Big Relief and Bigger Rematch for Peyton Manning
For exactly a year, Peyton Manning had lived with the duplicitous burden of being the N.F.L.’s best quarterback and an underachieving one. On Sunday, the anniversary of a stinging home loss to the underdog Baltimore Ravens, Manning and Broncos fans awoke to a full-page photograph of the quarterback under a dark cloud against a towering Denver Post headline: A Legacy Under a Cloud.
One Super Bowl championship in a 16-year career is not enough, apparently, to keep away the doubters — especially in Colorado, where fans are starved for a title that Manning, 37, is supposed to supply.
As with last season, these Broncos were 13-3, seeded first and granted home-field advantage in the playoffs. Accompanying them into this postseason, though, were a sense of dread and the faint sound of a ticking clock.
Fending off a late surge by another underdog opponent, Manning and the Broncos slipped past the San Diego Chargers, 24-17, in a divisional-round playoff game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
It was just enough to give the Broncos a home date next Sunday against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots for the A.F.C. title, the latest installment of the N.F.L.’s favorite reality series, Manning versus Brady.
“It always feels good to get a win at this time of the year,” said Manning, reminded that it was his first playoff victory since the 2009 season. “Everyone wants to keep playing, right?”
Denver’s performance on a cool and windy day was clunky and workmanlike and nearly overcome. Shut out through three quarters, San Diego scored 17 fourth-quarter points to put intrigue into a rout. It started to feel like last year, when the Ravens tied the score on a 70-yard touchdown pass with 31 seconds left, and Denver lost in double overtime.
The Ravens eventually won the Super Bowl. The Broncos gathered themselves for another chance — this chance.
On Sunday, Manning’s two third-and-long completions to tight end Julius Thomas kept the ball from the suddenly hot Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers. Suspense ended with Manning kneeling to kill the final seconds from the clock.
“This was a pretty intense game,” Manning said. “Philip got hot there in the second half. And I didn’t want to give them the ball back there at the end.”
Manning completed 25 of 36 passes for 230 yards and 2 touchdowns, with an interception. He was asked after the game whether a postseason exam of his surgically repaired neck weighed on his mind, leading him to consider that this could be his final season.
“What weighs on my mind is how soon I can get a Bud Light in my mouth,” Manning said.
Article courtesy of The New York Times
Kaepernick mimics Cam's TD pose
Colin Kaepernick did his best Cam Newton impression during Sunday's NFC divisional playoff game, mocking the Carolina Panthers quarterback's post-touchdown "Superman" pose.
After scoring on a 4-yard scramble that gave the San Francisco 49ers a 20-10 lead in the third quarter, Kaepernick pretended to pull his jersey apart from the middle of his chest, clearly imitating Newton's preferred celebration.
Kaepernick then mimicked buttoning up his shirt before kissing his biceps in what has become his trademark celebration.
Kaepernick referred to the celebration as "just a little shout out" following San Francisco's 23-10 victory in Carolina.
When asked who he was referring to, Kaepernick responded, "I think you know the answer."
Newton, who threw two interceptions in his postseason debut, did not seem amused by Kaepernick's celebration.
"It's not the first nor the last time somebody does that," Newton said before leaving his postgame news conference.
It was the fourth career playoff victory for Kaepernick, who was selected in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft with the 36th overall pick -- 35 spots after Newton was selected first overall by the Panthers.
Kaepernick indicated earlier this week that being selected 35 spots after Newton has helped motivate him, claiming that his draft spot is "not something I'll forget." The 26-year-old Kaepernick reiterated that sentiment following Sunday's game.
Source-ESPN
2013 a hard but fruitful year, say Bolt, Fraser-Pryce
As expected, Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce walked away the RJR Foundation National Sportsman and Sportswoman awards for the year 2013 in a glittering ceremony at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Friday night.
Netball aficionado Molly Rhone won the prestigious Sagicor Iconic Award; veteran jockey Winston Griffiths was presented with the Chairman's Award and schoolboy Javon Francis ran away with the People's Choice Performance of the Year award.
Bolt, 27, who was recently named IAAF Male World Athlete of the Year and Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, was copping the RJR National Sportsman of the Year award for the fifth consecutive year, following his outstanding performances at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow where he won three gold medals in the 100m, 200m and the 4x100m relay.
"For me, this year was a wonderful year. It was hard; a lot of ups and downs, but overall it was a great season," said Bolt, who was neatly decked in a grey suit, black shirt and black and grey tie.
"I had a lot of support from all over the world, including my family, my friends, and I want to thank everyone for that. I want to thank RJR for keeping this one more year and giving me a cheque," he said laughing.
"You guys have showed me so much love, and the energy that I have gotten this year is just continuing to grow in so many ways," he added.
Like Bolt, Fraser-Pryce added the RJR National Sportswoman of the Year award to the IAAF Female World Athlete of the Year following a dominant season in which she copped three gold at the Moscow World Championships and walked away with the historic Diamond League sprint double titles.
"I would like to say thanks to the RJR Foundation and its selection committee for choosing me again this year, it's very sweet," she said with a chuckle.
"It was a hard year. It was a year that met my expectations, seeing that I worked hard. I was fully committed to the task ahead and I completed it," she noted.
"It was an effort from me that was collective; my managers, my teammates as well, my coaches and, of course, my family and my friends. I always said the 2013 sportswoman of the year comes over into 2014 and I hope it's a blessing of a good start to days to come," said Fraser-Pryce.
Source-Jamaica Observer
McCullum, Ronchi partnership set up T20 win for NZealand
An unbeaten sixth-wicket partnership between Brendon McCullum and Luke Ronchi rescued New Zealand from a precarious position to win the first Twenty20 International against West Indies by 81 runs yesterday.
The 85-run stand from 43 balls helped the hosts to 189-5 batting first and restricted West Indies to 108-8 after 20 overs.
Wicketkeeper/batsman Andre Fletcher, who joined the team this week, was West Indies' highest scorer with 23. Fletcher joined Johnson Charles (16) following the dismissal of Lendl Simmons without scoring.
Nikita Miller and Samuel Badree batted out the West Indies' innings, finishing on 15 and 14, respectively.
Nathan McCullum (4-24) and James Neesham (3-16), led the bowling for New Zealand.
Earlier, New Zealand reached 189-5, thanks mainly to Brendon McCullum and Ronchi, who frustrated the West Indies' bowlers. Both batsmen closed their side's innings unbeaten on 60 and 48, respectively.
Tino Best, who made the initial breakthrough with the dismissal of Martin Guptill for 25, finished with 4-30 from four overs and Nikita Miller had 2-26 from three overs.
The two teams wrap up the two-match T20I series on Wednesday in Wellington.
SCOREBOARD
New Zealand
M Guptill c Charles b Best 25
J Ryder c Charles b Miller 22
B McCullum not out 60
R Taylor c Bravo b Miller 5
C Munro c Fletcher b Best 22
C Anderson c Powell b Best 0
L Ronchi not out 48
Total: 189/5 (20 Overs)
Extras: (b 5, w 1, nb 1) 7
Fall of Wickets: 1-38 (Guptill, 3.5 ov), 2-56 (Ryder, 6.4 ov), 3-66 (Taylor, 8.6 ov), 4-103 (Munro, 12.2 ov), 5-104 (Anderson, 12.5 ov).
Did not Bat: N McCullum, T Southee, A Milne, J Neesham.
West Indies Bowling: Badree 4-0-25-0, Best 4-0-40-3, Narine 4-0-46-0, Miller 3-0-26-2, Bravo 4-0-24-0, Russell 1-0-23-0.
West Indies (Target: 190)
J Charles c Ronchi b Neesham16
L Simmons c Ronchi b Milne 0
A Fletcher c Ryder b N McCullum 23
K Powell c Guptill b N McCullum 12
D Bravo c Ryder b N McCullum10
A Russell c Guptill b N McCullum 0
C Walton c Munro b Neesham9
N Miller not out 15
S Narine c Milne b Neesham 0
S Badree not out 14
Total: 108/8 (20 Overs)
Extras: (lb 2, w 7) 9
Fall of Wickets: 1-11 (Simmons, 1.4 ov), 2-31 (Charles, 4.3 ov), 3-53 (Powell, 8.3 ov), 4-59 (Fletcher, 10.1 ov), 5-64 (Russell, 10.6 ov), 6-75 (Bravo, 12.5 ov), 7-77 (Walton, 13.3 ov), 8-77 (Narine, 13.5 ov).
Did not Bat: T Best
New Zealand Bowling: T Southee 4-0-36-0, A Milne 4-0-15-1, J Neesham 4-0-16-3, N McCullum 4-0-24-4, C Anderson 4-0-15-0.
Result: New Zealand win by 81 runs
Toss: New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
Man of the Match: Brendon McCullum
Twenty20 International Debuts: K Powell & C Walton
Umpires: Chris Gaffaney & Derek Walker
TV Umpire: Gary Baxter
Match Referee: Chris Broad (England)
Reserve Umpire: Wayne Knights
Source-CMC
Mexico vigilantes clash with Knights Templar cartel in Michoacan
A group of vigilantes in Mexico has seized the small town of Nueva Italia after clashing with alleged members of the Knights Templar drug cartel.
More than 100 men entered the town in western Michoacan state on Sunday morning and disarmed local police.
There were exchanges of fire with alleged gang members before the vigilantes occupied the town.
The vigilante group was set up by residents who say the army and the police have failed to protect them.
The Knights Templar has been fighting the New Generation cartel, from neighbouring Jalisco state, for control of criminal activities in the area.
Vigilantes, also known as self-defence groups or community police, have been active in several Mexican states.
In Michoacan they control several towns. A few days ago they launched an offensive, occupying the towns of Paracuaro and Antunez.
They say they are advancing towards Apatzingan, the alleged headquarters of the Knights Templar gang.
Federal troops were nowhere to be seen during the invasion of Nueva Italia, according to the AP news agency.
In Paracuaro, local reports say they were initially backed by the local population.
But later, residents rioted and set fire to many of the vigilantes' vehicles in a failed attempt to expel them.
The self-defence groups have been accusing of siding with the New Generation cartel. They deny any involvement.
Correspondents say the clashes in Michoacan will be a major challenge for President Enrique Pena Nieto, who was elected a year ago promising to boost the economy and reduce violence levels.
More than 70,000 people have died in drug related violence in the past six years.
Source-BBC
Haiti marks devastating earthquake anniversary
The people of Haiti have been remembering the victims of a devastating earthquake that struck the country four years ago, killing more than 250,000 people.
Across the country people have attended special religious ceremonies.
President Michel Martelly laid a wreath at a mass grave in Saint Christophe, where many victims were buried.
Some 150,000 people are still living in temporary accommodation.
The government issued a decree declaring 12 January a day of remembrance and reflection.
The shallow seven-magnitude earthquake struck on a Tuesday afternoon. The epicentre was just outside the capital, Port-au-Prince.
At least 1.5 million people were left homeless, in a country with a population of about 10 million.
Four years after the quake, signs of destruction are still everywhere.
Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has struggled to rebuild its infrastructure, despite millions of dollars in aid pouring into the country.
President Martelly said a year ago that only a third of the money pledged after the 2010 earthquake had actually been delivered.
"Where has the money given to Haiti after the earthquake gone?" asked Mr Martelly.
"Most of the aid was used by non-governmental agencies for emergency operations, not for the reconstruction of Haiti."
Mr Martelly, who came to power after the quake, estimated the material cost of the disaster at £13bn (£8bn).
But demonstrators have gone to the streets in recent months to demand the president's resignation, denouncing the high cost of living and accusing the government of corruption.
Since the earthquake, the Caribbean nation has been affected by landslides and hurricanes, as well as an epidemic of cholera and rampant crime.
Source-BBC
US Supreme Court to hear Argentina case
The US Supreme Court has agreed to rule on whether Argentina's assets are protected from hedge funds seeking to be paid back.
The long-running legal saga started after Argentina's record debt default more than 11 years ago.
The country objected to a lower court ruling that gave creditors the power to pursue its non-US assets.
Argentina's petition to the highest US court also has the support of the US government.
In 2002, Argentina defaulted on some $100bn (worth £60.7bn in 2014) of debts and has since restructured its debt twice, cancelling around 75% of the nominal value of the bonds.
About 92% of the country's bondholders agreed to write off most of the amount owed to them.
But hedge funds NML Capital and Aurelius are demanding 100% repayment of the $1.3bn, plus interest.
Argentina refuses to pay anything to investors who declined to participate in a previous debt reduction deals involving most of the nation's lenders.
The investors were so determined to get their money that they went to court to have an Argentine ship, the Libertad, impounded in Ghana last year. After several weeks, the ship returned home.
Numerous US courts have said that Argentina must pay back the money - most recently in August 2013.
But the appeals court held off forcing Argentina to pay, pending an appeal to the Supreme Court, which is considered unlikely to hear the full case.
In this instance, the Supreme Court will decide whether the US Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) protects Argentina's property from being seized.
The US Justice Department is taking the side of Argentina in this case. It urged the top court to hear the case and strike it down, arguing that the FSIA protects foreign governments' property "unless the property is used for a commercial activity in the United States".
Source-BBC
Venezuelan minister targets corrupt police
Venezuela's interior minister has given out his personal mobile phone number on live television, and urged police officers to call him directly to report cases of corruption within the force.
Miguel Rodriguez said rooting out corruption was the only way for the police to regain public trust.
Police corruption is seen as one reason why Venezuela has one of the highest murder rates in the world.
His comments come amid public anger after the murder of Monica Spear.
The popular former beauty queen and her ex-husband, Thomas Berry, were gunned down in their car in front of their five-year-old daughter, who was wounded.
Seven people have been arrested in connection with the crime.
"New police officers will always have some great superiors, well-prepared ones," Mr Rodriguez said at an official ceremony in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.
"But they also are going to get some bad eggs. Report them fearlessly because their (corruption) undermines police authority for the Venezuelan people.
"Just give me the information right away, and we will rip the head off that immoral police superior," the minister warned, after giving the officers his mobile number.
The BBC tried to ring the number but calls were not immediately answered.
The murder of Ms Spear, thought to have been a botched robbery, has reignited debate about insecurity in Venezuela.
Experts often cite police corruption as part of the crime crisis; most homicides go unpunished.
Last year, nearly 25,000 people were killed in the South American country, according to the Venezuelan Violence Observatory, a non-governmental organisation.
The government disputes these figures.
On Wednesday, President Nicolas Maduro met the governors of all 23 states and mayors from the most violent cities to co-ordinate action against crime.
Source-BBC
US is 'very open' to new relationship with Cuba
A senior American official has said the United States is "very open" to building a new relationship with Cuba.
However, Edward Alex Lee of the US state department stressed that any improvement should go hand-in-hand with more political freedom on the communist-run island.
He said the two countries had held "very constructive" talks on migration and other issues this week.
But he declined to give any details of what he called "substantial progress".
Mr Lee, who has been on an official visit to Cuba, added the two nations would seek to continue these rare negotiations.
"Despite our historically difficult relationship...we have been able to speak to each other in a respectful and thoughtful manner," he told a news conference in Havana.
But he added that the US wanted a "fundamental change" in the Cuban government's attitude towards its own people.
"We want to have that opening reflect - from the Cuban side - a respect for Cubans to express themselves freely, to be able to petition their government with grievances without the danger of arrest."
Talks between the two historic enemies were suspended in 2011 but resumed last July.
The main focus of the latest talks was migration: discouraging Cubans from risking their lives at sea to reach the US, by ensuring that there were safe and legal alternatives.
The BBC correspondent in Havana, Sarah Rainsford, says the fact that the official meetings are continuing appears to reflect a new pragmatism in the relations between the two neighbours.
The US and Cuba cut formal diplomatic ties more than five decades ago.
The talks, which took place in the Cuban capital, were also centred on other topics of mutual interest, including aviation safety, co-operation in counter-narcotics work, protocols on preparing for oil spills, search-and-rescue work, and renewing postal services between the two neighbours.
They came after the first handshake between US President Barack Obama and his counterpart, Raul Castro, last month, at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela in South Africa.
Mr Lee insisted however that the handshake was not pre-arranged, but reflected what he called the "innate graciousness" of Mr Obama.
The dialogue between the Cold War foes was cut after Cuba sentenced a US citizen, Alan Gross, to 15 years in prison for smuggling illegal satellite equipment into the country.
Mr Lee confirmed that he had visited Mr Gross in prison, adding that the US was "deeply concerned" about his wellbeing.
He expressed hope that the Cuban government would free him, arguing the contractor had simply been providing internet access for Cuba's small Jewish community.
Protesters move to shut down Bangkok
Opposition protestors in Thailand are gathering in the capital Bangkok to try to shut down the city centre.
It is part of their campaign to overthrow the government before snap elections due on 2 February.
The government has deployed 18,000 police and soldiers but the protesters are building barricades and occupying key road junctions.
Election officials have asked the government to delay the election by three months on security grounds.
But a Deputy Prime Minister, Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan, told BBC News this was not possible.
Protesters say Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is a proxy for her exiled brother Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in 2006.
At least seven people were injured when unknown gunmen opened fire on anti-government demonstrators at the main rally site in Bangkok on Saturday.
Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-Ocha has sought to quell rumours of military intervention, insisting that no-one will mount a coup.
Soldiers are restricted to protecting buildings rather than helping the police confront the protesters.
One of the main protest leaders, former Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, was defiant as he rallied demonstrators.
"I want to announce on this important night that the masses will not accept any proposals or negotiations," he told supporters, as quoted by the Associated Press news agency.
"In this fight, defeat is defeat and victory is victory. There is no tie. There's no win-win. There's only win on one side."
Schools are expected to close because of fears for students' safety.
SOURCE-BBC