Johannesburg - The chief executive officer of the South African local organizing committee (LOC) of the 2010 World Cup, Danny Jordaan, on Wednesday called on his fellow South Africans to serve the country by supporting the event.

Jordaan told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa late Wednesday, that while many South Africans had served in the army under apartheid, the way to serve the country now was to be behind the World Cup.

New York  - The United Nations said Wednesday Kosovo's independence has propelled the body into assuming a political role to try to solve the sovereignty dispute between Kosovo and Serbia.

Serbia still claims Kosovo as its territory after Pristina declared independence in February, adopted a constitution in June and was recognized by a total of 52 governments, including the United States and many European nations.

The UN Mission in Kosovo, which began its work in 1999, is fast changing because Kosovo now is ruled by a government. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has ordered an accelerated reconfiguration of the mission so it can readjust to circumstances in the former Serb province.

New York  - Warring parties in the Democratic Republic of Congo have all carried out attacks against civilians in North Kivu, where fighting has raged for weeks between government and rebel troops, the UN said Wednesday.

The UN said that some 250,000 Congolese have been displaced by the fighting, some for the second or third time in a matter of weeks. It said that one in four inhabitants in the region has become a refugee inside the the DR Congo.

New Delhi  - A series of coordinated attacks by terrorists across India's financial hub Mumbai late on Wednesday killed at least 78 people, including three senior police officers, and left many more injured, officials and news reports said.

Groups of two to four heavily armed gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons and lobbed grenades in at least eight places in south Mumbai, including the five-star Taj and Trident hotels, the city's main railway terminus, a hospital and a cinema hall.

Armed gunmen were still holed up at the railway station and the Taj and Trident hotels, AN Roy, director general of police of Maharashtra state said. Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra.

Hamburg  - English and Spanish clubs completed their Champions League charge when Liverpool and Atletico Madrid swept into the knockout phase on Wednesday.

Italian champions Inter Milan also progressed to join Serie A rivals Juventus in the last 16 despite a 1-0 defeat at home to Panathinaikos

Liverpool joined defending champions Manchester United and Arsenal in the last 16 with a 1-0 win over Olympique Marseille, while Atletico complete a Spanish quartet including city rivals Real Madrid, Barcelona and Villareal by beating PSV Eindhoven 2-1.

However last season's losing finalists Chelsea will have to wait after being held 1-1 at Girondins Bordeaux.