In Thursday's Asia papers

04 June 2009 02:00  [Source: ICIS news]

ASAHI SHIMBUN, Japan

Front page

Fertility rate rises slightly again

The number of babies born in Japan is rising, though not enough to arrest the population slide, a study by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has found.

Ministry blames lax safety, overwork for road accidents

Poor safety management on the part of bus, truck and taxi operators, coupled with drivers' long hours, was blamed in a transport ministry report released Wednesday for some serious road accidents in 2008.

Business & Industry

No new updates.

CHINA DAILY, China

Front page

Job growth strong sign of recovery

Signaling a recovery in China's employment market, 3.65 million urban residents found new jobs in the first four months of the year, an executive meeting of the State Council presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao said Wednesday.

Malaysia PM wants friendly talks

Malaysia wants to settle its decades-long territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea through "friendly negotiation", the country's prime minister said in Beijing Wednesday.

Business & Industry

China closes thousands of milk collection stations

Close to four thousand milk collection stations in China have been shut down due to substandard conditions, Song Kungang, director-general of the China Dairy Industry Association, said on Wednesday.

GM to sell Hummer brand to Chinese company

US automaker General Motors Corp said on Tuesday, a day after filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy, that it has reached a tentative deal with Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co Ltd to sell its Hummer brand to the Chinese company, the automaker said Tuesday.

TAIPEI TIMES, Taiwan

Front page

NCC backtracks after China Times ads

The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday backtracked on provisions it included last week in its approval of management changes at China Television Co (CTV) and CTi TV.

Ortega meeting canceled after postponements

President Ma Ying-jeou canceled a meeting with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega on Monday after Ortega twice postponed the meeting, raising concerns over bilateral ties.

Business & Industry

Windows 7 to be released on Oct. 22

Microsoft Corp announced yesterday that its latest operating systems (OS) — Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 — would be available on Oct. 22 after the company delivers the “release to manufacturing” (RTM) code in the second half of next month.

Mitac to launch netbooks in second half of the year

Mitac International Corp, which owns the world’s third-largest portable navigation device (PND) maker — Magellan Navigation Inc — said yesterday it would enter the netbook business next quarter.

KOREA HERALD, South Korea

Front page

N.K. financial sanctions are still on table

The United States and South Korea are not ruling out the possibility of imposing financial sanctions on North Korea as punishment for its latest nuclear test, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg said yesterday.

Korea, Singapore to fight protectionism

The leaders of Korea and Singapore yesterday pledged to fight trade protectionism and promote East Asian cooperation to overcome the global economic crisis.

Business & Industry

Doosan raises W780b through asset sales

Doosan Group raised 780 billion won ($631 million) by selling its stakes in four units, in an effort to ease liquidity concerns and reorganize its business portfolio, the group said yesterday.

Old practices blamed for slow retail advancement

Kim Sun-young believes shopping malls should offer a diversity of shops, while the categories of businesses within them need a sense of unity and structural organization.

NEW STRAITS TIMES, Malaysia

Front page

Najib and Wen seal three pacts to herald close ties

MALAYSIA and China signed a high-level agreement yesterday to herald a new phase in relations on their 35th anniversary.

Business & Industry

Can-One pushes ahead with buying part of rival

Tin can manufacturer Can-One Bhd says it will push ahead with plans to buy a 32.9 per cent stake in bigger rival Kian Joo Can Factory Bhd (KJCF) despite recent setbacks.

Petronas, ExxonMobil in US$2b PSC deal

The production sharing contract is for seven fields: Seligi, Guntong, Tapis, Semangkok, Irong Barat, Tabu and Palas.

BUSINESS TIMES, Singapore

Front page

S'pore sees steepest drop in office occupancy cost

A new report shows that office occupancy costs in Singapore fell a whopping 34.4 per cent in the 12 months to March 2009 - the largest fall among some 170 cities tracked.

Productivity falls, outlook stays sombre

Productivity in Singapore fell more sharply than real basic wages last year, evoking concern from the National Wages Council (NWC), which has warned of a prolonged recession.

Business & Industry

BRIC may discuss supranational currency at summit: Kremlin

The leaders of the world's biggest emerging markets may discuss the idea of a supranational currency this month when they meet for a summit in Russia, President Dmitry Medvedev's spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Bernanke warns deficits threaten financial stability

Federal Reserve chairman Ben S Bernanke said large US budget deficits threaten financial stability and the government can't continue indefinitely to borrow at the current rate to finance the shortfall.

BANGKOK POST, Thailand

Front page

Loan decree heads to parliament for approval

The Constitution Court agreed unanimously on Wednesday that the cabinet’s executive decree to empower the Finance Ministry to seek loans amounting to 400 billion baht to restore and stabilise the economy in 2010 is in line with Article 184 of the 2007 constitution.

Wind-powered stations debut

Advanced Info Service (AIS), the country's largest mobile-phone operator, has introduced the industry's first wind turbine-powered system for cellular base stations in Pattaya.

Business & Industry

Summit enters retail with Rama III mall

Summit Corporation, a major auto-parts manufacturer, is branching out into the retail market by opening its first lifestyle shopping mall on Rama III Road this year.

US needs to address deficits

US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said Wednesday the United States needs to begin efforts to restore "fiscal balance" after huge deficit spending to combat the economic crisis.

JAKARTA POST, Indonesia

Front page

Proposed North Korea sanctions would curtail trade

New sanctions being considered against North Korea for conducting a second nuclear test include curtailing its financial dealings with the outside world, freezing company assets and enforcing an arms embargo, U.N. diplomats said Wednesday.

Tiananmen security tight on crackdown anniversary

Police ringed China's iconic Tiananmen Square on Thursday as the government blocked any attempts to mark the 20th anniversary of the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy activists.

Business & Industry

Banking sector remained sturdy

Indonesia's banking sector remained sturdy, as indicated by a strong capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of 17.6 percent, the central bank says.

By: Staff Reporter
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