Financial/Insurance: A.M. Best affirms ratings of Guild Insurance Limited

Oldwick, N.J. (BUSINESS WIRE) - A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of A-(Excellent) and the issuer credit rating of "a-" of Guild Insurance Limited (GIL) (Australia). The outlook for both ratings is stable.

The ratings reflect GIL's improved risk-adjusted capitalization and consistent operating profitability. The ratings also recognize the company's dominance in the health care and child care sectors.

Despite the continued downward pressure on premium rates, GIL's net income after tax increased to AUD 24 million (USD 20.4 million) in fiscal year 2007 from AUD 22.7 million (USD 17.5 million) in fiscal year 2006, translating to an increase of 6 per cent. Deterioration in the company's loss ratio was offset by improvements in the expense ratio, leaving GIL's combined ratio virtually unchanged over the fiscal year.

GIL's risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio, is commensurate with its existing ratings. The company's net premium leverage declined slightly, which can be attributed to profitable operating earnings with organic growth in net premiums written in 2007.

Being a wholly owned subsidiary of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, GIL has a unique advantage in distributing its services to the pharmacists and generally to the broader health care market. While GIL has sustained its foothold in the pharmacy and child care sectors, the company continues to diversify its underwriting portfolio and expand its product reach geographically.

Partially offsetting these positive rating factors are the threat on GIL's market niche posed by new entrants and tightening profit margins due to continued pressure on premium rates.

Continued market competition has seen continued softening of premium rates in commercial lines, which could challenge GIL's underwriting profitability going forward. A.M. Best expects that GIL's underwriting performance will remain profitable in the near-term, albeit at a more modest level.

For Best's Ratings, an overview of the rating process and rating methodologies, please visit www.ambest.com/ratings.

Founded in 1899, A.M. Best Company is a global full-service credit rating organization dedicated to serving the financial and health care service industries, including insurance companies, banks, hospitals and health care system providers.
For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Analysts
Philip Chung, CFA, +852-2827-3409 philip.chung@ambest.com or Terrence Wong, +852-2827-3403 terrence.wong@ambest.com
or Public Relations
Jim Peavy,+(1) 908-439-2200, ext. 5644 james.peavy@ambest.com
or Rachelle Morrow, +(1) 908-439-2200, ext. 5378 rachelle.morrow@ambest.com

Medical/Technology: PEAT Int`l commissions plasma-based waste treatment facility

- Marks the first deployment of the system intended for hospitals and industrial facilities -

Northbrook, Ill., and Ankleshwar (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - PEAT International, Inc., ("PEAT") a global leader in plasma-based waste remediation solutions, announced today it has successfully commissioned its first PTDR-100 system located at the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation near the Jayaben Modi Hospital in Ankleshwar, India. PTDR stands for Plasma Thermal Destruction and Recovery.

The 60-kilogram-per-hour (130 lb/hr) PTDR-100 system, developed to primarily treat biomedical waste and other industrial/universal waste streams, represents a first-of-its-kind system -- a permanent, fully self-contained platform for hospitals and industrial facilities.

"The PTDR-100 system is an ideal, turn-key solution for small to medium-sized waste generators looking for stable yet flexible on-site solutions to their waste management challenges," said Joseph Rosin, PEAT International Chairman.
"Most importantly, the PTDR-100 matches environmental superiority with cost-competitiveness. It's efficient, it's environmentally benign and it's economical."

Using its proprietary PTDR technology, PEAT's environmentally clean process utilizes plasma torches to convert waste into a synthetic gas, comprised mainly of Carbon monoxide and Hydrogen which is a valuable source of Alternative Energy and can be used for electricity and/or hot water generation and other useful end-products. The PTDR-100 system comes equipped with a 100-kW plasma heating system.

The entire system, which can be generally be operated by just one control-panel operator, occupies just 50 square meters (under 550 square feet), sitting on two skids and standing just 4.5 meters (under 15 feet) high. There is no secondary pollution, just usable end-products generated: all feedstock is 100% waste diversion, totally eliminating the need for landfill disposal and/or further processing.

"The PTDR-100 provides generators with a best available treatment technology, deployed at their own sites, that is cost-effective, technologically and environmentally superior to any other available methods," said Jose Capote, PEAT Chief Technical Officer. "Using a PTDR-100 system allows waste generators to minimize liability issues associated with the transportation of waste streams along with potentially generating some carbon credits along the way."

Wastes processed through a PTDR-100 system typically see high volume (over 200 to 1) and weight (over 10 to 1) reductions in conjunction with a high destruction and removal efficiency of organic materials (greater than 99.9999%).

Throughout February and March, PEAT successfully processed a combination of waste streams (individually and co-mingled), including biomedical wastes, dye intermediates, various pharmaceutical industry wastes, distillation bottoms and municipal wastes over a continuous period to complete the commissioning validation tests and collect operational data that will be valuable assets for obtaining any and all future regulatory approvals.

"This technology is truly amazing," said Atul B. Buch, President of the Ankleshwar Industries Association in Gujarat, India, responsible for providing PEAT with the access to the facility site. "It destroys any and all toxic material and there is no secondary pollution. We are excited about its commercial prospects as this system can help all kinds of companies and hospitals address their current waste issues."

The PTDR technology has received numerous approvals from various regulatory agencies throughout the world, including it being listed as an approved Alternative Medical Waste Treatment Technology by the California Department of Public Health and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

"This is another tremendous step forward for plasma technology as a whole," said Dr. C.B. Upasni of the Jyoti Om Chemical Research Centre, who oversaw the entire third-party testing program, which included expert oversight from academia and government regulators. Further, the Ankleshwar Environmental Preservation Society also was provided access to the test site for additional comprehensive monitoring. "The PTDR-100 system is the future of waste remediation."

About PEAT International

Founded in 2001, PEAT International is a company whose mission is the deployment of advanced waste-to-resources technologies. The company's principal mission is the deployment of its proprietary Plasma Thermal Destruction and Recovery ("PTDR") technology for the treatment of a wide range of waste feedstocks, including industrial, biological/medical, municipal and universal waste streams. Using the proprietary PTDR technology, PEAT's environmentally friendly process converts wastes into a non-toxic synthetic gas (which is a valuable source of alternative energy) and other useful end-products.
The PTDR is a proven, cost-effective, environmentally clean and commercially viable solution for waste remediation. For more information on PEAT International or the PTDR-100, please contact Daniel Ripes, dripes@peat.com.tw, at 847-559-8567 or
visit http://www.peat.com.

SOURCE PEAT International, Inc.
CONTACT: Daniel Ripes of PEAT International, Inc.,
+1-847-559-8567,
dripes@peat.com.tw
Web site: http://www.peat.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Business: Business in Asia Today - April 25, 2008

AIR CHINA Q1 PROFIT UP 147% ON STRONGER YUAN, TRAVEL BOOM
Beijing (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Air China Ltd. (SEHK:0753, SSX:601111, LSE:AIRC) has seen first-quarter profits soar 147 per cent, helped by the stronger yuan and booming travel demand.
Net income rose to 1.04 billion yuan (US$149 million),or 0.09 yuan per share, in the first three months ended on March 31, the carrier said in a statement to the Shanghai Stock Exchange on Friday.
China's economy, which slowed but still grew 10.6 per cent in the first quarter, has made business trips and holiday travels by air affordable to more residents.
The strong results saw Air China's shares surge by the ten per cent daily limit in Shanghai trading on Thursday.

INDONESIA'S ANTAM TO START BUILDING US$400 MLN ALUMINA PLANT IN TAYAN
Jakarta (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Indonesia's state-owned mining company PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) (JSX:ANTM) is set to start construction of a US$400 million alumina factory in Tayan, West Kalimantan.
Based on the feasibility study, the cost of the project will rise to to US$400 million from an earlier estimate of US$250 million.
The exact figure is still being studied but it will increase to at least US$400 million due to a surge in construction costs,
Antam corporate secretary Bimo Budi Satriyo said. Construction, due to start in the second half of the year, will be handled by PT Indonesian Chemical Alumina, a new company jointly owned by Antam, Showa Denko KK (TSE:4004) and Marubeni Corp. (TSE:8002).
Antam President Dedi Aditya Sumanagara said the project is expected to be completed in 2010, and it will have a production capacity of 300,000 tons of alumina a year.

LG ELECTRONICS SUES WHIRLPOOL OVER FRIDGE PATENTS
Seoul (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - LG Electronics Inc. (KSE:06657) said Friday it had filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Whirlpool Corp., the world's largest home appliance maker.
In the suit filed Thursday with a federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, LG claims that Whirlpool's 11 refrigerator models infringe upon its patents on a vegetable compartment, an icemaker and airtight door gasket.
The lawsuit is seen as retaliation for Whirlpool's petition filed in January with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) claiming that LG has violated its patents.
"We plan to counter Whirlpool with our competitive technology and expand our market share in the U.S." LG said in a statement.

JAPAN'S IBIDEN CO TO BUILD CIRCUIT BOARD PLANT IN MALAYSIA
Tokyo (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Ibiden Co. (TSE:4062) said Thursday that it will spend about 20 billion yen (US$193.5 million) on a new printed wiring board factory in Malaysia on expectations of a boom in demand for the boards used in cellular phones.
The firm already has printing wiring board plants in Gifu Prefecture, where its head office is located, and in Beijing. Production is being ramped up at the Chinese facility.
But Ibiden will continue to build new factories ahead of a projected upswing in cell phone use in the BRIC countries of Brazil, Russia, China and India.

GERMANY'S BOSCH CO FORMS SUBSIDIARY IN VIETNAM
Hanoi (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - The Bosch group on April 23 launched its wholly foreign-owned subsidiary, Robert Bosch Vietnam Co Ltd, in HCM City.
The German group also said it would make its first investment in Vietnam in a hi-tech production facility for push-belts used in vehicles with continuously variable transmission (CTV). The plant will be built on 160,000 square metres in Dong Nai Province's Long Thanh Industrial Park.
Construction will begin in July this year and be completed by the end of 2009. The plant will be able to produce 100,000 belts in the first year of operation and 2.3 million units per year by 2015.

AIRBUS TO SET UP JV IN CHINA
Beijing (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - European plane maker Airbus expects to launch a joint venture in China to make aircraft components.
"We are studying the possibility of setting up the venture with AVIC II (China Aviation Industry Corporation II) and expect to finalize the deal as early as August," Laurence Barron, president of Airbus China, said, but declined to elaborate. Airbus expects to use the joint venture to produce composite material parts for its Airbus A350 model.
The company last year agreed to have up to 5 per cent of the design and manufacturing work of the model done in China. AVIC II, one of its partners in the nation, will also join in the program through their existing joint venture.
Airbus expects such moves will help it gain an edge over rival Boeing. "Our aim is to reach 50 per cent (of the market share) in 2011," said John Leahy, chief operating officer, customers, of Airbus.

ZAMIL STEEL VIETNAM BOOSTS CAPACITY WITH NEW SOUTHERN PLANT
Hanoi (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Pre-engineered steel-building producer Zamil Steel Vietnam on April 23 opened its second factory, in the Amata Industrial Park in the southern province of Dong Nai.
The facility, covering more than 24,000sq.m, will produce 4,500 tonnes of steel buildings per month. It will help bring the company's total annual production to 100,000 tonnes or a total annual production of 50-100,000 tonnes, once it reaches full operating capacity, according to the company.
"The opening of the factory is also proof of our long-term commitment to the Vietnamese economy."
Construction of the US$14 million plant would increase the total investment of Zamil Steel in Vietnam to over US$35 million. Zamil Steel Vietnam was established in 1997 as a joint venture between Saudi Arabia's Zamil Steel Industries and Japan's Mitsui & Co Ltd (TSE:8031).

INDIA'S GAIL, PERTAMINA TO COOPERATE IN OIL AND GAS BUSINESS
Jakarta (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Indonesian state oil and gas company PT Pertamina said it has agreed with India's GAIL Ltd (BSE:532155) to cooperate in the oil and gas business in the upstream and downstream sectors.
Under the agreement, Pertamina has been offered the option to develop oil fields in India and GAIL has been invited to invest in city gas projects in Indonesia, Pertamina vice president Iin Arifin Takhyan said.
He said Pertamina will offer cooperation with GAIL in developing compressed natural gas for city gas, which is growing in demand in Indonesia as fuel prices soar.

MERGER OF TWO MAJOR KARAOKE CHAINS REJECTED IN TAIWAN
Taipei (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Taiwan's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) on Thursday again rejected the planned merger of the two largest KTV (karaoke) chains in Taiwan, out of concern that the merger would damage competition.
The FTC imposed the ruling after Holiday KTV and Cashbox KTV filed an appeal with the Executive Yuan's Petition and Appeals Committee against an earlier FTC ruling in 2007 prohibiting the two from merging based on the reason that the combination would lead to a monopoly.
In February this year, the petition committee came up with a ruling that revoked the FTC's 2007 ruling and instructed the FTC to review the case once again. Holiday and Cashbox together not only control over half of the KTV service market in Taiwan, their combined market share has reached 90 per cent in Taipei, the FTC said in its ruling against the merger last year.

ITO-YOKADO TO STEP UP CHINA PRESENCE WITH 4 NEW SUPERMARKETS
Beijing (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Amid intensifying competition among foreign retailers, Ito-Yokado Co. (TSE:8264) said Thursday it aims to open four supermarkets in China by year's end, taking its store network here to 14.
The firm, which is under the umbrella of Seven & i Holdings Co. (TSE:3382), had been opening an average of one supermarket a year in China. Ito-Yokado plans to lift Beijing store numbers from seven to 10.
In Chengdu and Sichuan province, it will boost its three-store network by one.
The company is also undertaking steps such as market research to prepare to enter other areas of China.

Source:
Business in Asia Today - APRIL 25, 2008
published by Asia Pulse
COPYRIGHT © 2008

Insurance: A.M. Best Assistant General Manager to speak at Asian CFO Summit

Oldwick, N.J. (BUSINESS WIRE) - A.M. Best Co.'s Assistant General Manager, Analytics Moung Mo Lee will speak at the Asian CFO Summit on the panel discussion: "Expectations of CEOs, Board and Regulators of CFOs & How These Expectations Can Be Met and What Keeps CFOs Awake at Night." MM Lee will speak on expectations from a ratings agency perspective on 9 May at 11:00 a.m.

The Asian CFO Summit will take place from 7 to 9 May at the Makati Hilton Hotel in Singapore.

For more information on Best's Ratings, please visit www.ambest.com/ratings.

Information about the conference is available at http://www.asiainsurancereview.com.

Founded in 1899, A.M. Best Company is a global full-service credit rating organization dedicated to serving the financial and health care service industries, including insurance companies, banks, hospitals and health care system providers.
For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

A.M. Best Co.
Feyi Omola, +44(0)207-397-0261 feyi.omola@ambest.com

Business: General Physics Corp opens centre in Chennai, India

Elkridge, Md. - Global performance improvement solutions provider General Physics Corporation (GP), the operating subsidiary of GP Strategies Corporation (NYSE:GPX), announced today the opening of a managed services center in Chennai, India to further expand its India-based operations by providing training administration, course administration, call center services, instructor resource management, and learning management system (LMS) support for our global client base.

GP Senior Vice President Dan Miller said: "The managed services center is the first GP facility of this type in the Asia-Pacific region. GP will leverage our U.S.-based managed services center experience and processes to expand our capability to support our customers worldwide."

About GP

General Physics Corporation, the principal operating subsidiary of GP Strategies Corporation (NYSE:GPX),is a global provider of sales and technical training, e-learning solutions, management consulting, and engineering services.

GP's solutions improve the effectiveness of organizations by delivering innovative and superior training, consulting, and business improvement services customized to meet the specific needs of its clients.

Clients include Fortune 500 companies, manufacturing, process and energy industries, and other commercial and government customers. Additional information about GP Strategies Corporation may be found at www.gpstrategies.com and additional information about General Physics Corporation may be found at www.gpworldwide.com.

We make statements in this press release that are considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements reflect our current expectations concerning future events and results. We use words such as "expect,""intend,""believe,""may,""will,""should,""could,""anticipates," and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean a statement is not forward-looking.

These statements are not guarantees of our future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that could cause our actual performance or achievements to be materially different from those we project.

For a full discussion of these risks, uncertainties, and factors, we encourage you to read our documents on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those set forth in our periodic reports under the forward-looking statements and risk factors sections.

Except as required by law, we do not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

General Physics Corporation (GP)Scott N. GreenbergChief Executive Officer 410-379-3640 or Sharon Esposito-MayerChief Financial Officer 410-379-3636 or Dan MillerSenior Vice President 317-566-2183

Metal/Mining: Hindustan Zinc to become world's largest integrated zinc-lead producer

Hindustan Zinc to Become World's Largest Integrated Zinc-Lead Producer Expanding capacity to 1,065,000 tpa, making HZL the largest integrated zinc-lead producer in the world and achieving stated capacity goal of 1?million tonnes per annum Silver production expected to increase to 500?tonnes per year Strong reserves and resources position of 232.3 million tonnes
containing a total of 27.5 million tonnes of zinc-lead metal

Mumbai, India - Hindustan Zinc Limited ("HZL") has announced expansion projects that will take its total integrated zinc-lead capacity to 1,065,000 tonnes per annum with fully integrated mining and captive power generation capacities, thereby making HZL the world's largest integrated zinc-lead producer by 2010.

HZL will continue to maintain its superior cost leadership position among the zinc producers in the world.

Two brownfield smelter projects, which will increase the production capacities of zinc and lead by 210,000 tonnes and 100,000 tonnes respectively, will be undertaken at Rajpura Dariba in Rajasthan, India.

HZL expects to increase its silver production from the current levels of approximately 100-120 tonnes per year to a level of approximately 500 tonnes per year in the form of silver and silver bearing residue.

A large part of this increase would be from the Sindesar Khurd mine where silver occurrences are approximately at levels of 200 ppm and from the use of appropriate technology in the new smelters.

The expansion is supported by HZL's strong reserves and resources of 232.3 million tonnes containing 27.5 million tonnes of zinc-lead metal at 31 March 2008. The reserves and resources position have been earlier independently reviewed and certified as per the JORC standard.

To support the increased smelting capacities, HZL will expand its ore production capacity at the Rampura Agucha mine from 5?mtpa to 6 mtpa.

Further, ore production at the Sindesar Khurd mine, the new star in HZL's mining portfolio, will be increased from 0.3 mtpa to 1.5 mtpa. HZL will also start mining activity at the Kayar mine which will have a production capacity of 0.3 mtpa.

In line with the group's philosophy of being a fully self-reliant producer of power, a captive thermal power plant with a capacity of 160MW will also be set up at Rajpura Dariba.

The zinc and lead smelters as well as the 160MW captive power plant and the Rampura Agucha mine expansion will be complete by mid-2010. The expansions at the Sindesar Khurd and Kayar mines will be completed in phases by early 2012.

The total investment in these projects is estimated at Rs. 3,600 crore.

This investment includes the cost of the smelters, captive power facilities, mine development and shaft sinking and other infrastructure.

The expansion will utilise the same technology and project management skills that successfully delivered the Chanderiya II expansion project ahead of schedule.

About Hindustan Zinc

HZL is India's only integrated producer of zinc and lead and among the world's leading integrated producers.

Its metal production capacity is nearly 670,000 tpa with its smelter operations situated in Chanderiya, Debari and Visakhapatnam.

HZL has zinc-lead mines in Dariba, Rampura Agucha, Sindesar Khurd and Zawar. The company is a subsidiary of the NYSE listed, Sterlite Industries (India) Limited (NYSE:SLT) and London listed FTSE 100 diversified metals and mining major, Vedanta Resources Plc.

Disclaimer This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that is, statements related to future, not past, events.
In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "expects,""anticipates,""intends,""plans,""believes,""seeks,""should" or "will."

Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain.

For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets including the London Metal Exchange, fluctuations in interest and or exchange rates and metal prices; from future integration of acquired businesses; and from numerous other matters of national, regional and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different that those expressed in our forward-looking statements.

HZL does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements.

Hindustan Zinc Limited

Sumanth Cidambi, +91-22-6646-1531 Associate Director Investor Relationssumanth.cidambi@vedanta.co.inSheetal
Khanduja, +91-22-6646-1427 Manager - Investor Relationssheetal.khanduja@vedanta.co.in

Business: SBI Holdings, Inc. signs MOU with China-Singapore Industrial Park

SBI Holdings, Inc. signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Land Co., Ltd

Tokyo - SBI Holdings, Inc. (hereinafter "SBIH") (TOKYO:8473) announced that SBIH and China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Land Co., Ltd (location: #158 Wangdun Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu Province, China; hereinafter "CSLAND") signed a memorandum of understanding ("MOU") for the purpose of jointly investing into the future real-estate development projects in Suzhou Industrial Park in China.

CSLAND is a subsidiary of China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Development Co., Ltd, jointly established by the Chinese government and the Singapore government for the purpose of developing Suzhou Industrial Park in China.

1. Background of the MOU
SBIH has been expanding its collaboration with overseas partners mainly in China, India, Russia, Vietnam and other markets which are experiencing rapid economic growth, and established representative offices. The SBIH Group is approaching leading partners in various countries to form strategic alliances in areas such as venture capital.
This MOU is one of the strategic alliances of overseas business of SBIH. We have decided that CSLAND, which is owned indirectly by the Chinese and Singapore government, would be the best overseas partner since Suzhou Industrial Park is a rapidly expanding emerging area within China for geographic and political reasons, as well as for the mutual interest of inviting foreigners into the real-estate development project of Suzhou Industrial Park.

2. Summary of the MOU
(1) SBIH and CSLAND will jointly invest to the right of land-use which CSLAND hold in Suzhou Industrial Park including joint bid by both companies.
(2) SBIH and CSLAND will jointly establish a new company being associated with the above mentioned real-estate development investment.
3. Schedule
The MOU was executed on April 21, 2008
4. Future Outlook

At present, the impact of the above business proposal on the consolidated financial results has not been determined.

About CSLAND

China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Land ("CSLAND") was founded in April 2001. CSLAND is a 88.8% subsidiary of China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Development Co., Ltd. CSLAND engages in the development of residential housing, commercial facilities and ready built factories.

CSLAND has become one of the famous brands of Suzhou.

For more detailed information, please visit: http://www.cssd.com.cn/ SBI Holdings, Inc.Miho Uratani, +813 6229 0126
Corporate Communications Dept.

Business: SKY Network Television Signs Contract with Convergys For Relationship Management Solution

(Cincinnati and Auckland, New Zealand; April 24, 2008) - Convergys Corporation (NYSE: CVG), a global leader in relationship management, announced today that SKY Network Television Limited has signed a six-year implementation, license, and professional services contract for Convergys’ ICOMS customer management and billing solution. SKY is New Zealand’s pre-eminent pay television operator, offering a wide range of sports, movies, music, on-demand, and general content across more than 100 channels to over 720,000 subscribers.

SKY will use Convergys’ ICOMS solution to manage its day-to-day operational activities including customer management, order management, provisioning, inventory and product management, billing and rating, finance and debt collection, and additional operational functions. Convergys’ professional services will provide all implementation requirements including project
management, integration, data migration, product consultancy, product customization, testing, and user training.

“We selected Convergys and its solution in part because of the company’s product road map and the solution’s third party system integration capabilities and feature rich functionality,” said Martin Wrigley, Director of Operations, SKY Network Television. “Convergys’ expertise will help us quickly implement this solution to improve upon our strong customer management capabilities and to quickly deliver new and more innovative services to our customers.”

“Entertainment and communication service providers are operating in an increasingly competitive landscape,” said Iain Hackett, Convergys Vice President, Asia Pacific Region. “In order to grow subscribers, improve average revenue per user, and reduce churn, it is imperative for providers to effectively manage the relationships they have with their customers. As such, Convergys solutions are designed to help our clients differentiate their customer service experience to deliver greater value for the company and its customers.”

With its Infinys software and its broad portfolio of professional and consulting services, Convergys is a communications industry leader in the deployment of real-time convergent billing -- including the Quadruple Play of video, voice, data, and wireless -- for cable, wireless, satellite, and wireline service providers around the world. ICOMS can be integrated with Infinys to further expand the convergent capabilities of cable and broadband operators to include wireless and content settlement services in a low-risk and cost-effective manner.

About SKY Television

SKY Television (SKY), in more than 45 percent of New Zealand homes, is New Zealand’s pre-eminent pay television operator, offering a wide range of sports, movies, music, on-demand, and general content across more than 100 channels. SKY broadcasts on a digital satellite network, a terrestrial UHF network, via cable through an arrangement with TelstraClear and on
Vodafone’s 3G network.

SKY’s channel line-up includes 7 sports channels, 6 movie channels, 7 general entertainment channels, 5 documentary channels, 5 news channels, 4 children’s channels, as well as other niche channels. (As of 31 December 2007 SKY had 720,919 subscribers).

SKY launched as a three-channel UHF service in 1990, with two further channels added four years later. SKY’s UHF signal reaches more than 83 percent of the country’s 1.5 million households. In December 1998 SKY launched a digital satellite service, extending its reach to the whole country. SKY also offers pay-per-view movies, live events, and interactive services including Skybet, the Weather Channel, and games channels Mind Games and Playin’ TV.

With the establishment of a new on line DVD rental service and in December 2005, the launch of MY SKY, a new set top box incorporating a personal video recorder, SKY is positioned to bring New Zealand viewers even more entertainment options.

On 8 February 2006, SKY completed the purchase of the New Zealand television business of PRIME Television Ltd. The acquisition of a free-to-air channel gives SKY the opportunity to showcase its channels and programmes whilst ensuring that New Zealand consumers can view delayed free-to-air sports programmes such as rugby, rugby league, and cricket in primetime.

For further information, please visit SKY’s web site at www.skytv.co.nz

About Convergys

Convergys Corporation (NYSE: CVG) is a global leader in relationship management. We provide solutions that drive more value from the relationships our clients have with their customers and employees.
Convergys turns these everyday interactions into a source of profit and strategic advantage for our clients.

For 25 years, our unique combination of domain expertise, operational excellence, and innovative technologies has delivered process improvement and actionable business insight to clients that now span more than 70 countries and 35 languages.

Convergys is a member of the S&P 500 and has been voted a Fortune Most Admired Company for eight consecutive years. We have approximately 75,000 employees in 85 customer contact centers and other facilities in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and our global headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information, visit
www.convergys.com

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.)

Convergys Contacts

Business and Financial Media -- John Pratt
+1 513 723 3333 or john.pratt@convergys.com

Trade Media -- Jeff Hazel
+1 513 723 7153 or jeff.hazel@convergys.com

Environment: Creuros clarify statement made by Oxonica re: Envirox trials

Rome, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Creuros Srl, Italian distributor for Oxonica's Envirox fuel additive technology would like to clarify statements made in Oxonica's press on 18 February 2008 and repeated in its recent 2007 preliminary results presentation on 17th March 2008.

The statements made in the press release in relation to test results in Italian trials of Envirox, should be clarified.

Oxonica claimed in its Press Release on 18 February 2008: "In addition to the successful Stagecoach validation trial, Envirox(TM) has achieved further positive test results and has made significant commercial progress in mainland Europe and Russia: A recently completed bus trial in Italy demonstrated fuel savings of 4.8 per cent after 3 months and 10.6 per cent after 6 months."

Both Creuros & the bus company in question are not convinced of the fuel savings claimed by Oxonica, which were measured on a fleet size of 5 vehicles.

It is the opinion of Creuros that the data produced was far too variable and inconsistent to draw any conclusions.

Creuros also took issue with the selective reporting of laboratory emission results claimed for Envirox.

Oxonica claimed in its Release: "Oxonica has recently completed an additional piece of work in collaboration with Stagecoach at a major, independent, vehicle testing facility in the UK that demonstrated reductions in particulate emissions of 18 per cent after 3 months. An independent vehicle laboratory test in Italy also showed reductions in particulate emissions of up to 19 per cent."

Creuros would also like to clarify that the product used in the Italian laboratory trial was not Envirox but an additive called Envirox Premium Plus, which is believed to be Envirox mixed with a commercially available additive package. When used on its own, it is common for such additive packages to give emission reductions. The dose ratio of the additive for the trials was also doubled from 1:1000 to 1:500 which may have effected the result in a positive way. Whilst at one particular part of the test gave particulate mass reductions of 19 per cent, the measured number of PM10 (very small particles less than 10 microns) increased by 73 per cent.

Stefano Livi, CEO of Creuros said, "I find it wholly disturbing that laboratory emission results are selectively reported and that the fuel economy benefits reported are not shared by us or the customer. We have invested over 4 years of hard work and also approx Euro 300,000 developing the market for Envirox which has been a waste of valuable time and money."

About Creuros

Creuros Srl is an Italian company committed to reducing Italy's dependence on fossil fuels and promoting energy efficient technologies for buildings, transportation, power generation and industry. Creuros aim to enhance public energy efficiency and productivity; bring clean, renewable and affordable energy technologies to the marketplace.

Product verification & demonstration is conducted in partnership with the private sector, national and local government, national laboratories, and universities.

SOURCE: Creuros Srl
CONTACT: Stefano Livi, CEO of Creuros Srl, +39-06-65024276

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Technology: SingTel Mobile launches SMS plus with Acision`s award winning MP

New service provides differentiation and value added benefits from person-to-person messaging

Singapore, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Acision, the messaging and charging company of choice for over 300 network operators and service providers worldwide, has today announced that SingTel Mobile, the leading mobile operator in Singapore, has launched Acision's Message Plus across its subscriber base.

Voted Best Mobile Service For Consumers at the 2007 Mobile Messaging Awards, Message Plus enables network operators to differentiate their messaging service through a range of flexible personalised services already familiar to consumers from the PC messaging environment.

Message Plus integrates seamlessly into SingTel's existing messaging infrastructure, providing an effective platform to deliver innovative SMS services to its customers.

With more than 5.42 million subscribers and a mobile penetration rate of 116.1 per cent(1), the population of Singapore sends on average 800 million SMS messages per month. Message Plus enables SingTel Mobile to offer its customers three value-added SMS features all from the subscriber's handset:

1. Automated Out-of-Office SMS: Customers can set to automatically send either a default or customised Out-of-Office SMS reply, similar to an Out-of-Office email.

2. SMS copy: Customers can copy incoming and outgoing SMSes to five email addresses or mobile numbers. The copying of SMSes to an email address provides an additional storage option for SMSes.

3. SMS divert: Customers have the flexibility to divert incoming SMSes to one email address and one mobile number.

SingTel's Message Plus services have launched under the name, SMS Plus.

Mr Wong Soon Nam, SingTel's Vice President of Consumer Marketing said: "We are pleased to partner Acision to be the first telco in Singapore to launch these innovative SMS Plus services. The new services will help our customers effectively manage and control the delivery of their SMSes to suit their individual schedules or preferences."

"The suite of SMS Plus services demonstrates SingTel's ability to understand and effectively deliver solutions to meet the changing mobile communication needs of our customers in this fast-paced society. Our customers can look forward to more exciting SMS Plus features, such as Chinese text capability."

Mr Boudewijn Pesch, Managing Director, Acision, Asia Pacific added, "SMS volume growth is only the first part of the story for operators like SingTel Mobile. Once the volumes are established it is essential that the industry continues to innovate messaging services, adding features and functionalities to maintain messaging as a central tool in their lives. Through continued innovation, operators can begin to differentiate themselves on the strength of their messaging service -- and even secure greater revenues through value-added services. With half of all text and multimedia messages sent globally processed using our systems, we continue to dominate in driving messaging innovation."

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Acision

Acision is the messaging and charging partner of choice for more than 300 network operators and service providers, supporting over one and a half billion customers worldwide. With over 50 per cent of global text and multimedia messaging traffic generated through its platforms, Acision's mobile data services expertise includes text messaging, multimedia messaging, IP messaging, mobile internet, mobile advertising, IP voicemail and IP videomail. Acision's payment systems have processed more than US$100 billion, providing sophisticated real-time charging and removing the boundaries between prepaid and postpaid subscriptions.

All of Acision's solutions are backed up by a robust, global service organisation, offering 24/7 support provided through twenty four local service centres and three state of the art global support centres. With global market experience, Acision has a detailed understanding of what it takes to bring innovative services to full mass market adoption.

Privately owned by an equity consortium led by Atlantic Bridge Ventures and Access Industries, Acision is a half billion dollar company, working with customers in 135 countries across six continents. More information is available at www.acision.com

About SingTel

SingTel is Asia's leading communications group with operations and investments around the world. Serving both the corporate and consumer markets, it is committed to bringing the best of global communications to customers in the Asia Pacific and beyond.

With significant operations in Singapore and Australia (through wholly-owned subsidiary SingTel Optus), the Group provides a comprehensive portfolio of services that include voice and data services over fixed, wireless and Internet platforms.

To serve the needs of multi-national corporations, SingTel has a network of 37 offices in 19 countries and territories throughout Asia Pacific, Europe and the United States. These offices enable SingTel to deliver reliable and quality network solutions to its customers, either on its own or jointly with local partners.

The Group also has major investments in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand. Together with its regional partners, SingTel is Asia's largest multi-market mobile operator, serving about 172 million customers in eight markets.

SingTel employs more than 19,000 people worldwide and had a turnover of S$13.15 billion (US$8.40 billion) and net profit after tax of S$3.78 billion (US$2.42 billion) for the year ended 31 March 2007. More information can be found @ www.singtel.com and www.optus.com.au

(1) Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore

Press contacts

Radha K Raman Director, Marketing, Asia Pacific Acision Tel: +65 6505 1021 / +65 98631449 Email: radha.raman@acision.com Bettina Winters Hotwire PR Tel: + 44 20 7608 4670 Email: acisionasia@hotwirepr.com Cheam Tze Hui Corporate Communications Manager SingTel Mobile Tel: + 65 6838 3678 Email: tzehui@singtel.com

SOURCE: Acision
CONTACT: Radha K Raman, Director, Marketing, Asia Pacific,
Acision, Tel: +65 6505 1021, +65 98631449,
radha.raman@acision.com;
Bettina Winters, Hotwire PR, Tel: + 44 20 7608 4670,
acisionasia@hotwirepr.com;
Cheam Tze Hui, Corporate Communications Manager, SingTel
Mobile, Tel: + 65 6838 3678, tzehui@singtel.com
Web site: http://www.singtel.com
http://www.optus.com.au
http://www.acision.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Business: Avaya Renews HR Management Contract with Convergys

(Cincinnati and Basking Ridge, NJ; April 24, 2008) - Convergys Corporation (NYSE: CVG), a global leader in relationship management,announced today it will continue to provide HR support for Avaya Inc. under a five-year contract renewal. Avaya is a leading global provider of business communications applications, systems, and services.

Convergys will support Avaya globally from service centers in Jacksonville, Florida; São Paulo, Brazil; Budapest, Hungary; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Under the terms of the renewal, Convergys will continue to provide HR and finance transactional management, payroll administration, HR administration, benefits administration, service center support, and employee and manager self service navigational support to Avaya.

“Delivering responsive, consistent, cost-effective performance to our employees around the world is a priority for Avaya,” said Roger Gaston, the company’s senior vice president of HR.

“We are pleased that Convergys will continue to partner with us in support of this critical business objective.”

“We are proud to have engaged with Avaya five years ago as one of our first global HRO deals,” said John Gibson, president, HR Management at Convergys.

“The extension of this relationship validates our global service delivery model for medium and large businesses. Our agreement provides Avaya flexibility throughout its ongoing business transformation, while we continue to build on our outstanding track record of consistent responsiveness, quality, and excellence servicing its employees.”

As a leading global provider of HR Solutions, Convergys partners with clients to transform global HR to drive more value from employee relationships, fostering organizational effectiveness and lowering costs.
Convergys designs, implements, and manages HR BPO solutions for many of the world’s leading organizations in all stages of the employment life cycle: recruiting and resourcing, compensation, HR administration, payroll, benefits, performance management, learning, and workforce intelligence.

About Convergys

Convergys Corporation (NYSE: CVG) is a global leader in relationship management. We provide solutions that drive more value from the relationships our clients have with their customers and employees.
Convergys turns these everyday interactions into a source of profit and strategic advantage for our clients.

For 25 years, our unique combination of domain expertise, operational excellence, and innovative technologies has delivered process improvement and actionable business insight to clients that now span more than 70 countries and 35 languages.

Convergys is a member of the S&P 500 and has been voted a Fortune Most Admired Company for eight consecutive years. We have approximately 75,000 employees in 85 customer contact centers and other facilities in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and our global headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information, visit
www.convergys.com

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.)

Contacts:
Business and Financial Media - John Pratt
+1 513 723 3333 or john.pratt@convergys.com

Trade Media - Jeff Hazel
+1 513 723 7153 or jeff.hazel@convergys.com

Technology: Changhong IT selects Winwap Browser

Changhong IT Selects Winwap Browser and Messaging Applications

Helsinki and Beijing (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Changhong IT Information Products Co.,LTD and Winwap Technologies Oy today announced that the next generation devices with integrated telephony features from Changhong IT will include Browser and messaging solutions provided by Winwap.

The applications are included in the licensed Winwap Browser which is a WAP 2.0 and HTML compatible browser, the MMS Client that provides full Multimedia Messaging capabilities, and the Winwap Email client which is due for official release at a future date.

"Being part of the new devices by Changhong IT strengthens our position on the diverse Chinese market," says Mikael Krogius, CEO of Winwap Technologies.

"These new devices will get customized and optimized versions of our products that integrate seamlessly into the products and provide a powerful interface that end users will find easy to use."

"By using the solutions from Winwap we can focus on the platform development and save time to market by not having to spend resources on the browser or messaging applications," says Wei Ai Hui, Product Dept.General Manager of Changhong IT.

"By adding the Browsing and Messaging capabilities of the Winwap applications to our new LBS (Location Based System) devices we strengthen the position of our devices on the Chinese market."

About Winwap Technologies Oy

Winwap Technologies is specialized in software technologies for Mobile Internet browsing and Multimedia Messaging (MMS).

The product portfolio includes the popular WinWAP browser, MMSClient, Software Development Kits and Toolkits for Browsing, WAP connectivity and Multimedia Messaging. The company is privately owned and was founded by the CEO, Mikael Krogius, in 1995.

For more information about the WinWAP browser and Winwap Technologies visit http://www.winwap.com.

About Changhong IT

Changhong IT Information Products Co., Ltd. is invested by Changhong Group, which has the brand value of 58.325 billion Yuan and the net assets of nearly 10 billion Yuan.

As a subsidiary company, it has the advantages of Changhong Group in manufacturing and capital as well as its own advantages in the IT industry and the unique team culture.

The company is the flagship and backbone enterprise in the IT field of Changhong Group's industrial distribution (household appliances, IT, communication, network, content service).

The target is to integrate and optimize the global resources, provide the professional solutions, supply the information products, and become the digital products supplier and facilitator; as well as explore and promote the 3C new
business mode.

For more information about Changhong IT visit http://www.changhongit.com

Contact: Johanna Uotinen, johanna.uoti@manifesto.fi,
tel +358-40-555-1499

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Technology: VoIP Gateway and IP PBX Solution Developed by Matrix Utilize

VoIP Gateway and IP PBX Solution Developed by Matrix Utilize Surf's Multimedia Processing DSP Chips

Yokne'am, Israel (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - The Surf DSP chip is a complete media processing solution offering simultaneous support for multimedia convergence - Voice, Video, Data (Fax/Modem) - all running on a single DSP

Surf Communication Solutions ("Surf"), a leading provider of multimedia embedded processing solutions, announced today that Matrix Telecom Pvt. Limited ("Matrix"), an India-based company that designs, develops, manufactures and deploys telecomsolutions, has selected Surf's DSP chip-level multimedia processing solution, the Surf DSP-24(TM), for inclusion in two new products: a VoIP gateway and an IP PBX solution.

Matrix's feature-rich 32-ports VFX32 VoIP gateway utilizes the Surf DSP-24 to offer IP connectivity with excellent audio quality for analog phones, legacy PBX systems and analog faxes. It is scalable for lower configurations and various FXS and FXO combinations can be achieved which will help customers to get the lower configuration as per their need.

The Matrix IP PBX offers a complete solution to meet the requirements of voice communication for businesses with multiple locations, traveling employees, and/or home-office networks. The incorporation of Surf's versatile yet powerful DSP-based multimedia processing platform allows the Matrix IP PBX handle high densities for a variety of codecs over converged networks.

The Matrix IP PBX is SIP-based and supports a wide range of telephony applications, such as Voice Mail, Auto Attendant, Call Forward, Call Transfer, Call Park, Call Pick up, Do not Disturb, Hunting Call/Department Call, Time Based Call Routing, Number Based Call Routing/ Least Cost Routing, and Least Cost Routing for multiple ITSP as per defined priority for cost saving.

In addition, the Matrix IP PBX supports RADIUS client protocol which allows the IP PBX to store/log calls in the remote server and provide DDI routing and CLI-based routing.

The Surf DSP-24, based on Texas Instruments' C64x(TM) DSP generation, is a media processing solution offering simultaneous support for multimedia convergence-Voice, Video, and Data (Fax/Modem) -all running on a single DSP.

Equipment manufacturers who develop Media Gateways, IP PBX, CTI products, and other media-over-packet applications find this solution ideal and optimized for their requirements, as well as quick and easy to integrate into their hardware designs. All Surf products support an easy migration path from voice to video, since the same API supports all media types.

"We chose Surf's solution for its ability to support triple-play voice, video and fax/modem on the same platform, which will help us to expand our product range and features in the future," said Mr Ganesh Jivani, CEO, Matrix Telecom. "In addition, the comprehensive documentation set and sample applications were instrumental in achieving fast time-to-market for both products."

"The competition couldn't match the densities or price of the C6424-based Surf platform," stated Ashvin Navadia, Sourcing Manager, Matrix Telecom.

"We are pleased to be selected as Matrix's DSP supplier," said Eli Nakash, Surf's Sales Director, APAC. "This project demonstrates how Surf's multimedia processing expertise and dedicated customer care enable the rapid development of a variety of feature-rich, scalable solutions."

About Surf Communication Solutions SURF Communication

Solutions(R) develops a suite of hardware and software products that drives a wide variety of applications whose common goal is high-capacity distribution of voice and video. These applications are predominantly developed by media gateway, media server and IMS equipment manufacturers in the telecommunication infrastructure field. For more information, visit www.surf-com.com .

About Matrix Telecom Pvt. Limited Matrix, an ISO 2001 certified company, is a leader in the customer premises telecom equipment market. It produces cutting edge products like Digital PBXs, Digital and ISDN Key Phone Systems, GSM FCTs, GSM Gateways, VoIP Products, Voice Messaging Products, Intercom Security Products and PLCC EPAXs.

Over 450 channel partners spread across India market, sell and support Matrix products. In addition, Matrix exports its products to Europe, Middle-East, North Africa and the Americas.

For more information, visit www.matrixtelesol.com.

Contact Information SURF Communication Solutions Eli Nakash, Director of Sales, APAC Tel: +972 (0)73 714 0700 e-mail: eli@surf-com.com
Matrix Telecom Pvt. Limited Ashvin Navadia, Sourcing Manager
Tel: +91 265 2630555 e-mail: Ashvin.Navadia@MatrixTeleSol.com

SOURCE: Surf Communication Solutions Ltd -0- 04/24/2008
CONTACT: Eli Nakash, Director of Sales, APAC, of SURF Communication Solutions, +972 (0)73 714 0700, eli@surf-com.com; or Ashvin Navadia, Sourcing Manager of Matrix Telecom Pvt. Limited, +91 265 2630555, Ashvin.Navadia@MatrixTeleSol.com
Web Site: http://www.surf-com.com
http://www.matrixtelesol.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Business: AerCap Holdings N.V. announces first quarter 2008 transactions

(Full text of this release can be found at http://www.asianetnews.net)

Amsterdam (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - AerCap Holdings N.V. ("AerCap," "the Company", NYSE: AER) today announced the completion of the following transactions during the first quarter 2008:
-- Signed new lease agreements for 23 aircraft,
-- Delivered seven aircraft and ten engines under lease agreements,
-- Purchased 19 aircraft,
-- Sold eight aircraft, and
-- Disassembled three older aircraft.

In addition to transactions closed in the first quarter 2008, AerCap closed two financing transactions during April 2008 which increased available funding by $338 million.

These debt facilities will be used for the financing of pre-delivery payments on new A320 family aircraft and A330 aircraft on order from Airbus. With the pre-delivery debt facility for the A320 aircraft, AerVenture, AerCap's joint venture with Load Air and Al Fawares of Kuwait, has now secured pre-delivery payment debt facilities for all remaining A320 aircraft on order.

AerCap's CEO Klaus Heinemann commented: "Our first quarter leasing and trading activities are evidence of the overall robust state of the global aviation industry with regard to future demand for state of the art, fuel-efficient aircraft.
While the developments in the US aviation market remain a concern, the vast majority of our assets are on lease to operators in Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific and Latin America."

Lease Activities: Contracts Signed for 23 Aircraft and Ten Engines - Letters of Intent Signed for 16 Aircraft New Lease Agreements

The 23 new lease agreements for aircraft signed in the first quarter for future delivery to the operator included:
-- Ten new Airbus A330s for Aeroflot (Russia),
-- Three new Airbus A319s for Mexicana (Mexico),
-- Two new Airbus A319s for Royal Jordanian (Jordan),
-- One new A330 for Asiana (South Korea),
-- One new A320 for Nouvelair (Tunisia),
-- Three Airbus A320s for Batavia (Indonesia),
-- Two Boeing 737-300s for Garuda (Indonesia), and
-- One Airbus A320 for Pacific Airlines (Vietnam).

AerCap added one new airline to its customer base in the first quarter of 2008 (Royal Jordanian).

The average term of the 17 aircraft lease agreements for new aircraft signed during the first quarter was 112 months. The average term of the six used aircraft lease agreements was 72 months. During the first quarter, AerCap also executed letters of intent (signed and deposit paid by lessee) for 16 aircraft leases with an average lease term of 121 months for new aircraft (11 aircraft) and 68 months for used aircraft (five aircraft).

All ten engine lease agreements signed in the first quarter were for CFM-56 engines.

Deliveries

The seven aircraft deliveries in the first quarter under previously contracted lease agreements included:

-- Two new Airbus A320s for Aegean Airlines (Greece),
-- Two new Airbus A319s for Skybus Airlines (United States),
-- Two Airbus A320s for Aerolineas Argentinas (Argentina), and
-- One Airbus A321 for Asiana Airlines (South Korea).

With regard to Skybus, the US low-cost carrier that ceased operations on April 5, 2008, Heinemann said: "We are optimistic that we will be able to sign lease agreements with other operators for these aircraft within the second quarter since
the demand for state-of-the-art, fuel-efficient Airbus A319s remains stable."

Purchase Activities: 19 Aircraft in First Quarter 2008 During the first quarter 2008, AerCap added 19 aircraft to its owned portfolio:

-- Five Airbus A320s including two new aircraft deliveries from Airbus,
-- Two new Airbus A319 deliveries from Airbus,
-- Four Boeing 737-300s,
-- Four MD82s, and
-- Four MD83s.

Of these, two Boeing 737-300s and one older Airbus A320 were disassembled for part-out by AeroTurbine. The MD aircraft were acquired for leasing and eventual disassembly at AeroTurbine.

In addition to the completed purchase activities above, AerCap signed a letter of intent during the first quarter 2008 for the purchase of a 21 aircraft portfolio. This portfolio will be purchased through a 50/50 joint venture and is expected to be completed before the end of 2008.

Sales Activities: Sale of Eight Aircraft in the First Quarter 2008

The eight aircraft sales transactions closed in the first quarter 2008 from AerCap's owned portfolio included:

-- One Fokker 100,
-- One DC8,
-- One MD82,
-- One Boeing 737-300,
-- One Airbus A330, and
-- Three Airbus A320s.

The average age of owned aircraft sold during the quarter was 20 years.

In addition to the completed sales activity above, AerCap signed letters of intent during the first quarter 2008 for the sale of one MD82, one Fokker 100, and four Airbus A320s from its owned portfolio.

In addition to the activity in first quarter 2008 and excluding deliveries of new aircraft and engines under forward order agreements, AerCap currently has signed purchase agreements for delivery of two used aircraft and a signed sales agreement for the delivery of one managed aircraft in the remaining months of 2008 which were contracted prior to first quarter 2008.

Portfolio Summary As of March 31, 2008, AerCap's portfolio consisted of 320 aircraft and 71 engines that were either owned, on order, under contract or letter of intent, or managed.

Key Agreements During April 2008, AerCap increased its available funding by $338 million to a total of $2.2 billion.

On April 18, 2008, AerVenture closed a $269.2 million facility with HSH Nordbank AG to finance the pre-delivery payments for 37 new A320 family aircraft under forward order from Airbus, scheduled for delivery between November 2009 and May 2011. The funding requirements for all remaining pre-delivery payments of AerVenture have been met with this transaction.

On April 17, 2008, AerCap increased its pre-delivery payment funding facility by $68.4 million. This facility was arranged by Citi and is to be used to finance the pre-delivery payments relating to A330 aircraft under forward order with Airbus,
scheduled for delivery between January and April 2010.

The information above includes transactions completed by AerCap and AeroTurbine, AerCap's subsidiary which focuses on engine leasing and trading, airframe and engine disassembly, part sales and MRO services.

AerCap Holdings N.V. intends to report its transactions on a quarterly basis going forward.

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 through its certified repair stations. 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 Media: Frauke Oberdieck Tel. +31-20-655-9616
foberdieck@aercap.com
For Investors: Peter Wortel Tel. +31-20-655-9658
pwortel@aercap.com
SOURCE: AerCap Holdings N.V.
CONTACT: Media, Frauke Oberdieck, +31-20-655-9616,
foberdieck@aercap.com,
or Investors, Peter Wortel, +31-20-655-9658,
pwortel@aercap.com,
both of AerCap Holdings N.V.

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Pharmaceutical/Business: Amneal Pharma to acquire the assets of Interpharm Holdings

Agreement executed for Amneal Pharmaceuticals to acquire the assets of Interpharm Holdings

Paterson, N.J. (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Amneal Pharmaceuticals, LLC is pleased to announce the execution of an Asset Purchase Agreement for Amneal's wholly-owned subsidiary, Amneal Pharmaceuticals of New York, LLC, to acquire the assets, facilities and business of Interpharm.

The acquisition includes Interpharm's facilities on Long Island, New York as well as the intellectual property including ANDA's, technology and processes.

Amneal will use its strong leadership and financial position to fully realize the potential of Interpharm's powerful product line, ensure approval of its well defined development pipeline and leverage the unique manufacturing capabilities.

"Utilizing Amneal's financial strength, superb quality management, R&D and manufacturing expertise with Interpharm's outstanding facilities, leading market share and high value pipeline creates tremendous opportunities for rapid growth and exceptional customer satisfaction," said Chintu Patel, CEO of Amneal.

"Interpharm is excited about this acquisition of our assets. The financial stability brought by Amneal will allow it to springboard its rapid growth plans, and enhance the value to our loyal trading partners," added Jeff Weiss, Interpharm's executive vice president of sales and marketing.

Amneal will list assets of over one hundred products approved or filed with the USFDA and in development, controlled substance (C II-V) licensing and manufacturing, hormonal production suite, high potency production suite, soft gelatin capsules manufacturing, liquids manufacturing plant, 20 billion unit oral solid capacity and expansive R&D centers in New Jersey, New York and newly opened in India.

Amneal president Chirag Patel comments: "This acquisition of intellectual and tangible assets provides Amneal the ability to accelerate its aggressive growth plans and rapidly broaden and deepen its product portfolio, while staying committed to full vertical integration and industry leading operations, R&D and Customer Service."

About Amneal Pharmaceuticals:

Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC, headquartered in Paterson, NJ, is a USA-based firm that develops, manufacturers and distributes generic pharmaceutical products regulated and approved by the US FDA.

Positioned as "Generic's New Generation," the company utilizes diverse R&D and manufacturing expertise to conceive breakthrough developments with lasting impact.

Vigorous ANDA growth and broad product acquisitions are key features of Amneal's strategic growth plan, as is the company's commitment to building deep relationships with its customer base.

Amneal delivers superior service levels, quality products, and dynamic value throughout the pharmaceutical industry.

SOURCE: Amneal Pharmaceuticals, LLC
CONTACT: Jim Luce, Executive Vice President-Sales &
Marketing, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, LLC,
+1-949-610-8018,
Mobile +1-949-633-2293,
Fax: +1-949-610-8218, jim@amneal.com
Web site: http://www.amneal.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Metal/Mining: PT International Nickel Indonesia Tbk Reports First Quarter 2008 Earnings of US$139.6 Million

JAKARTA, April 25, 2008 (ANTARA) - PT International Nickel Indonesia Tbk ("PT Inco", or the "Company", IDX:INCO) today announced unaudited net earnings of US$139.6 million for the first quarter of 2008 (US$0.014 per share), compared to net earnings of US$227.8 million (US$0.023 per share) for the first quarter of 2007. Sales of US$380 million in the first three months of 2008 compared to US$446.7 million in the corresponding quarter of 2007. Lower sales revenue was primarily due to a lower average realized price for nickel in matte. Production of nickel in matte for the first quarter of 2008 was 20,136 metric tons, compared to 17,980 metric tons in the same period in 2007.

"We achieved higher output than at the same time last year, of the increase approximately 1,200 metric tons was due to deferring our planned shutdown for electric furnace maintenance to April 2008 and the balance due to better operations. The production number representing over 25 per cent of the higher end of our 2008 production target of 78,000-to-79,000 metric tons," said Arif Siregar, the Company's President Director. "The Company achieved this result in light of improved nickel grade, maintained power availability to our electric furnaces and improved production efficiencies despite the fact that we experienced lower precipitation level in our main catchment area compared to the same period in 2007."

"It is our strategy in the current higher nickel price environment to increase production output by adding fossil fuel fired generators that provide the Company with increased revenue relative to the additional marginal cost" added Mr. Siregar.

PT Inco's realized price for nickel in matte averaged US$21,187 per metric ton in the first quarter of 2008, compared to US$29,149 per metric ton in the corresponding period in 2007 and US$23,816 per metric ton in the fourth quarter of 2007.

Unit cash cost of production in the first quarter of 2008 rose 20 per cent to US$8,857 per metric ton from US$7,386 per metric ton in the same quarter of 2007. This increase was primarily due to the higher price of high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) and the higher price and usage of diesel. These increases were partially offset by lower employee costs.

In the first quarter of 2008 we used 676,321 barrels of HSFO, a decrease from first quarter 2007 usage of 708,839 barrels. However, the average cost of HSFO rose to US$75.63 per barrel in the first quarter of 2008 when compared to the average cost of US$48.73 per barrel paid during the same period in 2007. PT Inco also consumed 47,640 kilolitres of diesel fuel at an average cost of US$0.75 per litre, up from 28,996 kilolitres at US$0.53 per litre in the first quarter 2007. The significant increase in diesel usage was mainly due to the addition of 32 diesel generators acquired and put into use in May and June 2007.

"We are assessing and implementing initiatives to enhance cost-efficiency and de-link part of our cost structure from the price of oil. In the short term, we are ensuring that hydroelectric generating facilities could produce maximum power to our electric furnaces by continuing our efforts on cloud seeding and energy conservation. In addition, we are now rebuilding our steam turbine generator which will operate at a lower cost when compared to diesel generators. In the medium run, we will be completing our coal conversion project which gives us flexibility to use coal. In the longer term, we will further reduce energy cost by completing our third hydroelectric power generating facility on the Larona River at Karebbe," continued Mr. Siregar.

Cash provided by operating activities was US$74.4 million in the first quarter of 2008, down from US$291.5 million in the same quarter last year. This decrease was mainly because of lower receipts from customers as we recorded lower average realized price and higher payments to suppliers due to higher energy prices. Corporate tax payments during the first quarter of 2008 rose to US$156.1 million from US$134.0 million in the same period of 2007. The net increase in cash and cash equivalents of US$43.8 million brought the quarter-end 2008 cash and cash equivalents balance to US$338.1 million, higher than the US$294.3 million at December 31, 2007.

Cash capital expenditures were US$28.0 million in the first quarter of 2008, down from US$28.6 million in the prior year period. PT Inco plans capital spending of US$212 million in 2008, including: growth capital projects of US$64 million, sustaining capital expenditures of US$77 million, and US$42 million for environment, health and safety.

Prior to March 31, 2008, certain provisions of the Company's 1968 Contract of Work were still in effect. On that date these provisions expired and the certain provisions of the Extended and Modified Contract of Work agreed in December 1995 came into force. With the passing of this important milestone at the end of the first quarter, the Company requested that its external auditor audit the accounts of the Company for the first three months ended March 31, 2008. PT Inco will publish its audited financial results by June 30, 2008.

The Company's unaudited results are summarized below - all figures in US$ except for nickel in matte production and deliveries which are in thousand metric tons:

	First Quarter		Fourth Quarter
	2008	2007	2007
Nickel in matte production:	20.1	18.0	18.6
Nickel in matte deliveries:	17.7	15.1	19.0
Average realized price per metric ton	21,187	29,149	23,816
Net sales - millions	380.0	446.7	458.5
Net earnings - millions	139.6	227.8	200.5
Net earnings per share	0.014	0.023(1)	0.020(1)

(1) Restated to reflect 10-for-1 stock split approved by shareholders on December 17, 2007 and effective on Indonesia Stock Exchange on January 15, 2008.

Under the Company's long-term U.S. dollar-denominated sales contracts, the selling price of its nickel in matte is determined based on the greater of Vale Inco Limited's net average realized price for nickel or a formula based on the London Metal Exchange cash price for nickel.

At March 31, 2008, the Company's inventories of nickel in matte were 3,230 metric tons, compared with 747 metric tons at December 31, 2007 and 3,544 metric tons at March 31, 2007. Variations in inventories and deliveries are largely due to shipment scheduling.

For further information, please contact:
Indra Ginting, Director of Investor Relations & Corporate Secretary gintiin@inco.com
Claudio Bastos, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer cbastos@inco.com
or visit our website at www.pt-inco.co.id.

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Business: Performance of Vale in 1Q08

Rio de Janeiro, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (Vale) showed a solid performance in the first quarter of 2008 (1Q08) in spite of the negative effects of currency volatility and the pressures on costs generated by the price increases for inputs. In this context, expansion of production and the effort to contain costs were fundamental to achieving strong results.

The main highlights of our performance in 1Q08 were:
-- Record shipments of iron ore and pellets in a first quarter: 76.572 million metric tons
-- a 15% increase on 1Q07.
-- Records for a first quarter in shipments of aluminum (136,000 metric tons), alumina (833,000 metric tons), cobalt (740 metric tons) and platinum group metals (86,000 troy ounces).
-- Gross revenue of US$ 8.048 billion, 4.8% more than in 1Q07.
-- Operational profit, as measured by adjusted EBIT(a) (earnings before interest and taxes) of US$ 2.915 billion, an increase of 7.9% over 1Q07.
-- Adjusted EBIT margin of 37.2% against 36.1% in 1Q07.
-- Adjusted EBITDA(b) (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization), of US$ 3.729 billion, an increase of 17.1% relative to 1Q07.
-- Net earnings of US$ 2.021 billion, corresponding to earnings per share on a fully diluted basis of US$ 0.41, a 8.8% reduction on the 1Q07 result of US$ 2.217 billion.
-- Investments totaled US$ 1.695 billion, of which US$ 1.304 billion in organic growth -- R&D and projects -- and US$ 391 million in sustaining existing operations.
-- Delivery of three new projects: the Fazendao iron ore mine in the Southeastern System, in the state of Minas Gerais, the third Samarco pelletizing plant in the state of Espirito Santo, and Dalian, a nickel processing plant in the province of Liaoning, China.
-- Dividend distribution of US$ 0.26 per common or preferred share -- US$1.25 billion -- to be made as from April 30, 2008, corresponding to the first installment of the minimum dividend for 2008, of which 55% in the form of interest on equity and 45% in dividends.
-- Investment in corporate social responsibility of US$ 155 million, of which US$ 105 million allocated to environmental protection and conservation, and US$ 50 million to social projects.

SOURCE Vale
CONTACT: Roberto Castello Branco,
roberto.castello.branco@vale.com,
Alessandra Gadelha,
alessandra.gadelha@vale.com,
Patricia Calazans,
patricia.calazans@vale.com,
Theo Penedo,
theo.penedo@vale.com,
or Marcus Thieme,
marcus.thieme@vale.com,
or Tacio Neto,
tacio.neto@vale.com, all of Vale,
+011-55-21-3814-4540 Web site: http://www.cvrd.com.br
http://www.vale.com
(RIO)

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Mining/Minerals: Society of Exploration Geophysicists opens China office

Tulsa, Okla., (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Attending the gala ceremony were SEG President Fred Aminzadeh, three former SEG presidents, SEG Executive Director Mary Fleming, and more than 250 representatives from the Chinese geoscience community, major national and international oil companies, prominent geophysical contracting and service companies, and academia.

The opening of this office marks a major step forward in SEG's steady expansion of the scope and outreach of its programs and services to an increasingly global membership and business community.

SEG, founded in 1930, now has over 30,000 members (an all-time high and representing a 100% increase in the past decade) who live and work in well over 100 countries.

Well over 60% of SEG's membership resides outside the United States, a major demographic change from the Society's first 60 years.

The opening of the new regional office dramatically illustrates SEG's commitment to fulfilling its core mission of advancing the science and practice of applied geophysics wherever opportunity and local support present themselves.

Several other regional offices are being planned and other openings are possible within the calendar year.

SEG has had close ties with Chinese geophysicists and their professional organizations for more than 30 years and has established very strong relations with the full spectrum of that nation's geophysically-oriented agencies, corporations, and universities.

China has made a deep commitment to strengthening its resource exploration and production capabilities and local officials strongly supported SEG's plan to establish operations in the country in order to play a more direct role in such key areas as student and continuing education programs, publications, conferences, and member services.

The Beijing office, headed by chief representative Franco Yu, is at Suite 1121, 11/F Block A, Gateway No. 18 Xiaguangli, North Road East Third Ring, Beijing, China, 100027.

For more information please contact Mr. Yu (francoyu@segbeijing.com.cn), Bastiaan Bouma, Director Global Relations (bbouma@seg.org), or the new SEG Extra China eNewsletter (www.seg.org/newsletters) which is specifically oriented to geophysical news related to China.

SOURCE: The Society of Exploration Geophysicists
CONTACT: Bastiaan Bouma,
Director Global Relations
of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists,
+1-918-497-5500,
bbouma@seg.org
Web site: http://www.seg.org

COPYRIGHT © 2008