Laporte 611 mn pounds bid for Inspec: Britain's Laporte Plc said on Wednesday it had made an agreed 340 pence per share offer for Inspec Plc, valuing the group at around 611 million pounds ($1.01 billion). It said the combination of the two companies would create a leading European producer of speciality, fine and performance chemicals. Following market purchases on Tuesday, when talks were first disclosed, Laporte said it already held almost 26 percentof Inspec. It expects the acquisition to be earnings neutral for the first full year after the acquisition.

Nokia to expand North-West GSM's network: Finnish telecom equipment maker Nokia said on Wednesday it had signed an agreement with North-West GSM for a GSM 900 network expansion in St Petersburg for an undisclosed sum. "Nokia will supply its high capacity Mobile Switching technology, Base Stations, Base Station Controllers and microwave radio equipment," it said in a statement. Nokia said deliveries would begin immediately.

Fresenius sees clear sales, profit growth: Fresenius AG on Wednesday forecast clear growth in both sales and profit in the current year, based on its first-half results. "After the positive development in the first six months of 1998, Fresenius expects significant sales and profit growth in the second half of the year as well," the company said in a statement. Earlier, the dialysis group said first-half net profit rose 19 per cent to 138 million marks while salesincreased 22 per cent to 4.3 billion marks. Its dialysis unit, Fresenius Medical Care, had a $43 million loss in the first half after the sale of two divisions.

Toyota says Vista model tops domestic sales: Toyota Motor Corp said on Wednesday it received 9,500 domestic orders for remodelled Vista models in the first month after its launch. Toyota, Japan's biggest carmaker, launched the Vista Sedan and Vista Ardeo Wagon on July 1 with a total monthly sales target of 7,000 units. Wagons accounted for 60 per cent of the total orders, a Toyota spokesman said.

StanChart not rushing to buy in Asia: International banking group Standard Chartered Plc said on Wednesday it is actively looking at acquisitions in Asia but will not rush into buying. We are looking actively but we are not going to rush inuntil we feel that the conditions are favourable to us," StanChart's chief executive designate Rana Talwar said in an interview.

British Airways plans direct Tehran flights: British Airways saidon Wednesday it would start direct flights between London Heathrow and Tehran on Sunday. British Airways recognises the growing importance of Iran as a business and holiday destination, Bob Chaplin, the airlines manager in Iran, said in a statement. The three weekly Tehran-bound services, to be operated by Boeing 777 aircraft, will replace flights to Iran by the British carrier which currently stop over in Baku, Azerbaijan, for a crew change.

Lanka Telecom to spend Rs 40 bln 98/99: Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) said on Wednesday it plans to invest Rs 40 billion $603 million) on expanding telecommunication infrastructure in the next two years, when 300,000 new connections will also be provided. It is with the view to developing the telecommunication infrastucture in Sri Lanka that we shall be investing Rs 40 billion from 1998 up to the year 2000, Hideaki Kamitsuma chief executive officer of SLT, told a news briefing on its first anniversary of privatisation.

Tunisias BDET bank H1 net up 462.94 pct:Banque de Developement Economique de Tunisie post-tax profit during the first-half of 1998 was 2.263 million dinars, up 462.94 per cent from 402,000 dinars the same period last year, interim results showed on Wednesday. The rise was mainly due to an increase of stocks portfolio revenues to 2.986 million dinars, up 76.17 per cent from 1.695 million dinars, and of commissions to 987,000 dinars, up 88.36 per cent from 524,000 dinars. Total assets of the state-controlled investment bank were 898.241 million dinars compared to 842.298 million dinars.

DBS Land places out 75 pct of bond issue: DBS Land has placed out 75 per cent of a Singapore $650 million bond and note issue, a company spokeswoman said on Wednesday. She said these were part of a fund raising exercise, comprising S$150 million of fixed rate bonds and S$500 million of floating-rate notes announced in late June. She refuted suggestions made in a wire report that DBS did not sell the whole amount as it could not find enough buyers.