AsiaPulse News articles from August 2001

AsiaPulse News archives from August 2001

FOREX - US DOLLAR CHEAPER AGAINST RS - AUG 1, 2001.
August 1, 2001... FOREX - US DOLLAR CHEAPER AGAINST RS - AUG 1, 2001 $all $in $stx pticloser MUMBAI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The U. S. Dollar turned cheaper against the rupee at Rs 47.1100/1150 per dollar but the pound sterling ended dearer at Rs 67.49/51 per pound...

STOCKS - BSE CLOSES DOWN - AUG 1, 2001.
August 1, 2001... STOCKS - BSE CLOSES DOWN - AUG 1, 2001 $all $in $stx pticloser MUMBAI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Late sell-off reportedly by the Unit Trust of India (UTI) and a leading Singapore-based fund led to a negative turnaround wiping out almost all overnight...

STOCKS - DSE CLOSES DOWN - AUG 1, 2001.
August 1, 2001... STOCKS - DSE CLOSES DOWN - AUG 1, 2001 $all $in $stx pticloser NEW DELHI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Equities tumbled on the stock market today on increased selling by market participants and closed with further losses, pulling the DSE index down by...

OPEN - ASIA PULSE INTERNATIONAL - AUG 1, 2001.
August 1, 2001... Good Morning. This is the Asia Pulse International service of business intelligence, news, tenders and expert commentary on the economies of Asia provided by Asia Pulse Pte Ltd (Asia Pulse). Asia Pulse reserves all rights including...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS FIRMER - AUG 1, 2001.
August 1, 2001... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar has opened firmer, however dealers are expecting the rally to be short lived. At 0700 AEST the Australian currency was at $US0.5085/90 from $US0.5049/54 at the close of local trade Tuesday....

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - AUG 1, 2001.
August 1, 2001... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: - Architect of the government's tax reform package says top tax rate as outrageously high, driving the rich into tax minimisation schemes; - Tennis...

EU BEGINS ANTI-SUBSIDY PROCEEDINGS AGIANST INDIAN ACID IMPORTS.
August 1, 2001... NEW DELHI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The European Union has initiated anti-subsidy proceedings against imports of Sulphanilic acid from India. The proceedings have been initiated on the basis of a complaint received by the EU in May 2001, alleging...

DRAGONAIR AGREES TO JOIN AEROXCHANGE.
August 1, 2001... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) DALLAS, Texas, July 31 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Aeroxchange, a leading aviation e-commerce marketplace, today announced that Dragonair is the latest affiliate airline to join its growing...

INFOMEDIA EXPANDS DAIHATSU MICROCAT INTO NEW TERRITORIES.
August 1, 2001... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) SYDNEY, July 31/MediaNet International-AsiaNet/ -- International automotive industry IT developer, Infomedia Ltd, today announced that it has commenced market expansion activities with...

BHP BILLITON POSTS STRONG PRODUCTION RESULTS IN Q4.
August 1, 2001... MELBOURNE, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Resource group BHP Billiton Ltd (ASX:BHP) has reported a strong lift in fourth quarter production in most major commodities, in its first major outing as the world's biggest diversified miner. Acquisitions and...

AUSTRALIA'S ALINTAGAS POSTS US$21.25 MLN FY NET PROFIT.
August 1, 2001... PERTH, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Western Australian energy company AlintaGas Ltd (ASX:ALN) has exceeded full year growth forecasts by 62 per cent, posting a $A42.182 million ($US21.25 million) net profit for the year ending June 30, 2001. ...

AUSTRALIA'S PRIMUS TELECOMS SIGNS 51,000 NEW CUSTOMERS IN JUNE.
August 1, 2001... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Primus Telecommunications (Australia) Pty Ltd signed up 51,000 new customers in June, the company annonced. Primus chief executive Ravi Bhatia said the company had benefited directly from the collapse of the...

STATISTICS - SINOPEC'S OIL AND NATURAL GAS PRODICTION IN JAN-MAY.
August 1, 2001... BEIJING, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The output of crude oil and natural gas produced by Sinopec in the first five months of this year. (per cent change: year-on-year) -------------------------------------------------------- ...

PAKISTAN SIGNS $32 MLN LOAN ACCORD WITH JAPAN.
August 1, 2001... ISLAMABAD, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Japan's state agency for economic aid said that it would loan Pakistan up to 4.032 billion yen (about US$32 million) for the construction of Kohat Tunnel Phase-II. Agreement to this effect was signed in Tokyo by...

CHINA MAY INVEST US$4.7 MLN IN PAKISTAN'S BALOCHISTAN.
August 1, 2001... QUETTA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - A high-powered delegation from China is due in Pakistan to make investments worth at least Rs 300 million (US$4.7 million), with the focus on improvement and development of micro level sectors such as chemicals,...

STRONGER PROJECT INVESTMENT BOLSTERS AUSTRALIAN RECOVERY.
August 1, 2001... CANBERRA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - A new survey showing project investment recovering for the second quarter in a row has added to evidence that Australia is gaining economic momentum. The total value of Australian projects rose $A8.9 billion...

PAKISTAN DATE EXPORT PROMOTION EFFORTS LAUDED BY EXPORTERS.
August 1, 2001... KARACHI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Exporters attending the famous date show held in Khairpur on July 28 have praised the Export Promotion Bureau's (EPB) efforts for promoting export of dates. Mahmood Rabbani, Chairman Export sub committee of All...

PAKISTAN, KAZAKHSTAN TO SET UP JOINT VENTURES.
August 1, 2001... ISLAMABAD, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Pakistan and Kazakhstan have agreed to enhance trade and set up joint ventures in various fields during the Fourth Joint Ministerial Commission meeting which concluded last week in Astana Kazakhstan. Altaf M....

NORTEL WINS US$250 MLN CONTRACT FROM TAIWAN'S CHUNGHWA TELECOM.
August 1, 2001... OTTAWA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Nortel Networks, Canada's largest telecommunications company, has won a US$250 million contract from Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom to expand the state-run company's wireless Internet network, Canadian newspapers reported...

TAIPEI COMPUTER SHOW TO OPEN TODAY.
August 1, 2001... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's biggest-ever computer show catering to domestic consumers is to open Wednesday in Taipei amid optimism that the worldwide computer industry may turn around before the end of the year. Raff Liu, chairman...

INTEL CEO PREDICTS COMPUTER INDUSTRY WILL RECOVER IN 2-6 MONTHS.
August 1, 2001... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Intel Corp. President and Chief Executive Officer Craig Barrett said in Taipei Monday that the computer manufacturing industry should come out of the doldrums within the next two to six months. Barrett, who made...

TAIWAN'S AGRICULTURAL TRADE DECLINES IN 2000.
August 1, 2001... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's agricultural trade totaled US$10.87 billion in 2000, down 29.7 per cent from the peak level posted in 1996, according to statistics released recently by the Cabinet-level Directorate General of Budget,...

U.S. VISIT BY TAIWAN PRESIDENT `UP TO WASHINGTON:' OFFICIAL.
August 1, 2001... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - President Chen Shui-bian has responded favorably to an invitation by the National Press Club (NPC) of the United States to address the prestigious club in Washington, D.C., one of Chen's top secretaries said Tuesday....

TIMKEN ENTERS DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT WITH PERMATEX.
August 1, 2001... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) CANTON, Ohio, Aug. 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- The Timken Company has entered into an agreement with Permatex, Inc. to sell its range of automotive and maintenance products in Southeast Asia,...

BAD CHECKS ACCOUNT FOR 0.52 PCT OF TAIWAN'S JUNE TOTAL: CBC.
August 1, 2001... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Bad checks and bills accounted for 0.52 per cent of the total number issued in June, the Central Bank of China (CBC) announced Tuesday. The figure represents an increase of 0.02 percentage points from the...

AUSTRALIA'S PHILLIPS JV DEFERS US$755 MLN GAS PIPELINE PLANS.
August 1, 2001... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Phillips Petroleum Pty Ltd and its joint venture partners have indefinitely deferred plans to build a $A1.5 billion ($US755.55 million) gas pipeline to Darwin. The pipeline underpins $A13 billion ($US6.55 billion)...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN SHARES OPEN HIGHER - AUG 1, 2001.
August 1, 2001... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian sharemarket opened higher today following solid gains on Wall Street overnight. At 1020 AEST the all ordinaries index was up 9.9 points at 3280.7, with the S&P/ASX200 11.1 points higher at 3335.6....

TAIWAN GOVT URGED TO IMPROVE INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT.
August 1, 2001... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - A researcher with the Taipei-based Chung Hua Institute for Economic Research said Tuesday that the government should take effective steps to improve the local investment environment. As Beijing has been offering...

KOREAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - AUG 1, 2001.
August 1, 2001... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: DONG-A ILBO - China carries out all out search for North Korean refugees - Powell says MD designed to defend against countries like North Korea HANKYOREH SHINMUN ...

KOREA'S CONSUMER PRICES RISE 0.2 PCT ON VEGETABLE PRICE HIKE.
August 1, 2001... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Monthly consumer prices soared 0.2 per cent sequentially in July, bringing to 3.0 per cent the aggregate increase rate for the first seven months this year compared with last year, the National Statistical Office (NSO)...

TAIWAN PUBLIC DEBTS MAY INCREASE BY 40% OF GDP: S&P.
August 1, 2001... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The U.S. rating agency Standard & Poor's predicted Tuesday that Taiwan public sector debts will have increased by 40 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of this year from 22 per cent registered at the...

AUSTRALIA'S AMCOM SET TO POST US$4.7 MLN IN FY GROUP REVENUES.
August 1, 2001... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Amcom Telecommunications Ltd (ASX:AMM) and its subsidiaries' revenues grew strongly in the the second half to June 30 on the back of strong growth in data services, with full year consolidated group revenues expected...

REMITTANCES TO PAKISTAN CROSS US$1 BLN MARK.
August 1, 2001... KARACHI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Home remittances or the amount of foreign exchange sent back home by overseas Pakistanis totalled US$1.021 billion in fiscal (July/June) 2000-01 crossing the US$1 billion mark after two years. In 1998-99 home...

INTER-TOUCH SIGNS GLOBAL DEAL WITH HILTON INTERNATIONAL.
August 1, 2001... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) SYDNEY, Australia, 31 July/MediaNet International-AsiaNet/ -- inter-touch (Holdings) Pty Ltd, a leading global provider of broadband Internet services for business travellers, today...

AUSTRALIA'S ANACONDA REPORTS EXCEPTIONAL PRODUCTION IN JULY.
August 1, 2001... PERTH, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Anaconda Nickel Ltd (ASX:ANL) said its July production levels at its Murrin Murrin operation in Western Australia were "exceptional" with figures to be released later this week. In its June quarter report released...

TAIWAN-JAPAN TEMPORARY GOODS ADMISSION AGREEMENT IN EFFECT.
August 1, 2001... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The agreement on temporary admission of goods (ATA) between Taiwan and Japan will go into effect today, Board of Foreign Trade (BOFT) officials said Tuesday. The officials said that Taiwan and Japan began to...

ROYAL TRUST GLOBAL TO ACQUIRE PERPETUAL FUND SERVICES.
August 1, 2001... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) SYDNEY, July 31 /CNW-AsiaNet/ - Royal Trust Global Securities Services, a unit of Royal Bank of Canada, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Perpetual Fund Services...

MOROCCO URGES INCREASED ECONOMIC, TRADE TIES WITH PAKISTAN.
August 1, 2001... ISLAMABAD, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Ambassador for Morocco in Pakistan Ahmed Al-Rhaidi has called for enhancing trade and economic cooperation between the two countries and observed there is still a lot of room in furthering bilateral trade...

JAPANESE MORNING NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - AUG 1, 2001.
August 1, 2001... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of the morning edition of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) today: - Koizumi Seeks Y1tln Cut In Spending On Govt Corps - ANALYSIS: Public Corp Budget Cuts, Easier Said Than Done - M'shita...

JAPAN'S KANEBO LAUNCHES COSMETICS VENTURE WITH S KOREA'S KUMBI.
August 1, 2001... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Kanebo Ltd. (TSE:3102) said Tuesday that it has formed a joint venture with South Korea's Kumbi Co. for the production and sale of cosmetics. The partnership will enable the leading Japanese cosmetics firm to...

JAPAN'S SANKYO BEGINS CLINICAL TESTING OF NEW DIABETES DRUG.
August 1, 2001... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Sankyo Co. (TSE:4501) said Tuesday that it has begun clinical testing in the U.K. of a new type of drug to treat diabetes. CS-917 is an oral medication for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, a condition in which...

JAPAN'S SUMIDA NOW SEES US$1.6 MLN INTERIM GROUP NET LOSS.
August 1, 2001... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Sumida Corp. (TSE:6817) is likely to have posted a group net loss of about 200 million yen (US$1.6 million) for the fiscal half ended June 30, a sharp turnaround from the initial forecast of a 1.1 billion yen profit,...

JAPAN'S M'SHITA SUFFERS 1ST EVER QTR GROUP OPERATING LOSS.
August 1, 2001... OSAKA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. (TSE:6752) announced Tuesday a group operating loss of 38.7 billion yen (US$309.68 million) for the first quarter ended June, the first since it began disclosing quarterly results in...

FOUR SEASONS TO OPEN MORE HOTELS IN JAPAN.
August 1, 2001... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Four Seasons Hotels Inc. plans to open four or five new hotels in Japan over the next decade, Isadore Sharp, chairman and CEO of the luxury hotel operator told The Nihon Keizai Shimbun Tuesday. The company had...

STOCKS - KOSPI, KOSDAQ INDEX UP EARLY - AUG 1, 2001.
August 1, 2001... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Korea's key stock indexes were up early Wednesday, bolstered by the strong showing in overnight trading on Wall Street. U.S. shares gained ground on the strength of the positive report on consumer spending and...

KOREAN ELECTRONIC GAME INDUSTRY NEEDS PROMOTION PLANS.
August 1, 2001... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - As the domestic and world electronic games markets expand their horizons, Korea's on-line and personal computer package-game makers are being called upon to come up with comprehensive plans to take advantage of this...

TAKEDA WINS OVERSEAS RIGHTS TO TOKYO-MITSUBISHI HEART DRUG.
August 1, 2001... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Takeda Chemical Industries Ltd. (TSE:4502) said Tuesday that it has obtained the U.S. and European development and marketing rights to Tokyo-Mitsubishi Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s drug to treat heart failure. Takeda...

TAIWAN PEOPLE SECOND ONLY TO CHINA IN STRESS: REGIONAL POLL.
August 1, 2001... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Living in Taiwan is more stressful than living in mainland China according to a survey of residents in six regions and countries released Tuesday by a brand-name food company. The survey, commissioned by Cerebos...

JAPAN'S DAI NIPPON PRINTING TO JOIN REMOTE IMAGE DISTRIBUTION TRIAL.
August 1, 2001... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Dai Nippon Printing Co. (TSE:7912), Hiroshima Prefecture and the Telecommunications Advancement Organization of Japan said Tuesday that they will begin trial remote distribution of high-resolution images over the...

JAPAN'S CALPIS POSTS LOWER-THAN-EXPECTED INTERIM GROUP OP PROFIT.
August 1, 2001... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Calpis Co. (TSE:2591) announced Tuesday that group operating profit for the half-year through June totaled 1.1 billion yen (US$8.79 million), falling below an earlier 1.2 billion-yen projection. This was the company's...

JAPAN'S TONENGENERAL SEKIYU HIKES H1 PROFIT FORECAST TO US$248 MLN.
August 1, 2001... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - TonenGeneral Sekiyu KK (TSE:5012) has revised upward, to 31 billion yen (US$248.07 million) from 22 billion yen, its consolidated operating profit estimate for the first half-year through June, company officials said...

ADB TO RELEASE US$50 MLN TO REDUCE DROUGHT LOSSES IN PAKISTAN.
August 1, 2001... LAHORE, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has decided to release US$50 million by early August as special assistance to reduce the drought impact. The government has suffered $2 billion loss due to drought during current...

WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR MONTANA NEW ZEALAND BOOK AWARDS.
August 1, 2001... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) NAPIER, July 31/NZPA-AsiaNet/ -- The winners of the 2001 Montana New Zealand Book Awards were announced this evening at a gala dinner, hosted by Montana Wines at their Church Road Winery in...

DAEWOO INDUSTRIES SEES 1H SALES UP 9 PCT TO 803.2 BILLION WON.
August 1, 2001... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Daewoo Industries and Machinery said Wednesday its first half sales amounted to 803.2 billion won (US$617 million), up 9 per cent compared to the same period a year earlier and operating profit and ordinary profit came...

PAKISTAN WAIVES US$512 MLN IN DUTIES ON IMPORTS TO AFGHANISTAN.
August 1, 2001... ISLAMABAD, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Pakistan has waived Rs 32.7 billion (US$512.94 million) in duties and taxes on imports to Kabul under the Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) during the financial year 2000-2001 and most of these goods were smuggled back...

IRANIAN TELCO EXPECTS 10 MLN CELLPHONE SUBSCRIBERS BY 2005.
August 1, 2001... TEHRAN, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Managing director of Iran's Telecommunications Company M. Bahrampour said here Tuesday that the number of the cellular phone subscribers will reach 10 million by the end of the Third Five-Year Economic Development...

AUSTRALIA'S CLARITY RECORDS US$3.88 MLN IN CASH RESERVES FOR FY.
August 1, 2001... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Listed telco Clarity International Ltd today said the company closed the financial year with more than $A7.7 million ($US3.88 million) in cash reservces. Chief executive Tony Kalcina said in a statement cash on...

AUSTRALIA'S RESOLUTE SET TO POST US$15.6 MLN FY NET PROFIT.
August 1, 2001... PERTH, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Gold Miner Resolute Ltd (ASX:RSG) is expecting to record a full year operating net profit before tax of about $A31 million ($US15.61 million). Resolute last year posted a net loss of $A185.92 million ($US93.65...

INDONESIAN EXPORTS TIPPED TO GROW 15 PCT IN 2001.
August 1, 2001... DENPASAR, Bali, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Indonesia's exports in 2001 are expected to grow 15 per cent from a year earlier, helped by the improving competitive edge of the country's commodities in the global market, an official has said. "We have...

KOREAN HOUSEHOLD LOANS INCREASE US$9.43 BLN IN 1ST HALF.
August 1, 2001... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Household loans, excluding cash service and credit card loans, disbursed by banks around the country increased 12.27 trillion won (US$9.43 billion) during the second quarter, the Bank of Korea said Wednesday. ...

KOREA'S SEMICONDUCTOR TRADE BALANCE IN JUNE SWINGS INTO RED.
August 1, 2001... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The nation's semiconductor sector posted a trade deficit of US$48 million in June, with exports amounting to US$1,166 million and imports US$1,214 million, Meritz Securities Co. said Wednesday. Meritz, which...

HONG KONG NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - AUG 1, 2001.
August 1, 2001... HONG KONG, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST - Kowloon-Canton Railway Corp has missed an opportunity to capture explosive growth in cross-border train passengers with the derailment by...

TIN TECHNOLOGY SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH CHINA'S LARGEST TIN PRODUCER.
August 1, 2001... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) LONDON, Aug. 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Tin Technology, the organisation representing major tin producers, smelters and consuming industries, announced today that it has signed a...

FRENCH BANK EXTENDS US$1 BILLION CREDIT TO IRAN.
August 1, 2001... LONDON, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Credit Agricole Indosuez (CAI) has become the second major French bank to provide multi-source buyer credits with Iran's five largest banks worth up to US$ 1 billion for European exporters. Michel Perrin, CAI...

FOREX - U.S. DOLLAR FALLS TO 1,299.70 WON EARLY - AUG 1, 2001.
August 1, 2001... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The U.S. dollar fell slightly against the won early Wednesday in the Seoul currency market as dealers trimmed dollar long positions. The dollar's depreciation in early trading is due mainly to the greenback's fall...

IRAN SET TO SIGN $359 MLN OFFSHORE OIL DEAL WITH PETROIRAN.
August 1, 2001... TEHRAN, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Iran is intending to sign a deal, worth US$359 million, within one month with the country's PetroIran firm to triple oil output from the offshore Forouzan-Esfandyar fields to 130,000 barrels per day, press said...

SINGAPORE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - AUG 1, 2001.
August 1, 2001... SINGAPORE, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE STRAITS TIMES - Chief executive Barry Waite of Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing will raise his personal holdings in the Nasdaq- and Singapore mainboard-listed...

AIR PRODUCTS/SAN FU TO SUPPLY GASES TO TAIWAN'S AU OPTRONICS.
August 1, 2001... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., July 31 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE: APD) and its Taiwanese joint venture partner, San Fu Chemical Co., Ltd., have been awarded a long...

MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - AUG 1, 2001.
August 1, 2001... KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE STAR - Hot on the heels of its getting a backdoor listing via a reverse takeover of Kedah Cement Holdings Bhd, EON Bank Bhd is now all geared up to buy two...

AUSTRALIA'S AUSDOC POSTS US$4.84 MLN LOSS IN 2000/01.
August 1, 2001... MELBOURNE, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Business services group Ausdoc Group Ltd (ASX:AUD) has posted a $A9.6 million ($US4.84 million) loss for 2000/01, but maintains it is on the road to recovery. Ausdoc shares, however, fell to an intraday low of...

THAI NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - AUG 1, 2001.
August 1, 2001... BANGKOK, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE BANGKOK POST - While the trade surplus posted its strongest gains of the year in June, investment and manufacturing production showed a slight dip from the month before,...

KOREA TO INTRODUCT TAX-FREE HIGH-YIELD BOND INVESTMENT FUNDS.
August 1, 2001... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The government will introduce on Aug. 10 non-taxable high-yield bond investment funds with the aim of boosting the junk bond market, the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MOFE) said Wednesday. The MOFE said that it...

INDONESIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - AUG 1, 2001.
August 1, 2001... JAKARTA, Aug 1, Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE JAKARTA POST - The government said that as of today the customs and excise office would take over the export inspection service of state-owned surveyor firm PT...

JAPAN GOVT TENDER - COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT.
August 1, 2001... ***** ASIA PULSE TENDER ***** KANTO REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT BUREAU TO PROCURE COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT AND OTHERS The following is a procurement notice published in the Kanpo Japanese government gazette on Jul 18: (1) Official in...

IRAN EXPORTS 1 MLN SQ M OF PROCESSED STONE ANNUALLY.
August 1, 2001... TEHRAN, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Deputy head of the Union of Producers and Exporters of Mineral Products said here on Tuesday that out of 30 million square meters of different stones the union produces each year, one million square meters are...

KOREAN THINKTANK CALLS FOR ENERGY INDUSTRY PRIVATIZATION.
August 1, 2001... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - A state-run think tank Wednesday called for the government to push ahead with privatization of the country's energy industry to promote fair competition. In a paper delivered to a seminar at the Korea Development...

KOREA NOTIFIED OF PRESENCE OF CHEMICAL BRM IN AUSTRALIAN MEATS.
August 1, 2001... SEOUL, August 1 Asia Pulse - Australian authorities notified the government that agricultural chemicals were detected in its meats, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said Wednesday. The official paper from Australian authorities...

KOREAN MADE PDP TVS SOLD AT HIGH PRICES IN FOREIGN MARKETS.
August 1, 2001... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - PDP TVs made by Korean makers are being sold in foreign markets at prices almost double that of domestic prices, according to electronics industry sources Wednesday. LG Electronics Co. has been exporting 60-inch...

KOREAN FIRMS CONTROL LION'S SHARE OF CHINA'S EXCAVATOR MARKET.
August 1, 2001... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Korean excavators have cut out a strong presence in China's construction equipment sector, gobbling up 44 percent of the country's excavator market, industry sources said Wednesday. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co....

STOCKS - MALAYSIAN STOCKS UP IN EARLY TRADE - AUG 1, 2001.
August 1, 2001... KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Malaysian sharemarket was higher in early trade on continued buying interest in selected bluechips, brokers said. At 10.30 a.m., the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Composite Index was up 1.71 points to...

VIETNAMESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - AUG 1, 2001.
August 1, 2001... HANOI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: NHAN DAN - Addressing the Government's monthly meeting in Hanoi yesterday, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai warned reform and improvement in Vietnam's education and training...

PAKISTAN BEGINS LOADING 35,000 TONNES OF WHEAT BOUND FOR IRAQ.
August 1, 2001... KARACHI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Another Iranian cargo vessel M V Sersou has berthed at Pakistan's Port Qasim to load more than 35,000 metric tonnes of wheat bound for Iraq. A senior official of Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) said that...

JAPAN GOVT TENDER - INFORMATION TRANSMISSION EQUIPMENT.
August 1, 2001... ***** ASIA PULSE TENDER ***** KYUSHU REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT BUREAU TO PROCURE INFORMATION TRANSMISSION EQUIPMENT AND OTHERS The following is a procurement notice published in the Kanpo Japanese government gazette on Jul 18: (1)...

VIETNAM TO ESTABLISH MORE TRADE COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATIONS.
August 1, 2001... Hanoi, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Vietnam will step up efforts to establish more trade co-operative associations in a bid to achieve economies of scale and help the sector become more efficient and competitive. Officials say that such associations...