AsiaPulse News articles from April 2006

AsiaPulse News archives from April 2006

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS STEADY - APRIL 3, 2006.
April 3, 2006... SYDNEY, April 3 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar opened the week almost unchanged, despite the US dollar wavering against the yen and euro over the weekend. The release of a Japanese business sentiment survey will be the focus for the...

QANTAS MAINTENANCE WORKERS TAKE GRIEVANCES TO COMMISSION.
April 3, 2006... SYDNEY, April 3 Asia Pulse - Qantas (ASX:QAN) maintenance workers are taking the national carrier to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) over the airline's move to service jets overseas. Qantas angered the workers earlier...

NUMBER OF AUSTRALIAN INTERNET JOBS ADS REACHES RECORD HIGH.
April 3, 2006... SYDNEY, April 3 Asia Pulse - The number of jobs advertised on the internet has hit a record high on the back of a continuing skills shortage, a new survey shows. The Olivier Internet Jobs Index rose 6.42 per cent in March, seasonally...

PACIFIC EQUITY BUYS NZ SNACK FOODS BUSINESS.
April 3, 2006... SYDNEY, April 3 Asia Pulse - Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) has bought New Zealand snack foods business Griffin's Foods Ltd from French food giant Danone Asia Pte Ltd. The Australian buyout firm today said with a net sales revenue of $NZ176...

SEMICONDUCTOR INSIGHTS EXPANDS IN JAPAN.
April 3, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) TOKYO-(BUSINESS WIRE)-April 3, 2006-Semiconductor Insights (SI), the leader in technical and patent analyses of integrated circuits and electronic systems, today announced an increased...

HYUNDAI ENGINEERING LIKELY TO END DEBT WORKOUT.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co., South Korea's largest builder, is likely to end its debt workout program this month, a creditor bank official said Sunday. Hyundai Engineering went under creditor...

HYUNDAI MOTOR CHAIRMAN LEAVES FOR U.S. AMID LOBBYING SCANDAL.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - Chung Mong-koo, chairman of South Korea's largest automaker Hyundai Motor Co., abruptly left for the United States on Sunday as the prosecution expanded its investigation into a major lobbying scandal involving South...

S KOREAN ACTING PREMIER PREDICTS 6PCT ECONOMIC GROWTH.
April 3, 2006... YANGPYEONG, South Korea, April 3 Asia Pulse - Acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Sunday the country's economy will grow about 6 per cent in the first quarter of this year, despite some uncertainties. "Acceleration in domestic...

SEOUL WANTS FTA TALKS WITH LATIN AMERICAN, CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea wants to forge free trade agreements (FTA) with other Latin American and Caribbean countries following one with Chile, the country's vice finance minister said Sunday. "Korea intends to support...

SEOUL TO EASE REGULATIONS ON WON CONVERSION OVERSEAS.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea plans to ease regulations on conversion of its currency in other countries as part of its efforts for currency liberalization, the Finance Ministry said Sunday. The South Korean plan will allow...

SOUTH KOREA'S BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION SLOWS IN 2006.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea implemented 27.5 trillion won (US$28.24 billion) of its budget in the first two months of the year, equivalent to 55.6 per cent of the budget earmarked for the first quarter of the year, the Budget...

S. KOREAN OVERSEAS CONSTRUCTION ORDERS QUADRUPLE IN Q1.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - Overseas construction orders won by South Korean builders more than quadrupled in the first quarter, boosted by brisk demand from emerging markets, a government report showed Sunday. Domestic construction...

S. KOREAN SHIPBUILDERS NOTCH UP BRISK ORDERS IN FIRST QUARTER.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - South Korean shipbuilders racked up large overseas orders in the first quarter, leaving them on course to far exceed yearly targets, industry sources said Sunday. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., the world's largest...

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - APRIL 3, 2006.
April 3, 2006... SYDNEY, April 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE AGE - Fernando Alonso has won the Australian Grand Prix; Wills do not necessarily deliver a quick-rich solution, economists have shown; A two-year-old broke his elbow...

INDIAN DESIGNERS TO SHOWCASE THEIR COLLECTIONS IN DUBAI.
April 3, 2006... DUBAI, April 3 Asia Pulse - Indian designers will showcase their exclusive collections of traditional bridal and formal attire at the ninth edition of the Bride Show Dubai 2006 to be held here from April 4 to 7. Leading name of the Indian...

BOMBAY SENSEX SOARS BY 3.01 PCT TO NEW PEAKS, BEATS DOW.
April 3, 2006... MUMBAI, April 3 Asia Pulse - Well supported by sound fundamentals on the back of fast growing Indian economy, the stock market remained upbeat and went on a record-setting spree, soaring by a whopping 3.01 per cent last week while it also beat...

S. KOREA'S CURRENT ACCOUNT MAY FALL BELOW US$10BLN.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea's current account balance may fall short of its target of US$15 billion this year due to an increase in imports, a senior government official said Monday. The country's current account balance swung...

US ENERGY GIANTS KEEN ON INDIAN ENERGY EXPLORATION : MINISTER.
April 3, 2006... HOUSTON, April 3 Asia Pulse - Spurred by India's success in oil and gas exploration coupled with its New Exploration Licensing Policy, global oil giants including Exxon-Mobil and Chevron, have shown "massive" interest in investing in the...

DUBAI CHAMBER SIGNS MOU TO ENHANCE INDO-UAE TRADE TIES.
April 3, 2006... DUBAI, April 3 Asia Pulse - The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BNCCI) aimed at enhancing trade ties and exchange of expertise...

S. KOREAN CONSUMER PRICE GAIN DECELERATES IN MARCH.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea's gain in consumer prices slowed down in March, as a fall in prices of agricultural products offset a rise in service charges and oil prices, a government report showed Monday. Consumer prices in...

SOUTH KOREA'S EXPORTS RISE 12.9PCT IN MARCH.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's exports climbed 12.9 per cent from a year ago in March on high overseas demand for cars, auto parts and semiconductors, a government report said Saturday. Customs-cleared exports reached a monthly...

MICROSOFT, UTTAR PRADESH GOVT TO PROMOTE IT, E-GOVERNANCE.
April 3, 2006... LUCKNOW, April 3 Asia Pulse - Software giant Microsoft Corporation (India) on Saturday entered into a multi-pronged partnership with the Uttar Pradesh government to promote e-governance and improve IT literacy in the state. The strategic...

INDIA, OTHER S ASIAN NATIONS MAINTAINED GROWTH MOMENTUM IN 05.
April 3, 2006... NEW YORK, April 3 Asia Pulse - Aided by normal monsoon as well as structural changes and reforms, India and other South Asian countries were able to maintain their growth momentum last year despite rising oil prices. On the basis of...

SHINHAN-CHOHUNG MERGED BANK LAUNCHED IN S. KOREA.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - The merged bank between Shinhan and Chohung, two units of Shinhan Financial Group Co., was launched Saturday, with its new chief promising to lead South Korea's financial market. Shinhan Financial Group, the...

S. KOREA'S EXPORTS RISE 12.9 PCT IN MARCH.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea's exports climbed 12.9 per cent from a year earlier in March on high demand for cars, auto parts and semiconductors, a government report said Saturday. Exports reached US$27.04 billion last month, up...

SEOUL SHARES LIKELY TO REMAIN POSITIVE ON EASED EARNINGS WOES.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea's shares are expected to either move in a tight range or go upward this week, as investor concerns over corporate first-quarter earnings have eased, analysts said Saturday. "Most investor worries...

TAIWAN EARMARKS US$308 MLN TO BOOST LOCAL SPECIALTY INDUSTRIES.
April 3, 2006... TAIPEI, April 3 Asia Pulse - The Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) has earmarked NT$10 billion (US$308 million) as loans for people interested in engaging in businesses related to local characteristics, officials said Friday....

GOV'T PLAYS KEY ROLE IN TAIWAN'S ICT DEVELOPMENT: ECONOMISTS.
April 3, 2006... TAIPEI, April 3 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's government has played a core role in the island's transition from a poor agricultural society into one of the world's leading producers of information and communication technology (ICT) products, according...

TAIWAN'S COMPUTER SECURITY SOFTWARE MARKET GROWS SLOWLY.
April 3, 2006... TAIPEI, April 3 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's computer security software market posted total sales of US$24.59 million in the second half of 2005, up approximately 4 per cent from the first half of that year, according to a report released Friday by...

TAIWAN WANTS TO SIGN FTA WITH US BY NEXT JUNE: DEPUTY ENVOY.
April 3, 2006... WASHINGTON, April 3 Asia Pulse - Taiwan looks forward to signing a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States before the expiration of the U.S. Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) next June, Taiwan's deputy representative in Washington, D.C....

PPC WORLDWIDE ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF INDIA OPERATIONS.
April 3, 2006... BANGALORE, April 3 Asia Pulse - US-based PPC WorldWide, which provides counselling and support to workers, launched its India operations on Friday . EAP services include 24x7 counselling and support through telephone helpline and...

CANADA SEEKS TO STRENGTHEN TIES WITH INDIA.
April 3, 2006... TORONTO, April 1 Asia Pulse - Expressing Canada's commitment to strengthen ties with India, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the two countries need to work harder to realise the full potential of the bilateral relationship. "As Canada...

US-BASED GLENROCK GROUP INVESTS US$4 MLN IN INDIA'S PANGEA3.
April 3, 2006... MUMBAI, April 3 Asia Pulse - US-based strategic investment and advisory firm, the GlenRock Group LLC has pumped US$4 million into legal outsourcing and patent support service provider Pangea3. The funding would be used for the company's...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN STOCKS OPEN STEADY - APRIL 3, 2006.
April 3, 2006... SYDNEY, April 3 Asia Pulse - The Australian share market has barely moved at the open, hovering just below record intraday highs, with mixed trading across the major sectors. The bourse shrugged off a negative lead from Wall Street, with...

INDIA'S INFLATION RATE FALLS TO 4.06 PCT.
April 3, 2006... NEW DELHI, April 3 Asia Pulse - India's inflation rate has slowed to 4.06 per cent for the week ended March 18 from 4.28 per cent in the previous week and 5.45 per cent in the year ago period. The decline in wholesale price rise was mainly...

INDIA SHOWCASES 55 EXPLORATION BLOCKS IN HOUSTON.
April 3, 2006... HOUSTON, April 3 Asia Pulse - Intensifying its efforts to attract investment for its oil and gas exploration ventures, India has launched a road show in Houston, the oil capital of the world, showcasing 55 exploration blocks. The 55 blocks...

STOCKS - TOKYO SHARES OPEN HIGHER - APRIL 3, 2006.
April 3, 2006... TOKYO, April 3 Asia Pulse - Tokyo share prices opened modestly higher Monday, with the benchmark Nikkei-225 index rising 67.95 points or 0.40 per cent to 17,127.61 in early trade. ASIA PULSE 03-04 1054

SOUTH KOREAN TOBACCO GIANT KT&G'S EXPORTS RISE IN Q1.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea's tobacco monopoly KT&G Corp. (KSE:033780) showed brisk exports to Central Asia and the Middle East in the first quarter of the year due to high overseas demand for its ultra slim brand Esse, the company...

CANADA SEEKS TO STRENGTHEN TIES WITH INDIA.
April 3, 2006... Repeating to correct date. TORONTO, April 3 Asia Pulse - Expressing Canada's commitment to strengthen ties with India, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the two countries need to work harder to realise the full potential of the bilateral...

TAIWAN TO DEVELOP TECHNOLOGY TO PRODUCE ELECTRICITY WITH BIOGAS.
April 3, 2006... TAIPEI, April 3 Asia Pulse - The government has drawn up a plan to develop technology for producing electricity with biogas by 2008, according to a report by the Council for Economic Planning and Development under the Executive Yuan. The...

DIRECT EXPORTS FROM TAIWAN GAIN 2.08% SHARE OF US MARKET IN 2005.
April 3, 2006... TAIPEI, April 3 Asia Pulse - Direct exports from Taiwan gained a 2.08 per cent share of the U.S. market in 2005, down 0.28 percentage points over the previous year, according to the latest tallies released by the Directorate General of Budget,...

PUMA AIMS FOR NUMBER 3 SLOT IN INDIA, TO OPEN EXCLUSIVE STORES.
April 3, 2006... MUMBAI, April 3 Asia Pulse - Aiming to position itself as the number three brand in sportslifestyle sector in the Indian market, German company Puma on Friday said it would open exclusive stores in the country starting from the second quarter...

INDIA, SINGAPORE REVIEW ECONOMIC COOPERATION AGREEMENT.
April 3, 2006... NEW DELHI, April 3 Asia Pulse - India and Singapore on Friday began a review of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) with a view to sort out various implementation issues and enhance two-way trade and investment flows. ...

BANK OF KOREA SHOULD MAKE BOLD RATE DECISION IF NEEDED: NEW HEAD.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea's central bank should make a bold move in its monetary policy if such a step is required, the bank's new chief said Monday. "Sometimes, the Bank of Korea should make bold decisions in its monetary...

RELIANCE PORTS TO DEVELOP ADDITIONAL PORT INFRASTRUCTURE.
April 3, 2006... JAMNAGAR, April 3 Asia Pulse - Reliance Ports and Terminals Ltd (RPTL) plans to develop additional port infrastructure to receive very large crude carriers to feed Reliance Industries' (BSE:5003235) upcoming Rs 270 billion (US$6.05 bln)...

US ENERGY MAJORS SHOW KEEN INTEREST IN INDIAN ENERGY SECTOR.
April 3, 2006... NEW DELHI, April 3 Asia Pulse - More than 70 global energy firms including ExxonMobil, Chevron Texaco, Conoco Phillip, BHP and Shell lined up in Houston to have a sneak preview of India's latest offering of oil and gas blocks under the New...

SOUTH KOREAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - APRIL 3, 2006.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: Vernacular dailies: - Hyundai Motor (KSE:005380) chairman makes sudden departure for U.S. (KYUNGHYANG SHINMUN) - Special favors to avoid military service prevail (KUKMIN...

SOUTH KOREAN AIR FORCE TO PICK, TRAIN COUNTRY'S 1ST ASTRONAUT.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea's first astronaut, scheduled to be put into orbit in 2008, will be selected and trained by the air force, military officials said Saturday. The air force's Aerospace Medical Center will be responsible...

LONE STAR PROBE UNLIKELY TO HIT FOREIGN INVESTMENT: S.KOREAN MIN.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - The investigation by the state prosecutors office against alleged illegal activities by U.S. buyout fund Lone Star is not likely to have a detrimental effect on foreign investment here, Minster of Commerce, Industry...

BHARTI SHIPYARD BAGS US$90 MLN EXPORT ORDER FROM FRENCH CO.
April 3, 2006... MUMBAI, April 3 Asia Pulse - Bharti Shipyard Limited on Friday said it has bagged a Rs 4 billion (US$89.6 million) contract from France-based Bourbon Supply Investissements for the export of five Supply Vessels. The contract involves...

OPENING OF CAT LOGISTICS FACILITY IN CHINA.
April 3, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) SHANGHAI, March 31 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) subsidiary Caterpillar Logistics Services, Inc. (Cat Logistics) has opened a new parts distribution center in the...

INI POWER SYSTEMS ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF JAPANESE WEBSITE.
April 3, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) CARY, NC., April 3 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - In response to increasing interest from its clients and suppliers in Japan, INI is pleased to announce the launch of its Japanese website. The...

CONSORTIUM INCLUDING GAIL INDIA WINS OIL, GAS BLOCK IN OMAN.
April 3, 2006... NEW DELHI, April 3 Asia Pulse - A consortium consisting of state run gas utility GAIL (India) Ltd (BSE:532155), Oilex of Australia, Videocon (BSE:511389) and state refiners Hindustan Petroleum (BSE:500104) and Bharat Petroleum (BSE:500547) have...

ELEMENT SIX ACQUIRES MANUFACTURING PLANT IN UKRAINE.
April 3, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) SHANNON, March 31 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - Element Six Abrasives announced today the acquisition of a majority of the shareholding of OJSC "Poltava Diamond Plant", a Ukrainian diamond...

AFGHANISTAN EYES MEMBERSHIP OF EUROPEAN SECURITY GROUP.
April 3, 2006... KABUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - The visit of Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht on Friday to Afghanistan has refreshed hopes for the country's membership in the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), one of the world's...

AFGHANISTAN'S PER CAPITA INCOME SET TO REACH US$335 THIS YEAR.
April 3, 2006... KABUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - Per capita income in Afghanistan is likely to reach US$335 by the end of the current fiscal year, recording an expected increase of US$42 as compared to the last year. This was stated by head of the Afghanistan...

AFGHAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES STRUCTURE OF NEW CABINET.
April 3, 2006... KABUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - Taking a step forward after days of wrangling, the parliament Saturday approved the structure of the 25 member cabinet paving way for the next crucial step - the vote of confidence for each minister. The...

INDIA'S EXTERNAL DEBT FALLS TO US$119.2 BLN.
April 3, 2006... NEW DELHI, April 3 Asia Pulse - India's external debt declined by US$5 billion to US$119.2 billion at the end of December 2005 from the previous quarter ending September following the redemption of India Millennium Deposits (IMD). The four...

CHICHIN ISLAND SET TO BECOME MAJOR TOURIST RESORT IN KAOHSIUNG.
April 3, 2006... KAOHSIUNG, April 3 Asia Pulse - The Kaohsiung city government announced a plan Friday to turn Chichin Island -- situated just west of Kaohsiung Harbor -- into a major tourist resort. Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Cheng Wen-lung said the city...

INDIA'S TORRENT PHARMA FILES 4 ANDAs, 3 DMFs WITH USFDA.
April 3, 2006... MUMBAI, April 3 Asia Pulse - Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BSE:500420) on Friday said it has filed four Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDA) and three Drug Master Files (DMF) with the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) as...

MINISTER INVITES FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN AFGHANISTAN.
April 3, 2006... KABUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - Commerce Minister Hedayat Amin Arsala said on Saturday that Afghanistan had an important geo-economic position in the region, but that economic development and reconstruction needed foreign investment and...

IOC BOARD GIVES NOD FOR 15 MT REFINERY COMPLEX IN ORISSA.
April 3, 2006... NEW DELHI, April 3 Asia Pulse - The Board of Indian Oil Corp (BSE:530965), the country's largest oil firm, has approved setting up of a 15 million tonnes refinery-cum-petrochemical complex at Paradip in Orissa. The project, consisting of a...

JAPAN EXTENDS US$1.3 BLN ODA TO INDIA.
April 3, 2006... NEW DELHI, April 3 Asia Pulse - Japan on Friday agreed to extend about Rs 59.10 billion (US$1.3 billion) as Official Development Assistance for financial year 2005-06, to fund various projects in diverse sectors. The ODA, the largest soft...

S. KOREA'S LARGER FIRMS TO INCREASE RECRUITMENT IN H1: POLL.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea's job seekers may look forward to a brighter future as a majority of the country's larger companies are expected to boost recruitment in the first half of the year, an industry survey showed Monday. ...

MERCHANT MEDAL WINNER JOINS THIRD WAVE SYSTEMS.
April 3, 2006... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., April 3 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Third Wave Systems (TWS) is pleased to announce that Dr. David A. Stephenson will be joining the Company as Vice President of...

PAKISTAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MARCH 31, 2006.
April 3, 2006... ISLAMABAD, March 31 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: DAWN: - United Nations Security Council gives Iran 30 days to halt enrichment - Economy will shift from agriculture to industry - Aziz (Premier) sees US$3...

INTENSIVE CARE CALLS ON NEW ZEALANDERS FOR VITAL SUPPORT.
April 3, 2006... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) AUCKLAND, April 3/MediaNet International-AsiaNet/ -- Annual Intensive Care Appeal 2nd- 16th April 2006: The Intensive Care Foundation is urging the New Zealand public to "band together"...

RESEARCH SHOWS RE-MISSION VIDEO GAME BENEFITS YOUNG PEOPLE WITH CANCER.
April 3, 2006... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) PALO ALTO, Calif., April 2 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- HopeLab today announced the release of Re-Mission(TM), the first video game scientifically shown to improve health-related outcomes for...

AUSTRALIA, CHINA SIGN NUCLEAR SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT.
April 3, 2006... CANBERRA, April 3 Asia Pulse - China will only use Australian uranium for peaceful purposes, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao says. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer today signed two agreements with China's Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing on...

SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS COMPLETES PURCHASE OF BAE SYSTEMS AEROSTRUCTURES UNIT.(Company overview)
April 3, 2006... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) WICHITA, Kansas, April 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Spirit AeroSystems, Inc., today announced that it has completed the purchase of BAE Systems Aerostructures business unit located in...

MAURITIUS TO INCREASE TRADE TIES WITH PAKISTAN.
April 3, 2006... KARACHI, April 3 Asia Pulse - Chief Executive of State Trading Corporation of Mauritius Ranjit Singh Soomarooh held a meeting with Chairman Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) Asif Zaman Ansari at the TCP on March 31. The two sides held...

RICOH ESTABLISHES SUBSIDIARY RICOH ELECTRONIC DEVICES KOREA.
April 3, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) TOKYO, April 3/KYODO JBN-AsiaNet/- Ricoh Company, Ltd. (President and CEO : Masamitsu Sakurai) announces the establishment of a local subsidiary, Ricoh Electronic Devices Korea Co., Ltd....

S. KOREAN FIRMS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT BIZ CONDITIONS IN APRIL: SURVEY.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - A majority of South Korean companies remain optimistic about their business conditions in April, adding to evidence that the South Korean economy, Asia's fourth-largest, is on a recovery track, the Federation of...

MALAYSIAN PM TABLES 9TH PLAN OUTLINING FIVE KEY THRUSTS.
April 3, 2006... KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 Asia Pulse - As the first five-year blueprint of the National Mission towards becoming a developed nation by 2020, the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) has outlined five key thrusts in achieving the aspiration. The 9MP...

DAEWOO SHIPBUILDING DELIVERS REVAMPED SUBMARINE TO INDONESIA.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. (KSE:042660), the world's No. 2 shipbuilder, said Monday it has delivered a revamped submarine to Indonesia, becoming the nation's first company to conduct an overseas...

HK FIRM TO DEVELOP MINERALOGY IRON ORE DEPOSIT.
April 3, 2006... PERTH, April 3 Asia Pulse - A Hong Kong-based company has agreed to pay up to $US2.47 billion ($A3.46 billion) to develop private company Mineralogy's iron ore deposit in Western Australia's Pilbara region. The deal includes an agreement...

CHINA TO SHIFT SERICULTURE SECTOR FROM EAST TO WEST.
April 3, 2006... NANNING, April 3 Asia Pulse - China's Ministry of Commerce has recently launched the project to move the sericulture sector from the east to the west, according to a national meeting on cocoon silk held recently in Nanning, capital of southwest...

S. KOREA STILL FINDS CANCER-CAUSING CHEMICAL IN CHINESE FISH.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - The carcinogenic chemical malachite green is still being found in imported fish from China despite stricter regulations to safeguard consumers, government officials said Monday. According to the Ministry of...

WEAKER AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR BOOSTS MANUFACTURING SECTOR IN MARCH.
April 3, 2006... SYDNEY, April 3 Asia Pulse - A weaker Australian dollar and rise in exports and new orders boosted activity in the nation's manufacturing sector in March, a survey found. The Australian Industry Group (Ai Group)-PricewaterhouseCoopers...

SAMSUNG FIRE & MARINE TO SELL PRODUCTS THROUGH RETAILER E-MART.
April 3, 2006... SEOUL, April 3 Asia Pulse - Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co. (KSE:000810), South Korea's largest non-life insurer, will begin sales of its services through retailer E-Mart this week, the local retail giant said Monday. Samsung will...

SHANGHAI-HANGZHOU MAGLEV RAILWAY PJT SET TO START THIS YEAR.
April 3, 2006... SHANGHAI, April 3 Asia Pulse - Approved by the State Council, China's cabinet, the Shanghai-Hangzhou maglev railway project will enter the period for feasibility study and cooperation negotiation. If conditions are ripe, work on construction of...

AUSTRALIA'S TRADE DEFICIT SHRINKS IN FEB WITH LIFT IN EXPORTS.
April 3, 2006... SYDNEY, April 3 Asia Pulse - Australia's trade deficit looks to be shrinking following the arrival of a long-awaited lift in exports, economists said. The Australian balance on goods and services was a deficit of $A595 million ($US425.34...

INDONESIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - APRIL 3, 2006.
April 3, 2006... JAKARTA, April 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: KOMPAS - Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto pledged to speed up work to repair badly battered northern Java highway. - Indonesia and Australia are facing a...

JAPANESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - APRIL 3, 2006.
April 3, 2006... TOKYO, April 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: NIKKEI NET: - Business confidence among large manufacturers marginally declined in the three months through March as many companies were unable to pass higher raw materials...