Ireland scrap South Africa plan

Ireland have shelved plans to play South Africa at a neutral “non-traditional” venue in November after running out of time.

Burnley backing for new tournament

Scotland manager George Burley gave his approval to the 4 Associations Tournament which will involve his team, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in spring 2011.

Luc Besson launches Blue

Film News: Company to produce 'advertainment' -- Helmer-producer Luc Besson is teaming up with advertising exec Christophe Lambert to launch Blue, Gaul’s first shingle devoted to “advertainment” — a blend of entertainment and advertising.

Dwight Caines upped at Sony

Film News: Exec now oversees all digital marketing -- Dwight Caines has been upped to prexy of worldwide digital marketing at Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Sao Paulo fest gets auds involved

Film News: Populist event pulls in Paulistas -- Having survived Brazil's deep political change and several economical crises, as well as the local film industry's temporary collapse, Sao Paulo Intl. Film Fest celebrates its 32nd anniversary this October as one of the major cultural events in South America's largest city.

Entertainment One gets credit

Business News: Company to receive $150 million -- Despite a global credit squeeze, Canada's Entertainment One has just received a four-year $150 million senior credit facility with a group of financial institutions led by JP Morgan. The facility leaves the Toronto-based distrib and producer poised for further growth. The other banks in the syndicate include Bank of America, Barclays and Toronto Dominion Bank.

Summit taps Kirkpatrick for post

Business News: Exec named president of worldwide marketing -- Summit Entertainment has tapped veteran exec Nancy Kirkpatrick prexy of worldwide marketing.

'Ninja 2' to shoot in South Korea

Film News: 'Beverly Hills' sequel to be distribbed by Sony -- "Beverly Hills Ninja 2, " a sequel to the 1997 action comedy, will lense in South Korea starting next month, making it the first mainstream Hollywood pic to do so.

Peace stands behind 'The Line'

Business News: Group acquires rights to Canadian TV drama -- Peace Arch Entertainment Group has acquired distribution rights to upcoming TV series "The Line."

Koreans harvest 'Divine' box office

Film News: Pic stays on top for a second week -- "The Divine Weapon" topped South Korea's box office for the second consecutive week despite a battery of new releases.

Schulman retiring as WB counsel

Business News: Legal guru had been with studio for 25 years -- John Schulman, Warner Bros. Entertainment general counsel and the reigning dean of studio legal eagles, is retiring after a 25-year career at the studio.

Entertainment League enters game

Business News: Former NBA exec start sports production unit -- The ranks of companies in Los Angeles focusing on sports production and marketing have added another player: Entertainment League Prods.

ITV's Paul Jackson exits

Business News: Exec returning to role as tube producer -- ITV director of entertainment Paul Jackson, former head of Granada America, is ankling at the end of the year to return to making programs.

ITV's Jackson exits

Business News: Exec returning to role as tube producer -- ITV director of entertainment Paul Jackson, former head of Granada America, is ankling at the end of the year to return to making programs.

Klose wary of cosmopolitan Steaua

Striker Miroslav Klose believes FC Bayern München must be wary of a blend of South American and European football when they return to the UEFA Champions League after a year's absence at FC Steaua Bucureşti.

PorchLight on for Sparky/Grimply piic

Film News: Companies team up for CGI 'Brothers' -- Singapore's Sparky Animation has pacted with Santa Monica-based PorchLight Entertainment and Scotland's Grimply Films to co-produce $22 million, CGI movie "The Grimpley Brothers."

Cheech Marin flies with 'Angel'

Film News: Actor to direct and star in comedy for HighRoad -- Cheech Marin will direct and star in the dramedy "Angel of Oxnard" for HighRoad Entertainment.

Women set Democratic fund-raiser

Business News: Voices taps David, Short, Garner to perform -- More then 50 women in the entertainment industry have organized an event to raise money for eight Democratic U.S. Senate candidates on Sept. 27, with a lineup of performances by Martin Short, Jennifer Garner and Larry David, among others.

Obama organizers campaign for cash

Business News: Hollywood donors race to raise money -- With the presidential race in a dead heat, Hollywood donors feverishly made last-minute calls to raise money for what could be Barack Obama’s final entertainment industry fund-raiser before the general election.

Susan Lyne named Gilt Groupe CEO

Business News: Former Martha Stewart chief to run online retailer -- Susan Lyne, former chief of ABC Entertainment and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, is bailing on the media sector in favor of running an online luxury goods retailer.

Idol winner injured in bar brawl

EMBATTLED former Australian Idol winner Casey Donovan has taken another hit after allegedly being punched in the face by a man at a bar in New South Wales.

NJIT talk by South Bronx leader to focus on sustainability of Newark

(New Jersey Institute of Technology) Miquela Craytor, executive director of Sustainable South Bronx (SSBx), will speak Oct. 1, 2008, at NJIT about how green technology can meet the growing climate crisis and also benefit the nation’ s distressed urban centers.

Bucs pounce on mistakes by Falcons rookie Ryan

Falcons rookie Matt Ryan was intercepted twice in the first half
Sunday and Tampa Bay's Brian Griese turned the miscues into a touchdown
and field goal that helped the Buccaneers beat their NFC South rivals 24-9.

National ranking major issue for overrated Bulldogs

South Carolina refuses to go down quietly, but No. 2 Georgia manages to hold on for a 14-7 victory. The problem for the Bulldogs isn't fundamentals; it's where they're ranked, and Gregg Doyel says it's fixable.

Dawgs squeak one out

No. 2 Georgia and Knowshon Moreno made sure South Carolina didn't ruin a second straight shot at a championship season. Moreno's sliding 4-yard touchdown run in the third quarter lifted the Bulldogs to a 14-7 victory over the Gamecocks on Saturday.

Georgia thwarts South Carolina rally to avoid upset repeat

No. 2 Georgia and Knowshon Moreno made sure South Carolina didn't ruin a second straight shot at a championship season. Moreno's sliding 4-yard touchdown run in the third quarter lifted the Bulldogs to a 14-7 victory over the Gamecocks on Saturday.

South Florida rallies, upsets Kansas with last-second field goal

Freshman Maikon Bonani kicked a 43-yard field goal as time expired Friday night, giving No. 19 South Florida a 37-34 victory over No. 13 Kansas.

Germany draw France in U21 play-offs

Germany and France will meet in the play-offs for the 2009 UEFA European Under- 21 Championship and there is also an all-British contest after Wales were pitted against England at today's draw in Malmo, Sweden.

Pearce wants Walcott for play-offs

England coach Stuart Pearce is keeping his fingers crossed that Theo Walcott will be available for the Under-21 play-off against Wales after the Arsenal FC forward's starring role for the senior side in Croatia.

Du Toit Wins 4th Gold At Paralympics

Natalie Du Toit of South Africa won her fourth gold medal in swimming
at the Beijing Paralympics, taking the 400-meter freestyle on Friday in
a world-record time for her disability group.

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.