News Today

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]

Blair's top fund-raiser rearrested while on bail
THE top fund-raiser for British Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labour Party was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, a police source said.Lord Michael Levy was arrested when he returned to a London police station... [Read more]

Let a panel review strong objections of families
IT IS very sad and distressing to read about the recent scuffle between Singapore General Hospital staff and brain-dead man Sim Tee Hua's next of kin over an operation to harvest his organs for transplant (ST, Feb 8). We had in... [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]

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]

Blowing hot and cold
WASHINGTON - UNITED States President George W. Bush and Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have sparred - albeit separately on American television - as both sought to defuse speculation about an impending military confrontation between the two countries. Mr Bush dismissed talk... [Read more]

Robbery bid: Man jailed
A MAN originally accused of attempted armed robbery was jailed for four months yesterday for threatening a POSB manager. Lee Soo Huat, who is unemployed, had thrust a feedback form with $500,000 written on it at Ms Chia Suet Mui, 45,... [Read more]

Micro-Mechanics profit soars a fifth at half-time
PRECISION tools maker Micro-Mechanics has reported a 20.9 per cent rise in half-time net profit to $4.4 million. Revenue for the six months ended Dec 31 was up 15.2 per cent at $17.7 million. To reward shareholders, the Sesdaq company is... [Read more]

KL proposes strategic alliance with New Delhi
NEW DELHI - MALAYSIAN Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar has suggested that a 'strategic alliance' be set up between his country and India. Datuk Seri Syed Hamid, who was to have arrived in India last night on an official visit, told... [Read more]

No mention of steps to address green concerns
BUDGET 2007 may have poised Singaporeans for the future and the Government may have shown its 'capitalist head' and 'socialist heart', but there was a glaring omission.This concerns the non-mention of any concrete fiscal measures and policies that might be implemented... [Read more]

Mayor admits affair with top aide's wife
CONFRONTING a political scandal that sounds more like a soap opera, San Francisco's handsome young mayor has made an emotional apology for an affair with the wife of his campaign manager. 'I want to make it clear that everything you've heard... [Read more]

Inter hoping for redemption in derby

MILAN - RUNAWAY Serie A leaders Inter Milan can ease the pain of their Champions League exit by defeating city rivals AC Milan tomorrow and continuing their march towards the Scudetto.

Inter's misery at being dumped out of Europe by Valencia on Tuesday deepened when Milan reached the quarter-finals of the competition the next day with an extra-time victory over Celtic.

Docked eight points for their part in the Italian match-fixing scandal, Milan are unbeaten in their last 15 Serie A games and sit just three points off the Champions League places for next season.

And Inter, 16 points clear at the top of the table, would love nothing more than to dent their neighbours' hopes tomorrow.

Adding more fuel to the fire will be Ronaldo's first appearance for Milan against Inter, his former employers. He had walked out on Inter in 2002 after the club had stood by him during a lengthy injury crisis.

Kaka, scorer of Milan's goal in Wednesday's 1-0 victory over the Scottish champions, said he expected the San Siro derby to be more intense than usual.

'Inter will be desperate to make up for the disappointment of going out of the Champions League and winning the derby would go some way to making up for that,' said the creative Brazilian midfielder.

'But we too are charged up after reaching the last eight, so I expect it to be a superb match.'

Milan captain Paolo Maldini said beating Celtic was the ideal way to warm up for the derby.

'Qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Champions League has certainly given our morale a major boost,' he said.

'Our target is to finish in the top four and a derby victory will help us do that.'

Inter's Brazilian wing-back Maicon, who has been a revelation for the club this season, is suspended, while midfielders Esteban Cambiasso and Patrick Vieira are still injured.

Argentinian defender Nicolas Burdisso, whose nose was broken in an ugly brawl after Inter's Champions League exit in Spain, is doubtful.

Alessandro Costacurta, Cafu, Kakha Kaladze, Alessandro Nesta and Serginho are all ruled out for Milan because of injury.

Second-placed Roma, who won 2-0 at French side Lyon on Tuesday to clinch their place in the last eight of the Champions League, host Udinese.

Third-placed Palermo host Fiorentina, while Lazio, in fourth spot, will be looking for their fifth consecutive win at struggling Reggina.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

News Today

Micro-Mechanics profit soars a fifth at half-time
PRECISION tools maker Micro-Mechanics has reported a 20.9 per cent rise in half-time net profit to $4.4 million. Revenue for the six months ended Dec 31 was up 15.2 per cent at $17.7 million. To reward shareholders, the Sesdaq company is... [Read more]

Business leaders back fast track for Bush
WASHINGTON - THE Bush administration and American business have begun a campaign to convince a sceptical Democratic-controlled Congress to renew the President's trade negotiating authority when it expires this year.In an event to kick off their efforts on Monday, top US... [Read more]

Organ transplant: Unease over last-minute opt-out
THE recent incident in which a brain-dead patient's family tried to physically obstruct the operation to harvest his organs for transplant into patients needing them has revived the discussion about brain death and even led to calls to amend the Human... [Read more]

Bras Basah branding: Free ad space for the arts
A TOTAL of 250 lamp posts around the Bras Basah area are helping light the way as the area moves to brand itself as an arts and heritage district. Colourful banners pushing the message have been put up on the lamp... [Read more]

NKF witness questioned
EXAMPLES of the cut-and-thrust exchanges between Mr Bobby Nair and defence lawyers: When Mr Nair was asked about the mistake former NKF chairman Richard Yong made about the charity having more medical than non-medical staff. Mr Chia Boon Teck: Why not... [Read more]

Another safari to Africa
CHINESE President Hu Jintao has embarked this week on an eight-nation tour of Africa. Last year alone, Beijing's top leaders visited no fewer than 23 out of the 48 countries with which they have diplomatic relations. By any yardstick, this represents... [Read more]

Lions bask in the glow of instant fame
TWO days after taking Singapore into the final of the Asean Championship, the Lions are finding that fame has its privileges. As skipper Aide Iskandar and veteran right-back S. Subramani popped into a coffee-joint near their Amara Hotel base, they were... [Read more]

An offence to listen to music while crossing road
NEW YORK - CROSSING the street in New York while engrossed with a cellphone or an iPod could soon get you fined US$100 (S$150) under a draft Bill being presented by a state senator. Senator Carl Kruger blamed 'iPod oblivion' for... [Read more]

SM's call to wealthy: Give 0.5% of annual pay to needy
THIS is a call from Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong: If you are wealthy, donate at least 0.5 per cent of your annual income to help the needy. Mr Goh made it yesterday, saying he hoped Singapore will one day become... [Read more]

British, US kids the worst-off in rich world
LONDON - BRITAIN is the worst country among 21 wealthy nations in which to be a child, closely followed by the United States, according to a study by the United Nations. The Netherlands is the best, the study says, followed by... [Read more]

Muslim convert loses appeal on alimony
KUALA LUMPUR - A MALAYSIAN court has ruled that a man who converted to Islam and then took two Muslim wives must financially support the Hindu former wife he left behind. Mr Abdul Ghani Abdullah and then-wife Ms A. Letchimidevi split... [Read more]

News Today

Bouquets
FREE TICKETS TO A GREAT MATCHMY BOYFRIEND and I would like to thank a middle-aged couple who offered us their extra set of grandstand tickets to the Singapore-Malaysia football match at the National Stadium on Saturday.The kind couple gave us the... [Read more]

Insurgents use chemical warfare
IRAQI insurgents have started using bombs that combine explosives with chlorine gas in what officials fear is a new and deadly tactic against civilians.At least three such attacks have been carried out in the last month, resulting in 31 deaths.... [Read more]

Illegal assembly: 6 sect members get maximum fine
SIX Falungong practitioners, who were jailed for two days recently for contempt of court, have each been fined the maximum of $1,000 for taking part in an illegal assembly.The six women - Pang Su Chin, 56, You Xin, 38, Wang Yuyi,... [Read more]

Terror alert in Manila on Valentine's
POLICE have stepped up security at train stations and an oil depot and set up road checkpoints in the Philippine capital to prevent a repeat of the deadly 2005 Valentine's Day terror bombings, officials said yesterday.The authorities have not monitored any... [Read more]

Suicide bomber kills 3 in Israel
An Israeli medic wheels a stretcher holding a body bag from the scene of a suicide attack, which ripped through a bakery in the southern Israeli resort town of Eilat yesterday. Three people were killed by the Palestinian suicide bomber, in... [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]

'Alwyn Lim insisted Durai deserved first class travel'
THE Ministry of Health's (MOH) representative to the old National Kidney Foundation (NKF) executive committee yesterday described former vice-chairman Alwyn Lim as one of Mr T.T. Durai's most vociferous supporters. Dr Ling Sing Lin said in court yesterday that Mr Lim... [Read more]

Thigh strain rules Vieira out of Valencia match
MILAN - INTER Milan midfielder Patrick Vieira will not play in today's Champions League first-leg match against Valencia after aggravating a thigh strain in training.The French international, who missed Inter's 1-0 win over Cagliari at the weekend because of the injury,... [Read more]

Britain probes leak of Muslim soldiers' data
LONDON - BRITAIN'S Defence Ministry is urgently investigating how suspects in an alleged 'Iraq-style' plot to kidnap and behead a Muslim soldier obtained the names and addresses of serving troops, The Times reported yesterday.'Such sensitive information about our personnel is kept... [Read more]

Mahathir out of hospital
FORMER Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad was discharged from hospital yesterday after being treated overnight for flu, his aide said. Tun Dr Mahathir, 81, said he was feeling better, according to his aide Sufi Yusoff. Details of his medical treatment were... [Read more]

Traffic lights needed at this junction in Bukit Batok to ease traffic flow
It takes a long time to turn right into Bukit Batok West Ave 5 heading towards PIE/KJE/BKE as there are no traffic lights at the multi-storey carpark Blk 395A. This leads to vehicle build-up during peak hours and several vehicles turning... [Read more]

News Today

True grit
In an amazing feat of strength, this performer uses just his teeth to tear a stainless steel lid of a cooking pan into two pieces. He was performing the act at a temple fair in Beijing, which was part of the... [Read more]

Two Indonesians plead guilty to US arms charges
BALTIMORE - TWO Indonesian men have pleaded guilty to trying to illegally export weapons to Indonesia through undercover US federal agents.The sting operation also netted a suspected international arms dealer and three men associated with the Sri Lankan Tamil Tigers rebel... [Read more]

MOH teams sent to Australia, Britain to scout for doctors
HEALTH Ministry officials have been sent on scouting trips to Britain and Australia to help attract doctors for the public sector, which could be facing a severe shortage soon. Towards the end of last year, Permanent Secretary Yong Ying I was... [Read more]

Madrid's black day
ON MARCH 11, 2004, 10 backpack bombs ripped through four packed commuter trains during morning rush-hour. Nearly 191 commuters were killed and about 1,700 others injured.The attack has been called modern Spain's most traumatic event since the 1930s civil war.... [Read more]

S'pore's artillery gunners get to hone combat skills in NZ
SINGAPORE Artillery gunners have been bang on target during a live-firing exercise in New Zealand. The Singapore Armed Forces' annual artillery exercise, Thunder Warrior, has been an opportunity for the gunners to practise complex combat skills beyond just gunnery skills, said... [Read more]

Henry left out of League Cup final team
LONDON - THIERRY Henry will be confined to the role of cheerleader when Arsenal play Chelsea in Sunday's League Cup final.Arsene Wenger will keep faith with the young players who have taken them to Cardiff, and the Gunners' captain understands the... [Read more]

Ministers reply to MPs' queries
MPS yesterday quizzed National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan and Foreign Minister George Yeo on the impact of Indonesia's ban on land sand exports to Singapore. Below is an extract of the exchange in Parliament: Mr Sin Boon Ann (Tampines GRC)... [Read more]

Slingers lose play-off
THE Singapore Slingers' first season in the Australian National Basketball League is over.They lost 93-106 to the Townsville Crocodiles in the play-off quarter-finals at the Townsville Entertainment Centre in North Queensland yesterday.Said Slingers coach Gordon McLeod: 'We let ourselves down in... [Read more]

Selling Singapore: Stories from the EDB trenches
MR KO Kheng Hwa, the managing director of the Economic Development Board (EDB), shares stories from the frontline in the battle for multinational investments: Wooing Shell with tenacity IT TOOK 'generations' of EDB officers to persuade petrochemical giant Shell to invest... [Read more]

Buyer beware
The world of beauty97 No. of complaints (January to December 2006)Most common type of complaints1. Unsatisfactory services2. Pressure sales tactics CASE STUDYA consumer received a call from a vendor, offering a free makeover and photography session. However, during the free session,... [Read more]

Expired cards add to SMRT's 9-month gains
TRANSPORT operator SMRT Corp posted a decent 19.2 per cent rise in net earnings to $99.64 million for the nine months ended Dec 31, 2006.The improvement was fuelled by a number of factors, including a $4.85 million rise in other income... [Read more]

News Today

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]

$265, 000 worth of illegal cigarettes seized
ANOTHER big shipment of contraband cigarettes was seized yesterday - big enough that it took 12 Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers nearly two hours to count the haul. The cigarettes, hidden under the floorboards of a Malaysian-registered bus, amounted to... [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]

Riders tested 50 times a year
JULIAN (CALIFORNIA) - SLIPSTREAM, a professional cycling team here, are trying to set themselves apart from the doping scandals that have uprooted their sport.At the crook of their riders' arms are a series of dark needle marks, the results of repeated... [Read more]

Nine-storey deep storage solution under sea
IN FOUR years' time, the seabed off Jurong Island will be transformed. Rock caverns nine storeys deep, which can store up to 1.47 million cubic metres of oil, will lie beneath - a safe, environmentally friendly storage solution for the growing... [Read more]

Name games in Taiwanese politics
THE indictment of Mr Ma Ying-jeou, Taiwan's opposition leader, for allegedly embezzling public funds has thrown the island's already confused political scene into fresh turmoil.Faithful to his original promise, Mr Ma announced that he is resigning from the chairmanship of his... [Read more]

Pitching for the big one
UP FOR grabs is the national flag carrier's coveted account, estimated to be worth $50 million a year for five years, plus the chance to work on the Singapore Girl campaign, one of the best-known advertising icons in the world. In... [Read more]

Bumboats to go electric
THE diesel-powered bumboats that ply the Singapore River will be phased out by the end of this year and replaced with quieter, less polluting electric boats. The two boat operators on the river - Singapore Explorer and Singapore River Cruises &... [Read more]

No arms race for Beijing, says general
BEIJING - CHINA'S military development is no threat to other nations and it will never join an arms race, a top-ranking Chinese army official said in an interview published yesterday. The comments by Lieutenant-General Zhang Qinsheng, Deputy Chief of General Staff... [Read more]

Effects of global warming 'unstoppable'
THE verdict is out. That gas-guzzling SUV you drive, the air-conditioner that you leave humming through the night - they are responsible for global warming. Worse, the damage from such human activities that consume fossil fuels is unstoppable and will last... [Read more]

Ascott nets $22.2m gain from sale of Hotel Asia
SERVICE apartment operator The Ascott Group has sold its Hotel Asia property in Scotts Road for $147 million, from which it will reap a net profit of $22.2 million.The sale price represents a 41 per cent increase over the price of... [Read more]

News Today

Jakarta outlines plans to fight yearly haze
JAKARTA - INDONESIA yesterday spelled out its plans to fight the forest fires that shroud the region in haze each year, in hopes of convincing potential donor countries and agencies to help pay for the battle. Experts have estimated that Jakarta... [Read more]

'Hard to say goodbye to Harry Potter'
BRITISH author J.K. Rowling has said she is both heartbroken and euphoric about wrapping up the final book in the Harry Potter series. But she gave no clues about the boy wizard's fate. On her website, she sidestepped speculation that he... [Read more]

So cool, so calm, so perfect
SINGAPORE'S passage into the Asean Championship final may have been confirmed only after Saturday's penalty shoot-out victory over Malaysia. But the win was actually the result of more than a year of diligence, during which the Lions devoted extra time after... [Read more]

Media tycoon opens up on merger
KUALA LUMPUR - THE Sarawakian tycoon who rarely talks to the media has spoken about his decision to merge three newspaper publishing firms.In an e-mail interview with the New Sunday Times, Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King said the 'bold decision' to... [Read more]

US trade deficit hit record high of $1.17 trillion last year
WASHINGTON - THE United States trade deficit surged to a record US$763.6 billion (S$1.172 trillion) last year owing to new highs for oil prices and the commercial shortfall with China, a report said yesterday.The US Commerce Department report said that the... [Read more]

Billionaire, 26, probed for illegal fund-raising
A YOUNG Chinese billionaire nicknamed 'Wealthy Miss Dongyang' has been detained in eastern China on suspicion of illegally raising funds to build her fortune, official media said yesterday. Wu Ying, 26, head of the Bense Group in Zhejiang province, was being... [Read more]

Roma hopes may end at Inter
ROME - A ROMA win at leaders Inter Milan tomorrow could revive a Italian SerieA title race that is slowly turning into a procession. While the top-of-the-table clash at the San Siro takes centre stage, Ronaldo will steal much of the... [Read more]

3 managers cleared of all blame over cave-in
AFTER a 48-day trial and the testimony of 37 witnesses, three men taken to court over a worksite accident at the Fusionopolis were yesterday cleared of all charges - even without their lawyers putting forward their case.Project manager Chan Heng Chye,... [Read more]

French naval vessel sails in
The French navy's oldest helicopter carrier, FS Jeanne d'Arc, sailed into Changi Naval Base yesterday. On board the 12,000-tonne carrier was a French Army Gazelle chopper. A team of French officers and airmen are here to share their experiences operating naval... [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]

Asean rocks on to reach out to youth
ASEAN turns 40 this year, and it is celebrating by reaching out to youth.The 10-member group of South-east Asian nations kicked off its 40th anniversary celebrations with a five-day music festival at the Hard Rock Cafe here yesterday, and more youth-oriented... [Read more]

America Credit

Radio programme hosts should be more serious when disseminating traffic news
I depend heavily on MediaCorp Radio stations - both Chinese or English stations - to obtain the latest traffic news in order to manoeuvre swiftly during peak hours and avoid any jammed areas.Many would agree that it is very stressful to... [Read more]

Media tycoon opens up on merger
KUALA LUMPUR - THE Sarawakian tycoon who rarely talks to the media has spoken about his decision to merge three newspaper publishing firms.In an e-mail interview with the New Sunday Times, Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King said the 'bold decision' to... [Read more]

Siblings want religion on birth cert changed
MALACCA - TWO ethnic Indian siblings who say they are Hindus are battling the authorities in Malaysia to change the religion stated on their birth certificates, a report said yesterday.Mr S. Jeevanathan, 22, and his sister S. Maneemegalay, 21, are listed... [Read more]

Kimono-makers' needles laid to rest in tofu beds
TOKYO - KIMONO-makers laid their old needles to rest during the hari-kuyo needle festival at Buddhist temples all over Japan yesterday. They stuck the needles into soft chunks of tofu to 'thank' them. Japan's throwaway culture may rival that of any... [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]

Make perverting history a global crime
I AGREE totally with Mr Boguslaw Marcin Majewski, Ambassador of Poland to Singapore, that it is indeed extremely troubling that historian David Irving should persistently deny the existence of Auschwitz and the Holocaust ('Proof of Auschwitz gassing indisputable'; ST, Jan 30).Having... [Read more]

I committed no wrong...And I admit no guilt
CONTROVERSY continued to swirl around one topic - former Youth Challenge head Vincent Lam's salary - while the man himself insists he has 'nothing to hide'. On Tuesday, the Commissioner of Charities (COC) said it had found 'many irregularities', including how... [Read more]

SBS traffic inspectors get a taste of their own medicine
A MOTORIST got back at SBS Transit's traffic inspectors who photographed his car parked in a bus lane. Shortly after they took the photo, he spotted the two inspectors having breakfast, with their motorcycles parked illegally along double yellow lines. Whipping... [Read more]

Flu-hit Mahathir admitted to hospital
IN KUALA LUMPUR - FORMER Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad was admitted to the National Heart Institute yesterday for observation and tests after suffering a bout of flu at the weekend. His press aide, Mr Sufi Yusoff, said Tun Dr Mahathir,... [Read more]

Sub-tenants told of big mall opening. What they got: empty stalls and legal woes
A SERIES of legal spats are brewing over a suburban shopping mall in Commonwealth that failed to open last year, leaving disgruntled sub-tenants filing police reports and landing main tenant Pagar Park in trouble with the law. Sub-tenants were promised by... [Read more]

Is there an offset plan for defence spending?
THE letter, 'Hefty spending on defence justified' (ST, Jan 30), by Mr Goh Khee Kuan says, and I agree, that a decisive deterrence is critical. He concedes that the defence expenditure is large and at the expense of many other areas,... [Read more]