Excerpts from the Q & A

DR VIVIAN Balakrishnan tackled a range of topics during the question-and-answer session.

NOT APPROPRIATE

'I don't believe we have made any formal representations because he is not a citizen of our country.

I believe he's a citizen of China. So it would be inappropriate for us as the Singapore Government to have any formal representations on that score.'

ON WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT had made any formal representations to the Chinese government about Straits Times reporter Ching Cheong, who was jailed for five years last August for espionage

REALISTIC VIEW

'Let me say that we're realists. We have seen bloodshed on the streets in Singapore as recently as 1969 in the name of race, language and religion. We look in our neighbourhood and we see decapitations in the name of race, language and religion.

So our assessment, after looking at history and looking around us, is that these are faultlines.'

ON WHY THE GOVERNMENT continues to view race and religion as faultlines in Singapore

NO HIDING ONLINE

'The one thing that hasn't changed in the new media is that ultimately there is still a money trail and identity will always be unmasked.

So don't believe this fiction that there's a whole lot of anonymity out there which people can hide behind.

Any political movement or political leader worth his salt will sooner or later be unmasked and, therefore, can be dealt with or can be engaged on political terms.'

ON WHETHER BLOGGERS can pose a challenge

LET FACTS SPEAK

'On foreign policy, we do not believe in conducting negotiations through the press. So you will notice that the Singapore Government is usually conspicuous by its silence.

We believe in just putting out the facts, the bald facts and letting the facts speak for themselves.'

ON WHETHER SINGAPORE would, like the Malaysian, Indonesian and Thai governments do, use the media to send out messages on foreign policy

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Temasek eyes Tata's mobile towers

MUMBAI - TEMASEK Holdings and wireless tower operator Crown Castle International are in talks to buy close to 15 per cent of the mobile phone towers business of Tata Teleservices, the Hindustan Times said.

Tata Teleservices said on Thursday it was in talks with several firms about spinning off its mobile phone towers into a separate unit, part or all of which could then be sold.

The paper, quoting investment bank sources, said yesterday that negotiations were at an advanced stage, and added that industry analysts valued the tower business at up to US$1 billion (S$1.52 billion).

A Tata Teleservices spokesman declined to comment on the report, but said Temasek held nearly 10 per cent of the firm, which has more than 5,000 mobile phone towers.

Tata Teleservices, along with subsidiary Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra), has more than 15.5 million subscribers in India, the world's fastest-growing mobile market.

On Thursday, chief executive Darryl Green declined to name the firms that Tata Teleservices had talked to about spinning off the towers business, or its valuation.

Larger rival Reliance Communications has said it would spin off its towers business into a separate unit, and leading mobile services provider Bharti Airtel has said it would do the same.

Newspapers have indicated that American Tower, as well as private equity firms including Blackstone, Carlyle and Temasek, were interested in Reliance Communications' towers unit.

REUTERS

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Bumper pay rises for DBS' top bosses last year

DBS Bank bosses Jackson Tai and Frank Wong enjoyed bumper pay rises last year, with their total earnings exceeding $15 million - at least $1.5 million up on 2005.

Mr Tai, the chief executive, and Mr Wong, the chief operating officer, each earned between $7.5 million and $7.75 million during a year of record profits of $2.18 billion, according to the bank's annual report for 2006, out yesterday.

This compares with profits of $824 million in 2005, when a goodwill write-down hit the bottom line.

Mr Tai's 2006 base salary was at least $1.8 million, with bonuses making up 71 per cent of his total pay.

Mr Wong, who also heads DBS' Hong Kong unit, had a salary of at least $975,000, with bonuses comprising 81 per cent of his remuneration.

The plum pay packets were at least $1.5 million up on the 2005 performance year but below their 2004 earnings - the highest either man has received during their DBS careers.

Mr Tai received between $7.75 million and $8 million in 2004, while Mr Wong brought home between $7.25 million and $7.5 million.

The bank said yesterday that the latest report presents directors' pay 'in a more accurate manner' by taking better reflecting issues such as share options, which are issued in one year but often exercised in another.

This has meant restating pay figures for previous years.

Mr Tai's pay for 2005 was re-stated at between $5.75 million and $6 million, as the figure now excludes components such as share options that were issued in earlier years but vested in 2005.

The previous annual report had stated that he took home between $5.5 million and $5.75 million for the 2005 performance year.

Mr Wong's restated 2005 pay is $5.5 million to $5.75 million, down from the earlier stated figures of $6.75 million to $7 million.

The annual report also showed that 12 management personnel earned a combined $28 million last year.

DBS also proposed that the chairman's annual fees be raised by $20,000 to $105,000, while directors' fees would jump 40 per cent to $70,000. Shareholders will vote on the plan at the annual general meeting on April 4.

Staff costs last year rose 18 per cent to $1.24 billion, partly due to a tight labour market. These costs partly accounted for DBS' cost-to-income ratio of 44.3 per cent.

Asked about market rumours that he may leave the bank any time soon, Mr Tai said: 'I am sorry to disappoint you and, for the hundredth time, I have no contract with the bank.'



HIGH EARNERS

The bank's chief executive Mr Tai and chief operating officer Mr Wong each earned between $7.5 million and $7.75 million during a year of record profits of $2.18 billion.

Champions League

Today

AC Milan v Celtic

Arsenal v PSV Eindhoven

Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

Live, Ch24, tomorrow, 3.30am

Manchester United v Lille

Live, Ch23, tomorrow, 3.30am

Pressure from Abramovich for The Blues to win the Champions League

ASHLEY Cole believes Chelsea must concentrate on winning the Champions League, as their hopes of retaining the Premiership crown begin to fade.

There is a growing realisation that the title will almost certainly be won by Manchester United this season.

With Porto visiting Stamford Bridge today for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, Cole admits it is time to focus on Europe.

United maintained their nine-point lead over second-placed Chelsea with a crucial league win at Liverpool on Saturday.

Although the champions have a game in hand, Alex Ferguson's side are playing with enough resolve and desire to suggest they are ready to end their four-year wait for the title.

So, a progress to the Champions League quarter- finals is essential for Jose Mourinho and his players, if they are to meet the expectations of owner Roman Abramovich.

The Russian billionaire has made it clear he wants to see his club dominate in Europe, as well as in England.

Mourinho has already proven his ability to succeed in European competitions with Porto. He led them to the 2003 Uefa Cup and the 2004 Champions League before joining Chelsea.

However, he has yet to replicate that success with the Blues.

Chelsea's last triumph in one of the European competitions was in the now-defunct Cup-Winners' Cup in 1998.

If they can win Europe's elite club competition for the first time, the likely loss of the league title will be easily overlooked.

England left-back Cole said: 'The Champions League is more realistic than the league.

'We are nine points behind United and it will be an uphill struggle from now on. But we are in good stead for the next round of the Champions League.'

A 0-0 draw would be enough for Chelsea to go through on away goals against Porto, after the first leg ended 1-1.

Still, Mourinho will want his side to show they are capable of going all the way to the final in Athens.

Chelsea will be missing skipper John Terry. He remains on the sidelines, as he continues to recover from the head injury he suffered in the League Cup final against Arsenal.

However, Mourinho will be able to include Khalid Boulahrouz. The Dutch defender has returned after a dislocated shoulder.

The manager confirmed: 'John is not back for the Porto game. He is in medical hands. I would never ask him to play unless the doctors said he was okay.

'But Jon Obi Mikel and Khalid Boulahrouz are back, so we have a better situation.'

Porto are four points clear at the top of the Portuguese League, following a 4-0 victory over Naval and 5-0 win over Beira Mar.

Defender Jose Bosingwa is out of their line-up with a thigh strain, and is likely to be replaced by Uruguayan international Jorge Fucile.

Porto coach Jesualdo Ferreira will believe his team can cause an upset in London.

Their impressive display in the first leg two weeks ago proved they can compete with Chelsea.

Memories of Ricardo Quaresma and Helder Postiga causing problems for the Blues defence should ensure there is no complacency in Chelsea's ranks today.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chelsea v FC Porto
Live, Ch24, tomorrow, 3.30am

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Boon to 100,000 on SBS buses daily

I REFER to the recent letters to the Forum on bus bays versus linear bus stops.

As a public bus-transport service provider, SBS Transit would like to share our views on this subject.

A survey done by us has shown that 9 per cent of journey time is spent on buses trying to exit bus bays. On the average, our buses run some 2.1 million passenger trips every day and this translates into unnecessary extended time spent on the road for commuters.

Therefore, we welcome the Land Transport Authority (LTA)'s initiative to try out linear bus stops at Jalan Eunos, which are likely to benefit some 100,000 commuters travelling along this stretch of road on our services daily.

Over the past few years, we have partnered LTA as well as the Traffic Police to run public- education programmes that encourage motorists to give way to buses exiting bus bays.

These efforts have included rewarding motorists who give way with petrol vouchers and other goodies like cameras.

On our own initiative, we have also placed 'Give Way to Buses' messages on the rear of some 100 buses, produced and distributed car decals as well as installed LED lights on the buses' rear exterior to provide a more visible signal of the drivers' intention to exit bus bays.

We will continue with our efforts and will organise another public-education campaign in the coming months.

Tammy Tan (Ms)
Director, Corporate Communications
SBS Transit Ltd

Fifa refuses to pay more for Owen's knee injury

LONDON - FIFA President Sepp Blatter has accused Newcastle of being greedy.

The Magpies seek a whopping £6.2 million (S$18.6 million) in compensation for Michael Owen's injury at last year's World Cup.

However, Blatter insisted there will be no increase to Fifa's final offer of £900,000.

He said: 'The English Football Association was not able to convince Newcastle it was a good deal.

'The deal is done. It's not fair on all the other injured players whose clubs have sought compensation.'

Owen ruptured his cruciate knee ligament in the opening minute of England's World Cup match against Sweden, and has not played since.

The lengthy argument over who bears financial responsibility for his injury has caused fears that clubs may refuse to release their stars for international football.

However, Blatter said: 'Governing bodies and associations are becoming scared of the big clubs, because of the big money.'

He insisted the primary responsibility for paying compensation, in cases such as Owen's, lay with the English FA and Newcastle's insurers.

Fifa had also set up its own compensation fund of £6.3 million for clubs with injured players.

But Blatter said the idea behind the fund was to help the likes of Angola or Ivory Coast, who are playing in the World Cup for the first time.

Agreeing to Newcastle's request would use up most of the fund for the 2006 Finals.

He said: 'Something is wrong if the requests are coming from clubs in the richest league in the world.

' If anybody has a responsibility here, it is the FA to the player they took to the World Cup.'

Newcastle are already receiving £50,000 per week from the FA's insurers towards Owen's wages.

The club argue they are entitled to a lump sum because they had to spend £10 million to buy Obafemi Martins as a replacement for Owen, who cost them £17 million from Real Madrid.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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League Cup final brawl: 'Trial' by video

DEEP into stoppage time, Arsenal are trailing 1-2, when Kolo Toure picks up the ball just over the halfway line.

He bursts forward, shrugging off Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel, but is tugged back by the latter. Referee Howard Webb, who is less than 10metres away, blows for a free kick.

Toure then runs to Mikel and starts the brawl, which involved even the managers Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho, reported The Independent.

When it all calms down, Webb, after consulting his assistants, shows red cards to Mikel, Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor. Francesc Fabregas and Lampard get yellow for going at each other like wrestlers.

Did the referee get it right?



JOHN OBI MIKEL: Commits the original foul, then wrestles with Kolo Toure. Thereafter, referee Howard Webb grabs him and holds on.

KOLO TOURE: Goes for Mikel after being fouled, then for Frank Lampard when the Chelsea midfielder intervenes, shoving Webb aside in the process. Has to be pulled away by Julio Baptista.

JOSE MOURINHO: Quick to the melee, raises his arms in a 'calm down' gesture to the grappling throng.

ARSENE WENGER: Comes on to the pitch, then becomes engaged in an argument with Steve Clarke, Chelsea's assistant manager.

WAYNE BRIDGE AND EMMANUEL EBOUE: Bridge pulls the ball out of the hand of Eboue, who kicks him in the shin and strikes him on the back of his head. Bridge's immediate response is to draw his elbow back, as if to jab Eboue in the ribs. Then he sees an official to his right, stops, clutches his head, and falls to the ground. Eboue loses his balance and tumbles on top of him. Bridge rolls around in apparent agony, and receives lengthy treatment.

JUSTIN HOYTE: Initially stands off, but then grabs Carvalho by his shirt.

FRANK LAMPARD: Pushes past Webb to get to Toure, ostensibly to get the Arsenal captain off Mikel. Appears to further inflame Toure, who lunges back at him. Shoves back after being grabbed by Francesc Fabregas. The pair continue to argue, even after the incident.

FRANCESC FABREGAS: Dives in and grabs Lampard round the neck, then wrestles with him. Confronts Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, later slapped by Drogba.

EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR: Launches himself into the fray with arms raised aggressively. Appears to make contact with Carvalho and Lampard. Later drags Drogba away from Fabregas. Initially refuses to leave the field when dismissed. Webb has to point the way to the dressing room five times, before Adebayor is dragged away by teammates.

DIDIER DROGBA: Re-ignites the conflict by slapping Fabregas, who is arguing with Andriy Shevchenko, on the back of the head. He then grabs the Spaniard by the neck, but is pulled away by Emmanuel Adebayor, as Mourinho steps in to calm Fabregas.

MICHAEL ESSIEN: Appears to cuff Denilson on the face, as the pair grapple.

RICARDO CARVALHO: Involved quickly, but seems to act only as a peacemaker.

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News Today

Boosting defence ties
An American defence official received the Singapore Defence Technology Distinguished Fellowship yesterday, for boosting defence cooperation between Singapore and the United States. Mr Craig Hunter, the former deputy assistant secretary of the army for defence export and cooperation, received the award... [Read more]

Bullying moves from the school yard to cyberspace
WASHINGTON - CYBERSPACE has replaced the school yard as the preferred place for bullying among many US kids. They are going online to threaten, insult and harass each other outside the watchful eye of teachers and parents.According to statistics, more than... [Read more]

Thailand's ITV seeks injunction on $4.3b fines, fees
BANGKOK - ITV, a Thai television network controlled by Singapore's Temasek Holdings, sought a court injunction on about 100 billion baht (S$4.29 billion) in fines, fees and interest it has been ordered to pay the government. The company asked Thailand's administrative... [Read more]

Bus bays may be axed to help cut travel time
MR JOHNNY Liew has a problem that slows him down every day. When the SBS Transit driver tries to get his bus into or out of a bus bay, he has to wait...and wait. 'Cars and taxis always block my way... [Read more]

Two-tier pricing system at golf course unfair to Employment Pass holders
While the new Marina Bay Golf Course (MBGC) is a welcome addition to the list of courses in Singapore, I feel the management should justify their pricing system. Unfortunately I have not been able to get a satisfactory response from officials... [Read more]

Inner calm? More like stress at some yoga centres here
MUSHROOMING fitness and yoga centres are raking in what some have dubbed the 'yoga dollar', but not all who signed up have ended up relaxed. Last year, 40 complaints were filed with the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) against fitness and... [Read more]

Company director cannot rely solely on advice: Ruling
A RECENT court ruling has hammered home the point to directors that they cannot abdicate their duties by claiming they have relied on professional help, legal observers say. The case of Gaelic Inns - which runs Muddy Murphy's Irish Pub and... [Read more]

Accused teen trio out on bail
THREE teenagers accused of breaking into the Isetan store in Shaw Towers last Thursday were each released on $8,000 bail yesterday. Marcus Wang Yuanhang, 18, and Ethan Khoo Ee Ren and Yuan Wei Jie, both 16, will appear in the Community... [Read more]

Seafood during pregnancy 'may boost kid's IQ'
LONDON - WOMEN who eat seafood while pregnant may be boosting their children's IQ in the process, according to new research published yesterday in The Lancet. The study results were surprising, say the authors, and contradicted American and British recommendations that... [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]

SIA, SilkAir cut fuel surcharges
PASSENGERS on all Singapore Airlines and SilkAir flights will pay less from today as the airlines cut fuel surcharges for the second time in four months.This follows a fall in jet fuel prices in recent weeks: A barrel now costs about... [Read more]

What the fuck's happening in the world today

Jazz spoil Webber's homecoming game
AUBURN HILLS (MICHIGAN) - THE Detroit Pistons fans cheered for Chris Webber's debut and Chauncey Billups' return from injury. But they could not cheer for a victory over opponents the Pistons cannot seem to beat. Deron Williams scored a career-high 31... [Read more]

S'pore qualify for world junior team tournament
LESS is more. That is the lesson Singapore's youth golfers learnt at the World Junior Golf Team Championship (WJGTC) Asian qualifier in Lumut, Perak, on Thursday. The quartet of Goh Kun Yang, 18, George Foo, 16, Lam Zhiqun and Jerome Ng,... [Read more]

Immediate automatic refund being explored
I REFER to the letters, 'Why wasn't share proceeds returned to CPF account?' (ST, Jan 13), 'Bank held onto funds that couldn't be re-invested' (ST, Jan 16) and 'Agent banks should match CPF Board's rate' (ST, Jan 16), by Mdm Samantha... [Read more]

Haas handed tennis lesson by Gonzalez
MELBOURNE - TENTH-SEEDED Fernando Gonzalez trounced Germany's Tommy Haas 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 to reach the Australian Open final yesterday. In a performance reminiscent of top-ranked Roger Federer's rout of American star Andy Roddick in the other semi-final a night earlier, the... [Read more]

AG: Tap in-house lawyers to make S'pore legal hub
DRAW attention to Singapore as a legal services hub, including making arbitration the cornerstone of this push.Corporate lawyers - who work for big local and foreign companies - are a sizeable community and they should be tapped in promoting Singapore as... [Read more]

US raids Iranian consular post
ARBIL (IRAQ) - US FORCES stormed an Iranian consular office in the northern Iraqi Kurdish city of Arbil early yesterday and arrested five people, including diplomats and staff, Iranian officials said. The US military made no direct mention of Iranians, but... [Read more]

Home loan rates set to become more transparent
BUYING a new home is stressful enough without the added problem of trying to understand a confusing array of home loan interest rates. With this in mind, Singapore's banking regulator has urged banks here to get together and take prompt action... [Read more]

STI little changed despite weakness in overall market
BLUE-CHIP stocks mostly held steady yesterday, but sentiment in the rest of the market was spooked by a sharp correction in both the Hong Kong and China bourses.China plays here came under especially heavy selling pressure, after a Chinese lawmaker reportedly... [Read more]

Oei Hong Leong buys land for Buddha museum
TYCOON Oei Hong Leong is paying $29.8 million for a plot of land on which he will build a museum to display his vast collection of Buddha statues.The approximately 55,000 sq ft site along Pasir Panjang Road contains two buildings which... [Read more]

China's economic boom throws up new challenges
BEIJING - THE Chinese economy has been surpassing growth expectations for years and its 2006 gross domestic product figures even beat the confident predictions made by senior officials.Last year's 10.7 per cent increase in output, which topped Beijing's forecast of 10.5... [Read more]

Pakistan orders probe into suicide bombing near Shi'ite centre
PESHAWAR (PAKISTAN) - PAKISTAN yesterday ordered a federal investigation into a suspected suicide bombing that killed 15 people, including a police chief and other officers, and beefed up security in this north-western city. It was the second such attack in two... [Read more]

Fuck you la, nabey cheebye!

How about extra 30 mins of concessional fare?
RECENTLY, it was reported that the evening bus-lane hours, currently from 4.30 pm to 7pm, would be revised. This was to keep up with workers' changing commuting pattern. As a retiree, I notice that the MRT passenger volume is actually not... [Read more]

Gunners find Babel to replace Ljungberg
LONDON - ARSENAL are expected to sign Ajax's Ryan Babel, the young Dutch talent labelled the next Thierry Henry.They have beaten off interest from Newcastle and Portsmouth. However, the deal for the 20-year-old, who will cost more than &pound7 million (S$21... [Read more]

Asian central bankers call for curbs against massive inflows
TOKYO - ASIAN nations need better protection to prevent 'massive' capital inflows from damaging their economies, according to central bank governors from the region. 'In order to increase the ability to absorb external shocks from massive capital flows, the priority seems... [Read more]

China keeps mum despite furore over missile test
IBEIJING - CHINA yesterday maintained silence on its anti-satellite missile test despite coming under growing international pressure to confirm it, while Chinese analysts and state media called the diplomatic outcry an overreaction.The absence of official publicity prior to the test implies... [Read more]

Russian concerns behind the handshakes in India
RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin was received with great warmth in New Delhi this week. And he signed a raft of new military agreements for hundreds of tanks, as well as new jets. India plans to spend S$15 billion on new defence... [Read more]

Technorati
Technorati Profile... [Read more]

Resource-rich area
SPREAD over 263,000 sq km, India's north-east region is rich in oil, gas and natural resources.India shares porous and sensitive borders with China in the north, Myanmar in the east, Bangladesh in the south-west and Bhutan to the north-west. Its 4,500km... [Read more]

Viet PM meets Pope amid eased tensions
HANOI - PRIME Minister Nguyen Tan Dung of Vietnam met Pope Benedict XVI yesterday in the latest move in his country's bid to reassert itself on the world stage. Mr Dung, who arrived in Italy on Wednesday, is the first leader... [Read more]

Beijingers to be warned of harmful haze
BEIJING - RESIDENTS in Beijing will be warned in daily weather forecasts of the presence of haze, one of city's first steps to evaluate its air quality.>From Thursday, the municipal meteorological authorities will include such information on hazy days when humidity... [Read more]

US lawmakers attack plan to send more troops to Iraq
WASHINGTON - THE Bush administration's plan to send more troops to Iraq ran into serious opposition in Congress yesterday, with both Democrats and Republicans launching scathing attacks on it.In what is looking to be the most significant confrontation between Congress and... [Read more]

Academic Syed Hussein Alatas dies
KUALA LUMPUR - RESPECTED academic Syed Hussein Alatas, who taught at the National University of Singapore for more than a decade, died of a heart attack on Tuesday evening in Kuala Lumpur. The 78-year-old was head of the Department of Malay... [Read more]

Why I like to post news in a fucking cheebye manner. Why cannot ah?! Fuck you!

Lim Hng Kiang upbeat on GDP growth
TRADE and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang is upbeat about the economy despite an unexpected sharp fall in non-oil domestic exports last month.Speaking on the sidelines of an aviation event yesterday, he said in reply to reporters' queries, that the Government... [Read more]

Lawyer: Why sue just 3 of 7 board members?
THE lawyer for two men being sued by the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) yesterday questioned why only three board members were facing legal action when there were seven in total. Mr Chia Boon Teck, who is acting for Mr Richard Yong... [Read more]

Choice of injury claims must be legally informed
I REFER to the article, 'Lawyers using 'pushy tactics' to get workplace-injury clients' (ST, Jan 20). The Law Society is puzzled by the reporting of insurers' concerns about a rise in common-law negligence claims. These concerns exhibit very little faith in... [Read more]

Want good service? Bring back tipping
AS PARLIAMENT prepares for the upcoming Budget Debate, I appeal to the Government to seriously consider abolishing the service charge that hotels and restaurants levy on food and beverages. With the service charge fixed at 10 per cent by law, a... [Read more]

Sports World
DELAY IN LANDIS PROBE SLAMMEDMADRID: The Tour de France's director-general expressed frustration on Tuesday over the slow progress of Floyd Landis' doping case. 'The anti-doping commission in the United States won't meet until the first days of March to study the... [Read more]

Oil leak threatens British coast
SIDMOUTH (ENGLAND) - THE 3,500 tonnes of fuel in the tanks of a British container ship beached off the south-east coast of England is the 'main concern' of coast guard officials hoping to avert a long-term environmental disaster.Coast guard spokesman Paul... [Read more]

Arabs see troop surge plan as a sign of US desperation
CAIRO - THE news that the US will send thousands more troops to Iraq was met with strong scepticism across the Middle East yesterday. Many saw the troop surge as a desperate move that will only increase the US' failures in... [Read more]

Blast debris aggravates threat to satellites and space travel
CHINA'S blowing up of its satellite likely created a vast debris cloud that heightens concerns about the growing threat that space junk poses to spacecraft and satellites, say experts. The blast, which occurred on Jan 11 and was confirmed by officials... [Read more]

Japanese defence chief offends US govt again
TOKYO - THE Japanese Defence Minister has reportedly criticised Washington's handling of the relocation of an American base, his second attack on US decision-making in a week. Mr Fumio Kyuma irked the Bush administration on Wednesday by saying the United States... [Read more]

Chinese couple win child back after long tussle
NASHVILLE - ALMOST eight years after a Chinese couple living in the US placed their daughter in what they thought was temporary foster care, a court has ordered that she be returned to her biological parents. The unanimous decision by the... [Read more]

Oei Hong Leong buys land for Buddha museum
TYCOON Oei Hong Leong is paying $29.8 million for a plot of land on which he will build a museum to display his vast collection of Buddha statues.The approximately 55,000 sq ft site along Pasir Panjang Road contains two buildings which... [Read more]

News? Simi lancheow! Go Fuck yourself!

India to review policy on SEZ projects
NEW DELHI - INDIA is reviewing its policy on special economic zones as opposition to them grows.A panel of senior ministers will examine all new plans for the zones, which are intended to attract billions of dollars in investment and create... [Read more]

Withdrawal of US troops from Iraq would be the proper and moral policy
THE commentary, 'A Letter to the US Democrats', by Pavin Limanont (ST, Jan 16), is incomplete, over-simplified and offers up predictions of disaster that will likely be as untrue as all of US President George W. Bush's pre-war claims (weapons of... [Read more]

Property boom in China
BEIJING - IN NORTH-EAST Beijing, luxury Western-style villa developments with names like Yosemite and Chateau Regalia have mushroomed as the city experiences an unprecedented building boom. Hundreds of such villas and townhouses have been built in the satellite town of Shunyi,... [Read more]

Delhi strikes defence deals with Moscow
NEW DELHI - INDIA and Russia have unveiled new deals on high-tech defence cooperation, signalling that South Asia's dominant power will continue to depend on the Soviet Union's successor state to be its principal weapons supplier for another decade.Hours before Russian... [Read more]

Heavy storms kill 41 in Europe
PHOTO: AP Two cars lie crushed under tree trunks uprooted during heavy storms in the Dutch capital of Amsterdam. Winds of up to 216km/h swept off the Atlantic on Thursday and cut a swathe of destruction across Britain, northern France, the... [Read more]

Technorati
Technorati Profile... [Read more]

Purchasing govt bonds to be made easier
I REFER to the letter by Mr Walter Theseira, 'Make it easier to invest in government bonds' (ST, Jan 19). The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) would like to see further development of the Singapore Government Securities (SGS) retail market. We... [Read more]

US lawmakers attack plan to send more troops to Iraq
WASHINGTON - THE Bush administration's plan to send more troops to Iraq ran into serious opposition in Congress yesterday, with both Democrats and Republicans launching scathing attacks on it.In what is looking to be the most significant confrontation between Congress and... [Read more]

'Reopen probe into murder of Mongolian'
KUALA LUMPUR - SENIOR lawyer Karpal Singh urged the police yesterday to reopen investigations into the gruesome murder of Mangolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.He said the revelations in Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda's affidavit read in the High Court last week made this... [Read more]

BY DAY: A private school; BY NIGHT: Supplier of vice girls
BY 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 been operating, until it shut down suddenly in the middle... [Read more]

Private home rents rose by 10-15% last year
HOME owners renting out their properties made windfall gains last year, as rents posted their highest annual growth in at least 11 years. Rents of private homes islandwide rose by between 10 and 15 per cent for the whole of last... [Read more]