WRAPUP 1-Basketball-Maccabi hail journeyman Roth after big win

BELGRADE, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Maccabi Tel Aviv playmaker Moran Roth emerged from obscurity on Friday to help the winners of four Euroleague titles to a 91-73 victory over Fenerbahce Istanbul to rekindle their hopes of reaching the playoffs.
Spaniards Caja Laboral, who were on the brink of an early exit in the preliminary group stage, continued their impressive comeback with a 77-51 rout of Besiktas Istanbul which kept them in the driving seat to advance to the knockout phase.
Barcelona beat holders Olympiakos Piraeus 76-68 in a heavyweight clash to avenge last season's semi-final defeat to the Greeks, CSKA Moscow overpowered Bamberg 90-83 and Real Madrid achieved a thrilling 75-74 victory over Zalgiris Kaunas.
Roth, who joined Maccabi this season after playing for a myriad of less-fancied Israeli teams, averaged 0.9 points and less than five minutes on the court until his moment of glory at home to Fenerbahce.
The 30-year-old journeyman scored eight points, including two three-pointers, and dished out six assists in 15 productive minutes to earn a standing ovation from the jam-packed Nokia Arena.
"I've been dreaming about this since I was five because nothing compares to the lights of this arena," a delighted Roth told the competition's official website (www.euroleague.net).
"I am really happy I could help the team get this very important win. It's our first in the top 16 and now we have to ride the momentum."
Maccabi coach David Blatt, who guided Russia to the 2007 European Championship, said: "We didn't expect Moran to put on such a good show although we knew he was capable of this. Winning by such a big margin is a big bonus for us."
Shooting guard Ricky Hickman picked up 24 points and fellow American centre Shawn James grabbed 22 for Maccabi who have a 1-2 win-loss record while Fenerbahce are rooted to the bottom of their section with three defeats.
The second group stage comprises 16 teams divided into two pools of eight. The top four in each section advance to the best-of-five quarter-final series from where the winners progress to the May 10-12 Final Four in London.
UNSTOPPABLE CAJA
Written off after losing six of their opening seven games, Caja squeezed into the top 16 with three wins in a row and now look unstoppable after registering another three on the trot to go first in their section.
They took an early 21-2 lead against Besiktas and never looked back as shooting guard Brad Oleson recorded 13 points and three other players chipped in with 12 each, providing the kind of team chemistry the Basque outfit were so bereft of earlier in the season.
"We have improved a lot in the last few games," said the 29-year-old Oleson who once plied his trade for lower league Dodge City Legend in the United States after completing his college career at Alaska Fairbanks.
"Nobody on this team stepped back when we were in a difficult situation in the last games of the regular season. The guys took two steps forward and now we need to stay top and not relax."
CSKA made it three wins out of three in the second group stage but not before they were pushed to the limit by Bamberg for the third time this season, the Russians having edged out the plucky Germans in similar fashion in their last two meetings.
Forward Viktor Khryapa led CSKA with 19 points while Serbia playmaker Milos Teodosic and guard Dionte Christmas added 17 each to cancel out a valiant solo effort by Bamberg's Slovenian forward Bostjan Nachbar who amassed 35 including six three-pointers from seven attempts.
"It was a high-quality game and a nice one to watch as both teams played well," said the 31-year-old Nachbar who played for several NBA teams before moving back to Europe in 2008.
Croatian centre Ante Tomic cheered Barcelona with 15 points against Olympiakos in an ill-tempered game littered with technical fouls.
Montenegrin-born forward Nikola Mirotic bagged 17 in a dramatic victory for Real Madrid marred by a post-game scuffle between rival players.
Zalgiris appeared set to stun the winners of a record eight European titles before Sergio Rodriguez buried a three-pointer with three seconds left and a brief altercation followed after Marko Popovic narrowly missed a three-point shot on the buzzer at the other end.
Elsewhere, league top scorer Bobby Brown collected a game-high 20 points in Montepaschi Siena's 82-76 home win over Khimki Moscow and former Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar notched 15 in Anadolu Efes Istanbul's 71-62 defeat of Alba Berlin. (Editing by Tony Jimenez)

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Egypt's Mubarak questioned over alleged gifts

CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian prosecutor placed a new detention order on Hosni Mubarak on Saturday after the ousted ex-president was questioned over valuable gifts he allegedly received from the country's top newspaper as a show of loyalty while he was in power, a security official said.
The public funds prosecutor ordered Mubarak to be held for 15 days pending investigation, the official said. The former president is already serving a life sentence after being convicted for failing to stop killings of protesters during the 2011 uprising that overthrew him. But he is scheduled to hear a ruling on his appeal on Sunday, and the detention order could prevent him from walking free pending retrial were the appellate court to rule in his favor.
He was moved to a Cairo military hospital last month after slipping inside a prison bathroom and injuring himself.
The security official says Mubarak was questioned over watches, pens, bags, belts and jewelry he reportedly received from the official Al Ahram newspaper.
The official did not say if any charges were pending over the alleged gifts. He spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to speak to media.
The list of gifts is long and includes 36 named recipients, including Mubarak's wife Suzanne, his two sons, and his top associates including former information minister Safwat el-Sherif and former prime minister Ahmed Nazif, according to the daily el-Shorouk.
The website for Al Ahram carried an official report estimating the value of the gifts at some six million Egyptian pounds, approximately $1 million. The newspaper said that "Al Ahram Gifts" was a ritual when the newspaper was run by Mubarak-era loyalists. Its management was changed following the uprising.
Lawyers for the Mubarak family, for Nazif and for Sherif could not immediately be reached for comment.
Many former members of Mubarak's regime have been charged with corruption or the killing of protesters during the uprising. Some are serving jail terms, others are detained pending trials, and others have been released after charges were dropped.
Prosecutors have so far been unable to convict Mubarak or his immediate family on corruption charges, although the two sons are still standing trial.

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Israel PM blocks roads to Palestinian tent site

JERUSALEM (AP) — Palestinian protesters who pitched tents at a strategic West Bank site to protest plans to build a Jewish housing project there were evicted early Sunday, police said.
Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said police evicted about a hundred protesters from the site after a court decision authorizing their removal. He said no arrests were made during the half hour operation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday evening ordered roads closed leading to the area and had the military declare a closed military zone and shut off access.
Palestinian activists erected tents in the area known as E-1 on Friday saying they wanted to "establish facts on the ground" to stop Israeli construction in the West Bank.
Rosenfeld said the tents were not dismantled and that a decision on that would be made later in the day Sunday.
The activists were borrowing a phrase and a tactic, usually associated with Jewish settlers, who believe establishing communities means the territory will remain Israeli.
Activists said they want to build a village in the site, which they are calling Bab Al Shams.
Netanyahu's office said Saturday night that the state was petitioning the Supreme Court to rescind an earlier injunction blocking the evacuation. Rosenfeld, the police spokesman, said he did not know which court had allowed the eviction.
Israel announced it is moving forward with the E-1 settlement after the U.N. recognized a de facto state of Palestine in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in November.
Palestinians say E-1 would be a major blow to their statehood aspirations as it blocks east Jerusalem from its West Bank hinterland. Palestinians are demanding these areas, along with Gaza, for their future state.
The construction plans drew unusually sharp criticism from some of Israel's staunchest allies including the U.S. who strongly oppose the E- 1 project.
Israeli officials have said actual construction on the project may be years away if it ever gets off the ground, while Israeli critics have questioned whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu actually intends to develop E-1, or is pandering to hard-liners ahead of Israel's Jan. 22 election.
In a separate incident Saturday, the Israeli military said soldiers shot at a Palestinian who "tried to infiltrate Israel" from the West Bank. The military said soldiers called on the man to stop, then fired warning shots in the air, and finally fired at his legs when he refused to stop.
Palestinian police said he later died of his wounds.
It was the second shooting death on the borders with the Palestinian territories in two days. On Friday, Palestinian officials in the Gaza Strip said a man was shot and killed near the coastal territory's border fence. The Israeli military said he was part of a group that rushed the fence to damage it.

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Palestinian protesters evicted from West Bank site

JERUSALEM (AP) — Palestinian protesters who pitched tents at a strategic West Bank site to protest plans to build a Jewish housing project there were evicted early Sunday, police said.
Palestinian activists erected tents in the area known as E-1 on Friday saying they wanted to "establish facts on the ground" to stop Israeli construction in the West Bank. The Palestinian activists were borrowing a phrase and a tactic, usually associated with Jewish settlers, who believe establishing communities means the territory will remain theirs once structures are built.
Palestinian activist Abdullah Abu Rahma said the protesters hoped to repitch their tents to continue their protest. "Today, we will see if we can return," he said.
Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said police evicted about 100 protesters from the site early Sunday morning after a court decision authorizing their removal. He did not know which court had allowed the eviction.
Haaretz reported that the eviction was carried out despite a temporary High Court injunction preventing it.
Rosenfeld said no arrests were made during the half hour operation and that no injuries were sustained on either side. He said the tents were not dismantled and that a decision on that would be made later in the day.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday evening ordered roads closed leading to the area and had the military declare a closed military zone and shut off access. Netanyahu's office said that the state was petitioning the Supreme Court to rescind an earlier injunction blocking the evacuation.
Israel announced it is moving forward with the E-1 settlement after the U.N. recognized a de facto state of Palestine in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in November.
Palestinians say E-1 would be a major blow to their statehood aspirations as it blocks east Jerusalem from its West Bank hinterland. Palestinians are demanding these areas, along with Gaza, for their future state.
Activists said they wanted to build a village called Bab al-Shams at the site.
The construction plans drew unusually sharp criticism from some of Israel's staunchest allies including the U.S. who strongly oppose the E- 1 project.
Israeli officials have said actual construction on the project may be years away if it ever gets off the ground, while Israeli critics have questioned whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu actually intends to develop E-1, or is pandering to hard-liners ahead of Israel's Jan. 22 election.
In a separate incident Saturday, the Israeli military said soldiers shot at a Palestinian who "tried to infiltrate Israel" from the West Bank. The military said soldiers called on the man to stop, then fired warning shots in the air, and finally fired at his legs when he refused to stop.
Palestinian police said he later died of his wounds.
It was the second shooting death on the borders with the Palestinian territories in two days. On Friday, Palestinian officials in the Gaza Strip said a man was shot and killed near the coastal territory's border fence. The Israeli military said he was part of a group that rushed the fence to damage it.

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Former Yankees manager Joe Torre wants focus on child abuse

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A government commission co-led by former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre said on Wednesday that the U.S. federal and local governments are not doing enough to identify and treat child victims of abuse and violence.
At a meeting with representatives from major federal departments, the commission of academics, law enforcement officials and others, issued 56 recommendations to help child victims, including expanded training for social workers.
Torre, whose own childhood with an abusive father led him to start a charitable foundation focusing on the issue of child abuse, said many social workers and law-enforcement officials simply did not know how to spot signs of domestic abuse.
"I don't think society knows how to react, even if they think something's going on," said Torre, who won four World Series championships with the Yankees and is now an executive in Major League Baseball.
The failure of Penn State University to report former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky for child abuse - charges Sandusky was convicted of this year - was one example, Torre said.
The commission, set up by the Justice Department and known as the Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence, has held hearings for the past year. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has made the issue a priority.
Banging his fist on a table for emphasis, Holder told the commission its ideas would not sit on a shelf gathering dust, and that he would push the White House for support.
"The Justice Department is a big organization with a lot of tentacles in a lot of places, and my hope is to use the time I have as attorney general to continue the effort," Holder said at a news conference after the meeting.
President Barack Obama has not said whether he wants Holder to serve into a second term, though Holder is expected to stay on as the chief U.S. law enforcement official at least into early 2013.
Holder said there was a moral imperative for the U.S. government to support child victims - whether they have witnessed violence at home, in gangs or elsewhere - and a financial incentive to do so if those children are kept off a path to crime.

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Korean closer Lim heading to Chicago Cubs

semifinal game at the World Baseball Classic in Los Angeles, California March 21, 2009. …more
(Reuters) - South Korean closer Lim Chang-yong is set to sign a deal with Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, though the sidearm pitcher is unlikely to be able to take the mound again until late next season.
The 36-year-old righthander, who had elbow surgery earlier this year, told reporters at Incheon Airport on Thursday he had long dreamed of signing for a major league team.
Lim tallied 296 saves in his 18-year career in Korea and Japan and could wind up pitching against compatriot Choo Shin-soo, who was acquired by the Cubs' NL Central rivals Cincinnati on Tuesday.
"I want to play the kind of baseball that I'm known for, and give the fans enjoyment," said Lim, adding that the deal was worth up to $5 million over two years.
Lim, who spent the last five season in Japan with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and is known for his scorching fastball, said the Cubs would give him enough time to recover from the surgery before putting him into the bullpen.
"After enough rehab I want to get back on the mound in the middle or towards the end of next season," said Lim, adding that the Cubs were placing more importance on 2014 for the former Japanese baseball All Star.
Lim made his professional debut with South Korea's Haitai Tigers in 1995 and also played with the Samsung Lions in Korea.
He earned a bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics and was part of the South Korean team that finished second at the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
"I'm happy that my dream has finally came true," said Lim.
"I'm not young any more and I wanted to do something that I've never experienced before.

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Angels land slugger Hamilton in $125 million deal

(Reuters) - The Los Angeles Angels grabbed Major League Baseball's prized free agent for a second consecutive year on Thursday by signing slugger Josh Hamilton to a five-year, $125 million contract.
Hamilton, a five-time All-Star who overcame drug and alcohol addictions to become one of Major League Baseball's most feared hitters, powered the Texas Rangers to consecutive World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011.
He joins a high-powered Angels lineup that includes three-time National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) Albert Pujols, a 32-year-old slugger who signed a 10-year $240 million deal with the team last year.
The Rangers had been hopeful of resigning the 2010 American League MVP and admitted they were caught off guard by Hamilton's jump to their American League West division rivals.
"Our full expectation was that the phone call was going to be before he signed, certainly not after," Texas General Manager Jon Daniels said on the team's website.
"Josh had indicated recently, last week, he told us he felt it might be time to move on but that we were still talking ... I'm a little disappointed in how it was handled, but he had a decision to make and he made it."
The 31-year-old hard-hitting outfielder broke into the major leagues in 2007 with the Cincinnati Reds but was traded to the Rangers the following year.
Hamilton has a career .304 batting average, 553 runs batted in and 161 home runs, including a career-high 43 last season.
The Rangers stood by Hamilton as he battled to control is addictions, including a relapse before the start of last season.
But the slugger got the campaign off to a sizzling start and looked to be a Triple Crown threat after slamming 18 homers in the Rangers' opening 34 games.
Hamilton, however, saw his production fall off in the second half of the season finishing with a .285 batting average and 128 runs batted in.
"Josh has done a lot for the organization, the organization has done a lot for Josh -- a lot of things that aren't public and things of that nature," said Daniels.

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