Fifa video game comes to Facebook

Fifa superstars The game is Playfish's first release since it was bought by Fifa makers EA

The latest video game in the Fifa football series has launched on Facebook rather than on games consoles.

The popularity of social media games has risen in recent years with up to 250 million global players logging on to various games each month.

Previous console Fifa games have retailed at around £30 but FIFA Superstars is free to play online.

The footballers making up each player's team are purchased in packs at a cost of £1 - £2 per pack.

Players pit their teams against those belonging to their Facebook friends.

As the tournament progresses, each player earns points which can also be used to purchase team members.

Unlike console-based versions of Fifa games in which the player can decide to play as a manager, a player or both, on Facebook players can only be managers of virtual teams made up of real players from around the world.

They can also opt to participate in league games outside of their "friends" network.

"The Facebook version is a strategy game," said Playfish chief executive Kristian Segerstrale.

"It extends the Fifa franchise by enabling you to play with friends."

It will also reflect events as they unfold in the World Cup said Mr Segerstrale, although the details are yet to be announced.

There will be a new edition of the console version of Fifa at a later date.

Social media games developer Playfish was bought by Fifa makers Electronic Arts (EA) for $300m (£170m) in 2009.

Bangladesh lifts ban on Facebook

Bangladesh lifted a ban on Facebook on Sunday, a week after it blocked the popular social networking site over caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed and "obnoxious" images of its leaders.

The Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) ordered the country's international Internet gateway providers to unblock the site after the US-based company agreed to remove the obnoxious images and content.

"The Facebook is now open," BTRC vice chairman Hasan Mahmud Delwar told AFP.

The move came after Pakistan lifted a similar ban on Facebook last week following a court order.

Islamabad had blocked the social networking site, video website YouTube and 1,200 web pages over a row about "blasphemous" content on the Internet.

Bangladesh banned Facebook on May 29 after officials said cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed posted on the site "hurt the religious sentiments of the country's Muslim population".

Thousands of people belonging to Muslim groups staged protests over the cartoons which they branded "anti-Islamic propaganda", and demanded the site be banned.

Nearly 90 percent of Bangladesh's 144 million people are Muslims who regard depictions of Islam's prophet as blasphemous.

The BTRC also said that some links in Facebook contained "obnoxious" images of the country's leaders including the prime minister and that the site would be reopened after Bangladesh had permanently blocked the offending pages.

The country's anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion also arrested one man over the images of the political leaders.

Last week the Bangladesh telecoms authority contacted Facebook and said the US-based site has agreed to remove the obnoxious pages.

There was no comment from Facebook.

"We are satisfied with the removal of offensive items by Facebook team. And now it's again open for all," BTRC chairman Zia Ahmed told The Daily Star, adding that Bangladesh would "strongly monitor the postings on the site".

Bangladesh has nearly one million Facebook account holders -- a sixth of all Internet users, according to the BTRC. Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia have fan pages on Facebook.