Police fight with soccer supporters during clashes before the Italian Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Atalanta in Bergamo, Sunday.

TUSCANY, Italy, Nov. 12--Italian football fans have reacted violently inside and outside stadiums following the police shooting of a Lazio supporter, AFP wrote.
Gabriele Sandri, 26, was shot in what police called a “tragic error“ as they tried to stop violence between rival fans at a motorway stop in Tuscany. A match between Atalanta and AC Milan was stopped as fans and police clashed. There was violence at other games.
Later hundreds of fans rampaged in Rome and there were more protests in Milan. Police chiefs, politicians and football administrators will be meeting on Monday to seek to limit the damage from the weekend’s incidents.
The worst violence was in the capital, where hundreds of armed fans attacked a police barracks and the Italian Olympic Committee headquarters. Sunday’s late match between AS Roma and Cagliari had been postponed as a precaution but fans wielding rocks and clubs turned up outside the Stadio Olimpico.
Security guards in the Olympic headquarters barricaded themselves in as fans outside smashed windows and burned vehicles as they clashed with police. The mob blocked off one end of a bridge over the Tiber and ordered motorists to leave the area.
A bus was torched and several people including police were injured. There were also angry scenes in central Milan near the offices of the broadcaster RAI, as fans hurled rocks at a police station and beat up two journalists.

Iran bagged 6 medals (3 gold and 3 silver) in its Asian debut in South Korea last month.

TEHRAN, Nov. 12--World’s Rowing Federation hailed Iran Sunday for Iran’s development and remarkable efforts in the field.
The World Rowing Federation congratulated Iranian National Rowing Federation for its remarkable efforts in the field, ISNA reported.
It expressed its best wishes for Iran’s federation.
Iran grabbed a total of 6 medals (3 gold and 3 silver) in its Asian debut and overall ranked 3rd.
A total of 400 athletes from 18 Asian countries attended the Asian Rowing competitions held in Chung-Ju, South Korea, last month. Ê

BEIJING, Nov. 12-- China sought on Monday to allay fears about food safety ahead of the Summer Olympics with tours of model meat processing plants and said no “Olympic pork“ was being prepared for the Games.
Officials denied that levels of hormones or antibiotics in meat provided during the 2008 Games would be adjusted to avoid false-doping tests and said all food destined for the Olympics was the same as that for the general population, according to Reuters.
“We have the same management system for all consumers, including for the Olympic Games,“ Li Yuanping, of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, told reporters.
Reeling from a rash of health scares that have put the spotlight on unscrupulous food suppliers and corruption in enforcement agencies, China announced in August it would breed pigs using hormone-free food for Olympic athletes.
But earlier this month, organizers denied the existence of special pigs being raised on secluded farms, saying that because the vast majority of pork in Beijing met safety standards there was no need for special products.

Blackburn Rovers' David Dunn (r) challenges Manchester United's Carlos Tevez during their English Premier League soccer match at Old Trafford in Manchester, Sunday.

LONDON, Nov. 12--Manchester United moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s double, BBC reported.
Christopher Samba came very close to giving Blackburn the lead when his rising shot crashed against the bar. But Ronaldo’s header and a side-footed finish, in the space of two first-half minutes, put United in total control.
And any hope Blackburn had of salvaging a point disappeared when David Dunn was sent off for picking up a second yellow card early in the second half. Dunn’s second booking was for a trip on Louis Saha and was possibly deserved, though his first booking, after he was adjudged to have fouled Carlos Tevez, looked a bit harsh.
However even before Dunn’s dismissal Blackburn faced an uphill task after those two Ronaldo goals. The year 2007 is turning out to be something of an annus mirabilis for Ronaldo, who has now scored a remarkable 26 goals for club and country in 51 games.
The Portuguese winger’s double brought his season’s tally to 10 and he came close to adding to it and claiming his first hat-trick for United when his quicksilver feet created the space for a long-range shot that went just over the bar. And late on Ronaldo was denied by Brad Friedel, who also saved well from Rio Ferdinand.
Prior to Saturday Blackburn had recorded seven wins in eight games and initially Rovers more than matched United, with strikers Roque Santa Cruz and Benni McCarthy looking lively. True, Blackburn had to survive some nervy moments and Friedel saved well from Carlos Tevez, while David Bentley had to clear a Ronaldo shot off the line.
Likewise Ryan Nelsen did well to block a Tevez shot, as did Morten Gamst Pedersen to charge down a Wes Brown effort. But Blackburn had chances as well, notably when Samba’s powerful shot cannoned off the crossbar. Enter Ronaldo, not for the first time in his career, to change the shape of the game.
He is not renowned for his heading ability, but the header he scored to give United the lead was a goal any centre forward would have been proud of. Ryan Giggs swung over the corner from the left and Ronaldo’s leap generated plenty of power for his goalward header.
Bentley was again on the line, though this time he was unable to rescue his side, only helping the ball into the roof of the net. A minute later Blackburn’s defence was unraveled by some impressive combination play involving Saha, Tevez and Ronaldo.
Saha flicked the ball to Tevez and the Argentine’s superb cross--hit with the outside of his right foot--provided the space and time for Ronaldo to clip the ball past Friedel. United keeper Edwin van der Sar had an altogether quieter time of it and he spent the second half as a virtual spectator until he had to get down quickly to save a Samba header.
After Dunn was sent off, Pedersen also briefly glimpsed goal, but the Norwegian blasted over. In the closing minutes Ronaldo blotted his copybook when he was booked for a cynical push on Nelsen, a foul that left the New Zealander in a heap against the advertising hoardings.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Nov. 12--Syria and Singapore put one foot in the third round of Asian Zone qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa following first leg victories over Indonesia and Tajikistan, while the two other ties remain evenly poised with Thailand and Turkmenistan playing out goalless draws with Yemen and Hong Kong respectively, Fifa.com wrote.
Syria put the two-legged contest almost out of their opponents reach by winning 4-1 in Indonesia. Al Karama midfielder Firas Issmael put the visiting West Asians in front after 17 minutes, before Mohamed Al Zeno doubled the lead on 34th minute.
Budi Sudarsono pulled on back for Indonesia three minutes later only for Zyad Chaabo to restore the two-goal lead for Syria a minute before. Syria went on to dominate the second half with Raja Rafe sealing an emphatic success for coach Fajer Iprahim with a last-minute strike.
Syria may have registered the biggest win but it was the unfancied Singapore who created the biggest surprise with their 2-0 home defeat of Tajikistan, Aleksandar Duric scoring both goals on his debut. At the age of 37, Duric’s inclusion in the starting line-up came as a surprise. However, coach Radojko Avramovic’s decision paid dividends as Duric underlined why he is the leading marksman in the domestic league with two first half goals.
It was a dream bow for the powerful forward, whose first international goal came after only 24 minutes when he unleashed a low drive outside the box into the Tajikistan goal. He once again sent the 6,600 home supporters into raptures before the interval by nodding home a header pass from Alam Shah from close range.

ISFAHAN, Nov. 12--The veteran athlete, Bijan Zolfaqar-Nasab was named as new coach of Isfahan’s Zob-e Ahan Football Team on Sunday.
The teamÊsackedÊZuran Georgovic two weeks ago, following his poor performance that pushed Zob-e Ahan down the table.
Jamshid Rashidi was in charge as interim coach in last two matches in the Iran Professional League (IPL), IRNA reported.
Zolfaqar-Nasab will start his job at Fooladshahr Stadium on Tuesday, Saeed Azari, Zob-e Ahan’s manager said in a press release. Asked about his assistants, Zolfaqar-Nasab said he prefers local coaches to foreigners. Zob-e Ahan ranks 17th in 18-team IPL after 13 weeks.

TEHRAN, Nov. 12--The first round of Iran’s Swimming League will start on Wednesday with eight teams at Azadi Swimming Pool.
According to IRNA, the teams will take part in two-day competitions which are held in 20 events.
The second round is scheduled for Dec. 13-14 while the third round will be held on Jan. 24-25 and the final matches are held on Feb. 27-28.
Gas of Sarakhs ranked first last season while Azad University and Zanjan Team occupied 2nd and 3rd places, respectively.

TEHRAN, Nov. 12--Iran’s under-nineteen soccer team had a 0-0 draw against Oman’s diligent team in Tehran’s Rah-e Ahan Stadium on Sunday.
However, despite the fact that it did not defeat Oman it still ranks first after the third day of the event.
Iran went top on difference of goals followed by Oman in the event, reported IRNA.
In other matches, India defeated Pakistan 5-0 and Lebanon beat Bahrain 1-0.
Iran will play with Bahrain on Wednesday at Dastgerdi Stadium. A total of six teams in group B are present in the competition, but only two will qualify for final.

MADRID, Spain, Nov. 12--Justine Henin completed a magnificent season with an epic victory over Maria Sharapova in the final of the Sony Ericsson Championships in Madrid.
According to AFP, the Belgian won 5-7 7-5 6-3 in three hours 25 minutes to retain her title. She saved seven set points before losing the opener but edged the second and was the stronger in the decider.
Henin equals Steffi Graf’s 25-match unbeaten run of 1989 and becomes the first player to win 10 titles in a season since Martina Hingis in 1997. She is also the first woman ever to win over US$5m in one year.
With Sharapova still on her way back from a shoulder injury, the Belgian went into the final as a strong favorite. But Sharapova had surprised everyone with her form in Madrid and her ever-present battling qualities were soon in evidence as she recovered from an early break in game four.

Phil Mickelson tees off at 7th hole during the final round of the 2007 HSBC Champions golf tournament at Shanghai Sheshan International Golf Club, Sunday.

SHANGHAI, China, Nov. 12--Phil Mickelson was taken to a second extra hole in a play-off with English duo Ross Fisher and Lee Westwood before winning the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, AP wrote.
The American dropped four shots in as many holes on the back nine to almost blow his chances, but playing partner Fisher took a seven at the last. Mickelson’s six at the same hole was enough to force the play-off with Westwood, all three on 10-under.
And in near darkness a Mickelson chip and putt for birdie won him the title. Mickelson had begun the day in pole position, two clear of nearest challenger Fisher. And after 11 holes he remained on his overnight score of 16-under, well in control of affairs.
But he dropped four shots between the 12th and 15th to open the door for Fisher, whose birdie at the 13th also helped swing things in his favor. Going down the par five 18th, the Englishman suddenly had a one-shot lead over the world number two and both hit good drives.
Fisher was first to play his second shot, and took the bold option of going for the green. Taking a wood, he pulled the shot a fraction to finish on the greenside rough, while Mickelson found water.
Looking for all the world a winner, Fisher contrived to hit his next shot past the flag and into water, leaving Mickelson a put for a par and the tournament. He missed that, before Fisher bravely holed an eight-footer for a seven to join his adversary in the play-off.

Eric Lindros

TORONTO, Nov. 12-- Former MVP Eric Lindros has been named the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) ombudsman, the organization said on Sunday.
According to Reuters, Lindros, who retired from the NHL on Thursday, will serve as a non-voting member of the NHLPA Executive Board, supervising the divisional player representative program in the newly created position.
“To be chosen as the players’ ombudsman is quite an honor, and I look forward to working hard for the membership as we enter what promises to be an exciting era for the NHLPA,“ the 34-year-old Lindros said in a statement. Lindros played for 13 years in the NHL despite suffering eight concussions. He helped Canada win the gold medal at the 2008 Winter Olympics.