AsiaPulse News articles from October 2007

AsiaPulse News archives from October 2007

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS SHARPLY HIGHER - OCT 1, 2007.
October 1, 2007... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar has opened near 89 US cents after strong interest in the Euro and the New Zealand dollar pushed the local currency to a fresh 18-year high against the weakening US dollar. On Friday night,...

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 1, 2007.
October 1, 2007... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: - Doctors in charge warn that every emergency unit in the NSW public health system is plagued with chronic management problems that jeopardise...

AUSTRALIA'S NEPTUNE MARINE OFFERS US$15 MLN FOR SEA-STRUCT.
October 1, 2007... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Subsea engineering services company Neptune Marine Services (ASX:NMS) has put forward a A$17 million (US$15 million) bid for Sea-Struct, a manufacturer and installer of concrete stabilisation systems for subsea...

AUSTRALIA'S CSL GETS US REGULATORY APPROVAL FOR FLU VACCINE.
October 1, 2007... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Biotech firm CSL Ltd (ASX:CSL) has received United States regulatory approval for its influenza virus vaccine, its first move into the US vaccine market. CSL announced today that the US Food and Drug...

AUSTRALIAN BOND MARKET OPENS FLAT - OCT 1, 2007.
October 1, 2007... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian bond market opened little changed ahead of this week's interest rate decision, despite a small decline in US Treasury prices at the weekend. At 0900 AEST, the yield on the Commonwealth Government...

AUSTRALIAN INVESTMENT CO. GRANDBRIDGE ANNOUNCES DIRECTOR CHANGE.
October 1, 2007... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Investment company Grandbridge Ltd (ASX:GBA) has announced the resignation of its director, Charles Murphy, who will be replaced by incoming director CT Lim. Mr Murphy has resigned after three years as director...

PULSE HEALTH TO RELIST ON AUSTRALIAN STOCK EXCHANGE TODAY.
October 1, 2007... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Health services provider Pulse Health Ltd (ASX:PHG), formerly known as Biometrics Ltd, will relist on the Australian stock exchange today. Pulse, which acquired the Bega Valley Hospital for A$1.5 million (US$1.3...

AUSTRALIAN METAL RECYLER SIMS PLANS COMPANY CONSOLIDATION.
October 1, 2007... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The world's largest recycler of scrap metal, Sims Group Ltd (ASX:SGM), said it would concentrate on integrating Metal Management Inc before it expanded further into the US ferrous and non-ferrous recycling markets....

AUSTRALIAN RETAILER DAVID JONES CONFIDENT ABOUT 2008 FY FIGURES.
October 1, 2007... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Top-end retailer David Jones Ltd (ASX:DJS) is confident about the 2008 financial year, saying it doesn't foresee any major risks up ahead. However, a federal election date clash with the Christmas shopping season...

AUSTRALIAN MINER UNFAIRLY PRESSURED FILIPINO VILLAGERS: OXFAM.
October 1, 2007... MELBOURNE, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Australian mine operator OceanaGold Ltd (ASX:OGD) used a combination of intimidation and inducements to pressure Filipino villagers to accept a proposed gold and copper mine, an Oxfam Australia report alleges. ...

S. KOREAN MANUFACTURING CONFIDENCE DIPS ON OIL PRICE, CURRENCY.
October 1, 2007... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean manufacturers' confidence in October fell from a month earlier as high oil prices and the local currency's strength against the U.S. dollar dampened the expectations of exporters and large corporations,...

S KOREA'S KTF LURES 2 MLN USERS TO 3G MOBILE SERVICE SINCE MARCH.
October 1, 2007... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - KTF Co. (KSE:032390), South Korea's second-largest mobile carrier, said Sunday that the number of subscribers to its third-generation (3G) mobile service has more than doubled to 2 million in less than three months....

FOREX - US DOLLAR OPENS FIRMER AGAINST WON - OCT 1, 2007.
October 1, 2007... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The U.S. dollar on Monday opened at 915.5 won, up from 915.1 at the close on Friday. (Yonhap) 01-10 1028

DEL MONTE PACIFIC PICKS UP 40 PCT STAKE IN INDIA'S FIELDFRESH.
October 1, 2007... NEW DELHI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - US-based food and beverage major Del Monte Pacific Ltd has picked up a 40 per cent stake in Bharti Enterprises-promoted farm venture FieldFresh. "Del Monte will bring to FieldFresh its immense strength and...

STOCKS - TOKYO BOURSE OPENS FLAT - OCT 1, 2007.
October 1, 2007... TOKYO, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Tokyo stocks inched 0.08 per cent lower Monday as the Nikkei-225 index shed 12.59 points to 16,773.10 in opening trade. ASIA PULSE 01-10 1030

PHILIPS TARGETS 35 PCT SHARE IN INDIA'S CFL SEGMENT.
October 1, 2007... KOLKATA, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Philips Electronics India Ltd is targeting to capture a market share of 35 per cent in the Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) segment in the country by 2010. Marketing director of Philips (Lighting Division) Matthew...

INDIAN BANK STOCKS INDEX RISES AS SBI AND ICICI SHOOT UP.
October 1, 2007... MUMBAI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Bank stocks were in keen demand on Indian bourses across the board on Saturday with the Bankex index remaining the second best performer by gaining 239.74 points at 9469.26 after the segment major SBI and ICICI Bank...

STOCKS - SEOUL SHARES OPEN HIGHER - OCT 1, 2007.
October 1, 2007... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks started stronger Monday as investors picked up financial and securities shares, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 9.11 points, or 0.47 percent, to...

INDIA'S ICICI BANK RAISES US$2 BLN VIA BONDS ABROAD.
October 1, 2007... MUMBAI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - India's largest private lender, ICICI Bank (BSE:532174), on Saturday said it has raised US$2 billion from fixed rate notes through its Bahrain branch for general corporate purposes. The offering had a US$6.05...

W BENGAL TO RECEIVE US$1.3 BLN INVESTMENT IN RENEWABLE ENERGY.
October 1, 2007... KOLKATA, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - West Bengal would receive Rs 50 billion (US$1.3 billion) investments in the renewable energy sector over the next five years, a government official said. S P Gon Chaudhuri, special secretary, Power Department,...

MORGAN STANLEY BUYS SHARES IN INDIA'S VAKRANGEE SOFTWARES.
October 1, 2007... MUMBAI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Morgan Stanley & Co International Ltd has bought 325,000 shares of Vakrangee Softwares Ltd (BSE:511431) through the secondary market at Rs 189.95 (US$4.78) per share. With this, the total foreign institutional...

SLOWDOWN IN INDIAN SOFTWARE SECTOR LIKELY, WARNS EXPERT.
October 1, 2007... MUMBAI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Indian software industry could witness a slowdown with the possibility of US firms reducing their IT spends, an industry and stock market expert warned on Saturday. Despite this, the Indian economy would...

RAJASTHAN ROLLS OUT RED CARPET FOR INVESTORS.
October 1, 2007... MUMBAI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Rajasthan is bullish on investment flow to the state and expects over Rs 350 billion (US$8.8 billion) in different sectors in the next five to ten years, a top state minister has said. "Already, companies like...

TAIWAN'S CPC CORP INCREASES OIL PRICE.
October 1, 2007... TAIPEI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The state-run petroleum company, CPC Corp., Taiwan, will announce Oct. 1 an increase in the price of oil of NT$1.2 (US$0.04)-NT$1.3 per liter, a rise of 6.79 per cent, a company official said Saturday. According...

HYNIX, OVONYX IN CROSS-LICENSING AGREEMENT ON NEXT-GENERATION.
October 1, 2007... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean chipmaker Hynix Semiconductor Inc. (KSE:000660) said today it has reached a cross-licensing agreement with Ovonyx Inc. of the United States to develop next-generation memory chips. The deal allows...

FOOD FAIR OF TAIWAN AGRICULTURE PRODUCTS HELD IN HONG KONG.
October 1, 2007... HONG KONG, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - A food fair of Taiwanese agricultural products organized by the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC) was launched Friday at the Wing On Department Store in Hong Kong, with 56 products shown for the first time in the...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN SHARES OPEN HIGHER - OCT 1, 2007.
October 1, 2007... MELBOURNE, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian sharemarket opened slightly higher today, despite a fall on United States markets on Friday. The major miners were higher and the big banks were mixed. By 1010 AEST, the benchmark S&P/ASX200...

INDIA'S SCI TO ACQUIRE 10 NEW STATE-OF-ART SHIPS FOR US$600 MLN.
October 1, 2007... MUMBAI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - As a part of its tonnage acquisition and expansion plans, Shipping Corporation of India Ltd (SCI) (BSE:523598)has placed orders for ten new ships worth a total of US$600 million, a top company official said. ...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN $ HITS RECORD HIGH AGAINST US $ - OCT 1, 2007.
October 1, 2007... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar has hit 89 US cents for the first time since February 1989. The domestic currency reached $US0.8901 at 1031 AEST to trade up strongly from Friday's close of 0.8823/29. It opened at...

INDIA'S OUTBOUND FDI INCREASES 5-FOLD TO US$5.4 BN IN Q1.
October 1, 2007... MUMBAI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Corporate India's overseas acquisition drive has pushed up the outbound foreign direct investment (FDI) by almost five times to US$5.4 billion during the first quarter of this fiscal year. "Outward FDI of India...

TAIWAN'S PINGTUNG TO SET UP WORLD'S 1ST ANIMAL VACCINE LAB ZONE.
October 1, 2007... TAIPEI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park, eyeing the significant growth potential of the animal vaccine industry, plans to set up the world's first factory zone dedicated to the development and production of such...

AUSTRALIAN ONLINE TRAVEL COS VIE FOR TRAVEL.COM.AU.
October 1, 2007... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Online accommodation search web site Wotif.com (ASX:WTF) has made a A$49.8 million (US$43.9 million) off-market takeover bid for Travel.com.au Ltd (ASX:TVL). Wotif.com is offering TVL shareholders either 0.50 in...

TAIWAN GOVT URGED TO HELP DEVELOP BIOTECH INDUSTRY.
October 1, 2007... TAIPEI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The chairman of the non-profit Taiwan Foundation for the Development of Biomedical Technology (TFDBT) urged the government Friday to increase investment in the biotechnology industry in order to boost the sector's...

MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 1, 2007.
October 1, 2007... KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: BUSINESS TIMES: - Synergy Drive Bhd, which will become the world's largest listed plantation firm, has finalised the full line-up of its board of directors. -...

GOVT VEHICLES IN TAIPEI BEGIN TO RUN ON BIOFUEL.
October 1, 2007... TAIPEI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Minister of Economic Affairs Steve R.L. Chen activated a "green government vehicle" program Saturday, kicking off an order that all vehicles owned by the central government and the Taipei municipal government have to...

AUSTRALIA'S ARROW ENERGY SPARKS TIES WITH INDONESIA'S PERTAMINA.
October 1, 2007... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Arrow Energy NL (ASX:AOE) has struck two agreements with Indonesia's state-owned oil company, Pertamina, and its upstream subsidiary, Pertamina EP. Pertamina is Indonesia's second biggest oil and gas producer. ...

MALAYSIAN PM URGES BURMA TO RELEASE AUNG SAN SUU KYI.
October 1, 2007... NEW YORK, Sept 30 Asia Pulse - Malaysia has called for the release of pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi and other political detainees in Myanmar, also known as Burma. This call was made by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when he...

AUSTRALIAN DKN OFFERS US$2.65 MLN TO APPEASE WESTPOINT INVESTORS.
October 1, 2007... SYDNEY, Oct 1 AAP - DKN Financial Group (ASX:DKN) has increased an offer to clients it advised to invest in failed property developer Westpoint to A$3 million. DKN said today it had agreed to offer creditors of its advisory arm Deakin...

INDIA'S RELIANCE ENERGY REPORTED TO BE MULLING IPO OF SUBSIDIARY.
October 1, 2007... MUMBAI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - A subsidiary of Anil Ambani group company Reliance Energy (BSE:500390) may be looking at an option of an initial public offer of up to US$3 billion as part of resource mobilisation for setting up power plants. ...

M&M EXEC APPOINTED CHAIRMAN EMERITUS FOR INDO-FRENCH CHAMBER.
October 1, 2007... MUMBAI, Sep 29 Asia Pulse - Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry on Satyrday appointed Mahindra & Mahindra (BSE:500520) executive director Arun Nanda as its Chairman Emeritus. He has been president of the chamber for six years since...

AUSTRALIAN STOCK EXCHANGE HALTS COMMANDER COMMUNICATIONS TRADE.
October 1, 2007... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Shares in business telecommunications company Commander Communications Ltd (ASX:CDR) have been suspended from trading on the Australian stock exchange (ASX) pending the company's lodgement of its statutory accounts...

84% OF TAIWAN OFFICE WORKERS WANT TO ENTER HI-TECH INDUSTRY: SURVEY.
October 1, 2007... TAIPEI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Nearly 84 per cent of office workers who responded to a recent survey expressed their desire to enter the hi-tech industry, according to the survey results released Saturday. The survey, conducted by the online...

BRITAIN WANTS ASEAN TO MAINTAIN PRESSURE ON MYANMAR.
October 1, 2007... KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Britain would like to see Malaysia and other Asean member countries continue to maintain pressure on the Myanmar government until Yangon stopped supressing its people and engaged in a genuine democratisation...

N. KOREA STRESSES UNITY WITH S. KOREA AHEAD OF SUMMIT.
October 1, 2007... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - North Korea stressed the need for reconciliation with South Korea Saturday ahead of this week's second inter-Korean summit, arguing the two longtime rivals should develop warmer ties to stave off outside influence. ...

HONG KONG NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 1, 2007.
October 1, 2007... HONG KONG, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: - Six of HSBC Holdings (SEHK:0005) ' largest institutional shareholders are set to publicly declare their support for a campaign launched by...

TAIWAN MANUFACTURERS HOPE FOR STABLE POLITICAL SITUATION: POLL.
October 1, 2007... TAIPEI, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Approximately 34 per cent of local manufacturers who responded to a recent survey said that maintaining political stability is what they most like to see the government do to improve the domestic investment climate,...

ANAGRAN NAMES BILL BECKETT VP AND GM OF ASIA SALES OPERATIONS.
October 1, 2007... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) (BW)(CA-ANAGRAN) Anagran Names Bill Beckett VP and General Manager of Asia Sales Operations SINGAPORE & REDWOOD CITY, California (BUSINESS WIRE) Oct 1, 2007 - Anagran, Inc., the sole...

WI-MAX IS HOTTEST NEW TECHNOLOGY F0R AUSTRALIAN TELCOS.
October 1, 2007... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Licensed WiMax broadband spectrum is now the hottest property on the telco block, with the two firms that control most of it enjoying share price surges fuelled by corporate dealmaking. WiMax is an emerging...

MORE AUSTRALIAN MINING COS BEING LISTED ON TORONTO BOURSE.
October 1, 2007... PERTH, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The steady trickle of Australian mining companies listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) has become a stream. Liam Twigger, director of Prime Corporate Finance, a corporate advisory firm specialising in TSX...

CLOAKWARE'S ROBUST-READY DTCP-IP INTEGRATED IN TEXAS INSTRUMENTS.
October 1, 2007... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) (BW)(VA-CLOAKWARE) Cloakware's Robust-Ready DTCP-IP Integrated in Texas Instruments' DaVinci(TM) Technology Solutions Combined solution leverages programmable TI DaVinci technology,...

INDONESIA EXPECTS 7.5 MLN FOREIGN TOURIST ARRIVALS IN 2007.
October 1, 2007... JAKARTA, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) had predicted that about 7.5 million foreign tourists would visit Indonesia in 2007, Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik said here. "PATA has predicted that...

S KOREAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 1, 2007.
October 1, 2007... SEOUL, Oct. 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: Vernacular dailies -- Roh may propose opening representative offices in each other's countries at summit (Kookmin Daily) -- S. Korea to propose peace region in West Sea...

SOUTH KALIMANTAN PLANNING TO DEVELOP INT'L SEAPORT.
October 1, 2007... BANJARMASIN, S KALIMANTAN, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The South Kalimantan provincial administration is planing to develop Batulicin port on the province's east coast into an international seaport, an official said. "Batulicin port is a natural...

TELECOMS INDUSTRY IN INDONESIA STILL OPEN FOR DEVELOPMENT: EXEC.
October 1, 2007... YOGYAKARTA, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The telecommunications industry in Indonesia is still open to further development, both in terms of technology and public service. "Many investors are still keenly interested in the development of the...

SHANGHAI, S'PORE, TOKYO AMONG TOP ASIA PAC CITIES FOR REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT.(Company overview)
October 1, 2007... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) MEDIA RELEASE PR27721 Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo Among Top Asia Pacific Cities for Real Estate Investment: Emerging Trends in Real Estate(R) Asia Pacific 2008 SINGAPORE, Sept. 30...

S. KOREAN EXPORTS DIP 0.4 PCT ON-YEAR IN SEPTEMBER.
October 1, 2007... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean exports dropped 0.4 per cent from a year ago to US$29.5 billion in September due largely to the long thanksgiving holiday, a government report showed Monday. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and...

S. KOREAN MOBILE CARRIERS BRACE FOR LOOMING PRICE COMPETITION.
October 1, 2007... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Hard pressed by the government and civic groups, South Korea's top mobile carrier SK Telecom Co. (KSE:017670) recently announced a long-awaited but controversial discount scheme beginning next month to reduce their...

BUSINESS WIRE DAILY SUMMARY - SEPT 28, 2007.
October 1, 2007... A summary of news releases for September 28, 2007, 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: Health...

VERIZON BUSINESS CUSTOMERS ACCESS NEXT-GEN SOLUTIONS IN CHINA.
October 1, 2007... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) MEDIA RELEASE PR27728 Verizon Business Customers Access Next-Generation Convergence Solutions Through Partnership With China Telecom BEIJING, Oct. 1 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- ...

INDONESIAN FINANCE MINISTER REVOKES LICENSES OF 13 INSURERS.
October 1, 2007... JAKARTA, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The finance minister has as of April 5, 2007, revoked the licenses of 13 companies engaged in insurance related businesses, an official said here on Friday. Of the 13 companies, 11 had their licenses revoked...

CHIVAS REGAL LAUNCHES NEW LUXURY WHISKY.
October 1, 2007... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) MEDIA RELEASE PR27725 Chivas Regal Launches New Luxury Whisky NEW YORK, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- First bottle of Chivas Regal 25 Year Old unveiled to the world in New...

S. KOREA RANKED 18TH WORLDWIDE IN FOREX TURNOVER.
October 1, 2007... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - South Korea's global ranking in terms of the turnover of traditional foreign exchange transactions, including spot transactions, forwards and foreign exchange swaps, fell three notches from three years earlier to 18th...

INDONESIAN MINISTRY TO OPEN AGRIBUSINESS MARKETS IN 34 PROVINCES.
October 1, 2007... JAKARTA, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Agriculture Ministry is ready to develop agribusiness markets in 34 provinces in 2008 to make it easier for farmers to sell their products in urban centers directly, its chief said. Speaking at the...

MALAYSIA HOPES FOR TWO MLN TOURISTS FROM INDONESIA IN 2007.
October 1, 2007... NUSA DUA, Bali, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Malaysian Tourism Promotion Director General Dato Mirza Mohammad Taiyab hoped the number of Indonesian tourists coming to Malaysia in 2007 would reach two million. "We hope that the number of Indonesian...

LLOYDS TSB BANK TO OUTSOURCE TRADE BACK-OFFICE PROCESSING TO WACHOVIA BANK.
October 1, 2007... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) MEDIA RELEASE PR27689 Lloyds TSB Bank to Outsource Trade Back-Office Processing to Wachovia Bank CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Wachovia Bank, N.A. and Lloyds...

AVNET LOGISTICS RECEIVES LOGISTICS AWARD HONG KONG 2007.
October 1, 2007... (Full text of a statement. Contact details follow below.) HONG KONG, Oct. 1/Xinhua-PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- The First in Asia's Electronics Distribution Industry to Receive the Logistics Award Hong Kong Avnet Logistics, an integrated...

DUFF & PHELPS COMMENCES TRADING ON NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE.
October 1, 2007... (Full text of statement. Contact details below.) MEDIA RELEASE PR27712 Duff & Phelps Commences Trading Today on New York Stock Exchange NEW YORK, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Duff & Phelps Corporation (NYSE: DUF), a...

CHINA'S LUXURY VEHICLE MARKET ATTRACTING GLOBAL PLAYERS.
October 1, 2007... CHENGDU, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - China's burgeoning luxury vehicle market has drawn interest of leading vehicle producers in the world, according to the 10th Chengdu International Vehicle Exhibition held here recently. A senior official of...

A.M. BEST AFFIRMS AND WITHDRAWS RATINGS OF HANG SENG INSURANCE COMPANY.
October 1, 2007... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) (BW)(NJ-A.M.-BEST) A.M. Best Affirms and Withdraws Ratings of Hang Seng Insurance Company; Assigns Ratings to Hang Seng General Insurance (Hong Kong) Company OLDWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS...

MEADWESTVACO AND KLABIN ANNOUNCE SALES AND MARKETING AGREEMENT.
October 1, 2007... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) (BW)(VA-MEADWESTVACO)(MWV) MeadWestvaco and Klabin Announce Sales and Marketing Agreement Business Editors RICHMOND, Va. & SAO PAULO, Brazil--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 28,...

CHINA'S INSURANCE INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO OUTGROW GDP.
October 1, 2007... BEIJING, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The insurance industry is expected to slightly outgrow GDP in China in the coming years, underpinned by fast economic growth and current low level of per capita spending on insurance premiums. Research...

WTO UPHOLDS S KOREA'S ANTI-DUMPING DUTIES ON INDONESIA PRINTED MATERIAL.
October 1, 2007... SEOUL, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The World Trade Organization (WTO) on Friday released its definitive report upholding anti-dumping duties levied on Indonesian printed material by South Korea. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said the...

CHINA COTTON IMPORTS REBOUND 13 PCT IN AUGUST.
October 1, 2007... BEIJING, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - China's cotton import reached 259,000 tons in August, an increase of 30,000 tons or 13.1 per cent month on month. Despite the moderate month on month rebound, the figure still represents a decline of 9.5 per cent...

INDONESIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 1, 2007.
October 1, 2007... JAKARTA, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights from today's newspapers: INVESTOR DAILY: - Control of Indonesia's non-renewable resources especially oil and gas is growing and the government is urged to rule foreign investor to dispose of most...

CHINA TO BOOST HIGH-TECH INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.
October 1, 2007... BEIJING, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - China will crank up efforts to finance high-tech industries in 2006-2010, said Zhang Xiaoqiang, vice-chairman of National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). NDRC plans to arrange around 6 billion yuan...

'INFOCOM 2007' EXPOSITION TO BE HELD IN HYDERABAD FROM NOV 28.
October 1, 2007... HYDERABAD, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Business magazine Businessworld has tied up with IT and telecom fair organiser CeBIT to organise ICT extravaganza "INFOCOM 2007" here on November 28. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajsekhar Reddy will...

S. KOREAN EXPORTS DIP 0.4 PCT ON-YEAR IN SEPTEMBER.
October 1, 2007... SEOUL, Oct. 1 Asia Pulse - South Korean exports dropped 0.4 per cent from a year ago to US$29.5 billion in September due largely to the long thanksgiving holiday, a government report showed Monday. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and...

INDONESIA'S ATPK RESOURCES TO MANAGE OLD OIL WELLS IN CENTRAL JAVA.
October 1, 2007... JAKARTA, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Publicly-listed oil drilling company PT ATPK Resources (JSX:ATPK) will manage old oil wells in Cepu district in Central Java through its subsidiary, PT ATPK Energy Resources, and a local firm, PT Anugrah Global Esa,...

INDIAN REAL ESTATE FIRM FORAYS INTO THE US.
October 1, 2007... MUMBAI, Oct 1 Asia pulse - At a time when the real estate players in the country are highly bullish on the sector, one developer who has dared to foray into the US, where the housing sector woes are continuing. It is the Pune-based D S...

INDONESIA POSTS BOP SURPLUS OF US$3.6 BLN IN Q2.
October 1, 2007... JAKARTA, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - Indonesia posted a balance of payments surplus of US$3.6 billion in the second quarter of 2007 compared to US$3.4 billion in the same period last year, Bank Indonesia said. Current accounts and capital and...

INDONESIA MULLS IMPOSING DMO OBLIGATIONS ON MINING PRODUCTS.
October 1, 2007... JAKARTA, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The government is considering ruling domestic market obligation (DMO) on a number of mining products to guarantee supply for domestic industries, an official said. Apart from DMO, which will require mining...

AUSTRALIA'S ST GEORGE BANK EXTENDS LEAD IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION.
October 1, 2007... SYDNEY, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - St George Bank Ltd (ASX:SGB) has extended its lead over the big four banks in the customer satisfaction ranks for business banking, a new survey found. Each month consultancy group East & Partners asks 500...

INDIA'S EXTERNAL DEBT RISES 5.6 PCT TO US$165.4 BlN IN Q1.
October 1, 2007... MUMBAI, Oct 1 Asia pulse - India's external debt rose 5.6 per cent to US$165.4 billion for the quarter ended June 2007 from the previous quarter as domestic companies increased overseas borrowings and the local currency strengthened against...

MORE CHINESE TOURISTS VISIT JAPAN THIS YEAR.
October 1, 2007... BEIJING, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The number of Chinese tourists to Japan increased rapidly in the first seven months of 2007, according to a report from Japan. It is learned that Japan accepted 538,000 tourists from the mainland of China in...