JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – A veritable goldmine of soccer talent was on display at Ellis Park on Saturday but throughout Argentina’s defeat of Nigeria a roly-poly, bearded bundle of arm-waving anxiety threatened to steal the show.

If Argentina’s lineup of soccer superstars had been in any doubt, they will not be now — on the World Cup stage nothing grabs the cameras quite like Diego Maradona.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – From Table Mountain to Soweto, the pulsating chants of traditional songs and the blasting of plastic horns sounded the start of the first World Cup to be held on African soil on Friday.

Several people were hurt in a crush at the start of a live broadcast of the tournament’s opening game at a viewing site for fans in Johannesburg, witnesses said, but the mood at dozens of fan parks across the vast country was joyful.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Township parks and downturn squares across South Africa came alive with the blast of air horns and the dazzling yellow of the national team on Friday as jubilant fans flocked to watch their nation open the World Cup.

Massive television screens have been set up to make sure ordinary South Africans can watch “Bafana Bafana” (The Boys) take on Mexico in the opening game of the first World Cup to be held on African soil.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Footballers, local musicians and international singing stars will descend on Johannesburg’s Soweto township on Thursday for a stadium concert on the eve of the first World Cup on African soil.

Players, including former South Africa defender Lucas Radebe, will introduce the acts at the concert in Soweto’s Orlando Stadium which organizers say will draw an even bigger global television audience than Live Earth in 2007.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Footballers, local musicians and international singing stars will descend on Johannesburg’s Soweto township on Thursday for a stadium concert on the eve of the first World Cup on African soil.

Players, including former South Africa defender Lucas Radebe, will introduce the acts at the concert in Soweto’s Orlando Stadium which organizers say will draw an even bigger global television audience than Live Earth in 2007.

BUENOS AIRES, June 1 (Reuters) – Argentina is trying to
clean up lingering damage from its massive 2002 default and woo
back investors so it can sell debt on global markets and
finance brisk spending ahead of next year’s presidential vote.

President Cristina Fernandez faces rising debt obligations,
but she will be reluctant to slow spending in the run-up to the
election even as inflation quickens to an annual rate estimated
at more than 20 percent. [ID:nN14105436]

BUENOS AIRES, May 21 (Reuters) – Argentina is trying to
clean up lingering damage from its massive 2002 default and woo
back investors so it can sell debt on global markets and ease a
financing crunch.

President Cristina Fernandez faces rising debt obligations,
but she will be reluctant to slow spending in the run-up to the
2011 presidential election even as inflation quickens.

BUENOS AIRES, May 19 (Reuters) – Argentina’s offer to swap
up to $18.3 billion in defaulted debt has attracted
participation of 45 percent after a first phase targeting large
investors, Economy Minister Amado Boudou said on Wednesday.

He said the country would achieve its goal for acceptance
of 60 percent if investors entered another $3 billion in bonds
before the June 7 deadline, but he ruled out issuing a new bond
at the moment due to global market turbulence.

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentina is mulling reduced diesel imports by making energy companies blend more of the fuel with soy-based biodiesel within the next year, the head of an industry group said Wednesday.

A new law requiring all diesel to be mixed with 5 percent of the plant-based fuel came into force earlier this year in the South American country, which is the fourth-biggest global biodiesel exporter and the top supplier of soybean oil.

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentina’s farmers want sweeping changes to government agricultural policy, but they will not stage commercial strikes in the short term, farm leader Eduardo Buzzi said on Thursday.

Buzzi, president of the Argentine Agrarian Federation, said grass-roots farmers were not calling for a repeat of the commercial strikes that disrupted the country’s key grains shipments and helped fuel soaring global prices in 2008.