Webwire: RIM swings axe; Advanced malware found in ME

RIM is preparing a fresh round of layoffs in early June, involving between 2,000 and 6,000 staff.
 
Freshly discovered data malware may have been embedded in Middle East computers for up to five years. Security firms say it is the most sophisticated software of its kind to date.
 
The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office is considering its options regarding privacy breaches by Google’s StreetView cars, after reviewing the results of a US investigation.
 
YouView, a troubled UK freeview scheme backed by the BBC and telecoms firms, is set to launch in the summer, Dido Harding, chief executive of stakeholder TalkTalk claims.
 
France Telecom has increased its stake in Egyptian operator Mobinil to 94% through a tender offer, following the €1.5 billion purchase of most of Mobinil in April.
 
Sony will cease selling feature phones in the Indian market by September, instead concentrating on the smartphone segment.
 
India's telecom ministry has proposed halving the length of new spectrum license allocations to 10 years. This could cut down on the high prices the government plans to charge for the spectrum, but add to service providers' operating uncertainties.
 
Nepal has a teledensity of 62%, with mobile services accounting for the vast majority of subscriptions, according to the latest statistics from regulator NTA.