AsiaPulse News articles from June 2001

AsiaPulse News archives from June 2001

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

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 1, 2001.
June 1, 2001... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: - Rodney Adler was ordered to surrender his passport and provide securities of $7.7 million to corporate regulators; Mobile phone customers of troubled...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS WEAKER - JUNE 1, 2001.
June 1, 2001... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar opened weaker today after a slide overnight on the back of a weaker euro and some technical selling. Still, dealers said that despite the overnight weakness the domestic currency should...

PACIFIC COAL TO SET UP NEW $US216MLN COKING AUSTRALIAN MINE.
June 1, 2001... BRISBANE, June 1 Asia Pulse - Pacific Coal, a Rio Tinto Ltd subsidiary, is to spend $A425 million ($US216.88 million) developing a new coking coal mine in Australia. The mine will be located near Mackay in Queensland. The Hail Creek...

JAPANESE DEFENCE FORCE AWARDS CONTRACT FOR OPTICAL CAMERAS.
June 1, 2001... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 31 PRNewswire-AsiaNet - The Japanese Marine Self Defense Force (JMSDF) has awarded The BFGoodrich Company, through its trade representative Sumitomo Corporation, a...

IDC RANKS MCDATA AS LEADER IN FIBRE CHANNEL SWITCHING MARKET.
June 1, 2001... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) BROOMFIELD, Colo., May 31 PRNewswire-AsiaNet - McDATA(R) Corporation (Nasdaq: MCDTA, MCDT), a global leader in open storage networking solutions, today announced its continued dominance in...

QUANTUM DEVELOPS HYDROGEN FUEL SYSTEM FOR BUSES.
June 1, 2001... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) IRVINE, Calif., May 31 PRNewswire-AsiaNet - QUANTUM Technologies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of IMPCO Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: IMCO) announced today that it had developed a...

GENOMIC SOLUTIONS AWARDED US PATENT FOR DNA TECHNOLOGY.
June 1, 2001... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 31 PRNewswire-AsiaNet - Genomic Solutions Inc. (Nasdaq: GNSL), a leading, worldwide supplier of automated solutions for genomic and proteomic research, announces that...

VISTEON DEVISES NEW AUTO ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM.
June 1, 2001... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) DEARBORN, Mich., May 31 PRNewswire-AsiaNet - Visteon Corporation (NYSE: VC) demonstrates another industry first, PrecisionCooling(TM). This integrated all-in-one engine cooling system...

14 CREDITORS AGREE TO EASE HYUNDAI'S FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES.
June 1, 2001... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - Korea Investment Trust Co. and 13 other investment trust companies agreed Thursday to ease financial difficulties of Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co. Under the agreement, the 14 creditors will roll over...

CITIBANK INDIA LAUNCHES MONEY ALERT SERVICE FOR NRIs.
June 1, 2001... NEW DELHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Citibank has launched an internet and mobile-phone based money alert service 'CitiAlert' for its Non-resident Indian clients. "Our CitiAlert service for NRIs, will now enable us to reach out to them wherever...

MITSUBISHI TO EXPAND OPERATIONS IN INDIAN CELLULAR MARKET.
June 1, 2001... NEW DELHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Japanese giant Mitsubishi is set to diversify and expand its range of cellular handsets in India. It is to focus on quality users and has fixed a target of $US10 million turnover for the current financial...

INDIA'S ORTEM TO COMPETE WITH CHINA IN EUROPEAN FAN MARKET.
June 1, 2001... NEW DELHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Ortem fan maker Metro Appliances has announced its entry into the European market with the first export order from Spain, thereby claiming to become the first Indian fan company to enter a market dominated by...

INT'L SUGAR BODY EXPECTS TO OVERCOME FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES.
June 1, 2001... NEW DELHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - The International Sugar Organisation (ISO), which held its three-day council meeting here, has agreed to extend its agreement beyond 2001 and was optimistic of overcoming financial difficulties due to untimely...

INDIA'S NASSCOM PROPOSES ACTION PLAN ON IT SERVICES.
June 1, 2001... CHENNAI, June 1 Asia Pulse - The National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) has proposed a 10-point action plan to help India emerge as a sustainable hub for IT-enabled services. The plan, to be presented to the IT and...

OVERSEAS USE OF KOREAN CREDIT CARDS SOARS IN Q1.
June 1, 2001... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - Credit card use by Koreans traveling abroad reached US$423 million during the first quarter of this year, up 38.7 per cent from the same period last year, the Bank of Korea said Friday. The number of credit card...

RUSSELL CREDIT RAISES OFFER PRICE FOR TOBACCO CO STAKE.
June 1, 2001... NEW DELHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - ITC subsidiary Russell Credit has announced a further rise in its offer price by Rs five to Rs 125 ($US2.60) to acquire a 20 per cent stake in tobacco major VST Industries. The hike follows a similar hike...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN STOCKS HIGHER AT OPEN - JUNE 1, 2001.
June 1, 2001... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian stockmarket inched higher today at the open as a resurgence in technology stocks on Wall St overnight helped the local market shrug off yesterday's declines. The all ordinaries index was 14.1...

SANTOS, CUE FIND NEW GAS DEPOSIT OFF EAST JAVA.
June 1, 2001... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - A new gas deposit has been struck of the coast of East Java. Santos Ltd's subsidiary Santos (Sampang) Pty Ltd (ASX: STO) and Cue Energy Resources Ltd (ASX: CUE) said today hydrocarbons were indicated at the...

DROUGHT PUTTING STRAIN ON KOREAN RESERVOIRS.
June 1, 2001... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said Friday water levels at reservoirs across the country are getting lower due to a two-month drought. The ministry said water levels at the 17,956 reservoirs around the...

INDIA'S BHEL TO DEBUT IMPROVED ECO-FRIENDLY VEHICLE.
June 1, 2001... NEW DELHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BSE:BHEL) would introduce a new version of its eco-friendly battery powered road vehicle, 'Electravan', with a host of improved features. The new version of the Battery...

KOREAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 1, 2001.
June 1, 2001... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: DONG-A ILBO - Reform minded lawmakers in MDP call for personnel changes at Chong Wa Dae - Medical insurance likely to become a burden on the people HANKYOREH SHINMUN...

KOREA'S MOFE CONSIDERS LOWERING INTEREST RATE CEILING TO 50 PCT.
June 1, 2001... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Ministry of Finance and Economy is considering lowering the ceiling on the annual interest rates on loans offered by private moneylenders to 50 per cent, down 10 percentage points from the originally proposed 60...

IRAN OFFICIAL PRAISES 3RD PLAN'S ATTENTION TO BANKS' GROWTH.
June 1, 2001... TEHRAN, June 1 Asia Pulse - The general manager of the national Bank Melli of Iran stated here on Wednesday that the Third Five-Year Economic Development Plan is to be credited for the outstanding growth in the country's banking system. ...

AUSTRALIA'S BRIAN MCGUIGAN, SIMEON WINES FORM ALLIANCE.
June 1, 2001... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - Brian McGuigan Wines Ltd (ASX:MGW) has signed an agreement with Simeon Wines Ltd (ASX:SWS) on the creation of a strategic winemaking and domestic distribution alliance to take effect July 1. Both companies said...

WASTE MANAGEMENT NZ TO BUY TWO AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSES.
June 1, 2001... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - Waste Management NZ Ltd (ASX:WNZ) has announced plans to acquire two waste businesses for a total of $A23 million ($US11.63 million). WAM said it had entered into agreements to buy Brisbane-based Barkoola...

KOREAN GOVT WILL NOT LINKING TOBACCO TO CONSUMER PRICE HIKE.
June 1, 2001... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's Ministry of Finance and Economy said it had no intention of limiting cigarette price increases to within consumer price hike rates, and that tobacco manufacturers would be allowed to set their own prices...

INDIAN GOVT SETS UP GROUP TO PREPARE NEW FERTILISER POLICY.
June 1, 2001... NEW DELHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Indian Government has decided to set up a Group of Ministers (GOM) headed by the Finance Minister, Yashwant Sinha, to prepare a fertiliser policy and set up a revival package for the Fertiliser Companies. ...

CHINA-TAIWAN CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS BETTER THAN IN 1999: PREMIER.
June 1, 2001... TAIPEI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Relations between Taiwan and Mainland China are more stable now than they in previous years and Taipei-Washington ties have improved significantly as well, said Premier Chang Chun-hsiung. The welcome that the...

JAPANESE MORNING NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 1, 2001.
June 1, 2001... TOKYO, June 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's morning edition of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei): - Economic Council Draws Up 7-Point Reform Plan - Japan, China, S Korea Seek Common Patent Standards - Mazda To Develop Diesel...

APEC OFFICIALS MEET IN CHINA'S SHENZHEN PROVINCE.
June 1, 2001... TAIPEI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Senior officials from the 21 countries and entities of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum will meet in Shenzhen, mainland China, from Friday to Sunday. Taiwan, attending under the name of...

JAPANESE HOUSING STARTS DIP IN APRIL.
June 1, 2001... TOKYO, June 1 Asia Pulse - Japan's housing starts fell 7.2% on the year to 99,556 units in April, the fourth consecutive month of decline, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reported Thursday. The decline was attributed...

EIGHT JAPANESE FIRMS COMPETE TO DEVELOP NEW DEFENSE PLANES.
June 1, 2001... TOKYO, June 1 Asia Pulse - Eight companies will compete for contracts to develop new patrol and transport planes for the Defense Agency, the companies said Thursday. The projects mark the first time in 30 years that large aircraft are to...

JAPAN'S ECONOMIC COUNCIL DRAWS UP 7-POINT REFORM PLAN.
June 1, 2001... TOKYO, June 1 Asia Pulse - Japan's Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy has released draft guildelines for a seven-point structural reform program addressing a variety of issues including the rigid budget allocation method. The...

JAPAN'S UNIPRES GROUP PRETAX PROFIT RISES 9% IN FY2000.
June 1, 2001... TOKYO, June 1 Asia Pulse - Unipres Corp. (TSE: 5949), an autoparts maker affiliated with Nissan Motor Co. (TSE: 7201), said Thursday its consolidated pretax profit rose 9% to Y2.08 billion ($US17.52 million) in the year ended March 2001. ...

HONDA TO DEBUT 3 MODELS, TARGETS RECORD JAPAN SALES THIS YEAR.
June 1, 2001... TOKYO, Jun 1 Asia Pulse - Honda Motor Co. (TSE:7267) will market three new models in Japan later this year, company President Hiroyuki Yoshino said Thursday. The automaker aims to sell a record 830,000 cars in Japan in fiscal 2001. It...

IRANIANS INSPECT RUSSIAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS PLANT.
June 1, 2001... MOSCOW, June 1 Asia Pulse - An Iranian delegation headed by Iranian Ambassador to Moscow, Mehdi Safari, visited a plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk Wednesday to meet Russian technicians employed to build an Iranian telecommunications...

SUMITOMO COAL BOOKS 1ST GROUP OPERATING PROFIT IN 4 YEARS.
June 1, 2001... TOKYO, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Sumitomo Coal Mining Co. (TSE: 1503) posted a consolidated operating profit of Y1.6 billion ($US13.47 million) for the year ended March, a turnaround from the previous year's 400 million yen loss and the first...

JAPAN'S SHIONOGI, AVENTIS CROPSCIENCE TO FORM AGROCHEM TIE-UP.
June 1, 2001... OSAKA, Jun 1 Asia Pulse - Shionogi & Co. (4507) announced Thursday it will tie up with Aventis CropScience of France in the agrochemical business. The firms will set up a joint venture in Tokyo on Oct. 1 to sell agrochemical products of...

MITSUBISHI GAS TO WITHDRAW FROM UREA PRODUCTION.
June 1, 2001... TOKYO, June 1 Asia Pulse - Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co. (TSE:4182) said Thursday that it plans to cease its own output of urea in March 2002, and outsource production to Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (TSE:4183) as of April 2002. Prices are falling...

JAPANESE PM PLEDGES TO KEEP FIGHTING TO REALLOCATE ROAD TAXES.
June 1, 2001... TOKYO, June 1 Asia Pulse - Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has said that he was determined to win his case for the review of the allocation of tax revenue designated exclusively for road construction. Speaking at a press interview...

JAPAN'S SONY SETS TRACKING-STOCK PRICE.
June 1, 2001... TOKYO, June 1 Asia Pulse - Sony Corp. (6758) has set a tentative price range of 3,000-3,500 yen a share in book-building ahead of the June debut of its tracking stock, the company said Thursday. The issue, the first of its kind in Japan,...

JAPAN'S EBARA CORP SET TO ENTER WHOLESALE POWER MARKET.
June 1, 2001... TOKYO, June 1 Asia Pulse - Japan's Ebara Corp. (TSE: 6361) is to form a company to wholesale electric power. The enterprise will be capitalized at Y490 million ($US4.12 million) yen, with Ebara taking a 65% stake. Contributing the rest...

JAPAN'S DAINICHISEIKA POSTS US$56.5 MLN GROUP OP PROFIT.
June 1, 2001... TOKYO, June 1 Asia Pulse - Dainichiseika Colour & Chemicals Mfg. Co. (TSE:4116) announced Thursday that it booked a consolidated operating profit of 6.8 billion yen (US$56.5 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, up 1 per cent from a year...

STOCKS - KOSPI, KOSDAQ INDEX EDGE DOWN - JUNE 1, 2001.
June 1, 2001... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - Stocks on the Korea Stock Exchange were flat early Friday as the report of U.S. unemployment claims will be released in the day. As of 10:01 a.m., the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 0.47 points to...

SHARES IN OPEN TELECOMS PLUNGE 34% AFTER JOB CUTS NEWS.
June 1, 2001... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - Shares plunged 34 per cent in early trade for the Murdoch and Packer-backed Open Telecommunications Ltd (ASX: OTT) after announcing job cuts. The company is struggling to meet forecast cashflow. OTT shares...

RENAULT-SAMSUNG SELLS MORE THAN 5,000 SM5 VEHICLES AGAIN IN MAY.
June 1, 2001... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - Renault-Samsung Motors said that it sold 5,203 units of its SM5 passenger car in May, exceeding the 5,000 level for the third consecutive months. The automaker, who sold 5,094 of the model in March and 5,014 in...

PAKISTAN GOVT AIMS TO EARN US$800 MLN FROM TOURISM BY 2005.
June 1, 2001... ISLAMABAD, June 1 Asia Pulse - A new tourism policy, presented to Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf for final approval, has the lofty targets of increase in the number of arriving tourists by 6.5 per cent annually and the foreign...

AUSTRALIA'S CITY PACIFIC SET TO LIST ON BOURSE.
June 1, 2001... BRISBANE, June 1 Asia Pulse - City Pacific Ltd, a Brisbane-based property investor, has outlined plans to raise $A5 million ($US2.53 million) and list on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). City Pacific is seeking to raise $5 million...

PAKISTAN TO TAKE STEPS TO BOOST SOFTWARE EXPORTS.
June 1, 2001... ISLAMABAD, June 1 Asia Pulse - Pakistan said it would offer its neglected but nascent information technology sector a major boost, aiming to increase software export, to more than US$1 billion annually within the next five years. Science...

PAKISTAN URGED TO ENTER CHINESE MARKET.
June 1, 2001... KARACHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Pakistan should endeavour to enter the Chinese market after China secures the membership of WTO. This was stated by the State Bank Governor, Ishrat Hussain while delivering the keynote address at seminar on...

PAKISTAN EXPECTS US$250 MLN DROUGHT RELIEF PACKAGE.
June 1, 2001... ISLAMABAD, June 1 Asia Pulse - The World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the World Food Programme are expected to grant Pakistan a US$250 million drought relief package. Sources in the multilateral agencies said that the losses caused...

CITI ISLAMIC BANK ARRANGES $US100M FINANCE FOR PAKISTAN OIL.
June 1, 2001... KARACHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Citi Islamic Investment Bank (CIIB), a Bahrain-based unit of Citigroup, had arranged a $US100 million Islamic financing facility for Pakistan State Oil Limited (PSO), a CIIB statement said. "A landmark...

PAKISTAN TO EXPORT 100,000 TONNES OF RICE TO KENYA.
June 1, 2001... ISLAMABAD, June 1 Asia Pulse - Arrangements were underway for the export of 100,000 tonnes of rice from Pakistan to Kenya following the reduction of import duty, said Pakistani High Commissioner in Kenya Hamid Kidwai. He made the...

NIGERIA SEEKS PAKISTAN'S HELP TO DEVELOP AGRO-BASED INDUSTRY.
June 1, 2001... LAHORE, June 1 Asia Pulse - Nigeria has sought assistance from Pakistan in the field of science and technology to further develop its agro-based industry. This was brought up by the Executive Governor of the Nigerian state of Traba, Rev....

NEW WESTPAC ALLIANCE TO SCRAP GLOBAL BANK ACCESS FEES.
June 1, 2001... MELBOURNE, June 1 Asia Pulse - Westpac Banking Corp Ltd (ASX: WBC) has announced a global alliance with four leading financial institutions to scrap international access fees for overseas travellers. Westpac, together with the Bank of...

TAIWANESE BANKS GRANTED PERMISSION TO SET UP BRANCHES IN CHINA.
June 1, 2001... TAIPEI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's Cabinet has agreed to allow local banks to set up representative offices in mainland China on the condition that their operations are confined to market surveying and consulting. In an announcement...

YUNNAN TOURIST INDUSTRY MISSION ARRIVES IN TAIPEI.
June 1, 2001... TAIPEI, June 1 Asia Pulse - A seven-member delegation organized by mainland China's Yunnan Tourist Association arrived in Taipei Thursday for a nine-day visit at the invitation of its Taipei City counterpart. The purpose of the visit is to...

TAIWAN AND DENMARK TO STRENGTHEN DESIGN EXCHANGES.
June 1, 2001... TAIPEI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan and Denmark will strengthen their design exchanges. Officials of the Design Center of China External Trade Development Council (CETRA) and members of Denmark Designer Association (DDA) reached several...

FOREX - WON OPENS DOWN AGAINST THE DOLLAR - JUNE 1, 2001.
June 1, 2001... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Korean won slipped against the US dollar in early trade on the local foreign exchange market due to the dollar's appreciation overseas. The dollar bought 1,283.60 won as of 10:22 am, up slightly from 1,282.70...

AUSTRALIA'S FOODLAND DROPS SALE OF DEKA NEW ZEALAND.
June 1, 2001... PERTH, June 1 Asia Pulse - Perth-based retailer Foodland Associated Ltd (ASX:FOA) today said the proposed sale of its Deka New Zealand Ltd to Number One Retail Group Limited will not proceed. The company said today that despite substantial...

OIL PRICES MAY RISE IN TAIWAN NEXT WEEK:CPC OFFICIAL.
June 1, 2001... TAIPEI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Oil prices in Taiwan may be higher next week due to the depreciation of the new Taiwan dollar and the rising cost of crude oil, said an official of the state-owned Chinese Petroleum Corp (CPC). The official, who...

PAKISTAN TO PREPARE ENERGY PLANS.
June 1, 2001... ISLAMABAD, June 1 Asia Pulse - The government intends to prepare three-year and 10-year perspective plans on the energy sector in order to gauge future energy demand and to draft energy policies. Official sources said the energy wing of...

INDIA TO CONSIDER ACPC'S PLAN TO ELIMINATE LOW-QUALITY COFFEE BEANS.
June 1, 2001... NEW DELHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - India has said it would examine a proposed plan by the Association of the Coffee Producing Countries (ACPC) for the elimination of poor-quality beans from the market, but has rejected the group's retention plan....

INDIAN GOVT TO INTRODUCE BILLS ON HOUSING, CONSTRUCTION NORMS.
June 1, 2001... NEW DELHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - In the wake of the devastation wrought by the recent earthquake in Gujarat, the Indian government said it would introduce a Bill to enforce strict norms for the housing and construction industry. "The...

JAPAN GOVT TENDER - OPERATION MICROSCOPE SYSTEM (1).
June 1, 2001... ***** ASIA PULSE TENDER ***** CHUGOKU-SHIKOKU BUREAU OF HEALTH AND WELFARE TO PROCURE OPERATION MICROSCOPE SYSTEM AND OTHER The following is a procurement notice published in the Kanpo Japanese government gazette on May 21: ...

AIR POLLUTION IN SOUTH KOREA CONTINUES TO WORSEN IN APRIL.
June 1, 2001... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - Air quality in South Korean was significantly worse in April compared to the same month last year, with the level of pollutants pushed up by a nationwide drought in combination with the yearly infux of "yellow dust"...

JAPAN GOVT TENDER - CONSTRUCTION WORK (1).
June 1, 2001... ***** ASIA PULSE TENDER ***** KINKI REGIONAL BUREAU OF POSTAL SERVICES INVITES BIDS FOR CONSTRUCTION WORK The following is a procurement notice published in the Kanpo Japanese government gazette on May 28: (1) Official in...

JAPAN GOVT TENDER - CONSTRUCTION WORK (2).
June 1, 2001... ***** ASIA PULSE TENDER ***** KYOTO UNIVERSITY INVITES BIDS FOR CONSTRUCTION WORK The following is a procurement notice published in the Kanpo Japanese government gazette on May 30: (1) Official in charge of disbursement of...

PHILIPPINE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 1, 2001.
June 1, 2001... MANILA, June 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: STAR - The Senate-House conference committee approved last night the bicameral report on the proposed Power Sector Reform Bill. Sen. John Osmena, chairman of the Senate...

PAKISTAN TO HOLD 3 INVESTMENT CONFERENCES IN UK, US, CANADA.
June 1, 2001... ISLAMABAD, June 1 Asia Pulse - Pakistan will organise three important investment conferences in England, Canada and the United States next month to announce new incentives designed to attract more foreign investment to the country's oil and gas...

AMNESTY INT'L PRAISES TAIWAN FOR MORATORIUM ON EXECUTIONS.
June 1, 2001... LONDON, June 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's moratorium on executions as part of efforts to eliminate the use of capital punishment by its justice system has been lauded by the London-based human rights group Amnesty International (AI). Calling...

INDIA AGREES TO ADHERE TO IRAQI WHEAT COMPOSITION STANDARD.
June 1, 2001... NEW DELHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Indian government has agreed to subscribe to Iraqi wheat standards and will be making the required arrangements to bring down inorganic matter to the minimal level in the consignment sent to Baghdad, though...

DAEWOO'S UNION MISSION LEAVES FOR U.S. TO BLOCK GM'S TAKEOVER.
June 1, 2001... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - A five-member delegation of Daewoo Motor Co.'s union left for Washington Friday to prevent General Motors from acquiring the Korean automaker, the union said. The union's move came one day after the U.S. carmaker...

HEAD OF AUSTRALIA'S HIH INSURANCE HANDS OVER PASSPORT, ASSETS.
June 1, 2001... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - Former director of failed comapany HIH Insurance Ltd (ASX:HIH ) Rodney Adler has handed in his passport and a $A7.7 million ($US3.89 million) security to the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC)....

INDONESIA TAKES PART IN ASEAN YOUTH JAMBOREE IN MALAYSIA.
June 1, 2001... JAKARTA, June 1 Asia Pulse - Indonesia will send a cultural mission to the 3rd ASEAN Youth Jamboree in Malaysia's Kuala Kuantan on June 10 to 24, said Sri Hasnanto, director general of Culture, Art and Film Affairs at the Ministry of Culture...

JAPAN GOVT TENDER - ENDOSCOPIC SURGICAL OPERATION SYSTEM.
June 1, 2001... ***** ASIA PULSE TENDER ***** MINAMI-KYUSHU NATIONAL HOSPITAL TO PROCURE ENDOSCOPIC SURGICAL OPERATION SYSTEM The following is a procurement notice published in the Kanpo Japanese government gazette on May 21: (1) Official in...

698 PHILIPPINES ESTABLISHMENTS REPORT CLOSURE/RETRENCHMENT.
June 1, 2001... MANILA, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said a total of 698 establishments have reported permanent closure/retrenchment due to economic reasons for the first three months of the year. In a press conference...

KOREAN HOTELS RENOVATE ROOMS FOR 2002 FIFA WORLD CUP.
June 1, 2001... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - Hotels in South Korea are renovating rooms and shops in anticipation of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, industry sources reported. The Sheraton Walker Hill opened five new facilities, including a bar, a fusion cafe and...

LG SECURITIES MAINTAINS BUY RECOMMENDATION FOR HYUNDAI MOTORS.
June 1, 2001... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - LG Securities (KSE: 05940) said Friday Hyundai Motor Co. (KSE: 05380) will stay on its buy list thanks to the rating upgrade by Moody's Investors Services and brisk domestic demand in May. LG Securities noted...

JAPAN GOVT TENDER - HEMATOLOGY ANALYZER.
June 1, 2001... ***** ASIA PULSE TENDER ***** NATIONAL OOMUTA HOSPITAL TO PROCURE HEMATOLOGY ANALYZER The following is a procurement notice published in the Kanpo Japanese government gazette on May 21: (1) Official in charge of disbursement...

INDONESIA'S KRAKATAU STEEL TO RAISE STEEL PRICES BY 5-20 PCT IN JUNE.
June 1, 2001... JAKARTA, June 1 Asia Pulse - Indonesia's PT Krakatau Steel is planning to raise its steel prices by 5 to 20 per cent this month, as a result of an increase in production costs. "The rupiah's depreciation against the US dollar has raised...

TAIWAN PRESIDENT CALLS FOR U.N. ACCESSION.
June 1, 2001... ASUNCION, Paraguay, June 1 Asia Pulse - If there was any justice in the international community, Taiwan would not be the only country in the world to be shut out of the United Nations, Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian said Thursday. Chen,...

WAP USERS BEMOAN PRICE HIKES IN VIETNAM.
June 1, 2001... HANOI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Mobile phone customers are railing against the latest price changes for using wireless application protocol (WAP) services, saying Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (VNPT) has set the rates too high....