China

China Mobile Communications, China's largest mobile communications operator, has announced that customers who use the company's WAP phones will be charged beginning December.

The Japanese city of Osaka has pressed its claim to stage the 2008 Olympics against current favourite Beijing, saying it could outdo the Chinese capital in experience and facilities.

A new web site hosting the official web sites for a string of top sports men and women has been launched.

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian has said the island might back rival Beijing's bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games.

The 10 cities hoping to host the 2008 Summer Games left International Olympic Committee headquarters this week confident they would all clear the first hurdle in the bidding process.

French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Internet company China.com Corporation have announced that they have created a joint online information service devoted to Asian sports news.

Bribery and match-fixing hamper the development of soccer in Southeast Asia, and a farcical game in the recent Tiger Cup championship has further tarnished the sport's image, coaches and officials said.

Olympic chief Juan Antonio Samaranch has gaven a clean bill of health to Chinese sport and said Beijing was now an example to the world of how to fight against drug cheats.

China demanded on Tuesday an overhaul of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the methods by which it selected Olympic host cities.

English Premier Leauge soccer club Manchester United is involved in talks with three potential Chinese partners with a view to setting up more club shops in the country.

US sports broadcaster ESPN is launching an Asian version of its flagship news show SportsCenter on its network in the region, ESPN Star Sports (ESS).

Beijing?s hotels were flooded with calls just minutes after the Chinese capital won their bid to host the 2008 Olympics.

China's hopes of staging the Olympics for the first time in 2008 face a severe test on Tuesday when the IOC publishes an evaluation report on the five candidates in the race for the Games. For more on this see FEATURES section of sportbusiness.com.

Canadian athletes should expect better funding from the government to ensure a good showing if Toronto hosts the 2008 Summer Olympic games, a former Canadian Olympian has said.

Even the most experienced Olympic observers cannot agree on which city will win the battle to stage the 2008 Summer Games as the deciding vote draws near.

Japan has no plans to launch a new investigation into allegations the central Japanese city of Nagano bribed International Olympic Committee (IOC) executives to host the 1998 Winter Games.