AsiaPulse News articles from June 2009

AsiaPulse News archives from June 2009

AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY WARNS FARMERS OF EL NINO THREAT.
June 3, 2009... CANBERRA, June 3 Asia Pulse - There's disastrous news for those farmers battling a long drought - a dreaded El Nino weather pattern is probably on its way. El Nino cycles sweep in from the Pacific Ocean and bring extra-dry, hot weather to...

NUMBER OF AUSTRALIAN JOB ADS ON INTERNET FALL IN MAY.
June 8, 2009... MELBOURNE, June 8 Asia Pulse - Job advertisements on the internet fell in May, but the fall was less severe than in previous months, according to the Olivier Job Index. The index fell 4.32 per cent in May, bringing the fall in Australian...

SOUTH KOREA'S BOND SALES DROP 12.1PCT IN MAY.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - South Korea's bond issuance dropped 12.1 per cent in May from a month earlier due mainly to a drop in corporate notes, the bourse operator said Monday. Local governments, state enterprises and private companies...

CALL FOR SOUTH KOREA, US TO CO-PROMOTE GREEN ECONOMY.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - South Korea and the United States can work together to promote the development of an eco-friendly green economy, a senior government official said Monday. Knowledge Economy Minister Lee Youn-ho told a meeting of...

INDONESIA PREDICTS 3PCT RISE IN FOREIGN TOURIST ARRIVALS.
June 8, 2009... JAKARTA, June 8 Asia Pulse - Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik has predicted that foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia will increase by three per cent in the second semester of 2009. "The foreign tourist arrivals will mainly come...

SOUTH KOREAN FIRM DAEWOO TO BID ON INDONESIAN SUBMARINE DEAL.
June 8, 2009... JAKARTA, June 8 Asia Pulse - South Korea's Daewoo International Corp. (KSE:047050), said Sunday it plans to bid for a contract worth about $1.2 billion to build two diesel-powered submarines for Indonesia. Daewoo International said it will...

NET PROFIT FOR SOUTH KOREAN LISTED FIRMS FORECAST TO IMPROVE.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - South Korea's listed companies' net income is expected to rise sharply in the second quarter thanks to the local currency's appreciation, an online financial information provider said Sunday. The combined net...

SOUTH KOREAN CREDITORS TO SELECT LARGE FIRMS FOR RESTRUCTURING.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - Local creditors may order 30 large South Korean conglomerates to push forward restructuring efforts next week, following detailed risk assessment reviews, financial sources said Sunday. The sources said that...

REAL ESTATE TAX BREAKS TO BE EXTENDED BY SOUTH KOREAN GOVT.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - The government will extend tax breaks designed to facilitate real estate transactions to help bolster South Korea's domestic economy, which has been hurt by a worldwide slump. The Ministry of Strategy and Finance...

SOUTH KOREAN OIL PRODUCT EXPORTS SOAR IN 2008.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - South Korean oil product exports rose sharply in 2008, thanks to a rise in crude prices and the diversification of export markets, a government report said Sunday. The ratio of overseas shipments of oil products...

SOUTH KOREA TO CREATE INDUSTRIAL COMPLEXES TO MAKE NEW CARS.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - The South Korean government said Sunday that it plans to set up two industrial complexes in the country's southern region as part of efforts to establish an infrastructure for the manufacture of next-generation...

SOUTH KOREAN GOVT TO HELP FIRMS SECURE MID-EAST PLANT ORDERS.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - A trade and promotion delegation will visit the Middle East this week to help secure industrial plant orders for local companies, the government said Sunday. The Ministry of Knowledge Economy said the joint...

SOUTH KOREAN TRADE AGENCY TO HOLD AUTO PARTS FAIR IN PRAGUE.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - South Korea's trade promotion agency said Sunday that it will hold an auto parts fair in Prague this week to help promote sales of locally made automotive parts in Europe. Korea Auto Parts Prague 2009 would be...

HYUNDAI MOTOR CHIEF SET TO VISIT U.S.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - Hyundai Motor Co. (KSE:05380) Chairman Chung Mong-koo is to visit the United States this week, to encourage his employees at the company's American plants and receive an award, company officials said Saturday. ...

CREDIT CARDS DOMINATE PRIVATE SPENDING IN SOUTH KOREA.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - Credit card settlements accounted for more than half of the total private spending in South Korea during the first quarter of this year as a growing number of people tend to purchase goods and services on credit, a...

SOUTH KOREA, NEW ZEALAND TO START FREE TRADE TALKS.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - South Korea and New Zealand were set to hold their first round of free trade negotiations in Seoul on Monday following the conclusion of similar negotiations with Australia, Seoul's trade ministry said. The move...

SOUTH KOREA'S MONEY VELOCITY FALLS TO RECORD LOW.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - South Korea's velocity of money fell to an all-time low in the first quarter despite the large sums of liquidity poured into the market by the government, the central bank said Sunday. The Bank of Korea (BOK)...

SOUTH KOREAN GOVT TO EXPAND OVERSEAS EXHIBITIONS.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - The government said Sunday that it will expand support for overseas exhibitions in order to help South Korean companies bolster outbound shipments of locally made goods. The move calls for allocating an additional...

VIVANTE CORP SIGNS 15TH GRAPHICS PROCESSING LICENSEE.
June 8, 2009... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) Vivante Corporation Signs 15th GPU Licensee SUNNYVALE, Calif., June 8 PRNewswire-AsiaNet - Vivante Corporation today announced the company has expanded to 15 the number of licensees...

FARM PRODUCE EXPORTING COUNTRIES MEET IN BALI.
June 8, 2009... BRISBANE, June 8 Asia Pulse - Australian Trade Minister Simon Crean left for Bali on Saturday to preside over the 33rd ministerial conference of the Cairns Group (CG) to discuss world trade and ways to combat protectionism. The meeting,...

U.S. MULLS RELISTING N. KOREA AS STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM.
June 8, 2009... WASHINGTON, June 8 Asia Pulse - The United States is considering relisting North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Sunday, as the international community seeks to sanction Pyongyang for its second...

INDONESIAN TOURISM FINDS WAY ROUND EUROPEAN FLIGHT BAN.
June 8, 2009... PADANG, W Sumatra, June 8 Asia Pulse - Indonesia has been able to find another way to increase the number of visiting European tourists to Indonesia, despite a ban imposed by the European Union Commission on Indonesian airlines, an official of...

S. KOREAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 8, 2009.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: KOREAN-LANGUAGE DAILIES -- Obama says N. Korea will no longer get incentives with provocation (Kyunghyang Shinmun) -- Future of temporary workers uncertain as revision bill...

STOCKS - SEOUL STOCKS OPEN HIGHER - JUNE 8, 2009.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks opened higher Monday, boosted by foreign buying, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 4.67 points, or 0.33 per cent, to 1,399.38 in the first 15 minutes...

INDIA'S SBI TO DOUBLE ITS BRANCH NETWORK IN SINGAPORE THIS FY.
June 8, 2009... NEW DELHI, June 8 Asia Pulse - The State Bank of India (BSE:500112) is planning to double its branch network in Singapore during the current fiscal with an objective to increase global balance-sheet size. "We currently have four branches...

EMPLOYMENT IN INDIA'S JEWELLERY SECTOR UP 3.80% IN JAN-MARCH.
June 8, 2009... NEW DELHI, June 8 Asia Pulse - India's gems and jewellery sector, hit hard by the global financial meltdown, has begun showing signs of improvement with employment reporting a 3.8 per cent increase during January-March 2009. Having...

INDIAN BPO HGSL TO ADD 1,000 SEATS TO ITS MANILA CENTRE.
June 8, 2009... MUMBAI, June 8 Asia Pulse - Hinduja Global Solutions (HGSL) (BSE:532859), an outsourcing solutions firm, said Friday it plans to invest US$2.5 million to add 1,000 seats at its Manila centre. "The company has received an LOI (Letter of...

DEVERE & PARTNERS FORMS DISTRIBUTION ALLIANCE WITH NOMURA.
June 8, 2009... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) (BW)(DEVERE-&-PARTNERS) deVere & Partners' Global Distribution Alliance with Nomura LONDON--Jun. 05, 2009-- The deVere Group, the world's largest offshore Financial Advisory Firm...

INDIA'S TIME TECHNOPLAST IN JV WITH NETHERLANDS CO SAS.
June 8, 2009... MUMBAI, June 8 Asia Pulse - Indian plastic processing company Time Technoplast (BSE:532856) Friday said it has entered into an agreement with Netherlands-based Schoeller Arca Systems (SAS) for providing wide range of plastic made packaging and...

EXPORTS FROM INTER-KOREAN COMPLEX PLUNGE AMID DOWNTURN.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - Exports of South Korean companies operating at an inter-Korean industrial park fell by more than half in the first four months of this year amid a global economic downturn and increased tension between the two Koreas,...

SINGAPORE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 8, 2009.
June 8, 2009... SINGAPORE, June 8 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: BUSINESS TIMES: - This year may mark the lowest trough for initial public offerings (IPOs) here, as high market volatility and depressed valuations have put the brakes...

STOCKS - TOKYO SHARES OPEN HIGHER - JUNE 8, 2009.
June 8, 2009... TOKYO, June 8 Asia Pulse - Tokyo share prices opened higher Monday, with the benchmark Nikkei-225 index gaining 61.27 points or 0.63 per cent to 9,829.28 in early trade. ASIA PULSE 08-06 1051

FOREX - RINGGIT CLOSES STRONGER AGAINST US DOLLAR - JUNE 5, 2009.
June 8, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 Asia Pulse - The ringgit ended at 3.4930/4980 against the U.S. dollar on Friday, stronger than 3.4880/4920 at the close on Thursday. ASIA PULSE 08-06 1053

UK PAPER TOUTS VIETNAM AS SOUTHEAST ASIA'S PREMIER DESTINATION.
June 8, 2009... HANOI, June 8 Asia Pulse - Hot on the heels of Thailand and Malaysia, Vietnam is positioning itself as the next big must visit destination in Southeast Asia, according to the UK' Independent newspaper. The article Property abroad: Vietnam...

INDIA'S ICICI BANK TO DIVERSIFY FUNDING, REVENUE STREAMS.
June 8, 2009... MUMBAI, June 8 Asia Pulse - Foreseeing the Indian economy back on a high-growth trajectory in the coming months, ICICI Bank (BSE:532174) is looking at expanding its fund-generation profile and revenue streams to capitalise on the forthcoming...

CONSTRUCTION OF STEEL MILL BEGINS IN NORTHERN VIETNAM.
June 8, 2009... BAC KAN, June 8 Asia Pulse - Construction of a steel mill with an annual output of 250,000 tonnes began in Thanh Binh industrial zone in the northern Vietnamese mountainous province of Bac Kan on June 4. The project has an investment...

SOUTH KOREANS' Q1 SPENDING ON ALCOHOL TUMBLES.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - South Koreans' spending on alcohol declined for the first time since the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis in the first quarter as people cut back on such expenditure amid the slowing economy, the central bank said...

SUPREME COURT REFUSES MUMBAI SEZ PLEA TO STAY LAND ACQUISITION.
June 8, 2009... NEW DELHI, June 8 Asia Pulse - The Mumbai SEZ Ltd runs the risk of being scrapped after the Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay the land acquisition process that has to conclude by today. A Bench headed by Justice B Sudarshan Reddy...

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 8, 2009.
June 8, 2009... SYDNEY, June 8 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: - Cronulla chief executive Tony Zappia will be forced to resign after questions were raised over his management of an incident in which he...

VIETNAM URGES RICE EXPORTERS TO SEEK MORE CONTRACTS.
June 8, 2009... HANOI, June 8 Asia Pulse - Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has encouraged rice exporters to sign more and more contracts, emphasising that the Government has not limited the amount of rice for export. Hai made the...

VIETNAM'S FIVE-MONTH CASHEW NUT EXPORTS DROP.
June 8, 2009... HANOI, June 8 Asia Pulse - Vietnamese exports of cashews dropped 16.1 per cent to US$251 million in the first five months of this year compared to the same period last year. However, export volume was down just 1 per cent to 57,000 tonnes,...

HONG KONG NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 8, 2009.
June 8, 2009... HONG KONG, June 8 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: - Gome Electrical Appliances Holding (SEHK: 0493), the mainland's top home appliance retailer, is expected to announce the sale of a stake to...

PRIVATISATION CAN LOWER INDIA'S FISCAL DEFICIT BY 25 BPS: REPORT.
June 8, 2009... NEW DELHI, June 8 Asia Pulse - Fund mobilisation of Rs 100 billion (US$2.1 billion) through initial public offerings and strategic stake sales in public sector entities (PSEs) can help the Indian government lower its fiscal deficit by a quarter...

CHINESE BIZ VISITORS TO TAIWAN CAN STAY LONGER UNDER NEW RULE.
June 8, 2009... TAIPEI, June 8 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's restrictions on Chinese business visitors were eased Saturday, with the duration of stay extended to one month from previous 14 days. Ho Jung-chun, deputy director-general of the National Immigration...

S. KOREA TO SPEND US$13.5 BLN ON RIVER RESTORATION WORK.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - South Korea will spend 16.9 trillion won (US$13.5 billion) in the coming years to enhance the water quality and supply system of its four major rivers, the government said Monday. The masterplan for the...

WEEKLY SHIPPING SERVICE STARTS BETWEEN VIETNAM AND US.
June 8, 2009... BA RIA-VUNG TAU, June 8 Asia Pulse - Container shipping firm APL on June 3 launched a weekly direct container shipping service between Vietnam and the US, which is the destination for about 20 per cent of all outgoing freight heading across the...

TAIWAN, HONG KONG TO SET UP OFFICES TO PROMOTE BILATERAL LINKS.
June 8, 2009... TAIPEI, June 8 Asia Pulse - Taiwan and Hong Kong have agreed to set up quasi-official organizations that will represent them in bilateral talks on economic and cultural issues and possibly lead to meetings between top officials from their two...

S. KOREA'S ECONOMIC REBOUND DEPENDS ON O/S MARKETS: MINISTER.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - South Korea's economic downturn has been easing but whether it will rebound depends much on the state of the global economy, the nation's top financial and economic policymaker said Monday. "South Korea's economy...

VIETINBANK TO SELL 10% OF ITS STOCK TO OVERSEAS PARTNERS.
June 8, 2009... HANOI, June 8 Asia Pulse - The Vietnam Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank) will sell 10 per cent of its stock to foreign strategic partners, said the Chairman of the banks Board of Directors Pham Huy Hung. At a meeting of Vietinbank's...

TAIWAN AGENCY TO REVIEW CURBS ON CHINA EXPANSION FOR CHIPMAKERS.
June 8, 2009... TAIPEI, June 8 Asia Pulse - The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) will evaluate whether to allow semiconductor manufacturers to move their 12-inch wafer fabs to China during a review in July of existing restrictions on China-bound investment...

COMPUTEX TAIPEI WRAPS UP WITH RECORD SIZE, SCALE AND TURNOUT.
June 8, 2009... TAIPEI, June 8 Asia Pulse - Computex Taipei 2009 attracted more visitors and generated more new business than last year's show despite adverse market conditions and the global swine flu outbreak, a sign that the global economy may be on the...

TAIWANESE SLOWDOWN FORECAST TO EASE IN 2ND HALF 2009.
June 8, 2009... TAIPEI, June 8 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's economic slowdown is expected to gradually ease in the second half of this year, as several international forecasting organizations have predicted that the global economy will bottom out in the fourth...

INDIA EQUITY FUNDS SEE HIGHEST WEEKLY INFLOW IN A YEAR.
June 8, 2009... NEW DELHI, June 8 Asia Pulse - Global investors have poured in close to US$200 million into India-focused equity funds in the first week of June, while the overall Asia-dedicated funds witnessed the biggest inflows of as much as US$1.54...

EC HELPS LAOS, VIETNAM, CAMBODIA DEVELOP GREENER PROD'N METHODS.
June 8, 2009... HANOI, June 8 Asia Pulse - The European Commission (EC) has provided US$500,000 to help Vietnamese, Laotian and Cambodian businesses to develop methods of green production to achieve sustainable development through the project Cleaner...

VIETNAM WELCOMES BIGGEST EVER CONTAINER SHIP.
June 8, 2009... HANOI, June 8 Asia Pulse - Vietnam's Tan Cang-Cai Mep Joint-stock Co Ltd welcomed a 73,000 DWT vessel at its deep-water port in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province's Tan Thanh District yesterday. The docking of the 294-metre MOL Premium, operated by...

THAILAND CALLS ON ILLEGAL FOREIGN WORKERS TO REGISTER.
June 8, 2009... BANGKOK, June 8 Asia Pulse - Thailand's government plans to offer illegal foreign workers for the last opportunity to officially register and receive a temporary passport as well as work permit, Thai Labour Minister Paitoon Kaewthong has said....

TAICHUNG TRAVEL FAIR ATTRACTS BIG CROWDS WITH GOOD DISCOUNTS.
June 8, 2009... TAIPEI, June 8 Asia Pulse - Hordes of people descended upon the 2009 Taichung Summer Travel Fair on Saturday, looking for bargains among a wide variety of discounted tour packages. By the time the World Trade Center Taichung opened its...

VIETNAM'S DA NANG TO GO GREEN WITH ECO-FRIENDLY BUSES.
June 8, 2009... DA NANG, June 8 Asia Pulse - Central Da Nang City will spend 5.5 million euros (US$7.68 million) from its budget and borrow 15 million euros from the German bank KFW, for a project to provide environmental friendly buses for its citizens. ...

VIETNAM PUSHES FOR GREENER ATTITUDES.
June 8, 2009... HANOI, June 8 Asia Pulse - By 2010 every enterprise in Vietnam that applies for a production license should be compelled to invest in environment-friendly operations. It is a major condition required by the ministry of planning and...

SRI LANKA PIRAMAL GLASS UNIT MAKES US$2.3 MLN LOSS, EXPORTS RISE.
June 8, 2009... COLOMBO, June 8 Asia Pulse - Sri Lankan glass manufacturer Piramal Glass Ceylon said it made a 261 million rupee (US$2.3 million) loss in the year ended March 31 compared with a profit of 35 million rupees the year before. Chairman Vijay...

FALLING EXPORTS, RISING OIL PRICE HIT S KOREA'S BUDDING OPTIMISM.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - When the world was buffeted by the financial turbulence following the collapse of Lehman Brothers last summer, there seemed to be no end in sight to a freefall not just for the global economy but also for South...

UAE CO, S KOREAN ORGS SIGN FDI PROMOTION DEAL.
June 8, 2009... ABU DHABI, June 8 Asia Pulse - Abu Dhabi Investment Company, Korea Development Bank (KDB) and the Korea Trade Promotion Agency (KOTRA) signed a cooperation deal on Friday to help increase investment flows between South Korea and the Middle East...

EMIRATES' FIRST TORONTO FLIGHT POSTS 94% LOAD FACTOR.
June 8, 2009... TORONTO, June 8 Asia Pulse - The Emirates airline's first A380 flight to Toronto achieved about a 94 per cent load factor, according to Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline. The first and only flights to and from Canada began on June 1,...

SOUTH KOREA, NEW ZEALAND START FREE TRADE TALKS.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - South Korea and New Zealand began their first round of free trade negotiations in Seoul on Monday following the conclusion of similar negotiations with Australia, Seoul's trade ministry said. The move is a...

65% OF TAIWAN BUSINESSES TO HIRE FRESH GRADUATES: SURVEY.
June 8, 2009... TAIPEI, June 8 Asia Pulse - More than 65 per cent of businesses have plans to recruit fresh graduates this year, about the same as last year when the job market was stronger, according to the results of a survey released Saturday by an online...

SRI LANKA GETS US$500 MLN CHINESE LOAN FOR LOW COST HOUSING.
June 8, 2009... COLOMBO, June 8 Asia Pulse - Sri Lanka's government is to take a US$500 million dollar 20-year loan from China to build 100,000 low cost houses for state sector employees, shanty dwellers and people affected by disasters, the Cabinet office...

NZ OPPOSITION:GOVT CHANGES TO RSE SCHEME WILL EXPLOIT WORKERS.
June 8, 2009... WELLINGTON, June 8 Asia Pulse - The opposition Labour Party in New Zealand says removing the minimum wage protection for workers on the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme will lead to exploitation of Pacific Islands seasonal workers,...

CORRECTION - S KOREAN TRADE AGENCY TO HOLD AUTO PARTS FAIR.(Correction notice)
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - South Korea's trade promotion agency said Sunday that it will hold an auto parts fair in Prague this week to help promote sales of locally made automotive parts in Europe. Korea Auto Parts Prague 2009 would be...

FOREX - RINGGIT OPENS WEAKER AGAINST US DOLLAR - JUNE 8, 2008.
June 8, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 Asia Pulse - The ringgit opened at 3.5080/5130 against the U.S. dollar on Monday, weaker than 3.4930/4980 at the close on Friday. ASIA PULSE 08-06 1215

AFGHANISTAN GETS FIBRE-OPTIC LINK TO CENTRAL ASIA.
June 8, 2009... TASHKENT, June 8 Asia Pulse - Afghanistan has connected through a fibre optic network to Tajikistan, the Afghan Communications and Information Technology Ministry said on Thursday. Communications and Information Technology minister Amirzai...

STOCKS - MALAYSIAN SHARES LOWER IN EARLY TRADE - JUNE 8, 2009.
June 8, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 Asia Pulse - The Malaysian sharemarket was down 0.13 per cent in early trade, with the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Composite Index falling 1.36 points at 1,074.14 at 10:15 a.m. ASIA PULSE 08-06 1235

STOCKS - SINGAPORE SHARES DOWN IN EARLY TRADE - JUNE 8, 2009.
June 8, 2009... SINGAPORE, June 8 Asia Pulse - Singapore shares were lower in early trade, with the Straits Times Index down 25.22 points at 2,371.13 at 10:35 a.m. ASIA PULSE 08-06 1237

STOCKS - SEOUL SHARES UP IN LATE MORNING - JUNE 8, 2009.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks traded 0.24 per cent higher late Monday morning as foreign investors picked up large-cap shares, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 3.41 points to...

MALAYSIA, OMAN SIGN TRADE MOU FOR SMALL/MEDIUM INDUSTRY.
June 8, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 Asia Pulse - Malaysia and Oman on Friday signed a trade Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of small and medium industries. Datu Mohammed al Amin Haj Abdulmajid, Chairman of the Malaysian Small and Medium...

THAI NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 8, 2009.
June 8, 2009... BANGKOK, June 8 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: BANGKOK POST: - A Thai robotic team believes it has a good chance to make a name for itself at the World RoboCup 2009 in Austria later this month, but its members say the...

SSANGYONG MAY RECONSIDER LAYOFFS IF STRIKING WORKERS DISPERSE.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - Ssangyong Motors Corp. (KSE:003620), South Korea's smallest carmaker, urged its striking workers on Monday to stop their weeks-long sit-in protest saying that it could reconsider a massive lay-off. Thousands of...

CHINESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 8, 2009.
June 8, 2009... BEIJING, June 8 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: PEOPLE'S DAILY: - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao urged the country's college students to find grassroots jobs in less developed regions as the economic downturn increases...

JAPAN'S NTT SHOULD SPLIT FIXED-LINE OPS INTO 2 DIVISIONS: KDDI CHIEF.
June 8, 2009... TOKYO, June 8 Asia Pulse - Japan's Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (TSE:9432) ought to split its fixed-line telecommunications operations into facilities and services divisions, KDDI Corp. (TSE:9433) President Tadashi Onodera told The...

PAKISTAN PUTS US$5.2 BLN INTO PUBLIC SECTOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
June 8, 2009... ISLAMABAD, June 8 Asia Pulse - Pakistan's National Economic Council (NEC) Thursday approved a Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) worth Rs 421 billion (US$5.2 billion) for the next financial year. Deputy Chairman Planning Commission...

JAPAN'S TOPPAN IN US$294 MLN COST-CUTTING DRIVE THIS FISCAL YEAR.
June 8, 2009... TOKYO, June 8 Asia Pulse - Japan's Toppan Printing Co. (TSE:7911) will slash costs by 29 billion yen (US$294 million) groupwide in the year ending next March by reorganizing the printing production system and development efforts at its...

TAIWAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 8, 2009.
June 8, 2009... TAIPEI, June 8 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: CHINA POST: - A World Trade Organization committee has agreed to a request by Taiwan for an extension, until July 9, of the submission of its instrument of accession to the...

JAPAN'S JR EAST OFFERS US$101 UNLIMITED-RIDE PASS FOR FOREIGNERS.
June 8, 2009... TOKYO, June 8 Asia Pulse - East Japan Railway Co. (TSE:9020) will for a limited time offer foreign visitors an all-you-can-ride pass priced at just 10,000 yen (US$101). The JR East Pass Special will be good for any three days within a...

TAIWAN'S CHIP INDUSTRY RESCUE PLAN LOSING STEAM.
June 8, 2009... TAIPEI, June 8 Asia Pulse - The Taiwanese government's DRAM industry rescue plan appears to have stalled, with a key blueprint still not out yet even though it was supposed to be unveiled in April. Under the rescue plan, the government is...

BANK OF KOREA TO FREEZE KEY RATE FOR JUNE: POLL.
June 8, 2009... SEOUL, June 8 Asia Pulse - South Korea's central bank is widely expected to leave its key interest rate unchanged for a fourth straight month this week amid signs that a sharp decline in the economy has moderated, a poll showed Monday. All...