Malaysian Airline System said on Wednesday it will levy an

Malaysian Airline System said on Wednesday it will levy an insurance surcharge of US$1.25 per passenger on all its international and domestic flights.

Boeing Co., the world's biggest commercial jet maker, on Tuesday said it had booked orders for 20 new jetliners worth just over a US$1 billion at list prices to unnamed customers.

Singapore's manufacturing output plunged 21.4 percent in August from a year earlier, reeling from a continued downturn in the key electronics sector, the government said Wednesday.

The production of cars, trucks and buses in Japan recovered last month from the recent downturn, rising 1.7 percent compared to a year ago to 706,613 vehicles, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers' Association said Wednesday.

TAIPEI (AFP): Taiwan's export orders and industrial output in August fell year-on-year for the sixth consecutive month but were higher from a month ago, signaling the possibility of an economic rebound, official data showed Wednesday.

Export orders in August declined 16.7 percent year-on-year to US$11.41 billion, sandbagged by sharp contractions in overseas demand for electronics, information technology and communications products, the economic ministry said in a statement.

August exports, however, rose $610 million or 5.6 percent from the previous month, boosted by seasonal factors in the run-up to Christmas, it said.

Export orders in the eight months to August were down 9.7 percent year-on-year to $90.03 billion, it added.

Meanwhile, the industrial output in August was up 4.2 percent from July but was down 8.2 percent year-on-year, the ministry said.

Industrial output in the eight-month period dropped 7.1 percent from a year earlier.

;AFP; ANPAf..r.. Bizbrief-Isuzu-output Isuzu cuts output by 20% JP/11/Colbox

TOKYO (AFP): A sales slump after the deadly terrorist attacks in New York and Washington prompted Japanese truck maker Isuzu Motors Ltd. to cut US production of sports utility vehicles by 20 percent, a spokesman said Wednesday.

"After the terrorist attacks business became very difficult," said Isuzu spokesman Momoki Tsujimura.

"Competition is fierce and that is why we decided to reduce output by around 20 percent," he said.

The loss-making truck firm, controlled by 49 percent- shareholder General Motors Corp., would slash monthly production by 1,600 cars to 6,400 in October and November.

It will continue to monitor the situation to decided whether to resume full production in the future.

Isuzu's Rodeo and Axiom SUVs made at its Indiana-based Subaru- Isuzu Automotive Inc. factory, a joint venture with fellow car maker Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., will be affected by the decision.

;AP; ANPAf..r.. Bizbrief-Singapore-airline UA lays off 300 attendants JP/11/Colbox

SINGAPORE (AP): United Airlines is laying off 400 flight attendants in Singapore and Thailand because the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States have driven away passengers, the airline said Wednesday.

"Our industry has been in trouble all year," United said in a statement. "The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack has driven away significant amounts of our passengers. The impact of this tragedy is forcing us to reduce our planned flying," thus creating a surplus of staff.

The 400 are part of the 20,000 jobs that UAL Corp., parent of United, plans to cut worldwide.

United has an agreement with the Association of Flight Attendants union and is required to lay off nonunion jobs first, the statement said, adding that 300 flight attendants in Singapore and 100 in Bangkok had lost their jobs.

The statement said the layoffs were "in preparation for the furlough" of union flight attendants.

"We deeply regret these actions must be taken," it said, adding that daily flights to the United States from Singapore and Bangkok via Tokyo would continue as usual.

;DJ; ANPAf..r.. Bizbrief-Myanmar-Malaysia Myanmar seeks KL's IT help JP/11/Colbox

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Myanmar's military leader said Wednesday his junta wants Malaysia to help it develop information and communications technology projects, officials said.

Gen. Than Shwe and several ministers of the Myanmar regime toured part of Malaysia's Multimedia Super Corridor, a government-sponsored project to develop high technology industries, on Wednesday on the second day of a three-day visit to Malaysia.

After briefing Than Shwe on the project, Multimedia Development Corp. Executive Chairman Othman Yeop Abdullah told reporters the Myanmar leader expressed hope that Malaysia could help his country develop similar projects.

Than Shwe, the chairman of the ruling State Peace and Development Council, met Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad Tuesday for talks, and officials signed two agreements on boosting cooperation in information and tourism.