Germany

The Prince of Wales, Prime Minister Tony Blair and film star Hugh Grant will lead attempts to impress international soccer chiefs who will inspect England's World Cup 2006 facilities this week.

Former World Cup hero, Sir Bobby Charlton, championing England's campaign to host the 2006 World Cup, has appealed to Africans to support England if two bids from their own continent are unsuccessful.

A Dutch proposal to limit the number of countries allowed to bid to host the World Cup was rejected by FIFA's 51st Congress on Monday.

German prosecutors have charged a fourth suspect with attempted murder over the brutal beating of a French policeman during the World Cup in France in June.

South Korean President Kim Dae-jung has said he hoped an International Olympic Committee initiative to host sports ties between North and South Korea would eventually lead to joint Korean teams for international competitions.

The ATP Tour has said it was "unconcerned" by talk of rival tours after a Germany weekly magazine said Boris Becker was working on plans to launch a breakaway tennis circuit from 2000.

Bobby Charlton and Franz Beckenbauer, famous Wembley foes 33 years ago, go into battle for more World Cup honours this week as the race to stage the tournament in 2006 intensifies.

A year before the Euro 2000 soccer championships, organisers received a possible taste of things to come as hooligans linked to Rotterdam's Feyenoord fought with police and wrecked the centre of their own city.

South Africa will present its bid to stage the 2006 World Cup to the African Soccer Confederation (CAF) executive in Cairo on Sunday, a South African diplomat said.

The seven German first division clubs certain to play in Europe this season have agreed to give some of the money they will earn from television rights to the 11 other Bundesliga sides.

UK-based Screenco have created a 21 metre wide LED banner at the 68,000-capacity stadium of German Bundesliga team FC Kaiserslautern using 21 Lighthouse LVP20 20mm pixel pitch modules.
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Organisers of the Indianapolis Championships want to bump the men's tournament up to Masters Series level - just one below Grand Slam status.

The company in charge of the electronic timing system at the world swimming championships has admitted the touchpads that have caused so much trouble were not tested before the start of the competition.

The ATP says it can now implement plans for its future following the demise of the ISMM Group.

ATP Tour chief Mark Miles has said the German city of Hamburg could not host one of the top events for men and women which are to be introduced next year.

Media group Vivendi Universal has confirmed that it was in talks with Germany's Bertelsmann about merging their sports rights interests to create a leading pan-European player.