SOCCER
PSG robberies probed
French prosecutors have launched investigations into robberies linked to two Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) players after thieves targeted the home of Angel di Maria and another group broke into the house of Marquinhos’ father while the teammates were playing for the club. PSG said that it would temporarily reinforce security near the houses of all its players. The prosecutor’s offices in Versailles and Nanterre on Monday said that the investigations are being handled by special police units that are already in charge of inquiries into cases involving PSG players Mauro Icardi and Sergio Rico, whose houses were also burgled during matches this year. Nanterre prosecutor’s office secretary general Marion Chalaux said intruders managed to sneak into Di Maria’s home on Sunday without being noticed. Around the same time, another group of intruders broke into the home of PSG captain Marquinhos’ father, the Versailles prosecutor’s office said. The Le Parisien newspaper said that Marquinhos’s father was hit several times in the face and chest.
BASKETBALL
Focused Giannis on a roll
Giannis Antetokounmpo on Monday reeled off his third straight triple-double as the Milwaukee Bucks extended their winning streak to four games with a 133-122 victory over the Washington Wizards. Antetokounmpo finished with 31 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in another Most Valuable Player-caliber performance. A hyper-focused, in the moment approach is helping him play some of his best basketball. He did not even realize that the Bucks had won nine of 10 and was not certain that the Philadelphia 76ers are in first place in the Eastern Conference. Antetokounmpo is not looking too far ahead. He is not even focused on the Bucks’ first game this season against the 76ers tonight. “I’m looking forward to taking my day off tomorrow, enjoy my pepperoni pizza, my smoothie, my chicken wings,” he said. “When the time comes, we’re gonna have a game plan, coach is gonna give us the game plan and I know my team is gonna be ready. I’m gonna try to be ready, too.”
TENNIS
Murray receives wild card
Three-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 Andy Murray is among five players handed a wild card into the main draw of next week’s Miami Open, tournament officials said on Monday. Murray, who skipped this week’s Dubai Tennis Championships after becoming a father for the fourth time with wife Kim Sears, returns to the Miami Open for the first time since 2016. “It is exciting to see Andy back in Miami,” Miami Open tournament director James Blake said. “As someone who has had to battle back from injury during his career, I understand and respect all the hard work Andy has put in to get back on tour.”
BOXING
Joshua, Fury agree to fights
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are to clash for the title of undisputed world heavyweight champion after signing a two-fight deal, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn said on Monday. The locations and dates for the much-anticipated all-British showdowns have yet to be announced. Confirming the agreement, Hearn told ESPN: “The hard part is always getting everybody to put pen to paper, but this was a major effort from all parties to get this over the line.”
Taiwan’s men’s table tennis team won bronze on Saturday at this year’s International Table Tennis Federation World Team Table Tennis Championships in London, matching the country’s best-ever finish at the regular tournament. Consisting of Lin Yun-ju, Taiwan’s top-ranked player at world No. 7, Feng Yi-hsin, Kuo Guan-hong, Hong Jing-kai and Hsu Hsien-chia, the team won bronze after losing 0-3 to Japan in the semifinals. In the opening match, 24-year-old Lin played the first game against world No. 3 Tomokazu Harimoto 11-5, but ultimately lost the next three closely contested games 9-11, 10-12 and 10-12. Feng then faced world No. 8 Sora Matsushima in
Lin Yun-ju on Thursday handed Taiwan two key victories as they advanced to the semi-finals of the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London. The Taiwan men’s table tennis team beat Sweden 3-2 in five singles matches. The 24-year-old Lin, Taiwan’s top-ranked player at world No. 7 and nicknamed the “Silent Assassin,” opened the tie by defeating world No. 2 Truls Moregard 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 13-11) before clinching the deciding fifth match with a 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-5) win over Anton Kallberg to hand his team the overall victory. Kuo Guan-hong put Taiwan up 2-0 with a 3-2 (4-11, 11-8, 8-11,
Taiwanese fire dancer Yang Li-wei advanced to the final of Britain’s Got Talent this weekend after receiving a Golden Buzzer during her live semi-final performance. Yang, a member of Taiwan’s Coming True Fire Group, awed judges and audiences with a high-intensity fire performance featuring flaming umbrellas, fire swallowing and spinning metal structures balanced with her legs. Judge Simon Cowell praised Yang as a star, while guest judge KSI reacted with amazement before pressing the Golden Buzzer, sending her to the finals. The dance group wrote on social media that the Golden Buzzer was “the highest honor” on the talent show, adding: “Twenty-three years
As Super Rugby fast approaches its playoff season it finds itself racing toward a reckoning with many issues that threaten the southern hemisphere tournament. A group of stakeholders met in the New Zealand city of Christchurch late last month to address problems that are making the future of the 31-year-old competition increasingly tenuous. The discussion was made more urgent by the decision by the owners of Moana Pasifika to fold the Auckland-based club for financial reasons. That followed the closure of the Melbourne Rebels at the end of the 2024 season, likewise because of financial difficulties. Problems addressed included player retention as more
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