Michel Platini asked to stand for Fifa presidency
Uefa boss Michel Platini has been asked by a majority of world football chiefs to stand for the Fifa presidency.
Platini is said to have had assurances of support from his own confederation, Asia, South America, plus North and Central America and the Caribbean.
It is thought 60-year-old Platini has yet to decide if he will stand.
Fifa president Sepp Blatter said on 2 June he would stand down and on Monday will announce plans for reform of football's world governing body.
Blatter will hold talks with Fifa's executive committee over a date for the new presidential election, with 16 December earmarked by several regional football confederations as their preferred option.
The 79-year-old was elected for a fifth term as president on 29 May but four days later announced his intention to relinquish the post amid two corruption investigations.
Former Fifa presidential candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, who lost to Blatter in the May election, has called for the Swiss to leave immediately.
Source-BBC
Chris Froome's dominance continues at Tour de France
Britain's Chris Froome maintained his grip on the Tour de France yellow jersey as Rafal Majka claimed stage 11.
Team Sky's Froome finished the 188km route from Pau to Cauterets alongside most of his rivals, and leads Tejay van Garderen by two minutes and 52 seconds.
Defending champion Vincenzo Nibali lost 50 seconds as he was dropped in the final stretch, following the arduous climb up the Col du Tourmalet.
Tinkoff-Saxo's Majka finished a minute ahead of Ireland's Dan Martin.
It was Pole Majka's third stage win at the Tour after two victories in 2014 and he looked a sure bet to reach Cauterets first from the moment that he burst off the front of a breakaway group of seven riders during the climb up to the Tourmalet.
"I knew this stage would be hard but I like this weather when it is warm and today I had a positive opportunity," said Majka. "I am so happy and this victory is for my team-mates and Ivan Basso."
There were relatively few problems for 30-year-old Froome on another hot day in the Pyrenees, with the stage lacking the drama of his spectacular attack on the climb to La Pierre-Saint-Martin on Tuesday.
He was always protected by team-mates Geraint Thomas, who remains fifth in the general classification, and Richie Porte and there were no meaningful attacks from his general classification rivals Van Garderen, Nibali, Nairo Quintana and Alberto Contador, as everyone seemed content to let the breakaway contest the stage win.
Froome did lose two seconds to Alejandro Valverde after the Spaniard's late sprint but the Team Sky rider still has an advantage of almost four minutes over the Movistar rider.
The Team Sky leader also remains top of the King of the Mountains classification - and with team-mate Porte still second the Australian will once again wear the polka dot jersey on Thursday.
But Peter Sagan wrestled back the green jersey as the race's leading sprinter after finishing above Andre Greipel in the day's intermediate sprint.
Those were relatively minor considerations on a day that comprised four category three climbs, the category one Col d'Aspin and the hors catergorie Tourmalet.
It was a day of attacks from the moment the Tour left Pau and with more punishing conditions there were six withdrawals, including two from the AG2R-La Mondiale team.
A superb ride from Martin enabled him to cross from the main group to a breakaway of six and they remained together until Majka made his move.
It is unlikely that a breakaway will claim the stage on Thursday, when another tough day in the Pyrenees will end with a 15.8km climb up to Plateau de Beille.
Source-BBC
Rory McIlroy will miss the Open because of an ankle injury
World number one and defending champion Rory McIlroy will miss next week's Open after injuring his left ankle.
The Northern Irishman, 26, revealed on Monday he had ruptured an ankle ligament playing football with friends.
Confirming he would not compete at St Andrews, he posted on Instagram: "I'm taking a long-term view of this injury.
"Although rehab is progressing well, I want to come back to tournament play when I feel 100% healthy and 100% competitive."
The 2015 Open begins on 16 July, and tournament organisers said they were "naturally very disappointed" at McIlroy's withdrawal.
They added: "Rory will play in many more Opens and our primary concern is for his complete recovery."
McIlroy, who has won four majors, could also miss the chance to defend his US PGA Championship title in mid-August.
McIlroy ruptured his left ankle ligament on Saturday during a "soccer kickabout with friends".
On Monday he wrote on Instagram: "Total rupture of left ATFL (ankle ligament) and associated joint capsule damage. Continuing to assess extent of injury and treatment plan day by day. Rehab already started..... Working hard to get back as soon as I can."
At the time, McIlroy had not ruled himself out of the Open and an announcement on his condition had not been expected until the weekend.
Roger Federer sweeps into semi-finals in Wimbledon
Seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer swept aside France's Gilles Simon to set up a mouth-watering semi-final meeting with Andy Murray.
The Swiss second seed continued his impressive progress despite two rain interruptions on Court One.
Federer was broken for the first time in 68 service games at SW19 this year near the end of the second set.
But that was virtually the only blip for the 33-year-old as he won 6-3 7-5 6-2 in one hour and 34 minutes.
Federer's last Wimbledon title came in 2012 when he beat Murray in the final and he will face him again in the last four on Friday after the British number one beat Vasek Pospisil 6-4 7-5 6-4.
"We both like to look back on that summer of 2012," Federer said. "If we knew beforehand that I would win Wimbledon and him the Olympics, I think we both would have taken it. It was a great summer for us.
"I am happy for him, he is doing so well after his back surgery. People forget how hard it is to get back from injury and get back into contention to win tournaments.
"Friday will be a tough one for me but I am obviously looking forward to it."
Federer has had some marathon battles with Simon in the past but this time only the weather looked like holding him up.
On two occasions the players had to come off for 30-minute breaks because of showers, but the delays did not affect Federer's focus.
He also remained unruffled after Simon ended his run of 116 consecutive unbroken service games, which started in the first round of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle last month.
Federer broke back immediately as he went on to take the second set, and took Simon's serve apart in the third to quickly complete his victory.
"The stop and goes with the weather are tough but I think I used them to my advantage," Federer added. "The breaks helped rather than hindered me.
"Simon was a quality return player and the game I got broken he was too good."
New York Stock Exchange suspends trade after glitch
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has suspended trading on all shares for technical reasons, but says there is no cyber attack.
The NYSE said it would provide more details as soon as possible. All open orders would be cancelled, according to Reuters.
The Nasdaq index reported no technical issues and said it continues to trade NYSE-listed stocks.
The Wall Street Journal website is also experiencing technical problems.
"We're currently experiencing a technical issue that we're working to resolve as quickly as possible," a NYSE spokeswoman said in a statement.
"We will be providing further updates as soon as we can, and are doing our utmost to produce a swift resolution, communicate thoroughly and transparently, and ensure a timely and orderly market re-open."
However, in a tweet later the NYSE said the problem was an internal technical issue, not a cyber attack. The White House said that President Barack Obama had been briefed.
US markets were down before the halt in trading, which started just after 11:30am ET, as a fall in Chinese markets added to concerns about its impact on global economic growth.
One trader on the NYSE floor, Mark Otto, of J Streicher & Co, told Reuters: "It's under control. We're just waiting for word. There's no sign of panic at all.
"We're waiting to hear word on if there's going to be a reopening, and when it is or any more details."
Meanwhile, the WSJ.com site and United Airlines reported technical difficulties on Wednesday.
WSJ.com went down completely earlier in the day, but there was a partial recovery at about midday. A message on the website's homepage read: "WSJ.com is having technical difficulties. The full site will return shortly."
United Airlines has also reported that a computer error has forced it to ground its flights in the US for the second time in recent weeks. The carrier blamed a "network connectivity issue" for the latest fault.
Eurozone sets 'final deadline' for new plan
The eurozone has given Greece until Thursday to present new proposals to secure a deal with creditors, and has called a full EU summit for Sunday.
The eurozone had expected Greece to submit fresh plans on Tuesday after its voters rejected a deal in a referendum, but no new proposals were tabled.
The European Parliament in Strasbourg is now debating Greece.
European Council President Donald Tusk told MEPs there were only "four days left" to reach agreement.
Greek PM Alexis Tsipras is also addressing the parliament. He was greeted by boos and cheers as he entered the chamber.
On the referendum, he said the Greek people "stood up and were counted - we have to listen to what they said."
But he said detailed proposals were being drawn up to bring about agreement with Greece's partners on resolving the debt crisis.
On Sunday, a meeting of all 28 members of the EU will be held - a day after the new Greek proposals are expected to be discussed by the eurozone finance ministers.
In Brussels, Greece has been given an ultimatum: either there will be a deal or Greece and its banks face the prospect of going bust on Monday, the BBC's Chris Morris reports.
EU Economy Commissioner Pierre Moscovici told the BBC's Today programme that Europe wanted to stop Greece falling out of the euro.
"The Commission does not want a Grexit. Grexit would be a terrible failure and we are fighting to avoid it."
But, first, he said proposals must come from the Greek side.
"They know what they have to do, they know what we expect".
Speaking at a news conference late on Tuesday, Mr Tusk said a Greek bankruptcy and the collapse of the Greek banking system would affect the whole of Europe, and that anyone who thought otherwise was naive.
He said this was now the "most critical moment in the history of the eurozone".
French President Francois Hollande said: "It's not just the problem of Greece - it's the future of the European Union" that is at stake.
Meanwhile, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said he wanted a "socially just and economically viable agreement".
"The process will be fast. It starts in the coming hours with the aim of concluding it by the end of the week, at the latest," he said.
Source-BBC
Asafa Powell ready to claim World title
Heavy lies the head that wears the crown, they say, but Asafa Powell doesn't seem to mind at all - he wants the crown!
With question marks surrounding sprint king Usain Bolt and an army of Americans led by Justin Gatlin ready to storm the throne at next month's World Championships in Beijing, Powell thinks he's the man to defend Jamaica's seven-year sprinting reign.
It's a challenge that Powell is relishing as he gears up for a 100m showdown against Nesta Carter, Mike Rodgers and Jimmy Vicaut at tomorrow's Meeting Areva Paris Diamond League, ahead of next week's clash with Gatlin and Tyson Gay in Lausanne.
"I think I'm the (country's) best chance heading into Beijing at this point," Powell told STAR Sports in Paris.
"I don't know what's going on with Usain (Bolt) but all the other (Jamaican) athletes would have to do something extraordinary for me to consider them to be going to China to compete for the gold medal."
Criticised in the past for not living up to expectations when it mattered and lacking the assurance and drive of his rivals, Powell is preaching a new sermon these days.
"I have been in the sport for a very long time and a lot of persons have doubted me, but I still remain strong and focused and continue to put in the work."
Only Gatlin has gone faster than Powell this year, with the Jamaican twice dropping 9.84 this season, unbeaten in his eight starts to date. The last time Powell went unbeaten in his first eight races of the season was in 2010.
"People overlook a lot of things, and consistency is one of the main things. Not many athletes have been in the sport for over 10 years and have managed to stay on top," Powell argued.
"The season has been going according to plan. I have been running well in these first few track meets and I think I would have gone faster if the conditions were great in all races," said Powell, whose 9.84 win in Jamaica last week was his fastest time ever at the National Senior Championships.
Source-Star Sports
Contributor -ANDRé LOWE
Brown wins 100m in season-best time in Hungary
World and Olympic sprint champion Veronica Campbell Brown ran a season’s best 10.99 seconds (-1.2m/s) to win the 100m A race at the Istvan Gyulai Memorial in Budapest, Hungary, today.
Campbell Brown, who was third in both sprint finals at the recent JAAA National Senior Championships in Kingston, beat American Tianna Bartoletta in a close finish with the runner-up clocking 11.18 seconds.
Source-Jamaica Observer
St Lucia to table legislation to make CCJ final court
The St Lucia Government says it will soon table legislation that will allow for the island to make the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) its final court, replacing the London-based Privy Council.
Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony said that St Lucia has a provision in its Constitution that is identical to a provision of the Constitution of Dominica, which used that measure to join the CCJ that was inaugurated in 2005.
‘St Lucia has an identical provision but it makes reference to a section in the constitution which we believed was wrong. In other words there is an error in the section.”
Anthony said that St Lucia has a law that allows the Attorney General to refer questions to the Court of Appeal for an advisory opinion in constitutional matters.
“I think we are the only country in the Caribbean with that law and it is a very useful devise. So we approached the Court of Appeal and asked them for a determination as to whether there was, they agreed with the Government there was an error.
“By a 2-1 majority, the Court of Appeal agreed there was an error and …I have read the dissenting judgement and I can’t agree with it not because we are championing the cause but purely on the reasoning contained in that dissenting judgement,” said Anthony, a former law lecturer at the University of the West Indies (UWI).
He said armed with the opinion from the court he has formally written to the British Government “advising…that the Government of St Lucia wishes to delink from the Privy Council in pursuant of the requirements of that section.
“Now what will happen next, I anticipate that when we go to Parliament with the legislation to seek to delink St Lucia from the Privy Council, the opposition or other elements who feel wedded to the Privy Council for all kinds of reasons for which I will not explore…will likely want to take the matter to the court again”.
Prime Minister Anthony said while he has no objection or problem with the move by the opposition, his administration would go ahead and table the legislation.
“Our Constitution requires a 90-day period between laying and the debate and once the constitutional process is completed meaning that the legislation has gained the approval of Parliament for which we must have a two-third majority, then I would expect that the persons who are opposed to the delinking will want to approach the court.
“We don’t have no problem with that, it will be interesting to get the Privy Council to pronounce on the findings of the Court of Appeal whose decision is not binding, it is only persuasive because it is nothing more than an advisory opinion.
“So that’s where we are and I am assume the next few months will be interesting in that regard,” Anthony said.
In March this year, Dominica became the first member of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to join the CCJ in both its Original and Appellate jurisdictions.
Dominica joined Barbados, Belize and Guyana that have signed on to both the Appellate and Original jurisdictions of the CCJ that also functions as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chagauaramas that governs the 15-member regional integration movement.
Most of the other Caribbean countries are signatories to the Original jurisdiction.
Sir Dennis Byron, the second Caribbean national to head the Trinidad-based Caribbean court said he is certain that within a year, not only will Jamaica be added to of the full membership of the court, but also Trinidad and Tobago and the other islands in the sub-regional OECS.
“All the countries have agreed to be on board because when they signed the treaty establishing the court they entered into that arrangement and they went further than that, they have all put money to fund the operation of the court so they are fully on board in that respect.
”What they have not done is abolish appeals to the Privy Council. That is one thing that has not been done and as far as my crystal ball suggests that within the next year or two the countries will be on board,” he said as the court celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
Bill Cosby admitted he gave woman drugs before sex
U.S comedian Bill Cosby admitted he obtained sedatives with the intent of giving them to women he wanted to have sex with, court papers from 2005 show.
The unsealed files, obtained by the Associated Press news agency, show Mr Cosby made the admission in a sex abuse civil case brought by a woman.
That case was settled for an undisclosed sum in 2006.
Mr Cosby, now 77, is facing a series of sexual assault accusations dating back decades. He has denied the claims.
Mr Cosby has never been criminally charged.
The documents came to light after the AP went to court to compel the release of the documents. Mr Cosby's lawyers tried to stop the release of the papers, arguing it would embarrass their client and reveal personal information.
'I gave her Quaaludes. Then we have sex'
In his 2005 testimony, Mr Cosby admitted that he obtained Quaaludes in the 1970s, with the intent of giving it to women he wanted to have sex with.
The case was brought by Andrea Constand, a former employee of Temple University - the Philadelphia college with which Mr Cosby was once closely associated.
The comedian said he had given the sedatives to at least one woman and "other people".
Later in the deposition, he said: "I meet Ms T (another woman whose name was redacted to preserve her anonymity) in Las Vegas. She meets me back stage. I give her Quaaludes. We then have sex."
His lawyers said that at least two of those accusing the comedian had knowingly taken the sedative.
Mr Cosby also admitted to offering money to Ms Constand, and other women who had made allegations, in the form of educational trusts.
Testifying later in the case, Mr Cosby said that he had given Ms Constand one and a half pills of the over-the-counter antihistamine drug Benadryl.
Mr Cosby has yet to comment on his released testimony.
Source-BBC