■ Computers
Dell under investigation
Dell Inc said US federal regulators have begun a formal investigation into the computer giant, which had been part of an informal inquiry since August. Dell also said it was postponing the release of its third quarter earnings report -- scheduled for yesterday after markets closed -- until sometime later in the month. The company said on Wednesday the earnings report delay was unrelated to the widening Securities and Exchange Commission probe. A spokesman said Dell did not know what the SEC was specifically investigating. In a press release, Dell said the delay was due to the "level of complexity the company is facing in the preparation of its preliminary results."
■ Software
Office Live launched in US
Microsoft launched its Office Live suite of online business software in the US on Wednesday and said it would release test versions in Europe and Japan next week. Internet-based Office Live applications geared to small businesses were available in a free "Basics" version and in an upgraded "Essentials" package costing US$19.95 monthly and a "Premium" version for US$39.95. Free beta, or trial, versions of Office Live would be available in France, Britain, Germany and Japan on Tuesday, Microsoft said. The Redmond, Washington, software giant billed the suite of software as a tool for businesses to create Web sites, attract customers and manage their affairs.
■ Energy
Enron executive sentenced
Richard Causey, the last of the top Enron Corp executives to learn his punishment, was sentenced on Wednesday to five-and-a-half years in prison for his role in one of the biggest corporate scandals in US history. The former chief accounting officer pleaded guilty in December to securities fraud two weeks before he was to be tried along with Enron founder Kenneth Lay and former chief executive Jeffrey Skilling on conspiracy, fraud and other charges related to the company's collapse. Causey also agreed to fork over US$1.25 million to the government and forfeited a claim to about US$250,000 in deferred compensation as part of his plea deal. Unlike others at Enron, Causey didn't skim millions of dollars for himself from shady deals.
■ Pharmaceuticals
Merck outsourcing R&D
Merck & Co has agreed to outsource some of its drug research work to India's Advinus Therapeutics in a deal that is expected to yield up to US$150 million for the Indian company in the first year. The Indian firm, which is owned by the Tata Group, will collaborate with Merck on R&D of drugs for such metabolic disorders as diabetes, obesity and hypertension, said Rashmi Barbhaiya, managing director of Advinus. He said Merck would retain the right to take the most promising candidates into commercial development.
■ Economy
Japanese get record raises
Workers in Japan are getting record-high bonuses, an average of ¥868,932 (US$7,370), a survey of major companies by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun showed. Bonus amounts rose an average of 1.97 percent from last year, according to the business newspaper's survey of 197 companies released yesterday. The amount of winter bonus pay for workers this year beat a previous record set in 1997 of ¥807,188.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source