Singapore - A Singapore father was sentenced to 28 years in jail and 28 strokes of the cane for raping his teenage daughter 23 times, a newspaper reported Saturday.

"As her father, you should have protected her," High Court Judge Woo Bih Li was quoted by the Straits Times as telling the 39-year-old. "Instead, you engaged in a campaign of sexual abuse against her."

Singapore - Singapore shares rose Friday, making a technical turnaround on news of the government's financial support to local businesses.

The Straits Times Index rose by 2.67 per cent or 43.12 points to close at 1,657.07.

The Singapore Exchange closed with 208 gainers against 182 losers in thin trading, with volume of 934.8 million shares.

Analysts and economists said the market regained some ground after having been on the downward trend for the week.

Singapore - Singapore further downgraded its economic growth forecast to 2.5 per cent for this year, down from 3 per cent previously forecast, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said on Friday.

Singapore had in October revised this year's growth to 3 per cent, down from an earlier predicted 4 per cent and 5 per cent.

In 2009, the MTI sees Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP) ranging between a contraction of 1 per cent and growth of 2 per cent.

Singapore's GDP contracted by 0.6 per cent in year-on-year terms in the third quarter of 2008, said the MTI.

Singapore - Singapore share prices slid Thursday, reflecting a gloomy economic outlook and the regional downward trend.

The Straits Times Index fell 3.1 per cent, or 51.64 points, to close at 1,613.95.

Trading volume on the Singapore Exchange was thin, totaling 950.5 million shares. The exchange closed the day with 324 losers and 140 gainers.

Singapore shares have been under pressure all this week as the city-state's and regional corporations try to weather the impact of the global financial crisis, economists said.

Singapore - A Singapore research team has made a breakthrough in the treatment of diabetes by using embryonic stem cells to develop pure insulin-producing cells in mice, a news report said Thursday.

Dr Lim Sai Kiang and Dr Li Guodong from the Institute of Medical Biology were able to develop an unlimited number of the cells, which when transplanted into diabetic mice, causing the high blood glucose levels of the rodents to decrease, Channel News Asia reported

The pure insulin-producing cells are similar to those found in the human pancreas, the pan-Asian news network said.

Singapore - Singapore shares drop