THE Australian Open could be played indoors or even delayed if intense bushfires continue to affect air quality in Melbourne. Australia is reeling from devastating summer fires across its States which have engulfed coastal cities in massive plumes of smoke. On Monday, parts of Melbourne recorded air quality indexes above 200, which is classed as “very unhealthy”. At these pollution […]

WORCESTER rugby star Michael Fatialofa is "stable in intensive care" after suffering a horror neck injury against Saracens. The second-row ace, 27, went down injured for 15 minutes during the Warriors' 62-5 Premiership defeat to Sarries on Saturday. And the New Zealander was kept in for a second night in intensive care, after major concerns over his long-term health. His […]

Jermaine Beckford joins Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Ian Wright at Emirates Stadium on BBC One and the BBC Sport website from 19:30 GMT on Monday for live coverage of Leeds United’s FA Cup third-round tie with Arsenal. I grew up in London as an Arsenal fan but, when I joined Leeds, I immersed myself in the history and the […]

LOS ANGELES — There are plenty of NBA scouts at Knicks’ games these days with the trade deadline approaching on Feb. 7. If Marcus Morris keeps racking up astounding numbers, he’s going to score himself off the Knicks. The Knicks arrived to glorious weather and looked invigorated early Sunday — dashing to a 16-point lead after one quarter against the […]

JESSE LINGARD has been told to continue curbing his social media activity and concentrate just on football. Lingard, 27, used to regularly post messages advertising his 'JLingz' clothing brand. There was also a crude video of him and friends on holiday in Miami. Postings of him dancing with Paul Pogba over the years have also got a mixed reaction from […]

TEHRAN, Iran — Weeping amid wails from a crowd of hundreds of thousands of mourners, Iran’s supreme leader on Monday prayed over the remains of a top Iranian general killed in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad, an attack that’s drastically raised tensions between Tehran and Washington. The targeted killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani already has seen his replacement […]

THIBAUT COURTOIS has gone from Real Madrid's "worst-ever transfer" to what the Spanish press are calling "redemption" as he enjoys the form of his life. The former Chelsea stopper, 27, had the game of his life with a series of stunning saves as Los Blancos finally overcame a stubborn Getafe at the weekend. With the game perilously poised at 1-0 […]

LAS VEGAS — Sex toys are back on the CES show floor. And Lora Haddock DiCarlo deserves a lot of the credit. “We want to reshape how people think about sex tech,” says the CEO and founder of the company that bears her name and markets such products. “We shamed pleasure (tech) for so long,” she says. “The fact is that […]

STEVE BRUCE fears Joelinton is being weighed down by his £40million price tag and Newcastle’s No9 shirt. The out-of-sorts striker hit the post at Rochdale but missed two other big chances and gave the ball away for the League One side’s equaliser. Joelinton, 23, has now scored only one goal in 22 appearances since the Toon made him their club-record […]

Dom Sibley deserves praise for keeping faith with his quirky batting technique despite a lean run at the start of his Test career, according to Sky Sports pundit Michael Atherton. The England opener, who had mustered just 105 runs from his first six innings at international level, shone on the third day of the second Test at Cape Town with […]