AsiaPulse News articles from March 2003

AsiaPulse News archives from March 2003

KOREAN BEEF IMPORTS REACH US$947 MLN IN 2002, UP 70.6% Y-O-Y.
March 2, 2003... SEOUL, March 2 Asia Pulse - Korea's annual beef imports topped 1 trillion won (US$837 million) for the first time last year, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said. The country bought a total of $947 million worth of beef from...

US-BOUND CARGO TO BE CHARGED ADDITIONAL US$25 FOR B/L ISSUANCE.
March 2, 2003... SEOUL, March 2 Asia Pulse - Domestic shipping firms have decided to levy an extra US$25 on U.S.-bound freight as a new "manifest charge" when they issue bills of lading (B/L), a business source said today. The decision was made because...

PROPOSED KOREAN WORK PERMIT SYSTEM CAUSING GREAT CONTROVERSY.
March 2, 2003... SEOUL, March 2 Asia Pulse - The government's push for the introduction of a labor permit system for foreign workers is causing considerable controversy among economic circles, business sources said Wednesday. The two sides have shown huge...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS STRONGER - MAR 3, 2003.
March 3, 2003... SYDNEY, Mar 3 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar opened stronger today as the US dollar weakened amid fears of war, while a softer New Zealand dollar kept the local currency well bid. At 0700 AEDT, the Australian dollar was at $US0.6075/80...

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAR 3, 2003.
March 3, 2003... SYDNEY, Mar 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE AUSTRALIAN - Alleged September 11 mastermind captured in Pakistan; Iraq begins destroying banned missiles; Swiss entry wins America's Cup from Kiwis. - Coalition to...

LEADING INT'L BANKS THREATEN TO SUE AUSTRALIA'S TELSTRA.
March 3, 2003... SYDNEY, Mar 3 Asia Pulse - Telstra Corp Ltd (ASX:TLS) is facing the prospect of being sued by a number of leading international banks if it fails to inject A$400 million (US$243 million) into its troubled Asian subsidiary, Reach Ltd. A...

AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY AT ITS STRONGEST SINCE WWII: PM.
March 3, 2003... CANBERRA, Mar 3 Asia Pulse - Australia's Prime Minister John Howard continued to extoll the virtues of the national economy, saying it was now arguably at its strongest since World War II. He said during his seven years as prime minister,...

KOREA'S DPM KIM RULES OUT IMMEDIATE PUMP-PRIMING MEASURES.
March 3, 2003... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - Although the economy is slowing down more than expected, the government will not employ domestic consumption promotion measures such as cutting special excise taxes on automobiles and other major industrial products,...

OVERLAND TOUR TO N. KOREA LIKELY TO BE HELD ON IRREGULAR BASIS.
March 3, 2003... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - Hyundai Asan, organizer of tours to North Korea's Mount Geumgang, is experiencing difficulties scheduling overland trips to the mountain as there is no word from the North about when a cross-border road will be...

MOUNTING JITTERS PROVIDE MOMENTUM TO PRIVATE BANKING IN KOREA.
March 3, 2003... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - Worries about North Korea's nuclear program and a possible war in Iraq have dealt a blow to the South Korean economy by shrinking its exports and scaring away foreign investors. Just like an old adage, "one...

INDIAN BUDGETGRANTS 10-YEAR TAX HOLIDAY FOR SOME STATES.
March 3, 2003... NEW DELHI, March 3 Asia Pulse - The government will grant a ten year tax holiday for industries in Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttranchal and the North-eastern states to boost their economic development. The Budget proposes to insert a new...

INDIA'S SENSEX GIVES UP PART OF PREVIOUS WEEK'S GAINS.
March 3, 2003... MUMBAI, March 3 Asia Pulse - The sensex gave up part of previous week's gains and ended 0.71 per cent lower at the weekend on the Stock Exchange, Mumbai (BSE) as investors turned cautious over the fluid situation in the Gulf region as a result...

INDIAN EXPORT GROWTH SLUMPS TO 9% IN JAN.
March 3, 2003... NEW DELHI, March 3 Asia Pulse - A month after registering a record growth, exports in January slumped to 9.19 per cent even though cumulative growth for the period April-January clocked a healthy 17.38 per cent. As per preliminary trade...

LONG TERM CAPITAL GAINS TAX MAY BE ABOLISHED: INDIAN FM.
March 3, 2003... NEW DELHI, March 3 Asia Pulse - A day after presenting the budget, Finance Minister Jaswant Singh said Saturday he will consider abolishing long-term capital gains tax totally if the difficult war-like situation in Iraq and drought condition in...

TAIWAN GOV'T ESTABLISHES ANTI-DROUGHT CENTER.
March 3, 2003... TAIPEI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Economic Affairs Minister Lin Yi-fu has announced the establishment of a national anti-drought center and urged the public to conserve water because of an extreme scarcity of rainfall since last year. Lin made...

IRAN AMONG FEW COUNTRIES PRODUCING LASER CRYSTALS.
March 3, 2003... TEHRAN, March 3 Asia Pulse - Iran is one of the few countries in the world that is capable of manufacturing crystals used in producing solid lasers, a laser research center official told IRNA Saturday. Deputy head of the country's state...

TAIWAN UNIVERSITIES TO GRANT 200 SCHOLARSHIPS TO MALAYSIANS.
March 3, 2003... KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 Asia Pulse - Taiwan Education Minister Huang Jong-tsun has announced that Taiwan universities will grant 200 scholarships to Malaysian students. Huang, who arrived in Kuala Lumpur a day earlier to attend the 2003...

TAIWAN PREMIER DENIES SEEKING INCREASE IN GOV'T DEBT ALLOWANCE.
March 3, 2003... TAIPEI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Premier Yu Shyi-kun denied that the assessment of national assets is not being carried out for the purpose of raising the ceiling on the government's debts. The premier made the remarks when he presided over a...

BG GROUP, ONGC, RELIANCE SIGN JOINT OPERATING AGREEMENT.
March 3, 2003... NEW DELHI, March 3 Asia Pulse - British oil and gas major BG Group Plc, India's state firm Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (BSE:ONGC) and Reliance Industries (BSE:RELI) have agreed to jointly operate Panna-Mukta and Tapti oil and gas fields,...

TAIWAN'S ECONOMY WILL RECOVER: CEPD OFFICIAL.
March 3, 2003... TAIPEI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's economy will improve this year, although its index of leading economic indicators flashed a yellow-blue light for January, a member of the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) said. ...

PAKISTAN STRIVES TO RESTART CITRUS EXPORTS TO IRAN.
March 3, 2003... KARACHI, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Pakistan Apples and Citrus Export Board (PACEB) said efforts were under way to restart citrus export to Iran, once a largest market for the Pakistani fruit. Patron-in-chief, PACEB, Fakir Syed Ayazuddin,...

TAIWAN'S MOEA KEEN TO ATTRACT MORE FOREIGN INVESTMENT.
March 3, 2003... TAIPEI, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has worked out a set of concrete measures aimed at attracting foreign investment in the coming year to help revitalize the domestic economy, a government official said. ...

CONSORTIUM TO BUILD, OPERATE TRANS-AFGHAN GAS PIPELINE.
March 3, 2003... ISLAMABAD, March 3 Asia Pulse - The steering committee of the trans-Afghan gas pipeline has decided that the project would be constructed and operated by a consortium and not a single company to avoid risk and strengthen business environment....

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN STOCKS OPEN STRONGER - MAR 3, 2003.
March 3, 2003... SYDNEY, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Australian stock market strengthened at open after gains in offshore markets on Friday. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index was six points firmer at 2806.9, while the all ordinaries index gained 5.7 points to...

AUSTRALIAN WINE PRODUCER PIONEERS CANNED WINE FOR EXPORT.
March 3, 2003... BRISBANE, March 3 Asia Pulse - In an Australian first, the award-winning Gowrie Mountain Estate at Toowoomba in Queensland's Darling Downs has started producing canned wine for export. Owner Ron Newbury said he hit upon the idea two years...

COMMERCIAL SEA FARMS MOOTED FOR VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.
March 3, 2003... MELBOURNE, March 3 Asia Pulse - Sections of Victoria's Port Phillip Bay and Western Port will be turned into commercial sea farms creating more than 500 jobs, new plans have revealed. Victorian Agriculture Minister Bob Cameron announced...

AUSTRALIAN MEDICARE LEVY WOULD NOT BE RAISED BY LABOR IF ELECTED.
March 3, 2003... SYDNEY, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Medicare levy would not be raised by Labor if elected to government, Opposition Leader Simon Crean said. Mr Crean's comments came after his health spokesman Stephen Smith last Thursday told journalists he...

RATINGS TO FORM BAROMETER FOR AUSTRALIA'S PBL, SEVEN: ANALYSTS.
March 3, 2003... SYDNEY, March 3 Asia Pulse - Updated advertising and television ratings will be the centre of attention for analysts assessing the first half results from Kerry Packer's Publishing & Broadcasting Ltd (ASX:PBL) and the Seven Network Ltd...

IRAN RECORDS US$300 MLN IN LOSSES FROM BREAD WASTE PER YEAR.
March 3, 2003... MASHHAD, March 3 Asia Pulse - A 30 per cent waste of bread, which accounts for 80 per cent of subsidies being paid by the government, inflicts about US$300 million in losses per year on the country. Bread absorbed 79 per cent of subsidies...

REGIONAL AUSTRALIA WILL BOUNCE BACK AFTER DROUGHT: REPORT.
March 3, 2003... CANBERRA, March 3 Asia Pulse - A rosy picture is being painted of regional Australia post-drought, with record crop plantings, high priced livestock and frenzied activity in country towns being predicted in a new report. Compiled by rural...

PAKISTAN MINERAL DEVELOPMENT OFFERS SALT MINE FOR OIL RESERVES.
March 3, 2003... ISLAMABAD, March 3 Asia Pulse - Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) has asked the government to use 110 sq km of one of its underground salt mines to keep the country's strategic oil reserves or for other defence purposes. ...

YARN PRICE HIKE IN PAKISTAN PUTS EXPORT CONTRACTS IN JEOPARDY.
March 3, 2003... KARACHI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Export contracts worth millions of dollars are in jeopardy due to a sudden hike in yarn prices on the domestic market. There are fears that many exporters may run into default and lose their markets in coming...

HONG KONG NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAR 3, 2003.
March 3, 2003... HONG KONG, March 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST - The US was dealt a fresh blow in its preparations for a war against Iraq yesterday when a Turkish official said the government had no...

PAKISTAN'S FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES UP BY US$35 MLN.
March 3, 2003... KARACHI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves have increased in a week, but the commercial banks kept showing a downward trend regarding its reserves. According to the latest figures issued by the State Bank, total...

MEDIA ALERT - COCHLEAR IMPLANT PARENTS' RESOURCE CENTRE OPENS.
March 3, 2003... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) SYDNEY, March 3 /MediaNet International-AsiaNet/ -- Cochlear will today launch another milestone in its lifetime commitment to its cochlear implant recipients with the opening of the...

DEMAND FOR TITANIUM DIOXIDE STILL LOW IN AUSTRALIAN MARKET.
March 3, 2003... PERTH, March 3 Asia Pulse - The global economic downturn in 2001 is still having a negative impact on demand for titanium dioxide, according to a new report from AME Mineral Economics. AME's new titanium minerals cost report said pigment...

IRAN'S LIQUIDITY UP 28.8 PCT IN 2001/02 TO US$40.11 BLN.
March 3, 2003... TEHRAN, March 3 Asia Pulse - Iran's liquidity in the calendar year of 1380 (2001-2002) rose by 28.8 per cent to rls 320.957 trillion (US$40.11 billion), mainly due to the government's debts to national banks and credit institutions, according...

AUSTRALIAN GOV'T SHOULD CONTINUE BUDGET POLICY: ACCI.
March 3, 2003... CANBERRA, March 3 Asia Pulse - The government should dump its support for a A$12 (US$7.29) a week safety net wage rise and continue with its current budget approach, according to a pre-Budget submission released by the Australian Chamber of...

CORR: KOREA'S DPM KIM RULES OUT IMMEDIATE PUMP-PRIMING MEASURES.
March 3, 2003... (Corrects spelling of Deputy Prime Minister in first paragraph) SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - Although the economy is slowing down more than expected, the government will not employ domestic consumption promotion measures such as cutting...

PAKISTAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS REGISTERS 16.5% RISE IN H1 PROFIT.
March 3, 2003... KARACHI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL) has reported 16.5 per cent growth in after-tax profit for the six months ended December 31 to Rs9.90 billion, from Rs8.5 billion (US$146.3 million) in the...

CELLPHONES MAKE PHILIPPINE CONSUMER LAW OBSOLETE: CONSUMER GRP.
March 3, 2003... DAVAO CITY, Mar 3 Asia Pulse - New technological advances have rendered the Consumer Act of the Philippines obsolete. For this reason, a consumer group is now pushing for some amendments to some of the provisions of Republic Act No. 7394....

CROATIA PUSHES FOR EXPANSION OF ECONOMIC TIES WITH IRAN.
March 3, 2003... BELGRADE, March 3 Asia Pulse - President of the Croatian Chamber of Economy, Nadan Vidosevic, in Zagreb on Friday called for the expansion of Iran-Croatia economic ties. Vidosevic, speaking in a meeting with Iranian Ambassador to Zagreb...

UK ANNOUNCES FASTER SERVICE FOR IRANIAN OIL CONTRACTS.
March 3, 2003... LONDON, March 3 Asia Pulse - The British government announced that it was providing a faster service on state cover for Iranian oil contracts to give a boost to UK exporters. The Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) said it would...

MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAR 3, 2003.
March 3, 2003... KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE STAR - In January little-known PC Suria Nascom Group Sdn Bhd (Nascom), a local computer manufacturer, an- nounced that it would take over 11 Practice Note 4 (PN4)...

PAKISTAN TO SIGN DOUBLE TAXATION CONVENTIONS WITH SIX STATES.
March 3, 2003... ISLAMABAD, March 3 Asia Pulse - Pakistan had decided to ink fresh conventions with six countries for the Avoidance of Double Taxation in the coming months, official sources said. The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) would initiate fresh...

30-YR OLD KOREANS EMERGE AS KEY CONSUMER FORCE.
March 3, 2003... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - Focusing on the latest fashion trends and putting more stress on quality than price, "New Thirties" are becoming a major consumer force in this country. Market watchers say that Koreans in their early thirties...

CREATION OF CENTRAL FUND TO SECURE PHILIPPINE COOPS.
March 3, 2003... CEBU CITY, March 3 Asia Pulse - The existence of a centralized liquidity fund for the country's cooperatives would help reduce costs and increase returns for individual cooperatives. Cris Paez, manager of the National Confederation of...

VOLUME OF HK'S RE-EXPORTS IN DEC UP 24.3% YR-ON-YR.
March 3, 2003... HONG KONG, March 3 Asia Pulse - The volume of Hong Kong's re-exports of goods in December 2002 surged 24.3 per cent year-on-year while that of domestic exports declined by 15.6 per cent, the Census and Statistics Department said. Taken...

ADB TO EXTEND US$100 MLN TO PAKISTAN FOR SME SECTOR DEVELOPMENT.
March 3, 2003... ISLAMABAD, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will extend US$100 million to the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) sector development project to comprehensively focus on this sector by privatising the SME Bank, improve...

INDIAN MINISTER RULES OUT ROLLBACK OF FERTILISER PRICE HIKE.
March 3, 2003... NEW DELHI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Despite opposition from the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party and other allies of the government, Finance Minister Jaswant Singh has virtually ruled out any rollback of the fertiliser price hike in the budget saying...

CENTERPULSE REORGANIZES SPINE-TECH BUSINESS IN EUROPE.
March 3, 2003... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) ZURICH, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall-AsiaNet/ -- Centerpulse will establish an independent Spine-Tech Business Unit responsible for Europe/Asia/Latin America. This change takes effect...

PHILIPPINE NFA READIES RICE INVENTORY IN CASE OF WAR.
March 3, 2003... TACLOBAN CITY, March 3 Asia Pulse - The National Food Authority (NFA) in Eastern Visayas is preparing for the looming war between the USA and Iraq, with acting regional director Edgar S. Bentulan ordering all the NFA provincial offices in...

B&O RAILROAD MUSEUM CANCELS FAIR OF THE IRON HORSE 175.
March 3, 2003... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) BALTIMORE, Md., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Maryland's Largest Snowstorm Takes Its Toll on Museum - Focus Turns to Restoration Efforts The Board of Directors of the Baltimore and...

MALAYSIAN AE MODELS ACQUIRES VITONTECH.
March 3, 2003... KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 Asia Pulse - Malaysian AE Models Holdings Berhad (MAE) (KLSE:MAEM) announced that its subsidiary, Matromatic Handling Systems (M) Sdn Bhd (MATHS), has acquired the entire stake of Vitontech Sdn Bhd (VSB). MAE said in...

PHILIPPINES TO APPEAL HK'S DECSION TO SLASH FOREIGN MAIDS' WAGES.
March 3, 2003... MANILA, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Philippine government will ask the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to reconsider its decision to impose a wage cut of HK$400 (US$51) on the salaries of foreign maids, including thousands of...

LASERSOFT IMAGING AG ANNOUNCES NEW DIGITAL CAMERA VERSION.
March 3, 2003... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) KIEL, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- LaserSoft Imaging releases SilverFast(R) Digital Camera 6 with Virtual Light Table(R). The award-winning SilverFast has been adapted to the needs of...

FRANKFURT AIRPORT EXHIBITS AT THE MIPIM REAL ESTATE FAIR IN CANNES.
March 3, 2003... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) FRANKFURT, Feb. 28 /News Aktuell-AsiaNet/ -- A Premier Location: Frankfurt Airport Serves As Your Gateway to Global Business AIRRAIL center frankfurt: One of Europe's Biggest...

AUSTRALIA'S WOOLWORTHS ON LOOKOUT FOR MAJOR ACQUISITION: CEO.
March 3, 2003... MELBOURNE, March 3 Asia Pulse - Woolworths (ASX:WOW) remained on the lookout for a major acquisition that fitted its low margin, high volume mass retailing criteria, Woolworths' chief executive Roger Corbett said yesterday. Speaking on...

MALAYSIA'S HIGHLANDS & LOWLANDS POSTS US$27.4 MLN YR PROFIT.
March 3, 2003... KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 Asia Pulse - Highlands & Lowlands Berhad (KLSE:HILO) has recorded group pre-tax profit of RM104.223 million (US$27.43 million) for the year ended 31 December 2002, down from RM241.424 million in the previous year. It...

ONLINE INDEX SHOWS REBOUND IN AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY IN FEBRUARY.
March 3, 2003... MELBOURNE, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Olivier Internet Job Index for February showed a rebound for the Australian economy, with a 22.3 per cent rise in jobs advertised on the internet. It represented an increase of 11,212 on January. ...

BAIS CITY, PHILIPPINES INTRODUCES RECYCLING INITIATIVE.
March 3, 2003... CEBU CITY, March 3 Asia Pulse - Tin foil packaging for juices usually end up as trash, however, a local government unit discovered that it could also become a good source of income. The Bais City local government, with the assistance of the...

STOCKS - KOREAN STOCKS OPEN HIGHER - MARCH 3, 2003.
March 3, 2003... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks gained momentum Monday from program purchases at the start of trading. Opening 3.07 points (0.53 per cent) higher than last week's close, the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) posted...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR HIGHER AT NOON - MAR 3, 2003.
March 3, 2003... SYDNEY, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar has rallied from Friday's close but has been content to hold a narrow range in early domestic trade. At 1200 AEDT, the Australian dollar was at $US0.6074/79 compared with $US0.6050/55 at...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN STOCKS STRONGER AT NOON - MAR 3, 2003.
March 3, 2003... SYDNEY, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Australian Stock Market was higher at noon with gains by Telstra and the major banks offsetting continued weakness in AMP. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index was 6.1 points at 2807.0, while the All Ordinaries...

KOREAN CUSTOMS REPORTS RISE IN AMOUNT OF BOGUS PRODUCTS.
March 3, 2003... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - The amount of illegal copies of world-famous brand products discovered last year was the largest in recent years, the Korea Customs Service said Monday. The customs office said it found bogus goods worth 249.2...

OMANI MINISTER SIGNS DEALS FOR ROADS, FISH MARKET CONSTRUCTION.
March 3, 2003... NIZWA, March 3 Asia Pulse - Twelve agreements worth a total of more than RO. 2.5 million (US$6.5 million) on construction of roads and a fish market were signed by Dr. Khamis bin Mubarak al-Alawi, Minister of Regional Municipalities,...

NATIVE TITLE LAW IMPEDING MINERAL EXPLORATION IN AUSTRALIA: MCA.
March 3, 2003... CANBERRA, March 3 Asia Pulse - Native Title legislation is a key resaon for the drop in mineral exploration activity, according to the peak body representing Australia's resources industry. Addressing a parliamentary committee, Minerals...

AUSTRALIAN FARMERS BEGIN LOBBYING STATE GOVTS TO BAN GM CROPS.
March 3, 2003... BRISBANE, March 3 Asia Pulse - Australian farmers opposed to genetically-modified (GM) foods have begun an eleven-day national tour lobbying state governments to ban GM crops. The loosely-aligned Network of Concerned Farmers, concerned...

S&P AFFIRMS BBB LONG TERM CREDIT RATING ON CALTEX AUSTRALIA.
March 3, 2003... SYDNEY, March 3 Asia Pulse - Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said today it has affirmed its BBB long-term corporate credit rating on Caltex Australia Ltd. At the same time, Standard & Poor's raised its short-term corporate credit rating...

TAX CREDITS ARE EXPENSIVE WAY OF ACHIEVING LITTLE: AUSTRALIAN PM.
March 3, 2003... CANBERRA, March 3 Asia Pulse - Tax credits were an expensive means to sometimes achieving little, Prime Minister John Howard said yesterday. His comments follow reports that Treasurer Peter Costello told cabinet last week he would veto any...

AUSTRALIA'S ST GEORGE ANNOUNCES MBS ISSUE MARKETING CAMPAIGN.
March 3, 2003... SYDNEY, March 3 Asia Pulse - A new marketing campaign is being undertaken by St George Bank (ASX:SGB) for a proposed global mortgage backed securities (MBS) issue under the Crusade Securitisation program. The issue is to be known as Crusade...

AUSTRALIA'S NOVOGEN HALVES INTERIM LOSSES TO US$2.49 MLN.
March 3, 2003... SYDNEY, March 3 Asia Pulse - Shares in Novogen Ltd (ASX:NRT) rallied early today, after the pharmaceutical group substantially reduced its first-half losses. Novogen also said an emphasis on improving its balance sheet meant the company...

KOREAN GOVT TO STRENGTHEN COOPERATIVE TIES WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES.
March 3, 2003... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - The government is planning to host a reception for major economic umbrella organizations to strengthen the working relationship between policymakers and the business community, sources at the Ministry of Finance...

MALAYSIA'S TALIWORKS REPORTS US$7.6 MLN TURNOVER IN Q4.
March 3, 2003... KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 Asia Pulse - Taliworks Corporation Berhad (KLSE:TWRK) has reported group turnover of RM28.88 million (US$7.6 million) in the fourth quarter ended 31 December 2002, down from RM31.05 million in the same quarter in FY2001....

TOTAL NUMBER OF KOREAN FINANCIAL REGULATIONS JUMPS IN 2002.
March 3, 2003... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - The number of financial regulations in South Korea rose by more than 30 in 2002 from a year earlier, almost returning to the mid-1998 level, a regulation reform body said today. According to the Regulation Reform...

NIKKEI WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS - MARCH 3, 2003.
March 3, 2003... TOKYO, March 3 Asia Pulse - Major headlines from the March 3 issue of the Nikkei Weekly: FRONT - Fukui to target deflation, policy reform at BOJ - Deflation, job anxieties batter economy - Nation's industry still globally...

JAPANESE MORNING NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MARCH 3, 2003.
March 3, 2003... TOKYO, March 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of the morning edition of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) today: - Japan's First Hospital-Rating Agency To Be Launched In March - Yahoo Japan To List On TSE After Softbank Sells 8 per cent Stake...

SINGAPORE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MARCH 3, 2003.
March 3, 2003... SINGAPORE, March 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE STRAITS TIMES: - Singaporean share transactions in the United States' financial markets plunged by 31 per cent in the final quarter of last year to US$15.1 billion...

DETAIL ON TALKS BETWEEN AUSTRALIA'S TELSTRA, BANKS WITHHELD.
March 3, 2003... SYDNEY, March 3 Asia Pulse - Details on discussions between a banking syndicate and Telstra Corp Ltd (ASX:TLS) focusing on financial support for the latter's troubled Asian subsidiary, Reach Ltd, were being withheld. The Australian...

FOREX - US DOLLAR EDGES UP AGAINST WON EARLY - MARCH 3, 2003.
March 3, 2003... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - The dollar opened much higher than late Friday's close due to its strength against the yen Monday, but declined on expectations it would depreciate in Seoul as Friday's level was somewhat high. Opening at 1,197...

PAKISTAN SIGNS DEAL WITH CHINESE FIRM FOR TWO COAL POWER PLANTS.
March 3, 2003... ISLAMABAD, March 3 Asia Pulse - China and Pakistan have signed an agreement to establish two coal-based 600-megawatt power plants in Sindh. Sindh Chief Secretary K.B. Rind inked the agreement, which lays down the necessary framework and...

PAKISTAN TO SEEK BILATERAL, REGIONAL TRADE ACCORDS.
March 3, 2003... ISLAMABAD, March 3 Asia Pulse - Pakistan announced that it will seek bilateral and regional trade agreements to avoid isolation, and offer Japan a Free Trade Agreement is part of this new policy. "All countries are signing agreements on...

JAPAN'S SHISEIDO TO ABSORB TWO PRODUCTION SUBSIDIARIES.
March 3, 2003... TOKYO, March 3 Asia Pulse - Shiseido Co. (TSE:4911) on April 1 plans to merge two production subsidiaries with the parent company, a move that will bring all five of the company's domestic cosmetics factories under its direct supervision. ...

PAKISTAN'S OCAC INCREASES PRICE OF ALL PETROLEUM PRODUCTS.
March 3, 2003... KARACHI, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC) has increased the price of all petroleum products by 89 paisa to Rs 1.24 per litre. The new prices will be effective from March 1 to 15. Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and...