AsiaPulse News articles from March 2008

AsiaPulse News archives from March 2008

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS LOWER - MARCH 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... SYDNEY, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar has opened lower, shedding more than a cent over the weekend after a heavy bout of risk aversion hurt the high-yielding currency. At 0700 AEDT, the Australian dollar was trading at...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN BONDS OPEN STRONGER - MARCH 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... SYDNEY, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Australian bond market opened stronger this morning, tracking US Treasuries, which rallied on Friday night after fresh fears the US will head into recession. At 0830 AEDT, the yield on the Commonwealth...

AUSTRALIA'S ZINIFEX, OXIANA SET TO MERGE AS EQUALS.
March 3, 2008... SYDNEY, March 3 Asia Pulse - Miners Zinifex Ltd (ASX:ZFX) and Oxiana Ltd (ASX:OXR) are set to join forces to become the third-largest miner listed on the Australian stock exchange, in what their two chairmen describe as "a true merger of...

AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC GROWTH SET TO SLOW OVER NEXT DECADE.
March 3, 2008... CANBERRA, March 3 Asia Pulse - Economic growth in Australia could struggle to reach three per cent over the next decade, well short of expectations, new research has found. But in some good news for the government, the Australian Industry...

OVERSEAS FIRMS JOSTLE FOR AUSTRALIAN DESALINATION CONTRACT.
March 3, 2008... MELBOURNE, March 3 Asia Pulse - Taxpayers will pay a private company an estimated $A60 million ($US55.86 million) a year to run Victoria's planned desalination plant over its 25-year life, News Limited newspapers report today. Victorian...

BHP BILLITON TO INVEST ANOTHER $US975MLN IN SOUTH AFRICAN COAL.
March 3, 2008... MELBOURNE, March 3 Asia Pulse - Global miner BHP Billiton (ASX:BHP) expects to invest another $US975 million in further development of its coal mining operations in South Africa, after approving the Douglas-Middelburg optimisation (DMO) project...

WESTFIELD SAYS RETAIL SALES SAGGING IN UNITED STATES.
March 3, 2008... MELBOURNE, March 3 Asia Pulse - Shopping mall operator Westfield Group (ASX:WDC) says retail sales have sagged in the United States, but there is no sign of a slowdown in Australia. Westfield joint managing director Steven Lowy said retail...

AUSTRALIAN GOLD PRODUCER STARTS TRADING IN TORONTO.
March 3, 2008... MELBOURNE, March 3 Asia Pulse - Australian gold producer Dioro Exploration NL (ASX:DIO) says it has successfully started trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) in Canada. Dioro said on Friday that its share price in Canada had closed...

RAMSAY HEALTH CARE EXTENDS REACH IN UK MARKET.
March 3, 2008... SYDNEY, March 3 Asia Pulse - Ramsay Health Care Ltd (ASX:RHC) has extended its reach in the UK market after agreeing to acquire the BMI Nottingham hospital from the General Healthcare Group (GHG) for an undisclosed amount. BMI Nottingham...

S. KOREA CHOOSES DESIGN OF AIRPORT MAGLEV TRAIN.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea has selected the model of the magnetic levitation (maglev) to be launched for commercial service at one of its international airports within five years, a government agency said Sunday. The Ministry...

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MARCH 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... SYDNEY, March 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW: - Earnings growth expectations have been slashed by more than half. Allco Finance Group's key deal makers have lost $250 million raised...

CHINESE CONTRACTOR TO BUILD STEAM-GENERATED POWER PLANT IN PAPUA.
March 3, 2008... TIMIKKA, March 3 Asia Pulse - A contractor from China has been entrusted with the development of a steam-generated power plant (PLTU) in Papua district of Mimika, Timika branch of state electricity company PT PLN spokesman Trimanto told newsmen...

S. KOREAN CARD FIRMS' 2007 NET UP 14.5 PCT.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - South Korean credit card firms saw their combined earnings rise 14.5 per cent in 2007 from a year earlier due mainly to one-off gains, the financial watchdog said Sunday. According to the Financial Supervisory...

S KOREA'S POSCO-SEAH BREAKS GROUND FOR PIPE PLANT IN U.S.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - POSCO, the world's fourth-largest steelmaker, said Sunday it has broken ground in California for a plant that will produce up to 270,000 metric tons of steel pipes annually for transporting gas and petroleum. ...

MAJOR KOREAN NET PORTALS ACCUSED OF UNFAIR BUSINESS: WATCHDOG.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea's anti-trust watchdog has spotted evidence that major local Internet portal operators have engaged in unfair business deals by using their superior market status over content providers (CPs), sources said...

INDONESIA TO HOLD FIRST EXPO IN CENTRAL, EAST EUROPE IN MAY 2008.
March 3, 2008... WARSAW, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Indonesian Government will hold the First Indonesian Expo in Central and East Europe (1st IE-CEE), in Warsaw, Poland, from May 7 to 10, 2008, as part of its export and investment promotion program in Europe. ...

NEW S. KOREAN DEFENSE MINISTER TAKES OFFICE, VOWING CHANGES.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - A long-time advocate of a stronger alliance between South Korea and the United States assumed the country's highest defense post Friday, heralding closer ties between the two allies of more than half a century. ...

TAIWAN'S FAT ENDS SERVICE ON HUALIEN-KAOHSIUNG ROUTE.
March 3, 2008... TAIPEI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's Far Eastern Air Transport (FAT) (TAIEX:5605) ended its service on the route between Hualien County in eastern Taiwan and the southern port city of Kaohsiung Saturday, due to the low passenger load factor,...

TAIWAN'S IC PRODUCTION FORECAST TO TOP US$51 BLN IN 2008.
March 3, 2008... TAIPEI, March 3 Asia Pulse - The production value of Taiwan's integrated circuits (IC) industry is expected to post growth of 8.8 per cent for 2008 to amount to NT$1.59 trillion (US$51.37 billion), the Industrial Technology Research Institute...

TAIWAN, AUSTRALIAN FIRM SIGN MAJOR GAS SUPPLY CONTRACT.
March 3, 2008... SYDNEY, March 3 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's state-run petroleum company, CPC Corp., Taiwan, signed a contract Friday to purchase liquefied natural gas from Woodside Co. (ASX:WPL), a leading independent Australian oil and gas company, in a deal that...

NEARLY 60 PCT OF TAIWAN'S CONSUMERS FAVOR HYPERMARKETS: POLL.
March 3, 2008... TAIPEI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Soaring consumer prices have intensified price consciousness in Taiwan, as the low-priced hypermarkets have become the first choice of nearly 60 per cent of consumers purchasing daily supplies, a recent poll...

TAIWAN RETAIL TURNOVER RISES 3.45PCT IN 2007.
March 3, 2008... TAIPEI, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Taiwan retail industry's turnover amounted to NT$3.27 trillion (US$202.58 billion) for 2007, up 3.45 per cent from the year-earlier level, according to tallies released Saturday by the Ministry of Economic...

S KOREAN EXPERTS TO CONSIDER COAL-BURNING STOVES FOR MONGOLIA.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - South Korean energy and environmental protection experts plan to conduct a fact-finding mission to determine the feasibility of providing Mongolia with coal-fired stoves, a publicly run non-profit organization said...

NEW TAIWANESE EXHIBITION CENTRE SET TO OPEN MARCH 13.
March 3, 2008... TAIPEI, March 3 Asia Pulse - The newly-built Taipei World Trader Center (TWTC) Nangang Exhibition Hall is set to be formally inaugurated March 13, a Taipei City government official said Sunday. According to the official, the world-class...

S KOREAN SHARES UNLIKELY TO POST WORTHWHILE GAINS: ANALYSTS.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks are unlikely to post serious gains in this week's trading, as they were set "firmly" in the lower 1,700-point level last week, local analysts said Saturday. After bouncing back to the...

NANOTECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS EARN TAIWAN BILLIONS.
March 3, 2008... TAIPEI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Over NT$300 billion (US$9.68 billion) in nanotechnology production value has been amassed by Taiwan's manufacturers in the last five years, thanks to a six-year developing program that combines efforts from academia...

NORTHROP GRUMMAN TO PROVIDE ATC COMMS UPGRADE FOR INDIA.(Company overview)
March 3, 2008... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) MEDIA RELEASE PR29438 Northrop Grumman Park Air Systems to Provide Air Traffic Control Communications Systems Upgrade for India LONDON, Feb. 29 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Northrop Grumman...

KOREA RANKED 18TH FOR HOLDINGS OF U.S. SECURITIES.
March 3, 2008... WASHINGTON, March 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea was holding US$138 billion worth of U.S. securities as at the end of June last year, ranking it 18th among foreign countries, the latest data released by the Treasury said. The preliminary...

S KOREAN GOV'T COULD SET UP VC FUND TO HELP SMES.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - The government said Friday that it is considering creating a new venture capital fund dedicated to helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The newly created Ministry of Knowledge-based Economy said the...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN MARKET OPENS LOWER - MARCH 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... MELBOURNE, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Australian stock market opened three per cent lower, following large falls on Wall Street on Friday, amid ongoing recession fears in the United States. At 1010 AEDT, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was...

AUSTRALIAN INFLATION AT HIGHEST POINT IN SIX YEARS.
March 3, 2008... SYDNEY, March 3 Asia Pulse - Inflation is at its highest point in six years, fuelled by the soaring cost of rent, vegetables and financial services, a survey says. The TD Securities/Melbourne Institute Monthly Inflation Gauge rose by 0.3...

FOREX - US DOLLAR OPENS FIRMER AGAINST WON - MARCH 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - The U.S. dollar on Friday opened at 943.0 won, up from 939.0 at the close on Friday. (Yonhap) 03-03 1113

HONG KONG NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MARCH 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... HONG KONG, March 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: - Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (SEHK: 0388) listing head Richard Williams has hit back at criticism of the soon to be implemented...

428 TAIWAN IT MANUFACTURERS TO TAKE PART IN CEBIT 2008.
March 3, 2008... TAIPEI, March 3 Asia Pulse - A total of 428 manufacturers of information technology and communications products from Taiwan are slated to take part in the CeBit 2008 set to kick off March 4 in Hannover, Germany. According to the event...

STOCKS - TOKYO SHARES OPEN LOWER - MARCH 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... TOKYO, March 3 Asia Pulse - Tokyo shares opened lower Monday, with the benchmark index falling 189.39 points, or 1.39 per cent, to 13,413.63 in early trade. ASIA PULSE 03-03 1125

RESOURCE PRICE SURGE HURTING S KOREA'S CURRENT ACCOUNT BALANCE.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - The surge in global natural resource prices is raising concerns over the South Korea's current account balance sheet, the Korea Customs Service (KCS) said Monday. The service said South Korean companies spent...

INDIA'S STEEL INDUSTRY FEELS LET DOWN BY BUDGET.
March 3, 2008... NEW DELHI, March 3 Asia Pulse - The steel industry has expressed disappointment over the Budget 2008-09, saying it did not address their long-standing demand for raising export duty on iron ore to ensure the availability of the mineral for...

AUSTRALIA'S ASCIANO TO FOCUS ON DEVELOPING COAL HAULAGE BUSINESS.
March 3, 2008... MELBOURNE, March 3 Asia Pulse - Transport infrastructure firm Asciano Group (ASX:AIO) says its coal haulage business will take more prominence going forward. Asciano chief executive Mark Rowsthorn said Asciano's ocean terminals business...

FINNAIR PLANS TO TAP COMMERCIALLY VIABLE INDIA-US ROUTE.
March 3, 2008... MUMBAI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Aiming to tap the potential of the high-traffic route between India and the US, Finnish airline Finnair plans to start more flights that link the subcontinent and cities in the US, a senior official from the airline...

STOCKS - SEOUL SHARES OPEN SHARPLY LOWER - MARCH 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks fell almost 3 per cent Monday as investor sentiment was hurt by last week's plunges in U.S. markets, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) tumbled 48.86...

VIRGIN ATLANTIC MULLS CONNECTING LONDON WITH KERALA.
March 3, 2008... MUMBAI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Bewitched by the scenic beauty of Kerala, where he was holidaying for the last three days, Virgin Atlantic Airways' flamboyant boss Richard Branson is considering linking "God's Own Country" with London. "It...

FOUR MORE INDIAN AIRLINES SEEK PERMIT TO START REGIONAL SERVICES.
March 3, 2008... NEW DELHI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Applications by four companies to launch new regional airlines are being processed by the Civil Aviation Ministry, which has already permitted four others to launch scheduled regional air transport services. ...

GERMANY'S LANXESS AG OPEN TO ACQUISITIONS IN INDIA, OVERSEAS.
March 3, 2008... MUMBAI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Germany-based speciality chemicals group, Lanxess AG, has said it is open to acquisitions in India and abroad to spur its growth. "We are looking at both organic and inorganic growth globally, so we would not...

INDIA'S HERO HONDA EXPECTS BETTER SALES POST BUDGET ANNOUNCEMENT.
March 3, 2008... NEW DELHI, March 3 Asia Pulse - India's largest two-wheeler maker Hero Honda, which slashed prices across its various models after the excise duty cut announced in the budget, expects better sales in coming months courtesy the overall policy....

AXA TO SPONSOR AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC TEAMS FOR NEXT 5 YEARS.
March 3, 2008... MELBOURNE, March 3 Asia Pulse - Financial services company (ASX:AXA) has signed a five year sponsorship deal with the Australian Olympic team. The agreement announced in Melbourne today spans the next three Olympic Games - 2008 in Beijing,...

S. KOREA STEPS UP CRACKDOWN ON INT'L CARTELS.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea's anti-trust watchdog said Monday that it has opened a new department to be in charge solely of investigating and cracking down on the improper behavior of international cartels. The Fair Trade...

TAIWAN-EL SALVADOR FREE TRADE PACT COMES INTO EFFECT.
March 3, 2008... PANAMA CITY, March 3 Asia Pulse - The free trade agreement between Taiwan and El Salvador came into effect Saturday after the two countries exchanged instruments of ratification at a ceremony held in the Salvadoran capital San Salvador,...

CEBIT 2008: GERMAN ICT INDUSTRY SHOWING GROWTH POTENTIAL.
March 3, 2008... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) MEDIA RELEASE PR29448 CeBIT 2008: German ICT Industry Showing Growth Potential HANNOVER, March 2 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Germany's ICT market is strong for all industry sectors....

RUG FACTORY TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN AFGHANISTAN'S JALALABAD.
March 3, 2008... JALALABAD, March 3 Asia Pulse - A rug washing and scissoring factory is to be constructed at a total cost of US$350,000 in the Angur Bagh area of the eastern Nangarhar province, a rugs union leader said on Sunday. Eastern zone Rugs Makers...

S KOREAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MARCH 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: Korean-language dailies -- 49.1 percent say President Lee doing well, survey shows (Kyunghyang Shinmun) -- A week after President Lee's inauguration, presidential...

SAMSUNG PROBE TO HAVE POSITIVE LONG-TERM IMPACT: SURVEY.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - A majority of South Korean chief executives think the ongoing independent probe of Samsung Group's corruption scandal will have a positive impact on South Korea's economy in the long-term by enhancing corporate...

FORECAST FOR S. KOREAN ECONOMY DOWNGRADED: THINK TANK.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - A major private think tank Sunday downgraded its projection for the South Korean economy's growth this year, reflecting concerns over a possible U.S. slowdown and financial woes in global markets. South Korea's...

BUSINESS WIRE DAILY SUMMARY - FEB 29, 2008.(Company overview)
March 3, 2008... A summary of news releases for February 29, 2008, 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: Finance...

COTY AND PLAYBOY ANNOUNCE FRAGRANCE LICENSE AGREEMENT.
March 3, 2008... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) MEDIA RELEASE PR29434 Coty and Playboy Announce Fragrance License Agreement NEW YORK, Feb. 29 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Iconic Lifestyle Brand to Collaborate with World's Largest...

INDIA'S BEML EXPANDING INFRA TO MEET DEMANDS OF METRO COACHES.
March 3, 2008... NEW DELHI, March 3 Asia Pulse - With metro rail being rolled out in many cities and construction work on the high-speed freight corridor on track, premier ground support equipment major BEML (BSE:500048) is gearing up to position itself as a...

SALES NETWORK KEY TO S KOREA'S AGRICULTURE GROWTH: MINISTER.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - Developing an efficient sales network is the key to farming sector growth as the country opens its market to imports, South Korea's new agriculture and fisheries minister said Friday. In a inaugural speech,...

CURRENCY IS NOT SOMETHING TO BE LEFT TO MARKET: S KOREAN MINISTER.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - The South Korean government could take action "if necessary" to defend the nation's currency by playing a part in the foreign exchange market, a top economic policymaker hinted Friday. "I think there is no...

INVESTMENT, INNOVATION KEY TO S KOREAN GROWTH: MINISTER.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - Fueling business investment and strengthening competitiveness through innovation is a key policy goal of the new administration, the head of the knowledge-based economy ministry said Friday. Lee Youn-ho said in...

GLOBE7 ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH SINCHEW.
March 3, 2008... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) (BW)(GLOBE7-HK-LTD/SINCHEW) Globe7 Announces Partnership with Sinchew High-Tech Writers HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE) - Feb. 29, 2008-- Globe7 HK Ltd. and Sinchew-i Sdn Bhd. have...

THAILAND-LAOS RAIL SERVICE BEGINS IN LATE APRIL.
March 3, 2008... BANGKOK, March 3 Asia Pulse - Rail service between Thailand and neighbouring Laos will start late this April, and the Thai Ministry of Transport is confident that the direct link will further enhance tourism and trade between the two countries....

SOUTH KOREA'S TRADE DEFICIT NARROWS IN FEBRUARY.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse -- South Korea's trade deficit narrowed in February as strong export growth offset the surge in crude oil prices, a government report showed Monday. The country's trade deficit stood at US$808 million last month,...

MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MARCH 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: BUSINESS TIMES: - Melati Ehsan Holdings Bhd, a construction and property firm, believes it has what it takes to be one of the top players in flood mitigation. -...

THAI DEBT INSTRUMENTS INVESTMENT TO RISE WHEN CAP CONTROLS END.
March 3, 2008... BANGKOK, March 3 Asia Pulse - Investment in debt instruments was projected to increase marginally after the Bank of Thailand (BoT) scrapped the 30 per cent capital controls on foreign inflows from Monday March 3, said a senior Thai investment...

MALAYSIA TARGETS INDIAN MOTORSPORT FANS FOR FORMULA 1 IN SEPANG.
March 3, 2008... NEW DELHI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Malaysia is going all out to woo Indian motorsport fans for the 10th edition of the Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) later this month. Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board...

NUMBER OF REGISTERED CARS IN S. KOREA TOPS 16 MLN.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - The number of cars registered in South Korea exceeded 16 million in 2007, with a sharp increase in the number of imported vehicles, a government report showed Monday. According to the report by the Ministry of...

THAI BUSINESS GROUPS DISCUSS EFFECT OF SCRAPPED CAPITAL CONTROLS.
March 3, 2008... BANGKOK, March 3 Asia Pulse - Three powerful Thai business associations will meet here Monday to discuss the negative effects which could erupt after the Bank of Thailand (BoT) scraps capital controls on foreign inflows. Santi Vilassakdanon,...

INDIA'S SPICE COMM SWINGS TO Q3 NET PROFIT OF US$100.2 MLN.(Financial report)
March 3, 2008... NEW DELHI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Spice Communications (BSE: 532863), which offers GSM mobile services in Punjab and Karnataka, Sunday announced net profit of Rs 399.92 crore (US$100.2 million) for the third quarter period this fiscal year as...

REED EXHIBITIONS TO ACQUIRE 12 BRANDS, INVEST US$50 MLN IN INDIA.
March 3, 2008... NEW DELHI, March 3 Asia Pulse - To make India its business hub, global leader in organising exhibitions and conferences, Reed Exhibitions, will acquire at least 12 new brands over the next three years in India at an investment of US$50 million....

KUMHO-ASIANA SIGNS FORMAL DEAL TO ACQUIRE KOREA EXPRESS.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - Kumho-Asiana Group (KSE:020560), a South Korean transportation conglomerate, said Monday it has signed a formal deal to buy a controlling stake in Korea Express Co. (KSE:00120), South Korea's biggest logistics...

DANA GAS PROJECT IN IRAQI KURDISTAN OVER 70% COMPLETE.
March 3, 2008... SHARJAH, March 3 Asia Pulse - Dana Gas, the Middle East's first and largest regional private sector natural gas company, has announced that its project in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to supply, process and transport natural gas to fuel...

FRESENIUS KABI TO EXPAND HEALTHCARE PRODUCT PORTFOLIO IN INDIA.
March 3, 2008... NEW DELHI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Speciality healthcare product manufacturer Fresenius Kabi plans to expand its product portfolio in India in next one year and is awaiting approval for the same from the regulators. "We are looking to bring...

CONSOLIDATION INEVITABLE IN INDIA'S CIVIL AVIATION: ECO SURVEY.
March 3, 2008... NEW DELHI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Mergers and acquisitions in the Indian civil aviation sector will enable airlines, which are reeling under declining margins, to increase revenues through operational synergies, the Economic Survey has said. ...

VIRGIN MOBILE ENTERS INDIAN TELECOMS IN ASSOCIATION WITH TATAS.
March 3, 2008... MUMBAI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Virgin Group Sunday entered the Indian telecom market by inking a 'brand franchise' agreement with Tata Teleservices (TTSL) (BSE:532371) under which Sir Richard Bransons group will provide value-added services to...

SPAIN'S BBVA EYEING STATE-RUN BANKS AS JV PARTNER FOR INDIAN MF BIZ.
March 3, 2008... MUMBAI, March 3 Asia Pulse - Spanish financial services major, BBVA, plans to start its mutual funds business in the country this year in partnership with a public sector bank and has initiated talks with two leading banks, a top BBVA official...

INDIA'S CUTS INTERNATIONAL PLANS NEXT CENTRE IN HANOI.
March 3, 2008... HANOI, March 3 Asia Pulse - CUTS International, an India-based research, advocacy and networking public interest non-profit organisation, plans to open its fourth overseas centre in Hanoi. The organization has offices in Lusaka (Zambia),...

INSURERS IN TAIWAN CAN RAISE O'SEAS INVESTMENT CEILING TO 45 PCT.
March 3, 2008... TAIPEI, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Cabinet-level Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) announced Friday that insurance companies in Taiwan are now allowed to raise their overseas investment ceiling from the current 35 per cent of their total...

FOREIGN VISITORS TO HCM CITY INCREASE 18.7 PCT IN JAN-NOV.
March 3, 2008... HO CHI MINH CITY, March 3 Asia Pulse - Viet Nam's southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City welcomed 620,000 foreign visitors in the first two months of this year, posting an increase of 18.7 per cent year-on-year. The number included...

STOCKS - SINGAPORE SHARES DOWN IN EARLY TRADE - MARCH 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... SINGAPORE, March 3 Asia Pulse - Singapore shares were lower in early trade Monday, with the Straits Times Index down 93.04 points to 2,933.41 at 10:09 a.m. ASIA PULSE 03-03 1316

STOCKS - MALAYSIAN SHARES LOWER IN EARLY TRADE - MARCH 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Malaysian sharemarket was down 1.68% per cent in early trade, with the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Composite Index falling 22.74 points at 1334.66 at 9:48 a.m. ASIA PULSE 03-03 1318

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN INDEX FALLS AT NOON - MARCH 3, 3008.
March 3, 2008... SYDNEY, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Australian stock market fell over three per cent following large falls on Wall Street last week and dragged down by local banks. At 1200 AEDT, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was 172.4 points or 2.95 per...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR LOWER TO NOON - MARCH 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... SYDNEY, March 3 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar was lower at noon, after risk aversion saw the market abandon carry trades with low yielding currencies such as the Japanese yen. At 1200 AEDT, the Australian dollar was trading at...

TOLL HOLDINGS CLOSES TAKEOVER FOR HK-BASED BALTRANS HOLDINGS.
March 3, 2008... MELBOURNE, March 3 Asia Pulse - Toll Holdings Ltd's (ASX:TOL) takeover offer for Hong Kong-based freight forwarder BALtrans Holdings Ltd (HKSE:0562) has closed, with Toll achieving 99 per cent of acceptances. Toll will compulsorily acquire...

STOCKS - HONG KONG STOCKS START SHARPLY WEAKER - MARCH 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... HONG KONG, March 3 Asia Pulse - Hong Kong stocks started sharply weaker on Monday, with the Hang Seng Index falling 840.10 points or 3.5 per cent at 23,491.57. ASIA PULSE 03-03 1329

S. KOREAN TRADE DEFICIT NARROWS IN FEBRUARY.
March 3, 2008... SEOUL, March 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea's trade deficit narrowed in February as strong export growth offset the surge in crude oil prices, a government report showed Monday. The country's trade deficit stood at US$808 million last month,...