■AVIATION
Air France eyes new jets
Air France-KLM is ready to order some 100 long-haul jets in a purchase that would be worth more than US$20 billion, the French newspaper La Tribune reported yesterday. The order would be for long-haul jets such as Airbus’ A350 or Boeing’s 787, the newspaper said on its Web site, adding the order could be placed by the end of the year. The airline had wanted to select a new long-haul aircraft last year, but delays in the programs of both manufacturers forced Air France-KLM to put its plans on hold, La Tribune said. The newspaper said only 20 percent of the cost of the planes would be paid up front, with the rest upon delivery.
■COMPUTING
Google launches ad test
Google on Wednesday launched a test version of a new “interest-based advertising” system for its network of Web sites including YouTube, the company said in a statement. The new system is designed to record the interests of users based on the pages they view and Internet searches they conduct, offering tailor-made advertising offers to match that can then be further refined by the user. “Keyword advertising has been so successful because it’s useful to users, advertisers and publishers — everyone’s interests are aligned,” Google said. “We believe that interest-based ads will create the same virtuous cycle, by giving users more relevant ads, while generating higher returns for advertisers and publishers,” it added.
■ELECTRONICS
Sony seeks LCD alliance
Sony Corp said yesterday it will begin talks with Seiko Epson Corp to form an alliance for small liquid crystal displays used in digital cameras and mobile phones. Sony said the two companies aim to sign an agreement by the end of June. As part of the deal, Sony said it may buy some assets of Seiko Epson. A Sony spokeswoman declined to give further details. The Japanese electronics giant said it hopes an alliance with Seiko Epson would boost the competitiveness of its small and mid-sized LCD business.
■RETAIL
Carrefour profit drops 45%
French supermarket giant Carrefour said yesterday its net profit last year slumped nearly 45 percent as second half demand fell away in face of the global economic downturn. Net profit fell 44.7 percent to 1.27 billion euros (US$1.60 billion) while earnings before interest and tax were down 16.8 percent at 2.77 billion euros, much worse than analyst forecasts for a 3.2 percent drop. Last year was “marked by food price inflation and a clear slowdown in the second half,” Carrefour said. The company said the first two months of this year had seen a pick up in sales but overall, conditions had not improved and this year promised to be difficult.
■HOUSING
Foreclosures in US increase
US foreclosures on home-owners rose last month, highlighting ongoing troubles in the housing market despite a freeze by some lenders and limits in some states, a survey showed yesterday. A RealtyTrac survey showed foreclosure filings — which include default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions — were reported on 290,631 US properties during the month, a monthly increase of 6 percent and up nearly 30 percent from last February. The report showed one in every 440 US housing units received a foreclosure filing last month. US home foreclosures, the epicenter of the financial crisis, spiked 81 percent last year despite efforts to slow the trend.
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