AsiaPulse News articles from February 2005

AsiaPulse News archives from February 2005

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS HIGHER - FEB 1, 2005.
February 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar opened slightly higher today after trading in a tight range overnight. At 0700 AEDT the currency was trading at $US0.7749/52 from 0.7741/45 at yesterday's close. Offshore, the Australian...

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - FEB 1, 2005.
February 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: DAILY TELEGRAPH - A former National Australia Bank chief executive blasts the bank's leadership woes at a stormy annual meeting - the first since the foreign exchange trading...

STOCKS - BOMBAY STOCKS CLOSE STRONGER - JAN 31, 2005.
February 1, 2005... MUMBAI, Jan 31 Asia Pulse - Stocks today surged past the 6500-mark and ended with yet another hefty rise of 137 points in hectic activity on the Bombay Stock Exchange in response to the government's clearance to provident funds' entry into...

FOREX - US DOLLAR BARELY CHANGED AGAINST RUPEE - JAN 31, 2005.
February 1, 2005... MUMBAI, Jan 31 Asia Pulse - The US dollar finished barely changed against the rupee at Rs.43.7200 per dollar but the pound sterling was weaker at Rs 82.30 per pound at the close of the Interbank Foreign Exchange (FOREX) market here today. ...

KIA MOTORS TO PICK NEW LEADERS AFTER BRIBE SCANDAL.
February 1, 2005... GWANGMYEONG, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Labor union representatives of Kia Motors Corp. (KSE:000270) held an emergency meeting Monday and agreed to pick new leaders following a scandal involving an employee who accepted bribes in exchange for securing...

SAMSUNG TO GIVE WORKERS US$1.1 BLN IN PROFIT SHARING MEASURE.
February 1, 2005... SEOUL, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's Samsung Group said Monday that it will give employees about 1.1 trillion won (US$1.1 billion) as part of a profit-sharing measure based on last year's better-than-expected profits. The country's...

LG CARD BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVES CAPITAL REDUCTION.
February 1, 2005... SEOUL, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - The board of directors at LG Card Co. (KSE:032710) approved a 5.5-to-1 capital reduction plan Monday to get the company back on its feet. The measure is equivalent to a capital reduction rate of 81.8 per cent. The...

CREDITORS OF KOREA'S INCHEON OIL REJECT BID BY CHINA'S CINOCHEM.
February 1, 2005... INCHEON, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Creditors of Incheon Oil Refinery Co. voted to reject a purchase bid by Chinese state-run oil firm Cinochem that failed to meet expectations, representatives to a court-brokered meeting said Monday. Participants...

INDIAN OIL CORP WINS OIL BLOCK IN LIBYA.
February 1, 2005... NEW DELHI, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Indian Oil Corp (BSE:530965) and its partner Oil India Ltd have won an oil block in Libya in the first ever joint foray in oil and gas exploration overseas. IOC-OIL won onshore Block-086 in the highly...

LAKSHMI MITTAL TO INVEST US$5 BLN IN STEEL OVER NEXT FIVE YEARS.
February 1, 2005... LONDON, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Observing that steel prices will continue to rise in view of its demand, London-based steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal said his company will make an investment of over US$5 billion in the next five years in the sector....

S KOREA'S CONSUMER PRICES RISE 3.1 PCT IN JAN.
February 1, 2005... SEOUL, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's consumer prices rose 3.1 per cent year-on-year in January due to a price rise in agricultural products, cigarettes and transportation rates, the state statistics office said Tuesday. The consumer...

MALAYSIA AIRLINES TO STRENGTHEN OPERATIONS IN INDIA.
February 1, 2005... KOLKATA, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Malaysia Airlines (KLSE:3786) is keen to strengthen its business in India and plans to soon fly to three more destinations-- Amritsar, Trichy and Thiruvananthapuram. Announcing the successful launch of the Kuala...

CHINA'S THREAT TO INDIAN IT INDUSTRY FAR AWAY: STUDY.
February 1, 2005... NEW DELHI, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - China may have stolen a march on India in manufacturing but it will take years before it can catch up with its neighbour in information technology, says a study conducted by consultancy firm Mckinsey. "It will...

INDIA TO PROMOTE ITSELF AS HEALTH CARE DESTINATION.
February 1, 2005... LONDON, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - After its success in IT outsourcing and biotechnology fields, India plans to promote itself as a health care destination for people from across the globe, Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said...

MYITGROUP PLANS TO HIRE 500 SAP EXPERTS, TAP INDIA MARKET.
February 1, 2005... BANGALORE, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - US-based MyITgroup opened its India offshore delivery centre Monday with initial plans to hire over 500 SAP experts and said it will tap the huge base of SAP ERP installations in the country. The...

INDIA'S MOREPEN FILES PATENT FOR CHOLESTEROL LOWERING DRUG.
February 1, 2005... NEW DELHI, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Morepen Laboratories Ltd (BSE:500288) Monday said it had filed patent for new polymorphic form VI of Atorvastatin Calcium, a cholesterol lowering drug, in 33 countries, including the US and Canada. The company...

INDIA TO HOST G-20 MEETING IN DELHI ON MAR 18; G-33 ON MAR 19.
February 1, 2005... NEW DELHI, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - India will host the next meeting of G-20, the group of developing WTO-member countries on agriculture, in New Delhi on March 18. The meeting would be followed by the meeting of G-33, a group of WTO-member...

INDIA, RUSSIA AND CHINA LIKELY TO INTERACT MORE INDIAN MINISTER.
February 1, 2005... NEW DELHI, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - India, Russia and China are likely to interact increasingly in a variety of ways in the coming years, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh said Monday. Observing that Central Asia has always been integral...

STOCKS - KARACHI MARKET CLOSES LOWER - JAN 31, 2005.
February 1, 2005... KARACHI, Jan 31 Asia Pulse - The market experienced a long overdue correction as the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE)-100 Index dropped 155 points to close at 6798. According to Taurus Securities Limited, turnover was at 558 million shares....

US OFFERS SUPPORT TO UPGRADE PAKISTAN'S SHIPPING SECTOR.
February 1, 2005... KARACHI, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - United States shipping sector and supply chain technology companies have offered professional and technical support to upgrade Pakistan's shipping operations and make it compliant with the international security...

TAIWAN'S OUTPUT OF OPTOELECTRONICS TO HIT US$47.2 BLN IN 2005.
February 1, 2005... TAIPEI, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - The production value of Taiwan's optoelectronics industry is expected to rise 34 per cent year-on-year to NT$1.5 trillion (US$47.17 billion) in 2005 owing to increased global demand for optical display and optical...

US BEEF SET TO RE-ENTER TAIWAN SOON: USDA OFFICIAL.
February 1, 2005... WASHINGTON, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan is expected to announce in about a month the results of its inspections that mark the final stage in allowing U.S. beef back on the local market following the suspension of imports in 2003 due to the...

TAIWAN'S JANUARY CONSUMER CONFIDENCE INDEX FALLS: NCU POLL.
February 1, 2005... TAIPEI, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's consumer confidence index (CCI) fell by 1.28 points to 75.85 points for January from the previous month's level, with the confidence indicator in the local job market posting the largest drop, according to a...

VP TO VISIT LATIN AMERICA IN MARCH FOR 'TAIWAN PARK' PROJECT.
February 1, 2005... TAIPEI, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Vice President Annette Lu said Monday she will survey potential sites for the establishment of a "Taiwan Park" during a visit she is scheduled to make to Latin America in March. Lu said the site for the...

NORWEGIAN TELCO TELENOR TO INVEST US$1 BLN IN PAKISTAN.
February 1, 2005... ISLAMABAD, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Norwegian cellular company Telenor is to invest nearly US$1 billion in the telecom sector of Pakistan. This was stated by Prime Minister of Norway Kjell Magne Bondevik during his meeting with Prime Minister...

S KOREAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - FEB 1, 2005.
February 1, 2005... SEOUL, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: KYUNGHYANG SHINMUN - Seoul elementary schools revive academic evaluation KUKMIN DAILY - Seoul elementary schools revive academic performance test DONG-A IL-BO...

PAKISTAN OFFERS INVESTOR FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT: SENATE CHAIRMAN.
February 1, 2005... KARACHI, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Senate chairman Mohammedmian Soomro has said that availability of manpower, low cost of doing business and low tax rates have encouraged foreign investors to come and invest in Pakistan. He was addressing...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN STOCKS OPEN HIGHER - FEB 1, 2005.
February 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian share market opened stronger, taking its lead from Wall Street where stocks rose on a fresh round of mergers and acquisitions and relief over the Iraq elections. "With a strong lead from the US we...

AUSTRALIA TO DOUBLE AIRPORT DUTY-FREE ALLOWANCES.
February 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Travellers will be able to bring in to Australia more than double the value of duty free goods under new limits to be announced by the federal government today. Customs Minister Chris Ellison will release details...

AUSTRALIAN PM TO VISIT SINGAPORE FOR TALKS ON REGIONAL ISSUES.
February 1, 2005... CANBERRA, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Prime Minister John Howard will visit Singapore today for high-level talks on the Asian tsunami aid effort and other regional issues. Mr Howard arrived in Singapore last night from Davos, Switzerland, where he...

INNOVATION IS TAIWAN'S COMPETITIVE EDGE: ECONOMICS MINISTER.
February 1, 2005... TAIPEI, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan will make use of its advantage in innovation as well as research and development (R&D) to compete with other countries economically, Minister of Economic Affairs Ho Mei-yueh said Monday. With Asia having...

AUSTRALIAN CENTRAL BANK UNLIKELY TO RAISE RATES: BANKSA.
February 1, 2005... ADELAIDE, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), the nation's central bank, was not likely to change interest rates when it meets today, BankSA said. BankSA general manager Chris Ward said a combination of softening...

AUSTRALIA'S IBA HEALTH SET TO ACHIEVE FULL-YR NET PROFIT FORECAST.
February 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Australian health industry computer software provider IBA Health Ltd (ASX:IBA) today said it was on track to achieve its full year net profit forecast after a strong first half. The company today announced an...

PAKISTAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JAN 31, 2005.
February 1, 2005... KARACHI, Jan 31 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: DAWN: - Kashmir, trade confidence building measures urged - US to spend $1.5 billion on new Iraq embassy - Pakistan urges Iran to end nuclear dispute - UK army...

PHILIPPINES' NTA PREDICTS HIGHER PRICES FOR TOBACCO THIS YEAR.
February 1, 2005... VIGAN CITY, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - The National Tobacco Administration (NTA) said the anticipated higher prices of flue-cured tobacco this year due to short supply in the market would benefit the farmers. NTA administrator Carlitos Encarnacion...

PHILIPPINES' DAVAO TO CLOSELY WATCH FOREIGN RESIDENT TOURISTS.
February 1, 2005... DAVAO CITY, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has recorded some 3,000 permanent aliens in Southern Mindanao as of December 2004. According to BI Davao regional director Benjamin Lao, about 1,000 are Chinese who are engaged...

HONG KONG NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - FEB 1, 2005.
February 1, 2005... HONG KONG, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: - Hong Kong health authorities are urgently seeking information from the mainland about an outbreak of a deadly disease that infected more than...

PHILIPPINES' SENATE STARTS DELIBERATION ON 2005 BUDGET PROPOSALS.
February 1, 2005... MANILA, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - The Senate Monday begun deliberating the proposed budget allocation of the national government for 2005. Senator Manny Villar, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, proposed a national budget of P907.59...

ARROYO CONGRATULATES ALL FILIPINOS FOR ECONOMY'S 6.1% GDP GROWTH.
February 1, 2005... MANILA, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Monday congratulated all Filipinos, both at home and abroad, for the country's 2004 gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.1 per cent. The figure is the highest GDP...

1.7 WORK OPPORTUNITIES FOR EACH JOB SEEKER IN 2004: DGBAS.
February 1, 2005... TAIPEI, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Each job seeker had an average of 1.7 work opportunities last year in Taiwan, up from 1.6 opportunities in 2003, the Cabinet-level Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) reported Monday. ...

NO TIMETABLE FOR WITHDRAWAL OF AUSTRALIAN TROOPS FROM IRAQ: PM.
February 1, 2005... CANBERRA, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - There was no sense in timetabling the withdrawal of Australian troops from Iraq, Prime Minister John Howard said today. He said pulling troops out of the war-torn country now its democratic election was...

STOCKS - TOKYO STOCKS OPEN HIGHER - FEB 1, 2005.
February 1, 2005... TOKYO, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Tokyo stocks opened higher Tuesday, with the Nikkei 225 index rising 20.13 points, or 0.18 per cent, to 11,407 during the first five minutes of trade. ASIA PULSE 01-02 1107

TERASEN PIPELINES GETS SUPPORT TO CONTINUE WEST COAST PROJECT.
February 1, 2005... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) CALGARY, Jan. 31 /CNW-AsiaNet/ -- Terasen Pipelines is pleased to announce that it has received strong support from 17 different parties including existing and new customers to proceed...

14 EXPRESSIONS OF INTERESTS RECEIVED FOR PAKISTAN TELECOM SHARES.
February 1, 2005... ISLAMABAD, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - The improved macroeconomic situation of the country, reflected as "positive" by international institutions, and the robust financial position of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has generated...

STOCKS - S KOREAN STOCKS OPEN LOWER - FEB 1, 2005.
February 1, 2005... SEOUL, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks opened lower Tuesday, with the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) falling 2.54 points to 930.16. (Yonhap) 01-02 1114

FOREX - US DOLLAR OPENS UP AGAINST WON - FEB 1, 2005.
February 1, 2005... SEOUL, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - The US dollar opened at 1,027.00 won Tuesday, up 1.4 from 1,025.60 won. (Yonhap) 01-02 1115

STOCKS - KOSDAQ OPENS HIGHER - FEB 1, 2005.
February 1, 2005... SEOUL, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - The KOSDAQ Tuesday started 4.51 points stronger at 477.46. (Yonhap) 01-02 1116

AUSTRALIA'S OPTUS ATTRACTS MORE BROADBAND CUSTOMERS.
February 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Telecoms company Optus today said it had attracted more than 100,000 broadband customers since entering the DSL market less than 12 months ago. OptusNet broadband customers now total 310,000, including 210,000...

CVRD ANNOUNCES PROPOSAL FOR MINIMUM DIVIDEND OF US$1 BLN FOR 2005.
February 1, 2005... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) announces that its Executive Officers will submit to the Board of Directors a proposal for payment of a...

AUSTRALIA'S MCG, CONSORTIUM TO ACQUIRE 100% OF NTL:BROADCAST.
February 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - A consortium led by Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group (MCG) (ASX:MCG) today said it has reached financial close on the 100 per cent acquisition of UK broadcast transmission services company ntl:Broadcast....

ACS OPENS NEW OFFICE IN TIANJIN, CHINA.
February 1, 2005... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) DALLAS, Texas, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Affiliated Computer Services, Inc., a FORTUNE 500 company and premier provider of business process and information technology outsourcing...

AUSTRALIA'S TELSTRA TO HOLD WORKPLACE NEGOTIATIONS IN FEB.
February 1, 2005... MELBOURNE, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Fears over job security, outsourcing and privatisation will set the scene for the upcoming round of Telstra (ASX:TLS) workplace agreement negotiations, a union said today. The Communications, Electrical and...

AUSTRALIA'S IINET PICKS BROADSOFT TO POWER RESIDENTIAL VOIP SERVICES.
February 1, 2005... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) GAITHERSBURG, Md., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- iiNet Selects BroadSoft for Its Scalability, Manageability and Rich Feature Sets BroadSoft(R), the world's premier provider of VoIP...

CUSTOM HOUSE FOUNDER PETER GUSTAVSON HONOURED FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT.
February 1, 2005... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) VICTORIA, BC, Feb. 1 /CNW-AsiaNet/ -- Peter Gustavson, President, CEO & Founder of Custom House Global Foreign Exchange www.customhouse.com has won the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' in...

AUSTRALIA'S GWA EXPECTS FY05 NET PROFIT TO BE LOWER THAN FY04.
February 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Australian homeware and accessories producer GWA International Ltd (ASX:GWT) said today that it expected 2004/05 net profit to be slightly below 2003/04 as domestic demand softens in the second half. GWA today...

DI GIROLAMO & IRB 7S STOP ON WAY TO WELLINGTON, NZ AND L.A.
February 1, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) VICTORIA, BC, Jan. 31 /CNW-AsiaNet/ - In an effort to show their continued support and tell Canada's hard working IRB 7s how proud they really are to sponsor them, Custom House had the...

S. KOREA PROPOSES PREPARATORY GROUP WITH RUSSIA ON PIPELINE.
February 1, 2005... MOSCOW, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea has proposed forming a working-level group with the Russian government for South Korean companies to join in a new pipeline project connecting Siberian oil fields with Japan, South Korean officials said....

STOCKS - SEOUL STOCKS OPEN WEAKER - FEB 1, 2005.
February 1, 2005... SEOUL, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks started lower Tuesday on a program selling. Tech shares led the declines. In the first 15 minutes of trading, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 4.81 points, or 0.51...

S KOREAN GOVT TO REVISE LAWS FOR FURTHER AGRICULTURE OPENING.
February 1, 2005... SEOUL, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - The government said Tuesday it will revise laws and regulation in preparation for further opening of the domestic market to imported agricultural goods. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said the grain...

EXXON MOBIL CORP ANNOUNCES ESTIMATED Q4 AND 2004 RESULTS.
February 1, 2005... (Edited text of a statement. Full text can be found at www.businesswire.com) IRVING, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 31, 2005-- Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) today reported fourth quarter results. Net income of $8,420 million ($1.30 per...

SLOWDOWN ON THE CARDS FOR AUSTRALIAN HOUSING INDUSTRY.
February 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Housing construction isn't about to fall in a heap but a slowdown over the next couple of years is on the cards, the Housing Industry Association (HIA) said Monday. After three strong years the housing sector is...

MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - FEB 1, 2005.
February 1, 2005... KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE STAR: - Pulp and paper producer Lion Forest Industries Bhd (Lion FIB) has proposed to acquire Silverstone Bhd, which manufactures tyres. Both LionFIB and...

S. KOREAN BUILDERS' OVERSEAS ORDERS TRIPLE IN JANUARY.
February 1, 2005... SEOUL, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Overseas construction orders for South Korean builders more than tripled in January from a year ago as they won large contracts to repair highways in India and Sri Lanka, an industry association said Tuesday. ...

AUSTRALIA'S TRADE DEFICIT FALLS IN DECEMBER: ABS.
February 1, 2005... CANBERRA, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Australia's trade deficit with the rest of the world hit $A2.4 billion ($US1.86 billion) in December, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said today. The deficit was down almost $A300 million ($US232.32 million)...

AUSTRALIAN TRADE MINISTER SEES STRONG REBOUND IN EXPORTS.
February 1, 2005... CANBERRA, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Australian exports of goods and services rebounded strongly through 2004 and would continue to do so, Trade Minister Mark Vaile said today. Commenting on the release of the December trade figures, which showed...

KIA MOTORS PRESIDENT APOLOGIES FOR UNION BRIBE SCANDAL.
February 1, 2005... GWANGJU, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Kia Motors Corp. (KSE:000270) President Kim Ik-hwan offered an apology Tuesday for the company's union-related cash-for-jobs scandal. In a press conference held at the car manufacturer's Gwangju plant, the...

THAI NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - FEB 1, 2005.
February 1, 2005... BANGKOK, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: BANGKOK POST: - The ailing property developer Natural Park Plc said yesterday that it would sell a 10 per cent shareholding in subway operator Bangkok Metro Co (BMCL) to the...

BROKING HOUSES CAUTIOUS ABOUT NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK TURNAROUND.
February 1, 2005... MELBOURNE, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Broking houses remained cautious about the success of National Australia Bank Ltd's (ASX:NAB) turnaround over the next 12 months following yesterday's annual general meeting. The bank reiterated to...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN STOCKS HIGHER AT NOON - FEB 1, 2005.
February 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian sharemarket jumped to record highs this morning and remained firmer to noon, buoyed by a strong lead from Wall Street overnight. Most blue chip stocks were stronger across the key sectors such as...

AUSTRALIA'S VICTORIA OVERTAKES NSW IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION.
February 1, 2005... MELBOURNE, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Victoria has overtaken New South Wales for the first time to become Australia's largest agriculture producing state. Victorian Agriculture Minister Bob Cameron today said preliminary figures released by the...

ENERGY RESOURCES AUSTRALIA SAYS MINING JABILUKA STILL POSSIBLE.
February 1, 2005... DARWIN, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Uranium miner Energy Resources of Australia (ASX:ERA) today left open the door to possible future mining at its controversial Jabiluka site in Kakadu National Park. Under a landmark deal, traditional owners have...

PAKISTAN'S KPT, KICT SIGN DEAL TO DEVELOP KARACHI PORT.
February 1, 2005... KARACHI, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) have entered into an agreement for developing KICT's phase III project at Karachi Port's West Wharf. KPT Chairman Vice-Admiral...

PHILIPPINES, US START TRAINING EXERCISES IN NORTHERN PHILIPPINES.
February 1, 2005... MANILA, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Philippine and American forces on Monday kicked off another round of joint training exercises in the northern Philippine provinces of Nueva Ecija and Pampanga, the first of several activities lined up this year. ...

IRANIAN LABOR MINISTER ARRIVES IN BEIJING.
February 1, 2005... BEIJING, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Iranian Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Naser Khaleqi, heading a delegation, arrived here yesterday morning for a four-day official visit. The Iranian minister and his delegation, upon their arrival at...

AUSTRALIA'S METAL STORM REVISES TIMING FOR GUN DEVELOPMENT.
February 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Metal Storm Ltd (ASX:MST) has revised the timing of its development of the personalised smartgun and the electronic handgun. Metal Storm said the schedule for the personalised smartgun has been adjusted following...

IRAN-MALAYSIA TRADE RISES SHARPLY IN 2004.
February 1, 2005... KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 1, Asia Pulse - Iranian Charge d`Affaires to Malaysia Ahmad Masoumifar said here Sunday night that the volume of economic and trade exchanges between Tehran and Kuala Lumpur surpassed US$600 million in 2004. Speaking at a...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR UNCHANGED AT NOON - FEB 1, 2005.
February 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar received early support from the euro but profit-taking and a wider than expected trade deficit pulled the currency back down, making it broadly unchanged at noon today. At 1200 AEDT the...

MUZUHO INT'L SIGNS DEAL FOR INVESTMENT IN AUSTRALIA'S CHEMEQ.
February 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - London-based Mizuho International Plc (MHI) and its nominees have completed due diligence and signed the final documentation for its investment of up to A$60 million (US$46.4 million) in Veterinary drugs developer...

JAPANESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - FEB 1, 2005.
February 1, 2005... TOKYO, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: NIKKEI NET: - Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s (TSE:7211) top shareholder, turnaround fund Phoenix Capital Co., will gradually sell off its stake in the troubled automaker starting...

AUSTRALIA'S JETSTAR BEGINS FLIGHTS TO ADELAIDE.
February 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Qantas Airways Ltd's (ASX:QAN) low cost carrier Jetstar today began flying to Adelaide. The airline will initially operate 42 flights a week to and from the South Australian capital from the Gold Coast, Hobart and...

SYDNEY-BASED EOS TO JOINTLY EXPLOIT SPACE APPLICATIONS.
February 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd (EOS) (ASX:EOS) has come to an agreement with Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems Corp to jointly exploit space applications of EOS laser and electro-optic technologies. ...

PHILIPPINE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - FEB 1, 2005.
February 1, 2005... MANILA, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: MANILA TIMES: - Fueled by a strong services sector, the countrys economy grew 6.1 per cent in 2004 from 4.7 per cent in 2003, the highest in 15 years, the National...

IRAN'S CLOTHING EXPORTS TOP US$117 MLN SINCE MARCH 2004.
February 1, 2005... TEHRAN, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Iran Customs Administration reported here Saturday that over US$117.218 million worth of clothing was exported in the first three quarters of the current Iranian year (started March 20). Of the total, US$60.3...

MALACANANG WELCOMES PROPOSALS TO MINIMIZE IMPACT OF HIGHER VAT.
February 1, 2005... MANILA, Feb 1 Asia Pulse - Philippine Presidential Palace Malacanang is urging concerned sectors to propose measures that will minimize the impact on people of an increase in value-added tax (VAT) from 10 to 12 per cent. "We are open to...