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]