With a little more than a year to go before the start of the World Cup, the Brazilian federal government has estimated that a little more than R$7B ($3.6B) will be spent on the 12 World Cup stadiums. In '07, the costs had been estimated at R$3B ($1.5B). In other words, "they have more than doubled" (LANCE NET, 3/5). ... In Brazil, 4G technology "will not be completely implemented" in the Confederations Cup and World Cup host cities by the time the events come around (UOL, 3/5). ... The Jebel Ali Racecourse in the UAE will stage its final race meeting of the '12-13 season this weekend with the feature race being the Listed Jebel Ali Sprint. The Dh500,000 ($136,000) contest, which was first run in '94, will be sponsored by long-time Jebel Ali supporter Shadwell (GULF NEWS, 3/5). ... Organizers said that "an annual ski race in the Hindu Kush offers Afghanistan the glimpse of a better future." Under the beady eye of Afghan police armed with machine guns, a reminder of the country’s war, local and Western skiers "compete in a grueling test of physical fitness" in the mountains 180km west of Kabul (AFP, 3/5).
