Europe
Business

Olympic plans for a new worldwide drug testing agency take the battle against doping forwards but are unlikely to stop some athletes from using banned substances.
Business

Twelve of Europe's top clubs have asked UEFA for closer co-operation in the organisation of the European Champions' League and insisted on having more input in financial matters.
Events

FIFA president Sepp Blatter repeated his belief that Africa should stage the soccer World Cup finals in 2006, in an interview published on Monday.

Business

Asia has turned world soccer's favourite slogan back at governing body FIFA and asked for "Fair Play, Please."

The Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe, France's showcase horse race, has had its purse increased by about 20 percent.

"Morocco is officially a candidate for the World Cup finals in 2006," Youth and Sports Minister Ahmed Moussaoui stated yesterday.
Business

French hopes of staging the 2003 world athletics championships have received a significant boost when it was claimed that the main rivals to Paris may not have its stadium ready in time.
Business

French bank Credit Lyonnais, whose 20-year sponsorship of the Tour de France was threatened by last year's doping scandal, has decided it will continue to back the race.
Media

A Chinese-led consortium has won the contract to build a new stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam, as the venue for the 2003 Southeast Asia Games.

France stayed ahead of Brazil atop of the FIFA world soccer rankings for a third straight month, while Germany climbed three places to fifth.
Business

European media rivals Vivendi Universal and Bertelsmann have unveiled a long-awaited deal to merge their sports rights interests into a European giant worth more than 1bn euros ($876.4m).
Events

The UK government may still permit the broadcast rights of certain World Cup 2002 matches to be sold to pay-TV operators ? despite a statement last week claiming all 64 matches are listed events.
Business

The Women's Tennis Association has received an injection of cash from US high-tech stock market Nasdaq.

France's world-beating soccer team will come out on Tuesday in support of Paris's bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games.

Soccer's world governing body FIFA has asked its member countries to take firm action against anyone involved in the falsification of passports.
Business

A Toronto city councillor has warned that taxpayers may drown in debt if the city emerges as the host of 2008 Olympics.

Sport continues to generate the most viewers of pan-European television, according to the TGI Europa 2000 survey released today.
Events

Paris officials have abandoned plans to hold the gymnastics in the historic Grand Palais if they win their bid to host the 2008 Olympics.