China

Washington and Baltimore are to announce an unprecedented joint bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games, according to the Washington Post.

Iran's soccer federation is weighing an invitation to play friendly matches in the United States, a federation official has said.

Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola have taken their global rivalry out of the soft drink arena and on to the football field as they battle for the right to sponsor the mainland national football league in China.

Hundreds of Cuban exiles will protest when the Baltimore Orioles host a Cuban national team May 3 in a historic baseball series between teams from longtime political foes the United States and Cuba.

The IOC will not monitor China's human rights record or relations with rival Taiwan in the run-up to the 2008 Olympic Games, the body's president Jacques Rogge has said. For the full story see the FEATURES section of sportbusiness.com.

English soccer club Manchester United is on the brink of taking legal action against a Hong Kong restaurant that is using the club?s name without a licence.

Kazakhstan would be welcomed as the 52nd member association of UEFA if they went ahead with plans to quit the Asian confederation, officials said on Wednesday.

IOC inspectors have begun a visit to Istanbul to evaluate the Turkish city's bid to stage the 2008 Games.

With Tiananmen Square sealed off to thwart possible protests, Beijing has declared itself ready for an Olympic inspection of its bid to stage the Games in 2008. For the full story see the FEATURES section of sportbusiness.com.

China Development Bank has doubled its pledged investment in Beijing to support the capital city's bid to host the 2008 Olympics.

Beijing has decided to bring its public toilets up to Olympic gold standards in its pursuit of the 2008 Games, the China Daily said on Monday.

Reach for your mouse and your credit card - it's time for an Olympic flutter on the Internet.

Sohu.com, the Chinese internet portal, is to provide Olympic Games information to over 50 million mobile phone users in China, due to an alliance with China Mobile Communications Corporation (CMCC).

Goal Media Group, the digital media company that produces.goalnetwork.com and todogol.com, has signed an exclusive internet partnership with a Hong Kong and Chinese market online soccer publisher.

China has launched Beijing's bid for the 2008 Summer Games under the slogan "New Beijing, Great Olympics."

Adidas, one of the World Cup's sponsors is cancelling all orders of footballs made in China after a report linked production with prison labour.