AsiaPulse News articles from December 2002

AsiaPulse News archives from December 2002

KOREA'S MDP PUSHES FOR BALANCED GROWTH, CORPORATE REFORMS.
December 1, 2002... SEOUL, Dec 1 Asia Pulse - The Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) is promising corporate reforms designed to prevent the strengthening of chaebol's hold on the economy, while securing robust growth of 7 per cent by controlling inflation and...

STOCKS - DSE REMAINS TRADELESS - DEC 2, 2002.
December 2, 2002... New Delhi, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The Delhi Stock Exchange (DSE) witnessed another tradeless session today and recorded "zero" volumes as most of the brokers and other market participants continued their activities on other leading bourses. ...

FOREX -US DOLLAR SLIGHT EASIER AGAINST RUPEE - DEC 2, 2002.
December 2, 2002... Mumbai, Dec 02 Asia Pulse - The U.S. Dollar ended slightly easier against the rupee at Rs 48.27/28 per dollar but the Pound Sterling closed higher at Rs 75.06/08 per pound at the close of the Interbank Foreign Exchange (FOREX) market here...

STOCKS - BSE CLOSES UP - DEC 2, 2002.
December 2, 2002... Mumbai, Dec 2 Asia Pusle - Share values continued their upward march on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) today, lifting the sensex by another 41.54 points to end at 3270.36 on heavy purchases by operators and institutional investors. The...

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - DEC 2, 2002.
December 2, 2002... SYDNEY, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW - The Victorian ALP is poised to win unassailable control of the State's Upper House for the first time; Power in Australian business is...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS STRONGER - DEC 2, 2002.
December 2, 2002... SYDNEY, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar opened the new week marginally higher but price action was limited on Friday night with thin trade following the US Thanksgiving holiday. At 0700 AEDT, the Australian dollar was worth...

HUTCHISON TELECOMMUNICATIONS AUSTRALIA TO ANNOUNCE NEW STRATEGY.
December 2, 2002... SYDNEY, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Hutchison Telecommunications (Australia) Ltd (ASX:HTA) will announce an extensive strategy shift today, The Australian reports. The newspaper said it would outsource network and capital management of its A$3...

AUSTRALIAN PM RAISES PROSPECT OF TAX CUTS.
December 2, 2002... CANBERRA, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Tax cuts might be on the agenda if they could be afforded, according to Prime Minister John Howard. Mr Howard said the government still believed in reducing taxes when it had a capacity to do so. "When you...

AUSTRALIAN INTEREST RATES EXPECTED TO REMAIN STEADY: ECONOMISTS.
December 2, 2002... SYDNEY, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Economists are confident that the Reserve Bank of Australia will keep interest rates on hold once more after its board meeting this week because of a shaky global economic outlook. While the domestic economy is...

AUSTRALIAN PM REFUSES TO SPECULATE ABOUT HIS LEADERSHIP FUTURE.
December 2, 2002... CANBERRA, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Prime Minister John Howard would not confirm whether he would remain as leader of the coalition at the next federal election despite mounting speculation he will stay on to see out the terrorism crisis. He...

WATER RESTRICTIONS MAY BE IN PLACE BY DEC IN NSW.
December 2, 2002... SYDNEY, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - NSW residents have been asked to reduce their water consumption to stave off compulsory water restrictions, with compulsory water restrictions predicted to be in place by Christmas. However, one council in the NSW...

UPPER HOUSE REFORM LIKELY AFTER LABOR'S VICTORY IN VICTORIA.
December 2, 2002... MELBOURNE, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Victorian Premier Steve Bracks has been to quick to claim a mandate to reform the state's upper house of parliament after his landslide election victory on the weekend. Labor gained at least 18 lower house...

WORLD'S LARGEST CHIP PLANT SET TO BUILT IN TAIWAN.
December 2, 2002... TAIPEI, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - A ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the world's largest memory chip plant, a joint venture of Taiwan's Nanya Technology Co. and Germany's leading semiconductor maker Infineon, is scheduled to take place...

TAIWAN'S COMMERCIAL BANKS WANT TO OPEN BRANCHES IN MALAYSIA.
December 2, 2002... KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Taiwan investors hope that the Malaysian government will permit Taiwan's commercial banks to set up branches in Malaysia, an official said here. Wu Wen-ya, representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural...

TAIWAN PREPARING FOR ICAO FLIGHT SAFETY CHECKS.
December 2, 2002... TAIPEI, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Taiwan aviation authorities are actively preparing for a series of aviation security inspections to be carried out by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2004 although the island isn't an ICAO...

TAIWAN PRESIDENT SEEKS TO JUSTIFY TAKEOVER OF CREDIT UNIONS.
December 2, 2002... KAOHSIUNG, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - President Chen Shui-bian said in Kaohsiung that credit unions of the farmers' and fishermen's associations are different from ordinary financial institutions. Therefore, he noted, the government should deal...

TAIWAN MUST USE ECONOMICS TO IMPROVE CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS.
December 2, 2002... KAOHSIUNG, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The head of an economic think-tank on Sunday urged the government to address problems surrounding the development of cross-Taiwan Strait relations by means of economic methods instead of political intervention. ...

STOCK EXCHANGES OF TAIWAN AND MONGOLIA TO SIGN MEMORANDUM.
December 2, 2002... TAIPEI, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The stock exchanges of Taiwan (TAIEX) and Mongolia (MSE) will sign a memorandum of understanding Tuesday to strengthen cooperation in market information, TAIEX sources confirmed. TAIEX Chairman Chen Chung and MSE...

SECURITY IMPROVED AT AUSTRALIAN, CANADIAN EMBASSIES IN MANILA.
December 2, 2002... MANILA, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Police as well as Philippine Marines will be beefing up security at the different embassies in the country as part of the security measures that have been installed in the wake of the closure of the Australian and...

PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT SET TO ABOLISH PUBLIC ESTATES AUTHORITY.
December 2, 2002... MANILA, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has announced the permanent abolition of the controversial Public Estates Authority (PEA). The President made the announcement in her keynote address during the 139th birth...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN STOCKS OPEN STEADY - DEC 2, 2002.
December 2, 2002... SYDNEY, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The Australian stock market was flat at the open, following a lacklustre session on Wall Street on Friday. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index was 1.1 points firmer at 3062.5 while the all ordinaries added 1.3 points...

PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT TO FORM BODY TO INTENSIFY TAX COLLECTION.
December 2, 2002... MANILA, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said she would form a group of government officials tasked to increase the tariff and revenue collection of the government. In a policy speech she delivered on the occasion of the...

NEW DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SECRETARY APPOINTED IN PHILIPPINES.
December 2, 2002... MANILA, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has announced the appointment of Presidential Adviser for Jobs Creation Luis Lorenzo, Jr. as the new Secretary of the Department of Agriculture. The President likewise named noted...

MORE THAN 83% OF IRAN'S VEHICLE SPARE PARTS PRODUCED IN TABRIZ.
December 2, 2002... TABRIZ, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - East Azarbaijan province Governor-General Mohammad-Ali Sobhanollahi has announced that 83 per cent of vehicle spare parts are produced in the industrial city of Tabriz. Inspecting Iran Tractor Mfg Co he added,...

AUSTRALIAN OCT RETAIL SALES EXPECTED TO BE STRONG.
December 2, 2002... SYDNEY, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Australian retail sales were expected to have been strong in October as consumers showed no signs of slowing spending, economists said. Retail sales figures for October, to be released by the Australian Bureau of...

DROUGHT EXPECTED TO LOWER WHEAT PRODUCTION IN NSW BY 75%.
December 2, 2002... CANBERRA, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) said today wheat production in NSW will be down almost 75 per cent this year because of the drought. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and...

DRIEST IN ALMOST 100 YRS FOR 75% OF AUSTRALIA'S FARMERS: ABARE.
December 2, 2002... CANBERRA, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) said three-quarters of the nation's farmers have faced their driest year in almost a century. The national forecaster said today in most cases...

KOREAN MEDICAL PREMIUMS TO INCREASE 8.5 PCT NEXT YEAR.
December 2, 2002... SEOUL, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The Ministry of Health and Welfare has decided to increase national medical insurance premiums by 8.5 per cent next year, the ministry said. The decision was made at a medical insurance policy committee meeting...

HYUNDAI PRESENTS MALAYSIAN PM MAHATHIR WITH SUBCOMPACT 'ATOZ'.
December 2, 2002... SEOUL, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Hyundai Motor Co. (KSE:05380) presented Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad with the first "Atoz" off its recently-launched production line in the Southeast Asian nation, a Hyundai official said. Mahathir...

EU OKAYS TAKEOVER OF KOREA'S HMM AUTO SHIPPING DIVISION.
December 2, 2002... SEOUL, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Wrapping up an anti-trust review, the European Union (EU) has given the green light to a plan to take over the auto-shipping division of Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM), the Korea Development Bank (KDB) said. The...

AUSTRALIA'S SEVEN NETWORK PRESENTED WITH OFFER FOR MOBILE FIRM.
December 2, 2002... SYDNEY, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Seven Network Ltd (ASX:SEV) has reportedly been presented with a revised offer of about A$30 million (US$16.82 million) for mobile phone company B Digital. The revised offer was lodged with the board of Kerry...

SOUTH KOREA, MALAYSIA AGREE TO EXPAND WEEKLY FLIGHTS TO 22.
December 2, 2002... SEOUL, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - South Korea and Malaysia agreed to strengthen bilateral aviation relations, including increases in the number of flights at talks held in Kuala Lumpur November 28-29, the Ministry of Construction and Transportation...

KOREA, CHINA AGREE TO COOPERATION IN MOBILE COMMUNICATION SECTOR.
December 2, 2002... SEOUL, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Cooperation between South Korea and China in the mobile communications sector will enter a full-fledged phase because they have reached an agreement to that end, the Information and Communication Ministry said...

SAEHAN CREDITOR BANKS AGREE TO US$311 MLN DEBT-FOR-EQUITY SWAP.
December 2, 2002... SEOUL, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Saehan Industries Inc. (KSE:08000) said its creditor banks have agreed to a 400 billion won (US$311 million) worth of debt-for-equity swap to help the ailing company reduce the total amount of debt to 700 billion won....

KOREAN AIR TO FLY TWO FLIGHTS TO BANGKOK FROM DAEGU EVERY WEEK.
December 2, 2002... DAEGU, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The Daegu City government said that Korean Air will fly two flights to Bangkok from Daegu every week from December 1. The national flag carrier will fly the flights every Wednesday and Sunday. The departure...

AIR INDIA BOARD DECIDES TO ACQUIRE 17 AIRCRAFT OVER 5 YEARS.
December 2, 2002... NEW DELHI, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Air India's board has approved the acquisition of 17 250-seater aircraft over the next 5 years in order to meet growing capacity requirements, Civil Aviation Ministry sources said. The board meeting, chaired...

INTERNATIONAL BANKING SUMMIT BEING HELD IN NEW DELHI.
December 2, 2002... NEW DELHI, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Top officials of financial sector regulators and bankers such as the Bank for International Settlement, the US Federal Reserve, the Reserve Bank of India and Securities and Exchange Board of India will discuss...

INDIA'S WIPRO LTD OPENS DEVELOPMENT CENTRE IN FINLAND.
December 2, 2002... BANGALORE, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Software major Wipro Ltd (BSE:WIPR) has opened its new Development Centre in Finland. The opening of the centre in Tampere is part of an agreement on the expansion and diversification of bilateral economic...

INDIA'S FOREX RESERVES SURGE US$564 MLN IN WEEK ENDED NOV 22.
December 2, 2002... MUMBAI, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - India's foreign currency exchange reserves surged US$564 million to US$66,588 million for the week ending November 22. Foreign currency assets also rose by US$569 million, mainly on account of a combination of...

SOUTH KOREA'S CRUDE OIL IMPORT TO FALL FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR.
December 2, 2002... SEOUL, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The country's crude oil imports are expected to fall 4.7 per cent this year, following a 3.9 per cent drop the previous year, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said Monday. Oil imports are likely to...

SOUTH KOREA'S GNP PLEDGES RESPONSIBLE FISCAL POLICIES, TAX CUTS.
December 2, 2002... SEOUL, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The Grand National Party (GNP) is pledging sweeping reforms designed to enhance responsible fiscal policies and broad tax cuts for businesses as it competes in the presidential race scheduled for December 19. The...

INDIA, MEXICO TO ENHANCE BILATERAL RELATIONS.
December 2, 2002... NEW DELHI, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - India and Mexico have agreed to enhance bilateral relations and have discussed the need to establish a joint working group on terrorism and an extradition treaty. During the wide-ranging discussions visiting...

OIL INDIA LTD SIGNS EXPLORATION AGREEMENT WITH VENEZUELAN FIRM.
December 2, 2002... NEW DELHI, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The state-run exploration firm, Oil India Ltd (OIL), has signed an agreement with Venezuela's Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) for oil exploration in the Baghewala oil field in Rajasthan. Walter Marquez,...

RABO INDIA EYES M&AS; TO INVEST UP TO US$103 MLN IN NORTH INDIA.
December 2, 2002... NEW DELHI, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Rabo India will invest Rs 4 billion to Rs 5 billion (US$103.4 million) in the food and agriculture business in North India and is looking at mergers and acquisitions, venture capital funding and project advisory...

INDIA'S SILK EXPORT INCREASE 8.4% IN APR-AUG ON N AMERICAN DEMAND.
December 2, 2002... NEW DELHI, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - India's silk exports have registered a healthy 8.4 per cent increase during the first five months of this fiscal year, mainly on account of buoyant demand for silk products in the US and Canada. Provisional...

AUSTRALIA'S SEPT QUARTER ECONOMIC GROWTH TIPPED TO BE ROBUST.
December 2, 2002... SYDNEY, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Australia's economic growth is tipped to be robust in the September quarter despite the effects of the drought and more moderate consumer demand and building inputs. According to the AAP economic indicator for...

AUSTRALIAN SHARE MARKET EXPECTED TO GAIN MOMENTUM THIS WEEK.
December 2, 2002... SYDNEY, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The Australian share market will gather momentum through the week, with investors spurred by steady interest rates and a raft of encouraging economic data. The last wave of annual general meetings for the year -...

NICKEL PRICES TO RISE OVER NEXT FEW YEARS: AME MINERAL ECONOMICS.
December 2, 2002... PERTH, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - After plunging 33 per cent in 2001, nickel prices are set to rise over the next few years but AME Mineral Economics warned only the fittest producers would reap the benefits. "Nickel is set to shine again but not...

BRAMBLES INDUSTRIES CHIEF WILL NOT BE ASKED TO RETURN BONUS.
December 2, 2002... SYDNEY, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Brambles Industries Ltd (ASX:BIL) chairman Don Argus said today he would not ask chief executive Sir CK Chow to return his A$540,000 (US$302,670) cash bonus from 2001/02. Mr Argus also today reiterated concerns...

JAPANESE MORNING NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - DEC 2, 2002.
December 2, 2002... TOKYO, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of the morning edition of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) today: - MOF Weighs 10 per cent Capital Gains Tax Without Sale Deadline - Govt Mulls Deregulating Commercial Power/Gas Rates In FY04 -...

JAPANESE TRAVEL AGENCIES REPORTING HEALTHY HOLIDAY BOOKINGS.
December 2, 2002... TOKYO, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Travel agencies are reporting an increase in reservations for travel over the New Year's holiday. With work scheduled to resume January 6, giving some employees as many as nine consecutive days off, travel agencies...

NIKKEI WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS - DEC 2, 2002.
December 2, 2002... TOKYO, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Major headlines from the Dec 2 issue of the Nikkei Weekly: FRONT: - Dentsu dreams of extending global reach - Stabilization timetable puts heat on banks - Toyota eyes banking unit to boost U.S....

INDIA'S ONGC TO GARNER US$60 MLN FROM VIETNAM GAS FIELD.
December 2, 2002... NEW DELHI, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), the overseas arm of state-run exploration firm Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (BSE:ONGC), will garner US$60 million in revenue from its investment in a Vietnamese offshore gas field which...

ANA, AIR DO TO SET SEPARATE FARES FOR CODE-SHARING FLIGHTS.
December 2, 2002... TOKYO, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - People flying on code-sharing flights operated by All Nippon Airways Co. (TSE:9202) and Hokkaido International Airlines Co. will pay vastly different fares, depending on whose name the ticket has been issued. All...

STOCKS - KOREAN SHARES STEADY IN EARLY TRADE - DEC 2, 2002.
December 2, 2002... SEOUL, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Seoul shares stayed steady early Monday after rising over the 720-point mark last week, though Wall Street showed fractional drops due to concern about United Airline's possible bankruptcy. Opening 0.19 points...

NISSAN BEGINS MAKING NEW MICRA IN U.K. TO BOOST EUROPE OPS.
December 2, 2002... SUNDERLAND, England, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Nissan Motor Co. (TSE:7201) began producing its new Micra subcompact at its plant here Friday, aiming to sell 170,000 units in Europe in the first year from January and about 160,000 units annually after...

BOJ CAPITAL ADEQUACY RATIO BELOW 8% FOR 1ST TIME IN 12 YRS.
December 2, 2002... TOKYO, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The capital adequacy ratio of the Bank of Japan fell below the watershed level of 8 per cent for the first time in 12 years to 7.62 per cent for the first half ended September 30, due mainly to an increase in...

THAI NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - DEC 2, 2002.
December 2, 2002... BANGKOK, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE BANGKOK POST: - American International Assurance Co (AIA), have moved to raise premiums on certain insurance policies in order to cover higher operating costs and...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN STOCKS HIGHER AT NOON - DEC 2, 2002.
December 2, 2002... MELBOURNE, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The Australian stock market was taking on a rosy glow by noon today, proving to be reasonably resilient following Friday's lacklustre session on Wall Street. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index gained 5.4 points to...

JAPANESE BROKERAGE AICOM FAILS TO CLEAR GRAIN FUTURES TRADING.
December 2, 2002... TOKYO, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Aicom, a midsize commodities futures brokerage, failed to clear futures trading contracts on behalf of its clients due to a cash shortage, the Tokyo Grain Exchange announced Friday. This is the first failure to clear...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR SOFTER AT NOON - DEC 2, 2002.
December 2, 2002... SYDNEY, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar was softer to noon, just holding on to $US0.5600 in lacklustre trade. At 1200 AEDT, the Australian dollar was worth $US0.5597/02 compared with 0.5604/09 at Friday's close. The Australian...

JAPAN'S SUMITOMO MITSUI, UFJ HEADS DISPUTE SLOW BAD DEBT CLEANUP.
December 2, 2002... TOKYO, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Yoshifumi Nishikawa, president of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (TSE:8318), and Masashi Teranishi, president of UFJ Bank, yesterday defended themselves against criticism that major banks, including theirs, have...

QANTAS SAYS IT WILL OVERCOME HURDLES IN QUEST FOR AIR NZ STAKE.
December 2, 2002... SYDNEY, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX:QAN) chief executive Geoff Dixon said today he expected "get around" regulatory hurdles and succeed in snaring a stake in Air New Zealand Ltd. Qantas's plan to acquire a 22.5 per cent...

JAPAN GOVT'S HIDDEN DEBTS SOARED TO US$178.3 BLN IN FY01: AUDIT BOARD.
December 2, 2002... TOKYO, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Reflecting the government's harsh fiscal situation, hidden debts in the Japanese government's general account totaled 22 trillion yen (US$178.3 billion), according to a report for fiscal 2001 compiled Friday by the...

STOCKS - MALAYSIAN STOCKS UP IN EARLY TRADE - DEC 2, 2002.
December 2, 2002... KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The Malaysian sharemarket was up in early trade due to gains by market heavyweights. At 0.17, the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Composite Index rose 1.09 points at 630.31. The broader Emas Index gained...

OMAN RELEASES 30TH ISSUE OF STATISTICAL YEARBOOK.
December 2, 2002... MUSCAT, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The Ministry of National Economy has recently published the 30th issue of the Statistical Yearbook to coincide with the country's thirty second National Day celebrations. This issue which covers all the economic...

JAPAN BOOK PUBLISHERS ASKS MAYOR TO CRACK DOWN ON PHOTOCOPYING.
December 2, 2002... TOKYO, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The Japan Book Publishers Association have sent a letter to Yokohama City Mayor Hiroshi Nakada asking him to stop public libraries from allowing users to make photocopies of library books on their own. Yokohama's...

SINGAPORE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - DEC 2, 2002.
December 2, 2002... SINGAPORE, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE STRAITS TIMES: - Singaporean transactions in United States corporate stocks declined almost 13 per cent to US$22 billion (S$38.9 billion) in the three months to...

OMAN SIGNS US$56.9 MLN SEAWATER AGREEMENT WITH TWO CO'S.
December 2, 2002... MUSCAT, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - An agreement worth RO 21.9 million (US$56.9 million) to construct a seawater intake and return system at Sohar Industrial Port was signed at the Ministry of National Economy today with Bahwan Contracting Company and a...

AUSTRALIA'S MAYNE GP ACQUIRES RADIOLOGY, HOSPITAL CENTRES.
December 2, 2002... SYDNEY, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Mayne Group (ASK:MAY) today announced that it had purchased ten radiology sites in NSW from Pacific Healthcare. Mayne will acquire four Sydney X-Ray sites in the eastern suburbs of Sydney and six Rayscan sites,...

AUSTRALIA SAYS IT IS PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST OS TERRORISTS.
December 2, 2002... CANBERRA, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Australian Prime Minister John Howard increased regional tensions, warning he would take pre-emptive action against terrorists overseas to stop an attack on Australia. Indonesia immediately warned Australia to...

HONG KONG NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - DEC 2, 2002.
December 2, 2002... HONG KONG, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST - A sign in the wash-up area of an imperial-style Beijing restaurant urges people not to "forget their something" when leaving the restroom. ...

AUSTRALIA SIGNALS PLANS TO STOP HEALTH INSURANCE REBATE.
December 2, 2002... CANBERRA, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Labor is paving the way to remove the 30 per cent rebate on private health insurance, Treasurer Peter Costello said today. Mr Costello said Opposition Leader Simon Crean was threatening to take away the rebate,...

NO PLANS FOR AUSTRALIA TO SEND TROOPS INTO THE REGION: MINISTER.
December 2, 2002... CANBERRA, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said today that Australia was not on the threshold of pre-emptively despatching troops into the region. Mr Downer said Prime Minister John Howard, in media comments yesterday,...

PHILIPS ENABLES OPEN ACCESS WITH NEW MEDICAL IT FAMILY.
December 2, 2002... (Full text of this release can be found at http://www.asianet.com.au) ANDOVER, Mass., Nov. 30 PRNewswire-FirstCall-AsiaNet -- Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHI) today introduced Vequion, a new family of clinical IT products...

THINKTANK AGREES WITH AUSTRALIAN GOV'T BOND MARKET MOVE.
December 2, 2002... CANBERRA, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Treasurer Peter Costello's push to withdraw the government from the bond market has received support from a Newcastle University thinktank. But the Centre of Full Employment and Equity (CofFEE) also disagreed...

PNG, AUSTRALIAN LEADERS TO MEET IN CANBERRA.
December 2, 2002... SYDNEY, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare today said he would hold informal talks with his Australian counterpart John Howard. However he said he would not be asking for extra assistance for the...

AUSTRALIA RECORDS 11TH CONSECUTIVE TRADE DEFICIT IN OCT: ABS.
December 2, 2002... CANBERRA, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Despite recording a small rise in exports, Australia posted its eleventh trade deficit in a row in October, official figures showed today. Allowing for seasonal factors, the trade deficit slipped to A$926...

PHILIPPINES EXAMINES CAUSES OF POOR REVENUE COLLECTION.
December 2, 2002... MANILA, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - While some economic indicators have positively contributed to the performance of Philippine economy, tax collection agencies hardly meet their revenue targets. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said aside from the...

PHILIPPINES GOVT SAYS BANKING SECTOR WELL-CAPITALIZED.
December 2, 2002... MANILA, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Improved asset quality and the reduced level of non-performing loans (NPLs) of commercial banks have contributed significantly to the stability in the country's banking system. In fact, the banking system's...

AUSTRALIAN Q3 BUSINESS PROFITS & SALES HIGHER: ABS.
December 2, 2002... CANBERRA, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - An official survey confirmed that the state of Australian business remained healthy with company profits and sales rising in the third quarter of the year. Allowing for seasonal factors, gross company profits...

SOLID DEBUT ON ASX FOR AUSTRALIA'S SALMAT.
December 2, 2002... SYDNEY, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Direct marketing group Salmat Ltd (ASX:SLM) made a positive debut on the Australian share market today, trading above its issue price in opening trade. Shares in the company, which delivered 2.8 billion marketing...

AUSTRALIA'S TELSTRA HOPES SHARES WILL RECOVER.
December 2, 2002... SYDNEY, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Telstra (ASX:TLS) shares were savaged for a week, but the firm is hoping the worst is over. Shares in the telco giant have lifted off five year closing lows traded mid week but will not see anything more than a...

AUSTRALIA'S TELSTRA SET TO LAUNCH 3G MOBILE SERVICE.
December 2, 2002... SYDNEY, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - Telstra Corp Ltd (ASX:TLS) today said it would launch Australia's first fully operational third generation mobile service for business customers. Telstra Mobile group managing director David Thodey said Telstra...