The nationwide unrest that has swept Turkey with the focal point in Istanbul will not have any bearing on the city's attempt to host the 2020 Olympic Games, the bid team told AFP on Wednesday. The statement came after two International Olympic Committee (IOC) members told AFP under condition of anonymity they were no longer certain to vote for Istanbul, who are competing for the Games against Madrid and Tokyo. Their doubts have grown since police cracked down heavily on May 31 on a campaign to save Gezi Park, near Istanbul's historic Taksim Square, from redevelopment.

The British Olympic Association (BOA) revealed on Thursday that it has received a windfall of £5.3 million ($8 million, 6.1 million euros) after the organising committee of the London 2012 Olympics reported an unexpected surplus in its final accounts. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) initially expected to break even over the course of its eight-year existence but instead reported revenues of £2.41 billion and costs of £2.38 billion.

A united Spain is prepared for the fight for Madrid to win the right to host the 2020 Olympic Games, the bid's president Alejandro Blanco told AFP in an interview. The 62-year-old former judoka - who is also president of the Spanish National Olympic Committee - insisted the bid had united people nationwide who see it as a way of easing the dire situation of the Spanish economy.

The governor of Tokyo apologised to the Muslim world Tuesday after saying Islamic countries have nothing in common but Allah and "fighting with each other". Naoki Inose, whose city is bidding for the 2020 Olympic Games, was forced into the climbdown after telling the New York Times that Islamic nations are belligerent and overly hierarchical. The comments were seen as a slight on bidding rival Istanbul, which is vying to become the first city from the Muslim world to host the Games.