AsiaPulse News articles from August 2006

AsiaPulse News archives from August 2006

AUSTRALIAN BOND MARKET OPENS FIRMER - AUGUST 1, 2006.
August 1, 2006... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian bond market opened firmer today after expectations of a pause in the US interest rate hike cycle this month were reinforced overnight. At 0900 AEST the yield on the Commonwealth Government April...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS FLAT - AUGUST 1, 2006.
August 1, 2006... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar opened little changed today, with the local market sidelined as investors await further direction on the interest rate outlook. At 0700 AEST the local unit was trading at $US0.7661/65,...

SOUTH KOREAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - AUGUST 1, 2006.
August 1, 2006... SEOUL, Aug. 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: VERNACULAR DAILIES: - Roh likely to sack education minister (Kyunghyang Shinmun) - President Roh likely to fire education chief (Kukmin Daily) - Prime minister to...

GENSCAPE LAUNCHES ITALIAN AND CZECH REPUBLIC SERVICES.
August 1, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details follow below.) AMSTERDAM, July 31 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Genscape, the company that pioneered real-time European power plant and transmission monitoring, today announces the addition of 2 more...

GUY CARPENTER NAMES JOHN CARROLL AS BROKING HEAD, AUSTRALIA, NZ.
August 1, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) SYDNEY, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 31, 2006--Guy Carpenter & Company, Inc., the leading global risk and reinsurance specialist and a part of the Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC),...

TIME SUPPORTS AUST FIRMS WITH ISYS JOB CANDIDATE SEARCH.
August 1, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) SYDNEY, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 1, 2006--ISYS(R) Search Software (www.isys-search.com), a global supplier of enterprise search solutions for business and government, today...

AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING ACTIVITY STALLS IN JULY.
August 1, 2006... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Manufacturing activity stalled in July, with weakness particularly marked in the consumer-based sectors. The Australian Industry Group-PricewaterhouseCoopers performance of manufacturing index (PMI) fell by 4.8...

COCA-COLA AMATIL TO BEEF UP WATER BUSINESS IN AUSTRALIA.
August 1, 2006... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Australia's biggest soft drinks maker Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) will beef up its bottled water business with the $A7.4 million ($US5.65 million) acquisition of rival water distributor Palm Springs Ltd. CCA said...

RISING NUMBER OF AUSTRALIANS FAVOUR EXPANSION OF URANIUM MINING.
August 1, 2006... MELBOURNE, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - A rising number of Australians say they support an expansion of uranium mining, according to a new poll following Labor leader Kim Beazley's policy backflip on the issue. Roy Morgan Research says 38 per cent of...

AUSTRALIAN RESERVE BANK TO DISCUSS RATE HIKE TODAY.
August 1, 2006... CANBERRA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Reserve Bank board meets today to decide whether to lift interest rates for the second time this year. Most analysts are tipping the bank will increase rates by 0.25 percentage points when it announces its...

FOREX - US DOLLAR ENDS WEAKER AGAINST RUPEE - JULY 31, 2006.
August 1, 2006... MUMBAI, July 31 Asia Pulse - The US Dollar ended sharply cheaper against the rupee at Rs 46.56 per dollar but the Pound turned dearer at Rs 86.85 per pound at the close of the Interbank Foreign Exchange (FOREX) market here on Monday. The...

STOCKS - BOMBAY BOURSE ENDS FIRMER - JULY 31, 2006.
August 1, 2006... MUMBAI, July 31 Asia Pulse - Despite surrendering a major part of the early gains, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) benchmark index, Sensex, on Monday managed to close in positive terrain with a moderate rise of 63.65 points at 10,743.88,...

LIFETRADE RECEIVES 1ST LIFE SETTLEMENTS S&P CREDIT RATING.
August 1, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details follow below.) CURACAO, Netherland Antilles, July 31 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- The Lifetrade Fund B.V., has received a Standard & Poor's Credit Quality rating as a life settlement investment...

DUPONT TITANIUM ANNOUNCES TITANIUM PRICE HIKE IN MIDEAST, AFRICA.
August 1, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details follow below.) WILMINGTON, Del., July 31 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- DuPont Titanium Technologies today announced a price increase in the Middle East and Africa for all DuPont titanium dioxide...

HEMLOCK LAUNCHES SEARCH FOR SILICON MANUFACTURING SITE.
August 1, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details follow below.) HEMLOCK, Mich., July 31 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation, based in Hemlock, Mich. (USA), is launching a worldwide search for a potential second...

STOCKS - TOKYO BOURSE BEGINS WEAKER - AUG 1, 2006.
August 1, 2006... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Tokyo stocks began 0.45 per cent weaker Tuesday with the Nikkei-225 index shedding 69.29 points to 15,387.52 in early trade. ASIA PULSE 01-08 1017

TAIWAN HIGH SPEED RAIL NETS US$1.24 BLN LOAN FROM SEVEN BANKS.
August 1, 2006... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) announced Monday that it has obtained a second syndicated loan worth NT$40.7 billion (US$1.24 billion) from a conglomerate of seven domestic banks to make up the company's...

TAIWAN CEPD TO EARMARK US$14 MLN TO HELP YACHT-BUILDING INDUSTRY.
August 1, 2006... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) decided Monday to earmark NT$450 million (US$13.74 million) to improve facilities at two docks in Kaohsiung Harbor to help Taiwan's yacht-building industry...

TAIWAN'S FIVE MAJOR CONVENIENCE STORES INK ENERGY-SAVING PACT.
August 1, 2006... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The country's five major convenience store chains signed an agreement on voluntary energy-saving measures with the Bureau of Energy (BOE) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs Monday. The agreement promotes...

JAPANESE TOURISTS TAIWAN'S MOST FREQUENT VISITORS IN JAN-MAY.
August 1, 2006... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Among all foreign tourists to Taiwan in the first five months of this year, Japanese tourists stayed the most nights in total, according to statistics released Monday by the Ministry of Transportation and...

TAIWAN REQUIRES PHOTO ID FOR REMITTANCES OVER US$916 FROM AUG 1.
August 1, 2006... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Financial Supervisory Commission reminded the public Monday that starting Aug. 1, those who transfer funds over NT$30,000 (US$916) at any bank in Taiwan must produce a photo ID and allow their personal information...

TAIWAN SCRAPS FEE FOR HK, MACAU TOURISTS AHEAD OF DOUBLE 10 DAY.
August 1, 2006... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Starting this year, Hong Kong and Macau citizens who visit Taiwan in September and October will be exempted from paying entry permit fee as part of the government's efforts to attract more people to attend Double Ten...

INDONESIA'S CLOVE CIGARETTE OUTPUT DOWN 12 PCT IN H1 2006.
August 1, 2006... JAKARTA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Indonesia's clove cigarette production in the first semester of 2006 reached 94.8 billion pcs, down about 12 per cent compared to the 108.3 billion in last year's same period, the Indonesian Cigarette Producers...

INDONESIA COULD BECOME HEAVY EQUIPMENT EXPORTER: GERMAN EXEC.
August 1, 2006... JAKARTA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Indonesia could become a heavy equipment exporting country if government always took active part in international industrial exhibitions where the country can study new technologies, a German businessman said. ...

INFOSYS OPENS NASDAQ STOCK MARKET IN US FROM MYSORE.
August 1, 2006... MYSORE, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - IT giant Infosys Technologies (BSE:500209) became the first company to ring the opening bell of the NASDAQ Stock Market from India. Infosys chairman Narayan Murthy rung the customary opening bell, which marks the...

STOCKS - SEOUL SHARES RISE AFTER WEAK START - AUG 1, 2006.
August 1, 2006... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks started lower Tuesday, but soon turned positive as big-cap techs such as Samsung Electronics gained ground. The bellwether Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 2.25 points, or 0.17...

INDIA'S WOCKHARDT HOSPITALS IN TIE-UP WITH US-BASED INDUSHEALTH.
August 1, 2006... BANGALORE, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Wockhardt Hospitals, a leading healthcare provider group, on Monday announced a strategic tie up with US based IndUShealth Inc, a global health care service that links uninsured and self-insured Americans to...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN BOURSE OPENS WEAKER - AUG 1, 2006.
August 1, 2006... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian stock market opened weaker today, following a negative lead from Wall Street. At 1015 AEST, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 10.3 points to 4975.7 while the all ordinaries had lost 8.2 points...

FORBES WARNS INDIA OF JOBLESS GROWTH.
August 1, 2006... NEW DELHI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Financial and business magazine Forbes has warned that India faced the risk of jobless growth, saying its booming services sector was too small to provide employment for the burgeoning work force. "It is the...

S. KOREA'S OFFSHORE CONSTRUCTION ORDERS TOP US$10 BLN.
August 1, 2006... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's overseas construction orders surpassed the US$10 billion mark in the first seven months of the year, reaching the level in record time, a government report showed Tuesday. The country's builders...

INDIA, CHINA CONTRIBUTE TO HSBC'S US$12.5 BLN H1 PRE-TAX PROFIT.
August 1, 2006... LONDON, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Rapid economic growth in India and China and other emerging markets has helped HSBC, a leading high street bank, to earn a pre-tax profit of US$12.5 billion in the first half of this year. Michael Geoghegan,...

INFOSYS WANTS TO RAISE PERCENTAGE OF NON-INDIAN EMPLOYEES.
August 1, 2006... MYSORE, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Software major Infosys Technologies (BSE:500209) is keen to boost the headcount of its non-Indian employees to realise its ambition of being a more multi-cultural, multi-ethnic entity and a truly global corporation....

WARBURG TO INVEST US$60 MLN IN INDIA'S LEMON TREE GROUP.
August 1, 2006... NEW DELHI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - US-based equity investment firm Warburg Pincus has picked up stake worth Rs 2.8 billion (US$60 million) in the hospitality chain Lemon Tree Group, which has embarked on a Rs 5 billion expansion to set up nine new...

INDIA'S ORCHID TO BUY OUT US-BASED BEXEL PHARMACEUTICALS.
August 1, 2006... MUMBAI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Looking to consolidate its research activities under a common umbrella, Orchid Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BSE:524372) on Monday said it will buy out US-based Bexel Pharmaceuticals Inc by acquiring a 26 per...

INDIA'S HIMALYA INTERNATIONAL TO ENTER DOMESTIC MARKET.
August 1, 2006... MUMBAI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Export-oriented food processing company Himalya International (BSE:526899) is all set to enter the domestic market and has made changes in its EOU status in this regard. The company has taken approval to change...

INDIA'S SUZLON ENERGY TO SET UP INNOVATION CENTRE IN DENMARK.
August 1, 2006... MUMBAI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Rs 37 billion (US$794 million) wind energy major, Suzlon Energy Limited (SEL) will be fund its Rs 15 billion capacity expansion from the present 1,500 MW to 4,200 MW, scheduled to be completed by next June,...

S. KOREAN EXPORTS REACH US$26.1 BLN IN JULY.
August 1, 2006... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's exports rose 12.4 per cent from a year ago to US$26.1 billion in July, fueled by strong overseas demand for steel and petrochemicals, a government report said Tuesday. Imports for the month reached...

HYUNDAI ENGINEERING, TOYO WIN US$1.3 BLN PLANT ORDER FROM QATAR.
August 1, 2006... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. (KSE:000720), South Korea's No. 2 construction company, said Tuesday it has won a US$1.3 billion fuel plant order with Japan's Toyo Engineering Corp. from a company in Qatar. ...

INDUSTRIAL BANK OF KOREA EYES DOUBLE NET PROFIT IN 5 YEARS.
August 1, 2006... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Industrial Bank of Korea plans to double its net profit, assets and market value in five years by boosting its lending to small and medium-sized businesses, the lender's head said Tuesday. The state-owned bank...

NHN'S Q2 EARNINGS JUMP OVER TWOFOLD ON BRISK ONLINE AD BUSINESS.
August 1, 2006... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - NHN Corp., South Korea's top Internet company by market value, said Tuesday its second-quarter net profit more than doubled from a year earlier, boosted by an increase in online advertising revenues. Net income...

FOREX - US DOLLAR OPENS SLIGHTLY WEAKER VS WON - AUG 1, 2006.
August 1, 2006... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The US dollar opened at 955 won Tuesday, down from yesterday's close of 955.20 won. (Yonhap) 01-08 1143

STOCKS - KOSDAQ INDEX BEGINS LOWER - AUG 1, 2006.
August 1, 2006... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's tech-laden KOSDAQ index began at 557.01 points Tuesday, down 0.65 points from yesterday's close. (Yonhap) 01-08 1144

RELIANCE INDUSTRIES LISTED AS INDIA'S BIGGEST FIRM BY FORBES.
August 1, 2006... NEW DELHI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - It's oil firms that are big in India and not information technology companies as presumed, with Reliance Industries (BSE:500325) voted the undisputed leader by American magazine Forbes. In its latest rankings...

TOPPAN PRINTING CONCLUDES AGREEMENT WITH GREEK GOVERNMENT.
August 1, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) TOKYO, July 31/Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/- Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (Toppan Printing) has concluded an agreement with the Greek government (counterparty: The Hellenic Police) to supply the "Greek...

TECK COMINCO REVISES OFFER FOR INCO.
August 1, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) VANCOUVER, July 31 /CNW-AsiaNet/ - Teck Cominco Limited (TSX - TCK.A; TCK.B; NYSE - TCK) today announced that it has revised its cash and share offer to acquire all the outstanding shares...

CAPITAL COST SPIKES IN CHINA INVESTMENT: TAIWAN POLL.
August 1, 2006... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwanese businesspeople operating in China, known locally as "Taishang," will encounter problems of rising capital costs for investments in China, according to the results of a survey released Monday. The survey...

NETALTER PATENT CLAIMS TO OFFER ALTERNATIVE INTERNET OP SYSTEM.
August 1, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) MUMBAI, July 31/Press Trust Of India-AsiaNet/ - The US Patent and Trademarks Office (PTO) has published the NetAlter Operating System Patent (Publication number 20060165040) on the 27th of...

BRUKER DALTONICS AND ISIS PHARMA ENTER DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT.
August 1, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) BILLERICA, Mass. and CARLSBAD, Calif., July 31 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - Bruker Daltonics, a subsidiary of Bruker BioSciences (Nasdaq: BRKR), and Isis Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ISIS)...

S. KOREAN EXPORTS HIT US$26.1 BLN IN JULY, UP 12.4 PCT.
August 1, 2006... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's exports rose 12.4 per cent from a year ago to US$26.1 billion in July, fueled by demand for oil products, steel and petrochemicals, a government report said Tuesday. Imports for the month reached...

JAPANESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - AUG 1, 2006.
August 1, 2006... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: NIKKEI NET: - Japan devotes a full chapter to its security ties with the United States in the latest annual government report on defense released Tuesday, reflecting the...

THAI NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - AUG 1, 2006.
August 1, 2006... BANGKOK, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: BANGKOK POST: - Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday voiced opposition to growing calls for the postponement of the general election from Oct 15 in what...

ARROW CHINA RECEIVES TOP RANKINGS IN CUSTOMER PREFERENCE STUDY.
August 1, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) HONG KONG, Aug 1 /Xinhua-PRNewswire- AsiaNet/ - For the fifth consecutive year, Arrow China was ranked top in the following categories by Electronics Supply & Manufacturing, China (ESMC)...

GLENN STEVENS APPOINTED NEW HEAD OF AUSTRALIA'S CENTRAL BANK.
August 1, 2006... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The new head of Australia's central bank is Glenn Stevens, who replaces outgoing Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) governor Ian Macfarlane. Treasurer Peter Costello today named Mr Stevens, who is RBA deputy...

AUSTRALIAN BUILDING APPROVALS RISE 1.6 PCT IN JUNE: ABS.
August 1, 2006... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Building approvals rose solidly in June, confirming economists' expectations that the nation's central bank will raise interest rates this week. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed building...

RATE RISE THREAT NOT DENTING AUSTRALIAN BIZ CONFIDENCE: SURVEY.
August 1, 2006... CANBERRA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The threat of an interest rate rise is not denting the business sector, with a new survey showing confidence at almost an all-time high. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry-St George business...

PHILIPPINE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - AUG 1, 2006.
August 1, 2006... MANILA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: MANILA TIMES: - The latest wave of activist and media killings on Monday hit three regions, including Metro Manila, within a span of three hours, claiming three lives. -...

CHINA'S ADVERTISING MARKET ON THE RISE.
August 1, 2006... SHANGHAI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Boasting more than 140 billion yuan (US$17.6 billion) in annual turnover, China's advertising market has become one of the fastest growing ad markets in the world. Attracted by this potential, international...

SSANGYONG MOTOR'S JULY SALES PLUNGE 52 PCT ON STRIKES.
August 1, 2006... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Ssangyong Motor Co. (KSE:003620), South Korea's second-smallest automaker, said Tuesday its vehicle sales for July plunged 51.8 per cent from a year ago, hit by partial strikes by unionized workers. Ssangyong...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN BOURSE LOWER AT NOON - AUG 1, 2006.
August 1, 2006... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Australian shares were broadly lower at midday, after an erratic morning of trading ahead of an interest rate decision tomorrow and pressured by a lower Wall Street close. At 1200 AEST the S&P/ASX200 index was...

STOCKS - SINGAPORE STOCKS DOWN IN EARLY TRADE - AUG 1, 2006.
August 1, 2006... SINGAPORE, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Singapore shares were lower in early trade, with the Straits Times Index down 0.73 points at 2,444.7 at 10:38 a.m. ASIA PULSE 01-08 1240

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR WEAKER AT NOON - AUG 1, 2006.
August 1, 2006... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar was weaker at noon today, with investors nervous ahead of a local interest rate decision tomorrow. At 1200 AEST the local unit was trading at $US0.7632/36, down from yesterday's close of...

AIRPORT IN AFGHANISTAN'S HERAT SET TO BE EXPANDED.
August 1, 2006... HERAT CITY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - An official said on Monday a US$23 million fund would be granted for the expansion of an airport in the western Herat province and construction of new departments in the provincial university. The fund would...

STOCKS - MALAYSIAN STOCKS LOWER IN EARLY TRADE - AUG 1, 2006.
August 1, 2006... KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Malaysian sharemarket was down 0.24 per cent in early trade, with the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Composite Index falling 2.25 points at 933.6 at 9:40 a.m. ASIA PULSE 01-08 1242

AUSTRALIAN BOND MARKET FLAT AT NOON - AUG 1, 2006.
August 1, 2006... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian bond market was little changed at noon. At 1200 AEST the yield on the Commonwealth Government April 2015 bond was 5.830 per cent from 5.840 per cent at yesterday's close, while the yield on the...

FOREX - RINGGIT OPENS WEAKER AGAINST US DOLLAR - AUG 1, 2006.
August 1, 2006... KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The ringgit opened at 3.6600/6630 against the US dollar Tuesday, weaker than 3.6550 6600 against the US dollar Monday. ASIA PULSE 01-08 1245

PAKISTAN TO OPPOSE AFGHANISTAN'S ENTRY INTO SAFTA.
August 1, 2006... ISLAMABAD, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Pakistan will try to keep Afghanistan out of the South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) under which trade is conducted among member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). A...

MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - AUG 1, 2006.
August 1, 2006... KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: BUSINESS TIMES: - Proton Holdings Bhd says it has put tighter systems in place to check any lapse in corporate governance in future. - Budget airline AirAsia Bhd...

JAPAN'S APRIL-JUNE REAL GDP GREW ANNUALIZED 1.7%: FORECASTS.
August 1, 2006... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Japan's gross domestic product (GDP) for the April-June quarter grew 0.4 per cent from the previous quarter in real terms, or 1.7 per cent a year, according to the average of 14 private research institutions' estimates...

CELL PHONE SALES BOOST OP PROFITS FOR SEMICONDUCTOR MAKERS.
August 1, 2006... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Brisk sales of cellular phones have helped the world's leading producers of related semiconductors log increases in operating profits for the April-June quarter, while their counterparts that make memory chips for...

M'SHITA NAMED WORKER-FRIENDLIEST FIRM IN 2006 NIKKEI RANKINGS.
August 1, 2006... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. (TSE:6752) offers the best overall working conditions among major Japanese companies, with strong support for families, according the 2006 rankings compiled Monday by Nihon Keizai...

MALAYSIA AIRLINES TO RAISE DOMESTIC FARES.
August 1, 2006... PETALING JAYA (Malaysia), Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Malaysia Airlines (MAS) (KLSE:3786), the national air carrier, will raise its domestic fares by 15 per cent for its economy class and 25 per cent for its business class effective Aug 15, due to...

PIONEER TO MAKE PLASMA DISPLAYS FOR OWN USE, NOT OUTSIDE FIRMS.
August 1, 2006... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Japan's Pioneer Corp. (TSE:6773) plans to scale back production of plasma displays for other firms and instead focus on using them for its own products. Sluggish sales of such displays in the year ended March 31...

JAPAN'S TOEI ANIMATION IN PROD'N, MARKETING TIE-UP WITH DISNEY.
August 1, 2006... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Toei Animation Co. (TSE:4816) will jointly produce animated works with the Walt Disney Co. group for the U.S. firm's cable television networks. A short adventure story combining computer graphics and live-action...

MALAYSIAN PM RULES OUT BOYCOTT OF US, BRITISH GOODS.
August 1, 2006... BESUT (Malaysia), Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The government has no intention to boycott goods from the United States and Britain to protest against their support for Israel's assault on Lebanon because the action can backfire on Malaysia, said Prime...

ABE SEEKS TO DELAY TAX HIKE DEBATE, TANIGAKI TANGLES WITH ISSUE.
August 1, 2006... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - It has become evident that Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers jockeying for the prime minister post are taking different paths toward a possible increase in the consumption tax. Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe,...

TOYOTA TO IMPROVE SHARING OF DEFECT DATA WITH GROUP DEALERS.
August 1, 2006... NAGOYA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - As part of a response to a rise in recalls, Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. (TSE:7203) will introduce this year a database enabling it to share defect information with affiliated dealerships in real time. This...

MALAYSIA TO IMPOSE BIOMETRIC SYSTEM CARD FOR FOREIGN WORKERS.
August 1, 2006... PUTRAJAYA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - From November, all foreign workers registered in Malaysia are required to have workers' card embedded with security features including biometric fingerprint system which cannot be forged. Home Minister Radzi...

FY05 FOREIGN OUTPUT TOPS DOMESTIC PRODUCTION FOR JAPAN CARMAKERS.
August 1, 2006... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The number of vehicles manufactured overseas by Japanese automakers surpassed the domestic figure for the first time ever in fiscal year 2005, according to data released Monday by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers...

GM DAEWOO'S VEHICLE SALES JUMP 48.4 PCT IN JULY.
August 1, 2006... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co., South Korea's third-largest automaker, said Tuesday its vehicle sales for July jumped 48.4 per cent from the year before to 136,554 units. During the month, exports surged 49.5 per...

STOCKS - SEOUL STOCKS FALL IN MORNING TRADE - AUG 1, 2006.
August 1, 2006... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks lost ground slightly Tuesday morning after undergoing a bumpy session as investors took profits from bank shares such as top lender Kookmin Bank. The bellwether Korea Composite Stock Price Index...

HONDA ROLLS OUT GREEN SCOOTERS AT CHINA JOINT VENTURE.
August 1, 2006... GUANGZHOU, China, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Honda Motor Co.'s (TSE:7267) joint venture here said Monday that it has begun Chinese production of motor scooters compliant with the European Union's Euro 3 emission standards, considered the toughest in...

INDIAN COURT ALLOWS EXPORT OF LENTIL SHIPMENT TO BANGLADESH.
August 1, 2006... DHAKA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Kolkata High Court has directed the Indian government to take special measures to export 3,000 metric tons of lentils to Bangladesh, shelving New Dehli's ban on the export of of essentials like pulses, sugar and rice...

YAHOO JAPAN TO UPDATE MAP DATA ON DAILY BASIS.
August 1, 2006... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - As part of efforts to attract more users, Yahoo Japan Corp. (TSE:4689) on Tuesday will begin providing daily updates of its map information service. The Internet portal operator will solicit online users nationwide...

DAI NIPPON DESIGNS SOUND-EMITTING PROJECTOR SCREEN.
August 1, 2006... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Dai Nippon Printing Co. (TSE:7912) has developed a projector screen that emits sound from the panel itself. The new transparent projector screen uses flat-panel speaker technology created by British audiovisual...