Soccer-Zambia cancel friendly to rest before Nations Cup defence

Jan 11 (Reuters) - African Nations Cup holders Zambia have cancelled plans for a last friendly before the tournament starts next week in order to rest.Zambia, who have had a steady diet of warm-up games in preparation for the defence of their title, called off a friendly with Namibia in Nelspruit on Tuesday."They have cited a strenuous schedule as the reason for the cancellation," Namibia Football...

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Soccer-West Ham fill boots with Wellington signing

LONDON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - West Ham United further swelled their attacking options on Friday by signing Brazilian striker Wellington Paulista on a six-month loan deal from Cruzeiro.The mid-table Premier League side said in a statement that the 29-year-old holds a European Union passport and therefore does not require a work permit."I think I can do my best here and I am coming to England to prove...

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UPDATE 2-Soccer-Crowd favourite Sahin back at Dortmund on loan

* Sahin played in Dortmund from 2000-2011* Turkey international had spells at Real Madrid, Liverpool (Updates with more details, quotes, Schmelzer contract extension)BERLIN, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Playmaker and crowd favourite Nuri Sahin returned to Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund on a loan deal after unsuccessful spells at Real Madrid and Liverpool over the past 18 months.Dortmund said in a hastily...

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Why does Google build apps for its rival Apple's iPhone?

Why help a key competitor? Two words: Advertising and dataThere isn't any other way to say it: Apple and Google really don't like each other. Apple CEO Steve Jobs vowed to destroy the Google geniuses behind the Android operating system for allegedly stealing the basic mechanics of the iPhone. Apple and Google-partner Samsung are constantly at one another's throats over patents. And most recently...

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Samsung Smart TVs: The next frontier for data theft and hacking [video]

Smart TVs, particularly Samsung’s (005930) last few generations of flat screens, can be hacked to give attackers remote access according to a security startup called ReVuln. The company says it discovered a “zero-day exploit” that hackers could potentially use to perform malicious activities that range from stealing accounts linked through apps to using built-in webcams and microphones to spy on...

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Huge Wave of Google App Updates Hits iOS, Android

Google just brought iPhone and Android phone users a holiday gift. Google Maps has returned to the iPhone, this time in the form of its own separate app, while Google Currents -- the company's Flipboard-style online magazine app for Android -- received a substantial update as well.Besides the two big updates, about a half-dozen other apps for Android and Google TV received bug fixes and new features,...

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Is the Christmas card dead?

Author Nina Burleigh says the holiday photo is dead — and the internet killed itEvery year around the holidays, countless Americans sit down at their dining room tables to thoughtfully scribble pen-and-paper updates about how they are and what they've been doing with their lives to a select number of friends. These messages are usually written on the back of a recent family photograph (sometimes...

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Massive PC, Console Game Discounts Ring in Holiday Season

Black Friday, the day right after Thanksgiving, is normally the day associated with electronics sales. And while the proponents of "Cyber Monday" and "Small Business Saturday" have tried to get in on the action, it's still common knowledge that Thanksgiving weekend is the best time to upgrade your PC or console game arsenal. Right?Not according to online game retailers. Discounts of up to 80 percent...

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Iraqi officials say car bomb near bus stop kills 5

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi police say a car bomb explosion near a bus stop has killed five people and wounded 15 others in the capital, Baghdad.The officials say the blast took place on Thursday morning near a bus stop in the mainly Shiite neighborhood of Hurriyah as commuters were gathering to catch rides to different parts of Baghdad. Five minibuses were damaged or burnt in the attack.Medics in a nearby...

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Three Kurdish women found shot dead in Paris: police

PARIS (Reuters) - Three Kurdish women said to include a founding member of the PKK militant group were shot dead overnight in Paris in killings that appeared politically motivated, police and other sources said on Thursday.The bodies of the women were found early on Thursday at the Information Centre of Kurdistan in the city centre, a police source said.An employee of the centre, which has close...

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KFC's parent apologizes to China customers over handling of food scare

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Fast-food chain KFC's parent Yum Brands Inc apologized to customers in China over its handling of a recent food scare that has hit the company's sales in its biggest market."We regret shortcomings in our self-checking process, a lack of internal communication," Su Jingshi, chairman and chief executive of Yum China, wrote on the company's Weibo microblog.Yum, which gets more than...

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NHL owners to vote on contract Wednesday

NEW YORK (AP) — NHL owners will vote Wednesday on the tentative labor agreement reached with the players' union.If a majority approves, as expected, the NHL will move one step closer toward the official end of the long lockout that began Sept. 16.As of Tuesday afternoon, a memorandum of understanding of the deal hadn't been completed, so the union has yet to schedule a vote for its more than 700...

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NHL owners, players move closer to votes

NEW YORK (AP) — All that is left of the NHL lockout are a pair of votes by owners and players.If both sides approve the tentative deal reached over the weekend — as expected — training camps will be open by Sunday.The league's board of governors will meet on Wednesday in New York, and the 30 club owners will vote on the agreement that was reached in the early morning hours of Sunday after a 16-hour...

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Bruins on ice at BU as they wait for NHL season

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg drove by the TD Garden on Tuesday morning on his way to Boston University, where a handful of his teammates have been skating to keep in shape while waiting for the NHL season to start."I got a really good feeling imagining going out on the ice and getting excited about being able to play again," he said. "I'm so excited to be here."After spending...

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"Fiscal cliff" turmoil could hit 100 million taxpayers: U.S. IRS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. tax authorities warned on Wednesday that as many as 100 million taxpayers - far more than previously estimated - could face refund delays if lawmakers' "fiscal cliff" negotiations fail to fix the alternative minimum tax (AMT) before year-end.The Internal Revenue Service said in a letter to lawmakers that it was raising its estimate on AMT impact from 60 million."It is...

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What's on the table now in 'fiscal cliff' talks

An update on the latest offers on the table in negotiations to avert a year-end avalanche of federal tax increases and spending cuts known as the "fiscal cliff":___INCOME TAXESHouse Speaker John Boehner would allow income tax rates to rise for people making more than $1 million per year and would hold rates where they are for everyone making less. The top rate on income exceeding $1 million would...

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Swiss lender ZKB says three charged by U.S. authorities

Swiss lender Zuercher Kantonalbank (ZKB) said two of its bankers and one former employee had been charged by U.S. authorities, which had accused them of helping U.S. clients avoid taxes.The three were indicted over changes of conspiring with American clients to hide more than $420 million from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan had said on Wednesday.The indictment...

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Wilson emerges from Griffin's shadow in Seattle win

LANDOVER, Maryland (Reuters) - Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson left Washington in nobody's shadow after securing a huge road playoff win for the Seahawks on Sunday after the shakiest of starts.Wilson won the battle of the rookie sensations when his team and its stifling defense stormed back to beat the Washington Redskins and quarterback Robert Griffin III, 24-14, after allowing two touchdowns...

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Browns moving on from Oregon's Kelly

CLEVELAND (AP) — Chip Kelly wouldn't jump. So the Browns bailed.Oregon's visor-wearing coach isn't coming to Cleveland — or the NFL.A person familiar with Cleveland's coaching search said the team passed on Kelly after he was indecisive about making the leap to the pros. The Browns nearly had a deal with Kelly two days ago, but they've moved on to other candidates, said the person who spoke to The...

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Ravens top Colts 24-9 in AFC wild card

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens wanted one long final ride for Ray Lewis.They also wanted Denver. They got it.Having disposed of Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts, they now face a far more imposing challenge — Peyton Manning and the streaking Broncos.Anquan Boldin set a franchise record with 145 yards receiving, including the clinching touchdown in the Ravens' 24-9 victory Sunday over the...

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Tennis-Sharapova looks back on banner year

BRISBANE, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Maria Sharapova said 2012 had been the most memorable year of her career after her victory at the French Open and carrying Russia's flag at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics."A lot of things came together," she said in Brisbane on Monday. "It was the grand slam that was going to take a little bit longer than the others for me."I knew that physically I needed...

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Tennis-Early Auckland exits for Zheng, Kuznetsova

Dec 31 (Reuters) - Defending champion Zheng Jie and former world number two Svetlana Kuznetsova were knocked out of the Auckland Classic in the first round on Monday.Zheng raced to a 3-0 lead before losing 13 of the next 16 games to go down 7-5 6-1 to American Jamie Hampton.The Chinese fourth seed followed in the footsteps of Hungarian Greta Arn, who crashed out in the first round last year after...

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Tennis-No magic answer for Stosur's problem on home courts

BRISBANE, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Former U.S. Open champion Samantha Stosur conceded there was no magic solution to her problems on home courts after a shock loss to Sofia Arvidsson in the opening round of the Brisbane International on Monday.The world number nine, who has failed to match expectations in Australian tournaments, lost 7-6 7-5 to the Swede five weeks after ankle surgery and only a fortnight...

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