Debt-laden Dutch chipmaker NXP Semiconductor will not go bankrupt, though some of its peers may fall by the wayside, its chief executive told a Dutch newspaper as the sector endures a crippling downturn. "This will keep us going for a very long time. NXP will not go bankrupt," he was quoted on Monday as saying.

Wachovia Capital Markets analyst David Wong said Micron should take action to raise cash over the next two to three quarters. The Boise, Idaho, maker of semiconductor devices had US$1.03 billion in cash and short-term investments and US$2.9 billion in debt at the end of its fiscal 2009 first quarter, ended Dec. 4, according to Wong.

Taiwan's ex-President, Chen Shui-bian, has been returned to prison pending his trial on corruption charges, after a court reversed a bail order. The Taipei District Court judges are reported to have said there was a risk he could collude with other suspects, destroy evidence and flee the island.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said it believed the minimum wage should not be increased until economic situations had significantly improved.

Ideally, the four companies should come together as one,” Yukio Sakamoto, chief executive officer of Tokyo-based Elpida, said in an interview after confirming the discussions with Powerchip, Rexchip Electronics and ProMOS Technologies. He declined to elaborate on details of the negotiations.

Elpida is talking with Powerchip, Rexchip Electronics and ProMOS Technologies, Yukio Sakamoto, chief executive officer of Tokyo-based Elpida, said in a Bloomberg interview on Dec. 26, without elaborating on details of the negotiations. The four companies combined would challenge Samsung Electronics as the world’s biggest producer.

Turkish television maker Grundig Elektronik has signed a letter of intent to produce Sony brand LCD TVs.

The ministry said Japan aims to have solar power systems installed on more than 70 percent of new homes. The new efforts will also include solar power education in schools, the development of refined deep cycle battery technologies and the installation of grid connections.

The figures, from the retail data service of MasterCard Advisors, show the 2008 holiday shopping season was the weakest in decades, as U.S. consumers cut spending as they confront a yearlong recession, mounting job losses and tighter credit.

Toshiba President Atsutoshi Nishida on Friday called on the government to prepare a safety net for unemployed workers as companies are forced to carry out aggressive layoffs to combat the economic storm. "Assuming a certain degree (of downturn) in business cycles, the government needs to prepare a safety net in terms of employment."

Toshiba will likely delay the construction of a new memory chip plant in western Japan by half a year due to slow progress in land acquisition, the Nikkei business daily said, citing President Atsutoshi Nishida.