A growing number of professional and college teams have tried to restrict how their games are covered while also creating their own thriving media divisions.

Already under review over its potential earthquake risk, a major test of geothermal energy faces further setbacks.

Germany is prepared to give a 4.5bn euros loan to Opel if its favoured suitor - Canada's Magna - is chosen to take over the firm.

Australian investment bank Macquarie agrees to buy US business Delaware Investments for $428m.

Michelle Obama makes her debut in a list of the World's most powerful women - which is again topped by Angela Merkel

Tesco Personal Finance is expected to announce plans to create up to 800 jobs in Glasgow as part of an expansion.

Many rail staff are giving out poor advice, meaning some passengers are paying more than necessary for tickets, Which? magazine claims.

Reuters - The heads of General Motors , Canadian auto parts group Magna (MGa.TO) and its Russian partner Sberbank (SBER03.MM) are due to meet on Thursday ahead of GM's board meeting on Friday, a German newspaper said.

The mining giant Rio Tinto reports profits hit by the falling prices of metals and minerals in the economic downturn.

Investment bank Investcorp reports its first annual loss, due to the 'severe impact' of the world financial crisis.

Michelle Obama makes her debut in a list of the World's most powerful women - which is again topped by Angela Merkel.

The local bus sector has been referred to the Competition Commission after the five-month investigation by the Office of Fair Trading.

Russian airline Aeroflot has signed up as a domestic sponsor for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Six mortgage lenders increased their hold over the market for new UK home loans in 2008, figures suggest.

Reuters - Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Thursday, mirroring gains in Europe as well as Asia, where Shanghai stocks rebounded from a sharp two-week selloff, and on rallying commodity prices.

Reuters - The Swiss government's sale of a 9 percent stake in UBS drew lively bids, traders said on Thursday, with a price range seen above the stock's closing price in the previous session.

Reuters - The U.S. government's 'cash for clunkers' autos sales incentive program may be wound down as soon as early September, the Wall Street Journal said, citing a person familiar with the matter.

AFP - Britain's biggest retailer Tesco said Thursday its personal finance unit would open a customer centre in Scotland, creating 800 jobs and bringing the group nearer to providing full banking services.

The Swiss government?s sale of a 9 percent stake in UBS drew lively bids, traders said on Thursday, with a price range seen above the stock?s closing price in the previous session.

The Swedish prime minister brushed off a request for a government loan to finance the sale to Koenigssegg, saying he won?t act as a ?venture capitalist for the well-to-do.?

Mitsubishi and Nissan hope to leapfrog Toyota and G.M. by focusing on battery-powered cars rather than hybrids like the Prius and the Volt.

Sales in UK shops rose 0.4% in July, following June's 1.2% increase, the Office for National Statistics says.

Michelle Obama makes her debut in a list of the World's most powerful women - which is again topped by Angela Merkel.

The first ever video advertisement will be published in a traditional paper magazine in September.

How DNA tests for trees could combat illegal logging

The UK public sector borrowing totalled £8bn last month, the first July deficit for 13 years, official figures show.

Mortgage lending continues to rise, according to the latest figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

The local bus sector has been referred to the Competition Commission after a five-month investigation by the Office of Fair Trading.

Reuters - Switzerland sold its stake in its largest bank, UBS , at the top end of its price range, a source said on Thursday, making a profit from last year's rescue deal.

Reuters - BBVA's expected purchase of troubled Texas lender Guaranty Financial Group will boost its southern U.S. strategy, but analysts are keeping close tabs on the bank's capital levels.

Reuters - The heads of Canada's Magna (MGa.TO) and its Russian partner Sberbank are to meet their counterpart at General Motors on Thursday as the sale of GM's Opel business looms, a person close to the matter said.

AFP - The country's biggest retailer Tesco said Thursday its personal finance unit would open a customer centre in Scotland, creating 800 jobs and bringing the group nearer to providing full banking services.

The government says it expects to turn a profit of more than $900 million after helping to rescue the troubled bank.

Shares in most of the rest of Asia gained on relief that a two-week battering of the Chinese market had stopped, at least for a day. Indexes in Europe followed suit.

State and local governments have added a net of 110,000 jobs, but cuts are likely this year.

Universities and community colleges are responding to a demand from the public for degrees or ad hoc courses on sustainability.

The retailer said it lost $94 million in the second quarter, dragged down by store closings, severance and pension plan costs and lower sales.

Rio Tinto, the world?s second-largest miner, reported a 54 percent drop in first-half earnings, its biggest half-year slump on record, as aluminium prices and demand collapsed.

The world's biggest mobile operator China Mobile reports the slowest profit growth since it listed in 1997.

Sales in UK shops in July were sharply higher than a year earlier, the Office for National Statistics says.

Top-level debtors bring the banking crisis to Nigeria

A High Street bank says it is stocking more £5 notes in cash machines, in a pilot scheme to raise the number in circulation.

Reuters - Stock index futures edged higher on Thursday following a rally in Chinese equities and ahead of data expected to show a dip in jobless claims after a surprise increase in the prior period.

Reuters - A federal judge has ruled that Bank of America Corp cannot have a lawsuit by investors seeking to force it to buy back mortgages heard in federal court, saying he lacks jurisdiction to decide the case.

Reuters - Sears Holding Corp reported a quarterly loss on Thursday instead of the profit Wall Street was expecting as the retailer struggled to cut costs to keep up with falling revenues, and its shares fell nearly 13 percent.

The number of newly laid-off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits rose unexpectedly for a second consecutive week, an indication that jobs remain scarce.

A rise in first-time unemployment claims sapped some of the enthusiasm on Wall Street, where stocks opened only slightly higher after big gains in Asia.

Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung puts down a £3m deposit with a view to taking over Birmingham City football club.

Chinese bank ICBC, the world's largest, reports a rise in profits after higher lending levels offset a fall in the interest it charges.

News International proposes closing its loss-making free evening newspaper The London Paper.

Reuters - Stocks opened slightly higher on Thursday after weekly data showing an unexpected rise in first-time claims for jobless benefits was overshadowed by positive sentiment as a jump in Chinese equities sparked a rally in Asian and European markets.

Reuters - The heads of Canada's Magna (MGa.TO) and Russian partner Sberbank will meet their General Motors counterpart on Thursday, a person close to the matter said, as decision time nears on the sale of GM's Opel business.

Reuters - Sears Holding Corp reported a surprise quarterly loss that dimmed investors' hopes that Chairman Eddie Lampert could succeed in turning around the struggling retailer.

AP - More than 13 percent of American homeowners with a mortgage are either behind on their payments or in foreclosure as the recession throws more people out of work, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Thursday.

The carmaker said that it would advance dealers the cash they are owed from the car rebate program, after dealers complained of delays in being reimbursed.

The retailer?s cost cuts, its main focus, failed to keep pace with declining revenue, sending it to a loss of 17 cents per share before special items.

German luxury carmaker Porsche is raided by federal prosecutors investigating alleged market manipulation of VW shares.

Bookstore chain Barnes & Noble sees another fall in quarterly profits, but cost-cutting limits the decline.

Nigeria's high court rules that its country's government illegally revoked exploration licences granted to a South Korean oil consortium.

Reuters - Stocks rose on Thursday after a rebound in Chinese equities and a surprise expansion in U.S. regional manufacturing overshadowed rising jobless claims.

Reuters - General Motors Co will provide cash advances to dealers to cover 'Cash for Clunkers' rebates while the incentives are being processed by the U.S. government, the company said on Thursday.

Reuters - Robert Benmosche, the newly appointed chief executive officer of American International Group Inc , says he expects the bailed-out insurer to be able to repay its federal debts and to boost value for shareholders, according to a report by Bloomberg News.

Reuters - Switzerland sold its stake in UBS for 5.5 billion Swiss francs ($5.1 billion) on Thursday, making a solid profit from last year's rescue of its largest bank.

AP - A judge has rejected mortgage lender Countrywide Financial's effort to have some investor lawsuits heard in federal court.

The move opens a new front in Washington?s crackdown on Switzerland?s tradition of bank secrecy.

Reuters - Stocks rose on Thursday after a rebound in Chinese equities and a surprising expansion in U.S. regional manufacturing offset weekly jobless claims that increased for a second week.

Reuters - Citigroup Inc shares rose as much as 6 percent to their highest in more than three months on growing confidence that the embattled bank would become more profitable as it unloaded troubled assets.

AP - Average rates on 30-year mortgages slid to the lowest levels since May this week, Freddie Mac said.

Reuters - Tighter cost cuts and better inventory management helped several apparel and accessory retailers post second-quarter profits that topped market expectations on Thursday.

The move opens a new front in Washington?s crackdown on Switzerland?s tradition of bank secrecy.

The government says it expects to turn a profit of over $900 million after helping to rescue the troubled bank.

The Swedish prime minister brushed off a request for a government loan to finance the sale to Koenigssegg, saying he won?t act as a ?venture capitalist for the well-to-do.?

Bank stocks were among the gainers as investors bet that the financial sector would continue to heal.

Despite his credibility in financial circles, the Federal Reserve chairman has come under fire from lawmakers.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Gap Inc. reported that second-quarter earnings rose slightly from a year earlier, slightly beating Wall Street expectations despite a 7 percent decline in sales, as the apparel chain cut costs.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- H.J. Heinz Co. said Thursday that its fiscal first-quarter profit fell 7 percent largely due to the stronger dollar, but the results topped analysts' estimates.

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Hormel Foods Corp. said Thursday its third-quarter profit rose 49 percent to beat estimates as costs fell, but sales and volume dropped as consumers limited their spending on more expensive items like microwavable meals.

Reuters - Stocks rose for a third straight session on Thursday with financial stocks leading gains after U.S. manufacturing data and a rebound in Chinese stocks reassured investors.

Reuters - Gap Inc posted a slightly stronger than expected quarterly profit on Thursday as more full-priced sales, inventory controls and cost cuts helped offset declining revenue at all its chains.

The government will end its popular ?cash for clunkers? program on Monday, more than two months early, because it is already running out of money.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said AT&T discriminated against older employees by denying them the chance to be rehired.

Seventy-seven banks have had to be shut so far this year, but not because they dabbled in exotic financial products.

Dutch supermarket group Ahold reported second-quarter operating profit above forecasts, helped by cost controls even as the retail environment continues to reflect weak economic conditions.

Mexico's economy shrank by 10.3% between April and June as the global downturn hit exports and swine flu hit tourism.

Grocery habits show the UK recovery is coming

Reuters - Stocks rose for a third straight session on Thursday with financial stocks leading gains after U.S. manufacturing data and a rebound in Chinese stocks reassured investors.

Reuters - Morgan Stanley is planning to hire as many as 400 traders and salespeople, a hiring spree that comes as the firm tries to dig its way out of three straight quarters of losses.

Reuters - Oil prices rose slightly to near a seven-week high Thursday, as optimism for economic recovery and rising fuel demand outweighed a rise in new U.S. jobless claims.

AP - WHAT HAPPENED?: A quarterly report released Thursday by the Mortgage Bankers Association found that more than 13 percent of American homeowners with a mortgage have fallen behind on their payments or are in foreclosure.

Studios aren?t giving up on stars but they are trying to pay them less or looking for cheaper alternatives.

Amazon, Microsoft and Yahoo are planning to join a coalition to oppose a proposed class-action settlement giving Google the rights to commercialize digital copies of millions of books.

A marketing campaign for the beer in Vietnam will include the theme ?It?s American time, it?s Miller time.?.

A money-losing free afternoon tabloid, The London Paper, was competing aggressively to reach young commuters.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said AT&T discriminated against older employees by denying them the chance to be rehired.

Starbucks is raising prices on certain harder-to-make beverages ? and cutting the costs for simpler ones like a plain cup of coffee, the company said.

The US is to end a $3bn car scrappage scheme dubbed 'cash for clunkers' next week after funding dries up.

Reuters - The U.S. government said it will suspend its popular 'Cash for Clunkers' auto rebates on Monday as the program's $3 billion budget runs dry, a month after it was launched.

Reuters - If earnings reports released on Thursday are a sign of business to come, U.S. apparel retailers will have to continue cutting costs and discounting as slumping sales persist.

Reuters - Discount retailer Dollar General Corp, backed by powerful private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co , filed for an initial public offering of up to $750 million on Thursday, according to a regulatory filing.

Reuters - Both athletic shoe retailer Foot Locker Inc and Hibbett Sports Inc , which sells athletic shoes in addition to other sporting goods, posted disappointing quarterly results as consumers searched for a reason to shop in a discretionary retail environment.

Over the last two years, the rich have become poorer. And many may not return to their old levels of wealth and income anytime soon.

The move opens a new front in Washington?s crackdown on Switzerland?s tradition of bank secrecy.

The failure of the Sayano-Shushenskaya dam in Siberia and the workers killed in that accident beg a larger question: are there more tragic breakdowns ahead?

The sharp price decline of natural gas was attributed to declining demand and a big expansion of domestic production.

During the recession, the company makes a move that could indicate it is conceding certain customers to rivals like McDonald?s.

The chain, which includes Kmart, saw its shares fall sharply on news of its earnings report.

The stock sale will seek to raise $750 million, which would make it one of the bigger initial offerings this year.

Food companies, which raised prices last year, benefit as consumers eat more meals at home in order to save money.

A judge dismissed a lawsuit against SAC Capital Advisors, which accused the firm of conspiring to drive down shares of the Canadian drug company Biovail.

Mikhail Afanasyev raised questions about the government?s response to an accident at a Siberian hydroelectric plant.

The banking giant?s turnaround plan, including surviving an American inquiry, has pleased investors and the Swiss government.

Seventy-seven banks have had to be shut so far this year, but not because they dabbled in exotic financial products.

Reuters - Japan's Nikkei stock average slipped on Friday, dragged lower by Toyota Motor (7203.T) and slumping auto shares ahead of the end of a U.S. rebate program, with investors keeping a nervous eye on volatile China shares.

Over the last two years, the rich have become poorer. And many may not return to their old levels of wealth and income anytime soon.

The agency wants to attract more buyers for troubled institutions and is said to be considering a proposal to make it easier for private equity firms to buy them.

The proposal includes giving creditors the building that houses The Inquirer and The Daily News.

Reuters - Most Asian stock markets edged higher on Friday, keeping a wary eye on volatile Chinese shares, while currency traders went on the defensive after a wild see-saw week and mixed U.S. economic data, bidding up the safe-haven yen.