Reuters Sports Schedule at 1400 GMT on Thursday, Oct 8

Reuters sports schedule at 1400 GMT on Thursday: - - - - FIFA Ethics body suspends Blatter, Platini from world soccer ZURICH - World soccer chief Sepp Blatter and European boss Michel Platini were both suspended on Thursday in an ever-deepening corruption scandal, decapitating the leadership of the sport as it faces criminal investigations on both sides of the Atlantic. (SOCCER-FIFA/BLATTER, moved with updates to follow, by Simon Evans and Joshua Franklin, 845 words) Cameroon's Hayatou to take over as acting FIFA president ZURICH - Issa Hayatou of Cameroon will take over as acting FIFA President after Sepp Blatter was provisionally suspended for 90 days on Thursday by an ethics committee, soccer's governing body confirmed in a statement. (SOCCER-FIFA/HAYATOU , moved, 62 words) Leadership vote thrown wide open ZURICH - The vote for FIFA's next president has been thrown wide-open by the 90 day suspension of frontrunner UEFA president Michel Platini with a number of potential candidates waiting in the wings. (FIFA-ELECTIONS/ by Brian Homewood, expect by 1430 GMT/10:30 AM ET, 500 words) - - - - RUGBY WORLD CUP (to 31) PREVIEWS Wales v Australia Wales out to end Wallabies streak in Pool A showdown LONDON - Wales will need to beat Australia for the first time in 11 meetings on Saturday at Twickenham if they are to clinch top spot in Pool A and a path to the easier side of the draw in the knockout stage of the Rugby World Cup. (RUGBY UNION-WORLD/AUSTRALIA-WALES (PREVIEW), expect by 2000 GMT/4 PM ET, 400 words) - - Samoa v Scotland Scotland bid to seal quarter-final place LONDON - The Scotland players are promed for the biggest match of their careers when they bid to beat Samoa on Saturday to secure their place in the quarter-finals. (RUGBY UNION-WORLD/SAMOA-SCOTLAND (PREVIEW), expect by 1430 GMT/10:30 AM ET, by Ed Osmond, 400 words) - - England v Uruguay Eliminated England seek consolation victory LONDON - England will unleash a new-look team on Uruguay in their final Pool A match in Manchester on Saturday but even the biggest of victories will feel hollow for the hosts who are already unable to reach the quarter-finals. (RUGBY UNION-WORLD/ENGLAND-URUGUAY (PREVIEW) expect by 1900 GMT/3PM ET, by Mitch Phillips, 400 words) - - TEAM NEWS Wallabies forced into back row rejig for Wales LONDON - Australia coach Michael Cheika will be forced to rejig his back row when he names the Wallabies side for Saturday's Pool A showdown with Wales after flanker Michael Hooper was banned for a week for a shoulder barge. (RUGBY UNION-WORLD/AUSTRALIA-TEAM, expect by 0730 GMT/3:30 AM ET, 400 words) - - LONDON - The coaches of all 12 teams gather at the Twickenham Stoop to launch the new English Premiership season but dominant topic of conversation will be events across the road and the future of England coach Stuart Lancaster (RUGBY UNION-WORLD/ENGLAND-PREMIERSHIP, expect by 1300 GMT/9 AM ET, by Mitch Phillips, 400 words). We will also monitor news from across the tournament and file stories throughout. (RUGBY UNION-WORLD/) - - - - SOCCER Euro 2016 (1845 unless stated) Group D Georgia v Gibraltar (1600) Ireland v Germany Scotland v Poland - - Group F Hungary v Faroe Islands Northern Ireland v Greece Romania v Finland - - Group I Albania v Serbia Portugal v Denmark Euro qualifiers reach crunch stage with places up for grabs LONDON - The latest round of Euro 2016 qualifiers gets underway with 32 teams still in contention for 19 remaining places for the right to join Austria, Czech Republic, England, Iceland and hosts France at next year's finals. We will have a wrap plus individual reports on all the key games. (SOCCER-EURO/COUNTRY, expect from 2045 GMT/4:45 OPM ET, 400 words) - - Spain coach Del Bosque, players preview Luxembourg qualifier LOGRONO, Spain - Spain coach Vicente del Bosque and players hold news conferences previewing Friday's Euro 2016 qualifier against Group C rivals Luxembourg, when the holders can make sure of their place at the tournament in France. (SOCCER-EURO/SPAIN (PIX, TV) expect by 1900 GMT/3 PM ET, 400 words) - - We will also have all the latest team news ahead of the next six days of qualifying matches starting on Thursday which will decide 19 finalists plus the eight playoff teams.(SOCCER-EURO/) - - 2018 World Cup/2019 Asian Cup qualifying The three Asian heavyweights in the East -- Japan, South Korea and Australia -- head west for tricky away ties against Syria, Kuwait and Jordan as World Cup qualifying continues in the continent. (SOCCER-WORLD/ASIA, expect by 1600 GMT/12 PM ET, by Patrick Johnston, 500 words) - - - - MOTOR RACING Russian Formula One Grand Prix Drivers prepare for Sochi weekend SOCHI, Russia - Formula One drivers meet the media ahead of a Russian Grand Prix that could seal Mercedes' second successive constructors' title. Nico Rosberg is in the regular FIA news conference with Russian driver Daniil Kvyat and others. (MOTOR RACING-PRIX/, pix, expect througout, by Alan Baldwin, 500 words) We will also have stories from around the paddock. - - - - GOLF European Tour: British Masters (to 11), Woburn, England Poulter the host as Masters returns after seven-year absence WOBURN, England - Tournament host Ian Poulter, former world number ones Lee Westwood and Luke Donald and triple major winner Padraig Harrington are the leading attractions as the British Masters returns to the tour after a seven-year absence. (GOLF-EUROPEAN/, expect by 1400 GMT/10 AM ET, by Tony Jimenez, 500 words) - - Presidents Cup (to 11), Incheon, South Korea U.S. take early advantage at Presidents Cup INCHEON, South Korea - Jack Nicklaus predicted superior putting would be the key at this year's Presidents Cup and so it proved on Thursday as the United States' prowess on the greens helped them to a 4-1 lead over the Internationals after the opening day's foursomes. (GOLF-PRESIDENTS/ (PIX), moved, by Peter Rutherford, 400 words) - - - - CRICKET India v South Africa, third Twenty20 international South Africa on course for clean sweep KOLKATA - South Africa can complete a 3-0 sweep of the Twenty20 series against hosts India with a win in the third and final match at the Eden Gardens. (CRICKET-INDIA/, expect by 1700 GMT/1 PM ET, 300 words) - - - - SWIMMING Jet-setting Franklin returns to her roots to prepare for Rio SINGAPORE - Missy Franklin became the new darling of American swimming when she won three gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics as a teenager. Now 20, and taking a year off from her university studies, she has returned to her home town, but has also been around the world, as part of her intricate preparations for Rio. (SWIMMING-FRANKLIN/ (INTERVIEW), moved, by Julian Linden, 600 words) - - - - TENNIS New league will help find India's singles talent - Amritraj MUMBAI - The franchise-based Champions Tennis League, which will begin its second season next month, will help end India's search for quality singles players, its promoter and former Davis Cupper Vijay Amritraj said. (TENNIS-INDIA/AMRITRAJ (INTERVIEW), moved, by Sudipto Ganguly, 500 words) - - ATP: Japan Open, Tokyo (to 11) ATP/WTA: China Open, Beijing (to 11) Copy on merit - - - - BASEBALL Blue Jays host Rangers in AL Division Series opener The hosting Toronto Blue Jays, back in the postseason for the first time in 22 years, send 18-game winner David Price to the mound against the Texas Rangers for Game One in their best-of-five American League Division Series. (BASEBALL-PLAYOFFS/BLUEJAYS (PIX), expect by 2330 GMT/7.30 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - Astros take on top-seeded Royals The Houston Astros, appearing in the playoffs for the first time since 2005, visit the top-seeded Kansas City Royals to launch their best-of-five American League Division Series just two days after completing a 3-0 shutout of the New York Yankees in their Wild Card game. (BASEBALL-PLAYOFFS/ROYALS (PIX), expect by 0330 GMT/11.30 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 400 words) - - - - NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS Roundups of off-field developments in the major North American professional sports leagues. (expect by 0000 GMT/8:00 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 400 words) (Europe Desk Editor: Pritha Sarkar)