Saudi Arabia bans Viber; Telefónica reportedly mulls O2 Ireland sale

> As the European Union plans to ban the blocking and throttling of messaging apps, Saudi Arabia banned Viber. Article

> India has approved a non-binding proposal that would start a conciliation process to resolve a $2.2 billion (€1.68 billion) tax dispute with Vodafone. Article

> Telecom Italia continues to rule out any imminent decisions on a merger with Hutchison Whampoa's 3 Italia as it focuses on its network spin-off plan. Article

> Telefónica is reportedly mulling a potential sale of its O2 Ireland business after receiving some expressions of interest. Article (sub. req.)

> Russian mobile operator MTS is reportedly mulling a potential acquisition of broadband provider Akado. Article

> The Iraqi unit of Kuwaiti operator Zain launched subscriptions for a long-delayed public share offering. Article

> Saudi Arabia's Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) is in talks to buy a stake in loss-making fixed-line operator Etihad Atheeb. Article

And finally… A pianist stormed off stage in a huff after a fan videotaped his performance on a smartphone, highlighting growing concerns over bootleg videos of popular and classical events. Article