BUENOS AIRES: Disgraced soccer idol Diego Maradona attacked journalists at Ezeiza Airport here before embarking for Italy to get back his innocence.Tired of talking with journalists, who surrounded him and pressed around him, Maradona displayed his ability to strike with his elbows and fists before he boarded a flight to Rome, reports Xinhua.

Maradona claimed that his 15-month ban from Italian Division First was wrong and his flight to Italy was just for getting compensation.

The idea dawned on him after he heard of the scandals of Italian dope-checking officials.

Japanese manager kills himself

TOKYO: The general manager of a Japanese baseball team jumped to his death from a high-rise apartment block today after failing to sign an outstanding high school player, police said.

Katsutoshi Miwata of Japanese Pacific League club Orix Bluewave had been unable to persuade 18-year-old pitcher Nagisa Arakaki, the team's number one draft pick,to sign from Okinawa's Suisan High School. Miwata, 53, jumped to his death from an 11th-floor apartment in Okinawa's capital of Naha.

Lankan Navy goes berserk after dispute

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan sailors destroyed houses and injured several civilians while on a rampage after dispute at a cricket match, a state newspaper said on Friday. The Observer, a state-owned afternoon paper, said a group of navy personnel destroyed some 75 houses in the Pitiwella village near Galle town Thursday night after an argument the same day.