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World Business Quick Take

■ Semiconductors
Asia-Pacific market growing
Growth in the Asia-Pacific semiconductor market increased by 7 percent last year while slowing globally, a research firm said yesterday. The region saw revenues hit US$105.5 billion and improved its share of the global market from 43.1 percent in 2004 to 44.5 percent last year, iSuppli said. Intel led the market-share rankings in the Asia-Pacific, with a 16.8 percent share in the region. Samsung emerged a distant second with a 5.7 percent market share, and Texas Instruments third with 5.3 percent. Semiconductor sales globally hit US$237.1 billion last year, with the same top three vendors.

■ Electronics
Sony eyes Toyota for board
Sony may name Toyota Motor vice chairman Fujio Cho as an outside director, the Nihon Keizai daily reported yesterday without citing anyone. Sony, the world's second-largest maker of consumer electronics, names candidates for its board of directors at the end of this month when it announces fiscal-year earnings, said Mami Imada, a spokeswoman at the Tokyo-based company. She said "nothing has been decided" on Cho's possible candidacy. Cho, who is also chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, may help revive Sony's unprofitable electronics division by employing Toyota's production technology, the Nikkei reported.

■ Internet
Yahoo going mobile
US Internet search portal Yahoo has teamed with Canada's Research In Motion to make its services available on BlackBerry handheld devices, the companies announced on Wednesday. Yahoo e-mail, searches and content will be available to BlackBerry users as a result of a "strategic global alliance," according to the companies. Information about availability of "Yahoo Go for Mobile" will be posted on the Yahoo and BlackBerry Web sites, representatives said.

■ Steel
Mittal holds firm on offer
Global steel giant Mittal Steel said on Wednesday it would not improve its offer for Arcelor following the European steel group's bid to persuade its shareholders to reject Mittal's approaches by offering them bumper payouts. "We won't raise the bid," Mittal's European chief, Roeland Baan said. "The announcements by Arcelor have not changed anything in our position nor in our resolve neither in our ability to pursue this bid. So, very clearly we stick to what we have said we will do," he said. Arcelor sought to shore up shareholder loyalty on Tuesday by offering them 5 billion euros (US$6.1 billion) in share buybacks or special dividends in hopes of fending off Mittal's 18.6 billion euros share-swap and cash overture bid.

■ Pharmaceuticals
Merck found at fault
A New Jersey jury has ordered pharma giant Merck to pay US$4.5 million to a man claiming that the pain medication Vioxx had caused his heart attack, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. A New Jersey jury on Wednesday delivered a split decision in the cases of two men who said they had suffered heart attacks after taking Merck's Vioxx, WSJ.com said. The jurors said Merck must pay US$4.5 million in damages to John McDarby, 77, who claimed Vioxx caused his heart attack, it said. However, they found Merck not liable in a claim by a second man that his heart attack was linked to taking Vioxx.

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