AsiaPulse News articles from June 2005

AsiaPulse News archives from June 2005

S. KOREAN BANKS' CAPITAL ADEQUACY RATIO FALLS SLIGHTLY.
June 1, 2005... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - The capital adequacy ratio of South Korean banks fell slightly in the first quarter of the year as an increase in risk-weighed assets offset a rise in earnings, the country's financial watchdog said in a report on...

S. KOREAN CORPORATE BUSINESS CONFIDENCE FALLS FOR JUNE.
June 1, 2005... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - The June business outlook for South Korean manufacturing companies fell as more companies became skeptical of an imminent economic recovery, the central bank said Wednesday. The business survey index, a barometer...

FOREX - US DOLLAR HIGHER AGAINST RUPEE - MAY 31, 2005.
June 1, 2005... MUMBAI, May 31 Asia Pulse - The U.S. Dollar ended sharply dearer against the Rupee at Rs 43.78 per dollar and the Pound Sterling turned expensive at Rs 79.58 per pound at the close of the Interbank Foreign Exchange (FOREX) market here today....

NEW STOCK INDEX TO DEBUT IN S. KOREA TODAY.
June 1, 2005... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - A new stock indicator, the "KRX100," is to debut today with its starting index set at 1,975.71, the operator of South Korea's stock exchange said Tuesday. The new index is a free-float market value-weighted index...

STOCKS - BSE CLOSES FIRMER - MAY 31, 2005.
June 1, 2005... MUMBAI, May 31 Asia Pulse - Buoyed by a strong revival in support from domestic funds, the market today bounced back with a vengeance and ended 52 points up in an otherwise low volume even as bank stocks hogged the limelight on expectations of...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR BEGINS STEADY - JUNE 1, 2005.
June 1, 2005... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar opened unchanged today after yesterday's sharp falls fuelled by further euro weakness. At 0700 AEST the local currency was trading at $US0.7556/60 in line with yesterday's close. In...

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 1, 2005.
June 1, 2005... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - Main stories in today's newspapers: THE AUSTRALIAN - A man who spent eight years in jail after being convicted of smuggling drugs into Australia is still working at Sydney Airport; An Australian SAS...

AUSTRALIA'S FAIRFAX SAYS FULL-YR EARNINGS TARGET WILL BE MET.
June 1, 2005... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - John Fairfax Holdings Ltd (ASX:FXJ) today said it was on track to meet full year earnings expectations. The publisher said the earnings before interest and tax result will be within the current market analysts'...

S. KOREAN CONSUMER PRICES FALL IN MAY.
June 1, 2005... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean consumer prices fell in May for the first time in six months as a drop in prices of agricultural and industrial goods offset a rise in public service fees, a government report showed on Wednesday. ...

LG CARD RAISES PROFIT TARGET ON IMPROVED BUSINESS PERFORMANCE.
June 1, 2005... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - LG Card Co. (KSE:32710), South Korea's No. 2 credit card company, has raised its profit target for the year as its business is getting back to normal, industry sources said Wednesday. According to the sources, LG...

NORTHERN TRUST MOVES INTO NEW SINGAPORE OFFICE SPACE.
June 1, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below) CHICAGO, Ill., May 31/PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - The Northern Trust Company Singapore Branch has moved into a new office to support its continued business growth in the Asia Pacific region. The...

FUJITSU ADOPTS THE ITIL ETHOS VIA ASSYST.
June 1, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below) EDINBURGH, May 31 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - Fujitsu Consulting integrates the core expertise of Fujitsu companies and government in the areas of Enterprise Value Management, Enterprise...

ULEAD SHOWS INNOVATIVE DIGITAL MEDIA SOLUTIONS AT COMPUTEX 2005.
June 1, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below) TAIPEI, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 31, 2005--Ulead Systems, Inc., a 15-year industry leader in video, image and DVD software, has announced that it will show a new generation of...

QUADREM GROWS AUSTRALIAN OPS, NAMES NEW VICE PRESIDENT.
June 1, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below) SYDNEY, June 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - Quadrem, the global eMarketplace(TM), is expanding its Australian operations to better serve customers in Queensland. New Quadrem staff in Brisbane will...

TAIWAN SHOULD OVERHAUL MANPOWER RESOURCES POLICY: AMCHAM.
June 1, 2005... TAIPEI, June 1 Asia Pulse - The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Taipei called on the Taiwan government Tuesday to revise its regulations governing human resources in order to sharpen the country's competitive edge. In its 2005...

CHANGE TO TAIWAN'S FINANCIAL RESTRUCTURING FUND APPROVED.
June 1, 2005... TAIPEI, June 1 Asia Pulse - The revision to the Statute on the Establishment and Management of the Financial Restructuring Fund cleared the Legislative Yuan minutes before the legislature went into recess Tuesday. Under the revised...

TAIWAN GOVT PLEDGES TO SOLVE MANPOWER SHORTAGE FOR INT'L FIRMS.
June 1, 2005... TAIPEI, June 1 Asia Pulse - The government will continue its efforts to solve the manpower shortage faced by multinational firms operating in Taiwan, Vice Economic Affairs Minister Chen Ruey-long said Tuesday. Chen was responding to the...

TAIWAN MINISTER HEADS TO SOUTH KOREA FOR APEC MEETING.
June 1, 2005... TAIPEI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Minister of Economic Affairs Ho Mei-yueh left for South Korea Tuesday to attend the 11th trade ministers meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Prior to her departure, Ho told reporters...

TAIWAN'S ITRI INKS AGREEMENT WITH MALAYSIAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE.
June 1, 2005... TAIPEI, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and the Malaysian Institute of Micro-Electronics Systems (MIMOS) entered into a cooperation agreement Tuesday that is expected to help boost technological exchanges...

COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT OUTPUT AT US$12.79 BLN IN TAIWAN IN '04.
June 1, 2005... TAIPEI, June 1 Asia Pulse - The production value of Taiwan's communications equipment industry amounted to NT$400.4 billion (US$12.79 billion) in 2004, according to a report released Tuesday by the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and...

JAN-APRIL TOURIST ARRIVALS IN TAIWAN UP 18.5% ON-YR: DGBAS.
June 1, 2005... TAIPEI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Tourist arrivals in Taiwan totalled 1.069 million between January and April this year, up 18.5 per cent over the same period of last year, according to tallies released Tuesday by the Directorate General of Budget,...

BECHTEL WINS COURT ORDER TO SEIZE INDIAN ASSETS.
June 1, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below) SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 31, 2005--Armed with a federal court ruling handed down Friday, an affiliate of Bechtel Corporation has attached all shares in Dabhol Power Corp. owned by...

TAIWAN PUSHING FOR FREE TRADE AGREEMENT WITH U.S.
June 1, 2005... TAIPEI, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is trying to make contact with the U.S. Government and Congress, as well as industrial and commercial groups in the United States, in the hope of opening formal negotiations on...

COMPUTEX TAIPEI OPENS WITH 1,288 COMPANIES ATTENDING.
June 1, 2005... TAIPEI, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Taipei Computex 2005 computer trade fair opened Tuesday at the Taipei World Trade Center, with 1,288 local and foreign companies taking part. Around 120,000 people from Taiwan and around the world are...

OVERSEAS INVESTMENTS BY S. KOREAN INDIVIDUALS SURGE THIS YR.
June 1, 2005... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - Overseas investments by South Korean individuals have soared this year as they seek vehicles to park their ample funds in, the country's finance ministry said Wednesday. South Korean individuals made a total of...

AUSTRALIA'S MULTIPLEX COMMITTED TO UK DESPITE WEMBLEY OWN-GOAL.
June 1, 2005... LONDON, June 1 Asia Pulse - Multiplex (ASX:MXG) is reassessing its UK portfolio but remains committed to its major British construction projects, despite losses associated with the construction of Wembley stadium. The Australian...

AUSTRALIAN PM REAFFIRMS DETENTION POLICY FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS.
June 1, 2005... CANBERRA, June 1 Asia Pulse - Prime Minister John Howard says there is overwhelming support within the government for its hardline detention policy, despite the concerns of some backbenchers. Mr Howard has vowed the government will stand...

SOUTH KOREAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 1, 2005.
June 1, 2005... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - The following are the top headlines in major Korean newspapers on June 1. VERNACULAR DAILIES - Chief of National Intelligence Service offers to resign (Kyunghyang Shinmun) - Korean, Japanese scholars...

COGNIZANT TOP US OUTSOURCING CO ON BUSINESS 2.0 MAG'S RANKING.
June 1, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below) TEANECK, NJ--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 31, 2005--Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CTSH), a leading provider of IT services, today announced that Business 2.0 magazine has ranked it among...

INDIA'S SYSTAT, CYTEL SOFTWARE FORGE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE.
June 1, 2005... NEW DELHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Cranes Software International (BSE:512039) said its wholly-owned subsidiary Systat Software has entered into a strategic tie-up with Cytel Software Corporation (Cytel). Systat Software, a provider of...

BRITESTREAM ACHIEVES CHECK POINT OPSEC CERTIFICATION.
June 1, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below) AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 31, 2005--Britestream Networks, the leading provider of 100 percent SSL offload network security solutions, announced today its SSL offload network...

LAOS PROVIDES AMPLE SCOPE FOR INDIAN INVESTMENTS: AMBASSADOR.
June 1, 2005... VIENTIANE, June 1 Asia Pulse - With the transition of the Lao economy from a centrally-planned model to a market-oriented one, doors have been flung open for investments by Indian entrepreneurs and business interests in this tiny land-locked...

GECIS TO OPEN FIFTH CENTRE IN SALT LAKE, KOLKATA.
June 1, 2005... KOLKATA, June 1 Asia Pulse - Gecis, formerly GE Capital International Services, would open its fifth centre at Salt Lake electronics complex in the city for which the West Bengal government would allot a three-acre plot there. Announcing...

LEVI STRAUSS RELAUNCHES DOCKERS BRAND IN INDIA.
June 1, 2005... BANGALORE, June 1 Asia Pulse - Levi Strauss & Co. has "relaunched" Dockers brand in India with `never-iron' 100 officewear cotton pants. India is the only country outside of the US to launch these pants, and release the `Dress to Live'...

SAMSUNG, PICSEL STRIKE GLOBAL AGREEMENT.
June 1, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below) GLASGOW, Scotland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 31, 2005--Picsel Technologies, Ltd., a provider of solutions that enable intuitive interaction with rich content on small screen devices, and Samsung...

STOCKS - KOSDAQ BEGINS WEAKER - JUNE 1, 2005.
June 1, 2005... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - The KOSDAQ opened at 470.33, down 1.15 points. (Yonhap) 01-06 1027

ALSTOM TO INVEST US$39 MLN IN R&D UNIT AT INFOSYS.
June 1, 2005... BANGALORE, June 1 Asia Pulse - French power equipment major Alstom today said it was setting up a joint R&D centre with software giant Infosys Technologies (BSE:500209) here with an investment of US$39 million over the next three years to...

FOREX - US DOLLAR OPENS FIRMER VS WON - JUNE 1, 2005.
June 1, 2005... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - The US dollar opens at 1009.80 won, up from 1007.70 won. (Yonhap) 01-06 1030

INDIA'S ICFAI TO EXPAND IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES.
June 1, 2005... COIMBATORE, June 1 Asia Pulse- As part of its efforts to emerge as an International University, the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysis of India (ICFAI) is exploring the possibilities of opening up Centres in various countries. A...

US FIRM PLANS TO EXPORT 40 AIRCRAFT FROM INDIA BY DEC.
June 1, 2005... BANGALORE, June 1 Asia Pulse - US-based IndUS Aviation Inc., today launched India's first aircraft showroom and general aviation (GA) facility here, and said it plans to export 35 to 40 Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) by December end. "We are...

ZYDUS GROUP'S GERMAN REMEDIES LAUNCHES 'BETAFERON' IN INDIA.
June 1, 2005... MUMBAI, June 1 Asia Pulse- German Remedies, a part of the Zydus Group, has launched interferon beta-1b under the brand name `Betaferon' in India for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. The product, which is a subcutaneous injection, would...

FAO FORECASTS GLOOMY OUTLOOK FOR SUGAR OUTPUT IN INDIA.
June 1, 2005... NEW DELHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Food and Agriculture Organisation has forecast gloomy prospects for sugar production in India saying this could lead to a high import demand due to output shortfall. "Sugar prices strengthened in 2004 and...

48 COS INCLUDING FOREIGN OIL MAJORS BID INDIAN OIL AND GAS BLOCK.
June 1, 2005... NEW DELHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Forty-eight companies, including British Petroleum of the UK, Petronas of Malaysia, ENI of Italy, Reliance Industries and ONGC, have bid for 20 oil and gas blocks on offer under the fifth round of auction under...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN SHARES BEGIN STRONGER - JUNE 1, 2005.
June 1, 2005... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian share market has opened higher, shrugging off a weaker lead from Wall Street overnight. Brokers said even though the US market ended down, most of the related issues were specific to that market...

INDIAN GOVT RULES OUT DIRECT TELECOM LINK WITH PAKISTAN FROM J&K.
June 1, 2005... SRINAGAR, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Government today ruled out lifting a ban on making international long distance calls to Pakistan from Jammu & Kashmir pending clearance from security agencies. "We can work within the parameters security...

NOKIA TO PRODUCE MOBILE BASE STATION CONTROLLERS IN CHENNAI.
June 1, 2005... SRINAGAR, June 1 Asia Pulse - After making India one of its production centre for mobile handsets, Finnish telecom major Nokia today announced its plan to start manufacturing base stations controllers, a key mobile equipment, in Chennai. ...

AUSTRALIA'S SANTOS TO SELL INDONESIAN MALEO FIELD RESERVES.
June 1, 2005... PERTH, June 1 Asia Pulse - Australia's third largest oil and gas producer Santos Ltd (ASX:STO) has signed a $A700 million ($US528.15 million) sales deal for its Maleo field in Indonesia. Santos, which owns 75 per cent of Maleo, has...

APEC TRADE MINISTERS TO DISCUSS DOHA AGENDA, FREE TRADE IN JEJU.
June 1, 2005... JEJU, South Korea, June 1 Asia Pulse - Trade ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum will kick off a two-day meeting here Thursday to discuss ways of boosting regional economic cooperation and global free trade, Seoul...

STOCKS - SEOUL SHARES OPEN WEAKER - JUNE 1, 2005.
June 1, 2005... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks started lower Wednesday as foreign investors unloaded tech shares to take profits. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 3.01 points, or 0.31 per cent, to 967.20 in the...

INDIA'S TVS MOTOR TO SET UP OVERSEAS ARMS FOR INDONESIAN FORAY.
June 1, 2005... CHENNAI, June 1 Asia Pulse- Two-wheeler major TVS Motor Company (BSE:532343) will set up two overseas subsidiaries to channel investments to its proposed manufacturing facility in Indonesia. The board of directors, at its meeting here on...

AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING PERFORMANCE SLOWS IN MAY.
June 1, 2005... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - Weaker consumer spending, rising imports and a slowing housing sector have hit Australian manufacturing, a survey has found. The May Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) fell 2.4 points to 50.5,...

INDIA'S HDFC BANK WINS ASIAN BANKER EXCELLENCE AWARD.
June 1, 2005... MUMBAI, June 1 Asia Pulse - HDFC Bank (BSE:500180) has been awarded The Asian Banker Excellence in Retail Banking Risk Management Award in India for 2004 in recognition of its risk management abilities. The award recognizes excellence in...

ULEAD GAINS TOSHIBA ENDORSEMENT FOR HD DVD TECHNOLOGY.
June 1, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) TAIPEI, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 31, 2005--Ulead Systems, Inc., a 15-year industry leader in video, image and DVD software, has received the endorsement of Toshiba Corporation for the...

HONG KONG NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 1, 2005.
June 1, 2005... HONG KONG, June 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: - The central government yesterday accused Hong Kong journalist Ching Cheong of spying and said he had confessed to receiving a "large sum" for...

S. KOREAN EXPORTS INCREASE 11.8 PCT IN MAY.
June 1, 2005... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's export growth accelerated in May as demand for the country's goods in the United States, China and other economies remained relatively high, a government report showed Wednesday. Customs-cleared...

S. KOREA'S KOOKMIN BANK HEAD WARNS OF EXCESSIVE COMPETITION.
June 1, 2005... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean banks are staging excessive competition to lure customers despite the economy's slow recovery, the chief of Kookmin Bank (KSE:060000) warned Wednesday. "Competition among banks in South Korea has...

PEPSICO TO PRESENT AT DEUTSCHE BANK GLOBAL RETAIL CONFERENCE.
June 1, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) PURCHASE, N.Y., June 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP) announced that President and Chief Financial Officer Indra Nooyi will present at the Deutsche Bank Global Retail and...

THE SAATCHI & SAATCHI AWARD FOR WORLD CHANGING IDEAS.
June 1, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) NEW YORK, June 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - Innovation -- the inspirational act that changes the world for people in life-enhancing ways. This is the focus of a prize worth ,000 to be awarded...

WORLD'S LOWEST LATENCY AMD OPTERON PROCESSOR-BASED HPC SYSTEMS.
June 1, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) TAIPEI, June 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - IWILL Corporation, a leading manufacturer of high-end server, workstation and appliance solutions, and PathScale, developer of innovative software and...

SIR IVAN THE 'PEACEMAN' TO BE FEATURED IN TV SHOWS IN EUROPE, US.
June 1, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) NEW YORK, June 1 /PRNewswire/ - One of America's most colorful characters -- recording artist, peace advocate and New York personality, Ivan Wilzig (a.k.a. Sir Ivan) will be the subject of...

INTENTIA TO ACCELERATE DELIVERY OF JAVA APPLICATIONS TECHNOLOGY.
June 1, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) STOCKHOLM, June 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - Intentia International AB (publ) (XSSE: INT B), the global ERP solutions provider, has aligned itself to accelerate the marketing and delivery of...

SINGAPOREAN TRADE DELEGATION VISITS OMAN.
June 1, 2005... SOHAR, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Singaporean trade delegation led by Noor Aini Noor Adeen, President of the Singaporean, Malaysian Chamber of Commerce yesterday visited Al-Batinah region. The guest and her delegation met with the chairman and...

GM DAEWOO DEBUTS STATESMAN SEDAN IN S.KOREA.
June 1, 2005... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co., South Korea's fourth-largest automaker by market share, said Wednesday that it has launched a new luxury sedan in the local market. The Statesman is made by GM's Australian unit...

JAPANESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 1, 2005.
June 1, 2005... TOKYO, June 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: NIKKEI NET: - Yahoo Japan Corp. (TSE:4689) has agreed to tie up with two Japanese brokerages in a move to add stock trading to the financial services it offers on its Web...

MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 1, 2005.
June 1, 2005... KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: BUSINESS TIMES: - A RM270 million (US$71.1 million) contract to renew ageing water pipes in Selangor state has embarrassed analysts promoting local pipe makers and...

PHILIPPINE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 1, 2005.
June 1, 2005... MANILA, June 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: MANILA TIMES: - The Government Service Insurance System will proceed against 20 of its employees suspected of tampering with its records. - President Arroyo will take...

WORLDWIDE AVAILABILITY OF "XML MASTER PROFESSIONAL" CERTIFICATION.
June 1, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) TOKYO, June 1 /Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/ -- The XML Technology Certification Committee announced worldwide availability of the "XML Master Professional" exam today. The "XML Master Professional"...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN SHARES FIRMER AT NOON - JUNE 1, 2005.
June 1, 2005... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian stock market was higher at noon, with energy and resource stocks providing a lift for the local bourse, despite a negative lead from Wall Street. At 1200 AEST, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up...

STOCKS - JAPANESE SHARES START WEAKER - JUNE 1, 2005.
June 1, 2005... TOKYO, June 1 Asia Pulse - Share prices in Tokyo began softer early today, with the benchmark Nikkei-225 index dropping 47.16 points to 11,229.43. ASIA PULSE 01-06 1234

ACCTON'S WITNET SOLUTIONS BRING ADVANCES IN SECURITY AND EFFICIENCY.
June 1, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) HSINCHU, June 1 /Xinhua-PRNewsire/ - Accton Technology Corporation of Taiwan (TAIEX: 2345, www.accton.com ), global outsourcing partner for networking and communications solutions, today...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR STRONGER AT NOON - JUNE 1, 2005.
June 1, 2005... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar was firmer at noon but had slipped from its mid morning highs after the March quarter GDP data showed the economy, while rebounding, was still soft. At 1200 AEST the local currency was...

STOCKS - HONG KONG SHARES BEGIN WEAKER - JUNE 1, 2005.
June 1, 2005... HONG KONG, June 1 Asia Pulse - Share prices in Hong Kong began 0.36 per cent weaker Wednesday with the Hang Seng Index sliding 49.8 points to 13,817.27 in early trade. ASIA PULSE 01-06 1239

SINGAPORE AIRLINES UPSET OVER DELAY IN AIRBUS A380 DELIVERY.
June 1, 2005... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - Singapore Airlines, which will be the first airline to fly the new superjumbo Airbus A380 aircraft to Australia, today said it was disappointed that the manufacturer had delayed delivery of the planes. However,...

CHINA UNIONPAY CARD EXPECTED TO BE CASHABLE IN US, JAPAN.
June 1, 2005... BEIJING, June 1 Asia Pulse - China Unionpay card is expected to be cashable in the United States and Japan within this year, according to sources with the China Unionpay office. China Unionpay has recently signed an agreement with Discover...

YONHAP NEWS LAUNCHES JAPANESE-LANGUAGE NEWS SERVICE.
June 1, 2005... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - Yonhap News Agency started filing real-time news stories in Japanese on Wednesday as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen its standing as an international news agency. The Japanese news team within Yonhap's World...

STOCKS - SINGAPORE STOCKS UP IN EARLY TRADE - JUNE 1, 2005.
June 1, 2005... SINGAPORE, June 1 Asia Pulse - Singapore shares were higher in early trade, with the Straits Times Index up 7.8 points at 2,169.6 at 10:40 a.m. ASIA PULSE 01-06 1246

STOCKS - MALAYSIAN STOCKS UP IN EARLY TRADE - JUNE 1, 2005.
June 1, 2005... KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Malaysian sharemarket was up 0.29 per cent in early trade, with the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Composite Index rising 2.52 points at 863.25 at 10:30 a.m. ASIA PULSE 01-06 1249

CHINA'S CERAMIC EXPORT JUMPS 32.8 PCT IN Q1.
June 1, 2005... BEIJING, June 1 Asia Pulse - China's export of ceramics totaled US$984 million in the first quarter of 2005, surging by 32.81 per cent year on year, according to the customs statistics. Of the amount, the export of construction ceramics...

AUSTRALIA'S WEBJET SEES SURGE IN MAY TRANSACTION VALUE.
June 1, 2005... BRISBANE, June 1 Asia Pulse - Internet travel company Webjet Ltd (ASX:WEB) said its gross transaction value for May rose 450 per cent on the corresponding month last year. The company reported gross transaction values of A$8.2 million...

INDONESIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 1, 2005.
June 1, 2005... JAKARTA, Jun 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE JAKARTA POST: - The fourth round of talks between the Indonesian government and Aceh rebels wound up on Tuesday, but failed to agree on the establishment of local...

BMW ENTERS CHINA'S AUTO RENTAL SERVICE MARKET.
June 1, 2005... SHENYANG, June 1 Asia Pulse - BMW has entered China's auto rental service market in Shanghai to satisfy the demand for high-grade cars, according to an agreement signed in Shanghai recently. The agreement was signed by Brilliance BMW...

STOCKS - SEOUL SHARES RISE IN MORNING TRADE - JUNE 1, 2005.
June 1, 2005... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks rose slightly Wednesday morning on brisk foreign and program buying. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 0.58 points, or 0.05 per cent, to 970.79 as of 11:20 a.m.,...

RAINFALL ONLY WAY RURAL EASTERN AUSTRALIA WILL SURVIVE: WESTPAC.
June 1, 2005... CANBERRA, June 1 Asia Pulse - Prime Minister John Howard has defended the government's A$250 million (US$189 million) drought package as a major bank warned only good rainfall would save rural eastern Australia from economic troubles. The...

ING INDUSTRIAL FUND BUYS 2 SITES IN NEW SOUTH WALES.
June 1, 2005... PERTH, June 1 Asia Pulse - Listed property trust ING Industrial Fund (ASX:IIF) has paid A$37.4 million (US$28.3 million) for a further two industrial properties in New South Wales. The acquisition of the Huntingwood Business Centre and a...