Business in Asia Today - March 24, 2008

SAMSUNG TO INVEST US$214 MLN IN LCD PLANT
SEOUL (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Samsung Electronics Co. (KSE:05930), a South Korean electronics giant, plans to invest 214.7 billion won (US$214 million) to build a liquid crystal display (LCD) plant, the company said in a regulatory filing.
The investment is most likely to be made in its plant operated jointly with Sony Corp. (TSE:6758), located south of Seoul in Tangjeong, according to industry watchers.
The company did not give further details. Samsung and Sony set up a US$2 billion joint venture, S-LCD Corp., in South Korea in April 2005, initiating cooperative efforts in the LCD sector.

INDONESIAN PLANTATION FIRM TO STAGE IPO IN APRIL
JAKARTA (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - PT Gozco Plantations has said it will sell 1.5 billion shares or 30 per cent of its shares in an initial public offering (IPO) to be held next month.
The company said it hoped to secure approval from the capital market and financial agency watchdog Bapepam in the first week of next month. The company has named CLSA and Semesta Indovest as lead underwriters.
It said that 10 per cent of the funds from the share sales would be used to repay a debt owed by subsidiary PT Suryabumi and 15 per cent to increase its working capital, with the rest to finance seedling growing and cultivation.

JAPANESE FUND BUYS 5 PER CENT OF VIETNAM'S DIGINET
HANOI (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - The Ho Chi Minh City-based Dinh Gia Net Joint Stock Corp (DigiNet) and the Japan Vietnam Growth Fund (JVGF) signed a strategic partnership agreement on March 21.
Under the agreement, the fund will purchase a five per cent stake in DigiNet, a leading company in the business management software sector.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the chairman of DigiNet's management board, Tran Dao Anh, said the agreement marked a new development for DigiNet. "It offers DigiNet a good opportunity to enter a new market - Japanese companies in Vietnam - and later the Japanese market," said Anh.

MIZUNO CORP TO OPEN FRANCHISE CHAIN IN SOUTH KOREA
TOKYO (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Japan's Mizuno Corp. (TSE:8022) is making a full-scale entry into the South Korean market by opening a chain of franchise stores there that will exclusively offer the firm's products.
The company began opening Mizuno Shop stores last month and will have 19 in operation by the end of March.
It plans to expand the chain to 30 stores in 2008 and 160 by 2012. Development of the chain is being entrusted to a local sales agent which until now has wholesaled Mizuno products.

TOP MALAYSIAN LENDER BUYS STAKE IN VIETNAMESE BANK
HANOI (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Malaysia's top lender, Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank), said that it had signed an agreement with Vietnam's An Binh Commercial Joint Stock Bank to acquire a 15 per cent stake in the An Binh Bank for 430 million ringgit (roughly US$135.2 million) cash.
Maybank said in a recent statement that it may also take up an additional 5 per cent equity in the near future, pending approval by the Vietnamese Government.
Vietnam's current regulations allow foreign banks to own up to 15 per cent equity in a Vietnamese bank with the possibility of increasing the stake to 20 per cent - subject to approval by the government, Malaysia's The Star newspaper reported.

TOYOTA TO BUILD NEW ENGINE PLANT IN JAPAN
NAGOYA (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Toyota Motor Corp. (TSE:7203) plans to open a factory in Miyagi Prefecture to begin manufacturing small-displacement engines for subcompact cars in around 2010, The Nikkei learned Friday.
The company's fifth engine plant in Japan will likely start up with an annual production capacity of roughly 200,000 units. The investment is estimated at about 20-30 billion yen (US$200.9 million-$301.4 million).
The engine factory, the leading Japanese automaker's first in the northern Japanese region of Tohoku, is expected to be built near the town of Taiwa, where Toyota Motor Tohoku Corp. makes brake parts and other car components.

MALAYSIA'S PARKSON TO BUILD SHOPPING MALL IN KUALA LUMPUR
KUALA LUMPUR (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Parkson Holdings (KLSE:5657) said its wholly-owned unit Spring Active Sdn Bhd will build a shopping mall in Setapak in Kuala Lumpur at a total cost of RM214 million (US$67.2 million).
The mall, which will have three floors of retail space and minimum gross retail area of 690,000 sq ft, is due for completion in the second half of June 2009, Parkson said in a statement to Bursa Malaysia on March 21.
The mall will also have a basement floor of 328,000 sq ft made up of about 900 car parking bays, 140 motorcycle bays and 6,700 sq ft of retail shops.

KOREA'S KOOKMIN BANK TO SPIN OFF CREDIT CARD UNIT
SEOUL (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - South Korea's top lender, Kookmin Bank (KSE:060000), said Thursday it plans to spin off its credit card unit next year after setting up a holding company as part of its efforts to beef up its non-banking business.
Kookmin Bank plans to form the holding company, tentatively named KB Financial Holding Co., in September to spin off the credit card business within one year, the lender said in a regulatory filing.
Kookmin's board decided to apply to establish the holding company earlier in the day, and submitted a preliminary application to the financial watchdog, the Financial Services Commission.

MARUBENI UNIT TO SELL NEW U.S.-MADE BUSINESS JETS IN JAPAN
TOKYO (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - A wholly-owned Marubeni Corp. (TSE:8002) subsidiary will this spring begin Japanese sales of a new corporate jet developed by U.S. firm Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. The G650 can fly nonstop for 13,000km, outperforming other currently available luxury models.
From Tokyo, the executive jet can cover all of the Northern Hemisphere and reach northern sections of South America, as well as major cities in North Africa.
With a maximum cruise speed of Mach 0.9, the aircraft flies between Tokyo and New York in a little more than 13 hours. The business jet will be sold for $US58.5 million or about 5.8 billion yen, with delivery to start in 2012.

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS TO BUILD HANDSET PLANT IN VIETNAM
SEOUL (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Samsung Electronics Co. (KSE:05930) said Friday it plans to build a mobile phone plant in northern Vietnam.
The company said in a regulatory filing that it will channel 50.5 billion won (US$50.1 million) to its holding company in Singapore to establish the Vietnamese subsidiary, tentatively named Samsung Electronics Vietnam.
The plant, to be located in Bac Ninh Province, 30 kilometers northeast of Hanoi, will initially have an annual production capacity of 30 million units, which may expand up to 100 million in the future.

Source:
Business in Asia Today - Mar. 24, 2008
published by Asia Pulse

COPYRIGHT © 2008

NTT Com to establish representative office in Moscow

Tokyo Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet - NTT Communications (NTT Com) announced today that it will establish a physical presence in the Russian market by opening a representative office in Moscow on April 1.

The office, which will start with a staff of five, will engage primarily in researching the Russian telecommunications market and promoting NTT Com's wide variety of services for enterprise customers.

According to Kazuyoshi Terada, Vice President of Business Strategy, Global Business Division: "The NTT Communications Moscow Representative Office will strengthen NTT Com's ability to develop and serve multinational enterprise customers who require high-quality one-stop ICT solutions and network resources in the Russian market."

Russia has become an extremely attractive market for multinational corporations due to its rapid economic growth in recent years.

Its GDP in 2007 grew 7.6 %, led largely by non-tradable services and goods for the domestic market, as opposed to oil and mineral extraction and exports in recent years.

To meet the rising demand for network connection between the Far East and Europe, NTT Com and TransTelecom Company CJSC, Russia's leading backbone telecom operator, formed a partnership in February 2007 to establish a 500km high-capacity undersea fiber-optic cable.

The Hokkaido-Sakhalin Cable System (HSCS) has the capability of transmitting data at up to 640 gigabits per second between Ishikari, Hokkaido in Japan and Nevelsk, Sakhalin in Russia.

About NTT Com

The NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com) provides information and communications technology (ICT) solutions worldwide with dedicated professionals stationed in 21 countries.

Renowned as an IPv6 technology pioneer and managed service expert, NTT Com offers diverse high-quality IP, Web-based, and managed network solutions combining network management, security, ubiquitous, Web portals/engines, and global services.

Its world-class Tier 1 Internet backbone and secure closed networks with over 98,000 MPLS ports, combined with the networks of partner companies around the world, connect more than 200 countries.

The company earned non-consolidated revenues exceeding one trillion yen (about 10 billion USD) in fiscal 2006 ended March 31, 2007.

NTT Com started as a long-distance phone company in 1999 after the reorganization of the NTT Group, and is the wholly-owned subsidiary of NTT, one of the world's largest telecommunications companies. NTT is listed in Japan, London and New York stock exchanges. Please visit www.ntt.com.

Source: NTT Communications Corporation
Contact: Go Akimoto or Shihoko Kato Global Business Division
NTT Communications Tel. +81-3-6800-4500 E-mail: marketing-gl@ntt.com

Darley purchases Inghams' bloodstock operations

Sydney, Medianet International-AsiaNet - Darley Australia has signed an agreement to purchase the bloodstock operations of Inghams Enterprises.

The purchase agreement is subject to approval by the Foreign Investment Review Board.

"The sale of the bloodstock business was not something I was contemplating," Bob Ingham said today. "Once approached by Darley, I decided it was an opportunity that I should accept."

"The sale is on a 'walk-in, walk-out' basis. I will however be keeping our racing colours and will continue to race horses.

"Not only is it in the long-term interest of the company, it also secures the continuation of the bloodstock business and the employment of the team."

Further, it takes the business under Darley, a global breeding and racing operation, into a new and exciting phase.
It's a win-win for all parties," Mr Ingham said.

Announcing the purchase, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Darley's Principal said: "I have long admired the love Australians have for the horse and for racing.
The Ingham family have made a significant contribution to Australian racing and to the thoroughbred and I am looking forward to building on their success. I am delighted to be making this commitment".

ENDS

Media contact
(Darley):
Trent Mumford
+61 412-115-400
(Inghams): Emma Norgrove
(Reed Weir)
+61 294-362-088

ABOUT DARLEY IN AUSTRALIA

Darley is HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's global thoroughbred breeding operation.

Darley currently operates thoroughbred stud farms in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States of America, Japan and Australia. Darleys Australian farms are located at Aberdeen in New South Wales and Seymour in Victoria.

Darley currently employs around 100 people in Australia and was established here in 2001.

ABOUT INGHAMS BLOODSTOCK OPERATIONS

Bob Ingham and his late brother Jack have been involved in racing for over 40 years.

In 1985 Woodlands Stud at Denman in the Hunter Valley was purchased by Inghams Enterprises. Inghams Bloodstock operations now span the property at Denman along with another stud farm at Cootamundra. In addition, there are training stables at Warwick Farm in Sydney and Flemington in Melbourne, as well as two pre-training centres on the outskirts of Sydney.

There are currently approximately 230 people employed in Inghams Bloodstock operations, all of whom will be guaranteed continuity of employment by Darley.

SOURCE: Darley and Inghams

Entropic Communications partners with Jiuzhou Electronics

Entropic Communications partners with Jiuzhou Electronics to deliver next generation digital cable set-top boxes
Jiuzhou Electronics selects Entropic's RF4800 silicon tuner for digital cable set-top box platform

Mianyang, China (PRIME NEWSWIRE) - Entropic Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:ENTR), a leading provider of silicon solutions to enable connected home entertainment, has further increased its presence in China, the world's largest cable market. Today, Entropic announced that its RF4800 silicon tuner for digital cable set-top box design has been selected by Jiuzhou Electronics as a platform for their next generation digital cable set-top boxes. Jiuzhou Electronics is a leading backbone enterprise manufacturer of complete electronic systems for Digital Video Broadcasting, including DVB Systems for CATV system and Hybrid Fiber Cable (HFC) networks.

Speed to Market, Increased Integration and High Performance

The rapid conversion from analog cable to digital cable broadcasting in China has resulted in higher performance requirements and accelerated development cycles for cable operators.

"We are seeing a high demand for more integration and increased performance requirements. These requirements havecreated the need for innovation and new approaches, such as silicon tuners for digital set-top box applications," said Mr. Wang Qiang, Vice General Manager of Jiuzhou Electronics.
"Jiuzhou Electronics partnered with Entropic Communications to develop a new generation of set-top boxes for digital cable applications. Entropic's RF4800 digital cable tuner delivers high performance even in older cable networks and provides our engineering teams with more efficient design and manufacturability. We look forward to more cooperation and joint developments in the digital cable market with Entropic Communications."

With superior signal sensitivity and a broad dynamic range, Entropic's RF4800 DVB-C silicon tuner is the perfect complement to Jiuzhou Electronic's existing technologies. The RF4800 provides all required RF and analog signal processing from the antenna to the demodulator IC input, including all front-end functions, a band-pass tracking filter, frequency conversion, staged gain control, and channel filtering blocks.

Eliminating Discrete Receiver Designs

As China's cable broadcasters are upgrading their cable plants from analog to digital cable technology, the need to rapidly implement high-quality digital cable set-top boxes (DVB-C) has become a top priority. High performance silicon tuners are capable of meeting the performance requirements of cable operators and are essential to the design of new set-top boxes capable of delivering digital video to subscribers.

"As the transition to digital cable accelerates, we are seeing more companies searching for ways to shorten product development cycles," stated John Graham, VP of Marketing at Entropic Communications. "Our RF product family meets this demand by providing manufacturers with an RF integrated circuit that eliminates the need to develop discrete receiver designs.
We are proud to be partnering with Jiuzhou Electronics to bring the next generation digital cable set-top box solutions to
market."

Jiuzhou Electronics is a top innovator in the design and development of digital set-top boxes. The company is a leader in the design and manufacture of products that comply with the DVB standard, including digital satellite television receivers and digital cable set-top boxes. Jiuzhou currently has over 20% of the DVB-C market share in China for digital cable set-top boxes and sells its solutions into Europe, Australia, North America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

About Jiuzhou Electronic Technology

Sichuan Jiuzhou Electronic Technology Co., Ltd, located in the science and technology focused city of Mianyang, Sichuan Province in western China, is a large backbone enterprise engaged in research, manufacture and trade of complete electronic units including DVB System, CATV system, HFC networks (Hybrid Fiber Cable), etc. Over its 45-year history, Jiuzhou has become a large-scale enterprise group possessing total assets of USD131 million and covering an area of 410,000 square meters with 5200 employees. Jiuzhou is the first company to receive ISO9000 certification in DVB-systems over HFC cable in China. It is the first state level high-tech enterprise in Sichuan recognized by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of China and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Jiuzhou is one of 520 key national enterprises that are a State authorized technology center and post-doctoral program center.

Jiuzhou CATV products have been leading the market in China for 18 years, and are growing in popularity in Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

About Entropic Communications

Entropic Communications, Inc. is a leading fabless semiconductor company that designs, develops and markets systems solutions to enable connected home entertainment. The company's technologies significantly change the way high-definition television-quality video and other multimedia content such as movies, music, games and photos are brought into and delivered throughout the home.
For more information, please visit www.entropic.com.

The Entropic Communications logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=4255

Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical in nature constitute "forward-looking statements."
Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the functionality, advantages and deployment of Entropic's RF 4800 silicon tuner and the Chinese digital cable market. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause Entropic's actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the effects of competition; Entropic's dependence on a limited number of customers and ultimately service providers; Entropic's ability to introduce new and enhanced products on a timely basis; the risk that the market for high-definition television-quality video and other multimedia content delivery solutions based on the MoCA standard may not develop as anticipated; the effect of intellectual property rights claims; risks related to Entropic's international operations; and other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of Entropic's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Entropic is providing this information as of the date of this release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

-0- CONTACT: Entropic Communications, Inc.
Media Contact:
Susan Huberman, VP, Corporate Communications
858-768-3711
susan.huberman@entropic.com
Investor Contact:
Debra Hart, Director, Investor Relations
858-768-3852
debra.hart@entropic.com
GlobalFluency
Media Contact:
Richard L. Tso
650/433-4153
rtso@globalfluency.com

Entropic Communications and Earda Electronics partner

Entropic Communications and Earda Electronics Partner to Deliver Digital Video Over Cable (DVB-C) Tuner Modules
China's largest tuner module manufacturer has selected Entropic's RF4800 single chip silicon tuners for network interface modules for DVB-C set-top box applications

Guangzhou, China - Entropic Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:ENTR) a leading provider of silicon solutions to enable connected home entertainment, today announced that Earda Electronics Ltd. has selected Entropic's RF4800 single chip silicon tuners for their digital cable tuner modules. Earda is China's largest manufacturer of silicon tuner modules for the Digital Terrestrial (DVB-T) and Digital Satellite (DVB-S) markets and is focused on meeting the demands of the rapidly growing Digital Cable (DVB-C) set-top box market.

Addressing the Demands of Cable Operators

Earda is a well-known and established Chinese brand with the reputation for designing and manufacturing digital tuner modules that comply with the DVB standard. As Chinese cable broadcasters upgrade their cable infrastructure to utilize digital cable technology, there is a need for high-performance digital cable tuners and set-top boxes that can deliver digital video to their subscribers.

"Up to now, Chinese set-top box manufacturers could only meet cable operator requirements by utilizing expensive discrete tuner modules from traditional suppliers," said Mr. Jeffrey Geng, General Manager of Earda Electronics. "With Entropic's tuner, we are now able to offer the Chinese set-top box vendors a compact, high performance DVB-C tuner module based on advanced silicon tuner technology."

RF4800 Advanced Silicon Tuner Technology

Entropic's RF4800 is a single chip silicon tuner for DVB-C TV and set-top box applications that provides all required RF and analog signal processing from the antenna to the demodulator IC input. The IC includes a front-end Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) and Automatic Gain Control (AGC), a band-pass tracking filter, frequency conversion, staged gain control, and channel filtering blocks. Other circuits included are the synthesizer, a separate loop-through amplifier, and a combiner for a remodulated TV signal. The tuner supports 6, 7, and 8Mhz programmable channel bandwidths. In addition, the RF4800 features AdaptiveTune(tm) control technology and improves receiver performance while reducing the bill-of-material component count.

"With our advanced RF silicon solutions and subsystems expertise, we can provide a variety of tuner solutions to our customers," stated John Graham, VP of Marketing at Entropic Communications. "Entropic's RF4800 single chip silicon tuner is the core of a production-ready RF front end for Earda's tuner modules. We are please to work with Earda to provide a fast time-to-market, robust, and easy-to-deploy solution for bringing digital terrestrial and cable-compatible consumer electronics devices to market."

About Earda Electronics

Earda Electronics Ltd., established in 1999, is a professional manufacturer of DVB Tuners used in Digital TV Set-top box. In 2004, Earda DVB Tuner's sales were the highest in mainland China. Earda, who has a powerful R&D team and a strict quality controlling system, researched and developed the whole series of DVB-S/T/C Tuner. Earda Tuners have low threshold, high reliability and consistency and meet international standards suitable for worldwide markets. Earda Tuner has become a famous brand of DVB Tuner. Earda also provides powerful technical support service both on hardware and software, assisting customers to solve problems in R&D or manufacturing process and to launch products to market in short order.

About Entropic Communications

Entropic Communications, Inc. is a leading fabless semiconductor company that designs, develops and markets systems solutions to enable connected home entertainment. The company's technologies significantly change the way high-definition television-quality video and other multimedia content such as movies, music, games and photos are brought into and delivered throughout the home. For more information, please visit www.entropic.com

The Entropic Communications logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=4255

Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical in nature constitute "forward-looking statements." Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the functionality, advantages and deployment of Entropic's RF 4800 silicon tuner and the Chinese digital cable market. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause Entropic's actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the effects of competition; Entropic's dependence on a limited number of customers and ultimately service providers; Entropic's ability to introduce new and enhanced products on a timely basis; the risk that the market for high-definition television-quality video and other multimedia content delivery solutions based on the MoCA standard may not develop as anticipated; the effect of intellectual property rights claims; risks related to Entropic's international operations; and other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of Entropic's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Entropic is providing this information as of the date of this release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking
statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

-0- CONTACT: Entropic Communications, Inc.
Media Contact:
Susan Huberman, VP, Corporate Communications
858-768-3711
susan.huberman@entropic.com
Investor Contact:
Debra Hart, Director, Investor Relations
858-768-3852
debra.hart@entropic.com
GlobalFluency
Media Contact:
Richard L. Tso
650/433-4153
rtso@globalfluency.com

Wolverine Tube, Inc. and The Wieland Group announce China partnership

Huntsville, Ala. and Ulm, Germany (PRIME NEWSWIRE) - Wolverine Tube, Inc. (OTCBB:WLVT) ("Wolverine"), a world-class quality manufacturer and distributor of copper and copper alloy tube, fabricated products, and metal joining products, and The Wieland Group ("Wieland"), a world-leading manufacturer of semi-finished and special products in copper and copper alloys, announce an agreement for Wieland to purchase a 30% equity interest in Wolverine Tube Shanghai Co., Ltd. ("WTS"). WTS, located within the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, had been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wolverine.

"Strengthening our global platform is a core component of Wolverine's new business model. This partnership with Wieland in China will strengthen WTS's technology and enhance service to customers in the high growth Asia-Pacific region," said Harold Karp, President and Chief Operating Officer of Wolverine.

WTS produces and sells chiller tubes for the Asia-Pacific market. WTS will now offer the combined product range of both companies and expects to increase its production capacity in Asia-Pacific. Chiller tubes are a primary component of high capacity central air conditioning systems used for cooling large spaces, including high-rise buildings, commercial structures, factories, hospitals, and schools.

"The investment by Wieland in WTS will ensure that Asia-Pacific customers receive the benefits of the best process technology and the highest quality chiller tubes produced in a world-class manufacturing facility," said Bernd Grasshof, Vice President of Wieland's Tube Division.

Under the agreement, Wieland is acquiring a 30% share of WTS for a payment of $9.5 million and transfer of certain intangible property related to Wieland's existing chiller tube business in Asia-Pacific. Wolverine estimates the value of intangibles at $2.1 million. Wieland may exercise an option between 2011 and 2012 to acquire an additional 20% share of WTS.

Michael Bi, President of Wolverine Tube Shanghai, commented, "WTS is pleased to welcome Wieland as a partner in China.
Wieland's investment and transfer of technology will enhance WTS's product offerings and performance to benefit customers in the Asia-Pacific region."

Wolverine and Wieland each continue to independently produce and sell non-chiller tube products in the Asia-Pacific region, and each continues to independently produce and sell chiller tubes outside of the Asia-Pacific region. The Asia-Pacific region includes all countries in Asia, Australia, and Oceania.

ABOUT WOLVERINE TUBE, INC.

Wolverine Tube, Inc. is a world-class quality manufacturer of copper and copper alloy tube, fabricated products, and metal joining products. It is a publicly traded Delaware corporation organized in 1987 (WLVT), and is a successor to a business founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1916. Wolverine's principal products are commercial, high value-added products sold directly to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). As of December 31, 2007, Wolverine had approximately 2,450 employees worldwide. Internet addresses: http://www.wlv.com and http://www.silvaloy.com.

ABOUT THE WIELAND GROUP

The Wieland Group is one of the world's leading independent producers of semi-finished and special products in copper and copper alloys, such as strip, sheet, tubes, rods, wires, sections, slide bearings, finned tubes, and heat exchangers.
Established in 1820 in Ulm, Germany, the Wieland Group has become a multinational company present in all major markets throughout the world. Production sites, slitting centers and trading companies in Europe, Asia, South Africa, and the United States are committed to providing quality products with superior service. The Wieland Group has about 6,500 employees in more than 30 locations worldwide.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
All statements in this press release other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in this press release. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligations to release publicly any update or revision to any forward-looking statement contained herein if there are any changes in conditions or circumstances on which any such forward-looking statement is based.

-0- CONTACT: Wolverine Tube, Inc.
David A. Owen, Chief Financial Officer
(256) 580-3976
owend@wlv.com
North America:
David W. Jordan, Vice President and General Manager
Business Development and Strategy
(256) 580-3695
jordand@wlv.com
Wolverine Tube Shanghai Co., Ltd.
Asia-Pacific:
Michael Bi, President
+86 (21) 50 46 06 84
michaelb@wlv.com.cn

Toshiba signs general framework agreement with Atomenergoprom

Toshiba signs general framework agreement with Atomenergoprom to explore collaboration in civilian nuclear power

Tokyo (BUSINESS WIRE) - Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has signed a general framework agreement with Atomenergoprom (Joint Stock Company "Atomic Energy Power Corporation"), Russia's state-owned nuclear energy company, to explore collaboration in the civilian nuclear power business field. The discussion under the agreement will take place within the framework for the peaceful use of nuclear energy currently being envisaged by the Japanese and Russian governments.

Based on the agreement, the parties will start feasibility studies to consider cooperation which includes designing and engineering to construct commercial nuclear power plants, manufacturing and maintenance of large equipment, and front-end civilian nuclear fuel cycle business.

Complementary relations between the two companies could lead to the establishment of a strategic partnership. The agreement could also contribute to stable and secure supply of services in front-end civilian nuclear fuel cycle in Japan, the United States and elsewhere.

In signing this agreement, the parties proceed from the fact that an important global task is the development and implementation of safe, clean and efficient production systems for nuclear power. Mutually complementary cooperation between Toshiba and Atomenergoprom will have a positive synergetic effect on making the global nuclear renaissance more foreseeable, assured and feasible.

The cooperation between the two companies will be strictly limited to the peaceful use of nuclear power and will be undertaken within the current and future framework of cooperation between the two countries' governments, as well as the international framework for peaceful use of nuclear power. If any technology exchange should occur in the future, it will be only conducted in accordance with the international agreement and national legislation of relevant countries. This agreement is fully consistent with the goals and objectives of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). Russia, Japan and the United States have all affirmed their support for GNEP.

Outline of Atomenergoprom (Joint Stock Company "Atomic Energy Power Corporation")

Atomenergoprom unites all the Russian enterprises working on peaceful use of atomic energy. It is 100% state-owned.
Representatives: Chairman: Sergei Kiriyenko
Director: Vladimir Travin
Establishment: July 2007
Paid in capital: 3.4 billion rubles (US$142 million)
Head office: Moscow
Sales: US$8.3 billion (2007)
Employees: 176,000

Lines of business: Construction, operation of nuclear power plants; Operating and maintenance of nuclear power plants; Uranium mining and refining; Assembly of nuclear fuels; Export of nuclear equipment/services.
Toshiba Corporation
Corporate Communications Office
International Media Relations GroupKeisuke Ohmori,
+81-(3)3457-2105 http://www.toshiba.co.jp/contact/media.htm

GT Solar secures $200 mln contract with DC Chemical of South Korea

Largest Sale to Date for GT Solar

Merrimack, N.H. (BUSINESS WIRE) - GT Solar Incorporated, a key global provider of a comprehensive range of equipment and turnkey manufacturing solutions to the solar power industry, announced today it has signed a follow-on contract valued at approximately $200 million to supply DC Chemical Co., Ltd. (DCC) of South Korea with polysilicon reactors. The equipment will be used by DCC to expand their facility in Gunsan, South Korea. This represents the largest single order received by GT Solar to date.

The contract is for GT's chemical vapor deposition polysilicon reactor. GT's latest technology reactor incorporates design improvements that increase reliability and boost polysilicon production by more than 30% over the previous design.

GT Solar CEO, Thomas Zarrella, noted, "This contract is a major validation of our innovation and insight into the evolving needs of the solar power industry. By helping to alleviate what has been a global shortage of polysilicon over the past several years, GT Solar has helped foster greater industry growth while diversifying its own product mix."

GT's VP for Polysilicon, David Keck, said: "DCC is one of the largest new entrants into the polysilicon market and is an important client to our team here at GT Solar. We are delighted to be able to continue to meet the demands of an important repeat customer like DCC. We look forward to continuing this collaboration in the future."

DCC Vice Chairman, Mr Shin, noted,?"As a customer of GT Solar, we have come to value GT and look forward to continuing our relationship as we work to meet the ever growing needs of the solar power industry."

About GT Solar Incorporated

GT Solar Incorporated is a wholly owned subsidiary of GT Solar International, and is a key global provider of manufacturing equipment, technology and turnkey manufacturing solutions across the photovoltaic supply chain. Based in Merrimack, New Hampshire, (USA), the company's products include equipment used to produce multi-crystalline solar wafers, cells and modules. GT Solar also manufactures polysilicon reactors, which allow its customers to produce polysilicon from which solar wafers are made. For more information, go to www.gtsolar.com.

About DC Chemical

DC Chemical Co., Ltd (KRX:10060) is a leading Korean chemicals producer with annual consolidated revenues of approximately $3.0 billion and engages in a wide range of disciplines, such as inorganic chemicals, petro and coal chemicals and fine chemicals. DC Chemical's major products include carbon black, soda ash, hydrogen peroxide, sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate and pitch. As a global enterprise, DC Chemical has nurtured a strong competitive edge in various industrial fields. DC Chemical completed its 5000 mt polysilicon Phase 1 plant in December 2007 and plans to enter into commercial production in March 2008.

Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These statements are indicated by words such as "expect,""estimate," or similar expressions. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking statements about the expected future sales from the contract executed with DC Chemical for approximately $200 million. These statements are based upon information available to GT Solar's management as of the date hereof. Actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results because of certain risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the failure by either party to fulfill its obligations under such contract. GT Solar undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results over time, except as required by law.

GT Solar Incorporated
Fred Kocher, 603-883-5200, Ext. 3812 kocher@gtsolar.com
or For GT Solar Incorporated
Hill & Knowlton
Jessica Anderson, 212-885-0492 jessica.anderson@hillandknowlton.com

Vinfolio announces first international operations in Hong Kong

Leading online wine retailer will launch retail and storage operations

San Francisco - Vinfolio, a San Francisco-based online wine retailer and collector services company announced plans to initiate operations in Hong Kong by Fall 2008.

With an inventory of over 2,900 fine wines in its online store, Vinfolio is already serving a growing number of important clients in Hong Kong and the broader Asian region.

That number is expected to grow exponentially following Hong Kong's February 28th announcement that it is lowering its wine duty to zero.

"The global nature of the fine wine business requires a business presence in major economic regions," says Stephen Bachmann, Vinfolio CEO and Founder.

After returning from a recent trip to Hong Kong and Shanghai, Bachmann concluded that "the elimination of Hong Kong's wine import duty combined with its favorable business environment makes this the perfect time and location to establish regional operations".

Vinfolio plans to open a sales office and a climate-controlled, wine storage warehouse to service individual collectors and the wine trade.

"Many signs point to HK becoming a global fine wine hub for the region," says Jean-Michel Valette, Master of Wine and Vinfolio Chairman.

"Vinfolio plans to play a leadership role in that evolution."

To support sales, Vinfolio will hold part of its retail inventory in Hong Kong and create a new version of its website.
Additionally, VinCellar, Vinfolio's free online cellar management software will add multi-currency capability later this year.

Vinfolio's other collector services, including inventorying and personal cellar management, will be added based on demand.

About Vinfolio Founded in 2003, Vinfolio (www.vinfolio.com) has seen rapid growth, with 2007 revenues tripling over 2006 and expected to more than double in 2008.

With a guiding principle of "fine wine, finer service" and an inventory of over 2,900 wines in its online wine store, Vinfolio caters to the fine wine buyer and collector.

In addition to its online wine store, Vinfolio offers Collector Services, including full-service storage, inventorying and personal cellar management, all of which are seamlessly integrated with VinCellar, Vinfolio's free online cellar management software.

With a staff of 60, Vinfolio is based in San Francisco where it operates a 17,000 square foot wine storage warehouse and is scheduled to open a second 25,000 square foot facility in September.

VinfolioRachel Blatt, 415-946-1300

AerCap Holdings N.V. announces 20-F filing

Amsterdam, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - AerCap Holdings N.V. (NYSE: AER) today announced it has filed its annual report on Form 20-F, including its audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") in accordance with United States requirements.

AerCap's Form 20-F can be accessed on the Investor Relations page of the Company's website at www.aercap.com, as well as on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Interested parties may also request a complimentary paper copy of the filing by contacting Peter Wortel, Head of Investor Relations, at pwortel@aercap.com.

About AerCap

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 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.

For Investors:
For Media:
Peter Wortel, AerCap
Frauke Oberdieck
Tel. +31-20-655-9658
Tel. +31-20-655-9616
pwortel@aercap.com
foberdieck@aercap.com

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

COPYRIGHT © 2008

New Era Cap in 3-yr licensing pact with Korean Baseball Organization

Buffalo, N.Y., (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - New Era Cap Co., Inc., the leading headwear designer and manufacturer, announced today a three-year licensing agreement with the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) with the Lotte Giants and Samsung Lions the first KBO teams to don New Era on-field fitted caps for the 2008 season. This new deal, which will take effect immediately, will also give New Era sponsorship rights including in-stadium signage in the ball-parks of the agreeing teams as well as key ads that will be placed in various magazines, plus bus, subway and cable sports TV placements.

"New Era is proud to launch a relationship with the KBO," said Andrew Wood, Representative Director for New Era Cap Asia Pacific. "This deal will further enhance our Asian influence and will no doubt help us build upon our already strong international relationships. Moving forward we expect up to six teams to wear our caps in the 2009 season and hope to have all eight KBO teams wearing New Era on-field caps in the near future."

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) of South Korea is the country's professional national baseball league. It was founded with six teams in 1982 and currently has eight. The teams are named after the sponsoring companies. The KBO is comprised of the KIA Tigers, Samsung Lions, Lotte Giants, Woori Heros, Hanwha Eagles, SK Wyverns, Doosan Bears and LG Twins. New Era will be a proud new sponsor of the KBO beginning with the start of the 2008 season which opens up on March 29, 2008. The new caps will be available in KBO concession shops, hypermarkets, multi-sports shops (Footlocker, The Athletic Foot, etc.), franchise shops and other premium retailers.

New Era Cap

Founded in 1920, New Era Cap Company, Inc., the leading headwear manufacturer and creator of New Era Apparel, brings to market products that transcend time, culture, sport and fashion. Producing more than 35 million caps per year, New Era is the exclusive manufacturer and marketer of the official on-field cap worn by every Major League Baseball team and their Minor League affiliates and maintaining agreements with other licensed entities. On the street, New Era is known as the Originator of the True Fitted for its signature cap style, the 59FIFTY. Some of the Company's core markets include Action Sports, Children, Fan, Suburban, Women and Fashion/Lifestyle. The Company, headquartered in Buffalo, New York, employs approximately 1,700 people world-wide in New York, Alabama and at its operations in Canada, Europe, Japan and Hong Kong. New Era is a 'Category A' affiliate of the Fair Labor Association.

Contact:
Dana Marciniak, New Era Cap Co.
+1-716-604-9259
dana.marciniak@neweracap.com
Philip Crimaldi, DKC
+1-212-981-5131
philip_crimaldi@dkcnews.com

SOURCE: New Era Cap Company, Inc.
CONTACT: Dana Marciniak,
New Era Cap Co.,
+1-716-604-9259,
dana.marciniak@neweracap.com, or
Philip Crimaldi,
DKC,
+1-212-981-5131,
philip_crimaldi@dkcnews.com
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080320/NYTH051
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
AP PhotoExpress Network:
PRN9
PRN Photo Desk:
photodesk@prnewswire.com
Web site: http://neweracap.com
Image Attachments Links:: http://asianetnews.netViewImage.asp?ID=92394

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Cotecna contests premature termination of Bangladesh contract

Geneva, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - On March 19th, 2008, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) of Bangladesh issued a termination of contract letter against Cotecna Inspection SA pertaining to the present PSI scheme and with immediate effect.

In 2005, Cotecna was awarded a three year Pre Shipment Inspection contract that commenced on September 1st, 2005. The PSI mandate was shared between four inspection companies -- Cotecna, SGS, Bivac and Intertek. Cotecna's mandate included inspection of exports from China, Korea, Taiwan & Japan as well as Australia & New Zealand.

Since the beginning of the PSI contract, Cotecna has issued 101,750 Clean Report of Findings (CRFs) (one hundred and one thousand seven hundred and fifty). In their letter of termination, the NBR refers to alleged discrepancies in 88 CRFs issued by Cotecna. Cotecna strongly contests these alleged discrepancies, none of which have completed due process. Despite numerous written requests from Cotecna to produce proof, the NBR has failed to produce any evidence against Cotecna.

This termination letter also precludes Cotecna from entering into any further contracts with any Agency of the Government of Bangladesh. Following an international tender for a scanning contract (CHC/01), issued on November 1st, 2007 by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Cotecna was placed first specifically on technical competency and cost. Cotecna notes the intriguing proximity of the results of the recent scanning tender and the hasty action to cancel Cotecna's PSI contract.

Cotecna, member of Transparency International Switzerland, is taking the appropriate action to contest the termination of its PSI contract and will refer this case to the relevant international bodies.

Founded in Switzerland in 1974, the COTECNA Group offers a wide range of trade facilitation services, trade security services and quality certification standards. Cotecna is a pioneer in areas such as risk management, destination inspection and scanner integration projects and also offers Customs modernization programmes, Customs valuation assistance, transit monitoring solutions, trade security solutions and commercial inspections. For a full description of our services, please visit www.cotecna.com. The Cotecna Group has a combined workforce of about 4,000 employees and agents in close to 100 offices and holds 15 government inspection contracts.

SOURCE Cotecna
-0-
03/22/2008
CONTACT: Alison Bourgeois, VP Corporate Communications of Cotecna,
+41-22-849-78-23, press@cotecna.ch
Web site: http://www.cotecna.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Dutch Crown Prince opens ws largest int`l flower exhibition

Lisse, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Dutch Crown Prince Willem Alexander has officially opened the 59th edition of the world famous international flower exhibition of Keukenhof in Lisse, The Netherlands.

As a member of the International Olympic Committee His Royal Highness cut the ribbon, supported by the Honorable Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China in the Netherlands, H.E. Mrs Xue Hanqin, the vice mayor of Beijing City, Mr Niu Youcheng, and the chairwoman of the Dutch Olympic Committee, Mrs Erica Terpstra. The latter, was an Olympic swimming champion in the Tokyo games in 1964, and is more or less an opening ceremony veteran as she performed in a similar ceremony in 1996.

There is a reason for the emphasis on sports. The Keukenhof exhibition selected 'China - The 2008 Olympics, Beijing', as this year's main theme. This influenced the opening programme. Amongst others, the Chinese MTV Award winners 2007 "China Girls" performed a very special concert. Bringing a mixture of both Chinese and western classic and pop music, played on an electrical violin, an electrical cello, a flute, as well as an erhu, the traditional Chinese knee violin.

According to Keukenhof general manager, Mr Piet de Vries, the flower exhibition has created a lot of interest in the cultural and historical influences of China. "Not only did we use events, the so called inspiration gardens and various flower shows, but we also created a huge Chinese dragon as well. By planting over 24,500 tulips and muscari flowers, we created a 15 by 10 metres mosaic of this traditional symbol for the new year," he says.

The Keukenhof programme consists of the well known successes like the Easter Hat Parade as well as specific thematic exhibitions. 'China - The 2008 Olympics, Beijing' will be recognizable in one of the gardens which was inspired by the Forbidden City, and includes an exhibition of pictures of common Chinese streets and an Olympic show.

Around 3.3 per cent of the 25.4 million foreign guests visiting The Netherlands pass through the Keukenhof ticket office, supporting the slogan 'You can't have seen Holland if you haven't visited Keukenhof'. Two-thirds of the approx. 840,000 annual visitors, go to see the result of 7 million flower bulbs in magnificent majesty, most originating from abroad.

SOURCE: Keukenhof
CONTACT: Annemarie Gerards of Keukenhof,
+31(0)252-465505,
a.gerards@keukenhof.nl
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080321/298080
Video: http://pubstr.datiq.net/perssupport/keukenhofENG.wmv

COPYRIGHT © 2008