Latest - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck twice as Arsenal defeated Newcastle United 3-0 in the English Premier football League, condemning Steve Bruce's side to a ninth game without a win in all competitions.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Photo: PHOTOSPORT
After a dreadful start to the season, Mikel Arteta's side are now up to 10th place in the league and they never looked in danger against a Newcastle side that looks demoralised.
Arsenal have now kept a clean sheet in five straight games in all competitions.
The Gunners are seven points below fourth placed Liverpool.
Newcastle are 15th, 7 points above the relegation zone.
Bewley's season remains on hold
New Zealand cyclist Sam Bewley has put his 2021 season on hold as he continues to have issues with the wrist he broke in last year's Tour de France.
Bewley, who rides for the Australian outfit Team BikeExchange, has had another operation on the wrist he broke when he crashed on Le Tour in September.
The 33 year old says he's unlikley to be competing again until March, but hopes to take part in the Giro d'Italia in May.
Bewley decided to stay in Europe during the off-season and is currently with his team training in Spain.
-Cyclingnews
CD on the rise
Central Districts are up to second in the men's Super Smash T20 cricket competition after beating Otago by five wickets in New Plymouth.
Ross Taylor Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Central chased down a rain-adjusted target 153 off 17 overs with Ross Taylor scoring an unbeaten 48 off 27 balls.
The result moved the Stage level on points with top of the table Wellington and third placed Canterbury.
Meanwhile the Central Hinds scored their first win of the women's competition beating the Otago Sparks by six runs in New Plymouth.
In a rain affected game Central scored 126 for three in 17 overs beating Otago's 59 for three off eight overs under the Duckworth Lewis system.
Big win for England
England secured a seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first cricket test in Galle but there will be only muted celebrations at the tourists' hotel as life in a bio-secure bubble continues to take a heavy toll, said Jonny Bairstow.
Bairstow hit the winning runs as England claimed the first of the two-match series, but players have little option but to celebrate back at their accommodation near the ground, where they are hunkered down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It is something that does take its toll because you're going from a hotel to a cricket ground and back to the hotel," he said.
The players had to quarantine in their hotel rooms after arriving in Sri Lanka and return negative COVID-19 tests before being allowed to start their pre-test preparations.
The second Test starts in Galle on Friday.
-Reuters
Monaco GP will happen
Formula One's Monaco Grand Prix will happen this season after being cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organisers said in response to speculation the showcase race could be scrapped again.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The harbourside race, traditionally a glamour highlight of the year, is scheduled for May 23 as the fifth round on a calendar that was tweaked earlier this month due to the continuing spread of the virus.
The Historic Grand Prix for classic F1 cars was also confirmed for April 23-25 and the all-electric Formula E race on May 8.
The opening round of the world rally championship, the Monte Carlo Rally, starts on Thursday and ends in the Mediterranean principality on Sunday.
Formula One's 2020 season was postponed and then reduced to 17 races, mostly behind closed doors and with street races such as Monaco, Azerbaijan and Singapore cancelled.
-Reuters
Much needed win for Pelicans
Zion Williamson scored 31 points and Brandon Ingram added 22 as the New Orleans Pelicans ended a five-game losing streak by hanging on for a 128-123 victory over the host Sacramento Kings in the NBA.
Eric Bledsoe had a season-high 21 points as the Pelicans won a game for the first time since Jan. 2 against the Toronto Raptors. New Orleans is now 1-2 on a six-game road trip that originally was scheduled for seven games before a matchup at Dallas on Jan. 11 was postponed.
New Zealander Steven Adams had 12 points and 15 rebounds.
The Pelicans are 12th in the Western Conference standings with five wins and seven losses.
-Reuters
Neville heading to Miami
Phil Neville is stepping down as England women's football manager with immediate effect, with the former Manchester United and England defender joining David Beckham's Inter Miami.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Neville, 43, has been in talks with the Major League Soccer men's side, who have a vacancy since sacking manager Diego Alonso this month.
The FA said in a statement it would shortly appoint an interim head coach to lead the Lionesses until Sarina Wiegman, currently manager of the Netherlands women's team, assumes the role full-time after the delayed Tokyo Olympics end in August.
Wiegman was appointed last August to lead England at the European championship in 2022 and through qualification for the 2023 World Cup.
Neville, who had been due to lead the Team GB women's soccer side at the Tokyo Games, had announced last April that he would be moving on after the Olympics due to the women's European tournament being postponed from 2021 by the COVID-19 pandemic.
-Reuters
Boks will do what it takes to play Lions
South Africa are open to "all options" to play the British & Irish Lions and are willing to travel to the United Kingdom to make sure the series goes ahead, director of rugby Rassie Erasmus said.
The Springboks celebrate their World Cup win Photo: INPHO
The Lions are scheduled to tour South Africa for eight matches between July 3 and Aug. 7 this year, including three tests against the world champion Springboks.
But with all nations involved in the grip of the COVID-19 crises, the series remains in serious doubt in its current form.
A decision is likely to be made next month, but Erasmus says from a Bok point of view they are ready to look at all scenarios to ensure the tests go ahead.
South African Rugby cut $110 million from its 2020 budget due to COVID-19, which includes some players and staff taking up to 50% pay cuts, and the Lions tour is desperately needed to refill the coffers.
But Erasmus said there was a sporting context too with the Boks having not played a test since they lifted the Rugby World Cup in Japan in November 2019.
-Reuters
