■ 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.
A Chinese freighter that allegedly snapped an undersea cable linking Taiwan proper to Penghu County is suspected of being owned by a Chinese state-run company and had docked at the ports of Kaohsiung and Keelung for three months using different names. On Tuesday last week, the Togo-flagged freighter Hong Tai 58 (宏泰58號) and its Chinese crew were detained after the Taipei-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable was severed. When the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) first attempted to detain the ship on grounds of possible sabotage, its crew said the ship’s name was Hong Tai 168, although the Automatic Identification System (AIS)
An Akizuki-class destroyer last month made the first-ever solo transit of a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship through the Taiwan Strait, Japanese government officials with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. The JS Akizuki carried out a north-to-south transit through the Taiwan Strait on Feb. 5 as it sailed to the South China Sea to participate in a joint exercise with US, Australian and Philippine forces that day. The Japanese destroyer JS Sazanami in September last year made the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s first-ever transit through the Taiwan Strait, but it was joined by vessels from New Zealand and Australia,
SECURITY: The purpose for giving Hong Kong and Macau residents more lenient paths to permanent residency no longer applies due to China’s policies, a source said The government is considering removing an optional path to citizenship for residents from Hong Kong and Macau, and lengthening the terms for permanent residence eligibility, a source said yesterday. In a bid to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwan through immigration from Hong Kong and Macau, the government could amend immigration laws for residents of the territories who currently receive preferential treatment, an official familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said. The move was part of “national security-related legislative reform,” they added. Under the amendments, arrivals from the Chinese territories would have to reside in Taiwan for
CRITICAL MOVE: TSMC’s plan to invest another US$100 billion in US chipmaking would boost Taiwan’s competitive edge in the global market, the premier said The government would ensure that the most advanced chipmaking technology stays in Taiwan while assisting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in investing overseas, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The statement follows a joint announcement by the world’s largest contract chipmaker and US President Donald Trump on Monday that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next four years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US, which would include construction of three new chip fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a research and development center. The government knew about the deal in advance and would assist, Presidential
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