MVP Rodgers tosses 3 TD passes as Packers drop Steelers 31-25 to win Super Bowl XLVARLINGTON, Texas (AP) ― Forget Lombardi on Broadway. Green Bay has the newest Super Bowl hit: Aaron Rodgers.Capping one of the greatest postseasons for any quarterback, Rodgers led the Packers to their first NFL championship in 14 years Sunday, 31-25 over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Packers reclaimed the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named for their legendary coach who won the first two Super Bowls and is making his own

Indonesia’s economy grew at the fastest pace in six years last quarter, extending an expansion that may prompt the central bank to raise interest rates further after its first increase since 2008 to curb price pressures.Gross domestic product rose 6.9 percent in the three months through December from a year earlier, compared with 5.82 percent previously reported for the third quarter, the Central

Lee Seung-hoon, Kwak Min-jeong highlight strong weekend in KazakhstanKorea got the Lunar New Year off to a good start by establishing itself as a winter sports powerhouse at the Winter Asian Games, which ended Sunday in Kazakhstan.As was expected, the host Kazakhstan dominated the competition with a haul of 70 medals, including 32 gold medals, to secure the No. 1 title in the medal table.But Korea

It was apt. On the day that Park Ji-sung announced his retirement from the South Korean national team, leaving the way open for even more young players, then 21-year-old midfielder Koo Ja-cheol was heading to Europe to join 2009 German champions VfL Wolfsburg.Park’s goodbye was more emotional and marks the end of an era. After making his 100th appearance in the semifinal of the 2011 Asian Cup that

LONDON (AP) ― Manchester United’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season ended Saturday with a startling 2-1 defeat at last-place Wolverhampton.The upset came on the highest-scoring day in Premier League history, with 41 goals from eight games.United had been unbeaten in 29 Premier League matches since April, equaling a club record partly set in its triple championship season of 1998-99 seaso

Some of the world’s top snowboarders arrived in Korea Sunday as the country hosts its first Snowboard World Cup from Monday to Wednesday.The three-day competition authorized by the International Ski Federation will take place at the snow-covered Yongpyong Resort in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province.PyeongChang, the popular winter resort some 180 kilometers east of Seoul, is staging the international e

Korean sprinters target 4x100m success at world championshipsOn another bitterly cold morning last week in northeast Seoul, the streets were almost empty. It was too cold even for exercise. Inside the Taeneung Training Center, however, a group of sprinters were warming up by jogging around the running track. Despite the temperature, beads of sweat rolled from their foreheads as they started runnin

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP)― Howdy, Hines. Welcome to Big D.Hines Ward was ready for a rodeo of a week leading up to the Super Bowl as he stepped off the Pittsburgh Steelers’ charter flight when the team arrived in Dallas.Pittsburgh’s star wide receiver, who embraces his reputation as one of the league’s most aggressive ― and some say, dirtiest ― players, was decked out in a big black cowboy hat, a bla

Jaerock Lee, senior pastor of the Manmin Central Church in Seoul, was selected as one of the Top 10 Most Influential Christian Leaders in 2010 by the Christian Telegraph, a Christian portal site, the church said on Tuesday. Jaerock LeeLee was recognized as “Missionary of the Year,” while U.S. mega church Saddleback pastor Rick Warren was named “Diplomat of the year.”It was the second time that Lee

Manchester United midfielder retires from the national teamPark Ji-sung is no stranger to holding a press conference, but the versatile midfielder admitted Monday that the one announcing his retirement from international football was the “toughest” of his career. “I’ve done many interviews, but I think this is the first time I’ve seen so many reporters gathered in one place,” Park said in a news c

Not satisfied with a third place finish at the recently concluded Asian Cup in Doha, Qatar, South Korean national football head coach Cho Kwang-rae stressed that the team’s defense has to improve in the future.After arriving home on Sunday, Cho apologized to fans during a press conference for having failed to end South Korea’s 51-year drought at the Asian Cup. But he said he saw signs of hope for

South Korea on Monday announced a 22-man football roster for a friendly match against Turkey next month.The lineup has 14 carryovers from the recently concluded Asian Cup in Doha, Qatar, led by midfielder Koo Ja-cheol. Koo topped all scorers in Doha with five goals and helped South Korea finish third behind Japan and Australia.There are three national team rookies for head coach Cho Kwang-rae: for

Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Park Chan-ho said he has plenty to learn as he prepares to relaunch his career at Japan’s Orix Buffaloes.“It is a big adventure to play baseball in Japan and it is a big chance as well. I’m very excited,” the 37-year-old South Korean veteran told a news conference in Osaka. “After I played against Japan at the World Baseball Classic, I have become increasingly in

Man United star set to announce retirement from national teamIt ended in tears. It often does for those that are expected to succeed but don’t quite make it. South Korea ended the 2011 Asian Cup in third place, the same as 2007. The trophy may not have been lifted, it hasn’t been gripped by Korean hands since 1960, the final not quite reached but all in all, the tournament was a satisfying one for

MELBOURNE (AP) ― Kim Clijsters believes she’s now earned the nickname she had for years in Australia.“I finally feel like you guys can call me ‘Aussie Kim’ because I won the title,” a teary Clijsters said after beating China’s Li Na 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 Saturday night to capture her first Australian Open. “It’s nice to finally get it this year.”Clijsters lost the 2004 Australian Open final to Justine Hen

DOHA (AP) ― Japan won the Asian Cup for a record fourth time when substitute striker Tadanari Lee struck in extra time for a 1-0 victory over Australia on Saturday.Lee slammed home a left-foot volley in the 109th when he was left completely unmarked 10 meters from Australia’s goal. Lee had all the time in the world to perfectly time his volley from a cross by defender Yuto Nagatoma and fire it pas

The decision by Standard & Poor’s to cut Japan’s sovereign credit rating by a notch to AA minus has again highlighted the fiscal mess that the Tokyo government has gotten itself into.Japan’s public debt is expected to hit 204 percent of GDP this year, the world’s highest ratio. The liabilities are forecast to surpass 1,000 trillion yen next year and, according to the International Monetary Fund, c

The head of the PyeongChang bid committee has played down the impact of the Gangwon Province Governor Lee Kwang-jae’s departure on the city’s bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Lee lost his post last week after the Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s six-month suspended jail sentence and a fine of 114 million won ($102,000) for receiving illegal political funds. Cho Yang-ho, CEO of PyeongChang’s

CHICAGO (AP) ― Illinois’ highest court put President Barack Obama’s former White House chief of staff back in the race for Chicago mayor Thursday, three days after a lower court threw the name off the ballot because he had not lived in the city for a full year.The state Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Rahm Emanuel’s favor, saying an appeals court decision that said the candidate needed to be ph

Verizon Communications Inc., the second-largest U.S. phone carrier, has agreed to buy cloud-provider Terremark Worldwide Inc. for $1.4 billion as it expands services that allow corporate customers store data and programs offsite. The cash deal, which values Terremark at $19 a share, represents a 35 percent premium over the company’s closing share price. Verizon plans to complete its offer later th