AsiaPulse News articles from October 2005

AsiaPulse News archives from October 2005

BOMB ATTACKS HIT NEW DELHI.
October 31, 2005... NEW DELHI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Three bomb attacks have brought tension over the Indian capital New Delhi, which is planning to celebrate the annual big festival Diwali, Festival of Lights. So far 59 were killed and 210 injured in the three...

HU JINTAO URGES N.KOREA TO PURSUE OPENNESS, REFORM FOR D'MENT.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Chinese President Hu Jintao urged his North Korean counterpart to follow China's steps toward economic development, saying the path has proved to be correct, if not the best way, reports said Saturday. "As proved...

HYUNDAI HEAVY PRESIDENT OFFERS TO RESIGN.
October 31, 2005... ULSAN, South Korea, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., the world's leading shipbuilder, said Saturday that its president, Yu Kwang-hong, has offered to resign. The company said it will hold a board meeting soon to name a new...

S.KOREAN PRESIDENT EXPRESSES CONFIDENCE IN PRIME MINISTER.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - President Roh Moo-hyun on Saturday said he will continue working with his prime minister, the president's spokesman said. "I will continue to work with Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan," the president was quoted as...

S.KOREA'S LOTTE MART EYES VIETNAMESE MARKET.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Lotte Mart, South Korea's second-largest supermarket chain, is considering entering the Vietnamese market, a company executive said Sunday. "As the supermarket retail industry is growing in Vietnam now, we are...

S.KOREA PLANS TO ADD 22 DIPLOMATIC OFFICES ABROAD.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is pushing ahead with a plan to open 22 additional embassies and consulates abroad over the next three years to increase services for expatriate South Koreans and improve...

MAJOR S.KOREAN COMPANIES REPORT IMPROVED EARNINGS IN Q3.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Market heavyweights, such as Samsung Electronics Co. (KSE:005930) and Hyundai Motor Co. (KSE:005380), posted better-than-expected earnings in the third quarter of the year on the back of recovering private spending...

APEC MEETING ON NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEM TO OPEN IN SEOUL.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - APEC countries will open the eighth annual conference of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) in Seoul Monday, organizers said Sunday. The conference will be held at the Olympic Parktel in southern Seoul...

S.KOREA SEES NO. OF FAKE BANK NOTES TRIPLE IN 1ST NINE MONTHS.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The number of counterfeit notes discovered in South Korea nearly tripled in the first nine months of the year due to a jump in fake 5,000-won (US$4.80) bills, the central bank said Sunday. A total of 9,499 bogus...

KOREAN AIR WINS US$20 MLN PARTS CONTRACT FROM AIRBUS.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Korean Air, South Korea's largest air carrier, said Sunday that it has won a US$20 million deal to make parts for an aircraft produced by Airbus SAS, the world's biggest manufacturer of commercial planes. Under...

ROH TO PRESENT PLANS FOR RESOLVING SOCIAL CONFLICTS IN EARLY 06.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said Sunday he will present early next year comprehensive plans for resolving social conflicts through dialogue that will dominate the remainder of his single five-year term that...

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 31, 2005.
October 31, 2005... SYDNEY, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers:: THE AUSTRALIAN: - Kim Beazley faces internal Labor Party revolt after failing to argue against the Howard government's anti-terrorism laws; The front company used to...

S KOREA'S PYEONGTAEK PORT TO BUILD NEW BERTH FOR CAR EXPORTS.
October 31, 2005... PYEONGTAEK, South Korea, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Maritime authorities plan to build a new car export berth at the port in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers southwest of Seoul, officials said Saturday. Construction of the new facility, into which the...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS WEAKER - OCT 31, 2005.
October 31, 2005... SYDNEY, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar opened more than half a US cent weaker today after its US counterpart surged on stronger than expected economic growth data on Friday night. At 0700 AEDT the local currency was trading at...

LUXURY SWISS WATCH STORE OPENS IN PYONGYANG.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Luxury Swiss watches have recently gone on sale at a new store in North Korea, a pro-Pyongyang newspaper in Japan said Saturday. "Pyongje Co., a dealer for Swiss watch brands Longines and Tissot established in...

INDIA WILL BEAT CHINA IN GDP GROWTH IN 2 YRS: RELIANCE CHAIRMAN.
October 31, 2005... BANGALORE, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani on Friday said India will overtake China in GDP growth rate within the next two years. "I believe that over the next two years...2006 or 2007,...

RUSSIAN FLEET READY TO CONDUCT EXERCISES WITH INDONESIAN NAVY.
October 31, 2005... JAKARTA, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Russia is ready to help improve the capability and mobility of the Indonesian Navy through a joint military exercise, the vice commander of Russia's Federal Pacific Fleet Vice Admiral Sergey Avramenko said. "We...

ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK MEET TO BE HELD IN HYDERABAD.
October 31, 2005... HYDERABAD, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The Andhra Pradesh Government is making all required arrangements for the 39th Annual General Meeting of Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank (ADB) to be held in the city from May 3, 2006. The event...

S.KOREA'S SERVICE OUTPUT RISES FOR 7TH STRAIGHT MONTH IN SEPT.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - South Korea's service sector output increased in September for a seventh consecutive month, helped by gains of finance, transportation and telecom businesses, a government report showed Monday, adding to hopes that...

WTO UPHOLDS KOREAN ANTIDUMPING RULING AGAINST INDONESIAN PAPER.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The World Trade Organization's (WTO) dispute settlement body on Friday upheld South Korea's decision to impose antidumping duties on three Indonesian paper companies, the state trade commission said. The Korea...

RED TAPE COSTING AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY UP TO US$60.9 BLN A YR: ACCI.
October 31, 2005... CANBERRA, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Red tape is costing the Australian economy up to A$80 billion (US$60.89 billion) a year, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) head Peter Hendy says. The Productivity Commission's annual regulation...

AUSTRALIAN BANKING MAJOR POSTS RECORD ANNUAL NET PROFIT.
October 31, 2005... SYDNEY, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Australia's fifth largest bank St George Bank Ltd (ASX:SGB) has reported a record annual net profit of A$828 million (US$630.19 million) and forecast 10 per cent earnings growth for the next two years. St...

AUSTRALIA'S BIGGEST ENERGY RETAILER TO DEMERGE INTO TWO COS.
October 31, 2005... SYDNEY, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Australia's biggest energy retailer Australian Gas Light Co Ltd (ASX:AGL) will demerge into two companies, splitting its retail and merchant energy assets from its infrastructure assets. The announcement today...

INDIA'S RIL TO GIVE US$166 MLN DISCOUNT TO PSU RETAILERS.
October 31, 2005... NEW DELHI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Reliance Industries Ltd (NSI:RELIANCE) will give a Rs 7.5 billion (US$166.6 million) discount on LPG and kerosene to public sector fuel retailers in 2005-06. Standalone refineries including RIL are offering a...

AUSTRALIA SEES PRICE OF CONSUMER GOODS AND SERVICES EASE IN OCT.
October 31, 2005... SYDNEY, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Prices of consumer goods and services eased in October on the back of falls in the cost of petrol and fruit and vegetables. The TD Securities-Melbourne Institute experimental monthly inflation gauge showed...

AUSTRALIAN RETAIL BANKING MORE COMPETITIVE: ST GEORGE CFO.
October 31, 2005... SYDNEY, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - St George Bank Ltd (ASX:SGB) chief financial officer Steven McKerihan today said Australia's fifth largest bank had been forced to combat a more competitive retail banking environment to report a record result in...

BANGALORE BPO FIRM TO MERGE WITH SILICON PLAINS OF U.S.
October 31, 2005... BANGALORE, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Bangalore-based Business Process Management firm, Automated Workflow Pvt Ltd today announced its merger with US-based Silicon Plains Technologies Inc, an Enterprise Content Management company. The two firms...

FORD TO PUMP US$75 MLN INTO INDIA TO EXPAND OPERATIONS.
October 31, 2005... NEW DELHI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Days after Ford Motor chairman and CEO Bill Ford promised fresh investments for India, the company said it will be pumping in US$75 million to expand operations. "To support the aggressive growth strategy,...

QANTAS BOSS CLOSES DOOR ON MERGER WITH SINGAPORE AIRLINES.
October 31, 2005... SYDNEY, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Qantas (ASX:QAN) boss Geoff Dixon has closed the door on the possibility of merging the carrier with Singapore Airlines. SIA has repeatedly said it had no interest in merging and Mr Dixon said if there was ever...

COOPERATION AT HEART OF APEC BIRD FLU TALKS IN BRISBANE.
October 31, 2005... BRISBANE, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - International health experts and disaster management coordinators will discuss cooperation in the event of a bird flu outbreak at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Brisbane this week. The...

AUSTRALIA'S RINKER OBTAINS PERMIT FOR NEW CEMENT MILL IN US.
October 31, 2005... SYDNEY, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Heavy building materials company Rinker Group Ltd (ASX:RIN) says it has started detailed plant engineering after receiving all necessary permits for the construction of a new cement mill in central Florida in the...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN SHARES OPEN HIGHER - OCT 31, 2005.
October 31, 2005... SYDNEY, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The Australian share market opened higher today, making a bright start to the week as a rally on Wall Street over-rode weakness in the commodities sector. At 1020 AEDT, the S&P/ASX200 rose 54.2 points to 4437.2...

VODAFONE CEO CALLS ON INDIAN PM, OUTLINES INVESTMENT PLANS.
October 31, 2005... NEW DELHI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - World's largest mobile company Vodafone plc's CEO Arun Sarin called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday and apprised him of the company's plans for the Indian telecom sector. Sarin told PM that the...

US RATE DECISION LIKELY TO SWAY SEOUL BOURSE THIS WEEK.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Investors in South Korea's main stock market will likely take to the sidelines until the U.S. Federal Reserve's rate decision this week, analysts said Saturday. The Fed's policy-setting Federal Open Market...

TAIWAN'S TWO-WAY TRADE WITH CHINA CONTINUES TO SURGE: BOFT.
October 31, 2005... TAIPEI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's two-way trade with China grew 15 percent year-on-year in the first eight months of this year, surging to US$45.6 billion, officials from the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) under the Ministry of Economic...

TWO PROBLEMS FACING TAIWAN'S FIGHT AGAINST AVIAN FLU: EXPERT.
October 31, 2005... TAIPEI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Two problems need to be addressed urgently in Taiwan's fight against avian flu, Dr. Wong Chi-huey, chief of the Genomics Research Center under Academia Sinica said Sunday. The first problem is to stop contacts...

TAIWAN'S BULLET TRAIN PASSES TEST RUNS AT 315 KPH.
October 31, 2005... TAIPEI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The new 700T bullet train built in Japan for the Taiwan High-Speech Rail Corp. (THSRC) passed a series of test runs Sunday, increasing its speed to its maximum 315 kph, according to THSRC. A spokesman for the...

SCALE OF TAIWAN ONLINE SHOPPING MARKET ON THE RISE: III.
October 31, 2005... TAIPEI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The scale of Taiwan's online shopping market stood at NT$38.9 billion (US$1.158 billion) in 2004, and the figure is likely to exceed NT$90 billion for 2006, according to the Market Intelligence Center under the...

HONG KONG VC FIRM DISTACOM EXITS FROM INDIA'S SPICE TELECOM: CEO.
October 31, 2005... CHANDIGARH, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Hong Kong-based venture capital company Distacom has sold its stake in the B K Modi-promoted Spice Telecom. Distacom had sold its stake to Ashmore Investment Management Ltd, a financial investor and the...

OPENING TO CHINESE TOURISTS BENEFICIAL TO TAIWAN: CEPD OFFICIAL.
October 31, 2005... TAIPEI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Opening Taiwan to Chinese tourists will increase the country's tourist revenue and help inject momentum to Taiwan's economy, Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) Vice Chairman Thomas M. F. Yeh said...

GAIL INDIA IN TALKS WITH LNG SUPPLIERS TO SOURCE FUEL FOR DABHOL.
October 31, 2005... NEW DELHI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - State-owned Gail India Ltd (BSE:532155), which has been given the task of sourcing fuel to restart the Dabhol power project in Maharashtra, is talking to LNG suppliers in Australia, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar and UAE....

NONE OF SUSPICIOUS FLU CASES TESTED H5N1 POSITIVE: TAIWAN'S CDC.
October 31, 2005... TAIPEI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - None of the 50 influenza cases that meet the requirements for avian flu testing were tested H5N1 positive, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) under the Department of Health said Saturday. CDC Deputy Director...

S.KOREA'S OVERSEAS INVESTMENT FORECAST TO HIT RECORD HIGH.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Overseas investment by South Korean companies and individuals this year is expected to reach a record high this year on the improving global economy and domestic firms' continued inroads into other countries, the...

ASQ-FICCI TIE UP TO OFFER TRAINING PROGRAMMES IN INDIA.
October 31, 2005... NEW DELHI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The American Society for Quality and FICCI Quality Forum plan to roll out certification and training programmes on quality management for Indian firms. The programme would focus on quality engineering, Six...

POLYNESIAN BLUE LAUNCHES MAIDEN FLIGHT TO SAMOA.
October 31, 2005... MELBOURNE, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The first flight of Virgin Blue's (ASX:VBA) new South Pacific service took off from Auckland bound for Samoa Sunday. Dubbed Polynesian Blue, the new Virgin offshoot will offer flights between Auckland and...

VODAFONE PICKS UP 10 PCT IN INDIA'S BAHRTI TELEVENTURES.
October 31, 2005... NEW DELHI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - In one of the largest foreign investment deals in the country, British mobile major Vodafone Plc today picked up 10 per cent stake in Sunil Mittal-owned Bharti Televentures Ltd (NSI:BHARTI) for Rs 67 billion (US...

FONTERRA TO BUILD INNOVATION CENTRE IN AUSTRALIA'S MELBOURNE.
October 31, 2005... SYDNEY, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - New Zealand dairy producer Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd has has announced it will establish a consumer dairy innovation centre in Melbourne. The new centre, due to be completed by April 2007, will create 150...

STOCKS - TOKYO SHARES BEGIN BRIGHTER - OCT 31, 2005.
October 31, 2005... TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Tokyo shares began 0.85 per cent firmer Monday with the benchmark Nikkei-225 index gaining 113.45 points to 13,459.99 in early trade. ASIA PULSE 31-10 1117

INDIA'S GAIL, POWERGRID, RAILTEL JOIN UP FOR BROADBAND BUSINESS.
October 31, 2005... NEW DELHI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Public sector GAIL (BSE:532155), PowerGrid and RailTel joined hands Friday to pool in telecom infrastructure to become India's second largest broadband service provider with plans to venture into STD and ISD...

STATE GOVT OF VICTORIA OPENS INDIA BUSINESS OFFICE.
October 31, 2005... BANGALORE, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The State Government of Victoria in Australia on Friday opened its first India Business Office here to offer assistance to businesses in manufacturing, IT, BT, agriculture, food processing, R&D, tourism and...

KTF Q3 PROFIT JUMPS 42 PCT TO US$124.8 MLN.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - KTF Co. (KSE:032390), South Korea's second-largest mobile phone operator, said Monday net income for the third quarter rose 41.8 per cent from a year ago to 130 billion won (US$124.8 million). Operating profit...

INDIA'S L&T EXPLORING NEWER MARKETS INCLUDING IRAN, NIGERIA.
October 31, 2005... MUMBAI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T) (BSE:500510) on Friday said it is exploring options to enter newer markets including Iran and Nigeria. "We are already in Gulf and Middle East and have selected East Africa and...

INDIA'S SCI INKS AGREEMENT WITH DAEWOO FOR TWO VLCCS.
October 31, 2005... NEW DELHI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The Shipping Corporation of India Limited (SCI) (NSI:SCI) on Friday signed an agreement with Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Company Limited of South Korea for building and delivering two new Very Large...

GUJARAT VENTURE FINANCE INVESTS IN CONVERGELABS.
October 31, 2005... NEW DELHI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Venture fund GVFL will invest Rs 40 million (US$999,500) in ConvergeLabs, a US and Gurgaon-based global service provider of wireless network services and mobile commerce solutions. GVFL's investment in...

S. KOREAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 31, 2005.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: KYUNGHYANG SHINMUN -- Roh hints at quitting ruling party KUKMIN DAILY -- Prosecution repeating excessive investigation DONG-A ILBO -- Roh plans to announce future...

GRAPHITE INDIA TO INVEST US$3.88 MLN IN GERMAN SUBSIDIARY.
October 31, 2005... MUMBAI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Graphite India Ltd (NSI:GRAPHITE), manufacturer of graphite electrodes, on Saturday said it will invest 3.2 million Euro (US$3.88 million) in its German subsidiary for capacity expansion. The board of directors...

SENSEX PLUNGES BY ANOTHER 4.75 PCT LAST WEEK.
October 31, 2005... MUMBAI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Discounting some positive developments, the sensex plunged by another 4.75 per cent in sustained volatility last week as bears tightened their grip with bulls on the defensive while Foreign Institutional Investors...

INDIAN EQUITY FUND SET UP FOR TRINIDAD INVESTORS.
October 31, 2005... PORT-OF-SPAIN, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Indo-Trinidad financial ties have received a boost with the setting up of an equity fund by an NRI in the Caribbean nation. Bourse Securities Limited, privately-owned by a great grandson of an East Indian...

AUSTRALIA'S ORICA TO SELL QENOS PLASTICS JV TO CHINESE BUYER.
October 31, 2005... SYDNEY, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Orica Ltd (ASX:ORI) has found a buyer for its Qenos plastics joint venture. Orica and joint venture partner Exxon Mobil will sell the Australian plastics producer to China National Chemical Corp for an...

HONG KONG NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 31, 2005.
October 31, 2005... HONG KONG, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: - The government plans to spend $1 billion on sports facilities for the 2009 East Asian Games, Secretary for Home Affairs Patrick Ho Chi-ping...

INDONESIAN PRESIDENT COMMISSIONS 13 OIL AND GAS PROJECTS.
October 31, 2005... JAMBI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono here Friday commissioned 13 oil and gas projects located in different parts of Indonesia with a combined investment value of US$1,213 million. The 13 projects were symbolically...

PAKISTAN GOVT APPROVES THERMAL POWER PLANTS FOR US$2 BLN.
October 31, 2005... ISLAMABAD, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The federal government on October 27 approved setting up of about 3,000-mw of thermal power projects in the private sector with an estimated total investment of more than US$2 billion. A decision to this...

INDIAN EXPORTERS SEEK DETAILS OF NEW SCHEME TO REPLACE DEPB.
October 31, 2005... NEW DELHI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Asking for details of the new proposed scheme to replace the existing DEPB (Duty Entitlement Pass Book) Scheme, the Federation of Indian Export organisation on Friday said provisions should be made in the new...

CHINA'S YUTONG GROUP AIMS FOR HIGH BUSINESS VOLUME THIS YEAR.
October 31, 2005... ZHENGZHOU, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The Yutong Group headquartered in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, has set the goal of achieving 10 billion yuan (US$1.23 billion) for business volume this year. Yutong's business scope...

EU'S NEW PROPOSAL AT WTO, NAMA OFFER UNACCEPTABLE TO INDIA.
October 31, 2005... NEW DELHI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - After the deadlocked WTO talks, the European Union on Friday came out with a new proposal on agriculture and trade negotiations but India rejected the offer on industrial tariffs terming it a "violation of the...

INDIA'S CADILA RECEIVES USFDA APPROVAL FOR ANTI-VIRAL DRUG.
October 31, 2005... NEW DELHI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Cadila Healthcare Ltd (BSE:532321) has received approval from the US FDA to market its anti-viral drug Ribavirin, the company announced on Saturday. The company plans to launch Ribavirin capsules of 200 mg...

KIA MOTORS RECALLS OVER 30,000 CARNIVAL II SEDANS OVER DEFECT.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Kia Motors Corp. (KSE:000270), South Korea's second-largest automaker, is recalling 30,593 Carnival II sedans because of a defect in the vehicle's power seats, the Transportation Ministry said Monday. The recall...

AUSTRALIAN GOVT CAN DELIVER US$13.48/WEEK TAX CUT: AGENCY.
October 31, 2005... SYDNEY, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The federal government can afford to deliver an A$18 (US$13.48)-a-week tax cut to Australian workers from next year, according to a Canberra economics agency. News Limited newspapers commissioned research from...

S.KOREA'S FISCAL POLICY TO BE IN NEUTRAL MODE NEXT YR: OFFICIAL.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - South Korea will implement a "neutral" fiscal policy next year in a turnaround from this year's expansion, as the economy is expected to get on a full recovery track, the country's vice finance minister said Monday....

EU REVISED TRADE OFFER A 'MIXED BAG': INDIAN TRADE MINISTER.
October 31, 2005... NEW DELHI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Terming the revised European Union offer at WTO as a "mixed bag", Commerce Minister Kamal Nath rejected the proposal to differentiate between developing and advanced developing countries. Interacting with his...

S.KOREA'S 2006 ECONOMIC GAIN TO BE BELOW GROWTH POTENTIAL: POLL.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Foreign financial institutions predict the South Korean economy to grow at a rate below its growth potential of 5 per cent next year, a state-run finance center said Monday. According to the Korea Center for...

S.KOREA'S KTF LOGS 42 PCT JUMP IN Q3 EARNINGS.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - South Korea's No. 2 mobile phone operator KTF Co. (KSE:032390) reported a near 42-percent jump in third-quarter net profit Monday on higher sales of wireless data and subscriber growth. Net profit rose 41.8 per...

ANZ BANK TO BOOST REVENUE, STAFFING IN NEXT 5 YEARS: CEO.
October 31, 2005... MELBOURNE, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - ANZ (ASX:ANZ) chief executive John McFarlane says he expects the bank to boost both its revenues and it staffing levels over the next five years. ANZ Banking Group posted a record $3.02 billion (US$2.26...

STOCKS - SEOUL SHARES OPEN HIGHER - OCT 31, 2005.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks started higher Monday as investor sentiment was boosted by strong growth in the U.S. economy in the third quarter. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 9.54 points, or...

FOREX - US DOLLAR BEGINS FIRMER VS WON - OCT 31, 2005.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The US dollar opened at 1043.00 won Monday, up from Friday's close of 1042.30 won. (Yonhap) 31-10 1220

STOCKS - KOSDAQ INDEX STARTS STRONGER - OCT 31, 2005.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - South Korea's tech-laden KOSDAQ index opened at 587.44 points Monday, up 6.52 points from Friday's close. (Yonhap) 31-10 1222

MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 31, 2005.
October 31, 2005... KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE STAR: - IOI Corp Bhd has planted the seeds of success over the past 22 years. From zero base, it has become a reputable plantation giant and one of the world's...

JAPANESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 31, 2005.
October 31, 2005... TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: NIKKEI NET: - Two members of the Seibu group founding family will offer to buy Seibu Railway Co. in an attempt to frustrate efforts by Takashi Goto, current president of the...

S. KOREAN PARENTS PREFER SONS TO DAUGHTERS: STUDY.
October 31, 2005... SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - South Korea has a high ratio of baby boys to girls in the world due to the country's traditional preference for male children, a government study showed Monday. South Korea's ratio of boys to every 100 newborn...

AUST HOMEBUYERS COULD BE HIT WITH RATE RISE IN MTHS AHEAD: POLL.
October 31, 2005... SYDNEY, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Homebuyers could be hit with an interest rate rise in the months ahead, despite a survey showing inflation pressures eased in October. The TD Securities-Melbourne Institute experimental monthly inflation gauge...

TAIWAN MUST BOLSTER INFORMATION-BASED INDUSTRY: MINISTER.
October 31, 2005... TAIPEI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Taiwan needs to step up the development of its information-based industry if it wants to upgrade its international competitiveness, Vice Economics Minister Chen Ruey-long said Saturday. Chen made the remarks...

VODAFONE AUSTRALIA LAUNCHES ITS 3G MOBILE PHONE NETWORK.
October 31, 2005... SYDNEY, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Vodafone Australia has today launched its 3G mobile phone network, offering customers the latest mobile phones, music, mobile television and video calling services. Vodafone's launch is the third in the...

BETFAIR FACES BATTLE AGAINST TASMANIAN RACING BODY.
October 31, 2005... HOBART, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Tasmania's peak racing body has vowed to fight Betfair's bid for an Australian operating licence. The UK-based betting exchange has been negotiating with the Tasmanian government for eight months to obtain its...

SHARES IN AUSTRALIA'S ST GEORGE BANK FALL ON TIGHT RATE MARGIN.
October 31, 2005... SYDNEY, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - St George Bank Ltd (ASX:SGB) expects its margins to moderate over the current financial year. Shares in Australia's fifth largest bank fell this morning after it reported an 11 basis point decline in its net...