adminEngland aim for Ashes whitewash
LONDON. — James Anderson has stated publicly England’s ambition to win the Ashes 5-0 after going 2-0 up against Australia in the ongoing Test cricket series.Australia have twice routed their arch-rivals by such a margin but England have never won an Ashes 5-0.
Soccer hit by deadly attacks
BAGHDAD. — Umm Ibrahim stood weeping near a symbolic gravestone at the football pitch in Baghdad where her 13-year-old son was killed in one of a spate of recent deadly attacks on Iraqi grounds.The Messi factor
BEUNOS AIRES. — Gerardo Martino believes a recommendation from fellow Argentine Lionel Messi was behind his surprise appointment as Barcelona coach on Monday.“The details of how the situation developed I don’t know (but) I have no doubt Jorge (Messi’s father) and Lionel had some influence,” Martino, the former Paraguay coach, told a
TDF doping scandal
PARIS. — Italian Marco Pantani and Germany’s Jan Ullrich both used the banned blood-booster erythropoetin (EPO) during the 1998 Tour de France, a French parliamentary commission report said yesterday.Pressure on City: Jose
LONDON. — Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has suggested that the pressure is all on Manchester City after their summer spending spree.New City boss Manuel Pellegrini has splurged the cash on Spanish duo Alvaro Negredo and Jesus Navas from Sevilla as well as Stevan Jovetic from Fiorentina and Fernandinho
‘Liverpool are now almost there’
MELBOURNE. — Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said yesterday he believes success is just around the corner for the Merseyside club, and urged the team’s owners to keep backing manager Brendan Rodgers.Proteas sweat on Amla’s injury
COLOMBO. — A groin injury to star cricket batsman Hashim Amla has added to South Africa’s woes as they attempt to prevent their limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka from falling apart.
WikiLeaks film debuts
Toronto. — The world première of “The Fifth Estate” a ripped-from-the-headlines drama about Julian Assange and the creation of WikiLeaks, will open the 38th Toronto International Film Festival, which typically yields a number of Oscar contenders.
Suarez wants talks
MELBOURNE. — Liverpool striker Luis Suarez wants to hold talks with Arsenal over a potential move to the London club.He believes Arsenal’s offer of just over £40m — which has been rejected — triggered a clause in his contract that allows him to speak to suitors.