SYDNEY, Feb. 7--AsiaNet/InfoQuest AVNET AWARD... SINGAPORE: Avnet Electronics Marketing, the world's No 1 global distributor of electronic components, has added another first to its list of industry accolades. http://www.em.avnet.com CEO RETIRES... SAN JOSE, Calif.: Komag, Incorporated, a leading independent supplier of thin-film media for disk drives, today announced that T.H. Tan, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, has announced his plans for retirement sometime late in 2006 and the Company has started an executive search for a successor. http://www.komag.com AUTOMOTIVE CERTIFICATION... CORK: Firecomms Ltd. today announced that its MOST fiber optic transceiver (FOT) based on a high-speed resonant cavity LED has been certified by RMCtech for compliance with the MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) standard, making it the first RCLED-based FOT to receive this certification. http://www.nanosemi.co.uk http://www.firecomms.com UNIBAIL'S RESULTS... PARIS: Unibail's Board of Directors convened on February 1, 2006, to approve the company's consolidated accounts for the 2005 financial year. EXCLUSIVE LICENCE... BRISBANE: Water purification specialist Aqua Dyne Inc, publicly traded on the US Bulletin board, has acquired an exclusive licence to market the COMENERGY Hybrid Coal and Gas Turbine (HCGT) technology throughout North America. http://www.aquadyne.us.com KASENNA RAISES... MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.: Kasenna, The IPTV Company, a leading provider of VOD programming and next-generation platforms for video content and service delivery, today announced the closing of an $11 million round of funding. http://www.kasenna.com NICOGEL LAUNCHED... CAMBRIDGE: Nicogel has just been launched in the UK and is set to revolutionize the way forward for smokers everywhere and is a unique and highly effective method for those who are unable to smoke in public places, the work place and popular social venues such as cinemas, bars and restaurants. http://www.nicogel.co.uk DENALI CEO... PALO ALTO, Calif.: Sanjay Srivasta, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Denali Software Inc., will participate in an electronic design automation (EDA) panel titled, "The 65nm node: India's opportunity to excel in the semiconductor industry," during the Indian Semiconductor Association's (ISA) Vision Summit 2006. http://www.denali.com LICENSE VERIFICATION... BUFFALO, NY: World DLA, a leading edge provider of endpoint authentication solutions, released a technical new overview today of its proprietary, patent pending Application Program Interface (API) technology that provides "real time" driver's license verification information. www.worlddla.com HISTORIC MEETING... VALENCIA, Calif.: ince Queen Mary 2's dazzling debut in 2004, Cunard enthusiasts have wondered if the grand ocean liner would ever meet her legendary predecessor, the Queen Mary. As part of Queen Mary 2's highly anticipated maiden call to Los Angeles, the ship is set to wow West Coasters with an historic meeting on Thursday, February 23 when the two ships will unite in Long Beach harbor for a "royal rendezvous" beginning at 12:00 pm. http://www.queenmary.com http://www.visitlongbeach.com ROYAL RENDEZVOUS... VALENCIA, Calif.: Cunard Line (the operators of Queen Mary 2), the R.M.S. Queen Mary, and the Long Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau announce the launch of a new website, www.thequeenmarysmeet.com, to promote "A Royal Rendezvous" -- the first-time meeting between Queen Mary 2 and her namesake, the Queen Mary on February 23, 2006. http://www.thequeenmarysmeet.com http://www.cunard.com http://www.visitlongbeach.com http://www.queenmary.com GUYANA PICKED... TORONTO, Canada: Nivelli International Inc. announced that Guyana, a lush country in South America, has won the tug-of-war for the location where the major shooting for Rainbow Raani will take place. FLEXIBLE SEALING... NEW DELHI: GKN Driveline has developed new flexible sealing and protection "boots" for constant velocity joints (CVJs) used on cars and light trucks that significantly improve component durability and life. http://www.gkndriveline.com SAP SOLUTIONS... SANTA CLARA, Calif.: IntelliCorp, a worldwide provider of software tools for lifecycle management and system support of SAP solutions, today announced significant momentum of its Assessor Upgrade and Assessor Support Pack Editions. http://www.intellicorp.com WESTINGHOUSE SALE... LONDON: British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) and the Toshiba Corporation today reached a key milestone in the sale of Westinghouse Electric Company with the signing of a $5.4bn contract. NESS TECHNOLOGIES... HACKENSACK, N.J.: Ness Technologies, Inc., a global provider of information technology (IT) services and solutions, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Innova Solutions (OLAS Software Solutions, Inc.), a privately held provider of IT services and solutions based in the United States and India. http://www.ness.com http://www.innova-usa.com CLINICAL CANDIDATE... LONDON: Arrow Therapeutics, the London based antiviral drug discovery and development company, has announced that its lead Hepatitis C compound has entered full pre-clinical development. http://www.arrowt.co.uk (AsiaNet is a consortium of leading news agencies distributing unedited, translated news releases for worldwide clients. Visit www.asianetnews.net for full-text versions.)