Friday, July 18, 2008

'Palimpsest' exhibition by Aussie photographer in Hong Kong

'Palimpsest' exhibition by Aussie photographer Nick Gleitzman receives a warm welcome from the Hong Kong SAR

Hong Kong (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Officiated by the honourable Mr. Les Luck, Australian Consul-General to Hong Kong and Macau, the "Palimpsest" exhibition by renowned photographer and New South Wales native Nick Gleitzman in Hong Kong continues to receive acclaim from local and international media.

The term Palimpsest means "something which usually has diverse layers or aspects apparent beneath the surface."

The series showcases images captured at locations as diverse as Southern China to Stanley and Mid-levels in Central Hong Kong.

Hong Kong and Shenzhen's bustling urban landscape, in sharp contrast with New South Wales' natural surroundings, provides a new spark of inspiration to Nick's creative process. The Palimpsest series reflects this contrast of cultures.

"I was deeply stimulated by everything I saw and I was also immediately struck by the many contrasts that the city contains. At the same time as developing a strong sense of the pace of modern Hong Kong life, I went about recording my first
impressions of this fascinating new landscape."

Since the exhibition's debut, Nick's series have been featured in local and international media such as The South China Morning Post, The Hong Kong Economic Journal, Hong Kong Economic Times and Ming Pao Daily News. Nick Gleitzman also
appeared as a guest on "Morning Brew", a local morning radio show by Radio Television Hong Kong 3.

For more information, please contact:
Edward Leung, Press Officer Tel: +852-2525-7488, Fax:
+852-2525-5118 Email: edward@covattacommunications.com
Mary Covatta, Tel: +852-9318-0518, Email:
mary@covattacommunications.com
SOURCE 'Palimpsest' Exhibition

Technology: SAVVIS opens new data center space in Singapore

Expanded Facility delivers full suite of managed IT infrastructure services & will provide low latency access to the Singapore Exchange

Singapore (BUSINESS WIRE) - In response to growing global customer demand for integrated hosting and network services, SAVVIS, Inc. (NASDAQ:SVVS), a global leader in IT Infrastructure Services for business applications, today announced the opening of its expanded Singapore data center.

Offering more than 18,000 sq ft of raised floor space, the data center builds on SAVVIS' long-term presence in Asia Pacific and the company's continued investment in the region demonstrates excellent business opportunities and confidence in the market.

SAVVIS Singapore provides a broad range of IT infrastructure services including managed hosting, virtualized and utility computing, managed networks, managed security services and consultancy services, to meet the requirements of current customers and other fast-growing enterprises within the Asia Pacific region.

In addition to the full suite of SAVVIS Managed Hosting services, the facility will offer financial customers the ability to host their trading applications in close proximity to major derivatives markets via SAVVIS Proximity Hosting.
Customers can now host at SAVVIS' Singapore data center and will be able to connect via low latency network access to the Singapore Exchange.

New and emerging alternative trading systems can also take advantage of SAVVIS Proximity Hosting for their infrastructure requirements while accessing the SAVVIS community of financial customers.

"We are pleased to expand our presence in Asia and increase capacity for existing and new customers in the region," said Phil Koen, SAVVIS Chief Executive Officer. "In addition, many of our US and European customers are expanding their businesses into Asia and require SAVVIS' flexible IT infrastructure services that can scale globally."

Aye See, Tan, Managing Director of SAVVIS, Asia Pacific, noted, "The Asia Pacific region is experiencing tremendous growth, which creates pressure on companies to manage their IT infrastructure and at the same time manage their costs. We offer IT infrastructure as a utility, completely changing the way companies can manage capital expenditure.

With SAVVIS' infrastructure-as-a-service strategy, businesses now have the option to remove the burden of running their IT operations and increase their focus on business growth. Our offering in Singapore will give companies access to SAVVIS' full portfolio of managed hosting, networking, utility computing and security solutions."

The expanded Singapore data center, and SAVVIS' recently announced plans for a new UK data center, increases SAVVIS total data center footprint to 1.42 million square feet of raised floor encompassing 29 data centers worldwide at year end.

About SAVVIS

SAVVIS, Inc. (NASDAQ:SVVS) is a global leader in IT infrastructure services for business applications. With an IT services platform spanning North America, Europe, and Asia, SAVVIS is an industry leader in delivering secure, reliable, and scalable hosting, network, and application services. These solutions enable customers to focus on their core business while SAVVIS ensures the quality of their IT systems and operations. SAVVIS' strategic approach combines virtualization technology, a global network and multiple data centers, and automated management and provisioning systems. For more information about SAVVIS, visit: http://www.savvis.net.

SAVVIS Forward-Looking Statements This document may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from SAVVIS' expectations. Certain factors that could affect actual results are set forth as risk factors in SAVVIS' SEC reports and filings, including its annual report on Form 10-K and all subsequent filings as well as the risk that potential product cost and performance benefits may not be realized for any particular customer. SAVVIS assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements.

SAVVIS, Inc.
Noel Yeo/ Arundhati Saha(65) 6213 7902 / (65) 6213 7870
Noel.yeo@ogilvy.com / arundhati.saha@ogilvy.com or
Louise Foong(65) 6768 8006 louise.foong@savvis.net

Business: AerCap Holdings to release q2 2008 financial results on August 7

Amsterdam, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - AerCap Holdings N.V. ("AerCap," (NYSE: AER)) announced today that it will host a conference call and webcast for investors and analysts at 9:30 am Eastern Time / 3:30 pm Central European Time on Thursday, August 7, 2008 to review its second-quarter financial results.

The conference call will be hosted by Klaus Heinemann, Chief Executive Officer of AerCap, Keith Helming, Chief Financial Officer of AerCap, and Peter Wortel, Head of Investor Relations.

AerCap's second-quarter earnings press release will be released before financial markets open in the United States on August 7, 2008. A copy of the press release will be posted on the "Investor Relations" section of AerCap's website at http:/www.aercap.com. At the same time, the presentation slides for the conference call will also be posted on AerCap's website.

The call can be accessed live by dialing (U.S./Canada) 800-676-6978 or (International) +1-706-634-5464 and referencing code 54829902 at least 5 minutes before start time, or by visiting AerCap's website at http://www.aercap.com under 'Investor Relations.'

A replay of the call will be available beginning at 10:30 am Eastern Time / 4:30 pm Central European Time on August 7, 2008 and continuing through September 7, 2008. To access the recording, call 800-642-1687 (U.S./Canada) or +1-706-645-9291 (International) and enter passcode 54829902. The webcast replay will be archived in the "Investor Relations" section of the company's website for one year.

About AerCap Holdings N.V.

AerCap is an integrated global aviation company with a leading market position in aircraft and engine leasing, trading and parts sales. AerCap also provides aircraft management services and performs aircraft and engine maintenance, repair and overhaul services and aircraft disassemblies. AerCap is headquartered in The Netherlands and has offices in Ireland, the United States, China, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. In most cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may", "should", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "predicts", "potential" or "continue" or the negative of such terms or similar terminology. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve significant assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.

SOURCE AerCap Holdings N.V.
CONTACT: Investors, Peter Wortel, +31-20-655-9658,
pwortel@aercap.com, or
Media, Frauke Oberdieck, +31-20-655-9616,
foberdieck@aercap.com
Web site: http://www.aercap.com

Education: Victoria University Chancellor to lecture at distinguished speakers

Melbourne - /Medianet International-AsiaNet / - Victoria University's Chancellor, The Hon. Justice Frank Vincent AO QC, is visiting Malaysia this month, and will present a lecture at the Sunway University College as part of the Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah's Distinguished Speakers Series, on Wednesday 23 July.

He will share his views on the thought provoking subject of: 'The Globalisation of Education from a judicial perspective'.

Universities Government and business are all grappling with ways in which they can collectively respond to the increased enrolments and education opportunities for students in the 21st century.

What should universities in developed countries do to respond to this surging demand? More specifically, what have Australian universities done to provide for the needs of young Indonesians, Malaysians, Vietnamese, Indians, Chinese and other Asians. All the time bearing in mind the affordability of education for their parents and the requirements of internationally accepted standards.

Victoria University is hosting a two day "Celebrate VU" event to coincide with this talk, and will be joined at the event by VU alumni and members of Sunway University Colleges student body.

Where: Auditorium 7, 2nd Floor, South Building, Sunway University College, Malaysia
When: Wednesday 23 July 2008
Time: 5.30 to 6.30 pm

Media Contact: Ms Christine White, Media Manager, Marketing
& Communications Department, Victoria University
Ph: +61 (0)3 9919 4322;
mobile: +61 434 602 884
SOURCE: Victoria University

Business: Spirit AeroSystems to release q2 financial results on July 31

Wichita, Kan., (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPR) will release its second quarter 2008 financial results at 6:30 a.m. Central Time, on Thursday, July 31.

President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Turner and Chief Financial Officer Rick Schmidt will participate in a conference call presentation to securities analysts about second quarter 2008 results and company outlook at 10:00 am Central Time.

That presentation will be broadcast via the Internet. It will include charts and a question-and-answer session. The company's news release detailing the results will also be available. The live audio stream and slide presentation can be accessed on Thursday, July 31 at http://www.spiritaero.com investor.aspx.

Individuals are urged to check the website ahead of time to ensure their computers are configured for the audio stream and slide presentation.

On the web: http://www.spiritaero.com

SOURCE Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc.
CONTACT: Philip Anderson, Investor Relations, +1-316-523-1797,
or
Deborah Gann, Corporate Communications, +1-316-519-7340,
both of Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc.
Web site: http://www.spiritaero.com

Technology: Northrop Grumman starts making F/A-18F Super Hornet for RAAF

El Segundo, Calif., (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has begun production of the fuselage section for the first F/A-18F Super Hornet for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

Mechanics loaded the aircraft's first bulkhead components into place July 10 on Northrop Grumman's state-of-the-art F A-18 assembly line in El Segundo. The government of Australia is purchasing 24 F/A-18Fs from the United States in the first international procurement of the Super Hornet. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is already in service with the U.S. Navy as its combat-proven strike fighter.

As principal subcontractor to The Boeing Company, Northrop Grumman is responsible for design and production of the F/A-18E F's center/aft fuselage section and twin vertical tails, integration of all associated subsystems and after-delivery product support. (The "E" model has one cockpit seat; the "F" has two.) Northrop Grumman has delivered more than 1,800 of these fuselage "shipsets."

"This F/A-18 shipset will be built with the same high level of quality as every one we've produced since the program began more than 30 years ago," said George Vardoulakis, vice president of F/A-18 Programs for Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector. "That's a commitment our employees are proud to make, day in and day out, to the men and women in combat who rely on this capable aircraft."

Northrop Grumman's first RAAF shipset will be delivered in April 2009 for final assembly at Boeing's facility in St. Louis, Mo. Australia was one of the original international users of the F/A-18A/B, the first version of the Hornet. Northrop Grumman also has produced structural assemblies for the RAAF's earlier Hornets as part of a capability upgrade program.

The F/A-18E/F program accounts for more than 10,000 jobs in California at more than 700 supplier companies. The Hornet industry team includes Boeing, Northrop Grumman, GE Aircraft Engines, Raytheon and more than 1,800 suppliers in the United States and Canada.

The F/A-18E/F entered service with the Navy in 1999, and more than 360 have been delivered, all on time or ahead of their delivery schedule. With built-in versatility, the aircraft features a suite of integrated and networked systems that provide enhanced interoperability and total force support for the combatant commander and troops on the ground.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.

SOURCE: Northrop Grumman Corporation
CONTACT: Jim Hart of Northrop Grumman Corporation,
+1-310-331-3616,
james.f.hart@ngc.com
Web site: http://www.northropgrumman.com

Business in Asia Today - July 18, 2008

QANTAS TO CUT 1,500 JOBS, SHUT CALL CENTRES
Sydney (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Qantas (ASX:QAN) will cut 1,500 jobs worldwide to try and offset the rising cost of jet fuel.
The carrier has also scrapped plans to hire another 1,200 workers and will retire 22 older aircraft from its fleet of 228. "The jobs to be cut will be principally concentrated in non-operational areas, although operational positions will also go," Chief executive Geoff Dixon said.
He said there will be compulsory redundancies, as well as voluntary redundancies, early retirements, leave without pay, an accelerated leave program and full time jobs moved to part-time.
Its call centres in Tucson, Arizona and London will be shut.

MITSUBISHI CORP TO BUY US$1.18 BLN STAKE IN COAL JV WITH BHP
Tokyo (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Mitsubishi Corp. (TSE:8058) said Thursday it will spend around 126 billion yen (US$1.18 billion) to acquire an interest in a metallurgical coal project in northeastern Australia.
The BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance, a 50-50 joint venture between Anglo-Australian resource giant BHP (ASX:BHP) and Mitsubishi, will purchase 100 per cent of the New Saraji Project from Australian miner New Hope Corp. (ASX:NHC).
BHP Billiton Mitsubishi will take over exploration work from New Hope, with commercial production and exports to Japan and elsewhere to begin as soon as 2013.

CHINA'S POWER GIANTS HUANENG AND HUADIAN TO REGISTER H1 LOSSES
Beijing (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Two leading Chinese power producers, Huaneng Power International, Inc. (SSX:600011) and Huadian Power International Corporation Limited (SSX:600027, SEHK:1071) have respectively issued statements to estimate net losses for the first half of 2008.
It is the first time for the two power giants to incur losses, which are also expected to mirror the across-the-board losses of China's whole thermal power industry in H1, due mainly to sharp rises of the power coal price while the electricity tariff is capped by the government.

PETROVIETNAM, MOROCCAN COS IN US$600 MLN FERTILISER PLANT JV
Hanoi (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - A joint venture between Vietnamese and Moroccan companies will see the construction of a US$600 million fertiliser plant in Morocco to supply Vietnam and other countries in the region.
A memorandum of understanding on investing to build the diammonium phosphate (DAP) plant will be signed by the PetroVietnam Fertilizer and Chemical Company and Office Cherifien des Phosphates (OCP) next month.
The plant will be capable of producing up to 1 million tons of DAP a year.
The plant, to be operational in 2011 is expected to help Vietnam reduce its imports of DAP. OCP is the third biggest phosphates producer in the world and exports 30 million tonnes of phosphates annually.

PT SAPTA MEDAN TO BUILD CPO PROCESSING PLANT IN W SUMATRA
Painan, West Sumatra (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Plantation company PT Sapta Medan plans to build a crude palm oil (CPO) processing plant with a capacity of 40 tons per hour at a cost of Rp80 billion (US$8.7 million) in Pesisir Selatan district, West Sumatra.
"The company is slated to build the plant early in 2009 on 30 hectares of land in Silaut III, Lunang Silaut subdistrict," Pesisir Selatan district head H Nasrul Abit said on Thursday.
The plant is expected to start operating in mid 2010.
Pesisir Selatan is the only CPO producing district in West Sumatra with oil palm plantations covering an area of 70,000 hectares.

TAIWAN'S CPC EYES PARTNERSHIP WITH CANADIAN FIRM ON OIL SAND PROJECT
Taipei (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Taiwan's CPC Corp. sealed a memorandum of understanding with the Canadian-based Indian Oilsands Thursday to pave the way for a possible partnership on oil sands development in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.
CPC noted that oil sands are naturally occurring mixtures of sand or clay, water and an extremely dense and viscous form of petroleum called bitumen, which can be extracted and upgraded to usable products.
Canada has the world's largest oil sands deposits, with at least 315 billion barrels available.

MALAYSIA'S MMC GETS EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO BUILD POWER PLANT IN UAE
Kuala Lumpur (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - MMC Corporation Bhd (KLSE:2194) has obtained exclusive rights to build a power plant in the United Arab Emirates, with a potential capacity of up to 1,000 megawatts.
In a statement here Thursday, MMC Corp said the agreement gave MMC Utilities exclusive rights to conduct technical and economical feasibility studies and once approved, to establish a concession company to manage, operate and maintain the power plant for 20 years.
MMC International chief executive officer, Feizal Ali, said the project followed the group's success in power and water projects in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan and Algeria.

TOP AUSTRALIAN RESORTS UP FOR SALE
Hobart (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Some of Australia's best known resorts are up for sale.
Voyages Hotels & Resorts has announced today its parent company, GPT Group (ASX:GPT), will divest its hotel and resort portfolio.
Tasmania's Cradle Mountain Lodge, Queensland's Lizard Island resort, as well the Northern Territory's Ayers Rock Resort and El Questro Wilderness Park will be sold off with no time frame set for completion of process.
There are 21 hotels within the Voyages portfolio which include more than 1,700 hotel rooms, camp grounds, lodges, touring, retail, catering and an airport operation.
GPT is a property investment company with a core focus on ownership, management and development of retail, office and industrial property.

SOUTH KOREA'S DC CHEMICAL Q2 NET INCOME UP 211% TO US$139 MLN
Seoul (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - South Korea's top polysilicon producer DC Chemical (KSE:010060) said today its second quarter net profit more than tripled on rising overseas demand for the product, a key component of solar panels.
Net income jumped 211.6 per cent year-on-year to 140.9 billion won (US$139 million) in the April to June period, DC said. Sales gained 69.2 per cent to 575.3 billion won while operating income came to 180.1 billion won, up 363.8 per cent from the same period last year.
DC Chemical expects its new plant to be completed by the end of next year, raising its daily polysilicon production capacity from 5,000 tons to 26,500 tons.

RELIANCE IND COMPLETES PHYSICAL LAYING OF EAST-WEST GAS PIPELINE
New Delhi (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Reliance Industries Ltd (BSE:500325) has mechanically completed laying of the East-West pipeline that will ship gas from its eastern offshore fields to consumption centres in the west, but commissioning of the 1,386-km line is not likely before August-end.
After mechanical completion, the pipeline is tested first by water flooding and then filling it with gas to check for leaks and other parameters.
The entire process will take between 20 to 25 days and the pipeline will be commissioned not before second half of August, the source said.
Reliance, he said, bought about 5 million standard cubic meters per day of gas from GAIL India (BSE:532155) for 'gas-in'.

Source:
Business in Asia Today - July 18, 2008
published by Asia Pulse

Business: Algeco Scotsman appoints business development executive oversee expansion

Baltimore (BUSINESS WIRE) - Algeco Scotsman, the leading global provider of modular space and storage solutions, today announced the appointment of William Stokel to vice president of business development. In this newly created role, Stokel will assume global responsibilityfor coordinating all merger and acquisition activities for Algeco Scotsman in its current 19 countries of operation as well as new geographic markets.

"Algeco and Williams Scotsman individually demonstrated strong merger and acquisition capabilities prior to joining together to become Algeco Scotsman in 2007. With our union, we have significantly increased our growth prospects and expansion appetitive.

William's appointment ideally positions us to expedite a global expansion strategy," said Gerry Holthaus, chairman and chief executive officer of Algeco Scotsman.

As vice president of business development, Stokel will augment the company's existing footprint in North America and Europe and will be responsible for identifying acquisition targets in new markets. "While we will continue to focus on organic growth as a way to solidify our leadership position, we believe it's critical to establish dedicated resources to focus exclusively on merger and acquisition activities," Holthaus said.

"William's international experience of more than 25 years across multiple continents coupled with his company tenure make him the ideal candidate for this new role."

Prior to this appointment, Stokel served as general manager for William Scotsman's operations in Spain, where he was instrumental in the acquisition of Wiron Construcciones Modulares. Prior to joining Williams Scotsman, Stokel served as managing director for Goodyear companies in Great Britain, Spain and Turkey.

About Algeco Scotsman

Algeco Scotsman is a leading global business services provider focused on modular space and storage solutions.
Operating as Williams Scotsman in North America and Algeco in Europe, the group manages a fleet of more than 343,000 units, with operations in Belgium, Canada, The Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, The United Kingdom and The United States. The company's legacy is grounded in its reputation for exceptional customer service, effective management of business operations and consistent product innovation. Algeco Scotsman's global presence combined with its local market expertise provides exemplary service tailored to meet the unique needs of customers throughout the world.

Algeco Scotsman
Robert C. Singer, 410-931-6108 Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer

Financial/Bank: ContourGlobal receives approval from OPIC Board for Togo project

New York, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - ContourGlobal Togo, a subsidiary of international power company ContourGlobal, received approval today for $209 million in financing and political risk insurance from the Board of Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) for the construction and operation of a power plant in Lome, Togo.

ContourGlobal's Togo project is the largest electricity investment ever made in the Republic of Togo. The innovative "tri fuel" 100 MW project, expected to be operational at the end of 2009, will be powered by six Wartsila 18V50DF engines (16.6 MW each), which are capable of operating on natural gas, heavy fuel oil, and distillate diesel oil-permitting instantaneous fuel switching capability. The project will run on heavy fuel oil until natural gas becomes available via the West Africa Gas Pipeline.

The project will produce over 780 GWh of electricity and will help the West African nation and the broader region overcome an electricity shortage that has resulted in rolling blackouts and inhibited its economic growth. The project is located within a region that is desperately looking for less expensive and more reliable sources of power.

OPIC will provide up to $147 million in financing and up to $62 million in insurance to ContourGlobal Togo for construction and operation of the power plant. ContourGlobal Togo has entered into a 25-year power purchase agreement by which it will sell electricity generated by the plant to the Togolese electric distribution company, Compagnie Energie Electrique du Togo.

The plant built by ContourGlobal will add a substantial source of reliable, competitively priced power and diversify Togo's power generation portfolio. Joseph Brandt, CEO of ContourGlobal, stated "We are very pleased to have reached this significant milestone in our electricity generation project in Togo and thank OPIC for their dedication and hard work. This innovative project is the largest generation investment in West Africa in over a decade and will catalyze economic growth and improve health and opportunity in Togo and within the region."

Craig Huff, Co-Chief Executive of Reservoir Capital Group, said "Africa has the world's greatest power needs. With the help of enabling institutions like OPIC, investors can receive attractive risk-adjusted returns while substantially lowering the cost of electricity in the region. ContourGlobal has a significant pipeline of new generation projects in Africa and we look forward to making further investments in the region."

ContourGlobal was established in 2005 by President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Brandt and Reservoir Capital Group, a $3.5 billion fund based in New York. ContourGlobal develops, acquires and operates electric power and district heating businesses around the globe and focuses both upon high-growth, under-served markets and innovative niches within developed markets -- such as renewable energy and Combined Heat and Power (CHP). The company currently consists of eight businesses on four continents with approximately 1,000 MW of installed capacity and an active pipeline of new development business totaling 10,000 MW.

Reservoir Capital Group is a privately held investment firm with an opportunistic 'hybrid' investment approach. Reservoir invests directly in public securities and private investments, as well as in partnership with investment teams through the creation of hedge funds and private equity firms in which the Reservoir funds are an owner. Reservoir's opportunistic investment funds currently have approximately $3.5 billion under management.

OPIC, established as an agency of the U.S. government in 1971, helps U.S. businesses invest overseas, fosters economic development in new and emerging markets, complements the private sector in managing risks associated with foreign direct investment, and supports U.S. foreign policy. OPIC's political risk insurance and financing help U.S. businesses of all sizes invest in more than 150 emerging markets and developing nations worldwide.

Visit ContourGlobal on the web at www.contourglobal.com.

SOURCE: ContourGlobal
CONTACT: Amanda Bennett, +1-212-610-9151, for ContourGlobal
Web site: http://www.contourglobal.com

Pharmaceutical: Eurand Industrial Award honors achievement in drug delivery research

Milan, Italy (PRIME NEWSWIRE) - Eurand N.V. (Nasdaq:EURX) and the Controlled Release Society (CRS) announced today that the 2008 Eurand Industrial Award has been presented to distinguished research scientist Felix Theeuwes, D. Sc., in recognition of his achievements in the field of the delivery of bioactives and for his exceptional contributions to the industry.

An independent judging panel, composed of internationally recognized, drug-formulation experts, unanimously selected Theeuwes for his invention of the ALZET(r) and OROS(r) technologies. ALZET(r) Osmotic Pumps are miniature infusion pumps for the continuous dosing of laboratory animals as small as mice and young rats. These minipumps provide researchers with a convenient and reliable method for controlled agent delivery in vivo. OROS(r) extended-release technology employs osmosis to provide concise, controlled drug delivery and is utilized in several high-profile extended release prescription products for the treatment of angina/hypertension, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), overactive bladder, allergy symptoms, hyperglycemia and bronchospasm.

"Eurand is pleased to honor Dr. Theeuwes for his long-standing personal and professional commitment to drug delivery," said Stephen Perrett, Director of Corporate Technologies and Product Portfolio for Eurand. "We hope that the Eurand Industrial Award, now in its ninth year, continues to inspire researchers around the world to strive for innovations that address the many complex questions we face in improving drug delivery."

Theeuwes is Chair, Co-Founder, and Chief Scientific Officer of DURECT Corporation. Theeuwes was with ALZA Corporation from 1970 until 1999, where he invented the ALZET(r) mini osmotic pump and invented and led the development of the OROS(r) technology and related products. He directed research and development in transdermal products, the electrotransport iontophoresis program, and the DUROS(r) osmotic implant program. Theeuwes holds more than 210 U.S. patents covering these systems and has published more than 80 articles and book chapters.

The Eurand Industrial Award, sponsored by Eurand and presented each year in conjunction with the Controlled Release Society Annual Meeting and Exposition, recognizes innovations in oral drug delivery and the longstanding commitment to the improvement of drug formulations. Established in 2000, it is regarded as a premier industry award and is designed to encourage, recognize and reward innovative approaches in oral drug delivery. The Eurand Award is presented to the most innovative scientists in the field for their outstanding research efforts and for their work in advancing oral drug delivery.

About Eurand

Eurand is a specialty pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and commercializes enhanced pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products based on its proprietary drug formulation technologies. Eurand has had four partnered products approved by the FDA since 2001 and has a pipeline of product candidates in development for itself and its collaboration partners. Eurand completed two phase III clinical trials for EUR-1008 (Zentase), intended for the treatment of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency and, as announced on June 18, 2008, received an approvable letter from the FDA for its NDA for this product. Eurand's technology platforms include bioavailability enhancement of poorly soluble drugs, customized release, taste-masking/fast-dissolving formulations and drug conjugation.

Eurand is a global company with facilities in the U.S. and Europe. For more information, visit Eurand's website at www.eurand.com.

This release, and oral statements made with respect to information contained in this release, constitutes forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include those which express plan, anticipation, intent, contingency, goals, targets or future development and/or otherwise are not statements of historical fact including, but not limited to the status of our NDA filing and the plans for MAA filing relating to EUR-1008, enrollment and future plans for our clinical trials, progress of and reports of results from clinical studies, clinical development plans and product development activities. The words "potentially," "could," "calls for" and similar expressions also identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based upon management's current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, which could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Factors that could affect actual results include risks associated with the possibility that the FDA does not approve our NDA or delays approval; the outcome of any discussions with the FDA; and unexpected delays in preparation of materials for submission to the FDA as a part of our NDA filing. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of this date, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Actual events could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements.

-0-
CONTACT: Schwartz Communications
Media Contact:
Caitlin Hunt
+1 781 684 0770
eurand@schwartz-pr.com

Business: W.P. Stewart updates investment performance

W.P. Stewart updates investment performance and assets under management
* Reports Cash Position as of 30 June 2008
* Continues Expense Reduction Program

Hamilton, Bermuda (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -

Investment Performance

W.P. Stewart & Co., Ltd. (NYSE:WPL) today provided a performance update for the W.P. Stewart U.S. Equity Composite (the "Composite"). Preliminary indications are that at 17 July 2008 performance in the Composite, year-to-date, was -7.8%, pre-fee, and -8.4%, post-fee, compared to -13.2% for the S&P 500. For the twelve months ended 17 July 2008, preliminary indications are that performance in the Composite was -11.4%, pre-fee, and -12.5%, post-fee, compared to -17.0% for the S&P 500 for the same period, representing an out-performance by the Composite of an estimated 450 basis points, post-fee.

Assets under Management

The Company also announced that, based upon a preliminary estimate, assets under management (AUM) at 30 June 2008 were approximately $2.1 billion, compared with approximately $2.8 billion at 31 March 2008. This decrease reflects declines in the market value of AUM as a result of performance during the second quarter, withdrawals from client accounts and closed accounts.

Cash Position

The Company had cash and marketable securities at 30 June 2008 in excess of $42 million. The Company has no debt.

Expense Rationalization

Over the past few months a significant reduction in operating expenses has been implemented and further expense rationalization will be undertaken during the remainder of 2008. The Company's objective is to rationalize its expense base in order to return to profitability on a cash basis based on the current level of assets under management.

W.P. Stewart & Co., Ltd.

W.P. Stewart & Co., Ltd. is an asset management company that has provided research-intensive equity management services to clients throughout the world since 1975. The Company is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda and has additional operations or affiliates in the United States, Europe and Asia.
The Company releases composite portfolio investment returns on a monthly basis. These returns are posted on the Company's website at www.wpstewart.com, usually within one week of month-end. A complete history of the performance of the Composite is available on the Company's website.

The Company's shares are listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:WPL) and on the Bermuda Stock Exchange (BSX:WPS).

For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.wpstewart.com, or call W.P. Stewart Investor Relations (Fred M. Ryan) at 1-888-695-4092 (toll-free within the United States) or + 441-295-8585 (outside the United States) or e-mail to IRINFO@wpstewart.com.

Statements made in this release concerning our assumptions, expectations, beliefs, intentions, plans or strategies are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ from those expressed or implied in these statements.
Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the adverse effect from a decline or volatility in the securities markets, a general downturn in the economy, the effects of economic, financial or political events, a loss of client accounts, inability of the Company to attract or retain qualified personnel, a challenge to our U.S. tax status, competition from other companies, changes in government policy or regulation, a decline in the Company's products' performance, inability of the Company to implement its operating strategy, inability of the Company to manage unforeseen costs and other effects related to legal proceedings or investigations of governmental and self-regulatory organizations, industry capacity and trends, changes in demand for the Company's services, changes in the Company's business strategy or development plans and contingent liabilities and our ability to complete the recently announced transactions with Arrow Capital.

The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement included in this press release to reflect any changes in expectations with regard thereto or any changes in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to buy, or the solicitation of an offer to sell, any shares. Stockholders and investors should read carefully the Company's solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9, filed with the SEC on May 28, 2008, as amended, because it contains important information regarding a pending tender offer. Stockholders and investors can obtain copies of the Schedule 14D-9 without charge from the Securities and Exchange Commission at the Commission's website at www.sec.gov.

Stockholders are urged to read carefully the Schedule 14D-9 prior to making any decisions with respect to the tender offer.
-0-
CONTACT: W.P. Stewart & Co., Ltd.
Fred Ryan
441-295-8585

Technology: GSMA calls for entries to the Mobile Asia Awards 2008

New categories for 'Mobile Money', Mobile Internet and a 'Green Mobile' Award

Hong Kong (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - The GSMA, the global trade group for the mobile industry, today made an official call for entries to the Asia Mobile Awards 2008 and the Asia Pacific round of its Mobile Innovation Global Competition, both of which will culminate at the Mobile Asia Congress, Asia's leading mobile communications event that takes place in Macau, SAR People's Republic of China (18-20 November 2008).

The GSMA's Asia Mobile Awards 2008 are designed to showcase change-driving products, services and initiatives from across the mobile industry eco-system and that serve Asian markets. The Mobile Innovation Global Award Competition is a tournament designed for companies with an annual turnover of less than $20 million that are developing and delivering innovative mobile products, services and solutions.

Entry to both award programmes is open from now until 30th September 2008. The categories for both award programmes are as follows:

Asia Mobile Awards 2008
-- Best Mobile Game
-- Best Mobile Music, TV or Video Service
-- Best Mobile Advertising Service
-- Best Mobile Enterprise Product or Service
-- Best Mobile Internet Service
-- Best Mobile Money Service
-- Best Mobile Broadband Handset/Device
-- The 'Green Mobile Award'
Mobile Innovation Global Competition -- APAC Tournament
-- Most Innovative "True Mobile Start Up"
-- Most Innovative "Carrier Infrastructure or Platform"
-- Most Innovative "Consumer Application or Service"
-- Most Innovative "Mobile Application in a Vertical Market"
-- Most Innovative "Wireless Device-centric Technology"

The 2nd Asia Mobile Awards include several new categories for 2008, reflecting the hottest areas of growth, competition and opportunity in Asia's vibrant mobile market, including Best Mobile Internet Service, reflecting momentum behind the
convergence of the web and mobile platforms; Best Mobile Money Service, showcasing early successes for Mobile Money Transfer, Mobile Payments and other financial services, pioneered in many parts of Asia.

The GSMA has also introduced a new 'Green Mobile' Award in 2008, for organisations focused on the reduction of environmental impacts through eco-friendly, innovative
policies, products, programmes and initiatives.

The Asia Mobile Awards will be judged by an independent judging panel comprising analysts, journalists and industry experts will shortlist 5 nominees in each category. Among last year's winners were PCCW, Gameloft, Motorola, LG, Zad Mobile
and Buzz City.

The Mobile Innovation Global Award Competition was created by the GSMA as part of the Mobile Innovation Market. The Market encourages breakthrough technology, applications and services in the mobile industry by bringing together smaller companies developing innovative products and solutions, with industryinvestors from leading venture capitalist firms and senior figures from mobile operators and leading global brands.

From the five Category Winners, two will emerge as Global Finalists and secure a trip to Barcelona to compete against other Global Finalists selected from regional Global Awards tournaments in the Americas, EMEA and a virtual 'on-line' round. The Finalists will compete for the prestigious title of '2009 GSMA Mobile Innovation Global Champion', at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next February.

Companies can enter the Asia Mobile Awards 2008 at http://www.asiamobileawards.com and the Mobile Innovation APAC Tournament at: http://www.mobileinnovation.org/Awards/

About the GSMA:

The GSM Association (GSMA) is the global trade association representing more than 750 GSM mobile phone operators across 218 countries and territories of the world. The Association's members represent more than 3 billion GSM and 3GSM connections -- over 86% of the world's mobile phone connections. In addition, more than 200 manufacturers and suppliers support the Association's initiatives as key partners.

The primary goals of the GSMA are to ensure mobile phones and wireless services work globally and are easily accessible, enhancing their value to individual customers and national economies, while creating new business opportunities for operators and their suppliers.

SOURCE GSMA
CONTACT: Mark Smith of GSMA, +44-7850-229724,
press@gsm.org
Web site: http://www.asiamobileawards.com
http:/
www.mobileinnovation.org/Awards

Entertainment: Illustrious fashion jury for the Triumph Inspiration Award

- Viktor & Rolf, Helena Christensen, Ellen von Unwerth and Sarah from colette among the high profile jury members of the TIA 2008 in Beijing

Munich (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - For the grand final of the Triumph Inspiration Award'08, to take place on July 31 in Beijing, all the competing finalists will be under the scrutiny of one of the most demanding juries to have ever judged lingerie inspiration. The experts are among the best the fashion world has to offer: The Dutch design duo Viktor & Rolf (Viktor Horsting & Rolf Snoeren), Danish Top model Helena Christensen, German Fashion photographer icon Ellen von Unwerth and colettes'chief purchaser and creative director Sarah from colette will join Triumph's Jan Rosenberg in deciding who has presented the most inspired and inspiring lingerie design. The international winner not only pockets the prize money but will also be involved in the adaptation of his her showpiece into a commercial garment, which will be produced in a limited edition and sold worldwide in Triumph stores.

All competitions in the participating countries and regions - in total 31 from India to Israel, from Norway to South Africa and from Brazil to Tokio - have come to a close. Now, it's time for the young national winners, from renowned fashion and design schools from across the world, to prepare for the final in the mysterious and vibrant city of Beijing. Here, they will all personally introduce their concepts and design pieces to the public and the jury in a spectacular show. All designs will be judged upon innovation and creativity whilst interpreting "Female Fascination" (the design theme), individuality and uniqueness, concept, aesthetics, quality (in design and execution) and presentation.

A full overview of all finalists is available at www.triumph-inspiration-award.com - portraits of all finished pieces will be disclosed on July 29, 2008 on the website and on July 31 live in Beijing, in the House of Switzerland.

About the TIA

The Triumph Inspiration Award, inaugurated this year, is a global design competition created by lingerie specialist Triumph International. The Award challenges students from prestigious international design schools to create a conceptual showpiece-set, comprising of an under-wired bra and brief, dedicated to the design motto "Female Fascination" (2008).

Over 30 countries and regions from Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania have participated in the inaugural round and the finalists will meet and compete in pre-Olympic Beijing on July 31, 2008 at the avant-garde 798 Art Zone situated in the Dashanzi Area. Here in Beijing's bohemian quarter the final will take place in the Factory Hall 706 which will be home to Switzerland's National House during the Olympic Period - the >House of Switzerland<.

The international competition winner will pocket Euro 15,000 but even more importantly, his/her showpiece will be adapted and interpreted by the Triumph design team, leading to series-production of the set. The finished product, including special hangtags, will be produced and sold as a special limited edition in selected Triumph stores worldwide.

Triumph International is one of the world's largest underwear manufacturers. The company enjoys a presence in over 120 countries with its core brands Triumph(R), sloggi(R), Valisere(R) and HOM(R). Triumph employs more than 43,000 people and achieves a turnover of CHF 2.5 billion (2007).

Triumph thanks its co-sponsors Wella and Shiseido for their support of the International Final.

Contact:
Triumph International
Karin Lukarsch
karin.lukarsch@triumph.com
Mobile: +49-171-9751293
Source: Triumph International AG

Business: CBB Licence for BSI AG (Generali)

Manama (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) -
- BSI AG (Generali) Obtains CBB Licence and Opens its Representative Office in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) has granted a license to BSI AG (Generali), a major Swiss Private Banking group, with assets under management totaling CHF 94 billion and shareholders equity of around CHF 2.3 billion, to establish an office in Bahrain.

BSI AG (Generali), headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland, is incorporated under the laws of Switzerland, supervised and regulated on a consolidated basis by the Swiss Federal Banking Commission (SFBC). BSI AG specializes in Private Banking & Asset Management services for both private & institutional clients with assets under management of CHF 94 billion, 2,000 employees worldwide and shareholders' equity of CHF 2.3 billion. BSI AG (A1 by Moody's) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Generali Group, a leading player in the global insurance market (Aa3/Stable by Moody's).

The Bahrain office will be BSI AG's first presence in the Middle East region and will be offering advisory services specifically tailored to local needs. The Bahrain office will be headed by Mr. Saad Osseiran, presently responsible for the Middle East Private Banking Desk at BSI Generali UK, Ltd. and will constitute a "regional hub" for the Gulf Area.

"This is a further step, after the opening of BSI Bank Ltd. in Singapore in 2005 and of BSI Generali Asia Ltd. in Hong Kong in 2007 and the latest acquisitions of Ifabanque SA in Paris in 2005 and Banca del Gottardo in Lugano, Switzerland, in 2007, to create a banking group of international standing in the financial asset management sector, with strong roots in Switzerland and Europe and operations in most economically dynamic areas, such as, Middle East and Asia," commented Alfredo Gysi, Chairman of the Executive Board of BSI AG.

"The CBB is delighted to welcome BSI Bank to Bahrain," said Mr. Ahmed Abdul Aziz Al Bassam, Director, Licensing & Policy, at the CBB.

Mr. Al Bassam, then, added: "The region in general, and the GCC particularly, is passing through a sound and renewing boom unprecedented as yet, abreast with serious economic reforms that undoubtedly help foster its momentum and longevity and pave the way for the BSI Group as a new entrant to take advantage in such a rapidly growing financial market."

And according to a new report from AT Kearney, a global strategic management consulting firm, "a whopping USD 4 trillion in Middle Eastern Market is available for investment, in both public and private sectors."

BSI AG was founded in Lugano, Switzerland, in 1873, and is the oldest bank in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. Since 1998 it has been 100%-controlled by the Generali Insurance Group. BSI specialises in asset management and related services for private and institutional clients, and is present in the major financial markets worldwide.

Contact:
Chantal Stampanoni Koeferli
Corporate Communication
Tel.: +41-91-809-39-73
Fax: +41-91-809-40-50
E-Mail: chantal.stampanonikoeferli@bsibank.com
Internet : http://www.bsibank.com
Source: BSI AG

Business: 2008 TPM Asia -- Asia`s container shipping conference in Sept

Newark, N.J., (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Container trade throughout Asia continues to grow exponentially, raising many complex challenges for shippers, carriers, 3PLs, terminals and other industry professionals.

The most pressing issues affecting container trade and logistics in the Europe-Asia, trans-Pacific and Intra-Asia markets -- from an Asian perspective -- will be covered on September 17 and 18 at The Journal of Commerce Conferences Second Annual TPM ASIA Conference: Asia's Global Container Conference. The event will take place at the InterContinental Shenzhen Hotel in Shenzhen, China.

Topics for the conference, whose theme this year is "Reading the Tea Leaves: Gaining insight into a fast-changing environment," include:

Asia Logistics Leadership Roundtable

Staggeringly high fuel prices, port congestion in many developing nations (other than China) and the challenges of integrating a slew of mega-vessels into the global fleet are some of the areas senior executives will discuss in this frank and open dialogue moderated by Journal of Commerce Senior Advisor Peter Tirschwell.

The Asia-Europe Trade: A pivotal market in transition

Growth in the Asia-Europe trade is slowing somewhat this year, freight rates are weakening, and all eyes are focusing on 2009. That's when an influx in new capacity is expected at a time when global growth could continue to slow. Meanwhile, shipping conferences are coming to an end in October 2008 as the European Union eliminates its block antitrust exemption for ocean carriers. Europe's initial 2009 economic outlook and the impact of historic regulatory changes will be topics of this roundtable discussion.

The Intra-Asia trade: It just keeps growing

Intra-Asia is the world's largest container shipping market and growing faster than global container trade. This session will examine the unique dynamics of this market, which faces its own challenges of congestion and the cascading into this trade of larger ships from East-West trades.

Container Security -- beginning of a new era?

U.S. and European governments are becoming increasingly more aggressive on container security, demanding shippers provide significant new information about their container shipments. Leading Customs officials in charge of AEO in Europe and the 10+2 Security Filing in the U.S. will discuss their approaches and major shippers impacted by the new policies will discuss how they are adapting.

The Trans-Pacific: When will it recover and how are shippers adapting?

Panelists will review the U.S. economic outlook, volume slowdowns, when container volumes from Asia might return to a growth mode, and more. They will also discuss how shippers are responding to West Coast labor unrest by seeing alternative routing options often through the Panama Canal.

Conclusion -- The Asian Dilemma: Can sourcing be shifted from China?

Manufacturing, labor and transport costs in China are rising, promoting many shippers to consider or execute a sourcing diversification strategy. However, several alternative Asian markets -- including Vietnam, Indonesia and India -- are years behind China in developing transport infrastructure, presenting challenges to such a strategy. This session will spotlight available options.

TPM Asia Conference speakers include:
-- Vikas Khan, CEO, Emirates Shipping Company
-- C.L. Ting, Managing Director, OOCL (Asia Pacific) Ltd.
-- F. Chris Bourne, Executive Director, European Liner Affairs Association
-- Dr. Helmut Merkel, Member of the Management Board, Arcandor
-- Susanne Aigner, Head of Section, Supply Chain Security, Taxation and Customs Union Directorate General, European Commission, Brussels
-- Rich DiNucci, Director, Security Freight Initiative, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Washington D.C.
-- Peter Levesque, Senior Vice President, Logistics Solutions, CEVA Logistics
-- John Kok, General Manager, CSI, Hutchison Port Holdings
-- Thursday Opening Address: Doug Tilden, CEO, Ports America Group, the largest U.S. terminal operator, stevedore and vehicle processor, with operations in 50 ports and 97 terminals.
-- James Drogalis, Maritime Director, PIERS Global Intelligence Solutions
-- David F. Bennett, Vice President, Sales & Business Development, Globe Express Services
-- Hua Joo Han, Principal, Seacastle Inc., Singapore

To register for the 2008 TPM Asia -- Asia's Container Shipping Conference, contact JoC Conferences at (760) 294-5563 or by email at events@joc.com. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Julie Wallner at (209) 369-0133 or by email at jwallner@joc.com. For more information on the conference, visit: www.joc.com/conferences/tpm_asia .

About Commonwealth Business Media

Commonwealth Business Media Inc., a subsidiary of United Business Media Limited, is the leading information provider to the global trade, transportation and travel market with comprehensive proprietary data, news and analytical content. Its leading brands include The Journal of Commerce, PIERS Global Intelligence Solutions, OAG (Official Airline Guide), Air Cargo World, Traffic World, and Aviation Industry Group, plus a number of directory databases covering the international trade, railroad and trucking markets. The company also produces more than 30 conferences serving the international trade, aviation and maritime markets.

For more information, visit www.cbizmedia.com.

SOURCE Commonwealth Business Media

CONTACT: Renee Jacobs,
Conferences Director Commonwealth Business Media, Inc.,
+1-760-294-5563,
rjacobs@joc.com
Web site: http://www.cbizmedia.com
http://www.joc.com/conferences/tpm_asia / (UBM.L)

Business: New Managing Director joins GEF Investment Team

CHEVY Chase, Md. (BUSINESS WIRE) - Global Environment Fund (GEF) has hired Mr Raj Pai as a managing director for the firm's investment activities in India and South Asia. Prior to joining GEF, Mr Pai was a managing director at CID Capital where he was responsible for investing growth and expansion stage capital in the U.S. and India. Mr Pai will concentrate on investment opportunities within GEF's target sectors with a special focus on clean technology and alternative energy in Asia. Mr Pai will be headquartered at GEF's office in Mumbai, India.

About Global Environment Fund Global Environment Fund is a Washington, DC based private equity firm founded in 1990 with three distinct investment teams focused on clean technology, emerging markets, and international forestlands. The firm manages one billion dollars in private equity investments for institutional investors including university endowments, foundations, family offices and pension funds.

www.globalenvironmentfund.com Global Environment Fund (GEF)George McPherson, 240-482-8933
gmcpherson@globalenvironmentfund.com

Business: Alcoa, Yutong introduce environmentally-friendly buses for Beijing Games

Alcoa, Yutong introduce environmentally-friendly buses for Beijing Games new, aluminum intensive bus body 46% lighter, more fuel and emission efficient

MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-binmmg.cgi?eid=5734213

Beijing (BUSINESS WIRE) - Alcoa (NYSE:AA), the world's leading aluminum company, and Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Company (Yutong), China's largest bus manufacturer and the number two producer in the world, today introduced two new environmentally-friendly bus prototypes that will be displayed and road tested during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing next month. The new aluminum-intensive bus body is approximately 46 percent lighter than a traditional bus and, therefore, requires less fuel and emits fewer greenhouse gases.

The new buses feature Alcoa's spaceframe technology ? used in automobiles such as the Ferrari 612 and all Gran Turismo Ferraris, as well as the Audi A8 which was just awarded the 2008 European Inventor of the Year Award by the European Commission and the European Patent Office for the development of the Audi A8 and its use of high-strength, low-weight
aluminum to build lighter, more fuel efficient and safer vehicles ? as well as Alcoa Dura-Bright? forged aluminum wheels, Alcoa aluminum side and roof panels, and Alcoa fasteners.

The new Yutong buses will now enter extensive road trials, including helping to service transportation needs in Beijing during the Olympic Games and other major cities in China. The newly designed buses are part of a partnership to apply world-class structural design, materials and manufacturing technologies to develop a new generation of energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly buses for China's growing commuting public.

"The partnership between Yutong Bus and Alcoa on the new sustainable bus demonstrates long-term commitment to the support of our government's policy to build mass transportation vehicles in harmony with society ? people and the environment," said Mr Tang Yuxiang, Chairman and Chief Executive of Zhengzhou Yutong.

"We realize that reducing the weight of tomorrow's short- and long-range buses will be essential for improving their sustainability," added Mr Tang Yuxiang, "and that the intelligent application of aluminum is one of best methods possible to achieve such mass reduction."

A recent study by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research in Heidelberg, Germany, which was presented at the 2007 China Aluminum and Transportation Conference in Dalian, revealed that a weight reduction of 100 kg in a diesel-powered city bus making several stops will save 2,550 litres of fuel and significantly reduce C02 equivalent green house gas
emissions over its lifetime.

"Our goal, of course, was to work with Yutong to achieve significantly more than 1000 kg weight reduction per vehicle," according to Mr Jinya Chen, Alcoa's President for the Asia-Pacific Region. "In fact, we achieved a more than 1300 kg weight reduction ? nearly one and a half tons -- or approximately a 10 percent total reduction. The vast majority of the savings include a 46 percent reduction in the bus body, compared with traditional steel bus bodies in use today.

"Our companies believe that through the combination of aluminum spaceframe design and advanced manufacturing technologies, we can achieve significant weight reductions while maintaining the safety and enhancing the sustainability performance of a new family of buses," Mr Chen added.

The aluminum industry is projected to be greenhouse gas neutral by the year 2025 as a result of projected use in the transportation market.

This means that the savings in greenhouse gas emissions from lighter weight, more fuel efficient vehicles will more than offset emissions generated when the metal is first produced.

"Yutong Bus Company looks forward to working with Alcoa on the road trials and to combine the best thinking of both companies to explore the opportunities that aluminum presents to develop a whole new family of ?Green' buses, not only for China but the world. This project shows Yutong and Alcoa as industry leaders in innovation and social responsibility," Mr Tang Yuxiang concluded.

About Yutong Zhengzhou Yutong Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Yutong Group"), with its head office in Zhengzhou, Henan province, is a large-scale enterprise group with bus making as its core business, with engineering machinery and real estate as additional strategic businesses as well as managing its investment portfolios. In 2006, the sales income of Yutong Group reached high up to RMB10,139,800,000, taking up over 22% of the domestic market. In the same year, 22,198 units of Yutong buses were sold and 2,002 buses were exported with the export amount up to USD105 million, increasing 28% compared with the corresponding period last year. The number of Yutong buses all over the world exceeds 120,000, making Yutong an international large-scale bus manufacturing enterprise.

About Alcoa Alcoa is the world leader in the production and management of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina combined, through its active and growing participation in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to customers. In addition to aluminum products and components including flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, Alcoa also markets Alcoa? wheels, fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building systems. The Company has 97,000 employees in 34 countries and has been named one of the top most sustainable corporations in the world at the World Economic Forum in Davos,
Switzerland.

More information can be found at www.alcoa.com
AlcoaInvestor Contact - Greg T. Aschman, 212-836-2674 Media Contact - Kevin G. Lowery, 412-553-1424 Mobile 724-422-7844

High-Tech: AMD Board of Directors Elects Dirk Meyer President and CEO

MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-binmmg.cgi?eid=5734426

Sunnyvale, Calif. (BUSINESS WIRE) - AMD (NYSE:AMD) today announced that its board of directors elected President and COO Dirk Meyer as the company's chief executive officer. Meyer succeeds Hector Ruiz, who will become executive chairman of AMD and chair of the board of directors. As executive chairman, Ruiz will ensure a smooth executive leadership transition, focus on driving the company's asset smart strategy to completion, and assist with high-level government and strategic partner relations.

"Dirk's election to CEO is the final phase of a two-year succession plan developed and implemented jointly by AMD's board of directors and executive team," said Robert Palmer, lead independent director. "Under Hector's strong leadership, AMD drove the industry adoption of pervasive 64-bit and multicore computing, became a trusted enterprise-class partner to leading technology suppliers and significantly expanded its global footprint in high-growth markets like China.

"Dirk's extensive experience as a business leader and his notable engineering accomplishments before and during his 12 years at AMD make him ideally suited to build upon the foundation Hector created and lead AMD.""AMD has fundamentally altered the industry landscape, leading the innovation agenda while delivering greater choice and better experiences for our customers and users," said Ruiz, executive chairman, AMD. "Dirk is a gifted leader who possesses the right skills and experience to continue driving AMD and the industry forward in new, compelling directions. I am placing the company in excellent hands."

Meyer, 46, joined AMD in 1995 and made his mark as part of the design team responsible for the original AMD Athlon? processor, a breakthrough product for AMD and the industry's first processor to break the 1GHz barrier. From 2001 to 2006, Meyer led the company's microprocessor business, overseeing related R&D, manufacturing, operations, and marketing. His leadership skills during these five years resulted in a doubling of revenue for the microprocessor business and a substantial expansion of AMD's global profile. In 2006, Meyer was appointed president and COO, and in 2007, he was elected to AMD's board of directors.

"I'm tremendously excited by the opportunities ahead for AMD. As the only company that possesses expertise and leadership in both x86 microprocessor and graphics technology, AMD has a unique capability to drive the next wave of innovation through the integration of computing and graphics processors to deliver a better computing experience," said Meyer, president and chief executive officer, AMD. "We are in the midst of re-shaping AMD's business model with the goal of delivering sustained profitability through a focus on the core technologies that differentiate AMD. My immediate priority is to work with the leadership team to accelerate this transformation. I appreciate the trust that the Board and Hector have placed in me. During the years that I've worked under Hector, he has been an excellent leader, mentor and friend."

Ruiz, 62, joined AMD as president and chief operating officer in January 2000 and became AMD's chief executive officer on April 25, 2002. He has served on AMD's board of directors since 2000 and was appointed chairman of the board of directors in 2004. His accomplishments at AMD and contributions to the industry include: Expanding AMD beyond the consumer desktop market into the commercial and enterprise market, resulting in AMD technology being used by as much as 90 of the top 100 companies on the Forbes Global 2000 by the year 2007.

Growing AMD's customer base to include the world's top 10 computer manufacturers and the world's top 10 consumer electronics manufacturers.

Redefining the future of enterprise computing with the introduction of the AMD Opteron? processor, paving the way for the industry-standard x86 architecture to deliver the advantages of 64-bit computing.

Sharply growing AMD's global presence, with new teams and new design centers in China, India, and other high-growth markets. In 2007, AMD's international sales represented 87 percent of total consolidated revenue, as compared to 66 percent in 2001.

Focusing the industry on innovating to better meet customer needs.

This strategy, commonly referred to as "customer-centric innovation," has become a hallmark of Hector and of AMD, and is a primary point of AMD's competitive differentiation.

Broadening AMD's platform advantage to include leading-edge graphics and paving the road for the next generation of computing, Accelerated Computing, with the ATI acquisition in late 2006.

Promoting fair and open competition in the global microprocessor market with AMD filing a landmark antitrust suit against Intel. Since 2005, antitrust regulators around the world have validated claims made By Amd Regarding Intel's Illegal Business practices by launching independent investigations that have thus far uncovered evidence of illegal monopoly maintenance that harms consumer choice.

About AMD Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE:AMD) is a leading global provider of innovative processing solutions in the computing and graphics markets.

AMD is dedicated to driving open innovation, choice and industry growth by delivering superior customer-centric solutions that empower consumers and businesses worldwide. For more information, visit www.amd.com.

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, AMD Athlon and AMD Opteron processors are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and used to identify companies and products and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

AMD EDITORIAL CONTACT:Drew Prairie, 512-602-4425
drew.prairie@amd.com or INVESTOR CONTACT:Ruth Cotter,
408-749-3887 ruth.cotter@amd.com

Business: Convergys' second quarter financial results conference call

(Cincinnati; July 17, 2008) - Convergys Corporation (NYSE: CVG), the global leader in relationship management, will hold its Second Quarter Financial Results conference call at 10:00 A.M., Eastern Daylight Time, Wednesday, July 23, 2008.

During the conference call, President and CEO David F. Dougherty and Earl C. Shanks, CFO, will review Convergys' second quarter 2008 financial results.

The call will be presented live and then rebroadcast on the Internet via a link from the Convergys web site, www.convergys.com This link will be available through August 20, 2008.

To receive Convergys news releases by email, click on http://www.convergys.com/news_email.html

(Convergys and the Convergys logo are registered trademarks of Convergys Corporation.)

Investor Contact:
David Stein, Investor Relations
+1 513 723 7768 or investor@convergys.com

Media Contact:
John Pratt, Corporate Communications
+1 513 723 3333 or john.pratt@convergys.com

Business: Intertek and CCIC announce enhanced China trade security program

http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5733451

Chicago (BUSINESS WIRE) - Intertek, the leading provider of quality, safety, and international trade solutions to industries worldwide has formed a partnership with China Certification & Inspection Group Co., Ltd.(CCIC), a transnational inspection, surveying, certification and testing services company, to drive the development of a supply chain security verification process for domestic industry, resulting in greater assurance, risk control, efficiency and cost savings for all participants. The agreement was signed on 12 June 2008 by Intertek Consumer Goods Northeast China General Manager, Mr Fred Bai, and CCIC Vice-General Manager Ms. Chen Fang. Intertek CEO, Dr. Wolfhart Hauser, witnessed this important moment.

The Global Security Verification (GSV) program is the leading international business network for supporting the development and implementation of measures for enhancing global supply chain security.

Since its inception in 2001, GSV has grown to encompass participation from more than 4000 multi-nationals, foreign manufacturers and partner organizations, cooperating to achieve a shared objective of integrating supply chain security into business practice through an collaborative industry approach resulting in greater assurance, risk control, efficiency and cost savings for all participants.

Paul Yao, Executive Vice President of Intertek said, "Intertek is pleased to collaborate with CICC to implement GSV in China. It will enable Chinese manufacturers and exporters to eliminate redundant inspections while also improving export supply chain security and safety. The program will allow smoother exportation of Chinese products, specialized and expedited services for export manufacturing, transportation, warehouses and ports, and, add support to governmental antiterrorism activities in countries around the world including China."

The parties will establish a "CCIC GSV Center"

to offer knowledge, understanding, and opportunity to companies who want to improve the security of their supply chains. The center will also offer professional services to interested parties to comply with good supply chain security practices and applicable laws. The CCIC, utilizing their robust relationship and extensive coverage in China, will seek future support from related authorities to promote GSV in China.

For more information on GSV, please go to: www.importsecurity.comAbout Intertek Intertek (ITRK.L) is a leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries around the world. From auditing and inspection, to testing, quality assurance and certification, Intertek people are dedicated to adding value to customers' products and processes, supporting their success in the global marketplace. Intertek has the expertise, resources and global reach to support its customers through its network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 21,000 people in 110 countries around the world.

For more information, visit www.intertek.comAbout CCIC China Certification & Inspection (Group) Co., Ltd. (CCIC) is a transnational company that is dedicated to providing inspection, surveying, certification and testing services, with authorization from the State Council, and with accreditation by the State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection & Quarantine and the Certification & Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China.

For more information, visit www.ccic.com Intertek
China: Ms. Sara Chen - China Marketing Manager,Intertek Consumer Goods Tel:
+86 755 2602 0538 - qiaoer.chen@intertek.com or
North America: Ms. Ana FernandesTel: +1.212.803.5308 -
ana.fernandes@intertek.com or Rest-of-World: Julie Naujokas -
Communications Manager,Intertek Consumer GoodsTel:
+1.630.481.3114 - julie.naujokas@intertek.com

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Technology: LG Electronics is voluntarily selected microwave ovens

Electrical safety recall

Sydney - /Medianet International-AsiaNet / - LG Electronics is voluntarily recalling selected microwave ovens (manufactured between August 2007 to February 2008) in order to repair a fault which may pose a risk of electric shock to the user.

The products are being recalled because in some cases an internal part of the unit may be loose which may cause an electrical short circuit which will trip the households safety switch. In rare cases this may result in an electric shock to the user in households that do not have a safety switch. This issue does not affect other LG products.

LG Electronics will inspect and, if necessary, repair the unit at no cost to consumers.

Although any risk of electric shock is low, customers are asked to cease use of the product until it has been inspected and repaired.

Customers with the following appliance model numbers and serial number range should contact the Customer Information Line on 0508 643 156 to arrange for an appointment to service the appliance.

Model numbers:
MS-2346VR, MS2347GR
Serial number range:
Serial numbers commencing 708 to 802
Manufactured: August 2007 to February 2008

LG Electronics is liaising with the New Zealand Ministry of Consumer Affairs and New Zealand Ministry of Economic Development in relation to the recall process.

For further information contact the Customer Information Line on 0508 643 156.

LG Electronics would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused to customers.
ENDS

About LG Electronics

LG Electronics (KSE: 06657.KS) is a global leader in providing cutting-edge, convergent electronics, information and communications products designed to meet the diverse needs of fast-changing consumers. With consolidated sales of US$37.7 billion and overseas sales of US$32.6 billion (86% of total sales), LG Electronics employs more than 70,000 employees in 76
subsidiaries located in 39 countries and operates four business units including Mobile Communications, Digital Appliance, Digital Display and Digital Media.

For further information, images or to organise an interview please contact: Nicole Thurston, Burson-Marsteller
Tel: +61 29928 1504 (direct)
Mob: +61 401 677 178
Email: nicole.thurston@bm.com
Fax: +61 2 8805 4201
Bridget Candy, Burson-Marsteller
Tel: +61 2 9928 1549 (direct)
Mob: +61 406 624 284
Email: bridget.candy@bm.com
Fax:+61 2 8805 4201
Distributed on behalf of LG Electronics Australia Pty Ltd,
2 Wonderland Drive, Eastern Creek, NSW, Australia 2766
Phone: +61 2 8805 4000
Source: LG Electronics Australia Pty Ltd

Business: Thomson Reuters publishes Liquent Regulatory Affairs Trends

Philadelphia and London, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - The Scientific business of Thomson Reuters today announced the early findings of its 2008 Liquent Regulatory Affairs Trends Survey.

The survey attracted respondents from across the globe representing small, medium and large pharmaceutical companies and provides a unique insight into emerging and future trends in regulatory product management usage and
adoption.

Now in its sixth year and frequently sourced by pharmaceutical journals and publications across the world, this survey has become the premier benchmark of global regulatory submission trends offering timely insights into how pharmaceutical regulatory professionals use technology today and how they plan to harness technology in the future.

There were 137 Regulatory Affairs professionals working in Life Sciences companies across the globe who participated in this survey. The survey concentrates on four key areas: Technology Usage Trends, including both submission publishing software and other desktop software, Document Management System usage, Regulatory Outsourcing trends, and Regulatory trends including use or future use of the electronic Common Technical Document (eCTD).

The demographic make-up of the respondent population is similar to previous years with almost one third working in large pharmaceutical companies (32 per cent) and more than a third working in small to medium companies (36 per cent).

Another 10 per cent of respondents work for biotechnology companies. There were significantly more respondents from Contract Research Organizations (CROs) in 2008 (10 per cent) than in 2007 (4 per cent). 68 per cent of those surveyed are from the United States and the majority of the remaining respondents are from Europe, with France (4 per cent), Switzerland (4 per cent), the UK (3 per cent) and Germany (3 per cent) the most highly represented.

Survey highlights include:

Technology Usage:

-- Almost all (92 per cent) of the survey respondents make regulatory submissions, a slight increase on 2007 (90 per cent); current use of paper and electronic submissions has remained the same since 2007.

-- Three-quarters (75 per cent) are using submission publishing software, similar to 2007 (67 per cent). Approximately one-third (31 per cent) of those respondents not currently using software are very likely to implement submission publishing software into their process.

-- As in 2007, the SAFE initiative has not yet taken hold in most companies surveyed: only 2 per cent of respondents are currently addressing it.

However, there has been a significant increase in the percentage of companies that are currently using technology to support the FDA Gateway, up to 19 per cent this year, from 9 per cent in 2007.

Regulatory Outsourcing Trends:
-- 30 per cent of respondents do not outsource any of their regulatory operations.
-- Printing (28 per cent) was the regulatory operation outsourced the most by respondents.

Regulatory Trends:
-- Eight in ten (83 per cent) of respondents intend to migrate to the eCTD, with 20 per cent of these reporting they will migrate within the next year.

"This year's survey has once again attracted respondents from across the breadth of the global life sciences industry, with large as well as small to medium sized companies participating," said Jim Nichols, Liquent's Vice President of Product Strategy and Marketing, who launched this worldwide initiative in 2003. "We're particularly excited to see a significant increase in the numbers of Contract Research Organizations (CROs) replying to our survey, further diversifying the population sample."

Full results of the survey are available on request at the following address: http://www.liquent.com/2008survey/

For more information about Liquent regulatory information management services, please go to: http:/www.thomsonreuters.com/products_services/scientific1 liquentinsight

About Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, scientific, healthcare and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs more than 50,000 people in 93 countries. For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.

SOURCE Thomson Reuters
CONTACT: Eoin Bedford of Thomson Reuters, Scientific,
+44-207-433-4691, eoin.bedford@thomsonreuters.com
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080424NYTH069LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Web site: http://www.thomsonreuters.com
http://www.liquent.com/2008survey
http://www.thomsonreuters.com/products_services/scientific1
liquentinsight

Health/Medical: BioWa, Medarex announce license of COMPLEGENT Technology

Princeton, N.J., (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - BioWa, Inc. and Medarex, Inc. (Nasdaq:MEDX) announced today that they have entered into a license agreement which provides Medarex with the first ever access to BioWa's COMPLEGENT(TM) Technology for enhancing the complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) of select Medarex therapeutic antibodies.

The license grants Medarex non-exclusive rights to research, develop and commercialize therapeutic antibodies based on COMPLEGENT(TM) Technology for an undisclosed number of targets. In return, BioWa will receive upfront payment, license fees, development milestone payments and royalties on products. Other details of the agreement are not disclosed.

"We are very pleased to announce this new partnership with Medarex, who is also our first partner for POTELLIGENT(R) Technology," commented Dr. Masamichi Koike, President and CEO of BioWa. "This collaboration with Medarex greatly helps us explore the potential of COMPLEGENT(TM) Technology for antibody-based therapies."

"We are excited about the possibility of enhancing our antibodies with BioWa's technology platform," said Howard H. Pien, President and CEO of Medarex. "Our partnership grants Medarex the first access to COMPLEGENT(TM) Technology and we look forward to investigating its potential as we continue to advance our pipeline."

About COMPLEGENT(TM) Technology

COMPLEGENT(TM) Technology is a new technology developed by Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. that enhances one of the major mechanisms of action of an antibody, CDC. With an approach called isotype chimerism, in which portions of IgG3, an antibody's isotype, are introduced into corresponding regions of IgG1, the standard isotype for therapeutic antibodies, COMPLEGENT(TM) Technology significantly enhances CDC activity beyond that of either IgG1 or IgG3, while retaining the desirable features of IgG1, such as ADCC, PK profile and Protein A binding. In addition, it can be used together with POTELLIGENT(R) Technology, creating an even superior therapeutic Mab (AccretaMab(TM)) with enhanced ADCC and CDC activities.

About BioWa, Inc.

BioWa is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. (TSE:4151), Japan's leading pharmaceutical and largest biotech company, and is the exclusive worldwide licensor of AccretaMab(TM) platform. AccretaMab(TM) platform consists of POTELLIGENT(R) and COMPLEGENT(TM) Technologies, creating a superior antibody molecule with enhanced ADCC and CDC activities. BioWa is offering POTELLIGENT(R) and COMPLEGENT(TM) Technologies to partners under a license to maximize the value of these technologies. Together with Kyowa, BioWa is focused on development of ADCC/CDC enhanced monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics to fight cancer and other life-threatening and debilitating diseases.

For more information about BioWa, visit its web site at www.biowa.com.

POTELLIGENT(R), COMPLEGENT(TM), and AccretaMab(TM) are the trademarks of Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. All rights are reserved.

About Medarex

Medarex is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and potential commercialization of fully human antibody-based therapeutics to treat life-threatening and debilitating diseases, including cancer, inflammation, autoimmune disorders and infectious diseases. Medarex applies its UltiMAb(R) technology and product development and clinical manufacturing experience to generate, support and potentially commercialize a broad range of fully human antibody product candidates for itself and its partners. More than 40 of these therapeutic product candidates derived from Medarex technology are in human clinical testing or have had INDs submitted for such trials, with seven of the most advanced product candidates currently in Phase 3 clinical trials or the subject of regulatory applications for marketing authorization. Medarex is committed to building value by developing a diverse pipeline of antibody products to address the world's unmet healthcare needs.

For more information about Medarex, visit its Web site at www.medarex.com.

Medarex Statement on Cautionary Factors

Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed herein may constitute forward-looking statements, as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements preceded by, followed by, or that include the words "suggests"; "potential"; or "may"; or similar statements are forward-looking statements. Medarex disclaims, however, any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include those detailed from time to time in Medarex's public disclosure filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 and its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. There can be no assurance that such development efforts will succeed or that other developed products will receive required regulatory clearance or that, even if such regulatory clearance were received, such products would ultimately achieve commercial success. Copies of Medarex's public disclosure filings are available from its investor relations department.

Medarex(R), the Medarex logo and UltiMAb(R) are registered trademarks of Medarex, Inc. All rights are reserved.

SOURCE BioWa, Inc.
CONTACT: Laura S. Choi, Investor Relations, +1-609-430-2880,
x2216, or
Nichol Harber, Corporate Communications (media),
+1-609-430-2880, x2214, both of Medarex, Inc.
Masamichi Koike, Ph.D., President and CEO of BioWa, Inc.,
+1-609-734-3420
Web site: http://www.biowa.com
http://www.medarex.com
(MEDX)

Pharmaceutical: Raptor Pharmaceuticals enters collaboration agreement

Novato, Calif., (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp. ("Raptor" or the "Company") (OTC Bulletin Board: RPTP), today announced the execution of a collaboration agreement (the "Agreement") with the University of California, San Diego ("UCSD") to include a Phase 2a clinical trial to evaluate a delayed-release preparation of cysteamine bitartrate ("Cysteamine") in adolescents diagnosed with Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis ("NASH").

NASH is a progressive form of liver disease that accounts for approximately 10 per cent of newly diagnosed cases of chronic liver disease, and ranks as one of the leading causes of cirrhosis of the liver in the U.S.

Under the terms of the Agreement, clinical researchers from UCSD will perform the Phase 2a study at the University's General Clinical Research Center, and Raptor will provide funding and clinical supply of Cysteamine. In March 2008, Raptor acquired an exclusive, worldwide license to certain intellectual property and development rights from UCSD surrounding the use of Cysteamine as a potential treatment for NASH.

A rapid-release form of Cysteamine is currently approved for sale by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") for the treatment of nephropathic cystinosis, a rare, genetic lysosomal storage disease. Raptor is currently developing DR Cysteamine, a proprietary, delayed-release formulation of Cysteamine, designed to improve bioavailability and potentially reduce side effects associated with the presently marketed form.

Ted Daley, President of Raptor's clinical division stated, "We look forward to working with UCSD, one of the leading research universities in the nation, under this collaboration agreement. The University's clinical researchers have specific expertise in treating NASH patients, and have also worked extensively with Cysteamine. We are fortunate to work with this team to investigate our drug candidate's potential in this widespread liver disease.

NASH is a particularly significant unmet medical need with no current treatment options beyond diet and exercise. If this initial trial shows promising results, we will continue the development through an appropriate dosage form of our proprietary DR Cysteamine formulation for NASH patients."

NASH is believed to affect 2 per cent to 5 per cent of the U.S. population. While commonly diagnosed in overweight adults and children with and without insulin-resistant diabetes and abnormal serum lipid profiles, NASH can also occur in persons of average weight.

Though most people with NASH feel healthy and show no outward signs of liver disease, NASH causes liver scarring and potentially leads to cirrhosis and liver failure. In more severe cases, the progressive nature of NASH may require liver transplantation in affected patients.

Ranjan Dohil, Professor of Pediatrics at UCSD, commented, "The opportunity for DR Cysteamine in NASH could become a potentially significant breakthrough for these patients. Our collaboration with Raptor allows us to run this clinical trial by leveraging the University's resources and scientific capabilities with Raptor's instrumental support in funding, providing drug supply, and offering formulation expertise."

About Cysteamine and DR Cysteamine

Cysteamine is approved for sale by the FDA and European Medicines Agency to treat nephropathic cystinosis, a rare, genetic lysosomal storage disease. DR Cysteamine is designed as an improved, enterically coated, oral formulation of Cysteamine. Compared to the currently marketed formulation, DR Cysteamine could allow less frequent dosing, improving compliance and potentially reducing gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea and vomiting.

Raptor obtained an exclusive, worldwide license to DR Cysteamine, as well as orphan drug designation from the FDA for DR Cysteamine for the treatment of nephropathic cystinosis, through its December 2007 merger of Encode Pharmaceuticals. In March 2008, Raptor acquired an exclusive, worldwide license to the intellectual property and development rights for use of Cysteamine and DR Cysteamine for the treatment of NASH. The Company plans to initiate a Phase 2a clinical trial in collaboration with the University of California, San Diego ("UCSD") to evaluate Cysteamine in patients with NASH. In May 2008, Raptor received orphan drug designation from the FDA for DR Cysteamine for the treatment of Huntington's Disease.

About Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp.

Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp. ("Raptor") is a development-stage biopharmaceutical company leveraging novel drug-targeting platforms and reformulated therapeutics to improve treatment outcomes among patients with liver disorders, infectious diseases, cancer, and various orphan indications. The Company's clinical division advances internally developed and in-licensed clinical-stage product candidates towards marketing approval and commercialization and is currently involved in clinical trials in patients with aldehyde dehydrogenase ("ALDH2") deficiency as part of Raptor's Convivia(TM) program and nephropathic cystinosis as part of Raptor's DR Cysteamine program. Raptor's preclinical division bioengineers novel drug candidates and drug-targeting platforms derived from the human receptor-associated protein ("RAP") and related proteins to target cancer, neurodegenerative disorders and infectious diseases. Raptor's preclinical programs include HepTide(TM), WntTide(TM) and NeuroTrans(TM).

For additional information, please visit www.raptorpharma.com.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This document contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to future events or our future results of operation or future financial performance, including, but not limited to the following statements: Raptor's ability to develop DR Cysteamine to improve bioavailability, reduce side effects and reduce dosage frequency; Raptor's ability to develop DR Cysteamine for the treatment of Cystinosis; Raptor's ability to develop an appropriate dosage form of DR Cysteamine for NASH patients; and Raptor's ability to formulate and manufacture DR Cysteamine in clinical quantities to support clinical trials. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause our actual results to be materially different from these forward-looking statements. Factors which may significantly change or prevent our forward looking statements from fruition include that we may be unsuccessful in developing any products or acquiring products; that our technology may not be validated as we progress further and our methods may not be accepted by the scientific community; that we are unable to retain or attract key employees whose knowledge is essential to the development of our products; that unforeseen scientific difficulties develop with our process; that our patents are not sufficient to protect essential aspects of our technology; that competitors may invent better technology; that our products may not work as well as hoped or worse, that our products may harm recipients; and that we may not be able to raise sufficient funds for development or working capital when we require it. As well, our products may never develop into useful products and even if they do, they may not be approved for sale to the public. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. Certain of these risks, uncertainties, and other factors are described in greater detail in our filings from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which we strongly urge you to read and consider, including our Registration Statement on Form SB-2, as amended, that was declared effective on July 10, 2006; our annual report on Form 10-KSB filed with the SEC on November 14, 2007; and our Form 10-QSB filed with the SEC on July 9, 2008, all of which are available free of charge on the SEC's web site at http:/ www.sec.gov. Subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or to persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements set forth in our reports filed with the SEC. We expressly disclaim any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

For more information, please contact:
The Ruth Group
Sara Ephraim (investors) / Janine McCargo (media) +1(646) 536-7002/+1(646) 536-7033
sephraim@theruthgroup.com / jmccargo@theruthgroup.com

SOURCE: Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp.
CONTACT: Investors, Sara Ephraim, +1-646-536-7002,
sephraim@theruthgroup.com, or
Media, Janine McCargo, +1-646-536-7033,
jmccargo@theruthgroup.com,
both of The Ruth Group, for Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp.
Web site: http://www.raptorpharma.com