SPORTS - Page 21

Arsenal blasted their way into the last 16 of the Champions League on a freezing night at The Emirates as they swept RC Lens off the park to secure all three points. Mikel Arteta’s side needed one point to be sure of their place in Europe’s biggest club competition but having already secured the top spot in Group B; they made no mistake as Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Martinelli netted inside the first 27 minutes. The

Four-time National Football League MVP Aaron Rodgers has taken a big step toward making his improbable comeback from an Achilles tear. The New York Jets opened the 21-day practice window for the 39-year-old on Wednesday, 11 weeks after he underwent surgery to repair an injury that forced him out of his team’s season opener against the Buffalo Bills. While the quarterback will be limited in his participation and remains non-contact, head coach Robert Saleh said there is no added risk

The Lakers bounced back from a humiliating blowout loss in Philadelphia with a dominant performance in Detroit. D’Angelo Russell racked up 35 points and nine assists, while Anthony Davis powered for 28 points and 16 rebounds to help Los Angeles romp past the host Detroit Pistons 133-107 on Wednesday night. The win improved the Lakers to 11-8 on the season while allowing the Pistons to establish a franchise record for futility at 2-16. After a sluggish start, the Lakers took

A star is born at the center when a dense clump of interstellar gas and dust collapses under its gravitational pull. The leftover material forms a swirling disk around it, feeding stellar growth and often giving rise to planets. Newborn stars with these circumstellar disks had been observed by astronomers only in our Milky Way galaxy – until now. Scientists said on Wednesday they have spotted such a disk encircling a giant, luminous, and potentially planet-forming star that’s more than

Joel Embiid recorded the sixth triple-double of his NBA career with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists to help the Philadelphia 76ers earn a 138-94 win against the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night. The Sixers, who blew out the Lakers 137-106 in their last meeting in January, held LeBron James and Anthony Davis to only 18 and 17 points, respectively. Tyrese Maxey also helped stifle the Lakers on offense, scoring 31 points with a team-leading nine rebounds.

Paris metro ticket prices will almost double during the 2024 Olympics, the French capital region’s president said on Tuesday. The price hike, which will apply to single metro journey tickets and a new pass for visitors, is needed to help cover the costs of dramatically increasing transport network capacity to cope with the expected surge in demand, the region’s president, Valerie Pecresse, said. Residents with passes will be shielded from the temporary rise, and visitors will be charged “a fair

Cristiano Ronaldo’s incredible act of sportsmanship has won hearts all around the globe. On Monday, the Portuguese superstar urged the referee to reverse a wrong penalty decision during his side Al Nassr’s AFC Champions League encounter against Persepolis. In a remarkable display of honesty, Ronaldo told the official that his tackle wasn’t worthy of a penalty kick. The referee reviewed the incident on a pitchside monitor and rescinded his original decision. The incident was caught on camera and went viral

The mighty Azzurri won the Davis Cup title for the second time as they beat Australia 2-0 in the final on Sunday. Matteo Arnaldi outlasted Alexei Popyrin in the first singles clash before Italy’s number one, Jannik Sinner, clinched the title with an easy win against the world No 12. Sinner was in devastating form as he dismantled his Australian opponent with vicious ground strokes to the delight of the Italian-dominant crowd at the packed Martin Carpena arena in Malaga.

The sub-zero temperatures in Ruka in northern Finland took their toll on Swedish cross-country skier Calle Halfvarsson during a 20 km mass start event on Sunday as he lost all feeling in his private parts. The 34-year-old eventually crossed the line in 18th place but was forced to stop in a medical tent on the side of the course for treatment. Halfvarsson was suffering from a condition known as hypothermia, and it’s not uncommon for athletes to suffer from the

As the world slowly emerges from its Thanksgiving and international break tryptophan-induced stupor, it’s important to remember that a) Tottenham Hotspur plays Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon and b) Spurs have a lengthy injury list. The north London club have lost James Maddison and Micky van de Ven to injuries, and Cristian Romero is serving the final game of his three-match ban. Add Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr, and Ash Phillips; the picture isn’t beautiful. The early-season pacesetters now face