Web crackdown blocks YouTube in Thailand
The military-appointed government has blocked access to several Internet sites in a crackdown on material it says denigrates the country's monarch, officials said Wednesday.

Investor seeks to drive out Telecom Italia chairman
Olimpia, a holding company that owns 18 percent of Telecom Italia, omitted the company's chairman, Guido Rossi, from a list of proposed board members.

The End User: Picture it small
STMicroelectronics' products are small, but it is a big player in making cameras for cellphones.

GPS alternatives take flight
A Russian project carries wide implications for militaries by providing a satellite navigation system not controlled by the Pentagon.

Deutsche Telekom ordered to grant access to cables
The decision will let other companies lay their own cables to reach customers using Deutsche Telekom infrastructure.

Sale of Tribune Co. doesn't deter rival bidders
Samuel Zell's $8.2 billion agreement to buy the company left a generous opening for other offers -- a breakup fee of just $25 million.
- New owner sparks dismay at The Los Angeles Times
- Samuel Zell, 'grave dancer' sees profits in newspapers

Qualcomm files Nokia suits ahead of deadline
Qualcomm has filed two new patent infringement lawsuits against Nokia, marking the latest punch in an increasingly bitter fight over mobile technology licenses.

A new attempt to streamline EU patents
Companies must comply with rulings from national courts throughout the EU, a policy that could prevent smaller firms from protecting their innovations.

Asset swap ends feud between News Corp. and Liberty
Rupert Murdoch and his family gain a stronger grip on the media company while John Malone gets a controlling stake in DirecTV.

Briefing: Siemens board memberis released on bail bond
A member of the Siemens management board who was detained last week in one of a series of corruption investigations involving the company was released on bail Wednesday, German prosecutors said.

NBC Universal said Wednesday that it would add 20 new pay-television channels in 23 countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America as part of a plan to double revenue at its global TV division within three years.

NBC Universal said it would begin showing three existing channels - Sci-Fi, 13th Street and Universal Channel - for the first time in new markets. Sci-Fi began airing in Central and South America on Tuesday.

Jeff Zucker, the company's chief executive, has highlighted international growth as one of his priorities.

The plan could double annual sales at NBC Universal's global TV unit from the current "hundreds of millions of dollars," said Peter Smith, NBC Universal's international president.

Aegis, the British media company, said it was trying to find a solution to the long-running dispute with its largest investor, Vincent Bolloré, after its shareholders rejected his two candidates for the board for a third time in 10 months.

Bolloré, the French financier, noted that he had won more votes than he had during his last attempt and said this indicated he would eventually be successful. Aegis has urged its shareholders to vote against the two nominees, Philippe Germond and Roger Hatchuel, because Bolloré is also chairman of a rival, Havas.

Bolloré owns 29.1 percent of Aegis and has said he would like the two candidates to bring experience and "fresh blood" to the board.

The Orange wireless unit of France Télécom will let Blyk, an advertising-supported mobile company, use its network for voice calls, data, messages and Internet access.

Blyk, founded by Pekka Ala-Pietila, the former Nokia president, will let customers make free calls and send texts with their phones, the companies said. Blyk will pay for its business through advertising. The service will begin in the Britain in the summer.

European Union regulators approved Ricoh's acquisition of IBM's printing division. The European Commission cleared the deal when it found no antitrust problems and received no complaints from rivals. Ricoh, of Japan, will pay IBM $725 million in cash up front and an unspecified amount later. It initially will own 51 percent of the new company, InfoPrint Solutions, and will take full ownership within three years.

Japan is considering amending the country's broadcast law following revelations that a television station aired a program that made false health claims about foods. Japanese broadcasters are "placing too much emphasis on ratings, and are sacrificing accuracy and the truth to make programs that are amusing," the internal affairs and communications minister, Yoshihide Suga, said.

Hindustan Semiconductor a new Indian chip maker, said it would start by making chips for mobile phones. India last month began offering incentives for chip makers as it seeks to attract as much as $5.5 billion investments in chip and electronics factories in three years. Hindustan intends to invest as much as $4.5 billion in two factories.

The European Commission cleared Thales to buy Alcatel's satellite and security operations, saying that its inquiry into the deal had cleared earlier antitrust fears about the power the new company would have to choke the supply chain.

Yahoo introduced a redesigned real estate section to cover the growing number of home foreclosures. U.S. foreclosure filings in February jumped 12 percent from a year earlier.