DSM to further explore growth opportunities in China
Market Wire, October, 2009
Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences
company headquartered in the Netherlands, today announces that the
contracts to establish nutrition and anti-infectives joint ventures
in China with North China Pharmaceutical Group Corporation Ltd.
(NCPC) are suspended. DSM will continue its search for partners in
China as the company prepares for further growth in the country,
which in 2008 represented 8% of DSM’s net sales.
Jan Zuidam, Deputy Chairman of the DSM Managing Board, comments:
“China is transforming from the world’s manufacturing base into one
of the world’s leading economies with one of the highest growth
rates. Economic prosperity and strong domestic demand, driven by a
fast-rising income level combined with an increased focus on
innovation, are expected to fuel economic growth in China for the
coming decades. DSM is very well positioned in China and is
continuously seeking opportunities to further improve its position.”
In 2004 DSM announced its intention to form a strategic partnership
with NCPC. Earlier this year the contracts for joint ventures in the
areas of nutritional products (vitamins) and anti-infectives were
signed.
DSM has been informed that, due to the recent change in the ownership
of NCPC, the implementation of these contracts has been delayed and
possibly cannot be effectuated within a reasonable timeframe.
Although still interested in the cooperation, the contracts are
suspended, while both parties are maintaining their ongoing business
relationships. At the same time, DSM will look for alternative
solutions for the prospective partnerships.
DSM will continue to explore other opportunities for further growth
in China through strategic cooperation, also in the areas of
nutritional products and anti-infectives.
DSM in China
DSM began trading with China in 1963. Today, DSM has invested in
China for over a decade. DSM has its China regional headquarters rituxan rheumatoid arthritis and
R&D; center in Shanghai. The company currently has 14 manufacturing
sites in China and employs nearly 4,000 people. DSM’s business is
growing healthily and steadily in China with revenue of above USD 1.1
billion in 2008. In addition, DSM is committed to China’s sustainable
development. More information: www.dsm.com.cn .
DSM – the Life Sciences and Materials Sciences Company
Royal DSM N.V. creates innovative products and services in Life
Sciences and Materials Sciences that contribute to the quality of
life. DSM’s products and services are used globally in a wide range
of markets and applications, supporting a healthier, more sustainable
and more enjoyable way of life. End markets include human and animal
nutrition and health, personal care, pharmaceuticals, automotive,
coatings and paint, electrical and electronics, life protection and
housing. DSM has annual net sales of EUR 9.3 billion and employs some
23,500 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in the
Netherlands, with locations on five continents. DSM is listed on
Euronext Amsterdam. More information: www.dsm.com .
For more information:DSM Corporate Communications DSM Investor Relations
Herman Betten Hans Vossen
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Kansas City man says he's owed for missed sex acts
Missouri Lawyers Media, Oct 30, 2009 by Alyson E Raletz
A Kansas City man is accusing a female companion of selling herself too short.
That is, he claims she owes him more than $30,000 in unpaid loans and 58 unperformed sexual favors he valued at $250 a piece in a pro se lawsuit he filed this week in Jackson County Circuit Court.
He’s suing for that and an extra $20,000 in punitive damages to offset the emotional and financial stress he experienced from her “distraction” in a nearly five-year personal/business relationship.
“I just don’t let people do things and walk all over me – even [if] I have to admit that I, myself, groom wedding speech took part in wrongdoing,” plaintiff Richard Elbert said Thursday in an interview. “The sex part I’m not really trippin’ up on. It’s the money part.”
Laid out in black and white at the Jackson County Courthouse is a document that puts on display the alleged intricate details of a sex- for-cash relationship that allegedly began with dinner, drinks and a sexual proposition by the defendant in 2005.
Reached by phone Thursday afternoon, the woman denied his allegations of prostitution and that she owed him any money.
“They’re false. We dated. I don’t know what else to say,” she said. “The relationship is over
Media Advisory: 2008-09 Annual Report of the Office of the Correctional Investigator Tabled in Parliament
Market Wire, October, 2009
The 2008-09 bariatric weight loss Annual Report of the Correctional Investigator of Canada, Mr. Howard Sapers, is expected to be tabled in Parliament on Monday November 2, 2009 after 3:00 pm EST.
The main focus of this year’s Annual Report is mental health and health care issues, but other issues are highlighted including Aboriginal corrections, federally sentenced women and access to programming.
The Annual Report will be posted at www.oci-bec.gc.ca .
Contacts:
Ivan Zinger
Executive Director and General Counsel
613-990-2690
Ivan.Zinger@oci-bec.gc.ca
Fitch Affirms Pacific Life's CMBS Servicer Ratings
Business Wire, Oct 30, 2009
CHICAGO — Fitch Ratings affirms Pacific Life Insurance Company’s (Pacific Life)
commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) servicer ratings as follows:
–Primary servicer rating at ‘CPS1′;
–Master servicer rating at ‘CMS2 ‘;
–Special servicer rating at ‘CSS2′.
The servicer ratings are based on the methodology described in Fitch’s
reports ‘U.S. Commercial Mortgage Servicer Rating Criteria’ dated June
19, 2009, and ‘Global Rating Criteria for Structured Finance Servicers’
dated Sept. 30, 2009, available on Fitch’s web site at www.fitchratings.com.
The primary servicer rating is based on Pacific Life’s demonstrated
ability to effectively service mortgage loans in CMBS transactions, with
a particular strength in servicing large loans, including A/B note
structures. The master servicer rating reflects Pacific Life’s continued
ability to oversee third-party servicers and report and remit to CMBS
trustees. The special servicer rating is based on Pacific Life’s
experienced loan workout and asset management staff. Each of the ratings
also considers the company’s experienced and tenured management and
staff and the financial strength of Pacific Life and its commitment to
commercial mortgage servicing.
As of Sept. 30, 2009, Pacific Life’s commercial mortgage primary
servicing portfolio consisted of 556 loans totaling $14.5 billion of
which 155 loans totaling $2.1 billion were CMBS. As of the same date,
the company was named master servicer on eight CMBS transactions and
oversaw one external primary servicer that serviced two loans totaling
$42 million. Also at the same date, Pacific Life was the named special
servicer for 13 U.S. CMBS transactions consisting of 123 loans totaling
$2.1 billion and was actively special servicing five CMBS loans totaling
$440 million.
Fitch rates commercial mortgage primary, master, and special servicers
on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the highest rating. Within each of
these rating levels, Fitch further differentiates ratings by plus ( )
and minus (-) as well as the flat rating.
Additional information is available at www.fitchratings.com.
life insurance quotes
ALL FITCH CREDIT RATINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITATIONS AND
DISCLAIMERS. PLEASE READ THESE LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS BY FOLLOWING
THIS LINK: HTTP://FITCHRATINGS.COM/UNDERSTANDINGCREDITRATINGS.
IN ADDITION, RATING DEFINITIONS AND THE TERMS OF USE OF SUCH RATINGS ARE
AVAILABLE ON THE AGENCY’S PUBLIC WEBSITE WWW.FITCHRATINGS.COM
Prime Minister will get under dogs’ skin
0 Comments | Sunday Mail (Glasgow, Scotland), Oct 25, 2009
Whether Dave or Gordo is victorious at the next general election, it seems the safety of dogs in the UK will be assured with plans to introduce compulsory microchipping by both parties.
With how to meditate the move supported by both the Dogs Trust and RSPCA, all dogs will by law need to have a microchip under the skin, helping reduce the many thousands of abandoned or lost pets every year. The move will also help to combat the growing problem of dog-napping.
Pet charities hope to see a reduction in the staggering rise of pets straying or abandoned over the last 12months.
Some 108,000 dogs were rescued by the Dogs Trust across the UK since this time last year, with an awful statistic of one dog an hour being put to sleep because of the irresponsible actions of some owners.
LeaseTrader.com Offers Customers Access to Lease Insurance Quotes
Market Wire, October, 2009
LeaseTrader.com, the most popular second-hand
auto lease marketplace, today announced car leasing shoppers now have
access to lease
insurance quotes from a variety of insurance providers via the
LeaseTrader.com lease swap
marketplace.
Customers shopping for car leases can take advantage of LeaseTrader.com’s
full service lease transfer marketplace which includes vehicles from
virtually every brand. The company makes it easy to shop for car leases on a shoestring budget by
helping them take over a second hand auto
lease currently under contract. massachusetts auto insurance quotes Car shoppers avoid the expensive down
payment and long-term commitment by only taking over what’s left on the
auto lease. While searching for a lease swap vehicle on LeaseTrader.com
consumers may now shop for competitive lease insurance marking the ultimate
one-stop shopping experience.
“It continues to be our goal of providing the ultimate destination for
those who live a leasing lifestyle and prefer to lease a vehicle with the
option to exit their auto lease at any time,” said Sergio Stiberman, CEO
and founder of LeaseTrader.com. “By offering our customers the ability to
shop for lease insurance we’ve added another dimension to our marketplace.
Shopping for affordable car leases with the ability to escape before the
contract is up just got even easier.”
LeaseTrader.com offers access to the best lease insurance quotes from
leading providers like Geico, Progressive, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, and
many others
Rapadev introduces Road Merchant credit card processing application for BlackBerry
Telecomworldwire, Oct 29, 2009
TELECOMWORLDWIRE-29 October 2009-Rapadev introduces Road Merchant credit card processing application for BlackBerry(C)1994-2009 M2 COMMUNICATIONS http://www.m2.com
Credit card processing solutions provider Rapadev LLC has expanded its software line with Road Merchant, a mobile credit card processing application for the BlackBerry.
According to the company, the software works on any BlackBerry with firmware 4.2.1 or higher and can process transactions over a number of network connections for the device, including MDS, WAP 2.0, Direct TCP or Wi-Fi. Transactions can be processed at places such as conventions, street fairs or antique shows and by business owners performing mobile detailing, on-site consultation or construction.
The solution works with Authorize.net (both e-commerce and retail accounts), select Authorize.net emulators and the NMI gateway. For new merchants, the company has also formed a strategic alliance with Prolific Payment Solutions LLC to provide rates below industry average.
For accounts that require card swipe and receipt printing capabilities, Road Merchant can utilise a compact Bluetooth Card Reader/Printer.
Road Merchant can be downloaded 0 apr credit card OTA directly from the BlackBerry’s browser at http://www.roadmerchant.com/bb/rm.jad. Merchants are encouraged to download the software and perform test transactions using the built-in demo accounts.
To activate the solution for live transactions, merchants may perform activation from within the application for USD19.95
Educating Students With Disabilities in Cyberspace: Ashford University Recognizes National Disability Employee Awareness Month
PR Newswire, Oct 28, 2009
SAN DIEGO, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ — National Disability Employee Awareness Month in October recognizes contributions made by Americans with disabilities to the workforce and in society. Online higher education readies this workforce and makes earning a college degree accessible for more students.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091028/LA00132)
“We believe that everyone who is academically qualified deserves access to a high quality, higher education,” said Jane McAuliffe, president of Ashford University and senior vice president/chief academic officer of Bridgepoint Education. “Online higher education brings down barriers and provides opportunity to overcome obstacles. Educating non-traditional students in the cyberspace world is becoming increasingly popular.”
Specifically for the disabled, the Ashford University Disability Services Office ensures equal opportunities to student success through accessible education programs, assigns reasonable accommodations and provides advocacy.
Disabilities served range from visual impairment and hearing loss, to mobility restrictions such as paraplegia and muscular dystrophy, to traumatic brain injuries and epilepsy. Some of the university’s accommodations include extra time to complete coursework, assistive technology and disability related advising.
“To receive accommodations, students are responsible for disclosing their disability. However, disclosure of a disability is entirely up to the student,” said Ashford University’s Disability Service Manager Poppy Fitch. “Many students that are disabled choose to pursue an online higher education with no outside assistance. The online classroom doesn’t discriminate. For many students that are disabled it’s the first time they feel like they truly fit in.”
“Online higher education equals the playing field among all students, regardless of whether or not they have a disability,” Sidney Crouch, an Ashford University student who is legally blind, said. “Nobody has an advantage…or a disadvantage.”
Fitch says people with disabilities attend online universities and enjoy many of the same advantages as their classmates — primarily flexibility.
“Online students attend classes when and where they want, so long as they are academically qualified,” she said. “I believe education is the best reward mba online degrees a person can give themselves, not only for their career aspirations, but for the kind of life they wish to lead.”
Back when Candy Scatchell, 55, graduated with an associate’s degree from a community college, advisors told her she couldn’t be a teacher because her disability was a liability. She was crushed but never gave up
Commentary: Hamptons' sagas stranger than fiction
Long Island Business News, Oct 28, 2009 by Jeff Miller
Why isn’t there a soap opera called “The Hamptons?” Probably because the fiction could never outdo the fact. Here are a few plot lines currently in production:
* Bill McIntee has resigned as supervisor of East Hampton, leaving Town Hall some $20 million in debt. The town’s books have been subpoenaed and the former budget officer has been charged with nine misdemeanors and two felonies, but McIntee is free to go. Some citizens are wondering why.
* Former Suffolk County Legis. George Guldi was indicted in August (along with a supposed SoHo dominatrix and others) on 110 counts for an alleged $82 million mortgage fraud scheme. Then recently, for good measure, he was also charged with an $863,000 insurance fraud involving a fire that gutted his Westhampton Beach house a year ago. But the really Hamptony part is that, in the midst of it all, he decided to challenge Jay Schneiderman, who unseated him in 2003, to a best homeowners insurance primary. Amazingly, he didn’t win.
* Southampton Supervisor Linda Kabot was arrested in September for allegedly driving drunk after a birthday party at her sister’s home in East Moriches. The timing was and is awkward, coming just two months before Election Day. She’s running against a Democratic candidate who has the support of the PBA, so of course there’s talk of a police conspiracy. Also, to add a splash of Watergate intrigue, her lawyer has said that 4 1/2 minutes of the arrest video are missing.
* Bernie Madoff’s house in Montauk has sold. Despite the housing slump, it went fast and for $9.4 million, which is $660,000 more than the asking price. The money (all cash) will go to help pay off victims of Madoff’s $65 billion Ponzi scheme.
* Lawyer Marc Dreier, as noted in this column a few weeks ago, embarked on a life of crime in order to get an oceanfront palace in Quogue and never quite made it, ending up in East Quogue. George Motz, then-mayor of the Village of Quogue, informed me that Dreier was one of several eastern residents who wanted the village to annex their properties. It never happened, so Dreier committed $380 million worth of fraud and missed his goal by about 100 yards.
* And now George Motz himself has pleaded guilty to a felony count of securities fraud, for “cherry-picking” the best trades for his Manhattan brokerage. He could do 15 years in jail, although many assume he’ll get much less.
When I spoke with Motz earlier this month, part of the case against him had just been dismissed. “And the second part has been reduced to next to nothing,” he said. “They haven’t given up yet, but hopefully they will.”
They didn’t.
Some of these stories might seem too shallow even for a soap opera, but the Motz saga has some depth. He’s well-liked in Quogue for the most part, as evidenced by the emotions stirred during his mayoral resignation.
After his farewell speech at a village board meeting, the deputy mayor thanked him for his “great work” on behalf of the community, and Motz left to a standing ovation, tears brimming in his eyes.
“Without a doubt, this is a sad day for Quogue,” wrote one online commenter beneath the Southampton Press story, calling Motz “an extraordinary advocate for Quogue,” as well as “an overwhelmingly kind human being and good friend to all.”
Wrote another, “Mr. Motz was/is a nice guy, but so was Bernie Matoff [sic] right up until the time he was arrested. There is something fundamentally wrong with people who steal from their clients. Jail time is deserved.”
Those remarks frame the plot pretty well. Just another tragic episode of “The Hamptons.”
My Oct. 16 column about the rebirth of the Bowl 58 project in Riverhead missed the news that the project is the subject of a number of mechanics’ liens. Attorney Joseph Asselta of Mineola e- mailed me a copy of a complaint showing some $550,000 in liens. Developer Joe Albanese said the charges are in dispute and will be dealt with in court
FIS Helps Finland’s Luottokunta in Expansion Drive to Become the Leading Card Payment Services Company in the Baltic Sea Region; Systems expected to handle upwards of 2.3 billion transactions annually by 2011.
0 Comments | M2 Presswire, October, 2009
M2 PRESSWIRE-27 October 2009-FIS: FIS Helps Finland’s Luottokunta in Expansion Drive to Become the Leading Card Payment Services Company in the Baltic Sea Region; Systems expected to handle upwards of 2.3 billion transactions annually by 2011(C)1994-2009 M2 COMMUNICATIONS
RDATE:27102009
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — FIS, one of the world’s largest providers of banking and payments technology, today announced that Luottokunta has gone live with the FIS IST /Merchant Accounting & Settlement solution, to support its expansion drive to become the leading card payment service company in the Baltic Sea Region.
“Luottokunta is already Finland’s largest card payment services company but we are seeking new customers in the banking, merchant and corporate…