Dwyane Wade: LeBron James all ears
LeBron James apparently needed some help with his latest decision.
Before he missed his second consecutive game with a sprained left ankle Saturday, James sought some advice from Miami Heat teammate Dwyane Wade on whether he should attempt to play.
James has missed the Heat's past two games, including Saturday's 99-96 loss to the Chicago Bulls, which ended Miami's five-game road trip with three consecutive defeats.
James went through an extended workout at the United Center about an hour before Saturday's game in hopes of returning to the lineup but was held out after he met with the team's medical staff.
Wade also spoke with James and advised him not to rush back from the injury. James has not played since he sprained the ankle in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
"He came to me and asked me, 'What should I do?' " Wade said of the conversation he had with James before Saturday's game. "We've got a good enough team to make sure that before you get back on the court that you're healthy [enough] to be who you are."
James could return to action as soon as Tuesday against visiting Atlanta, as the Heat (30-12) look to avoid their first four-game losing streak of the season. Miami is also dealing with the potential loss of forward Chris Bosh, who sprained his left ankle Saturday early in the fourth quarter and did not return.
The Heat did not practice Sunday, although injured players typically receive extensive treatment during off days. James and Bosh are listed as day to day and will be re-evaluated before Tuesday's game. Miami plays just two games in a span of 11 days after returning from its longest trip of the season.
James, the Heat's leader in scoring average (25.4 points) and assists per game (7.2), hoped to play against the Bulls. He appeared to move well on the court as he shot jumpers and drove to the basket for layups during his pregame workout. But James then came up short on a dunk attempt as he pushed off his left foot. The 20-minute session ended soon after the missed dunk.
"The last 48 hours, there's been tremendous progress," coach Erik Spoelstra said of James. "We'll see where things go before Tuesday's game. Get rest and get healthy. That's what we need most of all."
If James or Bosh are unable to play Tuesday, it would mean the return to a familiar role for Wade, who was the Heat's lone catalyst before his two high-profile teammates arrived in free agency last summer. Amid the minor injury concerns, Wade said it's important to maintain big-picture perspective.
"It's not the playoffs," Wade said. "We don't need guys sucking it up to that extent to where it's going to hurt them in the long run. We want Chris to get healthy. We want LeBron to get healthy. And if they don't, we'll plan around it and move forward."
Source:ESPN
Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal win
Manchester City clung on to beat Wolverhampton 4-3 and provisionally topple Manchester United from the Premier League summit yesterday, while struggling champions Chelsea returned to winning against Blackburn and Arsenal compounded West Ham's woes.
After Kolo Toure cancelled out Nenad Milijas' opener for Wolves, City went 4-1 ahead in the second half through Carlos Tevez's double and Yaya Toure's strike.
But Kevin Doyle and Ronald Zubar gave City a scare by reducing the deficit.
While City went a point ahead of United, their neighbours play the first of three games in hand at Tottenham today.
Tottenham were dislodged from fourth place -- temporarily at least -- by Chelsea beating Blackburn 2-0 to halt a two-match winless streak.
Arsenal remain third after a 3-0 victory at West Ham, whose manager Avram Grant was facing an uncertain future with the team rock bottom in the standings.
In Manchester, Wolves looked set to spoil Edin Dzeko's debut when Milijas was denied by Joe Hart's save but he stabbed home the rebound.
But after Dzeko's shot was deflected behind for a corner, Vincent Kompany headed Adam Johnson's corner toward the far post where Kolo Toure controlled the ball and struck through a crowd of players through David Jones' legs and eventually over the line.
After the break, Dzeko — a £27-million ($42-million) signing from Wolfsburg — was truly upstaged by Tevez, who had been shunted from his favoured central berth to a spot on the left.
Within four minutes of the restart, Tevez burst past Christophe Berra and Stephen Hunt, then weaved inside Richard Stearman before slotting the ball into the net.
In the 54th, Dzeko sent Yaya Toure clean through and the midfielder followed his brother by scoring.
Tevez was on target again in the 66th when a header from fellow Argentine Pablo Zabaleta's cross bounced in via the underside of the crossbar.
But within two minutes Wolves pulled one back, with Doyle scoring from the penalty spot after he was bundled over by substitute Joleon Lescott. Zubar added another on an 86th-minute header, but Wolves couldn't produce a late leveller.
Chelsea secured only their second win in their last 10 league games after Branislav Ivanovic scored and then set up Nicolas Anelka.
Morten Gamst Pedersen flicked John Terry's header straight at the far post to Ivanovic, who squeezed a shot past goalkeeper Paul Robinson.
More poor defending in the 76th allowed Ivanovic to head to Anelka, who netted from close range.
The gap between Chelsea and Arsenal alone is five points after the Gunners ripped apart West Ham.
Also, West Bromwich moved four points clear of the drop zone by beating Blackpool 3-2 to end a run of six successive defeats, Bolton were consigned to their fifth consecutive away defeat as Stoke won 2-0 and Andrew Johnson's late goal salvaged a 1-1 draw for Fulham at Wigan.
Source:AP
Taylor stars again for WI
West Indies snatched a surprise 2-1 lead in their five-match One-Day International series against India when they beat the World's third-ranked side by three wickets here yesterday.
Prolific, teenaged opener Stafanie Taylor stroked 46 as West Indies, chasing 157 for victory, reached 159 for seven with four balls to spare at the Reliance Stadium.
Earlier, off-spinners Anisa Mohammed (2-20) and Stafanie Taylor (2-21) and left-arm pacer Shanel Daley (2-22), all took two wickets apiece as they once again restricted the hosts to a modest total.
Tail-ender Amita Sharma cracked a cameo 35 to top score for the Indians who had earlier got an ultra patient 33 from opener Poonam Raut.
Good start
The 19-year-old Taylor, who failed in the last match when West Indies lost by 10 runs, took matters into her own hands with a measured innings to ensure the visitors got off to a good start.
She hit seven fours off 72 balls and posted 45 for the first wicket with Juliana Nero whose 22 was a breezy knock off 31 balls, decorated with five fours.
Nero's departure triggered a slide that saw Windies struggle to 74 for three at the end of the 22nd over but Stacey-Ann King (20) and captain Merissa Aguilleira (17) added 24 for the fourth wicket to deny India further immediate success.
Both batsmen fell in the space of 13 balls, paving the way for an important 27-run, sixth wicket stand between Deandra Dottin (12) and Daley (13) which steered the Windies to within sight of victory.
WICB, CMC seal rights deal
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) have announced a major television distribution rights deal for the Digicel Series for the next two years.
CMC will have the rights for live broadcast of the upcoming Digicel Series 2011 between West Indies and world Test champions India along with Pakistan, and in 2012 when the West Indies host Australia and New Zealand.
In addition, CMC has also acquired the Caribbean rights for the highlights of the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament for 2011, 2012 and 2013, plus the highlights for the semi-finals and final of the WICB Regional 50 Over Championship for the same period.
CMC will sublicense these rights to television stations in each of the regional countries to ensure that West Indies international and regional tournaments are viewed by the widest possible Caribbean audience.
"CMC is pleased to have secured these rights for the benefit of Caribbean broadcasters and Caribbean viewers," said CMC's CEO Patrick Cozier.
WICB CEO Dr Ernest Hilaire said the partnership with CMC was a crucial one.
Hezbollah won't back Hariri government in Lebanon
The leader of the militant organisation Hezbollah says his group and its allies will not back caretaker Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri in forming a government.
Hassan Nasrallah was making his first public comments since the Lebanese government collapsed last week.
Talks on forming a government are expected to start on Monday.
Mr Nasrallah also said Hezbollah would defend itself against any indictments by a UN tribunal over the killing of Rafiq Hariri.
"The opposition unanimously will not name Hariri tomorrow," Mr Nasrallah said in a televised address.
He did not say who Hezbollah would support.
Mr Hariri's government fell over a dispute about how to respond if, as expected, a UN tribunal accuses Hezbollah members of being behind the murder in 2005 of his father, Rafiq Hariri, who was prime minister at the time.
Hezbollah - the powerful Shia social, political and militant group - had asked the government to disassociate itself from the tribunal and to state it would not arrest those it indicted.
When agreement proved impossible, Mr Nasrallah said on Sunday, Hezbollah decided to bring down the government using democratic means and had not taken to the streets.
After the government collapsed, President Michel Suleiman asked Mr Hariri to stay on as a caretaker prime minister.
The BBC's Owen Bennett Jones reports from Beirut that UN sources have confirmed rumours that the tribunal will soon be handing over indictments and supporting documentation to a pre-trial judge.
The judge will then take an estimated six to ten weeks to decide whether the accused should face trial.
The names of those indicted will remain secret, but press leaks suggest they will include members of Hezbollah, who came under suspicion because of mobile phone evidence, our correspondent says.
Rafiq Hariri and 22 others were killed in February 2005 when a huge bomb exploded next to his motorcade in Beirut.
Syria was initially blamed for the assassination, and eventually forced in its wake to withdraw its troops from Lebanon after 29 years. In the past year, however, members of Hezbollah have emerged as prime suspects.
On Sunday, Mr Narsrallah repeated his claim that Rafiq Hariri's murder was carried out by Israel.
Golden Globes to kick off race for Oscars
The Hollywood awards season kicks off later with the Golden Globes, where British film The King's Speech leads the pack with seven nominations.
The Social Network and The Fighter follow with six nominations apiece.
Presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the Globes are first major film awards of the year.
Comedian Ricky Gervais is to host the ceremony, beginning at the Beverly Hilton Hotel at 1700 LA time (0100GMT).
Television shows are also celebrated at the gala, where the prizes are divided between dramas and comedies or musicals.
High school comedy Glee has the most nominations for a TV show, having been shortlisted in five categories.
Colin Firth, who plays a monarch battling a stammer in The King's Speech, is widely expected to win the best actor in a drama prize.
The 50-year-old is one of four actors in his category nominated for playing real people.
Jesse Eisenberg is also in contention for his role as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, as is James Franco for playing climber Aron Ralston in 127 Hours.
Wahlberg completes the quartet for his performance in The Fighter, a film about US boxer Micky Ward.
The biopic has additional acting nominations for Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo, while its director David O Russell is also up for a prize.
In the best actress in a drama category, Natalie Portman has received a nod for her role in Darren Aronofsky's ballet-based Black Swan.
Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lawrence and Michelle Williams are also in contention for that award.
Films up for best musical or comedy include Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, Burlesque, The Kids are All Right and The Tourist.
Johnny Depp has landed two nominations in the best actor in a comedy or musical category, for Alice in Wonderland and The Tourist.
Glee's competition for the best TV comedy or musical prize includes 30 Rock, The Big Bang Theory amd Modern Family.
Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, The Good Wife and Mad Men vie for the best TV drama series award with zombie thriller The Walking Dead.
The Globes have traditionally been solid indicator as to which films and stars will be recognised at the Academy Awards.
Yet in the last six years, the only winner of a Globe for best drama that went on to Oscar success was 2008's Slumdog Millionaire.
Last year Avatar was feted at the Globes, only to be beaten at the Oscars by Iraq war drama The Hurt Locker.
However, all four of last year's Oscar-winning actors - Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock, Christoph Waltz and Mo'Nique - were also successful at the Globes.
Gervais's first stint as host in 2010 saw the British comedian take gentle jabs at the Hollywood glitterati.
Earlier this week, though, the Office and Extras star said he didn't think he "went far enough".
"So I'm going to do it again [and] do a proper job," he continued. "And I guarantee they will not invite me back."
MOST NOMINATED FILMS
- The King's Speech - 7
- The Fighter - 6
- The Social Network - 6
- Black Swan - 4
- Inception - 4
- The Kids are All Right - 4
This year's Bafta nominations are announced on Tuesday, with Oscar nominations to follow on 25 January.
Tunis gun battles erupt after Ben Ali aide arrested
Tunisian forces are exchanging fire near the presidential palace with members of deposed President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali's guard, reports say.
Witnesses reported heavy gunfire in Carthage, north of the capital Tunis, where the palace is located.
It comes after the ex-head of presidential security, Ali Seriati, was arrested and accused of threatening state security by fomenting violence.
Meanwhile, political leaders are holding talks about a new government.
Interim leader Foued Mebazaa, who until Saturday was the speaker of parliament, has asked Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi to form a government of national unity.
In a national TV address, Mr Ghannouchi said an agreement between the political parties would be announced on Monday. He also pledged "zero tolerance" against anyone threatening the security of the country.
The announcement of Mr Seriati's arrest on Sunday came after the previous day saw widespread violence across Tunisia, including looting, arson and deadly jail riots.
'Intensive' gunfire
The BBC's Wyre Davies, in Tunis, says that while the Tunisian army does not appear to be interfering in the process of political reform, the motives of some members of the police and security services loyal to the ousted president may be more sinister.
Hours after Mr Seriati's arrest was announced, heavy gunfire erupted near the presidential palace in the Carthage area.
The army has launched an assault on the palace... where elements of the presidential guard have taken refuge," AFP news agency quoted a Tunisian military source as saying.
An eyewitness quoted by Reuters news agency said: "There is firing from around the presidential palace, intensive and continuous."
There was also gunfire near the interior ministry and the headquarters of an opposition party. Two gunmen firing from a roof near the interior ministry were reportedly shot dead by the security forces.
In another development, a group of Westerners - apparently Swedish nationals who were in the country on a wild boar hunting trip - were attacked and badly beaten in Tunis amid reports that foreign nationals were among the presidential guard.
There have also been attacks targeting businesses and buildings connected with the former president and his family.
Janet Jackson’s Tour Begins in February
Janet Jackson is getting ready to get back on the road to being her international tour in February, starting with Singapore.
Although it’s been a year since her brother’s death, people are quite surprised she’s even performing.
“For the tour, Jackson will play each of her 35 number one hit singles in 35 different cities around the globe. Jackson says the tour will be ‘more intimate and more personal’ than anything she’s done before,” RTTNews reports.
Update…
No doubt about it. Janet is the hot ticket, so to speak. After tickets to her April 14 Los Angeles date at the Gibson Amphitheater went on sale at 10 a.m. Friday morning, they sold out in less than 10 minutes, according to a spokesman for Live Nation.
To try to keep up with the demand, Jackson and Live Nation have added an additional Gibson Amphitheatre performance for Friday, April 15.
Presales of tickets began January 14, 2011 at the official tour site.
USA Dates, cities and venues:
* Mar. 7, 2011 – Chicago, IL (Chicago Theatre)
* Mar. 8, 2011 – Chicago, IL (Chicago Theatre)
* Mar. 12, 2011 – Toronto, ON (Sony Centre for the Performing Arts)
* Mar. 16, 2011 – Uncasville, CT (Mohegan Sun Arena)
* Mar. 18, 2011 – New York, NY (Radio City Music Hall)
* Mar. 22, 2011 – Washington, DC (DAR Constitution Hall)
* Mar. 25, 2011 – Atlantic City, NJ (Borgata Hotel, Casino and Spa)
* Mar. 26, 2011 – Atlantic City, NJ (Borgata Hotel, Casino and Spa)
* Mar. 29, 2011 – Atlanta, GA (Fox Theatre)
* Mar. 31, 2011 – St. Louis, MO (Fabulous Fox Theatre)
* Apr. 2, 2011 – Grand Prairie, TX (Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie)
* Apr. 6, 2011 – Denver, CO (Wells Fargo Theatre)
* Apr. 8, 2011 – Phoenix, AZ (Comerica Theatre)
* Apr. 9, 2011 – Santa Barbara, CA (Santa Barbara Bowl)
* Apr. 14 & 15, 2011 – Universal City, CA (Gibson Aphitheatre at Universal CityWalk)
* Apr. 19, 2011 – San Francisco, CA (Bill Graham Civic Auditorium)
* Apr. 22, 2011 – Las Vegas, NV (Colosseum at Caesars Palace)
* Apr. 23, 2011 – Las Vegas, NV (Colosseum at Caesars Palace)
We have homes and lives torn apart,' Australian official says
Recovering from flooding in northeastern Australia will be a "reconstruction task of post-war proportions," a top official in Queensland state said Sunday.
"We have massive infrastructure damage that will take months and in some cases years to fully repair," Queensland Premier Anna Bligh told reporters. "We have homes and lives torn apart, in some cases ... by an event of the most traumatic proportions. So we cannot underestimate what is happening."
Police in the flood-ravaged state said Sunday that the death toll from flooding had climbed to 18, and they urged residents to knock on their neighbors' doors as waters recede.
"Many people don't have friends and family to check on them, so it's up to the whole community to do their part and look out for their neighbors," acting Inspector Gareth Bosley said, according to a statement on the Queensland Police website.
Meanwhile, flood warnings were in place Sunday in Victoria state in southeastern Australia as authorities said heavy rains threatened homes there.
Police said 14 people are missing in Queensland, many of them in the Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley areas.
The missing include people who were swept from cars or were in houses that collapsed.
"Credible and reliable information provided to police indicates that these people were caught up in the storm surge that swept the valley, and police hold grave fears for their well-being," Queensland Police Service said in a statement.
Among those who died were Llync-Chiann Clarke, 31, and her two children, ages 5 and 12, who were swept to their deaths as a rescue fire truck became inundated by floodwaters on a local road. Two other people escaped.
Robert John Kelly, 30, was found dead in an upside-down vehicle in a creek, authorities said. The body of Jean Gurr, 88, who was trapped by rising water, was found in her residence.
A teenager who was afraid of water drowned in the Queensland floods after begging rescuers to save his younger brother first.
Jordan Rice, 13, and his mother Donna, 43, were swept away as a wall of water hit the town of Toowoomba last week.
His family has hailed the youngster's selfless actions.
"Jordan can't swim and is terrified of water," his father, John Tyson, told local newspaper The Toowoomba Chronicle. "But when the man went to rescue him, he said, 'save my brother first.'"
Officials warned the cleanup would take months.
More than 20,000 homes were inundated after the normally subdued Brisbane River turned into a raging torrent as weeks of rain pushed it to more than 4 meters (13 feet) at high tide last week. Residents in Brisbane were urged not to enter floodwaters because of the risk of illness after sewage plants along the river were inundated.
Troops arrive as flooding deaths increase in Brazil
The death toll from devastating flooding in Brazil continued to rise Sunday, surpassing 600, the state-run Agencia Brasil news agency reported.
There were at least 626 deaths reported in a mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state, northeast of the city of Rio.
Most of the deaths were reported in the cities of Nova Friburgo and Teresopolis, with 283 and 268 fatalities, respectively. In the nearby town of Petropolis there were 56 dead, and 19 in Sumidouro, the agency reported, citing health and defense officials.
Rescuers have not been able to reach some hard-hit areas and many more people are feared dead. The rain is predicted to continue for several days in areas already submerged in water or slathered with mud.
Members of the army entered parts of Teresopolis and were able to rescue 110 families.
Thousands of families are still living on mountain slopes or on riverbanks and face extreme risk of being washed away. One resident described the disaster as a tsunami that fell from the sky.
In a statement, Rio Gov. Sergio Cabral said he had a panic attack when he was traveling to Nova Friburgo and saw the devastated mountainside.
Outside a makeshift morgue in Teresopolis, a crowd of people waited for their turn to identify loved ones.
Marco Antonio Siqueira Costa said that a few days ago was the last time he saw his brother, sister-in-law and niece before mud buried their house.
"I think that last meeting was God's way of granting us a farewell," he said.
Residents in the city donned masks and helped clean streets or deliver first aid. Others combed the city, searching desperately for missing loved ones.
Red Cross volunteer Maria Helena de Jesus was helping with first aid.
"You have to almost have a heart of stone," she said. "It was very difficult."
Teresopolis Mayor Jorge Mario Sedlacek declared his city a natural disaster area.
President Dilma Rousseff flew over flood-affected areas last week and landed in Friburgo, the agency said. The floods are her first test as president.
She trudged through mud to talk to residents in a neighborhood where four of seven firefighters trying to rescue people had been buried under mud. The other three were pulled out alive.
"We are going to take firm action" to help the devastated areas, said Rousseff.
Brazilian authorities have been criticized for a lack of disaster planning and allowing people to build homes in areas known to become treacherous in the rainy season.
They are under increasing pressure to show a strong response. Brazil is scheduled to host the World Cup in 2014 and the 2016 Olympics.
Rain has affected neighboring Sao Paulo as well, killing 24 people there, authorities said.