News Today

The heat is on
Efforts to tackle global warming pick up steam WASHINGTON - ALL of a sudden, global warming is hot. After years of languishing on Capitol Hill, efforts to curb global warming have picked up momentum, powered by a growing bipartisan belief that... [Read more]

Well, Singapore Sucks!
Technorati ProfileTechnorati Profile... [Read more]Liverpool need to keep on winningLIVERPOOL - IT IS no use beating Chelsea, and then losing to West Ham. Liverpool scored a morale-boosting 2-0 victory over Premiership champions Chelsea last week, and moved to within five points... [Read more]

Martial law lifted in parts of Thailand
BANGKOK - MARTIAL law was lifted in more than half of Thailand yesterday, nearly two months after the move was approved by its post-coup Cabinet.In an interview with CNN aired yesterday, army chief Sonthi Boonyarataglin revealed that the royal decree endorsing... [Read more]

No incentives for small-time businesses, new entrants
I READ with interest and cheers the report, 'Budget 2007: Poised for the future' (ST, Feb 2007).It is laudable that the Budget pays a lot of attention to boost the wages of the lower-income group.However, it is a little disappointing for... [Read more]

Social workers ought to get higher pay with extra funding
I REFER to the letter, 'Pay increase for social workers lauded' (ST, Jan 25), by Mr Edmund Lim Wee Kiat. We agree with Mr Lim that social workers play an important role in maintaining and improving the well-being of our society.In... [Read more]

Youth gambling: Nipping it in the bud
STUDIES show that youth gambling is a problem that needs to be tackled early. A 2004 gambling prevalence survey here showed that nearly half of all Singaporean gamblers started aged between 18 and 24. Global research also showed that young people... [Read more]

Indonesia's lawmakers see red over loss of allowance
IN JAKARTA - A ROW over the withdrawal of regional legislators' allowances is threatening to sour ties between the central government and the regions, after a Cabinet meeting to resolve the stand-off was postponed.The two sides have been locked in dispute... [Read more]

A study of chinese temples
A book recording the history and development of 40 temples in Singapore was released yesterday. Chinese Temple and Culture Volume 2, produced by Shin Min Daily News, also features articles by 10 local experts on Chinese customs. It was launched by... [Read more]

Alleged rape victim testifies
RAPE suspect Mohammed Liton Mohammed Syeed Mallik came face to face with his alleged victim and former lover in the High Court yesterday, when she took the stand.The woman, a 31-year-old cashier, testified behind closed doors after her husband and mother... [Read more]

Any change in policy to reduce number of vehicles?
EACH day, there appears to be an increase rather than a decrease in the number of vehicles on our roads, despite the Government's stated aim to reduce the vehicle population. In fact, it is hard to ascertain if the policy is... [Read more]

Buddhists there to help
AN INTER-RELIGIOUS ambience surrounded this year's Thaipusam celebration, held around the Tank Road area on Thursday. As some 9,000 Hindus participated in their yearly walk of faith, close to 200 volunteers from the Singapore Buddhist Lodge acted as road marshals and... [Read more]

Six for Greece

SIX national bowlers leave today for the Brunswick Euro Challenge in Greece.

They are Remy Ong, Lee Yu-Wen, Jason Yeong-Nathan, Shaun Ng, Cherie Tan and Jennifer Tan.

The tournament, which boasts a prize purse of 90,000 euros (S$180,000), is one of the 20 stops on the European Bowling Tour.

The event, which started yesterday and will end on March 18, has attracted a record 883 competitors from 28 nations this year.

News Today

Do car buyers lose out as COE prices drop?
IN THE recent certificate of entitlement (COE) bidding, two of the most popular categories, A and B, dropped significantly by more than 50 per cent. However, a check with major car distributors like Borneo Motors and Tan Chong revealed that their... [Read more]

Married S'poreans prefer condoms
THE condom is the most popular form of contraception among married Singaporeans, according to a new fertility study by the National University of Singapore (NUS).It suggests women are having more power in the bedroom, said Associate Professor Paulin Tay-Straughan.'The husband has... [Read more]

Video game skills come in handy for surgeons
LOS ANGELES - WORRIED that the kids spend too much time playing video games? Take heart, they may become great surgeons. New research has found that surgeons with the highest scores on Super Monkey Ball 2, Stars Wars Racer Revenge and... [Read more]

Don't call non-Muslims infidel or kafir
I REFER to the letter, 'Origins of jihad and what it really means' by Mr Zainuddin Mohamed Ismail (ST, Jan 29). I discussed it with my friends and came to some conclusions, among which was the need to remind ourselves and... [Read more]

World Quickly
TURKISH POLICE NAB 46 SUSPECTED MILITANTSISTANBUL: Turkish police arrested 46 suspected Islamic militants in operations in five provinces across the country.Anatolia news agency reported that the suspects had ties to Al-Qaeda, but police in Istanbul would not confirm that information, saying... [Read more]

Financial world braces itself for massive China fund
BEIJING - CHINA will send ripples through the financial world when it unleashes an investment company with more money under management than any mutual fund in existence, analysts said. The State Foreign Exchange Investment Company, which could be formed within months,... [Read more]

En bloc sales: Have laws to protect minority
I REFER to the article, 'Couple lose fight on collective sale' (ST, Feb 6).I sympathise with the couple who lost the fight when the Strata Titles Board ruled that their CPF principal amount and accrued interest owed to their CPF accounts... [Read more]

2 new PAP MPs elected into party's HQ exco
TWO of the 24 new PAP MPs elected at last year's general election have been appointed to the party's headquarters executive committee. It is an indication that Rear-Admiral (NS) Lui Tuck Yew and Mr Lee Yi Shyan are seen as having... [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]

CDL trust beats earnings estimate
CDL Hospitality Trusts yesterday posted fourth-quarter distributable income of $12.4 million - about 34 per cent above its forecast.The distribution per unit to investors came in at 1.76 cents. The strong showing comes on the back of a buoyant hospitality market,... [Read more]

The heat is on
Efforts to tackle global warming pick up steam WASHINGTON - ALL of a sudden, global warming is hot. After years of languishing on Capitol Hill, efforts to curb global warming have picked up momentum, powered by a growing bipartisan belief that... [Read more]

S'pore Masters

Dates: Today to Sunday

Venue: Laguna National Golf and Country Club

Today and tomorrow: Masters and Classic courses

Saturday and Sunday: Masters course only

Total prize money: US$1.1 million (S$1.7 million)

Tee-off: 7.40am

Selected Rd 1 tee-off times:

Classic course - 8.10am: David Howell 8.30am: Shingo Katayama, Jeev Milkha Singh 8.40am: Lee Westwood

Masters course - 12.10pm: Mardan Mamat, Ian Woosnam 12.20pm: Darren Clarke, Nick Dougherty

Tickets (through Sistic): Today and tomorrow: $15 a day. Saturday and Sunday: $40 a day. Season pass: $80. Under-16s: free. U-21s and seniors (over 60s): Today and tomorrow free. Women: Tomorrow free.

Transport: From S'pore Expo MRT and car park J, 7.30am to 6.30pm

Today and tomorrow: Every 15 minutes

Saturday and Sunday: Every 10 minutes

Live on TV: Today, tomorrow - Ch5 and Ch24, 2.30-5.30pm. Saturday, Sunday - Ch5 and Ch24, 2-5pm

News Today

Fabregas apologises to Hughes
FRANCESC Fabregas has apologised for infuriating Mark Hughes about Blackburn's style of play. Manager Hughes was stunned when Fabregas, 19, took a verbal swipe at him after Arsenal's 0-0 FA Cup draw at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, reported The Sun. Hughes... [Read more]

Will Lions and fans incur Thai wrath?
I READ with concern the news that Thais burned an effigy of a Singapore leader outside the Republic's Embassy, in yet another protest following the diplomatic spat between the two countries. As our national soccer players are travelling to Bangkok this... [Read more]

Citibank's reputation best among banks here
CITIBANK has leapfrogged its local rivals to become the bank with the best corporate reputation among Singaporeans, according to a new survey. The American giant scored 2.97 out of a possible 5 to edge out last year's chart-topper, DBS Bank, at... [Read more]

FA Cup
Saturday Arsenal 0 Blackburn 0 Chelsea 4 Norwich 0 Middlesbrough 2 West Bromwich 2 Plymouth 2 Derby 0 Watford 1 Ipswich 0 Manchester United 1 Reading 1 Sunday Manchester City 3 Preston North End 1 Tottenham 4 Fulham 0... [Read more]

Keppel issues in demand after record annual profits
WARRANTS on Keppel Corp are now the flavour of the week, after the conglomerate's better-than-expected full-year results released on Tuesday.Keppel's net profit rose 33 per cent to a record $750.8 million, outperforming analysts' expectations.Warrants on stocks such as Keppel allow investors... [Read more]

Turning S'pore into global charities centre
CHARITIES based in Singapore will no longer have to race against time to spend funds they raise in order to qualify for an exemption from income tax.This was part of a Budget announcement designed to attract more global and local philanthropic... [Read more]

No free ride for in-laws of Rail Minister
TO DEFUSE the embarrassment caused by his parents-in-law who were caught travelling without tickets on a train, India's Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav has praised the train inspector who charged them for the tickets.Mr Yadav said on Thursday it should be... [Read more]

Philippines' growth impresses President Nathan
MANILA - PRESIDENT SR Nathan is impressed by the economic development in the Philippines, and hopes Singaporeans will seize the new opportunities by interacting directly with Filipinos and their leaders. 'I've been impressed by the changes I've seen - highways, a... [Read more]

Rising sea levels endanger China's coastal cities
SHANGHAI, Guangzhou and other large coastal cities in China could face 'unimaginable challenges' if global warming continues and the oceans keep rising, state media reported yesterday.A report released recently by the State Oceanic Administration has warned of a rapid rise in... [Read more]

Maybank S'pore's interim profit rises 11% to $82.5m
MAYBANK Singapore's pre-tax gain grew 11.1 per cent to RM187.9 million (S$82.5 million) for the six months ended Dec 31 from RM169.1 million previously.During the same period, it registered a 29.7 per cent revenue growth to RM909.3 million compared to RM700.9... [Read more]

Male sweat 'makes women hot and happy'
WASHINGTON - FOR women, there is apparently nothing like the smell of a man's sweat. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, said women who sniffed a chemical found in male sweat experienced elevated levels of an important hormone, along with... [Read more]

News Today

Thailand may try to buy ShinSat from Temasek
BANGKOK - THAILAND will try to buy back satellite operator ShinSat if it fails to prove that Singapore's Temasek Holdings broke the law when it bought a controlling stake in Thai telecoms giant Shin Corp last year.Revealing this yesterday, Minister for... [Read more]

Singapore, Uzbekistan sign deals to boost ties
SINGAPORE and Uzbekistan yesterday signed a series of agreements to bolster ties between the two countries. Among the key deals is an agreement to work towards economic and humanitarian cooperation. It was signed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Uzbekistan... [Read more]

TV times
CRICKET: Hero Honda Cup, 4th ODI: India v Sri Lanka (Live, Ch95, 11.30am).GOLF: SBS Open: Day 2 (Live, Ch22, 7.30am). Enjoy Jakarta Astro Indonesian Open: Day 3 (Live, Ch24, 2pm). Nissan Open: Day 3 (Live, Ch21, tomorrow, 4am).SOCCER: Scottish Premiership: Aberdeen... [Read more]

Body of diver found on Pulau Hantu coral reef
A PLACE had been set for him at the family reunion dinner, but Mr Sue Qing Wen never made it back for the meal.The 21-year-old went missing while diving off Pulau Hantu on Saturday afternoon, the eve of Chinese New Year.Soon... [Read more]

240, 000 new PRs, citizens in next 5 years
SINGAPORE can expect to add about 200,000 permanent residents (PRs) and 40,000 citizens to its fold in the next five years, if it draws the same numbers as it did in the last five years.This is part of the three- pronged... [Read more]

Jerusalem mayor reviews construction near holy site
JERUSALEM - JERUSALEM'S mayor has ordered a review of construction work for a walkway near a holy site at the centre of an Arab-Israeli conflict, a City Hall spokesman said yesterday.Mr Uri Lupolianski, who has direct responsibility for the project, decided... [Read more]

Monster from the deep
PHOTO: REUTERS New Zealand fishermen may have caught the largest Colossal squid ever found - weighing around 450kg and measuring 10m in length. If its rings were to be made into fried calamari, they would be the size of tractor tyres.... [Read more]

Toyota begins the year in No. 2 spot for US car sales
DETROIT - TOYOTA posted a rise in last month's United States car sales on Thursday, claiming the No. 2 spot in the world's largest market for cars and trucks.It was helped by a sharp fall in sales by rival Ford Motor.Top... [Read more]

FA looks into Barton's lewd gesture
LONDON - JOEY Barton sought to make his peace with Pedro Mendes on Monday - but still finds himself the subject of an FA investigation. Manchester City's Barton will be charged with misconduct, if the FA feels he gestured obscenely at... [Read more]

Smaller property projects sell fast even with little marketing
SMALL residential developments in suburban areas are selling strongly despite putting out almost no publicity - in some cases, not even a show-flat. Property consultants say this is a sign that upbeat home buying sentiment is trickling down from the luxury... [Read more]

Sports World
JOCKEY MURPHY DIES AFTER FALLWELLINGTON: Irish jockey Damien Murphy died yesterday from injuries suffered in a race fall.The 23-year-old never regained consciousness after crashing to the turf when his mount, Ajay's Luck, clipped the heels of another runner nearing the finish... [Read more]

News Today

'Free' Melbourne events more often than not well worth a ticket price
I refer to Ms Siti Aisha Mostafa's letter, 'Appreciation of the arts sorely missing' (Online forum, Jan 30).In it she mentioned: 'While working for the Singapore Biennale 2006, I came to realise that the majority of the crowd came only during... [Read more]

More Singapore aid for victims of Jakarta floods
JAKARTA - MORE Singapore companies have pitched in for Jakarta's flood relief efforts. Singapore Ambassador to Indonesia Ashok Mirpuri yesterday handed over 200 million rupiah (S$34,000) worth of relief supplies to Indonesian Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari. The aid is... [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]

Richard Yong may end up paying the most
WITH all four defendants now having admitted that they are liable to the new National Kidney Foundation (NKF), the way has been paved for the charity to recover the money it is claiming from them. But the twist is that it... [Read more]

Nobel Peace winner eyes presidency
NOBEL Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchu has announced a bid for Guatemala's presidency this year in an attempt to become Latin America's second indigenous head of state.Ms Menchu, a defender of victims of Guatemala's bloody 1960-1996 civil war from the Maya ethnic... [Read more]

Stop the excessive use of English on Tamil variety programmes
Vasantham Central has done it again. First it was over the beauty contest programme, Miss Vasantham, and now it's about a dance talent programme, Dhool.I am concerned over the excessive use of English on Tamil variety programmes. While there are campaigns... [Read more]

Witness hits back as defence targets his testimony
DEFENCE lawyers for the three former board members of the National Kidney Foundation took turns yesterday to pick apart the testimony of the new NKF board's witness, Mr Bobby Nair. But Mr Nair, the former senior deputy director of communications, held... [Read more]

South Korean bank plays matchmaker
SEOUL - A TOP South Korean bank is sending a group of single women employees on a blind date trip, hoping that romance will make them happier at the office, an official said yesterday. Hana Bank is trying to fix up... [Read more]

Black sues writer for blackening his character
FORMER media tycoon Conrad Black has sued a British author for the way the writer portrayed him in a book, arguing that he was depicted as 'evil and devoid of any redeeming or even mitigating qualities', said Canadian media. Black, who... [Read more]

Couple lose fight on collective sale
THE couple holding out against the collective sale of Waterfront View lost the fight yesterday when the Strata Titles Board (STB) ruled against them in what is regarded as a landmark decision. Mr Yeo Loo Keng and his wife Cheryl Lim... [Read more]

When chickens and rabbits fail to produce results, it may be left to the Year of the Pig
THEY resisted counting unhatched chickens. Then they tried to pull a rabbit from a hat before the Year of the Pig trots in. But so far, to no avail.But as negotiators of the six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear ambitions entered... [Read more]