News roundup--Direct Golf, Littlewoods, more

Direct Golf UK delivered sales in the first half of the year of £11.3 million, up 21 percent from 2011. Annual profits are expected to be up 40 percent on last year, writes the Yorkshire Business Desk.

Shop Direct-owned Littlewoods is sponsoring ITV’s Superstar, a new series that follows Andrew Lloyd Webber on his nationwide talent search to find the next rock superstar. The fully integrated sponsorship deal, negotiated by ITV Commercial and Carat on behalf of Littlewoods, includes broadcast, online and mobile sponsorship. It kicks off on Saturday 7th July 2012, in parallel with the programme launch at 7.25pm on ITV1.

Alibaba Group, the Chinese online marketplace, has said that one of its former executives, Yan Limin, has been detained by police in China on "suspicion of accepting bribes" reports the BBC. Since 2010, 36 people connected with operating the online fraud on Alibaba.com and other websites have been arrested.

Home shopping returns are helping Royal Mail return to profit, notes the Telegraph.