Latest - Chelsea have beaten Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in the English Premier league with a first half penalty from midfielder Jorginho separating the two sides.
Jorginho celebrates with his teammates Photo: Photosport
Tottenham were missing star striker Harry Kane as he recovers from an ankle injury, with Brazilian forward Carlos Vinicius starting in his place.
The win takes Chelsea back into the top six while Tottenham drop down to eighth in the standings.
It was Spurs third straight League loss and it's the first time in Jose Mourinho's 21-year managerial career that he has lost consecutive league games at home.
Meanwhile Liverpool will not be able to travel to Germany for the first leg of their European Champions League last-16 tie against RB Leipzig on February 16th.
Germany has banned most travellers from countries, including the UK, hit hard by new variants of Covid-19.
With Germany's restrictions in place until February 17th, the options are to reverse the tie so Liverpool host the first leg or to play it in a neutral, otherwise UEFA will deem the match forfeited with the homeside losing 3-0.
Tokyo Olympics president apologises for sexist remarks
Tokyo Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori has apologised for sexist comments about women talking too much, but said he would not resign, as his remarks sparked a storm of criticism on social media and risked tainting public opinion of the Games.
Yoshiro Mori Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Mori, 83, apologised at a hastily called news conference, but when pressed on whether he really thought women talked too much, he said: "I don't listen to women that much lately so I don't know".
Mori, whose term as prime minister was marked by a string of gaffes and blunders, made the comments at a Japanese Olympic Committee board of trustees meeting this week.
"If we increase the number of female board members, we have to make sure their speaking time is restricted somewhat, they have difficulty finishing, which is annoying," said Mori, according to local media.
Mori acknowledged that his comments were "inappropriate" and against the Olympic spirit.
Mori has apologised and the IOC considers the matter "closed," a spokesperson at IOC said in a statement.
Japan persistently trails its peers in promoting gender equality, ranking 121 out of 153 nations surveyed in the 2020 global gender gap report of the World Economic Forum.
-Reuters
Nadal remains in doubt for Aus Open
World men's tennis number two Rafa Nadal says doubts remain over his fitness ahead of next week's Australian Open.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Nadal pulled out of Spain's ATP Cup tie against Australia on Tuesday with a lower back problem and, despite some improvement, said he was still far away from the level required to play at the year's first Grand Slam.
"It's not that I'm in a really bad way, but I'm also not alright in the sense that I can't play either," Nadal told Spanish television channel Movistar+.
"I've improved a little but I'm not in a position where I can go and play a game at full intensity."
Nadal's name was also absent from Spain's ATP Cup tie on Friday against Greece at Melbourne Park's John Cain Arena with Roberto Bautista Agut and Pablo Carreno Busta to lead the challenge in the singles matches for last year's finalists.
The 34-year-old, however, practised for an hour on Thursday evening at the Rod Laver Arena and his fitness was improving "little by little, step by step", a source close to Nadal told Reuters.
Nadal sits level with Roger Federer on 20 Grand Slam titles and, with the Swiss not taking part in Melbourne after knee surgery, the Spaniard would have the chance to become the all-time major record holder in the men's game for the first time.
-Reuters
Good start for Fox
The Auckland golfer Ryan Fox has made a strong start to the Saudi Arabi International, a five under par 65 has him tied for fourth.
His round included one bogey and six birdies.
Fox is four shots behind the leader David Horsey.
It is his third tournament in the Middle East, before Fox return homes.
Crawley out of test
England top order batsman Zak Crawley has been ruled out of the first two tests against India with a wrist injury.
Crawley, who was likely to bat at number three in the opening test from Friday, injured his right wrist after slipping outside the dressing room in Chennai.
"Scan results have confirmed that Crawley has jarred his right wrist, which has sprained the joint and led to local inflammation," the team said.
Opening the batting with Dom Sibley in Sri Lanka, Crawley managed only 35 runs in his four innings and was expected to drop down with Rory Burns, back from paternity leave, replacing him at the top.
The four test series will decidec if Australia, India or England meets New Zealand in the Test Championship final in June.
-Reuters
Big Bash finalists found
The Perth Scorchers have qualified for the final ofd the Big Bash T20 men's cricket competition in Australia following a big win over the Brisbane Heat in Canberra.
In a rain affected game the Scorchers beat the Heat by 49 runs.
Perth scored 189 for one, with New Zealander Colin Munro not batting.
However he took a catch as Brisbane struggled to get to their revised target of 200 off 18 overs.
Perth will meet the Sydney Sixers in the finale.
Rain affects first day in Rawalpindi
Pakistan captain Babar Azam and Fawad Alam put on an unbeaten century stand to rescue the hosts from early trouble and lead them to 145 for three at the close of a rain-shortened first day of the second test with South Africa in Rawalpindi.
Babar won the toss and chose to bat as Pakistan look to close out the two-match series and he is not out on 77, having so far put on 123 for the fourth wicket with Fawad (42 not out) to frustrate the tourists.
The rain started to fall as the players went off for tea, with the entire final session lost.
Pakistan are unchanged from their seven-wicket first test win, while South Africa included all-rounder Wiaan Mulder in the place of Lungi Ngidi.
-Reuters
McIlroy upset with rule makers
Rory McIlroy has criticised golf's lawmakers for considering changes to equipment that would tame the power of the game's big hitters, saying the campaign is "a huge waste of time and money".
Rory McIlroy. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The Royal and Ancient, in conjunction with the United States Golf Association, has proposed reducing driver shaft length to 46 inches from the current limit of 48.
Another "area of interest" for the R&A and USGA is for the potential use of local rules that would specify the use of clubs and/or balls, resulting in shorter distances.
The proposals are part of the latest updates to the Distance Insights Report published last February that said increased hitting distances changed the challenge of the game and risked making courses obsolete.
"I think the authorities are looking at the game through such a tiny little lens, that what they're trying to do is change something that pertains to 0.1% of the golfing community," four-times major champion McIlroy said.
"Ninety-nine percent of the people that play this game play for enjoyment. They don't need to be told what ball or clubs to use.
-Reuters
Bangladesh on top
Mehidy Hasan Miraz hit his maiden test century while Mustafizur Rahman grabbed a couple of wickets as Bangaldesh took control on day two of the first test against the West Indies in Chattogram.
The home side started the day on 242 for five and were dismissed for 430 with the Windies finishing the day on 75 for two.
Miraz scored 103, becoming the sixth Bangladeshi batsmanto score a hundred from number eight or lower.
John Campbell was dismissed for three and Shayne Moseley two, while Kraigg Brathwaite is unbeaten on 49.
The second and final test is in Dhaka next week.
