Fifa crisis: Is it possible to defend Infantino’s World Cup sell-off plan? Sport Business Crafting a defence of Infantino isn’t easy, but it is possible to assemble both a behavioural excuse and a commercial justification for the Fifa president’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup. One newspaper evocatively likened Gianni Infantino to Icarus at the weekend after his proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup melted [...]
Luis Figo: ‘Deceitful and cravenly self-interested’ Infantino must quit Fifa now Sport Business Fifa president Gianni Infantino has come under fire from another high-profile figure after Portugal great Luis Figo joined calls for him to quit without further delay. Infantino is clinging to his job despite senior Fifa figures condemning his plan to sell stakes in a new commercial vehicle that would manage the World Cup to private [...]
As it happened: Stocks rise as oil fluctuates after Red Sea attack; US-Iran deal ‘being circulated’ FTSE 100 Live Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Oil prices have snapped a losing streak following Yemen’s Houthis said they had attacked a Saudi vessel in the Red Sea. Brent crude drew back above the $80 per barrel mark on Wednesday morning on the news, but prices were still down for the week by around 10 [...]
David Brent was supposed to be a satire, now he looks like a model for political leaders August 5, 2026 Attention-seeking, self-absorbed and desperate to be liked, David Brent was meant to embody everything a leader should not be – but today’s media landscape rewards the very qualities Ricky Gervais satirised, says Tim Focas A Tiktok clip has gone viral for comparing Andy Burnham to David Brent. His cheesy mannerisms, dad dancing and guitar playing [...]
Wenger rubbishes Infantino sell-off plan as senior Fifa figures desert president August 4, 2026 Fifa development chief Arsene Wenger has denied any involvement in the doomed sell-off plan that has left president Gianni Infantino fighting to save his job. Wenger said he only heard about the proposal – to raise $4bn from selling stakes in a new commercial vehicle that would manage the World Cup to private investors including [...]
As it happened: Oil prices tumble as Bessent says US-Iran deal imminent; miner stocks rally August 4, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire FTSE 100 liveblog. The price of oil tumbled on Tuesday afternoon after a senior Trump ally said that a deal over control of the Strait of Hormuz could be agreed with Iran in the coming days. The price of Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – tumbled [...]
Donald Trump is creeping towards a shrewd sanctions policy August 4, 2026 President Trump is shifting toward a more solidly pro-Ukraine position which, while welcome, will require careful calibration to mitigate potential global trade disruptions and address corporate enablers of the Russian war effort, says Derek Grossman President Trump’s warm welcome on Tuesday to Volodymyr Zelensky, his Ukrainian counterpart, shows that he is moving, fitfully, toward a [...]
Trump regime distances itself from Infantino as under-fire Fifa boss faces calls to quit August 3, 2026 The Trump administration has denied answering the call of Gianni Infantino as the under-fire Fifa boss scrambles to save his job. Infantino is facing a possible vote of no confidence from Fifa members following last week’s fierce backlash to his plan to sell stakes in a new subsidiary that would hold the commercial rights to [...]
As it happened: UK stocks cool after Astrazeneca drags; Trump and Iran clash over peace talks August 3, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. The London stock market is starting the new week relatively mixed after Donald Trump hinted a deal between US and Iran on the Strait of Hormuz is near, but was contradicted by communication from Tehran. The US President has said that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Iran [...]
Trump suspends strikes amid new peace hopes August 2, 2026 President Trump has said the “perimeters of a deal” have been agreed with Iran, prompting him to call off strikes in the Middle East. The US president said that Iran and Gulf region countries had “asked” the US to suspend strikes due to the workings of a new peace deal. In a Truth Social post, [...]