Gambling firm wins control of Sega
Sammy, Japan's biggest maker of gambling machines, said yesterday it would take control of computer games developer Sega, best known for Sonic the Hedgehog, in a deal worth £800m. By Justin McCurry.
Big profit rise at Disney helps Eisner
Embattled Walt Disney chief executive Michael Eisner won some breathing space last night when the entertainment group posted a sharp rise in profits. By David Teather.
Ebookers cuts staff to focus on internet
Travel agent ebookers yesterday cut 15% of its workforce, closing 10 shops across Europe and reducing back office staff in India as part of its drive to move more operations on to the internet. By Richard Wray.
Google’s sale is for US only
Google's revolutionary 2.7bn dollar internet auction of its shares has been restricted to US investors, reports Faisal Islam.
Google float forecast to raise $2.7bn and turn founders into billionaires
Google marked a coming of age last night when it filed to become a public company, a move expected to raise £1.5bn and make billionaires of its two thirtysomething founders. By Jane Martinson.
MGM back on Yellow Brick Road as losses halve
Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer, the film studio being stalked by Sony, more than halved quarterly losses after a strong performance from DVD sales, reports Jane Martinson.
Treasury gets tough on film-makers
The government yesterday stepped up its campaign against film-makers who abuse tax loopholes by ordering European producers to put more money into co-productions in the UK. By Dan Milmo.
BT broadens broadband Britain
11.45am: High speed internet access will be available in the most remote areas of Britain from the Highlands to Dartmoor under plans unveiled by BT today. By Owen Gibson.
Amazon’s international sales up 80%
10.30am: Amazon said today sales outside the US accounted for more than half of its business for the first time as it posted its third straight quarterly profit. By Owen Gibson.
Earnings soar at online auctioneer
10.30am: eBay, the world's largest online auction company, today said first-quarter earnings nearly doubled as its number of users burst through the 100 million mark, reports Dominic Timms.
Sony makes a move for MGM
Sony Corporation is in talks to buy the Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer film business, one of the best-known names in Hollywood, in a deal worth £2.7bn, reports David Teather.
A Winnie for Disney in court
A California judge last night threw out the long-running case brought against Walt Disney by the company that owns the American merchandising rights to Winnie the Pooh.
Virgin poised for £1.3bn flotation
Virgin Mobile is preparing to appoint advisers for a flotation in the last week of June which could value the mobile phone company at upwards of £1.3bn. By Richard Wray.