In Friday's Asia papers

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

ASAHI SHIMBUN, Japan

Front page

Lower House votes to ease transplant law

The Lower House passed a bill Thursday that will make it easier to obtain organs for transplants from brain-dead people.

LEC university stops admissions

Cash-strapped LEC Tokyo Legal Mind University, the first Japanese university founded by a stock company, will stop accepting new undergraduate students from spring 2010, its operator announced Thursday.

Business & Industry

No new updates.

CHINA DAILY, China

Front page

IPOs back after long suspension

The securities regulator appears to have lifted a nine-month ban on initial public offerings, or IPOs, by reportedly approving the listing of a medium-sized drug firm.

Experts push for raising tax threshold

The first ministerial review of the country's income tax system has recommended that the current tax threshold be maintained, despite repeated calls to raise the level to ease the burden on a growing number of middle-income families and stimulate domestic consumption amid the economic downturn.

Business & Industry

Hummer set to go lean and green after sale

Negotiations are under way between General Motors (GM) and Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery over the proposed purchase of the luxury car brand.

Outbound travel inclination still strong, survey shows

The financial crisis has not dampened Chinese mainlanders' enthusiasm for outbound travel, with Hong Kong ranked as the top overseas travel destination this year, a report by ACNielsen has revealed.

TAIPEI TIMES, Taiwan

Front page

Dozens of human smugglers captured

The National Immigration Agency (NIA) yesterday said it had captured 74 members of a multimillion dollar human smuggling ring.

Premier approves Penghu casino plebiscite

Premier Liu Chao-shiuan on Wednesday approved a Penghu County Government request to hold a referendum on whether to allow casinos in the county, Executive Yuan spokesman Su Jun-ping said yesterday.

Business & Industry

GDP to drop 3.46%: Academia Sinica

The institute said the economic slump had stabilized, but GDP would drop in the second and third quarters before rising 3.91 percent in the fourth quarter

Profits at top 500 firms drop 88.3%

The financial crisis has taken a toll on the profits of the nation’s top 500 large companies last year, which declined by NT$1.4 trillion (US$42.4 billion), or 88.3 percent year-on-year, to a record low of NT$184.7 billion.

KOREA HERALD, South Korea

Front page

Export prices post massive plunge in May

The nation's export prices dropped more than 7 percent last month from December 2008 due to the global economic recession and gains in the value of the won.

Expectations low for new Gaeseong talks

Just days after President Lee Myung-bak hinted at rejecting North Korea's demands, the two Koreas are set to meet today for follow-up talks.

Business & Industry

'Dollar faces challenge as reserve currency'

A leading economist said in Seoul yesterday that the U.S. dollar's supremacy as the world's reserve currency is facing profound challenges as the balance of economic and financial power shifts East amid the current economic crisis. "There is a slow-burning fuse underneath the dollar," Gerard Lyons, chief economist at Standard Chartered Bank, said in the World Economic Forum.

Time to consider exit plans: Yoon

Finance Minister Yoon Jeung-hyun said yesterday the government should start considering plans to roll back economic stimulus measures in an effort to cut off inflationary risks.

NEW STRAITS TIMES, Malaysia

Front page

Influenza A: Compulsory to fill health form

From next week, anyone flying into Malaysia will have to fill up a mandatory health declaration form which will be given to them onboard.

Business & Industry

RHB eyes banking licence in Vietnam

The full licence is a long-term plan as the fourth largest banking group in Malaysia looks to expand in Southeast Asia

Petronas to buy LNG from Aussie project

The purchase is part of Petronas' continuous efforts to ensure secure and reliable gas supply to meet future demand of the Malaysian market

BUSINESS TIMES, Singapore

Front page

Sembcorp Changi NEWater Plant to start operations in July

SEMBCORP'S showcase $180 million Sembcorp Changi NEWater Plant (SCNP) is about to come onstream with an initial capacity of 15 million gallons (69,000 cu m) of reclaimed water per day, ramping up to designed capacity of 50 million gallons (228,000 cu m) per day by June 2010.

Obama's 'big bang' seen as a mixed bag

IT has been billed as the most sweeping overhaul of America's financial system since the post-Great Depression reforms, but President Barack Obama's plan for regulatory reform has drawn mixed reactions from analysts and barely budged the markets.

Business & Industry

World Bank raises Chinese growth forecast to 7.2%

Massive policy stimulus should enable China to keep growing at a respectable rate this year and next, but a robust recovery is unlikely given the weak global environment and softness in non-government investment, the World Bank said yesterday.

China's 'buy local' policy puzzles West

Steps by China to ensure that its four trillion yuan (S$882.5 billion) stimulus package benefits domestic firms run counter to the leadership Beijing has shown in fighting protectionism, the World Bank said yesterday.

BANGKOK POST, Thailand

Front page

Senators sharpen knives for govt loan bill debate

Senators are sharpening their knives, ready to dig into the government's public borrowing bill which is expected to go up for debate on Monday.

Ministry seeks to allay fears over flu virus

People are panicking unnecessarily over the flu outbreak, says the Public Health Ministry, which will introduce a new index to measure its severity and allay fears.

Business & Industry

Major dealer forecasts flat BMW sales

BMW's largest authorised dealer, Millennium Auto, forecasts sales of about 1,500 units this year despite the shrinking automotive market, says managing director Sunhavut Thamchuanviriya.

Rice deals back to drawing board

The government will revoke deals for 2.6 million tonnes of second-crop rice with exporters, and plans a new bid to dispose of stockpiles of about 5.5 million tonnes of milled rice.

JAKARTA POST, Indonesia

Front page

Global campaign to mark Suu Kyi's 64th birthday

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi spent her 64th birthday locked in prison Friday as global campaigns demanding her freedom erupted across Twitter, Facebook and other Web sites and at rallies worldwide.

Business & Industry

No new updates.

By: Staff Reporter
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