SYDNEY, Jan 19 --AsiaNet/InfoQuest REBUILDING STARTS... THAILAND: International housing charity Habitat for Humanity plans to build as many as 25,000 homes over two years for its rebuild initiative in tsunami-torn Asia, requiring an investment of about US$25 million. http://www.hfhap.org DIRECT SALES... ADELAIDE: Santos Limited Wednesday announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Santos Direct Pty Ltd, would market gas directly into the Victorian market for the first time using its recently awarded retail gas licence. JOINT VENTURE... SHANGHAI: Sabre and leading Middle East carrier Gulf Air Wednesday announced that they have signed an agreement to create a joint venture to be based in Bahrain. CAPEX BUDGET... RIO DE JANEIRO: Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) Tueday announced that its Board of Directors has just approved capital expenditure of US$3.332 billion in 2005. http://www.cvrd.com.br ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES... STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich.: B. Edward Ewing, Chairman and CEO of the Ewing Management Group (EMG), Tuesday announced organizational changes at EMG's Key Safety Systems, a Key Automotive Group Affiliate. FANNIE MAE... WASHINGTON, D.C.: Fannie Mae will redeem the principal amount of 12 securities issues amounting to a total of US$1,106.61 million on Jan 28, 2005 at a redemption price equal to 100 percent of the principal amount redeemed plus accrued interest. http://www.fanniemae.com MULTI-LANGUAGE SKILLS.. LOS ANGELES: The ability to speak more than one language is critical to succeed in business in Europe, Asia/Pacific and Latin America, according to nearly nine out of ten (88 percent) executive recruiters from those regions who completed the sixth edition of the quarterly Executive Recruiter Index. http://www.futurestep.com Web site: http://www.kornferry.com DESIGN FLOW... MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.: Synopsys, Inc., a world leader in semiconductor design software, and Grace Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, a fast growing pure IC foundry located in Shanghai, China, Tuesday announced that Synopsys' Professional Services group and Grace have jointly developed a reference design flow for Grace's 180 nanometer processes. http://www.gsmcthw.com http://www.synopsys.com NEW PRODUCTS... DENVER, Colo.: Integrated Research, developers of PROGNOSIS Voice over IP (VoIP) and IP Telephony management solutions, Tuesday announced the release of a new suite of products specifically designed to manage VoIP deployments in multi-site, branch-office organizations such as banks, finance and insurance organizations, retailers, hospitals, travel agents and educational institutions. http://www.ir.com SOFTWARE CONTRACT... WALTHAM, Mass.: NetCracker Technology, a leading provider of OSS and IT Infrastructure Management solutions, Tuesday announced that it has signed a software contract with TELUS Corporation, one of Canada's leading telecommunications companies. http://www.netcracker.com CO2 LASER... SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.: Universal Laser Systems, Inc. Tuesday announced the introduction of the industry's smallest 10-watt CO2 laser. http://www.co2laser.com http://www.versalaser.com http://www.ulsinc.com POETRY PERFORMANCE... SAN FRANCISCO, Cal.: Renowned writer and iconoclast Ishmael Reed and a group led by the eclectic composer and pianist Mary Watkins will blend their creative talents in a "poetry for peace" performance on Sunday January 23 in the Koret Auditorium of the San Francisco Main Public Library. http://www.poetry4peace.org http://www.dunhillpublishing.com PRODUCT AWARD... SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.: NetCentrex, the leading enabler of converged voice-video-data networks and next-generation services, Tuesday announced that the IPlay3 solution has received the prestigious Frost & Sullivan VoIP Equipment and Network Infrastructure Product of the Year Award for 2005. http://www.netcentrex.net http://www.frost.com (AsiaNet is a consortium of leading news agencies distributing unedited, translated news releases for worldwide clients. Visit www.asianetnews.net for full-text versions.)