THE head of one of the world’s top universities has warned against narrowing research to areas needed for economic recovery.

Wall Street tumbled again today as investors worried that the global economy was poised to weaken even as parts of the credit market slowly showed signs of recovery.

Japan’s Nikkei index tumbled nearly 7% today as Asian markets plunged over spreading pessimism about the world economy.

Creditors of collapsed Lehman Brothers have asked a US judge to allow an investigation into whether JPMorgan played a role in weakening the investment bank as it headed towards bankruptcy.

Wall Street turned in a mixed performance today as investors set aside some initial enthusiasm over a stronger-than-expected jobs report to lock in some of Wall Street’s recent gains.

A US official’s criticism of a European Union court ruling dismissing Microsoft’s monopoly abuse appeal was “totally unacceptable,” EU antitrust chief Neelie Kroes said today.

Wall Street bounded higher today, lifting the Nasdaq composite index well over 1% after profit reports from Yahoo and Sun Microsystems restored investors’ confidence in the tech sector.

Wall Street stumbled lower today as growing concerns over technology companies led jittery investors to pull money out of the market ahead of this week’s earnings reports.

Google boss Eric Schmidt has been appointed to the board of directors of Apple Computers in a move that points towards a possible alliance between the two IT giants.

Microsoft said the record antitrust fine levied against it in 2004 should be tossed out, or at least greatly reduced, because the punishment outweighed the infraction, the company’s lawyers said in Luxembourg today.

Microsoft was today set to argue that the very way it, and other companies, do business is at stake when it goes before the EU’s second highest court in a bid to overturn a recording antitrust ruling levied against it two years ago.

SALES, marketing and distribution specialist DCC is to splash out nearly €8 million on an IT distribution business in Belgium.

DCC plc has completed the acquisition of the business of Advanced Business Computing SA, a value added distributor of IT infrastructure solutions headquartered in Belgium.

Wall Street had a surge of optimism today, sending stocks higher after investors interpreted a Federal Reserve report on the economy as a sign that the Fed’s year-long string of interest rate hikes may be nearing an end.

Stocks in the United States ended an erratic session mixed today as investors weighed slightly higher oil prices against strong earnings from companies including Verizon Communications Inc and Texas Instruments Inc.

ISEQ and Nasdaq-listed Iona Technologies today announced second-quarter revenues of $14m (€11.6m), down from $15.2m (€12.6m) in the same period last year.

TWO leading Dublin-based PR firms have announced a merger that will catapult the enlarged business into the top three in the Irish market.

Sun Microsystems has reported a 1.6% drop in revenues for its second financial quarter, which ended on December 26, 2004.

Stocks rebounded moderately in New York today as a stronger than expected retail sales report showed that higher oil prices are not scaring consumers off spending.

Sun Microsystems Ireland and the Localisation Resource Centre (LRC) at the University of Limerick (UL) are to establish a Sun Localisation Laboratory at the LRC.

Sun Microsystems has reported strong results for its fiscal fourth quarter and full fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2004.

Microsoft last night reported higher quarterly revenue, driven by strength in the personal computer sector, as overal IT global spending continued to grow.

Sun Microsystems has reported a loss in the third quarter, as big charges weighed on its finances.

Sun Microsystems has reached a landmark settlement with rival Microsoft that will give Sun $1.6bn (€1.32bn).

Stocks tumbled today for the third straight session as investors, increasingly adopting a defensive strategy, bailed out of technology and other higher-risk shares.

Fears over a lack of job growth and a sluggish US economy sent stocks sharply lower today, with the Nasdaq composite index wiping out its gains for all of 2004 and the Dow Jones industrial average nearly following suit.

Disappointing US job growth figures left stocks mixed after a volatile session today, with investors guessing whether the underlying economy was strong enough to warrant current share prices.

The National RoboCode Final to be held in the Thurles campus of Tipperary Institute on March 11.

US technology company Sun Microsystems reported second quarter results better than forecast, with a net loss of $125m (€99m), compared with a year-earlier net loss of $2.28bn (€1.82bn).

UP to 15 members of the Saudi royal family are set to spend up to three months in Ireland this summer as part of the recently announced multi-million euro deal involving show jumper Dermott Lennon’s and the Arab state’s ruling family.

THE man who brokered the recent €1.7m sponsorship deal for show jumper Dermott Lennon says he is planning to announce a further arrangement next week that will make the first “look small”.

THE NEW YEAR is already shaping up to be a watershed in the career of Dermott Lennon.

Blue chip stocks surged to a strong finish in the US today following upbeat economic news.

Motorola has named Ed Zander, former president and second-in-command at Sun Microsystems, to be its new chairman and CEO, replacing Chris Galvin.

Wall Street surged again today lifting the Nasdaq composite index to its best close in nearly 22 months as investors welcomed reports of strong growth in the nation’s manufacturing sector and a hefty rise in construction spending.

Wall Street extended its retreat today after downbeat forecasts from companies such as eBay prompted investor worries that the market had risen too far. The three main indexes finished mixed for the week.

IBM, the world’s biggest computer maker, said it won one of its biggest server-computer contracts this year by charging less than Hewlett-Packard Co.

DELL INC, the world’s second-largest personal computer maker, has said second-quarter profit rose to 24 cents a share as sales increased, while net income was $621 million in the period ended August 1.

US technology stocks appeared headed for another volatile session in early trading as investors digested the impact of the nation's latest productivity and jobless-benefits reports.

In the US, technology stocks dropped sharply soon after the release of weak consumer confidence figures.

A batch of mixed earnings reports flustered Wall Street yesterday as investors searched in vain for strong evidence of a resurging economy by year’s end. Stocks lurched up and down before ending the session modestly higher.

Microsoft does not have to include a rival’s software in its Windows operating system, a US appeals court ruled in overturning a judge’s order.

ParthusCeva has announced the appointment of Chet Silvestri as Chief Executivie Officer.

IONA Technologies has announced the appointment of Chris Horn as chief executive officer and of Kevin Melia as chairman, and the resignation of Barry Morris, Steven Fisch, and David James.