Portsmouth escaped being put into administration on Wednesday when England's High Court granted the Premier League club more time to outline how it plans to pay an outstanding tax bill.

England have recalled centre Riki Flutey and will hand Leicester prop Dan Cole a first international start in Sunday's Six Nations clash with Italy in Rome.

Spanish giants Barcelona denied Wednesday they had struck an agreement with Arsenal's star midfielder and captain Cesc Fabregas to return to the Champions League holders next season.

Dubai's Emirates Airlines said Wednesday it would sign a sponsorship contract with Italy's AC Milan, without disclosing the value or the duration of the deal.

Didier Drogba sent Chelsea back to the top of the Premier League by shooting down Arsenal and the Ivory Coast hitman is determined they will still be there after Wednesday's trip to Everton.

Edwin van der Sar believes that Manchester United have done well to stay in touch with Chelsea despite the injury problems that have dogged the season at Old Trafford.

The start of the opening race of the America's Cup on Wednesday off the eastern Spanish coast was postponed by at least three hours due to rough waters, the two participating teams said.

LeBron James scored 32 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to their 12th straight NBA victory, a 104-97 triumph over the lowly New Jersey Nets.

Fourth-seeded German Tommy Haas needed a tiebreaker to get past wild card Devin Britton 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) in the first round of the ATP Tour's SAP Open.

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher is confident his side's rediscovered meanness can help them close the gap on faltering Arsenal.

Bright sunshine darkened the mood again at the Winter Olympics while potential drugs cheats received a pre-Games warning that they'll never escape their crimes.

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday called for the world to respect the Olympic Truce and urged all warring countries to cease hostilities for the duration of the Winter Games in Vancouver.

Winter Olympics chiefs insisted on Tuesday that the 2010 Games will finish with a balanced budget, sweet music for a country which reeled when Montreal needed 30 years to pay off its debts from the 1976 Summer Games.

South Korean pin-up Kim Yu-Na and American Shaun White are the top earning athletes at the Winter Olympics, each pocketing eight million dollars last year, according to Forbes magazine.

IOC chief Jacques Rogge was swept up in Vancouver's Olympic weather worries as Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger prepared to run the gauntlet of Games protesters.

Winter Olympics chiefs will not sanction a desperate last-minute venue switch despite unseasonably warm temperatures continuing to curse Cypress Mountain, the host of the freestyle events at the Games which begin on Friday.

Downhill skiing is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous sports to practise and the absence from the Winter Olympics of a number of top racers through injury has the sport's governing body worried.

Winter Olympics chiefs will not sanction a desperate last-minute venue switch despite unseasonably warm temperatures continuing to curse Cypress Mountain, the host of the freestyle events at the Games which begin on Friday.

Austria's Gregor Schlierenzauer leaves for next week's Winter Olympics on a winning note after finishing in first place in the World Cup ski jump event here on Saturday.

Italy's Giorgio di Centa warmed up for the Winter Olympics later this month by winning the men's World Cup nordic skiing 15km freestyle race here on Friday.

Italy's Olympic Committee (CONI) warned Tuesday it would fine drugs cheats 100,000 euros if they are caught doping during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver from February 12-28.

An African skier, a blind nordic athlete, and an aerials ace pushing 50 hope to grab a share of the Winter Olympics spotlight in Vancouver and Whistler.