Asia Africa Intelligence Wire articles from December 2003

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire archives from December 2003

- We've got a tip for waiters: give good service.
December 1, 2003... (From Canberra Times) THEY are experiences all too familiar to most restaurant- goers. Vanishing restaurant bookings, waiters in hiding, corked wine, lipstick marks on glasses, hot meals served cold, cold beers served warm. Bad service...

- Dressed in Sunday best.
December 1, 2003... (From Canberra Times) I 've had the shop nearly 20 years. After Manuka Village burned down 20 years ago I had an opportunity to get in. Originally, I was a designer and I sold to other stores but then I thought I could sell things through...

Rep. Kang named MDP secretary-general.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) Chairman Chough Soon-hyung of the Millennium Democratic Party yesterday appointed Rep. Kang Un-tae as party secretary-general in a follow-up reshuffle to the new lineup of its leadership. MDP spokesman Yoo...

Vietnam DNA test on soldier's remains.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) The Defense Ministry said Saturday it will send an official to confirm reports that remains believed to be of a South Korean soldier were discovered in Vietnam. Earlier on Saturday, a local television station...

U.S. army chief apologizes for car crash.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) The top U.S. military commander in South Korea gave his condolences Saturday for the death of a Korean woman who was killed in a road accident involving a U.S. serviceman. "On behalf of the men and women...

N.K. demands U.S. penalty for reactors.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) North Korea renewed its demand Saturday that the United States pay a penalty for its decision to suspend the construction of two light water nuclear reactors in the communist state. In a commentary published by...

Seoul eases rules on citizenship.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Kim So-young The Justice Ministry said Saturday that it would accept applications for Korean citizenship by all Korean-Chinese whose names remain on the domestic family registry. The ministry's move is an...

Legal action expected on fund scandal suspects.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Kim Kyung-ho Prosecutors will begin taking legal action this week against key corporate and party officials involved in illicit campaign financing during last December's presidential election, prosecution sources...

Assembly may revote special counsel bill.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Lee Joo-hee The possibility of the National Assembly voting again on the rejected counsel bill is increasing as the majority Grand National Party is positively considering the idea. National Assembly Speaker...

Military furnish barracks with beds.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Kim So-young The military has started to replace wooden floors bedecked with blankets at camp barracks with individual beds, the Defense Ministry said yesterday. The change, which aims to improve soldiers'...

Officials, street vendors clash over Cheonggye project.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Seo Hyun-jin Seoul City officials and street vendors clashed in Cheonggye, central Seoul, yesterday as the marketers set fire to a heap of waste materials and set up barricades in protest against the government...

'Korea should send regimental combat team'; Leader of parliamentary.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Joo Sang-min The head of a parliamentary delegation, who returned from a fact- finding mission to Iraq, said he would recommend President Roh Moo- hyun send a military combat unit capable of independent...

Artsonje gives high 'Five' to artists.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Iris Moon A festive mood prevails over Artsonje Center's two-floor exhibition, "Five," a smartly packaged permanent collection exhibit that marks the center's fifth anniversary. Artsonje offers a rare glimpse...

5 items make up 43% of exports.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Kim Mi-hui Korea's dependence on key products to drive exports is worsening, trade sources said yesterday, noting that the top-five products made up nearly 43 percent of all shipments through the end of October....

Seoul to tighten security at Korean Embassy in Iraq.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Seo Hyun-jin The Foreign Ministry directed the Korean Embassy in Iraq yesterday to tighten its security, as nations who have committed assistance to U.S. reconstruction efforts there have come under terrorist...

More style than substance in 'Last Empress'.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Kim Tong-hyung The musical "The Last Empress," by the drama company A-Com, established itself through the years as one of Korea's most significant theatrical productions, drawing more than 700,000 in audience...

Legacy of Clinton economic team.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) Economists and historians will long debate the contrast between the economic policies of the presidencies of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. The Clinton administration took office with remarkably few cards, and the...

KUSEC marks 30th year with seminar.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) The Korea-U.S. Economic Council will celebrate its 30th anniversary tomorrow by holding a special seminar on how to approach the U.S. market. The seminar, titled "Strategies for Successful New Business in the...

Samsung 'Matrix phone' sells for W4 mil.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) An ultra high-tech mobile phone by Samsung Electronics used in the Hollywood blockbuster "Matrix 2" was sold for 355,000 yen ($3,245), or about 3.9 million won, during an auction in Tokyo yesterday. The phone,...

MDP picks new leader amid GNP boycott.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Lee Joo-hee Tension engulfed politics last week as the main opposition Grand National Party began to boycott the National Assembly sessions after the president vetoed a special counsel bill that would target his...

LG-Caltex to sell premium gasoline.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) LG-Caltex Oil Corp., an oil-refining unit of LG, said yesterday that it would launch the sale of premium gasoline at "24 LG" service stations in the Seoul metropolitan area beginning today. The new premium...

Lotte Card to issue Lotte Dept. cards.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) Lotte Card Co. Ltd. is expanding as Lotte Department Store's card business joins the credit card issuer today, company officials said yesterday. With the two Lotte Group affiliates joining force, Lotte Card will...

Small firms emerging from slump; IBK survey shows production,.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Kim Ji-ho Local small- and medium-sized companies believe their business conditions have begun to pick up after months of slump, a state-run bank survey showed yesterday. According to the poll of 2,064...

Seoul bourses lack momentum; Events surrounding LG Card still.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Rafael Nam The nation's main stock index is expected to decline moderately this week given the lack of momentum to sustain strong gains. Last week, the KOSPI rose 3.3 percent to 796.18 points despite a...

Hyundai chairwoman asks FTCto intervene.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Chung-eun plans to file a suit with the nation's antitrust panel against her uncle-in-law's acquisition of shares in the group's holding company, Hyundai Elevator Co., group officials...

'20 new towns needed over next 10 years'.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Seo Ji-eun A leading think tank said in a recent report that Korea needed to build over 20 new towns nationwide over the coming decade for the long-term stabilization of the nation's housing market. The Korea...

Cenox firms seek W80 bil. in damages.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Kim Sung-mi A group of local vendors of Cenox, a controversial fuel product, said yesterday that they plan to file a lawsuit seeking 80 billion won ($67 million) in damages against the government next month, in a...

Semiconductor trade deficit growing.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Rafael Nam Korea's trade surplus in electronic goods has shrunk by as much as 47 percent in the first three quarters of the year compared to the same period in 2002, said a report yesterday by the Korea...

LG execs dump card unit shares before crisis.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Kim Hyun-chul Major shareholders of LG Cable Co., who also happen to be relatives of LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo, sold off their entire shareholdings in ailing LG Card Co. just before the troubled credit-card...

2004 business sentiment cloudy; BSI for first quarter of next year.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Kim Mi-hui Korean companies in the manufacturing sector do not expect business to pick up in the first quarter of 2004 and predict another year of worsening economic conditions, according to industry sources...

Bad weather causes worst harvest in 20 years.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) The nation's agricultural productivity has declined significantly, with most major crops posting the worst harvests in the last 20 years, a joint study by the country's leading agricultural research institutes...

Mannish lines from an ex-tomboy.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Hwang You-mee Standing amid tens of headless mannequins wearing her pieces for an upcoming fashion show, designer Choi Yeon-ok appears amazingly calm as she labels each mannequin in order of appearance. Dressed...

Unlisted financial firms to face regulator supervision.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) The government's upcoming market reform measures will require unlisted financial institutions to fill more than half their board seats with outside directors and put major shareholders of financial firms under the...

Free from fungal infection.
December 1, 2003... (From The Korea Herald) By Chung Hae-shin Tinea versicolor, a common fungal infection, accounts for approximately 5 percent of all fungal infections. Although it is sometimes confused with ringworm, tinea versicolor is unrelated. It is...

Election talk marks Bonifacio Day rites.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Edson Tandoc Jr. GAT ANDRES Bonifacio must have longed for his bolo yesterday after the rites commemorating his 140th birth anniversary boiled down to marchers talking of who to vote for in next...

UN, partners launch '3 by 5' campaign.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Blanche S. Rivera THE WORLD Health Organization has warned that Asia is creating an environment for the easy spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which has killed nearly 30 million...

Barbers thinks he's VP pick; Drilon may run.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Tarra Quismundo and Raj Padilla, PDI Visayas Bureau ADMINISTRATION Sen. Robert Barbers yesterday expressed confidence he will be President Macapagal-Arroyo's running mate in 2004, saying they...

Loveless night for RP billiards.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Recah Trinidad IMAGINE a ship captain getting seasick on a clear, cloudless day. Suddenly, it was no longer easy saying nice words for Efren "Bata" Reyes. On Saturday night, when they...

Albay folk slam NPA executions.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) LEGAZPI CITY-At least 200 families, mostly with relatives who were victims of New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas, joined a rally led by the Kilusan Kontra Komunismo (KKK) on Friday at the Penaranda Park...

Blu Boys, Taiwanese clash today.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Group A Japan 2 0 Hong Kong 2 0 Indonesia 0 2 Thailand 0 2 Group B Philippines 2 0 Chinese-Taipei 2 0 India 0 2 Iran 0 2 GAMES TODAY (Rizal Memorial) 9...

Barcelona wins vacant superfly title.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Salven L. Lagumbay ERIC Barcelona knocked out Cebu's Sherwin Paro in the fifth round of their 12-round bout Saturday night to win the vacant Philippine superflyweight crown. Barcelona, who...

Boxers out to reclaim lost glory.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) MANNY Lopez watched intently as the RP-Revicon boxers did their final sparring on Wednesday. He liked what he saw. The boxers, out to reclaim Southeast Asian Games glory, appeared to be in sharp form....

A "Bata" among men.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Manolo R. Inigo UNLUCKY Efren "Bata" Reyes was a picture of a man dazzled and confused following his sorry loss to Mika "The Iceman" Immonen of Finland in last Saturday's finals of the...

Panday versus Pidal and Paguia's jigsaw puzzle.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Dean Jorge Bocobo PLUNDER, n. To wrest the wealth of A, away from B, and leave C lamenting a vanished opportunity. (From the Devil's Dictionary by misanthrope Ambrose Bierce). Having failed...

FPJ should have sent Angara to PCCI.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Belinda Olivares-Cunanan LISTENING to Raul Roco over the radio as he roused up a huge crowd of supporters at the Folk Arts Theater yesterday, I felt his speech was vintage Roco. It was full of...

RP bets open up in archery, w'polo.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) HANOI-The Philippines officially opens its campaign in the 22nd Southeast Asian Games here today in archery and water polo. Archery team manager Ligaya Manalang is confident as the archers, led by...

Dentist, nephew freed from captors.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) ZAMBOANGA CITY-After more than two months in captivity, a dentist and his nephew were freed from their captors after an encounter in Parang, Sulu on Saturday night. Brig. General Alexander Yapching,...

CA upholds BIR exec's suspension.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) THE COURT of Appeals has upheld the six-month suspension of a Bureau of Internal Revenue official accused of falsifying his credentials. In a 16-page decision, the CA 11th Division upheld the decision...

Margin of error.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) THE LATEST Pulse Asia survey of likely presidential candidates has heightened the country's triennial malady: election fever. The results of the poll, taken between Nov. 4 and 17, were announced the same...

DENR seizes, frees rare flying foxes, turtles.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: N. Bordadora FIELD officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources confiscated 15 flying foxes and 42 Asian box turtles from a market vendor in Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya in the...

Fearless forecast: 10-12 wins this time from athletics.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) THE MOST prolific gold-medal machine of the Philippine contingent in the last Southeast Asian Games will be even more productive this time. "We're going for 10 to 12 golds in Vietnam," declared...

54th Fil-Am golf under way today.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) AS the stars of the show take a two-day wait, the duffers in the lower brackets get the ball rolling starting today in the 54th Fil-Am Invitational tournament at the Baguio Country Club and Camp John Hay...

Iloilo groups want to dispose of condom ordinance.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Ma. Diosa Labiste ILOILO CITY-Members of the groups of militant women and guest relations officers here want to scrap the city's condom ordinance that aims to combat the possible rash of...

Poe bid likely to self-destruct.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Amando Doronila THE PRESIDENTIAL bid of actor Fernando Poe Jr. is showing signs of imploding, just days after he announced his candidacy for the 2004 elections on Wednesday. Poe made the...

Fernando asserts MMDA rule.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Margaux Ortiz THE WAR of words between the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Paranaque City government rang out again over the weekend with Chairman Bayani Fernando...

Jins worry only about fair scoring.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) GIVEN fairer scoring, the country's taekwondo jins will be kicking the opposition around in Vietnam. "Our aim is to capture first place overall and we have what it takes to do that," said team manager...

Lakas exec questions FPJ citizenship.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Gil Cabacungan Jr. and Christine O. Avendano IS "Panday" an American citizen, and a tax evader at that? The ruling Lakas-CMD party wants to know. In an interview with RMN radio, Lakas...

Ex-intel chief reclaiming old PNP post.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Christian Esguerra A FORMER chief of intelligence is set to make a comeback as the top spy in the much-anticipated Philippine National Police revamp this week. Described by his peers as "one...

LLDA workers slam agency honcho for hitting campaign trail too soon.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) THE HEAD of the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) is under fire allegedly for failing to do his job because he is busy campaigning for President Macapagal-Arroyo. LLDA employees on Thursday...

Forest development turning to charcoal.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Tina Santos FOUR forest stewards are asking the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to order the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) officials to issue a cease and desist order...

Militants threaten action vs ID.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Alcuin Papa, Christine Avendano, Carlito Pablo and Delfin T. Mallari Jr., PDI Southern Luzon Bureau MILITANTS are up in arms against the proposed national ID system, branding it a plot to kill...

Nat'l five toughened by defeat.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Roy Luarca RP-CEBUANA Lhuillier got what it wanted. A quality game from a seasoned international campaigner. The Filipinos, brushing up for their defense of the Southeast Asian Games men's...

The boys from Dadiangas.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Carlos Isagani T. Zarate THE EUPHORIC multitude that greeted the homecoming of boxing icon Manny Pacquiao last Thursday in General Santos City capped the weeklong tribute for the "peoples'...

Miriam goes back on vow, supports FPJ.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Jerry Esplanada BARELY a week after declaring she was done with politics, former Sen. Miriam Santiago has thrown herself into the game anew, pledging support for actor Fernando Poe Jr.'s...

MILF still training terrorists-Ermita.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Christian Esguerra THE RESUMPTION of the stalled peace talks between the government and the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front appears to be in peril after Defense Secretary Eduardo...

Left may provide swing vote in 2004.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Carlito Pablo and Norman Bordadora AFTER ITS disastrous decision to boycott the 1986 snap elections, the mainstream Left is poised to play a major role in the 2004 presidential polls, and could...

NCMH property sale leaves doctors worrying about patients.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Luige del Puerto THE PROPERTY where the National Center for Mental Health sits is up for sale, and concerned NCMH doctors and personnel are worried about their patients. The Department of...

Brouhaha over Kris' choice for president.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Raul J. Palabrica WHAT is it about Kris Aquino that when she talks about something that is outside of her field of expertise, entertainment, she lands on the front page of the Inquirer or other...

Mayor Gordon tells why they oppose Subic seaport.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Neal H. Cruz LAST Nov. 27, this column dwelt on the quarrel over the development of the seaport in the former American base in Subic between former Rep. Felicito Payumo, chief of the Subic Bay...

Phone Pals secure 3rd.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: June Navarro TALK 'N Text pummeled Sta. Lucia Realty, 123-106, last night to place third in the Samsung-PBA Reinforced Conference and end its season on a respectable note at the Araneta...

Project puts cops out of extort's way.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Christian V. Esguerra TIRED of policemen doing the rounds in your neighborhood for cash and goodies during Christmas? To keep police officers from spoiling the season's festive spirit, the...

Narra tea study 'preliminary'.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) IT'S too early to conclude that the Ecarma tea has a therapeutic effect on HIV patients, according to the head of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine's AIDS Research Group. Dr. Rosanna Ditangco...

PSC: We are confident the President is aware of the athletes' needs.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) ALL 445 athletes in Team Philippines are in high spirits and their confidence so strong going into the 22nd Southeast Asian Games which starts this week in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh and nine other cities and...

Poor pay drives out best and brightest, say gov't scientists.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Margaux Ortiz THE LACK of benefits and incentives for engineers and scientists working for the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) may cause the government's best and brightest to look...

Public warned vs cheap fireworks.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) THE PHILIPPINE Pyrotechnic Manufacturers and Dealers Association Inc. (PPMDAI), is warning the public on the proliferation of cheap yet illegally produced pyrotechnic materials which could prove hazardous....

Lay of the land.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Conrado de Quiros MY apologies to the local and foreign media who have been calling to ask me what I think about the political situation, whose calls I never returned. I have been swamped with...

Persons with AIDS find haven, hope.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Marlon Ramos PILILIA, Rizal-If stories of kind-hearted people saving stray animals and treating them as their own amaze you, wait till you meet retired pilot Virgilio Ecarma and his wife,...

More golds but no big RP finish seen.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Ernesto Gonzales IT'S GOLD or bust. This is the battlecry of some 100 athletes tasked to deliver the medals that will count for the 445-strong Philippine contingent in its bid to finish...

One cell no. for 'switchers' proposed.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) THE NATIONAL Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has been urged to draw up new regulations that would allow cellular phone subscribers to keep their mobile phone numbers even when they switch to other...

GMA plays Santa to 150 squatters.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) LUCENA CITY-For at least 150 squatter families in this city, the occasion was a Christmas dream that finally came true. On Thursday, President Macapagal-Arroyo distributed at least 150 Certificates of...

Royal Catch steals show in PSA Cup.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Edwin Villanueva IMPORTED filly Royal Catch put his blinding speed to great use to outclass the field yesterday in the 2003 Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Cup at the San Lazaro...

Everything's fine with Torre, pals; Caoili missing.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) EVERYTHING is fine for the men's chess team, but a major problem is hounding the women's team to the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games. The country's top ranked female player has yet to hit town. ...

Welcoat whips ICTSI-La Salle.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) WELCOAT Paints proved too classy for ICTSI-La Salle yesterday, scoring a 72-51 win to further boost its semifinal bid in the PBL Platinum Cup at the San Juan Gym. Getting another splendid performance...

Who else but Primero.
December 1, 2003... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: June Navarro PUERTO PRINCESA CITY-Albert Primero finished first yesterday, turning back the challenge of bosom buddy Bernard Luzon in the criterium to rule the 1st Air21 Puerto Princesa Cycling...