. One app, Vuvuzela 2010, has been downloaded more than a million times from Apple's App Store.

"The mobile phone revolution continues," says a UN report about the phenomenon that's changing life across the planet. Mobile subscriptions in Africa rose from 54 million to almost 350 million between 2003 and 2008 — the biggest growth in the world.

The number of expected World Cup visitors has been downgraded from 750,000 to 200,000. Tickets have been bought up by the government and given away to South Africans. Expensive accommodation is deterring many football fans from travelling.

Language
8. Interview with Dagmar Taylor (see pp. 14–19)

Travel
14. Interview with John Heagney (see pp. 28–33)