Technology

Bharti Airtel Board Said to Approve $9 Billion Bid for Zain Africa Assets Bharti Airtel Ltd., the Indian phone company planning a $9 billion purchase of Zain’s African wireless assets, intends to make a formal offer this week, after Bharti’s board yesterday approved the bid, according to two people with knowledge of the negotiations.

Kabel Deutschland Raises $1 Billion in Germany's Biggest IPO for Two Years Kabel Deutschland Holding AG raised almost 760 million euros ($1 billion) selling shares near the low end of its price range in Germany’s biggest initial public offering in more than two years.

Palm Drops 29% on Revenue Forecast as Analysts Doubt Company's Viability Palm Inc., maker of the Pre smartphone, fell the most in two years after predicting sales this quarter will be less than half of Wall Street estimates, prompting some analysts to question the company’s viability.

Billionaire Malone Sees Pay-TV Industry Consolidation Amid Fee Disputes Media billionaire John Malone said fee disputes between U.S. broadcasters and cable-television operators will force companies to combine to gain negotiating clout.

Apple's CEO Jobs Discusses Transplant, Urges Californians to Become Donors Apple Inc.’s Steve Jobs, describing how he was forced to leave his home state of California last year to get a life-saving liver transplant, spoke out on behalf of state legislation that encourages organ donations.

Novell Calls Elliott $5.75-Share Offer `Inadequate'; Board Reviews Options Novell Inc. said a $5.75-a-share acquisition offer from Elliott Associates LP is “inadequate” and undervalues the maker of Linux operating-system software.

Icahn Begins Hostile $574.4 Million Bid for Lions Gate After Earlier Snub Carl Icahn began a $574 million hostile offer to buy Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. after the film studio rejected his efforts to increase his stake to as much as 30 percent.

Apple IPad's Initial Sales Are Unlikely to Outdo IPhone's, Bookmaker Says The odds are stacked against Apple Inc.’s new iPad reaching sales of 1 million as quickly as the iPhone, an online bookmaker said.

FCC to Examine Whether Broadcasters May Pull Signals During Fee Disputes U.S. regulators will examine whether broadcasters may cut signals to pay-television companies during fee disputes after a disagreement in New York left cable customers without WABC-TV during the Academy Awards.

Televisa, Telefonica, Megacable Alliance Seeks Routes Around Slim's Telmex Telefonica SA, Grupo Televisa SA and Megacable Holdings SAB said they will bid together in a Mexican auction for unused fiber-optic lines that will give them new paths to route phone and Internet traffic across the country.

Universal Music Seeks Singing Nuns to Follow Monks for Pope's U.K. Visit Calling all nuns: Universal Music Group seeks singing sister act for the 21st century to record an album ahead of Pope Benedict’s visit to the U.K. in September.