News Today

Other uses for special education account
I APPLAUD the Government in its generosity towards brightening the hopes of students and those who want to engage in adult learning.A case in point is the Post Secondary Education Account, which is designed for students from the age of seven... [Read more]

Abramovich will not leave Chelsea
LONDON - BILLIONAIRE Roman Abramovich, who on Saturday watched Chelsea beat Norwich 4-0 in the FA Cup, has no intention of walking away from the club. But, after pouring in more than &pound500 million (S$1.49 billion), the Russian is no longer... [Read more]

Selling Singapore: Stories from the EDB trenches
MR KO Kheng Hwa, the managing director of the Economic Development Board (EDB), shares stories from the frontline in the battle for multinational investments: Wooing Shell with tenacity IT TOOK 'generations' of EDB officers to persuade petrochemical giant Shell to invest... [Read more]

School proves disabled can fit in
AT EVERGREEN Primary, Loh Jiawei is just one of the girls, the muscle-wasting disease that confines her to a wheelchair no barrier to learning. With help from an understanding and caring principal, teachers and schoolmates, the determined 11-year-old topped her Primary... [Read more]

Anti-spam Bill aims to get marketers to label messages
MARKETERS who send unsolicited e-mail and SMS messages will soon have to label their messages clearly or risk facing legal action from consumers.Under the Spam Control Bill, which takes its name from the widely-known act of 'spamming' - the sending of... [Read more]

Sailor dad dies while watching son sail
A PROUD father who set out to sea to watch his youngest son take part in a sailing contest was found slumped on a nearby beach on Sunday. The boy came in fourth out of 178 participants, but the thrill of... [Read more]

Organ donation: Treat family members with sensitivity
I COULD NOT agree more with Mr Anthony Yeo in his letter 'Knowing how to handle trauma is important' (ST Forum, Feb 14).In his letter, he rightly stressed the need for medical staff to be better trained in handling procedures leading... [Read more]

Sirens to be sounded today
SIRENS will sound islandwide today at 12.05pm, as part of Total Defence Day.The exercise also serves to familiarise people with the Public Warning System (PWS) and the three emergency signals.When the sound is heard, people can tune in immediately to any... [Read more]

Well, Singapore Sucks!
Technorati ProfileTechnorati Profile... [Read more]Liverpool need to keep on winningLIVERPOOL - IT IS no use beating Chelsea, and then losing to West Ham. Liverpool scored a morale-boosting 2-0 victory over Premiership champions Chelsea last week, and moved to within five points... [Read more]

Taiwan bank in talks with DBS, seeks top partner
TAIPEI - FAR Eastern International Bank, a Taiwanese lender, said it seeks a strategic alliance with a world-class financial company.It added that it has been in talks with Singapore's DBS Group Holdings.While discussions with DBS have been taking place for the... [Read more]

Natsteel's net profit jumps 89% to $132m
NATSTEEL yesterday posted an 89 per cent rise in full-year net income to $132.1 million, boosted by higher one-time gains.These gains shot up to $83 million, from $32.4 million in 2005, after the disposal of its financial assets and gains from... [Read more]

Sengkang no longer easy meat: SAFFC

DEFENDING champions Singapore Armed Forces FC begin their title defence today against last season's wooden spoonists, Sengkang Punggol FC.

But do not expect a massacre at the Hougang Stadium tonight.

SAFFC coach Richard Bok said: 'It will be a tough encounter. They have strengthened their squad and are more competitive this season.

'Reaching the final of the SingTel League Cup would have been a big confidence boost for them.'

Poor finishing by the Warriors was the main factor in their 0-2 loss to India's Mahindra United in Tuesday's AFC Cup match.

It is something that they will be looking to improve.

Said Bok: 'We created enough chances to win comfortably but we couldn't convert.

'We must bounce back in this game. The boys want to let people know the AFC Cup loss was just a one-off.'

Forwards Aleksandar Duric and Ashrin Shariff started the Mahindra game but Bok is poised to make changes.

That could mean a start for former international Masrezwan Masturi, their new signing from Woodlands Wellington.

Midfielder John Wilkinson will return to the team after missing the AFC Cup match because of an upset stomach.

There are no injury worries for SAFFC, with the exception of defender Razif Mahamud, who is not yet match-fit after recovering from a torn hamstring.

Said SAFFC captain Mohamed Noor Ali: 'Sengkang look impressive this year. They cannot be underestimated.

'They have three good foreign players up front who can trouble our defence.

'We are still gelling as a team but it's important that we start the season with a win.'

In the Sengkang camp, spirits are high after a good pre-season campaign. They reached their first major final in the SingTel League Cup last month, although they lost 0-4 to Woodlands.

Their adventurous 4-3-3 formation, with Australian Jonathon Angelucci, New Zealander Ross McKenzie and Cameroonian Paul Bekombo Ekollo as strikers, could trouble SAFFC.

McKenzie and Ekollo scored a goal each in the League Cup.

Sengkang's defence is also bolstered by another New Zealander, Cole Tinkler, and ex-Home United defender Firdaus Salleh.

Said Sengkang coach Trevor Morgan: 'They are the champions, but we have every reason to be confident.

'We have a stronger team and our pre-season campaign went very well.

'If we get numbers forward in attack and defend well as a team, it is a game we can win.'



CHAN YI SHEN

News Today

Wunderful idea for women with disabilities wins top prize
A TASK as mundane as putting on or taking off one's underwear is a challenge for the wheelchair-bound or those with sports injuries. But now - at least for women with disabilities - a panty has been designed so it does... [Read more]

US Airways may raise Delta bid
PHILADELPHIA - US AIRWAYS Group may raise its hostile takeover offer for Delta Air Lines by US$1 billion (S$1.54 billion) under certain conditions to win support from Delta creditors, according to a report in the electronic edition of The Wall Street... [Read more]

Scouting out residents in case of emergencies
BEHIND the robust turnout at Sembawang's Emergency Preparedness Day yesterday were people like volunteer coordinator Rafiah Yan and her colleagues. The grassroots volunteers' efforts helped draw about 100 residents from HDB blocks in Madam Rafiah's neighbourhood to witness the annual event... [Read more]

Investors go the whole hog, pushing STI to new record
INVESTORS could barely wait to get back to business on the first trading day of the Year of the Pig yesterday, immediately propelling the local bourse to yet another all-time high. The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) ended yesterday at its... [Read more]

Lessen estate duty on commercial properties
GOVERNMENT leaders have indicated that the corporate tax may be reduced. This is heartening.On the question of estate duty, the Prime Minister had indicated in Parliament that the Government was looking at the matter.It is hoped that the Government will increase... [Read more]

Punjab goes to the polls amid reform woes
CHANDIGARH (INDIA) - POLLS were held yesterday in the northern Indian state of Punjab, where a defeat for the ruling Congress Party could highlight wider national concerns over rising food prices and economic reforms. India's annual inflation rate rose to a... [Read more]

Seven months later, still no answers
SEVEN months after the skeleton of an old woman was found in the toilet of a dilapidated house off Upper Thomson Road, police have still not been able to establish her identity. Yesterday, the Coroner's Court postponed the case for the... [Read more]

Watchdog wants to help sector bloom
WHEN he was asked in the middle of last year if he would take up the job of charities watchdog, Mr Low Puk Yeong agreed right away. Three months later, on Sept 1, he became Singapore's first full-time Commissioner of Charities.... [Read more]

More Chinese delay pregnancy by freezing eggs
BEIJING - AN INCREASING number of Chinese women are asking fertility institutes to freeze their eggs so that they can postpone pregnancy to enjoy their careers and youth, Chinese media reported yesterday.More than 260 couples in Shanghai had frozen eggs, the... [Read more]

Sports World
AUSTRALIA SUFFER KIWI WHITEWASH HAMILTON: One-day cricket world champions Australia suffered their fifth straight loss yesterday - just weeks before the World Cup kicks off on March 11. New Zealand, from a seemingly hopeless 41-4, scored 350-9 to win with three... [Read more]

No counting chickens
NORTH Korea and the United States have managed to agree on something in tortuous talks on the North's nuclear weapons programme - Aesop's fable about counting chickens before they hatch is right on the money. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice... [Read more]

Barca bashers send out warning

LONDON - BARCELONA took Liverpool's 2005 European trophy. Now the Reds are dreaming of returning the favour, after knocking the holders out at Anfield on Tuesday.

Although Liverpool lost 0-1 on the night, their first leg 2-1 win at the Nou Camp saw them book a place in the quarter-finals on the away-goals rule.

Substitute Eidur Gudjohnsen scored the only goal after 75 minutes, but Barca's players left the field utterly devastated.

'We feel we have laid down a marker here,' said Liverpool's captain Steven Gerrard, who on the same day accepted libel damages over a magazine's claim that he was considering a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.

'We have beaten the best team in Europe over two legs. It proves we can beat anyone on our day.

'Rafael Benitez has shown he is one of the best managers in the world, and he shows it with the tactics he used in Europe.

'We always trust him to get it right, and he did it again this time.'

Yes, but very nearly no.

Benitez is shrewd to realise that the way to beat Barca is to attack them and expose their weaknesses at the back, before they can use their strengths up front with the talents of Ronaldinho, Deco, Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o.

The tactic worked at the Nou Camp and at Anfield.

Barca's defender Carles Puyol, so outstanding in previous years, is having a difficult season.

His partner Lilian Thuram is 35 and his intelligence cannot always compensate for the slowing of his legs, reported The Times.

The Spanish team were stretched as they tried to contain the running of Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy.

Liverpool had 10 shots in the first 23 minutes, whereas Barca did not have one effort on target in the opening half.

John Arne Riise and Mohamed Sissoko, who picked up a booking which rules him out of the quarter-final, rocked the woodwork.

Bellamy and Kuyt worked the best out of goalkeeper Victor Valdes, while Puyol cleared off the line.

But, time and again, teams who try to hold on to what they have lose everything.

Arsenal paid the price in the final in Paris last season when, with a 1-0 lead, they took off Francesc Fabregas for the defensive-minded Mattheu Flamini.

Barca won 2-1.

It seemed Benitez was making the same mistake when he took off Bellamy for midfielder Jermaine Pennant to flood the centre of the pitch.

Barca put on striker Gudjohnsen for Thuram, and the tide shifted.

Pennant slipped and teammate Alvaro Arbeloa played Gudjohnsen onside. The former Chelsea striker dribbled past goalkeeper Jose Reina and scored.

It set up a frantic finale, yet Liverpool really should have soothed the racing pulses.

Substitute Peter Crouch blasted Pennant's superb cross into the Kop from just three metres out.

Liverpool concede as few goals as Manchester United and Chelsea but score nothing like as many - and that could be their undoing later in the Champions League.

But, with an out-of-sorts Ronaldinho failing to make any impact to a thousand derisive cries of 'who are you?', Liverpool hung on.

'I feel this is the greatest victory this club has ever had in Europe,' said their defensive kingpin Jamie Carragher, ranking Tuesday's aggregate win even better than their final win over AC Milan two years ago.

'Even though we have knocked them out, they are still the best club side in the world. So beating them is a remarkable achievement over two legs.'

Benitez refused to take credit.

'I don't like to talk about tactical battles between managers. I think it's all about players and what they do on the field. It's not about managers,' he said.

'The players were working until the end. The atmosphere was also amazing and I have seen today why we have the best supporters in the world.'

The last word belonged to Chelsea's manager Jose Mourinho, whose own side progressed after beating Porto 2-1 and could next meet Liverpool following the draw tomorrow.

He said: 'Now two of the last three champions - Porto and Barcelona - are out. Inter Milan are out. Lyon, the super team, are out. The Champions League is very open.'

News Today

Wi-Fi thief's sentence lauded as 'practical'
BY SENTENCING a teenager to 18 months' probation and an accompanying Internet ban for piggybacking on his neighbour's wireless connection, the Community Court sent a clear signal that the teen's actions were wrong but not serious enough to warrant jail time,... [Read more]

En bloc sales: Is there no protection for the minority?
I refer to the letter, 'En bloc sales: Have laws to protect minority' (ST, Feb 9).I empathise with the writer. We seem to be gripped by en bloc fever. The writer raises some thoughtful issues.Is there no protection for the minority... [Read more]

THEN: Jailbird NOW: Model youth
GLENN Lim spiralled downwards from a rebellious youth to a drug user. It did not look like he was about to stop, until he was busted by the police for drug trafficking. That day in court 12 years ago - faced... [Read more]

Malaysia to review curbs on foreign investors
KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA is to review curbs on foreign shareholding in state-linked firms as it gears up for a big push to attract more foreign investment and raise its profile, a minister said yesterday.Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop revealed... [Read more]

Community leaders tour Jurong Island
MINISTER of State for Defence, Associate Professor Koo Tsai Kee, hosted a visit to Jurong Island yesterday.The world-class chemical hub houses Singapore's multi-billion-dollar petrochemical industry.The visitors were members of Accord - the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence, made up... [Read more]

LDP turns to souvenirs to sell PM Abe
TOKYO - MUGS, pens and notepads adorned with cartoon depictions of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe went on sale at his party headquarters' souvenir shop this week. Liberal Democratic Party spokesman Yoshiaki Ishige said yesterday the party has produced 5,000 to... [Read more]

Early dates for patients with acute conditions
I REFER to Mdm Gladys Tan Sok Hoon's letter, 'Four- month wait to be seen at SGH' (ST, Jan 19). We can empathise with Mdm Tan's friend over her mother's discomfort and safety while waiting to see a specialist. Our Specialist... [Read more]

Flexi-work at 3 places for single Malay mums
MALAY-MUSLIM single mothers can soon seek work at new businesses that will allow them to keep flexible hours. The move will also pave the way for them to receive Workfare.This community initiative, announced by labour MP Halimah Yacob yesterday, involves setting... [Read more]

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

At least five years before HDTV takes off in S'pore: MDA
HIGH-DEFINITION TV (HDTV) services may take at least five years to take off with couch potatoes here, despite promising lifelike images four times sharper. This was what the Media Development Authority (MDA) said yesterday. Its chief information officer, Mr Yeo Chun... [Read more]

Recent floods in Jakarta are strong evidence that urbanisation must be reduced
JAKARTA is hit by deadly floods each year and this year is the worst flood in memory. At one point, the flood inundated about 70 per cent of the city. It killed at least 57 people and sent about 450,000 fleeing... [Read more]

News Today

Japan to send disaster alerts via satellite
TOKYO - JAPAN, one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, launched a satellite-based alert system yesterday that will instantly send warnings on natural disasters to help local residents evacuate quickly, an official said. Japan experiences about 10 per cent of the... [Read more]

Bouquets
WHEELCHAIR HELP FOR WIFE AT AIRPORT MY WIFE and I had a comfortable flight on Indian Airlines from Chennai and landed at the Changi airport around 8.30pm on Jan 29. After stepping out from the plane we walked a distance in... [Read more]

Docs, nurses learn to break bad news better
NURSE Punasundri Thangaraju has met her share of patients weeping following a miscarriage or after learning they had cancer. Her usual response, which she thought comforting, was to tell them not to cry.Now, she knows it is better just to sit... [Read more]

Expanded curriculum: JC students coping well
JUNIOR college students who have come under the new expanded A-level curriculum since last year have generally coped well with it. About the same percentage of them passed their JC1 exams and started JC2 this year in most of the 10... [Read more]

Owner Magnusson fears West Ham could go down
LONDON - WEST Ham's chairman Eggert Magnusson has admitted for the first time that the club could get relegated. The Icelandic tycoon splashed &pound18 million (S$54 million) during last month's transfer window. He brought in six players in a desperate bid... [Read more]

Malaysia recalls 300 retired police officers
KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA has recalled more than 300 retired police officers back to duty as the country faces a shortage of experienced law enforcement officials.The 337 retired officers - to be hired on a contract basis - will be tapped... [Read more]

Hu puts gloss on Africa policy
INITIALLY, Chinese President Hu Jintao's 12-day whirlwind tour of African states - which concludes this weekend - looked like many others: the usual courtship of countries rich in raw materials, and the usual protests from the West about Beijing's support for... [Read more]

Parliament sitting
PARLIAMENT will sit on Monday, Feb 12, according to a statement from the Clerk of Parliament.... [Read more]

'Terror groups may put bases in Thai south'
KUALA LUMPUR - THAILAND'S insurgency-wracked southern provinces are in danger of becoming a breeding ground for regional Islamic terrorism, Malaysia's Foreign Minister said yesterday. Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said terrorist groups could seek to build bases in Thailand's restive south,... [Read more]

YouTube post shouldn't trifle with religion
I WAS upset when I was forwarded a hyperlink to a sound file posted on YouTube by 'Ximiwakoz'.The recording, entitled 'RK House - No PORK', featured some boys who apparently visited a prata shop at Serangoon Gardens. They repeatedly asked for... [Read more]

Tiger Air plans to enter domestic market Down Under
SYDNEY - SINGAPORE budget airline Tiger Airways announced yesterday that it is planning to enter the Australian domestic market by year-end.Its chief executive Tony Davis said the airline had filed applications with Australian regulators and that the response from officials was... [Read more]

News Today

'Service charge' is a misnomer
AS A member of the food-and-beverage industry, I thank Mr Patrick Tan Siong Kuan for his letter, 'Want good service? Bring back tipping' (ST, Jan 25).In at least 90 per cent of the restaurants here, the mandatory service charge does not... [Read more]

Pre-existing condition? Shop around for insurer
I REFER to the letter by Dr Lee Pheng Soon, 'Check insurance policy if diabetic, hypertensive' (ST, Feb 2).There are actually two distinct issues here. The first is the applicant's duty to disclose to the insurer all material facts which may... [Read more]

Pension fund scam involved 20 top names
SHANGHAI - AT LEAST 20 officials and businessmen were involved in Shanghai's pension fund scandal, the government said yesterday, giving its fullest account yet of the scandal that rocked the city last year. Eleven party officials and more than 10 others... [Read more]

Chef in demand beyond our shores
JUSTIN Quek, 44, is one of Singapore's best-known chefs. He has cooked for the likes of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and former Chinese president Jiang Zemin in a career spanning more than 20 years. He set... [Read more]

Free up air links earlier: S'pore
BANGKOK - SINGAPORE yesterday urged Asean transport ministers at their meeting here to free up air links between their capitals by the end of 2007 - a year earlier than planned.The move will give their carriers greater access in a fast-growing... [Read more]

US Democrats urge caution on Teheran
WASHINGTON - TOP Democrat leaders have urged the Bush administration to be cautious about accusing Iran of fomenting trouble in Iraq, as Teheran said it was a bid by Washington to hide its failures.Senior US defence officials had told a press... [Read more]

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

Kerry rules out second run for White House
SENATOR John Kerry of Massachusetts ruled out a second presidential bid on Wednesday, asserting that he could do more to change the course of Iraq policy in the Senate than by campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire.'I've concluded this isn't the... [Read more]

India, Pakistan vow joint anti-terror effort
NEW DELHI - INDIA and Pakistan vowed yesterday to fight terrorism together, days after a terrorist strike on a train killed 68 people, mostly Pakistanis heading home. The pledge was a clear message to terrorist groups that sought to sully the... [Read more]

MP was not suggesting S'pore must slow down
I THANK Mr Steve Tan Peng Hoe for his views on my purported call for us to slow down our growth to appease our neighbours ('Dangerous to slow down to appease our neighbours'; ST, Feb 16). This has given me the... [Read more]

Ford could be forced to close more plants, cut union wages
YPSILANTI (MICHIGAN) - STRUGGLING Ford Motors could be forced to shut down seven more plants and ask its unions for a 20 per cent cut to wages and benefits as it faces a financial 'meltdown', said a respected industry analyst. The... [Read more]