Acer Inc. said Tuesday it filed the suit against Lanci, its former chief executive and president, in Italy.

The move comes after rival Lenovo Group Ltd. said last month it had hired Lanci to lead its new EMEA division.

Lanci, who left Acer in March last year, was credited by analysts, investors and people within the company for forming strong relationships with distributors in Europe, which Lenovo is keen to use to its advantage. He was replaced by Acer Chairman J.T. Wang, who intends to capitalize on the rise of tablets and multiple PC operating systems.

“Acer has a solid 2012 business plan for the European market and is back on the right track of end-to-end operations,” it said in the statement Tuesday.

Dow Jones Newswires

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/lenovo-lanci-relationship-conforms-with-law-2012-02-07

The Australian toll road company’s net profit for the six months to Dec. 31 rose to A$93.2 million from A$74.7 million a year earlier.

Proportional earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization–a measure closely watched by analysts–increased 7.5% to A$390.0 million, beating a Goldman Sachs forecast of A$377.5 million.

Transurban declared an interim dividend of 14.5 cents per security and stuck to its guidance for the full year of at least 29 cents.

It said the upgrade of the M2 tollway in Sydney is about half-finished and expected to reach completion in the first half of 2013. The Capital Beltway project in the U.S. is over 80% done and on track for completion by the end of 2012, it said.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/transurban-profit-up-on-traffic-volumes-cost-cuts-2012-02-06

Lu said the company plans to add 2,000 staff this year to boost its cloud computing, sales and customer service. It has around 25,000 employees currently, he said.

The once-frosty relations between Beijing and Taipei have thawed since China-friendly Kuomintang took over Taiwan’s government in 2008. Among the business ties between the two sides on the telecom front, Chunghwa Telecom agreed to build an undersea cable, connecting Taiwan and China across the Pacific, with China Telecom Corp.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/chunghwa-telecom-to-expand-workforce-by-8-in-2012-2012-02-04

Hirtler-Garvey has been a member of the youth-focused apparel retailer’s board since August 2005 and has served as chairman of the board’s audit committee as well as the company’s lead independent director. She most recently served as the chief risk executive for Ally Financial Inc. and has held several management positions at Bank of America Corp. (BAC).

Geiger, who also resigned as a member of the board, became the president and chief executive officer of Crumbs Bake Shop Inc. in November. Prior to that, Geiger served as Aeropostale’s chairman and chief executive from August 1998 until February 2010.

Aeropostale, which operates children’s and teen retail chains, saw its stock slump last year as its girls’ business failed to resonate with shoppers and it saw stiffer competition from its teen rivals, including Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF), which has become more promotional.

In November, Aeropostale Inc. reported its fiscal third-quarter profit fell 59% as the company booked sharply higher input costs, though earnings topped the its raised forecast.

Shares closed at $16.64 and were unchanged after hours. The stock is up 9.1% year to date.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/aeropostale-taps-hirtler-garvey-to-chair-board-2012-02-03

For the new year, the company forecast earnings of $5.04 to $5.20 a share on revenue growth of 4% to 6%, bracketing the $5.11 and 5% estimates from analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters.

The company, which provide information technology to the financial and insurance industries, has seen revenue grow in recent quarters on better results in its processing and services arm. But severance and debt-reduction charges have hurt its bottom line lately.

President and Chief Executive Jeffery Yabuki said revenue growth in the latest period was at its highest level in more than three years.

Fiserv reported a profit of $143 million, or $1.01 a share, up from $116 million, or 78 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding items such as amortization of acquisition-related assets and early debt extinguishment, adjusted earnings from continuing operations rose to $1.26 from $1.06. Revenue climbed 7.7% to $1.16 billion.

Analysts had most recently forecast earnings of $1.27 on revenue of $1.13 billion.

Processing-and-services revenue, which makes up most of the company’s business, rose 5.2%. Product revenue increased 18%.

Shares closed at $63.11 Thursday and were unchanged after hours. The stock is up 11% in the past three months.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/fiserv-earnings-up-23-on-higher-revenue-2012-02-02

Net profit in the three months ended Dec. 31 fell to KRW196 billion (US$175.2 million) from KRW502.5 billion a year earlier, SK Telecom said.

The result was worse than the average KRW302.8 billion net profit forecast of five analysts recently polled by Dow Jones Newswires.

Operating profit also declined, falling 35.7% to KRW329.4 billion from KRW512.2 billion while sales fell 2.3% to KRW3.930 trillion from KRW4.023 trillion.

SK Telecom cut mobile phone fees late last year at the government’s behest, as part of a broad national campaign to fight inflation.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/koreas-sk-telecom-post-61-net-profit-drop-in-q4-2012-02-01

Newmont hopes to conclude the sale of the undeveloped Felton East/West and Lochbar/Bringalily South tenements in Queensland state’s Clarence-Moreton Basin within the first half of the year, the person said.

Denver, Col.-based Newmont is the world’s second-largest gold miner by output after Barrick Gold Corp. ABX +0.41% , and considers its regional coal assets in Australia to be non-core.

Newmont’s tenements in the Clarence-Moreton Basin lie around 10 kilometers from a rail line with access to Gladstone and Brisbane, and contain thermal coal that could be developed for export if capacity at either port becomes available.

The bituminous coal is low in sulfur, and has an energy content of around 6,000 kilocalories per kilogram after washing. Thermal coal is chiefly used to generate electricity.

Newmont last year appointed Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. to find a buyer for the two coal tenements.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/newmont-reportedly-in-coal-ops-sale-talks-2012-02-01

Last month, India’s cabinet approved the proposal by Disney–which currently owns 50.28% of UTV Software–to buy out other shareholders. Walt Disney reiterated Tuesday it will delist UTV Software, which it said would allow it to integrate UTV’s current operations into the company.

Disney Chairman Andy Bird said increasing the company’s reach in international markets was a cornerstone of its growth strategy.

“This acquisition expands our footprint significantly and allows us to more effectively build, monetize and brand multiplatform franchises, and deliver a rich library of content to the world’s second largest population,” he said.

The company said it would produce both UTV and Disney-branded local films.

UTV is also a major television producer in India with six owned channels and also has a mobile-gaming business.

Disney shares closed Tuesday at $38.90 and weren’t active after hours.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/disney-agrees-to-buy-out-indias-utv-software-2012-01-31

QuamTel was founded in January 1996 to deliver managed pre-paid global communication products and services. Through its subsidiaries WQN and DataJack, the Company markets to individuals and businesses with a specific focus on international populations in the United States and Canada who want an easy and cost-effective way to communicate with family, friends and colleagues overseas as well as to the general consumer and business populations who cannot or do not want to be locked into long-term contracts for telecommunications services.

QuamTel concentrates its marketing efforts on customers who prefer or need to pre-pay for mobile data, International calling and global VoIP services. The Company’s no-contract, no-credit check policy allows it to service a wide spectrum of consumers and business customers while providing an easy and economical way to use and purchase those services without sacrificing quality. QuamTel also focuses on developing proprietary technologies that control and manage associated communication devices for both carriers and consumers.

QuamTel was the first company to transition calling cards from a simple, static card with no value-added services to a feature-rich, e-commerce-based calling account where the consumer has the power to view account features such as call history, purchase history, call details and more. In addition, QuamTel was the first calling card company to introduce automatic number identification (ANI) which eliminates the need for users to enter a PIN number, making calling faster and easier.

QuamTel developed its proprietary QuamTel Application Network (QAN), a next-generation e-commerce sales and service platform that has been designed to dramatically increase the quality and value of the telecommunications services it provides to both retail and wholesale customers. This plug-n-play platform allows QuamTel to quickly and more easily create new features and functionality that add substantial revenue streams, such as toll-free services, global international voice-over-internet services and country-specific celebrity branded international communication sites. Its modular application architecture creates a highly flexible and scalable development environment that provides easy integration of newly acquired companies like Datajack, Inc. and products and brands such as 800.com.

In addition to its consumer and business-to-business products and services, QuamTel also offers its portfolio of sophisticated, user-friendly telecommunications products to third parties utilizing cloud computing and delivering the product as Software as a Service (SaaS). The object-oriented architecture of the QuamTel Application Network greatly reduces the time-to-market normally associated with new product and service offerings. In addition to telecommunications, our newly developed e-commerce sales and support modules have also been made readily available to wholesale customers. These wholesale clients have full control to host one of our many customized web portals and associated web services anywhere in the cloud and communicate directly with QuamTel’s robust back-end transactional processing system. This sophisticated e-commerce system not only enhances customer service and provides additional revenue streams, but it has also created more robust integration with Google ad-word campaigns, resulting in deeper market penetration through more effective and cost-efficient outbound marketing for QuamTel’s subsidiaries and brands.

The QuamTel Application Network is the latest in a series of dynamic moves by QuamTel and its key subsidiaries, DataJack and WQN, all designed to dramatically enhance what is already the cornerstone in the next-generation internet-based telecommunications and data transfer technology systems.

SOURCE: http://www.quamtel.com/cfiles/investors.cfm

NEW YORK, Jan 26, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Ardent Mines Ltd. (OTCQB: ADNT) (the “Company” or “Ardent Mines”), a precious resources exploration, development, and mining company focused on advancing its two gold properties in Brazil, announced that the Board of Directors has appointed Luciano de Freitas Borges as President.

Mr. Borges commented on his appointment, “Ardent Mines has made significant progress this past year, having acquired two premier gold properties in Brazil, Gold Hills and Misty Hills. In addition, we completed the 43-101 exploration report on Gold Hills which confirmed an exploration potential of between 3.6 Mt and 6.0 Mt at an average grade between 4.0 g/t to 7.0 g/t. I am looking forward to advancing our exploration programs to prove up the resource potential and expected solid economics of these projects.”

Mr. Borges has over 28 years experience in Brazil’s mining industry, both in the government and private sector. He served as the National Secretary of Mines and Metallurgy in Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy from 1993-2001, and as Senior Advisor to the Ministry & Strategic Planning Executive Officer to the Brazilian Geological Survey since 2002. From 2007 to 2008, he was Chief Executive Officer of Steel Mineracao do Brasil S.A., and since 2006, he has served as the Senior Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Ad Hoc Associated Advisors Inc., a technical advisory consulting firm for the mining industry. He currently serves as a Director on the Boards of Amerix Precious Metals Corporation and Ouro Roxo Participacoes S.A., each of which are developing gold projects in Brazil. Mr. Borges earned his undergraduate and post-graduation degrees in geology at the University of Brasilia, as well as having an MBA in Mineral Economics and Mineral Projects Valuation from other institutions.

Gold Hills/Serra do Ouro

Based on the results of the 43-101 exploration report and historical drill data from the area, the Company believes Gold Hills could contain a few million ounces of gold of excellent grade that should be extracted at very viable costs as the main vein is located at an average depth of 30 to 50 meters from the surface. Also, the report did not take into account any untested potential for parallel structures which can be interpreted from the airborne geophysics. Further enhancing the economics of the project is the 10-year income tax holiday Ardent expects to receive based on local incentives for investments in this semi-arid area of Brazil.

Misty Hills/Serra do Sereno

On October 18, 2011, Ardent Mines closed on its acquisition of the mineral rights in a highly mineralized area of 9,000 Hectares located in the Carajas Mineral Province, State of Para, with an option exercise payment of $350,000 to the Cooperativa dos Produtores de Minerios de Curionopolis (“COOPEMIC”). The Serra dos Carajas Mineral Province is a distinct geologic dominium, well known worldwide for hosting Brazil’s largest iron, copper and gold deposits. Ardent Mines property, named Serra do Sereno, or Misty Hills, was initially prospected by Anglo American Brasil Ltda. which identified gold and copper trends. Millions of tons of copper and millions of ounces of gold resources have been confirmed in areas which are in the same region as Misty Hills and new significant discoveries are still being made in the area.

ABOUT ARDENT MINES

Ardent Mines has positioned itself to develop low cost gold mining operations in Brazil, a mining friendly jurisdiction. Ardent Mines owns a 100% interest in Gold Hills Mining Ltda., which in turn owns mineral rights on 3,500 Hectares, covering a highly-mineralized vein containing high grades of gold. Ardent Mines also owns the mineral rights on the Serra do Sereno (Misty Hills) property, located in Carajas, Brazil, one of the better known mining districts in the world. Ardent Mines is headquartered in New York, and has a field office in Brasilia. The Company has 16.3 million shares outstanding, and trades under the ticker symbol ADNT.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon our current expectations and speak only as of the date hereof. These forward-looking statements are based upon currently available competitive, financial, and economic data and management’s views and assumptions regarding future events. Such forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Our actual results may vary materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements as a result of various factors and uncertainties. Ardent Mines cannot provide assurances that any prospective matters described in the press release will be successfully completed or that Ardent Mines will realize the anticipated benefits of any transactions. Various risk factors that may affect our business, results of operations and financial condition are detailed from time to time in the Annual Report on Form 10-K and in the Current Reports on Form 8-K and other filings made by Ardent Mines with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission. Ardent Mines undertakes no obligation to update information contained in this release.

SOURCE: Ardent Mines Ltd. http://www.ardentmines.com