AsiaPulse News articles from April 2007

AsiaPulse News archives from April 2007

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS STRONGER - APRIL 2, 2007.
April 2, 2007... SYDNEY, April 2 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar opened stronger at the key 81 US cent level, as new US tariffs on Chinese coated paper sparked worries of a trade war. At 0700 AEST, the domestic unit was trading at $US0.8100 05, up from...

ASIA PACIFIC CARRIERS FORECAST TIGHTER MARGINS.
April 2, 2007... SYDNEY, April 2 Asia Pulse - Asia Pacific carriers are likely to earn less in the next two years due to higher costs and growing global competition, according to an industry group. The predicted drop in profits was attributed to growing...

WASHINGTON H SOUL PATTINSON MAY SELL TV SUBSIDIARY.
April 2, 2007... SYDNEY, April 2 Asia Pulse - Washington H Soul Pattinson (ASX:SOL) may sell its regional television subsidiary NBN TV after the company said it had been in unofficial talks with parties about potential deals. Chairman of Washington H Soul...

AUSTRALIAN BONDS OPEN STEADY - APRIL 2, 2007.
April 2, 2007... SYDNEY, April 2 Asia Pulse - Australian bonds opened little changed as worries of a China-US trade war neutralised higher than expected US inflation data. At 0900 AEST, the yield on the Commonwealth Government February 2017 bond was...

TSUNAMI WARNING ISSUE FOR AUSTRALIA AFTER SOLOMONS QUAKE.
April 2, 2007... BRISBANE, April 2 Asia Pulse - A tsunami warning has been issued for Queensland's Barrier Reef Islands and Willis Island in the Coral Sea after a strong earthquake off the Solomon Islands. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii said a...

S. KOREAN BUSINESS SENTIMENT FOR APRIL HITS FIVE-MONTH HIGH.
April 2, 2007... SEOUL, April 2 Asia Pulse - South Korean manufacturers' business sentiment rose to a five-month high for April as oil refiners and communication equipment manufacturers had a brighter outlook for the upcoming month, the nation's central bank...

SOUTH KOREA-U.S. FTA TALKS GO PAST EXTENDED DEADLINE.
April 2, 2007... SEOUL, April 2 Asia Pulse - Top-level officials from South Korea and the United States struggled Monday to come up with major compromises in their final stage of negotiations on a proposed free trade agreement (FTA), with the deadline for the...

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS LAUNCHES NEW CHIP PRODUCTION LINE.
April 2, 2007... SUZHOU, China, April 2 Asia Pulse - Samsung Electronics Co., South Korea's leading chipmaker, said Sunday that its new chip assembly production line here will start operations in the second quarter of the year. The world's No.2...

SOUTH KOREA PERMITS CHEAPER NON-WIFI HANDSETS ON THE MARKET.
April 2, 2007... SEOUL, April 2 Asia Pulse - South Korea said Sunday it has decided to ease a regulation that obliges local mobile phone makers to install a homegrown wireless Internet-mobilizing program in all their handsets, raising the possibility of cheaper...

LG.PHILIPS' NEW LCD MODULE PLANT BEGINS OPERATIONS IN POLAND.
April 2, 2007... SEOUL, April 2 Asia Pulse - The LG. Philips LCD Co., the world's second-largest flat panel maker, said Sunday that its new plant in Poland had begun full-scale operations, consolidating a foothold in European markets. Located in...

POSCO TO RAISE PRICE OF STEEL PLATE, OTHER PRODUCTS.
April 2, 2007... SEOUL, April 2 Asia Pulse - POSCO, South Korea's leading steelmaker, said Sunday that it plans to raise the prices of some steel products beginning April 19 to reflect an increase in iron ore costs. The price of steel plates for...

STX SHIPBUILDING TARGETS US$3BLN SALES IN 2012.
April 2, 2007... DALIAN, China, April 2 Asia Pulse - South Korea's STX Shipbuilding Co., the world's seventh-largest shipbuilder, said Sunday that its shipyard to be built here will post US$3 billion in sales in 2012, similar to that of its shipyard in Jinhae,...

S. KOREAN SMALL TECH FIRM SUES U.S. CHIP MATERIAL GIANT.
April 2, 2007... SEOUL, April 2 Asia Pulse - South Korea's small tech firm Semi-Materials Co. said sunday it had filed a damage suit against a U.S. chip material-making giant for its alleged breach of supply contracts. Semi-Materials said it filed the suit...

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - APRIL 2, 2007.
April 2, 2007... SYDNEY, April 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE AGE - A devastated Ian Thorpe, desperate to salvage his reputation, will trawl through his medical records in a bid to find an explanation for his irregular drug test....

TAIWAN LAUNCHES NEW BUSINESS WEBSITE.
April 2, 2007... TAIPEI, April 2 Asia Pulse - A website called the "Business Gateway to the Pacific Islands" began operating Friday, offering the latest economic and trade information about Taiwan's six Pacific allies to Taiwanese businessmen, an official of...

TAIWAN AGENCY TAKES OVER ANOTHER TROUBLED FINANCIAL INSTITUTION.
April 2, 2007... TAIPEI, April 2 Asia Pulse - The nation's top financial regulator said he had assigned the Central Depository Insurance Corp. (CDIC) to take over the financially troubled China United Trust & Investment Corp. Hu Sheng-cheng, chairman of...

FORECAST PUTS 2007 TAIWAN TRADE SURPLUS AT US$25.13BLN.
April 2, 2007... TAIPEI, April 2 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's trade surplus this year will reach US$25.13 billion, an increase of 18.09 per cent year-on-year, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) forecast Saturday. The MOEA said the surplus would be affected by...

EXPORTS FROM TAIWAN SCIENCE PARK FALL 13.4PCT.
April 2, 2007... TAIPEI, April 2 Asia Pulse - The Hsinchu Science Park reported Saturday that exports from the park totaled NT$38.8 billion ($US1.17 million) in February, down 13.4 per cent from the previous month due to reduced working days because of the...

U.S.-KOREA TRADE PACT TO HAVE ADVERSE IMPACT ON TAIWAN: MINISTER.
April 2, 2007... TAIPEI, April 2 Asia Pulse - The imminent signing of a free trade agreement between the United States and South Korea will definitely have an adverse impact on Taiwan, which has been a major rival to South Korea in terms of industrial...

STOCKS - SEOUL SHARES START HIGHER - APRIL 2, 2007.
April 2, 2007... SEOUL, April 2 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks started higher Monday as investors picked up large-cap issues, taking a cue from Friday's gains in U.S. markets, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 7...

TAIWAN URGED TO ADDRESS NEW CHALLENGES TO ECONOMIC GROWTH.
April 2, 2007... TAIPEI, April 2 Asia Pulse - In order to ensure economic growth in the 21st century, the government needs to adopt new strategies to grapple with emerging challenges, such as graying population and degradation of the environment and the...

ESTEE LAUDER, JEAN GAULTIER READY FOR INDIA DEBUT.
April 2, 2007... NEW DELHI, April 2 Asia Pulse - Buoyed by the success of Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior among upper circuit Indian consumers, other French luxury lifestyle majors Estee Lauder Companies Inc and Jean Paul Gaultier have also announced plans to...

SIXTH INDIAN HOTEL JOINS 'WORLD'S BEST SMALL LUXURY HOTELS' LIST.
April 2, 2007... NEW DELHI, April 2 Asia Pulse - Riding high on the international hospitality wave, India has once again figured in the list of world's best small luxury hotels with Jaipur's Raj Palace becoming the sixth hotel to enter the coveted group. ...

CALL FOR JAPAN TO OPEN DOOR TO TAIWAN PORK.
April 2, 2007... TAIPEI, April 2 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's animal husbandry industry executives expressed hopes Sunday that Japan will reciprocate by opening its door to Taiwan pork exports, since Japan has been exporting many of its agricultural products in large...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN INDEX OPENS LOWER - APRIL 2, 2007.
April 2, 2007... SYDNEY, April 2 Asia Pulse - The Australian stock market opened in the red this morning, weighed down by the miners, and following a mixed lead from the US on the final trading day of the first quarter. At 1025 AEST, the benchmark...

NDS INTEGRATES ADVANCED FEATURES ON STMICROELECTRONICS' CHIPSET.
April 2, 2007... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) -- NDS integrates advanced security features on STi5107 chipset from STMicroelectronics (ST) -- Provides tailored solution for Chinese market which is low-cost while maintaining NDS'...

STOCKS - TOKYO SHARES OPEN HIGHER - APRIL 2, 2007.
April 2, 2007... TOKYO, April 2 Asia Pulse - Tokyo share prices opened higher on Monday, with the Nikkei-225 index gaining 55.13 points or 0.32 per cent to 17,342.78 in early trade. ASIA PULSE 02-04 1050

INDIA'S BANK OF BARODA TO TIE UP WITH UK'S LEGAL & GENERAL.
April 2, 2007... MUMBAI, April 2 Asia Pulse - Public sector Bank of Baroda (BSE:532134) on Friday said it will tie-up with UK-based insurance company Legal & General to undertake life insurance business in India. The bank has also decided to change its...

EU SETS MAY 8 DEADLINE FOR HINDALCO-NOVELIS DEAL.
April 2, 2007... NEW DELHI, April 2 Asia Pulse - Europe's anti-trust watchdog European Commission will give its decision on Indian metal giant Hindalco Industries' (BSE:500440) proposed US$6 billion acquisition of North American aluminium firm Novelis Inc...

ASHMORE ENERGY INT'L COMPLETES REFINANCING OF US$1 BLN SENIOR DEBT.
April 2, 2007... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 30, 2007--Ashmore Energy International ("AEI") announced today that it completed the refinancing of its senior debt. The new facilities consist of a USD...

FILA KOREA CLOSES ACQUISITION OF FILA.
April 2, 2007... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 30, 2007--Fila Korea Ltd. and Sport Brands International Ltd. (SBI) announced today that Fila Korea has acquired the global Fila footwear and...

INDIA'S LUMAX TO ALLOT 1 MLN SHARES TO STANLEY ELECTRIC.
April 2, 2007... MUMBAI, April 2 Asia Pulse - Auto ancillar maker Lumax Industries (BSE:517206) plans to allot up to one million shares on preferential basis to one of its foreign promoters - Stanley Electric Company Ltd. The company on Friday informed the...

ORACLE INDIA SEES ROBUST GROWTH IN THIRD QUARTER.
April 2, 2007... NEW DELHI, April 2 Asia Pulse - Business software major Oracle on Friday said it has posted a robust growth in sales in the third quarter in the Indian market, riding on the strong demand across its products line. "We had an excellent...

INDIAN CORPORATES TO INVEST US$23 MLN IN AIDS TREATMENT CENTRES.
April 2, 2007... NEW DELHI, April 2 Asia Pulse - Members of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) would spend around Rs 1 billion (US$23 million) in setting up 100 anti-retroviral treatment (ART) centres throughout the country for free treatment of...

SOUTH KOREAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - APRIL 2, 2007.
April 2, 2007... SEOUL, April 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: VERNACULAR DAILIES: - S. Korea's strategy for negotiating FTA with U.S. seems to fail (Kyunghyang Shinmun) - Seoul, Washington make last-ditch efforts to finish FTA...

UNEMPLOYMENT IN MAJOR INDIAN CITIES DECLINES: SURVEY.
April 2, 2007... NEW DELHI, April 2 Asia Pulse - The unemployment rate in 27 major cities has declined by two percentage points between 1999-2000 and 2004-05. The rate of unemployed men and women in Class-I cities (with over one million population) dropped...

UAE'S RAS AL KHAIMAH TO PROMOTE INVESTMENT IN KERALA.
April 2, 2007... KOCHI, April 2 Asia Pulse - UAE-based Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone (RAKFTZ) has expressed interest in promoting investment opportunities in IT, tourism and services sectors in Kerala and will sign an MoU with Kerala Chamber of Commerce and...

STOCKS - BOMBAY BOURSE ENDS FIRMER - MARCH 30, 2007.
April 2, 2007... MUMBAI, Mar 30 Asia Pulse - The stock markets maintained their upward march on Friday with the benchmark BSE Sensex gaining 70 points to close well above 13,000-level as funds made higher purchases in heavy-weight metals, auto and technology...

FOREX - US DOLLAR ENDS CHEAPER VERSUS RUPEE - MARCH 30, 2007.
April 2, 2007... MUMBAI, Mar 30 Asia Pulse - The US Dollar ended sharply cheaper against Rupee at Rs 43.46 per dollar even as Pound Sterling eased to Rs 85.15 per pound at the close of the Interbank Foreign Exchange (FOREX) market here on Friday. Euro...

INDIAN TO START SERVICES BETWEEN AHMEDABAD AND MUSCAT.
April 2, 2007... NEW DELHI, April 2 Asia Pulse - Public sector carrier Indian will launch a daily service between Ahmedabad and Muscat from April 2 and convert the existing thrice-a-week flight to Muscat from Delhi via the Gujarat capital to a direct one. ...

INDIA'S MOSER BAER ACQUIRES 40 PCT STAKE IN SLOVENIAN SILICON CO.
April 2, 2007... MUMBAI, April 2 Asia Pulse - Moser Baer India (BSE:517140) has acquired 40 per cent equity stake in Slovenia based Solarvalue Proizvodnja from Germany based Solarvalue AG for an undisclosed amount, giving it an assured supply of solar grade...

ABIOMED BOOSTS AVAILABILITY OF IMPELLA CIRCULATORY SUPPORT TECH.
April 2, 2007... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) DANVERS, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 29, 2007--Abiomed, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABMD) today announced that the Office of the Drug Controller General (DCGI) in India has granted registration for the...

NORWAY SCOUTS FOR INDIAN ALLIANCES IN OIL, GAS, SHIPPING.
April 2, 2007... MUMBAI, April 2 Asia Pulse - Norway on Saturday offered to collaborate with India in oil, gas and shipping sectors, which have great potential for exploration. "Indian companies are looking for oil and gas opportunities in Norway. We...

S. KOREAN EXPORTS GAIN 14 PCT TO US$30.6 BLN IN MARCH.
April 2, 2007... SEOUL, April 2 Asia Pulse - South Korea's exports grew at a double-digit rate for the 14th straight month in March, fueled by strong overseas demand for semiconductors, ships, petrochemicals and steel, a government report said Monday. ...

HONG KONG NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - APRIL 2, 2007.
April 2, 2007... HONG KONG, April 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: - The head of the Intellectual Property Department has apologised for personal and sensitive business data being posted on the department's...

INDIA PHASES OUT CENTRAL SALES TAX FROM SUNDAY.
April 2, 2007... NEW DELHI, April 2 Asia Pulse - The phase out of Central Sales Tax, which is a major distortion in the way of smooth functioning of VAT system, was due to begin from Sunday, albeit a year after and in diluted form than envisaged originally. ...

NYLIM INDIA FUND INVESTS US$12 MN IN BAJAJ MOTORS.
April 2, 2007... MUMBAI, April 2 Asia Pulse - Mauritius-based foreign venture capital investor New York Life Investment Management India Fund (NYLIM India Fund) has injected US$12 million as equity investment into Bajaj Motors Ltd (BML). Commenting on the...

S. KOREA, AUSTRIA TO HOLD SUMMIT IN SEOUL.
April 2, 2007... SEOUL, April 2 Asia Pulse - South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and visiting Austrian President Heinz Fischer are to hold a summit at Roh's office in Seoul Monday, Roh's office Cheong Wa Dae said. Discussions at the summit will be focused...

INDONESIAN BROADCASTER SCTV BOOKS US$13.2 MLN PROFIT.(Financial report)
April 2, 2007... JAKARTA, April 2 Asia Pulse - Privately-run television station PT Surya Citra Televisi (SCTV) booked a net profit of Rp120.29 billion (US$13.2 million) last year, up 8.57 per cent from the year before. The company's financial report shows...

LAWYER SAYS S. KOREA HAS RIGHT TO BAN US BEEF IMPORTS.
April 2, 2007... SEOUL, April 2 Asia Pulse - South Korea need not import bone-in beef even if the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) classifies the United States as a "controlled risk" country, a progressive legal expert said Sunday. Song Gi-ho, a...

SINGAPORE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - APRIL 2, 2007.
April 2, 2007... SINGAPORE, April 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE STRAITS TIMES: - Changi Airport is gearing up to implement stringent new restrictions on hand luggage next month - joining airports in about 40 countries with...

SAUDI PRINCE MULLS INDONESIAN HOTEL INVESTMENT.
April 2, 2007... JAKARTA, April 2 Asia Pulse - Visiting Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdul Azis Al Saud who is chairman of his country's holding company on Friday expressed interest in investing in Indonesia's hotel business. Speaking to the press...

INDONESIA AIMS TO REHABILITATE 2 MLN HA OF BARREN LAND IN 2007.
April 2, 2007... KLATEN, C Java, April 2 Asia Pulse - The Forestry Ministry plans to rehabilitate two million hectares of the country's arid and barren land per year, the ministry's chief said. "We plan to rehabilitate two million of the country's 55...

AES APPOINTS TWO NEW VICE PRESIDENTS.
April 2, 2007... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) Mark Woodruff Promoted to Executive Vice President and President of Asia and the Middle East; Ahmed Pasha Promoted to Vice President of Investor Relations ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS...

NEW EURAIL REGIONAL PASSES EXPAND OPTIONS FOR DISCOVERING EUROPE.
April 2, 2007... (Full text of a statement. Contact details follow below.) UTRECHT, April 2 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Czech Republic-Germany and Germany-Poland Passes Available From 1st April Eurail Group has introduced two new Regional Passes that...

TOURIST CENTRE TO BE ESTABLISHED IN KABUL.
April 2, 2007... KABUL, April 2 Asia Pulse - A tourist centre will be established to provide information to foreign visitors in Kabul. Ghulam Nabi Farahi, Deputy Minister for Information and Culture, said the establishment of the centre was an important...

TATA GROUP TO BUY US$1.1 BLN STAKE IN TWO INDONESIAN COAL FIRMS.
April 2, 2007... MUMBAI, April 2 Asia Pulse - In line with Tata Group's overseas acquisition strategy, Tata Power (BSE:500400) on Saturday announced it would buy a 30 per cent stake in two Indonesian coal mines for US$1.1 billion to secure fuel supplies for its...

S. KOREA, INDIA TO EXCHANGE INITIAL TARIFF CUT SCHEDULE AT CEPA.
April 2, 2007... SEOUL, April 2 Asia Pulse - South Korea and India will exchange updated initial offers on tariff reduction levels at a bilateral comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) meeting, the government said Monday. In the four-day...

OMAN AIR'S ANNUAL CONFERENCE TO BEGIN TODAY.
April 2, 2007... MUSCAT, April 2 Asia Pulse - Oman Air is scheduled to hold its annual conference today at Shangri-La Bar Al-Jissah Hotel under the slogan "Expect More". The conference will review the achievements of last year and strategies planned for...

SEOUL BOURSE FORECAST TO FACE CORRECTION THIS WEEK.
April 2, 2007... SEOUL, April 2 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks are expected to remain weak this week as investors are tempted to lock in gains made over the past week, analysts said Saturday. But shares expected to show improved earnings will continue to...

SOUTH KOREA'S MARCH EXPORTS CLIMB 14 PCT TO US$30.6 BLN.
April 2, 2007... SEOUL, April 2 Asia Pulse - South Korea's exports grew at a double-digit rate for the 14th straight month in March, fueled by strong overseas demand for semiconductors, ships, petrochemicals and steel, a government report said Monday. ...

AT&T IN NEGOTIATIONS FOR INVESTMENT IN TELECOM ITALIA.
April 2, 2007... (Full text of a statement. Contact details follow below.) SAN ANTONIO, April 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) today said it is in negotiations for a potential indirect investment in Telecom Italia S.p.A. The proposal is...

PUMA'S LEAP OF FAITH IN VOLVO OCEAN RACE.
April 2, 2007... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) PORTSMOUTH, England, March 30 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - PUMA, the global sports lifestyle company, has announced today that it will enter a boat in the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race - the world's...

STOCKS - SEOUL SHARES TRADE HIGHER ON AUTO GAINS - APRIL 2, 2007.
April 2, 2007... SEOUL, April 2 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks added to earlier gains late Monday morning, as investors picked up auto and other large-cap shares on optimism that an imminent free trade deal with the United States would have a positive impact...

SYNAPTICS ANNOUNCES CONFIGURABLE SYNAPTICS ONETOUCH SOLUTION.
April 2, 2007... (Full text of a statement. Contact details follow below.) SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 2 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Configurable Capacitive Sensing Solution Allows Customers to Develop Customized Interfaces From Concept Through Mass...

GREEN LIGHT FOR NEW EUROFIGHTER CAPABILITIES.
April 2, 2007... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) HALLBERGMOOS, March 30 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - The General Manager of NETMA (NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency) Peter Worrall and Eurofighter GmbH CEO Aloysius Rauen on Thursday...

DEAL IMMINENT IN SOUTH KOREA-US FTA TALKS: SOURCES.
April 2, 2007... SEOUL, April 2 Asia Pulse - Top South Korean and U.S. negotiators worked through the night past a second deadline on Monday to try to forge a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) amid growing indications that a deal was imminent. A South...

TECHNOLOGY PROCUREMENT LEADER LAUNCHES ICNCORNERSTORE.COM.
April 2, 2007... (Full text of a statement. Contact details follow below.) WINTER PARK, Fla., April 2 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- PRODUCTS, EXPERTISE AND TOOLS FOR PROCUREMENT AND SUPPLIER MANAGEMENT International Computer Negotiations, Inc. (ICN) has...

INDIAN AIRPORTS BODY AIMS TO REDUCE ACCIDENTS IN FY 08.
April 2, 2007... NEW DELHI, April 2 Asia Pulse - The Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Friday set a target for reducing air proximity and bird-hit incidents and slashing cargo clearance time by putting in place sophisticated technologies in the coming...

STOCKS - SINGAPORE SHARES HIGHER IN EARLY TRADE - APRIL 2, 2007.
April 2, 2007... SINGAPORE, April 2 Asia Pulse - Singapore shares were higher in early trade Monday, with the Straits Times Index up 21.7 points at 3,253.0 at 11 a.m. ASIA PULSE 02-04 1300

FRANCE WARNS INDIA AGAINST "TRICKS" IN WINE DISPUTES.
April 2, 2007... NEW DELHI, April 2 Asia Pulse - France on Friday warned India the proposal to replace additional customs duty on wines and spirits with countervailing excise duty at the state level will weaken New Delhi's position in the dispute with European...

STOCKS - MALAYSIAN SHARES HIGHER IN EARLY TRADE - APRIL 2, 2007.
April 2, 2007... KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 Asia Pulse - The Malaysian sharemarket was up 0.40 per cent in early trade Monday, with the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Composite Index rising 4.99 points at 1,251.86 at 10.34 a.m. ASIA PULSE 02-04 1302

BA OFFERSUS$828 RETURN FARE FOR INDIAN US-BOUND TRAVELLERS.
April 2, 2007... NEW DELHI, April 2 Asia Pulse - Dishing out a bonanza for air travellers, British Airways on Friday announced a low starting return fare of Rs 36,000 (US$828) for travel between India and the US in the summer season. "Holidaymakers looking...

EU OFFERS TO HELP ASIAN NATIONS IMPLEMENT SAFTA.
April 2, 2007... NEW DELHI, April 2 Asia Pulse - As it prepares to participate in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) process for the first time, the European Union (EU) has offered its expertise and experience to help Asian nations...

CATHAY, DRAGONAIR LAUNCH BUY 3, GET 1 FREE DEAL TO HK DISNEYLAND.
April 2, 2007... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) HONG KONG, April 2 /Xinhua-PRNewsiwre/ - Overseas guests now have even more reasons to visit Hong Kong following the launch of a new "Buy 3, Get 1 Free" travel package to stay and play at...

JAPANESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - APRIL 2, 2007.
April 2, 2007... TOKYO, April 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: NIKKEI NET: - The fall in business confidence among Japanese companies is within market expectations, according to Takehiro Sato, chief economist at Morgan Stanley Japan...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN SHARES LOWER TO NOON - APRIL 2, 2007.
April 2, 2007... SYDNEY, April 2 Asia Pulse - Australian stocks were lower across the board at midday, as profit-takers moved in and the local bourse bucked a mixed international lead. At 1200 AEST, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was 44 points lower to...

VIETNAM-EGYPT INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE MEETS IN HANOI.
April 2, 2007... HANOI, April 2 Asia Pulse - The Vietnam-Egypt Inter-Governmental Committee convened its third session in Hanoi on April 1 with the participation of a Vietnamese delegation, led by Trade Minister Truong Dinh Tuyen, and an Egyptian delegation,...

E-COMMERCE SERVICES SET TO BOOM IN VIETNAM.(Company overview)
April 2, 2007... HANOI, April 2 Asia Pulse - Online trading activities in Vietnam will undergo strong development in the years to come with the establishment of high-quality e-commerce websites, according to economic experts. E-commerce websites have drawn...

BELGIUM'S FLANDERS REGION TO JOIN VIETNAM EXPO 2007.
April 2, 2007... HANOI, April 2 Asia Pulse - Fifty-eight businesses from Belgium's Flanders region will for the first time attend the Vietnam Expo 2007 to be held April 4-8. Their presence is made possible by the Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT) Office...

BANKING CONSORTIUM TO BUY VIETNAM'S LARGEST TANKER.
April 2, 2007... HANOI, April 2 Asia Pulse - A consortium of local banks on Thursday pledged an aid package worth US$48 million for the purchase of what will be Vietnam's largest oil tanker. The Sai Gon-Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank's HCM City branch...

VIETNAM, JAPAN CLOSE 2ND SESSION ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP TALKS.
April 2, 2007... HANOI, April 2 Asia Pulse - The second session of talks on the Vietnam-Japan bilateral economic partnership agreement (EPA) wrapped up in Hanoi on March 30 after four days of negotiations. Tanabe Yasuo, Deputy Director-General of the...

VIETNAM EXPECTS BUMPER YEAR IN ATTRACTING FDI.
April 2, 2007... HANOI, April 2 Asia Pulse - Vietnam is expecting a bumper year in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), according to an official from the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI). Phan Huu Thang, head of the MPI's Foreign Investment...

MEKONG FORUM SEEKS INVESTMENT IN VIETNAM.
April 2, 2007... HANOI, April 2 Asia Pulse - Tourism authorities from the six countries of the Greater Mekong sub-region met yesterday in Ho Chi Minh City to seek common strategies to encourage investment in privately owned facilities and services. One of...