HONG KONG -- Global touchscreen shipments are expected to grow 17% this year to 1.75 billion, led by higher demand for handheld devices, Digitimes Research says.

FENGCHENG, CHINA -- A Foxconn supplier that makes components for computers and cellphones has been racked by striking workers.

OFAKIM, ISRAEL – Flextronics said it would receive credit insurance to insure its $85 million contract with communications equipment maker ECI Telecom.

MINNEAPOLIS – Mike Bixenman of Kyzen won the SMTA International Best of Conference Award for his presentation “High Speed Cleaning in a Reduced Manufacturing Footprint.”

FRAMINGHAM, MA – Worldwide PC shipments totaled 89.8 million units in the fourth quarter, down 6.4% from 2011, International Data Corp. said.

TAIPEI -- Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai) reported December non-consolidated revenues rose 13.9% over last year to NT$360.944 billion ($12.4 billion). 

ANGLETON, TX – Benchmark Electronics said it expects to report fourth-quarter 2012 revenue slightly above the high end of guidance.

TORONTO -- An unspecified number of Canadian military transport planes have counterfeit Chinese electronics in their cockpit displays, a new CBC News report asserts. The report could prove embarrassing to Canadian defense officials, who have denied the presence of such parts, CBC News says.

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ – Cookson Group’s Alpha and Enthone businesses have become part of the newly formed Alent plc.

MEDWAY, MA -- Gunter Erdmann, the former president of MPM, has died. He was 73.

MANASSAS, VA – Zestron is presenting the first in a 10-part cleaning webinar series: “Why Clean PCBs.”

SAN JOSE – Growing demand for mobile devices, such as tablets and phones, inspires an improved outlook for chip sales in 2013, according to SEMI’s latest World Fab Forecast.