SPORTS briefs

Tim Donaghy

LIVERPOOL. An own goal by Brazilian Lucas, Curtis Davies' header and Ashley Young's penalty helped Aston Villa to a surprise 3-1 win over Liverpool, who pulled one back through Fernando Torres, at Anfield, on Monday. Midfielder Lucas glanced Young's free kick into his own net 11 minutes before the interval and Davies made it two in added time. Torres halved the deficit with 18 minutes left but after Gerrard tripped Nigel Reo-Coker, Young made it three from the spot to make it two defeats from their opening three matches for the Reds.

NEW DELHI. India's sports ministry has rejected the idea of extending sports-linked customs duty exemptions that would have made it cheaper to import equipment being used for the construction of a Formula One race track. India wishes to join the F1 grand prix circuit in 2011 on a course being built on the outskirts of New Delhi.

DUBLIN. World rugby's governing body on Monday found the South African Rugby Union (SARU), the Springboks and team officials guilty of bringing the game into disrepute with their 'armband' protest against a two-week ban given to Bakkies Botha.

ROME. Wesley Sneijder is on the verge of joining Inter Milan, according to Italian press reports on Tuesday. The Dutch attacking midfielder is surplus to requirements at Real Madrid following the big-money signings of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka and has been linked with a move to the Italian champions for several weeks. Inter coach Jose Mourinho is known to be in the market for an attacking midfielder who can play at the head of his midfield diamond formation and now seems to have got his man.

LONDON. Premier League side Everton have signed Lokomotiv Moscow skipper Diniyar Bilyaletdinovon a five-year deal, both clubs announced on their official websites Tuesday. The 24-year-old midfielder, signed a deal with the Liverpool side late Monday in the German city of Hamburg. Bilyaletdinov won the Russian league title with Lokomotiv in 2004.

TAMPA. Disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy is back behind bars. According to Hillsborough County jail records, Donaghy was being held without bond Tuesday for a federal rule violation. Details were not available.

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