Japan

A reassuring progress report on Euro 2000 has been issued by tournament director Alain Cortais.

Bribery and match-fixing hamper the development of soccer in Southeast Asia, and a farcical game in the recent Tiger Cup championship has further tarnished the sport's image, coaches and officials said.

South Korea's ruling party is pushing for a unified soccer team with North Korea and for the Stalinist country to host some of the matches in the 2002 World Cup finals, according to a party document released today.

World athletics chief Primo Nebiolo has assured British Sports Minister Tony Banks that London would have a good chance of staging the 2003 world championships if proposed renovations to Wembley Stadium are completed.

Japan's Sony Corp has denied a newspaper report that said the electronics giant had offered 220 million pounds to buy English soccer club Newcastle United.

Former Thai soccer coach Withaya Laohakul said he hoped a decision by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to ban the country from international competition would only be a temporary punishment.

Five years after its bitter defeat to Sydney in the race for the 2000 Olympics, China looks ready to bid for 2008.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it would send an envoy to North Korea to initiate friendly sports exchanges between arch enemies North and South Korea.

In their final meeting in Zurich last week, the Planning Group for the 2002 FIFA World Cup said they would recommend that the competition should go ahead in June and July

The release of players for the Confederations' Cup has topped discussions at the recent FIFA executive committee meetings, pushing the threat of a European super league and doping concerns onto the back burner.

The Salt Lake Organising committee has presented a $1.4 billion budget to stage what officials hoped would be a successful yet frugal 2002 Winter Games.

China is considering rival bids by three of its largest cities - Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou - to host the 2008 Olympic Games, state media said on Monday.

In a two day meeting the FIFA Executive Committee has expressed its extreme concern over the trend for entities outside the football establishment becoming involved in the organisation of football competitions.

South Korea, hit hard by a financial crisis, has asked Japan for $100 million in loans to build a new stadium for the 2002 World Cup finals, Japanese government sources have said.

China's soccer champions are seeking a new corporate sponsor because Dalian Wanda Group Co plans to withdraw support before the end of 1998, officials said on Wednesday.

The provisional 17-race schedule for next season was released Thursday by the FIA, auto racing's world governing body, at a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.