AsiaPulse News articles from October 2004

AsiaPulse News archives from October 2004

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 1, 2004.
October 1, 2004... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE AUSTRALIAN: - Despair among parents as teachers, doctors and police are arrested on child pornography charges. - Prime Minister John Howard warns that Labor's Gold...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS FIRMER - OCT 1, 2004.
October 1, 2004... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar jumped more than one US cent overnight to open firmer today on the back of a slump on the US dollar. At 0700 AEST the local currency was trading at $US0.7273/78, compared to 0.7143/48 at...

STOCKS - BOMBAY SHARES CLOSE HIGHER - SEPT 30, 2004.
October 1, 2004... MUMBAI, Sept 30 Asia Pulse - The Bombay stock exchange extended its gains to a second straight session today, soaring 56 points as stocks rallied sharply on sustained short-covering by operators and retail investors coupled with selective...

KOREAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 1, 2004.
October 1, 2004... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: KYUNGHYANG SHINMUN: - China asks hand-over of N.Korean defectors from Canada KUKMIN DAILY: - High oil prices shrink military training DONG-A ILBO: - Gov't...

AUSTRALIA'S JETSTAR ANNOUNCES NEW SERVICES.
October 1, 2004... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Budget domestic airline Jetstar will add more than 100 new weekly services to its growing network by the end of calendar 2004. Jetstar said as part of the 100 new services it will launch a brand new thrice-weekly...

AUSTRALIA'S BLUESCOPE STEEL MAKES STRONG START IN 2004/05.
October 1, 2004... NEW YORK, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Australia's largest steel producer BlueScope Steel Ltd (ASX:BSL) has performed strongly in the first few months of the new financial year, the company's chief executive Kirby Adams said yesterday. Record steel...

AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING ACTIVITY POSTS MODERATE GROWTH IN SEPT.
October 1, 2004... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Australian manufacturing activity continued to grow moderately in September, largely due to improvements in basic metals and transport equipment. The Australian Industry (Ai) Group - PricewaterhouseCoopers...

AUSTRALIA, E TIMOR WRAP UP TALKS OVER OIL RESOURCES.
October 1, 2004... CANBERRA, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Talks between Australia and East Timor over oil and gas reserve revenues wound up in Darwin yesterday as a Perth businessman warned he would be running ads criticising Canberra's actions in the matter. A...

BRUANDWO HIKES TAKEOVER BID FOR AUSTRALIAN LIQUOR & HOSPITALITY.
October 1, 2004... MELBOURNE, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The bidding war for Australian Leisure & Hospitality Group Ltd (ASX:ALH) (ALH) stepped up a notch yesterday as Woolworths-led Bruandwo Pty Ltd lifted its cash offer for the pubs and bottleshops operator to A$3.15...

INDIAN SBI-CANARA BANK JV BEGINS OPERATIONS IN MOSCOW.
October 1, 2004... BANGALORE, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Commercial Bank of India LLC (CBI), a joint venture between public sector Canara Bank (BSE:CNBK) and State Bank of India (BSE:SBI), has begun operations in Moscow. SBI holds 60 per cent equity in CBI, the...

NOKIA MOST PREFERRED MOBILE PHONE BRAND IN INDIA: STUDY.
October 1, 2004... NEW DELHI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - A consumer study has ranked Nokia as the most preferred brand in mobile phones followed by Samsung and Reliance. In terms of aggregate preferences, the Nokia brand topped the chart with 75 per cent followed by...

P&G MULLS MANUFACTURING PLANT FOR SHAMPOO IN INDIA.
October 1, 2004... NEW DELHI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Procter & Gamble is planning to set up a manufacturing unit for shampoo in India as the domestic market has shown growth in terms of volume, a top company official said today. "We are open to the idea (of a...

IMPACT OF RISING OIL PRICES ON INDIA CONCERNING: ECONOMIST.
October 1, 2004... MUMBAI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Indian economy is expected to grow at 6.3 per cent in 2004 and 6.2 per cent next year while the surging oil prices will influence the course of global economic activity, according to Morgan Stanley Chief Economist...

ADB SEES INDIA GROWING BY 8.2% IN 2005-07, OFFERS US$6.47 BLN.
October 1, 2004... NEW DELHI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Expecting India to sustain a high 8.2 per cent GDP growth in next three years, Asian Development Bank Thursday offered up to US$6.47 billion assistance during 2005-07 with special emphasis on agriculture and poor...

KOREAN GOV'T IMPOSES ANTI-DUMPING DUTIES ON CHINESE CHEMICAL.
October 1, 2004... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea will tentatively impose 4.98-23.08 per cent anti-dumping duties on Chinese anatase titanium dioxide, the Ministry of Finance and Economy said Friday. The ministry said the measure will go into effect as...

INDIAN CABINET COMMITTEE DEFERS DECISION ON INVESTMENT COMM'N.
October 1, 2004... NEW DELHI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has deferred a decision on setting up of an Investment Commission due to absence of some of the key ministers. "The decision on Investment Commission has been deferred...

FOREX - US$ OPENS LOWER AGAINST KOREAN WON - OCT 1, 2004.
October 1, 2004... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The US dollar opened at 1,147.50 won, down from 1,151.80 won. (Yonhap) 01-10 1022

PAKISTAN TELECOM MINISTRY TO CUT INT'L BANDWIDTH RATE BY 27 PCT.
October 1, 2004... KARACHI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The ministry of telecommunications has agreed to cut international bandwidth rate by almost 27 per cent on the demand of Internet service providers (ISPs), who had hinted they would increase service charges. ...

S KOREA'S TAEGU CITY GAS PLACED UNDER STOCK EXCHANGE SUPERVISION.
October 1, 2004... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Taegu City Gas Co. was placed under the supervision of South Korea's main stock exchange today because of its failure to meet the requirement for trading volume in the third quarter, the Korea Stock Exchange (KSE)...

BUSINESS WIRE DAILY SUMMARY - SEPT 29, 2004.
October 1, 2004... A summary of news releases for Sept. 29, 2004, 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:...

DIASPORA HELPS INDIA RETAIN EDGE IN OUTSOURCING: WORLD BANK.
October 1, 2004... NEW DELHI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Growing influence and expertise of diaspora in US, UK and Canada will help India retain its edge and move up the value chain in outsourcing as other countries try to catch up with it in other parameters, a study by...

THAI NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 1, 2004.
October 1, 2004... BANGKOK, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE BANGKOK POST: - About 100 National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) officials yesterday dressed in black to protest against the appointment of Ampon...

OVERSEAS STOCK TRANSACTIONS TO BE EXEMPTED FROM S KOREAN TAXES.
October 1, 2004... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - All legitimate overseas securities transactions will be exempt from local taxation starting this month, the Ministry of Finance and Economy said today. The ministry said the measure is designed to facilitate...

SINGAPORE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 1, 2004.
October 1, 2004... SINGAPORE, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE STRAITS TIMES: - The Singapore Government has achieved 'markedly inferior' investment returns on its assets over the last five years compared with Hong Kong, global...

STOCKS - KOREAN SHARES OPEN HIGHER - OCT 1, 2004.
October 1, 2004... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks started higher Friday helped by gains in computer-related shares. In the first 15 minutes of trading, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 2.77 points, or 0.33 per cent,...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN SHARES OPEN FIRMER - OCT 1, 2004.
October 1, 2004... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian stock market opened slightly higher today, with a weaker US market overnight weighing upon the local bourse. By 1024 AEST the the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index was up 1.5 points to 3666.5, while the...

TAIWAN'S CONSUMER CONFIDENCE INDEX FOR SEPTEMBER INCREASES.
October 1, 2004... TAIPEI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) for September stood at 75.68 points, an increase of 1.82 points from the previous month's level, according to the results of a survey released Thursday. The survey carried...

TAIWAN'S CENTRAL BANK ANNOUNCES INTEREST RATE INCREASE.
October 1, 2004... TAIPEI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's Central Bank of China announced Thursday that it will raise key interest rate by a quarter-percentage point starting Friday. In the first rate increase in nearly four years, the bank announced that the...

INDIA'S GE SHIPPING ORDERS 2 NORWEGIAN PLATFORM SUPPLY VESSELS.
October 1, 2004... MUMBAI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Great Eastern Shipping Company Ltd (BSE:GESC) has placed an order for two Platform Supply Vessels (PSVs) with a Norwegian shipyard, taking the company order book to 14 vessels. Aker Brattvaag of Norway is expected...

TAIWAN, JAPAN, S KOREA DEFEND FISHERY SUBSIDIES IN WTO.
October 1, 2004... GENEVA, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan has joined hands with Japan and South Korea to build a united front to defend their fishery subsidies policies at the World Trade Organization (WTO), a trade source said in Geneva Thursday. The WTO members...

INDIA'S BILATERAL TRADE WITH EAST ASIA TO GROW BY 15% IN 2004.
October 1, 2004... NEW DELHI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - India expects bilateral trade with East Asian countries to grow by 15 per cent to US$23 billion in 2004. "The two-way trade between India and Far East Asian nations is expected to increase to US$23 billion in...

GOVERNOR TAFT LEADS OHIO STATE MISSION ON TAIWAN VISIT.
October 1, 2004... TAIPEI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Ohio Governor Bob Taft, at the head of a 50-member delegation from the U.S. state, arrived in Taiwan Thursday for a three-day trade-promotion trip, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) reported. The mission --...

INDIAN GOVT OKS US$910 MLN EXPANSION PLAN FOR LIGNITE MINER.
October 1, 2004... NEW DELHI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The government has approved an expansion of mining and captive power capacities of state-owned Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) with an investment of Rs 41.92 billion (US$910 million). The decision was taken...

NIPPON SANSO AND TAIYO TOYO SANSO SUCCESSFULLY MERGE.
October 1, 2004... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 1, 2004--Nippon Sanso Corporation (JP:4091) has successfully completed its merger transaction with Taiyo Toyo Sanso Corporation (JP:4103). "Taiyo Nippon Sanso...

NASSCOM TO HOLD INDIA-US SUMMIT ON INFORMATION SECURITY.
October 1, 2004... NEW DELHI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Industry body Nasscom will hold the first ever India-US Information Security Summit on October 12-13 here as part of efforts to explore joint programmes for strengthening information security. The summit,...

INDIAN GOVT MAY ANNOUNCE BSNL-MTNL MERGER PLANS IN PARLIAMENT.
October 1, 2004... NEW DELHI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - In a bid to strengthen the presence of state-owned telecom companies, the Government is considering merging state-owned telecom players Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) (BSE:BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd...

INDIAN PC DISSOLVES CONSULTATIVE GROUPS AFTER CONTROVERSY.
October 1, 2004... NEW DELHI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Bowing to the pressure from the Left parties, the Planning Commission Thursday dissolved all the 19 consultative groups in the light of the controversy over the presence of "foreign" experts in these groups. ...

TAIWAN OFFICIAL URGES INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION INNOVATION.
October 1, 2004... TAIPEI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - A financial environment with a combination of venture capital, technological innovation and a spirit of enterprise is crucial to the continuous development of Taiwan's information and communications industries, Vice...

TAIWAN HELPING TRAIN GAMBIAN PETROLEUM SPECIALISTS.
October 1, 2004... TAIPEI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan is helping Gambia nurture specialists in crude oil exploration and other areas of the petroleum industry by offering four-year university education to 25 Gambian citizens. A ceremony marking the beginning...

STOCKS - TOKYO SHARES OPEN HIGHER - OCT 1, 2004.
October 1, 2004... TOKYO, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Share prices in Tokyo opened higher this morning after the the key Tankan survey showed improved business confidence, with the benchmark Nikkei-225 index up 69.62 points or 0.64 percent at 10,893.19 in the first five...

TAIWAN'S TEENAGERS PLAGUED BY DEPRESSION: POLL.
October 1, 2004... TAIPEI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Approximately 28 per cent of Taiwan's teenagers are seriously depressive and 30.6 per cent of them wish they could "vanish from the earth", according to the results of a survey released Thursday. The survey was...

PRESSURE ON AUSTRALIA AS RUSSIA MOVES TO RATIFY KYOTO PROTOCOL.
October 1, 2004... CANBERRA, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The major parties' different approaches to the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas emissions became starker today after Russia made steps to ratify the agreement. Russia's expected endorsement would bring critical...

AUSTRALIAN GOODS & SERVICES PRICES RISE SLIGHTLY IN SEPT.
October 1, 2004... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The price of Australian consumer goods and services rose modestly in September on the back of increases in the cost of rents, house purchases and holiday travel. TD Securities/ Melbourne Institute Experimental...

KOOKMIN BANK'S Q3 PROFIT FORECAST WILL MATCH H1 PROFIT: CEO.
October 1, 2004... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Kookmin Bank, South Korea's leading lender, is expected to have racked up around 300 billion won (US$261 million) in net profit in the last three months, the bank's head said today. "Our third-quarter profits are...

MERGED ENTITY OF CITIBANK, S KOREA'S KORAM TO LAUNCH IN NOV.
October 1, 2004... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The bank resulting from the merger between the nation's seventh-largest lender and Citibank's Seoul branch will launch on November 1, financial sources said today. The merged bank, or Citibank Korea Inc., will...

PEPSICO Q3 REVENUE GROWTH OVER 6%, OPERATING PROFIT UP 11%.
October 1, 2004... (Full text of this release can be found at www.asianetnews.net) PURCHASE, N.Y., Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- PepsiCo delivered another strong quarter, with earnings per share of .79 that included tax benefits of $0.13. Excluding the tax...

SPRINT & SUNET SET INTERNET DATA SPEED RECORD.
October 1, 2004... (Full text of a statement, contact details below) OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Sprint (NYSE: FON) and the Swedish National Research and Education Network (SUNET) were today officially awarded the Internet Land Speed...

LINCOLN ELECTRIC ANNOUNCES ASIA PACIFIC EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT.
October 1, 2004... (Full text of a statement, contact details below) CLEVELAND, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: LECO) announced today that Thomas A. Flohn has been elected Vice President and President, Lincoln...

STUDY SUGGESTS DIFFERENCES IN DRUG-ELUTING STENTS.
October 1, 2004... (Full text of a statement, contact details below) SEOUL, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Results of a multi-center, prospective study involving two leading drug-eluting stents were presented today, with data indicating that patients with...

NETCENTREX RESIDENTIAL DEPLOYMENTS EXCEED 1 MLN VOICE LINES.
October 1, 2004... (Full text of a statement, contact details below) PARIS, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- NetCentrex(TM), the leading enabler of converged voice-video-data networks and next-generation services, announced it has exceeded 1 million Class 5...

CVRD PROPOSES ADDITIONAL DIVIDEND FOR 2004.
October 1, 2004... (Full text of a statement, contact details below) RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (NYSE: RIO) (CVRD) informs that its Executive Committee will submit, on October 13, 2004, a proposal to...

S KOREAN PUBLIC UNIMPRESSED BY GOVT'S ECONOMIC PLAN.
October 1, 2004... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - A majority of South Korean people expressed their skepticism with the government's economic revitalization plan, according to an on-line survey released today by the Ministry of Finance and Economy. The survey,...

US-CHINA BUSINESS COUNCIL ANNOUNCES NEW PRESIDENT.
October 1, 2004... WASHINGTON, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The US-China Business Council has announced that John Frisbie will be the Council's new President, starting from November 1, 2004. Mr. Frisbie, 45, succeeds Robert A. Kapp as leader of the Council, the...

ADVISORY - NATIONAL DAY HOLIDAY IN CHINA, OCT 1 - OCT 7, 2004.
October 1, 2004... Due to National Day holiday in China from October 1 to 7, there will be no stories from Xinhua Information Centre during these days. Normal service will resume on October 8. ASIA PULSE 01-10 1224

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN SHARES HIGHER AT NOON - OCT 1, 2004.
October 1, 2004... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Resource stocks were helping Australian stock market hold higher ground at noon today despite a weaker US market overnight weighing upon the local bourse at open. Austock Brokers private client adviser Peter...

PHILIPPINES' HIGH POPULATION GROWTH LESSENS EMPLOYMENT CHANCES.
October 1, 2004... MANILA, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Philippines' high population growth of 2.36 per cent has contributed significantly to decreasing employment opportunities and underemployment of as high as 17.1 percent in 2003. A Country Gender Assessment on...

PHILIPPINES SEEKS TO MODERNIZE ITS DUCK INDUSTRY.
October 1, 2004... MANILA, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap cited today the export potential of the country's duck and duck products, adding that his department is aggressively pursuing measures to modernize the fledgling industry. Yap...

STOCKS - MALAYSIAN STOCKS UP IN EARLY TRADE - OCT 1, 2004.
October 1, 2004... KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Malaysian sharemarket was up 0.56 per cent in early trade due to bargain hunting in selected bluechips, dealers said. At 10:26 a.m., the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Composite Index rose 4.77 points at...

UNICOM TO PROMOTE NEW BRAND WITH EXTENDED-FUNCTION CARDS.
October 1, 2004... (Full text of a statement, contact details below) BEIJING--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 30, 2004-- Axalto (EURONEXT:AXL)(EURONEXT:NL0000400653), today announced the successful delivery of world's largest UIM CDMA cards to China Unicom. With the...

MORE DEREGULATION IN 'CORPORATE CITIES' PLAN: S.KOREAN BUSINESS.
October 1, 2004... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's biggest business association appealed Friday to the government for deregulation of its ambitious bill to build "corporate cities." The bill, which aims to persuade big businesses to invest in...

STOCKS - SINGAPORE STOCKS UP IN EARLY TRADE - OCT 1, 2004.
October 1, 2004... SINGAPORE, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Singapore shares were higher in early trade, with the Straits Times Index up 9.16 points at 1993.9 at 10:35 a.m. The market rose due to bargain-hunting in selected bluechips, including Fraser & Neave, APB...

JAPANESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 1, 2004.
October 1, 2004... TOKYO, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: NIKKEI NET: - Japan's largest firms are more upbeat than they were three months ago and revised up their profit expectations and investment plans, according to...

VISA INT'L TO JOIN 'VISIT JAPAN CAMPAIGN' WITH STAR ALLIANCE.
October 1, 2004... TOKYO, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Visa International said Thursday that it will launch a two-year Japanese tourism campaign in cooperation with the government's ongoing promotion, targeting its overseas cardholders. The company will also join hands...

MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 1, 2004.
October 1, 2004... KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE STAR: - The Government's move to increase petrol and diesel prices by five sen a litre from today is to rationalise the current fuel subsidies and to curb the...

QUALCOMM TO ACQUIRE CHIP DESIGN COMPANY SPIKE TECHNOLOGIES.
October 1, 2004... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) SAN DIEGO, Calif., Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Acquisition Furthers QUALCOMM's Efforts to Support the Increasing Demand for 3G CDMA Wireless Devices Worldwide QUALCOMM...

S KOREA'S SK GROUP EYES VIETNAM MARKET.
October 1, 2004... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - SK Group, the country's fourth-largest conglomerate, said Friday it is stepping up efforts to tap into the Vietnamese market, a bold move aimed at expanding business in the Asian neighbor with huge market potential....

VIETNAM POSTS 29 PCT JUMP IN FOREIGN TOURISTS JAN-SEP.
October 1, 2004... HANOI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The number of foreign visitors to Vietnam so far this year has risen 29 per cent to 2.1 million people with 210,000 of them coming to Vietnam in September. The figure helped boost the tourism sector's revenue in...

VIETNAMESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 1, 2004.
October 1, 2004... HANOI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: HANOI MOI: - More than 3 million signatures and VND1.5 billion have been collected in support of the Vietnamese AO/Dioxin victims. - The Vietnam Post and Telecommunication...

US INVESTORS EYE VIETNAM AS A FUTURE MARKET.
October 1, 2004... HANOI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Vietnam is a market where most US investors want to establish business ties in the future, Shaun Donnelly, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs of the US...

JAPAN'S YUSHIRO TO ENTER THAI MARKET.
October 1, 2004... TOKYO, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Yushiro Chemical Industry Co. (TSE:5013) plans to form a unit in Thailand to begin producing metalworking oils there. The company was the target of a hostile takeover bid by U.S. investment fund Steel Partners,...

VIETNAM'S CASHEW NUT EXPORTS TO THE US SOAR IN Q3.
October 1, 2004... HANOI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Vietnam's cashew nut exports to the US soared in the third quarter of this year, according to the Ministry of Trade. In August, the country shipped 4,961 tonnes of cashew nuts to the market, bringing total cashew...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR HIGHER AT NOON - OCT 1, 2004.
October 1, 2004... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar was more than one US cent stronger at noon today, rallying on the coat-tails of the euro overnight after European investors sold US investments. At 1200 AEST the local currency was trading at...

HO CHI MINH CITY GARMENT FIRM WINS TOP AWARD.
October 1, 2004... HANOI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Viet Tien Garment Company in Ho Chi Minh City was named the best-performing enterprise in the garment and textile industry for 2004, beating some 1,200 other companies. Viet Tien, which makes shirts, trousers...

S.KOREAN POSTAL SERVICE TO RAISE CHARGES IN NOV.
October 1, 2004... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's national postal service agency said Friday that it will charge its customers an average 11.8 per cent more for domestic mail services from Nov. 1. Korea Post said the price of an ordinary postage...

M'SHITA TO BOOST OUTPUT OF CAR AUDIO GEAR IN TAIWAN, CHINA.
October 1, 2004... TAIPEI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.'s (TSE:6752) Taiwanese unit said Thursday that it will increase production capacity for car-mounted audio equipment, including DVD players, by 50 per cent at its local plant and by...

S KOREA'S COMMERCE MINISTRY TO STOP MONITORING STEEL EXPORTS.
October 1, 2004... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Commerce Ministry said Friday it has decided to end regulation of steel exports, a temporary measure that had been in place to protect domestic supplies. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy has...

US CO TO BUILD ANIMAL FEED MILL IN VIETNAM.
October 1, 2004... HANOI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The US company Cargill will put a fodder factory in the Pho Noi A Industrial Zone in northern Hung Yen province into operation on Wednesday in a bid to satisfy the north's demand. With only the first phase now...

HONG KONG NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 1, 2004.
October 1, 2004... HONG KONG, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: - President Hu Jintao yesterday called on the people of Hong Kong - including those harbouring dissenting views - to unite for the better...

NEWMONT CHIEF TO REPORT TO INDONESIAN POLICE: LAWYER.
October 1, 2004... JAKARTA, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Indonesian mining company, PT Newmont Minahasa Raya's president director, Richard Ness, came to the police headquarters here Thursday to report to the police and not to be questioned by investigators, the company's...

NISSAN WEIGHING CONSOLIDATION OF DOMESTIC SALES STRUCTURE.
October 1, 2004... TOKYO, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Nissan Motor Co. (TSE:7201) is considering revamping its domestic sales channels, President Carlos Ghosn said Thursday. Although its dealerships are currently divided into two channels -- Red Stage and Blue Stage...

JAPAN PANEL SEES NEED FOR SALES TAX HIKE.
October 1, 2004... TOKYO, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Fiscal System Council agreed Thursday that increasing the consumption tax and reducing expenditures will be essential for eliminating Japan's primary deficit in the early 2010s. The advisory body to the...

NEC CO-DEVELOPS SECURE PRINTING SYSTEM TO GUARD PERSONAL INFO.
October 1, 2004... TOKYO, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - NEC Corp. (TSE:6701) has developed with Fuji Xerox Co. subsidiary Fuji Xerox Printing Systems Co. and software developer Soliton Systems KK a secure printing system designed to prevent leaks of personal information....

BUSINESS WIRE DAILY SUMMARY - SEPT 30, 2004.
October 1, 2004... A summary of news releases for Sept. 30, 2004, 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: Finance...

S KOREAN GOVT CANNOT CONSIDER GROWTH UNDER 5 PCT: FINANCE MINISTER.
October 1, 2004... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The South Korean government cannot contemplate the rate of economic growth falling below 5 per cent, Minister of Finance and Economy Lee Hun-jai said Friday. Speaking to reporters, the country's top economic policy...