Latin America

Encouraged by the success of communist Beijing being awarded the 2008 Olympics, Cuba has announced its intention to bid for the 2012 event.

Yet another South American soccer tournament is in danger of disappearing as doubts arise about the participation of Brazilian teams in the Copa Mercosur 2002.

Canadian city Montreal has won the race to host the World Swimming Championships in 2005.

The number of murders in Colombia has decreased dramatically during the Copa America soccer tournament.

Ronaldo has denied suggestions that his sponsorship contract with sportswear giant Nike was behind an aborted decision to call him up for Brazil's World Cup qualifying game with Chile on Sunday.

A Congressional commission of inquiry investigating Brazilian soccer has accused Ricardo Teixeira, president of the country's soccer confederation, of tax evasion, mismanagement and illegally pocketing his organisation's money.

Canada said it would bid to host the next soccer World Cup to be played in the northern American hemisphere.

Players and fans of Racing Santander have backed the Spanish soccer club's threat not to play the last two matches of the season because of a dispute over the falsification of player passports.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter says he is looking forward to Wednesday's potentially damaging meeting of his executive committee so he can explain in full the situation surrounding the collapse of FIFA's former marketing partners ISMM/ISL.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter will be asked to provide answers to 25 detailed questions from UEFA relating to his running of world soccer's ruling body when he faces a crunch Executive Committee meeting on Wednesday.

The players of defending Libertadores Cup champions Boca Juniors refused to travel from Argentina to Brazil on Monday for their semi-final second leg against Palmeiras in protest over unpaid bonuses.

Costa Rica will take the place of Canada in the Copa America after Canada pulled out because it did not have time to prepare for the hastily rearranged competition.

Security during the Copa America soccer tournament in Colombia will be stepped up after the Peruvian squad asked for life insurance to be taken out for them.

Soccer tournament the Copa America finally kicks off in Colombia on Wednesday after weeks of furious argument over when and where it should be played but, as the action starts, ordinary fans may be asking what the fuss was about.

Honduras has stated it will take part in Copa America, replacing Argentina after the South American side pulled out for security reasons of the tournament hosted by Colombia.

There will be no soccer in Argentina's B division this weekend because of the financial crisis.