Usain Bolt loses Olympic gold medal

Usain Bolt has lost one of his Olympic gold medals
after Jamaica were retrospectively disqualified from
the 2008 sprint relay.
A statement from the International Olympic
Committee said re-analysis of team member Nesta
Carter's Beijing sample had tested positive for the
prohibited substance methylhexaneamine.
The decision to strip Jamaica of their 4x100m title
deprives Bolt of one of his nine golds won across
three Games between 2008 and 2016.
Carter ran the first leg of the Beijing final as
Jamaica set a new world record, a mark they
surpassed in London four years later.
Trinidad and Tobago are now in line for promotion to
the gold medal position, with Japan taking silver and
Brazil bronze.
Another 2008 medallist, Russian long jumper Tatiana
Lebedeva, has lost her silver medal after testing
positive for turinabol.
The IOC announced in the run-up to last summer's
Rio Games it would begin retesting samples from
2008 and 2012 in a bid to restore confidence in the
sport.

Real Madrid Eye Chelsea's Thibaut Courtois

Real Madrid have made Chelsea No 1 Thibaut
Courtois their number one transfer target for the
summer, according to reports on Cadena Cope.
It has been claimed in recent weeks that the Belgium
international wants to leave Stamford Bridge at the
end of the season and move back to the Spanish
capital.

Man docked for cutting neighbour with razor

A 48-year-old man, Gabriel Adetoyosi on Friday,
appeared in an Okitipupa Magistrates’ Court, Ondo
State, for allegedly using a razor to cut his neighbour,
one Yinka Akinwale.
The accused of no fixed address and occupation is
standing trial on a two-count charge of unlawful assault
and malicious damage.
The Prosecutor, Insp. Zedekiah Orogbemi told the court
that the accused committed the offence on Nov. 1,
2016, about 11.00 a.m at No 6, Adetola Street,
Okitipupa.
He further that Adetoyosi used the razor to inflict
various degrees of injury on Akinwale over a mild
misunderstanding.
The prosecutor added that the accused also
maliciously damaged a wooden door, valued at N10,000
and window glasses, valued at N40,000 totalling
N50,000, properties of Akinwale.
Orogbemi said that the offences were contrary to
Sections 355 and 451, Criminal Code, Cap.37, Vol.1,
Laws of Ondo State 2006.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the
charges levelled against him.
The Magistrate, Mr Banji Ayeomoni, granted the
accused bail in the sum of N50,000 and a surety in like
sum, adding that the surety must present a year tax
clearance.
He adjourned the case till Jan. 30 for further hearing.

British man dies working on Qatar 2022 World Cup stadium

A British man has died while working on a flagship
2022 World Cup stadium in Qatar, the organisers have
said.
The 40-year old man, who has yet to be named, died
on Thursday while working on the Khalifa International
Stadium.
His next of kin has been informed and an investigation
into his death is under way, the organisers said.
In a statement on its website, the Supreme Committee
for Delivery and Legacy shared its "deepest
condolences with the family for their loss".
The BBC understands the man was employed by a
specialist German contractor.
Khalifa, a multi-purpose venue in Qatar's capital Doha
and the home of the national football team, is being
extended from its current capacity of 40,000 to 68,000.
Due for completion in the first quarter of this year, it is
scheduled to host the 2019 World Athletics
Championships and the 2022 World Cup matches up to
the quarter-finals stage.
The conditions for workers refurbishing the stadium
attracted attention last year from the rights group
Amnesty International, which accused Qatar of using
forced labour.
Qatar said it was "concerned" by the allegations and
would investigate.
It followed previous reports in 2015 of some 1,200
workers who had died building the stadiums in Qatar
for the World Cup.
Though the first World Cup stadium was only started in
2014, subways, hotels and even an entire city are being
built - along with an airport, numerous roads, a new
sewerage system in central Doha and 20 skyscrapers.

Donald Trump inauguration: 45th US president to be sworn in

Donald Trump is set to be sworn in as the 45th
president of the United States.
The property tycoon won an unexpected victory in
November's election after a controversial campaign.
Hundreds of thousands of supporters and protesters
are gathering in Washington DC for the event.
Thousands of police have been deployed and many
kilometres of crowd barriers set up as part of a vast
security operation.
Addressing supporters on Thursday night at a pre-
inaugural concert, Mr Trump pledged to unified
America, bring change and make the country great "for
all of our people".
Meanwhile in New York, thousands of people attended
a rally where dozens of celebrities and politicians
voiced their concerns about the president-elect.
Mr Trump will be sworn in before midday local time
(17:00 GMT) by Chief Justice John Roberts, and make
his inaugural speech.
The ceremony will be attended by former presidents
and first ladies, including Bill Clinton and his wife
Hillary, Mr Trump's opponent in the recent election.
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The only absences will be 92-year-old George Bush
Senior, who is in hospital being treated for respiratory
problems , and his wife Barbara.
Members of Congress will also be there, although more
than 50 House Democrats have said they will boycott
the event .
An estimated 800,000 to 900,000 people are expected
to be in Washington over the next few days, although it
is not clear how many are coming to celebrate the
inauguration and how many to protest against it.
Demonstrations for and against Mr Trump include a
rally for the new president by Bikers for Trump after
the ceremony.
The Women's March on Washington on Saturday - for
racial and gender equality, and other issues perceived
to be under threat from Mr Trump's administration - is
expected to draw about 200,000 people.

Tottenham Hotspur stadium: Five facts about Spurs' new home ground

Tottenham Hotspur have revealed images of the club's
new stadium which is being built in north London.
The 61,000-seat stadium will be the largest-capacity
football ground in the capital when it opens in 2018.
It will include what is believed to be the longest
general admission bar in a UK stadium as well as
heated seats, a micro-brewery and an in-house bakery.
Chairman Daniel Levy said the ground would "redefine
sports and entertainment experiences".

Uber to pay $20m to 'misled' drivers

Between January and March 2015, ride-sharing service
Uber put out ads on Craigslist in the hope of attracting
new drivers by offering attractive hourly rates of pay.
In Boston, for example, it told potential drivers they
would earn $25 an hour.

In truth, fewer than 10% of drivers in the city actually
managed to bring in that amount, according to a
lawsuit brought by the US Federal Trade Commission.
In separate statements pushed out to the media and
posted on its own site, Uber said “the potential income
a driver on UberX can make in a year is more than
$90,000 in New York and more than $74,000 in San
Francisco”.
The FTC said the median amount earned in those
cities - for drivers working a 40 hour week - was
significantly less ($29,000 and $21,000 less,
respectively).
The FTC listed 18 cities across the US where it said
Uber was painting a far more lucrative picture than was
realistic. In Baltimore, fewer than 20% of drivers earned
$16 an hour. Chicago - fewer than 20% earned $21.
Minneapolis - 10%, $18. And so on.
'Cost, risk and burden'
On Thursday, Uber agreed to pay $20m to those drivers
in order to settle the claim. Quite how it will do that it
isn’t yet clear, but the FTC has ordered the company
to work with it to find a way.
The company said its settlement didn’t constitute an
admission of guilt, disputing the way the FTC
calculated its figures.
The company said it has modified the way in which it
advertises potential earnings to new recruits - but
would not go into further detail.
"We’re pleased to have reached an agreement with the
FTC,” a spokeswoman said.
"We’ve made many improvements to the driver
experience over the last year and will continue to focus
on ensuring that Uber is the best option for anyone
looking to earn money on their own schedule.”
Drivers complain, however, that the improvements to
the driver experience do not extend to covering the
costs of running and maintaining a car.
"The reality of being a ride-sharing driver is a far cry
from the rosy picture these apps describe and it is
encouraging to see the FTC take them to task and
refund drivers,” said Jim Conigliaro from the
Independent Drivers Guild.
"Companies like Uber shift cost, risk, and burden onto
drivers and taxpayers when they fail to provide the
basic benefits so many Americans take for granted,
from health insurance to sick leave.
"On top of that, drivers are stuck with the bill for their
vehicle, gas, repairs, maintenance, insurance, the list
goes on.”
The FTC also criticised Uber over the financing options
it gave to drivers interested in leasing a car via the
company.
The regulator said drivers were paying an average of
$200 per week - higher than first advertised. Money to
pay the lease is automatically taken from a driver’s
earnings.