Asia Africa Intelligence Wire articles from January 2004, page 7

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire archives from January 2004

Vivek Oberoi fights in the rain!
January 31, 2004... (From The Times of India) Byline: SNIPPET SNAPPY Vivek Oberoi was recently caught busy swinging his fists right, left and centre - in pouring rain. No, he hasn't got into a fight with a certain Khan... yet. What we're talking about...

At 25, they own a home.
January 31, 2004... (From The Times of India) Byline: MADHUVANTI ANANTHARAJAN Gone are the days when people used to buy their house at the fag end of their career. In a city, where salaries are crossing five-figure mark on a regular basis,the average...

Cricket books bowl city over.
January 31, 2004... (From The Times of India) Byline: K Sachidanand Menon Book corners around the city have hit a purple patch thanks to the Men in Blue. Spurred by their good show against the Aussies, the sales of cricket books have picked up pace. ...

Straight Answers.
January 31, 2004... (From The Times of India) Dr Asifa Zamani, Head of Department of Persian, LU, On being conferred with Padamshree for promoting Persian language. You were conferred with the Padamshree award for your contribution to the promotion of...

It's The return of hit jodis.
January 31, 2004... (From The Times of India) Byline: NIKITA DOVAL Good ol' Terminator Arnie isn't the only one. Bollywood's hit actor-director pairs are 'back' too. So, if Ajay Devgan and Raj Kumar Santoshi have teamed up again after Khakee for...

Mobiles ring a horror bell.
January 31, 2004... (From The Times of India) What is the most destructive weapon you posses? No, it's not the old double-barreled gun or the bottle of cleaning 'acid' but your very own humble cell phone that we're talking about. As the sign boards at...

Weird, in so many words.
January 31, 2004... (From The Times of India) Byline: JYOTI SHARMA If normal is boring, weird is wonderful. So, it comes down to the Oxford English Dictionary having the last word! Released recently, the dictionary's list of 'Weird And Wonderful Words'...

He's single and ready to mingle!
January 31, 2004... (From The Times of India) Byline: Tanya Chaitanya His is a serious case of 'switch on-switch off' acting method. Turn the arclights on and Aman Verma, TV game show host and actor, becomes the affable and soft-spoken, but once he's...

Straight Answers.
January 31, 2004... (From The Times of India) Girish Karnad, Playwright/actor/ director, On resigning from Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF). You've resigned from jury membership of MIFF because of the flawed selection procedure of films... ...

'Have the courage to be yourself'.
January 31, 2004... (From The Times of India) Mahesh Bhatt writes to daughter, Pooja, on the eve of her maiden directorial release. Pooja On January 30, 2004, when Paap lights up the silver screens in cinema halls all over the world, you will have...

And the twain shall meet...
January 31, 2004... (From The Times of India) Byline: Sharmistha Chatterjee Music will rule in Mumbai, as Ian Anderson, vocalist and flautist of the famed rock group Jethro Tull, combines with Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, considered the greatest living...

End of another era? Not yet.
January 31, 2004... (From The Times of India) Byline: Smita Deshmukh Is the February 7 festival off? That was the question on the minds of culture birds as the landmark Kala Ghoda festival organisers lost its case of allowing loudspeaker in the silent...

Death in its place.
January 31, 2004... (From The Times of India) Byline: Manish Pachouly If a person travelling by local train gets hit by a pole and dies, does it matter whether he falls inside the train or outside it? For the victim's family, it means the difference...

Pak romance with Bollywood at commitment stage.
January 31, 2004... (From The Times of India) MUMBAI: While Pakistan and India attempt a dove number at the political level, Track II diplomacy is quietly unfolding on both sides of the border. And at its core is the glue that has bound both countries for...

Czech Social Democrats call for introducing third category of VAT.
January 31, 2004... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) [Czech] VAT rates will probably not change this year, as the Czech Social Democratic Party [CSSD] totally rejected bringing the existing VAT rates closer to each other and insists on creating...

Terrorists not using asylum process to enter country, says Czech official.
January 31, 2004... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) [Announcer] More than 11,000 people asked for asylum in the Czech Republic last year - this is the highest number since 1990. Over 40 per cent of them are Chechens. The head of the asylum...

Arthur Li . . . the invisible man.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Polly Hui Hong Kong's education chief is the focus of a play next week but Arthur Li will be recognised only by his absence. Fanatic Theatre's Table Talk: Everything but Li Kwok Cheung is...

Aided schools may get more autonomy, but at a price EMB could agree to greater freedom if they delink teachers' salaries from the civil service pay scale.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Polly Hui The Education and Manpower Bureau says it will consider giving aided schools more autonomy in the use of resources and staff appointment if they agree to delink teachers' salaries...

ESF chief-to-be had a say in selection group E-mail reveals Haynes was asked to find representatives for interview committee to make final recommendation on post.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Katherine Forestier An e-mail leaked to the South China Morning Post reveals that the former insurance manager offered the job of chief executive of the English Schools Foundation was asked to...

Business Briefs.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) A Aventis4 B Bank One16 BCIA5 C Carrefour2 Cheung Kong1, 3, 5 China Everbright5 China Life Ins2 China Mobile2, 5 China Telecom2, 5 China Unicom2, 5...

Killer driver gets three months Woman who ran a red light to appeal sentence after being found guilty of causing death of girl, 5, and woman.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Chan Siu-sin A woman who jumped a red light in her car and killed a young woman and a five-year-old girl was sentenced to three months' jail yesterday. Park Myung-hwa, 37, a former...

Traders face prospect of $10m-a-day losses.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Cheung Chi-fai Poultry traders have expressed frustration at the ban on poultry imports, and say the industry will lose millions of dollars if the measure lasts too long. Tsui Ming-tuen,...

Business Briefs.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Telecoms hopes derailed B2China Railcom remains a marginal player in China's telecoms market, with revenue share of less than 2 per cent Vanda holders advised to sell B3Vanda shareholders...

Forte fixes share offer at top end of range.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Peggy Sito Shanghai Forte Land priced its initial public offering (IPO) at the top end of the range at $2.35 a share yesterday, after generating an overwhelming investor response for its $1.5...

Citigroup may join Tianjin exchange.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Andrew K. Collier in Beijing Citigroup, the world's largest financial services firm, is in talks to become a member of the Tianjin Equity Exchange in a sign that informal exchanges are playing...

Mainlander in 'lucky tree' case jailed Man who tried to steal fung shui pines is put away for immigration violation.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Angel Lau A mainlander who snuck into Hong Kong to remove "lucky" fung shui trees was jailed for 20 months yesterday. District Court judge Chua Fi-lan imposed the sentence on Lee...

Chief prosecutor, police to discuss smuggling.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Angel Lau Hong Kong's top prosecutor is to meet with police on Monday to discuss the growing problem of fung shui trees being uprooted and smuggled to the mainland. Director of Public...

Directors pay goes public HKEx decides companies now will be compelled to reveal the remuneration of individuals.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Enoch Yiu Hong Kong investors will be able to learn how much individual directors of listed companies earn for the first time under a stock exchange rule to be implemented from March 31...

Corruption watchdog arrests RTHK staff.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Benjamin Wong Several Radio Television Hong Kong staff were arrested by the Independent Commission Against Corruption last night. It is believed two or three people were arrested during the...

Starbucks sues in Shanghai cafe sign spat.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Toh Han Shih United States coffee giant Starbucks Corp is suing a Shanghai-based cafe for trademark infringement, alleging that its logo and brand name have been copied. The case is...

HK bans mainland poultry imports Two more outbreaks of bird flu are confirmed over border, and the virus is suspected to have struck flocks in Guangdong.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Mary Ann Benitez, Leu Siew Ying in Guangzhou and Bill Savadove in Shanghai Hong Kong last night banned the import of live birds and poultry meat from the mainland as the bird flu virus was...

'I performed a bellydance when I was 10 and it was to ruin my life'.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) I had pretty horrific schooldays in the 1970s and that's shameful because it should have been fun and nurturing - an opportunity to learn. But it was like being sent to jail or a zoo, although the...

Business Briefs.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) ESF pay dispute leaves angry parent out of the loop on decisions As a parent, I am dismayed at the handling of the pay dispute with English Schools Foundation (ESF) teachers. Parents, fee-payers and...

Business Briefs.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Monday, Feb 2, HK: The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce hosts a roundtable luncheon entitled "Explore New Opportunities to do Business in the New Europe". Visit www.chamber.org.hk for details. ...

Blockbuster evicted by Hong Kong's property gatekeeper.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) The refrain "the best things in life are free" might ring hollow in Hong Kong but surely there is a still a place for the simpler pleasures, like a night in with a video and perhaps a pizza. But even...

Allocation tied to the question of language As the deadline approaches for the adoption of key reforms, Katherine Forestier looks at the main options.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) AMONG ALL THE education reforms, none is more contentious than how to allocate places in secondary schools and determine the language of instruction. The model adopted, to be recommended in the coming...

Fish, not chicken, at Legco reception But politicians insist it is not due to the bird flu outbreak.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Ambrose Leung Chicken was dropped yesterday from the menu of the traditional spring reception held annually at the Legco Building. Fearlessly breaking with tradition, lawmakers instead...

HKEx shows no sign of giving up power.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Enoch Yiu Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEx) yesterday announced a list of rule changes to improve corporate governance - a sign it is not about to relinquish its powers. Only a day...

A snapshot of two worrying incidents.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) The mother of two boys would like to alert other parents to two potentially sinister incidents. The expatriate brothers, aged 10 and 15, have twice been approached by middle-aged Chinese women since...

Uncertainty at the end of the line for China Railcom The telecoms minnow is cut free from the rail ministry but still faces a struggle.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Mark O'Neill in Shanghai When then-premier Zhu Rongji proudly announced the birth of China Railcom on Boxing Day 2000 in Beijing, he said that within three years it would do one of two things:...

Business Briefs.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) boy 'serious'after Ocean Park ridE A mainland tourist was in serious condition last night after he lost consciousness when riding Ocean Park's biggest roller-coaster. The 14-year-old went on the...

Business Briefs.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Q What do you think of the official approval for the concreting of the Sai Kung streams? Nice that we have started talking about streams in Hong Kong. Maybe next time we pass a stream we will pick up a...

Beijing adviser hits HK drive for independence Democrats are seeking overthrow of the central government, NPC delegate says.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Gary Cheung A senior Beijing adviser yesterday said "political forces" in Hong Kong are trying to make the city independent by calling for an early introduction of universal suffrage. ...

IPOs push up loans to brokers by 21.7pc.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Kelvin Wong Loans to stockbrokers in the fourth quarter last year grew 21.7 per cent from the previous year due to overwhelming public demand for initial public offerings. According to the...

Democracy seekers accused of trying to 'topple Basic Law'.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) A leading leftist has accused the pro-democracy camp of trying to "topple the Basic Law" by exploiting public grievances brought about by the economic downturn to promote constitutional reform. In an...

tertiary sector places squeezed.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) As many as 90,000 Australians hoping to enrol at university this year could miss out. Although the federal government has promised universities an additional A$2.4 billion (HK$14.41 billion) over the next...

Business Briefs.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) dioxin study recognised Dr Cai Zongwei, an associate professor of chemistry at Baptist University, has been awarded a National Science Fund research grant worth 400,000 yuan for distinguished young...

Open U seeks cover of UGC umbrella.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: May Chan The new president of Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) hopes the institution will come under the University Grants Committee's umbrella this year to help its Hong Kong and mainland...

Thai students face heavy fee burdens Subsidies for tertiary education to be scrapped and loans, to be repaid on graduation, will help cover costs for individuals.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Jason Gagliardi University students in Thailand face tuition fee rises of up to eight times present levels following the government's announcement of plans to scrap subsidies for tertiary...

Welfare arson threat sparks security review Two-hour standoff at World Trade Square by claimant prompts rethink.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Clifford Lo The Social Welfare Department will consider upgrading security measures at all its social security offices after a man yesterday threatened to set its Kwun Tong office ablaze with...

Rights group to meet EOC review team.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Ravina Shamdasani The Civil Human Rights Front - an umbrella group that includes most of the pro-democracy camp - is to meet consultants conducting an internal review of the Equal Opportunities...

The likely winners and losers from specialising.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Polly Hui The grants committee's report has sparked fears that many academic departments could face closure or be severely scaled down if they do not fall within institutions' newly defined...

Howard challenges political correctness PM claims parents are turning their backs on public schools' brand of bland neutrality.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Geoffrey Maslen Australian Prime Minister John Howard triggered fierce debate last week when he claimed parents were taking their children out of government schools because the public system...

Budding young poet finds her inspiration from old masters.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Yan Liu Ancient Chinese poetry holds special appeal for Winnie Tsui Wai, a winner in a prestigious Hong Kong poetry competition. The classical novel Story of Stones cast a spell over her as...

Xinhua officials face corruption probe Shanghai branch president is replaced while general manager is detained.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Bill Savadove The president and general manager of the Shanghai branch of Xinhua have been replaced and are under investigation for alleged financial crimes. Authorities detained the...

NEC claims mainland producer making unauthorised speakers Niveous Audio & Video says agreement is valid and that it always manufactures 'according to the law'.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Toh Han Shih Japanese electronics giant NEC alleges a mainland maker of speakers has appropriated its brand name to sell products. According to NEC, Niveous (Huizhou) Audio & Video...

'Striptease without the sleaze' will turn heads in Hong Kong.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Nick Gentle A new events management company has laid bare plans to shake up Hong Kong's entertainment industry. And while all business involves a degree of risk, Outside the Box's first...

Placement raises $80m for Hualing expansion.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Winston Yau Mainland white goods manufacturer Hualing Holdings has raised $80 million through a top-up placement to fund an expansion of its production lines, sources say. Controlling...

Mutating virus aids Sars attacks.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Klaudia Lee The Sars coronavirus has been rapidly mutating into a form more efficient at attacking humans, a new study has found. The study also confirmed that the virus could jump from...

Activists and South Asians unite for new party.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Ravina Shamdasani The April 5th Action Group has joined forces with members of the South Asian community to form a new political party. The Southern Democratic Alliance, with a humble...

University funding blueprint unveiled Public money should be cut from institutions that stray too far from their areas of excellence, says committee.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Katherine Forestier and May Chan The University Grants Committee has published its blueprint for higher education, envisaging specific roles for each university, more say for the committee...

Officials criticised for lack of urgency on traffic congestion Report shows little done to deal with impact on Tuen Mun of road projects.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Joseph Lo The government has come under fire for lacking urgency in its quest to ease traffic congestion in the Northwest New Territories. Legislators said Tuen Mun residents would pay a...

Britain's fee protesters need a good dose of Chinese wisdom The storm clouds and controversy raised by calls for user-pays tertiary education prompt Chris Forse to remember a girl in a Guangxi village.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) IN JULY 1999 a group of staff and students cycling through China was greeted by a teenager. "My name is Yu Mei," she said. "I am 16 years old; would you like a drink?" The young lady made herself our...

Peace plan delays inevitable conflict Despite being criticised as cumbersome and confusing, the three-tier market regulatory system is here to stay because of a politically palatable compromise, writes Jane Moir.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) It has been a tempestuous two years in the world of listing regulation. The question of who vets and disciplines candidates to the market has progressed from heated debate and a potentially radical...

Net gains bridge cultural gap after chance meeting Computer engineer sets up a cyber-student exchange between China and the US, Paul Mooney reports.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Mark Opperman was on a horse-riding trip though Sichuan's scenic Jiuzaigou in 1999 when he came across a Tibetan teacher. Opperman, then a computer engineer with Sun Microsystems, asked the teacher if his...

Business as usual at Bird Street but parks shut down The government says the Mongkok market is safe and can stay open.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Cheung Chi-fai and Hannah Lee The government has closed the Mai Po marsh and aviaries in urban parks to the public while allowing the Bird Street market to remain open. The urban closures...

Christian finds out how the Islamic half lives.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Geoffrey Maslen After more than 20 years heading one of Sydney's top Christian colleges, Dr Ian Paterson left wealthy Knox Grammar and its leafy suburb and took charge of a poor Islamic school...

Lantau gives them a home where the buffalo can roam Fenced-off area has been found after 'nuisance' animals were taken by officials.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Elaine Wu Fifteen buffaloes in government custody will soon be returned to Lantau to a fenced-off and permanent home. The Lantau Buffalo Association is finalising an agreement with an...

China Huaneng sees rises.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Eric Ng China Huaneng Group, parent of Huaneng Power International, posted a 16.2 per cent rise in revenue last year - its first set of annual results since its formation as a result of the...

Business Briefs.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) us woman charged with murder to appear in court American Nancy Ann Kissel, 39, who is accused of murdering her husband, Merrill Lynch banker Robert Kissel, 40, will appear for committal proceedings on...

Checks in jail failed to find attack weapon Metal detector used on inmate is being tested as taskforce reviews security.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Stella Lee The inmate who slashed the Stanley Prison chief with a makeshift knife on Monday passed a weapons check with a handheld metal detector three times before the attack, security sources...

Painful lessons learnt make for swifter response.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Klaudia Lee Hong Kong officials have been more responsive in handling the latest bird flu crisis after learning a painful lesson from the Sars outbreak, lawmakers said yesterday. The...

Sultry, joyful mix of styles at the Oasis.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: REVIEW Liana Cafolla Midnight At The Oasis Oasis Dance Centre Studio Theatre, Fringe Club Final show tonight A curtain-shrouded entrance and a candlelit floor full of...

Sellers squawk over lack of chicken sales.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Hannah Lee Chicken sellers across Hong Kong complained of collapsing sales yesterday, even before the government banned all poultry imports from the mainland. But they hoped the government...

Pick-up in mortgages boosts property shares.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: markets report Anette Jonsson The Hong Kong share market fell for the third consecutive day yesterday after closing at a 31-month high on Tuesday, but data showing a pick-up in mortgage...

English business students make most of CEF scheme.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Chris Davis Students enrolling in English-language learning courses are increasingly making use of the government's Continuing Education Fund (CEF) scheme to finance their efforts to improve...

Closer ties make Putonghua essential Proficiency in world's second most widely spoken language a priority as bond grows between HK and the mainland.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Kristine Kwok Fifteen years ago, all you needed to land a good job in Hong Kong was mastery of English. China's national language, Putonghua, or "ordinary speak", was rarely spoken. These...

Business Briefs.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) SELL Beijing Capital Int Airport Closing price: $2.625 Target price: $2 Share price performance (%) 1wk: 3.66 3mths:7.07 1mth:2.77 1yr:36.01 Capital...

Business Briefs.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) BUY Cheung Kong (Holdings) Closing price: $72.25 Target price: $82.50 Share price performance (%) 1wk: 6.77 3mths:12.01 1mth:17.47 1yr:41.66 ...

Free-range farms may be weak link in fight Loose inspections and a relaxed attitude to quarantine hint at a gap in defences.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Leu Siew Ying in Guangzhou Lu Haiyin runs a small chicken farm in the Baiyun district of Guanghou, its wire fencing overgrown with shrubs and brambles. This farm, and others like it, could...

Britannica online in Chinese set to launch.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: I Ching Ng in Taipei Encyclopedia Britannica launches an online version of its 70,000-entry concise encyclopedia in traditional Chinese characters on Monday - the fruit of eight years' work by...

Ex-convicts' jobs top secret.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Byline: Carrie Chan The Civil Service Bureau is refusing to disclose the number of ex-convicts employed by the government, despite having modified its job application form to increase their chances of...

Courses focus on improving skills in real-life situations.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) Hong Kong has a wide range of English-language learning programmes tailored to meet the specific requirements of different learners. Stuart Barrett, group director of the Park Language Group, says that...

Business Briefs.
January 31, 2004... (From South China Morning Post) BEIJING Tourist revenue soars during Lunar New Year holiday The mainland received about 29 billion yuan in tourist revenue during the Lunar New Year, 12.4 per cent more than last year, the China...