In China, 19 television stations, two websites and a mobile phone company pay to broadcast live the NBA match between Houston and Milwaukee, featuring two of the biggest names in Chinese sport, Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian. The audience is more than 200m. 'I have seen the future - and it is Chinese,' says the NBA commissioner, David Stern.

· Athletics: The IAAF, the sport's world governing body, is told by a BBC executive during negotiations for a new European broadcast deal that 'athletics is dying'.

· Cricket: Coverage of the first Australia-Sri Lanka Test match is restricted, with international agencies refusing to provide print photographs, in a row (since resolved) over media rights; Test cricketers from around the world are warned against taking part in the 'rebel' Twenty20 league in India in February.

2008 Sundance Film Festival Announces Short Films Available Online to ...

PARK CITY, Utah, Jan. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Sundance Institute and Sundance Channel announced today the program of 2008 Sundance Film Festival short films available far beyond the streets of Park City for free on www.sundance.org/watch and for sale on the iTunes Store, Netflix and Xbox 360.

Premiering January 18 and running all 10 days of the Festival, audiences worldwide can view one short film each day of the Festival for free for 24 hours at www.sundance.org/watch. At the same time, Sundance Institute helps build audiences for short films through partnerships with the iTunes Movie Store, Xbox LIVE, the online entertainment network for Microsoft's Xbox 360, and through Netflix's instant watching feature on the company's member Web Site.

Gone but not forgotten

Presiding bishop of million-member Church of God in Christ. March 20.

Kitty Carlisle Hart, 96. Singer-actress; long career spanned Broadway, opera, television and film ("A Night at the Opera.") April 17.

January 2006 - December 2006

There is no valid scientific reason for Europe to have banned biogenetically altered food crops from its markets, says Alan Caruba Spain embraces China: Add Spain to China's list of diplomatically conquered roster of allies, writes Frederick W. Stakelbeck Jr. Capote a marvelous achievement: Lady Liberty hasn't love a movie as much as she did Capote for a long time. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the very dull The New World Fathers, sons, and senators: This year, says Vincent Fiore, family will mean a lot when it comes to deciding a few Senate races "Heads" bin Laden wins, (turning) tails, Bush loses: Nancy Salvato has to hand it to Osama bin Laden. His offer of a truce came at a perfect time for the enemies of the American-led war against terrorism Right and left and Roe v Wade: The right-to-life crowd may cheer the day that Roe v Wade is struck down, writes Lisa Fabrizio, but lovers of the American Constitution will probably be the happiest Storm arises over emergency school vouchers: In the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, public money was made available to move students from destroyed public schools into private schools? A good thing? Not according to some, says Paul M.

Hip-Hop Rumors: A Jay-Z / Mary J Album Coming? The Rumo...

How can a ghostwriter have a name like Famous? LOL. I can say that I don't believe that one, because I feel that AG offers those distinctly Jay-Z nuances that only he does. And secondly, I don't care if he employed a ghostie…I like the album so much that it doesn't matter! Shout out to Wendy and Charlamagne. (Look for the video below for where the rumor started.)

On this rumor, I am going to let you all decide who this young man is talking about. I am going to give you all that you need. A letter and even pictures of the guy…who is his father? Here are the hints: his daddy isn't a rapper, but once had a link to Diddy.

Your Steak, Sir — Medium, Rare or Cloned?

The FDA does not require labeling if there [are] no food safety issues," said Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, at a January press conference.

That's where Dr. Patrick Cunningham, the former director of the Animal Production and Health Division of the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization, and Ireland's current chief scientific advisor, comes in. Cunningham's 12-year-old company, IdentiGEN, specializes in DNA tracing of meat products — a process that can save valuable time during industry recalls, like the massive one on Sunday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) involving 143 million lbs. of raw and frozen beef. Currently, IdentiGEN is operating in Europe, where the mad cow crisis in the mid-'90s led to the establishment of a comprehensive system of traceability.

Thousands turn out for Winfrey’s Best Life kickoff in Meridian

Not many people get to start a life-altering decision with a nationally televised kickoff and a celebrity support system. But on Friday, more than 400 men and women from Meridian and the surrounding area did just that during a special filming of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in downtown Meridian. The popular TV talk show host joined her personal trainer Bob Greene as they kicked off their national fitness initiative, Best Life Challenge, before an estimated crowd of 4,000 assembled at Dumont Plaza. "We're really happy to be here," said Winfrey, who, immediately upon her appearance, prompted several minutes of yells and screams from the enthusiastic audience. "I'm happy that my state of Mississippi (the comment prompted another rash of yells from the audience) is going to turn the tide with our fat behinds," she said.

NEWS / SHOWBIZ

Driving on many roads will be treacherous because of a combination of icy surfaces and winds up to 70mph. The extreme conditions roared in yesterday when blizzards and ferocious winds brought many areas to a standstill. At sea, 23 people had to be winched to safety by helicopter after a ferry was swamped by a huge wave.

In the most serious incident on land, more than 200 vehicles were stranded for more than six hours in heavy snow as they attempted to cross the Pennines in Co Durham. A massive rescue operation was launched to free hundreds of people, including 45 pensioners and children, when the A66 trans-Pennine way between Co Durham and Cumbria became blocked.

The frozen and shaken travellers were evacuated to a hall and pub in the village of Bowes.

Last night rescue efforts were continuing, with 100 people still trapped in their vehicles as snow continued to fall.