Wada expects allegations to be investigated

Allegations that American football legend Peyton Manning took human growth hormone should be investigated, says the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada). Wada also described the allegations, which Manning dismissed as "complete garbage", as "very concerning". Al Jazeera reported that Denver Broncos quarterback Manning was treated with human growth hormone (HGH) during his recovery from neck surgery in 2011. Its source - Texas-based pharmacist Charlie Sly - has since recanted. The Al Jazeera documentary linked players from the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) with performance-enhancing drugs. "Al Jazeera's allegations are very concerning, particularly as it relates to the NFL's and MLB's testing programmes," David Howman, director-general of Wada, said in a statement. "While the NFL and the MLB are not signatories to the world anti-doping code, in recent years Wada has been working with them and other professional leagues in the United States to try to bring them closer to Wada's programme. "As it relates to the particular allegations by Al Jazeera, Wada expects that they will be carefully investigated by the relevant authorities and that, if warranted, necessary and appropriate steps would be taken." The NFL collective bargaining agreement, ratified in 2011, banned HGH but players were not tested for it until 2014. No NFL player has tested positive for HGH. MLB said it would investigate allegations made in the documentary that several of its players took banned hormone supplement Delta-2.

Russia rejects Syrian civilian killing allegations

 

Russia denied as "fake information" accusations made on Wednesday that its air strikes in Syria have killed hundreds of civilians and could be treated as war crimes, reports Al Jazeera. In a new report, Amnesty International said Russian air raids had killed at least 200 civilians and about a dozen fighters in Homs, Idlib and Aleppo provinces between September and November. "Russian air strikes in Syria have killed hundreds of civilians and caused massive destruction in residential areas, striking homes, a mosque and a busy market, as well as medical facilities in ... attacks that show evidence of violations of international humanitarian law," Amnesty said. The London-based group also said there was "evidence suggesting Russia's use of internationally banned cluster munitions and of unguided bombs in populated residential areas". In response, Russia's defence ministry rejected the allegations, saying the report was biased and contained ungrounded claims. Speaking to journalists, ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the report contained "trite cliches" and "fake information". "We familiarised ourselves with the contents of this report and as usual, there is nothing concrete and nothing new published in it," he said. Konashenkov also denied the claims that Russia was using cluster bombs in Syria. Neil Sammonds, Syria researcher for Amnesty, told Al Jazeera the group's report was based on interviews with witnesses and survivors, as well as video evidence and images showing the aftermath of attacks. "It will be interesting to know from Russia what more evidence they would like because there is a tonne of evidence at their doorstep that they have committed probable war crimes and they have not stood up to that at all," said Sammonds. Russia began its aerial campaign in Syria on September 30 to support its ally President Bashar al-Assad. Moscow says its target is the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and other "terrorists", but rebel forces and their backers accuse Russia of focusing on moderate fighters instead. Several medical groups have also accused Russia of air strikes that have hit field hospitals in Syria. Russia's defence ministry said on Wednesday its air force carried out 302 sorties in Syria between December 18 and 23, hitting 1,093 ISIL targets.