News Today

Ad agencies put more effort into public relations
ADVERTISING agencies are boosting the role of public relations as a way of drumming up business and enhancing their visibility in a competitive industry. Where PR was once an afterthought, these agencies are now employing skilled operators for tasks that range... [Read more]

Match summary
Thailand 1 (Pipat Thonkanya 37)Singapore 1 (Khairul Amri 81)Thailand: Kittisak Rawangpa, Suree Sukha, Jetsada Jitsawad, Niweat Siriwong, Hadthporn Suwan (Jakkrit Bunkham 79), Natthaphong Samana, Suchao Nutnum, Sutee Suksomkit, Datsakorn Thonglao, Pichitphong Choeichiu (Khwanchai Phuangprkob 90), Pipat Thonkanya.Singapore: Lionel Lewis, Mohamed Noh... [Read more]

Revenue from ERP 20% lower than in previous scheme, says minister
ELECTRONIC Road Pricing was not introduced to generate revenue, Transport Minister Raymond Lim said yesterday.It actually rakes in less than the Area Licensing Scheme (ALS), the previous plan to manage peak-hour traffic.He was responding to opposition MP Low Thia Khiang (Hougang),... [Read more]

Go online first to apply for US visa
APPLYING for a visa for a trip to the United States? >From March 5, the waiting time to get one will be shortened - from the current maximum of four hours to between one and two hours. The US embassy said... [Read more]

Thailand starts talks to reduce price of Aids drug
BANGKOK - THAILAND yesterday said it had opened talks with US drugmaker Abbott Laboratories on lowering the price of an Aids medicine, a move which could avoid the need for a generic version Bangkok approved last week. Thailand has issued a... [Read more]

Lions' main concern was staying cool
CONFUSION, frustration and, finally, relief. Those were the emotions some of the Lions experienced during the 15 second-half minutes that marred Wednesday's Singapore-Thailand clash. Boos rang around the National Stadium when the Thai team staged an 82nd-minute walkout to protest referee... [Read more]

Floods cripple much of Jakarta
JAKARTA - MUCH of Jakarta was crippled yesterday as the worst deluge in five years cut road, rail and telecommunications links to the Indonesian capital. Three-quarters of the sprawling city of 12 million people was under water, and officials now face... [Read more]

Why insist on just one method of solving a mathematical problem when others achieve the same result?
I thank Mr Lim Boon Tong for addressing the bugbear of many parents who are anxious to track the progress of their kids in primary schools. By insisting on the so-called model-drawing methods of solving a maths problem, the schools have... [Read more]

'Zap' a print ad and stand to win a phone
FROM today, readers of The Straits Times and three sister newspapers can try out ZapCode and win prizes.This is the new mobile technology that will bring extra content to cellphone users - and be a boon to advertisers at the same... [Read more]

Coaches become shooters
THEY came to Singapore to coach the national air-pistol team two years ago.But China-born Fan Xiaoping, 35, and her husband Gai Bin, 38, will soon be donning Singapore colours - as athletes.They received their citizenship a fortnight ago, and have been... [Read more]

Tampines v Home pre-season cracker
TWO Sundays ago, they were the toast of Singapore after being crowned Asean champions. But, for national-team stalwarts S. Subramani, Lionel Lewis, Noh Alam Shah and Indra Sahdan Daud, it is back to domestic action. All four should feature when Tampines... [Read more]

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

News Today

Summary of the Day
Thirteen killed by dengue this monthKUALA LUMPUR - THIRTEEN people have died of dengue fever in Malaysia this month. Most of the deaths were in the state of Selangor, where the authorities are scrambling to contain an outbreak, a news report... [Read more]

Care needed with CPF lottery plan
I REFER to the article, 'Workfare: Not an ideological shift, just economics' (ST, Feb 17), which raised the idea of the CPF Board working with Singapore Pools to harness lower-income Singaporeans' tendency to bet in lotteries by devising a scheme to... [Read more]

Struggle to return to normalcy
JAKARTA - KELAPA Gading - said to be the most expensive real estate in Jakarta - is all big malls, brand new high-rise apartments and a sprawling housing estate with luxury villas. But on Tuesday afternoon, this flood-battered North Jakarta township... [Read more]

Woman still in critical but stable condition
HER parents anxiously by her bedside, scuba enthusiast Serene Teng remained in a critical but stable condition yesterday in a Perth hospital. On Monday, the second day of Chinese New Year, the 24-year-old had been found unconscious on the seabed during... [Read more]

Crazy Horse show to shut down
IT CAME to Singapore barely over a year ago, all sparkling lights, barely covered bottoms and sexy high heels. Now, the Crazy Horse Revue, widely hailed as the Great Entertainment Experiment that would take Singapore's reputation as a world nightlife centre... [Read more]

Man battles anaconda to rescue grandson
A 66-YEAR-OLD man saved his grandson from the grip of a 5m-long anaconda by beating the snake with rocks and a knife for half an hour. 'When I saw the snake wrapped around my grandson's neck, I thought it was going... [Read more]

Staff: Lam was confident until the end
UNTIL the day he quit, the now-beleaguered Youth Challenge founder Vincent Lam was confident, optimistic and chatty.Mr Goh Aik Chuan, 19, an intern with the charity, said the boss had seemed 'very positive' throughout the probe into Youth Challenge's books, which... [Read more]

Taste of the swiss alps
Mr Jens LeHel, 40, and Mr Stephan Freidank, 39, put the finishing touches on the newly installed cable car at Marche VivoCity.The cable car, which operated from 1963 until 1998, was imported from Saas-Fee, a village in Switzerland. It was used... [Read more]

Beckham yet to find a house in LA
THE Beckhams are struggling to find a suitable mansion in their future hometown of Los Angeles.They are looking at more than 20 homes in the US$18 million (S$27.6 million) to US$30 million range, the Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday. David... [Read more]

Govt quizzes Genting over its tie-up with Stanley Ho
GENTING International, which is building its $5.2 billion Resorts World at Sentosa, has been quizzed by the Government over its latest partnership with Macau's casino mogul Stanley Ho.According to reliable sources, news that the Malaysian operator was in talks with the... [Read more]

Finally, a good excuse for sleeping at work
WASHINGTON - THE next time the boss finds you snoozing at your desk, take heart - literally. The largest new study of its kind on siestas has found that people who take a short afternoon nap regularly are significantly less likely... [Read more]

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.

News Today

New Year blues for Jakarta's Chinese
JAKARTA - THE wildly wet weather has put a damper on Chinese New Year in the Indonesian capital. Most of the city's ethnic Chinese live in the west and north, the areas that were among the hardest hit by the worst... [Read more]

Saprang on threats and issues facing Thailand
On the security threats facing Thailand: 'Terrorism is our biggest worry. Beyond that, we are most concerned about drugs and transnational crime, the influx of illegal foreign workers, the environment and destruction of natural resources, and social disorder. Also, if political... [Read more]

Where is the river?
Water hyacinth smothers this river in Chengdu, Sichuan province, as it does waterways across China. The weed was introduced to China in the 1930s and has grown so rampant that it is edging out native plants. China spends millions each year... [Read more]

Move to cut bus bays: Yes, it's time public transport fights back
I'm delighted with the article, 'Bus bays may be axed to help cut travel time' (ST, Feb 13). It's time public transport fought back. The LTA will begin a trial along Jalan Eunos where buses will just stop by the side... [Read more]

Asean must maintain momentum: Arroyo
MANILA - AS THE Philippines prepares to hand over the Asean chairmanship in August, President Gloria Arroyo hopes there will be no let up in the grouping's aim to become an integrated community.President SR Nathan said yesterday that Mrs Arroyo made... [Read more]

Hardline Thai general to head phone corporation
BANGKOK - SAPRANG Kalyanamitr, a top general with a hardline reputation, was on Thursday given additional charge of a major public enterprise when he was appointed chairman of the board of TOT (Telephones of Thailand Plc). TOT has exclusive rights to... [Read more]

Chirac to US: Sign key climate accords
PRESIDENT Jacques Chirac has demanded that the United States sign two key climate-change agreements, warning that a carbon tax would be imposed across Europe on imports from nations who fail to comply. Speaking at a high-profile climate-change conference in Paris this... [Read more]

Rotary's earnings surge to $35.2m
THE red-hot oil and gas sector has been a bonanza for Rotary Engineering, which yesterday reported record earnings of $35.2 million, up a staggering 320 per cent.Rotary helps build and maintain oil storage terminals and other infrastructure for the petrochemical industry.... [Read more]

Lack of play shows in Baihakki's performance
IT WAS a chance for him to distinguish himself, but it seemed Baihakki Khaizan found Aide Iskandar's boots too large to fill. The 22-year-old stood in for the suspended Singapore captain in the Asean Championship semi-final second-leg victory over Malaysia.But, instead... [Read more]

Overflowing hospitals
PHOTO: AFP Indonesian mothers taking care of their kids at a temporary hospital in north Jakarta yesterday. The Health Ministry said that 1,066 of the 1,627 patients warded at Greater Jakarta hospitals are suffering from diarrhoea, and 329 from dengue. More... [Read more]

Sengkang enter final after 4-2 win
SENGKANG Punggol, the S-League's wooden spoonists last season, are banking in some cash - even before the new season starts on March 4. Last night, they reached the final of the SingTel League Cup, thus assuring themselves of a minimum $10,000... [Read more]

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]