News Today

Missing air force major sparks massive manhunt
AN AIR force major, missing for 24 hours and sparking a frantic search in the nature park where his car was found, had gone home - unaware of the stir he caused. The discovery of his car at the park, with... [Read more]

The Friendship Express: a high-profile symbol of peace efforts
THE 'Friendship Express' train service is a high-profile symbol of the peace efforts between India and Pakistan. Here are the key facts about the train service: The Samjhauta (Friendship) Express was launched on 22 July, 1976, to connect the north-western Indian... [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]

The factions tearing Chelsea apart
THE RUSSIANS: Led by billionaire-owner Roman Abramovich (above). Includes his long-time business partner and Chelsea director Eugene Tenenbaum, life-long friend Eugene Shvidler and club chairman Bruce Buck. The Russian speakers - Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko and former Israel coach, Avram Grant... [Read more]

Muslim outrage over Israeli excavation
JERUSALEM - EXCAVATION work by Israel near Jerusalem's sacred Islamic shrine has sparked anger among Muslims, and the Palestinians say it could derail peace in Gaza with the Jewish state. Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz is also said to have written... [Read more]

Delhi's famous roadside food stalls face chop
NEW DELHI - HOT roadside snacks in New Delhi could soon be a thing of the past under a plan to clean up the Indian capital's streets.The Supreme Court has passed an order to ban the cooking of food at stalls... [Read more]

Science student finds his talent in art
SCIENCE student Christopher Tay has a dose of the arts in his life: He is taking art and design as part of the requirements under the new junior college curriculum. But it has turned out to be more than just a... [Read more]

Philips' after-sales service a big letdown
I bought a Philips 37-inch plasma TV on June 19, 2004. Whenever I switched on the TV, the channel shown was not the one I saw last when I switched it off.Because this is my first plasma TV, I was not... [Read more]

Bollywood cashes in on merchandising
MUMBAI - FOR decades, Bollywood was happy just to sell filmgoers a 20 rupee (S$0.70) cinema ticket. Now studios, tentatively evolving from dynastic family firms to Hollywood-style companies with a taste for merchandising, are increasingly trying to market everything from action-hero... [Read more]

Iran 'can build N-bomb in 3 years'
LONDON - IRAN is as little as two to three years away from building an atomic bomb, a leading security think-tank said on Wednesday.The estimated period by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is shorter than one issued last June... [Read more]

Who's who
James Lawton, chief sports writer and columnist for The Independent, an English dailyGordon Farquhar, BBC sports news correspondentBarry Whitbread, former Singapore coach and current Liverpool FC director of recruitmentRobert Alberts, Football Association of Malaysia technical directorSpencer Robinson, British-born sports writer based... [Read more]

Lin and six Asians through to q-finals

LONDON - CHINA'S Lin Dan led six other Asians into the men's quarter-finals of the All-England Open, leaving Denmark's Kenneth Jonassen the only European in the last eight.

Lin, who beat qualifier Simon Santoso 21-14, 21-18, appeared keen to defend the world's oldest title after his failure in the last Super Series tournament in Kuala Lumpur.

There, the left-handed world No1 was beaten in the second round; here, he advanced with a performance which showed what a versatile competitor he is.

He would play at different paces, accelerating when he felt he needed a run of points, and would hit at different speeds.

This demoralised Santoso, even though he stuck to his task as best as he could.

'The match was fine - it wasn't too hard,' Lin said.

He was disappointed Malaysian Open winner Peter Gade and Olympic and former world champion Taufik Hidayat were not barring his path to the final.

Lin was seeded to meet Taufik in the quarter-finals and Gade in the semi-finals, but Taufik withdrew in protest against Indonesian officials, and Gade lost in the first round.

His next opponent is Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro, who beat Malaysia's Muhammad Hafiz Hashim 21-11, 21-14.

Four Europeans started but only one was still standing by the end of Thursday.

Jonassen booked his quarter-final place with a battling 60-minute win over South Korean Park Sung Hwan, going through 21-16, 18-21, 21-17.

He will meet second-seeded Chen Jin of China, who beat compatriot Ng Wei 21-17, 21-18.

Of the other three Europeans, Wales' Richard Vaughan lost to world silver medallist Bao Chunlai 21-15, 12-21, 8-21.

Chen Yu made it four Chinese players to reach the last eight when he beat Thai Boonsak Ponsana 21-14, 21-10.

He will meet Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, who ousted Danish qualifier Kasper Oedum 21-16, 21-16.

Dutchman Dicky Palyama, the surprise conqueror of Gade, lost 10-21, 14-21 to Japanese qualifier Shoji Sato.

Meanwhile, Lin's girlfriend Xie Xingfang and Zhang Ning were on course to repeat the last two women's singles finals of this tournament.

Double defending champion Xie beat Thai qualifier Salakjit Ponsana 21-10, 21-9.

She next faces teammate Jiang Yanjiao in the quarter-finals.

Zhang's 21-18, 21-8 win over South Korean Hwang Hye Young set her up for a clash with Malaysia's Wong Mew Choo.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ASSOCIATED PRESS

News Today

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]

Today's News
Rumbles in outer spaceIT TOOK almost two weeks for China to admit that it fired a missile which destroyed an orbiting satellite. And when the admission finally came, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao did his best to minimise its importance.Beijing,... [Read more]

Five months on, and still no reply to enquiries on cancelled air tickets
In August 2005, I bought some miles and redeemed two air tickets to Hawaii for June last year. In March last year, I made some enquiries to change the ticket dates but there were no flights available, hence I decided to... [Read more]

Jobs getting less secure worldwide: UN
UNITED NATIONS - YOUNG people are increasingly unable to get a foothold in the global labour market, according to a United Nations (UN) report. It added that the rapidly ageing workforce is enjoying less and less job security. According to a... [Read more]

Wear chastity belts to prevent rape, says cleric
KUALA LUMPUR - WOMEN should wear chastity belts to prevent rape, incest and other sex crimes, a prominent Islamic cleric in northern Malaysia has been quoted as saying.Datuk Abu Hassan Din Al-Hafiz, speaking in the northern state of Terengganu on Thursday,... [Read more]

Pelosi wants to halve greenhouse gas output
WASHINGTON - THE United States has to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2050 and mandatory restrictions are the only way to do it, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said amid a growing debate on global warming. She told the House... [Read more]

Hu 'offers deputy top advisory post'
BEIJING - CHINESE Vice-President Zeng Qinghong has been offered the top job in a government advisory body, dimming his allies' hopes that he might one day become president, sources with ties to the leadership said yesterday.Mr Zeng's political fate will be... [Read more]

Roma's physical tactics upset Lyon
LYON have accused Roma of rough play during Wednesday's 0-0 Champions League match. 'It was quite a rough match with unfair behaviour by the Roma players,' said Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas, after the game in Rome. 'There was some verbal abuse... [Read more]

There's no substitute for support and love of a large extended family
PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong's Chinese New Year message urged families to stay together because the centuries-old networks that have provided Asian families with care, love and support 'remain useful and relevant today'.In my 20 years as a teacher and director... [Read more]

Changes to Banking Act to protect savers
CASH in your bank accounts is that much safer after amendments to the Banking Act aimed at protecting depositors were passed yesterday. The amendments have revised the scope of the Monetary Authority of Singapore's powers to allow the central bank to... [Read more]

Ronaldinho scores twice in Barca win
MADRID - AFTER a series of subdued performances, Ronaldinho showed a return to form when he struck twice on Sunday.The Brazilian striker, who has been criticised for his poor showings in recent games, scored both goals in Barcelona's 2-0 victory over... [Read more]

All-England setback for S'pore players

A BELOW-PAR performance and the cold at the All-England Badminton Championships did Singapore's women's doubles pair Jiang Yanmei and Li Yujia in.

They lost to Malaysian pair Lim Pek Siah and Joanne Quay 20-22, 21-17, 23-25 yesterday.

'We played them twice before and beat them on both occasions,' said Jiang.

'But, today, we were below par. We could have played better.'

Jiang and Li beat their opponents in the recent Malaysian Open and last year's New Zealand Open in three sets.

Singapore Badminton Association's acting chief executive Jacqueline Lim said the chilly temperatures of about 8 deg C in the Birmingham Indoor Arena also put the Singapore pair at a disadvantage.

'They're more attack-minded, while the Malaysian pair are more defensive,' she said.

'But, with such cold temperatures, the shuttlecock's flight is slowed down and the player's attack loses its sting.'

'Our doubles pair's advantage was hence neutralised.'

In other first-round results involving Singaporeans yesterday, Xing Aiying lost to China's Wang Lin 7-21, 12-21 in the women's singles.

Japan's Shoji Sato beat Kendrick Lee (above) 21-12, 21-4 in the men's singles.

The second-seeded Danish pair of Jens Eriksen and Martin Lundgaard Hansen defeated Hendri Kurniawan and Wijaya Hendra in the men's doubles 21-15, 12-21, 28-26.

Meanwhile, Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei wasted little time on court when he disposed of Indian No 1 Chetan Anand 21-12, 21-4 in just 18 minutes to advance into the second round of the men's singles.

However, compatriots Lee Tsuen Seng and Yeoh Kay Bin failed to clear their first hurdles.

Tsuen Seng lost to Simon Santoso of Indonesia 21-15, 13-21, 9-21, while Kay Bin fell victim to Korea's Park Sung Hwan 11-21, 15-21.

Chong Wei, the world No 3 whose recent form had come under criticism after losses at the World Championships last September, the Asian Games in Doha in December and the Malaysian Open and the Korean Open last month, showed flashes of his past brilliance.

News Today

North Korean leader's son 'living quiet life in Macau'
HONG KONG - THE eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has been living a low-key but well-off life in Macau for the past three years, a Hong Kong paper reported yesterday. Mr Kim Jong Nam, 35, and his... [Read more]

E-mail messages link Yong to non-NKF dealings
A SERIES of e-mail messages that had been retrieved from the computer in Mr T.T. Durai's office were read out in court yesterday - and they had nothing to do with NKF business.In fact, they indicated that the charity's ex-chairman, Mr... [Read more]

Taiwan's new history textbooks draw flak
TAIPEI - TAIWAN'S new high school history textbooks have sparked controversy by drawing a clear distinction between the history of China and Taiwan.The move was seen by some observers as the latest in a continuing effort by the ruling Democratic Progressive... [Read more]

Virtual makeover
Trying on make-up need no longer be messy. Waving an item with a radio frequency identification tag before a virtual make-up system, a sales clerk at Tokyo's Mitsukoshi department store yesterday demonstrated how she would look with the make-up - without... [Read more]

'You better hang me'
THE accused gunman dubbed the 'One-Eyed Dragon' created a stir in court yesterday when he urged the High Court judge presiding over his trial to hang him, saying it would ensure his wife's safety. Just before yesterday's hearing broke for lunch,... [Read more]

New sports attire for women proposed
KUALA LUMPUR - KELANTAN has offered to sponsor Islamic sports attire for women athletes in the Malaysian Games this year.Officials in the northern state, the only one ruled by a hardline Islamic party, said the attire would cover a woman's 'aurat'... [Read more]

S'pore to open up basic mail services market
POSTING a letter could soon be done without visiting a Singapore Post (SingPost) post office or postboxes after a decision to open up the basic mail services market to competition was announced yesterday. New postal companies will be able to apply... [Read more]

Indonesia to declare bird flu a national disaster
JAKARTA - INDONESIA will declare bird flu a national disaster after admitting that the disease has become epidemic in the country.The country has also banned the raising of domestic fowl in residential areas, and has begun enforcing it by sending out... [Read more]

Killer molested his high school hostages
He sexually assaulted some of the six girls before killing one and then himselfBAILEY (COLORADO) - THE gunman who killed a student and committed suicide during a high school stand-off methodically selected six girls as hostages - apparently favouring blondes -... [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]

Roma's physical tactics upset Lyon
LYON have accused Roma of rough play during Wednesday's 0-0 Champions League match. 'It was quite a rough match with unfair behaviour by the Roma players,' said Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas, after the game in Rome. 'There was some verbal abuse... [Read more]

News Today

Reclamation firm Koon ousts chairman 'over takeover bid'
THE executive chairman and founder of reclamation company Koon Holdings, Mr Oh Keng Lim, 69, was removed from his post as chairman last Friday. This was due to his opposition to a takeover deal from an Indian company, he claimed. In... [Read more]

Brokerages beefing up corporate finance teams
BROKERAGES are beefing up their corporate finance outfits in a bid to win some of the lucrative IPO business that has traditionally gone to foreign investment banks. The red-hot stock market coupled with the stream of new China initial public offers... [Read more]

Govt shows its capitalist head, socialist heart
A CAN-DO Budget with buzz. And one that positions Singapore to run the next lap of the global economy, even as it beefs up social-security spending to take care of those who can't run as fast. That's what Second Finance Minister... [Read more]

Stumped by the way I was treated by SingPost counter staff
I was at Chinatown Point Post office at about 10.20am on Feb 14 to send a parcel via Speedpost for a same-day delivery service locally.I told the woman who attended to me that I was sending a porcelain item and wanted... [Read more]

AFF special committee will probe Thai walkout tomorrow
THE Asean Football Federation (AFF) will convene a special committee to look into Wednesday's Thai walkout.The incident happened during the first leg of the Asean Championship final hosted by Singapore at the National Stadium.The committee will meet in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow.... [Read more]

SBS liable for crash that killed m-cyclist
SBS TRANSIT has been found liable for an accident in 2002, in which one of its buses caused the death of a motorcyclist.The Court of Appeal on Tuesday upheld the High Court's decision last year which ruled that the motorcyclist, Mr... [Read more]

To revive the kampong spirit, HDB has to put its ear to the ground and scrutinise its own heart
Good neighbourliness used to be a hallmark of flat-living. In my childhood home, a block of two-room flats, almost every unit housed three generations, with families numbering six or more. Everybody knew everybody.It was a tight squeeze physically, but the openness,... [Read more]

Portrait book's nudity 'excessive'
A PHOTOGRAPHY book that featured near-nude images of celebrities was banned here because it exceeded the current content standards for publications. Information, Communications and the Arts Minister Lee Boon Yang said the Public Consultative Panel, made up of members of the... [Read more]

Jail terms of copper wire thieves upped on appeal
ARGUING that the theft of copper wire had become a widespread problem, the prosecution won its appeal yesterday to have deterrent sentences imposed on two men described as 'career criminals'. One had his jail term doubled from nine months to 1-1/2... [Read more]

Nine Al-Qaeda members among 11 held in France
PARIS - FRENCH police have arrested 11 terror suspects, nine of whom are believed to be members of Al-Qaeda who helped fighters join the ranks of Iraqi insurgents.The first arrests took place at Orly airport in Paris when two men were... [Read more]

S'pore research may slash cost of radio tag readers
COMING soon - shopping carts that scan purchases and total up the bill and hotel rooms that unlock the door automatically for guests. These could well become a reality with researchers at the Institute of Microelectronics (IME) discovering a way to... [Read more]

News Today

Singapore women cut it as film-makers
TWO years ago film-maker Grace Phan found herself racing full tilt towards a crowd of demonstrators camped out in front of the Palace of Ashes in Dili. She had just landed in the East Timor capital to begin shooting a documentary... [Read more]

Take a wider perspective in addressing organ trading
The letter, 'Compromises needed in organ-trading dilemma' (ST, Feb 10), by Ms Maria Loh addresses the issue of organ trading by discussing it in terms of moral versus utilitarian imperatives.She sees moral choice on the issue in terms of selfish emotions... [Read more]

$1m challenge: US firm to help contestants build robots
AN AMERICAN high-tech firm whose software has been to Mars wants to help budding local robot-builders vie for a $1 million prize. That is the sum to be won in the TechX challenge organised by the Defence Science and Technology Agency... [Read more]

Qantas suitor rules out higher offer
SYDNEY - A PRIVATE equity consortium bidding for Australia's iconic airline Qantas Airways yesterday rejected speculation that it would increase its A$11 billion (S$13 billion) takeover bid. In lodging its offer with Qantas shareholders, Airline Partners Australia (APA) confirmed that the... [Read more]

Business risks in Thailand rising sharply
RISKS are rising sharply in Thailand, said a survey of expatriate business executives, which rated Singapore as Asia's least risky economy and Indonesia the worst.The Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (Perc) said yesterday in its latest survey that 'risks are rising... [Read more]

7 from sports school gain direct entry into top JCs
THEY may not feature among the top scorers when the O-level results are released today, but they have nevertheless landed places in top junior colleges. Seven of the first batch of 39 graduates from the Singapore Sports School are now set... [Read more]

Indian firms finding match with Western partners
NEW DELHI - A FLURRY of big-ticket cross-border acquisitions involving Indian companies over the past fortnight may amount to more than the US$29 billion (S$44 billion) that the deals were worth. Britain's Vodafone said on Sunday that it had offered US$11... [Read more]

Cheap but chilling terror message
LONDON - TERRORISM on the cheap but chilling nonetheless. An alleged militant plot to kidnap and behead 'Baghdad-style' a British Muslim soldier would have sent a cheap yet forceful message to British Muslims that they should not 'collaborate' with defence and... [Read more]

Israeli police clash with protesters at mosque
JERUSALEM - ISRAELI police stormed the compound of Islam's third-holiest shrine yesterday, firing stun grenades and tear gas to disperse hundreds of Muslim worshippers who hurled stones, bottles and trash. The worshippers were in an uproar over Israeli renovation work near... [Read more]

Charity listings
CHAIRITY AUCTION Twenty wooden chairs converted into works of art by 100 youths will be auctioned off today. Eighty other chairs, which will also be displayed at the *scape Youth Park, can be viewed and bid for at www.100chairs.youth.sgProceeds will be... [Read more]

Chelsea in best shape to tackle the final stretch
IT WAS only the FA Cup, with some stars being rested for the more important Champions League this week.But the happenings in the world's oldest tournament - and in the Algarve in Portugal - last weekend could have a big impact... [Read more]

Market swings won't deter Fed's focus on inflation

WASHINGTON - DESPITE another nervous day for stock markets on Thursday, the US Federal Reserve will remain focused on ensuring that inflation is convincingly under control before it considers dropping interest rates.

Equity markets in the United States stumbled out of the gate on Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipping by as much as 209 points before recovering to end down only 34 points, helped by data showing an unexpected pickup in factory activity.

'We're still a pretty long way from a situation where the Fed would ease policy in response to financial market turmoil,' said Goldman Sachs analyst Jan Hatzius. 'Things have to get a lot worse than what we've seen for that to even be on the table.'

The latest market turbulence came two days after US equities suffered their biggest one-day drop since 2001, raising the spectre of a deeper economic retrenchment. Fed chairman Ben Bernanke provided some reassurance on Wednesday when he said markets were functioning normally and that the US economy still looked on course for steady growth.

Still, markets early on Thursday moved to fully price in two quarter percentage point rate cuts by year-end, with the first one fully expected by August.

As the stock market stabilised, those bets were scaled back and the implied chances of a cut by August edged down to about 85 per cent.

At times in the past, the Fed has lowered rates to counteract market stress, as it did in 1998 as financial crises spread from Asia to Russia.

But unless market swings become much more pronounced, the Fed is likely to continue to focus on ensuring that underlying inflation, excluding food and energy costs, moves to levels it is more comfortable with.

A report from the Commerce Department on Thursday showed that core prices, as measured by the Fed's favoured gauge, rose 0.3 per cent in January, taking the year-on-year increase up to 2.3 per cent from 2.2 per cent in December. This is still stubbornly above the 1 per cent to 2 per cent range that is the Fed's perceived preference.

The several days of market turmoil and conflicting economic reports are, however, moving some analysts to lower their forecasts for US economic growth.

'The odds of a recession have gone up in the last two weeks,' said Mr David Shulman, a senior economist with the Anderson Forecast at the University of California at Los Angeles.

The forecast group is lowering its expectations for economic growth primarily because it believes the turmoil in the market for risky mortgage loans will prolong and deepen the housing slump, he added. It will not release its updated forecast until April.

More optimistic observers, however, disagree.

'Overall, the economy is in great shape,' said Mr Bernard Baumohl, managing director of the Economic Outlook Group, who argues that buoyant consumer spending will more than offset the economy's soft spots.

The disagreement is typical of a time when the figures are mixed, and it is unclear how consumers will respond to falling stock prices. If consumers pull back now, the economy is likely to falter, several analysts said.

REUTERS, WASHINGTON POST





LOW CHANCE OF RATE CUT

'We're still a pretty long way from a situation where the Fed would ease policy in response to financial market turmoil. Things have to get a lot worse than what we've seen for that to even be on the table.'
MR JAN HATZIUS, a Goldman Sachs analyst

News Today

MOH to pour $350m into finding cures
HEALTH Minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday gave his take on an ongoing debate about the future direction of Singapore's biomedical research. He said his ministry had made a strategic decision to go into such research but its focus will be on... [Read more]

London police calm fears after third teen shot dead
LONDON - POLICE chiefs sought to reassure Londoners yesterday after a third fatal shooting in less than two weeks in the south of the city, fuelling fears of an escalating gun culture. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ian Blair and senior detectives held... [Read more]

Europe's biggest trial of Islamic terrorists
MADRID - THE trial into Europe's worst terrorist attack in 15 years started in Spain yesterday amid tight security, with 29 mostly Moroccan suspects facing charges in the bombings three years ago. More than 190 commuters were killed in the attacks... [Read more]

Pakistan 'used as base' for Iran blast
TEHERAN - IRAN has charged that home-grown Sunni insurgents have used Pakistan as a base to plan a bombing that killed 11 people and wounded more than 30 in the south-eastern border city of Zahedan last week. Iranian newspapers also published... [Read more]

Bush makes sales pitch for ethanol
WILMINGTON (DELAWARE) - PRESIDENT George W. Bush made a big deal about ethanol, the fuel derived from plants, in his State of the Union address this week. The next morning, he got up close and personal with it, poking his head... [Read more]

Clean toilets please
TOILETS, the most humble of rooms, are taken very seriously at Changi Airport. 'The first and last point of exposure to an airport is the toilet. It gives you an impression of the country,' said Mr Sim. At Changi, the more... [Read more]

Games of chance in Taiwanese politics
TAIPEI - TAIWAN'S rival political camps yesterday found a 'novel' way to resolve a deadlock over the redrawing of electoral boundaries for the year-end legislative polls - through finger-guessing games and drawing lots.The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the main... [Read more]

BOJ rate hike: No telling when flow of easy money will end
THE last time the Japanese yen was this weak against the Singapore dollar, American President Bill Clinton was trying not to get impeached and The X-Files was on television.In recent weeks, the gradually falling yen has sunk to levels against the... [Read more]

Sailor dad dies while watching son sail
A PROUD father who set out to sea to watch his youngest son take part in a sailing contest was found slumped on a nearby beach on Sunday. The boy came in fourth out of 178 participants, but the thrill of... [Read more]

Men who attacked HK pro-democracy legislator jailed
FOUR men who attacked Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho in a McDonald's restaurant last year have been jailed.Mr Ho was clubbed using wooden batons at the crowded restaurant in the central business district in August last year in a case that... [Read more]

Reaching out to the poor, sick and elderly
FOUR wall-to-floor cords hang in each of the 107 studio apartments for the elderly in Eunos. When any of them is pulled, an alarm goes off and a light outside the flat goes on, tripping a response from the Tembusu Neighbourhood... [Read more]

Today's Headlines

World quickly
CRACKDOWN ON MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD CAIRO: Egyptian police arrested 73 members of the outlawed but normally tolerated Muslim Brotherhood, in what the group said was an escalation of a government crackdown on the nation's largest opposition group. The members detained early yesterday... [Read more]

Actor Fiennes in mile-high scandal
BRITISH movie star Ralph Fiennes (right) is at the centre of a mile-high sex scandal involving an Australian flight attendant, a report said yesterday. A 38-year-old Qantas stewardess has been suspended and could lose her job after fellow crew members allegedly... [Read more]

Boy, 7, left in burning flat as family flees
A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy - mistakenly left behind in a burning flat by his panicked family - was saved in a dramatic rescue carried out by firefighters yesterday. Muhamed Arrifin's relatives realised he was still in the Yishun flat only when they... [Read more]

Bouquets
CELLPHONE FOUND, THANKS TO STAFF OF FAST-FOOD OUTLETON FEB 2, I left my mobile phone at McDonald's at Centrepoint after having breakfast there. I only realised this later, at the National University of Singapore campus, and had to get my husband... [Read more]

Increase speed of trains, which carry more people
AFTER the recent announcement of the implementation of full-day bus lanes on certain roads within the city area, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has now decided to do away with bus bays on a trial basis so as to further increase... [Read more]

Noble's full-year earnings slide 42%
COMMODITIES trader Noble Group's full-year net profits slumped 42 per cent to US$134.5 million (S$206.3 million), due in part to gains from the sale of fixed assets which inflated last year's profit figures.For instance, last year's earnings included gains of US$34.5... [Read more]

ERP isn't working, rein in number of cars instead
WHAT is the main objective for the implementation of ERP and the subsequent increase in charges? Is it to reduce congestion on the roads and expressways? If that is so, then it has not been effective. Increasing the charges will cause... [Read more]

World Quickly
BILL TO BAN PROTESTS WITHDRAWNMOSCOW: Russian lawmakers yesterday recalled a widely criticised Bill that would have allowed the Kremlin to ban street protests during the pre-election period.Parliamentary sources said the move reflected deep divisions inside the Kremlin camp ahead of 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]

Crackdown on Eurasian faces sparks outcry
KUALA LUMPUR - THE Malaysian government's plans to reduce the number of Eurasian faces in advertisements have triggered outrage among models and presenters in the multicultural country. Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin said last week that he would work with the Culture,... [Read more]

STI loses 21 points as Hang Seng plunges
AN INITIAL rally quickly fizzled out yesterday after a strong selldown in Hong Kong sent local traders scrambling yet again for the door. They were spooked so much on Monday by the United States inflation bogey that the Straits Times Index... [Read more]