Latest - Manchester United collected a third straight win in the Premier League with a first-half Jadon Sancho goal giving them a 1-0 win at Leicester City.
Jadon Sancho Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Sancho provided a cool finish, rounding keeper Danny Ward and slipping the ball home in the 23rd minute after being set up by Marcus Rashford from a Bruno Fernandes break down the right.
James Maddison went close for Leicester with a superb free-kick which brought an excellent save from United's David De Gea but the home side struggled to create chances.
After the break United took few risks and lacked a cutting edge with manager Erik ten Hag deciding to bring on Cristiano Ronaldo in the 68th minute.
Ronaldo, who had been linked with a move away from the club during the transfer window, went close with a bicycle kick and added some life to United's attack.
Leicester had a late chance to level but full-back James Justin blasted high and wide from a promising position on the right as United collected back-to-back away victories.
The win moves United up to fifth with nine points from five matches, six adrift of leaders Arsenal and four behind second-placed Macnhester City. Leicester stay bottom on one point.
Hooper to stay out of rugby
Australia captain Michael Hooper will miss the rest of the Rugby Championship at least as he continues to deal with the issues that cut short his involvement in the recent tour of Argentina.
Michael Hooper Photo: SAEED KHAN
The openside flanker pulled out of the team and flew home from Argentina on the eve of the Rugby Championship opener, telling Wallabies coach Dave Rennie he was not in the right frame of mind to play his 122nd test.
Rennie said he had been in frequent contact with Hooper but did not want to share too much from their conversations out of respect for the 30-year-old's privacy.
"We're not looking to include him in the rest of the Rugby Championship and then we'll make decisions beyond that," Rennie said.
"We're certainly not looking to rush him back in, but he's on the improve."
Replacement hooker Dave Porecki was also reluctant to breach confidences but believed his New South Wales Waratahs team mate had not played his last test match.
"I caught up with him when I got back, it is obviously a bit weird not hearing his voice in here right now," he said.
"But he will eventually be back in and the boys are supportive. With respect, that's probably all I'm going to say on that."
-Reuters
Ukrainian Kostyuk's handshake refusal latest sign of tension at U.S. Open tennis
Geopolitical tensions simmered at the U.S. Open as Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk refused the customary handshake at the net when Belarusian Victoria Azarenka defeated her 6-2 6-3 in the second round.
Victoria Azarenka rallies against Marta Kostyuk at Flushing Meadows. Photo: LEV RADIN
The pair exchanged a quick tap of the racket on Court 17 after Kostyuk whacked the ball into the net on the third match point and the three-time Flushing Meadows finalist let out a triumphant roar.
"Well, I wasn't surprised. I don't believe that making a big deal out of it is important. I always shake hands with my opponents," said Azarenka, who added that Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska had done the same in Washington, D.C., last month.
"I cannot force anybody to shake my hand. It's their decision. How did it make me feel? It's not the most important thing in the world right now."
It marked the latest uneasy moment at the year's final major, where Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians compete alongside one another against the backdrop of military conflict.
Belarus is being used as a key staging ground for Russia's war in Ukraine, which Moscow terms a "special operation."
- Reuters
Medals for our shot putters at Diamond League in Brussels
Tom Walsh has finished second and Jacko Gill third in the men's shot put at the latest Diamond League meeting in Brussels.
Tom Walsh turned the tables on Jacko Gill at this meet. Photo: AFP / Belga / Eric Lalmand
American Joe Kovacs won with a meeting record of 22.61 metres.
Walsh threw 21.6 metres and Gill 21.32 metres.
Both Walsh and Gill will compete in the Diamond League finals in Zurich next week, along with high jumper Hamish Kerr.
- RNZ
Parramatta Eels knock Melbourne Storm out of top four
Parramatta beat Melbourne 22-14 to climb into the top four of the NRL standings.
Coming into the game equal with the Storm on 32 competition points but well down on for-and-against, the Eels produced their most important victory of the season to earn themselves a double chance in the finals.
The Eels have secured fourth spot and will play the Penrith Panthers in week one of the finals with the winner progressing to a preliminary final. They have now given themselves a great shot at ending their premiership drought that stretches back to 1986.
The Storm now look set to finish fifth and will most likely host old foes Canberra in an elimination final.
The Warriors play the Gold Coast Titans in Auckland on Saturday.
Carapaz breaks clear for first La Vuelta stage win
Ineos Grenadiers rider Richard Carapaz attacked to win stage 12 of the Vuelta a Espana, a 192.7km mountain ride from Salobrena to Penas Blancas, while race leader Remco Evenepoel recovered from a crash to retain his red jersey.
Photo: DAVID STOCKMAN
Carapaz was out of the general classification battle at the start of the stage but the Olympic champion dropped his breakaway companions with his attack with just under 2km remaining.
The Ecuadorian went on to seal his first La Vuelta stage win, banging his handlebars in celebration as he crossed the line nine seconds ahead of Wilco Kelderman (Bora-Hansgrohe), while Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) finished third.
Earlier, Evenepoel slid out on a sweeping right-hand bend 50km from the summit finish at Penas Blancas but the QuickStep-AlphaVinyl rider controlled his rivals on the final ascent and sprinted to the line ahead of all the general classification contenders.
-Reuters
Fernando Alonso apologises for Lewis Hamilton 'idiot' spat
Fernando Alonso apologised for calling Lewis Hamilton an idiot after they collided at last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix and said his heat of the moment comments were blown out of proportion.
Fernando Alonso Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The double world champion had also said on team radio, in a broadside heard by a global television audience, that the Mercedes driver only knew how to start and drive in first place.
Hamilton, a seven times world champion, is Formula One's most successful driver of all time with 103 wins -- some of his more spectacular ones coming after he fought back through the field.
Talking to reporters ahead of this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, Alpine's Alonso recognised his first lap outburst had made huge waves.
"First of all it's Lewis, he's a champion, he's a legend of our time. And then when you say something, and I'm sorry to repeat this, against a British driver there is a huge media involvement after that," he added.
Alonso said he had huge respect for Hamilton, who was his rookie team mate at McLaren in a stormy 2007 season, and had no problems with him.
The 41-year-old suggested he would be more guarded in future.
-Reuters
Manuel Akanji attracted to Man City
Manchester City have signed Swiss international defender Manuel Akanji on a five-year deal from Borussia Dortmund.
Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI
The 27-year-old, who has 41 caps for his country, is City's fifth signing during the current window, which closes today.
City director of football Txiki Begiristain said that Akanji fitted the profile of defender that manager Pep Guardiola requires.
City did not make public the transfer fee but media reports had suggested it was in the region of $30-40 million.
-Reuters
World Athletics Indoor Championships in China postponed
The World Athletics Indoor Championships, scheduled to be held in Nanjing from March 17-19 in 2023, have been postponed due to the ongoing pandemic conditions in China.
China reported 2,057 new Covid-19 cases for Aug. 31, the National Health Commission said on Thursday.
Nanjing was initially selected to host the 2020 World Athletics Indoor Championships, which were first postponed until March 2021, and then to March 2023, as the pandemic continued.
World Athletics said the decision to postpone the 2023 event was taken with the agreement of both the Nanjing organising committee and the Chinese Athletics Association (CAA).
-Reuters
Alcaraz through to thrid round at US Open
Third seed Carlos Alcaraz was made to sweat in the third set but he came out on top in his second round match against Argentine Federico Coria, winning 6-2 6-1 7-5 to progress.
Italian 11th seed Jannik Sinner survived a tough second set to beat American Christopher Eubanks 6-4 7-6(8) 6-2. He next faces Grigor Dimitrov or Brandon Nakashima.
Spanish fourth seed Paula Badosa became the latest high-profile casualty in the women's draw, going down 6-7(5) 6-1 6-2 to Croatia's Petra Martic.
World number one Iga Swiatek chipped away at American Sloane Stephens' defensive play to roll into the third round of the U.S. Open 6-3 6-2.
Olympic champion Belinda Bencic and Jessica Pegula advanced to the third round.
Czech 21st seed Petra Kvitova, who has twice reached the quarter-finals at the U.S. Open, received a walkover into the third round after her Ukrainian opponent Anhelina Kalinina withdrew due to illness.
- Reuters
