The Business Times, 4 January 2006

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Total Pages: 30
1 30 The Business Times
  • 17 1 THE BUSINESS TIMES SINGAPORE 85 cents online at http://business-times.asia 1 .com.sg MICA (P) 089/03/2005 Wednesday, January 4,2006
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  • 826 1  -  Strong showing by private home prices raises expectations that recovery in luxury segment will filter down By KALPANA RASHIWALA [SINGAPORE] Even as the official price index for private homes yesterday posted its best showing in more than five years, property industry players are hopeful
    Source: URA HDB  -  826 words
  • 737 1  -  $13b to be spent in next 5 years to develop country's R&D capabilities By CHEN HUIFEN, CHUANG PECK MING [SINGAPORE] The National Research Foundation (NRF), meeting for the first time yesterday, identified three sectors to focus on in the push to
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  • 137 1 STI 2.***** (+22.03) ST INDEX FUTURES 2,374.00 (+21.00) SIMSCI ***** (+2.%) SIMSCI FUTURES 281.50 (+4.00) MARKETS Tuesday Change KLSECOMP 892.85 -6.94 NIKKEI 225 Closed HANG SENG 14,944.77 +68.34 SET INDEX 725.64 +11.91 JAKARTA COMP 1.184.69 +12.981 MANILA COMP 2.109.79 +17,79 SEOUL COMP 1.394.87 +5.60 SHENZHEN B Closed MUMBAIIND
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  • TOP STORIES
    • 638 2  -  Economists see growth surpassing official forecast of 3-5% this year By ANNA TEO [SINGAPORE] The economy is expected to maintain its robust growth momentum for at least the first half of this year, with a strong pick-up in domestic demand. Going by the
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    • 90 2 [SINGAPORE] Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has -ffirectedthe Registration Officer to revise the registrars of electors and complete the revision on or before Feb 28. The revised registers will contain the names of all Singapore citizens qualified to be electors
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    • 517 2 Marina IR bid: 4 left in the running as PBL-Melco quits ONLY four bidders remain in the tussle for the Marina Bay integrated resort following the withdrawal of partners Publishing and Broadcasting (PBL) and Melco International Development. According to PBL executive chairman James Packer, the expected returns are
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    • 432 3  -  Expected returns do not justify costs, says PBL By ARTHUR SIM [SINGAPORE] Only four bidders remain in the tussle for the Marina Bay integrated resort (IR) following the withdrawal of partners Publishing and Broadcasting (PBL) and Melco International Development.
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    • 826 3  -  NEWS ANALYSIS Country must diversify its energy sources, says RONNIE LIM RONNIE LIM RUSSIA'S action over the weekend to cut off gas to Ukraine should serve as a wake-up call to Singapore: the country cannot afford to be over-reliant on just one or
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  • Page 2 Advertisements
    • 309 2 BT ONLINE BT print subscribers get free access to the Business Times Online. To activate your account log on to http://business-times.asia1 .com.sg. For more information, e-mail btocs@sph.com.sg or call 6388-3838. ss; 2006 Employee Remuneration Reporting Lewi 3, Ballroom 1&2 Seminar Workshop 2006 (Registration begins at 8:30 am) »oK!&ey alumni) oeneral
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    • 53 2 17 V <l V r A Si v 4 4 M i •-■•Sa* Seminar Workshop on Employee Taxation International Assignmenls 1 ).Hiu.trv :'OOO OO.im S 00pm (ii.inci I ly.ilt Singapore I libisous Room. Level 3 f-I't Si. i'K i 0 w( < iients .illin mi i SS4(H* f^jtilit < '"r
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    • 474 2 From entry-level hires to the Board of Directors, companies have remuneration reporting duties. When we convene this year for our annual seminar, PncewaterhouseCoopers' (PwC) personal tax and International Assignment specialists will update you on the following: Reporting obligations as an employer and implications of non-compliance Recent tax issues relating to
      474 words

  • Page 3 Advertisements
    • 124 3 Ma u y Kis; V*, j j Wednesday a| V V v Wf-> '-^'i s r Jlfei!i l^fe. _^J <yi HFrom 1 February, Singapore Airlines flies 3 times weekly to Pakistan, one of the world's top cricket nations. Marvel at its cultural and artistic heritage in Lahore, and visit the
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  • COMPANY NEWS
    • 545 4  -  NEW YEAR'S EARLY WINNERS AND CASUALTIES Groups bag deals worth US$175m and S$120m respectively By WONG WEI KONG SEMBCORP Marine and Keppel Corp have kicked off 2006 with new contracts, sending their shares up sharply on the first day of trading in the New
      FILE PHOTO  -  545 words
    • 268 4  -  By LESLIE YEE TWO companies yesterday marked the year's first day of stock market trading by withdrawing their planned Singapore listings. Lee Say Holdings and Shengda (Group) Holdings ar& the latest initial public offering (IPO) aspirants to join the list of companies pulling back
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    • 746 4  -  HOCK LOCK SIEW By R SIVANITHY According to most stockmarket analysts, the 2006 outlook for equities is positive. To be sure, most indicators do seem to suggest positive returns in the year ahead the growth figures look good, earnings also appear robust and oil prices appear
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    • 484 4  -  By SIOW LI SEN RUMOURS continued to swirl yesterday that Singapore Telecommunications would buy Thailand's Shin Corp from the family of Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for US$l.7 billion. Shin Corp shares rose 2.96 per cent to 43.5 baht before closing at
      484 words
    • 479 4 Bloomberg [BANGKOK] Thai Beverage pel, Thailand's largest brewer whose plan to sell scares at home has been stalled by protests, plans to list on both the Singapore and Thai exchanges, founder and president Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi said yesterday. The company expects to complete the
      Bloomberg  -  479 words
    • 501 5  -  Top airframe MRO operator could extend lead over Lufthansa Technik By CONRAD RAJ SINGAPORE Technologies Engineering (STE) the world's largest airframe maintenance, repairs and overhaul (MRO) operator may consolidate its market position even further by acquiring rival SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC),
      FILE PHOTO  -  501 words
    • 291 5  -  By LESLIE YEE OCBC Bank and Allianz Global Investors (AGI) yesterday launched a fund that will invest in a portfolio of global high-income stocks and sell call options on those stocks. The Allianz GI Global High Payout Fund, to be managed by AGI, will
      291 words
    • 406 5  -  By UMA SHANKARI TRADITIONAL Chinese medicine (TCM) chain Eu Yang Sen yesterday announced a new management team that aims to boost the group's presence across the region. The team will focus on marketing and product development, and developing the group's clinic division. Eu Yang
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    • 307 5  -  By DONALD URQUHART NEPTUNE Orient Lines (NOL) shareholders have given the thumbs-up to a capital reduction plan that will see $1.34 billion in cash returned to them. At an extraordinary general meeting yesterday, they unanimously backed a special resolution for the capital reduction and
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    • 181 5 LMA North America, the US subsidiary of Singapore-listed medical equipment company LMA International, has won a three-year contract worth more than US$lO million to supply respiratory masks to US healthcare organisation Consorta. Consorta is a group-purchasing and resource management organisation that services more than
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    • 229 5 FUNG Choi Printing and Packaging Group yesterday entered into a sales and purchase agreement to buy China-based Flying Media Group from Fedo Profits. It will pay HKS4BO million (S$ 104.4 million) for the entire issued share capital of Flying Media which,
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  • Page 4 Advertisements
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    • 20 4 SCORE CARD Keep your investors informed by advertising your financial results in our newspapers. Call *****89 8822 or email notices#sph.com.sg.
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  • Page 5 Advertisements
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  • SINGAPORE MARKETS
    • 555 6  -  STOCKS Gains seen in most sectors while interest in warrants reaches fresh multi-month peak R SIVANITHY Senior Correspondent THE local stock market kicked off 2006 with a bang yesterday, led by gains in most sectors including China, technology, banks
      Source: Bloomberg  -  555 words
    • 744 6 SUBSTANTIAL SHAREHOLDER/DIRECTOR TRANSACTIONS (Disclosures made on Jan 3 and earlier) Subsantial No of Price SHAREHOLDING Shareholder/ Buy Shares Per Before After Stock Trans Date Director Sell '000 Shr ('000) (000) Eastern Hldgs 30-Dec-05 Janet Lim *Buy 9 na ***** 44.92 Memtech 30-Dec-05 Chuang Wen Fu *Buy 875
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    • 217 6  -  Compiled by CHUANG PECK MING UNITED Overseas Bank's stake in United Overseas Land continues to dwindle as Wee Cho Yaw—who is chairman of both sees a further rise of his holding in the property company. A filing yesterday shows that UOB's deemed
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    • 283 6  -  Compiled by UMA SHANKARI ComfortDelGro Jan 3 dose: $1.59 KIM ENG RESEARCH. Jan 3 TAXI competition is still a threat. With the latest dip in COE prices, Comfort does not derive significant benefits due to its depredation policy. However, lower COE prices may come as a greater benefit
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    • 397 6 CURRENCIES AFP [SINGAPORE] The US dollar was lower against the yen in quiet Asian trade yesterday as the markets gradually got back to normal after the New Year holiday break, dealers said. They said that there was little of note to
      AFP  -  397 words
    • 230 6  -  CHART POINT By YEO KEE YAN, chartist at Kelive Research THE Singapore stock market roared into 2006 with broad-based buying supported by positive sentiment over stronger-than-ex-pected GDP numbers. With the upcoming corporate results season, the buying momentum should accelerate, particularly
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  • COMPANY NEWS
    • COMPANY BRIEFS
      • 106 7 A SHAREHOLDER who holds 1,000 Jardine Cycle Carriage (JC&C) shares will receive 721 MCL Land shares under a scheme which is part of Hongkong Land's takeover offer for MCL, JC&C said yesterday. It had earlier said shareholders could expect to get between 720 and
        106 words
      • 76 7 PROPERTY developer CapitaLand Ltd injected US$35 million into a new unit in Shenzhen as part of a plan to buy Chinese malls for US retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc. CapitaLand in July said it planned to invest 3.37 billion yuan (S$690.6 million) in 15 malls
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      • 85 7 SINGAPORE-LISTED Semitech Electronics announced yesterday that its wholly owned subsidiary, Semitech Mobility Solutions, has been appointed as an authorised service provider for Motorola products in Singapore such as cellular telephones and accessories. Semitech will set up a service centre at Plaza Singapura to provide warranty
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      • 71 7 TECHNICS Oil Gas Ltd yesterday said its unit Technics Offshore Engineering Pte Ltd has secured more than $15 million worth of orders from Chevron and Shell for the supply of gas compressor packages. The orders, for deliveries in 2006, include the overall design, engineering
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      • 53 7 LIM Seek Yeow has resigned as group managing director of China Food Industries (CFI) with effect from March 31,2006. He will, however, continue to serve as a non-executive director of the company. Meanwhile, MengQingzhu, CFl's deputy group managing director, will be re-designated an executive director
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    • 331 7  -  By SIOW LI SEN STRAITS Trading shares fell as much as 3.4 per cent yesterday following news that the OCBC Bank group is divesting an 8.6 per cent stake in the investment holding company. On a day when the market kicked off the new
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    • 653 7  -  By PAULINE NG in Kuaia Lumpur WEIGHED d6wn by a tremendous overhang of loan stocks, Berjaya Corporation tanked upon its relisting yesterday, in the process taking with it a number of counters associated with the group. Formerly of Berjaya Group
      BLOOMBERG  -  653 words
    • 527 7  -  By S JAYASANKARAN in Kuala Lumpur THE tussle for control of Malaysia's ninth largest lender Southern Bank (SBB), which is still trying to acquire Singapore's Asia General Insurance, has taken on a new dimension. A legal battle is brewing with the first
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    • 413 7  -  SGX PI jumps 1.9%, while IR-linked property counters all see gains By ARTHUR SIM FACTORS combined yesterday to give property stocks a boost with the Singapore Exchange Properties Index (SGX PI) rising 13.48 points or 1.9 per cent. And CapitaLand, with 12.1 million shares
      Source: Bloomberg  -  413 words
  • Page 7 Advertisements
    • 1503 7 CRAFT PRINT INTERNATIONAL LIMITED (Incorporated in Singapore with limited liability) (Co. Reg. No: *****1572K) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual General Meeting of Craft Print International Limited ('the Company") will be held at 9 Joo Koon Circle, Jurong, Singapore *****1 on Friday, 20 January 2006 at 10.00 a.m. for
      1,503 words

  • SINGAPORE NEWS
    • 598 8  -  PMI falls 1.3 points, but analysts say industry still on growth path By OH BOON PING MANUFACTURING activity in December expanded for the eighth consecutive month, but at a slower pace than in November. However, analysts believe the industry is still on a growth path,
      AP  -  598 words
    • 309 8  -  By AMIT ROY CHOUDHURY ORACLE yesterday announced the appointment of Michael Yap in the dual role of managing director for Oracle Singapore and vice-president of business development for Oracle Asia Pacific. Mr Yap assumed the positions yesterday. As MD, Mr Yap will be responsible for
      309 words
    • 323 8 TALK about smelling out an opportunity. Local biotechnology firm Aromatrix, which cleans odorous air. has won its first industrial contract from a tannery company in Australia. The contract, worth A 5322.000 (*****,300), was awarded to associate company Aromatrix Australia, which is one-third owned
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    • 509 9  -  He'll build structure to carry out aims of National Research Foundation By CHEN HUIFEN ECONOMIC Development Board chairman Teo Ming Kian has been appointed Permanent Secretary of national research and development in the Prime Minister's Office. The appointment comes after Mr Teo,
      FILE PHOTO  -  509 words
    • 372 9  -  By SIOW LI SEN THE number of people in Singapore subscribing to third-generation mobile phones has risen by a factor of six since May. The 3G systems are capable of offering improved service, including Internet and broadband data but even with the increased number
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    • 317 9  -  By ARTHUR SIM DBS Tampines Centre and Pavilion is up for collective sale at an asking price of $200 million. The buildings, close to Tampines MRT station, are part of Tampines Regional Centre. DBS Tampines Centre is an eight-storey commercial building with shops in
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  • Page 8 Advertisements
    • 1604 8 DATACRAFT ASIA LTD (Incorporated in the Republic of Singapore) (Registration No: *****1842Z) NOTICE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an Extraordinary General Meeting ("EGM") of the shareholders of Datacraft Asia Ltd (the "Company") will be held at Conrad Centennial Singapore, Two Temasek Boulevard, Singapore *****2 on 20
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    • 323 8 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, CHAPTER SO FCA 810 PTE LTD. (Co. Reg. No: *****4832H) MEMBERS' VOLUNTARY LIQUIDATION At an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Company held on 27 December 2005, the following resolutions were duly passed: 1. SPECIAL RESOLUTION WINDING-UP That the Company be wound up voluntarily
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  • Page 9 Advertisements
    • 276 9 w ~4> pH f II I |r F W v I Don't just be heard, H 9 I r J J be seen. With Video Call H RB pi I. V on you cgpi now see the behind H —J < r 1 ■—J i, V-**. n behind the celebration
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  • ECONOMY WATCH
    • 884 10 Oil prices may be set to ease, but uncertainty remains over Opec cuts AFP [PARIS] World oil prices, after a 40 per cent surge in 2005, may now be set to ease in the face of warmer weather in the US
      AFP; REUTERS  -  884 words
    • 583 10 Bloomberg [TAINAN. Taiwan] Vietnam's economy expanded last year at the fastest pace in almost a decade, led by gains in construction, tourism and telecommunications. Gross domestic product grew 8.4 per cent in 2005, according to preliminary figures released by the
      Bloomberg; AFP  -  583 words
    • 598 10 Slow response could pose risk: central bank source Reuters [MUMBAI] India is witnessing "excessive" monetary and credit expansion and if the response is not timely, it will pose a risk to price stability, a source close to the central bank said yesterday. India's money
      Reuters  -  598 words
    • 290 10 Bloomberg [HONG KONG] Hong Kong's retail sales grew at the slowest pace in more than two years in November, suggesting that rising interest rates are eroding consumer spending. Sales rose 4.2 per cent from a year earlier to HK$l5.B
      Bloomberg  -  290 words
  • Page 10 Advertisements

  • MALAYSIAINDONESIA
    • 471 11  -  Calls for management to explain sale's circumstances By PAULINE NG in Kuala Lumpur PROTON'S sale of loss-mak-ing MV Agusta for a mere one euro (551.97) has irked former Proton strongmen Mahathir Mohamad and Mahaleel Ariff. Dr Mahathir, the former prime minister and current Proton
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    • 314 11 Bernama [JAKAßTA] Vice-President Jusuf Kalla said he was too embarrassed to talk about corruption because Indonesia Transparency (TI) had categorised political parties in Indonesia as the most corrupt institution in the country, Antara reported on Monday. "I actually feel really embarrassed to speak
      Bernama  -  314 words
    • 2409 11 vol Jaw 3 KM +f- C000) ASM Realty 146 unch 0 Abric .030 0.01 8 ACP Industries 0.64 -0.01 16 Advance Synergy 0.21 -0.01 38 Adventa 0.25 -0.03 21 AE Multi 0.24 -0.02 56 AffinHldgs 1.57 unch 67 Ahmad Zaki Res 1.15 -0.02 53 AlCCorp 1.15 -0.01 4
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    • 575 11 Aircel purchase is earnings dilutive, says broking house Bloomberg [KUALA LUMPUR] Shares of Maxis Communications Bhd fell after Avenue Securities cut its rating on Malaysia's biggest mobilephone company on concern its purchase of an Indian rival will raise financing costs and
      Bloomberg; Source: Bloomberg  -  575 words
    • BRIEFLY ASIA
      • 75 11 Bloomberg [HONG KONG] China's banking regulator may relax restrictions to allow HSBC Holdings Pic to raise its stake in Bank of Communications as soon as next month, Sing Tao Daily said, citing unidentified people. HSBC, Europe's largest bank by market value, bought a fifth
        Bloomberg  -  75 words
      • 51 11 AFP [KUALA LUMPUR] The US embassy in the Malaysian capital remained closed yesterday, after being shut down last week in a security scare over suspicions it was under surveillance. The embassy was shut last Friday following "recent suspected surveillance incidents", said embassy spokeswoman Kathryn
        AFP  -  51 words
      • 69 11 Bloomberg [ISLAMABAD] Pakistan's government is set to sell the right to manage National Investment Trust Ltd, the country's biggest mutual fund with a 62 per cent market share, by end-March, the Karachi-based company's chairman said. The government is splitting the 77 billion rupee
        Bloomberg  -  69 words
  • Page 11 Advertisements
    • 390 11 Australia Bank A The National Australia Bank Group (The National) is a blue chip international I financial services organization providing a comprehensive and integrated I range of financial products and services. I Headquartered in Australia, the National is Australia's largest bank and is r I ranked as a top 20
      390 words

  • GREATER CHINA
    • 167 12 Reuters [LONDON] Pakistan is in talks to buy up to eight nuclear power reactors from China for between US$7 billion and US$lO billion, Britain's Financial Times reported yesterday. Construction on the plants could start by 2015 and end 10 years later, the newspaper said, quoting
      Reuters  -  167 words
    • 440 12  -  By MATTHEW PHAN [SINGAPORE! Two top Hong Kong businessmen, brothers Victor and William Fung of Li Fung Group, have been named by Forbes Asia as its Businessmen of the Year for 2005. Dr Victor Fung, 60, is group chairman of
      PHOTO: APPLE DAILY  -  440 words
    • 760 12 Stock market raised record HK$192b; mega China bank IPOs likely in'06 [HONG KONG] Last year was a bumper year for investment bankers, brokers and investors, thanks to a buoyant listing market, reports the South China Morning Post. Looking ahead into
      760 words
    • 577 12 Reuters [HONG KONG] Minority shareholders in China's top offshore oil and gas producer, CNOOC Ltd, rejected a proposal that would allow its state-owned parent to acquire overseas assets on behalf of the group, dealing a setback to the group's expansion ambitions. "It's not
      Reuters  -  577 words
    • 465 12 Move could help get around ban on island's regulators Bloomberg [TAIPEI] Taiwan's government said it may hire accounting firms to monitor businesses from the island operating in China, where Taiwanese regulators are forbidden. Taiwanese businesses and individuals have invested about US$lOO billion in
      Bloomberg  -  465 words
    • 380 12 Bloomberg [SHANGHAI] China will use prices from interbank trading to set the daily yuan fixing rate from Jan 4 as the country moves towards allowing more exchange-rate flexibility. The People's Bank of China will release the daily fixing rate at 9.15
      Bloomberg  -  380 words
  • Page 12 Advertisements

  • INDIA
    • 865 13 Parents pay for banking blood from newborn's umbilical cord AFP [BANGALORE] Cashing in on a high birth rate and the enormous potential of stem cell research, India's biotechnology firms are coaxing more parents to bank blood from their newborn's umbilical cord.
      AFP  -  865 words
    • 213 13 [LONDON] Outsourcing to India is not the only worry for trade unions in the UK, according to the Hindustan Times. Their other worry now is that Indian technology workers, flooding the UK on temporary permits, are undercutting local wages and raising the
      213 words
    • 412 13 Last year, more than 754b rupees was raised abroad Bloomberg [MUMBAI] Indian companies will likely step up capital raisings overseas this year, taking advantage of increasing demand for Indian assets, after selling 88 per cent more of bonds and shares in
      Bloomberg  -  412 words
    • 786 13 NEWS ANALYSIS Asian companies put less emphasis on investment advice than Western firms Reuters [SINGAPORE] Investment bankers are awash in takeover deals in Asia's energy sector, another by-product of the thirst by China and India for oil reserves, but bankers still
      Reuters; REUTERS  -  786 words
    • 328 13 AP [HYDERABAD, India] A southern Indian city was on alert yesterday during a visit by the prime minister following the arrests of two suspected Islamic militants and reports of possible suicide bombing attempts, police said. Hundreds of police fanned out across the
      AP  -  328 words

  • ASIA-PACIFIC/WORLD
    • 529 14 Key indices in Australia, South Korea and India touch new highs Bloomberg [HONG KONG] Asian stocks had their biggest gains in six weeks yesterday. The Morgan Stanley Capital International Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan) Index added 1.1 per cent to 310.89 at 6.20pm in
      Bloomberg; AFP  -  529 words
    • 384 14 LATEST US DATA But homebuilding falls for the first time in five months Bloomberg [WASHINGTON] US construction spending rose less than forecast in November as homebuilding declined for the first time in five months, government figures showed yesterday. Spending increased 0.2 per cent to
      Bloomberg  -  384 words
    • Article, Illustration
      329 14  -  Round-the-World Yacht Race. Leg 4, Race 5, Day 3 Clipper Ventures AFTER excellent work by the boatbuilder in Fremantle, Cardiff's rudder was offered up to the yacht just after midday yesterday, and she left die dock at 5.07pm local time. Conor Fogerty and his crew will resume racing from
      329 words
    • 280 14 Reuters. Bloomberg [NEW YORK! Worldwide sales of semiconductors continued growing at a quick pace, reaching US$2O.4 billion in November, the Semiconductor Industry Association said yesterday. Global semiconductor sales rose by 7.2 per cent from US$l9 billion reported for November 2004, helped by
      Reuters.; Bloomberg  -  280 words
    • 631 14 Orders fuel growth in manufacturing in eurozone, Japan Reuters [LONDON] The eurozone's manufacturing workforce grew in December for the first time since 2001, adding to earlier evidence from Japan indicating that demand for factory goods ended 2005 on a high note.
      Reuters  -  631 words
    • 247 14 Bloomberg [MANILA] NTT DoCoMo, the world's second-biggest mobile phone operator, will invest US$3OO million in Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co (PLDT), according to Philippine President Gloria Arroyo. Ms Arroyo, in a nationwide television broadcast, said yesterday that the Ma-nila-based company's chairman Manuel
      Bloomberg; BLOOMBERG  -  247 words
    • 164 14 Reuters [LONDON] Global bank HSBC yesterday said its chief operating officer, Alan Jebson, would retire at the annual investor meeting in May and that it had hired the chairman of Rolls Royce as a non-executive director. HSBC, the world's thirdlargest bank, did not announce
      Reuters  -  164 words

  • WORLD
    • 832 15 They are mostly unreliable but readable as they provide the raw, detailed information that many people in the markets find useful Bloomberg FINANCIAL historians may well judge 2005 as a year with few significant events. The one development they should not overlook is the
      Bloomberg  -  832 words
    • 547 15 GAS ROW Flak from Europe seen as reason for Russia turnabout NYT [MOSCOW] Faced with mounting criticism from its natural gas customers across Western Europe, Russia on Monday restored most of the gas it withheld from Ukraine's pipeline system a day earlier
      NYT; REUTERS  -  547 words
    • 644 15 NYT [HOUSTON] The dispute between Russia and Ukraine over natural gas supplies has implications for the fast-evolving international trade in natural gas. While Gazprom, Russia's state-controlled energy behemoth, said on Monday that it would resume pipeline shipments of natural gas across Ukraine to
      NYT  -  644 words
    • 502 15 LAT-WP [PHILADELPHIA] Graffiti and billboards are sensitive topics in this densely packed city, where municipal officials and community groups have joined forces in recent years to crack down on advertisers who had blanketed low-income neighbourhoods with ads for beer, liquor and action films. The city
      LAT-WP  -  502 words
    • 381 15 Bloomberg [SEOUL] Worldwide sales of consumer electronics will probably rise to a record U*****.4 billion this year, fuelled by demand for televisions, a trade association said. Industry sales will probably rise 8 per cent this year after growing a better-than-expected 11 per cent
      Bloomberg  -  381 words

  • AVIATION
    • 539 16 It expects to raise HK$10b in IPO next year to fund expansion Reuters [HONG KONG] A Hong Kong startup airline aims to depart from the standard budget carrier model by operating exclusively on longhaul routes. Oasis Hong Kong Airlines, launched by a hus-banpl-and-wife
      Reuters  -  539 words
    • 646 16  -  The new long-range planes will revolutionise round-the-world flying By JOE SHARKEY NYT I PREDICT that 2006 will be the Year of the Long Haul a good thing, too, because shorthaul flying, the routine of so many business travellers, continues to be a grind as
      NYT  -  646 words
    • 212 16 AFP [HANOI] Vietnam Airlines said yesterday it desperately needs to find more aircraft for lease in order to operate its growing business but there are very few suitable planes currently available. "There are currently almost no aircraft to lease on the international
      AFP  -  212 words
    • 601 16 CITY FU6HT EI* FUGMT ETP 48a m JII Jib m 1551 atJ! 85 »Sot lagawan |ljjjj p landung M»00 1146 M2»1 1245 VF307 2310 Beijing Brisbane CiTrns A67S61 1910 A***** 2235 Capetown 5Q4M 0136 Cebu MI588 T910 Mj|j: 0|j5 <*** srwesii 0=51 b H8 ®i ill
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    • 517 16 Bloomberg [WASHINGTON! Independence Air, a low-fare airline that filed for bankruptcy in November, will stop operating today, saying it was unable to find offers that would give it the money to keep flying. The last flight by Independence, a unit of FLYi Inc,
      Bloomberg; BLOOMBERG  -  517 words
  • Page 16 Miscellaneous
    • 345 16 CRYPTIC CROSSWORD 1 Abandoned ship with nothing surrounded by water 12 Fight back's undesirable (5) HI jflj flfl jflT 13 Astral region includes ethereal sign, initially (5) I I I I I i I 16 Proved guilty and was choked, so they say (6) 17 Discovered sixth sense that is
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  • SHIPPING
    • 461 17  -  12 international port operators briefed in November: report By DONALD URQUHART [SINGAPORE] The bidding process for Panama's US$6OO million container port project kicked off yesterday with global port operators, including PSA International, set to square off yet again. The Panama Maritime Authority
      REUTERS  -  461 words
    • 296 17 AFP [MARSEILLE] A French warship insulated with asbestos which is at the centre of a court battle with environmental groups, resumed its final journey to an Indian breaker's yard on Monday, authorities said. The aircraft carrier Clemenceau was hooked up to a powerful Dutch tugboat
      AFP; REUTERS  -  296 words
    • 700 17  -  STRAIT TALK By DAVID HUGHES THERE are few signs that the relatively good times enjoyed by most sectors of the shipping industry will come to an abrupt end in 2006. Nevertheless, there are sufficient challenges lying ahead to test the commercial acumen of ship
      700 words
    • 296 17 Bloomberg [LONDON] Pirates in speedboats targeted a tanker in the Gulf of Aden on Monday in one of four incidents reported worldwide in the past week, according to the International Maritime Bureau. Three speedboats with up to four people on board followed
      Bloomberg  -  296 words
    • PORT SHOTS
      • 191 17 AFP [BEIJING] Chinese scientists are about to embark on a complex operation to salvage a merchant ship that sank more than 800 years ago while plying the so-called "Marine Silk Road", state media said yesterday. The 25-metre vessel, named "Nanhai No 1" will be rescued
        AFP  -  191 words
      • 92 17 Reuters [HONG KONG] Jardino, Matheson Holdings Ltd has agreed to sell its entire 19.87 per cent interest in sea freight forwarder BALTrans Holdings Ltd to Japan's Mitsui Co for HK5241.2 million (5551.5 million), BALTrans said yesterday. The price represented about HKS4 per BALTrans share,
        Reuters  -  92 words
    • 144 17 Bloomberg LONDON] Istithmar, Dubai's investment company, agreed to buy Inchcape Shipping Services for US$2B5 million from Electra Investment Trust pic, expanding its investments in Europe. London-based Inchcape provides shipping services to more than 2,500 customers in industries including oil, according to its website. Electra,
      Bloomberg  -  144 words
    • 287 17 SGX *000 J—3 SS Vol CH Offshore 0-38 0.02 107 ChuanHup .0.40 0.01 £654 Coko Corporation 331 0.0S 6289 CWT Distribution .083 -0.01 70 EzraHkte 1.49 0.03 38S Freight Urte .0.06 0.01 443 Grand Banks Yacht .0.88 unch 22 Java Holdings 13S 0.01 212 K1 Venture....- .0.34 0.02
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  • EDITORIAL & OPINION
    • 536 18 EDITORIAL WITH help from a particularly strong 7.7 per cent expansion in the fourth quarter, the Singapore economy ended 2005 on a high note. The 5.7 per cent growth recorded for the year as a whole, while lower than 2004's 8.4 per
      536 words
    • 766 18  -  THE BOTTOM LINE FRANK CHING TO the consternation of his political foes and the delight of his allies. President Chen Shui-bian delivered on New Year's Day an address in which he made it clear that he is as determined as ever to
      766 words
    • 1475 18  -  Lately, Wall Street's consensus forecast seems more likely to miss than to hit By FLOYD NORRIS NYT AS 2006 begins, the great American housing boom is going to weaken, if not collapse. But that will not hurt the economy very much, and
      NYT; BLOOMBERG  -  1,475 words
    • 1487 19  -  As China prepares to launch its lucrative 3G services, its regulatory bodies have major obstacles to overcome By NICOLE LIANG HUI MEI THE waiting list of suitors for China's 3G licence is getting longer. But the Chinese government is being coy and lackadaisical as to
      AFP  -  1,487 words
    • 626 19  -  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Tan Sin Liang (Compliance lawyer) SL Tan Co Advocates and Solicitors Singapore I REFER to the interesting article "Time for laws to protect whistle-blowers" (BT, Dec 29) by Michelle Quah. There has been much interest recently in embracing "whistle-blowing" as part of
      626 words
    • 596 19  -  Narayaqa Narayana Singapore THE commentary, "Time for laws in S'pore to protect whistle-blow-ers" (BT, Dec 29), carries the terse statement: "The matter was brought up in Parliament in 2004. But a law was rejected on the grounds that it remained unclear whether such legislation worked in
      596 words
    • 225 19  -  Lu Kee Hong Singapore I REFER to the article "Sea-gate-Maxtor deal to hit some Singapore suppliers" (BT. Dec 23). 1 have been in the semiconductor industry since 1984 and have seen many ups and downs. I have seen lots of consolidation in the hard
      225 words

  • Page 19 Advertisements
    • 102 19 HAVE YOUR SAY Fax your letters to 6319-8277 or email them to btletterOsph.com.ig or write to: The Business Times,SPH HQ, 1000 Toa Payoh North, Podium Level 3, Singapore *****4. We need your full name, address and telephone number for verification. Please use temperate language, and bear in mind libel laws.
      102 words

  • 11139 20 SGX MAINBOARD Transaction date: Jan 3 52-Wk Td Last Vol Day laat Quota GrDiv Mr OrVW NM MCaa Uw Cod* Company Sato (000) I 75 2 5716 1st Software 5c 3 +0.5 1643 3 2.5 2 3 12.1 22 6 3148 BTelecomUS2c 7 5 unch 14 7.5 7
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  • 6125 21 FINANCE COMMODITIES MORGAN STANLEY CAPITAL INTERNATIONAL INDICES In loot out la St la USS %&f yr Kdy %yr tty \yi Jan I IndtJi Changa Change Change Change Chang* ttjl World Indei Preliminary 970.6 ftl 133 M W Oil 7.7 *EAFEPreliminary 975.5 OJ 263 W 13.2 OJ U.I furtpt Preliminary 1292
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  • Page 22 Advertisements
    • 965 22 NYK GROUP SOUTH ASIA PTE LTD P" I\ VTW M'TGU TEL 6295 0123 M aJLune t£*gdf A3 A LINE Fax: 6292 2856 (Regional sales) 6239 7109 (OPS)/ 6299 5785 (Documentation) V NIPPON YUSEN KAISHA TOKTOKNMKUKAOHA.ua (C/R NO: **********0E) UK CONTINENT SERVICE U.S.A. SERVICE f Destination Destination C BRAVE ATW/RTM/BMN/TLB/NAN ANNETTA
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    • 466 22 jWIERABA RQ&O IMVICI vßsaywr umyt) HBBHUW m «a ia SM MT STUITS VBdl) If 24/05 IS 12 11/17 21/12 01/01 00/01 06/01 srunsvenuKei/tt is 12 11/01 14/01 Isnumvanig 02/04 is 1? 23/01 24/01 31/01 03/02 OS/02 aw syp m mm kt |a m cotumwiaoa/03i a 2121/12 23-23/12 24-27/12 2121/12 skip-
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  • Page 23 Advertisements
    • 1401 23 WAN HAI INTERNATIONAL PTE LTD a NO; 144WM000/* V *1 TEL:*****588 (HUMS) FAX:*****143 VS\WAN HAI LINES assssattSMSSSS-. c.« «a mnm WWW.WQnnOI.tBW.ig mP:)0H)41S7l»3M:(06l)41SW?S/*****09 no ran gj up jojh g Jt m JUL EE H! fi« HL_ WHNHAI2II Hl7O 30/12 01/ Dl 03/01 03/tll OWIOI/01 11/Jl 1 VDI 15/01 14fll WAN HAI
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    • 1071 23 VBSa YQY SIM JKT HK6 KHH IMC KYM HIS VESSEL VOY Tf JKT SU» HKG IISM PUS HYIBO6E 105S VI 7/1 11/1 >4/1 16/1 11/1 11/1 KMTC SIWGAPOtE SIIS 1/1 11/1 12/1 17/1 21/1 22/1 HY VLADIVOSTOK 170S 12/1 IVI IV/1 21/1 23/1 2S/1 25/1 KMTC JAKAITA 601S 15/1 11/1
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    • 665 23 W £>( WEEKLY EXPRESS SAILING SCHEDULE ALSO ACCEPTING TO ALL NORTHERN AND WESTERN ICD POINTS Vissa I VOY SIN fJtUM6|COIOWtO N. SHEVA [COUXMO MFaw M Ma IHDIIi tUMDHI DIOOW 23 JAM 24 JAM ZLIil 3QJU jjggl miv gawdhi JUJffltL JfLiAH ILiAH BIS fititt ttig— KOTAKfIAMA YPMO3I gg 07 FEI 10
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  • Page 24 Advertisements
    • 898 24 mNordana (Asia) Pie Ltd LSZ' 70 Slurt- Wty, #11-03 Ufarhw Hw» Shgw 07*111 NORTH WEST EXPRESS LINE MONTHLY SERVICE TO WESTERN AUSTRALIA AND ISLANDS DAIB Alt ARRIVAL DATES VtSStL TOY I frwHi CfsMod Orirt—hhrf P»rir6«di Island Express lE6OI 06 Jon 16 Jon 25 Jon 21 Jon 03 fob blond Express
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    • 665 24 BSA jl MYANMA WBM FIVE STAR LINE (MyoMiar National Use) Loading for Yufwi vissa vor sin m pin pgu PAGAN 341W SID PAGAN 34¥W SU) IN MALAYSIA: lOUSTEAD SHIPPING AGINCIIS KUt/PKL 03-*****JM PEN: 04-*****1S j^fassmm ACCEPTING CONVENTIONAL CBO VBSa WIIK 9N ra KM n mi SM IWI ■MMMKIHTST 3 SID
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  • THE BUSINESS TIMES SHIPPING TIMES
    • 8283 25 This ETA eta Advertiser Vessel Veyaje Telephone SIN Desfn Name Name Number Number To ABIDJAN (ABJ) 2003 Cote D'lvoire 12/01 21/02 China Shpg CSCL FELIXSTOWE SX203W *****898 12/01 21/02 China Shpg PERTH BRIDGE 097A *****898 13/01 08/02 Del mas DEIMAS KERGUELEN 608W *****344 18/01
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  • MOTORING
    • 553 27  -  Toyota remains most popular car, followed by Nissan and Hyundai By SAMUEL EE THE surprise in 2005 was not which brands topped the sales charts but which gained market share. The three most popular makes remained the same, though the number two spot
      553 words
    • 583 27  -  By SAMUEL EE A QUARTER-million-dollar party welcomed in the new year and the new home for the Mini brand in Singapore at midnight last Saturday. Like the heralding of 2006, the opening of the Mini Habitat at 27 Leng Kee Road
      583 words
  • Page 27 Advertisements
    • 301 27 Diners Club Card r„«pp/»«064i6o98o A World of Exclusive Privileges Treats Diners Club J- V. International' L'VHHHHP u-wtv.arners.com.sg rSSTiSH SZETSSES?. SHSZSZS P-SZS l 1 5 a 1*.,. "i J i In Spring C oui i pJ The Oldest Chinese Restaurant in Sinqapote since I 9/ )C 7(V' jj I i SS76I
      301 words

  • executive Money
    • 770 28  -  The dilemma of short-term versus long-term investments is bewildering US mutual fund investors again, says CHET CURRIER CHET CURRIER Bloomberg [NEW YORK] ALONG with bond traders, pension managers and other assorted big-timers, mutual fund investors by the millions begin 2006 facing the riddle of
      Bloomberg  -  770 words
    • 1166 28  -  Analysts expect 2005's economic, market trends to continue By TOM PETRUNO LAT [LOS ANGELES] In hindsight, many investors now know what they should have done a year ago: Put more money in foreign stocks. Be wary of sinking too much into real estate.
      LAT; AP  -  1,166 words
    • 586 28  - Nano an investment plan that runs itself With a handful of ETFs, it covers both stocks and bonds By JOHN F WASIK Bloomberg [NEW YORK] Just for once, it would be great to start the year with a small and simple investment plan and not have to worry about it.
      Bloomberg  -  586 words
    • Article, Illustration
      272 29  -  By Chua Boon Lee Standart Poor's Asociation Equity funds EQUITY funds in Singapore are poised for a third straight year of gains in 2005, acconfing to Standard and Poor's data for the period to Dec 23. Of the 477 equity funds in the Singapore database only 10 failed
      272 words
    • 657 29  -  MONEY MATTERS S'pore investors need to take a leap of faith back into the markets ROY VARGHESE IT was Jan 10.49 BC. Julius Caesar had a difficult decision to make. An ancient Roman law forbade any general or standing army from crossing a small stream
      657 words
    • 5274 29 UNIT TRUSTS FUNDS ABM Amro Amt Mgt (S'pora) Star Europe Eqty!" 0.869/ Star Europe Bond 1202/ Star Europe Bal 1.14V Star Asian Tiger Eqty 1.139/ Star Asia Bond 1334/ Star AsiaJalanced 1.082/ Star GktefTeciinotogyFimd!" 10.21/ Mum St HK..~...._ 1.061/ Star Asia BorxXUSO) 0.801/ GlbMultiStUSD 1.133/ Asia Bond FdA 96.88/ Asia
      5,274 words
  • Page 28 Advertisements
    • 48 28 Vemue HDB Hub Convention Centre Woodlands Room (Basement 1) 480 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, Singapore Date 7 January 2006 (Saturday) Time 2to 4 p.m. WKEfiKBkI For reservations, pis contact ■HmMI Judy Tan at 6299-2222. KEfiUHj Free Seminar on General Insurance brought to you HHHH by Target Insurance Brokers
      48 words
    • 9 28 MONEY MATTERS Crossing the Rubicon in 2006 pg 29
      9 words

  • Page 29 Advertisements
    • 23 29 AllianzGl Global High Payout Fund iat< i stars Allianz (jfi) by Mercer Investment Consulting. Visit OCI3C Bank for details. ciobaiinvestors J lomp.iny no
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  • SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE
    • 1173 30  -  Architect Guz Wilkinson talks to CHEAH UI-HOON about his travel adventures and the sailing expedition that led him to berth in Singapore CHEAH UI-HOON CONTRARY to the idea thatyou'll have all the time in the world to relax and reflect on life and living while
      1,173 words
    • 31 30 High speed handling and performance were perfected at Germany's Nurburgring and Italy's Nardo Bowl racing circuits, allowing the all new Land Rovers to outperform most luxury cars.
      31 words
  • Page 30 Advertisements
    • 298 30 Peqent Motors I Minted Uifi A. •x,in < U. i Ro.n! S n.j.tpo"' > t u l i i .?i''» |ltllll Tel 6376 0D77 www Mnclrover .mm so h; jfl mlt I, 1 i I i S> "<1 H II "i 1 i <P 4 jjSl I. 390bhp to blur
      298 words
    • 24 30 Im^mW A n 60 BEYOND This weekly series profiling high-flying executives who find adventure outside of work is brought to you by Land Rover
      24 words