Russia

Even the most experienced Olympic observers cannot agree on which city will win the battle to stage the 2008 Summer Games as the deciding vote draws near.

Bridon International, the UK-based steel wire and structural strand manufacturer, has secured a contract to supply cables for the major re-development of Lokomotiv Moscow's stadium in Russia.

Beijing declared itself ready for inspection for its bid for the 2008 Olympic Games, but urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) not to let politics influence its judgement.

American Anita DeFrantz has officially declared she will be a candidate to succeed Juan Antonio Samaranch as president of the International Olympic Committee, according to local media reports.

Jan Zelezny, winner of three Olympic javelin gold medals and one of a dozen active athletes who are members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has warned against awarding the 2008 Games to Beijing.

French League president Gerard Bourgoin promised that tough action would be taken in the wake of the false passports scandal that has rocked the sport -- and that teams will be docked points if found guilty.

An agreement to build a multifunctional motor sport complex in Moscow, part of which will be a Formula 1 track, has been approved by Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and president of the British company TWR Group Tom Walkinshaw.

Indian hockey authorities have sacked chief coach Vasudevan Baskaran and dropped three senior players after their disappointing seventh-place finish at the Sydney Olympics.

Japan has no plans to launch a new investigation into allegations the central Japanese city of Nagano bribed International Olympic Committee (IOC) executives to host the 1998 Winter Games.

The Salt Lake City bribery scandal is likely to haunt the next president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in his first year in charge, according to prospective candidate Jacques Rogge.

Eleven doping control laboratories were shown the "yellow card" by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for failing to comply with guidelines.

It may be more than seven months before world sport's most prestigious job is decided but campaigning was already hotting up at the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s headquarters in Lausanne.

Extreme Sports Channel, the adventure and adrenaline sports service, is to broadcast in Russia.

Moscow's deputy mayor, who doubles as hockey chief for the city of 10 million, has called for an end to unfair contracts which he said allowed North American ice hockey leagues to buy up top Russian players on the cheap.

Lokomotiv Moscow's new 30,000 capacity stadium, Russia's first dedicated exclusively to soccer, will be opened in July 2001.

Marat Safin's rise to the top of tennis has had a huge impact on the game in Russia.

Fifteen days after its official launch, the new sports information channel, Eurosportnews, has reached a distribution agreement with two leading CATV operators, Kosmos TV in Moscow, Russia and Alma TV in Kazakhstan.

The Japanese city of Osaka has pressed its claim to stage the 2008 Olympics against current favourite Beijing, saying it could outdo the Chinese capital in experience and facilities.