AsiaPulse News articles from May 2009

AsiaPulse News archives from May 2009

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR STARTS WEAKER - MAY 1, 2009.
May 1, 2009... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar opened weaker on Friday as expectations of more rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and investors rebalancing their portfolios reduced demand for the currency. At 0700 AEST, the...

S KOREAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 1, 2009.
May 1, 2009... SEOUL, May 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: Korean-language dailies -- Roh says he used money in question to pay for son's study abroad (Kyunghyang Shinmun) -- Roh denies allegations, claims ignorance while refusing...

U.S. TO ADDRESS BEEF, AUTO ISSUES BEFORE KOREA FTA RATIFICATION.
May 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, April 30 Asia Pulse - The nominee for U.S. deputy Trade Representative said Thursday that he will prioritize addressing an imbalance in auto trade and restrictions on beef shipment to South Korea before ratification of a pending...

USTR REMOVES S. KOREA FROM IPR WATCH LIST DESPITE INTERNET PIRACY.
May 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, April 30 Asia Pulse - The United States Thursday removed South Korea from its watch list of intellectual priority rights violators, but warned Korea will be relisted if Internet piracy is not addressed properly. It is the first...

AUSTRALIAN BOND MARKET OPENS WEAKER - MAY 1, 2009.
May 1, 2009... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian bond market opened slightly weaker on Friday as global markets drifted ahead of financial centres closing for the May Day public holiday in Asia. At 0830 AEST, the yield on the Commonwealth...

AUSTRALIAN GOVT SEES REVENUE SHORTFALL OF A$115 BLN IN FEB.
May 1, 2009... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - Australia will register a revenue shortfall in the federal budget of more than A$115 billion (US$83.39 billion) due to the global financial crisis, Treasurer Wayne Swan says. "Certainly there's been a revenue...

U.S. REVIEWING N. KOREA'S STATUS IN TERRORISM LIST: STATE DEPT.
May 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, April 30 Asia Pulse - The United States said Thursday it was reviewing the status of North Korea to decide whether to relist it as a state sponsor of terrorism. "The State Department is in the process of reviewing the DPRK's...

BUSINESS WIRE DAILY SUMMARY - APRIL 30, 2009.
May 1, 2009... A summary of news releases for April 30, 2009 compiled by Business Wire, the global leader in news distribution. To view any of these news releases on Business Wire's website, please go to www.businesswire.com. 1) Category Code: Security...

U.S. HINTS AT BILATERAL TALKS WITH N. KOREA DUE TO IDLED 6-WAY TALKS.
May 1, 2009... WASHINGTON, April 30 Asia Pulse - The United States Thursday hinted at its willingness to engage in bilateral nuclear negotiations with North Korea amid slim chances that the North will return to the six-party roundtable. "If we have to...

S KOREAN PARLIAMENT PASSES CONTROVERSIAL ECONOMIC LAWS.
May 1, 2009... SEOUL, May 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's parliament passed a string of economic laws that the government claims are vital to fuel investments, cut waste and boost growth, sources said Friday. The bills call for adjustments to income taxes on...

OZ MINERALS GETS DEBT REFINANCING EXTENSION TO JUNE 30.
May 1, 2009... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - OZ Minerals (ASX:OZL) says its bankers have granted it a two-month extension to refinance its debt obligations. The lending facilities were due for repayment on April 30, but the zinc and lead producer now won't...

LATEST INSIGHTS AND SECURITY SOLUTIONS AT THE IFSEC CONFERENCE 2009.(Conference news)
May 1, 2009... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) MEDIA RELEASE PR34492 Latest Insights and Security Solutions at the IFSEC Conference 2009 BIRMINGHAM, May 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Providing an international panel of speakers,...

LINK TOOL USE AT NORTH AMERICAN NUCLEAR PLANTS TOPS 75%.
May 1, 2009... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) MEDIA RELEASE PR34253 LINK Tool Use at North American Nuclear Plants Tops 75% CHICAGO, Apr. 14 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Safety issues at nuclear plants have resulted in increased...

FRANKFURT STOCK EXCHANGE LISTS ALTERNATIVE PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGIES.
May 1, 2009... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) MEDIA RELEASE PR34497 Frankfurt Stock Exchange Lists Alternative Petroleum Technologies LUXEMBOURG, May 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Alternative Petroleum Technologies S. A. (APT)...

MACQUARIE GROUP REPORTS 52 PCT SLIDE IN ANNUAL NET PROFIT.(Financial report)
May 1, 2009... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX:MQG) has reported a 52 per cent fall in annual profit after Australia's biggest investment bank booked A$2.5 billion (US$1.81 billion) in writedowns on assets because of the global financial...

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 1, 2009.
May 1, 2009... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW: - Tougher energy efficiency requirements for new homes will push up the cost of construction and should be offset in the federal budget this...

CONTEX SETS NEW STANDARD FOR SCANNER PRODUCTIVITY.
May 1, 2009... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) MEDIA RELEASE PR34491 Contex Sets New Standard for Scanner Productivity ALLEROED, Apr. 30 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - - Completed-Scans-Per-Hour Specification Exemplifies...

FOREX - RUPIAH UP AGAINST U.S. DOLLAR IN EARLY TRADE - APRIL 30, 2009.
May 1, 2009... JAKARTA, April 30 Asia Pulse - The rupiah strengthened significantly against the US dollar in the Jakarta interbank spot market here on Thursday on profit taking by investors. The Indonesian currency traded at Rp10,670-10,700 per US dollar,...

JOB SEEKERS FAVOR TAIWAN'S TELECOMS FIRM IN WAKE OF ECONOMIC CRUNCH.
May 1, 2009... TAIPEI, May 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's partially state-owned Chunghwa Telecom company (TAIEX 2412) has emerged as the favorite place to find a job by the island's fresh job seekers, as the global economic downturn is making job security their top...

ADVISORY - BOMBAY STOCK MARKET CLOSED - APRIL 30-MAY 1, 2009.
May 1, 2009... MUMBAI, May 1 Asia Pulse - The Bombay stock market was closed on Thursday (April 30) due to voting in general elections and remains closed on Friday (May 1) for a state holiday. ASIA PULSE 01-05 1010

CHINA EASTERN TO JOIN AN AIRLINE ALLIANCE IN JUNE.
May 1, 2009... BEIJING, May 1 Aisa Pulse - China Eastern Airlines ((EHK:00670; SSSE:600115) will join an airline alliance this June and is now assessing the world's three leading airline alliances, said Liu Shaoyong, general manager of the company. Liu...

INDONESIA'S PELINDO, MISI EXPLORING PORT CONSTRUCTION COOPERATION.
May 1, 2009... Surabaya, East Java, May 1 Asia Pulse - Indonesian state-owned port operators PT Pelindo-III and PT MISI have explored a cooperation opportunity to develop an integrated seaport at Soca in Bangkalan district. The project is located in...

CHINA'S CHANGAN AUTO Q1 NET PROFIT PLUNGES 89 PCT Y-O-Y.(Financial report)
May 1, 2009... BEIJING, May 1 Asia Pulse - Chinese minicar maker Chongqing ChangAn Automobile Co. (SSZ:000625) has reported a net profit of 28.34 million yuan (US$4.15 million) for the first quarter, a sharp decline of 89 per cent from 267.6 million yuan in...

FOREX - U.S. DOLLAR DOWN VS NEW TAIWAN DOLLAR - APRIL 30, 2009.
May 1, 2009... TAIPEI, April 30 Asia Pulse - The U.S. dollar lost ground against the New Taiwan dollar on the Taipei Foreign Exchange Thursday, falling NT$0.425 to close at NT$33.233, the weakest in two weeks. A total of US$3.84 billion changed hands...

TAIWAN TO RELEASE REGULATIONS ON CHINESE INVESTMENT LATE MAY.
May 1, 2009... TAIPEI, May 1 Asia Pulse - The regulations governing Chinese investment in Taiwan and the list of permitted fields of investment are expected to be released in late May, paving the way for Taiwan's official opening to investment from China,...

INDONESIAN VP URGES SHOEMAKERS TO PRODUCE CHEAP, QUALITY SHOES.
May 1, 2009... JAKARTA, May 1 Asia Pulse - Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla has asked shoemakers to have a commitment to improving the quality of their products with low prices so that consumers would also have a commitment to using domestically produced...

STOCKS - TOKYO SHARES START STRONGER - MAY 1, 2009.
May 1, 2009... TOKYO, May 1 Asia Pulse - Tokyo stocks started stronger on Friday with the Nikkei-225 index increasing 20.58 points, or 0.23 per cent, to 8,848.84 in the first minute of trading. ASIA PULSE 01-05 1019

INDONESIA'S BANK BRI BOOKS Q1 NET PROFIT OF US$163 MLN.(Financial report)
May 1, 2009... JAKARTA, May 1 Asia Pulse - Indonesian state-owned Bank BRI`s after-tax net profit in the first quarter of 2009 increased 22 per cent to Rp1.72 trillion (US$163.4 million) from Rp1.41 trillion in the same period in 2008, a spokesman said, its...

JAPAN'S JOBLESS RATE CLIMBS TO 4-YEAR HIGH OF 4.8 PCT.
May 1, 2009... TOKYO, May 1 Asia Pulse - Japan's jobless rate in March surged to 4.8 per cent, the highest level in more than four years, government data showed Friday. In February this year, the unemployment rate reached 4.4 per cent. The government...

MALAYSIA TO HOLD INVESTMENT EXPO IN ACEH.
May 1, 2009... BANDA ACEH, May 1 Asia Pulse - Malaysian businessmen will hold a three-day Malaysian Exhibition and Investment Mission in Banda Aceh beginning today, an Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) official said. "The exhibition...

CALIFORNIA MICRO DEVICES PRESENTS LED PROTECTION DEVICES.
May 1, 2009... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) MEDIA RELEASE PR34490 California Micro Devices Presents High Brightness LED Protection Devices at LEDs Workshop SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 30 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- EDN Hosting...

SINGAPORE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 1, 2009.
May 1, 2009... SINGAPORE, May 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: BUSINESS TIMES: - Corporate Singapore swung into higher gear with business continuity plans as the Ministry of Health (MOH) raised its flu pandemic alert one notch up,...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN SHARES OPEN LOWER - MAY 1, 2009.
May 1, 2009... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian share market has opened lower following a small fall on Wall Street and weaker commodity prices. At 1015 AEST, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 was down 21.6 points, or 0.57 per cent, at 3758.9, while the...

INDONESIAN VILLAGERS PROTEST BUILDING OF TELEPHONE TOWER.
May 1, 2009... KUDUS, May 1 Asia pulse - Langgar Dalem villagers in Indonesia have launched a protest against a PT Excelcomindo Pratama Tbk (XL)(JSX:EXCL) cellular telephone tower that was built in a densely-populated area without a public nuisance licence....

MACQUARIE GROUP CEO TAKES BIG HIT IN FY09 REMUNERATION.
May 1, 2009... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX:MQG) chief executive and managing director Nicholas Moore has taken a hit on his full year payout, after his bonuses and profit share was cut. Mr Moore's annual remuneraton for fiscal 2009...

S KOREA PRES, RULING PARTY LEADER TO MEET OVER ELECTION DEFEAT.
May 1, 2009... SEOUL, May 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea President Lee Myung-bak will meet with the head of his ruling Grand National Party (GNP) next week to discuss the party's defeat in Assembly by-elections, a party official said Friday. The ruling party...

CONSTRUCTION OF JAVA SEMEN GRESIK CEMENT PLANT SET TO START.
May 1, 2009... SEMARANG, May 1 Asia Pulse - The Central Java provincial administration said the construction of a cement plant of PT Semen Gresik (JSX:SMGR) in Sukolilo, Pati, will start in May. This remark was made by Central Java Governor Bibit Waluyo...

AUSTRALIA'S TOLL HOLDINGS TAKES STAKE IN INDIA'S BIC LOGISTICS.
May 1, 2009... MELBOURNE, May 1 Asia Pulse - Australian transport and logistics company Toll Holdings (ASX:TOL) has signed a deal to take a 40 per cent stake in India's BIC Logistics. A statement from Toll Holdings on Friday said the company had acquired...

S. KOREA'S OVERSEAS INVESTMENT PLUNGES AMID ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN.
May 1, 2009... SEOUL, May 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's overseas investment plunged during the first quarter of this year as a protracted global recession discouraged risk taking abroad, a government report showed Friday. According to the report by the...

KAOHSIUNG MRT DEFICIT EXPECTED TO BE REDUCED: OFFICIAL.
May 1, 2009... KAOHSIUNG, May 1 Asia Pulse - The Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System is expected to cut its operating losses this year by NT$900 million (US$27.08 million), a city official said Thursday. Chou Teh-li, acting director of the city's...

AUSTRALIAN TREASURY SELLS A$700 MLN AUGUST 2010 BONDS.
May 1, 2009... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian Office of Financial Management (AOFM) has priced A$700 million (US$507.57 million) worth of August 15, 2010, Treasury bonds at a weighted average yield of 2.6779 per cent. The bonds have a coupon...

INDONESIA'S INDOFOOD POSTS 70 PCT DROP IN Q1 NET PROFIT.(Financial report)
May 1, 2009... JAKARTA, May 1 Asia Pulse - PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk`s (JSX:INDF) net profit in the first quarter of 2009 dropped 70 percent to Rp110.441 billion from Rp373.528 billion in the same period last year. The company however stated in its...

INDONESIA'S VP: GLOBAL CRISIS ELIMINATES "INTANGIBLE" ECONOMY.
May 1, 2009... JAKARTA, May 1 Asia pulse - Indonesian vice president M Jusuf Kalla says the global economic crisis has changed the world economy from an "invisible" into a concrete economy. "Prior to the global economic crisis, the world economy was...

AUSTRALIA'S ILUKA RAISES US$82.7 MLN VIA SHARE PLACEMENT.
May 1, 2009... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX:ILU) has raised A$114 million (US$82.66 million) through an institutional share placement. The mineral sands miner said it had placed 38 million ordinary shares at A$3 each, a nine per...

AUSTRALIAN PM DEFENDS GOVT'S DECISION TO HAVE BIG BUDGET DEFICIT.
May 1, 2009... CANBERRA, May 1 Asia Pulse - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has defended the Australian government's decision for a budget deficit, possibly up to A$50 billion (US$36.26 billion), saying the alternative was to "slash and burn" spending programs. ...

INDONESIAN GAS CO PT PGN'S CORPORATE EARNINGS UP 62%.(Financial report)
May 1, 2009... JAKARTA, May 1 Asia pulse - Indonesian state gas distributor PT PGN (JSX:PGAS) booked Rp4.48 trillion (US$425.6 million) in corporate earnings in the first quarter of 2009, up 62 per cent from that of the same period last year. Company...

PREMIER CALLS FOR LARGER RESERVES OF FLU VACCINES IN TAIWAN.
May 1, 2009... TAIPEI, May 1 Asia Pulse - Premier Liu Chao-shiuan on Thursday urged biopharmaceutical manufacturing companies in Taiwan, which are capable of producing human vaccines, to begin developing a vaccine against swine flu as soon as possible. ...

FOREX - RINGGIT CLOSES FIRMER AGAINST US DOLLAR - APRIL 30, 2009.
May 1, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 Asia Pulse - The ringgit ended at 3.5570/5620 against the U.S. dollar on Thursday, firmer than 3.5900/5950 at the close on Wednesday. ASIA PULSE 01-05 1101

TAIWAN TO INVEST US$2.6 BLN TO UPGRADE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY.
May 1, 2009... TAIPEI, May 1 Asia Pulse - The government will invest NT$86.4 billion (US$2.59 billion) over the next four years to upgrade the health care industry, Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yeh Ching-chuan said Thursday. Yeh made the...

S. KOREA'S TRADE SURPLUS HITS RECORD US$6 BLN IN APRIL.
May 1, 2009... SEOUL, May 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's trade surplus reached a record US$6.0 billion in April mainly due to a sharp drop in imports and favorable exchange rates, a government report showed Friday. The country's exports reached $30.6...

TAIWAN'S BITOU-LONGDONG GEOPARK TO BE INAUGURATED MAY 2.
May 1, 2009... TAIPEI, May 1 Asia Pulse - As soft and warm breezes herald the approach of summer, the first geographic park in Taiwan's northeast coast and Yilan area will be officially opened Saturday to public tours, a tourism official said Thursday. ...

HONG KONG NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 1, 2009.
May 1, 2009... HONG KONG, May 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: - Beijing announced rules that ease controls on foreign financial information providers yesterday under an agreement with the United States,...

INDONESIAN BIZ TOLD TO ASK FOR STANDARD INTEREST ON DEPOSITS.
May 1, 2009... JAKARTA, May 1 Asia pulse - In order to help lower lending rates, businessmen saving funds at banks should not ask for a deposit interest rate above the 7.75 per cent guaranteed by the government, a banker said. "Businessmen would always...

PAKISTAN ATTRACTIVE FOR 3G MOBILE OPERATORS: NOKIA SIEMENS.
May 1, 2009... KARACHI, May 1 Asia Pulse - Despite economic recession, Pakistan is an attractive place to adopt 3G for mobile operators as it would support the economic growth of Pakistan and meet the new needs for data services, said Saad Warriach, Country...

MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 1, 2009.
May 1, 2009... KUALA LUMPUR, May 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: BUSINESS TIMES: - Malaysia's biggest power producer, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (5347), plans to raise ringgit-denominated loans to finance a US$2 billion (RM7 billion)...

BUSINESS, SOCIAL LIFE BADLY AFFECTED IN KARACHI FOLLOWING VIOLENCE.
May 1, 2009... KARACHI, May 1 Asia Pulse - Business and social life was badly affected in Karachi on Thursday following two days of ethnic violence between Pashtun and Urdu-speaking groups. Many shops, hotels and business markets remained closed across...

BMC SOFTWARE IN LEADERS QUADRANT OF 2009 MAGIC QUADRANT.
May 1, 2009... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) BW)(TX-BMC-SOFTWARE)(BMC.NYSE) BMC Software Positioned in Leaders Quadrant of the 2009 Job Scheduling Magic Quadrant Vendors evaluated on ability to execute and completeness of vision...

PAKISTAN STEEL TO ENHANCE PRODUCTION CAPACITY UP TO 5 MLN TONS.
May 1, 2009... LAHORE, May 1 Asia Pulse - Annual production capacity at Pakistan Steel Mill (PSM) will be enhanced from the existing 1.1 million tons to five million tons. Federal Minister for Industries and Production Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo said this...

TAIWAN PREMIER CONFIDENT OF RIDING OUT SWINE FLU IMPACT.
May 1, 2009... TAIPEI, May 1 Asia Pulse - Premier Liu Chao-shiuan said Wednesday that Taiwan, given its experience in fighting the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, will be able to ride out any possible impact of a swine flu epidemic....

SWINE FLU OUTBREAK NOT RELATED TO PIGS: KOREAN FARMERS GROUP.
May 1, 2009... SEOUL, May 1 Asia Pulse - The swine flu outbreak that caused more than 150 deaths in Mexico is not related to pigs, the head of a local farmers' group said Thursday. Kim Dong-hwan, head of the Korea Swine Association, said there is no...

GREEN GROWTH WILL PUT KOREA AHEAD IN CRISIS: PRESIDENT.
May 1, 2009... SEOUL, May 1 Asia Pulse - President Lee Myung-bak said Thursday his country will continue to invest more in developing new green technologies, the sector that will pull the country out of the global economic crisis and prepare it for what he...

CHINA ISSUED US$73.5 BLN PLUS BONDS ON INTERBANK MARKET IN Q1.
May 1, 2009... BEIJING, May 1 Asia Pulse - Bonds issued on China's interbank market have totalled 500.85 billion yuan (US$73.5 billion) for the first quarter, up 6.8 per cent from the same period of last year, according to statistics published by the People's...

PAKISTAN PLANS ROAD SHOWS TO ATTRACT INVESTMENT IN OIL, GAS.
May 1, 2009... ISLAMABAD, May 1 Asia Pulse - Pakistan's Petroleum & Natural Resources Ministry plans to hold four road shows in United States, Britain, Canada and Scotland. The road trips are to promote the country's new petroleum policy and attract...

TAIWAN'S MOFA REEVALUATING PRESIDENT'S PLANS TO VISIT C. AMERICA.
May 1, 2009... TAIPEI, May 1 Asia Pulse - Deputy Foreign Minister Andrew Hsia said Thursday that in light of the swine flu outbreaks around the world, his ministry is reevaluating President Ma Ying-jeou's plans to visit Taiwan's Central American allies in...

CHRYSLER BANKRUPTCY MAY BODE ILL FOR S KOREAN AUTOMAKERS.
May 1, 2009... SEOUL, May 1 Asia Pulse - Chrysler LLC's possible collapse would impact South Korean carmakers and suppliers as it would ultimately shrink their largest export market, analysts said Friday. After months-long negotiations with bondholders...

STOCKS - SRI LANKAN SHARES END HIGHER - APRIL 30, 2009.
May 1, 2009... COLOMBO, April 30 Asia Pulse - Sri Lankan retail investors pushed up shares for the second straight day on thin volumes, while the rupee strengthened from around 120.50 in spot trade to 120.00/10 by mid-day, brokers and dealers said. The...

SRI LANKA INFLATION SLOWS TO 2.9 PCT IN APRIL.
May 1, 2009... COLOMBO, May 1 Asia Pulse - Consumer inflation in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo, in the 12-months to April slowed to 2.9 per cent from 5.3 per cent in March, with prices declining for the seventh straight month, the statistics office said. ...

MACQUARIE GROUP CEO WON'T COMMENT ON PROPOSED CAPITAL RAISING.
May 1, 2009... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX:MQG) says it won't be discussing its proposed capital raising, after releasing its annual results on Friday. "We are not discussing any capital raisings here today for regulatory...

PAKISTAN STUDENTS BUILD FUEL-EFFICIENT CAR FOR GERMAN COMP.
May 1, 2009... ISLAMABAD, May 1 Asia Pulse - Students of Pakistan's Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute (GIKI) who have manufactured a fuel-efficient car for a competition in Germany, on Wednesday received sponsorship from the Science, Technology, Engineering and...

BANGLADESH NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MAY 1, 2009.
May 1, 2009... DHAKA, May 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE DAILY STAR: - The government is planning to outsource class IV employees under revenue budget in posts that fall vacant because of retirement or other reasons. -...

NZ CUTS RATES TO RECORD LOW OF 2.5%.
May 1, 2009... WELLINGTON, May 1 Asia Pulse - New Zealand's central bank has cut the official interest rate by 50 basis points to a record low of 2.5 per cent because of the impact of the global economic crisis. Reserve Bank of New Zealand governor Alan...

ANALYSIS - ANOTHER AUSTRALIAN RATE CUT IS POSSIBLE.
May 1, 2009... CANBERRA, May 1 Asia Pulse - Just because the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has declared the economy is in recession, don't expect the central bank to start taking a sledgehammer to interest rates. The heavy work has already been done....

UZBEK DEMONOPOLIZATION COMMITTEE FIGHTS HIDDEN VODKA ADS.
May 1, 2009... TASHKENT, May 1 Asia Pulse - Uzbekistan's State Demonopolization Committee is fighting hidden advertising, and right now it is up against Bufetnaya vodka. Bufetnaya vodka is 40 per cent proof and was being widely advertised in Tashkent...

STOCKS - CHITTAGONG SHARES END MIXED - APRIL 30, 2009.
May 1, 2009... CHITTAGONG, April 30 Asia Pulse - Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) closed mixed Thursday with the losers outnumbering the gainers. The CSE All Share Price Index (CASPI) decreased by 0.29 percent to close at 8227.85 points. The CSE-30...

BANGLADESH GOVT LIKELY TO BE HARSH ON TAX REBATE IN NEXT BUDGET.
May 1, 2009... DHAKA, May 1 Asia Pulse - The Bangladesh government is likely to be harsh on the tax rebate facilities in the budget for next fiscal year. National Board of Revenue (NBR) sources said they have got the green signal from the Finance Ministry...

ADVISORY - ASIAN STOCK MARKETS CLOSED - MAY 1, 2009.
May 1, 2009... SHANGHAI, BANGKOK, THAILAND, KUALA LUMPUR, MANILA, SINGAPORE, HANOI, May 1 Asia Pulse - The China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam stock markets are closed on Friday (May 1) for state Labour Day holidays. ...

BANGLADESH COUNCIL REVISES FY09 ANNUAL DEVT PROGRAM 10% DOWN.
May 1, 2009... DHAKA, May 1 Asia Pulse - The National Economic Council (NEC) on Thursday revised the current ADP 10 percent down to Tk 23,000 crore (US$3,325.86 million) from the original allocation of Tk 25,600 crore. A meeting of the NEC at its...

SRI LANKA CLOSE TO GETTING 15-YEAR LOAN FROM LIBYA: BANKER.
May 1, 2009... COLOMBO, May 1 Asia Pulse - Sri Lanka is close to finalizing a US$500 million long-term loan from Libya, the central bank governor Nivard Cabraal said. Cabraal is visiting Libya for discussions on the government-to-government credit. ...

FUJIKURA KASEI BUYS MEDICAL-RELATED BIZ FROM BIOTECH FIRM.
May 1, 2009... TOKYO, May 1 Asia Pulse - Fujikura Kasei Co. (TSE:4620) has acquired a chemical substance inspection equipment business from biotechnology start-up EnBioTec Laboratories Co. for around 40 million yen (US$405,280). The business, which...

AUSTRALIA'S WOODSIDE PETROLEUM REAFFIRMS OUTPUT FORCAST FOR 2009.
May 1, 2009... SYDNEY, May 1 Asia Pulse - Woodside Petroleum Ltd (ASX:WPL) says its annual profit will be lower than last year due to a softer oil price. The oil and gas company on Friday maintained its guidance for calendar 2009 production of 81 to 86...

JAPAN'S JS GROUP TO PAY US$27 MLN FOR NEARLY 30% OF SUN WAVE.
May 1, 2009... TOKYO, May 1 Asia Pulse - JS Group Corp. (TSE:5938) on Thursday announced plans to take a 29.98 per cent interest in Sun Wave Corp. (TSE:7993) as part of a broader alliance with the Japanese household equipment manufacturer. JS Group will...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN SHARES DOWN AT NOON - MAY 1, 2009.
May 1, 2009... MELBOURNE, May 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian share market was marginally lower at noon, with profit-takers targeting resources stocks and investors digesting Macquarie Group's 52 per cent annual profit fall. At 1200 AEST, the benchmark...

JAPANESE PHARMA FIRMS HAVE 3 FLU DRUGS ON FAST TRACK.
May 1, 2009... TOKYO, May 1 Asia Pulse - The threat of a swine flu pandemic will only help to accelerate the development of three flu drugs being fast-tracked by Japan's Health Ministry. Toyama Chemical Co., now a subsidiary of Fujifilm Holdings Corp....

NEW BANGLADESH BANK GOV AIM TO ELEVATE BANKS TO INT'L STANDARD.
May 1, 2009... DHAKA, May 1 Asia Pulse - Newly appointed Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman Thursday said he would try to elevate the country's commercial banks to international standard so they can help stimulate the economy. "I want to graduate...