South Korea

FIFA president Sepp Blatter reaffirmed on Sunday that soccer's governing body would not meet Asia's demands for an automatic fifth berth at the 2002 World Cup finals.

An estimated 425,000 people are expected to travel to Japan for next year's World Cup, Japanese government officials were quoted as saying on Wednesday.

Argentina's professional soccer players decided to start an indefinite strike on Monday because they claim the clubs owe them millions in unpaid wages and bonuses.

British experts on soccer hooliganism warned Japan on Friday to keep a tight rein on hard-core troublemakers at next year's World Cup while avoiding a heavy-handed approach that would spoil the fun for real fans.

Carol Anne Letheren, chief executive officer of the Canadian Olympic Association and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), remained in critical condition in intensive care in a Toronto hospital on Thursday.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has said he was confident the Japanese government and organisers of the 2002 World Cup will find a solution to tax problems that may have delayed the start of ticket sales.

FIFA will not change the result of the vote that gave the 2006 World Cup finals to Germany despite an appeal being mounted by narrow losers South Africa, a FIFA official said on Thursday.

The World Council of 119-nation Federation Internationale de l?Automobile (FIA) is to vote on whether to reduce the number of Formula 1 Grand Prix in the European Union.

The draw for the 2002 World Cup, the biggest in the tournament's 69-year history, will involve 195 nations and be seen live on Tuesday by a television audience of about one billion people.

Use of FIFA's logo is to be devleoped accoridng to the Federation's marketing partner ISL.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it would send an envoy to North Korea to initiate friendly sports exchanges between arch enemies North and South Korea.

Asian soccer chiefs are to hold an emergency meeting in Bangkok to decide what to do about FIFA's effective allocation of just two Asian qualifying slots for the 2002 World Cup, officials have said.

South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said the International Olympic Committee (IOC) corruption crisis has thrown doubt over its sponsorship of the Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee kicked off its 109th session this week with a defiant promise it would not be pressed into hasty reforms after the Salt Lake City vote-buying scandal.

Japan is ready to lend South Korea about $200 million to help its World Cup co-host build a soccer stadium for the 2002 tournament, the Export-Import Bank of Japan said. "We are ready to offer the loans at any time, but we are still waiting for a formal request from South Korea," an official at the bank told Reuters.

Angry football supporters wearing red noses protested outside headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) on Tuesday after the four-times world champions' shock defeat by Honduras the day before.