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Ford Reduces North American Vehicle Production as Part of Accelerated 'Way Forward' Turnaround

* 21 percent fourth-quarter reduction is part of aggressive realignment of North American production - laying the groundwork for Ford's accelerated Way Forward turnaround. * Bill Ford: "We know this decision will have a dramatic impact on our employees, as well as our suppliers. This is, however, the right call for our customers, our dealers and our long-term future." * Further actions aimed at accelerating Ford's turnaround will be announced in September.

DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) announced an aggressive reduction of North American production as part of its broader efforts to accelerate the pace of its Way Forward turnaround.

The company said it is reducing North American fourth-quarter production by 21 percent -- or 168,000 units -- compared with the fourth quarter a year ago. The revised plan also reduces the company's previously announced third- quarter plan by 20,000 units.

Bill Ford, the company's chairman and CEO, outlined the decision to cut production in a note to employees, explaining the decision is part of broader efforts to accelerate the company's North American turnaround and saying full details of additional actions will be announced in September.

"We know this decision will have a dramatic impact on our employees, as well as our suppliers," Bill Ford told employees. "This is, however, the right call for our customers, our dealers and our long-term future."

For full-year 2006, Ford now plans to produce 3.048 million vehicles at its North American assembly plants -- 1.134 million cars and 1.914 million trucks -- a 9 percent reduction from 2005.

The revised production plan is expected to sharply reduce the supply of several models and reduce pressure on sales incentives and dealer inventory carrying costs. The plan also reflects expectations for lower industry sales of light trucks and truck-based sport utility vehicles, as high gasoline prices are expected to continue to encourage demand for more fuel-efficient passenger cars and crossovers.

Mark Fields, executive vice president and Ford's president of The Americas, said the "tough-but-important" reduction in production plans underscores the seriousness with which the company is approaching its North American turnaround.

"We are basing our business plans on the customer, and we are determined to match production and inventories with consumer demand," Fields said. "In doing so, we'll reduce incentive spending and inventory carrying costs for our dealers -- with the intent to improve residual values for our customers and stabilize operating patterns for our plants and our suppliers."

  The revised 2006 production plan is summarized in the table below:                         2006 Production              Over/(Under) 2005                    Cars    Trucks    Total        Cars    Trucks    Total                    (000)     (000)    (000)       (000)     (000)    (000)    First Quarter     316       560      876          52       (84)     (32)   Second Quarter    328       569      897          34       (42)      (8)   Third Quarter     255       395      650*         45      (123)     (78)   Fourth Quarter    235       390      625         (13)     (155)    (168)    Full Year       1,134     1,914    3,048         118      (404)    (286)  

* The previously announced third-quarter plan was 670,000 vehicles (255,000 cars and 415,000 trucks).

The new production plan will result in downtime at several assembly plants between now and the end of the year, including: St. Thomas, Ontario (Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis); Chicago (Ford Five Hundred and Freestyle and Mercury Montego); Wixom, Mich. (Lincoln Town Car); Louisville, Ky. (Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer); Michigan Truck in Wayne, Mich. (Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator); Twin Cities, Minn. (Ford Ranger); and all F-Series truck plants (Kansas City, Mo.; Norfolk, Va.; Dearborn and Kentucky Truck in Louisville).

The following plants are expected to operate on straight time or overtime based on consumer demand: Hermosillo, Mexico (Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ); AutoAlliance International in Flat Rock, Mich. (Ford Mustang); Oakville, Ontario (Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX and Ford Freestar); Wayne, Mich. (Ford Focus); Kansas City, Mo. (Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner); Ohio Assembly in Avon Lake, Ohio (Ford Econoline); and Atlanta (Ford Taurus).

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 300,000 employees and more than 100 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive- related services include Ford Motor Credit Company.

Source: Ford Motor Company  

China car maker Shandong Jindalu Vehicle Co., Ltd has received orders for over 500 units of the XEBRA electric vehicle for export to the USA via a strategic partnership with automotive firm ZAP (NYSE Arca:ZP), according to officials.

Called XEBRAs, they are the first production electric vehicles made in China designed for US roads. Over 100 units have already been delivered to ZAP in California and Shandong Jindalu says it has the capacity to produce 1000 units per month.

The new XEBRA has been co-developed and co-designed through a strategic partnership with ZAP, a publicly owned company based in Santa Rosa, California. ZAP has an exclusive 10-year distribution contract with Shandong Jindalu to market the XEBRAs through its ZAP brand network of authorized sales and service centers.

The second micro-car ZAP is distributing in the US, the tiny XEBRA can park two to a normal parking space. It is a true Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) and ZAP is marketing them as an alternative for families with two or more cars as well as to government and corporate fleets. The car has been designed to plug in at any normal 110-volt outlet.

Under the strategic business relationship, ZAP has permanent offices at the factory in Dezhou to continue research and development of new vehicle models and concepts, and to assist in the manufacturing process.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that relate to future plans or projected results of ZAP are 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "PSLRA"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the PSLRA, and all such statements fall under the 'safe harbor' provisions of the PSLRA. ZAP's actual results may vary materially from those described in any 'forward-looking statement' due to, among other possible reasons, the continued acceptance of ZAP's products, increased levels of competition, new products and technological changes, ZAP's dependence on third-party suppliers, intellectual property rights, and the realization of any of the other risks described in ZAP's Annual Report on Form 10-KSB, or in any of ZAP's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers of this press release are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward looking statements

In 2004, the A's bullpen received much of the blame for the team not reaching the playoffs. In 2006, the 'pen might be the main reason the team does play in mid-October.

The A's bullpen is ranked fourth in the Majors with a 3.56 ERA and fifth with a save percentage of 75. The Athletics' save percentage is their best since 2003 -- the last season the A's went to the playoffs -- when they saved 80 percent of their contests. That's compared to 2004, when the A's saved just 56 percent of their games, and they ended the season one game behind the Angels.

So far, the A's are 5 1/2 games ahead of their southern rivals and have a better bullpen ERA than Los Angeles. The Angels bullpen has a 4.29 ERA and 32 saves; the A's have 39 saves.

Monday was a good example of the relievers putting in quality work after All-Star Barry Zito had his second straight shaky start. Zito left after giving up four runs in five innings and the 'pen proceeded to put a clamp on the Mariners by limiting them to two hits over the last four innings. Chad Gaudin -- who started the season in Triple-A Sacramento -- was the most impressive, pitching 2 2/3 innings after Zito left while yielding two walks and one hit.

A's manager Ken Macha also got a quality relief appearance from Kirk Saarloos on Aug. 8 against Texas, when the right-hander held the Rangers scoreless over four innings after rookie Shane Komine left after three innings.

"I think the bullpen's been incredible," said Macha. "We had two guys come out of the bullpen this week and give us length that really hadn't pitched a whole lot.

"Saarloos won the game, and if Gaudin gets one more out yesterday, he would've won the game yesterday."

The most impressive part of the A's relievers is the fact that the members have not been the same throughout the season. Oakland has had six different pitchers on the disabled list this year, and Saarloos -- who started on Tuesday against Seattle -- has been in and out of the starting rotation. Reliever Brad Halsey has also started for the A's this season because of injuries to Esteban Loaiza and Rich Harden and is scheduled to start again on Aug. 22 against Toronto.

Even with all of the shuffling, the 'pen is stingiest in the American League in inherited runners scoring at 27.1 percent; and a Major League lowest in first batter walks (17) and batting average (.201).

"That's a credit to those guys staying sharp and being ready," Macha said. "We have had a stretch here where the bullpen has been tremendous. Everybody is ready to come in the game at any time.

"I always get quizzed about what guys' roles are. You can see that it is obvious that guys don't have roles. They can get called in at any time."

In addition to Saarloos, Halsey and Gaudin, other impressive relievers this year have been Kiko Calero, Justin Duchscherer and closer Huston Street. And with Joe Kennedy returning from the disabled list on Monday, Oakland, perhaps, has its best lefty reliever back.

Tuesday was Bobby Crosby's first day eligible to come off the DL, and Macha said his shortstop took batting practice at 100 percent for the first time since straining his lower back.

The A's trainers first estimated that Crosby would return to the lineup as soon as possible, and when Macha was asked if Crosby would return for Wednesday, the skipper responded with: "We'll see."

Athletic trainer Larry Davis said he first wants to see Crosby experience no pain after batting and infield practice before he gives the 2004 Rookie of the Year his stamp of approval.

When Crosby does return, newcomer D'Angelo Jimenez will likely be the player sent down.

Harden, on the DL with a strained ligament in his right elbow, played catch before Tuesday's game under Davis' supervision. Davis said that Harden threw 40 pitches and from 100 feet at the longest. ... Davis said Mark Kotsay and Kennedy both felt fine after playing on Monday. Kotsay hadn't played since Sunday because of back spasms after making a sliding catch in the ninth inning. It took Kennedy just five pitches to get back in gear after missing 84 games. Kennedy, who was on the DL with shoulder problems, struck out Ben Broussard on a 92-mph fastball to end the eighth and get the win. ... Macha said that Halsey -- who is in Sacramento getting ready for his first Major League start since May 30 -- will be limited to about 75 pitches for his next start on Thursday for the River Cats.

August 16, 2006

Seattle 0, Oakland 4 at McAfee Coliseum
Seattle Record: (56-64)
Oakland Record: (68-52)

Winning pitcher - Dan Haren (11-9)
Losing pitcher - Gil Meche (9-8)

SEA HR - None
OAK HR - M. Ellis (8)

Florida 15, Los Angeles 4 at Dodger Stadium
Florida Record: (56-64)
Los Angeles Record: (64-57)

Winning pitcher - Josh Johnson (11-6)
Losing pitcher - Mark Hendrickson (5-13)

FLA HR - M. Cabrera 2 (20) W. Helms (8)
LAD HR - None

Maria Sharapova Dispels 'Pretty Girl' Image in First Solo Nike Campaign

Tennis Greats John & Patrick McEnroe, Mary Joe Fernandez and a Host of New Yorkers Featured

 With the final tennis slam of the year beginning August 28, Nike (NYSE:NKE) unveils its first television commercial spotlighting Maria Sharapova. Maria is currently ranked No. 4 in the world and she has just won her 12th career title following her victory at the recent Acura Tennis Classic.

The campaign leads with an advertising spot that playfully communicates the message that beneath Maria's beautiful, feminine exterior lives the intense competitive appetite of one of the top athletes in the world.

"I'm excited about this ad because not only is Nike drawing attention to women's tennis, but there's also an empowering message for female athletes that it's okay to be fierce and competitive on the court and still have a feminine side off court," said Sharapova.

"Nike has a long history of celebrating the 'beauty' of sport in many different ways," said Adam Roth, Nike's Director of Advertising. "In Maria's case, true beauty lies in her intensity, her athleticism and her competitive spirit. This campaign has some well-intentioned fun with the idea that it's a big mistake to underestimate Maria, or any other talented, hard-working female athlete."

The ad features Maria during her pre-game routine as she travels from her hotel to center court, passing hotel bellmen, fans and other players -- all as they are singing "I Feel Pretty." Through this procession, she remains focused on the upcoming match. As she enters Arthur Ashe stadium, the crowd is singing as the song reaches a crescendo. She hits an explosive shot, letting out one of her famous grunts, silencing the audience.

In the ad, Maria will debut her Nike performance tennis dress for New York. However, the performance dress worn in the ad is just one half of her unique look for the New York slam. In a new twist, for the first time, Maria will unveil a separate, custom made performance dress for her evening matches in New York as well.

The commercial features appearances by tennis Hall of Fame inductee John McEnroe, his brother and captain of the 2004 U.S. Men's Olympic tennis team, Patrick McEnroe, and two-time tennis Olympic gold medalist Mary Joe Fernandez.

The campaign premieres on Sunday, August 20th during the Teen Choice Awards on the Fox Network.

ABOUT MARIA SHARAPOVA

Maria Sharapova's first grand slam victory came at the age of 17 when she triumphed during an exciting final at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships. Soon after Wimbledon, she became the first Russian woman to be ranked No. 1 in the world. Sharapova's accomplishments as a tennis player are hard earned. At the age of seven, she and her father emigrated from Russia to Florida so Maria could focus on her tennis. Maria was separated from her mother for the first two years, but the sacrifice paid off and by the age of 14 Sharapova turned pro. Currently 19 years old, Maria is ranked the No. 4 women's tennis player in the world and holds 12 career titles including her win at the recent Acura Tennis Classic.

ABOUT NIKE, INC.

Based near Beaverton, Oregon is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Bauer NIKE Hockey Inc., a leading designer and distributor of hockey equipment; Cole Haan, which designs, markets, and distributes fine dress and casual shoes and accessories; Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories and Exeter Brands Group LLC, which designs and markets athletic footwear and apparel for the value retail channel.

Subaru Extends Sponsorship With PSIA, AASI, and NSP for Five More Years

The Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA), American Association of Snowboard Instructors (AASI), and the National Ski Patrol (NSP) announce that they will receive continued support from Subaru of America, Inc. The new five-year agreement with Subaru brings the total number of years of their partnership with PSIA, AASI and NSP to sixteen, an impressive length of time in the world of sponsorships.

"The long-term success of the partnership is due to mutual commitment and significant contributions to the benefit of all partners," says PSIA-AASI executive director, Mark Dorsey. "We're grateful to Subaru for their dedication to the relationship and look forward to it continuing long into the future."

New support to the program includes the Subaru-funded development of a new consumer-oriented, animated micro site within the PSIA, AASI and NSP web sites, called "Yur Mountain," which will officially launch with the start of the 2006/07 snowsports season. This is an entertaining and educational "generic" mountain setting that demystifies the experience, particularly for first-timers. The tone of the site is aimed at a "tweener" audience and their parents, to help motivate them to go out and enjoy skiing and riding. Of course, everyone arrives at Yur Mountain in a Subaru Tribeca or Subaru Outback. PSIA, AASI and NSP will promote Yur Mountain to consumers this fall.

"The relationship that Subaru has fostered with the NSP, PSIA and AASI is a benchmark for marketing affiliation success unmatched to date in the automotive industry," said Tim Mahoney, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Subaru of America, Inc.

"We are truly grateful to our partners at the NSP, PSIA and AASI for allowing us to showcase our Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive products in an authentic and credible way."

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of nearly 600 dealers across the United States. Subaru makes the best-selling All-Wheel Drive car sold in America based on R.L. Polk & Co. new vehicle retail registration statistics calendar year-end 2005. For additional information visit http://www.subaru.com/.

About PSIA and AASI

PSIA and AASI are educational organizations of the nonprofit American Snowsports Education Association (ASEA) with a combined membership of more than 29,000 members who are dedicated to promoting snowsports through instruction. The organizations establish certification standards for ski and snowboard instructors and develop education materials to be used as the core components of most ski and snowboard school training. PSIA and AASI support the membership through research and development of instructional programs in alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding, adaptive skiing, and children's skiing. Visit http://www.psia.org/ or http://www.aasi.org/.

About the National Ski Patrol

The National Ski Patrol (NSP) is a Federally Chartered nonprofit membership association dedicated to serving the public and the mountain recreation industry by providing education services about emergency care and safety. For more than 65 years, the NSP has been at the forefront of safety and emergency care education programs. The association's 28,500 members represent 98 percent of the nation's patrollers, whether or not they are paid by or volunteer for their home area. These members are agents of ski and snowboard area management and, through NSP's award-winning Outdoor Emergency Care program, are the principal delivery system of emergency care training for area patrollers. NSP also develops training for non-medical roles, including toboggan handling, avalanche rescue, mountain host programs, and more. http://www.nsp.org/

Last year the Indianapolis Colts won more regular season games than any other team in the NFL with a 14-2 record. Although they failed yet again to win the big prize and despite the off-season loss of running back Edgerrin James to free agency, Sportsbook.com odds makers still believe the Colts should lead the league again, setting their over/under odds for total wins this season at 11.5, the most for any team.

Seattle, the NFC Champion is given the next highest over/under for total wins, along with New England, at 10.5. They are followed by three teams listed at 10 wins, including the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina and Denver.

The lowest over/under of five wins belongs to the once mighty and revered San Francisco 49ers. Last year the 49ers finished with a pathetic 4-12 record, but they were not alone. The team across the Bay in Oakland also had just four wins as did Green Bay, the New York Jets and Tennessee. Last year's bottom feeders, the Houston Texans, who managed only two wins in 2005, have their over/under for total wins this season set at 5.5 games.

Along with Houston, the teams expected to make the biggest improvement by the odds makers are the Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints. Two big-time running backs might be the reason behind the optimism in those cities, with the aforementioned James signing with the Cardinals this summer and the Saints bolstering their attack with highly touted rookie Reggie Bush.

"Everybody bets on the NFL and betting on total wins has always been one of the most popular pre-season bets for Sportsbook.com users," said Alex Czajkowski, Sportsbook.com. "Every team and every fan has a sense of optimism and hope heading into the season. Everyone looks good when their record is 0-0."

For complete NFL odds visit Sportsbook.com.

Team 2006 Total Wins 2005 Record Super Bowl Odds

---- --------------- ----------- ---------------

Arizona over 8.0 (-115) 5-11 40-1

under 8.0 (-105)

Atlanta over 8.0 (-140) 8-8 30-1

under 8.0 (+120)

Baltimore over 8.0 (-150) 6-10 28-1

under 8.0 (+130)

Buffalo over 6.5 (+145) 5-11 100-1

under 6.5 (-165)

Carolina over 10.0 (-130) 11-5 12-1

under 10.0 (+110)

Chicago over 9.0 (-180) 11-5 15-1

under 9.0 (+155)

Cincinnati over 9.0 (+140) 11-5 30-1

under 9.0 (-160)

Cleveland over 6.5 (-105) 6-10 80-1

under 6.5 (-115)

Dallas over 9.5 (-120) 9-7 12-1

under 9.5 (Even)

Denver over 10.0 (-110) 13-3 12-1

under 10.0 (-110)

Detroit over 7.0 (+110) 5-11 50-1

under 7.0 (-130)

Green Bay over 6.0 (-170) 4-12 50-1

under 6.0 (+145)

Houston over 5.5 (-140) 2-14 100-1

under 5.5 (+120)

Indianapolis over 11.5 (+105) 14-2 6-1

under 11.5 (-125)

Jacksonville over 9.0 (-115) 12-4 30-1

under 9.0 (-105)

Kansas City over 9.5 (-115) 10-6 20-1

under 9.5(-105)

Miami over 9.0 (-150) 9-7 18-1

under 9.0 (+130)

Minnesota over 8.0 (+105) 9-7 30-1

under 8.0 (-125)

New England over 10.5 (Even) 10-6 8-1

under 10.5 (-120)

New Orleans over 7.0 (+130) 3-13 80-1

under 7.0 (-150)

NY Giants over 9.0 (+130) 11-5 18-1

under 9.0 (-150)

NY Jets over 6.0 (+115) 4-12 90-1

under 6.0 (-135)

Oakland over 6.5 (+120) 4-12 80-1

under 6.5 (-140)

Philadelphia over 8.5 (-140) 6-10 20-1

under 8.5 (+120)

Pittsburgh over 10.0 (-120) 11-5 8-1

under 10.0 (Even)

San Diego over 9.0 (-110) 9-7 16-1

under 9.0 (-110)

San Francisco over 5.0(-110) 4-12 175-1

under 5.0 (-110)

Seattle over 10.5 (-115) 13-3 10-1

under 10.5 (-105)

St. Louis over 7.0 (-125) 6-10 50-1

under 7.0 (+105)

Tampa Bay over 8.0 (-120) 11-5 30-1

under 8.0 (Even)

Tennessee over 5.5 (Even) 4-12 100-1

under 5.5 (-120)

Washington over 9.0 (-110) 10-6 15-1

under 9.0 (-110)

About Sportsbook.com:

Sportsbook.com is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best US Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, Sportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, Sportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.

Sportsbook.com is the flagship brand for Sportingbet PLC, , the world's leading publicly traded online gaming company. Sportingbet PLC, headquartered in London, England, has been voted number one in the industry for two years in a row by the authoritative eGaming Review Power 50 Survey.

Source: Sportsbook.com

Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge Sponsorship Program Docks in Nantucket for a Week of Sailing

 Following a successful weekend of sailing with classic 12-Metre vessels in the America's Cup waters of the Narragansett Bay in front of historic Newport, RI (July 28-30), sailors of traditional yachts move north to spectacular Nantucket for a series of 12- Metre and Classic Yachts Regattas presented by Panerai.

As part of Nantucket Race Week, sailors of the historic 12-Metre yachts will once again compete against each other today, August 17th and on Friday, August 18th on the Nantucket Sound waters surrounding the island, which are considered to be sailor's paradise.

Thirty-four years ago, local Nantucket sailors created the Opera House Cup Regatta with the aim to establish a racing event for wooden sailboats; the owner of the celebrated Opera House Cup restaurant donated the trophy, and the race was born. The classic yacht regatta, which attracts 80-plus classic boats, will be held on August 20th. This traditional race, along with the legendary Awards Party, which is considered to be Nantucket's event of the year, will conclude the weeklong activities that benefit Nantucket Community Sailing, a local non-profit organization that upholds the maritime tradition of Nantucket Island as a sailing community.

ABOUT PANERAI CLASSIC YACHTS CHALLENGE

In 2005, PANERAI successfully launched in the Mediterranean the "Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge" in partnership with CIM, the Mediterranean International Committee, and AIVE, the Italian Classic Yachts Association. Regattas are held yearly at some of the most celebrated European yachting locations, which include Antibes, Argentario, Mahon, Imperia and Cannes, where thousands of passionate sailors take part with the sole purpose of appreciating the cultural heritage of these great masters of the sea.

In 2006, PANERAI chose to expand its program by adding the renowned Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta in the pristine Caribbean waters (April 20-25), the fascinating 12-Metre Regattas in Newport, RI (July 28-30) and Nantucket, MA (August 16-18) along with the traditional Opera House Cup Regatta in Nantucket, MA (August 18-20).

ABOUT PANERAI

PANERAI is a brand of values, which arise from its origins: Florence, city of art. It is a characteristic expression of Italian craftsmanship with historic tradition whose values are still current today, strengthened by the great attention PANERAI devotes to the quality of its creations and by the depth of technical experience that is expressed through its production. "The watchmaker's work is as precious and rare as the one of the axe master building a classic yacht," adds Angelo Bonati, CEO of Officine Panerai. "Whether we are dealing with yachts or watches, the men who create them and those who own them are both animated by the same emotions."

Today PANERAI is one of the most prestigious brands in haute horlogerie and its history represents a proud example of research, innovation and tradition, as well as being irrevocably linked with great nautical exploits and the sea.

Florida Marlins Superstar Miguel Cabrera to Sign Autographs at Cingular Wireless Store in Flagler Park

Appearance Part of a Cingular Sports Marketing Campaign to Target Hispanic Community

 Florida Marlins fans will get the chance to meet Miguel Cabrera - the youngest player in Major League history to belt back-to-back 30 homer seasons - up close and personal when he visits the Cingular Wireless store at 8279 W. Flagler Street in the Flagler Park shopping center in Miami from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 19, 2006.

The Flagler Park store is one of 420 Cingular locations nationwide recently converted to a bilingual concept to better serve the Hispanic community.

Clasica 92.3 FM will be on hand for the Cabrera event and great raffle prizes, such as Bluetooth headsets and a cool wireless phone, will be given away.

Cabrera's appearance is part of a Cingular sports marketing partnership with the Florida Marlins and Cabrera to target the large and growing Hispanic population in South Florida.

"The Hispanic market is one of the fastest growing in the U.S. and is extremely attractive to wireless providers, not just in terms of growing population but also in terms of usage," said Maurice Contreras, director of marketing for Cingular's South Florida market.

In addition to Cingular store appearances, Cabrera stars in two Cingular commercials. One promotes a limited time only offer during which new subscribers who sign a two-year contract receive a Marlins gift basket, complete with a hat, shirt, souvenir program, two terrace box tickets, and a baseball stamped with Miguel Cabrera's signature and the Florida Marlins logo. The other Cabrera commercial, which airs at the beginning of each televised Marlins game, urges Cingular Wireless customers to participate in the "Cingular Final Run of the Game" by texting the name of the player who they think will score the final run of the game.

Other Spanish-speaking celebrities with whom Cingular has partnered to reach the South Florida Hispanic community include Lili Estefan, Raul de Molina, Fernando Fiore, Marcelino Bernal, and Marlon Fernandez.

About Cingular Wireless

Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving 57.3 million customers. Cingular, a joint venture between AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and BellSouth Corporation (NYSE:BLS) , has the largest digital voice and data network in the nation -- the ALLOVER(R) network -- and the largest mobile-to-mobile community of any national wireless carrier. Cingular is a leader in third generation wireless technology. Its 3G network is the first widely available service in the world to use HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) technology. Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover(R), the wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. Details of the company are available at http://www.cingular.com/. Get Cingular Wireless press releases emailed to you automatically. Sign up at http://cingular.mediaroom.com/.

State Farm Files Request for $204 Million Auto Rate Reduction Along With New Rating Plan

State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co today announced it has asked the California Department of Insurance to approve an eight percent auto insurance rate decrease in addition to the initial pricing changes required by the new auto rating regulations.

When combined with the company's $212 million decrease in 2004 and $110 million in 2005, the $204 million in savings from the current rate reduction will bring the company's total savings for its more than three million California auto insurance policyholders to over one-half billion dollars since October 2004. Approximately 2.8 million drivers will see premium decreases from the rate change. State Farm credits the series of rate reductions to improved loss trends.

If approved by the Department, policyholders who have maintained their policies with State Farm for an extended period of time and those who also have property insurance with the company -- home and condo owners or renters insurance -- will all receive enhanced benefits under the new rates. A driver with three years continuous coverage will see his or her loyalty discount increase from eight percent to 10 percent. A policyholder with at least six years of continuous coverage will see his or her discount go from 16 percent today to 20 percent under the revised plan.

The discounts for insuring homes and autos with State Farm will increase from 10 percent to 12 percent for renters; 12 percent to 14 percent for condo owners and 15 percent to 17 percent for home owners. Home owners who also have a Personal Liability Umbrella Policy with State Farm will received a 20 percent discount, up from the current 18 percent.

These savings are in addition to other discounts policyholders may receive, such as the 20 percent California Good Driver Discount.

Today's request with the Department also includes State Farm's initial compliance filing for the new Prop. 103 rate regulations. With this filing State Farm will have less weight on territory than on driver safety record. Under the regulations issued by the Department and upheld by a Sacramento Superior Court ruling last week, insurers have to comply with at least 15 percent of the plan's requirements now, with the rest of the adjustments factored in over the next two years.

Source: State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co