Football: Messi makes PSG statement as 'crazy' Sheriff shock Madrid

PARIS, France -- Lionel Messi opened his Paris Saint-Germain account as the French side beat Manchester City while new boys Sheriff Tiraspol shocked Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Messi's top-corner finish added to Idrissa Gueye's first half goal as PSG moved top of Group A with the 2-0 win over last year's runners up.

Pep Guardiola's side hit the bar twice in the first half with Portugal playmaker Bernardo Silva failing to score two metres out with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma helplessly on the ground.

"The important thing was to win, against an immense opponent, one of the contenders for the trophy," Messi told broadcaster Canal+.

"I had only played here (Parc des Princes) once, but little by little I'm adapting and integrating to the team," he added.

In Group D, Sheriff, playing in just their second ever game in the group stage of the competition, upset record 13-time winners Real Madrid 2-1 in the Spanish capital.

Uzbekistan winger Jasur Jakhshibaev put the Moldovans in the lead before the half hour mark as Karim Benzema equalised after 65 minutes to score for a 17th different season in the competition, a feat only also achieved by 34-year-old Messi.

But the hero for Sheriff, who are based in the region of Transnistria on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border, was Luxembourg attacking midfielder Sebastien Thill.

The 27-year-old Thill fired home a sublime half volley with 62 seconds of regular time remaining at the Santiago Bernabeu two week after Sheriff had beaten Shakhtar Donetsk earlier in the month in their opening group game.

"After this match we all went crazy. There are a lot foreigners in the club, we come from all types of countries. It's our strength," Thill told Canal+.

"We played both matches to 100%. We're all happy now," he added.

Madrid's Casemiro rued his side's lack of efficiency in front of Sheriff's Greek goalkeeper Georgios Athanasiadis.

"It's football, we had 20 shots or more and we scored one, they had two shots scored both," he told Movistar+.

"We have to pay more attention, especially defensively.

"We started well, we had total control of the game, we had opportunities to get ahead, but they scored a great goal at the end," he added.

Earlier in the group, Serie A champions Inter Milan remain winless in Europe this season following the 0-0 draw at Shakhtar.

Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk was a spectator in Kiev days after beating Anthony Joshua on points to become just the third boxer to win both the cruiserweight and heavyweight world titles.

- Salah, Firmino doubles -

In Group B, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino scored twice as Liverpool hammered Porto 5-1 and Luis Suarez claimed a 97th-minute winner as Atletico Madrid edged AC Milan 2-1 in Italy.

Jurgen Klopp's side wore black armbands after former Liverpool striker Roger Hunt died earlier in the day aged 83.

Milan played an hour with 10-man after Franck Kessie's red card and the seven-time European champions were unable to claim a first win in the competition since 2013.

Earlier, Ivory Coast striker Sebastien Haller took his tally to 10 goals in as many games this season as Ajax beat Besiktas 2-0 to stay top of Group C in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Netherlands winger Donyell Malen also scored for his new club as Borussia Dortmund overcame Sporting Lisbon 1-0 and trail the Dutch champions on goal difference.

American Jesse Marsch lost his fifth game in nine matches in charge of RB Leipzig in the 2-1 home defeat to Club Brugge. Leipzig face a tough ask to reach the last 16 in a group alongside PSG and City.

On Wednesday, champions Chelsea head to Juventus, Manchester United host Villarreal and Benfica welcome Barcelona in the pick of the ties.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Kyrie Irving could skip games rather than get COVID vaccine -- report

Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving does not want to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and his aunt suggested to Rolling Stone that the NBA should reach some sort of compromise with anti-vaccine players that would allow them to compete in a reduced number of games.

Rolling Stone's report Saturday on the anti-vax movement inside the NBA came on the heels of a different report from Fox Sports, saying Irving had yet to receive his first COVID jab. 

The NBA is not mandating that players receive a vaccine, but New York City has a mandate in place that would disallow athletes from practicing or playing in games inside city limits.

"There are so many other players outside of him who are opting out, I would like to think they would make a way," Kyrie's aunt, Tyki Irving, told Rolling Stone. "It could be like every third game. So it still gives you a full season of being interactive and being on the court, but with the limitations that they're, of course, oppressing upon you.

"There can be some sort of formula where the NBA and the players can come to some sort of agreement."

Roughly 50 to 60 NBA players have yet to receive the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, Rolling Stone reported.

The report also noted that Irving follows an Instagram account whose owner spreads baseless conspiracy theories that COVID vaccines are part of "Satan's ultimate plan to enslave the human soul." He has liked some of the account's posts.

Irving also wields power in his role as a vice president on the executive committee of the players' union.

The 2021-22 NBA regular season begins Oct. 19, when the Nets are scheduled to play the Milwaukee Bucks on the road. Their home opener is Oct. 24 against Charlotte.

Irving is no stranger to missing games for personal reasons. He took an 11-day, seven-game leave of absence from the Nets early in the 2020-21 season for what he deemed "family and personal stuff."

-reuters

Cole, Stanton lead Yankees past Red Sox 8-3, cut lead to 1

BOSTON (AP) — Gerrit Cole showed the Yankees he’s ready for the important games soon to come. Nathan Eovaldi left the Red Sox with nothing but worries.

In a potential AL wild-card preview, Cole took a two-hit shutout into the sixth inning and led the Yankees to an 8-3 victory Friday night, snapping Boston’s seven-game winning streak and pulling New York within one game of the Red Sox in the standings.

“He’s a great pitcher. He’s our ace. He’s a horse,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “There’s a very short list of people you’d rather hand the ball to.”

With Boston in its lucky yellow jerseys and Fenway Park sold to capacity for just the third time this season, Cole (16-8) no-hit the Red Sox for 3 2/3 innings and New York coasted to its fourth straight win.

Eovaldi (10-9) barely made it out of the first inning and couldn’t get through the third.

“The good ones, they have bad ones,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora, whose team holds the top American League wild card.

Giancarlo Stanton had three hits, including a three-run homer, for the Yankees, who are one game back and in position for the second wild card. Toronto and Seattle are two games behind New York.

Unless the Blue Jays — or Seattle or Oakland — can catch one of them, the Red Sox and Yankees would meet in a one-game playoff Oct. 5 for the right to advance to an AL Division Series.

Whoever finishes better over the last eight games could host the winner-take-all matchup. And this weekend in Boston might have a lot to say about that.

“I haven’t gotten quite to the point where I’m really pondering that. I still have some work to do,” said Cole, who noted that he has played in three wild-card games and seen the home team lose two of them. “Regardless of it’s here, Toronto, New York — we’re going to have to play really good baseball, no matter who’s cheering for us.”

Bouncing back from perhaps his worst start of the season, Cole allowed three runs on five hits and three walks, striking out six in six innings.

Gleyber Torres also had three hits — including a homer — for the Yankees, who opened the season with seven straight losses against their AL East archrivals but have since beaten them seven out of 10 tries.

J.D. Martinez broke up Cole’s no-hit bid with a double down the right field line with two out in the fourth. Rafael Devers spoiled the shutout with a three-run homer in the sixth that made it 7-3.

Torres led off the seventh with a fly ball to straightaway center that was knocked back onto the field by a fan in the front row of the bleachers. There was some confusion before the umpires confirmed that it was a home run.

José Iglesias and Kiké Hernandez singled off Yankees reliever Clay Holmes with two out in the seventh before Wandy Peralta struck out pinch-hitter Bobby Dalbec to end Boston’s last big threat.

ACE IN THE HOLE

With erstwhile ace Chris Sale only making seven starts so far after recovering from Tommy John surgery — and only once completing as many as six innings — Eovaldi had been mentioned as a possible No. 1 starter for Boston’s playoff run. But he allowed seven runs on seven hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings.

The first three Yankees batters reached base and scored against Eovaldi. Aaron Judge doubled in one run, went to third on Stanton’s RBI groundout and scored on Torres’ two-out single.

Stanton hit his 32nd homer in the third. Eovaldi left after giving up Joey Gallo’s single and walking Brett Gardner; Hirokazu Sawamura replaced him and got Kyle Higashioka to pop the ball up, but first baseman Kyle Schwarber let it drop for a run-scoring single that made it 7-0.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: RHP Jameson Taillon (ankle) is with the team for the road trip and Boone said there is a “good chance” Taillon returns for one of the games against Toronto next week. He has not pitched since Sept. 6.

Red Sox: Reinstated OF Jarren Duran and INF Jonathan Araúz from the COVID-19 injured list and optioned them to Triple-A Worcester. To make room for them on the 40-man roster, RHPs Geoff Hartlieb and Yacksel Rios were designated for assignment.

UP NEXT

Yankees LHP Nestor Cortes (2-2, 2.79 ERA) has struck out 30 and walked six over 22 1/3 innings in four starts. He’ll oppose Red Sox righty Nick Pivetta (9-7, 4.63), who is winless in his past five starts and allowed four runs in 1 2/3 innings against the Yankees on Aug. 18.

-Associated Press

Apple to pay bonuses of up to $1,000 to store employees: Bloomberg News

Apple Inc will pay one-time bonuses of as much as $1,000 to store employees next month, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The company will give out $1,000 to retail staff hired before Mar. 31, while those who joined later will get $500, the report said.

New employees for the holiday shopping season will receive $200 and bonuses will also be handed out to AppleCare and online sales staff, the report added.

Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The company's retail chief told Reuters in June that Apple was expanding its retail operations, betting that a combination of strategies developed before and during COVID-19 will make its stores more popular than ever.

-reuters

Canaries volcano lava gushes towards sea, eruption goes on

LA PALMA - Lava poured from an erupting volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma for a fourth day on Wednesday, blanketing houses and fields, a day after people with homes on the path of the molten rock were allowed back briefly to recover belongings.

Towers of magma burst high into the air overnight, painting the night sky red and spraying fiery debris onto the flanks of the Cumbre Vieja volcano.

Drone footage earlier showed lava flowing westwards to the coast in three huge tongues, incinerating everything in their path, including a school.

During the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, the Canary Islands' volcanology institute said the amplitude of the volcano's seismic activity intensified.

That seismic activity is "an indicator of the intensity of the strombolian explosive activity," the institute said late on Tuesday. Strombolian is an adjective describing volcanic eruptions with violent explosions ejecting incandescent dust.

The report was issued as the lava pouring from the flanks of the volcano had spread to cover 154 hectares (0.59 square mile) in the towns of El Paso and Los Llanos de Aridane, according to Copernicus Emergency Management Service.

The unstoppable lava has been slowly burning and covering houses as well as fields since the Cumbre Vieja volcano has erupted on Sunday afternoon.

About 6,000 people of the 80,000 people living on the island have been evacuated since Sunday and those living on the path of the lava were allowed back into their homes for brief moments to recover belongings.

No fatalities or injuries have been reported, but drone footage captured two tongues of black lava cutting a devastating swathe through the landscape as they advanced down the volcano's western flank towards the sea.

Experts say that if and when the lava reaches the sea, it could trigger more explosions and clouds of toxic gases. Marine authorities are keeping a two nautical mile area in the sea around the area closed as a precaution.

The lava flow was initially expected to reach the shore on Monday evening, but its speed has fallen. 

-reuters

Football: AC Milan stalemate piles on misery for Juventus

MILAN, Italy -- Juventus were left struggling in the unlikely surroundings of Serie A's bottom three on Sunday after a 1-1 draw with AC Milan kept them searching for a first league win this season.

Alvaro Morata's fourth-minute goal gave Juve the lead but Ante Rebic headed in a 76th-minute equalizer as Milan ended the weekend in second place on goal difference behind city rivals Inter who crushed Bologna 6-1 on Saturday.

Milan could have won the match in the dying moments but Juve keeper Wojciech Szczesny pulled off a brilliant point-blank save to deny Pierre Kalulu.

Juventus, still reeling from the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United, are 18th with just two points from four games with only Cagliari and Salernitana propping them up.

Coach Massimiliano Allegri had harsh words for some of his stars.

"You have to be determined, to bring home the tackle, keep focused. This is part of the general growth process of some players," he said.

"I will admit that I made mistakes on the substitutions, I got it wrong. I should've put more defensive players on and put the 1-0 lead under lock and key, so I take responsibility for that."

Milan, missing both Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Olivier Giroud, dropped their first league points of the season.

However, they will be relieved not to have lost back-to-back games having gone down to Liverpool in the Champions League in midweek.

Spanish international Morata temporarily allowed Juventus fans to forget about Ronaldo when he sped away from Theo Hernandez before coolly slotting the ball past Mike Maignan in goal. 

Milan only threatened through three long distance attempts from Sandro Tonali in the fitst half.

But Croatian winger Rebic preserved Milan's unbeaten league start by heading in a Tonali corner with 14 minutes left.

"We came here to win the game," said Milan coach Stefano Pioli told DAZN.

"Juventus did better in the first 20 minutes, were more determined and focused, but we continued playing and did much better towards the end with chances to win, so it was overall a positive performance."

Roma dropped their first points in Serie A under Jose Mourinho as Verona came from behind to earn new coach Igor Tudor a 3-2 victory on his debut.

Lorenzo Pellegrini's clever backheel flick gave visitors Roma a half-time lead in the pouring rain as they sought a fourth successive win to start the season.

- Mourinho beaten -

Antonin Barak equalized for Verona shortly after the interval and Gianluca Caprari put the hosts ahead with a precise finish five minutes later.

Ivan Ilic turned a Pellegrini cross into his own goal to bring Roma level before the hour, but Davide Faraoni's brilliant volley secured the win for Verona to halt a run of three straight losses.

"I knew their qualities, even before the change in coach," Mourinho told DAZN.

"They'd already posed big problems to their opponents. And when there's a coaching change there's often a reaction mentally, it can happen."

Roma's city rivals Lazio needed a late goal from Danilo Cataldi to salvage a 2-2 draw at home to Cagliari.

Ciro Immobile struck for the fifth time in four games as Lazio went ahead just before the break.

Joao Pedro's looping header pegged Lazio back right at the start of the second half, with Keita Balde then firing home against his former club to put Cagliari on top.

But the Sardinian club couldn't hold on for victory in Walter Mazzarri's first game in charge as Cataldi fired into the top corner seven minutes from time to rescue Lazio.

Venezia's first Serie A home match since the 2001-02 season ended in a crushing 2-1 loss to Spezia.

Simone Bastoni curled in a sensational effort as Spezia grabbed an early lead at the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, an intriguing ground set on the south-eastern tip of Venice's main archipelago.

Pietro Ceccaroni headed Venezia level on the hour but Mehdi Bourabia's brilliant injury-time strike from distance claimed Thiago Motta's Spezia a first win.

Agence France-Presse 

Some 25,000 Spanish students hold 'macro-botellon' drinking party

MADRID - About 25,000 people took part in the biggest illegal drinking party in Madrid since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, police said on Saturday.

The "macro-botellon," as these outside drinking parties are called, started at the Complutense University in Madrid on Friday.

Madrid's Municipal Police said because of the large numbers involved in the party, they were unable to clear the drinkers until 7 a.m. Saturday.

Video of the party showed thousands of revelers not wearing masks or maintaining social distancing.

"It is the biggest botellon that we have seen since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic," a police spokesman told Reuters.

Madrid's regional government will relax restrictions from Monday so that bars and clubs can stay open until 6 a.m., from the 2 a.m. close currently. People must still wear masks indoors and maintain a distance of 1.5 meters if social distancing is not possible.

However, mass drinking parties are still illegal and punishable with fines for taking part between 500 euros ($586.25) for minors and 600 euros ($703.50) for adults. Organizers face fines of up to 600,000 euros ($703,500.00) if a court judges it is an activity which puts public health at risk.

There were other mass drinking parties in Barcelona and the northern Spanish city of Logroño on Friday night, authorities said. 

-reuters

Tennis: U.S. Open victory yet to sink in, says Raducanu

U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu said on Wednesday that her sensational win at Flushing Meadows had yet to sink in and that the 18 months she took off from the sport provided her with the "hunger" to prevail in New York.

The 18-year-old Briton stunned the tennis world by defeating Canada's Leylah Fernandez in straight sets on Saturday to become the first qualifier to capture a Grand Slam title.

"I feel great. Everything that's happened in the last 72 hours has been so much fun... it still hasn't really sunk in, but occasionally I'll remember that I won the U.S. Open. So yeah, a really funny feeling," she told the WTA website.

Raducanu took a break from tennis last year due to the pandemic and also because her parents insisted that she should complete her high school exams.

"Having 18 months away... coming out you play every match like you don't know when your last match will be. That was how I was approaching the whole summer... But the biggest thing is that I never once got ahead of myself," she said.

"For three weeks I just played the opponent in front of me, I took care of what I wanted to try and achieve on that day against that opponent, and just repeated it for three weeks."

Raducanu has made a string of public appearances since her win last weekend, the most high-profile being at the Met Gala in New York on Monday.

The teenager called her red-carpet experience "eye-opening", adding: "At the Met Gala everyone is so experienced and so accomplished in their own way and it was really cool to hear how they are and their perspective on things."

For now, Raducanu said that she planned to switch off from tennis following an intense few weeks and was not entirely sure when her next tournament would be.

"I think for me, still, I cherish the most the moments with the team after the win... that was probably the most special night ever, when we were reflecting... I know I'll get back to work probably Monday or early next week... schedule-wise, I'm not sure," she added. 

(Reporting by Dhruv Munjal in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

-reuters

Golf: Patrick Cantlay bags Nicklaus Trophy as PGA Player of the Year

FedEx Cup winner Patrick Cantlay is the PGA Tour Player of the Year.

Cantlay, 29, led wire to wire at East Lake to claim the Tour Championship, capping a four-win 2021 that included $7,638,805 in official winnings plus $15 million as the FedEx Cup champion.

The PGA Tour Player of the Year wins the Jack Nicklaus Award and the honor is determined by vote of the Tour membership. 

Cantlay won despite a stellar year from Jon Rahm, who was a finalist along with Bryson DeChambeau, Harris English and Collin Morikawa.

"The fact that it's voted on by my fellow PGA Tour players, I think that means a lot to me," Cantlay said Tuesday. "It wasn't something that I necessarily thought was on the radar middle of the year, but then I closed really well and played a lot of really nice golf towards the end."

From a full year off and the verge of retirement in 2016, Cantlay won the ZOZO Championship, Memorial Tournament and BMW Championship before closing out the season with the Tour Championship victory.

"On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I would like to congratulate Patrick Cantlay on being honored as the 2021 PGA TOUR Player of the Year," said commissioner Jay Monahan. 

"Receiving this award through a member vote reflects the respect his peers have for Patrick. His play throughout 2020-21 was phenomenal, and in stepping up to win consecutive FedExCup Playoffs events and the FedExCup, Patrick was at his best when it mattered most in our season."

No player has won four tournaments in a season since Justin Thomas in 2016-17. Cantlay also finished runner-up at The American Express and had seven top-10 finishes in 24 starts this season.

Cantlay beat Rahm by one stroke at the Tour Championship and previously knocked off DeChambeau in a six-hole playoff at the BMW Championship.

-reuters

Amid array of challenges, Apple unveils new products

Apple CEO Tim Cook strode through a slickly produced video Tuesday to launch a new iPhone, with few hints of the exceptional string of troubles facing his company including policy reversals, a spyware attack and legal fights.

Cook, from an empty, darkened auditorium, raved over upgraded cameras, brighter screens and new features for some of the Silicon Valley giant's other devices such as the iPad.

"These are the best iPhones we've ever created," Cook said, noting Apple's work to design the "very best products and services to enrich people's lives."

Yet a head-spinning series of problems have occupied the recent public discussion of one the world's most valuable companies. 

Due to a long and loud fight over its online app marketplace, a judge ordered Apple last week to allow developers to sidestep its hefty commission on purchases.

It delayed a plan to scan its customers' devices as part of a child abuse prevention move, after privacy advocates howled over the risk of opening a backdoor for government surveillance.

And then Monday it was forced to roll out an urgent fix after cybersecurity researchers found a weakness that allowed Pegasus spyware to infect Apple devices without users so much as clicking a malicious message.

That said, Apple still possesses massive reach in the digital world and beyond, and manages to be worth over $2 trillion.

Its fans cheered the release of the updated products Tuesday, including analyst Daniel Ives who noted "the supercycle for Cupertino," referring to the California city that is home to Apple's headquarters.

"Apple remains in the midst of its strongest overall product cycle in roughly a decade," he added.

- Array of challenges - 

It is true the company has racked up massive profits driven by the demand for its devices as much of the world hunkered down at home due to the pandemic. 

At the same time legal battles, new laws and the scrutiny of regulators around the world has added up to a series of challenges against the company. 

As Cook expounded on iPhone developments, a group fighting to loosen Apple's control over its App Store tweeted its verdict on the new handset.

"Today's rollout of the iPhone 13 only tells us one thing: new iPhone, same bad App Store," wrote Coalition for App Fairness. 

"It's time for @Apple to #OpenTheAppStore and level the playing field for app developers and innovators."

Apple has started to cede ground on its App Store dominance, including in an agreement with Japanese regulators.

It also faces the legislation adopted by South Korean lawmakers, which banned Apple and Google from forcing app developers to use the tech giants' payment systems. 

Yet when the verdict came in a California court Friday, Apple barely complained about the ruling ordering it to ease control over its App Store.

Instead it heaved a public sigh of relief the judge had not found it to be an illegal monopoly, which could have opened doors for regulators and prosecutors to go after the tech giant. 

"We consider this a huge win for Apple," it told reporters. 

Agence France-Presse

Apple issues fix for flaw linked to Pegasus spyware

Apple released a fix Monday for a weakness that can let the spyware at the heart of the Pegasus scandal infect devices without users even clicking on a malicious message or link.

The Pegasus software from Israeli firm NSO Group has been under intense scrutiny since an international media investigation claimed it was used to spy on the phones of human rights activists, journalists and even heads of state.

Researchers at Citizen Lab, a cybersecurity watchdog organization in Canada, found the problem while analyzing a Saudi activist's phone that had been compromised with the code.

"We determined that the mercenary spyware company NSO Group used the vulnerability to remotely exploit and infect the latest Apple devices with the Pegasus spyware," Citizen Lab wrote in a post.

In March Citizen Lab examined the activist's phone and determined it was hacked with Pegasus spyware introduced via iMessage texting and that it didn't even require the phone's user to so much as click.

Hours after releasing the fix, Apple said it had "rapidly" developed the update following Citizen Lab's discovery of the problem.

"Attacks like the ones described are highly sophisticated, cost millions of dollars to develop, often have a short shelf life, and are used to target specific individuals," the company said.

NSO did not dispute Pegasus had prompted the urgent software upgrade, and said in a statement that it would "continue to provide intelligence and law enforcement agencies around the world with life saving technologies to fight terror and crime."

- No click needed -

Pegasus has evolved to become more effective since it was uncovered by Citizen Lab and cyber security firm Lookout five years ago.

Pegasus can be deployed as a "zero-click exploit," meaning that the spyware can install itself without the victim even clicking a booby-trapped link or file, according to Lookout senior manager Hank Schless.

"Many apps will automatically create a preview or cache of links in order to improve the user experience," Schless said.

"Pegasus takes advantage of this functionality to silently infect the device."

UN experts recently called for an international moratorium on the sale of surveillance technology until regulations are implemented to protect human rights following an Israeli spyware scandal.

An international media investigation reported in July that several governments used the Pegasus malware, created by NSO Group, to spy on activists, journalists and politicians. 

Pegasus can switch on a phone's camera or microphone and harvest its data.

"It is highly dangerous and irresponsible to allow the surveillance technology and trade sector to operate as a human rights-free zone," the United Nations human rights experts said in a statement at the time.

The statement was signed by three special rapporteurs on rights and a working group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other businesses.

Israel's defense establishment has set up a committee to review NSO's business, including the process through which export licences are granted.

NSO insists its software is intended for use only in fighting terrorism and other crimes, and says it exports to 45 countries.

 Agence France-Presse

Football: Ronaldo takes United joint top with Chelsea, City win and Spurs slump

MANCHESTER, England - Two goals from returning hero Cristiano Ronaldo sent Manchester United joint top of the Premier League after early season pace-setters Tottenham Hotspur fell to a surprise 3-0 loss at Crystal Palace.

Champions Manchester City made it three wins out of four with a 1-0 win at Leicester City while Arsenal got their first victory of the campaign, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on target in a 1-0 win over Norwich City.

Manchester United and Chelsea lead on 10 points with an identical goal difference after four games with Manchester City a point behind along with Brighton & Hove Albion, who won 1-0 at promoted Brentford, and Spurs.

Chelsea beat Aston Villa 3-0 in the late game to register their 600th victory in the Premier League.

Romelu Lukaku and Mateo Kovacic finally opened their accounts at Stamford Bridge, with the Belgian striker scoring twice, while goalkeeper Edouard Mendy denied Villa numerous times to keep his third clean sheet.

Ronaldo's return to United from Juventus last month brought with it the promise of excitement and goals at Old Trafford and his second debut certainly lived up to the billing.

The 36-year-old fired his side ahead just before the break, pouncing to slot home from close range after Newcastle keeper Freddie Woodman was unable to hold on to a low drive from Mason Greenwood.

After Javier Manquillo brought Newcastle level following the break, Ronaldo produced a trademark strike. He burst into the box as he collected a through ball from Luke Shaw before drilling it through the legs of Woodman.

Bruno Fernandes made it 3-1 with a wonderful strike from 25 metres out and substitute Jesse Lingard completed the rout.

SPURS SEE RED

Ronaldo was not the only celebrating debutant -- Odsonne Edouard scored twice on his debut for Palace as 10-man Tottenham Hotspur fell to a 3-0 loss at Selhurst Park.

Spurs centre back Japhet Tanganga was shown a second yellow card in the 58th minute for a foul on Jordan Ayew, five minutes after the defender was adjudged to have illegally blocked winger Wilfried Zaha.

Matters got worse for the visitors as Palace were awarded a penalty when Ben Davies handled from a Conor Gallagher cross in the 75th minute, and Zaha dispatched the spot-kick past Hugo Lloris.

Palace scored again six minutes from time through Edouard, who slotted home from Zaha's cross 27 seconds after coming on, and the Frenchman completed his dream debut in stoppage time following a slick team move.

Another Portugal international, Bernardo Silva, scored the only goal for Pep Guardiola's City at Leicester.

City striker Ferran Torres had a number of good chances in the first half but Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel was alert.

Jamie Vardy had a goal ruled out for offside four minutes into the second half but it was Manchester City who finally broke the deadlock as Silva pounced on a loose ball in the box to fire home in the 62nd minute.

Leicester piled forward looking for an equaliser and Kelechi Iheanacho and Ademola Lookman both went close, but Brazilian keeper Ederson was quick off his line twice.

BRIGHTON UP TO FOURTH

Brighton's excellent start to the campaign continued with their third victory in four league games.

Leandro Trossard's curler from the edge of the penalty area in the 90th minute secured the three points from Graham Potter's side who are now fourth in the standings.

Arsenal moved off the bottom of the Premier League standings and scored their first goal of the campaign after captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's scrambled 66th-minute effort gave them a 1-0 home win over Norwich.

Mikel Arteta's side produced an improved performance after their opening three defeats but were made to work hard by a rugged Norwich side before Aubameyang, who missed two first-half chances, broke the deadlock.

The Gabonese striker fired wide in the 10th minute and was denied in the 20th by a superb save from visiting goalkeeper Tim Krul before Takehiro Tomiyasu volleyed over the bar for the dominant hosts on the stroke of halftime.

Pepe twice hit the post within a few seconds from a flowing move and the second rebound fell kindly to Aubameyang, who was perfectly positioned to tuck the ball into an empty net. 

(Reporting by Simon Evans, additional reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

-reuters 

Never forget: US remembers 9/11 on 20th anniversary

A couple views the Tribute in Light beams and the One World Trade Center tower from Little Island park on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in Manhattan, New York City, U.S. on Friday. America is set to mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11 with ceremonies given added poignancy by the recent chaotic withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and return to power of the Taliban.

-reuters

Tennis: Fearless teenagers Fernandez, Raducanu a win away from glory

NEW YORK - Leylah Fernandez and Emma Raducanu will clash in one of the most improbable U.S. Open finals on Saturday, the teenagers' fearless tennis bringing them to the cusp of becoming the sport's newest major champion.

Their title clash under the lights at the Arthur Ashe Stadium will be the first major final in the Open Era in either the men's and women's game to feature two unseeded players.

Canadian Fernandez, who turned 19 this week, was ranked 73rd coming into the hardcourt Grand Slam while 18-year-old Briton Raducanu was 150th in the women's rankings.

But with no burden of expectation on their shoulders, the duo have showcased a brand of fearless tennis at Flushing Meadows that has endeared them to the fans and helped them chart a path to the showpiece match.

"They are both young. They play fearless. They have nothing to lose playing against us," said Greek Maria Sakkari, who bowed out in the semi-finals with a straight-sets loss to qualifier Raducanu.

"I have to give credit to both of them, both of the young girls, that they take their chances. They're out there fighting for that title. Very well done to both for getting here."

Saturday's final will be the first tour-level meeting between them but the pair previously clashed in the second round of the 2018 Wimbledon juniors when Raducanu won 6-2 6-4.

It will also mark the first Grand Slam final to be contested by two teenagers since Serena Williams and Martina Hingis met in the 1999 U.S. Open title clash.

NATURAL GIFT

"With Raducanu and with Leylah Fernandez, they know how to win. They know how to stay calm in the most important moments," said Eurosport tennis expert and seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander.

"They have a natural gift of not panicking, and that's amazing. I can't even explain it."

The first British woman to reach a major final since Virginia Wade won Wimbledon in 1977, Raducanu can jump to 24th in the rankings with her first title while the left-handed Fernandez can make her top 20 debut by winning the U.S. Open.

The Briton has, however, had a less arduous path to the final. She has not dropped a set in her nine matches at Flushing Meadows to become the first qualifier - in men's and women's tennis - to reach a major final.

In contrast, Fernandez has had to conjure every ounce of her fighting spirit to move past the heavyweights of women's tennis and be in a position to give Canada its second U.S. Open women's title in three years after Bianca Andreescu's 2019 triumph.

The Canadian had to defeat three top-five players and a multiple major winner in her last four matches - all in three sets - to book her spot in the final.

"Raducanu and Fernandez play very similar in a way. If Fernandez was right-handed you wouldn't see much difference in their styles. They are pretty close in how they play," added Wilander. (Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by Ken Ferris)

-reuters

US Open: British qualifier Emma Raducanu makes history by reaching semis

NEW YORK—British teenager Emma Raducanu produced yet another exquisite performance to become the first qualifier to reach the U.S. Open semifinals on Wednesday, defeating Olympic champion Belinda Bencic 6-3 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Down an early break, the Briton recovered swiftly to win four straight games to close out the first set in which she had seven forehand winners and three aces.

Like Raducanu, Bencic had reached the last eight without dropping a set in Flushing Meadows but on Wednesday she struggled with her first serve and misfired a pair of costly double faults in the opening set.

Raducanu maintained her momentum in the second set, fending off three break points in the second game. 

A frustrated Bencic handed Raducanu a break with a double fault in the fifth game and her frustration boiled over as the match progressed, with the Swiss smacking her racket to the ground. 

Down 0-30 in her final two service games, Raducanu kept her nerve on both occasions and soaked up the cheers of the New York crowd after triumphing in a nine-shot rally on the final point.

"Playing Belinda – she’s such a great opponent," Raducanu said. "Her ball speed definitely caught me off guard because she hits the ball so hard."

The 18-year-old, who reached the Wimbledon fourth round on her Grand Slam debut just two months ago, has so far won all 16 sets she has played from qualifying through to the semi-finals.

She is the second teenager to make an impact in the women's draw this week as 19-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez has also reached the last four.

"To have so many young players here doing so well just shows how strong the next generation is," added Raducanu, who delighted a number of young fans by taking selfies with them before she walked off court.

"Everyone is on their trajectory. I'm just here taking care of what I can control, and it's my own journey at the end of the day." (Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York, additional reporting by Steve Keating, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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US Open: Fil-Canadian Leylah Fernandez beats Elina Svitolina of Ukraine to book semis berth

Canadian 19-year-old left-hander Leylah Fernandez advanced to the US Open semifinals on Tuesday by defeating Ukraine's fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5).

Fernandez, ranked 73rd, will play her first Grand Slam semifinal against the winner of a later match between No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Czech eighth seed Barbora Krejcikova, the reigning French Open champion.

It was yet another upset win for Fernandez, whose father is Ecuadorian and mother has Filipino roots, but hardly a shock considering she had already knocked out 4-time major champion Naomi Osaka in the third round and 3-time Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber in the fourth.

If there was any lingering worry that the fearless Canadian would buckle under the mounting pressure, Fernandez removed it by prevailing in a nerve-jangling third set tiebreak 7-5 to clinch a spot in the last four. 

Rated one of the best players yet to win a major, Svitolina might have fancied her chances of returning to the US Open semifinals against a 73rd-ranked teen.

But Fernandez, who celebrated her 19th birthday on Monday, has shown that she is no ordinary teenager after registering a string of upsets that have made her a Flushing Meadows darling. — With a report from Reuters

Agence France-Presse

PSG signs two-year deal with fashion house Dior

PARIS – Paris St Germain said on Monday they had signed a two-year partnership deal with fashion house Christian Dior.

PSG said Dior would design their official wardrobe, and that the partnership marked the first time Dior had signed a deal in this way with a sports club.

Kim Jones, artistic director of Dior men’s collections, had designed a series of new creations for the PSG team for the next two seasons, added PSG. Until the Dior deal, PSG had a clothing partnership with Germany’s Hugo Boss.

PSG has one of the most potent attacking forces in club soccer, with new signing Lionel Messi linking up with Brazil’s Neymar and French striker Kylian Mbappe.

A six-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, Messi joined from Barcelona and made his Ligue 1 debut late last month.

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New Zealand lifts virus curbs, says Delta elimination in sight

WELLINGTON - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday said nationwide coronavirus curbs would be lifted, bar in the biggest city of Auckland, as the country gets on top of an outbreak of the Delta variant.

New Zealand had been largely virus-free, excluding a small cluster of cases in February, until an infected traveler from Australia seeded an outbreak that prompted Ardern to impose the national lockdown last week.

Ardern, who said restrictions would be eased outside of Auckland from Wednesday, is continuing to pursue an elimination strategy for the disease.

"We are within sight of elimination, but we can't drop the ball," Ardern said at a televised news conference. "Day by day we are making very good progress. What I don't want to do is move too quickly and then see a resurgence."

About 1.7 million people in greater Auckland, the epicenter of the outbreak, will remain in a full level 4 lockdown until at least Sept. 14.

The easing of the alert status to level 2 from level 3 in the rest of the country will allow the reopening of schools, offices and businesses. Regional travel will also be allowed.

Face masks will still be required inside most public venues, including shops and malls. Indoor hospitality venues will be limited to 50 patrons and outdoor venues to 100 people.

Daily new cases in the current outbreak have dropped from a peak of 85 on Aug. 29 to 20 on Monday.

The current outbreak is responsible for 821 of the country's total of about 3,400 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. It has reported 27 deaths.

Ardern's tough lockdowns and international border closure helped rein in COVID-19, but the government now faces questions over a delayed vaccine rollout and rising costs in a country heavily reliant on an immigrant workforce.

Just about 30% of the country's 5.1 million people has been fully vaccinated, the slowest pace among the wealthy nations of the OECD grouping. (Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Jane Wardell)

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Fil-Canadian Leylah Fernandez beats Naomi Osaka in shock upset at US open

NEW YORK— Two-time champion Naomi Osaka's U.S. Open title defense ended in tears on Friday, as she suffered a stunning defeat in the third round to Filipino-Canadian Leylah Fernandez 5-7 7-6(2) 6-4, and told reporters she planned to take a break from the sport.

"I feel like I'm kind of at this point where I'm trying to figure out what I want to do. Honestly I don't know when I'm going to play my next tennis match," she said, breaking down in tears at a post-match press conference and pulling the brim of her visor over her eyes.

"I think I'm going to take a break from playing for a while."

Playing in her first Grand Slam since pulling out of the French Open earlier this year and disclosing her battle with depression, Osaka's return to Flushing Meadows did not go to plan, as she wordlessly left the court after uncharacteristically losing her cool in the second set tiebreak.

The third seed whacked her racquet and then flung it onto the court twice in frustration as Fernandez scored five straight points in the tiebreak, in a series of superb play.

Osaka did not receive a warning or a code violation and left the court in between sets.

"I'm really sorry about that," she said. "I was telling myself to be calm, but I feel like maybe there was a boiling point.

"Like normally I feel like I like challenges. But recently I feel very anxious when things don't go my way, and I feel like you can feel that. I'm not really sure why it happens the way it happens now."

Her troubles continued as 18-year-old Fernandez broke her serve to kick off the third set, and Osaka hit a ball into the stands in the second game, prompting a warning from the chair umpire.

In the ninth game Osaka rushed through her serves, not even waiting for the crowd to quiet down, as she was unable to create a single break point opportunity in the final set.

A fan favorite, Osaka has struggled with uneven play since she withdrew from Roland Garros earlier this year amid a public row with tournament officials over required media appearances, which she said had a negative impact on her mental health.

She told fans that she has struggled with depression for years, prompting new discussion around mental health in professional sport.

"How do I go around saying this? I feel like for me recently, like, when I win I don't feel happy. I feel more like a relief. And then when I lose, I feel very sad," said Osaka.

"I don't think that's normal."

FERNANDEZ BREAKTHROUGH

It was a breakthrough performance for Fernandez, who reached the fourth round of a major for the first time just a few days shy of her 19th birthday.

She fired off 28 winners across the three sets, and said in a televised interview that she worked at "just finding the solutions" during the match.

"She's a great server, she's been hitting aces left, right and centre," Fernandez said of Osaka.

-reuters

Tennis: Djokovic wins at US Open, moves five matches from Slam

World number one Novak Djokovic moved five matches from completing the first men's singles calendar-year Grand Slam in 52 years by advancing to the third round of the US Open on Friday.

The 34-year-old Serbian cruised past 121st-ranked Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to book a third-round date with 2014 US Open runner-up Kei Nishikori of Japan.

"I'm as motivated as ever to do well," Djokovic said. "I'm not the only player that wants to go deep in the tournament and put his hands on the trophy. I'm trying to be my best every day and let's see what happens."

Djokovic, chasing the first men's singles calendar Slam since Rod Laver in 1969, said the mental challenge was tougher than the physical one at this stage.

"Probably it's more mental and emotional, really," Djokovic said. "I don't mind being on the court a long time. I feel I have more chances in a best-of-five.

"It's more about handling everything that's happening off the court, all the expectations."

A fourth US Open crown would bring Djokovic his 21st career Grand Slam crown, giving him the men's all-time record, one more than the mark he now shares with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, both absent with injuries.

Djokovic said he was holding off enjoying New York's nightlife.

"We'll party and celebrate hopefully in a few weeks' time," Djokovic said.

Griekspoor broke in the seventh game of the second set to pull within 4-3 when Djokovic sent a backhand long, but the number one broke back and held, taking the set on his 10th ace on his way to a 99-minute victory.

"I came out on the court with the right energy, right focus," Djokovic said.

Nishikori made himself an obstacle in Djokovic's path to history by outlasting American Mackenzie McDonald 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 2-6, 6-3, avenging a loss in last month's Washington semi-finals.

Djokovic has a 17-2 career record against Nishikori, who last beat the Serbian star in the 2014 US Open semi-finals. Since then, Djokovic has won 16 in a row, most recently in the Tokyo Olympic quarter-finals.

"Even though I had a bad record, I always try to be positive," Nishikori said. "I'm sure it's going to be tough one, but I do my best."

- Crowds down after storm -

Attendance was off as New York struggled to recover from a deadly storm and flash flooding. Remnants of Hurricane Ida struck Wednesday night and killed at least 41 people, triggering a rare state of emergency for the city, flooding subways and turning roads into rivers.

High water that flooded US Open plazas had drained away and wind-scattered furniture was replaced for Thursday. Swamped Louis Armstrong Stadium hosted Thursday morning practice.

"There were some branches down but nothing that would impact the tournament or the fans," National Tennis Center chief operating officer Danny Zausner said.

With abandoned cars scattered across streets near the National Tennis Center and many highways shut down, fewer spectators than normal saw Tokyo Olympic champion Alexander Zverev and top-ranked Ashleigh Barty roll into the third round.

Australian Barty dispatch Danish teen Clara Tauson 6-1, 7-5 and German fourth seed Zverev rip 33rd-ranked Spanish left-hander Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 6-0, 6-3.

"It was pretty devastating last night," Barty said. "It was quite a wild storm. It did wreak some havoc."

Reigning Wimbledon champion Barty, seeking her third Grand Slam title, next plays American Shelby Rogers as she chases a sixth trophy of the year and first US Open quarter-finals spot.

Zverev, last year's US Open runner-up and a champion two weeks ago at Cincinnati, took only 74 minutes to advance.

"It's great that I'm through in three sets and just over an hour," Zverev said. "I will need that energy. I'll need that power I have for further matches. I'm happy I only lost four games."

German Oscar Otte, ranked 144th, became the fifth men's qualifier to reach the third round by defeating 92nd-ranked American Denis Kudla 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

There haven't been so many qualifiers so deep at any Slam since six at the 2011 French Open and not at the US Open since five made it in 1984.

 Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Djokovic takes first unsteady step toward calendar slam

NEW YORK - Novak Djokovic took a first unsteady step toward completing the calendar-year Grand Slam on Tuesday as the Serb labored into the second round of the U.S. Open with a 6-1 6-7(5) 6-2 6-1 win over dashing Danish teenager Holger Rune.

On paper, the contest was a total mismatch - an 18-year-old qualifier making his Grand Slam debut against a player chasing a 21st major title.

While the outcome was exactly what was expected, the effort needed by Djokovic to see off the fearless Dane, who battled to the end despite suffering cramp, was not.

"I started great. Played a really, really good first set," said Djokovic. "After that, I don't know, I was 4-3 serving in the second set, everything was working well, but then I just lost the first serve.

"I had until tonight tons of experience playing on this court, for him it was the first one.

"Still you get nerves. You still are feeling a little bit rusty at the beginning."

The match got underway amid a somewhat flat atmosphere inside Arthur Ashe Stadium but the crowd were chanting the little-known Dane's name after he stunned Djokovic to win the second set.

Aside from that, it was a controlled effort from the 34-year-old Djokovic, far different from the Serb's last match on Arthur Ashe Stadium court which ended with him being disqualified after swatting a ball in frustration that struck a line judge.

'CRAZY EXPERIENCE'

The stone-faced world number one was all business from the start, breaking his opponent at the first opportunity and rolling through the set in just 26 minutes.

Playing his first event since a disappointing Tokyo Olympics there were signs of rust and a lack of intensity, particularly in a sloppy second set when Rune broke him twice and forced the set to tie-break that he easily won.

But there was never any panic from Djokovic, who turned up the pressure in the third with an early break to regain control as Rune began to suffer cramp.

As Rune grimaced with every step, Djokovic showed his ruthless side, moving the youngster from line-to-line and taking the set 6-2.

Rune was determined to battle his way to the end but a Djokovic victory was now certain and the Serb wrapped up the match by taking the fourth set 6-1.

"It was a crazy experience, playing against Novak on Arthur Ashe is probably one of the dream come true," said Rune.

"To be able to win one set as well was great."

The Dane said his fitness struggles made winning "impossible".

"I had high belief in myself throughout the whole match," he added.

"Unfortunately my fitness let me down.

"I started cramping already in the beginning of the third set.

"I knew if I had to win, I really had to fight for every point but with my body at this point, it was impossible." 

(Reporting by Steve Keating in New York; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

-reuters