The late ticker

Jobs boost at Apple

Oracles chairman Larry Ellison said Steve Jobs would make the best chief executive for Apple Computer. Mr Jobs has assumed an expanded role since rejoining Apple as an adviser in February and is widely seen as having helped engineer the departure of the former chief executive, Gilbert Amelio, two weeks ago, after continuing losses at the company.

Mr Ellison, who shelved plans to buy Apple earlier this year, was cagey when asked if he would make another bid. "Steve's my best friend, I'll do whatever I can to help him," he said.

Mr Jobs is said to be pushing for Apple to begin making "network computers," inexpensive simplified machines for accessing the Internet that are aimed at schools and home users to break Microsoft's dominance of the personal computer industry.

Sell-off aborted

Thompson N Multimedia, the consumer electronics unit of Thomson that was supposed to be sold off to the Daewoo group last year, will remain in state ownership, the French finance ministry said.

GM strike ends

The 12-week walkout at General Motors plant in Michigan ended on Friday after members of the UAW union voted to accept a settlement that included the hiring of additional workers. This strike was the longest in the company's 42-year history and caused a loss in production of 70,000 Chevrolet and GMC pick-up trucks, the company's best-selling vehicle.