■ TELECOMS
Motorola takes US$101m hit
Motorola Inc, the world's No. 2 mobile phone maker behind Nokia Corp, said it will take a pretax charge of US$101 million in its second quarter after cutting 2,100 jobs. The company said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing late on Thursday that the total consists of US$115 million in layoff-related charges and US$14 million in reversals for prior-period accruals that it no longer needs. Motorola said in May that it would complete an already-announced plan to lay off 3,500 employees by the end of last month. At that time, the mobile phone maker also said it would cut another 4,000 jobs.
■ ENERGY
Bio-jet fuel tests planned
Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Brazil's state oil company, plans to study and distribute bio-jet fuel made from an oilseed blend. Studies by Brazil's TecBio, Boeing Co and NASA show use of the fuel is feasible, Petrobras said yesterday at a biofuels conference in Rio de Janeiro. Experimental tests with alternative jet fuels will begin this month under the TecBio-Boeing-NASA program, Francelino da Silva Paes, a Petrobras biofuels official, said during a presentation of the company's plan. The world's first demonstration flight using the fuel is planned for next year by Boeing, General Electric Co and Virgin Atlantic Airways, he said.
■ FOODSTUFFS
Burger King to ax trans fats
Burger King Corp, the No. 2 hamburger chain, said on Friday that all of its US restaurants would be using frying oil that is free of artery-clogging trans fats by the end of next year. The announcement comes nearly two months after nutrition advocacy group the Center for Science in the Public Interest sued Burger King over the company's use of oil containing trans fats, saying it was the only leading restaurant chain that had not yet committed to eliminating trans fats from its menu. If adequate supply of the oils becomes available, the US roll-out could be completed sooner than the target, the Miami-based company said.
■ TELECOMS
Nacchio facing jail term
Prosecutors recommended that former Qwest chief executive Joe Nacchio serve a maximum of seven years and three months in prison for completing US$52 million in illegal stock sales when his telecommunications company was at financial risk. In a brief filed late on Friday, government attorneys also recommended Nacchio serve three years probation and be fined a maximum of US$19 million. Nacchio, who resigned from Qwest Communications International Inc under pressure in June 2002, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 27 in US District Court.
■ EMPLOYMENT
Talent-seeking trip planned
The Executive Yuan is working to organize a delegation for a visit to the US and Canada in September to discover and invite science and technology talents living in those countries to work in Taiwan, a spokesman for the semi-official Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) said yesterday. TAITRA said the talent-seeking mission will visit Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Houston and Washington in the US, as well as Toronto in Canada between Sept. 6 and Sept. 18. During their stay in each of the cities, the delegation hopes to seek talents in the fields of fundamental science, biotechnology, WiMAX, information and communication technology as well as digital content.
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