AOL Time Warner is in talks to sell its controlling stake in its mainland Chinese television station, according to the Financial Times website.

Viacom is to pay AOL $1.2 bn in cash for its 50% stake in Comedy Channel, which is jointly owned by the two companies.

A TECHNOLOGY-LED sell-off tipped a decidedly mixed market a little lower Thursday afternoon amid the latest crop of earnings reports and persistent geopolitical worries.

Fourth-quarter losses skyrocketed at AOL Time Warner after a staggering €45.5bn (€42bn) charge to account for the struggling media conglomerate’s plunging value.

FROM Middle-earth to Mallow, Minas Tirith to Tallaght, Gandalf to Galway, the whole world is like one big shire in homage to the second movie of the Lord of the Rings trilogy which opens tomorrow everywhere this side of the Urals.

AOL Time Warner Inc's America Online may cut more jobs in the next two months, according to reports.

THE London market slid back below the 4,100 level today after trading was hurt

A disappointing outlook from AOL Time Warner put investors in the United states on the defensive today, prompting them to question the strength of other big companies and bid stocks sharply lower.

The London market slid back below the 4,100 level today after trading was hurt by a disappointing statement from Barclays Bank and a tumble on Wall Street.

THE roller-coaster ride on equity markets is providing shrewd investors with numerous opportunities to make profits of close to 20% in a matter of weeks.

In a move seen as a clear victory for Microsoft Corp, a judge Friday approved a settlement of the long-running antitrust dispute between the software giant and the US government.

NEITHER of the major Irish banks made any gains from their Friday closing positions further lessening their chances of making it into the Eurostoxx 50.

Wall Street extended its advance to a second session today in a late-surge of buying, despite disappointing economic news and profit-taking following the market's huge rally.

The US Justice Department has launched a probe into accounting practices at AOL Time Warner in part linked to its dealings with Wembley plc, it emerged today.

The US Justice Department is investigating accounting at AOL Time Warner, the world’s biggest media organisation, the company confirmed today.

A NEGATIVE forecast on the semiconductor industry from one of its leaders and questions about AOL Time Warner's accounting knocked tech stocks sharply lower in afternoon trade yesterday, while blue chips struggled to find direction.

Wall Street tried to extend its huge rally today but failed amid concerns about a slump in the semiconductor industry. Another accounting investigation, this time at AOL Time Warner, also reminded investors of their misgivings about corporate ethics.

Shares in the world’s largest media company plunged today as it faced a probe into its accounting practices in part linked to its dealings with Wembley plc.

AOL Time Warner Inc posted a profit for the second quarter to June 30, with weak advertising sales at its AOL internet unit - which the company does not expect will improve next quarter - offset by strength in its other units.

Bob Pittman has stepped down as chief operating officer of AOL Time Warner in a shake-up at the world’s largest media company.

Wall Street tried but failed today to extend a one-day rebound, but succumbed to late selling on questions about AOL Time Warner’s accounting and pessimism about second-quarter earnings reports.

AOL Time Warner's America Online unit said accounting transactions for advertising revenues between 2000 and 2002 were appropriate and accounting for them differently would have had no impact on profits.

The Muppets are up for sale this weekend as the Jim Henson Company goes on auction, Variety reported.

Napster's chief executive Konrad Hilbers has resigned.

AOL Time Warner, the world's largest media company, has reported a net loss of $54.24 bn (€60.7bn) for its first quarter.

NTL is withholding €110m due in interest payments on three US bonds.

AOL Time Warner Inc confirmed it will take a $54bn (€61.5m) charge in the first quarter to reflect a decline in the value of its acquisition of Time Warner, the company said in its annual report released today.

AOL Time Warner has revealed a €2.08bn fourth-quarter net loss.

Divergent signals on the state of US business left investors cautious and prices mixed on Wall Street today.

Share prices closed sharply lower, particularly among Dassault Systemes and other high-tech names as consolidation in the sector picked up pace this afternoon with a drifting performance by the Nasdaq composite, dealers said.

Comcast will merge with AT&T's broadband division in a deal worth about $52bn.

Share prices continued lower in midsession trade, as a weak employment report for November dashed hopes that an economic rebound is underway and offset a higher-than-expected US consumer confidence figure for December, dealers said.

AOL Time Warner chief executive Jerry Levin is stepping down.

China is in negotiations to let Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation and AOL Time Warner broadcast directly to television audiences in limited areas, the Chinese government’s broadcast authority said Wednesday.

Bargain-hunting investors sent the US stock market higher today.

America Online is eliminating another 1,200 jobs - 8% of its workforce - as the unit reorganises itself, copes with an advertising downturn and integrates with the rest of the AOL Time Warner media conglomerate.

AOL Time Warner and Microsoft are battling to offer computer photo-processing services as digital photography moves into the mainstream.

IPC Media, publisher of Marie Claire and lads mag Loaded,is reportedly close to being sold to US media giant AOL Time Warner.

Napster was dealt another serious legal setback when a federal judge ordered the Internet song-swapping company to remain offline until it can fully comply with an injunction to remove all copyright music.

Talks over whether America Online will be included in Microsoft's upcoming Windows XP operating system have broken down.

Investors gravitated toward technology stocks again today, sending the Nasdaq composite index higher - albeit modestly - for a sixth straight session, its longest winning streak since February 2000.

Granting Beijing the right to host the 2008 Summer Olympics would be a ‘‘wonderful thing,’’ News Corporation magnate Rupert Murdoch has said.