Today's other stories in brief

Microsoft's sales up ahead of Vista launch

Microsoft has prepared for next week's launch of Windows Vista, its first new PC operating system in five years, with figures reporting unexpectedly robust sales across the board from its PC, server and games console businesses in the final quarter of last year.

Wall Street celebrated the news with a continuation of the stock price rally that has now added nearly $100 billion (€77 billion) to the software company's market value since the middle of last year.

Topaz to shed 30 jobs at fuels firms

Topaz Energy, which acquired the Irish retail and commercial fuels business of Shell and Statoil over the past 18 months, is to cut the workforce at the two firms by 30.

It said it plans to offer a limited voluntary redundancy scheme to reduce the number of head office and field-based employees.

Topaz is in the process of merging the businesses of Statoil and Shell and the company said the voluntary redundancy scheme will address the duplication of positions.

United Drug chief earns €695,000

United Drug chief executive Liam Fitzgerald saw his total remuneration increase 20 per cent last year, ahead of the 14 per cent gain in operating profit recorded in the same period.

According to the company's annual report released yesterday, Mr Fitzgerald's remuneration amounted to €695,000, a figures comprising €456,000 in basic salary, €28,000 in benefits and an annual bonus of €211,000.

In the same period - the 12 months to the end of September - the pharmaceutical group recorded an operating profit of €52.2 million.

Porsche aims to beat record profits

Porsche forecast yesterday it would be able to match or beat record profits this fiscal year after income from its Volkswagen stake helped first-half pretax profit surge.

But its shares eased as the market looked past the Volkswagen windfall to focus on weaker car sales and revenue in the six months to the end of January.

Earnings before taxes rose to €1.45 billion from €277.8 million a year before, while profit after tax rose sixfold to €1.05 billion, according to preliminary figures. - (Reuters)

Plans for Belfast quarter unveiled

Plans for Belfast's Titanic Quarter, the largest mixed-use waterfront development in Europe, have been unveiled in Dublin.

Centred on the former shipbuilding land that launched the Titanic, the €5 billion development, with 1.5 kilometres of water frontage, is expected to create at least 20,000 new jobs over the next 15 years.

The 185-acre site, which has the potential to be expanded to 300 acres, will be transformed into a new maritime quarter with mixed uses of housing, business, retail, tourism, education, hotels, restaurants, cafes and bars.

Energia wins DAA electricity contract

Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), the controlling body for Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports, has awarded a tender for power supply to Energia, the electricity supply subsidiary of Viridian Group.

Under the deal, Energia will supply Dublin airport's total electricity needs and electricity to various facilities at Cork and Shannon airports.

The one-year deal may be worth up to €6.5 million.