Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Business: Satyam loses appeal against High Court Judgment in Upaid case

London (BUSINESS WIRE) - Online and mobile payments service leader, Upaid Systems, has today announced that the Court of Appeal in London affirmed a January High Court Judgment in Upaid's favour against Satyam Computer Services, soundly rejecting the Indian software leader's effort to block Upaid's fraud and forgery claims in a Texas court.

The decision confirms an earlier High Court judgment in favour of Upaid on all points. This ruling allows Upaid's lawsuit against Satyam alleging forgery, fraud, misrepresentation, and breach of contract, and what Satyam admits are "extremely large sums of money", to proceed to a US trial by jury in a Texas federal court.

Upaid originally filed the Texas lawsuit in April 2007 following the revelation in Texas of forged documents previously provided by Satyam to Upaid. Satyam had sought a High Court injunction in London in September 2007 to try to block the Texas case, arguing that a 2003 commercial agreement terminating the relationship between the two companies precluded all future claims against it for all past practices and that any residual claims against it had to be tried in London.

The High Court categorically refused Satyam's request in January 2008.

After hearing testimony from senior executives of both companies and legal experts in a four day trial, the Court ruled that the Texas claims could proceed. Satyam appealed this decision, and it was this appeal which was comprehensively dismissed last Friday by a Court of Appeal panel presided over by Lord Justice Waller, Vice President of the Court of Appeal Civil Division.

Costs were awarded against Satyam. In their further plea to the Court of Appeal for leave to appeal to the House of Lords Satyam first admitted publicly that, "?the effect of the judgment is that collateral proceedings in Texas will proceed.
These are likely to be highly detrimental to the Appellant and extremely large sums of money are at stake."

Leave to appeal to the House of Lords was denied by the Court of Appeal.

Upaid spokesperson Joanne Hunter commented, "We think this case is of considerable importance. Satyam is one of India's largest and best known providers of outsourced software services. As they themselves said last Friday, the Court of Appeal result is likely to be very detrimental to them and a lot is at stake. This is a very serious case of misconduct that involves fraud and forgery by one of India's leading software companies. The damage done to Upaid has been made even worse by the time wasted in London while Satyam tried to avoid the consequences of their own actions, rather than doing all it could to help a former customer by addressing the substantive issues raised in Texas. But, with the London issues out of the way, we can now look forward to dealing with what really matters in Texas, where the forgeries first came to light."

The full Court of Appeal Judgment can be found at the following link: http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2008487.html

About Upaid

Upaid is the mobile and online payments specialist. Applications range from the recharge of prepaid accounts via SMS, to electronic bill payment and presentment, to billing for mobile content. The Upaid platform supports a complete eco-system for mobile commerce, giving users the choice of an operator-driven or independent billing system.

Upaid holds a portfolio of over 1,000 granted patents in the arena of e- and m-commerce. We work with Brazil's leading mobile operators and banks to enable recharge transactions, serving a user base of over 50 million consumers, processing 2 million transactions per month. Upaid holds the franchise for VISA Mobile Service in the CEMEA region. Upaid has offices in the US, UK, and Brazil. Upaid is a registered trademark of Upaid Systems, Ltd.

For more information, please visit www.upaid.net.
Skywrite Communications on behalf of Upaid
Catriona Biggart, Elena Dunn and Becca Daniel
Tel: +44 (0) 207 608 4650
Email: upaid@skywritecomms.com

Business in Asia Today - May 14, 2008

SINGTEL FORECASTS DOUBLE-DIGIT EARNINGS IN MEDIUM TERM
Sydney (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (SingTel) (SGX:T48, ASX:SGT), the owner of Australian telco Optus, is forecasting double-digit underlying earnings growth in the medium term after posting a 4.8 per cent lift in full year net profit.
SingTel said its full year NPAT result had been boosted by the stronger Australian dollar and strong growth in the Singapore business.
But SingTel said uncertainties in the financial markets and inflationary pressures had contributed to a more cautious outlook for Singapore and Australia in fiscal 2009.

KIKKOMAN EYES JAPANESE-FOOD WHOLESALING IN EMERGING MARKETS
Tokyo (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Kikkoman Corp. (TSE:2801) will branch into emerging economies in its business of wholesaling Japanese food, forming sales and distribution sites in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and South America.
The move is intended to coincide with the company's plans to launch soy sauce production and sales in these markets and is aimed at generating synergies from cultivating demand for both Kikkoman condiments and Japanese foods in general.
At least one sales and distribution base will open in each of the three regions of Southeast Asia, Middle East and South America by fiscal 2020.

TOYOTA TO RAISE OUTPUT CAPACITY AT CHINESE JOINT VENTURE
Shanghai (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Toyota Motor Corp. (TSE:7203) said Tuesday that it will increase capacity 50 per cent by the end of 2009 at one of three plants operated by a Tianjin joint venture with China FAW Group Corp.
The 1.5 billion yuan (US$214.6 million) expansion at Tianjin FAW Toyota Motor Co. will lift annual production at the No. 2 plant to 150,000 cars and add 1,500 jobs at the venture.
Toyota plans to eventually upgrade the venture's development division to an R&D center.

AUSTRALIAN COURT OKAYS HEALTH INSURER BUPA'S TAKEOVER OF MBF
Sydney (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Health insurer MBF Australia Ltd and BUPA Australia Health Pty Ltd have received the green light from the Federal Court of Australia to combine their businesses.
On Monday, MBFpolicyholders voted in favour of the A$2.4 billion (US$2.255 billion) friendly takeover by BUPA Australia, the domestic arm of the British owned BUPA Group.
MBF chairman John Conde said the Federal Court's approval of the scheme represented another significant step in the process leading to implementation.

MALAYSIA'S QUILL BUYS TESCO BUILDING IN PENANG FOR US$41.3 MLN
Kuala Lumpur (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Quill Capita Trust (QCT) (KLSE:5123), a commercial real estate investment trust (REIT), today signed an agrement to acquire a building in Penang for RM132 million (US$41.3 million).
Quill is buying the building, which is fully leased to hypermarket operator Tesco Stores (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, from IJM Properties Sdn Bhd.
The Tesco building is located in the district of Jelutong which is undergoing significant urban redevelopment.
Quill expects to finance the purchase through a combination of internally generated funds and debts.

SAMSUNG, LG TO DEVELOP JOINT STANDARD FOR N. AMERICAN MOBILE TV MARKET
Seoul (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Samsung Electronics Co. (KSE:005930) and LG Electronics Co. (KSE:066570), South Korea's world-class electronics manufacturers, said today they agreed to jointly develop a mobile television technology aimed at becoming the industry standard in the North American market.
Executives from the two companies signed a deal for the joint standard at a hotel in Seoul, the companies said, adding that they plan to forward their proposal to the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC).
The joint effort is expected to combine LG's technology, dubbed the Mobile Pedestrian Handheld (MPH), and Samsung's A-VSB, also known as advanced-vestigial sideband, according to the companies.

HONDA BIKE SALES FORECAST TO SURGE 40% IN INDONESIAN MARKET
Jakarta (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Sales of Honda motorcycles in Indonesia are forecast to shoot up 40 per cent to 1.2 million units in the first half of this year from 921,990 units in the same period last year.
Until April this year, sales already reached 897,037 units or 50.8 per cent higher year-on-year, said Siswanto Prawiroatmodjo, Executive Vice President of PT Astra Honda Motor, which produces the Japanese product in the country.
Sales are expected to continue to climb despite rising inflation, Mr Siswanto said, adding that since the rise in inflation therefore, it will not affect sales.

TAIWAN GOVT HAS DONE ITS BEST TO HELP STRICKEN AIRLINE: MOTC
Taipei (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - The government has done everything appropriate and necessary to help the debt-ridden Far Eastern Air Transport (FAT) (TAIEX:5605) stay afloat, senior transportation officials said amid criticism that they had mismanaged the crisis which led to Taiwan's oldest private carrier shutting down Tuesday.
"We have introduced many potential investors to take over the company which filed for bankruptcy protection," said Yu Fang-lai, deputy minister of the Ministry of Transportation and Communication (MOTC).
Efforts to rescue the airline failed as the airline announced Monday that it would suspend all its operations effective Tuesday.

INDONESIA'S ANTAM, INDIA'S JINDAL TO BUILD NICKEL, STEEL SMELTER
Jakarta (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Indonesian mining company PT Antam Tbk (JSX:ANTM) and India's Jindal Stainless Limited (BSE:532508) have agreed to build a nickel and stainless steel smelter in the Republic's Southeast Sulawesi province.
"In its initial phase of operations the smelter will have an annual production capacity of 20,000 tons of nickel and 250,000 tons of steel, mostly high-quality stainless steel of the series 300," Antam President Director Dedi Adytia said on Tuesday. He said the smelter would be 55 per cent owned by Antam and 45 per cent by Jindal.

AUSTRALIA'S CSR BOOKS 35 PCT DROP IN YEAR NET PROFIT
Sydney (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Australian building products and sugar producer CSR Ltd (ASX:CSR) has delivered a 35 per cent fall in net profit for the 2008 year, and says it could be 18 months before the full benefits are seen from internal improvements in the company.
CSR posted net profit after significant items of $A177.4 million ($US166.9 million), against A$273.3 million in 2007. Before significant items, net profit was A$192.8 million, down 20 per cent from A$240.5 million in 2007.
Managing director Jerry Maycock said external factors had weighed heavily on the CSR's sugar milling result, which impacted overall earnings, but he said he was pleased with the company's progress.

Source:
Business in Asia Today - MAY 14, 2008
published by Asia Pulse

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Technology: Dell to donate up to RMM 2.1 mln to Chinese earthquake relief

Dell to donate up to RMB 2.1 million to Chinese earthquake relief visiting China this week, Michael Dell says company will stay close to relief efforts, offer continued support

Shanghai, China--(BUSINESS WIRE) - Dell and its employees will donate up to RMB 2.1 million to aid relief efforts in the wake of the massive earthquake affecting China Monday ? the second major disaster to hit Asia in less than a week.

"While our employees in Chengdu and Chongqing are safe and accounted for, thousands of families in the region have been impacted by these disasters," said Michael Dell, Dell's chairman and CEO, who is visiting China this week on company business. "I've experienced firsthand the concern of our employees, customers and suppliers. We hope our donations will make a difference to the thousands affected."

The company's contributions will come from Dell Inc., the Dell Foundation and Dell employees, whose funds will be matched by Dell through the company's Direct Giving program.

2008 marks Dell's 10th year doing business in China. The company employs more than 6,000 people across the country in several locations, including facilities in Chengdu and Chongqing, two manufacturing plants in Xiamen, an Enterprise Command Center in Xiamen, a global product-design/engineering center in Shanghai (one of Dell's largest outside the United States), and an international service center in Dalian for customers in Japan and South Korea. Last year, Dell employees volunteered more than 7,000 hours and the company donated RMB 5 million to Chinese charities.

Links to: Dell: 10 Years in China www.dell.com/dellfoundation

About Dell Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services they trust and value. Uniquely enabled by its direct business model, Dell is a leading global systems and services company and No. 34 on the
Fortune 500. For more information, visit www.dell.com, or to communicate directly with Dell via a variety of online channels, go to www.dell.com/conversations.

To get Dell news direct, visit www.dell.com/RSS.

Dell Inc.David Frink, 512-728-2678 david_frink@dell.com or Media Contacts: Sharon Zhang, +86-10-5826-1182 sharon_zhang@dell.com

Technology: HI Unveils Development new software 'MascotCapsule Renderion'

HI unveils Development of OpenGL(R) ES 1.1 software implementation 'MascotCapsule(R) Renderion' - supports the industry standard OpenGL ES common and common-lite profiles

Tokyo (BUSINESS WIRE) - HI CORPORATION (Headquarters: Meguro-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Kazuo Kawabata hereinafter "HI")(JASDAQ:3846) announced today that they have developed an OpenGL ES 1.1(*1) software implementation "MascotCapsule Renderion(*2)".

The widely used industry standard OpenGL ES is normally not available in budget home electronics and cellular phones as they are not equipped with a graphics accelerator (hereinafter GPU*3). With the OpenGL ES compliant 3D graphics software implementation, graphics are not processed by the GPU, but by the main CPU as a software-implemented alternative processor using the processing capacity that has increased significantly in recent years. With this implementation, manufacturers will be able to support the industry standard OpenGL ES without GPU.

This time HI has developed a high-speed processing software implementation tuned for running on ARM core, which is now a "de facto" standard for the embedded microcomputer market. In this way, HI not only developed a software implementation with the industry standard for graphics application API JSR184(*4) but also with the industry standard for native graphics API OpenGL ES.

The implementation is scheduled to hit the market in the end of May 2008. It will be offered as a stand-alone to customers that wish to support OpenGL ES at low cost, or depending on the needs, as a solution by combining with the 3D graphics rendering engine MascotCapsule, with top market share, to improve graphics capability and convenience, and allow the use of a variety of readily available software assets.

With regard to this development, "HI was one of the first companies to innovate mobile 3D solutions and we are delighted to see this respected industry player leverage Khronos specifications in their product roadmap. Driving pervasive 3D adoption in the mobile industry will require a wide variety of price and performance solutions, and Mascot Capsule Renderion will help satisfy the strong demand for OpenGL ES in the market place," says Neil Trevett, President of the Khronos Group.

HI is planning to optimize its software implementation for Renesas Technology's CPU cores, and will greatly promote this product in low-end embedded devices as well as help manufacturers support industry standards at low cost.

*1 OpenGL ES OpenGL is a registered trademark and the OpenGL ES logo is a trademark of Silicon Graphics Inc. used by permission by Khronos. OpenGL ES 1.1 is a subset of OpenGL 1.5, and is a royalty-free 2D/3D graphics API for embedded devices created by removing OpenGL desktop functionality not needed for embedded and mobile devices. Controlled by the Khronos Group industry consortium, it is intended for use in cellular phones, car navigation systems, etc. For more information, visit the Khronos Group website at http://www.khronos.org/opengles/.
*2 "Renderion" is not a official product name, but a development code name.
*3 GPU Abbreviation of Graphics Processing Unit.
*4 Supported by MascotCapsule V4.

* MascotCapsule is a registered trademark of HI CORPORATION in Japan.
* The names of other products and companies mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
owners.

[About HI CORPORATION] For more information, please visit our web site (http://www.hicorp.co.jp/english/index.html).

HI CORPORATION
Mitsutaka Monma or Pam Hung, +81-3-3710-9376
Public RelationsMarketing Dept.press@hicorp.co.jp
Fax: +81-3-5773-8660

Health/Medical: Australia-based CSL marks 40 years in the influenza vaccine Market

A leading provider of vaccine in the Southern Hemisphere and Europe

Parkville, Australia (BUSINESS WIRE) - CSL Limited today celebrated its 40th year as a leading manufacturer of the influenza (flu) vaccine. The company's vaccine, Fluvax, is a Thiomersal-free influenza vaccine that is approved for use in adults and children in Australia and New Zealand. This vaccine is known as Afluria, Enzira, Nilgrip, and X-Flu in 17 different countries, including the US and European markets.

Additionally, CSL supplies the antigen used to manufacture the flu vaccine in 24 countries.

CSL's prominence in the influenza vaccine market has grown dramatically over the last 40 years. The company started its global flu vaccine production in 1968, with the shipment of 1.2 million doses to Great Britain -- CSL's single-largest shipment of influenza vaccine at that time. CSL now has an established history in influenza vaccine development.

"At CSL Limited, we're proud of our track record of providing vaccine for what remains a critical global healthcare need," said Mary Sontrop, General Manager, CSL Biotherapies. "We're committed to consistently developing effective influenza vaccines based on the strains recommended by health authorities, such as the World Health Organization. As we prepare for the 2008-2009 influenza season, we look forward to providing consumers worldwide with an effective, quality product."

Recently completed, CSL Limited announced a US$75 million investment in plant and equipment to double the manufacturing capacity of the company's Melbourne facility to 40 million doses, making it one of the largest vaccine manufacturing plants in the world. CSL has also commenced construction of additional fill and finish capabilities in the United States.

About Fluvax

Fluvax Influenza Virus Vaccine is indicated for active immunization to prevent influenza disease caused by influenza virus types A and B present in the vaccine in children and adults.

Fluvax is available as a convenient single use pre-filled syringe, containing a 0.5mL dose, which is preservative-free and thiomersal-free.

Since 1985, more than 42 million doses of CSL's influenza vaccine have been distributed globally. This includes approximately 19.2 million doses of CSL Biotherapies' thiomersal-free formulation, distributed since its first market introduction.

About CSL Limited

Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, CSL Limited is a global, specialty biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and markets protein-based medicines to treat and prevent serious human medical conditions. The CSL Group has a combined heritage of outstanding contributions to medicine and human health with more than 90 years experience in the development and manufacture of vaccines and plasma protein biotherapies. Our strong commitment to funding research and development of protein based biological medicines for unmet medical needs underpins our continuing growth.

The CSL Group includes CSL Bioplasma, CSL Biotherapies and CSL Behring incorporating ZLB Plasma. With major facilities in Australia, Germany, Switzerland and the U.S., CSL has over 8,600 employees operating in 27 countries.

About CSL Biotherapies

The U.S. headquarters of CSL Biotherapies are located in King of Prussia, Pa. Its parent company, CSL Limited, in Melbourne, Australia, operates one of the world's largest influenza vaccine facilities for global markets. CSL Biotherapies, which shares its U.S. headquarters with its sister company, CSL Behring, is commercializing influenza vaccine products globally. At CSL Biotherapies, delivering vaccines is our mission, protecting lives our passion.

The CSL Group, which also includes CSL Research & Development, CSL Bioplasma, and CSL Behring, has more than 8,500 employees and operates in 21 countries worldwide. For more information, visit us at www.cslbiotherapies-us.com, or call 1-888-435-8633.

CSL Biotherapies Director, Public Relations & Communications Worldwide Commercial Operations Sheila A. Burke, 610-290-7403
Mobile: 484-919-2618 Sheila.Burke@cslbiotherapies.com
or Weber Shandwick Abenaa (Abby) Hayes, 212-445-8337 ahayes@webershandwick.com

Business: Blackstone to launch Asia-focused Blackstone Altius advisors

New York & Hong Kong (BUSINESS WIRE) - The Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) today announced that Aaron Nieman will be launching Blackstone Altius Advisors, a new event-driven strategy focusing on opportunities in the Asia Pacific region. A global, highly experienced investment team will be headquartered in Hong Kong, with additional professionals based in Tokyo, Mumbai, and New York.

Mr Nieman, a Senior Managing Director joined Blackstone from S.A.C. Capital Management, where he was a Managing Director in the Canvas Capital Management division. At S.A.C., Mr Nieman was instrumental in creating a successful investment team responsible for merger arbitrage and event-driven investments in the Asia Pacific region.

Before that, Mr Nieman was largely responsible for building Lehman Brothers' Tokyo-based Global Trading Strategies Division (formerly known as the Risk Arbitrage Division), focusing on Asia Pacific investments. Mr Nieman began his career at Lehman Brothers in New York.

Stephen A. Schwarzman, Chairman, CEO and Co-founder of the Blackstone Group, said, "Aaron has a superb history of developing teams and investing in Asia. He will add greater depth and intellectual capital to Blackstone's wide range of alternative investment businesses, and we are delighted that he has chosen to join us."

Antony Leung, Chairman, Blackstone Greater China, added, "As Blackstone continues to aggressively seek opportunities within Asia, Aaron and his team will provide additional investment capability that will bolster our presence in the region."

"Blackstone has a superior global alternative investment platform. It also employs some of the best professionals in the industry. The synergies that exist within Blackstone's various businesses will provide us with a significant advantage investing in the Asia Pacific markets," said Aaron Nieman, Senior Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of Altius Advisors.

Mr Nieman has recruited an experienced and talented team of investment professionals to Altius, including Christopher Pesce as Chief Operating Officer. Mr Pesce was formerly Global Head of Prime Brokerage at Bank of America and, before that, with Goldman Sachs both in New York and Hong Kong.

In addition to Blackstone Altius Advisors, Blackstone's other businesses in Asia include its corporate private equity fund (Blackstone Capital Partners), its real estate opportunity fund (Blackstone Real Estate Partners), its fund of hedge funds business and two closed-end mutual funds (The India Fund and The Asia Tigers Fund).

The Blackstone Group

The Blackstone Group L.P. is a leading global alternative asset manager and provider of financial advisory services. Its alternative asset management businesses include the management of corporate private equity funds, real estate opportunity funds, funds of hedge funds, mezzanine funds, senior debt funds, proprietary hedge funds and closed-end mutual funds. The Blackstone Group also provides various financial advisory services, including mergers and acquisitions advisory, restructuring and reorganization advisory and fund placement service.

Further information is available at www.blackstone.com
The Blackstone Group New York
Peter Rose or John Ford +1 212 583 5000
rose@blackstone.comford@blackstone.com
or London
Sophia Harrison or Helen Winning 44 20 7451 4000
harrison@blackstone.comwinning@blackstone.com

Pfizer extends 10 million Yuan to earthquake victims in China

Beijing, (BUSINESS WIRE) - Today Pfizer China announced it is providing up to RMB 10 million (approximately US$1.4 million) in medicines and financial assistance to relief organizations operating in the region worst affected by the massive earthquake.

"We were devastated to hear about the rising death tolls and escalating number of injuries in Sichuan Province," said Ahmet Esen, country manager of Pfizer China. "Pfizer will work closely with the Chinese Government to provide assistance to victims of the disaster," Esen added.

Dudley Schleier, Area President for the Japan/Asia region said, "Pfizer will do its best to partner with international and local relief agencies to deliver both funds and medicines quickly and efficiently to earthquake-affected individuals."

Pfizer Inc Imraan Munshi (NY)(212) 733-6197 or Wang Zhan (Beijing) +86-10-85167741

Health/Medical: Safety saves lives says Australian in Hong Kong

Melbourne - Medianet International-AsiaNet/ - The President of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Dr Andrew Sutherland, said in Hong Kong today that the most critical issue for surgery worldwide was safety.

Next month the College is supporting a World Health Organisation initiative of Safe Surgery Saves Lives where strategies and tools for reducing the rising incidence of deaths and complications from surgery will be highlighted world wide.

The College is joining with the Hong Kong College of Surgeons at a co-joint Annual Scientific Congress in Hong Kong this week, where Achievement Through Collaboration is the theme.

There are few people and almost no surgeons who are not terrified at the prospect of an operation, for patients it is fear of the unknown, for surgeons it is the fear of the known.

One of the main features of a safe system is good communication between the surgeon and their patient and between the surgeon and the surgical team.

What we want to ensure is that in hospital patients get the right operation on the correct body part, with safe anaesthesia, established infection control measures and effective surgical teamwork and that is the responsibility of everyone involved in the surgery. We can all improve, surgeons needs to be more open in disclosing the risk to the patients of an operation and the patient should not be afraid to ask about the complications that may happen.

Everyone involved in surgery from the operating room cleaner, to the patient, the nurse, the surgeon and the hospital CEO has a responsibility to become more involved in effective surgical care.

In some countries now the surgeon asks the patient or their relatives to mark the site of the surgery on the patients body and that is not a bad idea.

Infection control is another area where we can all do better and it is in the patients interest to ask a doctor, a surgeon, or a nurse if they have washed their hands before they examine them that would considerably cut down infection rates.

Worldwide there are estimated to be around 230 million operations a year, one for every 25 people. Complications rates are rising with seven million disabling complications and one million deaths per year

CONTACT: Fiona Gillies, RACS Media & PR Manager on +61 407
339 556 or +852 2132 4886

SOURCE: Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

Health/Medical: Surgeon advises works to treat burns

Melbourne - Medianet International-AsiaNet/ - The most effective first-aid treatment for burns injuries remains the use of cold running water for 20 minutes, according to Professor Roy Kimble, Director of the Burns and Trauma Unit at the Royal Childrens Hospital in Brisbane.

Professor Kimble today told the Annual Scientific Congress (ASC) of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons that recent studies had proven that while members of the public were increasingly using ice or Aloe Vera, they had no appreciable benefits and should not be used in place of cold running water.
"The key here is cold running water," Professor Kimble said.

"We don't know why the water running over the burn makes a difference but it does. It lessens the depth of the burn which speeds healing which in turn limits scarring."

"Our studies have shown that some of the alternative first-aid treatments now on the market such as Aloe Vera or tee-tree products have no benefits whatsoever and ice can actually do harm."

"We will investigate over the next few years why running water is so important, what the optimal duration is and the delay after the burn where such first-aid treatment is still worthwhile."

"We believe such research will form the basis of first-aid burns treatment guidelines for the rest of the world."

Professor Kimble also used the ASC to call on the Federal Government to fund the use of microskin camouflage, a computer colour-matched spay-on skin camouflage used by burns patients to disguise scarring. The product is applied to the scarred skin and remains on the skin for days.

Professor Kimble said the microskin was of particular benefit to younger patients who felt self-conscious because of the scarring.

"Some people adjust to burns scars but others suffer great psychological distress because of the scarring so we believe this product should be funded to allow it to be available to those who need it."

CONTACT:
Fiona Gillies, RACS Media & PR Manager on +61 407 339 556 or +852 2132 4886
Ruth Charters, RACS Media & PR Officer on +852 9767 1350 or +852 2132 4885

SOURCE: Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

Business: China Housing & Land Development to begin trading on the NASDAQ

China Housing & Land Development to begin trading on the NASDAQ capital market under CHLN

Xi'an, China (BUSINESS WIRE) - China Housing & Land Development, Inc., (OTC BB: CHLN) a leading developer of residential and commercial properties in northwest China, today announced that it has received approval for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market (NASDAQ), and its common stock will begin trading on the NASDAQ on a date to be announced soon. The stock's ticker symbol on NASDAQ will be "CHLN".

The company's common stock will stop trading on the OTC Bulletin Board after the last market close before the stock debuts on NASDAQ.

China Housing & Land Development will be the first Chinese real estate development company to be traded on NASDAQ.

Mr Pingji Lu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of China Housing & Land Development, Inc., said, "We are very pleased to have our common stock begin trading on the NASDAQ Capital Market. It marks another significant milestone in our development and demonstrates our efforts to maximize shareholder value. We believe that trading on NASDAQ will increase the company's visibility and create higher trading volume and increased liquidity.

This will also further enhance our ability to pursue potential opportunities as we deliver attractive results for our shareholders."

Mr Lu also mentioned that the recent earthquake in the Sichuan province of China has not affected the company's previously built real estate properties or those currently under construction.

About China Housing & Land Development, Inc.

Based in Xi'an, the capital city of Shaanxi province in China, China Housing & Land Development, Inc., is a leading private developer of residential and commercial properties in northwest China. China Housing has been engaged in land acquisition, development, and management, including the sales of residential and commercial real estate properties through its wholly-owned subsidiary in China, since 1992.

In 2006, China Housing & Land Development, Inc., became a U.S. publicly traded company, registered in the state of Nevada. By leveraging its strong relationships with China's local state authorities, China Housing & Land Development has been able to capitalize on the supply of available land and develop residential and commercial properties, further increase China Housing's brand recognition, and outperform its competitors in medium size residential and commercial real estate developments in greater Xi'an.

About NASDAQ NASDAQ(R) is the largest U.S. electronic stock market. With approximately 3,200 companies, it lists more companies and, on average, its systems trade more shares per day than any other U.S. market. NASDAQ is home to companies that are leaders across all sectors of business, including technology, retail, communications, financial services, transportation, media, and biotechnology. For more information about NASDAQ, please visit the NASDAQ website at www.nasdaq.com or the NASDAQ Newsroom(SM) at www.nasdaq.com/newsroom.

Safe Harbor This news release may contain forward-looking information about China Housing & Land Development, Inc., which is covered under the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements can be identified by the use
of forward-looking terminology such as believe, expect, may, will, should, project, plan, seek, intend, or anticipate or the negative thereof or comparable terminology, and include discussions of strategy, and statements about industry trends and China Housing & Land Development's future performance, operations, and products.

Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Actual performance results may vary significantly from expectations and projections. Further information regarding this and other risk factors are contained in China Housing & Land Development, Inc.'s public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this news release and in the attachments is as of May 13, 2008, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable law.

China Housing & Land Development news releases, project information, photographs, and more are available on the internet at www.chldinc.com.
For investors and mediaChina Housing & Land Development, Inc.Jing Lu, Vice President & Board Secretary+86 29.8258.2632 in Xi?anjinglu@chldinc.com or William Xin, Chief Financial Officer+86 150.9175.2090 in Xi?an+1 917-371-9827 in San Franciscowilliam.xin@chldinc.com or Christensen Investor RelationsTom Myers, +86?139.1141.3520 in
Beijingtmyers@christensenir.com or Kathy Li, +1 212-618-1978 in New Yorkkli@christensenir.com

Technology: Redback Networks announces broadband win with Bharti-Airtel of India

Deal represents another joint win with Ericsson; redback to help airtel deliver pre-paid and on-demand broadband services

San Jose, Calif. (BUSINESS WIRE) - Redback Networks Inc., an Ericsson company (NASDAQ:ERIC) that makes video-centric routers for 75 percent of the world's largest triple-play networks, today announced a deal to deliver broadband-on-demand services for Bharti Airtel LTD (Airtel), India's largest private integrated telecom services provider.

Under the agreement, Redback's SmartEdge 400 router platform and NetOp policy management software will deliver a mix of pre-paid and on-demand broadband services for Airtel broadband fixed line subscribers. Today, Airtel has more than 55 million total subscribers and is the largest private telecom services provider in India. Over time, Redback and Ericsson will help Airtel unify its fixed and mobile infrastructure to provide a combination of residential and business services.

"India is a growth rocket for on-demand broadband and pre-paid broadband services, and Airtel is the largest private telecom services provider in this market," said Herve Brunet, vice president, Asia-Pacific sales and operations, Redback Networks. "On-demand broadband routing is one of the biggest trends reshaping telecommunications, and India joins China as one of the biggest growth opportunities for Redback."

Redback routers manage data, voice and video services for 75+ percent of the world's largest telephone companies. More than 40 percent of Redback routers also provide business services for top 20 carriers. Typical network applications managed by SmartEdge routers include broadband access (such as high-speed Internet services), edge routing (such as VoIP and VPN services) and Ethernet aggregation (such as IPTV and other video services).

Redback Networks was acquired by Ericsson in January 2007.?Over the last 15 months, Redback has won more than 100 carrier deals with Ericsson in 55 countries, including four of the top 10 mobile carriers and two additional top 20 fixed carriers.

Ericsson is the #1 market leader in mobile infrastructure. Ericsson delivers end-to-end solutions for fixed and mobile operators in IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), soft-switching, optical transport and broadband access. Redback's intelligent routing technology is at the center of Ericsson's end-to-end solutions.

About Redback Networks

An Ericsson company since January 2007 (NASDAQ:ERIC), Redback Networks Inc. has sold more than 106 million broadband subscriber licenses to 75 percent of the world's largest telephone companies worldwide. Redback's multi-service routing platform delivers next generation broadband services such as VoIP, IPTV, On-Demand Video, and on-line gaming. Redback Networks has more than 500 carrier customers worldwide and is based in San Jose, CA.

For more information, visit Redback Networks at www.redback.com.

About Ericsson

Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. The market leader in 2G and 3G mobile technologies, Ericsson supplies communications services and manages networks that serve more than 185 million subscribers. The company's portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure, and broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and developers. The Sony Ericsson joint venture provides consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.

Ericsson is advancing its vision of `communication for all' through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 70,000 employees generated revenue of USD 27.9 billion (SEK 188 billion) in 2007. Founded in 1876 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on the Stockholm, London and NASDAQ stock exchanges.

For more information, visit www.ericsson.com or www.ericsson.mobi.
Redback Networks
Doug Wills, 408-750-5038 (Media & Analysts)
dwills@redback.com
or Ericsson
Media Relations, +46 8 719 6992 press.relations@ericsson.com

Technology: California Micro Devices develops new display controller

Milpitas, California, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - California Micro Devices (Nasdaq: CAMD) announced that the Company has developed an innovative display controller architecture that serves both the Mobile Display Digital Interface (MDDI) and Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) standards for high speed serial display interfaces for use in today's most advanced mobile handsets.

The unique architecture, developed in collaboration with major handset and device manufacturers, will permit advanced handsets that utilize CPUs and application processors with on-chip MDDI compatible hosts to interface with liquid crystal display (LCD) modules that feature either MDDI or MIPI based clients.

The existence of the two standards for high speed serial display interfaces has compelled handset makers to procure different LCD modules which are based on the serial interface standard supported by their selection of CPU architecture.

With the development of products based on the new MDDI-to-MIPI bridge architecture, handset makers utilizing a CPU with an MDDI based host will have the flexibility to procure either a display module with an MDDI based client or a MIPI based client. This will allow handset makers that produce models utilizing both MDDI and MIPI based CPUs to satisfy all of their display requirements with modules based on the MIPI standard, resulting in higher volumes and lower module prices.

In addition to providing multi-standard display module support for MDDI based CPU handset designs, products based on the new MDDI-to-MIPI bridge architecture will also be able to interface to existing GSM and WCDMA baseband and application processors via an industry standard CPU interface. This will provide handset makers seeking an early introduction of MIPI based handset designs the flexibility of utilizing widely available GSM and WCDMA CPUs without an integrated MIPI host.

Handset makers can reduce product launch risks associated with dependence upon new product development schedules while taking full advantage of the benefits of a high speed serial display interface which include a reduced number of interface signals, lower power consumption and reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI).

"Handset makers that produce systems based on both the GSM and CDMA standards, and associated 3G standards, will have the opportunity to achieve cost savings as a result of concentrating their purchasing power on procuring LCD modules based on a single standard while also enjoying the cost, space, power and EMI reduction advantages inherent in the use of the serial interface," commented Kyle Baker, CMD's vice president of marketing.

Products based upon the architecture are expected to be available for sampling in September 2008 with production targeted for March 2009. Details of the new architecture will be presented by CMD at the upcoming SID 2008 International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition to be held May 20th - 22nd in Los Angeles, California.

About California Micro Devices

California Micro Devices Corporation is a leading supplier of application specific analog and mixed signal semiconductor products for the mobile handset, digital consumer electronics and personal computer markets. Key products include protection devices for mobile handsets, digital consumer electronics products such as digital TVs and personal computers as well as analog and mixed signal ICs for mobile handset displays. Detailed corporate and product information may be accessed at http://www.cmd.com.

All statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

They are not guarantees of future performance or events. Rather, they are based on current expectations, estimates, beliefs, assumptions, and goals and objectives and are subject to uncertainties that are difficult to predict. As a result, our actual results may differ materially from the statements made.

Often such statements can be identified by their use of words such as will, intends, expects, plans, believes, anticipates, and estimates. Forward-looking statements made in this release include the expected capabilities and performance of products based on the new architecture, the potential applications of such products, the benefits that customers will receive from using such products, and the dates that such products are expected to be available for sampling and in production.

These forward-looking statements are based upon our assumptions about and assessment of the future, which may or may not prove true, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to whether CMD encounters technical difficulties and delays in completing the design of such controller devices, whether the devices will function as designed, whether there will be issues and delays in moving the product from engineering into production, and whether there will be quality or cost issues in volume manufacturing of the product as well as the risk factors detailed in the company's Form 8K, 10K, and 10Q filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Due to these and other risks, the company's future actual results could differ materially from those discussed above.

These forward-looking statements speak only as to the date of this release, and, except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly release updates or revisions to these statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

All trademarks are property of their respective owners.

SOURCE: California Micro Devices
CONTACT: Richard Haas of California Micro Devices,
+1-408-934-3108, richardh@cmd.com
Web site: http://www.cmd.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Technology: Carnegie Speech Co offers spoken language training

Pittsburgh, PA., (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Announcing the Release of NativeAccent(R) for the Web Carnegie Speech Company, the premier developer of spoken language training software, today announced the availability of NativeAccent(R) for the web.

Featuring artificial intelligence and speech recognition technologies licensed from Carnegie Mellon University, and complementing NativeAccent versions for the Desktop and LAN, NativeAccent now enables spoken language training at any location.

The release of the web version of NativeAccent demonstrates Carnegie Speech's commitment to developing technologies that improve communications in the workforce and the classroom. Building on Carnegie Speech's technical and linguistic expertise, NativeAccent's web version further improves training system scalability, client financial and operational returns and student satisfaction.

"Corporate trainers and their spoken language students continue to benefit from NativeAccent's unique ability to provide immediate and detailed speech evaluation, targeted remediation and personalized curriculum," says Angela Kennedy, Carnegie Speech CEO. "However, we expect even greater satisfaction as NativeAccent's web version lets clients better manage spoken language training initiatives while expanding student learning options."

In addition to being web-enabled, NativeAccent now includes a Web 2.0 user interface featuring Flash and Multimedia, streamlined curriculum guidance for personalized training, zero-download processes to minimize client IT involvement and expanded reporting capabilities.

"Now that NativeAccent is web-enabled, students will be able to practice spoken language training anytime, anywhere," continues Angela Kennedy.

"Corporate trainers can increase training options while maintaining budgets and meeting learning requirements. Students now have the flexibility to access personalized training curriculum in the classroom or in remote locations."

NativeAccent's initial web clients express high levels of satisfaction with its performance and use. Addelle Hutak of Hacienda La Puente Adult Education Program states, "Students like this program and we are seeing significant improvement in their assessment scores and in their fluency."

Carnegie Speech is the premier developer and provider of software for assessing and teaching spoken language skills. Using state-of-the-art speech recognition and artificial technologies licensed from Carnegie Mellon University, Carnegie Speech provides spoken language and speech proficiency instruction to its global clientele in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Government, Aviation, Education and Health Care markets.

For additional information, contact John Lucke at 412-223-2290, e-mail jlucke@carnegiespeech.com or visit http://www.carnegiespeech.com

SOURCE: Carnegie Speech Company
CONTACT: John Lucke of Carnegie Speech Company,
+1-412-223-2290, jlucke@carnegiespeech.com
Web site: http://www.carnegiespeech.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Health/Medical: International Diabetes Federation gives grant to Australian research project

International Diabetes Federation gives grant to research project in Australia to reduce unsafe health behaviour in women at risk of metabolic syndrome

Brussel and Clayton (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) BRIDGES translational research grant program will fund STOP Diabetes, a project to be implemented and studied in Australia. The STOP project is designed to reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes in women by encouraging healthy behaviours.

The STOP Diabetes project was created by investigators at the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health to address the alarming increase in lifestyle related metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes (GDM). According to the investigators, greater insights into these preventable diseases are needed in order to identify barriers to behaviour change so that unhealthy behaviours can be modified. The research will include attention to understanding women's health beliefs, attitudes, and risk perception as well as their response to illness. Education and translation of the findings will be a priority for the project.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, metabolic syndrome is a cluster of the most dangerous risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Its early identification is very important to facilitate preventive action.(1) Understanding how women perceive health problems like metabolic syndrome is a critical first step in designing educational programs that are effective.

"The IDF grant will make an important contribution in supporting multidisciplinary research directly relevant to clinical care (for the prevention and treatment of diabetes)," said Professor Helena Teede, Director of the Jean Hailes Research Group. "It will enable vital research into prevention of diabetes in high risk groups. It will also provide important information of optimising the health of those with established diabetes."

The Federation, through BRIDGES, is committed to converting research findings into useful practices for the provision of quality care and services delivered by healthcare providers. The diabetes education program being tested in Australia, along with the 10 other selected translational research projects, was chosen because of its innovative idea, demonstration of the potential for health care cost savings, sustainability plans and the opportunity for its results to be widely replicated in other settings.

"We know that early detection followed by treatment and education-particularly lifestyle intervention-is vital to halt the progression of the metabolic syndrome and safeguard the future health of women", said Dr. Linda Siminerio, Chair of the IDF BRIDGES Review Committee. "Learning more about how women perceive their risks in an important step. The STOP Diabetes study will help us gain insights and important information."

The International Diabetes Federation independently manages the BRIDGES program with an educational grant from Eli Lilly and Company and is committed to promoting diabetes care, prevention and a cure worldwide.

Note to editors:
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is the global advocate for the over 250 million people with diabetes worldwide. It represents over 200 diabetes associations in more than 160 countries. Its mission is to promote diabetes care, prevention and a cure worldwide. The International Diabetes Federation is an NGO in official relations with the World Health Organization and an associated NGO with the United Nations Department of Public Information. The International Diabetes Federation leads the World Diabetes Day campaign. Additional information is available at http://www.idf.org.

BRIDGES is the global translational grant programme of the International Diabetes Federation. It solicits proposals that support cost effective and sustainable interventions that can be adopted in real world settings, for the prevention and control of diabetes. Projects should be based on interventions already proven to be effective in trials to prevent and treat diabetes, to improve care of type 1 and type 2 diabetes and delay its complications. The interventions proposed should have the potential to be widely disseminated to clinical practice, individuals and communities. For more information, visit http://www.idfbridges.org.

The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health is an independent, not-for-profit national organisation, caring for the health and wellbeing of Australian women through education, research and clinical care. The Foundation is based in Clayton,
Victoria and has close links with Monash University. Additional information is available at http://www.jeanhailes.org.au

(1) The metabolic syndrome--a new worldwide definition from the International Diabetes Federation Consensus. Lancet 2005

Media Contacts:
International Diabetes Federation, Kerrita McClaughlyn,
Media Relations Manager, Email: media@idf.org Tel: +32-2-5431639; Mobile: +32-487-530-625.
Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health, Mrs. Aleeza Zohar, Media Office, aleeza.zohar@jeanhailes.org.au

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Technology: ATERAS successfully completes the policy number expansion project

Dallas (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - ATERAS announced today that the Policy Number Expansion Project for Claims IT Systems at Progressive using DB-Shuttle(TM) Enterprise Change capabilities has been a success! The purpose of the project was to use a standard automated method to identify and change the field definition and length of 69 different DB2 columns (including policy number, street names, form numbers and status codes) across multiple databases in the Progressive Enterprise.

ATERAS used DB-Shuttle Enterprise Change technology to collect and analyze 11,186,985 lines of code. During the analysis, DB-Shuttle identified 41,431 lines of code impacted by the changes and identified 2,827 possible lines of code to change. DB-Shuttle generated the required change rules and applied them to 1,993 programs and copybooks, including changes required within the logic for handling numeric to alphanumeric changes. The modified programs were delivered to the Progressive teams, ready for installation and testing. All modifications were migrated to production on April 26, 2008.

Enterprise Field Change Manager identifies every line of code that might be affected by the required change.
Recommendations on the required code changes are also made automatically. In addition the tool can determine additional "watch fields" as data moves between fields and programs.

DB-Shuttle generates the change rules to make all the source code changes. Once the changes are accepted, the rules are automatically applied and the revised application code is generated and is ready for testing.

The automated process that Enterprise Field Change Manager offers allowed Progressive to continue with production changes throughout the testing phase.

New production changes were collected each month and the change manager analysis repeated with the new code, then the deltas were delivered to Progressive.

"Our patent-pending DB-Shuttle automation technology offers a full suite of modernization tools for Global Enterprises. The Enterprise Change technology allows any organization the ability to effect change through minimized risk by using an automated solution. Insurance companies benefit from this unique capability as their business changes or mandated regulatory changes occur.

ATERAS is the natural choice for modernization without adding risk," says Scott Miller, President and Chief Executive Officer of ATERAS.

About ATERAS

ATERAS has supported global enterprises for 25 years offering value-driven legacy modernization solutions that enable companies to leverage their IT assets for increased business value and improved competitive advantage. Global enterprises benefit from a comprehensive suite of automated tools and services, from IT global assessments, impact analysis, COBOL workbenches, automated documentation to automated database and application migrations.

Migration of mission critical applications can be either mainframe to mainframe or mainframe to distributed platforms utilizing the .NET framework. For more information on ATERAS' solutions visit http://www.ateras.com.

About Progressive

The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, in business since 1937, is the country's third largest auto insurance group and largest seller of motorcycle and personal watercraft policies based on premiums written, and is a market leader in commercial auto insurance.

Progressive is committed to becoming consumers' #1 choice for auto insurance by providing competitive rates and products that meet drivers' needs throughout their lifetimes, superior online and in-person customer service, and best-in-class, 24-hour claims service, including its concierge level of claims service available at service centers located in major metropolitan areas throughout the United States.

Progressive companies offer consumers choices in how to shop for, buy and manage their auto insurance policies. Progressive offers its products, including personal and commercial auto, motorcycle, boat and recreational vehicle insurance, through more than 30,000 independent insurance agencies throughout the U.S. and online and by phone directly from the Company. Private passenger auto products and prices are different when purchased directly from Progressive or through independent agencies. To find an agent or to get a quote, go to http://www.progressive.com.

SOURCE: ATERAS
CONTACT: Anna Stamatelatos, Vice President Sales & Marketing
of ATERAS, +1-469-385-7236, annas@ateras.com
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060511DATH001LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Web site: http://www.ateras.com
http://www.progressive.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Business: Fannie Mae prices offering of $2 billion of preferred stock

Washington (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM) today priced $2 billion, or 80 million shares, of non-cumulative, non-convertible, perpetual fixed-rate preferred stock, designated as Series T. The Series T preferred stock (CUSIP 313586737) has a stated value of $25 per share and a dividend rate of 8.25 percent per annum. Fannie Mae will have the option to redeem all or part of the preferred stock on or after May 20, 2013. It is expected to be issued on May 19, 2008.

Net proceeds of the offering will be used for general corporate purposes, including enhancing the company's capital position, providing additional market liquidity and pursuing new business opportunities.

"The preferred securities attracted a wide base of individual as well as institutional investors," said David Benson, Senior Vice-President and Treasurer of Fannie Mae. "This issuance completes Fannie Mae's capital raising plan announced last week."

Merrill Lynch & Co. acted as joint lead manager and physical book-runner. Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Morgan Stanley, UBS Securities LLC and Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC also acted as joint lead managers and book-runners. Application will be made to list the shares on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FNMprT."

Fannie Mae is a shareholder-owned company with a public mission. We exist to expand affordable housing and bring global capital to local communities in order to serve the U.S. housing market. Fannie Mae has a federal charter and operates in America's secondary mortgage market to ensure that mortgage bankers and other lenders have enough funds to lend to home buyers at low rates. In 2008, we mark our 70th year of service to America's housing market. Our job is to help to those who house America.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities of Fannie Mae.

Nothing in this press release constitutes advice on the merits of buying or selling a particular investment. Any investment decision as to any purchase of securities referred to herein must be made solely on the basis of information contained in Fannie Mae's applicable offering documents, and that no reliance may be placed on the completeness or accuracy of the information contained in this press release.

You should not deal in securities unless you understand their nature and the extent of your exposure to risk. You should be satisfied that they are suitable for you in the light of your circumstances and financial position. If you are in any doubt you should consult an appropriately qualified financial advisor.

SOURCE: Fannie Mae
CONTACT: Jason Lobo,
+1-202-752-1692, or
Janis Smith,
+1-202-752-6673,
both of Fannie Mae
Web site: http://www.fanniemae.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Business: Verizon Business helps Fujitsu expand North American business operations

Advanced Communications, IT, collaboration solutions enable growing global powerhouse to enhance productivity, manage costs
(Full text of statement. Contact details below.)

Basking Ridge, N.J. (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Fujitsu is rapidly expanding its North American presence, and Verizon Business is providing a key building block.

Under a new agreement announced Tuesday (May 13), Verizon Business is providing Private IP, all-distance voice services, audio and Web conferencing, hosting services, and customer premises equipment (CPE) that will enable 11,300 North American Fujitsu employees to communicate and collaborate more effectively. This expansion of the companies' long-time relationship will help Fujitsu both improve productivity and manage costs as it continues to grow.

"Verizon Business has proven to be an impressive technology partner over the years, offering a highly reliable network and innovative solutions," said Jeff Meier, chief information officer, Fujitsu North America. "The account team is truly an extension of our organization, and they have done an outstanding job of anticipating our communications needs and offering innovative solutions as we continue our IT deployment in the United States and parts of Canada."

(An audio podcast in which Meier describes other examples of how Fujitsu and Verizon Business are working together is available at http://www.podtech.net/home/5126fujitsu-north-america-cio-discusses-working-eff ectively-with-your-service-provider .) (Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste this hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field. Remove the space if one exists.)

Fujitsu is deploying a wide range of Verizon Business services across its North American operations. The services include:
-- Verizon Audio and Web Conferencing
-- As Fujitsu grows, it will rely more heavily on these services to conduct virtual meetings among employees, customers, and suppliers
-- enhancing collaboration and productivity across geographic regions while reducing business-travel costs and associated carbon emissions.
-- Verizon Business Private IP
-- As the foundation for Fujitsu's global data communications, Verizon Private IP facilitates the transfer of critical information from Tokyo to Trenton, N.J., to Tampa, Fla. Private IP, Verizon Business' fastest-growing service, enables Fujitsu to link employees across North America in various locations, as well as linking its Sunnyvale, Calif., regional headquarters with corporate headquarters in Tokyo.
-- Data Center Colocation
-- Fujitsu can confidently deliver on its customers' IT needs, relying on the security and flexibility of Verizon Business' Data Center Colocation Services. Backed by one of the most expansive IP backbones in the world, Verizon Business Colocation Services provide Fujitsu and other customers with the high-speed Internet connectivity and dedicated infrastructure necessary for businesses to compete in today's marketplace.
-- Verizon Enterprise Center
-- Fujitsu is also taking advantage of Verizon's 24 x 7 global customer portal, the Verizon Enterprise Center, to manage its billing, order functions and hosting account
maintenance activities. Verizon Business combines personalized, global account service with the state-of-the-art self-service tools found in the Verizon Enterprise Center to provide customers with a flexible way to best support their individual
requirements.

"We excel at helping Fujitsu and other multinational corporations improve their business operations through advanced communications and IT solutions," said Steve Young, group president of corporate and government markets for Verizon Business. "Working closely with our customer, we were able to design and implement a solution tailored to support Fujitsu's growth requirements while leveraging the company's existing communications infrastructure."

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu is a leading provider of customer-focused IT and communications solutions for the global marketplace.

Pace-setting device technologies, highly reliable computing and communications products, and a worldwide corps of systems and services experts uniquely position Fujitsu to deliver comprehensive solutions that create infinite possibilities for its customers' success. Headquartered in Tokyo, Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 5.1 trillion yen (US$43.2 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007. See http://www.fujitsu.com for further information.

About Verizon Business

Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), is a global IP leader and network-based partner for delivering integrated communications and information technology (IT) solutions to large-business and government customers worldwide. Combining unsurpassed reach with managed services, security, mobility, collaboration and professional services capabilities, Verizon Business delivers global solutions that power innovation and enable its customers to do business better. For more information, visit www.verizonbusiness.com

VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are
available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at www.verizon.com/news . To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.

SOURCE: Verizon Business
CONTACT: Lisa Fels of Verizon Business,
+1-703-886-6042,
lisa.fels@verizon.com
Web site: http://www.verizon.com
http://www.fujitsu.com
http://www.verizonbusiness.com
http://www.verizon.com/news (VZ)

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Medical/Technology: Blood spot technology at ZRT highlighted in March issue of Journal

Blood spot technology at ZRT Highlighted in March assue of Journal of Diabetes Science & Technology - a convenient alternative to serum testing for health screening

Portland, Oregon, May 14 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - Dried blood spots are emerging as a breakthrough alternative to expensive serum collection and transport for blood tests. In an article published in the March issue of Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology (2008; 2(2):242-3), Ramakrishnan Lakshmy, PhD, explains that the use of dried blood spots is a "powerful tool", for mass disease screening programs, especially in developing countries with limited health budgets.

The article highlights a paper written by scientists at ZRT Laboratory, LLC that reports the accuracy of dried blood spots in comparison with serum for measuring risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, published in the same issue of the journal.

The paper, "Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Assessed by a Finger Stick Dried Blood Spot Method," by Sanjay Kapur, PhD, Sonia Kapur, PhD, and David Zava, PhD of ZRT Laboratory, Beaverton, Oregon, (J Diabetes Sci Technol 2008; 2(2):236-41), describes ZRT's methods for measurement of insulin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and triglycerides from dried blood spots and validates these methods by comparison with the same tests in serum. This research confirmed that dried blood spot samples can be used as an alternative to serum for convenience of sample collection and ease of transport, and in situations where conventional blood collection is simply not available.

ZRT's CardioMetabolic Profile tests key biomarkers including triglycerides, insulin, hemoglobin A1c and high-sensitivity CRP, an important indicator of inflammation, giving test results that doctors can use to evaluate risk of developing type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease. In addition to this cardiometabolic risk testing, ZRT offers simple blood spot tests for a wide range of hormones.

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.

Sanjay Kapur https://profnet.prnewswire.com/SubscriberExpertProfile.aspx?ei=66669

SOURCE: ZRT Laboratory
CONTACT:
Sanjay Kapur of ZRT Laboratory, +1-503-466-2445, ext. 212
WEB SITE: http://www.zrtlab.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Business: Synopsys invests in prover technology

Investment highlights growth in worldwide railway control, command and signaling technology

Mountain View, Calif. and Stockholm (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNPS), a world leader in software and IP for semiconductor design and manufacturing, and Prover Technology AB today announced that Synopsys has invested in Prover, which supplies signaling design automation solutions for engineering the safety critical systems that control trains, switches and signals. The funds will enable Prover toaccelerate its research and development efforts and expand its operations in Europe, North America and Asia.

A key part of a modern railway engineering process is signaling design automation, which uses formal verification, a safety analysis method based on mathematical proof. Formal verification is strongly recommended by safety standards organizations such as CENELEC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization), and several leading operators demand it from their suppliers. The reason: formal verification increases safety and quality, and provides more efficient processes for otherwise costly and time- consuming safety testing. It has proven to be a valuable solution for the operator of the Paris metro, which has one of the most complex railway networks in the world.

"RATP (Regie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) and Prover have been working closely together since 2004," said Pierre Chartier, safety director for RATP. "The collaboration has been focused on formal verification of interlocking and CBTC (communication-based train control) systems. By using formal techniques, we hope to reduce costs while maintaining the highest possible level of quality. Prover's experience in the field has made them a valuable partner."

"The growth of signaling design automation in railway systems plays a critical role in enhancing safety and increasing efficiencies in train throughput and cost reduction," said Randy Tinsley, vice president, Strategy & Corporate Development at Synopsys. "Our investment in Prover allows Synopsys to promote the application of technologies traditionally used for designing integrated circuits in different industries."

Having established a broad customer base, Prover's technology solution is well positioned to become the industry standard for specification and automated engineering of interlocking systems. As more attention is being paid to green transportation systems, the railway industry is expected to continue to expand significantly in the coming years. Prover's relationship with Synopsys will enable Prover to take advantage of these growth opportunities.

"Having Synopsys on board enables us to capitalize on opportunities that were previously out of our reach, and to undertake larger and more complex engineering projects," said Gunnar Stalmarck, CEO, Prover Technology. "There is a strong technology alignment with both companies providing the tools needed to engineer increasingly complex systems in their respective fields, and both are considered industry leaders and innovators."

About Synopsys

Synopsys, Inc. is a world leader in EDA software for semiconductor design. The company delivers technology-leading semiconductor design and verification platforms and IC manufacturing software products to the global electronics market, enabling the development and production of complex systems-on-chips (SoCs). Synopsys also provides intellectual property and design services to simplify the design process and accelerate time-to-market for its customers. Synopsys is headquartered in Mountain View, California and has offices in more than 60 locations throughout North America, Europe, Japan and Asia. Visit Synopsys online at http://www.synopsys.com.

About Prover Technology

Prover Technology provides software products and services for development of control and signaling systems. The company was founded in 1989 and is privately held. It is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden with wholly owned subsidiaries in France and USA. Prover Technology's customer base includes Airbus, Ansaldo, Bombardier, New York City Transit, RATP (Paris Metro), Swedish National Rail, Thales, and many others. For more information and office locations, visit Prover Technology's web site at http://www.prover.com.

Synopsys is a registered trademark of Synopsys, Inc. Any other trademarks mentioned in this release are the intellectual property of their respective owners.

Editorial Contacts:
Marcus Tallhamn
Prover Technology
+1 650 722 2750
marcus@prover.com
Yvette Huygen
Synopsys, Inc.
650-584-4547
yvetteh@synopsys.com

SOURCE Synopsys, Inc.
CONTACT: Marcus Tallhamn of Prover Technology,
+1-650-722-2750,
marcus@prover.com; or
Yvette Huygen of Synopsys, Inc.,
+1-650-584-4547,
yvetteh@synopsys.com
Web site: http://www.synopsys.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008