AsiaPulse News articles from May 2006

AsiaPulse News archives from May 2006

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 2, 2006.
May 3, 2006... SYDNEY, May 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: - Two miners trapped in the Beaconsfield mine have been physically nourished, and had their spirits lifted by their impending rescue, but their...

AUSTRALIAN BOND MARKET OPENS WEAKER - MAY 3, 2006.
May 3, 2006... SYDNEY, May 3 Asia Pulse - Australian bonds opened weaker today as traders remained cautious ahead of the release of the central bank's interest rate decision. At 0900 AEST the yield on the Commonwealth Government April 2015 bond was...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS FIRMER - MAY 3, 2006.
May 3, 2006... SYDNEY, May 3 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar opened significantly higher today, supported by stronger commodity prices and a recovery in the euro. At 0700 AEST the local currency was trading at $US0.7616/20, well up from yesterday's...

STOCKS - BOMBAY BOURSE CLOSES FIRMER - MAY 2, 2006.
May 3, 2006... MUMBAI, May 2 Asia Pulse - A steady flow of robust corporate earnings, a firm Asian trend and indications of healthy GDP growth pushed the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark sensex to a new closing peak of 12,218.78, a jump of 176.22 points. ...

FOREX - US DOLLAR ENDS WEAKER AGAINST RUPEE - MAY 2, 2006.
May 3, 2006... MUMBAI, May 2 Asia Pulse - The U S Dollar ended further cheaper against the rupee at Rs 44.8950 per dollar but the Pound remained dearer at Rs 82.37 per pound at the close of the Interbank Foreign Exchange (FOREX) market here on Tuesday. The...

BOOK ON ORGANIZATION MANAGEMENT HELPS LARGE ORGANIZATIONS.
May 3, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details follow below.) CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 2, 2006--In the book, "Best Advice on Organization Management," executives of large organizations share their advice on Team building, Training,...

PEPSICO ANNOUNCES WEBCAST OF ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS' MEETING.
May 3, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details follow below.) PURCHASE, N.Y., May 2 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) today announced that its annual shareholders' meeting will be webcast live from Plano, Texas, over the Internet...

CONFERENCE EXPLORES 40 YEARS OF ENGLAND V. GERMANY FOOTBALL.
May 3, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details follow below.) LEICESTER, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 2, 2006--Ahead of the football world cup, eminent sports historians will be taking a look at rivalries between England and Germany in the 40...

EMBRAER PRESENTS THE LINEAGE 1000 BUSINESS JET.
May 3, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details follow below.) SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS, May 2 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Ultra-large Aircraft Is Company's Fourth Business Jet Offering Embraer (NYSE: ERJ) today introduced the Lineage 1000, an...

SOUTH KOREAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 3, 2006.
May 3, 2006... SEOUL, May 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: VERNACULAR DAILIES: - Confusion surfaces over increasing proportion of high school grades in college entrance exam score (Kyunghyang Shinmun) - Lawmakers pass 6 bills...

AUSTRALIA'S SEEK LTD LIFTS EARNINGS GUIDANCE FOR FY06.
May 3, 2006... SYDNEY, May 3 Asia Pulse - Online employment operation Seek Ltd (ASX:SEK) has lifted its earnings guidance for the current financial year as the employment market remains strong. Seek today said it expects earnings before interest, tax,...

AUSTRALIA'S RESERVE BANK HIKES INTEREST RATES TO 5.75%.
May 3, 2006... SYDNEY, May 3 Asia Pulse - The Reserve Bank of Australia today lifted the official cash rate by 25 basis points to 5.75 per cent. This is the first time the central bank has raised interest rates since March 2005. Most economists...

AUSTRALIA'S SERVICE SECTOR LIFTS IN APRIL: SURVEY.
May 3, 2006... SYDNEY, May 3 Asia Pulse - Activity in Australia's service sector picked up in April as consumer spending remained firm despite the recent rise in petrol prices, a survey found. The Australian Industry Group - Commonwealth Bank performance...

AUSTRALIA'S CORPORATE EXPRESS REPORTS 6.4% RISE IN Q1 PROFIT.
May 3, 2006... SYDNEY, May 3 Asia Pulse - Office and business supplier Corporate Express Australia Ltd (ASX:CXP) expects to drive further growth with the launch of a new educational supply business. Corporate Express reported a 6.4 per cent rise in...

AUSTRALIA'S RESERVE BANK LIFTS OFFICIAL INTEREST RATES.
May 3, 2006... CANBERRA, May 3 Asia Pulse - The Reserve Bank has lifted official interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point to 5.75 per cent. With inflation hitting the top of the bank's target band of two per cent to three per cent, and signs of...

INDONESIA MOVES TO BOOST TRADE WITH MIDDLE EAST.
May 3, 2006... ABU DHABI, May 3 Asia Pulse - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu to immediately reactivate the Indonesian Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) in the Middle East in a bid to tap the regional market. "I...

RUPIAH'S EXCHANGE RATE SUITABLE FOR BUSINESS: BI GOVERNOR.
May 3, 2006... JAKARTA, May 3 Asia Pulse - The governor of Indonesia's central bank, Bank Indonesia (BI), Burhanuddin Abdullah said the rupiah's current exchange rate, ranging from Rp8,700 to 8,800 per US dollar is still fit for the businesspeople. "If...

INDONESIA MULLS ACCELERATING DEBT REPAYMENTS TO IMF.
May 3, 2006... JAKARTA, May 3 Asia Pulse - Indonesia plans to speed up debt repayment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Bank Indonesia is almost certain that Indonesia will be able to speed up the repayment of an about US$7.8 billion debt to the...

S. KOREA'S FOREIGN RESERVES RISE IN APRIL.
May 3, 2006... SEOUL, May 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea's foreign exchange reserves rose for a second consecutive month in April as the weaker value of the U.S. dollar boosted the dollar-conversion value of non-dollar assets, the nation's central bank said...

SHRINKING SALARIES A HEADACHE FOR TAIWAN OFFICE WORKERS: POLL.
May 3, 2006... TAIPEI, May 3 Asia Pulse - Most of Taiwan's office workers have felt the pinch of a shrinking salary compared to their counterparts in neighboring countries, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by Cheers magazine. ...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN BOURSE OPENS WEAKER - MAY 3, 2006.
May 3, 2006... SYDNEY, May 3 Asia Pulse - The Australian stock market opened slightly lower this morning, dragged down by the central bank's decision to lift interest rates. However the losses on the local bourse were partially kept in check by gains in...

THIRD TAIWAN-SPONSORED COMPUTER CENTER OPENS IN PHILIPPINES.
May 3, 2006... MANILA, May 3 Asia Pulse - A third computer learning center sponsored by the Taiwan government opened Tuesday in Manila. The E-Care Center for the physically challenged is one of the projects supported by Taiwan under the APEC Digital...

TAIWAN'S POLICY ON CHINESE LABOR WON'T CHANGE: CHEN.
May 3, 2006... TAIPEI, May 3 Asia Pulse - President Chen Shui-bian said Tuesday that March's unemployment rate -- 3.87 per cent -- is the lowest in almost six years, and that the government will closely examine the issue of whether to allow the importation of...

KOREAN WATCHDOG TO BOOST MONITORING OF BANKS' FOREIGN BORROWING.
May 3, 2006... SEOUL, May 3 Asia Pulse - South Korea's financial regulator said Wednesday that it will strengthen its monitoring of foreign borrowing by local banks in preparation for expected hikes in global interest rates. "We will check to see whether...

TAIWAN'S NEW VENTURE CAPITAL RISES 74% IN 2005.
May 3, 2006... TAIPEI, May 3 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's venture capital market saw new investment amounting to NT$26.6 billion (US$837 million) in 2005, up 74.2 per cent over the previous year, according to tallies released Tuesday by the Council for Economic...

ISLAMABAD, TEHRAN FORGE TENTATIVE PRICE DEAL ON PIPED GAS.
May 3, 2006... KARACHI, May 3 Asia Pulse - Pakistan and Iran have reached an agreement about the basic principles of a pricing formula for gas from Iran. The two countries have also decided to work together on the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project,...

AMERICAN, S. KOREAN ENVOYS TO JOINTLY PROMOTE FTA DEAL IN U.S.
May 3, 2006... SEOUL/WASHINGTON, May 3 Asia Pulse - U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Alexander Vershbow said Wednesday he will begin a weeklong tour of seven American cities later in the day. His trip with South Korea's top envoy in Washington Lee Tae-sik,...

WORLD BANK TO LEND US$216 MLN FOR KARNATKA MUNICIPAL REFORM.
May 3, 2006... NEW DELHI, May 3 Asia Pulse - The World Bank on Tuesday committed to provide a loan of nearly Rs 9.7 billion (US$216 million) for part-financing a Rs 13.95-billion Karnataka municipal reform project. World Bank Country Director Michael F...

CHINA'S HUAWEI TO BID FOR BSNL GSM TENDER.
May 3, 2006... NEW DELHI, May 3 Asia Pulse - Undeterred by reneging of a CDMA contract with BSNL, Chinese telecom equipment vendor Huawei Technologies on Tuesday said it would bid for the mega BSNL cellular tender of 60 million GSM lines for which it is...

US-BASED NEW BALANCE SHOE CO TO OPEN 50 RETAIL OUTLETS IN INDIA.
May 3, 2006... NEW DELHI, May 3 Asia Pulse - US footwear maker New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc, whose sports gear is available in India at Royal Sporting House and Shoppers Stop outlets, on Tuesday said it plans to open 50 exclusive outlets in the country by...

VIA OPENS INNOVATION CENTRE IN INDIA, TO PUSH SUB RS 10,000 PC.
May 3, 2006... NEW DELHI, May 3 Asia Pulse - Developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions VIA Technologies (TAIEX:2388) on Tuesday said it has opened a new innovation centre in Mumbai and plans to set up a team in India to give a push to a...

RANBAXY TO LAUNCH SIMVASTATIN IN US AFTER USFDA NOD.
May 3, 2006... NEW DELHI, May 3 Asia Pulse - The country's leading drugmaker Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd (BSE:500359) on Tuesday said it will launch its Simvastatin drug after it gets the final nod from USFDA, whose rejection of the company's claims for...

INDIAN MINISTER: US CANNOT PRESSURIZE NEW DELHI ON GAS PIPELINE.
May 3, 2006... NEW DELHI, May 3 Asia Pulse - Minister of Oil and Natural Gas of India Murli Deora said here on Tuesday that the US cannot put any pressure on New Delhi on the US$7.4 billion Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project. Speaking to IRNA...

STOCKS - SEOUL SHARES START HIGHER - MAY 3, 2006.
May 3, 2006... SEOUL, May 3 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks opened higher Wednesday as an overnight gain in U.S. stocks bolstered the market. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 8.48 points, or 0.59 per cent, to 1,443.38 in the...

HONG KONG NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 3, 2006.
May 3, 2006... HONG KONG, May 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: - Businesses and their employees shelled out a record .29 billion in tax last fiscal year as Hong Kong's buoyant economy helped inflate...

KOREA EXCHANGE BANK'S Q1 PROFIT FALLS 8 PCT ON TAX PAYMENT.
May 3, 2006... SEOUL, May 3 Asia Pulse - Korea Exchange Bank (KSE:004940), a South Korean lender controlled by U.S.-based private fund Lone Star Funds, said Wednesday its net income for the first quarter fell 8 per cent from a year ago due to a payment of...

INDIA ASKS US TO TIGHTEN IPR RULES.
May 3, 2006... NEW DELHI, May 3 Asia Pulse - Concerned over attempts to monopolise its traditional knowledge, India on Tuesday asked the United States to tighten its Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regime and put in place proper disclosure norms for...

PAKISTAN VOWS TO GO AHEAD WITH IRAN PIPELINE IF INDIA STAYS AWAY.
May 3, 2006... ISLAMABAD, May 3 Asia Pulse - Pakistan and Iran are ready to develop the multi-billion gas pipeline bilaterally in case India stays away from the project, a Foreign Office spokesperson said on Tuesday. "If for some reasons India is not able...

FOREX - US DOLLAR OPENS WEAKER AGAINST WON - MAY 3, 2006.
May 3, 2006... SEOUL, May 3 Asia Pulse - The U.S. dollar on Wednesday opened at 939.00 won, down from 940.10 at Tuesday's close. (Yonhap) 03-05 1129

S KOREA'S DACOM POSTS HIGHER Q1 EARNINGS ON BRISK BUSINESS.
May 3, 2006... SEOUL, May 3 Asia Pulse - Dacom Corp. (KSE:015940), South Korea's No. 2 fixed-line carrier, said Wednesday that its first quarter net profit more than doubled from a year earlier due to the brisk performances of its core businesses. Net...

S. KOREA'S WOORI BANK JOINS U.N. BUSINESS BODY.
May 3, 2006... SEOUL, May 3 Asia Pulse - Woori Bank, South Korea's second-largest lender, said Wednesday it has entered a group of businesses under the United Nations that have pledged to adopt socially responsible initiatives. The bank, which has filed...

S. KOREAN COMPUTER GAME FIRMS TO RELEASE PRODUCTS AT U.S. EXPO.
May 3, 2006... SEOUL, May 3 Asia Pulse - Major South Korean game developers said Wednesday that they will unveil a range of new products at a leading software fair to be held in the United States next week, as part of efforts to increase sales in the...

TAIWAN STOCK INVESTORS MORE OPTIMISTIC: POLL.
May 3, 2006... TAIPEI, May 3 Asia Pulse - The index for local stock investors' mood jumped significantly from February to April due to the rising local bourse, according to survey results published Tuesday by Shih Hsin University. Along with a bullish...

TAIWAN LEGISLATURE URGED TO PASS BILL TO PROTECT TAXPAYERS' INTEREST.
May 3, 2006... TAIPEI, May 3 Asia Pulse - The Alliance of Fairness and Justice on Tuesday called on the nation's lawmakers to pass a bill that would "ensure human dignity" and a subsistence-level income for taxpayers. Chien Hsi-chieh, president of the...

ADVISORY - JAPANESE STOCK EXCHANGE CLOSED - MAY 3-5, 2006.
May 3, 2006... TOKYO, May 3 Asia Pulse - Japan's stock exchange is closed from today until May 5 for the Golden Week series of public holidays. Trade will resume Monday, May 8. ASIA PULSE 03-05 1142

TAIWAN MANAGERS NOT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT DOMESTIC ECONOMY: SURVEY.
May 3, 2006... TAIPEI, May 3 Asia Pulse - Over half of Taiwan's CEOs responding to a recent survey are not optimistic about Taiwan's economic outlook and cross-Taiwan Strait relations are still their top concern when running a business, a CommonWealth...

TAIWAN SUPPORTS ESTABLISHMENT OF DOHA NEGOTIATION MODALITIES.
May 3, 2006... GENEVA, May 3 Asia Pulse - Taiwan gave its support Monday in a meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to the establishment of the modalities in agricultural and non-agricultural market access (NAMA) talks in the Doha round of...

MARVELL INTRODUCES NEW PACKET PROCESSORS.
May 3, 2006... (Full text of a statement. Contact details follow below.) SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 2 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Prestera(R) 98DX2x5 Solutions Enable Intelligent, Secure Service Delivery & Mobility for Converging Networks Marvell...

AUSTRALIA'S TRANSURBAN TO ACQUIRE US TOLLWAY CONCESSION.
May 3, 2006... MELBOURNE, May 3 Asia Pulse - Tollway operator Transurban Group (ASX:TCL) has agreed to acquire a 99-year concession on the Pocahontas Parkway in Virginia in the United States. Total upfront funding for the road is $A815 million ($US618.87...

ADB GENERAL MEETING TO FOCUS ON POVERTY, INFRASTRUCTURE.
May 3, 2006... HYDERABAD, May 3 Asia Pulse - Billed as the financial Olympics, the annual general meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will open here on Wednesday with a focus on the challenges facing Asia and tackling poverty through...

MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 3, 2006.
May 3, 2006... KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: BUSINESS TIMES: - Malaysia plans to review the tax structure of its offshore financial centre in Labuan as it seeks to compete with other established and up and coming...

PHILIPPINES URGES SPAIN TO VENTURE INTO ALTERNATIVE ENERGY.
May 3, 2006... MANILA, May 3 Asia Pulse - House Speaker Jose de Venecia and his delegation of four lawmakers have pushed for Spain's participation in the development of alternative sources of energy in the light of surging world prices of oil that are...

HONDA PHILIPPINES UNVEILS HYBRID CAR.
May 3, 2006... MANILA, May 3 Asia Pulse - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo saw for herself on Tuesday how the four-cylinder Honda Civic hybrid car works during a test drive of the new vehicle at the Kalayaan grounds of Malacaang. The President and...

MAS WINS READER'S DIGEST "TRUSTED AIRLINE BRAND" AWARD.
May 3, 2006... KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 Asia Pulse - Malaysia Airlines (KLSE:3786) has won the Reader's Digest "Trusted Brand Platinium Award 2006" for the Airline Category. The national flag carrier has won the award for four consecutive years since 2003....

INDONESIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 3 2006.
May 3, 2006... JAKARTA, May 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: KOMPAS - Incumbent Bagir Manan was almost unanimously reelected to keep the post of the Supreme Court chairman for at least two years before he reaches the retirement age of...

SINGAPORE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 3, 2006.
May 3, 2006... SINGAPORE, May 3 Asia Pulse hlt THE STRAITS TIMES: - Minister Mentor (MM) Lee expressed disappointment that Workers' Party chief Low Thia Khiang is still trying to "cover up, shield" Mr James Gomez, adding that the WP candidate is a...

WORK IN HAND OF AUSTRALIA'S LEIGHTON SWELLS TO US$12 BLN.
May 3, 2006... MELBOURNE, May 3 Asia Pulse - Property development, engineering and contract mining group Leighton Holdings Ltd (ASX:LEI) had work in hand worth a record $A16 billion ($US12.15 billion) at the end of the third quarter. This represented a...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN BOURSE HIGHER AT NOON - MAY 3, 2006.
May 3, 2006... SYDNEY, May 3 Asia Pulse - The Australian stock market was trading higher at noon, having recovering from a slow start after the decision by the central bank to lift interest rates. At 1200 AEST, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index was up 3.2...

AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR SALES FALL IN APRIL.
May 3, 2006... ADELAIDE, May 3 Asia Pulse - Sales of new cars and trucks slumped 10 per cent in April, according to official figures released today. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) said 68,650 new vehicles were retailed last month...

JAPANESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 3, 2006.
May 3, 2006... TOKYO, May 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: NIKKEI NET: - Toyota Motor Corp. (TSE:7203) plans to sell about 10.3 million vehicles in 2010 on a parent-only basis, up about 3 million units from 2005, with sales expected...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR FIRMER AT NOON - MAY 3, 2006.
May 3, 2006... SYDNEY, May 3 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar lifted more than one US cent at noon today after the central bank lifted interest rates for the first time in 14 months. At 1200 AEST the local currency was trading at $US0.7664/68,...

PHILIPPINE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 3, 2006.
May 3, 2006... MANILA, May 3 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: MANILA TIMES: - The package of nonwage benefits announced by President Arroyo has failed to impress labor groups, who said the perks are too little, too late. - Key...

INDIA TO HAVE MORE FAST-BREEDER REACTORS: TOP SCIENCE ADVISOR.
May 3, 2006... NEW DELHI, May 3 Asia Pulse - India has great potential in the field of nuclear energy and good efficiency in operating its nuclear power plants, said Dr R Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Indian government, suggesting expansion...

SAUDI'S ARAMCO INTERESTED IN BUILDING OIL REFINERY IN INDONESIA.
May 3, 2006... JAKARTA, May 3 Asia Pulse - Saudi oil company Aramco is interested in building an oil refinery with a capacity of 400,000 barrels a day in Indonesia in cooperation with Indonesia`s state-owned oil company Pertamina. Aramco disclosed its...

SAMSUNG ELECTRO DEVELOPS ENHANCED CERAMIC CONDENSER.
May 3, 2006... SEOUL, May 3 Asia Pulse - Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. (KSE:005930), a South Korean electric component company, said Wednesday that it has developed a micro condenser whose electric nodes were made of copper to enhance conductivity. The...

BANGLADESHI SHIPPING MINISTER RULES OUT SOT SYSTEM FOR NEW PORT.
May 3, 2006... CHITTAGONG, May 3 Asia Pulse - Shipping Minister Akbar Hossain has ruled out the possibility of operating the New Mooring Container Terminal under a short time operation and transfer (SOT) system saying its operation and maintenance will be...

DEMAND FOR BANK LOANS IN INDONESIA SEEN RISING IN Q2.
May 3, 2006... JAKARTA, May 3 Asia Pulse - Demand for bank loans is expected to increase in the second quarter of 2006 following a decline in the first quarter, according to a survey conducted by Bank Indonesia. According to the survey obtained by ANTARA,...

AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS MUST BE SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE: PCW REPORT.
May 3, 2006... MELBOURNE, May 3 Asia Pulse - Retailers and consumer companies will have to be more socially responsible if they want to retain customers, lessening their reliance on sponsorship and donations to improve their public standing, a new report...

S. KOREAN COMPANIES LESS UPBEAT ON BUSINESS CONDITIONS IN MAY.
May 3, 2006... SEOUL, May 3 Asia Pulse - Business sentiment in South Korea declined in May with major companies less optimistic about business conditions here, a survey found Wednesday. The monthly business survey index, released by the Federation of...

PENANG TO BE SHOWCASED AS ICT INDUSTRY HUB AT WORLD IT CONGRESS.
May 3, 2006... PENANG, May 3 Asia Pulse - Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon will showcase Penang, a north state in Penisular Malaysia as an information communication technology (ICT) industry hub of excellence at the 15th World Congress of Information Technology...

STOCKS - SINGAPORE STOCKS UP IN EARLY TRADE - MAY 3, 2006.
May 3, 2006... SINGAPORE, May 3 Asia Pulse - Singapore shares were higher in early trade, with the Straits Times Index up 28.0 points at 2,660.8 at 10:50 a.m. ASIA PULSE 03-05 1251

STOCKS - MALAYSIAN STOCKS HIGHER IN EARLY TRADE - MAY 3, 2006.
May 3, 2006... KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 Asia Pulse - The Malaysian sharemarket was up 0.04 per cent in early trade, with the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Composite Index rising 0.41 points at 951.66 at 10:45 a.m. ASIA PULSE 03-05 1253

RECORD OIL PRICES CASTING CLOUDS OVER S. KOREAN ECONOMY.
May 3, 2006... SEOUL, May 3 Asia Pulse - An unstoppable rise in oil prices is dampening hopes that the South Korean economy, Asia's fourth-largest, will make a full-fledged recovery this year, analysts said Wednesday, predicting that energy prices will...

PHILIPPINE GOVT EYES BIOTECHNOLOGY AS EXPORT-REVENUE GENERATOR.
May 3, 2006... MANILA, May 3 Asia Pulse - The Philippine government is eyeing biotechnology as a potential export-revenue generator to establish a niche in the booming global bio-enterprise. Biotechnology, according to the Asian Food Information Centre...

INDONESIA SET TO OVERTAKE MALAYSIA IN PALM OIL PRODUCTION.
May 3, 2006... JAKARTA, May 3 Asia Pulse - Indonesia is set to become the world's largest producer of palm oil in the next five years relegating Malaysia, the association of palm oil companies (Gapki) said. Indonesia is already closing in on Malaysia in...

BUSINESS WIRE DAILY BRIEFING - MAY 2, 2006.
May 3, 2006... A summary of news releases for May 2, 2006, 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: Technology...

INDONESIAN CAR SALES HIT BY CONTINUING SLUMP IN APRIL.
May 3, 2006... JAKARTA, May 3 Asia Pulse - A slump has continued to hit car market in Indonesia through April with sales estimated to plunge to 26,000 units from 51,250 units a year before. Johnny Darmawan, president of the country's largest car maker PT...

CEMENT CO HOLCIM INDONESIA REPORTS NET PROFIT FOR Q1.
May 3, 2006... JAKARTA, May 3 Asia Pulse - The country's third largest cement producer PT Holcim Indonesia (JSX:SMCB) reported Rp219.92 billion (US$24.5 million) in net profit in the first quarter of this year as against a net loss of Rp138.95 billion in the...

BANGLADESH, INDIA LAUNCH TALKS IN BID TO CUT TRADE RED TAPE.
May 3, 2006... DHAKA, May 3 Asia Pulse - A two-day meeting of the Bangladesh-India Joint Group of Customs (JGC) begins today in an effort to remove customs related trade barriers between the two countries. This is the third official-level meeting to be...

STOCKS - SEOUL SHARES RISE IN MORNING TRADE - MAY 3, 2006.
May 3, 2006... SEOUL, May 3 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks rose Wednesday morning due to rallies in U.S. stocks and buying of tech and financial shares by foreign investors. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 14.89 points,...

MACQUARIE MEDIA GP CLEARED TO ACQUIRE TAIWAN CABLE TV CO TBC.
May 3, 2006... SYDNEY, May 3 Asia Pulse - Macquarie Bank's (ASX:MBL) media investment fund has been given the all-clear to acquire cable TV and broadband provider Taiwan Broadband Communications (TBC) for almost $A1.2 billion ($US911.22 million). ...

STOCKS - HONG KONG STOCKS START STRONGER - MAY 3, 2006.
May 3, 2006... HONG KONG, May 3 Asia Pulse - Hong Kong stocks started 1.18 per cent stronger Wednesday, with the Hang Seng Index rising 198.94 points to 17,066.98. ASIA PULSE 03-05 1306

INDONESIA TO SPEED UP DEBT REPAYMENT TO IMF.
May 3, 2006... JAKARTA, May 3 Asia Pulse - Indonesia plans to speed up debt repayment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Bank Indonesia is almost certain that Indonesia will be able to speed up the repayment of an about US$7.8 billion debt to the...

S. KOREAN GOODS IN JAPAN LACK INNOVATION, COMPETITIVE PRICE.
May 3, 2006... SEOUL, May 3 Asia Pulse - South Korean consumer goods exported to Japan need to be more innovative or cheaper than their Chinese equivalents to recapture the attention of Japanese customers, a trade agency reported Wednesday. South Korean...