News Today

Hardline Thai general to head phone corporation
BANGKOK - SAPRANG Kalyanamitr, a top general with a hardline reputation, was on Thursday given additional charge of a major public enterprise when he was appointed chairman of the board of TOT (Telephones of Thailand Plc). TOT has exclusive rights to... [Read more]

French presidential candidates defend magazine in Prophet lawsuit
PARIS - TWO French presidential candidates have come out in support of a satirical weekly for reprinting Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, in a court case increasingly overshadowed by election politics.Centrist candidate Francois Bayrou joined a dozen other politicians and... [Read more]

Quality of life for children
UNICEF studied the quality of a child's life in 21 rich nations. They are listed by their average overall ranking in descending order, with the lowest figure indicating the best result: 21. Britain 18.2 20. United States 18.0 19. Hungary 14.5... [Read more]

Tonight's Headlines
Retirement planning low on S'poreans' priority listMOST Singaporeans are prepared for short-term financial emergencies and big expenses such as their mortgage and children's education. However, such planning falls well short in other areas like retirement.Those were the key findings of a... [Read more]

World Quickly
TURNER PAYS FOR SECURITY ALERT BOSTON: Turner Broadcasting has agreed to pay the full cost - around $1 million (S$1.5 million) - of a security alert in Boston triggered by the battery-powered cartoon advertising signs for one of its shows, The... [Read more]

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

Official who built China 'White House' gets life term
A CHINESE provincial Communist Party official who put up a building modelled after the White House has been sentenced to life in prison for bribery and embezzlement. Feng Liucheng was found guilty of taking bribes worth 3.7 million yuan (S$730,000) and... [Read more]

TV times
BASKETBALL: Atlantic Coast Conference: Duke v Boston College (Live, Ch23, 10am).GOLF: Asian Tour Indonesian Open: Day 1 (Live, Ch24, 3.30pm). Nissan Open: Day 1 (Live, Ch22, tomorrow, 4am).... [Read more]

Zenden knows Barca pressure
BOUDEWIJN Zenden believes the pressure is all on Barcelona, when Liverpool step out at the Nou Camp for the first leg of their Champions League tie today.Having spent three years at Barcelona, the Dutchman knows the unique demands of playing for... [Read more]

Fuel supplies: Steps in place for security
I REFER to the letter, 'What is procedure for managing energy crisis?' by Mr Raymond Tham Kon Weng (ST, Feb 8).The Government has put in place policies to safeguard the security of our energy supplies. We are developing a terminal to... [Read more]

MOH to pour $350m into finding cures
HEALTH Minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday gave his take on an ongoing debate about the future direction of Singapore's biomedical research. He said his ministry had made a strategic decision to go into such research but its focus will be on... [Read more]