Brazil show Team GB the gold standard - Football
Published: 20 Jul 2012 - 22:17:03
Brazil showed Team GB the standard required to win gold at the Olympics as the tournament favourites warmed up for the London Games with a 2-0 win at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium on Friday.
First-half goals from Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Sandro and Santos forward Neymar earned the South Americans a deserved friendly success and suggested that manager Stuart Pearce has a considerable amount of work to do ahead of Great Britain's first Olympic fixture against Senegal at Old Trafford on Thursday.
Brazil's swaggering display confirmed their status as leading contenders for Olympic gold, the only major honour to have so far eluded the five-time World Cup winners and eight-time Copa America champions.
It was a chastening experience for Pearce and his players in a fixture that was supposed to showcase their qualities ahead of Great Britain's first appearance in the Olympic football event since 1960 in Rome.
The creation of the British team has not been without controversy as the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish Football Associations had all been vehemently opposed to the move and effectively tried to block their nations' players from taking part.
There was Welsh representation in the form of Neil Taylor, Joe Allen, Ryan Giggs and Craig Bellamy, supplementing the core of a side that was largely made up of English players who had played under Pearce in the Under-21s.
There was no David Beckham though, with the former England skipper having been overlooked as Pearce selected Giggs, Bellamy and Micah Richards as his three over-age players.
Team GB play their opening Olympic fixture against Senegal in six days' time, and their only warm-up game pitted them against the strongest possible opposition.
Only one member of Brazil's 18-strong squad is not a senior international, and the quality at the disposal of head coach Mano Menezes was apparent from the outset at the Riverside.
Brazil should have claimed the lead as early as the sixth minute, but while long-time Chelsea target Neymar outpaced James Tomkins to reach Leandro Damiao's flick-on, he blazed a wild shot over the crossbar.
The visitors did not have to wait long to claim the lead though.
Six minutes later, Neymar floated over a bouncing free-kick from the edge of the penalty area and Sandro peeled off at the back post to head home from an acute angle.
Richards saw a 15th-minute header cleared off the line by Paris Saint-Germain new boy Thiago Silva, but that was to prove a rare positive moment for Team GB amid a barrage of Brazilian attacking.
Brazil went close again when Leandro Damiao headed Rafael Da Silva's right-wing cross over the crossbar, but the South Americans deservedly doubled their lead 10 minutes before half-time.
Richards fouled Hulk as he twisted beyond the British back four, and Neymar calmly drilled a powerful penalty beyond Jason Steele's right hand.
Steele was replaced by Jack Butland at the interval, and the Birmingham City goalkeeper produced smart saves to deny both Oscar and Leandro Damiao in the opening 10 minutes of the second half.
Bellamy drew an excellent point-blank save from Brazil goalkeeper Rafael Barbosa, although the Liverpool striker had already been flagged offside, and the hosts at least enjoyed a greater share of possession in the latter stages.
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FIFA rubber-stamp Ness deal - Football
Published: 20 Jul 2012 - 19:17:07
Jamie Ness has been been given the go-ahead by FIFA to start his career with Stoke.
International clearance for the transfers of Ness, Steve Davis, Kyle Lafferty, Steven Whittaker and Steven Naismith from Rangers was put on hold after Rangers newco disputed the players' status.
A number of Ibrox players, following advice from their union, PFA Scotland, rejected the chance to transfer their contracts from Rangers to Charles Green's Sevco consortium.
Green rejects the claim that the players are free agents and the former Sheffield United chief executive sent letters to clubs across the UK warning them that the players who objected to the switch to Sevco were in breach of contract.
However, 21-year-old midfielder Ness joined Stoke, Naismith moved to Everton and Whittaker signed for Norwich. Northern Irish duo Davis and Lafferty are at Southampton and Swiss side Sion respectively.
The association to which the players are affiliated can request temporary registration from FIFA to allow the player to play during the period of arbitration - which happened with Ness who has been given the green light.
PFA Scotland solicitor, Margaret Gribbon, of Bridge Litigation, told Press Association Sport: "I can confirm that Jamie Ness has been granted provisional clearance from FIFA.
"I am delighted about that and expect all other applications pending before FIFA to take the same course."
The Scottish Football Association procedurally cannot complete the international transfer clearance as it has to be signed by all parties.
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Original Sugababes regroup as Mutya Keisha Siobhan - BBC News
The original line-up of girl band Sugababes have regrouped and launched under a new name called Mutya Keisha Siobhan.
A spokesperson for the trio confirmed they have signed a recording deal with Polydor and that they are writing songs for an album.
Formed in 1998 the original line-up released singles like Overload, New Year and Soul Sound.
The final original member to leave Sugababes was Keisha Buchanan in 2009.
Line-up changes
The current line-up of the Sugababes is Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen.
The announcement comes after months of rumours that a possible reunion could be on the cards.
Sugababes formed in 1998 and released their debut album in 2000
They have reportedly collaborated on songs with Emeli Sande and producer Naughty Boy.
In their first interview as their new outfit Keisha Buchanan told website Popjustice that she couldn't talk about the use of the Sugababes name.
"Basically, I can't say too much about it," she said. "Legally I've been told I can't speak about it."
Siobhan Donaghy was the first member of the first line-up to leave the band in 2001.
She was replaced by ex-Atomic Kitten singer Heidi Range.
Mutya Buena followed her in December 2005 saying she was leaving the band for "personal reasons" before starting a family.
Both Siobhan and Mutya subsequently went on to release solo material.
Keisha Buchanan left Sugababes in 2009.
In 2011 she told Newsbeat that she still "can't talk" about the reasons for her split from the band which left them with no original members.
"Legally I can't go into too much detail," she said. "I've got no hard feelings towards anyone and I understand that life has to go on."
High maintenance Rice keeps expectations low - Reuters UK
MANCHESTER, England |
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Constant shoulder pain has led Stephanie Rice to play down her chances of a repeat of her swimming gold medal haul of four years ago when she takes to the pool at the London Olympics.
The 24-year-old Australian won three golds in Beijing, two individual and one relay, but has since been dogged by an injury that has needed surgery and which requires a long list of daily treatments.
Despite tearing apart the opposition in Australia's national swimming trials earlier this year to qualify for her second Games, Rice refuses to install herself as a favourite in the 200 and 400 Metres individual medleys.
"You guys (media) look at it like I'm the reigning champion but I look at it like I'm not number one so for me I take a lot of pressure off in the fact that I'm not going in as the fastest ranked swimmer," she told reporters on Friday.
Rice has said American world champion Elizabeth Beisel is the woman to beat in the 400 IM and is happy merely appearing at another Olympics after her injury setbacks.
"I don't have to do anything I haven't already done," she said at the Manchester Aquatics Centre where her team are training ahead of the July 27-August 12 Games.
"Even if I just make a final and that was it I'd be so proud of how I've dealt with getting to this point. If there's no gold medals it doesn't matter because it has been such a character-building experience and I'll take that through life and in business as well."
HIGH MAINTENANCE
Her troublesome shoulder requires icing after every training session, while she also has daily doses of physio and massage and must do stretches and take anti-inflammatories.
"I can't wait to not have to be so high maintenance with it, to be able to do a swim session and leave would be just awesome," she said.
"I thought the surgery I had in December would have settled down a lot of the pain and irritation I was getting but that's been pretty constant. It's been really frustrating not having as much freedom as I would've had in a normal training situation."
Rice said she took confidence from the fact she had already achieved at the highest level and also from the mental strength she has needed in dealing with her injury.
"I've definitely put 100 percent into it but whether it will be enough to get me what I achieved in Beijing I'm not sure," she said.
"What I've achieved in swimming, I'm already so grateful. If I can add to that I'd be really stoked but if I don't, oh well.
"At least I can walk away saying I couldn't have done anything more and that's all I wanted to do walking away from these Games."
Even if she does not get a medal, she will be going home with one cherished item after U.S. basketball player Kobe Bryant gave her a pair of his signed boots in exchange for an autographed swimming cap for his daughters.
"I'm pretty happy with the tradeoff," she smiled, describing how Bryant had thrilled Australian swimmers by dropping into their training session on Thursday before his team played a warm-up match in Manchester.
(Editing by Mark Meadows; mark.meadows@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging:; mark.meadows.reuters.com@reuters.net; +44 20 7542 7933; For all the latest; Olympic news go to here)
ING mutual fund vote marks first win for rights activists - Reuters
* Sudan-related shareholder measure gets 59 pct support
* ING took no position on the resolution
* Unusual circumstances show challenges for activists
By Ross Kerber
BOSTON, July 20 (Reuters) - A shareholder group scored its first voting victory after five years of urging mutual funds to sell stocks tied to Sudan, but the win underscores the challenges human rights activists often face.
On June 28 investors in ING Emerging Countries Fund voted 59 percent in favor of a nonbinding resolution barring the Sudan-related holdings and only 11 percent opposed. The vote came after the ING fund's board took no position on the resolution; fund managers usually oppose such resolutions.
ING's neutrality was key for the measure to get a majority, said Eric Cohen, chair of resolution sponsor Investors Against Genocide.
The nonprofit group aims to pressure oil companies doing business with the government of Sudan, widely accused of rights abuses. The activist group has backed similar efforts at more than 80 other funds run by companies such as Fidelity Investments and Vanguard Group, but had never received above 31 percent support.
"We're very excited and feel the results of this vote really validates what we've been saying all along," Cohen said. "The shareholders really want this, that's why the funds ought to be paying attention."
The fund is run by ING Investments, part of Dutch-based ING Groep N.V..
ING executives declined to be interviewed on questions like whether they plan to sell the Sudan-related shares. A spokeswoman, Annette Bronkesh, conveyed a statement from ING's fund board that it has asked managers for "additional information on these matters for consideration at future board meetings."
INDIRECT ROLE
The events at ING show how fund investors still play only an indirect role in how their money is managed. Unlike public companies with annual meetings, most mutual funds hold shareholder meetings only occasionally, such as for bylaw changes.
In the ING case, the $71.6 million Emerging Countries Fund held its June special meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona, seeking approval of a plan to merge the fund into the $55.5 million ING Emerging Markets Equity Fund. ING's Bronkesh said the fund merger proposal won 94 percent of shares voted and was scheduled to be completed at the close of business on July 20.
Cohen said his group had filed the measure at ING Emerging Countries Fund four years ago in hopes the fund would hold a meeting someday.
The activist group still has proposals pending at about 120 other mutual funds, though it withdrew proposals at managers T. Rowe Price Group and TIAA-CREF as they sold energy stocks in question. These include PetroChina Co Ltd and China Petroleum and Chemical Corp, known as Sinopec .
The activists aim to pressure the oil companies they blame for helping the Sudanese government in Khartoum finance military actions that led to human rights abuses in places like the country's western Darfur region and in South Sudan.
South Sudan gained independence last July after more than two decades of war between the mostly Christian south and Arab north, but tensions remain high after clashes in contested borderlands and disputes over oil payments.
As of January the activists counted $2.7 million worth of holdings among the two ING funds in PetroChina, Sinopec and a third firm, Oil and Natural Gas Corp. ING, in postings on its website on its holdings as of March 30, showed both funds holding stakes only in PetroChina.
ING initially sought permission from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to leave the shareholder question off of the ballot for the special meeting, but the SEC turned down the request. In a May 10 regulatory filing, the ING fund board said it had decided to stay neutral on the measure.
The letter gave several reasons: the fund would no longer exist after the merger, and it is already prohibited from violating sanctions on Sudan. Those laws do not, however, prohibit investments in the foreign oil companies.
Cohen said his activist group plans to reach out to ING again, to press it to follow shareholder wishes.
"Once the board of the newly merged funds meet, we hope that board members will decide to respond to the clear wishes of the fund shareholders and announce a policy to avoid investments with ties to genocide," Cohen said via e-mail.
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