AsiaPulse News articles from May 2003

AsiaPulse News archives from May 2003

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS HIGHER - MAY 1, 2003.
May 1, 2003... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar continued to rally higher overnight, extending to fresh three-year highs as traders battered the US dollar. At 0750 AEST the Australian dollar was at 62.63 US cents up from 62.38 US cents at...

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 1, 2003.
May 1, 2003... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - Today's newspaper highlights: THE DAILY TELEGRAPH - List of 668 products affected by the Pan crisis revealed by federal government. - Rene Rivkin may face five years in jail after being found guilty of...

NANOMUSCLE SOLIDIFIES TOY DIVISION EXECUTIVE TEAM WITH THREE HIRES.
May 1, 2003... $all $anr $us $gds (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) ANTIOCH, Calif., April 30 PRNewswire-AsiaNet - NanoMuscle, a manufacturer of miniature motors, has hired two toy industry veterans and a technology sales veteran to...

WP STEWART & CO REPORTS NET INCOME FOR Q1 2003 OF $10.2 MLN.
May 1, 2003... $all $anr $us $gds (Full text of this release can be found at http://www.asianet.com.au) HAMILTON, April 30 PRNewswire-FirstCall-AsiaNet - W.P. Stewart & Co., Ltd. today reported net income of $10.2 million, or $0.23 per share...

NEW MINDJET SOFTWARE DELIVERS ON TABLET PC NOTE-TAKING PROMISE.
May 1, 2003... $all $anr $tec $com $us (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) LARKSPUR, Calif., April 30 PRNewswire-AsiaNet - Mindjet, the leading vendor of productivity-boosting visual tools for brainstorming and planning, today announced...

CORR:PROFILE - AUSTRALIA'S INBOUND TOURISM INDUSTRY (APRIL 2003).
May 1, 2003... by Penelope Lake Repeating to correct date in headline to 2003 *********************************************** A PROFILE OF AUSTRALIA'S INBOUND TOURISM INDUSTRY PREPARED BY ASIA PULSE ANALYSTS (UPDATED APRIL 2003) ...

CATHAY LIFE NOW TAIWAN LARGEST CO WITH US$13 BLN FY 02 REVENUE.
May 1, 2003... TAIPEI, May 1 Asia Pulse - Cathay Life Insurance Co. became Taiwan's largest enterprise in terms of annual revenues with NT$451.85 billion (US$12.98 billion) in 2002, according to a report published Wednesday by Taipei-based China Credit...

TAIWAN'S CLA TO INTRODUCE GERMAN VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM.
May 1, 2003... TAIPEI, May 1 Asia Pulse - The Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) signed a letter of intent with the German Trade Office in Taipei Wednesday to introduce a new model of vocational training program from Germany. Kuo Fong-yu, director-general of...

COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2003 TO BE POSTPONED OVER SARS.
May 1, 2003... TAIPEI, May 1 Asia Pulse - Computex Taipei 2003, one of the world's three largest computer fairs, will be postponed until September or October out of growing public concern over the spread of SARS, organizers announced Wednesday. Chao...

TAIWAN'S ACADEMIA SINICA TO ORGANIZE SARS VACCINE PROJECT.
May 1, 2003... TAIPEI, May 1 Asia Pulse - Academia Sinica will organize a research team to try to develop vaccines for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the president of the institution said Tuesday evening. Prof. Lee Yuan-tse said that Prof....

CALL TAIWAN TAIWAN RALLY TO BE POSTPONED DUE TO SARS FEARS.
May 1, 2003... TAIPEI, May 1 Asia Pulse - A "Call Taiwan Taiwan" rally will be delayed until September due to the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), organizers said Wednesday. The announcement was made one day after the Alliance to...

TAIWAN'S DEPARTURES, ARRIVALS HIT NEW LOWS AT CKS AIRPORT.
May 1, 2003... TAIPEI, May 1 Asia Pulse - The number of arrivals and departures at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport near Taipei hit a record low of 12,342 Monday, according to statistics released by the airport administration. The historic lows -...

TAIWAN LOOKS AT 30 DAYS MORE ON WHO'S SARS LIST.
May 1, 2003... GENEVA, May 1 Asia Pulse - A high-ranking World Health Organization (WHO) official said Tuesday that it is unfortunate that Taiwan recently experienced the appearance of a mass local transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) at a...

IRANIAN FLOWER PRODUCERS RANK FIRST IN ROMANIA'S FLORAL EXHIBITION.
May 1, 2003... KHOMEIN, May 1 Asia Pulse - Iranian botanists in Mahalat, who took part in an international flower exhibition in Romania entitled "Tulips," won the top prizes and received a plate of honor, special statue as well as an honor certificate on...

GERMANY TO BOOST PROMOTION OF ECONOMIC, POLITICAL REFORMS IN IRAN.
May 1, 2003... BERLIN, May 1 Asia Pulse - Germany is to step up cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran in promoting economic and political reforms, a government press release stated on Wednesday. "The Federal Republic of Germany promotes social,...

THAI NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 1, 2003.
May 1, 2003... BANGKOK, May 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE BANGKOK POST - Suvarn Valaisathien, former deputy commerce minister, has been approached by creditors of Thai Petrochemical Industry to help co-ordinate restructuring...

AMP TO DEMERGE INTO UK AND AUSTRALIAN ENTITIES.
May 1, 2003... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - Financial services giant AMP Ltd (ASX:AMP) is preparing to undergo a number of strategic changes including the demerger of its businesses into two separate listed entities after an announcement today. AMP said it...

S&P'S PLACES AUSTRALIA'S AMP ON CREDITWATCH NEGATIVE.
May 1, 2003... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - Standard & Poor's Ratings Services today placed AMP Life Ltd, the Australian operating subsidiary of AMP Ltd, with a CreditWatch Negative the AA-minus insurer financial strength and counterparty credit ratings. ...

AUSTRALIA'S LARGEST WIND FARM DEVELOPMENT TO COST US$168.75 M.
May 1, 2003... MELBOURNE, May 1 Asia Pulse - Australia's largest wind farm development is set to go ahead with the Victorian government announcing planning approval today for the $A270 million (US$168.75 million) Portland Wind Energy Project, in the state's...

KOREA'S IMPORTED CAR REGISTRATION TO HIT 100,000 THIS YEAR.
May 1, 2003... SEOUL, May 1 Asia Pulse - The number of imported cars registered with the authorities hit 91,600 as of the end of March, accounting for 0.6 percent of all registered vehicles, which totaled 14.21 million, the Korea Automobile Manufacturers...

KOREA'S TRADING OF CREDIT-CARD COMPANY BONDS REMAINS SLUGGISH.
May 1, 2003... SEOUL, May 1 Asia Pulse - Transactions of credit-card company bonds remain sluggish as institutions, burned by SK Global's accounting irregularities, are reluctant to buy them, market sources said Thursday. "Trading is still in the doldrums...

OMAN'S DHOFAR POWER CO TO LAUNCH COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS.
May 1, 2003... MUSCAT, May 1 Asia Pulse - Dhofar Power Company (DPC) will start commercial operation of its private power plant in Salalah from tomorrow (Thursday), according to Abdullah bin Ali bin Daud, Undersecretary of Electricity and Water. He said...

AUSTRALIAN INSURANCE CO'S SET TO OFFER PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE.
May 1, 2003... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - Non-profit organisations are set to benefit after Australia's competition regulator gave conditional authorisation to the joint offering by three large insurers of public liability insurance. Australian...

CHINA IMPORTS 61.38 PCT MORE OIL IN JAN - FEB 03.
May 1, 2003... BEIJING, May 1 Asia Pulse - The import and export of China's petroleum and chemical industry reached US$16.756 billion in the first two months of this year, an increase of 61.38 per cent year-on-year, according to customs statistics. ...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN SHARES OPEN LOWER - 1 MAY, 2003.
May 1, 2003... BRISBANE, May 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian stock market dropped opened lower with weakness in the financial sector and major resources stocks. At 1014 AEST, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index was 9.7 points easier at 2997.1, while the all...

AUSTRALIA'S BIOTA US SUBSIDIARY MAKES HIV/AIDS DRUG BREAKTHROUGH.
May 1, 2003... MELBOURNE, May 1 Asia Pulse - Biota Holdings Ltd (ASX:BTA) shares surged yesterday, after the biotech company said its United States subsidiary had made an important breakthrough in the development a new HIV/AIDS drug. Biota said...

AUSTRALIA'S PRIMA BIOMED MAKES MALARIA VACCINE PROGRESS.
May 1, 2003... MELBOURNE, May 1 Asia Pulse - Australian biotech Prima BioMed Ltd (ASX:PRR), said preliminary results had indicated that its experimental DCtag malaria vaccine appeared to be effective against malaria. "This is a significant finding with...

AUSTRALIA'S DAILY PLANET BROTHEL TO LIST ON ASX TODAY.
May 1, 2003... MELBOURNE, May 1 Asia Pulse - The Daily Planet Ltd (ASX:DPL) is set to list today on the Australian Stock Exchange and has engaged the services of a Hollywood madam to aid publicity. The Melbourne brothel is the first in Australia to become...

CARGOLUX PAKISTAN CUTS FUEL LEVY TO US$0.10 PER KG.
May 1, 2003... KARACHI, May 1 Asia Pulse - Cargolux, a major European air cargo carrier, has announced a further decrease in the fuel surcharge from Rs 9 per kilogram to Rs 6 (S$0.10) per kilogram with effect from May 5. The general manager of Cargolux...

AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING GROWTH HOLDS UP IN APRIL: SURVEY.
May 1, 2003... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - A new survey has found Australian manufacturing growth held up well in April, supported by a lift in new orders and continued, although slightly softer, growth in production and employment. The Ai...

OMANTEL, QATAR TELECOMMUNICATIONS CO LOOK TO ENHANCE LINKS.
May 1, 2003... MUSCAT, May 1 Asia Pulse - Malik bin Sulaiman al Maamari, Minister of Transport and Communications and the Chairman of Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) received Dr. Nassir bin Mohammed Maarafia, Executive President of Qatar...

PAKISTAN INVITES RUSSIAN COMPANIES FOR OIL, GAS EXPLORATION.
May 1, 2003... ISLAMABAD, May 1 Asia Pulse - Pakistan's Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Nouraiz Shakoor has invited RNGS, a Russian company privatised as a joint stock company with worldwide activities, to participate in oil and gas exploration...

839 COMPANIES AFFECTED BY CROSS-INVESTMENT CEILING IN KOREA.
May 1, 2003... SEOUL, May 1 Asia Pulse - The number of companies under the government's cross-investment ceiling restrictions totaled 839 as of this month, the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) revealed Thursday. The total is two less than the 841 firms on...

FOREIGN PORTFOLIO INVESTMENT IN PAKISTAN UP BY 55 PCT.
May 1, 2003... ISLAMABAD, May 1 Asia Pulse - Foreign portfolio investment in Pakistan stood at Rs18.91 billion (US$327.1 million) at the end of the July-March 2002/03 period, denoting an increase of 55.24 per cent over June 30, 2002, according to statistics...

ASEAN LEADERS AGREE ON 6-POINT PLAN TO CONTROL SARS SPREAD.
May 1, 2003... BANGKOK, May 1 Asia Pulse - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) concluded its one-day summit on the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, agreeing on a six-point plan to control the outbreak of the deadly disease that have killed...

INDONESIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 1, 2003.
May 1, 2003... JAKARTA, May 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE JAKARTA POST: - Finance Minister Boediono projected higher economic growth for next year on the back of improvement in investment and exports, provided that the upcoming...

PAKISTAN ATTRACTS OVER US$658 MLN IN FDI DURING JULY-MARCH.
May 1, 2003... ISLAMABAD, May 1 Asia Pulse - Pakistan attracted a record US$658 million of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) during the July-March period of 2002/03, against US$287.4 million of FDI realised in the same period in the previous fiscal year. ...

PAKISTANI BANKS' FARM LENDING SWELLS 28.3% TO US$259.4 MLN.
May 1, 2003... KARACHI, May 1 Asia Pulse - Pakistani commercial banks disbursed Rs15 billion (US$259.4 million) among the farmers during July-March, 2002/03, against Rs11.7 billion during the same period in the previous year, showing an increase of 28.3 per...

JAPAN'S NOMURA HOLDINGS REPORTS 73% DROP IN PROFIT BEFORE TAX.
May 1, 2003... TOKYO, May 1 Asia Pulse - Nomura Holdings Inc. (TSE:8604) on Wednesday reported that its group income before taxes fell 73 per cent from the prior year to 47.4 billion yen (US$395 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31. The firm wrote...

KOREA'S FOREX TRADE BRISK ON PROFIT-TAKING IN APRIL, 2003.
May 1, 2003... SEOUL, May 1 Asia Pulse - Foreign exchange trading between banks showed a sharp increase last month as the won-dollar exchange rate fluctuated in a wide range, providing grounds for profit-taking, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). With...

COMMITTED CREDIT LINE BALANCE IN JAPAN RISES 16.1% TO US$137 BLN.
May 1, 2003... TOKYO, May 1 Asia Pulse - The outstanding balance of committed lines of credit swelled to 16.25 trillion yen (US$137 billion) as of March 31, up 16.1 per cent from a year earlier, the Bank of Japan reported Wednesday. The expansion of...

DEODEO TO COVER 90% OF OKAYAMA CITY WITH WIRELESS LAN SERVICE.
May 1, 2003... TOKYO, May 1 Asia Pulse - Consumer electronics retailer Deodeo Corp. plans to launch a high-speed Internet service via wireless LAN (local area network) that would cover 90 per cent of the city of Okayama within the year. ...

NINTENDO TO OPEN TOKYO DEVELOPMENT SITE.
May 1, 2003... TOKYO, May 1 Asia Pulse - Nintendo Co. (TSE:7974) yesterday announced plans to open a new game software development site in Tokyo. The new development center will be located at the company's Tokyo branch in Kanda, Tokyo, and is expected to...

NET PROFIT FOR JAPAN'S FUJI GROUP FALLS 40% IN FY02.
May 1, 2003... TOKYO, May 1 Asia Pulse - Fuji Photo Film Co. (TSE:4901) said Wednesday that its consolidated net profit dropped 40 per cent on the year to 48.5 billion yen (US$408 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31. The protracted stock market...

TOYOTA TO MAKE FULL RANGE OF VEHICLES IN CHINA.
May 1, 2003... NAGOYA, May 1 Asia Pulse - The Toyota Motor Corp. (TSE:7203) group will produce luxury car engines and large trucks in China, giving it a full line of vehicle offerings there. The automaker is to build a new engine plant in China, and is...

KOBE STEEL, JFE TO TIE UP IN WELDING MATERIALS TO CUT COSTS.
May 1, 2003... TOKYO, May 1 Asia Pulse - In an effort to reduce costs, Kobe Steel Ltd. and JFE Steel Corp. plan to tie up in welding materials by consolidating their production facilities and jointly developing new products, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun learned...

JAPAN'S DAIICHI PHARMA GIVES CHINA ANTIBIOTIC TO FIGHT SARS.
May 1, 2003... TOKYO, May 1 Asia Pulse - Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co. (TSE:4505) has donated a total of 10,000 doses of the injection formulation of its Cravit synthetic antibiotic to six Chinese hospitals to help in the battle against severe acute respiratory...

JAPANESE HOMEBUILDERS SEE DEMAND WEAKENING IN FY03: SURVEY.
May 1, 2003... OSAKA, May 1 Asia Pulse - Many Japanese home and condominium developers expect housing demand to continue shrinking this fiscal year, with more than 80 per cent projecting that housing starts in the current year will fall short of the fiscal...

JAPAN'S CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY SHIPMENTS POST 1ST RISE IN 6 YRS.
May 1, 2003... TOKYO, May 1 Asia Pulse - Construction machinery shipments totaled 1.17 trillion yen in fiscal 2002, up 2.9 per cent from a year before and the first year-on-year rise in six years, according to a survey released Wednesday by the Japan...

AUSTRALIAN INSURANCE STOCKS FALL ON AMP PLANS TO SPIN OFF UK CO.
May 1, 2003... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - Insurance stocks tumbled today, after AMP Ltd (ASX:AMP) announced plans to spin off its United Kingdom business into a separate entity. AMP said it would raise A$1.5 billion (US$900 million) in additional equity,...

HYUNDAI ASAN TO PARTIALLY WITHDRAW MT GEUMGANG WORKFORCE.
May 1, 2003... SEOUL, May 1 Asia Pulse - Hyundai Asan Corp. today said it will withdraw some of its workforce from North Korea's Mount Geumgang resort because the inter-Korean tourism business is suspended because of SARS fears. "Later today, 170...

SEVEN IN 10 S. KOREAN FINANCIAL FIRMS TAKE SATURDAYS OFF.
May 1, 2003... SEOUL, May 1 Asia Pulse - Slightly over seven out of 10 financial institutions in South Korea are closed on Saturdays, the nation's financial watchdog said today. As of the end of April, a five-day workweek was in place at 74 per cent of...

JAPAN'S KANRO IMPLEMENTING MINUTE-INCREMENT TRACEABILITY SYSTEM.
May 1, 2003... TOKYO, May 1 Asia Pulse - Kanro Co. (TSE:2216), a major candy maker, is introducing a traceability system that will keep track of production time down to the minute. To date, the company has used a system that identifies products by the...

INDONESIA TO SUPPLY RUSSIA WITH 40,000 TONS OF PALM OIL.
May 1, 2003... JAKARTA, May 1 Asia Pulse - Indonesia plans to export 40,000 tons of palm oil to Russia in May-July under a countertrade agreement signed by the leaders of the two countries last week. The agreement to trade Russian Sukhoi aircraft for...

JAPAN'S OKI PLACING NEW EMPHASIS ON CHIP FOUNDRY BUSINESS.
May 1, 2003... TOKYO, May 1 Asia Pulse - Japan's once-dominant semiconductor industry is now fighting for survival, and the epic struggle is beginning to spread to the factory level. This is how some observers are interpreting the move by Miyazaki Oki...

INDONESIA'S INDOSAT MIGHT NOT SELL SHARES IN MGTI TO PT TELKOM.
May 1, 2003... JAKARTA, May 1 Asia Pulse - PT Indosat (JSX:ISAT) might not sell its 30 per cent stake in Mitra Global Telekomunikasi Indonesia (MGTI) to the Indonesian state telecommunications company PT Telkom (JSX:TLKM). According to Indosat president...

JAPAN'S FUJI HEAVY TO OFFER MORE SPECIAL EDITION CARS IN FY03.
May 1, 2003... TOKYO, May 1 Asia Pulse - Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (TSE:7270) plans to sell 11 special editions of its Subaru cars in the first half of fiscal 2003, twice the usual number, aiming for an increase in domestic sales for the first time in four...

INDONESIA'S TELKOMSEL TO BUILD 1,500 BTS TO BOOST CELLPHONE OPS.
May 1, 2003... SURABAYA, E Java, May 1 - PT Telkomsel, a subsidiary of the Indonesian state telecommunications company PT Telkom (JSX:TLKM), will reportedly allocate Rp 5 trillion (US$555 million) this year to build 1,500 base transceiver stations (BTS) all...

BANK INDONESIA'S PROMISSORY NOTE INTEREST RATE DOWN TO 11.6 PCT.
May 1, 2003... JAKARTA, May 1 Asia Pulse - The weighted-average interest rate on Bank Indonesia's one-month promissory notes (SBI), based on an auction on Wednesday, fell to 11.06 per cent from 11.8 per cent a week earlier. Bank Indonesia, the central...

AUSTRALIA'S PAN PHARMACEUTICALS CONFIDENT OF SECURING LICENCE.
May 1, 2003... CANBERRA, May 1 Asia Pulse - Despite being at the centre of Australia's largest health product recall, Pan Pharmaceuticals (ASX:PPH) remains confident it will win back its suspended licence. A senior company spokesman made the claim...

INDONESIA'S PERMATA BANK POSTS US$11.86 MLN FY PROFIT.
May 1, 2003... JAKARTA, May 1 Asia Pulse - Indonesia's Bank Permata (JSX:BNLI) has posted a Rp102 billion (around US$11.86 million) profit for the first quarter. The profit was attributed mostly to fee-based income and marketable securities including...

BANK INDONESIA CONFIDENT INFLATION WILL REACH PROJECTED RATE.
May 1, 2003... JAKARTA, May 1 Asia Pulse - A deputy governor of Bank Indonesia expressed optimism yesterday that the country's inflation rate could reach 9 per cent as originally projected. Stating the reason for her optimism, Miranda Goeltom, deputy...

UTSTARCOM SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH INDIA'S TATA TELESERVICES.
May 1, 2003... NEW DELHI, May 1 Asia Pulse - Nasdaq-listed wireless and broadband equipment major UTStarcom has announced its agreement with India's Tata Teleservices (BSE:TTML) for supplying 56,000 lines of AN-200 platform to the largest private basic...

INDONESIA'S 2004 STATE BUDGET DEFICIT EXPECTED TO BE 1%.
May 1, 2003... JAKARTA, May 1 Asia Pulse - The Indonesian government has pegged the deficit in the 2004 state budget at one per cent, lower than this year's 1.78 per cent, Finance Minister Boediono said. Speaking at a hearing with the Budget Committee of...

INDIA'S BHARTI FLOATS JV WITH TELETECH HOLDINGS.
May 1, 2003... NEW DELHI, May 1 Asia Pulse - India's Telecom major Bharti Enterprises has announced a 50:50 joint venture between its subsidary Bharti Teletech Ltd and Nasdaq-listed Teletech Holdings Incorporated, a global player in customer management...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN SHARES LOWER AT NOON - MAY 1, 2003.
May 1, 2003... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian stock market stayed lower at noon with weakness in the financial sector driven by news of AMP's $1.5 billion capital raising. At 1225 AEST, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index was 10.8 points easier at...

PHILIPPINE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 1, 2003.
May 1, 2003... MANILA, May 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE MANILA TIMES: - Investments in the country's economic zones rose by 28 per cent during the first four months of the year, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority reports....

BAHRAIN, OMAN MEET TO DISCUSS ISSUES OF MUTUAL INTEREST.
May 1, 2003... MANAMA, May 1 Asia Pulse - Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak al-Kahlifa, Bahraini Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister has received a written message from Yousef bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs dealing with...

ADVISORY - SINGAPORE, MALAYSIAN STOCK MARKETS CLOSED - MAY 1, 2003.
May 1, 2003... The Malaysian and Singapore sharemarkets are closed today (May 1, 2003) for a national holiday. The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange and the Stock Exchange of Singapore are expected to resume trading tomorrow (May 2, 2003). ASIA PULSE...

SINGAPORE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 1, 2003.
May 1, 2003... SINGAPORE, May 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE STRAITS TIMES - Against a backdrop of rising unemployment, the task of ferreting out job vacancies and training Singaporeans for them is being given to the...

MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 1, 2003.
May 1, 2003... KUALA LUMPUR, May 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE STAR - Malaysia International Shipping Corp Bhd (MISC) is confident its acquisition of pure crude oil tanker operator American Eagle Tankers Inc Ltd (AET) will...

AUSTRALIA'S ANSELL REPORTS SOLID EARNINGS IN MARCH QTR.
May 1, 2003... BRISBANE, May 1 Asia Pulse - Ansell Ltd (ASX:ANN) said its healthcare business - which makes latex condoms and surgical gloves - recorded strong earnings in the March quarter. Ansell's core healthcare division lifted its earnings before...

QUEENSLAND COTTON HOLDINGS BOOKS 48% SLIDE IN NET PROFIT.
May 1, 2003... BRISBANE, May 1 Asia Pulse - Queensland Cotton Holdings Ltd (ASX:QCH) has been hit hard by the worst drought in 100 years, registering a 48 per cent slump in annual net profit. Queensland Cotton's net profit of A$8.2 million (US$4.8...

OMAN HOLDS COMEX 2003 EXHIBITION.
May 1, 2003... MUSCAT, May 1 Asia Pulse - Maqbool bin Ali Sultan, Commerce and Industry Minister opened the Oman Telecommunications and IT (COMEX 2003) Exhibition at the Oman International Exhibitions Centre on Monday. The opening ceremony was attended by...

BROTHEL DEBUTS ON AUSTRALIAN BOURSE AT 20 CENT PREMIUM.
May 1, 2003... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - The Daily Planet Ltd, the first brothel to list on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), today debuted at a 20 cent premium to its issue price. Daily Planet shares hit the ASX board at 70 cents, compared to their...

AUSTRALIA'S JULIA ROSS RECRUITMENT WARNS OF 2002/03 PROFIT SLUMP.
May 1, 2003... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - Julia Ross Recruitment Ltd (ASX:JRR) yesterday warned its 2002/03 profit would slump to about one-quarter of the previous year's result, as it reported a small loss for the third quarter. The recruitment agency...

NORELCO CENTRELINE TO BE LISTED ON MAINBOARD OF SGX.
May 1, 2003... SINGAPORE, May 1 Asia Pulse - SESDAQ-listed contract equipment manufacturer Norelco Centreline Holdings Limited (NCH) said it has received in-principle approval from the Singapore Exchange (SGX) for a mainboard listing. The transfer to the...

AUSTRALIA'S MYOB LTD EXPECTING FY PRE-TAX EARNINGS TO GROW 50%.
May 1, 2003... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - Accounting software company MYOB Ltd (ASX:MYO) has maintained its full year outlook, predicting pre-tax earnings to grow by at least 50 per cent in 2003. The company yesterday said it was expecting revenue to grow...

RIO TINTO COULD DOUBLE SIZE OF HISMELT OPS IN W. AUSTRALIA.
May 1, 2003... PERTH, May 1 Asia Pulse - Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX:RIO) could double the size of its HIsmelt operation in Western Australia by 2009, as well as construct an additional steel plant, HIsmelt managing director Duncan Price said. Mr Price, along...

AUSTRALIA'S PASMINCO LTD PRESSURED BY HIGH METALS STOCKPILES.
May 1, 2003... MELBOURNE, May 1 Asia Pulse - High metals stockpiles with enough reserves to supply world demand for eight weeks are keeping prices low and pressure on embattled zinc miner Pasminco Ltd (ASX:PAS). Pasminco yesterday reported improved metal...

AUSTRALIA'S PAN PHARMA HAS HISTORY OF BEING OBSTRUCTIVE: TGA.
May 1, 2003... CANBERRA, May 1 Asia Pulse - The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has accused Pan Pharmaceuticals (ASX:PPH) of being obstructive during audits as far back as January 2001. The claim came as 449 more products were added to the list of...

HUANENG POWER INT'L POSTS HIGHER OP REVENUES IN Q1.
May 1, 2003... BEIJING, May 1 Asia Pulse - Huaneng Power International, Inc. (SEHK: 0902) has posted consolidated operating revenues of RMB 5.170 billion (US$624.613 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2003, up 34.1 per cent year-on-year. ...

AUSTRALIA'S NOVERA ENERGY LINKS WITH FORTIS BANK.
May 1, 2003... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - Recently listed renewable energy generator Novera Energy Ltd (ASX:NVE) today announced a new financial partnership with Fortis Bank. The deal includes substantial funding for the company's 50 per cent expansion...

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE MAKERS IN AUSTRALIA TO FACE TOUGH NEW LAWS.
May 1, 2003... CANBERRA, May 1 Asia Pulse - Manufacturers of alternative medicines in Australia will be subject to tough new licensing laws and tighter labelling restrictions under a crackdown following the Pan Pharmaceuticals recall. Vitamin pills and...