AsiaPulse News articles from August 2008

AsiaPulse News archives from August 2008

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS LOWER - AUG 1, 2008.
August 1, 2008... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar has opened at its lowest level in six weeks as a fall in oil prices and a report showing an expansion in US economic activity gave support to the American currency. At 0700 AEST, the...

STOCKS - BOMBAY SHARES CLOSE HIGHER - JULY 31, 2008.
August 1, 2008... MUMBAI, July 31 Asia Pulse - Bombay stocks edged up 0.48 per cent on Thursday on some buying support for metal and oil and refinery sectors ahead of the release of key inflation statistics, brokers said. The 30-share Sensex index added...

FOREX - US DOLLAR ENDS FIRMER AGAINST RUPEE - JULY 31, 2008.
August 1, 2008... MUMBAI, July 31 Asia Pulse - The US dollar ended sharply dearer against the rupee at Rs 42.58 per dollar and the pound sterling also finished higher at Rs 84.32 per pound at the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) market here on Thursday. ...

AUSTRALIAN BOND MARKET OPENS FIRMER - AUG 1, 2008.
August 1, 2008... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian bond market has opened firmer as weaker jobless claims in US and softer economic growth had investors taking refuge in safe haven assets. At 0830 AEST today, the yield on the Commonwealth Government...

S. KOREA'S ELECTRONIC SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS DIP 17.9 PCT IN Q1.
August 1, 2008... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's electronic securities transactions fell 17.9 per cent in the first quarter from three months earlier mainly because trading was sluggish amid slumping stock markets, the financial watchdog said Friday....

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - AUG 1, 2008.
August 1, 2008... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW: - Surprisingly weak retail sales and credit growth has spurred speculation that the Reserve Bank may begin to cut official interest rates by...

TITANIUM 2008 PROVIDES GLOBAL INSIGHTS FROM A WORLD PERSPECTIVE.
August 1, 2008... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) MEDIA RELEASE PR31297 TITANIUM 2008 Provides Global Insights From a World Perspective BROOMFIELD, Colo., Aug. 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- TITANIUM 2008 is the 24th annual...

AUSTRALIA'S SUNCORP FORECASTS SHARP FALL IN FY08 PROFIT.(Financial report)
August 1, 2008... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Suncorp Metway Ltd (ASX:SUN) will leave its fiscal 2008 final dividend unchanged and has forecast flat dividend growth for fiscal 2009 after bad weather and the credit crunch almost halved its annual profit. The...

SINGAPORE-BASED TIGER AIRWAYS AXES FLIGHTS TO DARWIN.
August 1, 2008... MELBOURNE, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Budget airline Tiger Airways has axed its services to Darwin from Melbourne and Singapore, blaming high fuel and operating costs in Darwin for the decision. Services to Darwin will be suspended from October 26,...

INDIA READY TO RETURN TO WTO TALKS, BLAMES US FOR IMPASSE.
August 1, 2008... NEW DELHI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Squarely blaming the US for the collapse of the WTO talks in Geneva early this week, India on Thursday said it can return to negotiations but will not compromise on protection to farmers in an open market. "I...

AUSTRALIA'S ALLCO FINANCE CLOSE TO SIGNING NEW DEBT FACILITY.
August 1, 2008... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Allco Finance Group (ASX:AFG) is close to signing a new senior debt facility with the investment firm's 12 syndicate banks, which have all obtained internal approval for the agreement. The facility requires final...

AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING ACTIVITY AT 3-YEAR LOW: REPORT.
August 1, 2008... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Australian manufacturing activity has hit a near three-year low as high interest rates slow the economy, a report shows. The Australian Industry Group/PricewaterhouseCoopers performance of manufacturing index...

AUSTRALIAN PM WON'T SAY WHETHER ECONOMY SLOWING TOO QUCKLY.
August 1, 2008... CANBERRA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has refused to say whether Australia's economy was slowing too rapidly. Economic data showing a slump in housing approvals, weak retail spending, and consumer and business pessimism...

AUSTRALIAN BANKS MUST PASS ON RATE CUTS TO BORROWERS: PM.
August 1, 2008... CANBERRA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has warned banks they have a "responsibility" to pass on to borrowers any cut in official interest rates. Economic data showing a slump in housing approvals, weak retail spending, and...

INDIA'S SINTEX ACQUIRES 90 PCT STAKE IN GERMAN FIRM FOR US$55.5 MLN.
August 1, 2008... MUMBAI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Plastic products maker Sintex Industries (BSE:502742) on Thursday said it has acquired 90 per cent stake in German-based Geiger Technik GMBH for Euro 35.6 million (US$55.5 million), a move that would help the company...

BLOOMBERG TELEVISION COVERS CHINA DURING OLYMPIC GAMES.
August 1, 2008... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) MEDIA RELEASE PR31292 BLOOMBERG TELEVISION Covers China During Olympic Games NEW YORK and HONG KONG, August 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Starting Monday, BLOOMBERG TELEVISION(R)...

SUNY HOSTS UNDERGRADUATES FROM SICHUAN PROVINCE, CHINA.
August 1, 2008... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) MEDIA RELEASE PR31293 SUNY Hosts Undergraduates From Sichuan Province, China ALBANY, New York, August 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Program to Train Young Leaders to Rebuild...

AUSTRALIA'S CSR TO BOOST ITS ETHANOL PRODUCTION CAPACITY.
August 1, 2008... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - CSR Limited (ASX:CSR) will spend .8 million ($US16.74 million) to increase its ethanol production capacity to 60 million litres per annum, the company announced today. Citing strong demand by Australian oil...

DAIICHI'S OPEN OFFER FOR 20 PCT STAKE IN RANBAXY AWAITS SEBI'S NOD.
August 1, 2008... NEW DELHI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Japanese drug maker Daichii Sankyo (TSE: 4568), which has signed a share purchase agreement with Ranbaxy (BSE: 500359), on Thursday said its open offer for an additional 20 per cent stake in the domestic pharma...

INDIAN N-POWER SECTOR WAITING FOR NUCLEAR DEAL CUE: MINISTRY.
August 1, 2008... NEW DELHI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - There is no better time than now for the Indo-US nuclear deal to come through, as nuclear power plants are running at less than 50 per cent of their capacity for want of fuel, feel Power Ministry officials. ...

INDIA'S LUPIN LTD GETS US FDA NOD FOR DIVALPROX EPILEPSY DRUG.
August 1, 2008... MUMBAI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Indian pharmaceutical firm Lupin Ltd (BSE:500257) on Thursday said it has received final approval from US Food and Drug Administrator for Divalprox Sodium Delayed Release tablets, used to control seizures in the...

FOREX - US DOLLAR OPENS FIRMER AGAINST WON - AUG 1, 2008.
August 1, 2008... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The U.S. dollar on Friday opened at 1,014.0 won, up from 1,012.1 at the close on Thursday. (Yonhap) 01-08 1013

INDIA'S ONION EXPORT PRICE HIKED BY US$20 A TON.
August 1, 2008... NEW DELHI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - State-owned cooperative major Nafed has decided to increase the minimum export price of onion by US$20 a ton for August to discourage exports and boost domestic availability. The average MEP now stands at...

PIERS EXPANDS TRADE DATA COVERAGE TO LATIN AMERICAN AIR CARGO.
August 1, 2008... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) MEDIA RELEASE PR31275 PIERS Expands Trade Data Coverage to Latin American Air Cargo NEWARK, N.J., July 31 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- PIERS Global Intelligence Solutions(R), a...

AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY GAINS FROM HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY IN BUILDING SECTOR.
August 1, 2008... CANBERRA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The economy is drawing significant benefits from the building and construction industry having posted sharp productivity gains over the past few years, a new report says. The Australian Building and Construction...

TRIUMPH AWARDS MIDORI MATSUO, JAPAN, FOR LINGERIE DESIGN.
August 1, 2008... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) MEDIA RELEASE PR31256 Inspiring Lingerie Triumph Awards Midori Matsuo, 20, Japan, for the Most Inspiring Lingerie Design at the International Final of the Triumph Inspiration Award '08 in...

PAKISTAN INT'L AIRLINES, CRESCENT COMMERCIAL BANK SIGN E-TICKETING DEAL.
August 1, 2008... KARACHI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Crescent Commercial Bank Limited (CCBL), a subsidiary of Samba Financial Group, have signed an agreement for installation of the first financial centre PIA e-ticketing kiosk...

GARUDA AIMS TO DOUBLE PROFIT TO US$57 MLN THIS YEAR.
August 1, 2008... JAKARTA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Garuda Indonesia intends to double its net profit this year to Rp516 billion (US$56.7 million) from a year earlier, its president director said. "We aim to increase it by up to two-fold," Emirsyah Satar said...

INDONESIAN VP ASKS SMEs TO BRAND THEIR PRODUCTS.
August 1, 2008... JAKARTA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Vice President Jusuf Kalla has asked small- and medium-scale businessmen to brand their products so that Indonesians consumers can feel proud in using the goods. "It is time for us to brand our products. If so...

STATE BANK OF PAKISTAN LIFTS DISCOUNT RATE TO REIN IN INFLATION.
August 1, 2008... KARACHI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Tuesday raised the discount rate from 12 per cent to 13 per cent for the next six months to counter inflationary pressures in the economy. Discount rate is the rate at which...

INDIA'S VISHAL RETAIL POSTPONES IPO PLANS.
August 1, 2008... NEW DELHI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Indian retail major Vishal Retail (BSE:532867), which a month back had announced plans to raise up to Rs 2 billion (US$47 million) through an IPO, has postponed the equity divestment considering the current market...

STOCKS - TOKYO BOURSE OPENS WEAKER - AUG 1, 2008.
August 1, 2008... TOKYO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Tokyo stocks started weaker on Friday, with the Nikkei-225 index falling 100.24 points or 0.75 per cent to 13,276.57 in the first minutes of trading. ASIA PULSE 01-08 1030

S KOREA'S LS CABLE ACQUIRES U.S. CABLE MAKER.
August 1, 2008... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - LS Cable Ltd. (KSE:006260), South Korea's biggest wire and cable maker, said Friday that it has acquired 86.88 per cent of U.S.-based Superior Essex in a tender offer. LS Cable said it also expects to acquire an...

INDIA NEEDS US$87 BLN BY 2025 FOR HEALTHCARE FACILITIES: STUDY.
August 1, 2008... NEW DELHI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - India will need investments of Rs 3700 billion (US$87 billion) to provide just two hospital beds for every 1,000 people, from the present level of 0.86, a joint study by industry body Ficci and global consultancy...

INDIAN GOVT MULLS ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE REDRESSAL SYSTEMS.
August 1, 2008... NEW DELHI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The government is planning to set up alternative dispute redressal systems to make consumer fora more efficient, a senior government official said today. Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister...

AUSTRALIAN INFLATION EASES SLIGHTLY IN JULY: SURVEY.
August 1, 2008... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Inflation eased slightly in July but remains above four per cent on an annual basis for the sixth month in a row, a private sector survey shows. The TD Securities-Melbourne Institute inflation gauge rose 0.4 per...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN SHARES TUMBLE AT OPEN - AUG 1, 2008.
August 1, 2008... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian share market opened lower today after disappointing US economic growth data and higher jobless claims hit Wall St. At 1015 AEST, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index sunk 47.3 points, or 0.95 per cent to...

TAIWAN TO SEEK TALKS WITH CHINA OVER RELAXED BOURSE INVESTMENT.
August 1, 2008... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The government will ask its quasi-official intermediary body to negotiate with China over the signing of an agreement for a possible relaxation of rules governing Chinese investment in Taiwan's stock market, an...

AIR MACAU FLIES TAIWANESE FRUIT TO BEIJING FREE OF CHARGE.
August 1, 2008... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Athletes from around the world, including those from Taiwan, will be able to enjoy Taiwanese fruit at the Beijing Olympics, thanks to a free fruit transport service provided by Air Macau. According to an Air...

STOCKS - SEOUL SHARES OPEN LOWER - AUG 1, 2008.
August 1, 2008... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks started weaker Friday as investor sentiment was dented by overnight falls in U.S. markets following the announcement of weaker economic data, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock...

TAIWAN READY TO ENGAGE IN FIRST-EVER WTO LAWSUIT.
August 1, 2008... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwanese trade negotiators are prepared to enter the court of trade for a lawsuit over a tariff dispute with the European Union under the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO) trade dispute settlement, as...

TAIWAN'S TRADE RELATIONS NOT UNDERMINED BY DOHA COLLAPSE.
August 1, 2008... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Despite the recent collapse of World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Round talks, the future of Taiwan's international trade relations remains optimistic, as the improved cross-Taiwan Strait relations will help Taiwan...

STOCKS - SRI LANKA STOCKS LIFTED BY TELCO GAINS - JULY 31, 2008.
August 1, 2008... COLOMBO, July 31 Asia Pulse - Sri Lankan stocks closed higher Thursday, lifted by gains in telecom heavyweights after the dominant fixed line operator Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) reported a surprise jump in June quarter profits The All Share...

CHINESE SPECULATION ON TAIWAN BOURSE WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE: FSC.
August 1, 2008... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Even if Chinese funds are allowed on the Taiwan stock market, speculation using such funds would not be possible as a well-devised supervisory mechanism has been in place, a Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC)...

SRI LANKA INFLATIONS SLOWS TO 26.6 PCT IN JULY.
August 1, 2008... COLOMBO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Sri Lanka consumer inflation in the capital Colombo slowed to 26.6 per cent in July 2008 from a record 28.2 per cent in June, the government's statistics office said. In the month of July prices rose 0.2 per cent...

TAIWAN'S CABINET AIMS FOR NEGATIVE GROWTH IN ENERGY CONSUMPTION.
August 1, 2008... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The government will work toward achieving negative growth in terms of energy consumption by government agencies and public schools, with the goal of cutting consumption by 7 percent over a seven-year period, the...

54 MORE TAIWAN BUSINESSES JOIN TRAVEL SHOPPING ASSURANCE SYSTEM.
August 1, 2008... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's Travel Quality Assurance Association (TQAA) accepted 54 more businesses into its Travel Shopping Assurance System Thursday, increasing its total membership to 157. Tourism Bureau Director-General Janice...

SRI LANKA INSURANCE REGULATOR CRACKS DOWN ON MISLEADING ADS.
August 1, 2008... COLOMBO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Insurance Board of Sri Lanka has revealed it had warned several insurance firms that violated regulations and also resorted to advertising campaigns that misled the public. The Board said it issued warnings...

ONE MORE CARRIER CANCELS FLIGHTS ON TAIWAN'S WESTERN CORRIDOR.
August 1, 2008... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Domestic flight services on Taiwan's western corridor will be slashed further after Trans Asia Airways (TAIEX:6702) decided to suspend all its Taipei-Kaohsiung and Taipei-Tainan flights from Friday, due to the strong...

CHAIRMAN OF TAIWAN'S POWERCHIP SEMICON INDICTED FOR INSIDER TRADING.
August 1, 2008... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Prosecutors on Thursday indicted Frank Huang, chairman of Powerchip Semiconductor Corp. TAIEX:5346), one of Taiwan's largest computer memory chip makers, on charges of insider trading. The prosecutors said they...

TAIWAN TO OPEN DOORS TO 5 MORE CHINESE MEDIA OUTLETS.
August 1, 2008... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Five more regional Chinese media outlets will be allowed to post journalists in Taiwan, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced Thursday. The new measure follows the council's lifting of a ban in late June...

HONG KONG NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - AUG 1, 2008.
August 1, 2008... HONG KONG, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: - Hong Kong's Exchange Fund, the government reserves used to help stabilise the currency, suffered a record investment loss of HK$35 billion in...

TAIWAN GOVT'S 2009 EXPENDITURE TO RISE 6.9%.
August 1, 2008... TAIPEI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The central government's expenditure for 2009 is budgeted at NT$1.83 trillion (US$60 billion), marking a 6.9 percent year-on-year increase, the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) reported...

BUSINESS WIRE DAILY SUMMARY - JULY 30, AND 31, 2008.(Company overview)
August 1, 2008... A summary of news releases for July 30, and 31, 2008, compiled by Business Wire, the global leader in news distribution. To view any of these news releases on Business Wire's website, please go to www.businesswire.com. 1) Category Code:...

VIETNAM RAISES CAR REGISTRATION FEES TO 15 PCT OF PRICE.
August 1, 2008... HANOI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on July 29 signed a decree to raise car registration fees to up to 15 per cent of a vehicle's purchase price. The decree was issued in an attempt to reduce traffic in urban areas and...

INDIA HOPES FOR CLOSER RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN: LAWMAKER.
August 1, 2008... NEW DELHI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - India is looking forward to cementing cooperative ties with Taiwan, said a Taiwanese legislator, who is leading a 10-member legislative delegation on a fact-finding visit to the South Asian country. Cheng...

THAILAND TO SELL RICE TO AFRICAN, ASIAN NATIONS.
August 1, 2008... BANGKOK, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Thai government has agreed to sell 2.1 million tonnes of rice in its stocks on a government-to-government basis, according to Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Surapong Suebwonglee. Mr Surapong said several...

VIETNAM''S VINCOM SECURITIES EXPANDS TO HO CHI MINH CITY.
August 1, 2008... HO CHI MINH CITY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Vincom Securities Company (VincomSC) has expanded its operations in the south, opening a branch in Ho Chi Minh City's Nguyen Van Thu Street. The new office offers services like securities custody. ...

AUSTRALIA'S BUDERIM GINGER EXPECTS ANNUAL PROFIT TO RISE.
August 1, 2008... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Buderim Ginger Ltd (ASX:BUG) has forecast its annual pre-tax profit to rise by as much as $A2 million ($US1.88 million), in line with its guidance. The company's guidance for the 2008 calendar year was for a...

VIETNAM'S BASIC INTEREST RATE KEPT AT 14 PCT PER ANNUM.
August 1, 2008... HANOI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - A new decision by the State Bank of Vietnam will keep the basic interest rate at 14 per cent per annum from August 1. The central banks basic interest rate on Vietnam dong lays as a foundation for commercial banks...

THAKSIN'S WIFE SENTENCED TO 3 YEARS JAIL FOR TAX EVASION.
August 1, 2008... BANGKOK, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Thailand's Criminal Court handed down a three-year jail term on the wife of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra for tax evasion. It was the first verdict of several court cases brought against the former...

CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN OPENS THIRD LOCATION IN SOUTH KOREA.
August 1, 2008... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) (BW)(CA-CALIF-PIZZA-KITCHEN)(CPKI.NASDAQ) California Pizza Kitchen Opens Third Location in South Korea Restaurant Writers/Business Editors LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE) - Aug. 01,...

THAI BUSINESS CONFIDENCE CONTINUES TO DROP IN JULY.
August 1, 2008... BANGKOK, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Business sector confidence in Thailand continued to decline through July upon concerns over continuing political uncertainties fuelled by a spate of clashes between anti- and pro-government groups of demonstrators,...

VIETNAM'S PHA RUNG SHIPYARD LAUNCHES 34,000 DWT VESSEL.
August 1, 2008... HAI PHONG, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Pha Rung Shipyard company on July 31 successfully launched a 34,000 DWT cargo ship, the largest of its kind built by the firm. The vessel, named San Felice, is the first in a series of 14 ships contracted...

CAMBODIA YET TO ACT ON MILITARY WITHDRAWAL: THAI FM.
August 1, 2008... BANGKOK, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Reiterating that it is up to the Thai government as to when troops might be withdrawn from the disputed Preah Vihear temple site claimed by both Thailand and Cambodia, Foreign Minister Tej Bunnag said Thursday the...

SRI LANKA TELECOM SHARE PRICE GAINS AFTER SURPRISE PROFIT JUMP.(Financial report)
August 1, 2008... COLOMBO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Sri Lanka Telecom's share price rose Thursday after it reported June quarter profit nearly tripled to 1.5 billion rupees helped by its newly profitable mobile subsidiary. The stock was up 3.33 per cent or 1.50 to...

THAI CENTRAL BANK URGED TO ADJUST CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK.
August 1, 2008... BANGKOK, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Bank of Thailand (BoT) should adjust its conceptual framework on a way to solve economic woes the country is facing now, according to a leading economist. Speaking at a seminar on "The Future of the Thai...

SRI LANKA FITCH AFFIRMS FABRIC MAKER'S LONG-TERM RATING.
August 1, 2008... COLOMBO, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Fitch Ratings Lanka has affirmed Hayleys MGT Knitting Mills' (HMGT) national long-term rating at 'BBB+(lka)' with a stable outlook but warned of the risk of slowing sales and loss of duty free access to European...

SEMINAR IN VIETNAM TO SHED LIGHT ON WARREN BUFFET'S SECRETS.
August 1, 2008... HCM CITY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The extraordinary investment and management secrets of Warren Buffett, an investment legend and the richest man in the world, will be shared at a seminar in HCM City on August 6. The keynote speaker at The...

S KOREAN ENGINEERS DEVELOP PORTABLE AERIAL SURVEILLANCE ROBOT.
August 1, 2008... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean engineers have developed a portable air-borne surveillance robot with considerable military applications, the first of its kind in the country, developers said Friday. The FM07 micro air vehicle...

VIETNAM'S ELECTRONIC GOODS EXPORT HITS US$1.44 BILLION.
August 1, 2008... HANOI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The General Statistics Office says the country's electronic goods and computer components exports hit US$1.44 billion in seven months, a year-on-year increase of 29 per cent. The electronics export turnover has...

VIETNAM EYES MIDDLE EAST, AFRICAN MARKETS.
August 1, 2008... HCM CITY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Middle East and African regions have the potential to develop economic, trade and industrial cooperation with Vietnam, a Trade and Industry Ministry official said. At a seminar on trade and relations with...

INDONESIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - AUG 1, 2008.
August 1, 2008... JAKARTA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: INVESTOR DAILY: - Bankers expressed optimism the performance of the country's banking industry will improve in the second half of his year after lower than expected growth...

INDONESIA'S MATAHARI REPORTS 24.6% RISE IN SALES TO US$567 MLN.(Financial report)
August 1, 2008... JAKARTA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - One of the country's largest retail companies PT Matahari Putra Prima (JSX:MPPA) reported a 24.6 per cent increase in sales to Rp5.2 trillion (US$567 million) in the first half of this year from Rp4.16 trillion in...

S. KOREA LOGS TRADE DEFICIT FOR 2ND MONTH IN JULY.
August 1, 2008... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's trade balance remained in the red for a second straight month in July mainly due to sharp hikes in global oil prices, a government report showed today. The country posted a trade deficit of US$1.62...

INDOCEMENT'S EXPORTS DOWN ON LARGER INDONESIAN SALES.
August 1, 2008... JAKARTA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Indonesia's second largest cement maker PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa (JSX:INTP) posted a 32 per cent decline in exports to 1.2 million tons in the first half of this year on larger sales on the domestic market. ...

AUSTRALIA'S VIRGIN MOBILE STARTS SELLING IPHONE 3G.
August 1, 2008... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Virgin Mobile has started selling Apple's iPhone 3G and aims to attract younger customers to mobile internet services with the highest monthly data allowance in Australia. Virgin Mobile, wholly owned by Optus, is...

INDONESIAN DRILLER APEXINDO POSTS STRONG INCOME GROWTH.(Financial report)
August 1, 2008... JAKARTA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Publicly listed oil and gas drilling company PT Apexindo Pratama Duta (JSX:APEX) reported a 41.7 per cent increase in income to US$115.9 million in the first half of this year from US$81.8 million in the same period...

INDONESIA MAY GRAB CHINESE AND INDIAN SHARE OF TIRE MARKET.
August 1, 2008... JAKARTA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Indonesia could grab a larger share of tire market in the world taking advantage of shrinking supplies from China and India. Tire producers in the two Asian giants are facing difficulty in securing basic...

VIETINBANK GETS INTL QUALITY MANAGEMENT STATUS.
August 1, 2008... HANOI, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Vietnam Bank for Industry and Trade (VietinBank) on July 31 received an ISO 9001-2000 certificate for its quality management system. VietinBank chairman Pham Huy Hung said the certificate reflects the bank's...

ANALYSIS - AUSTRALIAN RATES TO STAY ON HOLD AS DEMAND SLOWS.
August 1, 2008... SYDNEY, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is expected to leave interest rates on hold next week amid further signs that domestic demand is slowing . None of the 19 economists surveyed by AAP expect the central bank to...

INDONESIAN PLANTATION CO TUNAS POSTS TEN FOLD RISE IN NET PROFIT.(Financial report)
August 1, 2008... JAKARTA, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - The net profit of publicly listed plantation company PT Tunas Lampung Baru (JSX:TBLA) was almost ten fold larger up to Rp241 billion (US$26.2 million) in the first six months of this year from Rp25 billion in the...

ORIX RENTEC TO DISTRIBUTE JDSU TEST AND MEASUREMENT SOLUTIONS.
August 1, 2008... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) MEDIA RELEASE PR31294 ORIX Rentec to Distribute JDSU Test and Measurement Solutions SINGAPORE, Aug. 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- JDSU today announced that its communications test...

KIA MOTORS HIKES VEHICLE PRICES 2%.
August 1, 2008... SEOUL, Aug 1 Asia Pulse - Kia Motors Corp. (KSE:000270), South Korea's second-largest carmaker, said Friday it has raised vehicle prices at home by an average 2 per cent to reflect rising costs for raw materials. Starting Friday, prices of...