Events

England's chances of hosting the 2006 World Cup have not been damaged by the resignation of F.A. chief executive Graham Kelly, FIFA said on Wednesday.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is prepared to throw open its Lausanne headquarters and display all gifts received from Olympic bidding cities.

Britain's Culture Secretary Chris Smith has said that future bidding for Olympic games must be honest and above board if Britain is to take part.

New Zealand's capital Wellington has scaled down its bid for the 2006 Commonwealth Games after its backers decided they could not afford to match funding levels available to the only other applicant, Melbourne.

The Australian government will spend A$1.2 million (US$780,000) on tickets for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games to entice dignitaries and investors to the country, officials have said.

French pay television group Canal Plus says it and private terrestrial TV company TF1 have agreed to share broadcasting rights for the European football Champions' League for matches played from September to May from 1999 to 2003.

Germany's bid to host the soccer World Cup in 2006 has received a boost after the Finance Ministry declared it would not tax the huge revenue the tournament would generate.

The first broadcast deal for soccer's 2002 World Cup Finals in Europe has been agreed.

Response Handling Ltd has been awarded the contract to manage advance ticket sales for the Standard Life Loch Lomond golf tournament.

Formula One's Bernie Ecclestone is in talks with Rupert Murdoch's UK BSkyB to broadcast the sport on pay-per-view.

The Dutch are hurrying through a new law which would give police powers to separate groups of potential trouble-makers at major events in time for the 2000 European soccer championship finals.

The Austrian town of Klagenfurt kicked off the final day's campaigning for the right to host the 2006 Winter Games, wheeling out 1976 Olympic downhill champion Franz Klammer to try to win over the International Olympic Committee.

A broadcaster battle for French soccer TV rights has been called off after the two bidders reached a compromise deal.

Shares in European champions Manchester United have risen following reports that a group of investors were preparing to buy a large chunk of the stake held by chief executive Martin Edwards.

Sydney's scandal-weary Olympics organisers had some good news this weekend - Australians are buying tickets to see the 2000 Games.

The BBC has warmly welcomed a decision in London's Restrictive Practices Court which ruled in favour of the English Premier League selling broadcast rights en bloc for all its 20 clubs.