AsiaPulse News articles from June 2006

AsiaPulse News archives from June 2006

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS LOWER - JUNE 1, 2006.
June 1, 2006... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar tumbled to a fresh five week low overnight, falling more than one US cent amid increased expectations of another rate hike in the US. At 0815 AEST the currency was trading at 75.23 US cents...

AUSTRALIAN BOND MARKET OPENS WEAKER - JUNE 1, 2006.
June 1, 2006... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian bond market opened weaker, mirroring US Treasuries, which were sold-off following upbeat economic data and hawkish US Federal Reserve minutes. At 0900 AEST the yield on the Commonwealth Government...

HUTCHISON SIGNS UP ONE MILLION 3G USERS IN AUSTRALIA.
June 1, 2006... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - Mobile provider Hutchison Telecommunications Ltd (ASX:HTA) says it has signed up over one million third generation '3 mobile' customers. Chief executive officer Kevin Russell said the achievement represents...

FOREX - US DOLLAR ENDS DEARER AGAINST RUPEE - MAY 31, 2006.
June 1, 2006... MUMBAI, June 1 Asia Pulse - The US Dollar ended further dearer against the rupee at Rs 46.3650 per dollar and the Pound Sterling closed steady at Rs 86.99 per pound on the Interbank Foreign Exchange (FOREX) market here on Wednesday. The...

STOCKS - BSE ENDS LOWER - MAY 31, 2006.
June 1, 2006... MUMBAI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Powered by higher than estimated GDP growth, the stock markets on Wednesday staged a smart recovery after the initial crash, but still ended 388 points lower at 10,398.61, showing strong co-relation with world...

HAIER PLANS MOBILE HANDSET MANUFACTURING PLANT IN INDIA.
June 1, 2006... NEW DELHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Chinese mobile handset maker Haier on Wednesday said it was considering setting up a manufacturing unit in India in the next 18-24 months. "Our target is to achieve a sales of 5 million handsets in India, in...

INDIA APPROVES CAIRN ENERGY'S BILLION-DOLLAR DEVELOPMENT PLANS.
June 1, 2006... NEW DELHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Indian government has approved Cairn Energy's one-billion dollar development plans for four of the 18 oil discoveries made by the British firm in its Rajasthan block. "The Field Development Plans for the...

MSK PROJECTS WINS ORDER FROM BHARAT OMAN REFINERIES.
June 1, 2006... MUMBAI, June 1 Asia Pulse - MSK Projects India Ltd (BSE:532553) on Wednesday said it had won a Rs 76.8 billion ($US1.6 billion) order from Bharat Oman Refineries Ltd. The company secured the order from Bharat Oman Refineries Ltd for...

MULTIPLEX CHANGES COMPLETION DATE FOR WEMBLEY STADIUM.
June 1, 2006... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - Building company Multiplex Ltd (ASX:MXG) now expects to substantially complete work at London's behind-schedule Wembley Stadium by July 13. Earlier this month, Multiplex said most of the $A1 billion ($US759.95...

INDIA'S GDP GROWTH RISES 8.4PCT IN 2005-06.
June 1, 2006... NEW DELHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Healthy growth in manufacturing and services, along with a rebound in the farm sector, propelled the Indian economy to 8.4 per cent growth in 2005-06, compared to 7.5 per cent in the previous fiscal year. The...

INDIAN ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRIBUTE 10PCT TO LOCAL REVENUE.
June 1, 2006... BANGALORE, June 1 Asia Pulse - Software major Infosys on Wednesday announced that product engineering services contributed 10 per cent to local revenues in 2005-06 and employed approximately 5,000 people. Investment in Research and...

ALLCARGO IPO OPENS JUNE 1 IN INDIA.
June 1, 2006... MUMBAI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Allcargo Global Logistics's public issue is likely to catch investor attention, with the company's 49.99 per cent stake in a Belgium-based ECU Hold NV, a leading global non-vessel owning common carrier. ...

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 1, 2006.
June 1, 2006... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW: - Tumbling bank and resource stocks push sharemarket sharply lower, capping off the worst monthly performance in more than three years....

TABCORP HOLDINGS LAUNCHES TAKEOVER BID FOR UNITAB.
June 1, 2006... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - Gaming group Tabcorp Holdings Ltd (ASX:TAH) has launched a takeover bid for Unitab Ltd (ASX:UTB), rivalling Tattersall's Ltd's offer. Tabcorp said its offer implied a value of $A14.25 ($US10.83) per Unitab...

PROFITS OF CHINA'S AUTO MAKING SECTOR UP 177% IN JAN-APR.
June 1, 2006... BEIJING, June 1 Asia Pulse - China's complete vehicle production enterprises raked in 13.37 billion yuan (US$1.6 billion) of profits in the first four months of this year, rocketing 177.2 per cent over the same period of last year, much higher...

STOCKS - TOKYO SHARES OPEN HIGHER - JUNE 1, 2006.
June 1, 2006... TOKYO, June 1 Asia Pulse - Tokyo share prices opened higher today, with the benchmark Nikkei-225 index gaining 135.92 points or 0.88 per cent to 15,603.25 in early trade. ASIA PULSE 01-06 1022

INFOSYS LOOKING AT ACQUISITIONS IN US$50-100 MLN RANGE.
June 1, 2006... NEW DELHIi, June 1 Asia Pulse - In an effort to fill gaps in service offerings and in geographies, software major Infosys Technologies (BSE:500209) is looking for acquisitions of companies in US $50-100 million revenue range. "We are...

INDIA'S BSNL TO OPEN BIDS FOR MEGA GSM TENDER ON JUNE 12.
June 1, 2006... NEW DELHIi, June 1 Asia Pulse - State-owned BSNL has delayed opening bids for its mega GSM tender of 45.5 million lines by two weeks as equipment vendors have sought more time. Even though all clarifications were submitted to vendors they...

HYUNDAI MOTOR INDIA TIES UP WITH SBI FOR CAR FINANCE.
June 1, 2006... NEW DELHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Hyundai Motors India on Wednesday entered into an alliance with State Bank of India (BSE:500112) to provide special finance scheme for central public sector enterprise employees. As a part of the scheme, SBI...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN INDEX OPENS HIGHER - JUNE 1, 2006.
June 1, 2006... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian share market has opened higher on a positive lead from Wall Street, with corporate activity also boosting investor sentiment. At 1016 AEST the S&P/ASX200 was up 53.8 points to 5055.5 while the all...

MATSUSHITA, HITACHI TO DOUBLE LCD OUTPUT: REPORT.
June 1, 2006... TOKYO, June 1 Asia Pulse - Two of Japan's electric giants plan to double production of LCD panels, adding a new line at their joint venture and building a new assembly plant in Eastern Europe, a business daily reported on Wednesday. IPS...

INDIA, PAKISTAN AGREE TO GOODS TRADE ON BOTH SIDES OF KASHMIR.
June 1, 2006... ISLAMABAD, June 1 Asia Pulse - India and Pakistan have agreed to import carpets, raw products and food items from both sides of Kashmir through a truck service on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route from July this year. An understanding about...

TAIWAN SALES RISE 5.42PCT IN MARCH.
June 1, 2006... TAIPEI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Sales of Taiwan's wholesale, retail and bar and restaurant industries amounted to NT$925.6 billion ($US28.9 billion) in March, up 5.42 per cent over the same month of last year, according to tallies released...

FOREX - US DOLLAR OPENS UP AGAINST WON - JUNE 1, 2006.
June 1, 2006... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - The US dollar opened at 948.50 won Thursday, up from 945.60 won. (Yonhap) 01-06 1046

CHINA'S IMPORTS TO EXCEED US$1 TRLN BY 2010: MINISTER.
June 1, 2006... BEIJING, June 1 Asia Pulse - China's domestic market scale is expected to exceed US$4 trillion by 2010 and imports to reach more than US$1 trillion, according to Bo Xilai, minister of commerce. Bo made the forecast at the 14th Sino-Japanese...

SOUTH KOREAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 1, 2006.
June 1, 2006... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse -- The following are the top headlines in major Korean newspapers on June 1. VERNACULAR DAILIES -- 'Popular sentiment turns away from Roh administration' (Kyunghyang Shinmun) -- Uri Party falls into chaos...

S KOREAN MANUFACTURERS' BUSINESS SENTIMENT DOWN FOR JUNE.
June 1, 2006... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - Business confidence among South Korean manufacturers fell for a second month for June, with the majority still holding a pessimistic view of South Korea's future business prospects, the nation's central bank said...

CHINESE GOVT PROCUREMENT OF VEHICLES TO REACH RECORD HIGH.
June 1, 2006... BEIJING, June 1 Asia Pulse - China's government procurement of motor vehicles is targeted at 70 billion yuan ($US8.7 billion) this year, according to the China Association for Management of Machine-Building Enterprises. Since the Law on...

TCS, INFOSYS TO HIRE MORE THAN 55,000 WORKERS: REPORT.
June 1, 2006... NEW YORK, June 1 Asia Pulse - India's software giants Infosys Technologies (BSE:500209) and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (BSE:532540) are together expected to hire more than 55,000 workers and college graduates over the next year from across...

STOCKS - SEOUL SHARES OPEN LOWER - JUNE 1, 2006.
June 1, 2006... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks kicked off trading in negative territory Thursday as foreign and institutional investors dumped shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 7.91 points, or 0.60 per...

TAIWAN GOVT PAYING HEED TO AMCHAM WHITE PAPER: MINISTRY.
June 1, 2006... TAIPEI, June 1 Asia Pulse - The government attaches great importance to the opinions of the foreign business community and will continue reforms to improve Taiwan's business environment, Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) officials said...

CHINA'S RESERVES OF COPPER, ZINC AND POTASSIUM DECLINING: REPORT.
June 1, 2006... BEIJING, June 1 Asia Pulse - China's reserves of chromium, copper, zinc, sulfuric iron ore, phosphorus and potassium have demonstrated a trend of decline, according to a report on land and resources for 2005 issued by the Ministry of Land and...

ORANGE PLANS TO OFFER LONG DISTANCE TELECOM IN INDIA.
June 1, 2006... NEW DELHIi, June 1 Asia Pulse - Orange Business Service, a part of France Telecom, is looking at entering the long distance telecom business in India by acquiring ISD and STD licences. "We have already set up a major service centre in India...

HONG KONG NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 1, 2006.
June 1, 2006... HONG KONG, June 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: - The much-heralded bus fare adjustment mechanism is under fire for failing to deliver on promised fare discounts. - A subsidiary of Citic...

AFGHAN GOV'T NEEDS US$1 MLN FOR BIRD FLU VACCINATION PROGRAM.
June 1, 2006... KABUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - Afghanistan's Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation said Wednesday it required US$1 million to launch a bird influenza vaccination campaign throughout the country. Commonly, the bird flu virus transmits from wild...

KEDO CALLS FOR COMPENSATION FROM N.KOREA FOR REACTOR PROJECT.
June 1, 2006... NEW YORK, June 1 Asia Pulse - An international consortium which on Wednesday announced termination of its nuclear reactor project in North Korea said it will seek compensation from Pyongyang. "We've invested so much in North Korea," Park...

PROFITS OF CHINA'S SOES UP 8.9% IN 1ST 4 MONTHS.
June 1, 2006... BEIJING, June 1 Asia Pulse - A total of 454 state-owned key enterprises generated 259.09 billion yuan (US$32.3 billion) in profit in the first four months of this year, up 8.9 per cent year-on-year, the growth was 2.3 percentage points higher...

NEW U.S. AIRLINE TO FLY FROM NEW YORK TO RUSSIA.
June 1, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) NEW YORK, June 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - Baltia Air Lines, a new U.S. airline based at the JFK Airport in New York at Terminal 4, is getting ready to start nonstop service to St. Petersburg,...

S. KOREAN EXPORTS SURGE 21.1 PCT IN MAY.
June 1, 2006... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean exports reached a record high in May despite concerns that a firmer won versus the U.S. dollar may sap overseas demand, a government report showed Thursday. Exports increased 21.1 per cent from a year...

HP UNVEILS NEW LAPTOPS IN INDIA WITH ENHANCED SECURITY.
June 1, 2006... NEW DELHIi, June 1 Asia Pulse - Hewlett-Packard India on Wednesday unveiled its latest range of laptop computers with enhanced security features that include fingerprint identification system. Priced between Rs 80,000 (US$1,732) to Rs...

YAMAGATA WINS INTERNATIONAL QUALITY SUMMIT AWARD.
June 1, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) ASIA NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 31, 2006--YAMAGATA Singapore won the 2006 International Quality Summit Award at the Marquis Convention Hall on May 14. Sponsored by Business...

THAI NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 1, 2006.
June 1, 2006... BANGKOK, June 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: BANGKOK POST: - The Ministry of Tourism and Sports yesterday sought co-operation from tourism operators to help boost tourism revenue to compensate for slower economic...

SINGAPORE BANK EYES SHARES IN CHINA'S FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
June 1, 2006... BEIJING, June 1 Asia Pulse - DBS, a Singapore bank, has expressed interest in acquiring shares of banks and securities companies on China's mainland, according to a senior official of the bank. According to the official, DBS is now seeking...

PACIFIC ISLAND OF NIUE FACES WATER SHORTAGE AFTER FIRE.
June 1, 2006... ALOFI, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Pacific atoll nation of Niue is down to its last day or two of water after a fire at the sole power station knocked out the country's electricity generators. A spokesman from Niue Broadcasting Corporation said...

TAIWAN OVERTAKES S. KOREA AS TOP PRODUCER OF LARGE LCDS.
June 1, 2006... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea was eclipsed by Taiwan as the world's biggest producer of large liquid crystal display panels in the first quarter of this year for the first time, according to an international market researcher Thursday....

S. KOREA'S PANTECH SUPPLIES CAMERA PHONES TO CINGULAR WIRELESS.
June 1, 2006... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - Pantech Co. (KSE:025930), a small-sized South Korean handset maker, said Thursday it has supplied camera phones to Cingular Wireless LLC, the largest wireless carrier in the United States. Financial terms of the...

CHINA TO PUT ALL FOOD PRODUCTS UNDER MARKET ACCESS CONTROL.
June 1, 2006... BEIJING, June 1 Asia Pulse - China will put 525 kinds of food of 28 categories under market access control by the end of this year, according to a recent national meeting on supervision and administration of food production held in Beijing. ...

SINGAPORE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 1, 2006.
June 1, 2006... SINGAPORE, June 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE STRAITS TIMES: - Tuesday night's swearing-in ceremony saw Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong calling Singaporeans to rally behind his new government, as it brings the...

S. KOREA ALLOWS IMPORT OF CHILEAN ORANGES.
June 1, 2006... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - The South Korean government said Thursday it has opened the way for the import of Chilean oranges. The move brings to six the number of nations allowed to export oranges to South Korea after the United States,...

FICCI INITIATIVE TO BOOST FRENCH FDI INTO INDIA.
June 1, 2006... PARIS, June 1 Asia Pulse - Leading industry chamber FICCI will engage and encourage small and medium enterprises in France to do business with India as part of efforts to increase flow of Foreign Direct Investment from Paris to New Delhi. ...

THAILAND WON'T INCREASE MINIMUM WAGE, SAYS LABOUR MINISTER.
June 1, 2006... BANGKOK, June 1 Asia Pulse - Thailand's Minister of Labour Somsak Thepsuthin said Wednesday that the government would not increase the minimum wage any time soon as earlier demanded by labour leaders, saying the increase would impose too heavy...

MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 1, 2006.
June 1, 2006... KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE STAR: - Malaysia's total output of goods and services increased by 5.3 per cent in the first quarter this year compared with 5.2 per cent in the preceding fourth...

WORLD BANK PREDICTS 5% GDP GROWTH FOR THAILAND THIS YEAR.
June 1, 2006... BANGKOK, June 1 Asia Pulse - Thailand's gross domestic product (GDP) will grow 5 per cent this year despite the oil price hike crisis, according to the World Bank (WB) report. The World Bank's leading economist for Southeast Asia, Kazi...

INDONESIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 1, 2006.
June 1, 2006... JAKARTA, JUNE 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights from today's newspapers: KOMPAS: - Five days after the deadly earthquake that left more than 5,000 people dead in Yogyakarta and Central Java only scanty food in relief aid have reached many...

INDONESIA'S RAPP TO EXPAND PLANTATION FORESTS.
June 1, 2006... JAKARTA, June 1 Asia Pulse - PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP) said it will continue to expand its plantation forests to guarantee the supply of raw materials to its pulp and paper factory. PT RAPP, which annually needs 9 million cubic...

MALAYSIA DISCUSSES NEW ENTRY DOCUMENTS WITH SINGAPORE.
June 1, 2006... PUTRAJAYA, June 1 Asia Pulse - Malaysia is discussing the use of alternative entry documents to Singapore with the island-state set to stop accepting the current Malaysian Restricted Passport (MRP) in July. Malaysia has proposed to...

AUSTRALIA'S AGL, ALINTA TO COMPLETE MERGER DISCUSSIONS TODAY.
June 1, 2006... PERTH, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian Gas Light Company Ltd (AGL) (ASX:AGL) and Alinta Ltd (ASX:ALN) expect to complete discussions about how to implement their friendly $A6.8 billion ($US5.11 billion) merger of infrastructure assets. ...

MALAYSIA'S PENANG ANTICIPATES MORE TOURISTS FROM JAPAN.
June 1, 2006... PENANG, June 1 Asia Pulse - Penang, a northern state in Penisular Malaysia is looking forward to more tourists from Japan when Haneda airport in Kanagawa Prefecture turns international in 2009, Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon said...

GRAINCORP ON TRACK TO POST $US22MLN ANNUAL NET PROFIT.
June 1, 2006... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - Graincorp Ltd (ASX:GNC) today announced it is on track to post an annual net profit of up to million ($US22.54 million). The agri-food business also announced it had posted an interim net profit of $19.4...

MACQUARIE BANK PART OF GROUP BAILING OUT EUROTUNNEL OPERATORS.
June 1, 2006... MELBOURNE, June 1 Asia Pulse - Macquarie Bank Ltd (ASX:MBL) is part of a group that has put together a restructuring plan to bail out the debt-ridden operators of the Eurotunnel that connects England and France. The Eurotunnel plan will...

BUSINESS WIRE DAILY BRIEFING - MAY 31, 2006.
June 1, 2006... A summary of news releases for May 31, 2006, compiled by Business Wire, the global leader in news distribution. To view any of these news release on Business Wire's website, please go to www.businesswire.com. 1) Category Code: Consumer...

IRAN TO BUILD OIL REFINERY IN VENEZUELA.
June 1, 2006... MADRID, June 1 Asia Pulse - Iran and Venezuela will build an oil refinery at the 'Faga' region in the oil-reach Orinoko province in Venezuela, local new sources said Wednesday. The refinery will be designed to refine heavy oil and produce...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR LOWER TO NOON - JUNE 1, 2006.
June 1, 2006... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar continued to struggle in morning trade, sliding below $US0.7500 as expectations of another US interest rate hike supported the US dollar. At 1200 AEST the local currency was trading at...

NIPPON FOUNDATION DONATES TRAINING SHIP TO MALAYSIAN AGENCY.
June 1, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details follow below.) TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 1, 2006--On June 1, 2006, a presentation ceremony for a training ship, built by The Nippon Foundation for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency...

WB UN PROCUREMENT - LAOS, RURAL ELECTRIFICATION CONSULTANTS.
June 1, 2006... *** Asia Pulse Tender *** WORLD BANK UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS SERVICE PROCUREMENTS - MAY 2006 Country: Lao People's Democratic Republic Project: RURAL ELECTRIFICATION PHASE I PROJECT OF THE RURAL ELECTRIFICATION APL...

AUSTRALIA'S TRAFFORD RESOURCES RAISES US$3 MLN VIA IPO.
June 1, 2006... PERTH, June 1 Asia Pulse - Mining veteran Ian Finch is heading up a new multi-commodity explorer, Trafford Resources (ASX:TRF), which has raised $A4 million ($US3.0 million) ahead of listing on the Australian Stock Exchange. Trafford's...

WB UN PROCUREMENT - TAJIKISTAN, STRENGTHENING STATISTICAL SYSTEM.
June 1, 2006... *** Asia Pulse Tender *** WORLD BANK UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS SERVICE PROCUREMENTS - MAY 2006 Country: Tajikistan Project: STRENGTHENING THE NATIONAL STATISTICAL SYSTEM PROJECT (TAJSTAT) Financing: World Bank ...

AUSTRALIA'S WOTIF.COM CLOSES IPO, SETS SHARE PRICE.
June 1, 2006... SYDNEY, June 1 Asia Pulse - Online accommodation website Wotif.com Holdings Ltd (ASX:WTF) has closed its initial public offer (IPO) and set its final price at $A2.00 ($US1.50) per share. "It is very interesting to see the business through...

WB UN PROCUREMENT - PAKISTAN, ENHANCED HIV/AIDS CONTROL PROJECT.
June 1, 2006... *** Asia Pulse Tender *** WORLD BANK UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS SERVICE PROCUREMENTS - MAY 2006 Country: Pakistan Project: PROPOSED ENHANCED HIV/AIDS CONTROL PROJECT Financing: World Bank Abstract: PROCUREMENT OF...

S. KOREAN BIZ SENTIMENT INDEX BELOW 100 FOR 1ST TIME IN 10 MTHS.
June 1, 2006... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's business sentiment index for June fell below a benchmark level for the first time in 10 months on widespread concerns about higher oil prices and a stronger won, a survey released Thursday showed. ...

WB UN PROCUREMENT - PAKISTAN, VEHICLES.
June 1, 2006... *** Asia Pulse Tender *** WORLD BANK UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS SERVICE PROCUREMENTS - MAY 2006 Country: Pakistan Project: SINDH ON FARM WATER MANAGEMENT PROJECT Financing: World Bank Abstract: PROCUREMENT OF...

IRAN, FRANCE DISCUSS WAYS TO BOOST TOURISM.
June 1, 2006... TEHRAN, June 1 Asia Pulse - Deputy Head of Iran's Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) Mohammad-Sharif Malekzadeh yesterday conferred with the French Ambassador to Tehran Bernard Poletti on the expansion of mutual ties in the...

STOCKS - SINGAPORE SHARES HIGHER IN EARLY TRADE - JUNE 1, 2006.
June 1, 2006... SINGAPORE, June 1 Asia Pulse - Singapore shares were higher in early trade Thursday, with the Straits Times Index up 29.3 points at 2,413.2 at 10.45 a.m. ASIA PULSE 01-06 1247

STOCKS - MALAYSIAN SHARES HIGHER IN EARLY TRADE - JUNE 1, 2006.
June 1, 2006... KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Malaysian sharemarket was up 0.38 per cent in early trade Thursday, with the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Composite Index rising 3.57 points at 931.35 at 10.37 a.m. ASIA PULSE 01-06 1254

TAIWAN'S BENQ TO BOOST JAPAN SALES OF STORAGE MEDIA, PERIPHERALS.
June 1, 2006... TOKYO, June 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's BenQ Corp. (TAIEX:2352) is aggressively expanding sales in Japan of storage media and personal computer peripherals. Within the year, the Taiwanese electrical equipment manufacturer will introduce DVD-R...

SANYO TO MARKET STANDARD-PRICED HOME APPLIANCES IN INDIA.
June 1, 2006... NEW DELHI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Japan's Sanyo Electric Co. (TSE:6764) has decided to sell standard-priced white goods in India, and before year-end, will release washing machines and refrigerators there that are priced far lower than the...

JAL TO BUY FUEL DIRECTLY FROM AOC HOLDINGS TO CUT COSTS.
June 1, 2006... TOKYO, June 1 Asia Pulse - To reduce fuel costs, Japan Airlines Corp. (TSE:9205), known as JAL, will sign a contract with AOC Holdings Inc. (TSE: 5017) to directly purchase jet fuel from its oil refinery unit, Fuji Oil Co., The Nihon Keizai...

STOCKS - SEOUL SHARES SLIP IN MORNING TRADE - JUNE 1, 2006.
June 1, 2006... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks lost ground Thursday morning as investors remained jittery over the future direction of U.S. interest rate policy. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 5.14 points, or...

STOCKS - BANGLADESHI BOURSE ENDS HIGHER - MAY 31, 2006.
June 1, 2006... CHITTAGONG, May 31 Asia Pulse - Trading at Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) closed higher on Wednesday with the gainers dominating the losers. The CSE All Share Price Index rose by 2.81 points or 0.09 per cent to close at 2884.89 points...

NIKKEI COMMODITY PRICE INDEX UP 8.7 PCT ON-YEAR.
June 1, 2006... TOKYO, June 1 Asia Pulse - The Nikkei Commodity Price Index stood at 150.488 on Wednesday, up 8.7 per cent from the beginning of the year, buoyed by brisk domestic demand and rising international prices. The rise is approaching the total...

S. KOREAN ECONOMY WILL NOT FACE DRASTIC SLOWDOWN: OFFICIAL.
June 1, 2006... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's economy is still on a recovery track, and there is no possibility that its growth pace will slow sharply, the country's vice finance minister said Thursday. "There are forecasts that economic growth...

S KOREA'S KAMCO EYES US$1.1 BLN SALES BY 2010.
June 1, 2006... SEOUL, June 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's state asset manager Korea Asset Management Corp. (KAMCO) said Thursday it plans to increase its sales to 1 trillion won (US$1.1 billion) by 2010 and transform itself into a global asset manager. ...

UAE'S GOLD CONSUMPTION DROPS 17 PCT IN FIRST QUARTER.
June 1, 2006... DUBAI, June 1 Asia Pulse - Gold consumption in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) dropped 17 per cent to 28 tonnes in the first quarter of 2006 as against 33 tonnes in the same period last year due to prices increases. However, sales increased...

SONY TO LINK EXECUTIVES' RETIREMENT BENEFITS TO ITS STOCK PRICE.
June 1, 2006... TOKYO, June 1 Asia Pulse - Japan's Sony Corp. (TSE:6758) said Wednesday that it has adopted a new retirement benefit framework that provides retiring executives with the company's shares instead of cash, based on their contributions to...