Djokovic reveals ‘mixed’ secrets

Novak Djokovic may be using the Hopman Cup as preparation for this month's Australian Open but the world number three is also clearly enjoying himself at the mixed team event.

The Serb said the format of the event offered a special attraction for the men.  "It's always a good experience to play with a female," joked Djokovic, who is representing Serbia with women's world number three Jelena Jankovic.

"You can kiss in the end, you can kiss in the start. While you're serving, she's bending over at the net. I think some of the guys here (in the crowd) will understand”.

Pele’s goals to be commemorated

The goals scored by Pele during his remarkable career are to be commemorated in a collection of gold, silver and bronze medals specially produced by the Brazilian mint.

Some 1,283 medals will be sold to raise money for the Gols Pela Vida (Goals for Life), a project of which Pele is patron that raises money for the Pequeno Principe children's hospital in the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba.
A selection of the medals recording some of his most memorable goals, such as the two he scored in the 1958 World Cup final, will be auctioned by Christie's in the United Arab Emirates in April next year.

Beijing meet blue sky target

Strong winds over the weekend helped clear Beijing of a blanket of smog meaning it finally hit its target of 245 "blue sky days" in 2007.

Beijing's notorious air pollution is a major concern for athletes and the organisers of next year's Olympics, which it will host in August.  City officials, who are setting a more ambitious target of at least 256 days with relatively good air quality in 2008, were relieved that this year's mark wasn't missed, the official Xinhua news agency said.
"We anticipated the last 'blue sky' day more than 10 days ago, but lingering fog and sandstorms frustrated us in the past week," said Du Shaozhong, deputy director of the Municipal Bureau of Environmental Protection.