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.

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 - 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.

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 tech

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 - 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.