SYDNEY, Dec. 31 --AsiaNet/InfoQuest ACQUISITION COMPLETED... BUNDELL: FastForests, Inc., which owns the worldwide rightsto the SupaTree that grows 30 to 35 feet in the first 12 monthsand is fully grown in 9 years, has completed the acquisition ofa 29% holding in Advanced Funds Management (Holdings) Ltd., aVenture Capital Group in Queensland, Australia. http://www.fastforestsinc.com http://www.sasnetwork.com.au TSUNAMI RELIEF... CHICAGO: Chicago-based relief organization, Bright HopeInternational, is partnering with footwear executive WayneElsey, of Old Hickory, Tennessee, to spearhead a worldwiderelief effort to provide 100,000 pairs of shoes to victims ofthe South Asia Tsunami and to other needy areas around theworld. http://www.brighthope.org RELIEF EFFORT... EAGAN: Continuing a long-standing partnership, NorthwestAirlines and AmeriCares are teaming up to transport reliefsupplies to South Asia for victims of the recent earthquake andtsunamis. http://www.nwa.com http://www.americares.org RECOVERY FUND... BANGKOK: The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) todayannounced the launch of its Tsunami Recovery Fund. PATA isinviting PATA members, chapters, governments, touristauthorities, travel professionals and individual travellers topledge money. The funds will be dedicated to a recoveryprogramme for the benefit of tourism employees in Asia Pacificresort destinations affected by the disaster. http://www.PATA.org/tsunami MALDIVES TOURISM... MALE: The after effects of the Tsunami are not so severe onthe tourism industry of the Maldives because each resort in theMaldives has its own infrastructure: the island's own powersupply, sewerage system, water supply and other supportfacilities. Furthermore due to the resort islands flatness andthe sand quantity, the floods receded reasonably quickly. http://www.visitmaldives.gov.mv http://www.visitmaldives.com www.maldivestourism.org.mv CLAIMS ESTIMATE... ZURICH: Swiss Re currently expects its claims related to thetragic tsunamis (seismic sea waves) triggered by the massiveundersea earthquake near Indonesia to be below CHF 100million. CLEAN-UP OPERATIONS... BANGKOK: With major clean-up operations under way in SouthThailand beach resorts affected by the December 26 tsunami, theTourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is anticipating that placeswhich have not suffered serious structural damage may be readyto receive visitors again within one month. Earth-movers,cranes and bulldozers have been deployed to clear up the debrisin many of the areas. TOURIST ASSISTANCE... BANGKOK: Tourist Assistance Counters manned by TAT staffhave been set up in Phuket, Phang-nga, Krabi, Don Muang Airportand Thammasat University Rangsit Centre. Furthermore, tofacilitate and support relief efforts, TATs Crisis ManagementCentre situated on the 10th. Floor of the TAT head-office onPetchaburi Road, is open 24 hours. CASUALTY INFORMATION... BANGKOK: Families seeking casualty information about familymembers who are foreign nationals in Thailand should dealdirectly with their embassies and consulates in Thailand whichare directly involved in the relief effort and will be thefirst to be informed of any wounded or injured. Here is a listof major embassies: http://www.th4u.com/embassies.htm#uk ROAD SERVICE... SYDNEY: NRMA Motoring & Services will send a road serviceoperations expert to Sri Lanka to assist the local automobileassociation in the republics disaster recovery. On NRMAsbehalf, the Australian Automobile Association is alsocontacting all motoring clubs in the Indian Ocean region tooffer assistance. www.mynrma.com.au INFORMATION CENTRE... BANGKOK: Six Thai provinces have been affected by the'tsunami' wave triggered by the earthquake off Sumatra,Indonesia, on December 26, 2004 -- Phuket, Krabi, Phang-nga,Trang, Satun and Ranong. All other parts of Thailand arefunctioning as usual. http://www.tourismthailand.org . EARTHQUAKE APPEAL... SYDNEY: Caritas Australia, the Catholic agency for overseasaid and development, has increased its target from $1 millionto $3 million as current donations to the Asia EarthquakeAppeal have surpassed $500,000. Donations to the AsiaEarthquake Appeal can be made on-line at www.caritas.org.au orby calling 1800 024 413. RELIEF ACTIVITIES... SYDNEY: A team of volunteers, including Dr John Hooper, theformer head of the Fred Hollows Foundation, head to Sri Lankatoday helping to form the core group that will coordinate themuch needed relief activities of Tamil RehabilitationOrganisation Colombo. The team of 12 is flying on QF5 leavingSydney at 5pm today. Dr John Hooper is available forinterviews. (AsiaNet is a consortium of leading news agencies distributing unedited, translated news releases for worldwide clients. Visit www.asianetnews.net for full-text versions.)