Fri Nov 30, 2012 2:26am EST (Reuters) - The Golden State Warriors had to survive a video review after the final buzzer on Thursday but prevailed 106-105 in a thriller against the Denver Nuggets in Oakland. Denver forward Andre Iguodala's three-point shot at the end hit nothing but net, but upon review the ball failed to leave his hand before the buzzer and the ba...

By Alastair Himmer TOKYO | Fri Nov 30, 2012 2:22am EST TOKYO (Reuters) - Aspiring sumo wrestler Mainoumi once convinced doctors to inject silicone into his scalp to meet height requirements for the ancient Japanese sport. Such sacrifice is a rarity now in a sport beset by scandals and with popularity at an all-time low. With a history spanning ce...

By Miyoung Kim SEOUL | Fri Nov 30, 2012 2:21am EST SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co plans to keep the bulk of its manufacturing inhouse but reiterated a pledge to improve working conditions at its suppliers after admitting excessive overtime and fines for employees in China, a senior executive said on Friday. New York-based China Labor Wa...

By Nathan Layne and Joseph Menn TOKYO/SAN FRANCISCO | Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:46am EST TOKYO/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada's Universal Entertainment funneled at least $30 million to an ex-consultant for the Philippines gaming authority who is now at the center of a bribery investigation, according to sources and company re...

By Poornima Gupta and Nadia Damouni and Paul Sandle SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK/LONDON | Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:36am EST SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - For Leo Apotheker, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO, a July 2011 meeting with Autonomy founder Mike Lynch at a chic seaside resort in France was pivotal to his effort to remake a storied technolog...

By Kim Dixon WASHINGTON | Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:07am EST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Divisions among Democrats are undermining President Barack Obama's push to raise the U.S. estate tax on inherited wealth, just weeks before the arrival of the "fiscal cliff" could drive the present estate tax rate even higher than Obama proposes. Action on the estate tax...

Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:54am EST (Reuters) - The Atlanta Falcons avenged their only defeat of the season by downing fierce division rivals New Orleans 23-13 on Thursday, leaving the Saints' playoff hopes hanging by a thread. Having lost to the Saints in New Orleans three weeks ago, the Falcons turned the tables on home turf to improve to 11-1 on the season, all but w...

Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:02am EST (Reuters) - NBA Commissioner David Stern vowed to punish the San Antonio Spurs for sending Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green home early rather than play in Miami on Thursday against NBA champion Heat. Despite missing several top players, the Spurs nearly shocked the Heat in the nationally televised game, leading 9...

By Mark Lamport-Stokes THOUSAND OAKS, California | Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:56pm EST THOUSAND OAKS, California (Reuters) - Nick Watney's sharper short game has helped him to two titles in the past four months and put himself in good position to clinch a third by surging two shots clear at the World Challenge on Thursday. The soft-spoken American birdie...

LOS ANGELES | Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:53pm EST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Halle Berry, her ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry and her current lover Olivier Martinez have called a truce after their angry Thanksgiving Day brawl outside the Oscar-winning actress's Los Angeles home. Attorneys for the trio said after a closed-door court hearing on Thursday that the trio "hav...

SHANGHAI | Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:34pm EST SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Apple Inc's latest iPhone has received final clearance from Chinese regulators, paving the way for a December debut in a highly competitive market where the lack of a new model had severely eroded its share of product sales. China is Apple's second-largest market and its Chinese fans are eagerly...

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES | Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:47pm EST NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Lindsay Lohan on Thursday faced the possibility of being sent back to jail after a tumultuous 24 hours in which she was arrested in New York for assault, and charged in California with reckless driving and lying to police over a June car crash. Lohan, 26, who has been to ...

Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:42pm EST (Reuters) - The Woodbridge Company Limited, the family company that controls Thomson Reuters Corp (TRI.N) (TRI.TO), announced that David Binet will succeed Geoff Beattie as president and chief executive, effective January 1. In a separate statement, Thomson Reuters said on Thursday that Beattie will remain its deputy board chairman and...

LOS ANGELES | Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:16pm EST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - One of the earliest surviving posters of Mickey Mouse sold for more than $100,000 on Thursday, Heritage Auctions said. The 1928 movie poster of the iconic cartoon mouse belonged to the family of a deceased collector in Northern California, the auction house said.Mickey Mouse was created in...

By Christine Kearney NEW YORK | Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:14pm EST NEW YORK (Reuters) - Although Dolly Parton has cemented her place in country and popular music, pop culture, and as an entrepreneur and philanthropist, she still, on occasion, gets nervous. Her new book, "Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You" encourages readers to overcome their fear...

By Mark Lamport-Stokes THOUSAND OAKS, California | Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:12pm EST THOUSAND OAKS, California (Reuters) - With his game markedly better than this time a year ago, tournament host Tiger Woods was happy enough after grinding out a two-under-par 70 in Thursday's opening round of the World Challenge. Though Woods did not strike the ball as...

LOS ANGELES | Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:07pm EST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood's Universal Studios has filed a copyright lawsuit against a porn production company, accusing it of lifting language, characters and plot from the best-selling erotic book trilogy "Fifty Shades of Grey" for its own adult films and sex toys. Calling one of the adult movie adaptati...

Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:02pm EST (Reuters) - Federal mediators brought in to help resolve the National Hockey League's labor dispute have had little impact as the league and locked-out players wrapped up two days of meetings on Thursday with no progress to report. The NHL and union representing its players brought in U.S. federal mediators to assist in negotiations th...

By Alexei Oreskovic and Gerry Shih SAN FRANCISCO | Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:00pm EST SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc and Zynga Inc severed the cozy ties that once bound the Internet industry's closest couple, revising a years-old partnership between the two companies. The two companies reported in regulatory filings on Thursday that they had rea...

LOS ANGELES | Thu Nov 29, 2012 7:43pm EST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, has suffered a stroke but is OK and resting in a Las Vegas hospital, a family friend said on Thursday. "He was doing well and says he's feeling OK," close family friend Brian Oxman told Reuters.Oxman, Michael Jackson's one-time attorney, said the 83-y...

By Ben Klayman DETROIT | Thu Nov 29, 2012 7:41pm EST DETROIT (Reuters) - For the first time in nearly two decades, GM's Chevrolet brand will be back in the business of selling rear-wheel-drive sedans in the United States. General Motors Co (GM.N) expects the production version of the Chevrolet SS rear-wheel-drive sedan to act as a low-volume car ...

By Richard Cowan and David Lawder WASHINGTON | Thu Nov 29, 2012 7:38pm EST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said on Thursday that "fiscal cliff" talks with the White House had made no substantive progress and criticized President Barack Obama and Democrats for failing to get serious about including spending cut...

Thu Nov 29, 2012 7:33pm EST (Reuters) - In a move that ratchets up tensions in labor negotiations, Boeing Co (BA.N) on Thursday asked for federal mediators to help unstick talks with the union that represents its 23,000 engineers, saying the sides were far apart on pay and benefits. "We hope the expertise of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service can help...

Thu Nov 29, 2012 7:23pm EST (Reuters) - Fisker Automotive Inc said on Thursday that it has temporarily idled production of its Karma plug-in hybrid after its lithium-ion battery supplier A123 Systems Inc (AONEQ.PK) cut its output. A123, which is the sole battery supplier for the Karma, slowed production after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October...

By Mark Lamport-Stokes THOUSAND OAKS, California | Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:50pm EST THOUSAND OAKS, California (Reuters) - American Keegan Bradley struck a timely blow for users of the beleaguered belly putter by charging into contention with a three-under-par 69 in Thursday's first round at the World Challenge. Just one day after golf's rulemakers pro...

By Deepa Seetharaman DETROIT | Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:42pm EST DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (F.N), vying to challenge Toyota Motor Corp's (7203.T) stronghold on the U.S. hybrid market, said it expects to wind up with 11 percent of the U.S. market for hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles this year. This target would be a record fo...

By Alistair Barr SAN FRANCISCO | Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:27pm EST SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Andrew Mason will remain CEO of Groupon Inc (GRPN.O), a company spokesman said on Thursday after the board of directors decided to retain the company co-founder as head of the struggling online marketer of daily deals. Shares of Groupon, which fetched $20 in it...

Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:16pm EST (Reuters) - Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo was suspended for two games for fighting with Nets forward Kris Humphries in Wednesday's 95-83 Brooklyn victory, the National Basketball Association said on Thursday. Three-time All-Star Ronda rushed at Humphries after the Nets player sent Boston's Kevin Garnett to the floor with a fou...

LOS ANGELES | Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:13pm EST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - You may be singing "Call Me Maybe" or dancing "Gangnam Style" to this year's music, but it was veteran hip-hop artist Dr. Dre who topped Forbes' list of the 25 highest-paid musicians in 2012, released on Thursday. California native Dre, 47, became one of the leading names in hip-hop and ra...

By Mike Collett-White LONDON | Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:07pm EST LONDON (Reuters) - Anyone dusting off their copy of George Frederic Handel's "Messiah" in the run-up to Christmas this year might spare a thought for the unsung hero of the piece. Without Charles Jennens, experts argue that the 18th century oratorio would never have been created, robbing ...

By Nichola Groom LOS ANGELES | Thu Nov 29, 2012 5:44pm EST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sprint Nextel Corp unveiled on Thursday an in-vehicle communications and entertainment system it hopes automakers will adopt as they seek to attract younger, more connected consumers. Sprint Velocity allows drivers to connect mobile phones to their vehicles through...

By Sarah McBride SAN FRANCISCO | Thu Nov 29, 2012 5:43pm EST SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - General Electric (GE.N), famous for branded hardware from lightbulbs to turbines, is pushing hard into software, chief executive Jeffrey Immelt said at the Minds and Machines conference on Thursday. "In an industrial company, avoid software at your own peril," ...

By Angela Moon NEW YORK | Thu Nov 29, 2012 4:48pm EST NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks finished higher on Thursday as investors bought on sporadic dips in a market roiled by conflicting comments from Washington about negotiations on an agreement to avoid the "fiscal cliff." Tech shares, including Research In Motion (RIM.TO) (RIMM.O) and Advanced Micro...

By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida | Thu Nov 29, 2012 4:15pm EST CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Despite searing daytime temperatures, Mercury, the planet closest to the sun, has ice and frozen organic materials inside permanently shadowed craters in its north pole, NASA scientists said on Thursday. Earth-based telescopes have been compil...

By Malathi Nayak SAN FRANCISCO | Thu Nov 29, 2012 3:45pm EST SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Sony Corp sold over 525,000 PlayStation3 consoles in the United States during the week of Black Friday that kicks off the holiday shopping season, surpassing sales of Nintendo's new Wii U. Sony Computer Entertainment Inc said on Thursday that sales of its six-y...

Thu Nov 29, 2012 3:13pm EST (Reuters) - John Parry became the fourth consecutive English winner of the European Tour's qualifying school when he romped to a four-shot victory at the PGA Catalunya course in Girona, northern Spain on Thursday. Parry, a former tour champion at the 2010 Vivendi Cup in Paris, shot a two-under-par 70 in the sixth and final round to rec...

By Bill Rigby SEATTLE | Thu Nov 29, 2012 2:56pm EST SEATTLE (Reuters) - Consumer sales of Windows-powered personal computers fell 21 percent overall last month, figures released by a leading retail research firm showed on Thursday, indicating a lackluster debut for Microsoft Corp's Windows 8 operating system. Many in the industry said Windows 8 m...

PARIS | Thu Nov 29, 2012 2:23pm EST PARIS (Reuters) - French actor Gerard Depardieu was detained for driving his scooter while drunk on Thursday after he had a minor accident in Paris, prosecutors said. The 63-year-old star of films such as "Jean de Florette" and "Green Card" was held for questioning after he fell from his scooter mid-afternoon, slightly...

LONDON | Thu Nov 29, 2012 2:15pm EST LONDON (Reuters) - American Serena Williams has been named WTA Player of the Year after one of the most successful seasons in her career. The 31-year-old won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open to take her grand-slam haul in singles to 15 while she also won Olympic gold in singles and doubles in London.After a relatively slow...

LONDON | Thu Nov 29, 2012 2:15pm EST LONDON (Reuters) - American Serena Williams has been named WTA Player of the Year after one of the most successful seasons in her career. The 31-year-old won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open to take her grand-slam haul in singles to 15 while she also won Olympic gold in singles and doubles in London.After a relatively slow...