News Today

Growing trend
AD AGENCY Y&R Singapore stepped up its PR efforts this month by hiring Mr Justin Low, 30, from Grayling Public Relations to manage its publicity affairs. Mr Charles Sng, who specialises in marketing communications at headhunting firm Aquent, says it is... [Read more]

Case File
FIRE IN SUNGEI KADUT FIREMEN took 30 minutes to fight an early-morning fire yesterday which threatened to spread to several offices in Sungei Kadut Street 4. Three units were affected by the fire - a single-storey zinc structured warehouse, an office... [Read more]

Immigration: What to look out for
Singaporeans travelling abroad should be careful to adhere to all immigration requirements of the country they are visiting. Failing to observe such requirements may lead to penalties under local laws. Singaporeans entering Malaysia should get their passports stamped at the Immigration... [Read more]

Polys to tie up with top overseas schools
SINGAPOREANS aiming to specialise in fields such as the culinary arts, hotel management or digital animation will soon have no need to head overseas to fulfil their career ambitions.Within the next three years, the Ministry of Education (MOE) will bring in... [Read more]

Anthony misses out
ONE bad night may have overshadowed all the good performances Carmelo Anthony has displayed this season. The National Basketball Association's leading scorer was not named among the reserves for the Western All-Star team announced on Thursday. Anthony is averaging 31.3 points,... [Read more]

Champions League
TodayBarcelona v Liverpool Live, Ch23, tomorrow, 3.30am Porto v Chelsea Live, Ch24, tomorrow, 3.30amInter Milan v ValenciaRoma v Lyon... [Read more]

Sign of Mars life?
New evidence has surfaced that water may be present on Mars. This image from Nasa spacecraft Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows alternating layers of dark- and light-toned rock in Becquerel Crater on the planet. Within those deposits are a series of linear... [Read more]

Indonesia's PPP hopes to revive political fortunes
JAKARTA - INDONESIA'S oldest Muslim party is pinning its hopes on new leaders who will be elected this week at its national congress to steer the party into the 2009 legislative and presidential elections.The United Development Party (PPP) - created in... [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]

'Screams, but they couldn't get out'
DEWANA (INDIA) - THE fire was raging when the train roared into the tiny Dewana station, flames spurting from two cars filled with terrified, screaming passengers. 'I saw flames leaping out of the windows,' said Mr Vinod Kumar Gupta, the assistant... [Read more]

Tie-up gives new hope in fight against TB
SULAWESI - FORTY people are admitted with tuberculosis (TB) every day at Indonesia's Hassanuddin Hospital on the island of Sulawesi. One in five leaves before getting well. Treatment can take up to six months, but many of the patients go home... [Read more]

Carragher earns kudos from manager Benitez

LONDON - JAMIE Carragher's contribution in Liverpool's Champions League win over Barcelona drew high praise from manager Rafael Benitez, a man more comfortable praising team efforts.

Such was the individual prowess shown by Carragher, said Benitez, that it merited a special mention and begged the question why the 29-year-old is not an England regular.

Liverpool lost 0-1 at home to Barcelona on Tuesday, but their 2-1 victory at the Nou Camp a fortnight earlier meant they booked a place in the quarter-finals.

During a tense match at Anfield, Carragher managed to shackle the combined talents of Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o.

'It surprises me that Jamie is not a regular in the England team,' said Benitez of the player who has won 32 caps, of which only 18 have been in the starting line-up.

'I don't like praising just one player after a performance like that against Barcelona. Everyone contributed.

'But it was an astonishing performance from Jamie.

'When defenders like Jamie have to play against world-class players like Ronaldinho, it is important that they do not make mistakes - and he didn't.

'He is such a good defender against the very best players and, yes, it is a surprise that such a good defender does not play every game for his country.'

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard added: 'I know England manager Steve McClaren was at Anfield and, after seeing a performance like that, it is going to make his next team selection very interesting.'

Meanwhile, Peter Crouch will miss the first leg of Liverpool's Champions League quarter-final and England's two Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Andorra.

He has decided to have surgery on his broken nose today.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

News Today

China economy records red-hot growth of 10.7%
BEIJING - CHINA'S scorching economy shows no signs of slowing down, growing a surprising 10.7 per cent last year - its fastest pace in over a decade.At its current pace, economists say China could overtake Germany to become the world's third... [Read more]

Lawyer wants private eye's evidence excluded
WORDS like 'entrapment', 'knifed by an anonymous assassin' and a 'blackguard' who has 'chosen to hide behind a cloak of anonymity' were uttered in a courtroom yesterday.But it was not a cloak-and-dagger case, and the words came from lawyer N. Sreenivasan,... [Read more]

Man plunges 16 floors and lives
A MAN crashed through a double-paned window in a Minneapolis hotel and plummeted 16 floors - but survived when he was caught by a roof overhang.Mr Joshua Hanson, 29, was taken to a hospital. Police and fire officials said he had... [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]

Charity listings
CHARITY BAZAAR Discover decorative knick-knacks and gift ideas from the 200 booths at this bazaar organised by The Concept Markets, a start-up enterprise by two Singapore Management University (SMU) graduates. All proceeds will go to the Society for the Physically Disabled... [Read more]

World Quickly
GLOBAL CHILD PORN RING EXPOSEDVIENNA: The Austrian authorities yesterday said they had uncovered a major international child pornography ring.It involved at least 2,360 suspects from 77 countries who paid to view videos of children being sexually abused.Interior Minister Guenther Platter said... [Read more]

Visibility is important
VISIBILITY IS IMPORTANT'I think technology and the Internet makes working away from the office possible. But I don't think many work places will adopt this on a large scale in the short term. Most workers and employers think that visibility is... [Read more]

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

Stanley Ho fights back with huge Macau casino
MACAU - BILLIONAIRE Stanley Ho launched his comeback campaign in Macau yesterday, opening a huge casino he hopes will bring punters back to his once-dominant gaming halls. Mr Ho, who for 40 years held a monopoly on gambling in Macau, has... [Read more]

Aid for festive visits
SICK of all those pesky questions that pop up during your Chinese New Year visits - like when you are going to get married, or when your first baby will arrive? This week's issue of Digital Life leaps to the rescue... [Read more]

Kirkland still seething over Henry's taunt
LONDON - WIGAN goalkeeper Chris Kirkland was still fuming about his treatment by Arsenal captain Thierry Henry long after his side lost 1-2 on Sunday.Henry had taunted Kirkland after he conceded an own goal.Although the pair exchanged a handshake at the... [Read more]

News Today

Climate change report to fuel debate on global warming
WHAT IT IS THE Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will release its report, said to be the most complete overview of climate change, in Paris on Friday. The draft report, prepared by some 2,500 scientists, is expected to warn of... [Read more]

Laver calls Federer the best he's seen
MELBOURNE - IF HE could pick any player from any era to test himself against, Roger Federer (left) would like a shot at Rod Laver or Bjorn Borg. Laver is the last man to win the Grand Slam - all four... [Read more]

Wage boost for lower-income
FOR the first time, the Government will supplement the income of low-wage earners, a move that will boost the earnings of about 438,000 people. The bulk of this additional income will go into the workers' Central Provident Fund (CPF) accounts, as... [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]

Aussie teachers may get 'graded' by students
SYDNEY - IN A reversal of roles many a student has dreamed of, school pupils will be able to issue their teachers with a report card of their own under a plan being considered in Australia. Under the proposal, an assessment... [Read more]

Blues stand in the way of Tottenham's Cup run
LONDON - MARTIN Jol watched his Tottenham side ease the pressure on him with an emphatic 4-0 win against Fulham in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday.He then called for a repeat of the club's 1991 FA Cup-winning season. He... [Read more]

45,000 fans expected
AT LEAST 45,000 fans will be at tonight's Singapore v Malaysia match at the National Stadium.They are expected to be joined by President S R Nathan.The remaining 10,200 adult gallery tickets, priced at $6 each, will be sold today at the... [Read more]

Yen slides to record low versus euro
TOKYO - THE yen tumbled to a record low against the euro yesterday, a day after the Bank of Japan (BOJ) raised interest rates to a decade-high 0.5 per cent but reiterated that the pace of further rate tightening would be... [Read more]

KL backs away from plan to confine foreign workers
KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA'S government yesterday backed away from a proposal to confine foreign workers to their living quarters, acknowledging that such a drastic move would have 'implications'.'The government hasn't taken a position on it yet,' Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun... [Read more]

Upended after two-van collision
A van overturned after colliding with another in Jurong East yesterday morning, preventing traffic from turning into Jurong East Central for about two hours. Both drivers - who were alone in their vehicles - were not injured. This picture was sent... [Read more]

Indonesia has the funds, it just needs to spend them
JAKARTA - INDONESIA faces a curious problem: It has enough money for its development needs and to reduce poverty, but it cannot seem to spend the funds fast enough. That is the conclusion from a comprehensive review of public expenditure carried... [Read more]

News Today

Bryant outplays Arenas
WASHINGTON - THE big rematch with Kobe Bryant turned out to be too big for Gilbert Arenas.Two of the National Basketball Association's most riveting playmakers tried to outdo each other - point for point, flashy move for flashy move. The Los... [Read more]

The changing Okinawan diet
Before 1945Okinawans consumed mostly fish, soybeans, seaweed, vegetables, tofu and pork. The diet was rich in antioxidants, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids and proteins that helped protect against vascular diseases such as stroke and heart attack, and lowered the risk of cancer,... [Read more]

Just 9 months on, Marina Bay Sands is in overdrive
NINE months after it won the right to build and operate Singapore's first casino resort, Marina Bay Sands has finished most of its on-site piling work and is already promoting its convention venue to 15 organisations. It is also looking at... [Read more]

A head for figures
Wearing bills of 10,000 yen on his head for luck, this Tokyo craftsman is painting 'daruma' dolls at a fair in a temple. The dolls have faces painted with moustaches and beards and their eyes are left white. After buying the... [Read more]

No rift with US over troop policy for Iraq, says Britain
THE British Defence Ministry has denied that there is any rift with the United States over the two countries' plans for troop levels in Iraq.US envoy to Baghdad Zalmay Khalilzad earlier said the US 'would like the British to coordinate and... [Read more]

Airbus delays job cuts on row over A-350 workload
PARIS - AIRBUS on Monday postponed a major announcement on job cuts planned for yesterday, saying that European nations could not agree how to share the work on the planemaker's next aircraft, the wide-body A-350. The surprise statement followed a stormy... [Read more]

Stall assistant's jail term for bomb hoax quadrupled
A STALL assistant who triggered a massive police search after falsely claiming to have overheard a plot to bomb Clementi MRT station, yesterday had his sentence quadrupled by the High Court. Ariff Mohamed, 25, will now have to serve two years... [Read more]

Cigarette smugglers using illegals as 'mules'
CIGARETTE smugglers have found new 'mules' for their contraband - individuals who sneak into Singapore illegally to find work. Such individuals, who swim across the sea or arrive in boats at night, under cover of darkness, are already on the wrong... [Read more]

Quick News
THREE ENVOYS TO EUROPE NAMEDSINGAPORE appointed three new ambassadors to Europe yesterday.Chairman of JTC Corporation Soo Kok Leng has been appointed Singapore's next ambassador to Austria.Businessman and former member of parliament Tan Soo Khoon is Singapore's next ambassador to the Czech... [Read more]

NUS scientists shed light on jumping spiders' sexual behaviour
HITTING the lights is usually synonymous with getting romantic - but not for jumping spiders. These leaping arachnids only get frisky with the lights on. Local scientists have found out that ultraviolet (UV) light influences their sexual behaviour, the first time... [Read more]

HSBC shares fall as bad debt charge rises
LONDON - HSBC'S shares slumped to a nine-month low yesterday after the bank said its bad debt charge last year would be about US$1.8 billion (S$2.8 billion) higher than expected.The bank said that its charge for bad debts last year would... [Read more]

News Today

Premiership's bottom clubs dominate signings
THE rewards for Premiership survival has never been greater, with a £900 million (S$2.72 billion) television deal that kicks in next season. The bottom clubs' dominating the January transfer window is proof of that. The top 10 clubs made 23 signings... [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]

Foreigners to be enlisted in terror fight
A NEW front is being opened in the fight against terror and crime here as the authorities enlist the help of foreigners, working and living among the population, in their security efforts.For a start, the Jurong police division is reaching out... [Read more]

Lakers left hot and bothered
LOS ANGELES - AFTER Eddy Curry dunked an alley-oop pass to give the Knicks a one-point lead on Tuesday, Hollywood director Spike Lee scurried down the sideline to high-five with the actor Denzel Washington. Denzel did not bite, because he knew... [Read more]

Pompey and Man City row over Barton
LONDON - MANCHESTER City's relationship with Portsmouth is in danger of descending into total hostility, after another day of mudslinging over Joey Barton. Pompey's manager Harry Redknapp infuriated his opposite number Stuart Pearce by claiming on Tuesday that the midfielder had... [Read more]

Programme not designed to play up sensuality of pole dancing
We refer to the letter, 'Shocked over local TV programme' (Online forum, Jan 29) by Ms Daphne Lim. The premise of this new series is to be daring and different in its approach to a wide variety of topics, providing a... [Read more]

What the deal is about
YESTERDAY, North Korea committed itself to a two-stage denuclearisation process under an agreement with the United States, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia. In the first stage - which must be completed within 60 days - Pyongyang will shut down its... [Read more]

More amenities cannot turn younger crowd into 'softies'
WE REFER to the letter, 'Covered walkways and air-con make for softies' (ST, Feb 3). In Mr Khoo Swee Chiow's opinion, life is far too comfortable for the younger generation, which causes them to lack resilience. We beg to differ. First,... [Read more]

Fewer entrepreneurs willing to strike out on their own
Given the high rate of failure among SMEs and the growing economy, there is an obvious drop in entrepreneurial activity to 4.9 per cent from 7.2 per cent in 2005.The typical characteristics of an entrepreneur is the need for achievement, willingness... [Read more]

Buy a newspaper at McDonald's and help needy kids
THIS Chinese New Year, McDonald's will tie up with Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) in a charity drive to help less fortunate children.The fast-food chain will be selling four newspaper titles during the first two days of the Chinese New Year.Diners can... [Read more]

Athletes make the grade
THEY are sweet, soft and look like hamburgers. And they are sailor Low Wen Chun's secret to scoring 10 points in the O-level exams. Yesterday, the Asian Sailing Championships 420 boys' gold medallist revealed: 'Hamburger gummies kept me awake while studying.... [Read more]

A Playboy

No need to shut new Thai airport: Panel
BANGKOK - THAILAND does not need to close its new international airport to repair cracks on taxiways and runways, a panel of investigators said yesterday, blaming the damage on underground water. Cracks have been found across 78,000 sq m, or roughly... [Read more]

Shooting sprees in two US cities leave 10 dead
SALT LAKE CITY (UTAH) - AT LEAST 10 people died and several others were injured when two gunmen went on separate shooting sprees in two US cities. Witnesses in a crowded Salt Lake City shopping mall in Utah reported hearing 'shot... [Read more]

Touting: One lawyer to face judges, another cleared by panel
ENTRAPMENT methods used by private investigators have succeeded in landing one lawyer in trouble for allegedly touting for business, while another has been cleared of wrongdoing.The investigators had evidently been hired by legal rivals to catch the two lawyers in the... [Read more]

News In Brief
Tokyo, New York bourses on track for tie-up dealTOKYO - THE Tokyo and New York stock exchanges are expected to reach an agreement on their tie-up when bourse officials meet in New York at the end of the month, said a... [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]

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

Phones of the future
THESE phones may just make current 3G models obsolete. The phones of the future - showcased at the 3GSM World Congress trade show in Barcelona - are here in today's Digital Life.From Nokia's E90 communicator PDA phone to Motorola's Krzr K3, they... [Read more]

Donors pledge $12b in aid to Lebanon
PARIS - SAUDI Arabia, the United States, France and other donors pledged about US$7.6 billion (S$12 billion) in aid to Lebanon yesterday to bolster the Western-backed government in Beirut and help the country recover from war. The pledges poured in during... [Read more]

US woman sets spacewalk record
AMERICAN astronaut Sunita Williams has now spent more time walking in space than any other woman, with a record of 22 hours and 27 minutes.Ms Williams, 41, broke the previous record of more than 21 hours on Sunday when she and... [Read more]

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

Year of Golden Pig set to bring home the bacon for investors
ACCORDING to astrologers, this Year of the Pig will be especially auspicious. For investors, it will, they say, really bring home the bacon. That is because it is not just any Pig Year, but a Golden Pig Year - the first... [Read more]