News Broadcasting
MasterCard files suit against Fifa
MUMBAI: With the football World cup less than two months away, one of Fifa’s global partners, MasterCard International has filed a complaint in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York seeking an injunction against Fifa.
The aim is to prevent Fifa from moving forward with an agreement with arch rival Visa International to sponsor the 2010 and 2014 editions of the World Cup.
It was recently revealed that Fifa had entered into that relationship despite having a contractual agreement giving MasterCard the right of first refusal to continue to be the category-exclusive sponsor of those events.
MasterCard’s complaint states that after a period of negotiation in which Fifa assured MasterCard that it was not going to enter into an agreement with a third party, it proceeded in doing so.
Mastercard alleges that Fifa did this despite the fact that it had already provided MasterCard with a written contract, including all terms, which MasterCard signed and returned to Fifa, which then advised MasterCard that a deal with Visa was completed.
MasterCard International General Counsel Noah Hanft says, “This action by Fifa is a blatant and deceitful violation of our right of first refusal particularly as we had already signed and accepted Fifa’s offer.”
MasterCard states that as part of its 2002-2006 agreement with Fifa, which was signed in 2002, the cerdit card major was granted the right of first refusal to be the official and exclusive payment solutions sponsor of future Fifa World Cup events. Therefore, Fifa was precluded from entering into such an agreement with Visa.
Hanft adds, “Among the key terms we bargained for in the 2002-2006 Fifa World Cup sponsorship negotiation was the right to obtain future FIFA World Cup sponsorship opportunities and a critical aspect of any sponsorship, particularly one as significant as Fifa World Cup, is continuity and the building of equity over time.
“MasterCard will vigorously pursue legal action to compel Fifa to honour the 96-page written and binding agreement it has with MasterCard, providing for us to be an official sponsor of the next two FIFA World Cups.”
MasterCard International chief marketing officer Lawrence Flanagan says, “MasterCard continues to move forward with the important customer and consumer programming related to the 2006 Fifa World Cup in Germany, which begins in June. A significant number of our customer financial institutions, more than 300 of them, are activating business-building programmes worldwide.”
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
