AsiaPulse News back issues from January 2009:
TRADE AGREEMENT MOST PRACTICAL DEAL FOR NOW: TAIWAN OFFICIAL.
Jan 01, 2009 ... TAIPEI, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The deputy chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) , Kao Koong-lian, said Wednesday that it is better for Taiwan to sign a trade and investment framework agreement with China (TIFA) than a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA) at the ...
AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JAN 1, 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... SYDNEY, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE AUSTRALIAN - John Howard thinks the Rudd government is facing years of budget deficits and Australia faces a lengthy economic downturn. - Thousands watched the fireworks display over the ...
BUSINESS WIRE DAILY SUMMARY - $ALL $BW $HLT.
Jan 01, 2009 ... OLDWICK, N.J.--DEC. 31, 2008 (BW)(NJ-A.M.-BEST) A.M. Best Affirms Ratings of CIGNA Life Insurance New Zealand Limited Business Editors OLDWICK, N.J.-- Dec. 31, 2008 -- A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) ...
BANGLADESH GOVT TO SET UP CONSUMER RIGHTS PROTECTION DEPT.
Jan 01, 2009 ... DHAKA, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - A new department will be established under the Bangladesh Commerce Ministry entitled the Consumer Rights Protection Department, to enforce the newly enacted Consumer Rights Protection Law. The decision came from the first meeting of the National ...
ADVISORY - AUSTRALIAN MARKETS CLOSED - JAN 1, 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... Australia, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian markets are ...
ADVISORY - JAPAN MARKETS CLOSED - JAN 1, 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... TOKYO, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The Japanese markets are closed ...
BANGLADESH POTATO TARGET NOT LIKELY TO BE ACHIEVED IN NORTH.
Jan 01, 2009 ... RANGPUR, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Potato cultivation may not be achieved in 16 northern Bangladesh areas, including the Rangpur-Dinajpur region, due to abnormal price hikes of fertilizer and other agri-chemicals this season. Farmers said they achieved bumper production last season due ...
14TH DHAKA INTL TRADE FAIR BEGINS THURSDAY IN BANGLADESH.
Jan 01, 2009 ... DHAKA, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - A month-long international trade fair begins in Dhaka, Bangladesh on Thursday to showcase and promote quality products from home and abroad. The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) in cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce is organizing the 14th edition of ...
BANGLADESH TO LICENSE UNAUTHORIZED ISPS.
Jan 01, 2009 ... DHAKA, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) will soon start its drive against unauthorized internet service providers (ISPs) and cyber caf service providers (CCSPs). The decision was made by BTRC, the watchdog of Bangladesh's ...
MEXICO WARNS SINGAPORE ON LIVE DOLPHIN IMPORTS.
Jan 01, 2009 ... HONIARA, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Singapore has been cautioned not to accept the bottlenose dolphins exported from the Solomon Islands. The warning has come from the chairman of Mexico's highest authority on environment and natural resources, Senator Jorge Legorreta, in a letter to ...
PNG LANDOWNERS THREATEN TO DISRUPT LNG PROJECT.
Jan 01, 2009 ... PORT MORESBY, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Landowner groups from Papua New Guinea's oil rich Southern Highlands have threatened to disrupt the multi-billion kina liquefied natural gas (LNG) project if they are not paid their memorandum of agreement (MoA) funds for 2008. The landowner ...
SAMOA TO HAVE THIRD COMMERCIAL TELEVISION CHANNEL IN 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... APIA, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The Samoan government has issued a third public broadcasting licence to a new commercial television channel, expected to go to air in February next year. Radio New Zealand International said Cook Islands media owner, George Pitt, is a major shareholder ...
5PCT CUT IN EMISSIONS "UNLIKELY": AUSTRALIAN POLITICIAN.
Jan 01, 2009 ... SYDNEY, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Australian climate change minister Penny Wong has conceded it is "unlikely" the world will agree to ambitious emissions cuts that will allow the government to meet a target of up to 15 per cent. Ms Wong declined to detail how many jobs would be lost as ...
VIETNAM'S TOURIST NUMBERS GREW TO 4 MLN IN 2008.
Jan 01, 2009 ... HANOI, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - International arrivals into Vietnam increased 0.6 per cent year on year to 4.3 million in 2008, reported the General Statistics Department. The figure, however, represented the industry's failure to meet its yearly target set at between 4.8 and 5 ...
UAE TELCO ANNOUNCES 64% DISCOUNT ON CALLS AND SMS TO PALESTINE.
Jan 01, 2009 ... ABU DHABI, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - UAE telco Etisalat has announced up to 64 per cent reduction in rates for all calls and SMS to Palestine, starting January 1, 2009. The reduced rates will be effective round the clock throughout January 2009, the operator said in a press release. ...
UAE COUNCIL RATIFIES US$11.5 BLN 2009 FEDERAL DRAFT BUDGET.
Jan 01, 2009 ... ABU DHABI, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The UAE Federal National Council (FNC) has approved the federal daft budget for 2009, the biggest in the history of the UAE. The FNC session chaired by Speaker Abdul Aziz Abdullah Ghurair was attended by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs HE Dr ....
UAE CO'S DONATE TO RED CRES IN SUPPORT OF GAZA RELIEF CAMPAIGN.
Jan 01, 2009 ... ABU DHABI, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The UAE Red Crescent Authority (RCA) announced yesterday that a number of companies had pledged Dh 3.36 million (US$914,783) in support of its sponsored humanitarian campaign to aid Palestinians affected by the current events in the Gaza Strip. RCA ...
N. KOREAN LEADER HOPES FOR CLOSER TIES WITH CHINA IN 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... SEOUL, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has sent a New Year message to Chinese President Hu Jintao expressing hopes for closer ties between the traditional allies, Pyongyang's state media reported Thursday. "2009, which will mark the 60th anniversary of the ...
S KOREA DURABLE GOODS SALES PLUNGE IN NOV AMID ECONOMIC DOWNTURN.
Jan 01, 2009 ... SEOUL, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean households and companies are scaling down spending on durable goods as concerns are growing that the economy is slowing at a faster-than-expected pace, the government said Thursday. According to the National Statistical Office (NSO), ...
TURKEY TO CIRCULATE NEW BANKNOTES IN NEW YEAR.
Jan 01, 2009 ... ANKARA, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The head of Turkey's Central Bank said on Tuesday that citizens should be well informed on the security features of the new banknotes to be put into circulation as of January 1, 2009. Holding a news conference in capital Ankara on the upcoming ...
TURKEY ANNOUNCES FOREIGN TRADE FIGURES FOR NOVEMBER 2008.
Jan 01, 2009 ... ANKARA, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Turkey's export figures decreased by 17.5 per cent to US$9.3 billion in November 2008 when compared to the same month of 2007, officials said on Tuesday. According to the foreign trade figures announced by Turkish Board of ...
SINGAPORE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JAN 1, 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... SINGAPORE, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: BUSINESS TIMES: - Cosco Corporation (Singapore)'s warning of lower 2008 profits - which it issued on the penultimate day of a year in which Chinese shipbuilders have gone from hero to zero - sent its ...
VANUATU AT RISK OF BECOMING PREY TO CASINO MAFIA: ACADEMIC.
Jan 01, 2009 ... PORT VILA, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - An academic says historical patterns indicate Vanuatu could become prey to more organised crime due to the opening of a large casino in its capital. A boutique style casino linked to the global Jupiters brand and designed to cater for Vanuatu's ...
NEW TURKISH MINIMUM WAGE TO TAKE EFFECT JAN 1.
Jan 01, 2009 ... ANKARA, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Turkey's new minimum wage will take effect on Thursday. Minimum wage has been set as 666 Turkish liras (TL) (US$432) gross (net 527.13 TL) for workers over the age of 16 for the first half of 2009. The minimum wage was increased 4.3 per ...
ADVISORY - HONG KONG MARKETS CLOSED - JAN 1, 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... HONG KONG, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The Hong Kong markets are ...
NEW BRIDGE CONSTRUCTED IN URUZGON AFGHANISTAN.
Jan 01, 2009 ... KABUL, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Afghan dignitaries and Gen. David McKiernan, Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan participated in a ceremony to open the recently completed Chutu bridge in Deh Rawod district, located in Uruzgon Province, just over 100 km north of Kandahar. Local ...
PRT IMPROVES IRRIGATION IN KUNAR AFGHANISTAN.
Jan 01, 2009 ... KABUL, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The Konar Provincial Reconstruction Team is working with Afghans in Manawara District to restore an irrigation system that fell into disrepair during decades of war in Afghanistan. The ancient Karez system consists of 12 wells and numerous aqueducts ...
FIRE GUTS NIGHTCLUB IN BANGKOK ON NEW YEAR'S DAY, 59 DEAD.
Jan 01, 2009 ... BANGKOK, Thailand, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - A fire swept through a high-class nightclub packed with New Year's revellers early on Thursday, killing at least 59 people and injuring about 130, officials in Bangkok said. A number of foreigners were among the casualties from the blaze ...
CHINA ECONOMY FACES RISK OF DEFLATION IN 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... Beijing, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - China's economy has demonstrated a downward turn, facing a risk of deflation, aid a research report issued by Guohai Securities published on December 31. According to the report, China would face a stern situation of export in the coming year. The ...
EXPORT REBATE RISES TO HELP EASE DIFFICULTIES OF CHINESE ENTERPRISES.
Jan 01, 2009 ... BEIJING, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - China's recent rises of export rebates will help enterprises ease difficult operation of enterprises, said a research report issued by Guohai Securities published on December 31. China will increase the export tax rebates for some machinery products ...
CHINESE CURRENCY THE YUAN TO REMAIN STABLE.
Jan 01, 2009 ... BEIJING, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The Chinese government has called for stabilizing the Renminbi (RMB) exchange rate at a reasonable and balanced level, said Zhang Bin, associate research fellow of the World Economy Institution under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). ...
LG INVESTS US$146.6 MLN TO CHINA'S CELL PHONE MARKET IN 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... BEIJING, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Korean-based LG Mobile announced Tuesday that it would invest 1 billion yuan (US$146.6 million) in China's cell phone market in 2009, which would be the largest yearly investment amount it injects in China, Beijing Times reported. According to Jin ...
CHINA AUTO EXPORT IN SHARP DECLINE FOR FOUR CONSECUTIVE MONTHS.
Jan 01, 2009 ... BEIJING, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - China's auto export witnessed a sharp decline for four straight months from August to November of 2008 amid the global financial crisis and economic downturn. Chinese automakers sold 613,000 vehicles on the overseas market in 2007, up 79 per cent on ...
CHINA'S 09 UNLOCKED NON-TRADE SHARES TO BE 4 TIMES HIGHER: DATA.
Jan 01, 2009 ... BEIJING, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Data shows that the scale of China's unlocked non-tradable shares in 2009 will be four times larger than 2008, Jan 1 with 689.772 billion such shares to be unlocked in 2009. Rough estimations put the capitalization of the shares at some 3.5 trillion ...
CHINA EVERBRIGHT BANK GRANTS US$47 MLN CREDIT TO GEELY.
Jan 01, 2009 ... BEIJING, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - China Everbright Bank provided on December 31 one billon yuan credit (US$147 million) loan to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group to support the latter's development. According to an agreement, Geely will use 250 million yuan as medium term floating capital, ...
S. KOREA'S INDUSTRIAL EXPORT SHIPMENTS PLUNGE IN NOV.
Jan 01, 2009 ... SEOUL, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's industrial shipments for exports plunged in November as overseas demand was sharply dented amid deepening global recession woes, the government said Thursday. The National Statistical Office (NSO) said that the industrial shipment index ...
CHINA CALLS FOR PURCHASE TAX CUT ON MOTORCYCLES TO UP SALES.
Jan 01, 2009 ... BEIJING, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Many Chinese motorcycle manufacturers and industrial guilds have put forward suggestions for cut purchase tax on the motorcycle purchase tax for boosting market sales. They called for including the purchase tax cut into the pending auto industry ...
CHINA'S MACROECONOMIC PRE-WARNING INDEX HITS 7Y LOW, NBS.
Jan 01, 2009 ... BEIJING, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - China's macroeconomic pre-warning index reached 84.7 in November, the lowest since 2002 but still in the "green light" area, which means stable, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. The index kept on falling since April 2008 and has come to ...
N. KOREA VOWS TO DENUCLEARIZE PENINSULA, REBUILD ECONOMY IN 09.
Jan 01, 2009 ... SEOUL, Jan. 1 Asia Pulse - North Korea said Thursday that it will rebuild its ailing economy and aim for denuclearization in the New Year, in an apparent signal of its willingness to start afresh with the United States. In a joint newspaper editorial that summed up policy goals ...
DECREASE IN CHINA FOREX RESERVE NOT NECESSARILY A CHALLENGE.
Jan 01, 2009 ... BEIJING, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - China Jianyin Investment Securities published a research report on December 31, saying the decrease of China's forex reserve is not necessarily a challenge. Officials of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) disclosed that China's forex ...
CENTRAL PARITY RATE OF YUAN TO GBP LESS THAN 10 FOR 2 DAYS, WED.
Jan 01, 2009 ... BEIJING, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - China's Central parity rate of yuan against the Great British pound (GBP) is set at 9.8798 on Wednesday from 9.8975 on Tuesday, posting the exchange rate falling below the 10 mark for two trading days. The appreciation of yuan against GBP reflects the ...
S KOREAN GOV'T TO SUPPORT OS MARKETING IN H1 TO BUOY EXPORTS.
Jan 01, 2009 ... SEOUL, Jan. 1 Asia Pulse - The South Korean government said Thursday it will spend 100 billion won (US$76.3 million) on overseas marketing support efforts until June to help boost South Korean exports. The amount represents more than 70 per cent of the 140 billion won in state ...
SRI LANKANS SAFE TO DEAL WITH SEYLAN, REGULATED SECTOR: CB GOV.
Jan 01, 2009 ... COLOMBO, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - There is no danger in dealing with Sri Lanka's regulated financial sector and authorities have acted swiftly to build confidence in Seylan Bank by bringing it under a state-bank, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said. The central bank dissolved ...
SRI LANKA'S FOREIGN COMMERCIAL DEBT DOWN: CENTRAL BANK.
Jan 01, 2009 ... COLOMBO, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Sri Lanka's central bank has said the government's external commercial net debt liabilities stock has declined by about US$255 million during the year 2008 substantially reducing its exposure to foreign exchange risk. It said in a statement that ...
S KOREAN GOV'T TO INJECT FUNDS INTO CORPORATE RELOCATION IN 09.
Jan 01, 2009 ... SEOUL, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The South Korean government said Thursday that it has set aside 87.0 billion won (US$66.4 million) this year to support balanced national growth by helping companies relocate their operations to rural areas. The amount is double the 43.4 billion won ...
ASIANET DAILY SUMMARY - JAN 1, 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... AsiaNet Daily Summary - Press Releases for Wednesday Jan 1, 2009 SYDNEY, Jan 1 /AsiaNet/ -- FANNIE MAE ... WASHINGTON, D.C.: Fannie Mae will redeem the principal amount of MTN securities issues amounting to a total of US$200 million on January 10 2009, ...
BANK INDONESIA EXPECTS INFLATION TO DROP, CAN CUT RATE.
Jan 01, 2009 ... JAKARTA, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Bank Indonesia (BI) expects the country's inflation rate to drop so that the central bank will be able to cut its key rate. "We hope inflation can be controlled and drop but how low it will go, let us just wait and see," BI Governor Boediono said ...
INDONESIA'S CARRIER GARUDA TO OPEN 18 NEW ROUTES IN 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... JAKARTA, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia is planning to open 18 new flight routes in 2009 after the arrival of 14 new Boeing 737 NGs it has purchsed, a spokesman said. Garuda Communications Chief Officer Purjobroto told a year-end press conference here ...
INDONESIA ACHIEVES RICE SELF-SUFFICIENCY.
Jan 01, 2009 ... MAKASSAR, S Sulawesi, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Vice President Jusuf Kalla said Indonesia would not import rice in 2009 because its rice production target has been achieved. "We will not import rice because we have a production surplus of two million tons from South Sulawesi as well as ...
INDONESIA UPSET BY MALAYSIAN GOVT'S STANCE ON ILLEGAL LOGGING.
Jan 01, 2009 ... DEPOK, W Java, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Indonesia's Forestry Minister, MS Kaban expressed disappointment over Malaysian officials' attitude on the practice of illegal logging in Indonesia. "Although they know that wood coming to Malaysia from Indonesia was sent using fake documents, ...
ADVISORY - CHINESE MARKETS CLOSED - JAN 1, 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... SHANGHAI, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The Chinese stock markets are ...
ADVISORY - HONG KONG MARKETS CLOSED - JAN 1, 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... HONG KONG, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The Hong Kong markets are ...
ADVISORY - AUSTRALIAN MARKETS CLOSED - JAN 1, 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... Australia, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian markets are ...
ADVISORY - MALYSIAN MARKETS CLOSED - JAN 1, 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The Malaysian markets are ...
ADVISORY - INDONESIAN MARKETS CLOSED - JAN 1, 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... JAKARTA, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The Indonesian markets are ...
ADVISORY - SOUTH KOREAN MARKETS CLOSED - JAN 1, 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... SEOUL, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The South Korean markets are ...
ADVISORY - THAILAND MARKETS CLOSED - JAN 1, 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... BANGKOK, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The Thai markets are closed ...
ADVISORY - SINGAPORE MARKETS CLOSED - JAN 1, 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... SINGAPORE, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The Singapore markets are ...
CORR: ADVISORY - MALAYSIAN MARKETS CLOSED - JAN 1, 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The Malaysian markets are ...
ADVISORY - PHILIPPINES MARKETS CLOSED - JAN 1, 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... MANILA, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The Philippines markets are ...
ADVISORY - TAIWAN MARKETS CLOSED - JAN 1, 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The Taiwan markets are closed today for ...
THOUSANDS OF TOURISTS ARRIVE IN BALI DURING YEAR-END HOLIDAYS.
Jan 01, 2009 ... KUTA, Bali, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - As many as 131,075 foreign tourists arrived at Bali's Ngurah Rai international airport by domestic and international flights since December 22 to 30, 2008. The number is higher than last year's record of 125,000 tourists during the same period. ...
INDONESIAN OIL LIFTED IN 2008 REACHES 931,000 BPD.
Jan 01, 2009 ... JAKARTA, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - The lifting of crude oil and oil condensate ij Indonesia reached 931,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2008 or 4,000 barrels per day more than the 927,000 bpd set in the 2008 amended state budget, a minister said. Energy and Mineral Resources Minister ...
BR INDONESIA TARGETS 20% GROWTH IN CORPORATE CREDITS IN 2009.
Jan 01, 2009 ... JAKARTA, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) is targeting a 20 per cent growth in its corporate credits in 2009, the bank's corporate director, Sudaryanto Sudargo, said here Wednesday. "I am sure our corporate credits will grow by 20 per cent in 2009 on account of the ...
INDONESIAN CARRIER GARUDA HOPES TO FLY EUROPE ROUTE AGAIN IN 2010.
Jan 01, 2009 ... JAKARTA, Jan 1 Asia Pulse - National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia is planning to open flight route to Europe through the Netherlands in 2010 if the European Commission lifts its ban on Indonesian airplanes from flying in its airspace next year. "We predict that we will be able ...