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Singapore's economic growth

SINGAPORE: Singapore's non-oil domestic exports rose by a less-than-expected 7.6 percent in January from the same month a year earlier, the government said on Monday. Economists had expected on average about 25.8 percent growth for January, although individual estimates varied from a 20.8 percent to 32.0 percent rise, a survey by Dow Jones Newswires said. The January figure compared with a 25-percent, year-on-year increase in December.ÑAP

RoK's bids for Daewoo

SEOUL: South Korea was bracing on Monday to receive offers from the world's top automakers from troubled Daewoo Motor Co., officials said, ahead of a race which will prove critical to the country's reform effort. Potential buyers of the bankrupt firm have until Tuesday to submit tenders for the company, said bidding officials, who however remained tight-lipped about who had submitted letters of intent to take part in the auction.ÑAFP

Life-off in Japanese sales

TOKYO: European consortium Airbus plans to capture 50 percent of the Japanese aircraft market in five years in the face of fierce competition from US rival Boeing Co., a report said on Monday. Airbus chief Noel Forgeard said during a weekend visit here that the target could be reached despite the consortium lagging behind Boeing now with only 17.4 percent of the Japanese market, Kyodo news agency said.ÑAFP