In Thursday's Asia papers

02 July 2009 03:00 [Source: ICIS news]

Front page

Aso gives up on plan to shuffle party posts
Prime Minister Taro Aso gave up on plans Wednesday to shuffle the leadership of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party, but in a face-saving step he named two lawmakers to Cabinet posts.

Business & Industry

No new updates.

CHINA DAILY, China

Front page

First H1N1 mass infection in Beijing
Beijing reported its first mass infection of the H1N1 flu at a primary school Wednesday. Seven pupils were confirmed infected with the virus Tuesday night

Plug not pulled on Green Dam
Despite a last-minute delay in implementing Green Dam filtering software, authorities said they expect the tool will end up on new computers.

Business & Industry

Developer of collapsed apartment building probed
The probe followed media reports saying some shareholders of Shanghai Meidu Real Estate are government officials.

General Motors says China sales up 38%
General Motors Corp said Wednesday that sales in China jumped 38 percent in the first half of this year, helped by strong demand for its minivans and other small vehicles.

TAIPEI TIMES, Taiwan

Front page

Koo decries prosecutors’ powers
Chairman of the Taiwan Bar Association Wellington Koo accused prosecutors yesterday of abusing their authority by barring people under investigation from leaving the country.

Report sheds light on 1981 mystery
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday called on the government to re-examine the case of Chen Wen-chen, a math professor who is believed to have been murdered in 1981 during the White Terror era by the then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government, after a missing police file on Chen was recently uncovered

Business & Industry

FSC may ask court to rule on TISC
With two groups claiming management of Taiwan International Securities Corp (TISC), the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) said yesterday it would not rule out petitioning the court to appoint a temporary manager for the securities firm.

Chunghwa to market iPhone 3GS in August
Chunghwa Telecom Co, the nation’s biggest telecom operator, yesterday said it would start offering Apple Inc’s latest iPhone 3GS next month as part of efforts to boost revenue by selling more data-centric handsets.

KOREA HERALD, South Korea

Front page

GNP submits revised workers' bill
Ruling Grand National Party lawmakers of the parliamentary labor committee submitted a revised bill on the irregular workers' law despite fierce objection from the main opposition Democratic Party yesterday.

Record amount of jobless benefits paid in first half
A record 2.12 trillion won ($1.67 billion) in unemployment benefits was given to 855,000 jobless people during the first six months of the year, the Labor Ministry announced yesterday.

Business & Industry

'Recovery to begin in earnest near yearend'
Finance Minister Yoon Jeung-hyun said yesterday Korea's economy will start full-blown recovery near the year's end as fiscal stimulus measures take effect. "Despite improvements in financial markets, industrial data and leading and coincident economic indicators, major export markets remain in a recession, which makes me cautious (about Korea's economic outlook)," he said in a radio program.

ERGO to launch legal insurance in Korea
Koreans are not yet familiar with insurance covering the cost of legal services, but in Europe, legal expense insurance is a popular product and service in the market. D.A.S., a company of ERGO Insurance Group, is the market leader of the segment.

NEW STRAITS TIMES, Malaysia

Front page

Govt to review IJN fees
Patients at the National Heart Institute (IJN) may be paying higher fees soon under a review that comes in the wake of a RM215 million government payout to the centre last year.

No plans for third stimulus package: Najib
There are no plans to introduce a third stimulus package as Malaysia wants to avoid incurring too high a fiscal deficit, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said yesterday.

Business & Industry

Khazanah to speed up GLC divestments
The sovereign fund will, however, continue to retain stakes in certain sectors, such as power, which are considered strategic and of public interest

TNB delays plan to build Prai plant
In view of lower-than-expected power demand, Tenaga can wait until 2014 and 2015 to build the 220-megawatts Prai plant, says its MD

BUSINESS TIMES, Singapore

Front page

Japan: Nikkei rises 0.5% after data lifts economy hopes
Japan's Nikkei average rose 0.5 per cent on Thursday, lifted by exporters such as Honda Motor Co after manufacturing data from Europe, China and the United States boosted hopes for a recovery in the global economy.

M'sia: Shares open 0.1% up
Malaysian stock prices started higher on Thursday morning after US stocks rose overnight.

Business & Industry

Sembcorp Marine gets US$237.3m rig order
Singapore's Sembcorp Marine, the world's second largest rig builder, said on Thursday its wholly owned unit, Jurong Shipyard, has secured a second rig order worth US$237.3 million from Oban B Ltd.

World Bank lending soars to record US$59b in 2009
The World Bank said on Wednesday its lending soared 54 per cent to a record US$59 billion in the fiscal year ended June 30, as more developing countries rocked by the global financial crisis turned to it for aid.

BANGKOK POST, Thailand

Front page

Split over Sanoh
Puea Thai MPs are divided over a proposal to name veteran politician Sanoh Thienthong, with some saying he doesn't have the economic expertise for the job.

Prices at 12-year low
Consumer prices fell for a sixth consecutive month in June, as deflation brought market costs to their lowest point since the 1997 baht collapse.

Business & Industry

Japanese business confidence boost
Business confidence among major Japanese manufacturers has improved for the first time in two-and-a-half years

GM seeks speedy bankruptcy exit
GM is set to head back to court to seek approval for a speedy exit from bankruptcy protection

JAKARTA POST, Indonesia

Front page

China reports 1st swine flu-related death
Chinese state media is reporting that a woman diagnosed with the H1N1 virus has died in the country's first swine flu-related death.

Major military operation under way in Afghanistan
Thousands of U.S. Marines and hundreds of Afghan troops moved into Taliban-infested villages with armor and helicopters Wednesday evening in the first major operation under President Barack Obama's revamped strategy to stabilize Afghanistan.

Business & industry

No new updates.

By: Staff Reporter
+44 20 8652 3214

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