Italy has blocked the sale of two luxury yachts to impoverished North Korea because it suspects they were destined for reclusive leader Kim Jong-Il, the Financial Times said Thursday.
A contract for the sale of the two yachts, worth 12.5 million euros (10.8 million pounds, 17.8 million dollars) was terminated this month after a probe by the Italian government and anti-fraud police.
The two boats were confiscated by the ministry of economic development amid concerns that allowing the sale would breach international sanctions against Pyongyang. “Seeing the type of goods that were involved and the condition that the country (North Korea) is in, we were very suspicious that the yachts were for the leader (Kim), though we have no evidence of this,” the ministry said.
A deposit was paid for work on the boats, although it was unclear by whom. The boats have since been returned to Azimut-Benetti, one of Italy’s leading luxury yacht makers.
Kim has been portrayed by visitors and North Korean defectors as a leader who enjoys fine dining, cognac and other luxuries. The communist state however suffers food shortages, and relies on overseas aid to feed millions of its people.
Thursday 23 July 2009
Thursday 16 July 2009
Soccer-Italian Super Cup to feather Olympic Bird’s Nest
The Italian Super Cup between Inter Milan and Lazio is set to attract a full house of 80,000 to the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing next month after a flurry of early ticket sales.
Over half the seats for the first sporting event at the iconic arena since the close of Beijing’s Olympic summer last year have already been booked less than a week after they went on sale, the Beijing Youth Daily reported on Wednesday.
“There’s no question the Bird’s Nest will be full,” an organising official told the paper, adding that predicted revenue from the game would be around 70 million yuan ($10.25 million).
The pre-season curtain raiser between Serie A champions Inter and Italian Cup winners Lazio will kick off at 8 p.m. local time on Aug. 8 — a year after the Olympic opening ceremony at the same venue.
The other major event in the Beijing International Football Festival, the English Premier League’s Asia Trophy, has not done as well at the box office so far, the organiser said.
A total of 20,000 tickets had been sold for the biennial tournament involving English clubs Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Hull City as well as hosts Beijing Guoan.
The tournament takes place on July 29 and 31 at the spiritual home of Chinese football in the capital, the Workers’ Stadium, which will have a capacity of 49,000 for the event.
Over half the seats for the first sporting event at the iconic arena since the close of Beijing’s Olympic summer last year have already been booked less than a week after they went on sale, the Beijing Youth Daily reported on Wednesday.
“There’s no question the Bird’s Nest will be full,” an organising official told the paper, adding that predicted revenue from the game would be around 70 million yuan ($10.25 million).
The pre-season curtain raiser between Serie A champions Inter and Italian Cup winners Lazio will kick off at 8 p.m. local time on Aug. 8 — a year after the Olympic opening ceremony at the same venue.
The other major event in the Beijing International Football Festival, the English Premier League’s Asia Trophy, has not done as well at the box office so far, the organiser said.
A total of 20,000 tickets had been sold for the biennial tournament involving English clubs Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Hull City as well as hosts Beijing Guoan.
The tournament takes place on July 29 and 31 at the spiritual home of Chinese football in the capital, the Workers’ Stadium, which will have a capacity of 49,000 for the event.
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