Soccer-Ireland full back Kelly swaps Fulham for Reading

LONDON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Ireland full back Stephen Kelly joined Premier League strugglers Reading from mid-table Fulham on Friday on a two-and-a-half year deal."I'm delighted to have Stephen here," Reading manager Brian McDermott said in a club statement."He has played a lot of games in the Premier League and more than 30 times for his country. He's the kind of player I've been talking about -...

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Soccer-Thai forward Teerasil trains with Atletico Madrid

MADRID, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Forward Teerasil Dangda trained with Atletico Madrid for the first time on Friday as part of a two-week trial programme involving the Spanish club and Thai side Muangthong United.The 24-year-old, who has scored 28 goals in 54 appearances for Thailand, worked with La Liga's second-placed team at their training ground just outside the Spanish capital."I am very proud and...

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Soccer-Debuchy set for debut in Newcastle's stretched defence

Jan 11 (Reuters) - France right back Mathieu Debuchy is poised to make his Newcastle United debut at Norwich City on Saturday with the stuttering Premier League side hoping for some good news in defence after a period of woe.The north east club finished fifth last term but are down in 15th this season and have been shipping goals, with a 4-3 loss at Manchester United and 7-3 defeat at Arsenal followed...

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Factbox: Key companies in the phablet space

(Reuters) - Phablets, a cross between a smartphone and a tablet, are gaining popularity globally as consumers opt for bigger screens to perform multimedia functions.Here are some companies that will likely benefit or feel the impact of the fast-growing phablet market, which analysts expect to quadruple in value to $135 billion in about three years:WINNERSSamsung Electronics Co LtdLG Electronics IncLenovo...

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Laboratorio nuclear EEUU aparta tecnología china por temores de seguridad

LONDRES (Reuters) - Uno de los principales laboratorios de armas nucleares de Estados Unidos halló recientemente que sus sistemas informáticos contenían conmutadores para redes hechos en China y reemplazaron al menos dos componentes debido a preocupaciones de seguridad nacional, muestra un documento.Una carta del Laboratorio Nacional Los Alamos en Nuevo México, fechada el 5 de noviembre de 2012,...

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Why 2013 could be the ‘Year of the Phablet’

Few expected Samsung (005930) would spark a global revolution last year when it unleashed its oversized Galaxy Note “phablet.” But now that the Note has proven to be a hit, electronics companies around the world are apparently scrambling to steal Samsung’s thunder by manufacturing their own giant smartphones. Strategy Analytics executive director Neil Mawston tells Reuters that he expects “2013 to...

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Google's Schmidt urges Internet openness in NKorea

BEIJING (AP) — Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said Thursday it's up to North Korea to shed its self-imposed isolation and allow its citizens to use the Internet and connect with the outside world, or risk remaining way behind other countries.Schmidt was returning from a private trip to North Korea with former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson that was not sanctioned by the U.S. government and...

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Bill Richardson says didn't meet detained American on North Korea trip

BEIJING (Reuters) - Former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson and Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt failed to secure the release of a Korean-American held in North Korea during a controversial trip to the secretive state that ended on Thursday.Richardson told a media briefing at Beijing's airport he was unable to meet Korean-American Kenneth Bae, a 44-year-old tourist who was detained late...

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Lowered UK flag sparks Protestant fury in Belfast

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — At Belfast City Hall, the flagpole is bare — and the streets are filled with nighttime fear and fury.These are dangerous times in Northern Ireland, a long-divided corner of the United Kingdom that is supposed to be at peace after decades of unrest thanks to its hard-won cease-fires and a Catholic-Protestant government. But the lowering of a single Union Jack has exposed...

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Soccer-Benitez says time almost over for Chelsea "legends"

LONDON, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Chelsea interim coach Rafael Benitez has heralded a changing of the guard at the Premier League club by saying that new players are needed for them to carry on winning.The Londoners' joint-second top scorer of all time, Frank Lampard, looks unlikely to be offered a new deal with the 34-year-old's contract expiring at the end of the season, his agent says.Media reports have...

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Soccer-Australia's Rogic to train with Celtic

SYDNEY, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Promising young Australian midfielder Tom Rogic will take part in a training camp with Scottish club Glasgow Celtic but no offer has been tabled for the 20-year-old, his Central Coast Mariners club said on Wednesday.Rogic won his first international cap in a friendly against South Korea last November and is rated is one of the most exciting young talents in the A-League.A...

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Soccer-Man City send back 'expensive' tickets for Arsenal clash

Jan 9 (Reuters) - While Manchester City's wealthy Dubai owners continue to bankroll the club, the Premier League champions' supporters look to be adopting a more frugal approach.According to local media reports, City have sent back 912 of the 3,000 tickets they were allocated for Sunday's league clash at Arsenal, with travelling fans unhappy at the 62 pounds ($100) cost for a seat at the Emirates."It's...

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Existing home sales rise to fastest pace in three years

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Home resales rose sharply in November to their fastest pace in three years, a sign the recovery in the housing market is gaining steam.The National Association of Realtors said on Thursday that existing home sales climbed 5.9 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.04 million units.That was the fastest since November 2009, when a federal tax credit for...

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New York City should hike taxes on big business-comptroller

(Reuters) - New York City's top financial officer and possible contender for mayor in 2013, John Liu, proposed on Thursday tax hikes for big businesses and an end to Madison Square Garden's $15 million annual property tax exemption.The proposals by New York City Comptroller John Liu include tax hikes on private equity firms, which would help offset his plan for $500 million in tax breaks and lowered...

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IRS finalizes new tax for medical devices in healthcare law

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Internal Revenue Service on Wednesday released final rules for a new tax on medical devices, products ranging from surgical sutures to knee replacement implants, that starts next year as part of President Barack Obama's 2010 healthcare law.The 2.3-percent tax must be paid, effective after December 31, by device-makers on their gross sales. The tax is expected to raise...

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PGA Tour opener delayed _ again _ by wind

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — On the third attempt at starting the PGA Tour season, Matt Kuchar stepped to the 10th tee at Kapalua and could barely hear his name through the wind. When he finally steadied himself, a gust blew his golf ball off the tee. And then it happened again."We had a powwow and took us five or six minutes to laugh it off and say, 'We're really going to go through with this?'" Kuchar...

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AP Source: 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.A person familiar with Cleveland's coaching search said the team is no longer considering Kelly for its coaching vacancy after the offensive mastermind nearly reached an agreement with the Browns on Friday. The 49-year-old Kelly was indecisive about making the leap to the NFL and...

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Column: Wilson stands tall as only rookie QB left

This was always going to be one of those once in a decade quarterback classes, even before Russell Wilson announced his arrival from what is arguably the loneliest outpost in the NFL.Everyone expected big things out of Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck. Wilson was more of a pleasant surprise, catapulted from third-round obscurity to what passes for football stardom in a city far removed from the...

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2012 sports year in review: records, achievements, and sundry feats and streaks from Brees and Bryant to Cain and Ko

In any given year, hundreds of sports records, both large and small, fall, barriers are broken, and other notable achievements provide texture to the countless games, matches, and tournaments. In 2012, for example, swimmer Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympian ever, his four golds and two silvers in London giving him 22 medals overall, including 18 gold.In baseball, Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera...

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SCENARIO-Major sports events in 2013

Jan 1 (Reuters) - Major sports events in 2013.* Australian Open tennis, Melbourne Jan. 14-27Rafa Nadal, one of four separate grand slam winners last year, will miss the opening tournament after illness disrupted his recovery from a chronic knee injury. The Spaniard has not played since he lost in the second round at Wimbledon last June.Novak Djokovic, who defeated Nadal last year in the longest final...

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UPDATE 1-Tennis-Sharapova pulls out of Brisbane International

* World No. 2 struggling with collarbone issue* Heading straight for Melbourne ahead of Australian OpenBRISBANE, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Maria Sharapova withdrew from the Brisbane International on Tuesday due to inflammation around her collarbone and the world No. 2 is still unable to hit a serve just two weeks before the start of the Australian Open.Sharapova, who spoke optimistically about the new season...

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