Singapore: Standard Chartered has brought out a share financing plan in Singapore, which will permit individuals to have a loan of up to 10 times their monthly salary

Offered in cooperation with Singapore stock brokerages Phillip Securities and Lim & Tan Securities, the Standard Chartered plan allows capitalists get financing at the same they purchase their shares.

In a statement, Standard Chartered bank said, “There are some 250,000 active share investors in Singapore, and the number is expected to grow as Singaporeans become increasingly financially savvy.”

Head of consumer banking for Standard Chartered in Singapore, Ajay Kanwal, said that the share-financing plan will be made available to other brokers in Singapore.

London, Nov 1 : Singapore Airlines’ new Airbus A380 boasts of having the world's first airborne double beds, but the luxury comes with a warning for some randy couples – No sex please!

Many romantic couples’ hopes of joining the mile-high club were shattered by the airline after it announced that it would ask passengers to refrain from sex while travelling in one of its 12 first-class suites.

The warning comes after passengers discovered that the super jumbos' 12 private suites are not soundproof.

The airline said it doesn’t want the romping sessions to offend other travellers or crew anywhere within the plane.

Norwalk/Bangkok, Nov 12: Priceline.com announced that it has acquired Bangkok and Singapore-based Agoda Company, an online travel company specializing in hotel discount bookings throughout Asia, in a transaction that includes an initial cash payment and a multi-year, performance-based earn-out.

Priceline.com said it intends to retain Agoda's current management team, who will continue to manage Agoda's operations independently as part of priceline.com's international business.

In the Asia Pacific region, Agoda offers hotel properties in Australia, China, Japan, India, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, New Zealand and several other countries.

Singapore, Nov 17: To attract global passengers to Singapore, Singapore Airlines (SA) in association with the Singapore Tourism Board has announced ‘Your Uniquely Singapore Transit Adventure’.

According to SA, when a flight makes a quick stopover at Singapore’s Changi Airport, the airline has suggested to take a break from the four walls of the airport and hop onto a Free City Shuttle to savour a free meal at any one of the three stops (Little India, Suntec City Mall or Bugis) or indulge in some great retail therapy.

This offer is valid upto December 31, 2007

Bilcare Singapore, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bilcare Limited, has issued 4% convertible bonds, due in 2012, to raise $90 million, an official release said.

The bonds may be redeemed in whole at the option of the bondholder on the maturity date at a return price of 130.726% of the principal amount, plus accrued interest, as per the terms of the issue.

The Bonds may be converted to shares of Bilcare Singapore Pte Ltd at maturity or 90 days after the completion of a Qualified IPO. The bonds will be listed on Singapore Stock Exchange.

Zicom Electronic Security Systems Ltd announced that the company has formed a joint venture (JV) with CNA Group, Singapore, to offer integrated intelligent building management solutions and green buildings in India.
Zicom will acquire 51% stake and CNA Group will have 49% in the joint venture company named as Zicom CNA Automation.

The JV aims to leverage on the enormous growth potential of the booming real estate market in India by providing integrated facilities management solutions and services to residential, industrial commercial and Government construction.

New Delhi, Apr 4: A high powered delegation of political and business leaders, led by Union Commerce and Industries Minister Kamal Nath, will begin their four-day tour to Singapore from today as part of the Incredible! India@60 event.

Besides, Union Tourism Minister Ambika Soni and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) President Sunil Mittal will also be present on the occasion.

The event is being organised jointly by the Government of India and the CII.

Singapore, Apr. 4: Panelists attending a session here on "India – the Knowledge Economy giant : Heading in the right direction" have unanimously opined that in India,"there is no dearth of ideas, but the delivery is weak in quantity and quality."

The comments were made in the second half of the business session at the Incredible India@60 campaign here.

The campaign is being jointly organized by the Government of India and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Singapore, Apr. 4: India’s economic engagement with the world is expected to touch 550 billion dollars in 2007-08, announced the country's Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath on Friday while addressing the opening session of the Incredible India@60 campaign here.

Stating that India is keen to learn and pick up the best practices from Singapore, Nath said that the city-state’s institutions, regulatory frameworks and strong services were a role model for India.

Singapore - International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge will receive an update on preparations for the first Youth Olympic Games (YOG) during his visit to Singapore, organizers said on Friday.

The three-day visit is Rogge's first since the city-state won the bid over Moscow to host the inaugural games in August 2010.

A signing ceremony for the host city contract will be witnessed Saturday by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Lee will also host a dinner for Rogge and his delegation.

Clinching the YOG is a milestone for the city-state, which has never hosted a major Olympic event.

Hyderabad-based, ICSA (India) Limited, has informed that the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, a financial services arm of the Singapore government, has picked up 5.02 per cent equity in the company.

Government of Singapore, which already held 1.49 percent stake in the company, raised its stake through purchase of 2.2 million shares from the secondary market.

With this, international financial institutions and non-resident Indians hold about 51.15 per cent of the equity of ICSA (India).

Singapore - Complacent guards were negligent in the break-out of accused terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari after the suspect lulled them into believing they had him under control, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said in a published report on Saturday.

Mas Selamat, whom Lee called an "escape artist," has been at large for more than five weeks.

"When you are complacent in handling a wily detainee, then you have been negligent," Lee told The Straits Times.

Singapore, Apr. 5: An India-Singapore Strategic Dialogue is to be instituted in a Track 2 diplomacy mode to examine new areas of bilateral cooperation and to exchange views, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at a gala dinner here on Friday evening.

The dinner held to mark the first day of the Incredible India @ 60 campaign, saw Prime Minister Lee emphasising that India-Singapore relations are based on mutual respect and common interests.

Singapore  - Singapore welcomed on Saturday a meeting between US chief nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill and his North Korean counterpart in the city-state as part of negotiations to dismantle the communist country's atomic programme.

"Singapore hopes both sides will have a good discussion that will move the six-party talks forward, leading to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Singapore  - International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge reassured students on Saturday that Beijing's air pollution presents no danger to the health of athletes competing in the August Olympics.

In-between updates on preparations for the first Youth Olympic Games (YOG) to be held in Singapore in August 2010, Roggue engaged in a question and answer session with students at Victoria Junior College.

"There is no danger" to the athlete's health from the air quality, Rogge said. But he added that the performance of some of the athletes may be "slightly reduced."

The statements echoed those made in an IOC report on Beijing air quality issued almost three weeks ago.

Singapore  - International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge reassured students on Saturday that Beijing's air pollution presents no danger to the health of athletes competing in the August Olympics.

In-between updates on preparations for the first Youth Olympic Games (YOG) to be held in Singapore in August 2010, Roggue engaged in a question and answer session with students at Victoria Junior College.

"There is no danger" to the athlete's health from the air quality, Rogge said. But he added that the performance of some of the athletes may be "slightly reduced."

The statements echoed those made in an IOC report on Beijing air quality issued almost three weeks ago.

Singapore  - International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge reassured students on Saturday that Beijing's air pollution presents no danger to the health of athletes competing in the August Olympics.

In-between updates on preparations for the first Youth Olympic Games (YOG) to be held in Singapore in August 2010, Rogge engaged in a question and answer session with students at Victoria Junior College.

"There is no danger" to the athlete's health from the air quality, Rogge said. But he added that the performance of some of the athletes may be "slightly reduced."

Singapore  - The number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among teenagers is forecast to hit a record high in Singapore this year with some having sex as early as 12, a published report said on Sunday.

The top two STIs are chlamydia for girls and gonorrhoea for boys, accounting for more than half of all STIs in teenagers.

The Department of STI Control estimated 800 to 815 cases last year from 776 in 2006 and 678 in 2005.

Figures published in The Sunday Times for the general population have stayed relatively constant at around 11,000 from 2004 to 2006.

Teenage STIs have been identified as a "pressing matter" by a Health Ministry committee.

Singapore - Negotiators for the United States and North Korea were set to meet Tuesday in Singapore, raising hopes of progress in stalled nuclear talks with even the venue seen as a positive sign.

Although the US State Department cautioned against expecting too much from the talks, a diplomatic source said Monday that the willingness of North Korea's top nuclear negotiator, Kim Kye Gwan, to come to the city-state was an optimistic development.

His US counterpart, Christopher Hill, expressed hopes for "some progress" in Singapore before departing for the city-state from East Timor.

Singapore - A professor who stole the bras and panties of three Singapore university students was placed on probation for 12 months by a community court judge, news reports said Tuesday.

Lee Wing Foon, who teaches in China, was also ordered to attend a special treatment programme for people with sexual disorders.

The 39-year-old Lee must see a psychiatrist regularly and cannot leave the city-state for more than a week without permission from his probation officer, The Strait Times said.

Lee admitted to stealing the underwear of three female students at the Nanyang Technological University. The students had left belongings on railings outside their hostel rooms.

Singapore- Singapore and Chinese authorities have endorsed a draft masterplan for a joint eco-city project in the northern China port city of Tianjin, news reports said Wednesday.

The masterplan, developed by a team that includes Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Authority, will guide land use and development.

It reflects the shared vision for a city that is "environmentally friendly, socially harmonious and economically sustainable," The Straits Times said.

Singapore - Major office markets in Asia are forecast to see rental growth this year with the pace of growth varying from city to city, property analysts said on Wednesday.

Cushman & Wakefield said about half the cities checked, including Bangkok, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, New Delhi, Mumbai and Kuala Lumpur, are expected to see slowing rental growth.

In contrast, Hong Kong, Taipei, Bangalore, Seoul and Ho Chi Minh City are still seeing accelerating rental growths.

"Across the board, we still see positive demand for office markets across Asia," said Megan Walters, director of research at the firm.

Singapore  - Singapore's cable television operator has been fined for showing a commercial with romanticized scenes of lesbians kissing, the Media Development Authority (MDA) said on Wednesday.

StarHub Cable Vision was fined 10,000 Singapore dollars (7,200 US dollars) for airing the commercial last November, the MDA said in a statement on its website.

The commercial on MTV's Mandarin channel promoted a song by singer Olivia Yen, the media regulator said.

MDA said it was a breach of television advertising guidelines, "which disallow advertisements that condone homosexuality."

Singapore defines gay sex as an act of "gross indecency," punishable by a maximum of two years in jail.

Singapore- Scientists have discovered a frog without lungs that breathes through its skin in a find making evolutionary history, a published report said Thursday.

The aquatic frog was found in August in two mountain rivers in Indonesia's Kalimantan, The Straits Times said. The frog is called "Barbie," short for its scientific name, Barbourula kalimantanensis.

The frog absorbs dissolved oxygen from the water through its skin, said evolutionary biologist David Bickford of the National University of Singapore, who found the frog with eight other researchers.

Singapore- Singapore's export-oriented economy expanded 7.2 per cent in real terms in the first quarter despite a slowdown in the United States and turmoil in financial markets, the Trade and Industry Ministry said Thursday.

The growth over the same quarter a year ago was faster than the 5.4-per-cent gain seen in the last quarter of 2007, thanks in part to a surge in drug manufacturing.

On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally adjusted basis, Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 16.9 per cent after declining 4.8 per cent in the previous quarter, according to the ministry's preliminary estimates.

Singapore - Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong warned Friday that outrage among China's young over the Olympic torch relay protests would have consequences well beyond the Beijing Games.

Chinese anger could be read on the flooded internet bulletin boards carrying anti-foreign sentiments, Lee said at a conference organized by the London School of Economics.

The relay, which was China's "coming-out party," has also become the golden opportunity for China's critics to make their points, he said.

Singapore - United Overseas Bank (UOB) has signed a deal with a Chinese bank card association that would allow more Chinese tourists to use their cards for purchases at merchants in Singapore, the bank said Saturday.

"This is a first for any Singapore-headquartered bank," it said in a statement.

China Unionpay (CUP), headquartered in Shanghai, has issued about 1.4 billion cards.

UOB said the move will increase the Chinese card's acceptance network in the city-state.

Singapore- Three Malaysians were setenced to between four and 15 months in prison for child trafficking after they were caught trying to smuggle Sri Lankan children to London via Paris, news reports said on Saturday.

The Malaysians were caught at Changi Airport on February 7 with the three children, aged 11, 14 and 15.

Shangar Shanmugam, 39, was sentenced on Friday to 15 months in jail while his sister, Patmavthi Shanmugam, 31, was jailed for 10 months, The Straits Times reported.

Their friend, Vigiletchimi Suparayan, 61, was sentenced to four months in prison.

Singapore- A cup of tea is good for the brain by slowing down cell degeneration and keeping the mind sharp into old age, a published report said on Sunday.

A four-year study by scientists in Singapore adds to tea's long- touted virtues.

Any type of tea will do, Professor Ng Tze Pin from the National University of Singapore's psychological medicine department told The Sunday Times.

"Tea is cheap, non-toxic and widely consumed," Ng was quoted as saying.

Singapore- Singapore is set to meet its target of recycling 60 per cent of its rubbish by 2012, environmental officials said in a published report Monday.

Nearly 54 per cent of the 5.6 million tons of rubbish generated in 2007 was recycled, up from 40 per cent seven years ago, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA).

Some people are still putting rubbish that cannot be recycled into recycling bins, said the NEA in The Straits Times report. These items, such as food packaging requiring considerable effort to clean, made up 10 to 20 per cent of what was found in such bins.

To raise awareness, the NEA has invited young artists to paint recycling bins and is hosting an eco-concert on Saturday. (dpa)

Singapore  - Youth indulging in long-term binge drinking face disastrous consequences such as nerve and motor problems including poor memory or trembling, experts warned in a report Monday.

Those who think it is not wrong to go on binge drinking sprees "are indicative of stages of denial," The Straits Times quoted psychologist Daniel Koh as saying. "When intoxicated, reasoning power is over-ridden."

Over four nights, the newspaper spotted 23 drunk youths, mostly under 25, sprawled outside six Singapore nightclubs. Binge drinkers vomit, then go back inside clubs to party and continue drinking.

Young drinkers often indulge in alcohol for such reasons such as peer pressure, escapism or as a show of power, Koh said.

Singapore  - The Asia-Pacific region received a larger number of private equity investments in the first quarter of this year, but the value of the deals has dropped, figures from Thomson Financial said on Monday.

Excluding Japan, 195 private equity investments were made in the region bringing in more than 1.67 billion dollars. The corresponding quarter a year ago saw 183 private equity deals with a value of 2.64 billion dollars.

Large deals tend to be leveraged buyouts, which creditors are cautious about in the credit market turmoil.

China led the pack in attracting 571 million dollars in private equity funding in the first quarter. India emerged a close second with 507 million dollars, Thomson Financial said.

Singapore - Stocks on the Singapore Exchange slid 2.6 per cent on Monday following Wall Street's slump on Friday amid fears of a recession.

The benchmark Straits Times Index fell 83.91 points to 3,042.96.

Disappointing earnings from US companies and weak consumer data, which showed consumer sentiment at a 26-year-old, have heightened fears of a recession in the world's biggest economy, analysts said. (dpa)

Singapore -  Video games will carry ratings starting April 28 to help consumers and parents in particular make informed choices about what children play, Singapore's Board of Film Censors (BFC) said on Monday.

The games will carry rating stickers saying "Mature 18" or "Age Advisory."

Mature 18 (M18) is a restricted category for those 18 and older with retailers required to conduct an age check at the point of sales, said the BFC which functions under the Media Development Authority.

Singapore - China, India and South-East Asia are seen as the hottest and riskiest markets for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the near future, a survey found Tuesday.

The survey, commissioned by Marsh, Mercer and Kroll, comes despite questionable business practices, problems with local intellectual property regimes and insufficient financial recourse against sellers, said the report.

The findings published in The Business Times found that 57 per cent of the 670 respondents ranked China, India and South-East Asia as most attractive over the next 18 months, followed by North America at 43 per cent, Western Europe at 41 per cent and Eastern Europe at 31 per cent.

Singapore - The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) must do much more to achieve a free flow of goods, services and investments, the ambassador-at-large for Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry's said in a published report Tuesday.

One of ASEAN's greatest challenges is to "move fast enough and compete against China and India," The Straits Times quoted Professor Tommy Koh as saying.

Expressing the hope that the region would achieve rapid yet equitable growth, Koh cited ASEAN's "deplorable record" of implementing agreements.

Singapore - The search for Singapore's Happiest Person has been narrowed down to four people including a training consultant, a hospital porter, a record searcher and an engineer, organizers said on Tuesday.

With residents of the city-state faring poorly in rankings indicating happiness amid the high-stress environment, the Global Leadership Academy kicked off the campaign in March as part of its well-being conference to be held this month.

Singapore - Investor sentiment took a dive in the Asia- Pacific region during the first quarter of the year, with Japanese the least optimistic followed by investors in Taiwan and Singapore, a survey said Wednesday.

Banking group ING Asia-Pacific said that the findings reinforce the reality that the region is not insulated from global market uncertainties.

The sub-prime crisis and credit crunch remain key areas of concern in this part of the world, said the survey of investor beliefs and outlook in 13 markets.

Singapore - A couple has been charged in Singapore with distributing an evangelistic publication portraying the prophet Muhammad in a negative light, news reports said Wednesday.

Ong Kian Cheong, 49, and Dorothy Chan Hien Leng, 44, are alleged to have distributed the publication on March 6, 2007, and again on October 19, The Straits Times said.

Ong works in a telecommunications company, and his wife is a bank employee.

The court on Tuesday scheduled the case for April 29. Details regarding the contents of the publication were not revealed.

The maximum penalty is a fine of up to 5,000 Singapore dollars (3,649 US dollars) and or a jail term of up to 12 months.

Singapore  - A teenage boy who killed his lover's husband was sentenced to indefinite detention until Singapore's president agrees to his release, news reports said Wednesday.

Muhammad Nasir Abdul Aziz repeatedly stabbed Manap Sarlip, 29, in May 2007 outside the couple's flat.

The wife, Aniza Essa, 25, was sentenced last week to nine years in prison for instigating the teenager.

Murder carries a mandatory penalty of death by hanging in the city-state for those above the age of 18. For younger defendants, cases are reviewed every four years.

Singapore - A Singapore Air Force tanker aircraft was deployed to the Gulf on Wednesday to support the multinational reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the government said.

Major-General Ng Chee Khern officiated at the send-off ceremony at Changi Air Base.

The 36-man KC-135 detachment "will conduct air-to-air refueling missions in support of the coalition forces during its three months deployment," an air force statement said.

The air force has made four deployments of KC-135 tanker aircraft, four deployments of landing ships and one of a C-130 transit aircraft to the Gulf since 2003.

Singapore  - Pacific Healthcare Holdings is expanding its presence in India via a joint venture that will invest 10 million Singapore dollars (7.2 million US dollars) in the healthcare sector over the next three years, executives said on Wednesday.

The Birla-Pacific MedSpa will be 50 per cent owned by India's Yash Birla's Group, 42.5 per cent held by Pacific Healthcare and 7.5 per cent by a dermatologist based in India.

The tie-up plans to set up four medical spa centres and a wellness resort. Two of the centres will be in Mumbai and open this year. The resort, featuring about 20 villas, will be in southern Goa.

The locations for two other centres have yet to be decided.

Singapore - Studies are underestimated the risks to businesses by climate change while emphasizing the opportunities, a consultancy report said Thursday.

"This focus on opportunity over risk is striking in the light of growing consensus on the significant macroeconomic costs of climate change," said KPMG after analyzing 50 previously published reports.

Regulatory risks were the most commonly mentioned, but few studies considered the reputational and litigation risks, said the KPMG findings published in The Business Times.

Risks by sector were "omnipresent and underestimated," the report said, noting that nearly all sectors were exposed to a high or medium level risk from climate change.

Singapore  - A student was fined 10,000 Singapore dollars (7,300 US dollars) for smuggling a two-month-old puppy from Malaysia to Singapore, news reports said on Thursday.

Liu Liangwu, 21, was fined the maximum amount for importing an animal without a licence.

Liu, who had no previous criminal record, is only the third person since 2001 to be prosecuted for animal smuggling. He escaped a jail sentence.

A customs officer was checking Liu's car on December 24 when he felt something furry hidden in a closed compartment under the driver's seat, a district court heard on Wednesday.

Singapore - A Singaporean woman was charged with repeatedly punching her Indonesian maid, whacking her with a wooden spatula and kicking the woman in the mouth, news reports said on Thursday.

Housewife Chan Geok Joo, 39, faces 10 counts of maid abuse.

She was accused of having committed the offences against Sri Utami, in her 20s, at home on three separate days in 2006, The Straits Times said.

The case was scheduled for next Wednesday.

Any employer who voluntarily causes hurt to a domestic helper can be jailed for up to 18 months and fined up to 1,500 Singapore dollars (1,094 US dollars) on each charge. (dpa)

Singapore  - Studies are underestimating the risks to businesses by climate change while emphasizing the opportunities, a consultancy report said Thursday.

"This focus on opportunity over risk is striking in the light of growing consensus on the significant macroeconomic costs of climate change," said KPMG after analyzing 50 previously published reports.

Regulatory risks were the most commonly mentioned, but few studies considered the reputational and litigation risks, said the KPMG findings published in The Business Times.

Risks by sector were "omnipresent and underestimated," the report said, noting that nearly all sectors were exposed to a high or medium level risk from climate change.

Singapore  - Fed up with hoax calls to the 999 hotline, police in Singapore are putting up posters in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil warning against the offence, officials said on Thursday.

Prank calls number about two every minute in Singapore.

Those who call emergency numbers intending to harass can face up to a year's jail or a fine, or both, police said.

Nearly 1.05 million of the 1.62 million calls made to police last year were hoaxes. Based on 2005 figures, one in five of such calls were made by children.

The posters, to be put up in primary schools and preschools and displayed at events, depict designs warning against prank calls such as a friend warning a boy who is dialing the hotline.

Singapore  -  A 35-year-old engineer was proclaimed "Singapore's Happiest Person" on Thursday for his unwavering cheer and ability to inspire similar sentiments in others.

Andy Goh, nominated by his colleagues, emerged the winner of a search that started last month to find the happiest Singaporean in the stressed-out city-state.

A poll by Grey Group, an advertising firm, found that nine out ten people living in South-East Asia's most affluent economy acknowledged being stressed.

Singapore - The Italian head of a liquor distribution company was charged in court with evading nearly 800,000 Singapore dollars (588,000 US dollars) in taxes and duties, news reports said on Friday.

Giorgio Ferrari, 39, the managing director of the firm bearing his name, was said to have told authorities that 65,000 bottles were bound for diplomatic missions, which are exempt from tariff under customs and tax laws.

The charges allege the alcohol ended up going to other customers in the city-state, The Straits Times said.

The offences allegedly took place between January 9 and October 23 last year.

Singapore - The average Singaporean does not attach much importance to ties with the European Union even though the EU is the city-state's second-largest trading partner following Malaysia, a published survey said on Saturday.

The group of 27 European countries is viewed mainly as an economic bloc and less as a political power.

The findings reported in The Straits Times are included in a new book on the EU's image by the Asia-Europe Foundation and the National University of Singapore's European studies programme.

The 400 Singaporeans surveyed ranked the EU sixth on a list of important partners, behind China, the United States, Asia, Japan and India.

Singapore  - The mystery over how an accused terrorist with a limp managed to escape from a tightly-secured detention centre in Singapore will be revealed on Monday seven weeks after Mas Selamat sparked the biggest manhunt in the country's history.

Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng is scheduled to deliver a statement in parliament disclosing the findings of an inquiry committee amid public criticism and ridicule on the internet about how the suspected leader of the city-state's wing of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) militant group managed to get away.

The committee, chaired by former High Court judge Goh Joon Seng, was formed last month to investigate.

Home-grown drug manufacturer Dabur Pharma has declared that the promoters and certain other stockholders of the company have signed up share purchase deal with Singapore-based Fresenius Kabi Pte Ltd, which is a 100% subsidiary of the $12-billion healthcare major Fresenius SE.

In conformance to the deal Fresenius will acquire about 73.27% of the company’s overall issued plus paid-up equity share capital at Rs 76.50 per equity share.

The deal, subject to necessary regulatory approvals, values Dabur Pharma at Rs 1198.75 crore.

Singapore  - Dissatisfied customers in Singapore prefer to whine and gripe rather than lodge formal complaints to seek redress, a published survey said Monday.

In the first wide-ranging survey of customer satisfaction, only 6 per cent of the 12,000 people polled said that they opt for action.

The "talk only, no action" preference contrasts with consumers elsewhere, The Straits Times said, citing a similar poll in the United States that found 14 per cent of Americans would file a complaint about poor treatment.

The Customer Satisfaction Index noted that 17 per cent of those queried in the city-state were tourists.

Singapore - A sweet-talking swindler who conned 50 elderly women into giving him their jewellery has been arrested, news reports said.

The 53-year-old was reported to have collected more than 50,000 Singapore dollars (36,764 US dollars).

He would approach his victims and claim to have been a former neighbour, The Straits Times said. He would then persuade the women to part with their valuables by promising to exchange them for ones of more value.

The women never saw him or their baubles again.

The Singaporean, whose name was not released, was trying the same trick when he was stopped by police.

Singapore  - Illegal trans-boundary trade in ozone-depleting chemicals has increased dramatically in the Asia-Pacific region, said a study released by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on Monday.

The scourge of illegal ozone-depleting substances (ODS) has developed into one of the major obstacles in achieving their "timely and efficient phase-out" said the report, noting that the Earth's ozone layer remains "fragile and under threat."

Singapore - The spread of the financial contagion beyond the United States has increased the likelihood of a global financial crisis and recession, the executive director of Singapore's sovereign wealth fund warned on Monday.

"We could be facing a recession which is longer, deeper and wider than any recession that we have encountered in the last 30 years," said Tony Tan at a staff conference of the Government Investment Corporation (GIC), which bought substantial stakes in troubled UBS in December and Citicorp in January.

Singapore  -  An accused Islamic terrorist escaped from a top-security detention centre in Singapore via an improperly secured ventilation window in a bathroom, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng said Monday.

Although Mas Selamat was escorted by two Gurkhas and an Internal Security Department junior officer, he managed to climb out of the window during the 11 minutes that elapsed between a trip to the toilet and the issuing of an alert, Wong told Singapore's Parliament.

His family was waiting for a visit in another room.

Singapore - South-East Asia is seen as second only to China in growth potential for the wealth management field, a published survey said Tuesday.

Market volatility in the United States and Europe has done little to dent confidence in the industry, said the survey of wealth managers by Barclays Capital.

Asia's wealth management growth is not expected to slow over the next two years, according to the findings in The Straits Times.

South-East Asia is expected to see wealth management revenue growth of more than 15 per cent in the next two years, said
68 per cent of the respondents.

Singapore  - Business leaders were urged on Tuesday to speed up practical and creative solutions to greener corporate practices that make sense environmentally and are a source of competitive advantage.

"Ways and means need to be found to mobilize and focus the trillions of dollars in the world's financial and capital markets on the greening of the global economy," said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and executive director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

New Delhi, Apr 23 : India and Singapore have signed a pact here to enhance their bilateral ties.

The agreement was signed between External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his Singapore counterpart George Yeo on the sidelines of the India-Singapore Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC), that was set up in 2007.

Singapore - Computer makers are experiencing a bull run in Asia with PC sales climbing 19 per cent in the first quarter of the year, research firm IDC said Thursday.

Computer shipments in the Asia-Pacific region excluding Japan soared to 17 million units in the first three months, helped largely by strong notebook purchases.

Nearly all Asian countries posted double-digit growth rates in the portable PC segment compared with the fourth quarter of 2007, said the IDC data reported in The Business Times, exceeding forecasts in China and many South-East Asian countries.

Singapore  - Singapore welcomed 908,000 visitors in March, setting a new record for the month and 5.7 per cent growth over the corresponding month a year ago, the Tourism Board said on Thursday.

Indonesia remained the top visitor-generating country with 155,000 people coming to the city-state. China followed with 98,000, Australia 62,000, the United Kingdom 61,000 and India 58,000, rounding out the top five.

"These markets accounted for 48 per cent of total visitor arrivals for the month," the board's statement said.

Singapore  - The first meeting of the India-Singapore Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) marked an "important milestone" in relations between the two countries, Singapore's foreign ministry said on Thursday.

Indian Minister of External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee and his Singapore counterpart George Yeo took stock of the growing linkages and rapid expansion of trade, investment and defense, a ministry statement said.

The ministers also discussed future cooperation in education and culture. They "agreed to explore future cultural initiatives such as India's historical links to Singapore," the statement said.

Singapore  - Singapore welcomed on Friday China's offer to begin consultations with representatives of the Dalai Lama, saying a long-term solution is in the interest of the "entire region."

"No one, least of all the Tibetan people, gains from the continuation of the tensions and protests and the attempts to link the Tibetan issue with the Beijing Olympic Games," a Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman said in a statement.

Singapore - A woman who survived breast cancer died after being knocked down by a taxi, leaving her husband so distraught he tried to end his life, news reports said Sunday.

Immediately after the accident, Chan Yoke Chan's husband hit his head against the Singapore road for more than 20 minutes, and tried to bite off his tongue and stab himself with his keys, The Sunday Times reported.

Chan Gee Kan, 65, was finally strapped to a stretcher-wheelchair on Saturday by paramedics.

The 61-year-old woman was a member of Paddlers in the Pink, a dragon-boat team of breast-cancer survivors. She had just finished training at a reservoir and was crossing a street when she was struck by the taxi, the report said.

Singapore - Fewer foreign maids are choosing to work in Singapore, with those from the Philippines and Indonesia now preferring Taiwan and Hong Kong, a survey said Monday.

The 20 maid agencies surveyed by The Straits Times said that the higher pay and a compulsory weekly day off are key factors.

Singapore's mandatory English entry test on hygiene and housework, as well as a minimum age of 23, are also turning some away as the competition for maids intensifies.

Indonesian and Sri Lankan maids are paid 280 Singapore dollars (190 US dollars) a month, and those from the Philippines up to 350 Singapore dollars (244 US dollars).

Singapore - Myanmar nationals living in Singapore have until Friday to vote on their country's draft constitution drawn up by the military regime, a notice at the embassy said.

Voting started Friday and was originally scheduled to end Tuesday. The notice of the three-day extension was posted on the embassy gates.

Nearly 2,000 people showed up to vote Sunday, many wearing red T- shirts and baseball caps emblazoned with "No." Fewer than 100 got to vote.

The embassy refused to allow anyone wearing the shirts or caps inside.

Singapore - More than 2,900 Asian companies have raised nearly 500 billion US dollars in equity through initial public offerings since 1990, and the region's IPO market is expected to keep up its rapid growth, a Citigroup report said Tuesday.

It cited a shift toward professional investment management of household savings, driving demand for share investments and the introduction of innovative listing vehicles such as property, business and infrastructure trusts.

The rapid economic growth of many Asian economies has prompted companies to raise money for expansion, and more families are seeking to cash in on the value of their businesses, Citigroup analysts said in the report.

Singapore  - Suppliers of goods and services billing the government of Singapore will need to submit their invoices electronically starting May 1 as part of a plan seeking to extend the reach and quality of e-services, the Ministry of Finance said.

The system enabling suppliers to submit their invoices to ministries and statutory boards via a common online portal will "enhance the efficiency" of transactions, a ministry statement said on Wednesday.

Citing the benefits, the ministry said, "Suppliers can expect prompt payment in accordance with agreed? terms."

"E-Invoicing eliminates the risk of misplacement of hardcopy invoices," it noted.

Singapore - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong expressed confidence Thursday in Singapore's ability to cope amid the uncertain global economic outlook but warned that "dark storm clouds have gathered."

In his annual May Day message, Lee cited the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the United States. "We must watch closely how the situation in the US unfolds, and be ready to respond if things take a turn for the worse," he said.

Singapore  - The rice shortage and climate change have prompted the establishment of a research centre aimed at non- traditional security issues in Asia, organizers said on Thursday.

The Centre for Non-Traditional Security will open Tuesday in Singapore at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

"Over the last five years, many non-traditional security issues have hit the headlines in Asia," The Straits Times quoted dean Barry Desker as saying.

They include global pandemics, illegal migration and terrorist links to the illegal drug trade.

Singapore  - Singapore welcomed Thursday the US Senate's confirmation of career foreign service officer Scot Marciel as its first ambassador for ASEAN affairs.

"The US is the first dialogue partner of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to appoint an ambassador" to the 10-nation grouping, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Singapore currently holds the ASEAN chairmanship.

"This reflects the strength of the ASEAN-US relationship and the commitment of the US to continue its engagement with ASEAN," the ministry's statement said.

Singapore - Singapore is to become the first country in South-East Asia to obtain German-engineered buses designed to be kind to the environment and accessible to disabled passengers, a public transport firm said Thursday.

The first of the Mercedes-Benz buses is to hit the road in mid-May and another 66 are to be rolled out between August and December, the SMRT Corp said.

Singapore - Ultraviolet rays have been found to be essential for a spider courting females, a published report said Friday.

National University of Singapore (NUS) Associate Professor Li Daiqin said that the rays, invisible to the human eye, are very much visible to the eight-legged arachnids in courtship rituals.

He has proven that a particular type of light, ultraviolet B (UVB), is used in communicating, The Straits Times said.

Female jumping spiders spent twice the amount of time ogling males with UVB-reflecting markings on their body, compared to those where the light wave had been filtered out.

Internet Service Provider, Net 4 India Ltd has announced that its subsidiary based in Singapore has received a Service Based Operator (SBO) license in Singapore.

Through this license, the company will have the full right to offer Voice over Internet Protocol services - transmission of voice services over a broadband network.

The company also has plans to establish a new PoP (Point of Presence) in Singapore for VoIP-related services that includes International Calling Card Service (ICC), Toll Free Services, IP Telephony Services.

Singapore - A recovering drug addict claimed she was pressured into having sex with a police sergeant who worked at the Singapore centre where she went for urine tests, news reports said Saturday.

Phua Jun Yang, 25, is facing accusations in court that he showed leniency in his supervision of the woman's urine tests in return for sexual favours, The Straits Times said.

He is also accused of contravening the Official Secrets Act (OSA) on January 4, 2007, by giving the woman inside information about the activities of a drug dealer.

"I was afraid that if I did not do what he wanted, my urine samples may have problems," the 23-year-old waitress said during the opening day Friday of an expected six-day trial.

Singapore  - SilkAir and its authorized travel agents have stopped issuing paper tickets, a month ahead of a deadline set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the carrier said Saturday.

Travellers are given an electronic ticket, which they can print and carry with them when flying, said the Singapore Airlines subsidiary.

IATA will stop printing paper tickets starting June 1, saving the industry 2 billion US dollars a year and the equivalent of 50,000 mature trees.

By the deadline, it is expected that 96 per cent of all tickets issued globally will be electronic.

Singapore  - Peddlers from China and Vietnam are hawking bootleg cigarettes openly in Singapore and even stopping cars to sell their stash, The Sunday Times said.

The cigarettes are smuggled in on board cargo ships which dock at Jurong Port.

The peddlers buy their contraband at about 2 Singapore dollars (1.39 US dollars) for a pack of 20 sticks and resell them to street buyers in the Geylang area, the report said.

A pack of Marlboro Red or Marlboro Menthol costs up to 6 Singapore dollars (4.19 US dollars), half of the amount a duty-paid pack costs in the city-state.

Taipei - Authorities searched the home of a Singaporean accused of embezzling Taiwan's million-dollar diplomatic fund, as the scandal has begun to implicate more Taiwanese officials.

On Saturday evening, prosecutors searched the home of Wu Shih-tsai and seized a document on Taipei's plan to convince Papua New Guinea (PNG) recognize Taiwan - instead of China - in exchange for 30 million US dollars, press reports said.

At a news conference early Saturday, Wu claimed he was trying to help Taiwan and had not embezzled any of Taiwan's money.

Singapore - The Singapore Armed Force (SAF) is sending two construction engineering teams to Bamiyan province in central Afghanistan as part of the city-state's contribution to the international humanitarian assistance and reconstruction efforts, the defence ministry said on Monday.

Each of the six-man teams will be operating as part of the New Zealand Defence Force's provincial reconstruction team for three months from early May to October, the ministry's statement said.

Singapore  - Four bodybuilders who competed in Singapore's National Championships have tested positive for illegal performance- enhancing drugs, the largest number of drug cheats nabbed in a single event in the city-state, news reports said Tuesday.

Two others who were supposed to give urine samples at the April 20 meet skipped the random tests.

Caught in the dragnet was Zasi Zura Raush, who won in the lightweight division, The Straits Times said. He was a bronze medalist at the South-East Asia Games and last year's "Mr Singapore," the overall winner in the annual championships.

If found guilty, he will be stripped of his title.

Singapore  - Slower growth in the number of passengers carried by Asia-Pacific airlines was anticipated in a survey conducted by the International Air Transport Association and released Tuesday, indicating US woes might be spreading.

The slower growth is a particular concern "since this is a region where travel demand is expected to continue to grow, even in the face of a US recession," the association said.

The quarterly survey of airline executives in March evaluated their business sentiment as oil and fuel prices reached record highs and as growth in the industry in the Asia-Pacific fell to 4.3 per cent in March from the same month a year earlier, down from the 6.9-per-cent growth recorded at the same point in 2007.

Singapore - Singapore is expected to surpass Hong Kong within 10 years as home to the highest concentration of millionaires in the world, a Barclays Wealth report said Wednesday.

A total of 40.7 per cent of all households, or 436,000, are forecast to boast new wealth in excess of 1 million US dollars by 2017.

Two out of every five households in the city-state are expected to be millionaires by then, according to the report examining the combined wealth of household members.

Singapore ranked second with 23.3 per cent last year, trailing Hong Kong's rate of 26.4 per cent.

Singapore  - Singapore Airlines (SIA) will increase its fuel surcharge for tickets effective May 12 as a result of the sustained increase in jet fuel prices in recent months, the carrier said on Wednesday.

The new levels apply to SIA and subsidiary SilkAir flights. The prices go up by 5 US dollars to 35 US dollars for flights between Singapore and Association of South-East Asian countries, and up by 20 US dollars to 150 US dollars for flights between the city-state and gateways in the United States and Canada.

A 15-US-dollar increase to 95 US dollars applies to all other flights.

Singapore - The Singapore government is considering a lighter touch in regulating the internet after 13 bloggers called for freedom to discuss political issues and views, the group said on Thursday.

The bloggers also proposed that any regulation of online content should not be at the administrative discretion of officials, but through moderation by a consultative body of citizens.

"To keep up with the fast-evolving new media landscape, we have been reviewing our light-touch approach and are considering how we could take a lighter-touch approach," The Straits Times quoted K Bhavani, press secretary at the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA), as saying.

Singapore - Business class airfares in the Asia-Pacific region climbed 4 per cent in the first quarter of this year on demand for long-haul flights to the Americas and on regional routes, a business travel monitor said on Thursday.

Airfares across the region rose 7 per cent year-on-year, said the American Express report.

"Current economic conditions seem to be having little effect on published airfares across (the) Asia-Pacific, with demand still outstripping supply, The Business Times quoted advisory services head Kurt Knackstedt as saying.

Some airlines are shifting towards a different business model to capitalize on the popularity of business class seats.

Singapore - A baby boy drowned in a bucket of water three days before his first birthday, news reports said Friday.

The child, known among his Singapore neighbours as Ah Boy, was found with his head in the bucket in the bathroom of the one-room flat, The Straits Times said.

The water had been collected for a bath. The boy apparently managed to lift himself by holding onto the side of the bucket before falling face first into the water.

He was taken to a hospital Wednesday near his flat, where he was pronounced dead.

Neighbours said he was looked after by his grandmother when his parents were not at home. (dpa)

Singapore - The Singapore Exchange (SGX) has proposed its member firms maintain a business continuity plan to help them cope in the event of disasters and boost confidence that the marketplace will bounce back quickly, its website said on Friday.

The public has until May 22 to give its feedback.

The proposed rules are aimed at securities and derivatives members including the likes of Merrill Lynch Singapore, Goldman Sachs Futures, Barclays Bank plc and others.

Singapore  - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong offered to host a meeting of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Friday to discuss how the grouping can help Myanmar in its relief and recovery efforts in the aftermath of last weekend's devastating cyclone, the Foreign Ministry said.

The military regime has refused to let in foreign aid workers, but is willing to accept supplies from the UN and some other countries.

Singapore holds the ASEAN chairmanship. A senior officials meeting in Singapore discussed "how ASEAN could respond in support of Myanmar," one of the 10 members, a ministry statement said.

Singapore  - The number of abused and neglected children brought before Singapore courts for care and protection orders has been on the rise, published data said on Saturday.

The number reached 114 last year compared to 18 in 1996.

In one-third of the 2007 cases, the abusers were the children's mothers, with fathers accounting for one-fifth of the cases, said The Straits Times. One in four youngsters were abused by both parents.

Singapore  - Consumption of shark's fins soared in Singapore last year powered by a robust economy and an increase in weddings despite pleas from environmental groups noting one-third of the species in the world are at risk of extinction or critically endangered, a published report said on Saturday.

More than 470 tonnes were devoured in 2007 compared to 182 tonnes in 2006 placing Singapore among the world top five shark's fin importers alongside Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Indonesia, The Straits Times said. Hong Kong is the top consumer.

Singapore  - A woman eager to show her son how donations are made turned over 100,000 Singapore dollars (74,000 US dollars) for victims of the cyclone in Myanmar, The Sunday Times said.

In her 40s, the woman went to the Red Cross House and asked how she could help. She then took out of her handbag a wad of 1,000- Singapore-dollar (740-US-dollar) notes, totaling 50,000 Singapore dollars (37,000 US dollars), tied together with a rubber band.

While the workers were thanking her, the woman took out another wad, saying: "Here's another 50,000."

Singapore - Soaring prices for agricultural commodities are whetting investors' appetites for agri-funds that have been sprouting in Singapore, news reports said on Monday.

At least four investment funds launched in the past week have offered exposure to the performance of such markets as rice, wheat and soya, The Straits Times said.

Among them are Barclays Global Agriculture Delta Fund and BNP Paribas Agriculture fund, available to retail investors for a minimum 1,000-Singapore-dollar (740-US-dollar) investment.

Merrill Lynch is distributing its Citrine Agriculture Booster Notes, linked to six indexes. At least three private banks recently launched their own products.

Singapore  - Nearly 2,000 people in Singapore have signed a petition calling on the international community to enter cyclone- battered Myanmar with or without the military government's permission, organizers said on Monday.

The document, including signatures from Myanmar nationals and Singaporeans, will be presented to various embassies.

"It is imperative to act before many more lives are unnecessarily lost," said the petition calling for aid workers to enter "regardless of the lack of permission from the military junta."

Singapore  - Foreign ministers from the Association of South- East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are likely to meet in Singapore soon to discuss measures to support relief and recovery efforts in cyclone- hit Myanmar, The Straits Times said on Monday.

It is understood that Myanmar has agreed to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's offer to host the meeting, the report said, and the country's foreign minister is expected to attend.

Lee's offer was conveyed in a letter that Foreign Minister George Yeo wrote to his Myanmar counterpart U Nyan Win on Friday.

Singapore  - Welfare organizations in Singapore have received permission from Myamnar's military government to enter the cyclone- battered country and deliver aid, two groups said Tuesday.

The city-state has also confirmed it is hosting a special meeting Monday of Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers and has the go-ahead from Myanmar for the grouping to assess the damage.

Three members of the Singapore Red Cross were ready to fly Tuesday into Myanmar and start laying the groundwork for a nine-member medical team. Three members of the Salvation Army expect to be in Myanmar by Thursday.

Singapore  - An 8-year-old boy has become the youngstest student at a polytechnic in Singapore, the institution said Tuesday.

Ainan Cawley, a chemistry prodigy, created a performance for Mother's Day.

"Our intention is to equip him with the skills needed for a scientist," father Valentine Cawley told The Straits Times. "He will be doing all the laboratory-based chemistry courses."

The child's parents plan to homeschool their son. (dpa)

Singapore  - The Government of Singapore Investment Corp (GIC), one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds, said Tuesday that it has purchased an
11-per-cent stake in the US-based energy-infrastructure firm AEI for 400 million US dollars.

The purchase was made through GIC's private equity wing, GIC Special Investments.

AEI owns and operates businesses in emerging markets worldwide, including China, Mexico and Argentina.

Singapore - Workers in Singapore prefer relocation to another country over commuting more than 45 minutes each way to work, according to a recruitment firm's poll released Tuesday.

Nearly eight in 10 of the more than 2,000 employees queried by Kelly Services said they would consider relocating to another country. Fifty-six per cent were prepared to move to unfamiliar locations where they don't speak the local language.

Singapore  -  Singapore Telecommunications added a record 13.8 million mobile-phone customers during its fourth quarter ending in March, propelled by Indian subscribers, South-East Asia's largest telephone company said on Tuesday.

Bharti Airtel Ltd, 31 per cent owned by SingTel, gained 6.8 million wireless customers. SingTel's total reached 185.3 million mobile-phone users, it said in a statement.

Indonesia's PT Telekomunikasi Selular added 3.4 million customers and Australia's SingTel Optus Pty 135,000 during the three-month period.

Another 244,000 customers were added in Singapore. (dpa)

Singapore  - Foreigners from India, Bangladesh, China, Mongolia and Indonesia are making up the bulk of illegal hawkers in Singapore, news reports said on Wednesday.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said so far this year, 650 of the 800 hawkers nabbed have come from abroad. Since only Singaporeans can obtain licenses to hawk legally, the activities of those from elsewhere are illegal.

Getting caught is viewed as a risk of the trade, the NEA said.

"I have been doing this all my life," a hawker was quoted as saying. "What else can I do?"

They typically sell curry puffs, fish paste cakes and fruit wherever crowds congregate, said the NEA findings in The Straits Times.

Singapore  - China's and India's growing share of the overall Asia-Pacific personal computer market has hiked the region's software piracy rate and increased financial losses, the Business Software Alliance (BSA) said in a report released on Wednesday.

"Although solid progress was seen in the region with 13 economies registering decreases in piracy rates, "the average PC software piracy rate increased from 55 per cent in 2006 to 59 per in 2007, the study said. "Dollar losses from piracy rose from almost 12 billion US dollars in 2006 to over 14 billion US dollars in 2007."

The annual PC Software Piracy Study, conducted by market research and forecasting firm IDC, was released in Singapore.

Singapore  - The drug-development firm S*Bio has been granted "orphan" approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a product aimed a treating a rare blood disease, the Singapore company said Wednesday.

The designation is awarded by the FDA for promising therapies to treat diseases affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States.

The drug, code-named SB1518, is meant to treat myeloproliferative disorders. Characterized by a proliferation of certain blood cells, the disorders can lead to cardiovascular disease and leukaemia.

Singapore - Singapore will help North Korea in economic matters, though the city-state is not a big player in north-east Asian politics, Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo said in published remarks Thursday.

"We must be realistic, accept that we are not a major player in north-east Asia, but where we can be helpful and promote trade and exchanges, we should," The Straits Times quoted Yeo as saying, as he wrapped up an official visit to North Korea, the first by a Singapore minister.

Yeo met with North Korea's second-ranking political leader Kim Yong Nam, Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun and Foreign Trade Minister Ri Ryong Nam.

Singapore is the only ASEAN country without an ambassador to Pyongyang.

Singapore  - Singapore Airlines (SIA) launched Thursday its new all-business-class service to New York via Newark Airport in response to demand from corporate travellers, the carrier said.

"With this newly reconfigured aircraft, we will be increasing our business class capacity," said SIA Executive Vice President Huang Cheng Eng.

Providing customers with more personal space and privacy, the seats are arranged in a four abreast, one-two-one layout, with every seat having direct access to the aisle.

The seats convert into flat beds.

Singapore (dpa) - Mrs Lee Kuan Yew, wife of Singapore's founding father, was in serious condition Friday after suffering a stroke, a statement said.

The haemorrhage experienced by the 87-year-old, whose maiden name is Kwa Geok Choo, has subsided, and she is able to recognize immediate family members, said the statement from Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's office.

Mrs Lee, as she is referred to, on Monday experienced sudden weakness in the left side of her body and slurring of speech. She was taken to the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) for an urgent brain scan, which revealed bleeding in the right side of the brain.

She was subsequently admitted to the Neurointensive Care Unit in Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Singapore  - A 58-year-old retiree was charged with putting a bicycle chain around the main door handles of Singapore's National Library, news reports said on Friday.

Bin Hee Heng's bicycle had allegedly been chained up previously in March by library staff because it was parked on a pedestrian walkway instead of a designated bicycle rack.

The cyclist was accused in district court of retaliating by chaining up the glass doors that evening, The Straits Times said. The police were called.

Singapore  - Singapore is sending a 55-member disaster assistance and rescue team to China's earthquake-hit Sichuan province, where the death toll may have reached 50,000, the foreign ministry said on Friday.

The team, flying to the provincial capital of Chengdu, was led by commander Francis Ng How Juah.

China's state media said on Thursday 20,000 deaths have been confirmed since Monday's 7.8-magnitude quake and 30,000 people were missing.

The city-state has donated 200,000 US dollars while several companies with a presence in and around the quake zone have pledged substantial sums. Wilmar International Limited, an agri-processing company, is contributing 2.8 million US dollars.

Singapore  -  Asia-Pacific Breweries (APB), the makers of Tiger Beer, is expanding production in southern China with the construction of a new brewery in Guangzhou, APB confirmed on Friday.

Its joint venture Heineken-APB China, through its wholly owned subsidiary Guangzhou Asia Pacific Brewery Co, will build the new facility to be completed in 2009.

"Our beer brands, Tiger, Heineken and Anchor, have made significant inroads in south China," said APB chief executive Koh Poh Tiong.

While the investment cost is estimated at 120 million Singapore dollars (82 million US dollars), the project will enable APB to further expanding the Hainen market.

The Hainan brewery produces 1 million bottles of beer a day. (dpa)

Singapore  - Television viewers will no longer watch the Miss Singapore Universe contest with its competing beauties vying for the coveted title, The Sunday Times said.

The event with 16 finalists will still go on Tuesday night, but as a dinner show at the Marriott Hotel.

MediaCorp, which has been producing the show for seven years, cited plunging viewership and declining sponsorship money.

The international Miss Universe contest will be held in Vietnam in July.

Singapore - A majority of Singapore consumers have stopped doing business with at least one firm in the last year due to poor service, a survey said Monday.

Half of the 300 consumers queried rate the overall quality of service they received as fair or "poor/terrible."

Sixty-three per cent said their expectations are seldom met, according to the Accenture Survey on Customer Service Standards.

The results are similar to an Accenture survey last year of more than 3,500 consumers in China, Australia, the United States and Brazil.

Singapore  - Buddhism is the fastest-growing religion in Singapore, particularly among the young and educated, census figures released Monday showed.

The number of people aged 15 and over who are Buddhists jumped from 31 per cent of the population in 1990 to 43 per cent, or 1.1 million people, 10 years later. Buddhism is the main religion in the city-state.

Devotees congregated at temples on Vesak Day Monday, marking the birth, enlightenment and nirvana of the Buddha.

Singapore - A telephone scam praying on the generosity of people toward China's quake victims has surfaced in Singapore, news reports said.

Text messages from China mobile-phone numbers are increasingly appealing for donations to help disaster victims.

A similar scam is festering in China, where police have arrested eight people in Guizhou who sent fake messages asking for money, The Straits Times said.

Singapore  - Rwandan President Paul Kagame kicked off his first official visit to Singapore Tuesday at the invitation of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

He was scheduled to call on President SR Nathan and to meet with Lee, who will host a dinner in Kagame's honour.

In the city-state until May 23, Kagame was set to visit the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise, an Institute of Technical Education, and meet with business leaders.

Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Rosemary Museminali is part of Kagame's delegation. (dpa)

Singapore  - A new film developed by researchers in Singapore has the potential to jump-start the plastic electronics industry in the city-state, the research team said on Tuesday.

Apart from the need to be flexible, the plastic layer from A*Star's Institute of Materials Research and Engineering has to be impervious to moisture and oxygen to prevent organic substances from degrading or declining in performance.

A test conducted by the UK Centre for Process Innovation showed the material using the technology is 1,000 times more impervious to moisture than existing plastic films.

For manufacturers and consumers, this means a longer lifespan for end products, the researchers said.

Singapore  - An Airbus 380 superjumbo jet belonging to Singapore Airlines took off from Tokyo's Narita International Airport Tuesday in the first intra-Asia round trip for the world's largest commercial aircraft after a delay cause by the diversion of the initial flight from Singapore, an airline spokesman said.

The double-decker jet, carrying 394 passengers and 28 crew members, landed at Narita more than four hours behind schedule after it was diverted to Nagoya first because of bad weather, he said.

Singapore  - The World Bank is currently not in a position to give aid to cyclone-wracked Myanmar because the country has fallen behind in its debt repayments, Managing Director Juan Jose Daboub said on Tuesday.

Noting the country has been in arrears since 1998, Daboub said, "At this time we are not in a position of providing resources to Myanmar."

Daboub told reporters following a talk at a Singapore university that the bank's policy is not to provide funds "to countries that have fallen behind" in repayments.

Daboub's comments came one day after after Myanmar agreed to let the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) lead an international aid effort for cyclone-hit areas.

Singapore  - An open verdict was reached in the death of a Singapore soldier on duty in Taiwan after an out-of-control Taiwanese fighter jet smashed into the base killing the pilot, co-pilot and two people on the ground, news reports said on Wednesday.

State Coroner Victor Yeo said that without a final report from the Taiwanese, he could not determine the cause of the accident, The Straits Times said.

Details of the crash on May 11 last year were recounted during the coroner's inquiry on Tuesday into the death of Lance Corporal Calvin Chow Han Min, a 19-year-old supply assistant.

Chow, who was cleaning his gun when the jet spiralled toward the camp in Hukou, suffered severe burns and died 17 days later in a Singapore hospital.

Singapore  - Anwar Ibrahim, the de facto leader of Malaysia's opposition, told reporters Wednesday he wants bring a motion of no confidence against the ruling government by the middle of September.

During a press conference in Singapore, Anwar told reporters "we have the numbers, we can move," adding that his People's Justice Party needed just 30 members to gain a simple majority in parliament. His party controls 82 seats in the legislature.

Singapore  - Singapore is emerging as an Asian role model for infrastructure finance with its small but active "public private partnership" (PPP) programme, Fitch Ratings said in a report released on Wednesday.

"While other Asian countries have executed larger PPPs, only a few have had Singapore's success in sustaining a steady supply of new projects," Fitch said.

Taipei  - Taiwan's Evergreen Marine Corp confirmed Wednesday that it would change the registration of 11 of its container ships from Britain to Singapore if Britain changes its tonnage tax rules.

"If it is implemented, we will let our 11 ships which fly the UK flag to register in Singapore," an Evergreen Marine press officer said.

"But our operation in the UK will not change," she said. "Evergreen's subsidiary, Evergreen Marine UK, and our shipping agent in the UK will continue their operations as before."

Chang Jung-fa - chairman of Evergreen Marine, one of the world's leading container shipping lines - protested the proposed change to Britain's tonnage tax rules in a May

Singapore - Two pilots and an aircrew specialist emerged unharmed from the crash-landing of a Singapore Air Force helicopter that went down within seconds of takeoff, the Defence Ministry said.

The city-state's entire fleet of Super Puma helicopters has been temporarily grounded as a result of Wednesday's crash, the ministry statement said.

Colonel Darius Lim said the helicopter was departing on a routine training mission. It was hovering just above the ground when it came crashing down at the Sembawang Air Base.

Singapore  - Bribery and other forms of dodgy dealings are not a huge problem in Singapore companies, a published survey said Thursday.

Only one in 10 firms polled in the Ernst & Young survey experienced an incident of bribery or corruption in the last two years, well under the global average of nearly four in
10.

Singapore  - Singapore Airlines (SIA), the only operator of the world's largest passenger aircraft, is adding an additional A380 service on the Singapore to London route on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, the carrier said on Thursday.

Passenger loads on the Singapore-London route "have been exceptionally encouraging," said Huang Cheng Eng, SIA's executive vice president for marketing. "The deployment of another A380 on this route will cater to continual strong demand."

Singapore  - Two medical teams from Singapore were sent to cyclone-hit Myanmar on Thursday under the coordination of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the health ministry said on Thursday.

Four doctors and eight nurses "will provide medical support as part of Singapore's contribution to the relief effort," the ministry said. They also brought along medical supplies to treat water-borne diseases.

The two teams were formed by personnel from various hospitals.

They departed on a Singapore Armed Force C-130 aircraft from Paya Lebar Air Base on Thursday for a two-week period.

Mumbai based real estate development firm Sunil Mantri Realty Ltd has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with MSC Cyberport Sdn.

Bhd for development, construction, marketing and funding of Bandar MSC Cyberport, which is the first Malaysia cybercity in Kulai, Johor.

Sunil Mantri proposes to pump US$ 100 million in the joint venture project, in which the State Government of Johor Barul, through a subsidiary, will hold 30% of equity and balance 70% will be jointly held by Sunil Mantri Realty and MSC Cyberport Sdn.Bhd.

Singapore - A private boat carrying 12 people sank off Singapore leaving one person dead and the others hospitalized, the police coast guard said Friday.

It is believed that the fibreglass cabin cruiser developed a leak and started taking on water before sinking. Police said they received a call Thursday night from a passing boat informing them of the cruiser's plight.

Police rescued eight people from the water while two other boats pulled out four.

A 57-year-old man was pronounced dead an hour later by paramedics, The Straits Times said. He reportedly had a history of heart problems.

The other passengers were four men, four women and three girls aged between 8 and 10.

Singapore  - Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom focused on climate change and the environment Friday on the second day of his state visit to Singapore, after discussing collaboration on the issues with Singapore President SR Nathan.

He was scheduled to deliver a lecture at Singapore Management University on governing for sustainability.

Singapore - Singapore's only privately-owned cargo airline has started replacing its ageing Boeing 747-200Fs with newer generation and more fuel efficient aircraft, a news report said on Saturday.

Jett8 Airlines Cargo has signed a one-year lease agreement for a B747-400 extended range freighter with Shenzhen-based Jade Cargo International, said The Business Times.

Singapore - The incessant din from pile drivers, hacking and demolition work at Singapore construction sites has triggered mounting complaints of deafening noise, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a published report on Monday.

Complaints last year reached 9,228, nearly double the 4,953 in 2005.

About 6,380 worksites dotted the city-state in 2007, a 30 per cent hike from 5,020 the previous year, said the data in The Straits Times.

Noise limits are imposed only for weekday nights, Sundays and public holidays.

Residents complain that while worksites are quiet at night, they are deafening during the day.

Singapore - A 64-year-old woman died two days after her 101- year-old mother in the same Singapore hospital, news reports said Monday.

The mother, Yeo Ah Lan, had been confined in the facility for two months with a skin condition.

Daughter Yeo Kui Ing, 64, had lingered in the hospital since Wednesday after an accident with a motorcycle left her with head injuries, The Straits Times said.

She had been on her way to the hospital to visit her mother.

Yeo never gained consciousness and died Saturday, two days after the older patient.

Indiabulls Real Estate Ltd (IBREL) plans to raise up to US$ 286 million through an initial public offer (IPO) in Singapore.

IBREL has offered to sell 353.5 million shares of Indiabulls Properties Investment Trust (IPIT) at a price band of 1.0-1.1 Singapore dollar each. This will be the first stake sale by an Indian real estate company in Singapore.

IPIT is a business trust registered under the laws of Singapore and is planning to make an offer of its units for subscription by investors.

Singapore - A private school in Singapore plans to open its first overseas campus in August in the capital of Uzbekistan, backers said Tuesday.

The Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS) is setting up shop in the city of Tashkent.

"This country is untapped," The Straits Times quoted MDIS secretary-general R Theyvendran as saying. "It's new territory, and many people have not heard of it."

A team from the Central Asian republic, which became independent following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, came to Singapore last year to invite foreign educational institutions.

A joint venture was struck between MDIS and the Uzbekistan Banking Association.

Singapore - Cyber swindlers posing as victims in disaster- hit China and Myanmar are targeting citizens of Singapore and elsewhere with email scams and phony websites soliciting donations, news reports said Tuesday.

The frauds have prompted widespread alerts from sources including information technology firms in Singapore about the attempts to capitalize on the earthquake and cyclone, which have claimed at least 150,000 lives.

Experts told The Straits Times that the perpetrators are hoping to tap into the generosity of Singaporeans by posing as victims and charities.

Singapore  - Headhunters in five emerging markets worldwide predict that costly international staff will be replaced by locals, returning nationals and regional talent within the next decade, a study said on Wednesday.

Conducted by the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC), the study gathered responses last month from 62 executive search professionals from China, India, Brazil, Russia and the Middle East.

Singapore - Singapore and Syria have established diplomatic relations, the foreign ministry said on Thursday.

The Middle Eastern country, which borders the Mediterranean Sea between Lebanon and Turkey, has a population of 19.7 million.

The diplomatic ties went into effect on Wednesday, the ministry said in a brief tatement. (dpa)

Singapore - Singaporeans are starting to gamble at a younger age, triggering fears that the city-state could face a wave of betting addicts, a published study said on Thursday.

Nearly one-quarter of those queried started gambling when they were under 18, a 10 per cent hike over 2005.

About 70 per cent began wagering regularly before they turned 30, up from 60 per cent in 2005, said the findings in The Straits Times.

With Singapore's first two casinos scheduled to open within two years, experts warn the number of addicts could rise. Studies have shown that youth who gamble are up to four-times more likely to become addicts than adults.

Singapore - Shark's fin will not be served in the restaurants of a massive casino resort being built on Singapore's Sentosa island, but the controversial delicacy will be available to high rollers.

The decision by Resorts World at Sentosa is meant to highlight the resort's commitment to the environment, spokesman Krist Boo said Thursday.

Resorts World is the second major retreat in the region to reject the controversial dish, after Hong Kong Disneyland.

Environmental groups have intensified protests targeting restaurants and resorts that offer the soup, maintaining that one third of shark species in the world are critically endangered.

Singapore  - Defence minister and senior officials from 27 countries agreed on "norms of behaviour" for offering disaster relief amid the slow pace of delivering international aid supplies to cyclone-devastated Myanmar.

With the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual forum, scheduled to conclude on Sunday, the ministers agreed that timely delivery of humanitarian assistance was critical.

Three guiding principles were proposed for multilateral cooperation, said a statement from Singapore's Defence Ministry.

The first principle stressed the responsibility of disaster-hit countries to quickly and effectively bring humanitarian relief to people in their territories.

Singapore - A new super-absorbing material shows promise of sopping up oil leaks and toxic spills in five years, sparing coastlines devastating effects, a published report said on Monday.

The paper-like substance made up of a mesh of fine wires, is the work of an international team of scientists including National University of Singapore assistant professor Liu Xiao Gang.

The make-up of the strands, known as nanowires, enables them to separate water from oil or other poisonous chemicals containing carbon, The Straits Times said.

Joined into fabric-like layers, they could be floated on the surface of the sea in tanks, absorbing oil and leaving clean water behind.

Singapore  - A parliamentary delegation from Bahrain is in Singapore through Thursday, government officials said Tuesday.

Five members of the Gulf principality's Shura Council are in the city-state at the invitation of Singapore Parliament Speaker Abdullah Tarmugi.

The delegation was scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister George Yeo and Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar, who also holds the portfolio of coordinating minister for national security.

Islamic Religious Council of Singapore President Alami Musa is hosting a dinner for the Bahrain delegation. (dpa)

Singapore - The rocketing cost of food is providing an opportunity for investors to focus on the humble chicken, a Morgan Stanley report said Tuesday.

With grain prices soaring, beef and pork will increasingly become more costly compared to companies dealing with chicken processing, said the investment bank.

Producing a kilogram of chicken requires less grain than producing the same amount of beef, the report said. Chicken hatcheries also cause less pollution than cattle or pig farms.

Other firms in the poultry sector, such as equipment makers and vaccine providers, were also recommended.

Singapore  - Singapore became the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to sign an agreement aimed at enhancing cooperation in civil aviation security with the United States, the Transport Ministry said Tuesday.

"Civil aviation security is critical to the global civil aviation industry," a ministry's statement said.

The agreement was signed in Washington by Choi Shing Kwok, the ministry's permanent secretary, and Gale Rossides, deputy administrator for the Transport Security Administration of the US Department of Homeland Security.

It aims to boost cooperation in security policy, procedures and standards, technology, operations and technical expertise.

Singapore  - The Asia-Pacific region is presenting dramatic opportunities for the investment management industry while global markets face further turbulence on fears of recession, a report said Wednesday.

KPMG estimated that 21.1 per cent of the world's high net worth individuals are in the Asia-Pacific region, with much of the wealth held in unstructured assets, particularly real estate and bank deposits.

The report forecasts this rising level of wealth among the middle classes will be a key driver for the funds management industry.

Singapore - A Singapore polytechnic is starting a diploma programme in logistics management in a partnership with Wuhan University of Science and Technology, a published report said on Thursday.

Ngee Ann Polytechnic's principal Chia Mia Chiang said the partnership with the prestigious university in China would help Ngee Ann expand its global presence.

The facility is exploring simiar partnerships with universities in other Chinese cities, as well as those in India and Vietnam.

Wuhan University's vice-president Ma Jihua told The Straits Times that 120 students would be recruited for the inaugural programme.

Singapore - A new medical tourism website has brought competitors from Singapore and Thailand together on a single platform, a published report said on Thursday.

Called FlyFreeForHealth, it has six healthcare partners on its list, including Thailand's Phyathai Hospitals Group.

"Given the US recession, and an increasingly inefficient healthcare system in Europe, the launch of FlyFreeFor Health is definitely well timed to meet the demands of these medical travellers," The Business Times quoted founder Wei Siang Yu as saying.

Accommodation service providers and spa operators are also on the list.

Singapore  - An animal rights group Thursday named Singapore Airlines the recipient of its "Litterbox Award" for an advertisement that "stinks for animals."

The Asia-Pacific branch of People for the Ethnical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said the airline promoted cruel rodeos in an ad encouraging traveller to visit the US state of Texas.

The company had no immediate response.

In order to make defence equipment, Gurgaon based Punj Lloyd, an engineering, procurement and construction specialist, has signed up a collaboration contract with Singapore Technologies Kinetics.

However, the financial details of the deal were not disclosed up till now.
 
The Indian Government issued Punj Lloyd a license for making guns, rockets and missile artillery systems and related equipment in addition to other defence equipment.

Phnom Penh  - Singapore-based Jetstar Asia plans daily flights between Singapore and the Cambodian capital starting at the end of July, the company said in a press release Thursday.

The daily flights, some of which will also include the northern tourist hub of Siem Reap, home to the Angkor Wat temple complex, are scheduled to begin from July 28, the airline said.

Jetstar Asia is an offshoot of Australian Qantas' budget airline Jetstar Airways.

The company did not say how much tickets would cost for the new route. (dpa)

Singapore  - A private bank based in Liechtenstein plans to make Singapore a hub for its Asian operations, a published report said on Friday.

The VP Bank Group intends to increase its staff strength in the city-state from 12 to 26 in the next 12 months and is aiming to manage 5-billion-US-dollars worth of assets in Asia within five years, said Singapore managing director Reto Isenring.

The city-state was chosen as a hub because of its "business- friendly government and an attractive tax environment, a skilled workforce" and excellent infrastructure, The Straits Times quoted Isenring as saying.

Singapore - An info-security service provider has extended its operations into Thailand and India in a drive to expand in the Asia-Pacific region, a published report said on Monday.

The Singapore-based e-Cop now has a Global Command Centre in Bangkok and a Global Resource Centre in Mumbai to provide monitoring and protection.

"Thai companies are looking at either managing security in-house or to outsource to a third party with the relevant expertise," The Business Times quoted chief executive Marcus Low as saying.

The Mumbai office "leverages on the vast pool of multi-talented IT professionals in India to enhance the company's synergy with partners," Low said.

Singapore - An explosion rocked a Belize-registered ship in the final stages of repair at a Singapore dock, injuring 15 crew members and workers on board, officials said Monday.

On Sunday, a flash fire broke out in the 50-metre-long Rainbow Star, which had been berthed at Kreuz Shipbuilding & Engineering in Tuas Crescent for nearly three months.

A shipyard worker said he saw plumes of white and orange smoke after the explosion.

"I heard a very loud pong sound," the Chinese national told The Straits Times. "The whole boat was covered in smoke."

Singapore  - Singapore is considered the easiest place to do business in Asia, the US Commercial Service in the city-state said Monday.

US export data reflects Singapore's "important role as a major distribution centre, serving as the gateway to the region," the commercial service said on its website.

"Many of the US products imported into Singapore are eventually re-exported as finished and semi-finished products to other markets in South-east Asia and worldwide," it noted.

Singapore is the ninth-largest export market for manufactured goods from the US and its 15th largest trading partner.

Singapore  - An explosion rocked a Belize-registered ship in the final stages of repair at a Singapore dock, injuring 15 crew members and workers on board, officials said Monday.

A flash fire broke out Sunday in the 50-metre-long Rainbow Star, which had been berthed at Kreuz Shipbuilding & Engineering in Tuas Crescent for nearly three months.

Six workers suffered severe burns with four in intensive care. One suffered burns over 90 per cent of his body.

The other nine were treated for smoke inhalation.

The incident is under investigation.

A shipyard worker told The Straits Times that he saw plumes of white and orange smoke after the explosion.

Singapore  - An Indian national who was severely burned in a shipyard explosion died in a Singapore hospital, officials said on Tuesday.

Karuppan Arjunan, 42, had suffered burns to 90 per cent of his body when the explosion and blaze rocked a Belize-registered ship being painted on Sunday.

He was one of 15 foreign shipyard workers and crewmen who were injured, but died on Monday at Singapore General Hospital.

The Tamil Nadu native, who had been working in Singapore for three years, was thinking about returning to India, a relative told The Straits Times.

Singapore  - Fifty-six teams from 17 countries will compete in a next-generation multimedia search technology contest starting on Sunday, organizers said.

The team with the best designed search engine for trawling through multimedia data will take home 100,000 US dollars and intellectual property rights to its search engine, said the Agency for Science, Technology and Research on Tuesday.

Among those taking part in the competition are major laboratories from India, China, France, Japan, the United States and Singapore.

The agency is holding the contest to spur the development of multimedia search technology.

Singapore  - Singapore Telecommunications Limited will bring Apple Inc's highly anticipated third-generation iPhone to Singapore later this year, SingTel said on Tuesday.

"We are pleased that Apple has selected SingTel to be the first mobile operator in Singapore to launch its new iPhone 3G," Quek Peck Leng, executive vice president, said in a statement. He cited "strong synergy" between the core brand values of Apple and SingTel.

SingTel announced recently it would invest 220 million Singapore dollars (164 million US dollars) to upgrade its network. (dpa)

Singapore  - A Singapore servicemen died on Tuesday after participating in a 2-kilometre walk that was part of a training activity, the defence ministry said.

"Andrew Cheah Wei Siong from the Basic Military Training Centre fainted" during the walk and was rushed to a medical centre, the ministry's statement said.

He was given immediate medical attention by doctors and then evacuated by helicopter to Singapore General Hospital.

Cheah was pronounced dead at the hospital. (dpa)

Singapore - Planning an initial public offering early next year, the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) is open to selling a stake to the Singapore Exchange (SGX).

"We are open to any possibility," TWSE chairman Wu Rong-I told a media briefing on Tuesday. "We can talk any time."

TWSE has already held talks with foreign exchanges including Borse Dubai and the New York Stock Exchange on its plans to sell a stake of up to 25 per cent to overseas bourses.

Singapore - The Singapore Exchange (SGX) has amended rules to allow banks to be admitted as clearing members of its securities market starting next month, the SGX said on Wednesday.

The move will help widen the pool of market participants and increase its customer base, SGX said.

Approved banks will be able to offer clearing services to SGX trading members without having to incorporate a separate company to apply for clearing membership, the case in the past.

Non-clear participants will be able to save costs arising from clearing and settlement operations, SGX said. (dpa)

Singapore - Singapore's leaders praised former Vietnamese Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet for opening his country's economy to the world and liberalizing trade and investments.

Kiet, 85, died of acute pneumonia on Wednesday in a hospital in the city-state. His remains were returned to Ho Chi Minh City.

Singapore  - Government ministers from six Middle Eastern countries plan to meet providers of water management solutions from South-East Asia, India, China, Japan, Australia and Europe, organizers in Singapore Thursday.

The forum on June 25 is part of the city-state's International Water Week, a global platform from June 23 to June 27.

Ministers from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain are scheduled to attend.

"The forum will put water solution providers in the same room as the people making key decisions on major water projects in the Middle East," said Michael Toh, general manager of International Water Week, an annual conference and trade show.

Singapore - Too much ambition could easily scuttle the establishment of an ASEAN human rights body, a workshop on forming the agency was warned Thursday.

"Let us have no illusions that the road ahead will be easy," Raymond Lim, Singapore's second minister for foreign affairs, said in outlining what lies ahead for the high-level panel that is to draft the "terms of reference" for the rights body on the sidelines of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Minister Meeting in July.

Singapore - Robinson and Co Ltd, Singapore's oldest retailer, is to be delisted from the Singapore Exchange Monday after its takeover earlier this year by the Dubai-based Al-Futtaim Group, Robinson's said.

It applied for delisting on May 27.

The Al-Futtain Group has interests in automotive, consumer electronics, retail, construction, engineering, logistics, insurance and real estate. It also represents such leading brands as Ikea, Marks and Spencer and Chrysler in the Middle East.

The Robinson group has branched out into franchising foreign brands. (dpa)

Singapore  - Nearly half of Singapore's affluent residents have yet to start saving for their retirement although they would like to stop working in their mid-50s, a poll said on Saturday.

Only 25 per cent were turning to professionals for advice, preferring their family and friends instead, said the findings emerging from the Zurich International Life (ZIL) Wealth Monitor and published in The Straits Times.

A television ad intended to jolt viewers to the impact of environmental destruction on future generations was taken off the air after complaints that a scene of a chainsaw cutting open a boy mannequin were too gruesome, the station said on Saturday.

Since MediaCorp started showing the "Saving Gaia" video on June 5, upset parents have written to newspapers and gone on internet forums describing the commercial as "distasteful," "scary" and "shocking." Several called the station urging the ad to be canned.

Gaia means Goddess of Earth in Greek and was part of MediaCorp's environmental awareness campaign.

Singapore  - An executive who siphoned 1.9 million Singapore dollars (1.4 million US dollars) from a company and lost it in casinos was jailed for seven years and six months, news reports said on Tuesday.

While under investigation for sprees in Malaysia's Genting Highlands and on cruise ships, Ng Ting Hwa, 32, lied to the Immigration & Checkpoint Authority (ICA) to obtain a new passport and promptly left the city-state, The Straits Times said.

A graduate of the University of London, the district court heard he started working at Molnlycke Health Care Asia-Pacific, a leading provider of medical products, in 2004.

Singapore  - An Indian national who was severely burned in a shipyard explosion died in a Singapore hospital, officials said on Tuesday.

Karuppan Arjunan, 42, had suffered burns to 90 per cent of his body when the explosion and blaze rocked a Belize-registered ship being painted on Sunday.

He was one of 15 foreign shipyard workers and crewmen who were injured, but died on Monday at Singapore General Hospital.

The Tamil Nadu native, who had been working in Singapore for three years, was thinking about returning to India, a relative told The Straits Times.

The cause of the flash fire in the Belize-registered Rainbow Star has not been determined

Singapore  - Fifty-six teams from 17 countries will compete in a next-generation multimedia search technology contest starting on Sunday, organizers said.

The team with the best designed search engine for trawling through multimedia data will take home 100,000 US dollars and intellectual property rights to its search engine, said the Agency for Science, Technology and Research on Tuesday.

Among those taking part in the competition are major laboratories from India, China, France, Japan, the United States and Singapore.

The agency is holding the contest to spur the development of multimedia search technology.

Singapore - Increasing numbers of women from the Philippines are turning to their embassy with claims that they were lured to Singapore with promises of good jobs, but ended up working as prostitutes, news reports said on Monday.

There were 212 cases last year, 125 in 2006 and 59 in 2005, The Straits Times said.

Of the 212 cases in 2007, only three women filed police reports resulting in convictions. None of the convictions were for human trafficking.

The numbers could be the tip of the iceberg, said Neal Imperial, the embassy's first secretary and consul. Many women may be reluctant to come forward for fear of being viewed as violators of immigration or labour laws, rather than victims.

Singapore - Jett8 Airlines Cargo, Singapore's first privately-owned cargo carrier, is gearing up to increase its services with two new aircraft, a newspaper reported on Monday.

The expansion comes as soaring fuel prices force other carriers to cut capacity and in some cases, cease operation, The Straits Times said.

Jett8 currently operates two services, one between Singapore and Hong Kong and the other connects Singapore to Dubai, Manchester and Luxembourg.

The service will be increased to five in the first week of July, chief executive Louis Tan told the newspaper.

Singapore - Chief executive officers (CEOs) in the Asia-Pacific region are ahead of their counterparts elsewhere when it comes to embracing corporate social responsibility, a survey report said on Monday.

"CEOs in the Americas are beginning to show more interest, but focus is increasingly faster among European CEOs," said the IBM survey report, The Enterprise of the Future.

The "Asia-Pacific actually showed the most dramatic increase, with attention nearly tripling since 2004," it noted.

Corporate social responsibility includes the environment, social issues such as child labour and political concerns including human rights as part of business.

Singapore  - Employment in Singapore grew by a record 73,200 in the first quarter of this year driven by growth in the construction and manufacturing sectors, the manpower ministry said on Monday.

Unemployment also rose from a seasonally adjusted 1.7 per cent in the last quarter of 2007 to 2 per cent in the three months ending in March, still lower than a year ago when the rate was 2.8 per cent.

The ministry attributed the higher unemployment rate to "an uncertain outlook and more cautious sentiments."

Total employment compared to 62,500 in the fourth quarter of last year and 49,400 in the first three months, the report said.

Singapore  - The electronics arm of Singapore Technologies Engineering has won an 8-million-US-dollar contract to provide an advanced taxi despatch and management system in the United Arab Emirates, ST Electronics said on Tuesday.

The contract is for the Sharjah Public Transport Corp, St Electronics' first taxi management system project in the UAE.

It is based on St Electronics' automated system which integrates information communication technology, including wireless technology, automated booking and intelligent data mining for despatching taxis.

Singapore - Asia's premier trade shows for the information-communication and media industries opened Tuesday with more than 2,300 firms from 65 countries showcasing their technological developments in the hopes of clinching slices of an estimated 4.8 billion US dollars in deals.

"We are meeting amidst an uncertain global business outlook resulting from high oil prices and upheavals in the financial sector," Lee Boon Yang, Singapore's minister for information, communications and the arts, said in kicking off the four-day CommunicAsia and Broadcast Asia trade shows.

The demand for high-speed internet and higher bandwidth would continue, he predicted.

Singapore - A new Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has emerged from its achievements in cyclone-swept Myanmar, showing the world that the regional body is able to "rise to the occasion," Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said on Wednesday.

"We are being baptized by Cyclone Nargis," he told the 5th ASEAN Leadership Forum in Singapore.

It has been more than six weeks since the cyclone hit leaving a trail of devastation followed by three weeks of international outrage as the military junta obstructed foreign aid and volunteers.

Singapore - Fuel surcharges for passengers on Singapore Airlines (SIA) and SilkAir will go up on Tuesday in the second hike in a month and the third this year resulting from soaring jet fuel prices.

Long-haul flights to the United States and Canada are the worst hit. The new surcharge for round-trip flights is 360 US dollars, an increase of 60 US dollars, SIA said.

Passengers will pay 80 US dollars for the surcharge on a round- trip ticket on regional routes to South-East Asian countries, a 10- US-dollar increase.

All others will fork over 220 US dollars for a round-trip flight, up 30 US dollars.

SIA blamed the surcharges on the escalating jet fuel price, now over 160 US dollars per barrel.

Singapore - Two Indian nationals working below a ship's deck were killed in what Singapore officials believe to be a case of gas poisoning, news reports said on Thursday.

Five other workers were hospitalized and in stable condition.

All seven Indian nationals working below the deck of the Pacific Ataawhai in a Singapore dry dock on Wednesday found themselves gasping for breath, The Straits Times said.

The two who died, aged 21 and 25, were believed to have suffocated.

It was the second shipyard tragedy in less than a month. A 42- year-old Indian worker died on June 9 after he was severely burned in an explosion aboard a vessel being painted at a nearby shipyard.

Singapore  - The inflow of capital into Asia's real estate market is accelerating on longer-term investments coming off of a prolonged period of steady growth, a report said on Thursday.

Returns in the region are forecast to remain higher than the global average for the coming year, said the report compiled by KPMG, the FTSE group and the Asian Public Real Estate Association.

Japan continues to be viewed as an attractive market for the lower-risk investor, the report said. China is also producing attractive returns.

The slowdown in the US and European markets is unlikely to cause an immediate negative impact on Asia this year, the report said.

Singapore - Saudi Arabian Airlines and Singapore Airlines signed a pact Thursday aimed at developing routes between the two countries and improving efficiency.

The two carriers also agreed to work together to support their respective civil aviation authorities, "opening up more opportunities for the two airlines to build on the demand for travel between, and beyond, Saudi Arabia and Singapore," a joint statement said.

The non-binding pact signed in Singapore includes market cooperation, code-share arrangements, schedule coordination and cargo facilitation. It excludes cooperation in setting individual ticket fares or cargo rates. (dpa)

Singapore - Four South-East Asian countries face a negative industry outlook for their banking systems amid the global economic slowdown and rising inflation, said Moody's Investor Service in a report issued Friday.

Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam are in for volatile times, said the annual Asia Banking Outlook.

Bank asset quality may deteriorate across the region, said Thomas Byrne, a senior vice president.

He noted that South-East Asian banks have not been directly affected by the spread of the US credit crunch.

Singapore  - A pile of rubbish cushioned the 15-metre fall of a worker at an incinerator plant in Singapore's third industrial accident this month, news reports said Friday.

The victim, who suffered a fractured leg, was hauled to safety by Civil Defence Force paramedics who were lowered into the hall where garbage is dumped before it is incinerated, The Straits Times said.

It is believed the worker, in his 40s, escaped more serious injury on Thursday because he landed on the rubbish. The waste collector was taken to the National University Hospital for treatment.

Singapore  - Singapore construction consultancies clinched 406 overseas projects last year with China in the top spot followed by India, a Building and Construction Authority survey released Friday said.

The total was up from 360 in 2006.

China emerged as the largest overseas market with 137 projects, the authority said. India secured 90 contracts. Vietnam and Malaysia remained attractive along with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

The most sought-after services were architectural and master planning.

The Middle East was the leading market for Singapore construction exports at 1.7 billion Singapore dollars (1.2 billion US dollars) in deals signed compared with 200 million Singapore dollars in China. (dpa)

Singapore - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had warned Wednesday that repeated acts of intimidation and arrests of opposition leaders would make Zimbabwe's runoff presidential elections less credible unless Harare puts a stop to them,

Ban, addressing ambassadors to the UN at a closed-door session in New York, criticized strongly the political atmosphere while Zimbabwe prepares for runoff elections on June 27.

"The current violence, intimidation and the arrest of opposition leaders are not conducive to credible elections," Ban said. "Should these conditions continue to prevail, the legitimacy of the election outcome would be in question."

Singapore  - Young employed adults below 30 are Singapore's fastest-growing group of debtors, a published report said on Sunday.

On average, they owe 55,000 Singapore dollars (41,000 US dollars) to about seven creditors, according to Credit Counselling Singapore (CCS).

The under-30s made up 13 per cent of all cases handled by the non-profit group last year, up from 9 per cent in 2006, said the findings in The Sunday Times. During the first three months of this year, the under-30s mired in debt climbed to 15 per cent.

Singapore - Polluted drinking water will kill around 1.6 million people this year unless governments make a concerted effort to clean up their supplies, a World Health Organization (WHO) official warned in a report published Monday.

More than 4,000 people die every day from water-borne diseases, said Dr James Bertram, coordinator of WHO's Water, Sanitation and Health Programme. The death toll is not confined to developing nations.

"It's a problem plaguing all countries, developed and undeveloped," The Straits times quoted Bertram as saying ahead of Singapore's International Water Week, which starts Tuesday.

Governments must anticipate long-term water shortages caused by rising demand and climate change, he said.

Singapore - Coal equities in Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries are forecast to outperform the broader marker longer than expected, a Goldman Sachs report said on Monday.

Robust demand from emerging markets, supply constraints and coal's relative attractiveness to oil were cited as the basis for further upsides in thermal spot prices in 2008 and 2009.

"We believe that the positive coal fundamentals and improved pricing in the export and domestic markets have placed ASEAN coal companies on the cusp of an earnings acceleration cycle," the report said.

Indonesian coal producers are expected to be the major beneficiaries of the thermal coal price rally with 74 per cent of their coal production for export.

New Delhi, June 23 : Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath on Monday stated that a bilateral agreement on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) cooperation between the intellectual property offices of India and Singapore will be signed shortly.

Singapore - Foreigners are playing a significant role in producing babies amid Singapore's drive to boost its population, official data said on Wednesday.

A total of 16,232 babies were born in the first five months of this year, an increase of 849 over the corresponding period last year.

Non-Singaporean fathers accounted for 25 per cent, or slightly more than 4,000, according to figures published in The Straits Times from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority's Registry of Births and Deaths.

Non-Singaporeaan mothers accounted for 36 per cent.

Singapore - Singapore is taking part in a multilateral air combat exercise involving 3,000 personnel from its air force as well as Thai, French, Australian, Malaysian, US and NATO personnel, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.

Codenamed "Exercise Pitch Black 08," 60 aircraft from the participating countries are involved in the large-scale training that started in Darwin, Australia On June 6 and wraps up on June 27.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has deployed 394 personnel along with "fighter, transport, and surveillance aircraft as well as air defect weapon systems," the ministry's statement said.

Singapore - Providing jobs and services for the 1.1 billion people expected to move to Asia's cities over the next 20 years is a task of a magnitude "never before attempted by humanity," Asian Development Board (ADB) President Haruhiko Kuroda warned on Wednesday.

Asian cities are growing by more than 100,000 people a day, he told the World Cities Summit in Singapore.

The cities need increased investment in sustainable infrastructure, "which will only come through more appropriate and relevant financing options," Kuroda said.

A 3-billion-dollar shortfall in urban infrastructure investment is recorded every year, he said, resulting in greater deterioration.

Singapore - Singapore and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a pact on Wednesday to strengthen collaboration in sustainable development and water research.

Yacoob Ibrahim, Singapore's minister for the environment, and his UAE counterpart Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahad inked the pact at a forum held in conjunction with international water week in the city-state.

Both sides "have agreed to collaborate in environmental protection and sustainable development, water research ... capacity building and raising environmental awareness," a government statement said.

A joint working committee will be set up to look into specific projects and report to ministers at least once a year on progress, it said. (dpa)

Singapore - One freak election result is all it would take to wipe out Singapore's success in building up the city-state, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew warned Wednesday night.

It could happen if voters became bored and decided to give the "vociferous opposition" a chance - out of "light-heartedness, fickleness or sheer madness," Lee told 650 participants in the World Cities Summit and International Water Week.

Singapore  - Singapore is forecast to have the highest number of personal computers (PCs) per 1,000 people in the Asia-Pacific region by 2012, an information-technology research firm said Friday.

Gartner Inc projected the city-state would have 4.5 million installed desktop and laptop PCs, or 948 for every 1,000 individuals.

Australia was forecast to trail Singapore with 888 PCs per 1,000 people, and Hong Kong was next with 793.

The country with the highest PC penetration in the Asia-Pacific this year is Australia, expected to have 776 PCs per 1,000 people by the end of the year. Singapore was likely to emerge second in the region with 707 PCs per 1,000 people, Gartner said.

Singapore - Singapore's most vocal opposition leader and a supporter will go on trial again July 14 for speaking in public without a permit, the third time the pair face a judge since the run-up to the 2006 general elections.

Chee Soon Juan's lawyer, Chia Ti Lik, said Thursday that the trial of Chee and party supporter Yap Keng Ho will involve only one of six charges. The other five are pending.

The district court has set aside up to four weeks for the trial.

Chee and Yap initially faced eight counts each of illegally addressing a crowd. Two have been dealt with.

Yap served a 10-day jail term two weeks ago. Chee, who was given a 5,000-Singapore-dollar (3,731-US-dollar) fine, is appealing the conviction.

Singapore  - Record petrol prices have hit budget car sales the hardest, with monthly pump prices beginning to match loan instalment payments for some models, published trade figures said Friday.

Sharp drops in sales of 50 per cent or more hit Chevrolet, Hyundai, Kia and Ford, The Straits Times said. Chinese brands are also reeling.

Models priced below 60,000 Singapore dollars (44,776 US dollars) were the worst hit.

"Budget cars are bought by budget buyers," Paul Ng, general manager of Vertex Automobile, was quoted as saying. Vertex distributes China's Chery. "With inflation so high, these people would want to take care of necessities rather than spend on big- ticket items."

Singapore - Two Indonesian men were convicted of organ trading Friday by a Singapore court.

The pair were due to be sentenced next week, a Ministry of Health statement said.

Each pleaded guilty to a charge of organ trading and making a false declaration.

Organ trading often involves the exploitation of "poor and socially disadvantaged donors who are unable to make an informed medical choice and suffer potential medical risks," the ministry's statement said.

The Indonesians face a penalty of up to 12 months in prison or a fine of 10,000 Singapore dollars (7,462 US dollars) or both. (dpa)

Singapore - A tiny fly that feeds on frog blood could help hone sophisticated military spy-ware in the future, according to a report published Saturday.

The 2-millimetre fly discovered by a National University of Singapore postgraduate researcher feeds on the blood of a tree-dwelling frog which lives in regional forests.

"Despite its size, it manages to hear in stereo to locate the frog call in the cacophony of the forest," the Straits Times quoted Gwyne Lim as saying.

"If we find out how it does this, it could have applications for generating better hearing aids for military surveillance systems," she noted.

Singapore  - The delivery of the fifth superjumbo to Singapore Airlines (SIA) has paved the way for additional services to London and special flights to Beijing during the Olympics, the carrier said Saturday in Singapore.

The A380, the world's largest passenger aircraft, was turned over to SIA on Saturday at the Airbus delivery centre in Toulouse, France and scheduled to arrive in the city-state on Sunday.

SIA is upgrading more of its B747-400s to A380s on the Singapore to London route and back. In addition to the A380 daily service, another superjumbo flight to Heathrow will start next month on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, the SIA statement said.

Singapore  - Dragonfly young could soon be the aquatic version of the canary in a coalmine, a researcher said in a published report on Sunday.

Just as the singing birds were used by miners to warn them of toxic air, young dragonflies that live in reservoirs and ponds hold the potential of alerting humans to water pollution, The Straits Times said.

Singapore - Hong Kong is seen as having the fairest and most transparent tax system out of six major developed economies, followed by Singapore, a study said on Monday.

Canada emerged third, while the United States, Australia and Britain rounded out the six, said the study by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

Respondents ranked the various tax systems according to how fair they were relative to one another, looking at simplicity, transparency and the burden of each regime.

Respondents in Hong Kong and Singapore had an overall positive view of fairness, while respondents in Britain, Australia and Canada felt their systems were less fair and somewhat complex.

Singapore- Water authorities and firms from India, Japan, the Middle East, Europe, the United States and Singapore signed 27 agreements totalling more than 270 million US dollars during the city-state's first Water Week, organizers said on Monday.

A water fund was also launched to attract 320 million US dollars in investments in Asian water projects.

Among the deals was one worth an estimated 200 million US dollars over the next three years for Singapore-based Ayser-Technische Corporation and Acuatico to design and operate private water infrastructure projects in Indonesia.

Singapore - Asian information technology (IT) managers consider technology that can increase IT utilization rates of computers and storage hardware as exerting the biggest influence on their industries, a published survey said on Monday.

Called virtualization, it allows businesses to reduce their capital expenditures, said research firm IDC.

IDC polled 427 IT managers. Virtualization was picked by 27 per cent of respondents as the most influential technology, said the findings published in The Business Times.

Singapore  - Asia is likely to host more trade fairs, but the growth of the region's exhibition industry is expected to slow amid fierce regional competition, a newspaper's report said Tuesday.

Exhibition space in the region expanded 86 per cent between 2000 and 2005 and is forecast to increase 20 per cent between 2006 and 2010.

A study by market intelligence firm Business Strategies Group put the revenue from trade fairs last year in Asia at 3.25 billion US dollars, up from 2.57 billion US dollars in
2006.

China remained the front-runner in terms of space sold last year, up 21 per cent over 2006, according to data in The Business Times. India grew the fastest, expanding 50 per cent.

Singapore - Singapore Airlines (SIA) has signed a sale and leaseback deal on five of its Boeing 777 aircraft, the carrier said on Tuesday.

The aircraft will be sold to Pembroke Group Ltd, a subsidiary of Standard Chartered Bank, and then leased back to SIA under the agreement.

The financial details were not disclosed. (dpa)

Singapore - The wage gap in Singapore is particularly acute among older and lower-skilled workers, a report on wages said Tuesday.

Managers in their 40s are making top dollar with those between 40 and 44 earning nearly double the amount of managers aged 25 to 29, the Manpower Ministry's report said.

Going by the national median, a manager in the finance industry earned about 9,200 Singapore dollars (6,764 US dollars) in gross monthly wages.

Singapore - Lewd slogans and suggestive pictures used to promote matchmaking services are being axed from Singapore's newspapers and magazines, authorities said Wednesday.

Following several complaints, the Advertizing Standards Authority said the tightened rules aimed at removing the sleaze in dating promotions will go into effect in March.

Dating ads must be in text, cannot guarantee marriages and are restricted to the classified sections of newspapers and magazines.

Agencies accredited by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports can still run ads with pictures under the guidelines.

The organization said it is promoting "truthful, decent, honest and legal advertising" in the city-state. (dpa)

Singapore - Direct investments in the United States from Asia-Pacific companies looking to acquire or set up businesses overseas have surged, with Australia in the lead, published US Department of Commerce figures said on Wednesday.

The region's direct investments more than doubled from 15.7 billion US dollars in 2006 to 36.9 billion US dollars last year.

"Outlays by investors from Australia, Singapore and (South) Korea increased significantly," said the department's report published in The Business Times.

Australia's investments nearly tripled to 15.2 billion US dollars and were primarily directed at the real estate and rental and leasing industry.

Singapore- Champion eaters from the United States and Japan will take on a Singaporean gobbler during a food festival, organizers said Wednesday.
Joey Chestnut, the 24-year-old top-rated Major League Eating competitor, is the ranking champion. He beat rival Takeru Kobayashi, 30, at an annual hotdog-consuming competition in the US, ending Kobayashi's six-year reign.
Eating competitions are rare in the city-state, where a 20-year-old man died in 1989 after choking while participating in a moon cake eating contest.
Major League Eating is a US sports franchise that oversees professional competitive eating events.

Singapore - Wildlife groups fear the pangolin, once common across Asia, is being systematically wiped out and could become extinct unless governments do more to stop poaching, they said in a published report on Thursday. 

Citing China's appetite for exotic meats, Chris Shepherd, senior programme officer with Traffic South-East Asia, said the mammals "could become extinct at any time because captive breeding is impossible." 

"They are one of the most heavily traded species in Asia despite a complete ban," The Straits Times quoted Shepherd as saying. 

Pangolins are anteaters with small heads and long, broad tails. Scales cover their skins. 

Singapore - Average investors will soon have a new index providing more information on which to base decisions regarding 700 companies on the Singapore Exchange, organizers said Thursday.

The index will be compiled by the centre for investor and corporate responsibility, one of four centres within the new Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics.

It will provide a ranking similar to credit ratings, said Associate Professor Jeremy Goh, one of the centre's co-directors.

Using publicly available information, Goh said, "We will evaluate companies on components such as disclosure and transparency, role of stakeholders, treatment of minority shareholders and the rights of such shareholders."

Singapore - Game development school DigiPen opened a campus in Singapore Friday, its first outside the United States.

"As the first top foreign institution in Singapore offering courses in games and animation, DigiPen Singapore will play an integral role in addressing the digital media industry's manpower capabilities needs," said Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Klang.

The school is offering two bachelor degrees in game development to 40 students starting in September.

The Singapore campus of the DigiPen Institute of Technology is planning for 570 students in five years, 40 per cent of whom will come from overseas.

Singapore - Renovations to a research institute will turn the facility into Singapore's first zero-energy building, news reports said on Saturday.

Officials plan to cover the government-run BCA Academy with half a football field's worth of solar panels.

"Hopefully, with a little help from heaven, there won't be too many rainy days," The Straits Times quoted National University of Singapore Professor Lee Siew Eang as saying.

The ultra-efficient institute is scheduled for completion next year, at the forefront of a drive to reduce power consumption and cut greenhouse gas emissions in the city-state.

Singapore - Hopes dimmed Saturday for finding a sailing trainee alive who fell off his vessel without a life jacket into choppy seas off Singapore.

Ten boats from the Police Coast Guard and Navy divers have been searching for Indonesian native Levin Angsana who fell into the water on Thursday while trying to retrieve the boat's sail.

Crewmate Renfred Ray, 23, jumped in and managed to grab him, but Angsana apparently kept struggling, The Straits Times said. When Tay tried to grab a life jacket a short distance away, Angsana went under.

There were several life jackets on board, the report said. "Water has no mercy," National Water Safety Council chairman Teo Ho Pin was quoted as saying.

Singapore based GIC Special Investment has bought 25.4% equity stake in Reid & Taylor.

The equity stake was purchased for Rs 9 billion out of which Rs 7.4 billion would be received as an equity at the commencement of transactions. GIC Special Investments (GIC SI) would invest Rs 900 crore in Reid & Taylor through a fresh issue of shares and warrants.

The sold off 25.4% shares were valued at Rs35.4 billion while remaining 76.4% will be held by S.Kumars. These are valued at Rs 26.4 billion. RTIL equity shares would be issued at Rs695.18 to GIC SI.

Singapore - The entertainment and media (E&M) market in the Asia-Pacific region is forecast to grow quickly over the next five years particularly in China and India, a published study said Monday.

The PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC) Global Entertainment and Media Outlook for 2008-12 underscored the direction.

The Asia-Pacific will continue to be one of the fastest growing regions.

The compound annual growth rate "is set to outpace expansion of the global E&M market at 8.8 per cent, increasing from 333 billion US dollars in 2007 to 508 billion US dollars in 2012," PwC's Asia- Pacific technology industry leader Greg Unsworth was quoted as saying.

Singapore - The sealing off of air vents along the corridors of nine housing blocks has raised the ire of residents who were not consulted and are unhappy about less light and air entering their government flats, news reports said Monday.

The Housing Development Board said the move was aimed at preventing fires from spreading. Fifteen more blocks have been earmarked for the change.

Elderly residents told The Straits Times that they fear shouts for help would go unheard.

"If we die inside, nobody will know," 69-year-old Ee Mai Lan was quoted as saying, noting that even the smell of a decomposing corpse would go undetected.

Singapore - A new tradeable index of the 20 biggest Chinese companies on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) was launched on Monday.

The FTSE ST China Top Index was created in partnership with Singapore Press Holdings and the FTSE group "in response to demand from institutional investors and fund managers in China and around the world," said Ignatius Low, money editor of The Straits Times newspaper.

The index will give them "instant exposure to a smaller, readily tradable basket of highly liquid Singapore-listed China stocks," he said.

Singapore - More than 25 per cent of banks in the Asia-Pacific region have been hit by attempts to steal online information over the last 12 months, but beefing up security is still not viewed as a prime concern, a study said on Monday.

The survey by security software specialist ReadiMinds was conducted by Web and telephone polls across 11 economies including Malaysia, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore.

In such internet scams, crooks typically pose as the websites of financial institutions and attempt to "phish" for information including user names and online banking passwords, the study said.

Singapore - The Islamic Bank of Asia (IB Asia) has launched two risk-management products to help companies manage their liability risks and limit their exposure to fluctuating funding costs, a published report said Tuesday. 

The products include a profit rate swap structure for customers to manage their liability risks, and a foreign exchange forward purchase contract to help clients capitalize on currency market movements. 

"These new structures can cut traditional transaction costs by as much as half," The Business Times quoted Kareem Hussaini, IB Asia's vice-president of product development, as saying. 

Singapore - Pop band F. I. R. delighted passengers at Singapore's Changi Airport on Tuesday with a special appearance prior to heading to China.

The Taiwanese trio, popular in Asia, gave away giant autographed posters and answered questions in the departure-transit mall.

The initials stand for the first names of the three - female vocalist Faye Zhan, keyboard player Ian Chen and guitarist Real Huang.

The band initially caught the attention of Asian audiences in 2004 with their hit Lydia, the theme song for the Taiwanese drama The Outsiders.

Singapore - Representatives of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) met in Singapore on Wednesday in a bid to make further progress on voluntary guidelines that would allay European and US fears of political interference.

A set of generally accepted principles and practices are under deliberation with the aim of promoting "a clearer understanding of the institutional framework, governance, and investment operations of SWFs that would support the maintenance of an open and stable investment climate," a statement by the SWF's International Working Group
(IWG) said.

The second working session of the 23-member IWG, which was formed in May, is seeking to formulate a code of ethics that could be formalized by October.

Singapore - Singapore is launching a mercantile exchange to facilitate the trading of commodity derivatives in the Asia time zone, a financial market conference was told on Wednesday.

The Singapore Mercantile Exchange (SMX) will offer trading in metals, base metals, energy, agricultural goods, currency pairs, carbon credits and commodity indices, said Ministry of Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang.

It will be the first in Asia to offer such a diversified range of products on a single platform, analysts said.

SMX is backed by India-based Financial Technologies.

Lim said the involvement of Financial Technologies, which operates seven exchanges, "underscores Singapore's position as a key commodities trading hub."

Singapore - Singapore's economy grew at a slower-than- expected pace in the second quarter as manufacturers cut production amid a decline in demand, Trade Ministry data said Thursday. 

Gross domestic product rose an estimated 1.9 per cent on a year- on-year basis in the three months ending in June, after expanding by a revised 6.9 per cent in the first three months of 2008. 

"The slowdown chiefly reflected a sharp contraction in biomedical manufacturing output," the ministry said. 

The economy shank an annualized 6.6 per cent during the three months. 

The manufacturing sector contracted 5.6 per cent during the quarter from a year earlier, with electronics exports declining for 17 months. 

Singapore  - Representatives of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) made progress toward voluntary guidelines aimed at easing fears of political interference, but details of such touchy issues as transparency are still to be finalized, the co-chairman of the gathering said on Thursday.

"This is a work in progress," said Hamad al Suwaidi, undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Department of Finance, after the two-day working session of the SWG's International Working Group in Singapore.

He was optimistic the set of guidelines would be finished by September this year. "I don't think anything is holding us up," he told a telephone conference call with the media.

Singapore - Accounting graduates in Singapore set their sights on the Big Four accounting firms, a study of the profession said on Friday.

Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers have considerably less trouble attracting new hires than the medium-size or smaller counterparts.

Each year about 1,000 new accounting professionals graduate from universities in the city-state. Sixty-one per said they wanted to work for or join one of the Big Four, according to the findings of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA).

The medium-sized and smaller outfits have been relegated to look elsewhere or hire those with alternative forms of qualifications.

Singapore - Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew dismissed criticism from human rights organizations over Singapore's style of government and said they were trying to "do us in."

In response to the groups' assertions that the city-state is not a liberal democracy, the founding father and former prime minister said Friday night that they have never run a country and do not know what is needed.

"There is a conspiracy to do us in," Lee told the Economic Society of Singapore. "Why? ... They see us as a threat."

Singapore - The major ASEAN economies are likely to deliver higher-than-expected growth this year, but the outlook for 2009 looks challenging, economists said in a published report on Saturday.

Morgan Stanley raised its 2008 growth forecast for Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia to 5.6 per cent from an earlier estimate of 5.5 per cent.

The investment bank kept intact its recently upgraded GDP growth projections for Malaysia at 5.7 per cent and Thailand at 5.6 per cent.

It jacked up the forecast for Indonesia by half a point to 6 per cent and cut Singapore's from 5.1 per cent to 4.3 per cent, said the breakdown in The Business Times.

Singapore - A wholly-owned unit of Singapore's DBS Bank and the Kuwait Finance House have been granted licences to set up Islamic fund management operations in Malaysia, a statement said on Monday.

DBS Asset Management's chief executive officer Deborah Ho said the new entity will structure and distribute Islamic asset management products across Asia "via synergies with DBS and DBS' Islamic Bank of Asia."

Malaysia's Securities Commission granted approval to the two in addition to CIMB-Principal Islamic Asset Management.

"The approval of these three companies will play a catalytic role in the internationalization of our Islamic capital market," The Business Times quoted commission chairman Zarinah Anwar as saying.

Singapore - Thailand, Taiwan and Japan are said to be considering gaming options which would create more "challenges" to casinos in Asia, a published report said on Tuesday.

There are currently 121 casinos in East Asia. Macau is the leader with 29, followed by the Philippines with 19 and 14 each for Cambodia and South Korea.

"The sector's long-term outlook very much depends on the industry's continued access to affordable capital to finance the building of the mega casino/entertainment/retail projects that consumers seem to crave," The Business Times quoted E&Y global gaming services leader Tom Roche as saying.

Singapore - Eleven per cent of financial investment professionals queried have witnessed a credit-rating agency change its product ratings after pressure from clients, according to a poll published Wednesday.

There were 1,956 responses to the poll conducted by the CFA Institute Centre.

"We were very surprised by the results of our member poll," The Business Times quoted managing director Kurt Schacht as saying, noting that 211 of the respondents said "they have indeed witnessed a credit-rating agency change their rating in response to external pressure."

The CFA Institute is an association for finance professionals.

Singapore - Keppel Corporation launched a project to give young Middle Eastern students the opportunity to come to Singapore as interns with its businesses, it said on Wednesday. 

The group's current involvement in the Middle East includes shipyards in the United Arab Emirates, environmental engineering and waste management projects in Qatar and seafront apartments on the waterfront in Jeddah. 

The Keppel-Young Arab Leaders internship program is aimed at outstanding university students. 

"Human capital is an important asset," human resources director Tan Poh Hong said. "We believe strongly in maximizing the potential of our people to drive business growth globally." 

Singapore - Foreign ministers of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) started meeting in Singapore Thursday with the aim of early ratification of a landmark charter giving the organization a legal framework.

ASEAN's charter, signed by the leaders of its 10 member countries in December, seeks to commit them to promoting human rights and democratic ideals and transforming ASEAN into a legal entity to give it greater influence in the international community.

It requires ratification by all members. Ratification from Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines and Indonesia is still outstanding.

Complete ratification was set for December, but ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan said he hoped for full ratification next month.

Singapore - Insurance funds run by a unit of Singapore's OCBC Bank have more than twice the amount of exposure to two beleaguered US mortgage-finance companies than disclosed earlier this week, news reports said on Friday.

OCBC told the Singapore Exchange that Great Eastern Holdings' funds have an exposure of 69 million Singapore dollars (51 million US dollars) to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, not 29 million Singapore dollars (21 million US dollars) as announced on Tuesday.

This was due to a "computation error," The Straits Times quoted the bank's statement as saying.

Singapore, July 18 : ABC''s South Asia correspondent Peter Lloyd, who is based in New Delhi, is facing drugs charges after being arrested in Singapore.

Lloyd, 41, was arrested earlier this week and is likely to be charged with drug-related offences. He faces up to 20 years jail and 15 strokes of the cane if found guilty of the drug charges, news. com. au reported.

Police from Singapore''s Central Narcotics Bureau arrested Lloyd on Wednesday after a tip-off.

Singapore - A Singapore lecturer has found a way to determine the health of plants long before they show obvious signs of wilting, a centre for biomedical life sciences said Saturday. 

Dr Liew Oi Wah, at Singapore Polytechnic, is relying on light sensors to study the wave pattern reflected from plants. 

"It will be too late for the plant if you wait until the leaves become brown and withered," The Straits Times quoted Liew as saying. 

She is able to determine the extent of minerals a plant needs depending on the light spectrum produced, the report said. 

Liew is aiming to develop a system of sensors that will help farmers detect exactly when and how much fertilizer and water their plants need. 

Singapore - A Singapore lecturer has found a way to determine the health of plants long before they show obvious signs of wilting, a centre for biomedical life sciences said Saturday. 

Dr Liew Oi Wah, at Singapore Polytechnic, is relying on light sensors to study the wave pattern reflected from plants. 

"It will be too late for the plant if you wait until the leaves become brown and withered," The Straits Times quoted Liew as saying. 

She is able to determine the extent of minerals a plant needs depending on the light spectrum produced, the report said. 

Liew is aiming to develop a system of sensors that will help farmers detect exactly when and how much fertilizer and water their plants need. 

Singapore - South-East Asian foreign ministers plan to tackle the devastating hardships triggered by spiraling food and oil prices which threaten to derail efforts to create a European Union- style economic community.

The creation of an Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Food Summit has been proposed for the agenda when ministers of the group's 10 member countries start meeting late Sunday in Singapore.

The ministers are set to discuss "the growing challenge posed by rising oil and food prices, which pose a serious challenge to our peoples' welfare as well as our countries' continued economic development," said a draft joint communique.

Singapore - Myanmar has indicated that opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi could be freed in six months, because current laws limit her maximum detention period to six years, news reports said Monday.

Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo said that his Myanmar counterpart, Nyan Win, said that Suu Kyi has "about half a year's time left," according to The Straits Times.

When asked if this meant that the Myanmar opposition leader and Nobel Prize winner would be released, Yeo said, "I think that is not an inaccurate inference."

Singapore - The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) intends to foster greater trust and cooperation between the international community and Myanmar's government, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Monday. 

Kicking off a meeting of ASEAN's foreign ministers in Singapore, Lee also said ASEAN has decided to press on with the implementation of its landmark charter "without waiting for all 10 members to ratify." 

The crisis over Cyclone Nargis, which struck Myanmar in May, "tested ASEAN unity and forced us to consider what ASEAN meant to Myanmar and in turn what Myanmar meant to the group," Lee said. 

Singapore - An international humanitarian taskforce Monday urged the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to strengthen "rapid response capacities" in cyclone-wrecked Myanmar. 

Composed of the United Nations, Myanmar's government and ASEAN's secretariat, the task force said ASEAN "should maintain its coordination leadership through mid-2009." 

ASEAN was the only trusted body to ensure relief and recovery efforts could be carried out successfully, the task force said. 

"Two months in the aftermath of cyclone Nargis, ASEAN has asserted its leadership that resulted in the reduction of loss of life and the alleviation of suffering," the task force said. 

Singapore - Myanmar ratified the Association of South-East Asian Nation's landmark charter Tuesday and vowed to uphold and enhance its democratic ideals.

Myanmar, vilified for its dictatorial government and human rights abuses, became the seventh of the 10-member regional grouping to ratify the document, which was signed by the leaders in November last year.

"Myanmar's ratification of the charter demonstrates our strong commitment to embrace the common values and aspirations of the peoples of ASEAN," Foreign Minister Nyan Win said.

Singapore - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and five other foreign ministers were set to meet in Singapore for the first time on Wednesday in an unofficial gathering focusing on North Korea's nuclear weapons programme.

The talks are focused on setting up a mechanism to verify North Korea's nuclear declaration turned over last month.

Officials, including Rice who will be meeting North Korea's foreign minister for the first time, have played down any chance of a breakthrough.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said he hoped the meeting would be very good "for advancing the agenda" and pushing forward progress in the six-party talks.

Singapore - Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Wednesday his country made a further contribution of 30 million Australian dollars (29 million US dollars) in assistance to the victims of Myanmar's Cyclone Nargis that left 140,000 people dead or missing.

Smith, who was attending the annual foreign minister meetings of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), said the amount was in addition to the 25 million dollars Australia contributed immediately after the cyclone struck in May.

Singapore - East Asian government ministers called for a "holistic and sustainable approach" to the spiralling food and fuel prices besetting the region, a statement said Wednesday.

The ministers of the 10-country Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), plus China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand, noted that the problems of high food and oil prices are closely interlinked.

"We should pursue a holistic and sustainable approach to these issues given their inter-related nature, in particular the need to balance between food and biofuels production," the ministers said in a statement.

Singapore - Stampedes of reporters and photographers covering diplomatic meetings at Singapore's Shangri-La Hotel have triggered complaints from guests and delegations, the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) said Wednesday.

"Some delegations have been swarmed by the media while entering or exiting the lobby, resulting in them being pushed and jostled," ASEAN's media subcommittee said in an advisory.

"A senior member of a visiting delegation was accidentally hit with a video camera by a photojournalist," it said. "A child was almost trampled on by a group of media personnel chasing some delegates into a lift."

Taipei - Taiwan's Financial Supervisory Commission approved Polaris Securities Company's application to set up a branch in Singapore, a newspaper reported Thursday.

Wu Tang-chieh, director-general of the Securities and Futures Bureau, said the commission cleared Polaris to open a branch in Singapore, allowing the company to expand its business abroad, the Taipei Times said.

Polaris is the first Taiwan securities firm to get approval to establish a branch in the city state, in keeping with Taiwan's liberalization and globalization policy, Wu told a press briefing.

Wu said Polaris chose Singapore because of its tax system, financial expertise and large Chinese population. (dpa)

Singapore - Asia's top security forum began its annual meeting on Thursday to discuss measures that will make member- countries more responsive in dealing with the challenges in the region, especially in the area of disaster response.

Foreign ministers of the 27-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum (ARF) were to focus on improving disaster planning and response in the wake of the deadly cyclone that devastated Myanmar and the earthquake that wrecked havoc in China.

The group was also scheduled to discuss concrete and practical cooperation among member countries in dealing with common security challenges.

Singapore - Asia's top security forum said Thursday a disaster-hit country should facilitate assistance from other nations and international organizations for "prompt and effective disaster management and relief" where needed.

The foreign ministers from the 27-member Association of South-East Asian Nations Regional Forum (ARF) also agreed that external assistance should be provided with the consent of the affected country.

"Disaster relief efforts should be under its overall control and supervision," said the recommendations included in a "chairman's statement."

Singapore - Asia's main security forum on Thursday urged the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China to expedite the formulation of guidelines governing the conduct in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

The ministers attending the 27-country ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) encouraged all countries which stake claims on the area to exercise self-restraint.

Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited (GE Shipping) has informed that its wholly owned subsidiary named Greatship India Limited (GIL) has secured an order for two state-of-the-art deep water 150 TBP Anchor Handling, Towage & Supply Vessels from Drydocks World, Singapore.

These vessels, which are due for delivery in January 2011 and March 2011 are designed for operating as efficient and safe towage, support and supply vessels in intermediate to deep waters, and have enhanced accommodation, DP2 capability, fire fighting equipment, and are SPS compliant in all respects.

Singapore - The number of visitors to Singapore declined in June, the first drop in 51 months amid the weakening economic climate, tourism board data said on Saturday.

Last month's arrivals were down 4.1 per cent from a year earlier, a sharp drop that followed a slow 0.8 per cent growth in April and May.

A total of 5.1 million people visited the city-state in the first half of this year, spending an estimated 6.5 billion Singapore dollars (4.8 billion US dollars) during their stay.

Singapore - Parking in Singapore's prime area is not cheap but less expensive than in many other cities worldwide, ranking 52nd out of 138, a published study said on Monday.

Drivers in the city-state fork over an average of 27.16 Singapore dollars (18.83 US dollars) for eight hours a day compared to the top price of 92.63 Singapore dollars (63.88 US dollars) in the city of London, according to property consultant Colliers International.

Singapore - A 30-year-old Japanese gobbler emerged as the Asian champ of Singapore's Major League Eating competition by downing 5.4 kilograms of satay in 
12 minutes, news reports said on Monday.

The 60-kilogram Takeru Kobayashi won the showdown on Sunday against 24-year-old American Joey Chestnut, who swallowed 4.1 kilograms of the meat on sticks, The Straits Times said.

Kobayashi leaves for home in Tokyo on Tuesday with a crystal trophy worth 3,000 Singapore dollars (2,068 US dollars).

Singapore - Chief information officers (CIOs) based in six of the 10 members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) have a high degree of confidence in their ability to handle technology-related functions, a study released Monday found.

Conducted by the French business school Insead and IBM, 94 per cent of the executives queried maintained their importance has gone up.

The 2008 ASEAN CIO Leadership Study was conducted among 165 CIOs in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore from January to May.

Some significant differences were found between the perception of ASEAN CIOs and their global counterparts surveyed last year, according to the findings published in Singapore's Business Times.

Singapore - Soaring jet fuel costs and reduced demand for air travel left Singapore Airlines (SIA) with a 15 per cent fall in quarterly profits, the carrier said on Monday.

Net profit for April through June was 358.6 million Singapore dollars (263 million US dollars,) compared with 424 million Singapore dollars (316.4 million US dollars) a year ago.

"The price of jet fuel has risen more than 75 per cent year-on- year, and the strains on financial markets have not abated," SIA said in a statement. Trends are being tracked closely "and are in a good position to react nimbly," the carrier added.

New York - Merrill Lynch & Co will sell a 3.4-billion-dollar stake to Singapore's government-owned Temasek Holdings, the US financial services firm announced late Monday.

Temasek already bought a Merrill stake last year and will become the firm's largest shareholder.

The sale is part of Merrill Lynch's plans to sell 8.5 billion dollars in stock in an attempt to raise capital as it tries to survive the ongoing US credit crunch, arising from rampant mortgage defaults.

Singapore - US investments in Asia grew 12 per cent last year with the biggest jump coming in India, where acquisitions in the information sector propelled the increase, media reported Tuesday.

Investments in the rising economic giant surged 48 per cent to 13.6 billion US dollars in 2007 from a year earlier, according to US Commerce Department statistics published in Singapore's Business Times.

Investments in China rose 21 per cent to 28.2 billion dollars as a result of reinvested earnings in manufacturing, the department said.

Those in Thailand soared 37 per cent to 14.9 billion dollars largely because of investments in petroleum refining, banking and mining while investments in Malaysia jumped 25 per cent to 15.5 billion dollars.

Singapore - A German firm has opened a plant on Singapore's Jurong Island to provide oil additives to the Asia-Pacific region, company officials said Wednesday.

The plant, operated by Evonik RohMax Asia-Pacific, is the local subsidiary of Evonik RohMax Additives GmbH.

"We can expand capacity quickly when the need arises and market demand grows," general manager Bonnie Tully said.

The plant, which opened Tuesday, includes a production unit, laboratory and logistics unit.

Singapore - Singapore Airlines (SIA) is increasing its A380 services on the Singapore-London route to "double daily" starting September 20, the carrier said on Wednesday.

The second flight of the superjumbo will depart Singapore as SQ318, and return from London as SQ321.

A third daily flight will continue to be operated by a Boeing 747-400 "for the time being," SIA's statement said.

The twice-a-day A380 service is currently flying four times weekly. Following the delivery of a sixth A380 to SIA from manufacturer Airbus in September, the second daily flight will also be added on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, every day of the week.

Singapore - An influx of foreigners has pushed Singapore's population to 4.59 million, with people from outside the city-state crossing the 1 million mark for the first time, published statistics showed Friday.

The population grew by almost 200,000 last year from 2006, with people from other countries accounting for the bulk of the increase.

Professionals, workers, students and their family members rose 14.9 per cent over 2006 to hit 1,005,500 in June 2007, according to the breakdown in The Straits Times.

Singapore - Singapore's leaders exchanged congratulatory messages with their Vietnamese counterparts to commemorate 35 years of diplomatic relations on Friday.

City-state President SR Nathan noted that Singapore is one of Vietnam's largest investors and top trading partners.

"Our cooperation in the fields of education, defence, law and culture have also expanded," he said.

Relations have continued to strengthen since the establishment of diplomatic ties, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said. Both countries belong to the 
10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"Within ASEAN, we have worked together to advance our integration efforts," Lee said.

Singapore - More than half of Singapore's workers regret what they chose to study during their stints at schools, polytechnics or universities, a published survey said Saturday.

One in three respondents also turned out to be uncertain about their ultimate career choices, global recruitment company Kelly Services said.

The findings published in The Straits Times were distilled from answers given by more than 2,000 people in an online survey, The Straits Times said.

Most participants were in business, engineering, financial services and information technology.

Singapore - A bankrupt opposition politician has been prevented from leaving Singapore to attend a prestigious Stanford University programme in the United States because the trip would not benefit her creditors, Chee Siok Chin said Saturday.

"I've travelled to the Ukraine, Brussels, Mali and the Philippines since being declared a bankrupt last August," said the 42-year-old Chee.

A Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) executive committee member and sister of SDP chief Chee Soon Juan, she said that the Official Assignee's Office informed her in a letter that the trip was of no benefit to her creditors. The office must grant permission before a bankrupt person can leave the city-state.

Singapore - The Asia-Pacific wealth market is still posing healthy growth estimated at 11 per cent annually, a UBS executive said in published remarks on Monday.

UBS, the world's largest manager of private wealth, is seeing positive inflows of funds despite the subdued economic mood, said Raoul Weil, the Swiss giant's global wealth management chairman.

Clients are more cautious, he acknowledged.

"They are taking a much more conservative allocation, decreasing their focus to equities," The Straits Times quoted Weil as saying. "But they are not putting on the brakes."

Singapore  - A slowing economy and rising costs are not stopping bargain hunters from travelling, with the United States and Europe the top destinations followed by Japan and South Korea, news reports said on Monday.

A record 65,000 people spent 40 million Singapore dollars (30 million US dollars) at the National Association of Travel Agents (NATAS) annual fair, up 14 per cent from last year's 58,000.

Singapore  - The Asia-Pacific wealth market is still posing healthy growth estimated at 11 per cent annually, a UBS executive said in published remarks on Monday.

UBS, the world's largest manager of private wealth, is seeing positive inflows of funds despite the subdued economic mood, said Raoul Weil, the Swiss giant's global wealth management chairman.

Clients are more cautious, he acknowledged.

Singapore - A more helpful husband is the biggest wish among one in four working mothers struggling to balance domestic roles with careers, a survey said Tuesday.

Dads who play a hands-on role in parenting emerged as far more important than obtaining more childcare leave from employers, according to the findings of the Working Mothers' Forum, a support group.

The woes itemized in The Straits Times revealed that one in three Singaporean mums feel society is not understanding of the needs of working mothers.

Administrator Michelle Soh, among those surveyed, was quoted as saying that she feels squeezed by "so many roles - mother, employee wife and daughter" in a 24-hour period.

Singapore - An Indian national was apparently electrocuted while cleaning a boat in the latest death to hit Singapore's beleaguered shipyard industry, news reports said on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old man was part of a team washing a ship's hull with a high-powered jet at DryDocks World Singapore when he fainted while shifting a powerful spotlight, The Straits Times reported.

The death Friday night was the eighth in the industry since June 8 and the third serious accident at DryDocks World in six weeks.

Singapore - Singapore Airlines marked its 1,000th flight of the world's largest passenger jet since the carrier became the first to operate the Airbus A380 in October, the airline said Tuesday.

Flight 322 departed Monday from Singapore's Changi Airport for London's Heathrow Airport.

The superjumbo has clocked 8,500 flying hours and carried 400,000 customers for Singapore Airlines, the company said in a statement.

Singapore  - Singapore Airlines marked its 1,000th flight of the world's largest passenger jet since the carrier became the first to operate the Airbus A380 in October, the airline said Tuesday.

Flight 322 departed Monday from Singapore's Changi Airport for London's Heathrow Airport.

The superjumbo has clocked 8,500 flying hours and carried 400,000 customers for Singapore Airlines, the company said in a statement.

Singapore  - Suicides among those 65 and older are on the rise in Singapore, increasing from 69 in 2006 to 87 last year, a suicide prevention group said Tuesday.

Samaritans of Singapore said the bulk of calls from those contemplating suicide were related to social issues.

Elderly callers said they thought of suicide because they could not bear the loneliness of living alone, said Christine Wong, the group's executive director.

They were also troubled by language barriers between them and social workers as well as poor health, she said.

Singapore - A body believed to be a 37-year-old Chinese national washed ashore after he was spotted struggling in the water with his girlfriend, news reports said Wednesday.

The corpse was found on Tuesday by a group of beach-goers at East Coast Park.

The girlfriend, 25-year-old Vietnamese Dang Thi Tho, was rescued earlier by a passer-by, The Straits Times said.

Tho, who lives in Vietnam with her parents, told the newspaper that she had learned that her boyfriend was married with children in China.

From her hospital bed, she said that he tried to drag her into the sea when they met to talk on the beach.

Singapore - Nature lovers were on the prowl Wednesday for a crocodile spotted in a Singapore park to make sure it comes to no harm if caught.

The metre-long reptile has been seen in a mangrove swamp in Pasir Ris Park and other locales over the last two weeks, triggering efforts by the National Parks Board to trap the animal.

Curious onlookers are eager to take pictures.

Among them is KC Wong, who wants "to see the crocodile in its natural habitat before someone does something to it," he told The Straits Times. "After all, Singapore has so little wildlife left."

Singapore - Businesses in Asia are facing a shortage of talent and lack of experienced staff in environments where companies are seeking robust growth, a study said on Wednesday.

Employers need to provide staff with greater independence, empowerment, flexibility and challenging work if they want to attract and retain the best workers, said Hewitt Associates, which conducted the survey for Singapore's Ministry of Manpower.

The study involving 80 business leaders in India, China and Singapore found employees are shifting jobs more frequently instead of seeking life-long employment

Organizations are replacing seniority-based employment with emphasis on results and performance, the study said.

Singapore  - Nature lovers were on the prowl Wednesday for a crocodile spotted in a Singapore park to make sure it comes to no harm if caught.

The metre-long reptile has been seen in a mangrove swamp in Pasir Ris Park and other locales over the last two weeks, triggering efforts by the National Parks Board to trap the animal.

Curious onlookers are eager to take pictures.

Singapore - Singapore President SR Nathan conferred the city-state's highest military award Thursday on General Boonsrang Niumpradit, supreme commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces.

The Distinguished Service Order went to Boonsrang in recognition of his "outstanding contributions and commitment to strengthening the excellent ties between the (Royal Thai Armed Forces) and the Singapore Armed Forces," the defence ministry said.

Professional interaction between the two armed forces have increased under Boonsrang's leadership, the ministry's statement noted, citing bilateral and multilateral military exercises.

Singapore  - Low-cost carrier Tiger Airways reported on Thursday an annual net profit of 37.8 million Singapore dollars (27 million US dollars) despite soaring fuel costs.

Revenue for the year ending March 2008 rose 56 per cent to 271 million Singapore dollars (202 US dollars), said the Singapore Airlines-backed Tiger.

It was the first profitable year since the budget carrier launched in 2004.

"Even with the challenging market conditions and current oil prices we remain confident about the long-term success of both our Asian and Australian-based airlines," said chief executive Tony Davis in a statement.

Tiger is committed to continued growth and expanding operations in Australia and Singapore, Davis said.

Singapore - Singapore and Malta have signed an Open Skies Agreement (OSA) allowing for full flexibility on air services operated by carriers of both countries, the civil aviation authority said on Friday.

The OSA becomes fully effective on December 1, 2010.

"The OSA will enable our carriers to capitalize on market opportunities that arise in (the) future," said the authority's chief executive officer Lim Kim Choon.

Singapore - Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong predicted "a bumpy year ahead" Friday as the economic problems gripping the US are starting to have an impact on Asia.

On the eve of Singapore's 43rd National Day, Lee said the last 12 months were a period of economic uncertainty worldwide.

"Considering the external challenges, Singapore's economic results are good," he said in his annual message. For the first half of 2008, growth was 4.5 per cent and expected to be between 4 and 5 per cent for the whole year.

However, with the housing crisis adding further stress to the US financial system, American consumers are spending less, affecting the whole global economy, Lee said.

Singapore - Christianity is increasingly attracting followers of the Chinese religion Taoism, with young Christian converts finding an extended family at church, hip music and opportunities to socialize, a published study said on Saturday.

Census figures revealed the Taoist share of the population plunged from 30 per cent in 1980 to 22.4 per cent in 1990 to 8.5 per cent in 2000.

Christianity has seen its flock grow to 14.6 per cent in 2000 from 12.7 per cent in 1990, said the breakdown in The Straits Times.

Singapore - Operators of the world's tallest observation wheel have feng shui experts to thank for pointing out that the Singapore Flyer was turning the wrong way, accounting for fewer than expected passengers, they said on Saturday.

"There have definitely been more passengers since Monday" when the 30-minute ride in 28 air-conditioned capsules started spinning in a new direction after geomancers noted its original path was taking fortune away from Singapore, said Mike Chew, one of the flight planners.

Singapore  - A US law firm has opened an office in Singapore focusing on South-East and South Asian markets, a news report said on Monday.

The city-state office of O'Melveny & Myers LLP, the firm's fifth in Asia, is starting off with a focus on the finance, merger and acquisition, private equity, restructuring and distressed investment and capital markets.

"We are in the process of recruiting more lawyers," the Business Times quoted Howard Chao, chairman of O'Melveny's Asia practice, as saying. He expects the Singapore office to have up to 15 lawyers by the end of the year.

Given the growth rates in the South-East and South Asia markets, "We expect the office will grow quickly," he added.

Singapore - Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was set to kick off his visit Tuesday in Singapore by laying a wreath in remembrance of Allied soldiers who died in South-East Asia during the two world wars.

Rudd, in his first official visit to the city-state as prime minister, was scheduled to meet with the top leaders after visiting Kranji war cemetery.

Singapore - French professional climber Alain Robert will scale a building in Singapore as part of The Straits Times' 163rd anniversary celebrations, the newspaper said on Tuesday.

The building is being kept a secret until the event on Saturday.

Robert, 45, has conquered such skyscrapers as Taipei 101, the Empire State Building and the Petronas Twin Towers.

He was arrested in the city-state when he attempted to climb the 63-storey Overseas Union Bank Building in 2000. Police nabbed him on the 23rd floor for criminal trespassing.

Robert will wear a safety harness as part of the rules governing his Singapore climb. (dpa)

Singapore - The Asian oil-and-gas industry is facing a labour crunch crisis amid the lure of higher salaries in the Middle East, a management consultancy's report said on Tuesday.

The Hay Group found workers in Asia are paid only a fraction of what a person in the same job would earn in the United Arab Emirates.

For every dollar of guaranteed cash that a senior manager earns in the UAE, his counterparts in Singapore and Malaysia earn only 74 and 32 cents respectively, the report said.

The manager in China earns 46 cents and only 17 cents in Indonesia, said the findings from the Hay Group's compensation and benefits database.

Sydney, Aug. 12 : Singapore Airlines has been named the world''s best airline in the 2008 Airline of the Year awards. Cathay Pacific and Qantas came second and third respectively in the annual survey.

Singapore won the title for the second year in a row and the third time in 10 years. The airline also took out the award for best business class.

Qantas also won the award for best first class lounge, best economy class catering and best airline in Australasia.

Singapore - Singapore Telecommunications, South-East Asia's largest phone company, reported Tuesday a 5.3 per cent fall in first quarter net profit as a stronger Singapore currency cut earnings from overseas affiliates.

For the first quarter ending June 30, the net profit was 878 million Singapore dollars (622 million US dollars), down from 927 million Singapore dollars in the corresponding period a year ago.

"As a high proportion of the group's earnings are from outside Singapore," the financial results are "sensitive to currency movements," a SingTel statement said.

Singapore - Frozen ducks from Taiwan are getting rave reviews from Singaporeans claiming they are cheaper, plumper and tastier, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The birds made their debut in April as part of the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority's (AVA's) efforts to diversify food sources in case of unpredictable crisis.

"I tried them out because I was looking for another supplier other than Malaysia, and they were plumper and the meat was juicier," The Straits Times quoted roast duck seller Henry Tan as saying.

Pin Corporation, an importer of frozen ducks, has stopped purchasing them from the United States, previously its main supplier, the report said. It now buys the cheaper Taiwan frozen ducks.

Singapore - A two-week exercise to test the preparedness of Singapore's financial industry for a deadly flu outbreak is to start at the end of this month, organizers said Wednesday.

Involving more than 140 banks, insurers, other firms and government agencies, the aim is to ensure that financial institutions are ready to cope with a potential flu pandemic, said Ong-Ang Ai Boon, director of the association of banks.

The exercise is to evaluate the ability of banks, insurance companies and securities brokerage firms to respond to widespread flu infections, mass hospitalizations and deaths, the association said.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Singapore Exchange are also to take part in the exercise from August 28 to September 11.

Singapore - Singapore Airlines has become the world's first carrier to implement an automated document check facility that simplifies the task of checking travel documents, SIA said on Wednesday.

Jointly developed by experts from 11 Star Alliance member carriers, the facility processes all visa, travel and immigration requirements of the countries in the customer's itinerary and eliminates time-consuming manual verification by staff.

Singapore - The inaugural flight of AirAsia Indonesia landed at Singapore's Changi Airport Thursday, making it the third airline to start operations in Singapore this year.

Aboard the flight from Pekanbaru, the capital city of Riau province, was the carrier's chief executive officer, Dharmadi, who like many Indonesians uses only one name.

Singapore - Singapore's Changi Airports International (CAI) and its Russian partner Basic Element have cleared the initial round of the bidding process to develop and operate St Petersburg's main airport, CAI said Thursday.

The Pulkovo International Airport development is Russia's first public-private partnership project for an airport.

The other bidders for the 1-billion-US-dollar project include India's GMR Infrastructure, Turkey's TAV Airports and Austria's Vienna Airport in alliance with Russia's Gazfond and Gazprombank.

Singapore - An India-based group with interests in the information-communication technology sector is setting up its global headquarters in Singapore, armed with a 
200-million-US-dollar war chest, news reports said Friday.

The city-state was picked because of its proximity to the fast- growing "Israel-to-Indonesia" market, The Business Times quoted Spice Corp Chairman BK Modi as saying.

Singapore - Nearly 25 per cent of the traditional Chinese medicine companies in Singapore have pledged not to sell products derived from endangered species, an animal protection group said Friday.

The shops from 189 companies are displaying a bright red and white label proclaiming, "We do not sell endangered species products."

Members of the Animal Research and Education Society said they have found tiger bones, paws and penises in addition to bear products on sale in the city-state.

Singapore - An Egyptian minister for investment, accompanied by a 35-member business delegation, Monday wrapped up a visit to Singapore aimed at boosting bilateral trade.

Minister of Investment Mahmoud Mohiedin was briefed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Economic Development Board and the Singapore Exchange.

He and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong discussed trends in Asia and the Middle East on Sunday, officials said.

Mohieldin also addressed a seminar on Egypt's investment climate.

Egypt is "aggressively embarking on plans to develop key sectors such as info-comm technology, logistics, infrastructure and tourism," said Teng Theng Dar, chief executive of the Singapore Business Federation. (dpa)

Singapore - A shelter for nearly 100 homeless foreign maids, many victims of abuse and rape, is to be closed in two days because of overcrowding, authorities said Monday.

The women have been informed they must leave the three-storey building by Wednesday after an eviction order from the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

The government planning agency said the overcrowding presented health and hygiene problems that could affect the maids.

The women have been sharing seven bedrooms and five bathrooms.

Singapore - Taoists are launching a drive to debunk misconceptions that their religion is based largely on superstition, after a poll showed many young followers are switching to Christianity, leaders of the faith said Tuesday.

An exhibition containing nearly 400 books in 36 languages will include the works of Taoist sage Lao Zi, known as Dao De Jing, and materials from 10 other major religions in Singapore.

Singapore - The Wednesday deadline for the closure of a shelter for homeless foreign maids has been extended by two months, news reports said Tuesday.

Singapore's Urban Development Authority (UDA) extended the deadline for evicting nearly 100 women, many of whom are victims of abuse and rape.

The Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME), the group that runs the three-storey facility, told The Straits Times that it will get the UDA stamp of approval once it finds another site.

Singapore - A fisherman snared a metre-long crocodile believed to be the reptile spotted by several people in a park not far from the heart of Singapore, news reports said on Wednesday.

The angler was fishing off a bridge when his line hooked the leg of the crocodile. The animal has been the target of a search by park employees and video enthusiasts since a snapshot was taken in a river canal by a girl more than three weeks ago.

The unidentified fisherman reeled it in, The Straits Times said. He and a companion shone a light at it before they realized it was a crocodile staring back.

They lifted the reptile onto and bridge and turned it on its back to stop it from escaping.

Singapore - Members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are only "tiny blips" on investors' radar screens compared to China and India, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Wednesday.

Opening the 29th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) session, Lee said the 10-member group has to struggle to get its share of investments, jobs and growth.

Through hosting the Beijing Olympic, China had shown the world the talents, energy and organizational prowess of its people, Lee said. "India's economy too has considerable dynamism, and is moving up in terms of skills and technology," he added.

Singapore - A television presenter has apologized for uttering an expletive during an episode of an Olympics news programme, MediaCorp said on Wednesday.

Jade Seah, who thought her microphone was switched off as she was off-camera, said the expletive after stumbling over the pronunciation of an athlete's name.

"I sincerely hope viewers will give me a chance to improve," said Seah.

The 25-year-old Seah continues to co-host the programme Today In Beijing.

Singapore - Nearly two-thirds of Singaporeans are thinking of retiring abroad, attracted by a slower pace of life and lower cost of living, a published survey said on Thursday.

The Tsao Foundation, a non-profit group dedicated to helping the elderly, queried 300 people aged 21 to 55.

The yearning to retire abroad was highest among those aged 21 to 34. In the 45 to 55 age group, one in two had considered spending their retirement overseas, said the findings in The Straits Times.

Singapore - In a desperate attempt to convince couples to have more babies, Singapore's government is offering a bonanza of tax benefits, leaves and other perks starting January.

The 1.6-billion-Singapore-dollar (1.1-billion-US-dollar) package outlined in the media on Thursday will benefit all parents.

Encouraging more births has been a national priority since Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong focused on the escalating problem of low birth rates in 2004. The current fertility rate of 1.29 is far from the replacement level of 2.1.

Singapore  - Appeals from parents-to-be have prompted the Singapore government to bring forward the starting date for an onslaught of new perks aimed at convincing couples to have more babies, authorities said Friday.

Instead of January 1, 2008, the benefits have been backdated to Sunday, when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced a bonanza of tax benefits, leaves, a bigger "baby bonus" and other goodies to encourage more births.

The speedy adjustment is in response to appeals by expectant mothers and fathers whose babies are due before January 1.

Singapore  - Saudi Arabia and Singapore have reached an agreement to allow any number of flights between Singapore and the eastern Gulf city of Damman, the Transport Ministry said Friday.

The increase was reached after two days of consultations between the ministry and Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation.

Under the agreement, carriers may also operate up to 14 flights per week between Singapore and other points in Saudi Arabia, including Jeddah and Riyadh.

Singapore - Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs warned political activists from Myanmar not to ignore repeated police orders to stop illegal public protests and anti-Myanmar activities, the The Strait Times newspaper said Saturday.

A spokesman of the Overseas Burmese Patriots (OBP), a group of Myanmar activists, said the Singapore government has not renewed immigration passes for five of its members that had participated in a public protest in November.

"We do have suspicion that the rationale for the rejections might be because of the protests and our activities," Myo Myint Maung said.

Singapore - Singapore's rate of inflation slowed to 6.5 per cent in July after three consecutive months at 7.5 per cent, reported The Strait Times Tuesday.

The paper quoted the Statistics Department as saying that during the first six months of this year, the overall consumer price index (CPI) for households in the bottom 20 per cent income bracket rose 7.4 per cent, while the national mean was 7.1 per cent and richer households 6.9 per cent.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India's top software exporter, has secured a multimillion dollar, back-office accounting processes contract, from Singapore Airlines Cargo (SIA Cargo).

SIA Cargo, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, is the world's fourth-largest cargo airline in terms of international freight tonne kilometers. The Airline has a route network that covers more than 39 countries across the world.

Under the five-year agreement, TCS will provide service to its cargo revenue accounting back office processes.

Taipei - Four Taiwan prosecutors flew to Singapore Wednesday to seek the city-state's help in investigating suspected money laundering by former president Chen Shui-bian.

The prosecutors want to check a bank account of Wu Ching-mao, brother of Chen's wife, Wu Shu-chen, because she had allegedly wired some of Chen's campaign funds to the account.

Singapore has told Taiwan that it is willing to offer legal assistance because Singapore does not allow foreigners to use its financial system to conduct illegal activities, Taiwan's Central News Agency said.

Singapore - Foreign law firms would strengthen Singapore's economy and reputation as a regional legal center, especially in the corporate and banking sectors, a cabinet minister said Wednesday.

Law Minister Kasiviswanathan Shanmugan welcomed amendments approved by Parliament to permit foreign firms to practise, the Strait Times reported.

Five foreign law firms are to be licensed in October to hire qualified Singapore attorneys. Foreign firms are to be allowed to share up to 49 per cent of the profits of joint ventures, according to the legislation.

Singapore - A Singapore tycoon pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of illegally attempting to purchasing a kidney from a village on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Tang Wee Sung, executive director of the tony CT Tang Department store and owner of prime real estate, admitted arranging to pay middlemen 300,000 Singapore dollars (211,678 US dollars), and just 20,000 Singapore dollars to the donor, the Straits Times reported.

Tang also admitted falsely declaring the donor was his relative.

The charges carry a three-year prison sentence, plus a fine for false declaration.

The retail magnate said he did it because he was desperately sick and had no recourse due the lack of preventative medicine to survive.

Singapore - In a sale dispute turned ugly, the chairman of a Singapore condominium estate was released on bail Thursday after being arrested for gluing residents' doors shut, The Strait Times newspaper reported.

Lee Kok Leong, 61, was believed to have repeatedly harassed residents, vandalized homes, glued residents' mail boxes and keyholes shut and splashed paint on their cars.

The condo's owners are locked in a rift over a collective sale of the 530-unit condo with the vandalism victims being among those not in favour of the sale, the newspaper said.

No charges were laid against Lee, who claimed that he himself was a victim of a mysterious mailbox glue attack. (dpa)

Singapore - A woman is to receive child support payments from a former live-in boyfriend after a Singapore court said the man could not expect affidavits from the city-state's estimated other 2 million men that they did not sleep with her, The Straits Times said Friday.

The mother, 29, who was living with two men, got pregnant in 2005 and married one of the men thinking he was the father.

However, the man bailed out of the marriage after realizing he was not the father. The husband, 33, suspicious after finding out that the baby girl's blood type was different from his, took a DNA test proving the baby was not his.

Singapore - Airlines were resuming their service between Singapore and the popular Thai holiday island of Phuket after the facility reopened following its closure by anti-government demonstrators, a newspaper report said.

Tiger Air and Air Asia planned to resume their service Monday, The Straits Times reported.

SilkAir became the first to reopen the route, resuming its flights Sunday night and upping its regularly scheduled single evening flight between Singapore and Phuket to three to ferry its backlog of passengers between the two destinations. It said it would operate its normal schedule of five flights Monday.

Mumbai-based logistics company, Tuscan Ventures has announced its strategic investment in Singapore based Rasmussen & Simonsen International Pte Ltd. (RSI), for an undisclosed amount.

Under the deal, the company will invest undisclosed sum to pick 40% stake in Rasmussen & Simonsen International.

Founded in 2004, RSI focuses on the significant demand for specialized training and consulting services in the shipping and logistics sectors.

According to official sources, the investment will allow the RSI team to fund its rapid global expansion and add the necessary human capital resources to meet the growing demand for the company's services.

Singapore - Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng and a team of ministers were to arrive in China Tuesday for meetings on environmental, industrial and bilateral cooperation with Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice Premier Wang Qishan on Thursday and Friday, said The Strait Times Tuesday.

At the top of the agenda, Singapore's deputy prime minster will co-chair meetings on the progress of the landmark Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco City project and meet with Tianjin party secretary Zhang Gaoli, Major Huang Xingguo, and other leaders.

Singapore - Singapore and Malaysia have set up a joint technical committee to sort out the issues surrounding sovereignty over the disputed territories of Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge, a media report said Tuesday.

Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Rais Yatim and Singapore's Foreign Minister George Teo announced the panel and emphasized both countries' commitment to "honour and abide by the International Court of Justice(ICJ) judgement and fully implement its decision."

Singapore - Singapore received top marks for being the world's best meeting venue in 2007 by the international non-profit Union of International Associations, overtaking previous favorites Paris and Vienna, The Strait Times reported Wednesday.

The Asian city-state topped the rankings of meeting, exhibition and convention of the year and also won in the categories of best business event venue and business ambassador., the paper said.