PRESS DIGEST-Financial Times, Wall St Journal Asia editions

SINGAPORE, April 11 (Reuters) - The Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal carried the following stories in their Asia print and/or Web site editions on Friday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

FINANCIAL TIMES (www.ft.com)

-- China's renminbi, or yuan, pushed through the trading barrier of 7 to the dollar on Thursday, a landmark that underlines the currency's importance for Beijing in curbing inflation and discouraging marginally priced exports.

-- Lee Myung-bak, the new president of South Korea, strengthened his chances of pushing through business-friendly economic measures when his conservative party won a majority of seats in a parliamentary election on Wednesday.

-- The Philippines is mounting an ambitious bid to achieve self-sufficiency in rice within three years as a policy of relying on imports to cover production shortfalls unravels amid tightening global supply and soaring world prices.

WALL STREET JOURNAL (www.wsj.com)

-- Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. (4502.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), in the largest deal this year involving a Japanese company, has agreed to buy U.S. biotech firm Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc. for nearly $9 billion; the surprise deal underscores the growing divide between Japanese companies that are ready to embrace aggressive growth strategies and those that hope organic growth will support them.

-- When South Korea's new president, Lee Myung-bak, visits U.S. President George W. Bush for the first time next week, he won't make concessions on the most contentious issue between the two countries: South Korea's ban on most U.S. beef. That spells more trouble for the ratification of the free-trade agreement the two countries forged last April.