The Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, unveiled Istanbul’s logo for their bid for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.

The new logo, voted for by the people of Turkey, combines the flower of Istanbul, a tulip, with the world-famous skyline of Istanbul.

The Prime Minister said: “As a government, we are very involved in promoting and supporting the Istanbul 2020 bid. Turkey has the ambition, potential and infrastructure required to host the 2020 Games.”

The inspiration behind the new logo design comes from the bridge that Istanbul forms between Europe and Asia, with the bottom half of the flower representing Asia and the top half showing Europe.

If the 2020 bid was successful, it would be the first time a single Games is held across two continents.

Hasan Arat, leader of Istanbul 2020, said: “A vibrant and young nation, a bridge between Europe and Asia, a modern and spectacular setting steeped in history – these are the ideas we wanted the Istanbul 2020 Candidate City logo to represent and our people have not let us down with their vote.

“Our new logo has been chosen by Turkey’s young population to act as a symbol of inspiration for our Olympic dream”.

Istanbul 2020 says the logo combines a distinctive turquoise, the symbol of Turkish culture, with a brilliant orange to show the spectacular and exciting setting side of the city.

Central London will be a no-go zone fot motorists during the London Olympics due to the work being implemented for Olympic Route Network (ORN).

Transport for London (TfL) today set out detailed plans for the implementation and operation of the ORN, a 109-mile network of roads linking Games venues in London. Motorists will be able to use some lanes on these roads at all times, while others will be open only at certain times of the day.

Among the 109 miles will be 30 miles of Games Lanes, for the exclusive use of vehicles carrying the Games Family, which includes athletes, officials and media.
London’s transport commissioner Peter Hendy said: “During the Games, London will be turned into a massive sporting and cultural venue. We have plans in place to get all athletes, officials and the world’s media to their Games events on time and to keep London moving and open for business.

“From-mid July, central London and areas around Games venues will be much busier than usual.

“The ORN, which is part of the Host City contract for the Games, will be a vital part of managing the busy roads and delivering a great Games.

“Our advice to motorists is clear. From mid-July, avoid driving in central London, around the ORN and Games venues.”

The ORN will come into force on July 25, and will end a couple of days after the Games. The smaller Paralympic route Network (PRN) will be in operation from a couple of days before the start of the Paralympic Games.

Onces Games events are completed at venues, such as Wimbledon, the ORN will be removed.

From July 1 road marking will start to be put down along the ORN, and adjustment to more than 1,300 sets of traffic lights will also begin on the same date.
TfL says these adjustments will have minimal impact on road users as they will be balanced out by the complete ban on all planned road works along the ORN and on all A and B roads.

From July 7 there will be a reversal of traffic flow in Kingsway Tunnel, Aldwych. Traffic through the tunnel will temporarily flow southbound only through this link of the ORN, which will aid movement between the media hub in Bloomsbury and Games venues.

The temporary reversal will be removed in mid August after the Olympic Games, and is not required for the Paralympic Games.

From July 16 the M4 Games Lane will come into operation as athletes, officials and media begin to arrive in London in significant numbers.

The major, physical ORN build and implementation works begin on July 20, and will take four days. These works will include the installation of barriers to simplify junctions.

Overnight on July 24 the designated standalone pedestrian crossings and parking/loading bays along the ORN will be suspended and blocked off.
The ORN and the Games Lanes will be in operation and will be enforced from 6am to midnight from July 25.

Motorists are advised to plan their journeys using the Get Ahead of the Games website.

In a recent event over a 100 representatives from Madrid’s leading businesses showed their support to Madrid 2020’s Olympic bid.

Leading the event was Ana Botella, Mayor of Madrid, Miguel Cardenal, Secretary of State, and Madrid 2020 President Alejandro Blanco.

Blanco said that in this long journey “we need the companies. Some of them started to work with us from the beginning without asking any question, just because they want to walk beside us all the way long and they are willing to participate in any aspect which might be needed and do their bit.”

He added, “We count with great support both from government and private institutions. Spain is a country where bad news premiums today, but we have the best companies which are leaders in their business, and we need to encourage all the positive things that this country has”, adding “we are talking not only of a project, but the project that will bring Spain together”.

Secretary of State for Sport, Miguel Cardenal, said, “We are all together in this road; sports and political authorities, entrepreneurs, and the whole of the Spanish society are willing to achieve the dream of hosting and enjoying the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Madrid”.

Madrid’s Mayor Ana Botella said that one of the strengths of the bid is “the permanent and continuous support given by the business sector. The bid is a strategic opportunity for the city, as the Games in Madrid 2020 will invigorate the industrial and commercial activity, will generate employment, attract investment, promote tourism, and boost the international image of our city”.

Madrid 2020 said that in the coming months Spain’s most prominent companies will build close links with the bid through the sponsorship program which will offer them four different ways of providing their support, allowing them to work hand in hand with the Olympic project and contribute to the creation of plans promoting and developing sport and the city.

Rail Union RMT today announced that it has secured the latest in a line of Olympics bonus payments, adiposity this time a breakthrough-deal for cleaners working on the Virgin/Alstom West Coast Cleaning Contract for VOITH industrial services.

The agreement, symptoms covering the Olympics and Paralympics period, ambulance means that all hourly paid staff will receive a bonus payment of £400. 

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: “This is a ground-breaking agreement as it applies to contracted-out cleaning staff who are often excluded from the best deals and it proves conclusively that when you have a fighting union on your side all grades of staff end up on the winning side. 

“RMT has prioritized the fight for a fair deal for cleaning, catering and other support staff who are working for contractors and this agreement is further proof that our organizing and campaigning strategy is delivering the goods for those groups of staff. 

“RMT is rolling out that model for other contracted workers across the transport sector who have so often been kicked from pillar to post when it comes to pay and conditions.”

Yesterday London Bus drivers union were contemplating a strike due to their lack of bonuses during the Olympics.

Euroleague Basketball have extended their broadcasting deal with Sportklub who will continue to showcase the Turkish Airlines Euroleague in the Balkans for four additional seasons through the end of this decade.

Sportklub already held the rights to broadcast Euroleague games for the 2014-15 season, its fifth season in a row as a rights-holder of the competition.

The new agreement means that Sportklub will be the home of the Euroleague in the Balkans region for years to come, making it one of the competition’s most durable long-time partners. Sportklub broadcasts in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

It is well-known for the strength of its world-wide sports content. As part of the terms, Sportklub will broadcast not only Euroleague games, but also the weekly Euroleague magazine, One Devotion.