France
BEIJING SPEAKING THE RIGHT LANGUAGE FOR OLYMPIC BID
Beijing has started radio English lessons to get its citizens up to speed in the race for the 2008 Olympic Games, according to local reports.
AMERICA?S CUP DISPUTE RESOLVED AFTER LEGAL WRANGLE
America's Cup holders, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, accepted the Swiss challenge for yachting's biggest prize on Monday after a month of legal wrangling.
BEIJING BIDS NOT TO LOO-SE OUT ON GAMES
Beijing has decided to bring its public toilets up to Olympic gold standards in its pursuit of the 2008 Games, the China Daily said on Monday.
FOX KIDS EUROPE TEAMS UP WITH SPORTAL
Fox Kids Europe, the pan-European children?s entertainment company, and interactive sports content provider Sportal have signed a long-term agreement to launch dedicated children?s sports sites.
Sponsorship
ARROWS SPONSOR DEAL IN DOUBT CLAIMS REPORT
ARROWS SPONSOR DEAL IN DOUBT CLAIMS REPORT
The $15m-a-year sponsorship of the Arrows Formula One team by telecommunications company Orange could be jeopardy, according to media speculation.
LPGA GOES TO SOUTH KOREA
The LPGA has added another country to its global tournament schedules.
MEDIA & SPORTS GROUP OPENS NEW PARIS OFFICE
Bortz Media & Sports Group is broadening its business services and expanding the company's presence in Europe by opening an office in Paris.
LEGAL PROBE LAUNCHED OVER U.S. POSTAL TEAM
The Paris prosecutor has opened a formal judicial investigation about doping allegations in the U.S. Postal cycling team, whose leader is double Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, legal sources said on Thursday.
PARIS-DAKAR RALLY RETURNS TO ITS ROOTS
The Paris-Dakar rally returns to its geographical roots in 2001 when the race starts from the French capital on New Year's Day before a 10,000-km trek across Europe and north Africa takes competitors to the Senegal capital.
EU WITHDRAWS FINE THREAT OVER SPANISH TV SOCCER
The European Commission has withdrawn a threat to fine Spain's Telefonica and Sogecable over rights to broadcast Spanish soccer matches on pay-television.
BRAZIL CONGRESS QUIZZES ZAGALLO OVER NIKE
Former Brazil coach Mario Zagallo has appeared before a Congressional commission and denied that sportswear giants and national team sponsors Nike had interfered in the picking of the team when he was in charge.
CHINA CONSIDERS TIANANMEN SQUARE FOR 2008 BID
China is contemplating throwing Tiananmen Square - mostly known to the outside world for the 1989 massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators - into its 2008 Olympic bid as the venue for beach volleyball.
CLUB COMMERCIAL CHIEF CALLS FOR CHANGES TO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Bayern Munich's commercial manager Uli Hoeness has called for a cutback in the number of matches in the Champions League and said his club would be prepared to take less cash to play fewer games.
SOCCER PAPERS SENT TO BRASILIA INVESTGATION
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has promised to send, literally, a lorry-load of documents to Brasilia to help a Congressional inquiry investigating the country's national sport.
EIGHT AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS FOR RUGBY 2003 WORLD CUP
The eight quarter-finalists from the 1999 World Cup will be granted automatic qualification for the 2003 tournament in Australia and New Zealand, the International Rugby Board said on Friday.
RUMMENIGGE CALLS FOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REFORM
Karl-Heinze Rummenigge, Bayern Munich's representative in the self-appointed G14 lobby group of Europe's biggest clubs, has spoken out against the current Champions League format.
ASIAN PROMOTER FORMS NEW JOINT VENTURE
Asian soccer promoter ProEvents Management Ltd has formed a new joint venture company with Manchester-based sports management company World Sports Solutions Ltd (?WSS?), to represent top European clubs and players in Asia.