Small business confidence at 20-year low

The Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association says business confidence among its members has hit a 20-year low.

Farmer takes Tesco to court

A farmer in the UK will today apply for a court injunction forcing a supermarket giant to remove photographs of his family business from its egg boxes.

Kadokawa takes stake in school

Business News: Co. investing substantially in training -- Media conglom Kadokawa Group Holdings on July 1 will take a 15% stake in Amusement Media Academy (AMG), a private school that trains animators, game designers, comic artists, voice actors and other creatives at campuses in Tokyo and Osaka.

Russell Kelban joins Paramount

Business News: Exec named senior VP of brand marketing -- Paramount Home Entertainment has tapped Russell Kelban senior VP of brand marketing.

Universal ups Scoggins to senior VP

Business News: Creative exec developed Solar online -- Universal Pictures has upped Stan Scoggins to senior VP of worldwide digital asset management in the studio's creative services group.

Intrepid names Wyatt COO, CFO

Business News: Company ups Anil Kurian to VP of development -- Intrepid Pictures has hired veteran indie exec Trina Wyatt as chief operating officer and chief financial office and promoted Anil Kurian to VP of development.

CBS Interactive absorbs CNET

Business News: Quincy Smith to oversee expanded unit -- The Eye has absorbed CNET into CBS Interactive and reorganized the unit along five areas of focus, all overseen by CBS Interactive chief Quincy Smith.

MTV takes a stand on 'Rock Band'

Business News: Xbox 360 game to battle 'Guitar Hero' this fall -- Round two of the battle of the videogame bands is gearing up for fall as MTV disclosed plans Monday to release "Rock Band 2" in September.

Actors' Equity talks are free of drama

Business News: Union, producers agree to extend negotiations -- Legit thesp union Actors' Equity Association and the Broadway League, the trade association of stage producers and presenters, agreed early Monday morning to extend contract negotiations on a day-to-day basis.

NBC Universal promotes Vivi Zigler

Business News: Exec will lend expertise to company's websites -- NBC Universal has elevated Vivi Zigler to prexy of NBC Universal Digital Entertainment.

Discovery, APM Music form Tracks

Business News: Unit making original cues available for licensing -- Discovery Communications and APM Music have partnered to form Discovery Studios Tracks, which will make original music cues from the Discovery family of TV channels available for licensing to third-party productions.

Yahoo issues defense to investors

Business News: Netco offers reasons why Microsoft bid failed -- With one month to go before its annual shareholders meeting, Yahoo has issued its most elaborate defense of its failed negotiations with Microsoft yet.

IFC ups Lisa Schwartz to exec VP

Business News: Exec to supervise operations of film initiatives -- IFC Entertainment has upped Lisa Schwartz to exec veep of distribution, operations and business development.

Endemol sets up in Turkey

Business News: Company sells 'Wipeout' -- Following last year’s successful bow of its Dubai-based Middle East operations, TV format giant Endemol is launching a dedicated company in Turkey.

Yahoo takes defense to investors

Business News: Company presses case to major shareholders -- Yahoo Inc. began pressing a case to major shareholders Monday that its board and management deserve a chance to prove they made the right move when they rejected a $47.5 billion takeover offer from Microsoft Corp.

SAG, majors play beat the clock

Business News: Contract negotiations continue -- With expiration now only hours away, the Screen Actors Guild and the majors have resumed contract negotiations on the guild's feature primetime deal.

Hong Kong UIH's stake sale fails

Business News: Talks between Globalcrest, third party cease -- The sale of a majority stake in Hong Kong production shingle Universe Intl. Holdings has collapsed.

India's Saregama sings new tune

Business News: Music unit expands into film production -- Saregama, one of India's leading music and video distributors, will spend 1.5 billion rupees ($35 million) over the next year to expand movie production, per vice chairman Sanjiv Goenka.

NBR slates student aid

Business News: Board awards $75k in grants -- The National Board of Review will award $75, 000 in student grants among 10 schools in the New York tri-state area this year.

Glitter en route to UK

Disgraced singer Gary Glitter tonight left Bangkok and is on a flight bound for London, the British Foreign Office said.

Britney 'feeling better than ever'

Britney Spears has shared the secrets to her svelte new figure, saying “I’m the healthiest I’ve been in my life.

ITV denies pressuring 'X-Factor' hopeful to talk about suicides

ITV today denied putting pressure on an 'X Factor' contestant to speak on the talent show about a spate of apparent suicides in her home county.

'Sex and the City' actress to star in ITV drama

'Sex and the City' star Cynthia Nixon has signed up to the ITV follow-up to Quentin Crisp drama 'The Naked Civil Servant', it was announced today.

DAX 30 loses ground

FRANKFURT: the DAX 30 closed down 80.8 at 6237.0.

Little movement for FTSE

A stiff hike in oil prices cast a cloud over the London market today as they helped wipe out some solid gains enjoyed during earlier trading.

Further fall for ISEQ

The value of shares declined by more than 2% today in a session of heavy trading on the Irish Stock Exchange.

Heinz lifted by strong UK growth

Food firm Heinz today reported a 11% rise in first-quarter earnings after it achieved a record share of the UK soup market in the three-month period.

Butterfingers Drop Men, Women Out Of 400M Relays

Tyson Gay reached back to grab the baton "and there was nothing." He's
not the only American track favorite who will leave Beijing
empty-handed. The American men's and women's 400-meter relay teams both
misconnected on the final handoffs in their preliminaries Thursday, a
pair of stunning setbacks that made it that much easier for the
Jamaicans to say the Bird's Nest is really their house.

U. S. Softball Team Denied Gold, Loses To Japan

Losing for the first time since 2000, the American women's softball team were denied a chance for a fourth straight gold medal Thursday, beaten 3-1 by Japan in the sport's last appearance in the Olympics for at least eight years. Maybe forever.