Asia Africa Intelligence Wire articles from October 2003, page 9

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire archives from October 2003

NON-PUBLIC SECTORS CAN PLAY POSITIVE ROLE IN CHINA: ECONOMIST.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) Byline: the end of 2002, China had reported a total of 23.77 BEIJING, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The individual and private sectors of the economy can play a positive role in the development of China's socialist market...

SHANGHAI WORLD EXPO COORDINATION BUREAU ESTABLISHED.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) SHANGHAI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau was established in Shanghai yesterday for the preparation of the Shanghai World Expo, which will open on May 1, 2010. Zhou Yupeng, Vice Mayor...

NEW JAPANESE MICROSCOPE ATTACHMENT PUTS ENTIRE SPECIMEN IN FOCUS.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Digital imaging equipment manufacturer Photron Ltd. (TSE:6879) has worked with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science to develop an optical microscope attachment that can...

CANON SHRINKS DEBT BY US$294 MLN.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) Byline: the time this fiscal year ends in December, the company TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Due to strong earnings results, Canon Inc. (TSE:7751) is rapidly improving its financial position, and its group...

CHINA TO KEEP RENMINBI STABLE: CENTRAL BANK OFFICIAL.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) BEIJING, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - A senior official with the People's Bank of China, China's central bank, yesterday said that China will continue to adopt a sound monetary policy in order to maintain the stability of the...

JAPANESE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHIPMENTS RISE 10.5% IN SEPT.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The nation's domestic shipments of consumer electronics in September rose 10.5 per cent on the year to 186.8 billion yen (US$1.7 billion), the Japan Electronics and Information Technology...

HITACHI MEDICAL TO SPEED OUTPUT TRANSFER TO CHINA.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Hitachi Medical Corp. (TSE:6910) plans to increase the share of medical equipment produced in China to 20 per cent by 2005. The company intends to raise output of the low-end X-ray...

MATSUSHITA DEVELOPS MERCURY-FREE LAMP FOR LCD BACKLIGHTS.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. (6752) has developed a lamp for the backlight in LCD (liquid crystal display) panels that does not contain the toxic metal mercury but is just as bright as...

JAPAN, MEXICO MULL PLANS TO RESUME TRADE PACT TALKS IN NOV.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The Japanese and Mexican governments have begun considering restarting in November negotiations toward reaching a free trade agreement. "We proposed to the Mexican government a...

TOKYO, OSAKA HOTELS SEE RECOVERY IN OCCUPANCY RATES IN SEPT.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Average occupancy rates at Tokyo and Osaka hotels in September showed their first year-on-year growth since January, suggesting that demand is on a recovery track. The average occupancy...

CHINA, JAPAN & KOREA TO SET UP NE ASIA COOPERATION BANK.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) TIANJIN, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - A commercial bank funded by financial institutions and firms from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) is likely to come into shape early next year, said sources with a conference on...

INVESTMENT TRUSTS THAT TARGET CHINESE STOCKS STAGE COMEBACK.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Investment trusts that target Chinese shares are drawing investor interest again after their popularity waned due to the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in China. ...

JAPAN INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS CUT EQUITY HOLDINGS IN SEPT: POLL.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Japanese institutional investors shrank their equity holdings by 1 point from the prior month to 41.8 per cent of their total holdings as of the end of September, according to a survey by The...

CHINA, EU ESTABLISH TRADE POLICY DIALOGUE MECHANISM.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) BEIJING, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - China and the European Union agreed to establish a trade policy dialogue mechanism in Beijing yesterday. At the 19th meeting of the China-Europe Joint Committee of Economy and Trade, Wei...

SAMSUNG TO INVEST US$17 BLN IN LCD PRODUCTION BY 2010.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) SEOUL, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Samsung Electronics Co. (KSE:005930) on Thursday announced that it will invest 20 trillion won (US$17 billion), or roughly 2 trillion yen, in LCD panel production by 2010. The South Korean...

JAPAN'S JCB TO TEST FINGERPRINT ID VERIFICATION SYSTEM.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) Byline: improving its validation techniques, JCB aims to bolster TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - JCB Co. plans in November to begin testing a fingerprint-based identity verification system for access to its services on...

PRIVATE INVESTMENT HAS ACCELERATED IN CHINA, ANALYST SAYS.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) BEIJING, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Investment from the private sector has accelerated annually since 1999 with expanded investing fields, said Bao Yujun, president of the China Private Economy Association. Addressing the...

GUANGZHOU FAIR NETS US$20.49 BLN IN BUSINESS DEALS.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) GUANGZHOU, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The 94th China Export Commodity Fair, also known as the Guangzhou Fair, which closed on October 30, scored a record US$20.49 billion in business deals. The trade fair, which opened in...

JAPAN'S DOCOMO SEES PRETAX PROFIT DECLINE IN H1.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - NTT DoCoMo Inc. (TSE:9437) has posted a decline in profit for the first time since it went public in October 1998. Consolidated pretax profit before extraordinary items was 584.7 billion...

JAPAN'S YAMATO TRANSPORT SEES 57% FALL IN INTERIM GRP NET PROFIT.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Yamato Transport Co. (TSE:9064) appears to have recorded some 6 billion yen (US$55 million) in group net profit for the fiscal first half ended Sept. 30, down 57 per cent on the year and...

CHINA VOWS TO IMPROVE GOVERNMENTAL ROLE IN MACROECONOMY.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) BEIJING, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - A senior Chinese official vowed on October 30 that China would speed up improving the government's role in the country's macroeconomy. Liu He, deputy director of the financial...

HONG KONG NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - OCT 31, 2003.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) HONG KONG, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE STANDARD: - The Trade Development Council (TDC) plans to build a temporary exhibition venue at the Tamar site to meet increased demand before...

CHINA MULLS MAKING PRODUCERS CULPABLE FOR SCRAPPED ELECTRONICS.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) BEIJING, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - China is formulating policies that would hold producers partly or wholly responsible for treating scrap electronic products, a senior environmental official said yesterday. Pan Yue,...

CHINA TO ACTIVELY PUSH FORWARD OPENING-UP OF SECURITIES INDUSTRY.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) BEIJING, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - China is actively and steadily pushing forward the opening-up of its securities industry, an official said here on October 30 at the fourth UK-China Forum. Wang Jianxi, assistant...

CHINA TO MAINTAIN HOUSING CONSUMPTION FOR DECADES: OFFICIAL.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) BEIJING, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Chinese Vice-Minister of Construction Liu Zhifeng yesterday said that in the coming decades, China will maintain a high rise in housing consumption as 95 per cent of house purchasers in...

WELSPUN INDIA CHALKS OUT US$88 MLN EXPANSION INITIATIVE.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) MUMBAI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Welspun India Ltd's (BSE:WLSP) board has principally chalked out an expansion project entailing an investment of Rs 4 billion (US$88.2 million) for its terry towel and bed sheet businesses....

INDIA'S TATA MOTORS NET UP 251 PCT IN SECOND QUARTER.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) MUMBAI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Tata Motors Ltd (BSE:TAMO) reported a 251 per cent jump in its net profit at Rs 2.07 billion (US$45.66 million) for the second quarter ending September 30, 2003 as compared to Rs 588 million...

INDIAN PRODUCT DESIGNER TATA ELXI Q2 NET UP 35 PCT.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) BANGALORE, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Tata Elxi (BSE:TTEX), the product design arm of the Tata Group, reported a 35 per cent rise in net profit at Rs 39 million (US$860,000) for Q2 of 2003-04 over the corresponding period of...

FLAKE ICE MACHINE (IRPL offers Geneglace flake ice machine).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Industrial Refrigeration Pvt Ltd (IRPL) offers Geneglace flake ice machine of Frigofrance in India. It is the exclusive representative for Frigofrance in the country. The flake ice machine is available...

UBL SIGNS CONTRACT FARMING AGREEMENT FOR BARLEY IN PUNJAB (commits to buy back entire crop for production of beer).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) United Breweries Ltd (UBL) has concluded a contract farming agreement with Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Ltd (PAICL) for producing new varieties of barley in Punjab. As part of the tie-up, UBL has...

KARNATAKA'S PLANS TO BOOST FOOD PROCESSING (investments in food processing sector projected at Rs10,000 crore).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Government of Karnataka has announced its new food policy and projected investments in the food processing sector to touch Rs10,000 crore in the state by 2013. It has empowered Food Processing...

ALFA LAVAL INDIA MAKES IT BIG IN FOOD PROCESSING TECH EXPORTS (working on two new technologies with US company).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Alfa Laval India (ALI) has drawn huge plans for exporting food processing technology. It has embarked on two new technologies to make ethanol from wheat and corn and produce bakery yeast in association...

HATSUN AGRO PLANS TO MERGE HATSUN FOODS (to boost synergies of operations).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Hatsun Agro Products Ltd (HAPL) of Chennai has proposed to merge Hatsun Foods Ltd (HFL) with itself to boost synergies of operations. The company board will finalise the proposal after all necessary...

FCI TO SPEND Rs100 CRORE TO NETWORK ITS 6,000 WAREHOUSES (National Informatics Centre to start project by Nov 2003).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Food Corporation of India (FCI) is planning to network all its 6,000 godowns spread out in the country to improve inventory management. The networking computerisation project will involve an investment of...

ANAND MODEL FOR HORTICULTURE-NDDB'S NOVEL INITIATIVE (MDFPL launches `Safal Fruit and Vegetable Auction Market' near Bangalore).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) is looking at repeating the Anand model of the dairy sector in the horticulture sector. Mother Dairy Foods Processing Ltd (MDFPL), the subsidiary of NDDB, has set up a...

GHERKIN EXPORT BIZ PROVES LUCRATIVE FOR ITAP OF TUTICORIN (earns Rs20-25 crore revenue in 2002-2003).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Indian Tropical Agro Products (P) Ltd (ITAP) of Tuticorin exports a range of agricultural products including gherkins. It has identified an increasing demand for gherkins every year across the world. Gherkins...

ASEAN COUNTRIES ON AMUL'S MAP (GCMMF eyes Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka in short-run).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) has started selling branded liquid milk in Singapore. It is supplying 20,000 litres of Amul milk every day to a super market chain in Singapore. With...

AMUL OPTING FOR MERGERS and ACQUISITIONS ROUTE TO EXPAND (aims at turnover of Rs7,000 crore by 2007-2008).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) has proposed to boost its turnover from Rs2,745.74 crore in 2002- 2003 to Rs7,000 crore by 2007-2008. Besides, GCMMF is looking at increasing its...

COOL IMAGE MAKEOVER FOR AMUL SHAKTI (to be relaunched as `Amul Cool' in Sep 2003).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) will relaunch its flavoured milk brand, `Amul Shakti' in Sep 2003. The brand will be renamed and transformed as `Amul Cool' targeting the youth segment...

DAIRY MNC'S LIKELY TO ENTER INDIA (with Indian organised dairy sector posting notable growth).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) The organised dairy sector is growing at a remarkable five percent in India much higher than mature markets of developing countries, according to a report released by Rabo India. The trend could prompt...

KELLOGG'S PULLS OUT CHEEZ-IT FROM INDIAN MARKET (expands cereals offerings under Chocos brand).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Kellogg had launched a range of baked cheese snack crackers under the brand name, `Cheez-It' in 2002. The company has now withdrawn its Cheez-It brand from the market. Cheez-It had been introduced in...

VALUE-ADDED CRAB MEATS FROM WATERBASE (under `Handy Waterbase-Tropical Blue' brand name).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Waterbase Ltd (WBL) has entered into a tie-up with Handy and Sons (HAS) of the US to set up a Rs3.5 crore crab meat processing plant. The pact includes a marketing agreement for value-added crab meats. The...

BRITANNIA TO INCREASE CAPACITY WITH A RS60 CRORE PLANT IN UTTARANCHAL ((by 60,000-80,000 tonnes}).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Britannia Industries Ltd (BIL) will set up a greenfield production facility in Uttaranchal at an investment of around Rs60 crore. With the move, BIL expects to draw on the tax incentives offered by Government...

HALDIRAM EXPANDING READY-TO-EAT PORTFOLIO (to launch a range of convenience foods by Sep 2004).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Haldiram Manufacturing Company Ltd (HMCL) has drawn plans to enter new categories like western snack foods and ready-to- eat foods. As part of the strategy, it will be launching cookies, flavoured popcorns,...

ITC FORAYS INTO BRANDED BISCUITS (launches `Sunfeast' in three variants across India).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) ITC Limited (ITC) has launched a range of biscuits under the brand name, `Sunfeast' through its foods division. Sunfeast has been made available in glucose, Marie, and cream variants across the country. The...

NARGIS TEA TO BE RELAUNCHED IN RUSSIA (under new logo and design).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Limtex (India) Ltd (LIL) of Kolkata has proposed to relaunch the `Nargis' brand of tea in Russia by Sep 2003. The `Nargis' brand will however be introduced under a new logo and design in Russia and other...

PARLE'S BISLERI TO GO GLOBAL (to be exported to western countries by Nov 2003).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Parle Bisleri (PB) is looking forward to export its Bisleri brand of water to western markets including the US, Canada, and Europe by Nov 2003. Its group company, `Maaza Beverages' (MB) of the US has...

NICHROME, MARBO OF US TIE-UP TO MARKET TAMPICO PRODUCTS (to target Indian dairy industry in particular).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Nichrome India Ltd (NIL) of Pune and Marbo Inc (MI) of the US have entered into a tie-up to market a range of Tampico products in India targeting the dairy industry in particular. Tampico products include...

NEW STANDARDS FOR BOTTLED WATER TO BE EFFECTIVE FROM JAN 1,2004 (norms for pesticide residues set at par with EU norms).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Government of India has issued a final notification on norms for pesticide residues in bottled water at par with European Union (EU) norms. According to the notification, pesticide residues in bottled...

INCENTIVE TO EXECUTIVES OF UB SPIRITS TO SHARE EXCESS PROFITS (scheme intended to boost UBSD share in industry).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) UB Spirits Division (UBSD) has proposed to share profits generated in excess of the budgeted target with its executives. With the new incentive in place, the company expects to boost its share in the...

JACOB'S CREEK TO ENTER INDIA (to launch two top wines in select markets initially).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Jacob's Creek (JC) of Australia will be launching its top wines, `Semillon Chardonnay' and `Shiraz Cabernet' in the Indian market. The two wines will be introduced initially in the institutional segment...

RADICO KHAITAN LIKELY TO TAKE UP DISTRIBUTION OF FAMOUS GROUSE SCOTCH (from Highland Distilleries).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Highland Distillers (HD) is reviewing its business plans in various markets including India. It is likely to engage Radico Khaitan Ltd (RKL) for distribution and marketing of its products in the country. HD...

PIZZA HUT NOW TARGETING SMALLER CITIES (towns identified as virgin markets for pizzas).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Pizza Hut (PH) has proposed to hike its number of restaurants in India from the current level of 50 to 100 by Mar 2005. As part of the strategy, PH will open more outlets in smaller cities apart from...

SEAGRAM'S WHISKIES CLOCK RECORD GROWTH IN INDIA (Imperial Blue and Royal Stag propel PR sales volume).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Seagram had originally launched Imperial Blue and Royal Stag whiskies in India. The two brands have become the fastest growing spirit brands in the country in 2002. These brands have now moved to Pernod...

TURMERIC AGRI-EXPORT ZONE IN TAMIL NADU MOOTED (Erode and Salem identified as potential areas).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Spices Board has identified Salem and Erode in Tamil Nadu (TN) as potential areas for setting up an Agriculture Export Zone (AEZ) for turmeric. The Board has submitted a concept paper in this regard to...

RAW SUGAR EXPORTS LIKELY TO SOLVE SURPLUS SUGAR PROBLEM (expected at 15-20 lakh tonnes in 2004).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) The Indian sugar industry is considering exporting raw sugar to resolve the impasse created owing to mounting stocks and rising production. Raw sugar accounts for 85 percent of sugar trade across the world....

BALRAMPUR CHINI'S DIVERSIFICATION TO `DE-RISK' SUGAR BUSINESS (expands operations in power co-generation and ethanol).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Balrampur Chini Mill (BCM) is stepping up its operations in power co-generation and ethanol. With the move, BCM is looking at shielding itself from the uncertainties of its core sugar business. BCM...

TCIL TO EXPAND CAPACITY BY 20,000 TONNE (to 1.45 lakh tonnes by 2004-2005).
October 31, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Tinplate Company of India Ltd (TCIL) will increase its installed capacity by 20,000 tonnes to 1.45 lakh tonnes by 2004-2005. It had hiked its capacity from 1.14 lakh tonnes to 1.25 lakh tonnes in 2002-2003....

INDONESIA'S TELKOMSEL SUBSCRIBERS REACH 9 MLN IN OCT.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) Byline: applying dual-band networks called GSM 900 and 1,800, JAKARTA, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Telkomsel, cellular phone unit of state telecommunications company PT Telkom, said on Thursday the number of its subscribers...

Eight people were killed in yet another devastating bus crash late.
October 31, 2003... (From SAPA (South African Press Association)) on Thursday night, police said. Inspector Stefanie Smith, media liaison for the SA Police Service in the Easter Province, said an Intercape bus was travelling from Port Elizabeth to...

China's Hisense Electric Q3 net profit up 18.8 pct on higher margins.
October 31, 2003... (From Xinhua Financial News - China Focus) BEIJING (XFN) - Hisense Electric Co Ltd (SHA 600060) said its third-quarter net profit rose 18.8 pct to 7.19 mln yuan from 6.05 mln a year earlier, largely on the back of higher profit margins...

China B-shares end morning higher; Shenzhen board hits 21-mth high.
October 31, 2003... (From Xinhua Financial News - China Focus) (Updating to add analyst comments, share prices) SHANGHAI (XFN) - B-shares in Shanghai and Shenzhen finished the morning session higher, buoyed by news that the earnings of many of China's listed...

STATE BANK OF INDIA Q2 NET UP 20.99 PCT.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) MUMBAI, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The State Bank of India (BSE:SBI) has posted a 20.99 per cent rise in net profit at Rs 9.89 billion (US$218 million) for the second quarter ended September 30, 2003, compared to Rs 8.17...

UN OFFICIALS URGE CHINA TO ADOPT SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRIALIZATION.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) BEIJING, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - United Nations officials called for China to adopt a sustainable industrialization mode in Beijing yesterday, and Chinese officials agreed sustainable development was necessary for China...

WEST BENGAL GETS US$38.6 MLN ASSISTANCE FROM UK.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) KOLKATA, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The West Bengal government has received an assistance of Rs 1.75 billion (US$38.6 million) from the Department for International Development, the British government's funding agency. ...

MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC, PIONEER 1ST HALF FORTUNES DIVERGE.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Mitsubishi Electric Corp. (TSE:6503) yesterday announced it posted a 3.8 billion yen (US$34.8 million) group net profit for the interim period ended September 30, down 44 per cent on the year,...

SINGAPORE'S CPG TO DESIGN HOSPITAL IN COLOMBO, SRI LANKA.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) BRISBANE, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Singapore-based design consultancy CPG Corp, a subsidiary of Downer EDI (AUS:DOW), has been commissioned to design Sri Lanka's largest privately-run women's and children's hospital. ...

MITSUI TO PARTICIPATE IN NEW ZEALAND OIL FIELD DEVELOPMENT.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Mitsui & Co. (TSE:8031) will acquire a 12.5 per cent stake in an oil field development project off the western coast of New Zealand in return for taking on an equal percentage of the...

JAPAN'S NTN TO BOLSTER NORTH AMERICAN AUTOPARTS PRODUCTION.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - NTN Corp. (TSE:6472) and cooperating partners will spend a total of 7.4 billion yen (US$68.36 million) on improving in North American production capabilities for such core components as...

IRCJ TO BAIL OUT JAPANESE MEDICAL GOODS WHOLESALER YAGAMI.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan (IRCJ) plans to decide Friday to support the restructuring of midsize medical goods wholesaler Yagami Shoji. Juroku Bank (TSE:8356), Yagami's...

MILLEA TO REDUCE SALES OUTLETS FOR TOKIO MARINE, NICHIDO.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Millea Holdings Inc. (TSE:8766) plans to trim about 30 per cent of the sales outlets and adjustment offices of Tokio Marine and Fire Insurance Co . and Nichido Fire and Marine Insurance Co. in...

BRIEFING - ASIA BANKING - OCT 31, 2003.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) An executive briefing on banking for Oct 31, 2003, prepared by Asia Pulse (http://www.asiapulse.com), the real-time, Asia-based wire with exclusive news, commercial intelligence and business opportunities. STATE...

BRIEFING - ASIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS - OCT 31, 2003.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) An executive briefing on the telecommunications industry for Oct 31, 2003, prepared by Asia Pulse (http://www.asiapulse.com), the real-time, asia-based wire with exclusive news, commercial intelligence and business...

T-ENGINE FORUM PROMOTING TRON IN ASIA, U.S., EUROPE.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) SINGAPORE, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - T-Engine Forum, an association dedicated to promote TRON (The Real-time Operating System Nucleus), is stepping up its efforts to push for wider use of TRON technology overseas. On...

AJINOMOTO FROZEN FOODS TO USE MORE CHEMICAL-FREE INGREDIENTS.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) TOKYO, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - Ajinomoto Frozen Foods Co. will set up a subsidiary on Saturday in charge of increasing the importation of vegetables, meat, fish and dairy products that are grown with minimal antibiotics and...

STOCKS - MALAYSIAN SHARES HIGHER AT NOON - OCT 31, 2003.
October 31, 2003... (From Asia Pulse) KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 Asia Pulse - The Malaysian share market was higher at noon Friday, with the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Composite Index up 4.18 points to 816.91 at 12.40 p.m. The Emas Index was up 1.09 points...

Safety violations blamed for coal mine blast in Russian Far East.
October 31, 2003... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) The 29 October methane blast at the Tsentralnaya mine in Maritime Territory's town of Partizansk was caused by numerous safety violations by the company's management and experts in charge of the...

IB officer arrested for taking bribe.
October 31, 2003... (From The Economic Times) : A sub-inspector from the (central) Intelligence Bureau was arrested on Monday from his home by a CBI team on charges of demanding a bribe of Rs 5,000 from a travel agent. IB officer R C Pandey, allegedly...

Exporters get more options to file rebate claims.
October 31, 2003... (From The Economic Times) : Exporters can now file rebate claims and execute bonds or a letter of undertaking at all Central excise commissionerates in the country. The facility has so far been available only in eight or 10 locations....

Govt for merging two education schemes.
October 31, 2003... (From The Economic Times) : The government is planning to merge the scheme for modernisation of madarsas with its ongoing area intensive programme for educationally backward minorities. Speaking at the Commonwealth Education...

DD News a must, cablewallahs told.
October 31, 2003... (From The Economic Times) : Poised to launch DD News next week, the government on Wednesday reinforced its directive to cable operators across the country to carry this new channel in addition to DD-1 (National) and one regional...

EC gives nod to launch govt news channel.
October 31, 2003... (From The Economic Times) : The Election Commission on Wednesday gave the government the go-ahead to launch a 24-hour news channel. The decision, the EC said, comes after assurance from the chief executive officer of Prasar Bharti...

Railway reality on accidents.
October 31, 2003... (From The Economic Times) Byline: Rajesh Ramachandran : The Railways have admitted what everyone suspected all along. The all-powerful Railway Board that presides over the second largest railway in the world gets to know about major...

Governance to be election plank: Advani.
October 31, 2003... (From The Economic Times) : Governance, rather than political issues, will be the focus of the BJP's electoral campaign both for the forthcoming assembly elections and next year's Lok Sabha polls, deputy PM L K Advani said here. ...