IN THE PAPERS
In the papers 1 April
01-04-2008
by Sylvia Leatham
IBM under US investigation for alleged misconduct | Microsoft will not raise Yahoo bid, say sources
The Irish Times reports on the creation of 19 new jobs in Galway by Thermo King. Read the full story on ENN.
The paper also notes that Google Ireland on Monday hosted an interactive debate on the Lisbon Treaty. In an event streamed live on RTE's website from the company's European headquarters in Dublin, a crowd of 150 employees heard advocates and opponents of the document tussle over its implications for democracy, accountability and climate change strategy in the EU.
The Irish Independent says that new technology to block mobile phones in jails is expected to be rolled out to all Irish prisons after a successful pilot scheme. The special signal-blocking equipment has been installed at the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise on a trial basis. Pending a review of the pilot, the scheme will be expanded to the rest of the country's prisons.
The Irish Examiner reports that a quarter of Irish people are using the internet to self-diagnose illnesses, according to the Health Research Board's National Psychological Wellbeing and Distress survey. The study examined the responses of more than 2,100 people about general internet usage and related health issues. It revealed that working women were the most likely group to use the net for health advice, and a higher proportion of people with mental health issues relied on online advice.
According to the Financial Times, IBM has been barred from taking on any new federal government business in the US following allegations of misconduct over a contract it had been pursuing with the Environmental Protection Agency. The company and an unnamed number of its employees were also issued with grand jury subpoenas seeking information about the alleged case. IBM said the ban and the criminal investigation sprang from the conduct of a competitive bid for EPA work that had been in progress for two years, and that the official inquiries had focused on "interactions between employees of the EPA and certain IBM employees".
The paper also says that Vodafone shares fell almost 4 percent on Monday as investors reacted to claims that regulators are preparing to take action that would cut the mobile group's European core earnings by 11 percent. Analysts at Morgan Stanley downgraded their recommendation on Vodafone's shares from "buy" to "sell" after concluding that intervention by the European Commission could reduce core profits at Vodafone's European mobile businesses by STG900 million between 2009 and 2012.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft has no plans to raise its USD44.6 billion offer to acquire Yahoo, according to sources close to the company. Such pronouncements are standard in deal negotiations but people close to Microsoft insist the stance isn't posturing. While speculation has swirled that Microsoft was poised to raise its bid, Microsoft is instead biding its time. Microsoft's strategists believe that time is on their side, the people close to the company say. The strategists argue that Yahoo's recent roadshow failed to dazzle investors and nothing in its presentations will justify a higher price, the people say.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 