AsiaPulse News articles from November 2005

AsiaPulse News archives from November 2005

STOCKS - BOMBAY SHARES CLOSE SHARPLY HIGHER - OCT 31, 2005.
November 1, 2005... MUMBAI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The Sensex on Monday bounced back sharply by a whopping 207 points to end at 7,892.32 in line with firm global trends, as investing community showed renewed vigour on the bourses, arresting a month-long bear phase....

FOREX - US DOLLAR ENDS SHARPLY HIGHER VS RUPEE - OCT 31, 2005.
November 1, 2005... MUMBAI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The U.S. Dollar ended sharply dearer against the rupee at Rs 45.1550 per dollar but the Pound Sterling turned cheaper at Rs 80.27 per pound at the close of the Interbank Foreign Exchange (FOREX) market here on...

INTEREST RATES NOT TO GO UP IN MEDIUM TERM: INDIAN MINISTER.
November 1, 2005... CHENNAI, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Indian Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Monday said he expected interest rates to be stable in the medium term, but added that a meeting on CMDs of banks he had convened on November 18 would help him assess the...

FOUR S.KOREAN CITIES COMPETE TO ACCOMMODATE NUCLEAR WASTE.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Four provincial cities on South Korea's east and west coasts are locked in last-minute competition for the right to host the nation's first permanent nuclear waste dump on the eve of a decisive popular ballot. On...

S.KOREAN TRUCKERS AVERT PLANNED WALKOUT.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's unionized truck drivers decided Monday to roll back their plan to stage a general strike and accept compromise measures presented by the government. The decision came from a vote of members of the...

S.KOREA'S DOMESTIC HANDSET MARKET RECOVERS FOR FIFTH MONTH.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Handset sales in South Korea picked up for the fifth consecutive month in October after a decline in the first half, industrial sources said Monday. They estimated the supply of handsets at between 1.28 million and...

SOUTH KOREAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - NOV 1, 2005.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: Vernacular dailies: - China imposes import ban on Korean kimchi (KYUNGHYANG SHINMUN) - Authorities to delay cutoff of electricity, gas supply to low-income citizens for...

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - NOV 1, 2005.
November 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE AUSTRALIAN: - John Howard has ordered an independent inquiry into Australian involvement in the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal; Makybe Diva is certain to start this afternoon...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS SOFTER - NOV 1, 2005.
November 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar opened softer today after the US dollar received an overnight boost from share market strength and positive economic data. At 0700 AEDT the local currency was trading at US$0.7479/81, below...

TELSTRA WILL BREACH LICENCE IF IT DUMPS DIGITAL MOBILE: MINISTER.
November 1, 2005... CANBERRA, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Telstra (ASX:TLS) will breach its operating licence if it shuts down its digital mobile phone network, Australian Communications Minister Helen Coonan says. Telstra was reported earlier last month to be...

TWO SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL AIRLINES TO CEASE OPERATIONS.
November 1, 2005... ADELAIDE, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Two South Australian regional airlines will close next week, citing significant losses. Capiteq Limited, the parent company of Airlines of South Australia and Emu Airways, announced Monday it would cease...

AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING ACTIVITY CONTRACTS IN OCT: SURVEY.
November 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Manufacturing activity in Australia contracted in October on the back of falls in sales and new orders. The Australian Industry Group-PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Australian performance of manufacturing index...

AUSTRALIAN CENTRAL BANK MEETS TODAY OVER INTEREST RATES.
November 1, 2005... CANBERRA, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Homeowners are hoping members of the Reserve Bank board have their mind on the Melbourne Cup and not an interest rate rise when they meet today. The bank will reveal tomorrow whether rates will stay on hold at...

PRICE WAR OVER CHINESE TOURISTS WORRIES TAIWAN TOURISM SECTOR.
November 1, 2005... TAIPEI, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's tourism industry is not worried about the ability of local hotels and relevant authorities to handle an expected influx of tourists from China but it is deeply concerned about a vicious price war that could...

CHANCES SLIM FOR 'ASEAN PLUS 3': TAIWANESE EXPERT.
November 1, 2005... TAIPEI, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - The possibility of forming a bloc of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus China, South Korea and Japan by 2010 is not very likely, Fuhwa Financial Holdings Co. Chairman Yen Ching-chang said Monday....

SOUTH KOREAN INFLATION RATE SLOWS IN OCTOBER: REPORT.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's gain in consumer prices slowed in October, mainly due to a fall in prices of agricultural products, a government report showed Tuesday. Consumer prices in Asia's fourth-largest economy rose 2.5...

TAIWAN HIGH-SPEED RAIL CORP TO PUBLISH NEW FINANCIAL PLAN.
November 1, 2005... TAIPEI, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - The Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) will publish its new financial plan in mid-November, THSRC Chairperson Nita Ing told CNA Monday. She said the new financial plan will not become big news. The major...

TAIWAN PRESIDENT CALLS FOR INT'L MONITORING OF BIRD FLU IN CHINA.
November 1, 2005... TAIPEI, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian urged the international community Monday to jointly monitor the avian flu situation in China to plug any possible holes in the global pandemic alert and response system. Chen made...

SUBSIDENCE WILL NOT THREATEN HIGH-SPEED RAIL: THSRC CHAIRWOMAN.
November 1, 2005... TAIPEI, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Subsidence in Yunlin, central Taiwan, will not be a danger for the high-speed train service planned for launch Oct. 31, 2006, Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) Chairwoman Nita Ing said Monday. Overuse of...

TAIWAN SEEKS TO PRODUCE TAMIFLU UNDER 'COMPULSORY LICENSING'.
November 1, 2005... TAIPEI, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's Department of Health (DOH) submitted an application to the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) Monday for a "compulsory license" to allow Tamiflu, a Swiss-patented drug used to treat influenza, to be produced...

TAIWAN HAS RIGHT TO ATTEND APEC MEETING: FOREIGN MINISTER.
November 1, 2005... TAIPEI, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Tan Sun Chen told lawmakers on Monday that Taiwan is "a country and cannot accept interference from other countries." Chen made the remarks in response to a question from...

TAIWAN POLICE VOICE CONCERNS ABOUT OPENING TO CHINESE TOURISTS.
November 1, 2005... TAIPEI, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan police authorities voiced concerns Monday about the possible impact on social order and national security of the expected opening of Taiwan to tourists from China in the near future. The National Police...

ASTRA'S NET PROFIT UP 12.6 PCT TO US$450 MLN IN 1ST 3 QUARTERS.
November 1, 2005... JAKARTA, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Holding company PT Astra International (JSX:ASII) reported a net profit of Rp4.5 trillion (US$450 million) in the first three quarter of this year, up 12.6 per cent from the same period last year. The country's...

STOCKS - KARACHI BOURSE FINISHES FIRMER - OCT 30, 2005.
November 1, 2005... KARACHI, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - The market experienced a slight rebound on October 30 on the back of good quarterly results of major stocks. The Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE-100) Index increased by 82 points to close at 8,317 on turnover of 293...

INDONESIA TO BUILD PILOT CASTOR OIL PROCESSING PLANT.
November 1, 2005... JAKARTA, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - The office of the Research and Technology Minister will built a pilot project for a castor oil processing plant with an investment of Rp75 billion (US$7.5 million). Research and Technology Minister Kusmayanto...

INDIA'S DANLAW TECH APPROVES JV WITH CNA GROUP, SINGAPORE.
November 1, 2005... MUMBAI, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - IT company Danlaw Technologies India Ltd (BSE:532329) has decided to enter into a joint venture agreement with Singapore-based CNA Group Ltd. The board at its recently held meeting approved the JV agreement and...

PAKISTAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 31, 2005.
November 1, 2005... ISLAMABAD, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: DAWN: - 'Time ripe to move ahead on Kashmir': I'm for demilitarization, says President - Line of Control camps planned at five points: Premier - Dams plan may...

HUTCH-ESSAR TURN TO INDIAN BANK CONSORTIUM FOR DEBT FOR BPL.
November 1, 2005... NEW DELHI, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Cellular major Hutchison Essar is understood to have approached a consortium of Indian banks to raise debt to part-finance its US$1.15 billion acquisition of BPL mobile companies and Essar Spacetel. Hutchison...

AUSTRALIAN MINISTER PUSHES BACK MEDIA OWNERSHIP CHANGES TO 2006.
November 1, 2005... CANBERRA, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Australian Communications Minister Helen Coonan has pushed back plans to carry out a major overhaul of Australia's media ownership rules until next year. Senator Coonan had planned to introduce legislation...

INDIA'S ONGC BIDS FOR US$3.75 BLN REFINERY PROJECT IN ANGOLA.
November 1, 2005... NEW DELHI, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (NSI:ONGC) has bid to participate in Angola's US$3.75-billion Sonaref project to build a 10 million tonne refinery at Lobito. Sonaref project involves setting up a grassroot...

HANCOCK TIMBER RESOURCE GROUP COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF TIMBERLAND.
November 1, 2005... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) BOSTON, Oct. 31 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- The Hancock Timber Resource Group (HTRG) said today that it has completed its acquisition of the ownership interests of entities owning or...

AUSTRALIA MAY CLOSE BORDERS IN BIRD FLU OUTBREAK: MINISTER.
November 1, 2005... BRISBANE, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - The federal government continued to warn of a bird flu pandemic Monday, as Australia's peak medical group called for calm and said hype and misrepresentation were fanning community fears. Australian Medical...

AUSTRALIA'S QUEENSLAND ENCOURAGES GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION.
November 1, 2005... BRISBANE, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - The Queensland government is opening up more than 6,000 square kilometres of the state to geothermal and petroleum exploration. Natural Resources and Mines Minister Henry Palaszczak Monday said the state...

LIFESIZE EXPANDS REACH IN ASIA WITH ENTRY INTO JAPANESE MARKET.(Industry Overview)
November 1, 2005... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 31, 2005-- Hitachi High-Technologies, Princeton Technology and TOWA Engineering to Offer LifeSize's Breakthrough High Definition Video Communications...

INDONESIA'S UNITED TRACTORS POST DECLINE IN NET PROFIT.
November 1, 2005... JAKARTA, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - The net profit of publicly listed heavy equipment company PT United Tractors (JSX:UNTR) declined by 2.97 per cent to Rp808.94 billion (US$80.8 million) in third quarter of this year compared with the same period last...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN SHARES BEGIN BRIGHTER - NOV 1, 2005.
November 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian share market jumped out of the gates higher today, although a public holiday in Melbourne is expected to keep trading volumes thin. At 1020 AEDT, the S&P/ASX200 rose 6.1 points to 4,465.8 while the...

INDONESIA CAN ACHIEVE 6.2 PCT ECONOMIC GROWTH IN 2006: GAPMMI.
November 1, 2005... JAKARTA, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - The Association of Indonesian Food and Beverage Producers (GAPMMI) believed that Indonesia's economic growth may reach 6.2 per cent in 2006, considering that in that year the government will build infrastructure to...

INDIA'S ONGC TO SET UP RAJASTHAN REFINERY.
November 1, 2005... JAIPUR, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - India's largest oil producer ONGC (NSI:ONGC) on Monday announced it would set up a 7.5 million tonne-capacity refinery at Barmer oil fields in Rajasthan at an investment of Rs 90 billion. Crude from the Barmer...

STOCKS - S KOREAN STOCKS OPEN HIGHER - NOV 1, 2005.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks opened higher Tuesday, with the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rising 7.66 points to 1165.77. (Yonhap) 01-11 1116

FOREX - US DOLLAR OPENS STRONGER AGAINST WON - NOV 1, 2005.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - The U.S. dollar on Tuesday started at 1043.50 won, up from 1040.20 at Monday's close. (Yonhap) 01-11 1118

STOCKS - KOSDAQ OPENS HIGHER - NOV 1, 2005.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - The KOSDAQ on Tuesday began 2.32 points higher 589.78. (Yonhap) 01-11 1119

JAPAN SEEKS TO REVIVE FTA TALKS WITH KOREA DURING APEC MEETING.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea and Japan will seek to resume negotiations for a free trade agreement when the two countries meet during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Busan this month. Shotaro Oshima, Japanese...

INDIA'S GUJ NRE BUYS 49% IN AUSTRALIAN MINER PLOUTON RESOURCES.
November 1, 2005... NEW DELHI, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Gujarat NRE Coke Limited (GNCL) (NSI:GUJNRECOK) on Monday said its subsidiary Gujarat NRE FCGL Pvt Ltd (FCGL) has acquired 49 per cent equity in Australia's Plouton Resources Pvt Ltd to explore gold, uranium,...

ADVISORY - MALAYSIAN BOURSE CLOSED - NOV 1, 2005.
November 1, 2005... KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Please be advised that the Malaysian sharemarket is closed today due to a public holiday (Deepavali - The Festival of Lights). Trade will recommence tomorrow. ASIA PULSE 01-11 1123

LIFESIZE SHIPPING HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO PRODUCTS TO CHANNEL PARTNERS WORLDWIDE.
November 1, 2005... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 31, 2005-- 31 Channel Partners on 5 Continents Signed; Many Ready to Demonstrate Better Quality Video at Any Bandwidth With LifeSize Room(TM) ...

NATCO PHARMA GETS USFDA APPROVAL FOR ANDHRA PRADESH UNIT.
November 1, 2005... MUMBAI, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Natco Pharma Ltd (BSE:524816) said it has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for its facility manufacturing finished dosage formulations at Kothur in Andhra Pradesh. The Kothur unit will...

INDIA'S VENUS REMEDIES FILES APPLICATION FOR INT'L PATENT.
November 1, 2005... MUMBAI, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Venus Remedies Ltd (BSE:526953) said it has filed its first application for an international patent for its product, "Non Aqueous Liquid Parenteral Aceclofenac Formulation". The patent application has been filed...

INVESTMENT FROM SINGAPORE IN TIANJIN GROWS.
November 1, 2005... TIANJIN, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Hyflux Ltd (SGX:600) from Singapore recently invested US$90 million to construct a seawater desalination plant in Tianjin Dagang District, the largest in China. Investment from Singapore in Tianjin has kept...

ADVISORY - MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - NOV 1, 2005.
November 1, 2005... KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - There are no Malaysian newspaper highlights today due to a national holiday on the occasion of the Hindu festival of Deepavali. Publication of Malaysian newspapers will resume on Nov 2. ASIA PULSE...

IMERYS IMPLEMENTS ENERGY SURCHARGE ON GEORGIA KAOLINS FOR THE PAPER INDUSTRY.
November 1, 2005... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 31, 2005--In addition to the 17 August 2005 price increase announcement on kaolin for paper, IMERYS will implement an energy surcharge or further adjust prices...

CORNING TO INVEST A FURTHER US$500 MLN IN CHINA: CEO.
November 1, 2005... SHANGHAI, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - In the next few years, Corning Inc. will make an additional investment of US$500 million to expand its presence on Chinese market in the fields of optical fibre and optical cable, LCD technology and auto environment...

RUSSIA WANTS N KOREA TO SCRAP NUKE WEAPONS AT SAME TIME AS LWR PROVISION.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Russia on Tuesday proposed that the provision of light-water reactors (LWRs) to North Korea and the North's dismantling of nuclear weapons should take place simultaneously. "Here you see an issue of mutual...

ADVISORY - TOKYO STOCK EXCHANGE SUSPENDS TRADING - NOV 1, 2005.
November 1, 2005... TOKYO, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Please be advised that trading has been temporarily suspended on the Tokyo Stock Exchange this morning due to technical difficulties, according to a statement from the Tokyo bourse. ASIA PULSE 01-11 1138

IRAN EXPORTS US$70 MLN OF POLYMERS SINCE MARCH.
November 1, 2005... TEHRAN, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - The managing director of Iran's National Petrochemical Company (NPC) said here Saturday that over US$70 million of polymers have been exported since the beginning of the current Year (started March 21). Mohammad...

INDONESIA PLANS INCENTIVES FOR EXPORT ORIENTED INDUSTRIES.
November 1, 2005... JAKARTA, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - The government will give priority and incentives to the textile and garment, shoe and electronic industries to boost exports. Trade Minister Mari E. Pangestu said the form of priority and incentives to be given...

CHINA RETURNS AS LEADING AGRICULTURAL EXPORTER TO S.KOREA.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - China surpassed the United States as the biggest exporter of agricultural products to South Korea in the January-September period as local consumers turned to cheaper Chinese farm produce, the government said Tuesday....

STOCKS - SEOUL SHARES OPEN HIGHER - NOV 1, 2005.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks started higher Tuesday as foreign investors snapped up finance and bank shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 17.27 points, or 1.49 per cent, to 1,175.38 in the...

TIA, JESA AGREE TO SUPPORT GLOBALCOMM AND CEATEC JAPAN.
November 1, 2005... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 31, 2005--The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) has reached an agreement with the Japan Electronics Show Association (JESA) to co-support the...

INDONESIA TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT IN RICE THIS YEAR.
November 1, 2005... JAKARTA, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - The ministry of agriculture estimated that Indonesia would again become self-sufficient in rice in 2005 like it was in 1984 and 2004 with a production of 53.98 million tons of dried unhulled rice. Secretary of...

INDIA BUILDING ITS FIRST FULLY INDIGENOUS WARSHIP.
November 1, 2005... DHAKA, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Taking the first strides towards complete indigenisation of India's defence armoury, the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) of Kolkata have begun building India's first completely indigenous warship, the...

LG TELECOM REPORTS 90.5 PCT JUMP IN Q3 NET PROFIT.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - LG Telecom Ltd., South Korea's smallest mobile phone operator, said Tuesday net income for the third quarter jumped 90.5 per cent from a year ago to 83.7 billion won (US$80.4 million). Third-quarter operating...

MOTORCYCLE SALES IN INDONESIA JUMP 34.5% IN JAN-SEPT.
November 1, 2005... JAKARTA, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Sales of motorcycles in the country rose 34.5 per cent to 2.89 million units in the first nine months of this year compared with the same period last year. Honda, which is produced by the Astra Group maintained...

INDONESIAN PRESIDENT IRKED BY CRITICISM OF FUEL OIL PRICE HIKE.
November 1, 2005... CENTRAL LOMBOK, WEST NUSATENGGARA, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday vented his anger at critics who say his government's policy to raise fuel oil prices was only causing misery to the people. "A president who...

CORR - AUSTRALIAN NEW HOME SALES DIP 16 PCT IN SEPTEMBER.
November 1, 2005... Repeating to correct the first paragraph. SYDNEY, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - The sale of new homes in Australia has dipped in September, following a solid jump in the previous month. A Housing Industry Association (HIA) report showed sales of...

INDONESIA FACING ANTI-DUMPING CHARGES FROM 10 COUNTRIES.
November 1, 2005... JAKARTA, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Until October 10, 2005, Indonesia had been accused by 10 different countries, including Malaysia, Thailand and New Zealand, of indulging in dumping practices, and the three countries have been imposing an...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN SHARES STRONGER AT NOON - NOV 1, 2005.
November 1, 2005... PERTH, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian share market was stronger at noon with market trading expected to wind down ahead of this afternoon's Melbourne Cup. The US provided a strong lead, helping the local market to a sound start. At...

JAPANESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - NOV 1, 2005.
November 1, 2005... TOKYO, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: NIKKEI NET: - Three lawmakers seen as top contenders to succeed Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi -- Shinzo Abe, Sadakazu Tanigaki and Taro Aso -- all received key appointments...

SOUTH KOREAN EXPORTS HIT RECORD US$25.71 BLN IN OCTOBER.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's exports reached a new monthly high of US$25.71 billion in October thanks to strong shipments of cars, ships and machinery, the government said Tuesday. Last month's customs-cleared exports were up...

ADVISORY - SINGAPORE BOURSE CLOSED - NOV 1, 2005.
November 1, 2005... SINGAPORE, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Please be advised that the Singapore sharemarket is closed today due to a public holiday (Deepavali - The Festival of Lights). Trade will recommence tomorrow. ASIA PULSE 01-11 1240

INDONESIA'S ASTRA REPORTS 33.2 PCT SURGE IN CAR SALES IN JAN-SEPT.
November 1, 2005... JAKARTA, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Publicly listed automotive company PT Astra International (JSX:ASII) reported a 33.2 per cent on-year surge in car sales to 203,864 units in the first nine months of this year. Multipurpose vehicles contributed...

CYBERLUX PICKED BY US AIR FORCE TO PROVIDE ADVANCED SECURITY LIGHTING SYSTEM.
November 1, 2005... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Cyberlux collaborates with Air Mobility Battlelab to produce unique, lightweight visible and infrared lighting system for...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR WEAKER IN NOON TRADE - NOV 1, 2005.
November 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar continued to slip further at noon today extending overnight losses as the US dollar received a boost from positive income data. At 1200 AEDT the local currency was trading at US$0.7469/74,...

INDONESIA HOPES TO GAIN FROM FALLING PULP SUPPLY IN WORLD MARKET.
November 1, 2005... JAKARTA, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Indonesia hopes to take advantage of falling supply of pulp and paper to the world market from Canada and Finland, the world's largest producers of the commodities. The prices of pulp in the international market...

PHILIPPINE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - NOV 1, 2005.
November 1, 2005... MANILA, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: MANILA TIMES: - Justice Secretary Raul M. Gonzalez on Monday warned that the United States Embassy could be held liable for rumormongering owing to its report that former...

DEUTSCHE BANK, UFS TO WHOLLY OWN INDONESIA'S KIANI KERTAS.
November 1, 2005... JAKARTA, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - The consortium of Deutsche Bank and United Fiber System (UFS) is almost certain to wholly take over pulp and paper company PT Kiani Kertas. The consortium agreed to pay US$200 million for the asset and in...

S.KOREA TO LAUNCH INVESTIGATION INTO LOCAL KIMCHI PRODUCERS.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's foreign ministry said Tuesday it will conduct an investigation of local kimchi producers after revelations Monday that parasite eggs were discovered in South Korean products exported to China. On...

CORR - INDIA'S GUJ NRE BUYS 49% IN AUSTRALIAN MINER PLOUTON.
November 1, 2005... (Corrects investment figure in second paragraph) NEW DELHI, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Gujarat NRE Coke Limited (GNCL) (NSI:GUJNRECOK) on Monday said its subsidiary Gujarat NRE FCGL Pvt Ltd (FCGL) has acquired 49 per cent equity in Australia's...

LUCENT TECH WINS INTERNET TELEPHONY ORDER FROM S. KOREAS KT.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Lucent Technologies Inc., a U.S. telecom equipment maker, said Tuesday it has won a contract to supply Internet-based telephony equipment to KT Corp. (KSE:030200), South Korea's biggest fixed-line telecom company. ...

US GROUP PICKED TO RUN INT'L SCHOOLS IN S. KOREAN CITY.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - U.S.-based International School Services (ISS), one of the world's leading providers of educational services for expatriate communities, was selected to establish and run international schools in a city west of Seoul,...

LG TELECOM'S Q3 PROFIT JUMPS, BUT OUTLOOK UNCERTAIN.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - LG Telecom Ltd., South Korea's smallest mobile phone operator, said Tuesday it posted a nearly 91 per cent jump in net income for the third quarter thanks to lower marketing costs and higher service sales. ...

AUSTRALIAN CREDIT UNIONS STRUGGLING TO MATCH BANK GROWTH.
November 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Credit unions and building societies are struggling to match the growth of their banking rivals as they face increasingly tough competition in their core businesses of home loans and deposits. A survey of 66...

TRUST COMPANY OF AUSTRALIA POSITIONED FOR GROWTH.
November 1, 2005... SYDNEY, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Financial services firm Trust Company of Australia Ltd (ASX:TRU) says exiting several businesses during the year has left it well positioned for growth. Trust managing director Jonathan Sweeney said its current...

HONG KONG NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - NOV 1, 2005.
November 1, 2005... HONG KONG, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: - Non-official executive councillors will form partnerships with ministers to make policies in their chosen areas under new arrangements for the...

TAX CUTS CONTRIBUTE LITTLE TO BOOSTING KOREAN ECONOMY: MINISTRY.
November 1, 2005... SEOUL, Nov 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's Finance Ministry said Tuesday that recent tax cuts contributed little to boosting the economy, opposing calls from political circles for further tax reductions. In a report, the ministry said that tax...