Asia Africa Intelligence Wire articles from November 2004, page 6

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire archives from November 2004

East.
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) Arson attack leaves family homeless A man set a fire to his neighbour's house in the dead of night, suspecting he was having an affair with his wife. Cheng Xianyu's groundless suspicions were aroused in June last...

Central.
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) Cost-cutting groom carries bride to wedding A bridegroom carried his wife piggy-back to their wedding reception. Panting and sweating at the end of the 35-minute journey the groom deposited his bride on the red...

South.
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) Not too proud jobseeker lands US$323,000 a year post A jobseeker who paraded with a board outside a labour market building offering his services for 3 million yuan (US$360,000) was met with scepticism, bordering on...

Couples: Till divorce do us part.
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) Between October 1, 2003 and September 30, 2004, within a year of China's new marriage registration regulations going into effect, the marriage registration centre of Xicheng District in Beijing saw 1,783 couples get...

Premarital check-up vital to family health.
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) Sitting at a health centre for women and children in Shenyang of Northeast China's Liaoning Province, Xiao Ying has a blank, vacant look. The 26-year-old woman suffers from a psychiatric disorder and is six...

Facilitating property execution.
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) The Supreme People's Court issued a decree earlier this month on the execution of property in civil cases, the first time a judicial explanation covers the enforcement on property systematically. The ruling...

China-ASEAN ties dynamic and concrete.
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) Yesterday's meeting of leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK), has the potential to inject new vitality into the already booming economic...

What is the true worth of a miner's life?
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) Another coal mine blast, another tragedy. Twenty five people dead and 141 are still trapped in a mine explosion in Shaanxi Province. The rescue work is on-going, yet reports from the scene seem to be quite...

Turn on and tune into TV sex education.
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) A TV talk show about sex will be broadcasted by more than 50 provincial and city television channels starting from January. It is the first TV programme designed for sex education to be broadcast nationwide. With...

Maintaining grain safety Editor's note:.
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) China is a country of both high grain production and consumption. Ensuring the sustainable growth of grain production is not only important to its economic development and social stability, but also to alleviating the...

Public, experts to be in on decision-making.
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) The Beijing municipal government plans to require public participation and that of experts in major decision-making and legislative actions, according to the Beijing Legal Affairs Office. "The move is aimed at...

ASEAN Summit stresses integrated region.
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) ASEAN members took steps yesterday towards closer economic links and a more cohesive community. The ongoing 10th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit yesterday adopted a Vientiane Action Programme,...

Jordan king relieves heir of duties.
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) AMMAN: Jordan's King Abdullah relieved his half-brother Prince Hamza of his duties as crown prince saying his job as heir to the throne impeded his ability to undertake wider functions, the royal palace said on Sunday....

Educators: Youth need more attention.
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) SHENYANG: Northeast China's Liaoning Province plans to help troubled youth cope by showing them how valuable life can be. A new programme by the Liaoning Provincial Education Bureau focuses on acknowledging the...

Court hears election issue.
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) KIEV: Ukraine's top court met yesterday to tackle an election stalemate threatening to split the country but said it could take days to rule on the week-old crisis that has brought vast crowds of rival demonstrators...

IAEA describes Iran's move as positive.
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) VIENNA: Iran scored a key diplomatic success yesterday by fending off the threat of being reported to the United Nations Security Council over its nuclear programme. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),...

West.
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) Woman farmer wins literary acclaim A poorly educated woman farmer, long the subject of scorn by neighbours, has risen to fame in her native Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region after the novel she secretly penned was...

Japan's top court rejects compensation demands.
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) TOKYO: Japan's top court yesterday rejected demands for compensation by a group representing South Koreans who had been forced into prostitution or conscription by the Japanese military before and during World War II,...

Giving gold a foreign touch.
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) An executive of Shanghai Gold Exchange yesterday said that China's sole national gold bourse has made submissions to the central bank to attract foreign gold traders. "We are striving to invite qualified...

Rules to standardize information disclosure.
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) China's two stock exchanges released revised regulations for stock listing over the weekend, setting up new standards for listed companies in information disclosure and other obligations. The rules, amended from...

IN BRIEF (Page: 8, Date: 11/30/2004).
November 30, 2004... (From China Daily) JERUSALEM Barrier to split less land Israel's rerouted barrier will cut through 8 per cent of the West Bank, less than half of what was originally planned, after a court ruling to minimize hardships to Palestinians,...

S. KOREAN BANK LOAN-DEPOSIT SPREAD WIDENS SHARPLY.
November 30, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) SEOUL, Nov 30 Asia Pulse - South Korean banks' loan-deposit spreads have expanded sharply in recent years as they are reluctant to lower lending rates while making big cuts in interests on deposits, the Bank of Korea...

CORRECTION - OMANI ECONOMICS MINISTER LEAVES FOR BAHRAIN MEETING.
November 30, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) (Corrects country in headline) MUSCAT, Nov 30 Asia Pulse - Ahmed bin Abdul-Nabi Macki, Minister of National Economy and Deputy Chairman of the Financial Affairs and Energy Resources Council, left here Monday for...

STOCKS - SEOUL STOCKS DOWN ON PROGRAM SELLING - NOV 30, 2004.
November 30, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) SEOUL, Nov 30 Asia Pulse - South Korean stocks fell Tuesday morning on computer-guided selling. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 5.52 points, or 0.63 per cent, to 859.88 as of 9:30 a.m.,...

YANKEE GROUP NAMES BOB GOODMAN DIRECTOR.
November 30, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) BOSTON, (BUSINESS WIRE) - Nov 30, 2004 - Industry veteran to provide business leaders with necessary tools to make sound operational decisions and deliver...

(AEUNI) Unitract placement raises $8.8m at 95c a share.
November 30, 2004... (From RWE) Sydney - Tuesday - November 30: (RWE Australian Business News) - Unitract has finalised an $8.8 million capital raising from institutional and sophisticated investors that will be represented by an issue of 9.3 million...

(AECAZ) Cazaly Resources strikes 58m at 6.39 g/t gold.
November 30, 2004... (From RWE) Sydney - Tuesday - November 30: (RWE Australian Business News) - Cazaly Resources Ltd says it has just received results from ongoing Reverse Circulation drilling conducted at Kunanalling gold project in the Kalgoorlie region...

(AEBMO) BMA Gold placement at 25c a share raises $12m.
November 30, 2004... (From RWE) Sydney - Tuesday - November 30: (RWE Australian Business News) - BMA Gold Ltd will make a placement, subject to shareholder approval, to institutional, professional and sophisticated investor clients of Bell Potter Securities...

(AESSX) Smorgon Steel to close tube mill; 71 jobs lost.
November 30, 2004... (From RWE) Sydney - Tuesday - November 30: (RWE Australian Business News) - Smorgon Steel Group has announced that it will cease production at its tube mill at Sunshine, Victoria, by the end of January 2005. One of the two tube lines...

(ED) Australians spending more on credit in October.
November 30, 2004... (From RWE) Sydney - Tuesday - November 30: (RWE) The Reserve Bank of Australia reports that total credit provided to the private sector by financial intermediaries rose by 1.2 per cent in October 2004, following a rise of 0.9 per cent in...

South African labour union says ruling ANC "inflexible, intolerant".
November 30, 2004... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Willem Jordaan entitled "ANC lambasts Cosatu leader" published by South African newspaper Die Burger web site on 29 November The ANC yesterday removed the gloves and...

Southern farmers gear up for increased sales.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Surat Thani _ Southern shrimp farmers hope to sell more of their output to the European Union market next year after being informed by a trade envoy of the high possibility that the EU Commission would restore...

Former builder turns into project developer.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Four Pattana Co, formerly a builder of single-detached homes, has expanded into multiple-home housing developments through new joint ventures and is scheduled to launch its first 350-million-baht project this year,...

Asean set to form single community.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: ACHARA ASHAYAGACHAT Vientiane _ Ten Asean leaders yesterday signed a six-year master plan to achieve the goal of forming an Asean community with economic, political, social and cultural integration, and...

B8bn lent to Ua-arthorn.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Krung Thai Bank has approved an eight-billion-baht loan facility to the National Housing Authority to support the third phase of the Ua-arthorn low-cost housing programme. The goal of the third phase is to build...

Agencies will accept 9m tonnes of paddy for 2004-05 season.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Co-operatives and the Public Warehouse Organisation (PWO) will accept nine million tonnes of paddy under the 2004-05 rice mortgage programme. Jasmine rice with up to 15%...

Counting the true cost of employees.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Recent years have seen an increased level of discussion in the international accounting community on the issue of employee costs and how these are reflected in a company's financial statements. Much of the recent...

Banks urged to warn homebuyers of risk.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: KANANA KATHARANGSIPORN Given the likelihood of a substantial interest rate hike in 2005, financial institutions should provide homebuyers with straightforward advice regarding payment projections, the...

New mine highlights challenge faced by state policymakers.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Chiang Mai _ An Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) project to develop a new mine in the north highlights some of the challenges faced by policymakers in balancing economic, social and environmental...

Ghana promotes its high potential.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Ghana is actively seeking Thai investors, particularly to help add value to its agricultural products and raw materials. Peter Ankrah, a director of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), said at a recent...

Economists remain upbeat on next year.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: PLOY CHITSOMBOON Despite uncertainties in the local and international markets heading into 2005, local economists and analysts remain bullish on the investment prospects of Thai companies. Kongkiat...

VIRTUES OF RISK MANAGEMENT.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: Story by CHIRATAS NIVATPUMIN The attendance list reads like a Who's Who of corporate Thailand, 30 of the country's leading executives seated in a U-shaped table facing the wall. On the projector...

Finance Ministry may cut taxes to back bonds.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) The Finance Ministry plans to overhaul tax rates to "as little as possible" to help support development of the bond market, according to Finance Minister Somkid Jatusripitak. "The goal is to enable the bond...

KTB says new approval process will improve overall flexibility.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Krung Thai Bank plans to revise its loan approval process to allow greater flexibility to respond to customer needs, according to president Apisak Tantiworawong. The state bank, the country's second largest...

Tops expecting 30% increase in sales of holiday gift baskets.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Central Retail Corp's Tops supermarket chain targets a 30% jump in sales of gift baskets over Christmas and New Year's, thanks to an expanded network and a wider variety of premium-grade offerings. Baskets with...

Tax breaks for South.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: ARANEE JAIIMSIN A special tax holiday will be extended to projects in the southern border provinces that expand their operations, according to Industry Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal. The measure,...

AIS vows to help content providers.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Advanced Info Service (AIS) has announced an intention to forge partnership agreements with all of its key strategic content providers as part of a policy aimed at boosting non-voice revenue and bolstering its...

PM's 'gag order' respected.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: ACHARA ASHAYAGACHAT Vientiane _ The Malaysian and Indonesian leaders saved the 10th Asean summit from high drama by agreeing to the Thai prime minister's request not to mention the bloody Tak Bai tragedy...

Leading Muslim militant shot dead.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: POST REPORTERS Security forces killed a leading Muslim militant wanted in connection with the southern unrest in a gunfight in Pattani's Panare district early yesterday morning. A large number of war...

OIC resolves to ask Muslims not to take part in violent acts.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Yala _ The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has resolved to ask all Muslims not to get involved in violence in the three southern border provinces. The call has also prompted a local group to launch a...

Sex education gets revamp.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: SIRIKUL BUNNAG ONNUCHA HUTASINGH At least 2,000 schools across the country will next year be selected to join the Education Ministry's new project to develop a new way to give students proper sex...

Panel set to rule on Tak Bai deaths.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) The report of the independent inquiry into the Tak Bai tragedy is likely to conclude that most of the 85 deaths were due to suffocation and that protesters were not beaten to death as some local Muslim leaders have...

State 'still dominates media'.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: ANUCHA CHAROENPO Though the constitution gives people more rights and freedom to participate in public service broadcasting, in reality the state still dominates and monopolises it, a veteran Thai media...

Pravit wants 4,000 more soldiers.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Army chief Pravit Wongsuvan wants to deploy more troops to Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat so they can guard every village. He believes the move would also strengthen community relations. Gen Pravit's proposal...

Couple takes a marriage lesson from gibbons.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Phuket _ A forest in Phuket was yesterday turned into a wedding venue for a British man and his Israeli girlfriend. The ceremony "Wedding in the Wild" was organised by the Wildlife Conservation Foundation, tourism...

Police accused of inaction in rape case.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) A 14-year-old girl yesterday lodged a complaint with Crime Suppression Division (CSD) police that she had been gang-raped by a group of teenagers in Pathum Thani's Thanyaburi district after complaining that local...

Liberals unravel as Bush marches on.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: WALDEN BELLO For some people on the left in the United States, the Bush re-election was a speed bump, something that slows you down but does not stop you. While President George W. Bush was attending...

Soaring Afghan opium crop a worry.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) The sharp increase in opium production in Afghanistan.was a cause for major concern, Deputy Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said yesterday. Gen Chavalit, who presided over the opening of the Meeting of Heads...

WA WANT HELP FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: Story by SONGPOL KAOPATUMTIP Thailand and Burma can help the Wa people develop their own tourism industry in addition to crop substitution projects now being carried out to replace poppy cultivation,...

Warning exports could be hit.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) The European Union's new regulation on labelling and traceability requirements on products containing genetically modified organisms was likely to have a huge impact on the Thai agricultural and food export industry,...

Amlo: Don't let offenders skip.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) The Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) has proposed amending the criminal law to suspend the statute of limitations if offenders in criminal cases flee prosecution. Amlo secretary-general Pol Maj-Gen Preeraphan...

Pipeline opponents seek help from TAO.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Songkhla _ Opponents of the Thai-Malaysian gas refinery and pipeline project in Chana district have appealed to a tambon administration organisation (TAO) to bar a contractor from using public land to store machinery....

Misdeeds no longer are as easy to hide.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have a chance to redeem themselves today by taking to task the regressives and oppressers in their midst. But on the last day of their summit in Vientiane,...

China grants Cote d'Ivoire 2.5m dollars.
November 30, 2004... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of statement issued by Foreign Ministry in Abidjan on meeting between PRC ambassador to Cote d'Ivoire and Ivorian foreign minister on 26 November - signed by Foreign Ministry spokesperson...

Liberals unravel as Bush marches on.
November 30, 2004... (From Bangkok Post) Byline: WALDEN BELLO For some people on the left in the United States, the Bush re-election was a speed bump, something that slows you down but does not stop you. While President George W. Bush was attending...

To Take a Stand.
November 30, 2004... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Teresa S. Abesamis My adventurousness and my being a genuine promdi have given me, perhaps, more learnings and insights than all the readings I have done on development, including even the...

PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT OMAN GIVES MEDIA BRIEFING.
November 30, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) MUSCAT, Nov 30 Asia Pulse - The Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) held a media briefing at the oil and Gas Exhibition at Mina' Al-Fahl Monday to review the company's performance during this year and shed light on its...

S.KOREAN PETROCHEMICAL SECTOR TO BE AFFECTED LITTLE BY FTA.
November 30, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) SEOUL, Nov 30 Asia Pulse - South Korea's petrochemical industry will be little affected by a South Korea-Singapore free trade agreement (FTA), because it does not cover most petrochemical products which will continue to...

OMAN'S TENDER BOARD MEETS.
November 30, 2004... (From Asia Pulse) MUSCAT, Nov 30 Asia Pulse - The Tender Board Monday held its 17th meeting of the year. The meeting awarded tenders worth, RO. 62,9 million (US$163.39 million). They included a project worth RO. 31,6 million to...

Fence Sitter.
November 30, 2004... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Antonio R. Samson Socioeconomic groupings based on income, houses owned or rented, type of material used, appliances used, and model of car driven no longer seem reflective of consumer...

The Listening Post.
November 30, 2004... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Oscar S. Villadolid Much has been said about the Arroyo-Bush meetings during the APEC summit in Santiago, Chile. Malacanang officials, to this day, sing high praises to how US President...

Dear Editor.
November 30, 2004... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Benigno D. Peczon The Nov. 18, 2004 column, "Bt corn ailments in Mindanao,' written by Mr. Bernardo Lopez is yet another calculated move to picture biotechnology as a monster, and that it...

First Pacific to infuse P150M to refleet Nenaco.
November 30, 2004... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Anna Barbara L. Lorenzo Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. will infuse additional cash of at least P150 million for the refleeting of Negros Navigation Co. (Nenaco). Debt-saddled Nenaco,...

Framework.
November 30, 2004... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Elfren Sicangco Cruz In ancient mythology, a hero was a man (it was a sexist world) of great strength and courage who found favor with the gods. In some cases, like Hercules, he was...

Malaysian firm picked as new partner in Slex.
November 30, 2004... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Jennee Grace U. Rubrico The majority shareholder of Hopewell Crown Infrastructure, Inc. yesterday said a Malaysian company will become a partner in the rehabilitation of the South Luzon...

... as shippers' stock trade suspension lifted today.
November 30, 2004... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Roulee Jane F. Calayag The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) will temporarily lift today the trading suspension on the shares of Negros Navigation Co. (Nenaco) to facilitate the crossing of...

Baguio Country Club presses with Nov. 11 meeting.
November 30, 2004... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Ma. Elisa P. Osorio The Baguio Country Club pushed through with its scheduled Nov. 11 stockholders' meeting in spite of a status quo order issued by the Supreme Court. In a resolution...

BSP okays $100-million credit facility for PSALM.
November 30, 2004... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Iris Cecilia C. Gonzales The policy-making Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has approved a $100-million credit facility for the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities...

Ajinomoto staff warn of strike due to downsizing.
November 30, 2004... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Beverly T. Natividad Downsizing measures at Japanese-owned food company Ajinomoto Philippines Corp. may cause labor problems as its union workers seek the Labor department's intervention...

EasyCall pares net losses on strong revenues, cost cuts.
November 30, 2004... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Jennee Grace U. Rubrico Publicly-listed company EasyCall Communications Philippines, Inc. has reduced its losses in the January-September period on strong revenues from its international...

Ford eyes exports to Aussie and New Zealand markets.
November 30, 2004... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Felipe F. Salvosa II Ford Philippines is reportedly eyeing to assemble cars for export to Australia and New Zealand, given the country's proximity to the lucrative markets compared with the...

Civil society groups to press for GMA's aid in port issue.
November 30, 2004... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Ellen P. Red CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - A protest rally over the closure of the Mindanao Container Terminal will greet President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo when she arrives here on December 7 to...

Korea's Asiana Airlines seeks fuel surcharge.
November 30, 2004... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Anna Barbara L. Lorenzo Korea's Asiana Airlines is seeking regulatory approval to slap an additional fuel surcharge, citing the continued rise in oil prices. The Civil Aeronautics Board...

Freeman staff also receiving death threats.
November 30, 2004... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Jun P. Tagalog CEBU CITY - Since photographer The Freeman Allan Nillas Dizon was gunned down on Saturday, the staff of Cebu's oldest English daily newspaper have received at least two death...