Il Messaggiere - News from Rome, Modena, Reggio, Italy and the world

Ester Ledecka, a shock champion in two different sports in Pyeongchang four years ago, refuses to even utter the word "Olympics" as she heads to the Beijing Winter Games.

The Los Angeles Rams booked a second Super Bowl appearance in three years on Sunday after staging a fourth rally to outmuscle the San Francisco 49ers 20-17.

Most Asian markets rose Monday after a late afternoon rally on Wall Street capped a volatile week for global equities, though traders remained nervous about the Federal Reserve's plan to hike interest rates as it battles surging inflation.

Defending Olympic women's halfpipe champion Chloe Kim, one of the standout stars of the last Winter Olympics, travels to Beijing with a new perspective and triumphs in all five events since ending a layoff of nearly two years.

Pastry chef Nick Malgieri was scrolling through a food blog when he came upon a recipe for panettone, a puffy sweet bread that the author said conjured up fond memories of Christmases spent with his Italian grandmother.

When Stephanie Hedrick realized she was still suffering from shortness of breath, blurry vision and brain fog months after recovering from Covid-19, she knew she needed more help than her primary care doctor alone could provide.

As 2018 hosts, South Korea dreamed of Olympic ice hockey glory, importing a star coach and roster of players. Four years later, not only did they fail to qualify for this week's Beijing Games, most of their players quit the sport.

Minnows Ecuador's coach Gustavo Alfaro told his team to "stay strong" as they travel to Peru on Tuesday knowing victory would book their ticket to the World Cup for just the fourth time in their history.

A "Freedom Convoy" of trucks joined by thousands of demonstrators brought Ottawa to a virtual standstill for a second day Sunday to protest Canada's vaccine mandates, as other sympathetic truckers blocked a border highway into the United States.

Portugal's ruling Socialists unexpectedly won an outright majority to govern solo after snap elections on Sunday that also saw the far right make huge gains.

Threats of legal action, online troll campaigns and dwindling numbers after the expulsion of colleagues -- foreign journalists in China are facing "unprecedented hurdles" from efforts to discredit independent reporting, a press group said Monday.

Local hero Jason Holder took four wickets in successive balls during a dramatic last over as the West Indies beat England by 17 runs in the fifth and deciding Twenty20 international at the Kensington Oval on Sunday for a 3-2 series win.

US-backed Kurdish forces on Sunday said they had defeated all Islamic State group fighters left inside the Syrian jail that the jihadists stormed 10 days ago, sparking battles that left over 370 dead.

Jason Holder took four wickets in as many balls during a dramatic last over as the West Indies beat England by 17 runs in the fifth and deciding Twenty20 international at the Kensington Oval on Sunday for a 3-2 series win.

Evan McPherson kicked the winning field goal in overtime as the Cincinnati Bengals came from behind to upset the Kansas City Chiefs 27-24 and reach their first Super Bowl since 1989 on Sunday.

Toulon captain Baptiste Serin said South Africa's Cheslin Kolbe brings 'serenity to the team' even though he was unable to inspire them to victory on his Top 14 bow for the club on Sunday as Stade Francais won 26-24.

Fourth-tier Bergerac Perigord shocked Ligue 1 strugglers Saint-Etienne 1-0 to book a spot in the French Cup quarter-finals on Sunday and Monaco eliminated top-flight rivals Lens 4-2 in another last-16 clash.

West Indies captain Kieron Pollard top-scored with 41 not out as the hosts made 179 for four against England in Sunday's fifth and deciding Twenty20 international in Barbados.

South Africa's Cheslin Kolbe was unable to inspire Toulon to victory on his Top 14 bow for the club at Stade Francais on Sunday as the Parisians won 26-24.

World number three Lydia Ko held her nerve in the face of a strong challenge from Danielle Kang on Sunday, firing a three-under par 67 to win the LPGA at Boca Rio by one stroke.

Canada took a giant step towards their first World Cup qualification in 36 years on Sunday after scoring an upset 2-0 victory over arch-rivals the United States in CONCACAF qualifiers.

North Korea confirmed it had fired a Hwasong-12 "mid-range ballistic missile", state media reported Monday, the first time it has tested a weapon that powerful since 2017.

Mohamed Salah starred as Egypt reached the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals on Sunday and were joined in the last four by Senegal, while the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde where eight people died in a crush a week ago was given the green light to host the final.

England added uncapped Louis Lynagh to their squad on Sunday ahead of their Six Nations opener away to Scotland after his Harlequins team-mate Joe Marchant tested positive for Covid-19.

Sale supremo Alex Sanderson said he hoped Sunday's stunning comeback 35-26 win over league leaders Leicester would prove the catalyst for a repeat of last season's run to the English Premiership play-offs.

Music streaming giant Spotify announced Sunday that it would start guiding listeners of podcasts discussing Covid-19 to more information about the pandemic, following a row that saw artist Neil Young remove his music from the platform.

Sadio Mane's Senegal marched on to the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations after seeing off a spirited Equatorial Guinea side with a 3-1 victory in Yaounde on Sunday.

Truckers and thousands of sympathizers blocked Ottawa streets for a second day Sunday to protest Canada's vaccine mandates, as reports of vandalism and harassment by some demonstrators sent tempers flaring.

Trae Young scored 36 points and passed off 12 assists Sunday to rally Atlanta over the Los Angeles Lakers 129-121, stretching the Hawks' NBA win streak to seven games.

With moviegoing slowed by the Covid-19 surge, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" easily clung to its box-office lead in North American theaters this weekend, industry data showed Sunday.

Portugal's ruling Socialists won Sunday's early election by a wide margin but may still fall short of an outright majority while the far right made huge gains, exit polls showed.

Derby County manager Wayne Rooney has urged Middlesbrough and Wycombe Wanderers, as well as the English Football League, to be "sensible" in their treatment of his struggling side after the cash-strapped club's last-ditch 2-2 Championship draw at home to Birmingham on Sunday.