News Today

Try to learn more about other faiths
I APPLAUD Ms Aishah Mohamed's letter ('Don't call non-Muslims infidel or kafir'; ST, Feb 13), for her efforts to clarify certain terms used by some faiths on others.It is essential for people like us, who live in a multi-racial, multi-religious society,... [Read more]

The New Paper
The New Paper will not be published tomorrow. It will be the only English paper on sale on Monday, at the usual outlets from 7am.... [Read more]

Contracts for shipping sector firms steam ahead
TRADING of covered warrants issued on companies in the shipping sector is steaming ahead of that for their counterparts in other sectors.In the past trading week, turnover for shipping sector warrants cruised past that for traditionally more popular sectors such as... [Read more]

Appreciation of the arts sorely missing
I read with interest the article 'Crazy Horse show to shut down' (ST, Jan 26).The closure of Crazy Horse brings to mind yet another distinctive performing arts company. In 2000, Cirque du Soleil set up its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore. However,... [Read more]

Unity is the key for Liverpool
DEFINITIONS of opposition have tended to focus on teams in different colours. But, when Barcelona and Liverpool meet tonight, some participants will harbour stronger, and hardly friendly, feelings towards their colleagues. Teamwork and friendship can be very different things. After recent... [Read more]

Speculation mounts over form of new Thai charter
BANGKOK - SPECULATION is intensifying in Thailand over the shape of the next Constitution, after the election of a controversial former intelligence chief to chair the 35-member drafting committee.Mr Prasong Soonsiri, 79, was among 10 members of the committee handpicked by... [Read more]

Japan uses cute toons as military mascots
TOKYO - PRINCE Pickles, a perky cartoon character with saucer-round eyes, big dimples and tiny boot-clad feet, poses in front of tanks, rappels from helicopters and shakes hands with smiling Iraqis. The cutesy icon hardly calls to mind the Japanese military... [Read more]

We need a unique Singaporean roar
With the recent euphoria on our Lions' victory at the Asean Football Championship and comments made in the Forum pages about cheering our team, I think the time has come for a Singapore Roar to be created.This will be the rallying... [Read more]

Nuclear bombs 'a heavy burden to bear'
NUCLEAR bombs are a heavy load for any country to carry, says Mr F.W. de Klerk. He ought to know, having been the only leader ever to have ordered the dismantling of his country's nuclear arsenal, developed in secret under an... [Read more]

CapitaLand earns $40m from sale of office space
CAPITALAND has sold all its entire interest in the Samsung Hub office block to two different buyers for a gain of $40 million.The entire divestment of space in the central business district building amounted to $152.9 million.Property company Ho Bee Development... [Read more]

Blair 'doesn't have the discipline to keep diary'
BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair admitted that he has not kept a private diary during his nine years in power, raising questions about how complete his memoirs will be. Mr Blair, who has pledged to leave office by September, said simply... [Read more]

Piping business boosts VicPlas' interim gain

SESDAQ-LISTED VicPlas International yesterday reported a near-doubling of its interim net profit to $1.6 million from $831,000.

Revenue for the six months ended Jan 31 rose 34.7 per cent to $8.1 million, thanks to increased sales at its PVC pipes and pipe fitttings business.

This division contributed 87.3 per cent towards total revenue, with the remainder coming from sales of medical device components.

Its 50 per cent owned joint venture, Forefront Medical Technology, contributed $1.13 million to group earnings compared with $1.4 million previously.

VicPlas attributed the drop to lower sales prices and start-up expenses incurred prior to the commercial production of a new medical device.

Group pre-tax profit doubled to $1.7 million due mainly to improved sales at the pipes and fittings division, as well as a recovery of inventory that had been written off in the last financial year.

Earnings per share firmed to 0.64 cent from 0.32 cent previously while net asset value per share climbed to 7.15 cents compared with 6.51 cents as at July 31 last year.

No interim dividend was recommended.

Given the strengthening of the construction industry from the redevelopment of collective sales sites and the increase in the number of property developments, the company is optimistic that its pipes and fittings business will remain positive in the second half-year.

VicPlas shares yesterday ended unchanged at 13.5 cents.

News Today

Slew of measures aimed at creating SME haven
THE Government aims to make Singapore the best place in the world for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to start, grow and globalise. A slew of new measures was outlined in the Budget aimed specifically at this sector of the economy.... [Read more]

Inappropriate time slots for prime-time trailers
I am a regular viewer of Ch5 and I am bothered by some of the commercials and shows aired by the channel. Being the premier English channel in Singapore, I expect MediaCorp to be more in tune with the larger English-speaking... [Read more]

Directors' trades
2 AZTECH DIRECTORS EXERCISE OPTIONS TWO independent directors at Aztech Systems exercised stock options recently after a resurgence in the company's stock market fortunes. Mr Colin Ng, a lawyer, exercised 500,000 share options on Monday. The exercise price was 11 cents.... [Read more]

Not allowing a scientist the exclusive use of his research findings may be detrimental in the long run
The direction of biomedical research has been brought into question and, as a consequence, the symbiosis between industry and research. One proposal was that although a manufacturer would be free to spend millions to secure a cure (new medicine), after three... [Read more]

MBA students turn class projects into 'real' business
THREE postgraduate business students saw the 'real' in their real estate class projects for what it could mean - real opportunity.The trio identified the demand for short-term housing rentals of under a year, and the clientele - mature, executive-type students who... [Read more]

Industry views
THE BIG QUESTION'The big question is also how the industry can bring together all these resources for all the big upcoming projects and manage the scale without sacrificing on quality.'PROFESSOR GEORGE OFORI, head of the Department of Building (School of Design... [Read more]

Red light for traffic photo contest
KUALA LUMPUR - EMBARRASSED officials have suspended a contest offering citizens cash for photographs of traffic offenders after protests from lawyers. The 'Snap, Send and Win' contest had a weekly prize of RM150 (S$66) for the best picture of traffic offences,... [Read more]

Innova JC goes big on new media
STUDENTS at Innova Junior College do not just write General Paper essays when it comes to current affairs - they make documentaries too. Before assembly every morning, the students catch up on college news through their very own podcast show. There... [Read more]

Floods cripple much of Jakarta
JAKARTA - MUCH of Jakarta was crippled yesterday as the worst deluge in five years cut road, rail and telecommunications links to the Indonesian capital. Three-quarters of the sprawling city of 12 million people was under water, and officials now face... [Read more]

Almost all quake-hit cables fixed
BEIJING - CHINA'Sbiggest telecommunications companies have restored nearly all phone and Internet capacity that was affected by last month's earthquake near Taiwan, state media reported yesterday.China Telecom and China Netcom said major cables handling fibre-optic traffic, mostly between China and North... [Read more]

Results
BASKETBALLNBA: Dallas 80 Houston 77, Cleveland 114 LA Lakers 108.CRICKETFirst Chappell-Hadlee series one-day match in Wellington: Australia 148 all out in 49.3 overs (M. Hussey 42; Bond 5-23, Gillespie 2-27, Vettori 2-26, McMillan 1-3). New Zealand 149-0 in 27 overs (L.Vincent... [Read more]

Firm demand for CapitaLand issues as stock price fluctuates

THE recent market plunge has not dampened investor enthusiasm for covered warrants on property giant CapitaLand.

They have been snapping up growing numbers of the contracts on the counter, as the mother share price gyrated by as much as 20 per cent over the past week.

And there are plenty of warrant contracts - with different strike prices and maturity periods - for them to choose from.

'CapitaLand has enjoyed a good run-up, and this has encouraged traders to continue to take an exposure on the stock via the covered warrants,' said Mr Ooi Lid Seng, Societe Generale's (SG's) vice-president for structured products for Asia ex-Japan.

What traders like about CapitaLand is its large exposure to the red-hot China property market and its choice land bank in Singapore.

CapitaLand also controls some of the hottest real estate investment trusts (Reits) listed on the Singapore Exchange.

A Merrill Lynch report on Tuesday picked CapitaMall Trust, CapitaCommercial Trust, CapitaRetail China and Ascott Residence Trust as its key stock picks for this year.

An added attraction is the volatility of CapitaLand's share price, which magnifies any gain that a covered warrant may enjoy.

Buying a call warrant gives the holder an option to buy into a stock or a stock-market index over a period of three to nine months at a pre-set price - so generally their holders would like to see a rally.

Put warrants, however, give its holders the option to sell a stock or a stock-market index at a pre-set, or 'strike' price over a period.

Mr Ooi said that the most popular call warrants on CapitaLand issued by SG have strike prices of $6.50, $6.85 and $7.35. One popular put warrant comes with a strike price of $7. 'All these strike prices are close to CapitaLand's current market price,' he added.

'In a volatile market, people can take a position on where CapitaLand is headed. If they are bullish, they can buy the call warrant. And they can hedge their risks by buying into the put warrants.'

CapitaLand shares fell five cents to $6.85 yesterday.

GOH ENG YEOW

engyeow@sph.com.sg

Half-fit Henry will play today

LONDON - TO SAVE Arsenal's season, a half-fit Thierry Henry will be risked against PSV Eindhoven today.

He has not played since the first leg of the last-16 Champions League tie, which Arsenal lost 0-1 in Eindhoven.

The captain had a painkilling injection in his foot to get through that match. Manager Arsene Wenger has admitted it only made the injury worse.

'Henry is 50-50 and really not more,' Wenger told Sky Sports.

'But if he can run and play, of course, I will put him in the squad. I do not think we will give him another injection because that did not work the last time.

Failure to overturn PSV's lead at the Emirates Stadium would leave Arsenal empty-handed for a second consecutive season. They lost to Chelsea in the League Cup final, and crashed out of the FA Cup at Blackburn.

In contrast, PSV are on course for a third successive domestic league title. They have the experience to shut out opponents and hit them with a sucker-punch.

The Dutch team have conceded a mere 15 goals in 27 Eredivisie games this season.

'I feel 0-1 is a tricky score. It is difficult, psychologically more than in football terms,' Wenger said on the Arsenal website.

'Obviously, we will have to strike the right balance, and try and get one back as quickly as possible.

'I don't expect PSV to attack us. They try to suck you in and counter-attack.'

The longer the game goes without a goal, the more comfortable PSV will be, the greater the pressure will build on Arsenal, and the more desperate their attacks will become.

So, an early goal will be crucial for the Gunners. At least there is a precedent. Gilberto Silva scored the fastest goal in Champions League history against PSV five years ago.

The midfielder netted after just 20.07 seconds. Arsenal went on to win the game 4-0 in Eindhoven, where their players suffered racial abuse by the fans.

Gilberto said: 'At the end, some of the fans started to sing some monkey songs. The players were very upset. That was the only time I've really encountered this particular kind of problem.'

He admitted that Arsenal cannot afford to lose today.

'It is the biggest game of our season because if we lose, the season will be over in terms of trophies,' the Brazilian said.

'We are going to have to be patient.

'They sat back against us, waited for our mistake, and they capitalised when we lost concentration.

'But we have 90 minutes to win the game, so it is important to remain calm. The rest of our season is in our hands.'

More likely, their goalkeeper's hands - if the match goes into a penalty shoot-out.

That is far from ideal for the Gunners. PSV's Heurelho da Silva Gomes is a formidable opponent in penalties, reported The Guardian.

At 1.96m in height, he wears size-10 gloves, can throw the ball out as far as average goalkeepers kick it and, for another party trick, taps the crossbar with his shoulders when he jumps.

Coach Ronald Koeman called him world class, adding: 'You can only score when you aim balls at the top corner with a speed of 130kmh.'

Gomes laid the foundation for his team's first-leg victory with a couple of brilliant saves.

Wenger is worried that the tie may be beyond Arsenal, and is already looking for a silver lining.

He claimed Arsenal will still have had a successful season if they lose today, after getting the chance to blood youngsters like Theo Walcott, Denilson and Abou Diaby.

He said: 'If we lose to PSV, it will be a big blow but it will not stop the club going forward.

'This team is a machine that nothing can stop progressing. I am convinced of that because of what I have seen of the youngsters.

'The average age of the team that played in the League Cup final was 19. The future is very positive. That is why we have to be strong when we don't win.'

But, in reality, getting knocked out of the Champions League will leave Wenger unfulfilled in Europe's top club tournament.

All that will be left for Arsenal is to strive for third place in the Premiership.

Defeat by PSV would also end their unbeaten record at the Emirates Stadium - a depressing prospect.

News Today

Utd have to fight complacency
THERE is a sense that much of Manchester United's Champions League campaign has been about righting the wrongs of last season. That is certainly the case in their swift reunion with Lille. The unheralded French team defeated the Red Devils for... [Read more]

Companies in brief
PACIFIC HEALTHCARE IN $32M TIE-UPMAINBOARD-LISTED health-care provider Pacific Healthcare Holdings has inked a $32 million joint venture deal with Kuwait Finance House to build new medical centres in Asia.Pacific Healthcare will take a 40 per cent stake in the venture. Kuwait... [Read more]

Chiam: Difficult to fulfil lift promise
OPPOSITION MP Chiam See Tong is finding it a struggle to fulfil an election promise to provide his HDB residents with lifts on every floor.Lift upgrading was a carrot the People's Action Party (PAP) dangled in the last general election.The opposition... [Read more]

Invest time and energy to guide and nurture the young
Making learning IT-based and engaging seems positive and enthralling. However, I view online-gaming way to learning with a certain degree of unease and scepticism. I concur with NUS sociologist Pauline Straughan's assertion that face-to-face interaction with the teachers and fellow students... [Read more]

Carmaker mulls over executive bonuses
FORD Motor is considering paying bonuses to managers for last year, despite record losses and massive job cuts, a step expected to be opposed by its unionised factory workers. Ford chief executive Alan Mulally said in a conference call with analysts... [Read more]

$15, 220 missing from charity's bank account
THE new management team at troubled charity Youth Challenge has discovered that $15,220 is missing from its bank account.The money was withdrawn though an unauthorised online transaction on Jan 15.It is believed to be for staff salaries, including that of its... [Read more]

PM: Budget to offset GST impact on lower-income
AHEAD of the Budget to be unveiled on Thursday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday assured lower-income Singaporeans it would contain measures that would more than offset the impact on them of a planned increase in the goods and services tax... [Read more]

Alwyn Lim likely focus of claims against third parties
FORMER National Kidney Foundation (NKF) vice-chairman Alwyn Lim is expected to take centre stage as the next chapter of the NKF saga unfolds. Mr Lim, an accountant, is one of the third parties former NKF chairman Richard Yong and former treasurer... [Read more]

Save the earth for current generation
I REFER to the letter, 'Air-con, covered walkways make life less of a drudgery', by Mr Ow Yeong Wai Kit (ST, Feb 7). While it is true that most of us would not want to compromise on our current standard of... [Read more]

China minister on trade trail
WHAT IT IS CHINESE Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing has a busy week visiting India and then Japan. Mr Li's four-day visit to India, which began yesterday, will boost trade and tourism cooperation as well as see the launch of a hotline... [Read more]

TV times
CRICKET: Commonwealth Bank Series, 9th ODI: New Zealand v England (Live, 1.30pm). Castle Test Series: South Africa v Pakistan; 3rd Test, Day 5 - 2nd and 3rd Session (Live, 9.30pm) - Ch95.HANDBALL: Men's World C'ship: Q-finals (Live, Ch22, tomorrow, 12.30am &... [Read more]

News Today

Subsidies for kindergarten fees to be raised
KINDERGARTEN schooling will be made more affordable for low-income families with children.The Government yesterday announced that it will raise the level of subsidy for kindergarten fees under the current Kindergarten Financial Assistance Scheme.The subsidy will increase from 75 per cent to... [Read more]

Croc park up for sale for the third time
REPTILE Paradise may be its name, but life for the crocodiles at the beleaguered Jurong tourist attraction recently has been no Eden. Dwindling visitor numbers forced the crocodile park to close its doors last June, leaving 60 crocodiles to live with... [Read more]

Thai PM Surayud: 'I'm not weak, just very careful'
BANGKOK - THAILAND'S army-installed Prime Minister, answering criticism that his government is slow and indecisive, says he must be 'very careful' as he lacks a support base 'like a political party'. General Surayud Chulanont was speaking in an exclusive interview with... [Read more]

Envoys told to rebut Thaksin
BANGKOK - THE Thai government has asked its diplomats to counter the comments made by deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in interviews with international news organisations.In a number of interviews with newspapers, magazines and TV channels - the latest being an... [Read more]

Woman in coma in Perth hospital
A SINGAPOREAN tourist was in a coma in a Perth hospital last night after she nearly drowned on a diving trip off the west coast of Australia on Monday. Miss Serene Teng's boyfriend, who was with her during the dive, was... [Read more]

Special exemption
ANNIKA Sorenstam has given a sponsor's exemption to MacKinzie Kline for the Ginn Tribute, a golf tournament sponsored by the Swedish world No 1.Kline is a talented 14-year-old with a rare heart condition. As she cannot walk long distances without becoming... [Read more]

Number of jobs created last year at record high
A BUMPER crop of jobs was created last year, with slightly more than half going to Singaporeans and permanent residents. The job market was at its peak, with 173,300 jobs added, beating the previous year's record gains of 113,300. Locals -... [Read more]

Mob attacks hospital after VIP patient dies
SHANGHAI - ABOUT 200 people attacked a hospital in southern China after the wife of the local taxation bureau chief died following an operation, sparking an online debate about the abuse of authority. The incident in Leiyang, Hunan province, began on... [Read more]

Today's Headlines
All's fair game in the blogosphere - or is it?KUALA LUMPUR - WHEN a manager of an Islamic insurance company sent an e-mail asking Muslim staff not to offer Deepavali greetings to Hindus last October, it quickly became the talk in... [Read more]

Korea University chief accused of plagiarism quits
SEOUL - THE head of a prestigious South Korean university resigned yesterday following accusations of plagiarism in his research papers.Dr Lee Phil Sang, who has been under fire since he became president of Korea University in December, submitted his resignation to... [Read more]

Opting out of Hota: It?s a matter of wresting back control over our persons
I wonder how Dr Lee Wei Ling, 'Organ transplant: Unease over last-minute opt-out' (ST Forum, Feb 22), came to the conclusion that 'given a choice, the vast majority of families would object strongly if they thought this could prevent their loved... [Read more]

Agent banks encouraged to keep charges low

I REFER to the letter, 'Restrict agent banks' fee in CPF Scheme' (ST, Feb 22), by Mr Christopher Loh Guo Ji.

Agent banks are required under the CPF Investment Scheme for Ordinary Accounts to maintain portfolio records and process trading transactions. Additionally, from time to time they are required to handle more complicated transactions, such as rights issues.

To cover administrative and other costs, a fee is charged by the agent banks for providing these services. However, the CPF Board is mindful of the costs for CPF investors and has been encouraging agent banks to be cost-efficient and keep charges low. The board will continue to look for ways to help lower the cost for investors, including those who invest regularly. For instance, the recently announced changes to the CPFIS to cap the sales charges at 3 per cent and to restrict the expense ratios of funds taking in new CPF monies to be no higher than the median expense ratio of funds in the same risk category, will reduce the cost to investors.

Lo Tak Wah
Director (Retirement & Investment)
Central Provident Fund Board

Wenger in big trouble with the FA

ARSENAL'S manager Arsene Wenger is in hot water, after accusing a match official of lying during last Sunday's League Cup final.

As a traumatic few days for the club reached another low with elimination from the FA Cup by Blackburn on Wednesday, Wenger raged about the fallout from the defeat by Chelsea.

He accused the official, whom he believed told the FA that Emmanuel Adebayor had punched Frank Lampard during the brawl at Cardiff, of being a liar.

The fight resulted in red cards for the Arsenal striker as well as Kolo Toure and Chelsea's Jon Obi Mikel.

'Questioning the integrity of a match official and accusing them of lying is a very serious claim to make as it questions the whole integrity of the game,' an FA statement said yesterday.

'We also reject any accusations of bias or dishonesty within our disciplinary system. We will be asking Wenger to explain these comments.

'Contrary to Wenger's allegations, the assistant referee's report does not claim that Adebayor punched Frank Lampard. The report states that Adebayor's attitude was aggressive, that he shoved into Ricardo Carvalho and that he aimed a punch at Lampard. It does not state that Adebayor struck Lampard.'

Wenger also claimed that Lampard, the England midfield player, had a responsibility to 'tell the truth' about the incident.

The Chelsea midfielder obliged, stating through his agent Steve Kutner, that he was not hit during the game, reported The Times.

But that does little to help Adebayor, who still faces the charge of failing to leave the field after his red card.

Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue has also been charged with violent conduct, after appearing to strike Wayne Bridge in video evidence analysed by the FA.

Wenger had been furious over Adebayor's red card because it meant he could not play against Blackburn.

He had also claimed the FA was biased when it did not charge any Chelsea player for the brawl after reviewing the video.

'It's just a coincidence when you have 20 players in a brawl and only the Arsenal players are guilty,' he said on Wednesday.

'It's unbelievable. Maybe that's the FA's way to do justice. It's difficult to accept.

'Adebayor also did not punch anybody. I do not agree with the report of the linesman. For me, he lied.

'I would like to ask Lampard if he has been punched. If he says yes, then I will accept that.

'But we have watched it with a microscope. We do not see anything.'

News Today

BLVD unit sets record $3,205 psf price for Orchard Rd area
TWO homes in the Orchard Road area have sold at prices that have broken past records in the prime district.The Straits Times understands that a Singapore permanent resident has forked out more than $6.5 million for an apartment at The Boulevard... [Read more]

S'pore food firms serve up local fare at Dubai fair
LOCAL food manufacturers will be dishing up Singaporean delicacies at a mega trade show in Dubai this week that will feature more than 2,000 companies from over 70 countries.The Tasty Singapore pavilion at the Gulfood 2007 event will showcase 17 firms... [Read more]

Chinese town aims to gain from Asean-China accord
PUZHAI (CHINA) - PUZHAI may be a remote border crossing, but it is in a Chinese region set on keeping its economy on track with raw materials flowing from its South-east Asian neighbours. The plot of dry, dusty land is fast... [Read more]

Redknapp earns ref's wrath and a red card
LONDON - PORTSMOUTH manager Harry Redknapp was sent off for protesting what appeared to be a terrible tackle on Pedro Mendes in Saturday's 2-1 Premiership win over Manchester City. The last time Mendes played against City, he left unconscious on a... [Read more]

News In Brief
BY DAY: A private school; BY NIGHT: Supplier of vice girlsBY DAY, it appeared to be a private school. At night, it was supplying women for vice-related activities. This was how private school group Ritz Everton Academy was believed to have... [Read more]

S'pore set to be city of gardens and water
SINGAPORE is on the way to becoming the Water City, with the unveiling of an ambitious plan to transform its reservoirs, rivers and canals into recreation centres over the next 10 to 15 years. Already, around 20 projects are in the... [Read more]

Trial biodiesel pump to debut at Shell
SHELL will set up Singapore's first biodiesel pump within the next six months, in a trial that could in future give diesel vehicle owners the chance to do their bit for the environment.The oil company is taking part in a trial... [Read more]

N. Korea deal begins new political game
LONDON - TALKS over North Korea's nuclear weapons have produced so little progress in the past three years that it is tempting to believe that the deal concluded on Tuesday was a real breakthrough. That progress has been recorded is undeniable.... [Read more]

Two Taiwan companies drop 'China' from titles
TAIPEI - PRESIDENT Chen Shui-bian renamed two state-run enterprises - replacing 'China' with 'Taiwan' in their titles - yesterday, saying the change was a step towards making Taiwan a 'normal country', separate from China.His move came despite protests from union members... [Read more]

Bus blasts kill three in Lebanon day before Hariri rally
AIN ALAQ - BOMBS exploded on two buses in a Christian area of Lebanon yesterday, killing at least three people and wounding 20.The attack came on the eve of the second anniversary of the killing of former prime minister Rafik Hariri... [Read more]

Finally, a good excuse for sleeping at work
WASHINGTON - THE next time the boss finds you snoozing at your desk, take heart - literally. The largest new study of its kind on siestas has found that people who take a short afternoon nap regularly are significantly less likely... [Read more]

News Summary

Steely Putin shows softer side to foreign journalists
SOCHI (RUSSIA) - RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin can strike fear into the heart of his toughest adversaries, but sometimes even steely-eyed former spies just feel like a friendly chat. Arriving for a briefing by ministers in the Black Sea city of... [Read more]

Protests 'won't stop reforms in W. Bengal'
CALCUTTA - PROTESTS by angry farmers will not deter India's communists from razing farms to build factories in the country's east, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has said. His comments came hours after a policeman was killed by demonstrators near... [Read more]

What's cooking? Help for the needy
EIGHT hundred dollars may be a pittance to some, but to widow Madam Lijah Ahamed, 47, this modest salary she gets each month from baking pastries means food on the table for her five children, aged 14 to 21, and being... [Read more]

Imperial treasures
TAIWAN'S National Palace Museum is home to some of finest treasures owned by China's emperors.Among the more notable exhibits are: Four of the best-known Northern Song dynasty (960-1127) landscape paintings, shown together for the first time.One of them is on loan... [Read more]

Colourful, sickening
PARIS - ALLERGY to hair dye is soaring in numerous countries as more and more young people colour their locks, the British Medical Journal warns. The culprit is para-phenylenediamine (PPD) and its cousins in a chemical family called aromatic amines, the... [Read more]

Health items law can enforce after-sales scrutiny
A NEW law on health products for human use, approved yesterday, sends 'a strong signal' that products made or sold here are of the highest standards. Madam Halimah Yacob (Jurong GRC) said when debating the Health Products Bill, that it will... [Read more]

Wider trade gap, falling stockpiles to hurt US GDP
WASHINGTON - AN UNEXPECTEDLY wide December trade gap and pared down business inventories are certain to slice a big chunk off the US government's gauge of fourth-quarter economic growth.In fresh data on a key piece of the economic pie, the United... [Read more]

Phelps rewrites 200m fly world mark
NEW YORK - AMERICAN Michael Phelps broke his own 200 metres butterfly world record in Columbia last Saturday. He clocked 1 minute 53.71 seconds at the Missouri Grand Prix meet. Tam Kerekjarto was second in 1:59.79 while Juan Veloz was third... [Read more]

Teheran makes confusing claims over nuclear work
TEHERAN - IRAN has given conflicting signals on its disputed nuclear work after one of its nuclear agency officials denied claims made by a top lawmaker that the country had started installing 3,000 centrifuges at a uranium enrichment plant.Mr Hossein Simorgh,... [Read more]

Gang 'drew up hit list of Muslim soldiers'
LONDON - A GANG of British extremists, mostly of Pakistani origin, is said to have drawn up a hit list of Muslim soldiers who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan to become the first victims in Britain of an Al-Qaeda style... [Read more]

Yong: Durai wrote own bonus letter
A LETTER written by former NKF chairman Richard Yong to Mr T.T. Durai - praising his work and offering him an eight-month bonus - was actually drafted by the then chief executive himself. Mr Yong admitted this in court yesterday -... [Read more]