Press Releases

DALLAS, Texas, December 15, 2005 – Celanese Corporation (NYSE: CE) announced today that it was informed that certain of its stockholders had priced an offering of 5,000,000 shares of its class A common stock. The selling stockholders have also granted to the underwriter of this offering an over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 750,000 shares of class A common stock. All of the remaining shares of class A common stock held by the selling stockholders after this offering will be subject to a 60-day “lock-up” period. Selling stockholders will receive $90,000,000 aggregate proceeds from this offering ($103,500,000 if the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full). The Company will not receive any of the proceeds from the offering. Credit Suisse First Boston is acting as the sole book-running manager and the sole underwriter for this offering.

SES GLOBAL S.A. (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) and New Skies Satellites Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NSE) announced today that they have entered into a binding agreement pursuant to which SES GLOBAL will acquire 100% of New Skies by way of a merger under Bermudian law (an amalgamation). SES GLOBAL will acquire New Skies for US$ 22.52 per share in cash. Existing options will be cancelled for a payment equal to the difference between US$ 22.52 per share and the exercise price. The total payment for the equity of New Skies will be US$ 760 million. At closing, New Skies is expected to have approximately US$ 400 million of net indebtedness under its credit facility, Floating Rate Senior Notes and Senior Subordinated Notes. SES will re-finance the existing bank debt of New Skies and may leave the Floating Rate Senior Notes and Senior Subordinated Notes of New Skies outstanding. The cash-only transaction thus values New Skies at an enterprise value at closing of US$ 1.160 billion. As part of the agreement, New Skies has agreed to terminate its quarterly dividend program after the declaration and payment of its 2005 fourth quarter dividend.

Addition of Upscale Extended Stay brand continues Hyatt’s growth CHICAGO—December 1st, 2005 — Chicago-based Global Hyatt Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the upscale extended stay brand and franchise system of 21 Summerfield Suites branded hotels and acquire 6 owned Summerfield Suites hotels from partnerships between affiliates of The Blackstone Group, the Gencom Group and Lehman Brothers. The contract closing is scheduled for early January 2006.

Spirit Group (“Spirit” or “The Group”) announces that it has reached agreement with Punch Taverns on an all-cash acquisition of Spirit. The transaction values Spirit at £2.7 billion and will be subject to approval from Punch Taverns’ shareholders.

TDC’s Board has agreed that when the offer is commenced on the terms and conditions agreed between TDC and NTC it will recommend NTC’s cash offer of DKK 382 per TDC share.

NEW YORK, NY, November 22, 2005 – The Special Committee of the Board of Directors of New Valley Corporation (NASDAQ: NVAL) today announced that it will recommend to stockholders of New Valley that they accept the revised exchange offer made by Vector Group Ltd. (NYSE: VGR) to purchase all of the outstanding common shares of New Valley that it does not already own.

The Blackstone Group International (“Blackstone”) and Lion Capital LLP (“Lion Capital”), on behalf of funds advised by each of them, have committed to acquire, as equal partners, the European Beverages division of Cadbury Schweppes plc (“CSEB”) in a transaction which values the business at €1.85 billion (£1.27 billion).

Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE:S) and Alamosa Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:APCS) today announced an agreement for Sprint Nextel to acquire Alamosa Holdings for approximately $4.3 billion, including the assumption of approximately $900 million of net debt. This transaction value represents 9.8x projected 2006 Adjusted Operating Income Before Depreciation and Amortization ("Adjusted OIBDA" *).

Dallas (November 9, 2005) – La Quinta Corporation and La Quinta Properties, Inc. (NYSE: LQI) today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of The Blackstone Group for $11.25 per paired share in cash. The price represents a premium of 37% over yesterday’s closing price of $8.22. The total value of the transaction, including debt, is approximately $3.4 billion.

Southern Cross Healthcare Group has completed the acquisition of the leasehold interest of the Ashbourne Group of care homes. Totalling circa 10,000 beds in 193 homes, this acquisition adds materially to the Southern Cross Group.

New York; November 2, 2005: The Blackstone Group today announced that Edwin Conway has joined Blackstone Alternative Asset Management (BAAM) as a Managing Director. Conway was previously an Executive Director at Arden Asset Management, Inc.

Herford/Hamburg, October 13th 2005 – The Herford-based waste management company SULO announces acquisition of Cleanaway Deutschland AG & Co. KG. SULO acquires the company from Brambles, an Australian player in the service industry. Besides the German business segment the purchase will also affect Cleanaway’s activities in Austria, Switzerland, Sweden and the Baltic States. SULO itself is owned by Private Equity-Funds since early 2004. These funds in turn are advised by The Blackstone Group and Apax Partners.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – October 12, 2005 – Team Health, Inc., the nation’s largest provider of outsourced physician staffing and administrative services to healthcare providers, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by The Blackstone Group, a global private equity firm. The current management team will continue to lead TeamHealth and will remain significant equity holders. Further terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. The transaction is expected to be completed by mid-February 2006.

Fort Mitchell, Kentucky - Columbia Sussex Corporation announced today that it has completed the acquisition of 14 full-service hotels from Wyndham International, Inc, an affiliate of The Blackstone Group, for $1.4 billion. The hotels acquired by Columbia Sussex contain over 5,800 rooms and are located primarily in large urban markets, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, New Orleans, Philadelphia, San Diego, Tampa, Toronto and Washington D.C.

NEW YORK, New York, October 5, 2005 - Sithe Global Power LLC announced today that Blackstone Capital Partners, an affiliate of The Blackstone Group, and management, led by CEO Bruce Wrobel, have purchased an 80% ownership interest in the company from Reservoir Capital Group, which retains a 20% ownership stake. Blackstone has invested with the objective of facilitating Sithe Global Power’s plans to develop, finance, construct and operate electric power generation facilities in the U.S. and certain international markets. Sithe has a portfolio of power plant projects in various stages of development and Blackstone, together with Reservoir, expects to invest over $500 million of equity as these projects are financed and achieve commercial operation.

PRINCETON, NJ and HOUSTON, TX, October 2, 2005 — NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG) and Texas Genco LLC have entered into a definitive agreement for NRG to acquire all the outstanding equity of Texas Genco LLC for approximately $5.8 billion, comprised of approximately $4 billion in cash and $1.8 billion in common and preferred stock. In addition, NRG will assume approximately $2.5 billion of Texas Genco debt.

Indianapolis . . . Emmis Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: EMMS) today announced that affiliates of the Blackstone Group and the SJL Broadcast Group have agreed to purchase four of its television stations for a purchase price of $259 million.

KANSAS CITY, MO, September 21, 2005 – Aquila Inc. (NYSE:ILA) announced today it has signed definitive agreements to sell four utility businesses identified for potential sale on March 14, 2005, for a total of $896.7 million. Proceeds from the transactions will be used to reduce debt and other liabilities.

London/Dusseldorf – 21 September 2005: Tishman Speyer, a leading global owner, operator and developer of first class real estate, has completed the purchase of the office complex, Koenigsallee 45-55 / Breite Strasse 20-34, from an affiliate of The Blackstone Group.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., September 19, 2005 — Officials of The Buccini/Pollin Group (BPG), a leading real estate development, management and ownership company, today announced that the company has entered into a joint venture with Lubert Adler Management Inc., a private investment firm, to acquire the 427-room hotel Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel and Conference Center for $54 million from a joint venture between The Blackstone Group, a private investment firm, and Prime Hospitality Corp. The hotel will undergo a $16 million renovation, which will begin in January 2006 and is expected to be completed next fall. The renovation will be done in phases in order to be least disruptive to guests.