The discovery of an unexploded World War Two bomb postponed the medal ceremony at the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Innsbruck, Austria.

The 250kg (550lb) aerial explosive was found at a construction site just blocks from the IOC main hotel.

The bomb was defused by sixty-five police staff over a period of four hours.

The area around the discovery spot was cordoned off and the plaza set to hold the medal ceremony was closed.

Innsbruck police chief, Markus Auinger, believed such precautions were necessary because there had been a significant threat to public safety.

“We had to make police lines around the area and spent half an hour evacuating people from nearby buildings”.

International Olympic Committee head of communications, Mark Adams, said “I must admit we weren’t expecting to have a Second World War bomb”.

It is believed that 10 bombs have been found in the region over the past twenty years.

Adams continued, “It’s a shame, obviously. It’s the first Winter Youth Olympic Games and it’s really important to celebrate the medals but we thought it best to cancel.

“Safety, particularly of the athletes is at the core of everything we do”.

The medals ceremony will be rescheduled.

Jerome Valcke, FIFA’s secretary general believes the newly appointed Brazilian sports minister Aldo Rebello can put World Cup Preparations back on schedule after Orlando Silva’s resignation.

Valcke said: “We acknowledge the work done so far and regret this situation. We are confident that the Brazilian government will soon inform us about the new representative in charge so that we can continue to work together on the preparations of the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. For us, it is always essential to have a dedicated link to the government of the FIFA World Cup host country.”

Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff appointed Aldo Rebelo as the new sports minister late Thursday. He will oversee preparations for the 2014 World Cup and Rio 2016 Olympics.

Previous sports minister Siva resigned Wednesday amid allegations he took more than $20 million in public money intended for social programmes related to the 2014 finals.

“I decided to leave the government so that I can defend my honour,” he announced after an hour-long meeting with Rousseff.

The Brazilian Supreme Federal Court opened a case against him on Tuesday centred around the kickback allegations of a police officer, allegations Silva has already denied before a congressional panel.

Silva was the sixth of her ministers to leave office under a cloud of corruption since her inauguration in January.

Unilever GmbH will continue advertising with Sauerland Event after a deal was renewed for the long-term, ampoule since the partnership, which was forged in 2009.

The Hamburg-based multi-national corporation will cater for the VIP areas as the ‘Official Supplier’ at Sauerland events with its Langnese-branded products.

In addition, the Langnese logo will appear on backdrops in the media areas, on the official shuttle service vehicles as well as on the boxen.com website. “

Markus Lippelt, Officer Events, Leisure and Fairs manager at Unilever, stated: “We believe the sponsoring has worked out very well and we are looking forward to even more exciting nights of boxing. When things get hot in the ring, our ice products will ensure the fans have the right way to cool down.”

The Russian broadcast rights for the UEFA Champions and Europa League tournaments for 2012-15 have been awarded to NTV and NTV Plus. Media rights will also include the UEFA Super Cup curtain-raiser to the European season, with the deal representing an extension of an existing agreement between the two parties.

Under the terms of the agreement, NTV and NTV Plus will air at least six live matches simultaneously every Tuesday and Wednesday during the Champions League and six live matches from each Europa League kick-off slot. UEFA also stated that NTV’s commitment to broadcasting free-to-air highlights has “increased markedly from the current cycle”. Additionally, the rights will be also exploited on the internet via the www.ntv.ru and www.ntvplus.ru websites and through mobile technology.

Guy-Laurent Epstein, the marketing director of UEFA Events SA, stated: “UEFA firmly believes that NTV and NTV Plus, through their enhanced programming commitment, will continue building on these successes to further develop the profile of each competition in Russia while providing football fans across the country with the opportunity to enjoy extensive coverage of the best of European club football through 2015.”

Lord Sebastien Coe, chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG), feels that the successful hosting of the games will rely heavily on the transport system and the London’s ability to overcome the recent issues.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) have long held concerns over the transport network which is currently in place with the capital’s roads amongst the most congested in the world. The proposed Olympic Route Network (ORN) scheme put forward by LOCOG has not gone down well with many of the natives who feel that the idea is just a ploy to show preferential treatment to those involved during the Games. The number of peak-time journeys made throughout the course of the event is feared to rise by as much as 12.5 per cent which may cause real problems for the committee.

Coe was quick to deny claims that the ORN scheme is merely their to favour athletes and officials saying: “The Olympic route planning is about functionality it’s not about glamour,” the chairman told London Assembly lawmakers, as quoted by Reuters. “You have a choice, you can have this city remembered as a Barcelona or an Atlanta.”

The comparisons were made after the infamous transport system during the Atlanta Games in 1994 overloaded spectators and athletes in a desperate attempt to get them to venues. In contrast the Barcelona Games just two years earlier have long been touted as a model for all the following games to adhere to from a transport perspective.

Kyle Busch  was fined $25,000 by NASCAR on Tuesday for his obscene gesture, and the driver again apologized for losing his temper.

Busch was also placed on probation through Dec. 31 – the same day as his wedding – for what NASCAR called unsportsmanlike conduct in Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway.

“I lost my cool, plain and simple,” Busch said in a statement. “It’s not acceptable, and I know that. I apologize to NASCAR, its fans, all the partners who support Joe Gibbs Racing, and all the people who work so hard to give me a racecar that’s capable of winning races every week. All of those people deserve better from me, and I owe it to them to keep my emotions in check.”

Busch was penalized for speeding at Texas and called into the pits to serve a one-lap penalty. While sitting in his car, he held up his middle finger toward the NASCAR official standing in front of his Toyota ( TM – news – people ).

The in-car camera caught the gesture, and it was broadcast live before ESPN realized what Busch was doing. The network apologized and cut away from the shot.

NASCAR immediately penalized Busch an additional two laps and ordered crew chief Dave Rogers to get the driver under control.

It led to a testy exchange between driver and crew chief, with Busch arguing that NASCAR was denying his right to free speech.

“They’re going against the constitutional rights for everybody,” Busch yelled over his radio.

Rogers implored Busch to shut his mouth and serve the penalty.

“Kyle, stop, please!” Rogers told him. “We all work too hard for this! You’re costing us. Bring it to pit road, park it for two laps.”

Busch was unable to recover from the sequence and finished 32nd, two laps down. He apologized immediately after the race for his latest blowup, and reiterated it following Tuesday’s fine.

“I accept NASCAR’s penalty and realize what I did during Sunday’s race at Texas was inappropriate,” he said. “Even in my relatively short time here in NASCAR, it’s pretty obvious to everyone that I wear my emotions on my sleeve. Sometimes that passion has allowed me to find that little something extra I needed to win, and other times it’s made me cross the line. Sunday at Texas was one of those days.”

The International Cricket Council said it is impressed with the moves being made by the Pakistan Cricket Board to weed out corruption in its system.

The PCB has initiated a number of activities that are aimed at sorting out the mess in its ranks:
* The development of an Anti-Corruption Code by the PCB
* A proposed plan to regulate agents of Pakistani players
* An enhanced and countrywide education programme

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said: “PCB has clearly recognized that it is imperative to protect the integrity of cricket and we are indeed impressed by the progress reported. Their willingness to play such an active role on the integrity issue is vital to the future of international cricket. They have shown a clear determination to tackle their challenges.

“The ICC task team is mindful of those challenges and is committed to supporting the PCB.”

Pakistan Task Team chairman Giles Clarke said: “The PCB chairman and his team must be congratulated for the speed with which they have adopted the recommendations of the ICC Board. Everyone is encouraged by the statements and actions of the PCB and we must hope that they continue.”

In an interview with Bloomberg Television, allergy NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said labor uncertainty is affecting National Football League revenue as the U.S.’s most-watched television sport negotiates a collective bargaining agreement with its players.

“The impact of not having a labor agreement is already starting, symptoms ” Goodell said. “It will continue to grow. It will continue to have a greater and greater impact and my point is that there will be lost revenue opportunities. And when revenue is reduced, nurse it’s even harder to reach an agreement.”

Goodell said uncertainty makes it difficult for sponsors to plan effectively. Electronic Arts Inc.’s EA Sports unit has asked the NFL for a $30 million reduction in scheduled payments because of labor uncertainty, the Wall Street Journal reported this month citing unnamed people familiar with the talks. Without a labor deal, the league may lose $125 million from existing corporate partners by March and another $400 million that month from fans not renewing season tickets, the newspaper said, citing two unnamed senior league officials.

The UK and Ireland arm of Japanese athletics equipment company Asics has appointed Barry Mellis as its new managing director, buy it has been announced.

Mellis replaces Rioji Sekito and has extensive UK and European sports trade experience having most recently been general manager of Intersport UK.

President and chief operating officer of Asics Europe, sale Alistair Cameron, check said: “Everyone at Asics worldwide is grateful for the significant contribution Sekito San has made to the company, and in particular the work he has done to build the brand in the UK, now our fastest growing market.

“He will be sorely missed, however he leaves a strong legacy and a good team in place and we could not have a more suitable replacement in Barry who brings a huge amount of sports retail and industry experience to the brand at a crucial stage in its development. Asics UK is the fastest growing part of Asics European business and he will be responsible for maintaining brand growth and dynamism.”

Mellis added: “Asics is a fantastic, highly credible brand with the realistic ambition of becoming the number one premium sports performance brand. I relish the challenge of developing brand presence and growth in both the UK and Irish markets.”

TPG Capital, the private equity firm, has bought a 35 per cent stake in sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA Sports).

CAA Sports represents more than 650 of the world’s biggest athletes, coaches, broadcasters, teams, leagues, venues and marketers.

Major League Baseball (MLB) star Derek Jeter and Real Madrid footballer Cristiano Ronaldo are among the company’s clients.

Under the terms of the deal, CAA and TPG have agreed to create a US$500 million pledge fund which will provide access to significant capital for future investments.

TPG founding partner David Bonderman said: “CAA is the clear leader within its industry and the talent agency most trusted by successful actors, directors, writers, producers, musicians and athletes.

“Over its history, the company has demonstrated a consistent ability to identify nascent opportunities and expand into new markets.

“CAA’s outstanding management team has built the gold-standard franchise in their industry based on a culture of exceptional client service, and we look forward to supporting CAA at this exciting inflection point in their evolution as they look to expand their operations and services around the globe.”