SYDNEY, July 19--AsiaNet/InfoQuest BETTING FAVOURITE... SYDNEY: Nik is Centrebet's NZ Idol betting favourite after the judges selected the top 24 contestants. http://www.centrebet.com SHANGHAI BRANCH... CHARLOTTE, N.C.: Wachovia Tuesday announced that it has opened a branch in Shanghai, China. http://www.wachovia.com VISA WAIVER... WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Department of Homeland Security's US-VISIT Program has released a new document that clarifies the passport requirements for visitors traveling to the United States as part of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/VWP_PassportRequirementTimeline_07-2005.pdf FANNIE MAE... WASHINGTON, D.C.: Fannie Mae will redeem the principal amount of US$35 million of one securities issue on July 18, 2005 at a redemption price equal to 100 percent of the principal amount redeemed plus accrued interest. http://www.fanniemae.com MP3 DECODER... NANTES: Atmel Corporation, a global leader in the development and fabrication of advanced semiconductor solutions, Monday announced a new ready-to-use single-chip MP3 decoder combining all the features to allow a mobile phone to play MP3 music and ring tones and to convert it into a pen drive. http://www.atmel.com SURGILANCE WINS... NORCROSS, Ga.: SurgiLance Monday announced that it has won its appeal against competitor Owen Mumford, Inc. (OM). http://www.surgilance.com AMERICAN IMPLANT... SYDNEY: Ventracor Limited Monday announced the first implant in the United States of the VentrAssist Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAS). http://www.ventracor.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.)