International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has suggested entire federations could be banned from the Games as the fight against doping is escalated.
The IOC on Tuesday announced it had discovered 31 positive tests after 454 samples collected at the 2008 Beijing Olympics were retested, while the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) put its investigations manager Mathieu Holz in charge of an urgent probe into allegations of state-run doping among Russian athletes at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
Bach responded with an editorial carried by both the Daily Telegraph and USA Today stating that the IOC would apply a "zero tolerance policy not only with regard to individual athletes, but to all their entourage within its reach".
He added: “This action could range from lifelong Olympic bans for any implicated person, to tough financial sanctions, to acceptance of suspension or exclusion of entire national federations like the already existing one for the Russian Athletics Federation by the International Association of Athletics Federations.”
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Nothing earth-shattering to come out of Wada’s report on alleged doping in Russia
Bach added that under such a scenario, athletes from affected nations may be required to prove their innocence rather than vice-versa.
“We would have to consider, whether in such ‘contaminated’ federations, the presumption of innocence for athletes could still be applied, whether the burden of proof could be reversed,” he wrote.
“This could mean that concerned athletes would have to demonstrate that their international and independently proven test record is compliant with the rules of their international federation and the World Anti-Doping Code, providing a level playing field with their fellow competitors.”
Referring specifically to Wada’s investigation of Russia and possible state involvement in doping, Bach wrote: “Should the investigation prove the allegations true, it would represent a shocking new dimension in doping with an, until now, unimaginable level of criminality.”
Holz, a former major of the French Gendarmerie and Interpol agent, will be in charge of Wada's scrutiny of the claims made in the New York Post and CBS show 60 Minutes.
Hosts Russia topped the Sochi medal table with 33 medals, 13 of them gold, but a New York Times report last week claimed performance-enhancing drug use was widespread and covered up.
Dr Grigory Rodchenkov, who was director of the country’s anti-doping laboratory at the time, alleged urine samples tainted by performance-enhancing drugs were exchanged, through a wall, for clean urine collected months earlier. Similar allegations were made by former Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) employee Vitaly Stepanov.
The IOC said the 31 positive tests from the Beijing Olympics came from six different sports and 12 countries. The British Olympic Association said it was unaware of any Team GB athletes being among those caught cheating, with the IOC in the process of contacting the 12 national Olympic committees involved.
The Lausanne-based Olympic body’s executive board also announced on Tuesday that the results of 250 more re-tests from London 2012 would come shortly, with further retesting of medallists from 2008 and 2012 planned, too.
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The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
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Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
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Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Fighting with My Family
Director: Stephen Merchant
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Florence Pugh, Thomas Whilley, Tori Ellen Ross, Jack Lowden, Olivia Bernstone, Elroy Powell
Four stars
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Vikram%20Vedha
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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz S 450
Price, base / as tested Dh525,000 / Dh559,000
Engine: 3.0L V6 biturbo
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 369hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm at 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.0L / 100km
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
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How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group B
Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Eriksen 80')
Inter Milan 0
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SPECS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
From Conquest to Deportation
Jeronim Perovic, Hurst
Company%20Profile
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