Footsie holds on after rough night in Asia

The FTSE 100 Index held firm today despite another tumultuous session for markets in Asia.

TVNZ VOD pacts for ABC shows

Business News: Disney-owned channel pacts with Ondemand -- The Asia Pacific arm of Disney-ABC Intl. Television has inked a deal with Kiwi pubcaster TVNZ to provide its skeins on its fledgling online delivery service TVNZ Ondemand.

Only way is up for vibrant St Pat's

Their 47-year wait for an away victory in Europe over, Dublin side St Patrick's Athletic FC travel to face Hertha BSC Berlin in the UEFA Cup as underdogs but with the ambition to pull off a "phenomenal" upset.

Historic Buildings' Modern Makeovers

Across Asia, developers are mixing old and modern. Singapore leads the charge with the renovation of neoclassical National Museum, and a luxury hotel around Tanah Merah.

Stone named a.d. of Tisch School

Film News: Director to advise on direction of campus -- Oliver Stone has been named the artistic director of NYU Tisch School of the Arts Asia.

Another UK tour operator goes bust

A second British tour operator has gone bust days after the collapse of XL Leisure sent the travel industry into turmoil, the aviation regulator confirmed today.

XL collapse sees rivals prosper on FTSE

The collapse of a rival operator buoyed holiday giants TUI Travel and Thomas Cook today as the FTSE 100 Index surged nearly 2% in the final session of the week.

XL travel rivals see shares rise on FTSE

UK holiday giants TUI Travel and Thomas Cook were experiencing strong gains today as investors digested the collapse of rival operator XL.

More tour operators expected to go under

The collapse of tour operator XL is the latest blow to the UK air travel industry, which has endured a torrid summer with a number of companies closing down.

Financial crisis 'far from over', says UK bank chief

The financial crisis is far from over but will take only a moderate toll on fast-growing emerging economies in Asia and elsewhere as they continue to boom in the years ahead, the chief executive of British bank Standard Chartered said today.

ASPA kudo gets double the entries

Film News: Organizers receive more than 180 films -- Selectors for the sophomore Asia Pacific Screen Awards will have to wade through twice as many candidates as the first kudosfest.

ER tussles with U. S. distributor

Business News: U.K. company claims unpaid fees -- Struggling U.K. tyke specialist Entertainment Rights, whose properties include “Postman Pat” and “The Lone Ranger, ” is taking legal action against its primary U.S. DVD distributor, Genius Products, over alleged unpaid fees.

Berlusconi immunity threatened

Business News: Opposition wants to strip away protection -- Silvio Berlusconi’s year has had a somewhat inauspicious start. Momentum is gathering behind an opposition move to lift the immunity from prosecution that shields the Italo media mogul and premier from his legal woes.

Banijay returns El Terrat to sender

Business News: Buenafuente buys back company -- In a surprise about-face, Gaul's Banijay Entertainment has sold Spanish production company El Terrat back to its original owner, prexy Andreu Buenafuente, just three months after announcing its purchase.

Obama urges for digital switch delay

Business News: Officials concerned that people are unprepared -- Don't flip the switch just yet -- that's what the incoming Obama administration urged Congress on Thursday regarding the long-planned Feb. 17 transition to all-digital broadcasting.

Blu-Ray warms tech expo

Business News: Sony pushes online products in Vegas -- Blu-ray sales could triple or even quintuple in 2009.

Jermaine Dupri out at Island Records

Business News: Rapper-producer-mogul exits music unit -- Jermaine Dupri is out as president of Island Records Urban Music division, a unit he ran for almost two years.

First Look ups Marie O'Reilly-Thein

Business News: Exec will manage retail and rental accounts -- First Look Studios has upped Marie O'Reilly-Thein to senior veep of sales for home entertainment.

Sides more vocal in SAG strike talks

Business News: Meeting next week to decide referendum's fate -- The sides in SAG's strike authorization vote battle are becoming more vocal in advance of the guild's emergency national board meeting next week to determine the fate of the proposed referendum.

Blu-Ray warms tech expo

Film News: Sony pushes online products in Vegas -- Blu-ray sales could triple or even quintuple in 2009.

Fashion kicks off with Golden Globes

Film News: For TV divas, the red carpet is their big moment -- It's fashion kickoff time. First up: the Golden Globes, next the Academy Awards. While the Oscars is as intense as the Super Bowl, the more relaxed Globes pits the smallscreen against the bigscreen: On one team we have the TV clotheshorses; on the other, their big sisters, the movie stars.