Lopez linked to helping Man City on fair play
Reports based on new Football Leaks revelations suggest that Luxembourg businessman Gérard Lopez’s Mangrove Capital Partners helped English Premier League champions Manchester City get around Uefa’s fair play rules. According to the evidence, Mangrove subsidiary MPI II Sarl was specifically created to manage a third party ownership fund, which was secretly managed by Manchester City that allowed the club to invest in South American players under the radar. Third party ownership has been prohibited by Uefa since 2015. More in today’s noon briefing, but meanwhile here is a translation of an article via Reddit Soccer.
US-China trade deal close
Reports indicate that the United States and China are close to signing a trade deal. Bloomberg says that the deal now hinges on China honouring pledges on protecting intellectual-property rights and buying US products. The Wall Street Journal reports that China is offering to lower tariffs on a range of U.S. goods. Meanwhile, CNBC has published details of a Goldman Sachs report to be released on Monday that envisages what the deal could involve from a practical point of view. But CNBC also has a warning that the road towards a final trade deal is still very precarious.
Estonian election upset
Estonia could have its first female prime minister following Sunday’s parliamentary elections, says Reuters. Former MEP Kaja Kallas is in pole position to lead a new government, though forming a coalition will be tricky. Her centre-right Reform party surprisingly won 28.8% of the vote, while the incumbent Centre party polled at 23.1%. The far-right EKRE won 17.8%, more than doubling its vote. The Guardian says that the social-democratic Ratas and conservative Isamaa parties could theoretically team up with Reform to form a majority in parliament.
Meng Wanzhou to sue over arrest
Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou is suing the Canadian government, its border agency and federal police, CNBC says. Meng faces extradition to the United States--a date for her hearing is due to be set on Wednesday. The BBC says the suit claims she was searched and questioned under false pretences before being arrested.
Tesla to unveil Model Y on 14 March
Elon Musk says his electric car company will unveil its latest model, an SUV, on 14 March, Reuters reports. The car will cost around 10% more than the Model 3, Musk said in a tweet.
Space X capsule arrives at ISS
There was more good news for Musk on Sunday as the Space X Dragon capsule, carrying a dummy, docked at the International Space Station after launching on Saturday. The Guardian reports that if the 6-day demonstration is successful, Space X could launch two astronauts as part of Nasa’s commercial crew programme later this year.
Alabama tornado fatalities
A flurry of tornadoes has wreaked devastation across Alabama and other south-eastern states, the BBC and The Guardian report. 14 people are confirmed dead and more are missing after one tornado tore through Lee County, north-west of Montgomery. Parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina were also affected.
Jungels triumphs in Belgium
Luxembourg’s Bob Jungels won arguably the most unexpected win of his career on Sunday when he broke clear of a pack of four riders 17km from the finish of the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne race and held on for victory. The 26-year old Deceuninck-Quick-Step rider said, “winning races like this is the hardest way to do it.” Fully story in today’s noon briefing.
Women catch men
Meanwhile, also in Belgium, The Guardian reports that the women’s race at the annual Omloop Het Nieuwsblad event had to be stopped when Swiss rider Nicole Hanselmann almost caught up with the men cyclists, whose race had set off 10 minutes prior. The incident disrupted Hanselmann’s rhythm and she eventually finished 74th. “Maybe the other women and me were too fast or the men too slow,” she posted on Instagram afterwards.
Today's breakfast briefing was written by Duncan Roberts