■ Takeovers
Mittal rebuffed again
Mittal Steel, the world's largest steelmaker, said yesterday it had been in renewed contact with Luxembourg-based rival Arcelor over a takeover bid but had once more been rebuffed. Mittal chief executive Lakshmi Mittal said he was willing to consider a revised offer, as the company held its annual general meeting in Amsterdam. Mittal has offered 18.6 billion euros (US$23 billion) for Arcelor but has met opposition from Arcelor's board and the French government, which owns a stake in the company. "I am disappointed that at this stage I do not discern a willingness on the part of Arcelor to enter into meaningful discussions to reach a recommended transaction, which would surely be in the best interests of all stakeholders," Mittal said.
■ Film
CGI firm files for bankruptcy
Silicon Graphics Inc, a pioneer in computerized special effects for movies like Jurassic Park, filed for bankruptcy protection, with an agreement to give noteholders a majority stake in the company. The filing comes two months after Silicon Graphics said it would reduce its global workforce by about 250 jobs, or 12 percent, by the end of the year in a move to cut costs. Silicon Graphics said it will file a plan within 30 days that will outline a strategy to exit bankruptcy and repay creditors. The company reached an agreement with noteholders, who have agreed to lend the company US$70 million on the terms of the plan yesterday, according to papers filed with the US Bankruptcy Court in New York.
■ Banking
Lone Star head arrested
The head of US investment fund Lone Star's office in South Korea was arrested yesterday as part of a probe into the company's alleged illegal activities, prosecutors said. Yoo Hoe-won, 56, was arrested on charges of embezzlement and breach of trust, prosecutors said. Lone Star, which bought a 51 percent stake in Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) for 1.38 trillion won (US$1.5 billion) in October 2003, has been investigated for allegedly evading tax payments and illegally transferring US$8.6 million overseas. Prosecutors are also looking into allegations that the government rushed through the 2003 sale of KEB. Critics say the authorities artificially lowered KEB's capital ratios, which measure the health of a bank, to below statutory minimums to ensure a quick sale to Lone Star.
■ Automobiles
Accused boss steps down
Toyota Motor North America's president and chief executive officer, accused in a sexual harassment lawsuit, has stepped down, the company said yesterday. To replace him, Toyota named the first American president of its US subsidiary. Hideaki Otaka, 65, who had been scheduled to leave his post in June, has voluntarily left earlier, saying his staying on was not in the company's interests. He said he was innocent of the charges. Replacing him as the new president is Jim Press, now president of Toyota Motor Sales, the US sales unit of Toyota Motor Corp. Otaka was accused in a US$190 million sexual harassment lawsuit filed in New York. In the suit, Sayaka Kobayashi accused him of repeatedly making unwanted sexual advances after she began working as his personal assistant in the middle of last year.
The CIA has a message for Chinese government officials worried about their place in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) government: Come work with us. The agency released two Mandarin-language videos on social media on Thursday inviting disgruntled officials to contact the CIA. The recruitment videos posted on YouTube and X racked up more than 5 million views combined in their first day. The outreach comes as CIA Director John Ratcliffe has vowed to boost the agency’s use of intelligence from human sources and its focus on China, which has recently targeted US officials with its own espionage operations. The videos are “aimed at
STEADFAST FRIEND: The bills encourage increased Taiwan-US engagement and address China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan internationally The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations. One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement. The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in
US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo on Friday expressed concern over the rate at which China is diversifying its military exercises, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Saturday. “The rates of change on the depth and breadth of their exercises is the one non-linear effect that I’ve seen in the last year that wakes me up at night or keeps me up at night,” Paparo was quoted by FT as saying while attending the annual Sedona Forum at the McCain Institute in Arizona. Paparo also expressed concern over the speed with which China was expanding its military. While the US
SHIFT: Taiwan’s better-than-expected first-quarter GDP and signs of weakness in the US have driven global capital back to emerging markets, the central bank head said The central bank yesterday blamed market speculation for the steep rise in the local currency, and urged exporters and financial institutions to stay calm and stop panic sell-offs to avoid hurting their own profitability. The nation’s top monetary policymaker said that it would step in, if necessary, to maintain order and stability in the foreign exchange market. The remarks came as the NT dollar yesterday closed up NT$0.919 to NT$30.145 against the US dollar in Taipei trading, after rising as high as NT$29.59 in intraday trading. The local currency has surged 5.85 percent against the greenback over the past two sessions, central
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