NEW YORK – The distinctions between broadcast and cable TV are crumbling, and that's never been clearer than in the past week.
Sunday's BET Awards were seen by 10.7 million viewers. That's more than any other program on a cable this year, narrowly beating last Monday's divorce edition of TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus 8."
Nielsen Media Research says that's also more than all but two programs that were on broadcast television last week. Only NBC's premiere of "America's Got Talent" and a rerun of "NCIS" on CBS did better.
Another big winner on cable was the Disney Channel movie "Princess Protection Program." That debuted Friday to 8.5 million viewers.

WIMBLEDON, England – Her 19th consecutive victory at the All England Club already wrapped up, Venus Williams grabbed a seat and watched younger sister Serena win easily to reach the semifinals, too.
Afterward, Venus and Mom, Oracene Price, strolled out of Centre Court arm-in-arm, chatting and laughing.
Sure is fun to be a Williams at Wimbledon.
Five-time champion Venus beat No. 11-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-1, 6-2, before two-time champion Serena defeated No. 8 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-2, 6-3, a pair of overwhelming performances Tuesday that moved the siblings closer to another all-in-the-family final at Wimbledon.
"They are both playing super-well. They're playing 'The Williams Way,'" their father, Richard Williams, said. "And when you're playing 'The Williams Way,' it's very difficult for anyone to touch you."
Particularly at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament, where a Williams has won seven of the past nine championships.
If No. 3 Venus gets by No. 1 Dinara Safina of Russia in Thursday's semifinals, and No. 2 Serena eliminates No. 4 Elena Dementieva of Russia, the siblings would meet Saturday in their second consecutive final at the All England Club and fourth overall.
It also would be the eighth all-Williams Grand Slam championship match; Serena leads 5-2.
"I would love it to be a Williams final," Venus said, "and so would she."
They are competitors, of course, but also form a team in many ways: The sisters are sharing a house during this tournament, practice with each other and have reached the women's doubles quarterfinals together.
"We've got it all figured out at this point," Venus said.
She is trying to become the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1991-93 to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles; Serena wants to add to the trophies she earned in 2002-03 by beating her sister in the finals.
At least one person has no doubt there will be a rematch Saturday.
"It will be. I'll go home because I can't watch," their dad said. "I think they both definitely make it to the final."
First things first. If the 19-year-old Azarenka and 20-year-old Radwanska represented up-and-coming opponents with little experience on the sport's grandest stages — neither has reached a Grand Slam semifinal — Safina and Dementieva are far more accustomed to playing significant matches.
On the other hand, they're not nearly as accustomed to winning them as the Williams sisters are, of course: Serena owns 10 major titles, Venus seven; Safina and Dementieva have zero.
Safina, who lost in the final at three of the previous five Grand Slam events, overcame 15 double-faults and wore down 41st-ranked Sabine Lisicki of Germany 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-1. Dementieva, twice a runner-up at major championships and a singles gold medalist at last year's Beijing Olympics, was never challenged by 43rd-ranked Francesca Schiavone of Italy and won their quarterfinal 6-2, 6-2.
Asked about her double-fault total, Safina replied with a smile: "15? I thought it was much more. Sometimes even I don't know what I'm doing with my serve."

As the younger sister of former No. 1 Marat Safin, who lost in the first round at what he vows was his last Wimbledon, Safina knows about sibling success. But after losing the French Open final a few weeks ago, she acknowledged cracking under the pressure of trying to win her first major.

Looking ahead to facing Venus, against whom she is 1-2, Safina said, "I cannot go on court thinking I lost already. No, definitely, I think I have a chance there."

Dementieva also sounded a brave tone, despite accumulating more unforced errors (18) than winners (13).

"I just want to see how tough I can be out there against her," said Dementieva, who lost to Venus in last year's Wimbledon semifinals and now takes on Serena. "Just looking for some good fight."

Radwanska and Azarenka failed to make things difficult for the Williams sisters, who were at their dominant best.

"Not perfect," Price said, "but pretty close." Radwanska was playing in her third Grand Slam quarterfinal, 27 fewer than Venus, and while she upset Maria Sharapova at the 2007 U.S. Open, a stunner of that magnitude never seemed a possibility Tuesday. Venus won the first five games and the last six, compiling a 29-6 edge in winners.

Pounding aces at up to 122 mph, Venus won 16 of 18 points on her serve in the first set on a steamy day, the temperature about 90 degrees and not a cloud overhead at Court 1.

"Her tennis is so powerful," Radwanska said. "Very hard to do anything."

It took all of 68 minutes, leaving Venus ample time to shower, change, do postmatch interviews and still make it into the guest box for Serena's match.

Azarenka hits the ball quite hard herself, letting out a grunt that sounds something like "Whoop!", but she couldn't keep up. She even felt compelled to clap after a couple of Serena's best strokes.

"She really showed the unbeatable Serena," Azarenka acknowledged.

Azarenka did break for a 3-2 lead in the second set, but Serena didn't let her win another game. When Serena smacked one last forehand winner, she jogged to the net, pumping her fists. Up in the stands, Venus stood and applauded.

"We definitely upped our level of game today," said Serena, who hit nine aces. "We had really tough opponents, so we had to."

On Thursday, two more opponents will try to slow a pair of sisters who began playing tennis twenty-something years ago in Compton, Calif., and have made the most famous grass courts in the world their personal playground.

One particular family will be hoping for an all-Williams final. One nation will be pulling for an all-Russian final.

Dementieva proposed a unique alternative, asking: "Can we play just two finals instead?"

___

AP freelance writer Sandra Harwitt contributed to this report.

HOUSTON (Reuters) –
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Texas financier Allen Stanford, accused of a $7 billion fraud, held without bail until trial.

U.S. prosecutors had argued that Stanford, who faces life in prison if convicted on all charges contained in a 21-count indictment, had the means and motive to flee.

"In total, the evidence proffered by the government is sufficient to weigh in favor of detention," U.S. District Judge David Hittner said in an order that revokes a $500,000 bond that a magistrate had granted Stanford on Thursday.

"We are very disappointed and we are going to appeal to the 5th Circuit," Dick DeGuerin, Stanford's lawyer said in a statement.

Stanford, who is more accustomed to jetting around the globe in his private planes, has been in custody since his arrest on June 18 in Virginia. He is currently being held in a federal detention center in a facility 40 miles north of Houston.

The government accuses the billionaire of leading a massive Ponzi scheme using the investor funds from certificates of deposit issued by his bank in Antigua.

Stanford sought to avoid detection by creating false accounting records, lying to investors and bribing a regulatory official in Antigua, according to prosecutors.

The case, filed in federal court in Houston, is United States of America v. Robert Allen Stanford H-09-342.

(Additional reporting by Bruce Nichols and Erwin Seba in Houston; editing by Carol Bishopric)

HARARE (AFP) –
Zimbabwe has won 950 million dollars in credit lines from China, the largest loan secured by the unity government since it was formed in February, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said on Monday.

"While I was away, government through Finance Minister Tendai Biti also secured lines of credit from China totalling 950 million dollars (672 million euros)," said Tsvangirai, who returned to Harare at the weekend from a three-week tour to Europe and the United States.

Tsvangirai said the tour was a "overwhelming success" in re-engaging Zimbabwe with foreign donors and that the first formal engagement in seven years with the European Union had led to a commitment of 150 million dollars.

"The EU committed itself to availing us with transitional and humanitarian support to the tune of more than 150 million dollars," he said.

"They also pledged more support which will be guided by the way in which we meet our own political commitments as outline in the Global Peace Agreement," he added.

During his visit Tsvangirai met with heads of state in London, Washington, Berlin, Stockholm, Brussels and Paris to appeal for assistance to rebuild the country's shattered economy, but there was nothing on the scale of the Chinese loan.

He said the leaders expressed reservations about the delays in the full implementation of the unity government.

"They asked, why, after almost five months, had fundamental obligations undertaken by the respective political parties not been implemented," said Tsvangirai.

The new government is seeking 8.3 billion dollars (5.9 billion euros) to revive the once thriving economy, battered by years of political turmoil.

Tsvangirai's tour -- which saw the first official talks with the European Union in seven years -- did not see wide aid pledges and he was told repeatedly that Zimbabwe needed to improve its rights record and deepen reforms in the southern African country.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner had told Tsvangirai that "the international community remains concerned about the rule of law in Zimbabwe" and about the areas of security, media freedom and respect for private property.

"An independent judiciary should go hand in hand with the state's respect for the rule of law," Kouchner said.

But Tsvangirai on Saturday put a positive spin both on his European tour and the situation in the country, where the unity government emerged after years of deepening economic crisis under President Robert Mugabe.

"This transition is irreversible," he said. "We are taking measures to reform the political and economic situation in the country.

"We are implementing constitutional reform...we are reforming the security sector... we are reforming the reserve bank, we are reforming the investment laws.

"In general, the trip has been very successful," he said, adding that its objective was to "redefine Zimbabwe policy in terms of re-engagement ... to seek transitional support."