AsiaPulse News back issues from September 2007:
OPUS STRENGTHENS AUSTRALIAN PRESENCE.
Sep 03, 2007 ... (Full text of a statement. Contact details follow below.) Opus Strengthens Australian Presence WELLINGTON, Sept. 3 /NZPA-Asianet/-- OPUS STRENGTHENS AUSTRALIAN PRESENCE Opus International Consultants (Opus), the New Zealand based global ...
E JAVA PERHUTANI SEEKING ECOLABEL CERTIFICATES FOR PRODUCTS.
Sep 03, 2007 ... SURABAYA, E Java, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - The East Java branch of state-owned forestry company Perum Perhutani is making systemstic efforts to obtain ecolabel certicates for its products, a spokesman said. "We want to win international recognition that our products come from ...
FOREX - RINGGIT OPENS STRONGER AGAINST US DOLLAR - SEPT 3, 2007.
Sep 03, 2007 ... KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - The ringgit opened at 3.4945/4995 against the U.S. dollar on ...
INDONESIA EARMARKS US$53 MLN FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION.
Sep 03, 2007 ... MAKASSAR, S Sulawesi, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - The government has set aside Rp500 billion (US$53 million) for environment preservation programs in all of the nation's districts in 2007, an environmental affairs official said. "Each district receives Rp300 million to Rp1.5 billion ...
HYUNDAI MOTOR DOWNGRADES ANNUAL SALES TARGET IN CHINA.
Sep 03, 2007 ... SEOUL, Sept. 3 Asia Pulse - Hyundai Motor Co. (KSE:005380), South Korea's largest automaker, said Monday that it has revised downwards its annual sales target in China for this year amid intensifying competition and other tough market conditions. Hyundai Motor's China venture, ...
KEPCO WINS ADVISORY SERVICE CONTRACT FROM LIBYA.
Sep 03, 2007 ... SEOUL, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea's power monopoly Korea Electric Power Corp. said Monday it has signed a US$600,000 contract to advise the Libyan government on the country's future power demands. The contract signed in Tripoli Saturday calls for long-range forecasting for ...
PAKISTANI DATE SHOW OPENS IN DHAKA.
Sep 03, 2007 ... DHAKA, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - The 4th Pakistan Dates Show-2007 will begin at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel on Sunday. Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka in collaboration with Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) is organizing the two-day show. Commerce Secretary Feroz ...
AUSTRALIAN PM HOPES TO ACHIEVE CLIMATE CHANGE FRAMEWORK AT APEC.
Sep 03, 2007 ... SYDNEY, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Prime Minister John Howard believes there could be real hopes for progress on climate change if he can get the United States, Russia and China to come to some agreement on addressing the global warming problem. The three biggest polluters in the world ...
PUTIN EXPECTED TO BRING US$10 BLN INVESTORS TO INDONESIA.
Sep 03, 2007 ... JAKARTA, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Russian President Vladmir Putin, who is due to arrive in Jakarta on Sept 6 will include in his entourage a group of Russian business leaders, who plan to invest at least US$10 billion in various industrial sectors in the country. The Russian business ...
AUSTRALIA OFFERING FAST-TRACK COMM'L PILOT LICENCE PROGRAM.
Sep 03, 2007 ... SYDNEY, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - One day soon, the co-pilot taking the helm of your Boeing 747 flight to Los Angeles or Frankfurt may never have flown a plane before. The scenario might sound like a nightmare but it could be a reality within the next few years, thanks to a new ...
STOCKS - SINGAPORE SHARES START STEADY - SEPT 3, 2007.
Sep 03, 2007 ... SINGAPORE, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Singapore shares were slightly higher in early trade Monday, with the ...
STOCKS - HONG KONG BOURSE OPENS WEAKER - SEPT 3, 2007.
Sep 03, 2007 ... HONG KONG, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Hong Kong stocks fell 1.6 per cent in early trade, with ...
STOCKS - MALAYSIAN SHARES START SHARPLY HIGHER - SEPT 3, 2007.
Sep 03, 2007 ... KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - The Malaysian sharemarket was up 0.90 per cent in early trade Monday, with the Kuala ...
STOCKS - SEOUL SHARES INCH UP IN LATE MORNING - SEPT 3, 2007.
Sep 03, 2007 ... SEOUL, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks traded slightly higher late Monday morning as investors picked up steel and shipbuilder shares on a report of faster second-quarter economic growth, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) edged up ...
FUJITSU TO LIFT OUTPUT OF 2ND-GENERATION 2.5-INCH HARD DRIVES.
Sep 03, 2007 ... TOKYO, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Fujitsu Ltd. (TSE:6702) is shifting the focus of its 2.5-inch hard drive production to second-generation perpendicular magnetic recording drives. The company only began mass-producing these drives in August but by the end of the year it plans to boost ...
JAPAN'S SUNTORY TO EXPAND LINEUP OF CALIFORNIA WINES.
Sep 03, 2007 ... TOKYO, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Beverage firm Suntory Ltd will step up its portfolio of wines produced by E.& J. Gallo Winery, adding nine brands Oct. 1 to increase the total to 12. With the expansion, Suntory seeks to boost sales of wines produced by the company based in the U.S ....
SHARP SEEKS TO DOUBLE SHARE OF EUROPEAN LCD TV MARKET BY FY10.
Sep 03, 2007 ... BERLIN, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Sharp Corp. (TSE:6753) aims to roughly double its share of the European LCD television market to 15 per cent by fiscal 2010 or so, President Mikio Katayama told The Nikkei. The consumer electronics manufacturer will target a larger share of the ...
JAPAN'S MIZUHO BANK TO GET 'SECOND LIFE'.
Sep 03, 2007 ... TOKYO, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Mizuho Bank on Saturday will debut on the online virtual world of Second Life, becoming the first megabank to do so. The Mizuho Financial Group Inc. (TSE:8411) unit will set up shop in the virtual Tokyo area. Visitors ...
NOMURA TO OPEN INVESTMENT INFO BOOTHS IN TRAIN STATIONS, MALLS.
Sep 03, 2007 ... TOKYO, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Japan's Nomura Securities Co. plans to open booths in train stations and shopping centers to provide information on stock investments and financial products, with an eye toward people unfamiliar with investing. These spaces, to be about 3 meters on a ...
JAPAN'S GOODWILL SWINGS TO LOSS IN FY2006/07.
Sep 03, 2007 ... TOKYO, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Goodwill Group Inc. (TSE:4723) announced Friday a consolidated net loss of 40.7 billion yen for the fiscal year ended June 30, compared to 3.4 billion yen (US$29.3 million) profit of a year earlier. It booked in advance a portion of the costs for ...
JAPAN'S TEMPSTAFF TO LAUNCH STAFFING BUSINESS IN INDONESIA.
Sep 03, 2007 ... TOKYO, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Tempstaff Co. (TSE:2476) will introduce a temporary staffing service in Indonesia on October 1, initially providing proxy hiring of local and Japanese workers for corporate clients. The company and a subsidiary have invested a combined US$250,000, or ...
JAPANESE NONFERROUS-METAL COMPANIES EXPANDING IN ASIA.
Sep 03, 2007 ... TOKYO, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Japan's producers of nonferrous metals are bolstering Asian operations for processing materials used in automobiles and electronic equipment. Dowa Holdings Co. (TSE:5714) heat treatment subsidiary Dowa Thermotech Co. will invest some 400 million yen ...
JAPAN'S JULY AUTO PRODUCTION DOWN 10.5% DUE TO NIIGATA QUAKE.
Sep 03, 2007 ... TOKYO, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Domestic automobile output in July fell 10.5 per cent on the year to 875,431 units, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said Friday, primarily due to the major earthquake that hit Niigata Prefecture that month, forcing carmakers to suspend production. ...
JAPAN'S IPO PRICES WEAK ON SCARCE DEMAND, BROADER MKT DECLINES.
Sep 03, 2007 ... TOKYO, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - The stocks of newly listed companies are slumping due to waning investor demand. Of the 12 issues that debuted on the nation's stock markets in August, five opened lower than their IPO prices. And many of those have not fared well since their debut ....
CDG LAUDS SMART TELECOM ON LAUNCHING CDMA2000 IN INDONESIA.
Sep 03, 2007 ... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) CDG Congratulates Smart Telecom on Launching CDMA2000 Nationwide in Indonesia and Upgrading It to 1xEV-DO Revision A Smart Telecom to Be First to Offer Advanced Mobile Broadband and Multimedia ...
MORI SEIKI TO SPEND US$86.1 MLN TO LIFT MACHINE TOOL OUTPUT CAPACITY.
Sep 03, 2007 ... OSAKA, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Mori Seiki Co. (TSE:6141) plans to invest some 10 billion yen (US$86.1 million) to boost production capacity for machine tools by 20-30 per cent at its Mie Prefecture main plant by 2009 amid surging global demand in the aircraft, construction machinery and other ...
JAPAN'S CREDIT CARD FIRMS BOOST OFFERINGS WITH BUSINESS LOANS.
Sep 03, 2007 ... TOKYO, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Credit Saison Co. (TSE:8253) and Sumitomo Mitsui Card Co. are among credit card firms tapping demand for loans among individual business owners and smaller companies. Credit Saison will begin offering business loans in October. The loan program will ...
KOBE STEEL TO DOUBLE CHINESE OUTPUT OF CAR SPRING MATERIALS.
Sep 03, 2007 ... TOKYO, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Kobe Steel Ltd. (TSE:5406) plans to double production of steel materials for automotive suspension springs at a mill in China's Guangdong Province. The Japanese steelmaker will invest more than 500 million yen (US$4.3 million) to expand rolling ...
SKYLARK SLASHES GROUP NET LOSS TO US$14.6 MLN FOR 1ST HALF.(Financial report)
Sep 03, 2007 ... TOKYO, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Family restaurant chain operator Skylark Co. logged a 1.7 billion yen (US$14.6 million) consolidated net loss for the fiscal first half ended June 30, improving from the 7.5 billion yen loss of a year earlier. Sales grew 7 per cent to 198.4 billion ...
STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN SHARES HIGHER TO NOON - SEPT 3, 2007.
Sep 03, 2007 ... PERTH, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - The Australian sharemarket started the week in positive territory, after US President George Bush and Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke reassured US investors they would work to rectify recent market troubles. At 1210 AEST, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 ...
SECURITIES FIRMS IN S. KOREA SEE EARNINGS ALMOST DOUBLE IN Q1.(Financial report)
Sep 03, 2007 ... SEOUL, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Brokerage houses in South Korea saw their earnings almost double in the first quarter of fiscal 2007 on higher commission incomes amid bullish stock markets, the financial watchdog said Monday. A total of 54 local securities firms and foreign branches ...
FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR WEAKER TO NOON - SEPT 3, 2007.
Sep 03, 2007 ... SYDNEY, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar remained weaker at noon after falling on US interest rate expectations over the weekend, but had improved from its opening figure following better than expected building approvals data this morning. At 1200 AEST, the Australian ...
S. KOREA'S HOUSEHOLD CREDIT GROWTH DOUBLES IN Q2.
Sep 03, 2007 ... SEOUL, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea's household credit growth nearly doubled in the second quarter from three months earlier as customers took out loans from non-banking financial institutions to bypass stringent regulations on lenders' home-backed loans, the central bank said Monday. ...
SMEs IN ACEH RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM SWISSCONTACT, BOGASARI.
Sep 03, 2007 ... BANDA ACEH, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Some 20 small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) that were adversely affected by the Dec 2004 tsunami in Aceh are receiving material and financial assistance from Swisscontact and Bogasari to revive their businesses. The assistance is a form of ...
INDONESIA TO BUILD HOUSING COMPLEXES FOR THE POOR: MINISTER.
Sep 03, 2007 ... YOGYAKARTA, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - The government intends to build housing complexes for low income people in the country, Public Housing Minister Yusuf Ansyari said here Friday. "The social housing scheme is still only a concept but the government is already trying to realize it ....
TELSTRA'S NEW PARNTERSHIPS TO SAVE IT US$114 MLN.
Sep 03, 2007 ... SYDNEY, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Telstra Corp Ltd (ASX:TLS) today signed three new strategic vendor partnerships for provision of fault repairs, installations, civil works and construction work in the access network, which are expected to lead to about million ($US114.12 million) in cost ...
WORLD BANK GRANTS US$10 MLN TO HELP AFGHANISTAN COMBAT AIDS.
Sep 03, 2007 ... KABUL, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - The World Bank will grant US$10 million to the Afghan Public Health Ministry over the next three years for measures preventing the spread of the deadly Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). A contract for the grant was inked between Afghan Finance ...
AROUND A THIRD OF AUSTRALIANS TO INSTALL WATER SAVING DEVICES.
Sep 03, 2007 ... SYDNEY, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Recycling water from showers and capturing rainwater is not just for those living in the outback, with 29 per cent of Australians stating they plan on installing water saving devices over the next year. According to economic forecaster and ...
HEARTWARE SET TO START PATIENT TRIALS OF HEART PUMP.
Sep 03, 2007 ... SYDNEY, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Heart device maker HeartWare Ltd has completed the patient enrolment for the international clinical trial of its HVAD heart pump. HeartWare has enrolled 20 patients, all suffering advanced heart failure, and awaiting cardiac transplantation. ...
SINGAPORE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - SEPT 3, 2007.
Sep 03, 2007 ... SINGAPORE, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE BUSINESS TIMES: - After months of anticipation, Singapore Airlines (SGX:S55) and Temasek Holdings yesterday inked a deal to buy a combined 24 per cent stake in China Eastern Airlines (SEHK:0670, ...
KOREA TRADE AGENCY WINS LAWSUIT AGAINST U.S. DRUGS FIRM.
Sep 03, 2007 ... SEOUL, Sept. 3 Asia Pulse - The Korea Trade Commission (KTC) said Monday it won a legal suit filed by a U.S.-based pharmaceutical company that claimed the body failed to protect its intellectual property rights. The Seoul Administrative Court said the decision by the trade body ...
AUSTRALIA BUILDS 17 NEW SCHOOLS IN SOUTH KALIMANTAN.
Sep 03, 2007 ... JAKARTA, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Australia's Deputy Head of Mission to Indonesia, Ms Louise Hand, on Friday officiated at a ceremony in Banjarbaru to inaugurate one of 17 junior secondary schools (SMP) the Australian Government is building in South Kalimantan. According to ...
CHINA EASTERN TO SELL 26 PCT STAKE TO SINGAPORE AIRLINES.
Sep 03, 2007 ... BEIJING, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - China Eastern Airlines (CEA) (SEHK:0670, SSX:600115, NYSE:CEA), one of the country's top three carriers, announced on Sunday it will sell a 26 per cent stake to Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA) (SGX:S55). The two on Sunday signed a Heads of Agreement ...
CHINA'S AUTO PRODUCTION AND SALES REV UP IN JAN-JULY.
Sep 03, 2007 ... BEIJING, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - China produced 5,113,600 motor vehicles and sold 5,013,633 in the first seven months of this year, surging 23.30 per cent and 24.71 per cent respectively year-on-year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. The production and ...
CHINA'S WUHAN IRON AND STEEL INKS MOU WITH GAMESA OF SPAIN.
Sep 03, 2007 ... WUHAN, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - China's Wuhan Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. has signed a memorandum of understanding with Spanish wind energy company Gamesa on cooperation in ferrous and sustainable energy industries. According to the memorandum, the two companies will cooperate in ...
BAOSHAN IRON AND STEEL TO BUY PARENT'S STEEL-MAKING ASSETS.
Sep 03, 2007 ... BEIJING, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Baoshan Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. (Baosteel) (SSX:600019) has announced its plan to buy more steel-making assets from its parent Baosteel Group. The company plans to expand annual production capacity to ...
CHINA'S SUPPLY OF SMALL APARTMENTS ON THE RISE.
Sep 03, 2007 ... BEIJING, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Of the country's newly constructed real estate projects, the supply of ordinary commercial apartments no larger than 90 square metres is increasing, data released on August 30 by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) shows. The ...
THAI NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - SEPT 3, 2007.
Sep 03, 2007 ... BANGKOK, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: BANGKOK POST: - The government should temporarily halt its rice intervention programme for four months to allow officials to manage rice in stockpiles more effectively, says the head of the state-run ...
CHINA'S PANZHIHUA TO BUILD US$2 BLN VANADIUM TITANIUM STEEL BASE.
Sep 03, 2007 ... CHENGDU, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Panzhihua Iron and Steel Group has reached a framework agreement with the local government on building a vanadium titanium steel production base in Xichang of southwest China's Sichuan province. The Sichuan-based steel producer plans to invest 15 ...
OMAN GAS COMPANY TO EXPAND PORT GAS SUPPLY STATION.
Sep 03, 2007 ... DUBAI, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - The Oman Gas Company SAOC (OGC) is undertaking a major expansion of its Gas Supply Station at the Port of Sohar, said a report. Galfar Engineeering & Contracting, an Omani contractor, has been awarded the contract to implement the expansion project at ...
CHINA EYES FIVE DOMESTIC SHIPBUILDERS AMONG WORLD'S TOP 10.
Sep 03, 2007 ... BEIJING, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - China will strive to make the country's shipbuilding power match its growing economic strength and establish more than five domestic shipbuilders among the world's top 10 producers, an official of China's Commission of Science Technology and Industry for ...
CHINESE BANKS ACCELERATE OVERSEAS MARKET EXPANSION.
Sep 03, 2007 ... BEIJING, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - More Chinese banks will develop their business overseas with the improvement of corporate governance, regulatory department forecast. The Bank of China (BOC) (SSE:601988) accelerated the integration of its branch resources overseas in the first half ...
ETIHAD AIRWAYS, SRI LANKAN AIRLINES TO ENTER CODESHARE DEAL.
Sep 03, 2007 ... DUBAI, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - SriLankan Airlines and Etihad Airways will enter into a codeshare agreement between Abu Dhabi and Colombo. The agreement will take effect from September 15, when Etihad Airways suspends flights on its Colombo route. Etihad passengers will ...
CHINESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - SEPT 3, 2007.
Sep 03, 2007 ... BEIJING, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: PEOPLE'S DAILY: - The central committee of the Communist Party of China has endorsed a program of popularizing modern long-distance education among rural party members throughout China from the latter half ...
BAHRAIN ISLAMIC BANK SET TO RAISE RIGHTS ISSUE.
Sep 03, 2007 ... DUBAI, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - The Bahrain Islamic Bank (BIsB) is planning to raise BD85 million ($US225 million) through a rights offering in a bid to expand into the GCC market. The board of directors of BIsB announced that the subscriptions to the rights offering of the bank ...
GULF COUNTRIES AGREE TO IRANIAN OFFER ON FREE TRADE TALKS.
Sep 03, 2007 ... DUBAI, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - The Gulf countries had agreed to an Iranian offer to launch talks on a possible free trade pact, the GCC secretary-general said. GCC foreign ministers discussed a letter from their Iranian counterpart 'regarding Iran's readiness to reach a free trade ...
JAPANESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - SEPT 3, 2007.
Sep 03, 2007 ... TOKYO, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: NIKKEI NET: - While the business community is not giving any clear signal of discontent with the leadership performance of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, there are signs that support for the widely unpopular ...
PROPOSED MIDDLE EAST RAILWAY PROJECT TO BE DISCUSSED IN DUBAI.
Sep 03, 2007 ... DUBAI, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - A proposed railway network connecting the GCC countries, including Bahrain, will be discussed at a major conference in Dubai next month. Transport experts from across the region are expected to attend the event, which will examine the latest ...
OMAN GOVT'S REVENUES DOWN 2.2 PCT IN JAN-MAY.
Sep 03, 2007 ... DUBAI, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Government revenues in Oman declined by 2.2 per cent during the first five months of the year to RO2.8 billion (US$7.3 billion) from RO2.86 billion in the corresponding period of 2006. The Ministry of National Economy, in its latest statistical ...
TAIWANESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - SEPT 3, 2007.
Sep 03, 2007 ... TAIPEI, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: CHINA POST: - Officials with the Fisheries Agency under the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture are scheduled to tour 10 fish farms in Taipei County today to see if their operators have used banned drugs ...
ADVISORY - NO VIETNAM STORIES DUE TO HOLIDAY - SEPT 3, 2007.
Sep 03, 2007 ... HANOI, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Please be advised that there will be no stories from ...
DUBAI STEEL FUTURES CONTRACT SET TO TRADE FROM OCT 29.
Sep 03, 2007 ... DUBAI, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - The Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX) yesterday announced that its Dubai Domestic Rebar Steel Futures Contract would start trading on October 29, 2007. The DGCX steel contract will be the first such contract to be listed on an exchange with ...
PHILIPPINE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - SEPT 3, 2007.
Sep 03, 2007 ... MANILA, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: MANILA BULLETIN: - The consortium for the Malampaya gas field project is still awaiting firm signal from the government, primarily the Department of Energy (DoE), on when it really sees new power capacity ...
DUBAI TO HOST MIDDLE EAST, AFRICAN TRANSPORT CONGRESS.
Sep 03, 2007 ... DUBAI, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla, the CEO of Public Transport Agency, Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) said the RTA is to host the 1st Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Congress of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP). Al Mulla is also the ...
CHINA-RUSSIA TRADE EXPECTED TO TOP US$40 BLN THIS YEAR.
Sep 03, 2007 ... CHANGCHUN, Sept 3 Asia Pulse - Trade between China and Russia is expected to surpass US$40 billion this year, after it reached a record high of US$33.4 billion last year, Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Wei Jianguo said here on Sunday. "The two-way trade has kept increasing ...