Chinese business world wants to play ball

Chinese investors want to cash in on the country’s NBA fever with a bid to buy a 15 percent stake in the Cleveland Cavaliers. Chinese-born businessman Kenny Huang is heading the deal, estimated to be worth more than $70 million. Huang has masterminded previous sports deals, including introducing Mandarin advertisements in the Houston Toyota Center, home of Rockets and Chinese basketball star Yao Ming

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Real Madrid defy recession to buy success

Should Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid go through, the Spanish giants will have spent an incredible $230 million on just two players in less than a week. On Monday, Brazilian playmaker Kaka joined the Madrid club from AC Milan for a fee of around $100 million, while Ronaldo will cost $130 million — a world record.

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Researchers Hail Creation of Stem Cells Safe for Human Use

Stem-cell science is a fast-moving field. Just three years since a Japanese researcher first reprogrammed ordinary skin cells into stem cells without the use of embryos, scientists at a Massachusetts biotech company have repeated the feat, only this time with a new method that creates the first stem cells safe enough for human use

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Newcastle to discuss Shearer future

The managing director of Newcastle United, Derek Llambias, has told the club’s Web site he will be in talks with manager Alan Shearer this week to see whether the former England striker will continue in the role despite the team being relegated from the English Premier League on Sunday. Llambias said: “Being relegated from the Premier League is a huge disappointment for everyone involved with Newcastle United, but (club owner) Mike Ashley and I will sit down with Alan this week to discuss how to move forward again.” “We are all hurting and I feel desperately sorry for everyone associated with Newcastle United; we hope to be able to say more to our supporters later this week.” Shearer, 38, agreed to takeover temporary control at Newcastle in April for the remaining eight games of the season with the hope that he could turnaround a side struggling with relegation form

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Ronaldo drops stay at Man Utd hint

Cristiano Ronaldo moved to end speculation about his Manchester United future by dropping a clear hint that he intends to stay at Old Trafford. The World Player of the Year has been consistently linked with a switch to Real Madrid and looked set for a move to the Bernabeu last summer before pledging his future to United where he is contracted until 2012. With Florentino Perez pledging to build a new superteam as part of his campaign to be elected Real Madrid club president, inevitably talk has turned to a new bid to sign the Portuguese star.

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Ferguson sympathy for old rival Wenger

A triumphant Alex Ferguson had words of consolation for his old rival Arsene Wenger after his all-conquering Manchester United side left the Frenchman to reflect on another trophy-less season for Arsenal. “It is the most disappointing of nights,” Wenger told Press Association as his side slipped to a 3-1 second leg defeat at the Emirates, losing the Champions League semifinal 4-1 on aggregate

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Klinsmann dismissed as Bayern Munich coach

German champions Bayern Munich have sacked coach Jurgen Klinsmann and appointed the experienced Jupp Heynckes as his replacement for the final five games of the Bundesliga season. Klinsmann’s fate was sealed after a meeting with club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, general manager Uli Hoeness and director Karl Hopfner on Monday morning. The 44-year-old took charge of Bayern last July, after leading an unfancied Germany side to the 2006 World Cup semifinals on home soil.

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