Middle East

Podia has acquired the licensing and merchandising rights for two leading Formula One teams.

England have withdrawn from the International Rugby Board's World Sevens tournament in Dubai next month.

UK terrestrial broadcaster the BBC is to show live coverage of Michael Jordan's return to the NBA on October 30 - the first time it has ever carried NBA content.

Formula One teams have met Kirch Group directors in a quest for more cash from the company, which owns 58.4 percent of F1 holding company SLEC.

Alain Prost has held talks with French Minister of Youth and Sports, Marie-George Buffet as the fight to rescue his ailing Formula One team continues.

Honda has confirmed it is to supply both British American Racing (BAR) and Jordan with engines next season, after a report in a German magazine said that Volkswagen could tie-up with Jordan for 2002.

Within two weeks, Alain Prost’s Formula One team could become the first F1 team to cease trading, according to close sources.

The first round of the World Sevens Series has been moved from Dubai to Durban in South Africa, the International Rugby Board (IRB) has said.

UK-based motorsports marketer, the Podia Group, has reached a conditional agreement to acquire certain Formula One apparel licensing and merchandising agreements belonging to US-based Action Performance Companies (API).

In the face of fears over an economic crisis for the sport, a clutch of Formula One teams have bought equal shares in GPT, a private company that will look to exploit sales of team merchandise more efficiently.

Williams, the England-based Formula One team, reported a profit for the year of £10.2m ($14.8m/B

Honda has said it will stop supplying engines for the CART motor racing series at the end of the 2002 season.

Formula One is not recession-proof and the big and successful teams need to help the smaller ones to survive the coming crisis, team owner Eddie Jordan (pictured) has warned.

Potential All Black players have been given until next week to advise whether they are available to tour Ireland, Scotland and Argentina because of security fears stemming from the US-led military strikes on Afghanistan.

Formula One team Jordan is relaunching its website in a bid to provide sponsors, media and fans with more information during the racing off-season.

South Korea's top police officer vowed on Tuesday to keep terrorists and soccer hooligans away from the 2002 World Cup and said American and other missions were receiving extra protection amid US-led attacks on Afghanistan.