Media

England, already facing sanctions from rugby union's governing body in a club versus country row, have been told to stop disrupting the Five Nations championship.

The head of marketing at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has revealed allegations of bribery swirling around the organisation had not deterred sponsors of the world's top sporting event.

One of the UK?s leading bookmakers is set to float on the stock exchange in a move set to value the business at a cool #900 million.

The Italian government hopes to have a decree including measures to prevent a monopoly of soccer broadcasting in pay-television ready by the end of the week, according to communications ministry sources.

A Canadian broadcaster has made a multi-million bid to buy a leading speciality television group, partially owned by cable sports firm ESPN.

Olympic heads are almost certain to roll when a probe into alleged bribery is concluded at the weekend but Juan Antonio Samaranch, the most powerful man in the movement, will not be one of them, according to a Reuters report.

The official opening of NBA camps and the accompanying free agent and trade frenzy will begin this afternoon at 2 pm EST (1700 GMT).

The mayor of the Japanese city which hosted the 1998 Winter Games has said there may have been "excess" in the campaign which won it the right to stage the Olympics.

Dutch International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Anton Geesink has said he was innocent of any wrongdoing and slammed Dutch media for turning public opinion against him.

Sydney and Salt Lake City Olympic officials have sought to reassure potential sponsors and spectators that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was dealing effectively with the biggest scandal in its 104-year history.

The Italian government are to prepare new rules limiting a single digital television broadcaster from owning more than 60 percent of rights to the total amount of football games, an Italian newspaper has reported.

Six men accused of the 1997 contract killing of the head of the Russian ice hockey federation have gone on trial in Moscow at the fourth attempt.

A charm offensive launched by IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch in the wake of the Olympic bribery scandal has failed to stave off venomous editorials in European newspapers saying he must quit his post.

Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema has said he favoured the entry of Italian business groups into a digital satellite pay-TV venture proposed by Australian-born media baron Rupert Murdoch.

The Argentine Grand Prix has been scrapped from the 1999 Formula One calendar, the InternationalAutomobile Federation (FIA) has announced.

The Seven Network in Australia has revealed it has sold half of the eight $14 million two-year Sydney Olympic telecast sponsorship packages on offer, with demand potentially outstripping supply.