Cyclist <strong>Lance</strong> <strong>Armstrong</strong> is interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in Austin, Texas, in this Jan. 14, 2012, handout photo courtesy of Harpo Studios.Reuters
A summary of what you need to know today, compiled by The Globe's news desk on Jan. 17, 2013
Armstrong 'leaves it all on table' tonight
After a week of leaks and speculation, everyone will get to make up their own mind today about Lance Armstrong. The first installment of the disgraced cyclist's interview with Oprah Winfrey, taped Monday, will air tonight, just as the cyclist is hit by yet more bad news: Olympic officials have decided to strip him of the bronze medal he won in Sydney in 2000. Despite acknowledging drug use in the interview, Mr. Armstrong has been forced to defend himself over just how contrite he was with Ms. Winfrey. As far as Lance is concerned, he "left it all on the table," he said in a text to AP.
Algerian hostages escape
It looks as if some of the foreign hostages have escaped their kidnappers in Algeria. Reports this morning suggest at least 20 of the foreign worker who were abducted by Islamist militants Wednesday, have escaped. The workers, abducted in retaliation over France's intervention in Mali's civil war, were being held at a natural gas facility, now surrounded by Algerian military. An estimated 30 Algerian worker escaped earlier in the day.
Heartbreak or hoax?
If the heart-wrenching tale of a star football player inspired to greatness by the tragic death of his beloved seemed the stuff of fiction, it's because it was. News that the entire story of the death of the girlfriend of Notre Dame superstar Manti Te'o was a hoax has been met by shock and dismay. Notre Dame says he was duped into an on-line relationship with the woman; Mr. Te'o says he thought she was real, and now says he was the target of "someone's sick joke." Now, CNN reports that the a Twitter account linked to the alleged girlfriend will clear the air today. Um, stay tuned.
Here is our morning sports columnist Bruce Dowbiggin on the controversy.
Dreamliner nightmare continues
The Dreamliner has become a corporate nightmare. Boeing is facing widening scrutiny of its once-vaunted Dreamliner. U.S. regulators moved late Wednesday to ground the planes to conduct a safety review and a slew of regulators around the world have followed suit today. The plane – Boeing's state-of-the-art long-haul passenger jet – has been besieged by a slew of problems in recent weeks, ranging from fuel leaks to electrical problems.
Delhi rape case fast-tracked
The five men accused of raping and murdering a university student have had their cased shifted to a fast-track court. The special courts were hastily set up by the government to deal with crimes against women after international outrage was sparked by the death of the 23-year old university student. Lawyers for the accused plan to try and get the case moved out of Delhi, where they feel the men won't get a fair trial.