January 11, 2009

Norway's Moan wins Nordic Combined World Cup

OTTAWA, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Magnus Moan from Norway won a Nordic Combined individual start in 25 minutes 18.7 seconds at Whistler Olympic Park on Saturday.

Kircheisen and Demong crossed in a photo finish, with the German finishing 0.1 seconds ahead of the American in 25:19.1 as runner-up.

Koivuranta of Finland, who leads the World Cup standings with 773 points, was first after the ski jump with a leap of 140 meters, but fell behind in the last 800 meters of the cross-country race to finish fourth.

Moan was second in the standings with 701 points, while Demong was third with 675 points.

South Africa's Giniel De Villiers drives his Volkswagen during the ninth stage of the South American edition of the Dakar 2009, from Serena to Copiapo, January 12, 2009.

BUENOS AIRES, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- South African pilot Giniel DeVilliers (Volkswagen) won on Thursday the 12th stage on cars of the Dakar Argentina-Chile Rally and recovered the leadership on the general board, favored by the retirement of his teammate, Spaniard Carlos Sainz.

De Villiers, 36 years old, timed 4:06'43" followed by U.S. pilots Mark Miller (Volkswagen) with 16'17" later and Robby Gordon (Hummer) with 25'27" later.

This is De Villiers's the 3rd stage win in the Rally 2009 and he returned to the 1st place on the general board. He had got the 1st after winning at the 6th stage, when Qatari Al-Attiyah (BMW) left the competition.

At the general board, De Villiers is on 1st place with 43:46'58", followed by Miller with 2'35" later and Gordon with 18'52" later.

The president of Spanish soccer club Real Madrid, Ramon Calderon, resigned on Friday after being accused of fraud to an assembly of delegates from the club, local sports daily "Marca" said.

MADRID, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- The president of Spanish soccer club Real Madrid, Ramon Calderon, resigned on Friday after being accused of fraud to an assembly of delegates from the club, local sports daily "Marca" said.

Whereas the gravity of the situation, Calderon resigned, also pressed by the members of the directive board.

After the fraud scandal in the assembly of the club was exposed, Calderon admitted the fraud, but affirming he was also a victim.

According to Marca, the fraud was done during the members assembly on Dec. 7.

Marca showed pictures of how at least 10 people voted in favor of Calderon on the approval of the accounts of the club. However two people were not members of the club.

At the moment, the vice president of the club, Vicente Boluda, will be the president of Real Madrid till a summons for elections, once the national league finishes in summer.

Also Calderon is being made responsible for the dismissal of the German coach Bernd Shuster, as well as for the frustration of have not sign in Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo.

NBA Bucks center Bogut out matches for back spasms

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Australian center Andrew Bogut for the NBA Milwaukee Bucks will miss the team's entire three-game road trip due to back spasms.

Bogut missed four games in a row earlier this month but returned to the lineup a week ago and played three times. Now he will miss games Friday at Sacramento, Saturday at the Los Angeles Clippers and Monday at Portland.

His earliest return would be next Wednesday when the Bucks play host to Dallas. Bogut scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds Wednesday in a 102-99 loss to Miami but said his back was bothering him after the game. Bogut visited a back specialist on Thursday and was advised to rest.

In his three-game return since the first flare-up, Bogut averaged 14.7 points and 9.3 rebounds. For this season, Bogut is averaging 11.8 points and 10.4 rebounds a game.

Brazilian gymnast adopts Japanese training

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Diego Hypolito, the Brazilian gymnast, revealed on Friday his new tactic of training, which is a Japanese style.

The athlete, along with his coach, has decided to adopt a Japanese style of training, designed to give the athlete more time on equipment and less time working out.

After a disappointing performance in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Hypolito realized that something had to change in order to become more competitive. Before the Games actually began, he and his coach, Renato Araujo, traveled to Narita, Japan, in June in order to prepare for the competition.

While there, the two were impressed with the style of training and thought about the possibility of applying it to their routine in Brazil.

"I am going to be able to spend more time on the apparatuses. It will also include a decrease of my training time, giving me more time for physical therapy and for my studies as well. I consider this type of training to be much more dynamic and specific," said the Brazilian.

"The Japanese are very good when it comes to concentration. This is going to help me to avoid making silly mistakes," claimed he.

Araujo believes that the new tactic will also help Hypolito to avoid injury. He will work on specific muscle groups in his legs, have more time to warm-up and will spend less time repeating exercises. The gymnast will spend an equal amount of time on each of the six apparatuses in which he competes. Last year, he would arrive at the Flamengo training facility around 7:30 a.m. and would leave nearly twelve hours later.

With his new program, he will train from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m, giving him plenty of time to study and receive physical therapy. He hopes that the new tactic will help him to return to the top of the gymnastic world.

Croatia edge over South Korea in handball worlds' opener

BELGRADE, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The 21st Men's World Handball Championships kicked off in the Croatian seaside resort of Split on Friday evening, with the host team edging out South Korea in the opening match.

Croatia's captain Petar Metlicic scored twice in the last moments to help the host win the match with the score of 27:26 before a crowd of 12,000 in the Spaladium Arena in Split.

"I am pleased only with the victory and the points, but this meeting must be a big warning for us," Croatian coach Lino Cervar told the press conference after the match.

Confronted with quick and persistent Asian champion, Croatian handballers were nervous from the start and entered the last five minutes of match with a disadvantage of 23:25.

With the encouragement of the audience, Croatians managed to equalize the score three and a half minutes before the end.

South Korea still managed to lead over Croatia with a score from Yunsuk Oh in the 58th minute. But Metlicic leveled and threw in the winning ball in the 59th.

Twenty-four teams will be participating in the event, which will be held in seven cities, including Zagreb, Split, Osijek, Varazdin, Porec, Zadar and Pula. The teams are divided into four preliminary groups and the first three of each group advance to the main round.

The final match for the world champion is to be held at the Zagreb Arena on Feb. 1.

Croatia, which won the world championship in Portugal in 2003 and gold medals at the 1996 and 2004 Olympics, has vowed to make it to at least the finals.

Group A is comprised of France, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Australia and Argentina.

Group B includes host Croatia, Spain, Sweden, South Korea, Kuwait and Cuba.

Group C has Macedonia, Russia, Germany, Poland, Tunisia and Algeria.

Group D is consisted of Denmark, Norway, Serbia, Brazil, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Britain to inject 3.8 mln pounds into Olympic sports for youth

LONDON, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- The British government has teamed up with 20 Premier League clubs in a 3.8-million-pound (one pound equals to about 1.5 U.S. dollars) partnership to offer thousands of young people the chance to get involved in four Olympic sports.

The Premier League 4 Sport initiative is part of the government's 140-million-pound Legacy Action Plan, which was announced in June last year and aims to get two million people more active by 2012.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown helped launch the scheme on Friday during a visit to Tottenham Hotspur's training ground in Chigwell, Essex, in east England along with Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore, Tottenham Hotspur Manager Harry Redknapp and Spurs players Ledley King, Jonathan Woodgate and Jermaine Jenas.

Brown said: "This initiative is great news for young people and communities and will help get thousands more teenagers participating in sports over the next few years, building on our goal to get young people doing five hours of sport a week."

The Youth Sport Trust, Sport England and Premier League clubs will work with community sports clubs and the governing bodies for badminton, judo, table tennis and volleyball to get 30,000 young people, aged between 11 and 16, involved in the four sports during the three-year scheme.

British PM: Olympics a "shot in the arm" for economy

LONDON, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brownon Friday hailed the London 2012 Olympics as a "shot in the arm for the economy."

He made the remarks during a visit to the Olympic site in east London to mark the half-way point between the winning of the bid and the 2012 opening ceremony.

Brown said work on the Olympic Park and Village will provide work for 30,000 people over the next few years, with a peak workforce of 11,000 in 2010. It will also provide 250 new construction apprenticeships over the course of the project, bringing the total number up to 350.

On a tour of the site with Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell, Olympic Delivery Authority chairman John Armitt, 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe and 1500m runner Lisa Dobriskey, Brown said: "Today, as we reach the halfway point in London 2012, we can see how the Olympics, one of the biggest construction projects in Europe, are a prime example of how public investment can help get us through this difficult period."

He referred the 2012 games as a massive shot in the arm for the economy and public investment at its best, providing high quality jobs, training, and billions of pounds worth of contracts for British firms.

The Olympic Development Agency which has already promised to provide 2000 training and work placements through the Olympic project, confirmed on Friday that companies bidding for 500 million pounds (one pound equals to about 1.5 U.S. dollars) of new contracts must provide an apprenticeship scheme as part of their submission.

There are currently more than 3,000 workers employed at the Olympic site, of whom one in ten were previously unemployed. More than 800 companies, 98 percent of them Britain-based, have won 3.5-billion-pound worth of work from a total expected to exceed 6 billion pounds.

Spain's Marc Coma rides his KTM motorcycle during the 12th stage of the South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2009 from Fiambala to La Rioja January 15, 2009.

South Africa's Giniel De Villiers competes in his Volkswagen during the 12th stage of the South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2009 from Fiambala to La Rioja January 15, 2009.

France's Alain Duclos rides his KTM during the 12th stage of the South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2009 on January 15, 2009.
(Xinhua/AFP Photo)

Alexandra Paul and Jason Cheperdak of British Columbia compete to a third place finish in the junior free dance program at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, January 15, 2009

Kate Charbonneau of Manitoba competes to a first place finish in the junior women free program at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, January 15, 2009.

Rylie McCulloch-Casarsa skates to a third place finish in the junior women free program at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, January 15, 2009

Alexandra Najarro of Ontario holds her skate above her head while competing in the junior women free program at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, January 15, 2009

Daniela-Bella Favot of Ontario competes in the junior women free program at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, January 15, 2009

Patrick Chan of Ontario, who won the Canadian Championship in 2008, practices his routine during the men's practice at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, January 15, 2009.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

The seven-year-old blue-fronted Amazon parrot sits on the shoulder of its owner Joyce Greenslade in Devon, UK. It was possessive about its owner,and went into a rage whenever her husband went close to her. Now the neurotic parrot has been put on the bird equivalent of Prozac and started on a behavioural course to combat her jealousy.

The seven-year-old blue-fronted Amazon parrot is fed by its owner Joyce Greenslade in Devon, UK. (Xinhua Photo)

Anne Hathaway arrives at the 2008 National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Awards ceremony in New York on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009

Anne Hathaway arrives at the 2008 National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Awards ceremony in New York on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009.(Photo:Chinadaily.com.cn/Agencies)

Nadal, Jankovic are two to beat

MELBOURNE -- Spain's Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic of Serbia have been confirmed as the top seeds for this year's Australian Open, which begins on Monday.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a shot against Mario Ancic of Croatia during their match at the Sydney International tennis tournament January 15, 2009.
Roger Federer was listed as second seed in the men's draw ahead of defending champion Novak Djokovic and Briton Andy Murray for the year's first grand slam.

Former champion Serena Williams was seeded second for the women's tournament ahead of Russian pair Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva.

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates after defeating Serbia's Novak Djokovic in their singles final at the Artois tennis championships in west London, in this June 15, 2008 file photo.

The full draw for the tournament will be made at Melbourne yesterday. Seeds for the Australian Open are based on the ATP and WTA world rankings.

The only man missing from the world's top 32 is Russian Nikolay Davydenko while two women are absent, last year's champion Maria Sharapova and China's Li Na.

Switzerland's Roger Federer hits a backhand to Spain's Fernando Verdasco at the Kooyong Classic tennis tournament in Melbourne January 15, 2009.
Nadal has never won the Australian Open although he has won the French Open four times and Wimbledon once. His best performance in Melbourne was last year when he reached the semifinals.

Jankovic was also a semifinalist in Australia last year but is yet to win a grand slam.

Agencies

Sainz goes marching on in Dakar Rally

COPIAPO, Chile: Spain's two-time rally world champion Carlos Sainz further extended his overall lead in the Dakar Rally here on Tuesday as he won the 476km 10th stage around Copiapo.

Combination picture of the crash featuring Orlando Terranova of Argentina in his BMW as he hits the KTM of Frenchman Pierrick Bonnet during the 2009 Dakar Rally around Copiapo, Chile on Tuesday.

Sainz, who was winning his sixth stage of this year's edition and fourth in a row, beat home US driver Robby Gordon, and was 7 minutes and 39 seconds ahead of his American Volkswagen team-mate Mark Miller.

Gordon said that it had been a relatively easy stage for him, although he bemoaned the lack of competitiveness between his Hummer and the Volkswagens.

"We had a good day," said Gordon.

"We managed to have a problem-free stage. As soon as we are on faster trails, they (the Volkswagens) shake us off. They have so much more power than we do."

South Africa driver Giniel de Villiers cursed what he saw as being another day when lady luck did not ride alongside him.

"Twenty kilometers from the end of the stage, I crossed a sand dune and I really had bad luck waiting for me on the other side," said de Villiers, who is third overall.

"We were in the wrong place and ditched right into the hole. I lost 20 minutes trying to get out. It was just bad luck. Of course I am disappointed because we have lost even more time. We just have a lot of bad luck.

"This is really not our Dakar!"

Spanish rider Jordi Viladoms, on a KTM, won the motorbike section, finishing 1 minute and 6 seconds ahead of Franco-Malian rider Alain Duclos (KTM) and 8:29 ahead of Portuguese biker Helder Rodriguez, also on a KTM.

Viladoms' compatriot Marc Coma retained the overall lead and increased his lead over second placed rider David Fretigne of France despite finishing 12:17 behind the stage winner.

Viladoms said it had been a ride to remember.

"In the last 10km it became completely crazy," he said.

"I was riding with Coma, Cyril Despres and Duclos. When I reached the end and saw that I could follow Marc and Cyril, all my concerns disappeared.

"It feels really good and I am satisfied."

Coma for his part was relieved to have not suffered too much damage despite the toughness of the stage.

"I misinterpreted a note and lost a lot of time," said Coma.

"It was important to spend a day like this not losing one's head.

"It is the kind of stage that leaves its toll on the rally like the Tourmalet stage in the Tour de France."

Another Spaniard Cristobal Guerrero was in a coma on Tuesday after a heavy fall, organizers said.

Guerrero, riding a KTM, fell some 160km into the 430km stage and was taken to Copiapo hospital where he underwent a scan.

Chilean rider Francisco Lopez also had a heavy fall, losing consciousness in the process. Lopez, seventh in the overall standings overnight, recovered consciousness to finish the stage.

The start of the stage was delayed two-and-a-half hours with the Chilean race venue of Copiapo enshrouded in thick morning fog - even thicker fog was predicted for yesterday, prompting the race organizers to cancel the stage.

Agencies

Volvo race good news for China

The Volvo Ocean Race will have a profound impact in terms of popularizing the sport in China when it touches base at the coastal city of Qingdao in less than three weeks, Knut Frostad, CEO of Volvo Event Management UK, said recently.

Frostad said he was expecting "big fans (and a) big audience" for the event, one of the world's three leading regattas.

"In the future we will see kids starting to sail in China," he added during a trip to Beijing.

"We are always working hard to grow the sport globally. And we strongly believe that China is a fantastic opportunity to (do this) because every time we have been to China, when we have met the Chinese people and media, they have shown their interest in the sport," he said, adding that "change is going to take some time."

Having left the Spanish port of Alicante last October, the fleet will arrive in Beijing Olympics co-host city Qingdao at the end of this month following a brief break in Singapore, the race's second Asian stopover after Cochin, India. This is the first time the race has made its way to Asia since it was inaugurated in 1973.

"It's more than the race itself," Frostad, who represented Norway in sailing at two Olympics, said of the new route. "We have made lots of changes this year, especially the stopovers in Asia. We just want to make the race better."

The growing riptide of global financial woes merely serves to make Asia, with its vast potential fan base and market, more of an attraction.

"Many of the sponsors of the race are international corporations. For them, Asia and China are very important markets," he said.

The fleet has already lost one of its boats after Team Russia announced it had suspended operations at Singapore due to insufficient funds. This came despite an aggressive recruitment drive by the boat's management in recent months to lure sponsors.

Frostad remained upbeat.

"We are of course under lots of pressure like any other sport and business," he said. "We are dealing with (some problems) and we are reducing the costs as much as we can in order to make it more feasible for everybody.

"I'm very confident the race will finish as planned. It has been organized for a long time. Every team has its own budget and its own plans," he said. "I believe the Russian team will return to the race."

Now the CEO is on a mission to try and convince the Chinese people that they need a prestigious tournament like the Volvo Ocean Race, considered to be the most expensive sports event in the world.

"We do not look at the race as symbolizing a luxury sport. For us, it's a (special) event," he said. "Like soccer, it's cheap to buy a football, but it's very expensive to see a great match between Manchester United and Chelsea.

"For the same reason, this race is as important for China as other sports."

The race is also opening a window of opportunity for Chinese companies who want to build bridges overseas.

"There are Chinese companies who want to get involved because this race is on TV every week in about 150 countries," said the Norwegian yachtsman. "For a Chinese company, it is interesting to see oneself on TV in different countries. So it's a great opportunity to bring China out (into the world) and bring something else in. It's like a trade, and this is what the race is doing."

China Daily

Israeli singer Aviv Geffen poses during a photocall in front of the Brandenburg gate in Berlin to promote his Germany tour, Jan. 13, 2009.

Israeli singer Aviv Geffen poses during a photocall to promote his Germany tour, in Berlin Jan. 13, 2009

Israeli singer Aviv Geffen poses during a photocall to promote his Germany tour, in Berlin Jan. 13, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

A view of the deluxe "Lalgarh Palace" suite of the new luxury train, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels (RROW), is seen on the outskirts of Jaisalmer in the desert Indian state of Rajasthan January 13, 2009. The RROW has a capacity of 82 persons with 13 deluxe saloons and one super deluxe saloon in four service cars and two restaurant bars. The train departs on a seven-day-long journey through various parts of the desert Indian state of Rajasthan and cost up to 2000 U.S. dollars per suite per person per night.

Guests sit inside the "Swarna Mahal" of the new luxury train, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels (RROW), on the outskirts of Jaisalmer in the desert Indian state of Rajasthan January 13, 2009

An attendant works inside 'Sheesh Mahal', a restaurant coach of the new luxury train named, 'Royal Rajasthan on Wheels (RROW) on the outskirts of Jaisalmer in the desert Indian state of Rajasthan January 13, 2009

A view of the new luxury train Royal Rajasthan on Wheels (RROW) is seen on the railway station of Jaisalmer in the desert Indian state of Rajasthan January 13, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Jeff Koons polychromed wood sculpture "Stacked" is displayed at Sotheby's in New York Jan. 13, 2009. The sculpture will be auctioned on Feb. 5 with an estimate of 3.4- 4.9 million U.S. dollars. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

An Arabian baboon baby smells a banana in the arms of its keeper Inkeller Judit in the Pecs Zoo, southern Hungary, Jan. 13, 2009. The one-month-old baboon baby was abandoned by its mother after birth

An Arabian baboon baby plays with its keeper Inkeller Judit in the Pecs Zoo, southern Hungary, Jan. 13, 2009. The one-month-old baboon baby was abandoned by its mother after birth.(Xinhua/Kalmandy Ferenc)

Pierce sparks Celtics to OT victory

BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics beat the Toronto Raptors for the second time in two days on Monday, but this time they needed overtime to secure a 115-109 win.

Toronto Raptors guard Roko Ukic (L) reaches in to knock the ball away from Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce in the second quarter of their NBA basketball game in Boston, Massachusetts, January 12, 2009.
Paul Pierce scored a season-high 39 points despite a sore right knee for the Celtics, who held off the Raptors 94-88 in Toronto on Sunday to end a four-game losing streak.

"There's players who play the game; there's players who absolutely love the game. Paul's one of those 'love' guys," Celtics coach Doc Rivers told reporters after Pierce was on the court for more than 49 minutes.

"He's tough as nails... (and) he's able to play through pain because of the love for the game."

Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce (34) drives to the basket around Toronto Raptors center Andrea Bargnani in the third quarter of their NBA basketball game in Boston, Massachusetts January 12, 2009.

Pierce nailed a three-pointer for the first points of the overtime session and the Celtics never trailed again.

"Doc's been around me long enough to know that it takes a lot to keep me off the court," Pierce told reporters.

"I was a little ginger but I was able to get some much-needed rest last night."

Kevin Garnett added 20 points and 12 rebounds to help secure the 19th victory in 21 home games for the Atlantic Division-leading Celtics, who trailed by 10 points in the third quarter before rallying.

Andrea Bargnani, who paced the Raptors with 23 points, forced overtime on a three-pointer with a second to play but was held scoreless in the extra session.

"We shot ourselves in the foot tonight," the Raptors' Chris Bosh, who added 18 points and 11 rebounds, told reporters.

Bucks 97, Wizards 91

At Washington, Michael Redd scored 29 points, a healthy Andrew Bogut added 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Washington blew another fourth-quarter lead.

Trading baskets down the stretch with Wizards guard Nick Young - who scored a career-high 30 - Redd helped Milwaukee overcome a deficit that was 13 points in the second quarter, 11 at halftime and five entering the final period.

New York Knicks forward Jared Jeffries (20) fights for a loose ball with New Orleans Hornets center Tyson Chandler (L) and forward David West (R) during the first half of their NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Louisiana January 12, 2009.
After Young made a 16-foot fadeaway jumper to pull Washington within 90-89, Redd answered with a 3-pointer with less than 1 1/2 minutes left. Young missed a 3 as the shot-clock expired on Washington's next possession, and that was that.

It's the 12th time this season the Eastern Conference-worst Wizards lost a game after leading in the fourth quarter.

Trail Blazers 109, Bulls 95

At Chicago, Travis Outlaw scored a season-high 33 points and Greg Oden had 17 points and 13 rebounds as Portland beat Chicago.

It was a good start to the week for the Trail Blazers, who were coming off a rather chaotic one. They found themselves in an old, familiar spot - the center of controversy - for sending an email to teams threatening legal action if they signed former forward Darius Miles, but the current players are doing a good job ignoring any distractions.

Drew Gooden led Chicago with 22 points and nine rebounds, and Ben Gordon scored 17 points. Deng added 14 points in 22 minutes off the bench but was 3-for-10 from the field after missing eight games with a sprained left ankle.

Jazz 120, Pacers 113

At Salt Lake City, Mehmet Okur scored a career-high 43 points and Utah held off a late rally to down Indiana.

Andrei Kirilenko scored 23 points and pulled down 12 rebounds and Deron Williams added 11 assists and 23 points, including a late 3-pointer to help the Jazz finally put away the Pacers.

Indiana had trailed by 20 late in the third quarter, but would not let the Jazz clinch it until the final minute.

Danny Granger had 30 points and seven assists, one night after tying his career high with 42 points in a loss at Golden State.

Nets 103, Thunder 99, OT

At East Rutherford, New Jersey, rookie Brook Lopez scored a career-high 31 points and pulled down 13 rebounds as New Jersey edged Oklahoma City.

Vince Carter had 21 while Devin Harris, back after missing three of the previous four games with a hamstring injury, had 17. Keyon Dooling had 14, most coming early in the fourth quarter as the Nets earned a fourth straight home win after starting the season 5-12 in New Jersey.

Kevin Durant had 26 points for the Thunder, who fell to 6-33, and 2-17 on the road.

Russell Westbrook had 17 points, Jeff Green finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, former Net Nenad Krstic had 12 points and Earl Watson scored 11 points.

Agencies

HOUSTON - Kobe Bryant's clutch three-pointer capped a 33-point performance and launched the Los Angeles Lakers to a 105-100 road win over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday.

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming passes the ball through the outstretched arms of Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant during their NBA basketball game in Houston January 13, 2009.

Bryant's long shot with 27 seconds remaining put the Lakers ahead 102-100 and they never trailed again, bringing the Rockets' three-game winning streak to an end.

"I just rose up and hit it," Bryant told reporters after his only three-pointer of the game.

"Houston played extremely well and we found a way to win," he added. "We came into a hostile (environment) and got a big win"

Bryant had 13 points in the quarter, coming up with his key shot after Shane Battier had given Houston a 100-99 lead with 47 seconds to play with a three-pointer of his own.

The Rockets had a chance to tie the score after Bryant's shot when Derek Fisher fouled Houston's Rafer Alston, but Alston missed two free throws.

Pau Gasol sealed the victory with three free throws in the final seven seconds.

Von Wafer scored a career-high 23 points for the Rockets, who were playing without the injured Tracy McGrady. Carl Landry added 21 points and Yao Ming posted 19 points and 17 rebounds.

"If we get that effort every game then we are going to be fine," Rockets coach Rick Adelman told reporters. "We played hard, we competed the whole game, we just didn't make the plays that they made, that Kobe made at the end."

Sainz keeps VW on track for Dakar cleansweep with win No 4

LA SERENA -- Spain's Carlos Sainz edged closer to winning the Dakar rally on Sunday when he captured the eighth stage, keeping Volkswagen on course for a cleansweep.

Carlos Sainz of Spain, who is taking part in the Dakar 2009 Argentina-Chile Rally, checks his car in the technical zone in Valparaiso city, about 75 miles (120 km) northwest of Santiago, January 10, 2009. The seventh stage of the South American edition of the Dakar 2009 takes place from Mendoza to Valparaiso.
Sainz, a former double world rally champion, beat home teammate Dieter Depping of Germany by 4 minutes and 2 seconds on the 294km special from Valparaiso with another Volkswagen driver Mark Miller, 4:12 off the pace.

It was Sainz' fourth stage win in this year's race and gave him a 10:57 lead in the overall standings over South Africa's Giniel De Villiers, also in a Volkswagen and who was fifth on the day.

Miller is third overall, 18:5 behind Sainz while Nani Roma, Mitsubishi's only top driver left, is fourth, 33:31 behind after finishing fourth on the stage.

Spain's Carlos Sainz and co-driver Michel Perin compete in their Volkswagen during the ninth stage of the South American edition of the Dakar 2009, from La Serena to Copiapo, January 12, 2009.
"As long as the rally isn't over, then nothing is certain," insisted Sainz. "Today was the first time we have driven on tracks. In fact, this stage was very much like a traditional rally stage. Up until now, those are the first real tracks that I've seen.

"But it was very nice, very slippery and sometimes quite tricky. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and I hope that we'll carry on being as successful as we have been today."

Roma, who is Mitsubishi's last hope of victory following the retirements of previous winners Stephane Peterhansel, Luc Alphand and Hiroshi Masuoka, suffered a series of problems on the stage.

"After 50km we had a double puncture. We changed a front wheel and re-inflated a rear tire, so we lost quite a bit of time," said the former motorcycle champion.

"As regards the gap at the end, after what happened on the stage, it's not bad at all.

"It was a really nice stage in driving terms, but also the type of stage on which Carlos is very good. But he's also good at off-track racing. Anyway, in rally-raids there are always surprises.

"Now we're going to be faced with two or three very difficult days. Everything can change, and we won't not let anything go. Just wait and see."

France's Cyril Despres, on a KTM, won the motorcycle section of the eighth stage, but had to take evasive action to avoid a donkey which had strayed onto the track.

Marc Coma of Spain, who finished second, 1:49 behind, kept the overall lead in the standings.

It was Despres' second stage win on this year's race which allowed the 2005 and 2007 champion to move into third spot in the standings, 1:33:34 behind Coma.

But his win came in dramatic circumstances. "Around fifteen kilometers from the finishing line, a donkey suddenly shot out from behind a bunch of cacti," said a stunned Despres.

"I think it was a lucky escape, for both him and me. The tracks were quite slippery and that's why you need technical skill to be quick on them and strength too, to keep control of the bike."

AFP

Another serious injury mars Dakar as Sainz wins again

SANTIAGO - Dakar Rally leader Carlos Sainz won his fourth stage in a row on Tuesday as the controversial event was marred by another serious injury.

Spain's Carlos Sainz and co-driver Michel Perin drive their Volkswagen during the tenth stage of the South American edition of the Dakar 2009 rally, from Copiapo to Copiapo, January 13, 2009.[Agencies]

Spanish motorcyle rider Cristobal Guerrero was left in a coma after crashing 160 km into the tenth stage, a 476 km loop starting and finishing in the Chilean desert city of Copiapo.

Organisers said they would give an update on the 48-year-old's condition after he had undergone a scan.

The race has already claimed the life of French motorcyclist Pascal Terry whose body was found on January 7, three days after he went missing during the second stage in Argentina.

British pair Paul Green and Matthew Harrison suffered thorax and spine injuries during the rally's first stage when their car overturned in another bad accident.

Former world rally champion Sainz forged ahead in the car category after Argentina's Orlando Terranova, who led for the first third of the stage, rolled his vehicle and was forced to withdraw.

The driver and his navigator were unhurt.

Sainz was handed the lead but lost it to American Robby Gordon who led for over 100 km before the Spaniard regained the advantage near the end to win by 21 seconds and clinch his sixth stage of the rAace.

American Mark Miller came in third, a futher 7.39 minutes behind Gordon.

Sainz increased his overall lead over Miller to more than 27 minutes.

Fellow Spaniard Jordi Viladoms won the stage in the motorcycle category, finishing 1.06 minutes ahead of French rider Alain Duclos and 8.29 ahead of Portugal's Helder Rodriguez.

Frenchman Cyril Despres led for most of the stage until he made a navigational error and made a loop of around 23 km before getting back on the right trail.

Race leader Marc Coma came in seventh but remains one hour 24 minutes ahead of Frenchman David Fretigne in the overall standings.

The race is being held in Argentina and Chile because of security fears in Mauritania which caused the cancellation of last year's race.

Former employee ends action against McLaren F1 boss

LONDON - A former air steward apologised to McLaren Formula One boss Ron Dennis at an employment tribunal on Tuesday after withdrawing accusations of racism and homophobia against him.

"I unreservedly apologise to Mr Dennis and all respondents, and to the Southampton Employment Tribunal, for wasting their time with what I now realise were unfounded allegations," Peter Boland said in a statement to the tribunal.

Dennis had employed Boland on his private plane between 2002 and 2007.

"This case has been hurtful, irritating and unnecessary, in the sense that no impropriety ever took place, which fact Mr Boland now concedes," Dennis said in a separate statement on the McLaren website (www.mclaren.com).

"Equally, Mr Boland accepts that I have never said or done anything either racist or homophobic."

Britain's Lewis Hamilton, Formula One's first black driver, won the championship with Mercedes-powered McLaren last year.

Dennis and his Saudi business partner Mansour Ojjeh each own 15 percent of McLaren, while Bahrain's Mumtalakat holding company have a 30 percent stake.

Scramble on to save 2010 Games village in Vancouver

VANCOUVER - Organizers of the 2010 Olympics remain confident the Vancouver athletes village will be completed on time despite the project's money woes, the group's executive director said on Tuesday.

Provincial officials are waiting for a request from the city of Vancouver for help refinancing the CUS$1 billion (US$820 million) housing project, which saw its private funding dry up as the Canadian city's real estate market slowed.

Standard & Poors warned on Tuesday the financing problems could hurt the city's credit rating if it is forced to borrow extensively to ensure the village is ready when the Games begin in February 2010.

Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) Chief Executive John Furlong acknowledged his group was hearing concerns about the issue, although it is not directly responsible for funding the project that will house 2,800 athletes and officials.

"This is one that nobody is obviously happy about, but I think there is a belief that we have the focus and the attitude and determination to get this where we need to be," Furlong said.

"Clearly at the end of the day we have to have an Olympic village. We know that. The city knows that," he said.

The facility was originally to be funded by a private developer, Millennium Development, which planned to sell many of the housing units as high-priced waterfront condominiums after the Olympics.

Vancouver which agreed to sell the land to the developer hailed the deal in 2006 as a way to fund the Olympic-related project at no risk to taxpayers.

But Millennium had trouble getting financing so the city quietly agreed in 2007 to guarantee lenders, led by US-based Fortress Investment Group , it would take responsibility

for completing the project if Millennium could not.

The city was forced to help Millennium again in September 2008 when the lenders stopped advancing money as construction costs rose and fears mounted that a slowing housing market meant that post-Games real estate sales would not pay off the loan.

News of the 2007 loan guarantee and that lenders had cut off the funding were made public last week.

Vancouver city council voted on Monday to ask British Columbia's legislature to give the city the legal authority to ensure the needed financing, but provincial officials said they have not yet received that request.

The city is expected to ask for its charter to be amended so it can borrow more than CUS$450 million without holding a lengthy public referendum. The city is also trying to negotiate a new financing deal with Fortress.

Vancouver debt is now rated AA+, but Standard & Poor's said that might change if the city is forced to borrow substantially to replace the funding being provided by Fortress.

The 2010 Games will also have an athletes village in the ski resort community of Whistler, British Columbia, where alpine events will be held. That project, which will be used to provide low-cost housing after the Games, has not had financial difficulties.

(US$1=$1.22 Canadian)

Raising Arizona: Cardinals want revenge

NEW YORK -- Sunday's championship finals to decide the Super Bowl combatants could produce contrasting games when defensive-minded Pittsburgh hosts Baltimore and Philadelphia visits high-scoring Arizona.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) makes a catch between Carolina Panthers' Charles Godfrey (30) and Ken Lucas during the first quarter of the NFC Divisional Round NFL playoff football game in Charlotte, North Carolina, January 10, 2009.
The Steelers have the No 1 defense in the NFL while the Ravens, their American Football Conference (AFC) North rivals, rank second.

The second-seeded Steelers (13-4) beat the Ravens (13-5) 23-20 in overtime at home in September before muscling their way to a 13-9 victory in Baltimore in December.

Pittsburgh Steelers Nate Washington (L) celebrates with teammate Santonio Holmes after Holmes returned a punt 67 yards for a first quarter touchdown against the San Diego Chargers in their AFC Divisional Round NFL playoff football game in Pittsburgh, January 11, 2009.
"Us and the Ravens ... would be a big game if it was a scrimmage," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin told reporters after Sunday's 35-24 win over the San Diego Chargers.

"It just happens to be the AFC championship game."

The sixth-seeded Ravens advanced with a 13-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans, the AFC top seed.

Philadelphia guaranteed the NFL would crown a new champion by ousting last year's Super Bowl-winning New York Giants 23-11 in a National Football Conference (NFC) playoff.

The sixth-seeded Eagles (11-6-1), in their fifth NFC title game in eight years, take on fourth-seeded West division champion Arizona Cardinals (11-7).

The Cardinals, who upset the Carolina Panthers 33-13, have scored more points this season than all but two teams and have an attack featuring experienced quarterback Kurt Warner and receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

"We're playing against a team that doesn't have any problem scoring points," said quarterback Donovan McNabb after his Eagles defense kept the top-seeded Giants from scoring a single touchdown.

Dig deep

"We're going to have to dig deep on offense and be able to come up with touchdowns."

Arizona Cardinals runningback Tim Hightower (34) gets past Carolina Panthers safety Chris Harris during the fourth quarter in their NFC Divisional Round NFL playoff football game in Charlotte, North Carolina, January 10, 2009. [Agencies]
The Eagles beat the Cardinals 48-20 in November, a turning point in their season.

Philadelphia was walloped 36-7 by the Ravens in Baltimore in a game that sent a jolt through its squad, with coach Andy Reid benching McNabb at halftime.

Four days later in a Thanksgiving Day game in Philadelphia, McNabb threw four touchdown passes to lead the Eagles past the Cardinals and begin a run of six wins in seven games.

"After the Baltimore game we all talked as a team," said McNabb, whose Eagles also beat the Steelers 15-6 in the third week of the regular season.

"We got away from guys flying around and making plays. We're a much better team when we're loose."

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin shrugged off suggestions the odds were stacked against his players beating a quality team like the Ravens three times in a season.

"I personally don't subscribe to that hocus-pocus," said Tomlin. "What happened in the other two games will have no bearing on the outcome of this game."

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is expecting a classic confrontation.

"It's going to be a battle," he said. "It's going to be one for the ages, I have a feeling."

Agencies

Actress Hayden Panettiere arrives at the 66th annual Golden Globe awards in Beverly Hills, California January 11, 2009.

Actress Hayden Panettiere arrives at the 66th annual Golden Globe awards in Beverly Hills, California January 11, 2009

Singer and actress Miley Cyrus arrives at the 66th annual Golden Globe awards in Beverly Hills, California January 11, 2009

Nick Jonas, Kevin Jonas and Joe Jonas from the band "The Jonas Brothers'' arrive at the 66th annual Golden Globe awards in Beverly Hills, California January 11, 2009

Actress America Ferrera arrives at the 66th annual Golden Globe awards in Beverly Hills, California January 11, 2009

Actress Drew Barrymore arrives at the 66th annual Golden Globe awards in Beverly Hills, California January 11, 2009

Actress Eva Longoria arrives at the 66th annual Golden Globe awards in Beverly Hills, California January 11, 2009.

Paris Hilton attends the In Style/Warner Bros Golden Globes after party in Beverly Hills, California January 11, 2009

Evan Rachel Wood attends the In Style/Warner Bros Golden Globes after party in Beverly Hills, California January 11, 2009

Anne Hathaway attends the In Style/Warner Bros Golden Globes after party in Beverly Hills, California January 11, 2009

Actress Eva Mendes arrives at a Golden Globe party sponsored by the HBO network in Beverly Hills, California January 12, 2009.

Actress Laura Linney smiles with her award at the 66th annual Golden Globe party sponsored by the HBO network in Beverly Hills, California January 12, 2009

Kate Winslet holds her award for Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for her part in "The Reader'', at the 66th annual Golden Globe awards in Beverly Hills, California Jan. 11, 2009

Actors Stephen Moyer (L) and Sam Trammell (R) arrive with actress Anna Paquin at a Golden Globe party sponsored by the HBO network in Beverly Hills, California January 12, 2009

Cast of "30 Rock" (L-R) Alec Baldwin, Jane Krakowski, Tina Fey, Jack McBrayer and Tracy Morgan pose backstage after their show won the Best Television Series - Musical Or Comedy award at the 66th annual Golden Globe awards in Beverly Hills, California January 11, 2009.

Actress Sally Hawkins arrives with her award at a Golden Globe party sponsored by the HBO network in Beverly Hills, California January 12, 2009

The cast and crew of "Slumdog Millionaire" arrive at the 66th annual Golden Globe awards in Beverly Hills, California January 11, 2009. Pictured are (L-R) producer Christian Colson, actors Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, Freida Pinto, director Danny Boyle, composer A.R. Rahman and writer Simon Beaufoy
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