* World Cup 2022 host Qatar is to introduce a 100% tax on alcohol from Jan 1, a government official confirmed on Monday (Dec 31).
* World number five Juan Martin del Potro will miss next month's Australian Open as he continues to recover from a kneecap fracture he suffered during a fall at the Shanghai Masters October, he said on Monday.
* A return to Champions League football and prominent player sales allowed Premier League giants Chelsea to record a record £443.4 million (US$562 million) turnover and £62 million profit for the 2017/18 season, the club announced on Monday (Dec 31).
* Everton defender Mason Holgate will join Championship (second tier) side West Bromwich Albion on loan until the end of the season when the transfer window reopens on Tuesday, the Premier League side announced on Monday.
* Floyd Mayweather beat Japanese kickboxing phenomenon Tenshin Nasukawa by a technical knockout on Monday (Dec 31) after just two minutes of a New Year's Eve "exhibition" bout that brought the US boxing superstar out of retirement for a big pay day.
* Former Liverpool winger Peter Thompson, part of the club's successful team of the 1960's, has died at the age of 76, the club said on Monday. Thompson won two league championships, in 1964 and 1966, and was part of the club's first FA Cup win in 1965.
* Five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova had a tough start to her 2019 tennis season on Monday (Dec 31) at the Shenzhen Open, edging out Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky 6-2, 7-6 (7/3).
* Fulham have vowed to take the "strongest possible action" after striker Aboubakar Kamara was racially abused on social media following his penalty miss against Huddersfield on Saturday (Dec 29).
