Psychic octopus Paul predicts Spain to beat Holland in World Cup final

The octopus said to have psychic powers after predicting all of Germany's six World Cup games correctly, has had his say regarding the final in Johannesburg on Sunday – and it is good news for Spain. The two-year-old cephalopod, called Paul and based at the Sea Life Aquarium in the western German city of Oberhausen, decided that Spain would win the final by going for the mussel in the box with a Spanish flag rather than the one with a Dutch flag on it. Before that, he had predicted that Germany will emerge victorious from their third-place play-off against Uruguay tomorrow night. "Paul is such a professional oracle he doesn't even care that hundreds of journalists are watching and commenting on every move he makes," said Stefan Porwoll, the Sea Life Aquarium manager. "We're so proud of him." The Weymouth-born octopus has become an international celebrity after picking the winner in each of Germany's World Cup games in South Africa, including the surprise defeat against Serbia in the group stage and the loss to Spain in the semi-final. The Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero said jokingly yesterday that he was prepared to offer state protection to Paul before today's performance, which was live on German TV. "I am concerned for the octopus ... I am thinking of sending him a protective team," he said. The Spanish environment and fisheries minister, Elena Espinosa, added: "On Monday, I shall be at the European Council of Ministers and I shall be asking for a [fishing] ban on Paul the octopus so the Germans do not eat him."