AsiaPulse News articles from May 2005

AsiaPulse News archives from May 2005

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 2, 2005.
May 2, 2005... SYDNEY, May 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE DAILY TELEGRAPH - Stockbroker Rene Rivkin dies, takes own life after secret divorce. - Bali police to interrogate the two kingpins of the alleged Bali Nine drug...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS LOWER - MAY 2, 2005.
May 2, 2005... SYDNEY, May 2 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar opened a touch lower today, but held its ground above 78 US cents after the oil price fell and base and precious metal prices rose. At 0700 AEST the local unit was trading at $US0.7802/06,...

NET PROFIT RISES 7PCT FOR AUSTRALIA'S ORICA.
May 2, 2005... SYDNEY, May 2 Asia Pulse - Australian chemical and fertiliser company Orica Ltd (ASX:ORI) has reported net profit for the six months to March 31, 2004 of $A130.7 million ($US101.89 million), up seven per cent on the same period a year earlier....

AUSTRALIAN PM SAYS GOVT TO DELIVER SURPLUS BUDGET.
May 2, 2005... SYDNEY, May 2 Asia Pulse - Prime Minister John Howard has pre-empted Treasurer Peter Costello's delivery of the budget, revealing the government will unveil a bigger-than-expected surplus, surprising the markets and taking pressure off the...

WESTPAC SET TO DELIVER ANOTHER RECORD HALF-YEAR NET PROFIT.
May 2, 2005... SYDNEY, May 2 Asia Pulse - Westpac Banking Corp (ASX:WBC) is expected to deliver another record half-year net profit this week, bolstered by strength in its business lending. But Westpac's home lending is expected to be weaker than the...

LENOVO GROUP COMPLETES IBM DIVISION ACQUISITION.
May 2, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) BEIJING and ARMONK, N.Y.-(BUSINESS WIRE)-May 1, 2005-IBM (NYSE:IBM) -- New global PC leader emerges -- New Lenovo board members named -- Transaction completed successfully,...

MALAYSIA LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO WOO TOURISTS FROM INDIA.
May 2, 2005... LUCKNOW, May 2 Asia Pulse - After wooing visitors living in metropolitan cities, Malaysia is now trying to lure tourists from cities like Lucknow and Hyderabad to visit the Southeast Asian country. As part of the efforts, Malaysia tourism...

INDIAN FOREIGN CURRENCY RESERVES RISE BY US$1BLN.
May 2, 2005... MUMBAI, May 2 Asia Pulse - After witnessing only a marginal rise in inflows for three weeks, India's foreign exchange reserves rose by $US1 billion to $US142.54 billion for the week ended April 22, 2005. The country's foreign exchange...

HINDUSTAN AERONAUTICS, ONGC SIGN MOU ON COOPERATION.
May 2, 2005... BANGLORE, May 2 Asia Pulse - Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation have signed an MoU on 'wide-ranging' cooperation. HAL Chairman Ashok K Baweja and ONGC CMD Subir Raha signed the agreement for mutual support...

INDIA, JAPAN TO LAUNCH HIGH-LEVEL STRATEGIC DIALOGUE.
May 2, 2005... NEW DELHI, May 2 Asia Pulse - Opening a new chapter in their ties, India and Japan have decided to launch a high-level strategic dialogue, upgrade economic links and enhance energy, security and defence cooperation. After wide-ranging...

INDO-JAPANESE FORUM LAUNCHED IN NEW DELHI.
May 2, 2005... NEW DELHI, May 2 Asia Pulse - Observing that the potential of Indo-Japanese ties had not been utilised fully, External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh today invited Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from that country, pointing out that economic...

AIR INDIA'S LOW COST CARRIER MAKES FIRST FLIGHT.
May 2, 2005... ABU DHABI, May 2 Asia Pulse - The inaugural flight of Air India's first low-cost service 'Air India Express' landed here on Saturday carrying Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. They were received...

ORISSA, POSCO CLOSE TO CLINCHING STEEL INVESTMENT DEAL.
May 2, 2005... NEW DELHI, May 2 Asia Pulse - After recent hiccups, Orissa government and South Korean giant Posco are "fine-tuning" a billion (Rs 550 billion) deal to setg up a steel plant in the state. This comes close on the heels of domestic major...

AIR INDIA EMBARKS ON BIGGEST EXPANSION PLAN YET.
May 2, 2005... THIRUVANTHAPURAM, May 2 Asia Pulse - Air India has embarked on it's biggest expansion plan yet, to meet the growing demands of travellers with the aim of providing best service with affordable cost, Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel...

INDIA-JAPAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY SEEKS CLOSER ECONOMIC TIES.
May 2, 2005... NEW DELHI, May 2 Asia Pulse - The business community of Japan is interested in the strengthening of bilateral trade and economic relations between India and Japan as it has the potential unlock vast investment potential. This was stated by...

RATE HIKE A PRE-EMPTIVE STEP: INDIAN RESERVE BANK CHIEF.
May 2, 2005... NEW DELHI, May 2 Asia Pulse -Y V Reddy, Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), said the reverse repo rate has been hiked by 25 basis points to absorb any liquidity overhang in the market and contain inflation expectations. "The RBI does...

INDIAN INFLATION REMAINS AT FOUR-MONTH HIGH OF 5.64 PCT.
May 2, 2005... NEW DELHI, May 2 Asia Pulse - Inflation continued to remain at four months high of 5.64 per cent during the week ended April 16 even as Finance and Petroleum Ministries are yet to find out ways to effect an imminent price hike in petro...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN INDEX OPENS STRONGER - MAY 2, 2005.
May 2, 2005... SYDNEY, May 2 Asia Pulse - The Australian sharemarket opened stronger today, regaining ground lost at the end of last week amid a strong lead from the US and base and precious metal gains. At 1015 AEST, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was...

STOCKS - TOKYO INDEX OPENS LOWER - MAY 2, 2005.
May 2, 2005... TOKYO, May 2 Asia Pulse - Tokyo shares opened lower Monday, with the Stock Exchange's benchmark Nikkei-225 index losing 75.04 points, or 0.68 percent, to 10,933.86 in early trade. ASIA PULSE 02-05 1033

BOEING OFFICIAL SAYS AIR INDIA'S EVALUATION IS 'FAIR'.
May 2, 2005... THIRUVANTHAPURAM, May 2 Asia Pulse - Defending Air India's plans to go in for 50 Boeing aircraft as part of its expansion project, a top official of the American company said the airline was going to save considerable fuel and maintenance cost...

FINLAND EAGER FOR JVs WITH INDIAN PAPER AND FOREST SECTORS.
May 2, 2005... CHENNAI, May 2 Asia Pulse - Finland said it was keen on collborations with Indian companies in paper and forestry, IT, biotech and energy sectors and targetting to double the bilateral trade in the next couple of years. "There is vast...

INDIA-JAPAN BIZ COMMUNITY SEEKS CLOSER ECONOMIC COOPERATION.
May 2, 2005... NEW DELHI, May 2 Asia Pulse - The business community of Japan is all for strengthening bilateral trade and economic relations between India and Japan, which would unlock vast investment potential. This was stated by chairman Standing...

COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN URGES NO FDI IN INDIA'S RETAIL TRADE.
May 2, 2005... NEW DELHI, May 2 Asia Pulse - With a view to safeguard the interests of numerous retail traders across the country, Chairman, Committee on papers Laid on the Table, Hannan Mollah, has urged the Prime Minister not to allow Foreign Direct...

MOEA REGRETS U.S. INCLUSION OF TAIWAN IN 'SPECIAL 301' LIST.
May 2, 2005... TAIPEI, May 2 Asia Pulse - The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) expressed regrets Saturday over the U.S. inclusion of Taiwan in its "Special 301" blacklist of copyright violators. The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) office released its...

PAKISTAN TO ABIDE BY WB NEUTRAL DECISION ON BAGLIHAR DAM: AZIZ.
May 2, 2005... ISLAMABAD, May 2 Asia Pulse - Ruling out any further discussion with India to resolve the Baglihar dam controversy, Pakistan has said that it would abide by the decision of the neutral expert of the World Bank on the issue. Close on the...

AUSTRALIAN FT PACT MORE LIKELY WITH CHINA THAN JAPAN: HOWARD.
May 2, 2005... CANBERRA, May 2 Asia Pulse - Prime Minister John Howard today conceded clinching a free trade agreement with China was more likely than with Japan. Mr Howard has just returned from a tour of Japan, China, Turkey and Greece. Australia...

CHINA'S TIGHT POWER AND COAL SUPPLY EASED.
May 2, 2005... BEIJING, May 2 Asia Pulse - China's tight power and coal supply has eased due to rising power installed capacity, according to an official of the China Coal industry Association. The situation has improved since the government has cleared...

CHINA'S JIANGLING REPORTS RECORD VEHICLE SALES IN MARCH.
May 2, 2005... NANCHANG, May 2 Asia Pulse - Jiangling Motors Co Ltd in East China's Jiangxi Province reported sales of more than 9,000 motor vehicles in March this year, hitting an all-time high for monthly sales. Since 2004, the company has sped up the...

HINDUSTAN LEVER Q1 NET DOWN 15 PCT AT US$59.3 MLN.
May 2, 2005... MUMBAI, May 2 Asia Pulse - Hindustan Lever Ltd (BSE:500696) has posted a 15 per cent decline in net profit at Rs 2.59 billion (US$59.3 million) in the first quarter ended March 31, 2005, and decided to merge five of its subsidiaries with...

TAIWAN CALLS FOR TALKS WITH CHINA OVER AGRICULTURAL ISSUES.
May 2, 2005... TAIPEI, May 2 Asia Pulse - Council of Agriculture (COA) Chairman Lee Chin-lung urged Beijing Saturday to open talks with Taipei on issues concerning the granting of tariff-free treatment for Taiwan's agricultural products to protect the...

CHINA TO LAUNCH DEVELOPMENT DRIVE FOR CENTRAL CHINA.
May 2, 2005... CHENGZHOU, May 2 Asia Pulse - China will implement a development strategy for Central China this year, another move of strategic importance following the western China development drive and the drive to invigorate Northeastern China in...

CHINA NOT ONLY MARKET FOR TAIWAN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS: COA.
May 2, 2005... TAIPEI, May 2 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's agricultural products are targeted at the whole world for exports and China is not the only market, the head of the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture (COA) pointed out Friday. COA Chairman Lee...

TAIWAN STRESSES TOLERANCE, TRANSPARENCY IN NEW TRADE TALKS.
May 2, 2005... GENEVA, May 2 Asia Pulse - Taiwan has joined South Korea and Thailand Thursday to simultaneously emphasize the importance of "tolerance and transparency" in the multilateral Doha Round Trade Negotiations. Speaking at a meeting of the World...

CHINA RAISES ITS ELECTRICITY RATE.
May 2, 2005... BEIJING, May 2 Asia Pulse - The State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC) has announced that China will raise its electricity rate by 0.0252 yuan per kWh on average starting from May 1. However it will not include electricity for use...

TAIWAN DELEGATION TO HEAD FOR ASIAN BANK MEETING IN ISTANBUL.
May 2, 2005... TAIPEI, May 2 Asia Pulse - Central Bank of China Governor Perng Fai-nan will head a 13-member delegation to attend the 38th annual meeting of the Asia Development Bank (ADB) board of governors May 4-6 in Istanbul, Turkey. Deputy Minister...

GAS DISTRIBUTION NETWORK COMMISSIONED FOR OMAN'S RAYSUT.
May 2, 2005... MUSCAT, May 2 Asia Pulse - In line with the government's economic plans for diversification and establishing an industrial base in different parts of the Sultanate, Oman Gas Company, the country's main distribution operator, has recently...

FREE SUPPLY CHAIN SEMINAR TO TEACH BEST PROCUREMENT PRACTICES.
May 2, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below) DALLAS, Texas, May 2 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - Quadrem Chief Technology Officer and Australia Vice President Ian Hollingworth will offer a free seminar on procurement best practices during the...

CHINA'S MANZHOULI RAILWAY CUSTOMS RESUMES NEWSPRINT IMPORTS.
May 2, 2005... HOHHOT, May 2 Asia Pulse - Imports of newsprint on the Manzhouli Railway Customs have resumed after their suspension in 1999, with a load of 794,300 tons of newsprint imported by the Wuifenhe City Dapeng Economic and Trade Co Ltd recently...

AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING GROWTH FALTERS IN APRIL.
May 2, 2005... SYDNEY, May 2 Asia Pulse - Australian manufacturing growth recorded its lowest April reading in three years as production fell sharply and exports continued to weaken, new figures show. The Australian Industry Group-PricewaterhouseCoopers...

MORE CHINESE TAKE UP MEDICAL INSURANCE IN Q1.
May 2, 2005... BEIJING, May 2 Asia Pulse - China's coverage of medical insurance reached 127.08 million people by the end of March of this year, an increase of 3.04 million over the end of last year, according to Hu Xiaoyi, a spokesperson of the Ministry of...

INDIA'S SEBI KEEPING CLOSE WATCH ON RIL SCRIPS.
May 2, 2005... MUMBAI, May 2 Asia Pulse - The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is keeping close watch on scrips of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) (NSI:RELI) in the light of allegations made by Anil Ambani about a breach of corporate governance...

CHINA LOWERS EXPORT REBATE RATE ON STEEL PRODUCTS.
May 2, 2005... BEIJING, May 2 Asia Pulse - China will lower the export rebate rate on a number of steel products to 11 per cent starting from May 1, 2005, according to a circular issued jointly by the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of...

CHINA'S PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY REPORTS RISES IN COSTS.
May 2, 2005... BEIJING, May 2 Asia Pulse - China's pharmaceutical industry generated an industrial added value of 138.839 billion yuan (US$16.7 billion) in 2004, growing by 16.92 per cent year on year and the annual sales revenue reached 347.6 billion yuan,...

DIARY - 3RD CHINA INT'L SOFTWARE FAIR SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 23-26.
May 2, 2005... BEIJING, May 2 Asia Pulse - The third China International Software and Information Services Trade Fair will be held in Dalian, a coastal city in northeast Liaoning Province, from June 23 to 26 this year. It is the sole state-class software...

CHINA'S ANGANG WINS RIGHT TO ENTER WORLD OIL PIPE MARKET.
May 2, 2005... SHENYANG, May 2 Asia Pulse - Angang New Iron and Steel Company, a main steel maker based in northeast China's Liaoning Province, said on April 29 that it has passed the certification examination by API of the United States for its oil pipe...

INDIA UNFAZED BY ANNAN'S VIEW , SAYS DEBATE ON VETO OPEN.
May 2, 2005... NEW DELHI, May 2 Asia Pulse - Unfazed by the views expressed by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, India Friday asserted that the debate on the issue of veto for new Security Council members was still "open" and that a decision on the matter will...

AUDITED ACCOUNTS SUBMITTED TO RIL: RELIANCE ENERGY.
May 2, 2005... NEW DELHI, May 2 Asia Pulse - Rejecting the contention of parent company Reliance Industries, headed by Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Energy (NSI:RLEN) informed the group's flagship company that it had "duly submitted the audited accounts" for...

CHINA TO RESHUFFLE TEN CENTRAL ENTERPRISES.
May 2, 2005... BEIJING, May 2 Asia Pulse - With the approval of the State Council, ten central enterprises in China will be reshuffled, after which the number of central enterprises in which the State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC)...

INDIA DEFENDS STANCE ON BAGLIHAR DAM ISSUE.
May 2, 2005... NEW DELHI, May 2 Asia Pulse - India, which saw no justification in Pakistan's move to seek World Bank intervention on the Baglihar dam issue, said it intends to "cooperate fully" with the world body in the selection of a neutral expert. ...

BUSH FAVOURS CHINA USING NEW TECH TO REDUCE ENERGY DEMAND.
May 2, 2005... WASHINGTON, May 2 Asia Pulse - Stressing the importance of reducing US dependence on foreign sources of energy, President George W Bush has said one of the ways to achieve that goal was by helping growing consumers such as India and China use...

CHINESE REGULATOR SEEKS TO SOLVE SHARE STRUCTURE PROBLEM.
May 2, 2005... BEIJING, May 2 Asia Pulse - China Securities Regulatory Commission, the regulator of the securities industry, declared on April 29 the start of the pilot work to solve the separate share structure problem of Chinese listed companies, the...

BUSINESS WIRE DAILY SUMMARY - APRIL 29, 2005.
May 2, 2005... A summary of news releases for April 29, 2005, 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: Health ...

AIR INDIA TERMS AIRBUS DEMAND FOR PROBE AS "OUTRAGEOUS".
May 2, 2005... ABU DHABI, May 2 Asia Pulse - Taking exception to Airbus' demand for a probe into its decision to acquire 50 Boeing aircraft, Air India (AI) Saturday described the French company's stance on the issue as "outrageous." The Airbus company...

FIRST FOREIGN LEASING COMPANY SETTLES IN TIANJIN.
May 2, 2005... TIANJIN, May 2 Asia Pulse - ElectroRent of the United States has settled in the Tianjin Development Zone after more than one year of inspection of Chinas investment environment and market. It is the first wholly foreign-owned leasing...

TIGER TELEMATICS' GIZMONDO CONFIRMS RETAIL PRESENCE IN FRANCE.
May 2, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below) LONDON, April 29 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - Gizmondo Europe Ltd, subsidiary of Jacksonville, Florida-based Tiger Telematics Inc. (OTC: TGTL, OTC: TGTL.PK), can confirm the new...

IRAN NEEDS TO FURTHER INTEGRATE IN WORLD ECONOMY: OFFICIAL.
May 2, 2005... SHIRAZ, May 2 Asia Pulse - Deputy president and head of Management and Plan Organization (MPO) said here Saturday that Iran has suitable grounds for integrating in the world economy but needs to reform its domestic economic structure. ...

CASIO ENTERPRISE PDA GETS SYSTEM SOFTWARE SUPPORT FROM BSQUARE.
May 2, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below) BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 2005--BSQUARE (Nasdaq:BSQR), a leading provider of smart device solutions, today announced that it was engaged by Casio Computer Co., Ltd., to...

EXXONMOBIL TECHNOLOGY TO SLASH SUBSEA WELL INTERVENTION COSTS.
May 2, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below) IRVING, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 2005--Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) announced today that it has developed a new technology that significantly reduces the cost and time of...

CHINA, PAKISTAN FTA TO BE FINALISED SOON: FINANCE ADVISOR.
May 2, 2005... ISLAMABAD, May 2 Asia Pulse - Finance Advisor to Prime Minister Dr Salman Shah on Thursday said free trade arrangement (FTA) between Pakistan and China would be finalised soon. Talking with PTV he said, "We are working on free trade arrangement...

HONG KONG NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 2, 2005.
May 2, 2005... HONG KONG, May 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: - Transport officials are warning of severe cross-harbour traffic congestion tomorrow - the first working day after the Eastern Harbour Tunnel...

PROSPECTS OF TRADE BETWEEN THAILAND, ISLAMIC WORLD DISCUSSED.
May 2, 2005... KARACHI, May 2 Asia Pulse - Pakistan can be used as gateway by Thailand to strengthen its trade and economic ties with Islamic world by carrying out joint ventures with entrepreneurs of Pakistan and other Islamic countries, participants of a...

WORLD BANK APPROVES US$100 MLN LOAN FOR CHINESE HIGHWAY.
May 2, 2005... HOHHOT, May 2 Asia Pulse - The board of the World Bank has approved a loan of US$100 million for the construction of a first-grade highway project in Inner Mongolia, north China, the Communications Department of the regional government said....

OMAN SIGNS HEADS OF AGREEMENT WITH OCCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM.
May 2, 2005... MUSCAT, May 2 Asia Pulse - The Ministry of Oil and Gas announced Saturday that it signed a heads of agreement with Occidental Petroleum Corporation and Mubadala Development Company governing the development of the Mukhaizna heavy oil field...

CHINA'S DATANG GRP ISSUES US$362 MLN IN CORPORATE BONDS.
May 2, 2005... BEIJING, May 2 Asia Pulse - The China Datang Group (CDG) has issued corporate bonds with a nominal value of three billion yuan (US$362 million), with the funds to be used to expand financing channels, optimize debt structure and reduce capital...

PAKISTANI PRODUCTS EXHIBITION HELD IN TAJIKISTAN.
May 2, 2005... LAHORE, May 2 Asia Pulse - A Three-day 'Made in Pakistan' exhibition arranged by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has been held, with a large number of people from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan visiting the stalls...

GILLETTE TO WEBCAST FIRST-QUARTER RESULTS CONFERENCE CALL.
May 2, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below) BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 2005--The Gillette Company (NYSE:G) will webcast live a conference call with securities analysts and representatives of the media on Thursday, May 5, 2005,...

RIYADH TO HOST 7TH IRAN-SAUDI JOINT ECONOMIC COMMISSION SESSION.
May 2, 2005... RIYADH, May 2 Asia Pulse - The 7th Iran-Saudi Arabia Joint Economic Commission Session will be held here on May 16-17, it was announced here Sunday. Iran`s Commerce Minister Mohammad Shariatmadari and Saudi Minister of Commerce and...

2 NAT'L ORGANIZATIONS TO BE ON SALE IN 6 MONTHS: PAKISTANI MIN.
May 2, 2005... LAHORE, May 2 Asia Pulse - Federal Minister for Privatization and Investment Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh on April 28 said that the Pak-Arab Fertilizer Ltd (PAFL), National Refinery Ltd and Carrier Telephone Industries (CTI) would be privatized...

LAUREL NETWORKS DELIVERS ``DROP-IN'' IP VIDEO ROUTING SOLUTION.
May 2, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below) PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 2, 2005--Laurel Networks(R), Inc. today announced its new "drop-in" IP Video Routing Solution(TM) designed to meet the needs of DSL access providers who want...

ANALYSIS - PHILIPPINES FACES AGEING AIR FORCE, NAVY.
May 2, 2005... MANILA, May 2 Asia Pulse - It is ironic that for the Philippines which is facing a two-pronged insurgency - the longest running in Asia - and lately the war on terror, is the most ill-equipped, particularly its Air Force and Navy whose assets...

FOREIGN NGOS HAMPERING MINING OPS IN PHILIPPINES FACE ARREST.
May 2, 2005... MANILA, May 2 Asia Pulse - Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Michael Defensor on Friday warned members of foreign non-government organizations (NGOs) will be arrested if they unduly hamper mining operations in the...

WOMEN'S FORUM EXPRESSES CONCERN LETTER TO SECRETARY LEAVITT.
May 2, 2005... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below) WASHINGTON, April 29 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - The Independent Women's Forum today announces that it has sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt expressing serious...

MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 2, 2005.
May 2, 2005... KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: BUSINESS TIMES - Property developer Meda Inc Bhd is converting its two prime properties into real estate investment trust (REIT) instruments this year. - AT least...

JAPANESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 2, 2005.
May 2, 2005... TOKYO, May 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: NIKKEI NET: - Bandai Co. (TSE:7967) and Namco Ltd. (TSE:752) plan to integrate operations as early as autumn to create the second-largest toy-game business group in Japan. ...

SINGAPORE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 2, 2005.
May 2, 2005... SINGAPORE, May 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE STRAITS TIMES - IMPROVING the lives of workers will continue to be one of the top priorities of the People's Action Party government, pledged Prime Minister Lee Hsien...

BUMIPUTRA-COMMERCE FINANCE & RED BOOK SIGN CONTRACT.
May 2, 2005... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 /MediaNet International-AsiaNet/ -- Malaysia's leading motor vehicle finance group Bumiputra-Commerce Finance Berhad and vehicle identification and pricing...

PHILIPPINE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 2, 2005.
May 2, 2005... MANILA, May 2 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: MANILA TIMES: - President Arroyo on Sunday ordered the countrys wage boards to set an increase in wages of employees in the private sector within 30 days. - Officials...

BANCO ITAU TO HOLD CONFERENCE CALL ON Q1 RESULTS.
May 2, 2005... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) SAO PAULO, April 27 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Banco Itau Holding Financeira S/A (NYSE: ITU) (Bovespa: ITAU4) announces the following Webcast: What: Conference Call about the Results of...

PHILIPPINE DEPT AGRICULTURE SEEKS TO WEED OUT CORRUPTION.
May 2, 2005... MANILA, May 2 Asia Pulse - Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Arthur Yap has ordered the streamlining of procedures in agencies under its supervision, as part of his over-all campaign for good governance in the department. ...

BENTLEY EXPANDS PROGRAM TO CIVIL ENGINEERING INDUSTRY.
May 2, 2005... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) EXTON, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 2005-- Program Now Offers Autodesk Users a Better Alternative to Product Retirement - a Complete Civil Site Solution With No Forced Upgrades ...

ARROYO VISITS TWO FOREIGN CORPORATE PROJECTS WORTH US$405 MLN.
May 2, 2005... NAGA, Cebu, May 2 Asia Pulse - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lauded Saturday two foreign corporate projects in Cebu province with total investments of US$405 million. This morning, the President visited the Atlas Consolidated...

UNIVERSAL DETECTION TECHNOLOGY WINS ORDER FROM QUANTUM AUTOMATION.
May 2, 2005... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 28, 2005--Universal Detection Technology (OTCBB:UDTT) today announced that it has received a purchase order from Quantum Automation (QA), UDTT's exclusive...

CHINA'S BANKING REGULATOR TO ALTER ASSET DISPOSAL RULES.
May 2, 2005... BEIJING, May 2 Asia Pulse - Problems with the disposal of non-performing assets (NPA) peeled off from China's Big Four commercial banks has led the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC), the regulator of the banking industry, to issue a...

ARROYO SEEKS TO PROTECT LOCAL AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY.
May 2, 2005... MANILA, May 2 Asia Pulse - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Sunday said she would ask Congress to pass a law banning the importation of secondhand or used vehicles, except trucks, buses and ambulances to protect the local...