INSroE Top stories Republic Hotels to offer 3-for-4 rights. Pg4 Mediaßing is hot because it makes no money. Pg 5 Jurong Island chemical hub 'going dot-com'. Pg 7 Unisem profit surges 68% in first nine months. Pg 8 J Tycoon Lim Por-yen suffers blow his flagship Lai Sun posts HKs6.Bb

Mf Creating a larger audience Thai Ken im the National Arts Council. tells The Arts, B What's on the arts B calendar for the week ahead. EL 3 East meets West BfT" on the musical front. '*'***'Ml' EL 5 1 1

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No let-up in dizzy rise as CSM shares soar another 16% Talk of inclusion in major indices; analysts asking if price is now too high By, Jennifer Lien [SINGAPORE] Shares of Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing continued their dizzy rise yesterday, closing $1.10, or 16 per cent, higher at $7.90 with 2.4

En-bloc sales: dissent saves tax for some :1 i exclusive IRAS clarifies stand for units sold within 3 years of purchase Reports by Kalpana Rashiwala [SINGAPORE] The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) has clarified its stand on tax payments in collective property sales, making a distinction between minority dissenting

How taxes on collective sale gains are worked out [SINGAPORE] Let us say Mr A buys a private apartment in January this year. Then the entire block is put up for collective sale after securing the minimum approval from owners with 80 or 90 per cent of share values. A

Play up S'pore's strengths, tourism board urged Avoid being all things to all people, says advisory panel By\ Marissa Chew [SINGAPORE] The Republic shouldn't try to be all things to all people but instead play up its strengths, six members of the Singapore Tourism Board's International Advisory Council for Tourism

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Not time for more hotels in S'pore, Pg 7

IB When it comes to recreation you're simply spoilt I for choice. Enjoy a good work-out in the gym or I aerobics room. Play a set or two of tennis. Take I a cooling dip in the pool, or just laze the day J away at the sundeck. There's no

Republic Hotels to offer 3-for-4 rights Hong Leong unit raising funds to help finance purchase of Hilton Seonl Ven Sreenivasan REPUBLIC Hotels Resorts Ltd, the hotel subsidiary of the listed Hong Leong group, will finance part of its Hilton Seoul purchase through a 3-for-4 rights issue. The exercise, at Ssl

Tan Chong nets $60m new product orders Bat new emission regulations may cloud prospects By Christopher Tan MOTOR trader Tan Chong International has secured some 500 orders worth an estimated $60 million for two new products launched yesterday. "We have a good headstart over the competition," executive director A C

Del Monte Pacific hunts for fruit juice brands in Thailand It may also buy its brand name from Kikkoman Corp Bloomberg DEL Monte Pacific Ltd is on an acquisition prowl. The Philippines-based fruit canning company, which owns one of the world's largest pineapple plantations, plans to build on its foothold

MediaRing offers 150m shares at 53c each A Net company starts to die if it makes profits: Mediaßing IPO coordinator By I Siow Li Sen IF an Internet company makes money, it will start to die that is what local investors are asked to ponder when they wonder how they

KLW to raise $8.4m by placing out 12.8m new shares Door-maker will use money to repay bank loans, fond expansion plans By' Ven Sreenivasan DOOR-MAKER KLW Holdings is planning to raise $8.4 million, the bulk of which will be used to pay off bank borrowings and to finance expansion plans.

More logical for SMRT to merge with SBS instead ismaiocksiew christopher tan NOW that the dust is settling over the abortive match-making of Tibs Holdings and Singapore MRT, perhaps it's time to examine another potential merger in the sector one that may make more sense to investors and commuters. In

mediaring.com Mediaßing.com Ltd (Incorporated in the Republic of Singapore with limited liability on 15 July 1993) INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING 150,000,000 Ordinary Shares Issue Price: 550.53 each Offer Share Applications for shares under the public offer may be made by way of printed Application Forms or Electronic Applications as referred to

Market a late hive of activity as week ends with a bang hi i comment STOCKS r.sivanithy IT took almost the whole day in coming but when it did, it lifted stocks across-the-board in a rally that ensured the week ended as it began with a bang. A liquidity rush

UOL W2001 worth looking at ahead of rotational play WARRANT WATCH By R Sivanithy IT would be fair to say that the property segment has really lagged the recent rally. It's been mainly banks and electronics lately, with a hefty measure of Internet plays thrown in. But assuming that the

JIT set for $4, if momentum holds HOT STOCK By' Ven Sreenivasan LOCAL electronics stocks seem to be back in play, with many hogging the actives list yesterday. Some dealers reckon that these stocks are playing catch up with New York's Nasdaq, which has broken nine records in the last

Diary of events Saturday, Deo 13 Sftu^ftporo ♦Ham. Media briefing by National Computer Board on a used PC refurbished by a fourteen-year old scout Oerauy Frankfurt: 10am Bundesbank president Ernst Welteke speaks at a seminar for young Social Democratic Party business executives France lUrMfflM! 0980 GMT. Cite de la Reussite

Greenback rises to 2-month high against euro Bloomberg [NEW YORK] The dollar rose to a twomonth high against the euro as a German report showed retail sales fell in Europe's biggest economy and as the US said productivity rose in the third quarter. "The dollar is stronger primarily on the

Stocks Volume l-One5c 21,355.000 'Genting Irrt 15,044,000 Eastern Asia 13,835,000 Asia Food&Prop US$ 13.317,000 PCI 25c 12,957,000 Gotten Agri US10c 10,639,000 Aztech 5c 10,214,000 OCBC 10.096,000 QES Intl Ltd 20c 9,168,000 Medtecs US5c 8,365,000 Stocks SIA 135.297.229 OCBC 118,814.300 DBSGrp 86,974.720 NatEteclOc 30,776,891 U06 26,289,528 VentureMfg25c 23,571,402 SFH 20,041,450 JITHidgslOc

'jam Keppel Telecommunications Transportation Ltd (Incorporated in the Republic of Singapore) Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an Extraordinary General Meeting of Keppel Telecommunications Transportation Ltd (the "Company") will be held at the Conference Room, 32S Telok Blangah Road, Singapore *****1 on 29 November 1999 at

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Jurong Island chemical hub 'going dot-com' George Yeo unveils IT plan to link billion-dollar industry via Internet By Soh Tiang Keng MINISTER for Trade and Industry George Yeo yesterday unveiled a four-point master plan "to dot-com" Jurong Island by linking the island's billion-dollar petrochemical industry via the Internet. This four-module

CPF default rate falls, signalling better liquidity for firms in Q3 By. Audrey Tan BUSINESSES here continued to see better liquidity in the third quarter, as fewer employers defaulted on their payments to the Central Provident Fund. The CPF default rate fell to 0.77 per cent in the third quarter.

NTU spin-off spawns Japanese deal A NANYANG Technological University spin-off has clinched a multi-million dollar deal from Japanese multinational Shimadzu Corp, which wants to tap its thin diamond film technology. Nanofilm Technologies was incorporated in May 1999 to undertake the design, manufacture and marketing of this new patented technology. After

Many variations of book-building MAXLBAG Chong Wee Lian Vice-president head Public relations Overseas Union Bank WE refer to your Hock Lock Siew article "SFl's IPO price: Even the pros are mighty confused" by Siow Li Sen (BT, Nov 11). Book-building is not new in Singapore. It has been used to

SFI's IPO: Guidelines needed Jeremy Lim Singapore via Internet I REFER to your article "SFl's IPO price: Even the pros are mighty confused" (BT. Nov 11). I fully agree with the comments made in the article as I was asked by my broker to apply for the Singapore Food Industries

Not time for more hotels in S'pore Hotelier cites 65-70% occupancy and low room rates By\ Marissa Chew SINGAPORE is unattractive for hotel developers and investors now, and while occupancies and room rates may improve, it is going to be another three to four years before investors look at the

Banking on a smooth crossover into Year 2000 By Andrea Tan MILLENNIUM bug or no, it is business as usual for banks in Singapore. But this is not to say they are resting on their laurels. The banks have made ample preparations to ensure a smooth crossover into the new

E-mail: btletter(asph.com.sg You can email us at btletterQsph.com.sg, fax to us at *****71, or mail your letter to The Business Times, Times House, 390 Kim Seng Road, Singapore *****5. Please give your full name, address and telephone number.

49 DAYS Millannhim chaos Y2K bug or revellers? Pg 12 Introducing an exciting new experience in dining! PALACE offers you A La Carte: $6.80 nett per dish Choose from an astounding array of 92 exciting dishes including Steamed Pomfret With Bean Crumbs, Deep Fried Butter Prawns, Stewed Duct With Ginger

Bread-and-butter issues will decide outcome KUALA LUMPUR ELECTION IfrEI Ruling Barisan Nasional coalition expected to retain comfortable two-thirds majority: analysts AFX-Asia PRIME Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who will be leading the Barisan Nasional ruling coalition into general elections for the fifth time, is expected to retain a comfortable two-thirds majority at

Big leap in M'sian quality of life: study KUALA LUMPUR AFP THE quality of life in Malaysia has shown "dramatic improvement" over the past 18 years, a study shows. "Malaysians have moved ahead in terms of personal advancement, adopting a healthier lifestyle, and have greater access and freedom to pursue

YTL eyeing 20% of Hongkong's CLP Power Int'l KUALA LUMPUR Purchase will give group the regional presence it seeks Bloomberg YTL Power International Bhd, Malaysia's third-biggest power company, wants to buy 20 per cent of a unit of CLP Holdings Ltd, Hongkong's biggest power company, to extend its presence in

Unisem profit surges 68% in first 9 months From Ruth Wong in Kuala Lumpur MALAYSIAN semiconductor maker Unisem (M) Bhd saw profit surge 68 per cent in the first nine months of this year as the company rode on strong global semiconductor demand. Unisem's net profit jumped to 113.7 million

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Thais set to raise 1999 GDP forecast again BANGKOK Indicators show economy has bottomed out, say ministers Reuters INCREASINGLY confident Thai officials said yesterday that the country's 1999 gross domestic product (GDP) growth figure was set to be revised upwards again. They declared that the re-cession-hit economy, sustained in recent

Armed to the teeth [MANILA] A heavily-tattooed American sailor yesterday scrubbing away rust on a crib as he prepares to repaint it. The sailors, who arrived aboard 'USS Germantownare here on a four-day visit, during which they have lined up several activities, including a working mission to an orphanage in

Thai Oil creditors okay US$2.2b debt restructure plan BANGKOK Bloomberg CREDITORS of Thai Oil Co, Thailand's largest oil refiner, approved a proposal to restructure U552.25 billion (Ss3.B billion) of debt, the central bank said. About 70 per cent of creditors voted to approve the plan, said Sivaporn Dardarananda, an adviser

Indon leader's acute vision WRITER'SIfTTTTTTTHI Gus Dur amazes as he strikes all the right notes In Ball after his election Karim Raslan Karim Raslan is a Kuala Lumpur based lawyer and writer THE ballroom was quiet as we awaited the arrival of Indonesia's newly-elected President Abdurrahman Wahid. Looking around at

Abdurrahman: I'll pardon Suharto if he's convicted WASHINGTON But no similar leniency for his children friends NYT THE new president of Indonesia said here on Thursday night that he had decided to pardon the nation's former president Suharto, if Mr Suharto is convicted of crimes as a result of an

Bank Bali recap to cost up to 4.1t rupiah, says Ibra JAKARTA Bloomberg INDONESIA'S Bank Restructuring Agency (Ibra) trimmed 4.7 per cent off the 4.3 trillion rupiah (Ssl billion) that Standard Chartered Pic estimated as the cost for recapitalising PT Bank Bali, the agency's chairman said. Glenn Yusuf, chairman of

ATTENTION EMPLOYER! Learn a lesson from us. Coffee with training can be highly ADDICTIVE! No queues, no travelling and no dozing off while you attend this training. Sit back and sip your hot coffee while cruising through our on-line training module in the comfort of your office or home. With

Lim Por-yen suffers blow Lai Sun posts HK$6.83b loss Tycoon's flagship, which posted HKs3o9m profit a year ago, to meet banks over debt restructuring From' Quak Hiang Whai in Hongkong LIM Por-yen is in trouble again; it emerged last night that his flagship company is now facing serious financial difficulties.

HK's Tracker Fund makes sparkling debut It closes first day of trading with 9% premium; brokers say this signals confidence in recovery Frorrn Quak Hiang Whai in Hongkong THE government's Tracker Fund (TraHK) got off to a good start as the index tracking unit trust debuted at a premium of

HK futures exchange in talks on foreign tie-ups HONGKONG Reuters THE Hong Kong Futures Exchange (HKFE) is holding talks with various foreign exchanges on forming international alliances, HKFE chief executive Ivers Riley said yesterday. "We are talking to a number of people who are interested in alliances," Mr Riley told

Giordano among three suitors eyeing debt-laden Theme HONGKONG Bidders keen on its retail, distribution networks Bloomberg THREE fashion companies are pursuing Theme International Holdings Ltd, which has closed most of its local stores and is in big debts. Giordano International Ltd, YGM International Ltd and High Fashion International Ltd have

China abolishes state monopoly on silver trade SHANGHAI AFP CHINA has allowed silver producers and buyers to directly trade at market-set prices for the first time since 1949. The central People's Bank of China issued a notice formally abolishing the state silver monopoly and opening the door to free trade

Taiwan's VIA ready for Intel chip challenge TAIPEI Reuters TAIWAN'S VIA Technologies Inc has already irked mighty Intel Corp by scoring a coup in chipsets, but now it is mounting an invasion on the chip maker's home turf microprocessors. Taking advantage of two embarrassing Intel product delays, VIA stole a

Responsibilities Provide international business and market development assistance to Canadian exporters in the sectors of ICT, biotechnology and investment Plan, organize and execute activities and events to promote and market Canadian products, services, technology and investment opportunities Investigate, assess and report on key economic and commercial developments in Singapore as

Unas,. Exhibition 15-19 Nov fttftiSQnfc Indonesian Furniture, 17-21 Nov IT tfnnnfiaf tnitmniia Home, Decor Gift Fair |srrEXl999 18-21 Nov SIA MHlenkim Celebration 9-21 Nov SingapoitAMrtes Woftd Expo for 19-21 Nov CNffftPrtKfciets Complementary Medicine Exhibition Centre Wedding Exhibition 19-21 Nov Fuft-Houae Communication CIA99 30 Nov-3 Dec I Singapore Exhibition Services I

Tight leash on loan defaulters in Pakistan ISLAMABAD AFP PAKISTAN'S military-led government has ordered a round-the-clock watch at the country's borders and ports to prevent bank loan defaulters from slipping out of the country, officials said on Thursday. A high-level meeting chaired by Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz has reviewed measures

India phone group to intervene in court case NEW DELHI Fixed-line firm challenging order not to charge cellphone nsers for calls received Reuters THE Cellular Operators Association of India said on Thursday it would intervene in a court case in which a fixed-line phone company is challenging a regulator's order

Unit Trust of India eyes IT ventures NEW DELHI AFX Asia UNIT Trust of India (UTI) chairman PS Subramanyam said it will provide two billion rupees (Ss76 million) worth of venture capital funding to information technology firms. He added the new venture capital fund will be in place within the

Islamabad rocked by bomb blasts targeting US, UN sites ISLAMABAD AFP SIX car bomb explosions rocked Islamabad yesterday targeting US and United Nations buildings and leaving at least one man injured. The blasts come at a time of anti-American sentiment here and just two days before the United Nations imposes

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US productivity jumps a sharp 4.2% in Q3 WASHINGTON Labour costs kept in check, so no need seen for Fed to raise rates next Tuesday Reuters THE productivity of US workers rose sharply in the third quarter of this year while the growth in labour costs slowed significantly, the Labour

Rubin elected to join Ford board on Jan 1 PEOPLE Bloomberg [DEARBORN, Michigan] Robert Rubin, the former US treasury secretary, was elected to the board of Ford Motor Co as the world's second-largest automaker tries to improve its credibility with investors. Mr Rubin will join the board on Janl. It

Billiton to expand Aussie operations in a big way Minerals giant investing over Assoom in new and existing projects From Brian Gomez in Sydney UK-BASED Billiton pic is pumping over Assoo million (***** million) into minerals operations in Australia, signalling its determination to become a giant in the industry. The

Millennium chaos from Y2K bug or revellers? PARIS AFP WITH 49 days to go before the year is counted out, governments around the world have to decide whether the greatest threat of chaos comes from reveUers welcoming the new miUennium or from the computer glitch known as Y2K or millennium

Hat-tricks [BAVARIA, Germany] German sculptress Angelika Summa (left) showing her "helmetfor the soul of man "at the Franck-Haus in Marktheidenfeld on Thursday. The creations are knitted with different kinds of wires and symbolise the various mental states of man. Ms Summa's creations can be seen within the exhibition "2000 minus

US rate hike can depress markets: IMF SINGAPORE AFP THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) cautioned yesterday that a big jump in US interest rates before December could dampen financial markets already grappling with the year 2000 (Y2K) transition computer problem. "It may not be advisable to raise interest rates a

Emerging markets poised for new bull run: Mobius VIENNA Reuters TEMPLETON Investment Management's emerging markets chief Mark Mobius said yesterday the recent strength of exotic markets heralded the start of a new bull run and was not a short-lived upswing. "The question in emerging markets is: Is this the start

Microsoft unveils US$100m Radio Shack tie-up REDMOND, Washington Software maker seeking to remake itself as service provider; will invest in Tandy's online store LATWP, NYT MICROSOFT Corp unveiled a new plan Thursday to sell Internet connections to the masses, not through the traditional means of mailing out millions of disks

Last shout for Sydney futures SYDNEY Bloomberg THE last shout of traders at the Sydney Futures Exchange (SFE) was at the bar when the trading pit closed yesterday, ending 39 years of open outcry where dealers in colourful coats won and lost huge sums using hand signals. The mood on

US will spend more money on media than food by 2003 NEW YORK Expenses seen hitting USs663b, says media investment bank Bloomberg AMERICANS will spend U*****.3 billion (SSI.I trillion) on media by 2003, or 44 per cent more than last year, making it the sixth-largest industry in the US, surpassing

Nymex moves to new after-hours trading system NEW YORK Bloom berg THE New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) switched to a new aftej-hours trading system, replacing the one traders have used for 6-1/2 years with a system that the exchange says will be easier to use and more dependable. The Access

Group of four to bid for Nippon Credit Bank TOKYO Bloomberg FOUR Japanese companies, including Softbank and ItoYokado Co, owner of Japan's Seven-Eleven conveniencestore chain, said yesterday that they hope to buy the failed Nippon Credit Bank Ltd and use it to accelerate their push into electronic commerce. The group

Dell ends streak of record quarterly profits AUSTIN, Texas NYT DELL Computer Corp, the fastest growing major PC maker, earned US$4B3 million (*****.3 million) in its fiscal third quarter, matching Wall Street's diminished expectations of 18 US cents per share that resulted from sharp spikes in prices for memory chips

Closing Down of Prestigious Oriental Carpet Importers/Wholesalers Following Sudden Death of Company's Founder Sole Owner MAJOR PUBLIC AUCTION Connoisseur Calibre Regional Inventory of Notag Ag Exclusive suppliers to Department Stores and Galleries worldwide consolidated in Singapore and ordered for immediate liquidation as result of decision by heirs/executors to close down

7 i iFVQI SB BP *—4) W~ m FORM HOLDINGS LIMITED (Incorporated in the Republic of Singapore) ANNOUNCEMENT PROPOSED RENOUNCEABLE RIGHTS ISSUE OF 98,322,170 NEW ORDINARY SHARES OF $0.05 EACH ("RIGHTS SHARES") IN THE CAPITAL OF FORM HOLDINGS LIMITED (THE "COMPANY") AT AN ISSUE PRICE OF $0.05 FOR EACH RIGHTS

Futures finish higher in brisk trading SEUEK/teport MSCI Singapore Index Daphne Tay Jardine Fleming THE Singapore stock market ended the week with a bang after a slow start yesterday. Electronics issues attracted tremendous interest following Nasdaq's feverish ninth record close in 10 sessions, resulting in a 4.96 per cent jump

Crude falls from near 3-year high on fears of lower demand ENERGY REPORT Bloomberg [LONDON] Crude oil yesterday fell from near its highest level in almost three years on concern a mild northern hemisphere winter will crimp heating oil demand and prompt refiners to use less crude oil. After two

No Russian platinum exports till end-Jan Reuters [MOSCOW] Russian bureaucracy wUI prevent a resumption of platinum exports before the end of January 2000, an official at Rosbank, which controls Russia's largest platinum group metals (PGMs) producer Norilsk Nickel, said yesterday. "Sales may start at the end of January or the

Traders say price turnaround unlikely for corn Bridge News [CHICAGO] Corn traders were looking for a slightly weaker start yesterday, with the potential to find some fresh support at Thursday's lows. But few are ready to say a major turnaround is ready to develop. "Even if we see a nickel

All-ser« M»rt«s>»)ff Short 1- 3 yrs. Lonj > 3 yre UTTER BANK CURKDICT RATES 4pm, Nov 12 Against S$ Against US$ Against S$ Against US$ CurrancJas Bid Offtf Bid Offar Curranclas Bid Offar Bid Offar S&L'SS to one unit of foreign currency: SS/VSS to 100 units of foreign currency: AastriAaa

SICOM FUTURES Nov 12 RUBBER (futures closing as it 5.30pm) RSS t CONTRACTS centsAq) Close Volume Open Month High Low Sett (tonnes) Interest Dec 99 123.25 1200 Jan 00 126.75 600 Feb 00 129.75 100 Mar 00 132.25 100 RSS 3 CONTRACT (US centsAq) Volume Open Month High Low Sett

Share prices higher with focus on TraHK HONGKONG AFP Qj Hang Seng *8196 HONGKONG share prices rose 0.6 per cent yesterday on late selective buying following the listing of the government's Tracker Fund, dealers said. "The gains are made on selective buying of blue-chip stocks, following reports that some of

CHINA Reuters P Shenzhen B Index jjj SHENZHEN'S B shares closed lower yesterday due to fading investor hopes of the government stepping in soon with concrete policies to boost the market. The B share index fell 0.25 point, or 0.3 per cent, to 82.51 on turnover of HK$2O million against

Investors turn to high-tech stocks TOKYO AFP □ffikk«i22s -W. 73 SHARE prices in Tokyo fell 0.4 per cent yesterday as investors sold stocks for a profit but high-technology issues rallied on the back of US Nasdaq strength, brokers said. The key Nikkei average of 225 selected issues lost 68.73 points

Wednesday The Taipei market was closed yesterday 3§> QII. J!..

INDUSTRIALS Consumer products 1999 Last Vol Day Net Cap 1— Cmmm/I Sal* 'OOO Ml)> La« Wl 440 255 A|inomoto 302 unch 5 3K) 302 19.2 122.4 174 46 Angkasa 86.5 -2 2 86 5 86.5 127.5 404 220 Apollo Food Hlg 308 7J 123.2 294 1t5 Berjaya Land 171 -I

Investors turn cautious ahead of polls AFP, AFX Asia C 3 Composite Index -3-32 MALAYSIAN share prices ended 0.5 per cent lower yesterday as investors turned cautious ahead of the weekend and on news that a general election was fixed for Nov 29, dealers said. The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange

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BANGKOK AFP W SET Index *2.74 THAI share prices gained 0.6 per cent yesterday but closed off their highs on profit-tak-ing mainly in the banking sector, dealers said. Earlier gains in banks were driven by speculative buying on rumours that Moody's Investor Services may upgrade ratings of local banks, one

MANILA AFP Manila -M 3 PHILIPPINE share prices closed 0.05 per cent lower yesterday following several poor company results, analysts said. The Philippine Stock Exchange Composite Index fell 19.3 points to 1,991.01. Volume was 2.12 billion shares worth 2.39 billion pesos. AFP *a»l2 Pih COM) MRCAIIIod 0.82 unch 1720 Abacus

JAKARTA AFP PCmpogrtelndgx -Ml INDONESIAN share prices closed 0.5 per cent lower yesterday on profit-taking in selected large caps and second-liners after recent rises, dealers said. A dealer with Merincorp Securindo said the index declined as investors took profits with no developments to push the index up. "Profit-taking was seen

WELLINGTON AFP Q Wellington *MJB NEW Zealand's share market firmed yesterday but almost all of the index's gain came via lead share Telecom. The NZSE-40 Capital Index rose 10.18 points or 0.5 per cent to finish the day at 2,079.72 points on turnover totalling NZ596.9 million. mu ooc Adventege KOS

SYDNEY AFP All Primaries +27.4 AUSTRALIAN share prices rose 0.9 per cent yesterday to break through the 3,000-point mark on the back of strong gains in some blue chips, brokers said. The All Ordinaries Index jumped 27.4 points to 3,010.20. The All Industrials Index closed up 33 points at 5,228.00

SEOUL AFP H Composite Index +2L84 THE Composite Index rose 21.84 points to 969.26 yesterday. Volume was an all-time record of 534.6 million shares worth 7.3 trillion won. —AFP HB *t Anjm Stml W9S0 300 Brotn Ttch 27*0 -20 Control Bank 2870 t40 ChotlComm ***** 2500 Dm GU 4690 40

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For arts' sake Singapore today is much more engaged in the international art world, gaining recognition and audiences. Where do we stand, and where do we go? The men behind the scene map out their millennial visions. PAKVATHX KAYAR reports PARVATHI NAYAR LIU Thai Ker takes his role as chairman

THE PROGRAMME THEATRE Macbeth One of the oft produced plays of William Shakespeare gets a new spin from Hi! Theatre, Singapore's only theatre of the deaf. Their production focuses on the dark world of Macbeth's paranoia, presenting a world that is nightmarishly horrific. •Nov 18-20 (8pm): Nov 20 (3pm) at

SPOTLIGHT ARE musicians better off making music or painting pictures? Judge for yourself at Musicians As Artists, where big names like John Lennon. Miles Davis and Dire Straits come together not in concert, but in paintings on the wall. Lennon, for example, drew ink sketches as a wedding present for

The architecture of theatre Wood and trees go towards creating a tropical feel at Action Theatre's new home. pasvathx mayah talks to Vincent Lee about material matters PARVATHI NAYAR WITH theatre groups in Singapore moving towards more permanent homes, the playhouse is suddenly occupying centrestage. You might say the task

An atmospheric evening of superb flair CONCERT The Malaysian Philharmonic pnt in a performance of a very high standard By P Y Van KEES Bakels, the Dutch conductor of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, waited for the audience in the Victoria Concert Hall and his orchestra to settle before making his

Blockbusters and debuts at French film fest FILM By Susan Tsang THE French Film Festival, which has brought local movie buffs cinematic flair, romance, intellectualism, charm and, sometimes, bewilderment, is upon us for the 15th time. This year, the festival moves beyond the Alliance Francaise into local cinemas. All 18

East meets west at the orchestra Chinese classical instruments aren't that much different from the western version, as stjsam tsako finds out on a visit to the Singapore Chinese Orchestra SUSAN TSANG MOST of us are familiar with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, but the Singapore Chinese Orchestra may not be

EL 2: Kwok Kian Chow, Kenson Kwok and Benson Phua share their visions itils* Wm events. For Standard cardmembers, an

Art boose Action Theatre's new home proved to be an architectural challenge with dramatic possibilities, k Eftst roods west The Chinese orchestra isn't as 'cheena'asyou think.

The Average Size and Performance of a PruLink Fund. ISp ml mWM H PruLink Singapore Managed Fund the largest unitised fund in Singapore. PjWlqL An unbeatable record with over $730 million flfe k Lf} invested by 90,000 people since its launch in 1992. tty jEr PRULINK Probably the best managed

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