Valentino Rossi (Italy) is 2008 world Grand Prix motorcycling champion

DUBAI, September 11, 2008 (AFP) - The International Cricket Council (ICC) will not make a decision on the new dates for the postponed Champions Trophy tournament until October at the earliest, it was announced here Thursday.

ROME, August 27, 2008 (AFP) - Italian champions over the last 20 years:

2006: Inter Milan (*)

2005: not awarded (*)

* Note: following the Italian match-fixing scandal in 2006 Juventus were stripped of their titles in 2005 and 2006, the latter title being awarded to Inter Milan. The 2005 title was not awarded to anyone.

LONDON, July 28, 2008 (AFP) - English cricket officials are to continue work on their plans for the inaugural Champions League later this year and have no plans to attend Wednesday's meeting to discuss Indian plans for the event.

KARACHI, July 19, 2008 (AFP) - Pakistan cricket authorities Saturday hoped for a positive decision on their hosting of the Champions Trophy in September amidst security concerns in the country.

LAHORE, July 15, 2008 (AFP) - The Pakistan Cricket Board on Tuesday included fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar in the provisional 30-man squad for the Champions Trophy, but dropped Mohammad Asif amid new drugs allegations.

LONDON, July 6, 2008 (AFP) - Champions and finals results at the 2008 Wimbledon championships which came to an end at the All England Club on Sunday:

Rafael Nadal (Spain x2) bt Roger Federer (SUI x1) 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (8/10), 9-7

Women's Singles Final

Venus Williams (USA x7) bt Serena Williams (USA x6) 7-5, 6-4

LONDON, July 6, 2008 (AFP) - Champions and finals results at the 2008 Wimbledon championships which came to an end at the All England Club on Sunday:

Rafael Nadal (Spain x2) bt Roger Federer (SUI x1) 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (8/10), 9-7

Women's Singles Final

Venus Williams (USA x7) bt Serena Williams (USA x6) 7-5, 6-4

DUBAI, July 3, 2008 (AFP) - Pakistan will host September's Champions Trophy as scheduled 'at this stage', the International Cricket Council (ICC) said following a board meeting here Thursday.

LONDON, July 3, 2008 (AFP) - Simon Jones moved a step closer to a return to international cricket on Thursday after being named in England's provisional 30-man squad for September's Champions Trophy one-day tournament in Pakistan.

The Welsh quick hasn't played for England since the fourth Test of England's 2005 Ashes series win over Australia where he took 18 wickets.

LONDON, June 29, 2008 (AFP) - New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori challenged his side to go on and win the Champions Trophy tournament later this year after they sealed a 3-1 one-day series victory against England here at Lord's.

NEW DELHI, June 27, 2008 (AFP) - The International Cricket Council has put South Africa on standby as a possible Champions Trophy venue, but insists that Pakistan remains its first choice as hosts, an ICC source told AFP Friday.

NOTTINGHAM, June 9, 2008 (AFP) - England's Test players have seen their win bonuses increased to two million pounds (4 million dollars) a year as cricket chiefs react to the cash bonanza caused by the growth of Twenty20.

This represents an impressive three-fold increase on what they could have earned had they won every Test series last year.

NOTTINGHAM, June 8, 2008 (AFP) - England captain Michael Vaughan said here Sunday he feared the new proposed Champions League Twenty20 tournament later this year could destabilise county cricket.

NOTTINGHAM, June 7, 2008 (AFP) - The winners and runners-up in England's domestic Twenty20 competition will join their equivalents from Australia, India and South Africa in a lucrative new tournament worth five million dollars to the winner later this year, it was announced on Saturday.

NOTTINGHAM, June 7, 2008 (AFP) - The winners and runners-up in England's Twenty20 competition will join their equivalents from Australia, India and South Africa in a lucrative new tournament later this year.

MOSCOW, May 21, 2008 (AFP) - List of European Cup/Champions League winners since 1956 after Manchester United won here on Wednesday:

2008: Manchester United (ENG)

2007: AC Milan (Italy)

2006: FC Barcelona (Spain)

2005: Liverpool (ENG)

2004: FC Porto (Portugal)

2003: AC Milan (Italy)

2002: Real Madrid (Spain)

MBABANE, May 19, 2008 (AFP) - Royal Leopards were crowned champions of Swaziland for a third consecutive season by winning 1-0 at Green Mambas on Monday.

Unmarked national team striker Mfanzile Dlamini headed the winner two minutes before half-time at Mayaluka Stadium after Mambas failed to clear a corner.

LONDON, May 19, 2008 (AFP) - Sweden's former men's world number one Stefan Edberg, who has not played competitive tennis since he retired 12 years ago, could be set to face old rival Pete Sampras after agreeing to play two events on the Tour of Champions.

JOHANNESBURG, May 18, 2008 (AFP) - SuperSport United collected the richest football prize in Africa when crowned South African champions for the first time Sunday.

Finishing two points ahead of Ajax Cape Town on the final standings earned the Pretoria club 1.25 million dollars, eclipsing the one million prize awarded to the African Champions League winners.

ROME, May 18, 2008 (AFP) - Italian champions over the last 20 years after Inter Milan wrapped up the 2007/2008 title on Sunday:

2006: Inter Milan (*)

2005: not awarded (*)

LONDON, May 12, 2008 (AFP) - English champions and runners-up since the launch of the FA Premier League in the 1992-93 season:

1992-93: 1. Manchester United, 2. Aston Villa

1993-94: 1. Manchester United, 2. Blackburn Rovers

1994-95: 1. Blackburn Rovers, 2. Manchester United

1995-96: 1. Manchester United, 2. Newcastle United

LONDON, May 11, 2008 (AFP) - English champions and runners-up since the launch of the FA Premier League in the 1992-93 season:

1992-93: 1. Manchester United, 2. Aston Villa

1993-94: 1. Manchester United, 2. Blackburn Rovers

1994-95: 1. Blackburn Rovers, 2. Manchester United

1995-96: 1. Manchester United, 2. Newcastle United

MADRID, May 4, 2008 (AFP) - The Spanish league chammpions for the last 20 years and also the total number of La Liga victories after Real Madrid won the league for a record 31st time on Sunday:

1995-96: Atletico Madrid

1999-00: Deportivo La Coruna

Real Madrid: 31 league titles

Barcelona: 18

Atletico Madrid: 9

MADRID, May 4, 2008 (AFP) - Real Madrid were crowned Spanish champions for the 31st time on Sunday after defeating Osasuna 2-1 after scoring twice in a sensational final three minutes.

Real were heading for defeat but Arjen Robben and Gonzalo Higuain scored twice in the dying minutes as Real retained their title.

ALGIERS, May 4, 2008 (AFP) - Former African champions JS Kabylie won the Algerian title Sunday without kicking a ball after being awarded the points from a cancelled fixture.

BERLIN, May 4, 2008 (AFP) - Bayern Munich have won this season's Bundesliga title after a 0-0 draw at VfL Wolfsburg gave them the precious point needed to be crowned German champions for the 21st time.

The stalemate in Wolfsburg puts Bayern on 67 points - ten more than second-placed Werder Bremen - and with only three games left this season, Munich can not be caught.

BAMBOUS, Mauritius, April 21, 2008 (AFP) - Curepipe Starlight retained the Mauritian title with a 3-0 triumph over Western Star here at the weekend.

Christopher Perle and Jeannot Lamarque scored in the first half and Ghanaian Nana Kyeremateng completed the comfortable victory with a third goal seven minutes before full-time.

MANCHESTER, England, March 25, 2008 (AFP) - List of reigning champions ahead of this week's world track cycling championships from March 26-30:

Bradley Wiggins (Britain)

France (Gregory Bauge, Mickael Bourgain, Arnaud Tournant)

Britain (Edward Clancy, Geraint Thomas, Paul Manning, Bradley Wiggins)

Scratch (7.5km)

Kam-Po Wong (Hong Kong)

PARIS, March 13, 2008 (AFP) - Formula One world champions ahead of the start of the 2008 season which gets underway in Melbourne on Sunday (year, driver, nationality, team):

1950 Guiseppe Farina (Italy) Alfa Romeo

1951 Juan Manuel Fangio (Argentina) Alfa Romeo

1952 Alberto Ascari (Italy) Ferrari

1953 Alberto Ascari (Italy) Ferrari

PARIS, March 9, 2008 (AFP) - Formula One world champions ahead of the start of the 2008 season which gets underway in Melbourne on Sunday, March 16 (year, driver, nationality, team):

1950 Guiseppe Farina (Italy) Alfa Romeo

1951 Juan Manuel Fangio (Argentina) Alfa Romeo

1952 Alberto Ascari (Italy) Ferrari

ACCRA, Feb 10, 2008 (AFP) - How African Nations Cup title holders fared when defending title following the end of the 2008 tournament won by Egypt here on Sunday:

Morocco (first round)

Nigeria (first round)

Cameroon (runners-up)

Cameroon (first round)

Algeria (first round)

ACCRA, Jan 10, 2008 (AFP) - How African Nations Cup holders fared when defending title:

Morocco (first round)

Nigeria (first round)

Cameroon (runners-up)

Cameroon (first round)

Algeria (first round)

Nigeria (did not defend title owing to political tension with hosts South Africa)

South Africa (runners-up)

HARARE, Nov 26, 2007 (AFP) - Dynamos ended a decade-long drought when they were crowned Zimbabwe champions following their 2-0 victory over Shooting Stars here on Sunday.

ABIDJAN, Nov 25, 2007 (AFP) - Africa Sports clinched the Ivory Coast league title Sunday after defending champions ASEC lost 3-2 at home to SO Armee.

The long-time leaders have 55 points, four more than fierce Abidjan rivals ASEC with only one round left in the 14-club national championship.

MAPUTO, Nov 4, 2007 (AFP) - Costa dol Sol clinched the Mozambique title despite being held 2-2 by Liga Muculmana in a Maputo derby on Sunday.

This result coupled with second-placed Desportivo Maputo drawing 0-0 against Maxaquene in another derby gave Costa an unassailable eight-point advantage two rounds from the end of the MocamBola.

SAO PAULO, Brazil, Oct 21, 2007 (AFP) - Formula One world champions after Kimi Raikkonen took the 2007 title at the Brazilian Grand Grand Prix, the deciding race of the 2007 season (year, driver, country, team) on Sunday:

1950 Guiseppe Farina (Italy) Alfa Romeo

1951 Juan Manuel Fangio (Argentina) Alfa Romeo

1952 Alberto Ascari (Italy) Ferrari

1953 Alberto Ascari (Italy) Ferrari

1954 Juan Manuel Fangio (Argentina) Maserati, Mercedes Benz

1955 Juan Manuel Fangio (Argentina) Mercedes Benz

SAO PAULO, Brazil, Oct 18, 2007 (AFP) - Formula One world champions ahead of the Brazilian Grand Grand Prix, the deciding race of the 2007 season, where either Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso or Kimi Raikkonen will be crowned champion (year, driver, country, team):

1950 Guiseppe Farina (Italy) Alfa Romeo

1951 Juan Manuel Fangio (Argentina) Alfa Romeo

1952 Alberto Ascari (Italy) Ferrari

1953 Alberto Ascari (Italy) Ferrari

1954 Juan Manuel Fangio (Argentina) Maserati, Mercedes Benz

PARIS, Oct 15, 2007 (AFP) - Formula One world champions ahead of the Brazilian Grand Grand Prix, the deciding race of the 2007 season, where either Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso or Kimi Raikkonen will be crowned champion (year, driver, country, team):

1950 Guiseppe Farina (Italy) Alfa Romeo

1951 Juan Manuel Fangio (Argentina) Alfa Romeo

1952 Alberto Ascari (Italy) Ferrari

1953 Alberto Ascari (Italy) Ferrari

1954 Juan Manuel Fangio (Argentina) Maserati, Mercedes Benz