SYDNEY--7 Apr--AsiaNet/InfoQuest ACQUISITION AGREEMENT... TOKYO: Advantage Partners, one of the foremost private equity firms in Japan, and Bain Capital, a leading global private investment firm, Thursday announced they have entered into an agreement to acquire unattended payment systems provider MEI Conlux from Mars, Incorporated. http://www.mars.com http://www.meiglobal.com http://www.baincapital.com http://www.advantagegroup.co.jp FUNGAL INFECTION... COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.: Results from CDC research suggest a disturbing increase in Fusarium fungus infection in contact lens wearers that can lead to blindness. http://www.biosyntrx.com RELATIONSHIP EXPANDED... SAN JOSE, Calif.: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies and Komag, Incorporated Wednesday announced an expanded strategic supply agreement for 3.5-inch disk media. http://www.hitachi.com http://www.hitachigst.com http://www.komag.com THUNDERBIRD CELEBRATES... GLENDALE, Ariz.: On Thursday, April 6, a special ceremony will commemorate Thunderbird's first 60 years and publicly unveil "Thunderbird 2010-A Truly Global Vision." WIRELESS SOLUTION... SANTA CLARA, Calif.: Marvell, the leader in storage, communications and consumer silicon solutions, Wednesday announced the Marvell TopDog branded family of 802.11n IEEE draft compliant products for consumer, enterprise, and mobile markets. http://www.marvell.com IWC HOSTS... GENEVA: The Swiss International Airlines hangar at the Geneva International Airport was dramatically transformed last evening into a scene from the bygone era of the glamorous 30's and 40's as Switzerland's prestigious watch manufacturer, International Watch Company (IWC), hosted its Grande Soiree Aviateur. http://www.presseportal.de/story.htx?nr=807577 http://www.thenewsmarket.com/IWC-SIHH http://cumu05.ncag.ch/iwc/frame.asp https://www.iwc.ch//index.asp AGREEMENT SIGNED... EL SEGUNDO, Calif.: Computer Sciences Corporation Wednesday announced that it has signed an agreement with Air Products and Chemicals Inc. of Allentown, Pa., to provide selected information technology (IT) services. http://www.airproducts.com http://www.csc.com ESTABLISHMENT LICENSE... EDMONTON: QSV Biologics (QSV), Ltd. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Wednesday announced that Health Canada will be issuing an Establishment License covering the fabrication of commercial grade drug products. www.qsvbiologics.com VICTIMS SUE... WASHINGTON: One hundred seventy-six passengers, estates, and family members who were victims of the September 5, 1986 terrorist hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan have filed suit against Libya and the individuals convicted of launching the attack. http://www.crowell.com MOU SIGNED... AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: Paradigm, the leading geoscience software and services provider to the oil and gas industry for Rock and Fluid Interpretation, Wednesday announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to invest in OpenSpirit Corporation, an independent software company focused on providing integration solutions for upstream applicationsand data. http://www.paradigmgeo.com http://www.openspirit.com FAIR TRADE... SAN DIEGO: QUALCOMM Incorporated, a leading developer and innovator of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and other advanced wireless technologies, reported that the Korean offices of QUALCOMM Korea, Samsung Electronics, LGE Electronics and Pantech Curitel were visited on April 4 by officials of the Korean Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) seeking information about the business dealings between QUALCOMM and the three other companies. http://www.qualcomm.com GLOBAL ACTION... SYDNEY: More than 600 of the world's leading scientists in the field are meeting at the 5th International Symposium for Pneumococci and Pneumococcal Disease (ISPPD-5) in Alice Springs, Australia, to call for global action to address pneumococcal pneumonia and accelerate access to new, life-saving pneumococcal vaccines. http://www.preventpneumo.org SERVICE ENABLER... LAS VEGAS: The Open Mobile Alliance, an international specifications setting body, has announced the public availability of its DRM Version 2.0 Service Enabler as an Approved Enabler Release. http://www.openmobilealliance.org DISTRIBUTION DEALS... CANNES, France: MGM Networks, a division of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., has announced a string of breakthrough distribution agreements in key Asian markets. http://www.mgm.com CHINESE FIRMS... BEIJING: Research undertaken by IBM and Fudan University, and released on Thursday, has found that Chinese companies are expanding globally to acquire technology and management skills, escape intense domestic competition and capture new market opportunities. www.ibm.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.