Foul!

BURDENING consumers with price hikes is not the solution, as Singtel, StarHub and Mediacorp announced an unprecedented partnership to broadcast in Singapore the upcoming World Cup. Collaborating for the first time ever, the three entities had in their joint release today (April 25), said fans will pay the same prices as they did to watch the 2014 edition.  Packages for all 64 matches will be made available on Singtel TV, Singtel TV GO, CAST, StarHub TV, StarHub Go, Mediacorp's Toggle. Singaporeans will pay S$94.16 (RM277.50) for the early bird price which will last till May 22. Those who sign up after that date will have to fork out S$112.35 (RM331.11). Nine matches will be aired on free-to-air television. According to Straits Times , the three companies started discussions last year and paid some S$25 million (RM73 million) to secure the broadcasting rights – a slight increase from 2014. ST quoted Deloitte Singapore and Southeast Asia sports business group leader Ja...

IT’S the trip of a lifetime – to catch some of the best footballers in action at the world’s greatest sporting event. But before you think of joining that irresistible contest or start packing your bags to Russia, ask yourself – are the organisers allowed to give out tickets for the 2018 World Cup? The much anticipated competition featuring the best 32 teams is just 12 weeks away. And the eagerness of wanting to tackle the football excitement could result in a red card for those jumping on the bandwagon. Several companies may have committed a foul in the eyes of Fifa by offering tickets to watch matches in Russia. The World Cup is big business. However, following a massive corruption scandal leading to Fifa president Sepp Blatter being given the boot, the world body has been struggling to lure companies to sponsor the event. In short, every sponsorship dollar matters to Fifa. Who are associated with Fifa? Fifa's sponsors are divided into three - Fifa Partner...

As published in Malay Mail (newspaper) today. Comment by Wong Sai Wan I AM angry and I am sure that I am not alone.   I want justice and, again, I am sure I am not alone.   We cannot allow MH17 to be forgotten or swept away in lieu of political and economic needs. Those responsible — no matter who directly or indirectly — for the murder of the 298 people on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 from Amsterdam on that fateful Thursday must be brought to justice.   The special Parliament meeting on Wednesday to debate and condemn the downing of MH17 must not be about just speeches.   Malaysians expect —  no, demand —  more than just empty talk.   Our leaders must react with the anger that all of us feel.   I suggest Parliament orders the attorney-general to initiate a criminal investigation into this matter and to bring the perpetrators to justice here in Malaysia, if not at the International Court of Justic...

President Barack Obama spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday at the Kremlin’s request, a conversation in which they briefly  discussed  reports that a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane carrying nearly 300 people had been reportedly shot down near the Ukrainian border.  “ President Putin near the end of the call with Obama noted the early reports of a downed passenger jet near the Russia-Ukraine border,” a White House pool report said, reading out comments from  White House press secretary Josh Earnest aboard Air Force One.  The Kremlin also provided a readout on its website: “ The Russian leader informed the U.S. president of the report from air traffic controllers that the Malaysian plane had crashed on Ukrainian territory, which had arrived immediately before the phone call.” There were no survivors of the crash. An adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Minister has said  23 U.S. citizens were among those on board who were kil...

AN  international Olympic university? Doesn’t that sound wonderful? On paper it may seem so. Russian President Vladimir Putin had on Monday declared open the Russian International Olympic University in Sochi, while admitting there are "ongoing glitches" in the build-up to next year's Winter Olympics. The varsity runs special training courses for Russian regional sports leaders and aims to educate the nation’s former athletes. Talk of us establishing a similar varsity for athletes cropped up not too long ago — just like the recent 'dream' of Malaysia organising the Olympic Games despite having yet to host the Asian Games and taking more than a decade to close the 1998 Commonwealth Games accounts. Former KL mayor Tan Sri Elyas Omar had in the past drawn up a plan for the nation's first university for athletes but it was shelved. Now, apparently, there is talk of a prominent figure planning to revisit Elyas' blueprint in a bid to set up a...