■FOOTBALL
NFL suspends Bills’ Lynch
Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch received a three-game suspension from the National Football League on Thursday for a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy. The banishment without pay for the Bills’ opening games in September came a month after Lynch pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge in Los Angeles. He was also involved in a hit-and-run accident last May. Lynch was arrested in February after police found a semi-automatic handgun inside a backpack of a parked car in which Lynch was seated. He pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed firearm and was sentenced to community service and three years on probation.
■SNOOKER
Game to receive facelift
The reputation of snooker as one of sport’s more traditional games is set to be turned on its head by plans to introduce a radical new condensed format of the game. Impressed by the success of Cricket’s Twenty20, World Snooker chairman Sir Rodney Walker is anxious to lure new fans to the green baize. Outlining his plans in Thursday’s Guardian, he said the new format would feature the same number of colors but only six reds, with games intended to last an average of six or seven minutes. The game has a working title of ‘Super6s’ and is to be trialed at this month’s World Championships in Sheffield with a legends versus rising stars tournament.
■SOCCER
Loyalists behind attacks
Local units of the two main loyalist terror organizations in Northern Ireland were behind events that have seen 40 Polish migrant workers flee in recent weeks. Members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Ulster Defense Association (UDA) in south Belfast organized the intimidation of the Poles over the past fortnight, security sources in the city said. The attacks on Polish homes in south Belfast were believed to be in response to an outbreak of hooliganism by soccer fans from Poland during last month’s World Cup qualifier at Windsor Park. Before the crucial Northern Ireland versus Poland match in Belfast on March 28, a group of Polish hooligans smashed up pubs and attacked local fans. One senior security source said last night that a series of revenge attacks had been coordinated by local UDA and UVF units.
■CYCLING
Albasini wins fourth stage
Michael Albasini won the fourth stage of the Tour of Basque Country on Thursday and defending champion Alberto Contador maintained the overall lead. Albasini crossed the line just ahead of Jurgen Van den Broeck and Christian Vandevelde after the three cyclists had pulled away from the peloton toward the end of the 161km stage. Albasini finished with a winning time of 3 hours, 59 minutes, 42 seconds.
■SOCCER
Empress praises Samurais
Japanese Empress Michiko has compared the nation’s baseball team the Samurais to their namesake. Michiko’s comments were prompted by the team’s victory in retaining the World Baseball Classic title last month. The empress was speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the transcript of which was embargoed until yesterday, the 50th anniversary of her wedding to Emporer Akihito. “Although the Japanese players who distinguished themselves in the World Baseball Classic did not wear traditional armour, commit ritual suicide or speak in archaic Japanese, each one fought with beauty and strength, with something of the samurai spirit in them.”
IN-HOUSE BUSINESS: LA Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said that the reason for the team’s poor form was not due to Paul, but the player was not a good fit for them Chris Paul’s return stint with the Los Angeles Clippers has come to an abrupt and stunning end, with the franchise parting ways with one of its greatest players in a late-night meeting on Wednesday that adds another layer of drama to the team’s terrible start this season. The news was delivered in a meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, that ended at about 2am, Clippers basketball operations president Lawrence Frank said. Frank said he made the decision to sever ties with Paul on Sunday then told the franchise’s career assist leader that he needed to see him on Tuesday in Atlanta. Frank did not confirm
Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday scored twice and had an assist as Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 to end a three-match winless streak in La Liga. Eduardo Camavinga also found the net for Madrid as they moved back within one point of Barcelona, who beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 on Tuesday. Both 19th-round matches were moved forward because Real Madrid, Barcelona, Athletic Club and Atletico Madrid are to play in the Supercopa de Espana semi-finals in Saudi Arabia next month. Real Madrid were coming off league draws against Girona, Elche and Rayo Vallecano. It was their second win in their past six matches in
There was another win for Arsenal in the Premier League on Wednesday, but more misery for Liverpool and their under-fire manager, Arne Slot. While Arsenal accelerated their title charge with a 2-0 victory over Brentford to regain a five-point lead, Liverpool needed a late own-goal just to salvage a 1-1 draw with Sunderland AFC at Anfield. Slot is back under pressure, with his team languishing in eighth place in a disappointing title defense and his decision to leave star forward Mohamed Salah out of the starting lineup for a second straight game likely to be heavily scrutinized. “It’s clear that teams that play
The Olympic flame for the Milan Cortina Winter Games landed in Rome on Thursday following a handover in Greece. The flame was carried in a small lantern aboard an ITA Airways flight between the Greek and Italian capitals. Tennis player Jasmine Paolini — an Olympic gold medalist — and local organizing committee president Giovanni Malago carried the flame off the plane. “I feel honored. It’s an incredible emotion,” Paolini said in brief remarks before the lantern was driven away toward the presidential palace. A 63-day torch relay covering 12,000km is to start in Rome today and wind its way through all 110 Italian provinces
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