LONDON, Aug 17, 2007 (AFP) - WPP, the British advertising and marketing group, said Friday that its net profits rose slightly during the first half of 2007 boosted by growth worldwide, especially in emerging markets such as Asia.

Profit after tax climbed by 2.9 percent to 181.9 million pounds (268 million euros, 362 million dollars) in the six months to June 30, compared with the same period in 2006.

Sales climbed 2.0 percent to 2.921 billion pounds, with almost a quarter of the total earned in emerging markets.