Everything you need to know ahead of the Opec meeting on Friday June 2, 2015 All eyes will be on the organization of petroleum exporting countries (Opec) when it meets in Vienna on Friday to decide whether to increase, decrease or hold its output target from its current level. Why is it interesting? A glut in the global supply of oil pushes prices as low as $45 per barrel in mid-January, [...]
Rabbatts resigns from Fifa role in protest at Blatter June 1, 2015 FOOTBALL Association (FA) board member Heather Rabbatts yesterday quit her role on Fifa’s anti-discrimination task force in protest at Sepp Blatter’s re-election as president. The anti-discrimination task force was chaired by Fifa vice-president Jeffrey Webb of the Cayman Islands, who is one of seven serving officials of the embattled world governing body to be arrested [...]
Sharapova out but Williams edges through June 1, 2015 DEFENDING champion Maria Sharapova crashed out of the French Open yesterday after suffering a straight-sets defeat to Czech Lucie Safarova in the fourth round. Russia’s Sharapova had reached three consecutive Roland Garros finals and recorded two victories, but was eclipsed by 13th seed Safarova, who produced the biggest shock of this year’s tournament with a [...]
Fifa crisis: UK banks HSBC, Barclays, and Standard Chartered get drawn into corruption scandal June 1, 2015 Three of Britain’s leading banks are conducting investigations into whether they cleared payments related to the ongoing Fifa corruption scandal. HSBC, Barclays, and Standard Chartered are all understood to have launched internal probes, after the FBI arrested current former Fifa executives and associates. Barclays and HSBC yesterday declined to comment. Standard Chartered said [...]
Former deputy PM Nick Clegg blacklisted from entering Russia May 31, 2015 FORMER deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has been banned from going to Russia. Clegg’s name appeared on a blacklist of 89 European politicians and media leaders handed to an EU delegation in Moscow last week. Clegg prohibited Liberal Democrat ministers from attending the Winter Olympics in Sochi and has called for Russia to be stripped [...]
With no deal on the cards, is the Eurozone too complacent about the risks Grexit poses? May 31, 2015 Guy Foster, group head of research at Brewin Dolphin, says Yes. It’s difficult to tell how complacent the Eurogroup really is about the risks of Grexit, as its rhetoric forms part of the negotiations. Both parties are citing a Grexit as their best alternative to a negotiated agreement. Their respective hands are strengthened as it [...]
Dyke urges Platini to lead World Cup boycott May 31, 2015 FOOTBALL Association chairman Greg Dyke has called on European chief Michel Platini to coordinate a major boycott of the 2018 World Cup in protest at embattled world governing body Fifa. Dyke believes Holland and Germany would be prepared to join England in refusing to play the tournament but insists it would take Uefa president Platini [...]
Nick Clegg and seven other British officials named on Russian black list May 31, 2015 Eight British officials have been named on a Russian list of European politicians and military leaders who have been banned from the country. The list was compiled by the Russian foreign ministry and handed to an EU delegation in Moscow this week. A document, leaked in Germany, lists of 89 Europeans who are banned from the country, [...]
Five things Sepp Blatter just said about Fifa’s crisis after winning presidential election May 30, 2015 Newly re-elected Fifa president Sepp Blatter has given a press conference in Zurich where he answered the many burning questions posed by journalists following the corruption scandal which exploded this week. Here's what he had to say. 1. "I have no $10m" Did Blatter know who it is that is alleged to have given money [...]
Fifa crisis: Massive broadcasting revenues ignored by fans targeting sponsors for reform May 29, 2015 After a number of top Fifa officials were arrested on accusations of bribery and racketeering this week, the already considerable pressure on Fifa's multinational sponsors was cranked up a notch by fans eager for reform. Companies such as Visa, Coca-Cola and McDonald's, who have their names visibly attached to Fifa's competitions, have all felt compelled to [...]