Fifa’s credibility is shot because it can’t decide what it wants to be Sport Business Does Fifa want football to be pure sporting competition floating serenely above politics, or a global force for peace? Its current approach is dumbing down, writes Matt Readman. On 21 June 1998, Iran faced the United States at the Fifa World Cup in what was billed as the most politically charged football match in history. Fifa later declared it the match that “football [...]
Even in Lib Dem Bournemouth, Farage makes the weather Opinion Two important speeches took place yesterday, attracting, I suspect, very different sized audiences. At the United Nations in New York, US President Donald Trump disregarded the 15 minute slot he’d been allocated to embark on a rambling, contentious, provocative and interesting speech to the assembled nations. Meanwhile, in Bournemouth, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, [...]
IMF upgrades world economy’s growth forecast as Trump’s tariffs reduced Economics The world economy will not suffer as badly from President Trump’s tariffs as previously thought, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted. Global growth is set to be three per cent this year, the IMF said, which is higher than its previous 2.8 per cent forecast made in April. The world economy will grow by [...]
Iran retaliates after Israeli strikes target nuclear programme and military June 14, 2025 Iran has launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes on Israel, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, after a series of Israeli attacks on the heart of Tehran’s nuclear programme and armed forces. Israel’s assault used planes as well as drones smuggled into the country in advance, according to officials, to assault key facilities [...]
Global growth to brake to ‘slowest pace’ since financial crash, World Bank says June 10, 2025 The world economy is heading for its worst year since the 2008 financial crash, the World Bank has predicted, as most major economies suffered a growth downgrade due to trade tensions sparked by President Trump’s tariffs. The UN-backed financial institution has predicted that global growth will come down to 2.3 per cent this year as [...]
China and US announce 90-day pause on tariffs May 12, 2025 China and the US have watered down tit-for-tat tariffs in a landmark 90-day pause that represents a de-escalation of their ongoing trade war. Both countries had imposed tariffs of over 100 per cent on one another in the fallout to President Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ at the beginning of April, causing the UN to suggest that [...]
We cannot allow Azerbaijan’s vile human rights abuses to be redeemed by hosting Cop29 September 27, 2024 Twelve months on from Azerbaijan’s illegal arrest of 23 Armenian leaders, the world needs to take a cold hard look at its human rights abuses, writes Paul Polman
Starmer meets Trump in New York: ‘I’m a great believer in personal relationships on the world stage’ September 27, 2024 Sir Keir Starmer has met with Donald Trump during his visit to New York. The Prime Minister visited the Republican presidential candidate’s Trump Tower for talks ahead of November’s US election. Sir Keir said he wanted to meet Mr Trump face to face because “I’m a great believer in personal relationships on the world stage”. [...]
Disability inclusion should not end with the Paralympic closing ceremony September 7, 2024 British Paralympic champion swimmer Susie Rodgers argues the Games must drive global disability inclusion by shifting perceptions and breaking down the many barriers to equal participation. Every four years, the Paralympic Games offer a short but significant two-week window of increased disability awareness. As we cheer on athletes and celebrate their achievements, we must also [...]