Siemens AG declined to comment on a report quoting a board member as saying that the German electronics and engineering giant is mulling a possible acquisition of Invensys PLC.

Hochtief AG, Germany's largest construction company, says it has signed a deal with Siemens AG to buy the facility management business of Siemens Building Technologies from January 1, 2004.

SIEMENS Business Services, a leading information technology company, is to boost its workforce in Ireland by 60 jobs, which will bring its total number of employees in this country to 400.

Siemens AG said it is in talks with energy companies and politicians in the US to win orders to renew their electricity grids.

Siemens is cutting another 2,000 jobs in a bid to make its telecoms operation profitable.