Fifa has admitted that not all of the stadiums for the Brazil World Cup will be ready in time for its original deadline of January. But Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, said he was confident all 12 stadiums would be ready when the tournament kicks off in June following a meeting with the local organizing committee.
The troubled state of Brazil’s 2014 World Cup preparations and Qatar 2022 concerns are expected to be the main talking points at next week’s FIFA Executive Committee meeting in Salvador de Bahia.
A safety engineer at the World Cup stadium where a giant crane collapse killed two workers allegedly warned his supervisor of possible problems with the operation, only to have his concerns brushed aside, a labor union leader charged on Thursday, as sniping over the accident heated up.
Two people died in an accident at Sao Paulo's stadium, which is due to host the opening ceremony of the 2014 World Cup finals, police say. A senior local fire official said crews were called Wednesday midday to the Arena Corinthians after reports of a collapsed crane. It fell on top of a metal structure, destroying part of a facade.
Britain’s Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Maria Miller, has pledged her ‘unreserved’ support Gibraltar’s international sporting ambitions. The backing for Gibraltar comes as the Gibraltar Rugby Football Union (GRFU) goes through the process of FIRA/AER (European Rugby Federation) membership after being previously rejected and blocked by Spain last July despite meeting the necessary criteria.
Airport operators from Singapore, Germany, Switzerland and Brazil on Friday won rights to run airports in Rio and Belo Horizonte, two host cities of the 2014 World Cup. One consortium including engineering firm Odebrecht and Singapore airport operator Changi paid 19 billion Reais (8.24 billion dollars) for a 25-year concession to run Rio's Galeao airport at an auction held at the Sao Paulo stock exchange.
The Miss Bum Bum 2013 winner is 25-year-old Dai Macedo of Brazil. Dai Macedo, who was the representative for the state of Goias in central Brazil, was one of fifteen finalists that participated in the competition in Sao Paolo last week.
For the third time in five years, Miss Venezuela has taken the Miss Universe crown. Gabriela Isler became the 62nd Miss Universe last weekend beating out 85 other hopefuls in the 2013 pageant held at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall in Russia.
Working in conjunction with Sulivan Shipping expedition cruise company Polar Latitudes has announced plans for the First Annual Falkland Islands Music Festival (Falkstock) to be held in March as a celebration of the end of season.
Fears about disruption to next year's World Cup have been raised after the key global football conference Soccerex was cancelled for disputed reasons. Soccerex organizers said Rio de Janeiro's state government had called off next month's event due to concerns about ongoing civil unrest in Brazil.