The suspended President of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, has revealed that it had been agreed that Russia would host the next World Cup, even before the vote was taken. In an interview with the Russian news agency, TASS, Mr. Blatter also said that the 2022 tournament was to go to the United States. But after an intervention by France, Qatar won the vote. Our correspondent, Arliss said the claims cast doubt on FIFA's voting process. There were 2 World Cups chosen at the same time, 2018 and 2022. That was hugely controversial, with the allegations of corruption around this whole process. For months now, envious countries that lost out, including England and the USA, has said something might have happened that corruption may have played a part in this whole process. So what we've heard today from Sumount Blatter would just add weight to those claims, and weight to those calls from some quarters that there should be a re-run of this contest.
Rosetta's spacecraft stunned scientists by indicating the current theories of how the planets, comets and asteroids formed are wrong. Rosetta is tracking the 67P comet and has discovered surprisingly large amounts of oxygen in the gas surrounding it. According to planet formation theories, a violent process should have heated up the frozen oxygen to combine it with other elements long ago.
Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have nominated the conservative Paul Ryan from among their ranks to become the new speaker of the House. A formal vote will take place on Thursday. Mr. Ryan will replace John Boehner, who's stepping down from the most powerful job in Congress. Speaking to reporters in Washington, Mr. Ryan said he would work in the best interest of the American people. We believe that the country is on the wrong track. We think the country is heading in the wrong direction. And we have an obligation, here, in the people's House, to do the people's business, to give this country a better way forward, to give this country an alternative. We are going to respect the people by representing the people.
The 14 Republicans vowing to win their party's nomination for the U.S. presidency are taking part in the third nationally-televised debate. Our correspondent, Nick Brain, is at the venue in Colorado. The backdrop for this debate is that national poll, which came out this week, which suggested, for the first time, that Ben Carson, the retired neurosurgeon, has moved to the top of the Republican field, dislodging Donald Trump. He's been there for months, of course. So we should be expecting Trump to go on the offensive tonight. That seems odd; of course, he thinks he can insult his way seemingly all the way to the White House. And you'll expect that he'll be trying to lay some heavy punches on Ben Carson tonight. We are expecting a rumble in the Rockies. BBC News.
The Greek Coast Guard has rescued more than 240 migrants, after the wooden boat sank in the Aegean Sea. At least 3 people drowned. One report said 2 of the dead were small boys. A search is continuing off the Greek island of Lesbos because it's unclear how many migrants were on board the vessel. Lesbos has been a principle gateway for thousands of migrants entering the European Union.
10 Eritrean footballers, who refused to go home after a World Cup qualifier in Botswana, have been granted political asylum there. Here's Mike Thunders. These are the latest in a long line of Eritrean athletes to seek asylum. The 10 players were found looking for a Red Cross office in Botswana's second city, Francistown, after a 3-1 defeat there earlier this month. They refused to rejoin their 14 teammates. Despite pleas from Eritrea's Ambassador to Botswana, a court blocked the Botswana government's moves to deport them, and their lawyer says the country's Justice Minister has now granted them a asylum.
Police in Australia have arrested a man for the murder of a woman, who was found in a forest in New South Wales 5 years ago. Officers made a breakthrough in the case, after the body of the woman's daughter was found and discovered in a suitcase more than 1,000 miles away. Scientists created a DNA profile from the child's bones, and were able to link to the 2 cases. The last confirmed sighting of the pair was in 2008, when Karlie Pearce-Stevenson was 20, and her daughter Khandalyce was 2 years old.
A huge military surveillance balloon that broke its mooring in the U.S. state of Maryland has descended in rural Pennsylvania, after sparking an air traffic alert. A 2,000-metre-long cable trailing from the bloom caused a power blackout, affecting thousands of consumers. 2 F-16 fighter jets had tracked the balloon, which carries powerful radar equipment that monitors potential airborne threats to Washington, including from cruise missiles. BBC News.