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 hospital confirmed the causality figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to the media.
Violence has ebbed in Iraq, but deadly attacks are still frequent.

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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 links to Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), told French broadcaster i
The Firat news agency, which is close to the PKK, said another victim was the Paris representative of the Brussels-based Kurdistan National Congress political group.
"There is no doubt this was politically motivated," Berivan Akyol, the centre employee, told i
Police launched a murder investigation after discovering the bodies, along with three shell casings, in a room of the Centre in central Paris, the source said, adding that their nationality was Turkish.
The PKK has waged a 28-year insurgency against the Turkish state in which more than 40,000 people are estimated to have been killed.
The Turkish government has recently acknowledged holding talks with the organization's jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan.
They have agreed a framework for a peace plan, according to Turkish media reports.
Firat said two of those killed were shot in the head and one in the stomach, and that the murder weapon was believed to have been fitted with a silencer.
"A couple of colleagues saw blood stains at the door. When they broke the door open and entered they saw the three women had been executed," French Kurdish Associations Federation Chairman Mehmet Ulker was reported as saying by Firat.
Turkish broadcasters reported police as saying the women had links to the PKK and could have been the victims of executions conducted within the group.
The PKK is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and European Union.

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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 half of its revenue and operating profit from China, warned on Monday that bad publicity from the safety review of its chicken suppliers had hit sales in China harder than expected in the fourth quarter.
Subsequent findings by the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration found the levels of antibiotics and steroids in Yum's current batch of KFC chicken supply were safe, though the watchdog found a suspicious level of an antiviral drug in one of the eight samples tested.
The scandal erupted when the official China Central Television reported in late December that some of the chicken supplied to KFC and McDonald's Corp contained excess amounts of antiviral drugs and hormones used to accelerate growth.
A spokesman for Yum told Reuters on Tuesday that the firm had stopped using the two suppliers before the official probe was announced, after its own random tests showed they were not meeting Yum's own standards.
LACK OF TRANSPARENCY
Yum's Su also apologized for the company's failure to actively report test results to the government and a lack of transparency and speed in its external communication.
Nonetheless, the bad publicity has hurt KFC's image in China, where Western brands are often regarded as safer and higher quality than Chinese peers, an important factor as food safety is often near the top of the list of consumer concerns.
"They do finally apologize now, but it's too late. I don't know if other people will forgive them or not, but I certainly won't!" wrote Jackson_Dong on popular microblog site Sina Weibo.
Yum, which has more than 5,100 restaurants in China and is the largest Western restaurant operator in China, pulled some products in 2005 because they contained "Sudan Red" dye, which was banned from use in food due to concerns it could lead to an increased risk of cancer.

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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 in the first quarter.
"I don't think you worry about the first quarter. You focus on the next play you have. You stay in the now," a composed Wilson, 24, told reporters.
The Seahawks racked up 380 yards of total offense while holding the fast-starting Redskins to 203 yards - of which only 74 yards were logged in the final three quarters.
Griffin and Wilson took different paths to Sunday night's showdown, arguably the most anticipated of the National Football League's quartet of first-round playoff games.
The 2011 Heisman Trophy winner from Baylor University in Texas, Griffin was the second pick in the 2012 NFL draft and joined the Redskins with high expectations that he fulfilled by leading their run of seven straight wins to reach the playoffs.
Wilson joined Seattle as the 12th pick in the third round of the draft from the University of Wisconsin - the 75th most sought-after recruit - after being written off by some teams as not tall enough at a shade under 5-foot-11 (1.80 metre).
"People always ask me if I have a chip on my shoulder because I was a third-round draft pick. If I was first pick overall or picked in the third round, where I was, I'm blessed to be a Seattle Seahawk," Wilson said.
The Seahawks like the underdog role, and play each week with a chip on their shoulder, Wilson added. "We have an energy that makes us want to prove ourselves each week. We can play with anyone, any time and any place."
Seattle tight end Anthony McCoy praised the young quarterback. "He's just very poised. It doesn't matter if we're down by 21 or if we're up by 21 or something, he's always going to be into the game. He's always in the huddle encouraging us to be patient," McCoy said.
For Griffin, Sunday's loss - especially after the team's rousing start - was made more painful by a knee injury suffered in the team's second touchdown drive that visibly limited his mobility.
"I didn't get hit, I just planted it wrong," Griffin explained. "My knee kind of buckled on me and scared me a little bit, so I want to the sideline and got a tape job done on the knee.
The quarterback finally left the field with about six minutes to go after spending much of the game trying to assure head coach Mike Shanahan that he was fit to play.
"I talked to Robert and he said to me, 'Coach, there's a difference between being injured and being hurt,'" Shanahan said. "It's always a tough decision when to pull a guy and when not to."
Griffin, 22, became the first quarterback born in the 1990s to start an NFL playoff game.
"We know the future is very bright. I also know what I need to work on in the off-season. Part of that is just getting healthy. The sky's the limit for this team with the talent we have," Griffin said.

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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 Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday because of the sensitivity of the search.
The Browns questioned whether Kelly "was committed to coming to the NFL," said the person. And because of his hesitation, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner returned from Arizona to Cleveland to continue looking for the club's sixth fulltime coach since 1999.
As it turns out, Kelly is staying at Oregon, a person with direct knowledge of his choice told the AP late Sunday night.
Kelly's decision was first reported by ESPN.
Following Thursday night's Fiesta Bowl win over Kansas State, Kelly said he hoped to have the interview process "wrapped up quickly." He spent two days interviewing with Cleveland, Buffalo and Philadelphia before deciding to remain at Oregon.
It's the second straight year Kelly has entertained overtures from NFL teams only to reject them. He turned down Tampa Bay's job deep into negotiations last season. Kelly will go back to Oregon, where he has built the fast-flying Ducks into a national powerhouse. Oregon is 46-7 the past four seasons with four BCS bowl games under the offensive innovator.
With Kelly no longer in play, the Browns will consider some of the candidates they've already met with or maybe begin a second wave of interviews. Haslam and Banner spent most of last week in Arizona and are known to have spoken to former Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt, Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton, Syracuse's Doug Marrone and Penn State's Bill O'Brien.
Marrone accepted Buffalo's coaching job Sunday, three people familiar with the negotiations told The AP. O'Brien decided to stay with the Nittany Lions.
The Browns aren't confirming any of their interviews or commenting on any candidates.
Haslam could still make a run at Alabama coach Nick Saban following Monday night's BCS title game. Saban has not given any indication he wants to take another stab at coaching in the NFL, but it's possible the 61-year-old could be persuaded by Haslam with the promise of power and a monstrous contract.
A former NFL player, Whisenhunt, who went 45-51 in six seasons and led the Cardinals to a Super Bowl, spent one year as a special teams coordinator with Cleveland. The 50-year-old coach served as Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator from 2004-06, and that connection could serve him well with Haslam, who had a minority share in the Steelers before he bought the Browns.
Horton spent seven seasons on Pittsburgh's staff before joining the Cardinals in 2011.
Haslam and Banner fired Pat Shurmur last week, one day after the Browns finished a 5-11 season with a loss in Pittsburgh. Shurmur went 9-23 in two seasons for the Browns, who have lost at least 11 games in each of the past five seasons and have changed coaches four times since 2002.
Before embarking with Banner on the coaching search, Haslam said there was no set time frame on finding a coach. He promised to wait as long as necessary to "bring the right person to Cleveland."
"Our goal is to get the best person and if we happen to find that person within a week, that's great and if it takes a month, that's great also," Haslam said.
Haslam and Banner are focused on hiring a coach first before turning their attention to a personnel executive. Tom Heckert, who overhauled Cleveland's roster in the past three years, also was fired last week. It's not known if the Browns have interviewed any GM candidates.
Cleveland's courtship of Kelly turned into a two-day fling with no shortage of drama.
After Kelly met with the Browns for seven hours Friday, it appeared he was headed to Cleveland. The Philadelphia Eagles left Arizona after they were informed a deal between the Browns and Kelly was imminent. Kelly, though, kept his commitment for an interview with the Eagles and reportedly spent nine hours with him on Saturday, preventing the Browns from a second meeting
Kelly also met Friday with the Bills, but that was nothing more than a cursory interview for both sides.
The pursuit of Kelly created an interesting subplot between the Browns and Eagles. Banner spent 19 seasons in Philadelphia before leaving the team last year amid a power struggle. Banner is longtime friends with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, and the two of them potentially squaring off in a bidding war for Kelly was straight out of a screenplay.
It's not known what kind of offer the Browns made for Kelly, who earned a base salary of $2.8 million last season at Oregon and has five years left on his contract.
Kelly's high-octane, hurry-up offense has raised his profile and made the Ducks, with their splashy array of colorful Nike uniforms, more than a curiosity. Several NFL teams, including New England and Washington, are using elements of Kelly's schemes.
The Browns were intrigued enough to see if they could work something out with Kelly.
But in the end, they detected he wasn't ready.
They were right.

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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 Colts in an AFC wild-card game. The win delays star linebacker Lewis' retirement for at least another week as Baltimore (11-6) heads to top-seeded Denver (13-3) next Saturday.
The Broncos beat the Ravens 34-17 three weeks ago.
"I wanted Denver," Boldin said, "because they beat us.
"We'll make it different."
And he wanted the Broncos because it prolongs the Ravens' pursuit of their first NFL title since the 2000 season, when Lewis won the first of two Defensive Player of the Year awards.
"I came to Baltimore to win a championship," Boldin added. "We all did."
Lewis, who made 13 tackles Sunday, ended his last home game in Baltimore at fullback, of all things, for the final kneel-down. He then went into a short version of his trademark dance before being mobbed by teammates.
He followed with a victory lap, his right arm, covered by a brace, held high in salute to the fans after playing for the first time since tearing his right triceps on Oct. 14 against Dallas.
"My only focus was to come in and get my team a win. Nothing else was planned," the 37-year-old Lewis said. "It's one of those things, when you recap it all and try to say what is one of your greatest moments.
"I knew how it started but I never knew how it would end here in Baltimore. To go the way it did today, I wouldn't change nothing."
He would like nothing more than to change past results against Manning, who was 2-0 in the postseason against Baltimore while with the Colts.
"It's on to the next one," the 17-year veteran said. "We saw them earlier in the year and now we get them back again, but with all of our guns back."
The loss ended the Colts' turnaround season in which they went from 2-14 to the playoffs in coach Chuck Pagano's first year in Indianapolis (11-6). Pagano missed 12 weeks while undergoing treatment for leukemia and returned last week.
He was upbeat following the defeat to the team he served as an assistant coach for four years.
"The foundation is set, and we said we were going to build one on rock and not on sand," Pagano said. "You weather storms like this and you learn from times like this."
Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who went 9-3 as interim coach, was absent Sunday after being hospitalized with an undisclosed illness. Pagano said Arians "is fine" and would stay overnight for observation before rejoining the Colts on Monday.
Quarterback coach Clyde Christensen called the plays, but Baltimore's suddenly revitalized defense — inspired by Lewis' pending retirement, no doubt — never let standout rookie QB Luck get comfortable.
"It's great making the playoffs, but you can't make mistakes and expect to beat a playoff team like we did," said Luck, who was sacked three times, Paul Kruger getting 2½ of those. "We'll have to look back at those and hopefully fix them."
Sunday's victory enhanced the Ravens' success rate in opening playoff games. Flacco now has won at least one postseason game in all five of his pro seasons, the only quarterback to do it in the Super Bowl era.
His main target Sunday was Boldin, who had receptions of 50 and 46 yards, plus his 18-yard TD on a floater from Flacco in the corner of the end zone with 9:14 to go.
"I told (Flacco) before the game I was going to get 200 yards," Boldin said with a chuckle.
"It's huge for us. It's huge for this city, they've supported us this entire year and they expect a lot from us. In return, we want to give it to them."
Baltimore overcame the first two lost fumbles of the season by Ray Rice, too, as John Harbaugh became the only head coach in the Super Bowl era with wins in his first five playoff campaigns.
Backup halfback Bernard Pierce rescued Rice with a 43-yard burst that led to Boldin's touchdown, and ran for 103 yards.
Flacco also connected with Dennis Pitta for a 20-yard TD and rookie Justin Tucker made a 23-yard field goal.
Indy's only points came on three field goals by Adam Vinatieri, from 47, 52 and 26 yards. Luck completed 28 of 54 passes for 288 yards. It was the most attempts by a rookie in a playoff game.
Reggie Wayne had 114 yards on nine receptions and moved into second in career playoff catches with 92 — 59 behind leader Jerry Rice. But the Colts, who moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984 — they still are despised here — became the second NFL team to improve to 11 wins following a two-win season and then lose in the opening round of the playoffs.
The Ravens also beat the 2008 Dolphins in a similar scenario.
Both teams were sloppy early on, with Rice losing a fumble, Lewis dropping a potential interception, and Luck being stripped of the ball on a sack.
But Rice atoned with a 47-yard gain on a screen pass, leading to Vonta Leach's 2-yard touchdown.
That Pro Bowl backfield was bolstered by the kick returns of another Pro Bowl player, Jacoby Jones. He gained 60 yards on kickoff runbacks and 57 on punt returns.
Vinatieri, familiar with big kicks in the playoffs after winning two Super Bowls for New England with field goals, made a 47-yarder in the second quarter, a 52-yarder as the first half expired, and a 26-yarder near the end of the third period. But he also missed a 40-yarder wide right, his first miss against Baltimore after 18 successes.
NOTES: Ravens LB Dannell Ellerbe sprained an ankle late in the game. The Ravens didn't specify which ankle. ... Harbaugh is 6-4 in playoff games, as is Flacco. ... Rice finished with 70 yards rushing and Flacco threw for 282. ... Rookie Vick Ballard rushed for 91 yards for Indy. ... Colts T Winston Justice injured his arm.

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Detained Nigerian newspaper journalists released

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — An official says two Nigerian journalists have been freed after being detained without charges for more than a week by the nation's secret police following writing stories about a radical Islamist sect and alleged military abuses.
Mohammed Garba, president of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, said Tuesday that Musa Mohammed Awwal and Aliyu Saleh, journalists with the weekly Hausa language newspaper, Al-Mizan, were freed around noon. Garba said the two men had not been abused or mistreated while in custody. He said the two men may have to return for questioning again by Nigeria's secretive State Security Service.
The two journalists were arrested Dec. 24 at their homes in Kaduna. Their newspaper has published a series of stories about alleged military abuses and the sect known as Boko Haram.

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C. African Republic capital fears rebel attack

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — Kpademona Marcel and other residents of the capital of Central African Republic have watched in fear as rebels from the country's north seized control of more than half the country in less than a month. On Tuesday, all he could do was pray that a solution to the crisis could be found without the violence reaching Bangui.
"We are afraid for our nation and for our fellow citizens in the countryside," Marcel said, standing on the steps of the Notre Dame cathedral before a New Year's Day Mass. "The rebels are imposing themselves on the population and stealing things. We are here praying for peace."
As a new year began, the fate of the capital with 700,000 people, remained unclear. Government forces backed by a regional multinational force held a line in Damara, just 75 kilometers (45 miles) from Bangui. The rebels hold the city of Sibut, about 185 kilometers (115 miles) from Bangui.
While President Francois Bozize, after nearly a decade in power, has proposed a coalition government to include the rebels, a spokesman for the alliance of rebel groups advancing through the country said Monday they did not trust his offer. Former colonial power France already has said it will not protect Bozize's regime and has about 600 troops in the country just to protect its own interests.
Trucks full of soldiers bounced on the rutted roads of Bangui that are dotted with shacks where people can charge their mobile phones. Police officers stopped vehicles at intersections in another sign of stepped up security in this capital at the heart of Africa where even the banana and palm tree leaves are coated in heavy red dust from the earth.
Troops from neighboring nations arrived in the country, with a contingent from Gabon expected Tuesday. Their arrival comes a day after about 120 soldiers flew in from Republic of Congo with a mission to help stabilize the area between rebels and the government forces.
The political instability already has prompted the United States government to evacuate its ambassador and about 40 other people. There have been no mass civilian evacuations from the capital, though many residents have temporarily relocated to the southern side of Bangui, considered further from the path of a potential rebel invasion arriving from the north.
One woman in Bangui said she knew many people who already had fled the city but said she had too many family members to leave herself.
"I have five children and two grandchildren. I prefer to stay here and die with my children if it comes to that," she said, giving her name only as Lucienne.
In the Bimbo neighborhood, traders went about their business, selling everything from leafy greens to meat at roadside stands.
"We don't support what the rebels are doing," said banana farmer Narcisse Ngo, as a young boy played nearby with a monkey corpse for sale along with other meat. "They should be at the table negotiating without weapons. We are all Central Africans."
The landlocked nation of 4.4 million people is rich in diamonds, gold and uranium and yet remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Central African Republic has suffered many army revolts, coups and rebellions since gaining independence from France in 1960.
The rebels behind the current instability signed a 2007 peace accord allowing them to join the regular army, but insurgent leaders say the deal wasn't fully implemented and has made a variety of demands including payments to former combatants.

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Stampede after fireworks kills 61 in Ivory Coast

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — A crowd stampeded after leaving a New Year's fireworks show early Tuesday in Ivory Coast's main city, killing 61 people — many of them children and teenagers — and injuring more than 200, rescue workers said.
Thousands had gathered at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan's Plateau district to see the fireworks. It was only the second New Year's Eve fireworks display since peace returned to this West African nation after a bloody upheaval over presidential elections put the nation on the brink of civil war and turned this city into a battle zone.
With 2013 showing greater promise, people were in the mood to celebrate on New Year's Eve. Families brought children and they watched the rockets burst in the nighttime sky. But only an hour into the new year, as the crowds poured onto the Boulevard de la Republic after the show, something caused a stampede, said Col. Issa Sako of the fire department rescue team. How so many deaths occurred on the broad boulevard and how the tragedy started is likely to be the subject of an investigation.
Many of the younger ones in the crowd went down, trampled underfoot. Most of those killed were between 8 and 15 years old
"The flood of people leaving the stadium became a stampede which led to the deaths of more than 60 and injured more than 200," Sako told Ivory Coast state TV.
Desperate parents went to the city morgue, the hospital and to the stadium to try to find missing children. Mamadou Sanogo was searching for his 9-year-old son, Sayed.
"I have just seen all the bodies, but I cannot find my son," said a tearful Sanogo. "I don't know what to do."
State TV showed a woman sobbing in the back of an ambulance; another was bent over on the side of the street, apparently in pain; and another, barely conscious and wearing only a bra on her upper body, was hoisted by rescuers. There were also scenes of small children being treated in a hospital. One boy grimaced in pain and a girl with colored braids in her hair lay under a blanket with one hand bandaged. The death toll could rise, officials said.
After the sun came up, soldiers were patrolling the site that was littered with victims' clothes, shoes, torn sandals and other belongings. President Alassane Ouattara and his wife Dominique visited some of the injured in the hospital. Mrs. Ouattara leaned over one child who was on a bed in a crowded hospital ward and tried to console the youngster. The president pledged that the government would pay for their treatment, his office said.
The government organized the fireworks to celebrate Ivory Coast's peace, after several months of political violence in early 2011 following disputed elections.
This is not Ivory Coast's first stadium tragedy. In 2009, 22 people died and over 130 were injured in a stampede at a World Cup qualifying match at the Houphouet Boigny Stadium, prompting FIFA, soccer's global governing body, to impose a fine of tens of thousands of dollars on Ivory Coast's soccer federation. The stadium, which officially holds 35,000, was overcrowded at the time of the disaster.
A year later, two people were killed and 30 wounded in a stampede at a municipal stadium during a reggae concert in Bouake, the country's second-largest city. The concert was organized in the city, held by rebels at the time, to promote peace and reconciliation.
Ivory Coast is the world's largest cocoa producer, growing more than 37 percent of the world's annual crop of cocoa beans, which are used to make chocolate.

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Angola: Stampede kills 10 at religious gathering

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Angolan media say 10 people, including four children, have died in a stampede during a religious gathering at a sports stadium in Luanda, the Angolan capital.
Angop, the Angolan news agency, cited officials as saying Tuesday that 120 people were also injured. The incident happened on New Year's Eve when tens of thousands of people gathered at the stadium and panic ensued. Faustino Sebastiao, spokesman for the national firefighters department, says those who died were crushed and asphyxiated.
The event in the southern African nation was organized by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, an evangelical group founded in Brazil.
In western Africa, a crowd in Ivory Coast stampeded after leaving a New Year's fireworks show early Tuesday, killing 61 people and injuring more than 200.

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South Africa: Mandela rests at home

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa's presidency says former leader Nelson Mandela is progressing with his recuperation from illness and doctors are closely monitoring his condition.
Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said Wednesday that "everything is moving OK" as 94-year-old Mandela rests at his home in Johannesburg after a hospital stay last month.
The former president received treatment for a lung infection and also had gallstones removed.
Maharaj says Mandela is "taking it easy" and is under "close medical attention."
Mandela spent 27 years in prison under apartheid and became South Africa's first black president in democratic elections in 1994.

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Tennis-Australian Open prize money raised to record levels

Dec 20 (Reuters) - Australian Open organisers increased prize money for the early losers at the opening grand slam of the season to record levels on Thursday, a move which is likely to quell player unrest and end talk of a strike. The Australian Open will now pay more prize money per round than any other tournament, with increases also coming in doubles and qualifying matches, but mixed doubles saw a money freeze. The biggest increases were for first round losers in the men's and women's singles, who will now receive A$27,600 ($29,000), representing a 32.7 percent boost from 2012, with those exiting in the second round taking home $45,500, up 36.6 percent. The move is likely to appease the players council, led by 17-times grand slam champion Roger Federer, who had been calling for more revenue from the four elite tournaments to be passed down to those hitting the shots. "Our motivation is to make a major contribution toward helping ensure professional tennis players can make a decent living," Craig Tiley, the Australian Open tournament director, said in a statement. "As we have said in the past, it is a real issue and needs to be urgently addressed throughout the sport." In October, Tiley's team announced that the players would be vying for a share of a record A$30 million for the Jan. 14-27 event without giving the breakdown of how that money would be divided. Serbia's Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus pocketed A$2.3 million each for their singles successes and a repeat next month in Melbourne would give them A$2.43 million. While the multi millionaires at the top of the game will appreciate the extra rewards, the players scrambling to make the top 100 of the men's and women's rankings and those who mainly compete in doubles will be happier. MAIN DRAW At the 2012 event, Israeli doubles veterans Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram shared A$9,500 for their first-round loss to the American Bryan brothers, offering little in the way of winnings once expenses had been taken into account. A similar result next month will see the pair collect A$12,500. "That is why the biggest increases are in the earlier rounds, qualifying and doubles which in effect rewards a lot of the lower-ranked players for their achievements which, by the way, should not be undersold," "To just reach the main draw of a slam, a professional tennis player has to be among the top 100 in what is one of, if not the most, competitive professional sport in the world," Tiley added. "At the same time, we also still want to continue to recognise the incredible drawing power and contribution of the top players." On Monday, the men's governing body, the ATP, gave a lukewarm response to the U.S. Open increasing prize money for the 2013 edition by $4 million to a record $29.5 million. "The ATP remains committed to continuing discussions on this issue, with the objective of ensuring that the players' share of the revenues at the U.S. Open truly reflects the value that they generate for the event," the body said. Tiley said his team had been in full discussion with the players and tours before announcing their increases with more likely to come "It is always a balance which is why we undertook unprecedented consultation on this subject with the tours and players who have been extremely supportive," Tiley said. "We will not be stopping here. There will be more talks and more increases during the next four years. This is just a very positive first step."

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Cricket-Thumb injury rules Southee out of South Africa tour

Dec 20 (Reuters) - Fast bowler Tim Southee has been ruled out of New Zealand's tour of South Africa due to a thumb injury which is expected to keep him off the field for up to two months, the country's cricket board said on Thursday. Southee, who was the most impressive bowler for New Zealand during their drawn test series in Sri Lanka, suffered the injury while diving in the field during a domestic match. "Tim Southee has unfortunately been ruled out of the test series against South Africa," a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) statement quoted physiotherapist Paul Close as saying ahead of Friday's opening Twenty20 game in Durban. "He landed heavily on his thumb while fielding, with scans indicating the ligament has fully ruptured and retracted. "After consultation with NZC medical staff and a hand specialist it was decided the best course of action is for him to have surgery." The right-arm paceman, 24, took eight wickets in the second test in Sri Lanka which New Zealand won to level the two-test series 1-1. New Zealand have not yet decided on a replacement for Southee for the tour, where the visitors will play two tests, three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches. "He will commence rehabilitation immediately following the procedure, with a view to him returning to cricket during the home summer," Close added.

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Thumb injury rules Southee out of South Africa tour

Reuters) - Fast bowler Tim Southee has been ruled out of New Zealand's tour of South Africa due to a thumb injury which is expected to keep him off the field for up to two months, the country's cricket board said on Thursday. Southee, who was the most impressive bowler for New Zealand during their drawn test series in Sri Lanka, suffered the injury while diving in the field during a domestic match. "Tim Southee has unfortunately been ruled out of the test series against South Africa," a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) statement quoted physiotherapist Paul Close as saying ahead of Friday's opening Twenty20 game in Durban. "He landed heavily on his thumb while fielding, with scans indicating the ligament has fully ruptured and retracted. "After consultation with NZC medical staff and a hand specialist it was decided the best course of action is for him to have surgery." The right-arm paceman, 24, took eight wickets in the second test in Sri Lanka which New Zealand won to level the two-test series 1-1. New Zealand have not yet decided on a replacement for Southee for the tour, where the visitors will play two tests, three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches. "He will commence rehabilitation immediately following the procedure, with a view to him returning to cricket during the home summer," Close added. "The procedure is likely to keep him out of the game for 6-8 weeks."

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Rugby-Australian Johnson named Scotland interim head coach

LONDON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Australian Scott Johnson has been named Scotland's interim head coach for next year's Six Nations championship and the June tour of South Africa.
The 50-year-old takes over Andy Robinson whose three-year tenure ended last month following a poor run of results.
Johnson, a former Australian Under-21 international, joined Scotland this year as an assistant coach following a stint at Welsh club Ospreys.
"Scott has a wealth of experience of international rugby, which was instrumental in his appointment earlier this year as our senior assistant coach," Scottish Rugby CEO Mark Dodson said in a statement on the union's website (www.scottishrugby.org) on Thursday.
"He has coached with Australia, Wales and the USA and knows what it is to prepare teams to win on the international battleground."
The Scotland role will be Johnson's second as an interim head coach. He led Wales in three tests in 2006.
"It's an honour to take charge of the national team for our imminent campaign," Johnson said.
"I will be doing everything I can to bring the best out of our players as we all seek to achieve winning performances."

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RPT-Cricket-Thumb injury rules Southee out of South Africa tour

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Dec 20 (Reuters) - Fast bowler Tim Southee has been ruled out of New Zealand's tour of South Africa due to a thumb injury which is expected to keep him off the field for up to two months, the country's cricket board said on Thursday.
Southee, who was the most impressive bowler for New Zealand during their drawn test series in Sri Lanka, suffered the injury while diving in the field during a domestic match.
"Tim Southee has unfortunately been ruled out of the test series against South Africa," a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) statement quoted physiotherapist Paul Close as saying ahead of Friday's opening Twenty20 game in Durban.
"He landed heavily on his thumb while fielding, with scans indicating the ligament has fully ruptured and retracted.
"After consultation with NZC medical staff and a hand specialist it was decided the best course of action is for him to have surgery."
The right-arm paceman, 24, took eight wickets in the second test in Sri Lanka which New Zealand won to level the two-test series 1-1.
New Zealand have not yet decided on a replacement for Southee for the tour, where the visitors will play two tests, three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches.
"He will commence rehabilitation immediately following the procedure, with a view to him returning to cricket during the home summer," Close added.
"The procedure is likely to keep him out of the game for 6-8 weeks.

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