Current TV, the network co-founded by former US vice-president Al Gore, was sold for about $500m (€383m) to Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based news channel, according to two people with knowledge of the deal.

The White House said it was “enormously pleased” with the release today of two US journalists held by North Korea.

The US government said today that former vice president Al Gore and the families of two reporters imprisoned in North Korea had asked ex-president Bill Clinton to go to Pyongyang to seek their release.

British rockers Radiohead will broadcast a performance of their new album 'In Rainbows' on TV and the internet on New Year's Eve.

British television productions won a string of International Emmy awards in New York last night, picking up seven top honours.