Football fans want independent reforms
PARIS • Football fans around the globe want Fifa president Sepp Blatter to quit and let an independent commission reform world football's scandal-tainted governing body, according to Prince Ali al-Hussein, who could run for president.
The Jordanian prince, a former Fifa vice-president, remains a fierce opponent of Uefa boss Michel Platini's Fifa candidacy. But he is still sounding out football leaders before deciding whether to launch a new bid.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Japan PM sorry for stadium spending
TOKYO • Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has apologised for squandering billions of yen in public funds on plans for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic stadium.
Japan faces a bill for around 6.2 billion yen (S$690 million) after Abe ordered the original plans to be torn up amid mounting public anger over costs. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
City table £47m bid for de Bruyne
LONDON • English Premier League football club Manchester City have made a second bid for Wolfsburg's Kevin de Bruyne worth £47 million (S$100 million) to make the Belgian midfielder the fifth addition of the summer. The offer is an initial £40 million plus around £7 million of add-ons for the 24-year-old.
THE GUARDIAN
Russian basketball teams can play again
MOSCOW • Basketball's international ruling body Fiba has lifted a ban on Russia's national teams taking part in competitions.
Last month it barred Russian national teams from all competitions over a bitter legal dispute between the current head of the Russian Basketball Federation and its former president.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Vijay to miss Test with hamstring pull
COLOMBO • India opener Murali Vijay will miss the first cricket Test against Sri Lanka with a hamstring injury. The 31-year-old suffered the niggle during India's recent limited-overs series in Zimbabwe and did not bat in either innings of India's only warm-up match ahead of the Galle Test starting tomorrow. REUTERS
Ireland's O'Donnell out of rugby world cup
LONDON • Ireland flanker Tommy O'Donnell will miss next month's rugby World Cup after suffering a dislocated hip in last weekend's opening warm-up win against Wales.
The 28-year-old forward was carried off in the second half after impressing during Ireland's 35-21 win away to Wales at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium last Saturday.
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Shots fired at Hertha Berlin team bus
BERLIN • Gun shots were fired at the Hertha Berlin team bus on Sunday , a day before the Bundesliga football side played their German Cup clash at Bielefeld in an incident which overshadowed the first round of matches.
"It's crazy. We consider this as attempted murder," said shocked Hertha team manager Michael Preetz, who revealed that only the driver had been in the bus at the time and had miraculously escaped unscathed.
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