1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid
CF) Lionel Messi (Argentina, FC Barcelona) and Andres Iniesta (Spain, FC
Barcelona) have been shortlisted by UEFA for the 2011/12 best player in Europe
award. The three Spain-based players came top of a poll of 53 journalists from
UEFA's member associations.
2. French
football stars Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema are to be called before a judge
over allegations that they solicited an underage prostitute.
3. An
Egyptian court has sentenced 14 members of a militant Islamist group to death
for deadly attacks in the town of al-Arish in Sinai last year.
4. World technology company, IBM and the
Kenyan government are to open a tech research hub in Nairobi, in a joint
attempt to help solve local issues such as traffic congestion. The US firm IBM already has 11 research outposts around the
world. It plans to have up to 50 researchers in the new centre within five
years, attracting potential candidates from across the continent.