SYDNEY--25 Dec--AsiaNet/InfoQuest UTC ACQUIRES... BEIJING - UTC Fire & Security announced Friday that it hasentered an agreement to acquire an additional 3.3 per centshare of GST Holdings Limited, which, with regulatoryclearance, will bring the company's total ownership toapproximately 29 per cent. UTC Fire & Security is a UnitedTechnologies Corp. business unit.http://www.utcfireandsecurity.com SCHERING-PLOUGH REVISES... HORSHAM - Centocor, Inc. and Schering-Plough CorporationFriday announced they have revised their 1998 distributionagreement regarding the development, commercialization anddistribution of both REMICADE (infliximab), an anti-tumornecrosis factor alpha therapy for chronic inflammatorydisorders, and golimumab, Centocor's next-generation, human,anti-TNF alpha therapy, which is currently in Phase 3 trials.http://www.schering-plough.comhttp://www.jnj.com WHALE STATEMENT... WASHINGTON - The following is a statement from MonicaMedina, Director of Whale Conservation of the Pew EnvironmentGroup: "We are encouraged that Japan has decided to not killendangered humpback whales as previously planned."www.pewwhales.org FRIEDFRANK APPOINTS... HONG KONG - Fried Frank announced Friday that William Yoohas joined the Firm's Asia practice, resident in Hong Kong.http://www.friedfrank.com FANNIE MAE... WASHINGTON, D.C.: Fannie Mae will redeem the principalamount of MTN securities issues amounting to a total of US$50million on January 2, 2008 at a redemption price equal to 100per cent of the principal amount redeemed plus accruedinterest.http://www.fanniemae.com FDA OPPORTUNITY... MELBOURNE - Starpharma Holdings Limited, developer ofVivaGel vaginal microbicide Friday welcomed a decision by theUS FDA this week requiring makers of products containingnonoxynol 9 (N9) to carry a warning that the products do notprotect against sexually transmitted diseases, including HIVAIDS and that the use of N-9 products is associated with anincreased risk of HIV.www.starpharma.com JOHNSON COMBINES... HONG KONG and CHICAGO - Johnson Stokes & Master, a leadingAsian law firm, and Mayer Brown LLP, a leading global law firm,have agreed to combine as of January 28, 2008. REDKNEE ANNOUNCES... TORONTO - Redknee Solutions Inc., a leading provider ofinnovative infrastructure software that monetizes andpersonalizes services and content for mobile operators, Fridayannounced the conditional acquisition of the assets of ArgentNetworks Ltd., a leading technology and telecommunicationsbilling company, for an initial payment of US$4 million in cashraising to a maximum cash payment of US$8 million if certainrevenue related metrics are achieved.http://www.redknee.com CRICKETER COMMENTS... MELBOURNE - Australia's most successful cricket coach, JohnBuchanan, and President of CPA Australia, Alex Malley, have gottogether to discuss how the keys of success in sport translateto business.http://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/links?1017_25099 ULDAGE CALLS... TOKYO - Uldage Inc., a patent license company Friday issueda call for patents that are essential to the Japanese DigitalCable Broadcasting Standards.http://www.uldage.comhttp://www.ip-adr.gr.jp AsiaNet is a consortium of leading news agencies distributing unedited, translated news releases for worldwideclients. Visit www.asianetnews.net for full-text versions.