Police in Rio de Janeiro have declared Ray Whelan, the English director of FIFA’s ticket and hospitality partners MATCH, to be “a fugitive” after they attempted to re-arrest him as part of an investigation into ticket touting.

ARRANGEMENTS are being made to fast-track social welfare payments for staff of Cork Opera House, who will be temporarily laid off next month.

PRACTICE MATCH, one of three horses Eric McNamara trains for J P McManus, toyed with the opposition on the way to winning the Coffey Construction Beginners Chase at Limerick yesterday.