SYDNEY--19 ก.ค.--AsiaNet/InfoQuest IMARDA ACQUIRES... SYDNEY: Telematics specialist Imarda announced that it hasacquired New Zealand telematics hardware company, Prolificx, ina stock-swap deal that values Prolificx at A$7.59 million(US$6.66 million). HKC ANNOUNCES... HONG KONG: HKC (Holdings) Limited has signed a series ofconditional agreements, in which Cerberus Asia CapitalManagement, LLC or its affiliates, will become the secondlargest shareholder while the two existing major shareholders,Creator Holdings Limited and Penta Investment Advisers Ltd.,will commit additional capital.www.hkcholdings.com NEW WEBSITE... BANGKOK: A free online consultation is featured inthailandwonders.com, a new website of the Tourism Authority ofThailand. The website aims to add virtual interactions betweentravellers and travel experts and assist prospective touristswho plan to visit to Thailand.www.thailandwonders.com ONLINE CONCERT... SAN FRANCISCO: Friendster announced that it will broadcastthe first ever Malaysian online concert, featuring singer KarenKong. The concert will be broadcast in six episodes on Kong'sFan Profile on Friendster (www.friendster.com/karenkong).Friendster members can receive bulletins and messages regardingwhen each segment will be posted by becoming a fan of Kong onher profile.www.friendster.comwww.friendster.com/karenkongwww.friendster.com/fanprofiles VALKYRIE BEGINS... LOS ANGELES: United Artists Entertainment LLC announced thestart of principal photography in Berlin on the internationalproduction of "Valkyrie," a suspense thriller based on the truestory of the daring German officers' plot to assassinate Hitlerin 1944.www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070718/LAW135-awww.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070718/LAW135-b FRANCE ALLOWS... THE HAGUE: France is the latest country to allow familymembers of skilled international staff to work during anassignment. The changes, which apply to intra-group transfersand a new category for 'competences and talents', were part ofthe 2006 Immigration and Integration Law, implemented in May2007.www.permitsfoundation.com FALSE POSITIVES... SYDNEY: "As banks scramble to institute anti-moneylaundering procedures that will pass muster with the AUSTRACregulator, they may be in for some nasty surprises when theysee the operational expense surrounding 'false positives,'"observes Nigel Peach, a Sydney-based anti-money launderingexpert at risk and compliance specialist Fortent. POLICY PROPOSALS... WASHINGTON: More than 250 young people from 31 countriesgathered in Washington, D.C., July 15-17 to showcase aremarkable international civic education program called ProjectCitizen. Empowering a New Generation for Democracy: TheInternational Project Citizen Showcase was the culmination ofmonths of work by students to create public policy proposalsaddressing problems in their communities, from Vancouver,Washington, to Yogyakarta, Indonesia.www.civiced.org/2007intlpcshowcase.html GO211.COM ANNOUNCES... BOSTON: Go211.com (www.go211.com), the premier action sportssocial networking and online video share site, announces thatit has been named the "Exclusive Behind The Scenes Portal" andthe live Webcast of the event will be "Presented by Go211.com"for the 2007 Honda US Open of Surfing. Go211.com will be onlocation July 20-29th at Huntington Beach, CA to bring all theaction of the event to Go211.com's community.www.go211.comwww.usopenofsurfing.com PEPSICO STRENGTHENS... PURCHASE, New York: PepsiCo announces an initiative thatfurther strengthens its commitment to meeting consumers' healthand nutrition needs by redefining how the company markets itsproducts to children.www.pepsico.comwww.smartspot.com WGA ANNOUNCES... SINGAPORE: Leading experts from the World GlaucomaAssociation (WGA) launched the group's first consensus onintraocular pressure (IOP). The panel recognized that elevatedIOP is the leading risk factor for glaucoma progression andaccurate measurement of IOP plays a key role in assessingglaucoma risk and disease management. DEBT RELIEF... TUCSON, Arizona: Announcement by Sovereign Advisers - TheAmerican Bondholders Foundation, LLC is pleased to announce anewly-created debt relief program to benefit companies indebtedto the Chinese government or any of its state-ownedenterprises.www.sov-advisers.com GREEN ELEVATORS... FARMINGTON, Connecticut: Otis Elevator Company, a unit ofUnited Technologies Corp., opened the world's first "green"elevator manufacturing facility, which will produceenvironmentally friendly elevator systems.www.otis.com ALCAN AGREEMENT... MONTREAL: Alcan has announced an agreement with HindalcoIndustries Limited, India (Hindalco) for the sale of its 45 percent interest in Utkal Alumina International Limited (Utkal).The Utkal joint venture was established in 1992 and involvesthe development of a new bauxite mine and alumina refinery inthe Indian state of Orissa (Utkal Project). Alcan expectscompletion during the third quarter of 2007.www.alcan.com STARVIEW EXPANDS... SAN FRANCISCO: Starview Technology, Inc., the leadingprovider of Real-Time Process Intelligence solutions for thesemiconductor and electronics industries, announced that it hasexpanded its global distribution and support by forming a newsubsidiary in Japan.www.starviewtechnology.com OXIANA REPORTS... MELBOURNE: Oxiana Limited has released its June 2007quarterly report.www.oxiana.com.au AsiaNet is a consortium of leading news agencies distributing unedited, translated news releases for worldwide clients. Visit www.asianetnews.net for full-text versions.