Friday, May 16, 2008

Business in Asia Today - May 16, 2008

BAOSTEEL, HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES SET UP STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP
Shanghai (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - China's largest steel maker BaoSteel (SSX:600019) and the world's largest shipbuilder, Hyundai Heavy Industries of South Korea (KSE:009540) have signed a strategic partnership agreement.
Under the deal, BaoSteel will provide 300,000-500,000 tons of ship-use plate to Hyundai Heavy each year, accounting for 10 per cent of the firm's total requirement.
The two sides will also cooperate in the field of special-purpose steel for ship engines.

BHP SHARES SOAR AMID MORE SPECULATION OF CHINESE INTEREST
Melbourne (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - BHP Billiton Ltd's (ASX:BHP) shares jumped four per cent in early trading amid ongoing speculation that Chinese interests are preparing to take a stake in the company.
The Australian newspaper today reported that Chinese interests have approached a major Australian superannuation and investment fund to partner them in a bid to secure nine per cent of BHP.
The Chinese would take 4.5 per cent of BHP, while the remaining 4.5 per cent would be split between the fund and a global private equity investor, the report said.
BHP Billiton shares opened four per cent higher at A$49.95 (US$46.89) before retreating A$1.56 A$49.54 by 1008 AEST.

INDONESIA'S MEDCO INVESTS AROUND $US1 BLN TO DIVERSIFY BUSINESS
Jakarta (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - The Medco Group said it will invest at least US$1 billion to diversify its business. The group whose core business is in the oil and gas industry, has established new companies - PT Medco Mining, PT Medco Agro and PT Medco Papua.
Medco Mining will start by acquiring coal and steel mining concessions in Sumatra and Kalimantan, Group President Hilmi Panigoro said Thursday. Medco Agri already has 23,000 hectares of land in Central Kalimantan for oil palm plantation and will soon expand to 1 million hectares, and 200 hectares in Papua will be expanded to 100,000 hectares.
In Papua Medco will build a pulp and paper plant and grow trees to guarantee feedstock for the pulp plant.

SINGTEL AWARDS US$160.1 MLN MOBILE CONTRACT TO ERICSSON
Sydney (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Singapore Telecommunication Ltd (SingTel) (SGX:T48, ASX:SGT) awarded a S$220 million (US$160.1 million) contract to Ericsson Telecommunications Pte Ltd to expand its 2G and 3G mobile network.
Ericsson will deliver an internet protocol-based radio and core mobile network, designed to carry large volumes of traffic, for SingTel's Singapore operations, the company said.
SingTel said the upgrade would allow download speeds to increase to as much as 14.4 megabits per second (Mbps) from 3.6 Mbps and upload speeds would rise to as much as 5.76 Mbps from 384 kilobits per second (Kbps).
SingTel said the upgrades would allow even faster speeds within the next 18 months, with download speeds increasing to 42 Mbps.

TAIWAN'S COMPETITIVENESS RANKING RISES TO 13TH WORLDWIDE: IMD
Geneva (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Taiwan's global competitiveness ranking rose to 13th in 2008 after declining to 18th place in 2007, according to a report released Wednesday by the International Institute for Management and Development (IMD). Taiwan's ranking advanced from 20th in 2007 to 16th in 2008 in terms of government efficiency, from 17th to 10th in terms of business efficiency, and from 21st to 17th in terms of infrastructure.
Economic performance was the only area in which Taiwan saw a drop, from 16th in 2007 to 21st in 2008. The improvement in Taiwan's overall competitiveness in 2008 again placed the country ahead of China, whose ranking dropped from 15th in 2007 to 17th in 2008.
The top three most competitive economies remained the US, Singapore and Hong Kong.

MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC TO CONSOLIDATE KITCHEN UNIT PRODUCTION
Osaka (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. (TSE:6752) will shutter two kitchen unit factories in Japan in an effort to achieve leaner production as the population decline saps demand, the firm said Thursday.
Targeted for closure are a stainless steel plant in Nara Prefecture, which will be shut at the end of July, and a finished-product assembly factory in Gunma Prefecture, which will close in late December.
Production of kitchen units will continue at three plants, but cabinet assembly at a factory in Osaka Prefecture will be consolidated in one building from two.
The changes will cut 200 jobs and save Matsushita an estimated 1 billion yen (US$9.56 million) in fiscal 2009.

INDIA'S CADILA GETS US FDA'S NOD TO MARKET FOUR DRUGS IN US
Mumbai (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Pharma major Zydus Cadila (BSE:532321) on Thursday said it has received approval from the US FDA to market four products in that country.
The group has received FDA approval to market Pravastatin Sodium, Escitalopram Oxalate, Hydrochlorthiazide and Anastrazole in the United States, Cadila said in a statement.
The US market of lipid lowering agent Pravastatin Sodium tablets was estimated at US$1.9 million in 2007, while the branded sales of anti-depressant Escitalopram Oxalate tablets was at US$3 billion.
In 2007, the sale of anti-hypertensive Losartam Potassium and Hydrochlorthiazide tablets stood at US$785 million, while Anastrazole tablets had a market of US$813 million, the filling added.

THAILAND NOT READY TO SET UP WEALTH FUND: FINANCE MINISTER
Bangkok (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Surapong Suebwonglee on Thursday indicated Thailand was not ready to tapits international reserves to finance the establishment of a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF).
"Our reserve is not big enough to do that," he said.
"We need to use the reserve to support our country's financial stability," he said at a seminar titled, Sovereign Wealth Funds: International Experiences and Options for Thailand.
He affirmed the government had no policy to set up a fund to help ease the baht's appreciation while the country's current account balance is in surplus.

INDONESIA'S BANK MANDIRI IN TALKS TO SELL SEMEN KUPANG STAKE
Jakarta (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Bank Mandiri (JSX:BMRI), is negotiating the sale of its 38 per cent stake in state-owned cement maker PT Semen Kupang to India's Nava Bharat Ventures (BSE:513023).
Mandiri became a shareholder taking over the stake as payment from Semen Kupang for a debt of Rp50 billion (US$5.55 million) to the state bank.
Nava Bharat has agreed to take over the debt and help Semen Kupang resume operation, the general director of the cement producer said.
Nava Bharat will also take over the assets if an agreement can be reached.
Semen Kupang ceased operation last month over problems with repaying a Rp25 billion debt for power supply to PT Sewatama Jakarta.

AUSTRALIA'S ZINIFEX MAKES ZINC DISCOVERY IN TASMANIA
Melbourne (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Zinifex Ltd (ASX:ZFX), which has agreed to a A$6 billion (US$5.63 billion) merger with Oxiana Ltd (ASX:OXR), says it has made a new zinc discovery south of its Rosebury mine in Tasmania.
The zinc and lead miner said it made the "exciting" discovery five kilometres south from the Rosebury zinc mine in an area previously thought to be unprospective.
Zinifex chief development officer Stewart Howe said the mineralisation looked "Rosebury style" and had the potential to be a "major new discovery".

Source:
Business in Asia Today - MAY 16, 2008
published by Asia Pulse

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Business: Flexsys files patent-infringement complaint against Sinorgchem, Kumho

Flexsys files patent-infringement complaint with U.S. International Trade Commission Against Sinorgchem, KKPC and Kumho Tire

St. Louis (PRIME NEWSWIRE) - Flexsys America L.P., a subsidiary of Solutia Inc. (NYSE:SOA), today announced it has filed a new complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) against Sinorgchem Co., Shandong; Korea Kumho Petrochemical Co., Ltd. (KKPC); Kumho Tire Co., Inc.; and Kumho Tire USA, Inc. This complaint asserts that the importation of Sinorgchem's 4-ADPA or any antidegradants made from its 4-ADPA into the United States violates section 337 of the U.S. Tariff Act, due to Sinorgchem's infringement upon Flexsys' patents for the production of 4-ADPA and its intermediates.

"Flexsys invests significantly in the discovery, development and commercialization of manufacturing processes for rubber chemicals," said Jim Voss, president of Flexsys and senior vice president of Solutia Inc. "When our competitors attempt to illegally misappropriate our patented technology, we will continue to take aggressive action including the enforcement of our legal rights on a global scale."

In this new case, Flexsys seeks an exclusion order barring the importation of Sinorgchem's 4-ADPA as well as 6PPD made from Sinorgchem's 4-ADPA into the United States, including that manufactured by KKPC. A separate exclusion order continues to be in effect for Sinorgchem material as a result of an additional case that Flexsys already is pursuing before the ITC against Sinorgchem.

Flexsys also has a civil patent infringement case against Kumho Tire, KKPC and Sinorgchem. This case is currently pending in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

The technology at issue in this case relates to environmentally friendly methods for preparing compounds used in the manufacture of rubber products such as tires, belts and hoses. These compounds prevent premature degradation of rubber due to exposure to sun, heat, ozone and other factors. One such antidegradant is 6PPD, which is manufactured and sold by Flexsys under the brand name Santoflex(r) 6PPD. The material known as 4-ADPA is an intermediate compound used in the production of 6PPD.

Flexsys products play an important role in the manufacture of tires and other rubber products, such as belts, hoses, seals and footwear. Flexsys is a global business with offices, manufacturing facilities and technology centers around the world. Flexsys has annual sales of more than $650 million, about two-thirds of which take place outside the United States.

Note to editor: Flexsys, Crystex and Santoflex are registered trademarks of Solutia Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, which can be identified by the use of words such as "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "intends," "plans," "estimates" or "anticipates," or other comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. These statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions about the industries in which Solutia operates. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or achievements to be materially different from the future results or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those risk and uncertainties described in Solutia's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, including under "Cautionary Statement About Forward Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors", and Solutia's quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. These reports can be accessed through the "Investors" section of Solutia's website at www.solutia.com.
Solutia disclaims any intent or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements in response to new information, unforeseen events, changed circumstances or any other occurrence.

About Solutia Inc.

Solutia is a market-leading performance materials and specialty chemicals company. The company focuses on providing solutions for a better life through a range of products, including: Saflex(r) interlayer for laminated glass; CPFilms(r) aftermarket window films sold under the LLumar(r) brand and others; high-performance nylon polymers and fibers sold under brands such as Vydyne(r) and Wear-Dated(r); and technical specialties including the Flexsys(r) family of chemicals for the rubber industry, Skydrol(r) aviation hydraulic fluid and Therminol(r) heat transfer fluid. Solutia's businesses are world leaders in each of their market segments. With its headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, the company operates globally with approximately 6,000 employees in more than 60 locations. More information is available at www.Solutia.com.

The Solutia Inc. logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2620

-0- CONTACT: Solutia Inc.
Media:
Dan Jenkins
+1 (314) 674-8552
Investors:
Susannah Livingston
+1 (314) 674-8914
Customers:
Tim Wessel
+1 (314) 674-1174

Technology: CDMA Open Market Handset trials reach successful conclusion in India

Commercial deployment of open handsets on track for second half of 2008

Costa Mesa, Calif. (PRIME NEWSWIRE) - The CDMA Development Group (CDG) today announced the successful conclusion of Open Market Handset (OMH) proof of concept trials in cooperation with Reliance Communications and TATA Indicom in India. Open Market Handsets enable both operator-specific configuration information and subscriber-specific provisioning information to be moved from the handset's non-volatile (NV) memory into a next-generation Removable User Identity Module (R-UIM) or smartcard. By doing so, the handset becomes a generic device that can be sold on the "open market" and used in multiple operator networks. The OMH program is part of the CDG's overall Global Handset Requirements for CDMA (GHRC) initiative, which specifies a common set of requirements and standards for approving CDMA devices in an open-device and open-application environment.

"This is an innovative approach that will fuel increased growth by providing the entire CDMA ecosystem greater flexibility in delivering new product and services," said Perry La Forge, executive director of the CDG. "The OMH initiative seeks to do that by opening up handsets to more application and service choices, which in the case of these trials means access to next-generation R-UIM data capabilities that are independent of the network and handset. As we look to commercialize these
capabilities, the cost of handsets will fall due to volume aggregation efforts and lower inventory costs while access to new applications will improve the mobile experience for consumers."

The OMH trials conducted in India verified and validated the OMH implementation for CDMA2000(r) handsets and for multiple data-enabled R-UIMs across two separate carrier networks, each requiring a specific network implementation. The goal of the trials was to prove that all subscriber, service and network provisioning data can be stored on new OMH-compliant R-UIM smartcards rather than existing on both the cards and handsets.
The resulting solution allows OMH-enabled CDMA handsets to serve as open devices for any packet data application provisioned on the R-UIM card. The handsets can be used across multiple operators since all user, network and service configuration data is stored on the removable cards.

These successful OMH trials are a milestone for CDMA operators looking to lower their distribution and inventory costs while increasing their selection of devices and services.
Consumers benefit by being able to transfer their identity and service configuration data to a new phone on the same network by simply moving the OMH-compliant R-UIM card from the old phone to the new phone. By using an OMH-capable R-UIM to provision all data services, multiple operators can support the same generic hardware and software design across handsets. OEMs benefit from lower development costs, greater economies of scale, enriched brand development and the ability to sell devices across many markets and regions.

The proof of concept trials used OMH-enabled R-UIM smartcards provided by Oberthur Card Systems and Eastcompeace on prototype handsets developed by Huawei and ZTE. In addition, Open Market Handsets are provisioned for full-fledged 3G data capabilities across operators. Tested, proven features include SMS, MMS, BREW, WAP/browser, backward compatibility, voice (with authentication), CDMA2000 1X packet data (SIP with CHAP and PAP) and R-UIM-based carrier customization.

The CDG's OMH initiative already has received strong interest from TATA and Reliance in India, CityCell in Bangladesh, and Mobile-8, Bakrie, Flexi and Indosat in Indonesia. To support demand, many OEMs are planning to introduce CDMA OMH devices in the near future.

For more information please visit www.cdg.org.

About CDMA2000

CDMA2000 is the most widely deployed 3G technology, with 258 operators in 98 countries, including 91 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO systems, serving more than 418 million subscribers. Counting 2G cdmaOne(tm) subscribers, there are more than 431 million CDMA users worldwide. CDMA2000 has become the technology of choice for developed and emerging market operators, and is deployable in the 450, 700, 800, 1700, 1900, AWS and 2100 MHz bands. More than 1,970 CDMA2000 devices from over 110 suppliers have been introduced to the market, including more than 512 1xEV-DO Rel.

0 and 55 Rev. A devices. More information on CDMA2000 is available on the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.

About CDG

The CDMA Development Group is a trade association formed to foster the worldwide development, implementation and use of CDMA2000 technologies. The more than 130 member companies of the CDG include many of the world's largest wireless carriers and equipment manufacturers. The primary activities of the CDG include development of CDMA2000 features and services, public relations, education and seminars, regulatory affairs and international support. Currently, there are more than 500 individuals working within various CDG subcommittees on CDMA2000-related matters. For more information about the CDG, contact the CDG News Bureau at +1-714-540-1030, or visit the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.

The CDG logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2911

Note to editors
cdmaOne is a registered trademark of the CDMA Development Group. CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA-USA). All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

-0-
CONTACT: CDG News Bureau
Ricca Silverio
+1 714-540-1030
rsilverio@bockpr.com

Transportation: Matson receives two honors from Toyota Logistics

Oakland, Calif. (BUSINESS WIRE) - Matson Navigation Company has been honored with two 2007 Toyota Logistics Excellence awards, one for Marine Quality and the other for Outstanding Achievement.

The Quality Award recognizes Matson for meeting Toyota's damage percentage requirements, as well as implementing a comprehensive damage prevention program that included a collaborative working relationship between both companies. The program involved Toyota and Matson developing a number of initiatives designed to ensure vehicles were transported as safely and securely as possible, with an overall focus on continuous improvement.

The Outstanding Achievement Award honored Matson for its role in successfully providing sailing and delivery priorities for Toyota's roll out program for its new "Tundra" model with auto dealers in Hawaii and Guam, in order to coincide with release dates on the U.S. Mainland. The project encompassed meeting requirements of rental car markets, inventory and distribution from West Coast facilities and initiating systems development with Toyota Logistics Systems to provide accurate advanced shipment notification.

"Matson is extremely proud to receive these two high honors from Toyota," said Ron Forest, Matson's senior vice president, operations. "Delivering quality service for Toyota involves a cross functional team effort by operations personnel in all key port locations, as well as maintaining high levels of customer service and sales staff communications in order to meet the manufacturer's unique needs in the Hawaii and Guam markets. We are very pleased to have achieved a very successful damage prevention program. In addition, the recognition for Outstanding Achievement is equally gratifying. Matson's contribution to Toyota's roll out program for its new Tundra model in Hawaii and Guam was a carefully coordinated project that reflected a strong collaborative relationship between the two companies. Matson also demonstrated its ability to transport Toyota's fleet of oversized vehicles to all of the major ports in Hawaii, as well as Guam. We look forward to continuing to work with Toyota Logistics in 2008 and build on the successes realized in 2007."

Matson provides ocean transportation services to Hawaii, Guam, China and Micronesia, as well as logistics services through its subsidiary, Matson Integrated Logistics. Matson is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. of Honolulu (NASDAQ:ALEX).

Matson Navigation CompanyJeff Hull, 510-628-4534 public relationsJHull@matson.com

Technology: Chartered wins 2008 Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Award

Singapore (BUSINESS WIRE) - Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd (Nasdaq:CHRT) (SGX:Chartered), one of the world's top dedicated foundries, has received the 2008 Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Technology Leadership Award in the field of semiconductor fabrication and foundry services. The award recognizes excellence and expertise in semiconductor wafer fabrication technology and services.

Representatives for Chartered received the honor at the 2008 Frost & Sullivan Industrial Technologies Awards held recently in Kuala Lumpur.

This is an annual event that recognizes outstanding performance by top companies in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development in both the regional and global markets for their respective industries.

Chartered was recognized for its long and continuing commitment to excellence in its market, outstanding customer relationships, as well as for its dedication to keeping its customer base at the leading edge of technology innovation through world-class collaborations that have enabled the company to excel in semiconductor fabrication technology.

"Chartered is proud to be recognized by Frost & Sullivan, one of the world's premier analyst and consulting firms, as a technology leader, providing access to global innovation and invention. Through our commitment to advanced internal R&D and international collaborative innovation, we have successfully partnered with some of the world's largest semiconductor companies and more importantly, made it available to our customers and the industry," said Dr.

Simon Yang, senior vice president, fab operations, and chief technology officer at Chartered. "Through the power of collaboration, we are changing our industry."

Chartered's position among industry leaders in process technology started with its joint development agreement with IBM in November 2002. Chartered currently produces wafers using both 90-nanometer (nm) and 65nm process technology in its 300-millimeter facility. Chartered has also formed a manufacturing alliance with IBM and Samsung, known as Common Platform technology - a complete invention to access model which also provides customers the full capability to source at the 300-millimeter (mm) fabs of any or all of the three companies.

In addition to its leading-edge processes, Chartered offers value-added solutions with its more mature processes for wireless and consumer products, developed on technology nodes ranging from 0.13 micron to 0.6 micron. These solutions are typically based on BiCMOS, RFCMOS, high-voltage for applications such as mobile display, LCD screens or non-volatile memory for applications such as code storage, radio frequency identification (RFID) cards, fuse and controller units.

About Chartered Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd. (Nasdaq:CHRT) (SGX:CHARTERED), one of the world's top dedicated semiconductor foundries, offers leading-edge technologies down to 65 nanometer (nm), enabling today's system-on-chip designs.
The company further serves its customers' needs through a collaborative, joint development approach on a technology roadmap that extends to 22nm. Chartered's strategy is based on open and comprehensive design enablement solutions, manufacturingenhancement strategies, and a commitment to flexible sourcing.In Singapore, the company operates a 300mm fabrication facility and five 200mm facilities. Information about Chartered can be found at www.charteredsemi.com.

Chartered SingaporeCelestine Lim, (65) 6850.6123
(Media)celestinelim@charteredsemi.com

Business: Outsource Partners International inaugurates Bangalore service center

Outsource Partners International inaugurates newest shared service center in Bangalore, India with grand opening ceremony - a crowd of over 1,500 employees, clients, analysts, and friends gathered to celebrate the opening

Bangalore, India (BUSINESS WIRE) - Outsource Partners International, Inc. (OPI), a leading provider of finance, accounting, and tax business process outsourcing (BPO) as well as related services, announced today the opening of its new, 280,000 square feet Shared Service Center in Bangalore, India's IT/ ITES SEZ approved Vrindavan TechVillage. OPI commemorated the inaugural ceremonies with speeches and a facility tour for some 1,500 employees, clients, analysts, and friends of the company.

OPI's newly constructed, modern facility is conveniently located on Outer Ring Road and will eventually accommodate 3,000 finance and accounting professionals. This service center, together with OPI's other India offices in Kochi and Delhi-Gurgaon, allows for a team of more than 6,000 professional staff - nearly double OPI's current capacity in India.

"This location not only offers our employees a world-class working environment with state-of-the-art technology, but it also provides our highly-skilled employees with a dedicated training facility spanning 25,000 square feet. These educational facilities - together with such curriculum as the OPI-sponsored CIMA finance and accounting program, and OPI's annual training requirements - provides our professional staff with important resources to help them grow in their careers," noted Kishore Mirchandani, OPI's President and the CEO of India operations.

Mr Mirchandani added, "Since the formation of OPI in 2002, we have doubled our office space and capacity in Bangalore every two years. Over this time, Bangalore has played an important role in our growth, and has shown its commitment to providing the necessary infrastructure and talent to support a burgeoning finance and accounting outsourcing (FAO) industry.
We inaugurate this new facility in Vrindavan TechVillage with much enthusiasm, and are excited about the opportunities it affords both our clients and employees alike."About Outsource Partners International (OPI) Outsource Partners International, Inc. (OPI) is a leading professional services firm dedicated to the provision of finance, accounting, and tax business process outsourcing (BPO) and related services. These finance & accounting BPO related services include data management, research & analytics, business operations consulting, and information technology outsourcing.

OPI was built and is managed by experienced professional accountants, most of whom are former Big Four accounting firm partners and managers.

This unique heritage underlies a strong spirit of partnership with its clients. Placing service and quality first has enabled OPI to build an extensive portfolio of satisfied clients who serve as real-world examples of the benefits of outsourcing.

OPI has more than 2,300 professionals operating in its offices throughout the United States, Europe and India. For more information about OPI and its finance and accounting solutions, visit www.opiglobal.com.

Outsource Partners International, Inc.Kishore Mirchandan
iU.S.: 646-674-2525
India: (80) 6620-7777
Email: kmirchandani@opiglobal.com
Website: http://www.opiglobal.com

Health/Medical: Tyranny of distance

Melbourne - Medianet International-AsiaNet/ - Of all the health issues in Alice Springs trauma and violence are the most preventable, said Dr Ollapalli Jacob today at the co-joint Annual Scientific Congress of the College of Surgeons of Australasia and Hong Kong.

We need to focus on collaborating with the local health care authorities and the community to find solutions to prevent the rampant alcoholism.

As well car accidents, homicide, suicide and violence contribute substantially to the diseases suffered by the people who live in the Alice Springs, Dr Jacob said.

Alice Springs has the highest reported incidence of stab injuries in the world. Violence accounts for more than half the annual trauma case load at the Alice Springs Hospital.

Weekly surgical audits have shown a steady rise of trauma admissions to the hospital between 2000 and 2006.

The tyranny of distance still rules in Central Australia and it is almost impossible to get a victim to a trauma centre within the hour known in our industry as the golden hour - geography selects for survival.

The average time of a patient reaching Alice Springs Hospital after an accident is 6.5 hours and that is just too long, said Dr Jacob.

Measures must be taken to put a stop to the large scale alcohol genocide to save one of the most unique and ancient cultures of the world.

People are frustrated, most are unemployed and they have nothing to do, so they turn to drinking.

Most injuries are related to alcohol and there are no immediate or short term solutions, we need a plan to combat this.

The Australian government intervention may be a start and culturally appropriate primary health care, but genuine consultation with Indigenous people and continuous effort is required for it to be successful.

Trauma is among the leading causes of death and disability in Central Australia and these injuries often affect young people causing long term disability.

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

Technology: GyPSii opens China Data Centre to enhance local user experience

GyPSii opens China Data Centre to enhance local eser experience new gypsii.com.cn site offers optimised content to customers across Asia-Pacific

Amsterdam, The Netherlands (BUSINESS WIRE) - GyPSii the leading geo-location and mobile social networking service provider, has today announced the opening of a China Data Centre, to offer localised content and an enhanced user experience to customers across China and the Asia Pacific region. The Shanghai-based centre will boost GyPSii's existing infrastructure in the area and provide users with specific local content and even faster download speeds.

The opening of the centre follows the recent announcements of GyPSii's partnerships with Shanghai Rannuo Information Technology Co. Ltd. (GyPSii's service provider partner) to launch the China Unicom Beijing Olympics service and Dopod Club. With the Olympics set to begin in Beijing later this year, the data centre will accommodate GyPSii's existing users, while supporting new customers and the surge in the games-related user-generated content (UGC) expected in advance of and during the Olympics.

GyPSii's new site www.gypsii.com.cn offers new localized capabilities for our Asia partners and consumers including special China-specific user generated content, mapping and points of interest. - All this will be available to customers using GyPSii's mobile and web clients.

"In opening a dedicated data centre in Shanghai, GyPSii is deepening its commitment to our partners and customers in Asia by delivering Gypsii in world class speed." said Dan Harple, CEO at GyPSii.

"By investing in the region and bringing the data centre online, we are reinforcing GyPSii's position as the leading player in the market and executing our strategy to provide best-of-breed services across the globe."

"The partnership with Shanghai Rannuo and China Unicom represents a key commercial launch of our service with a major mobile carrier. GyPSii is the first and only mobile social networking service of its kind available in China. The opening of the data centre reinforces GyPSii's ability to scale quickly in different regions of the world. GyPSii is rapidly executing on a global strategy to provide Gypsii anywhere anytime to consumers around the world."

Mr Shen Yingchao, General Manager of Shanghai Rannuo Information Technology Co., Ltd said, "UGC and social networking are the future, and the GyPSii service will help drive the value added business to new heights. Thanks to our close partnership with China Unicom and GyPSii, Rannuo will continue to provide our long standing services to users and significantly enhance our offering in time for the Olympic Games".

GyPSii is also made available to members of the Dopod Club, the exclusive online community for Dopod device users in China.
With GyPSii, Dopod users can experience a seamless mobile lifestyle experience, sharing content, connecting with friends and communities, searching UGC and viewing maps and directions to points of interest - all from their mobile phone.

Ms Chen Yan, Product Manager of Dopod China, said, "The close co-operation between Dopod Club and GyPSii is providing Club Dopod members with an exciting new application that is useful, fun and easy-to-use. GyPSii is the ideal accessory to the Dopod Club mobile lifestyle."

Dopod users with Windows Mobile devices and China Unicom users with a range of supporting devices can download GyPSii, with both simplified and traditional character sets at: www.gypsii.com.cn.

About GyPSii

GyPSii is the market-leading mobile lifestyle application, connecting people, places and communities across networks and devices. GyPSii provides a geo-location social networking platform and services for mobile, web & set-top box devices, and is headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
(www.gypsii.com).

2008 GyPSii Inc. All rights reserved.

The CC Group for GyPSii
Dave McCann / Rachael Parker
+44-(0)-118-920-7650
gypsii@the-cc-group.com
www.the-cc-group.com

Mining/Minerals: Platts reporting prices of hot-rolled coil and rebar from Asia

London, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Platts, one of the world's foremost providers of energy and metals information, today announced it is expanding its suite of spot price assessments in global metals to include steel exported from China, specifically hot-rolled coil (HRC) and concrete reinforcing bar (rebar).

"We're pleased we can answer the steel industry's call for a reliable source of timely, transparent and independent steel price information from Asia as well as provide the financial industry with an additional price series to help anticipate economic activity and price trends," said Platts Global Director of Steel Francis Browne.

The new Asia price series expands Platts' coverage of steel and scrap product prices from 21 to 23, and better equips industry and other metals market observers with a more complete data series for more comprehensive analysis of spot metals prices globally.

The assessments are generated from the free-on-board (FOB) value of key internationally traded steel products HRC and rebar, and recognize China's important participation in the world's markets for these products. HRC is widely used for construction, appliance and automotive purposes. Rebar is used in the construction of such things as buildings, roads and bridges.

Platts Steel Markets Daily is an online and print publication containing news, market commentary and price information aimed at the steel, construction, and auto industries as well as commodities-focused money managers worldwide. The publication is one of five Platts products directed at the broader metals industry. Platts has reported on the broader supply and demand fundamentals of the metals markets for 30 years, drawing on the tradition of its parent company, The McGraw-Hill Companies, which has covered the metals market for more than 75 years.

Platts' price assessment methodology in steel was developed in consultation with a cross section of key industry players and draws upon Platts' century of experience in benchmark price reporting in the energy markets. For more information about the Platts price assessment process visit http://www.platts.com

About Platts:

Platts, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is a leading global provider of energy and commodities information. With nearly a century of business experience, Platts serves customers across more than 150 countries. From 17 offices worldwide, Platts serves the oil, natural gas, electricity, nuclear power, coal, emissions, petrochemical and metals markets. Platts' real time news, pricing, analytical services, and conferences help markets operate with transparency and efficiency. Traders, risk managers, analysts, and industry leaders depend upon Platts to help them make better trading and investment decisions.

Additional information is available at http://www.platts.com

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2007 were $6.8 billion.

Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com

SOURCE: Platts
CONTACT: Kathleen Tanzy,
+1-212-904-2860,
Kathleen_tanzy@platts.com, or
Europe,
Shiona Ramage,
+44-207-176-6153, or
Asia,
Casey Yew,
+65-653-06552
Web site: http://www.platts.com
http://www.mcgraw-hill.com
(MHP)

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Business: CoorsTek holds grand opening for newest facility in S Korea

Gumi City, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Today, CoorsTek held a grand opening ceremony at their newest technical ceramics manufacturing facility in South Korea.

Significant increases in demand for high-purity and other specialty ceramics, primarily for the semiconductor manufacturing and flat-panel display industries, fueled the additional facility.

The grand opening started at 11:30 a.m. local time and included Mr. Nam Yoo-Chin, Mayor of Gumi City; Mr. KwanYong Kim, Governor of Gyeonsgsangbuk-do; Mr. TaeHwan Kim, Member of Korean National Assembly; Dr. John K. Coors, President, CEO, and Chairman of CoorsTek; Mr. Mark Petty, Executive Vice President of CoorsTek, Inc.; Mr. Cha Eun-Suk, President of CoorsTek Korea, and roughly 200 spectators.

The new facility, located in Gumi City, Korea, will be more than three times larger than their current location in Kyungbook and will serve as a manufacturing hub for most of Asia to accommodate continued market growth in the sector. For neighboring customers including Samsung, LG Phillips LCD, Hynix, and Magnachip Semiconductor, CoorsTek expects to offer enhanced customer interaction, higher regionally-built content, and improved service levels.

"This new, modern facility will significantly expand our capability and presence in the Asia-Pacific region to serve customers worldwide," states Mr. Eun-Suk Cha, President of CoorsTek Korea, part of CoorsTek, Inc. "Every element of the new facility was carefully considered to ensure superior customer support, excellent manufacturing efficiencies, and rapid-build capabilities," he continued.

More about CoorsTek

CoorsTek is the largest technical ceramics manufacturer in North America and has facilities in Europe and Asia. CoorsTek supplies critical components and assemblies for medical, automotive, semiconductor, aerospace, electronic, power generation, telecommunication, and other high-technology applications. Utilizing advanced material technologies, the company's engineered solutions enable its customers' products to overcome technological barriers and improve performance.

For more information about CoorsTek, please visit the Company's website at http://www.coorstek.com.

For high-resolution photos of the grand opening celebration and the new facility, please follow links below:

http://www.coorstek.com/resources/images New_Korea_Facility.jpg (12.7" x 6.9" @ 300 dpi, 3.8 MB) -- Optional photo caption: "The newest CoorsTek facility is expected to provide high-purity ceramic components primarily for semiconductor industry."

http://www.coorstek.com/resources/images Cha_Korea_Opening_Ceremony.jpg (10.8" x 8.1" @ 300 dpi, 3.4 MB) -- Optional photo caption: "Mr. Eun Cha, President of CoorsTek Korea, introduces the facility to 200 dignitaries and VIP guests."

http://www.coorstek.com/resources/images Dr_John_Coors_Opening_Ceremony.jpg (10.8" x 8.1" @ 300 dpi, 3.4 MB) -- Optional photo caption: "Dr. John K. Coors, President, CEO, and Chairman of CoorsTek, inc., addresses reception crowd."

CoorsTek, and Amazing Solutions are registered trademarks of CoorsTek, Inc.

Media Contact:
Harrison Hartman
T: +1 303.277.4559
F: +1 303.277.4779
hhartman@coorstek.com
Product Contact:
Randel Mercer
T: +1 408.981.0834
F: +1 303.277.4779
rmercer@coorstek.com

SOURCE CoorsTek
CONTACT: Media, Harrison Hartman,
+1-303-277-4559,
hhartman@coorstek.com, or
Products, Randel Mercer,
+1-408-981-0834,
rmercer@coorstek.com,
both of CoorsTek,
fax, +1-303-277-4779
Web site: www.coorstek.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008

CA Announces Emergency Plan in Effect After an Earthquake in Southwest China (Sichuan Province)

BEIJING, May 15 (ANTARA/Xinhua-PRNewswire-AsiaNet) -- A major earthquake hit Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province at 14:28pm, PEK time on May 12, 2008. Chengdu Shuangliu (CTU) airport is closed. 12 CA (Chengdu Airport) flights en route to Chengdu have been diverted to other airports.

CA announced the emergency plan to be in effect on 15:00pm. All the CA flights in the air are in close communication with the headquarters. Upon issuing the release, no casualty and property damage has been reported at CA southwest subsidiary.

CA has instructed all affected offices to implement emergency plans and take good care of stranded passengers. CA also has the fleet on standby for restoration operations and special tasks.

Meanwhile, Air China continued to enhance capacity input for disaster relief. On 14 May, Air China allocated 91 flights (16792 seats) for evacuation of stranded passengers in Chengdu and cancelled 24 normal flights for urgent disaster relief operations. In addition, as a result of road damage in Jiuzhaigou and snowfall, a large number of passengers were stranded. The CTU airport has reopened for operations now and Air China instantly prepared 8 flights with 1024 seats to evacuate passengers. Currently, Air China is on 24-hour duty and will adjust capacity according to the situation.

SOURCE Air China

Business: Visteon elevates Stebbins to CEO; Johnston continues

Van Buren Township, Michigan, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - The board of directors of Visteon Corporation (NYSE: VC) today elected Donald J. Stebbins as president and chief executive officer, effective June 1, 2008.

Stebbins, who was president and chief operating officer, succeeds Michael F. Johnston in the CEO role. Johnston will continue as executive chairman of the global automotive supplier.

Stebbins, 50, has been president and COO since joining Visteon in 2005, following 13 years in senior leadership positions with Lear Corp. Expanding Stebbins' leadership role is a timely and logical step in Visteon's long-term executive succession planning process, according to Johnston.

"The three-year plan that we launched in 2006 is successfully positioning Visteon for sustainable success," Johnston said.

"As we approach the conclusion of this phase of our transformation, it's a logical time for Don to assume a greater role in steering the organization into the future."

As CEO, Stebbins will lead the development and execution of Visteon's long-term strategy while continuing to oversee the company's global operations, sales, manufacturing, product development, research and development, and customer relations. Stebbins has more than 20 years of leadership experience and a solid history of performance in managing a global manufacturing business.

He has served on Visteon's board of directors since December 2006.

Johnston, 60, has been chairman and CEO since June 1, 2005. He joined Visteon in September 2000 as chief operating officer and president, and has held the CEO post since June 2004.

Johnston has guided Visteon from a North America-focused parts supplier that was heavily dependent on one automaker, to a global engineering and manufacturing company with a focused product portfolio and a diversified customer and geographic base. As executive chairman, Johnston will concentrate on ensuring company policies and investments align with corporate strategy, interfacing with the board of directors, and fostering relationships with key customers and financial stakeholders.

In expanding Stebbins' responsibilities, Visteon's board cited his global and financial experience and his success restructuring, improving and growing Visteon's operations in a challenging market environment. "Don's appointment as CEO underscores his proven leadership and core strengths in global operations and finance, which have resulted in a more competitive cost structure and expanded capabilities in fast-growing markets such as the Asia Pacific region," Johnston said.

Along with leading Visteon's long-term strategy, Stebbins said his immediate priorities include successfully completing the remaining restructuring actions identified in Visteon's three-year plan; continuing to improve quality, employee safety and efficiency; and generating profitable new business wins in Visteon's core product areas.

"We have a tremendously talented and experienced leadership team," Stebbins said. "Their abilities and energy, coupled with the strong working relationship that Mike and I have developed, give me every confidence that Visteon will continue taking positive steps and delivering on our commitments."

Reporting to Stebbins will be William G. Quigley III, executive vice president and chief financial officer; John Donofrio, senior vice president and general counsel; Robert Pallash, senior vice president and president, global customer group; Dorothy L. Stephenson, senior vice president, human resources; the vice presidents of the three major product groups: Joy Greenway - climate, Terry Gohl - interiors and lighting, and Steve Meszaros - electronics; Asaf Farashuddin, vice president, strategy; and Julie Fream, vice president, North American customer group and global communications.

Donald J. Stebbins - Background Stebbins joined Visteon from Lear Corp., where he was president and chief operating officer of Lear's operations in Europe, Asia and Africa. Previously, he was president and COO of Lear's operations in the Americas. Stebbins joined Lear in 1992 as vice president and treasurer. He held various financial positions of increasing responsibility with Lear, including a 1997 promotion to senior vice president and chief financial officer. Previously, he held positions at Bankers Trust Company and Citibank.

Stebbins holds a bachelor's degree in finance from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he is also a member of its Business Advisory Council. He holds a master's degree in business administration from the University of Michigan. He has served on Visteon's board of directors since December 2006.

Additionally, he is a member of the board of directors of WABCO Holdings Inc.

About Visteon

Visteon Corporation is a leading global automotive supplier that designs, engineers and manufactures innovative climate, interior, electronic and lighting products for vehicle manufacturers, and also provides a range of products and services to aftermarket customers. With corporate offices in Van Buren Township, Mich. (U.S.); Shanghai, China; and Kerpen, Germany; the company has facilities in 26 countries and employs approximately 40,000 people.

SOURCE: Visteon Corporation
NOTE TO EDITORS: Visteon news releases, photographs and product specification details are available at www.visteon.com
CONTACT: Media, Julie Fream, office, +1-734-710-7250,
mobile, +1-313-215-8946, jfream@visteon.com,
or Investors, Derek Fiebig, office, +1-734-710-5800, mobile,
+1-313-319-3921, dfiebig@visteon.com
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001201 DEF008
LOGO http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080514/CLW004
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk: photodesk@prnewswire.com
Web site: http://www.visteon.com

COPYRIGHT © 2008