News Today

Public shaming for absent civil servants
KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA has found new ways to crack down on work-shy civil servants: naming in the media those who fail to show up for work and checking the homes of those who call in sick. The plan to publish... [Read more]

Arenas earns his first All-Star start
NEW YORK - TWO seasons ago, Gilbert Arenas filled out National Basketball Association All-Star ballots, in an unsuccessful effort to earn a starting spot. Last season, when the league announced the All-Star reserves, Arenas knew his name would not be called.... [Read more]

Ad agencies put more effort into public relations
ADVERTISING agencies are boosting the role of public relations as a way of drumming up business and enhancing their visibility in a competitive industry. Where PR was once an afterthought, these agencies are now employing skilled operators for tasks that range... [Read more]

Hog epidemic kills millions of pigs
BEIJING - WIDESPREAD hog disease in China has killed millions of pigs and spurred pork prices to an all-time high ahead of Chinese New Year, officials said yesterday.The highly-contagious disease, a variation of the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus, or... [Read more]

Shark watch
Majestic whale sharks gliding through the waters of an aquarium hold visitors spellbound with their sheer magnificence and grace. The many species of marine life are housed behind the world's largest acrylic panel viewing window at the Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa,... [Read more]

A royal touch for regional ties
TOKYO - JAPAN'S monarchy is actively doing its bit to improve ties with South Korea and China in ways that politicians find hard to beat. Late last month, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attended the preview of a film based on... [Read more]

Funds go overseas
WINNERSInvestors could benefit from offshore unit trusts which are likely to be cheaper and offer better returns, due to lower overhead costs.LOSERSAffected parties include unit trust trustees - custodians of the money held in a unit trust - as well as... [Read more]

Indonesia not ready to prevent future disasters
JAKARTA - AS THE flood waters in Jakarta continued to recede yesterday, questions were being raised whether the government is doing enough to protect Indonesia from what seems like an unending series of disasters. The issue has assumed greater urgency in... [Read more]

Bak kwa store shows off Wireless@SG's potential
TECHNOLOGY is helping bak kwa sales in the heart of Chinatown zip right along, despite massive queues as Chinese New Year nears. The Bee Cheng Hiang store in Pagoda Street, which gets some 2,000 customers in a week as the festive... [Read more]

President Nathan: Build cultural, social ties
MANILA - SINGAPOREANS should not only seize investment opportunities in the Philippines, but also embrace social projects and cultural exchanges here, President SR Nathan said yesterday. In an assessment of his four-day state visit, he said his meeting with Philippine President... [Read more]

Homecoming kings
PHOTO: ALBERT SIMIt was a football homecoming to savour for Singapore skipper Aide Iskandar and the victorious Lions yesterday. They were mobbed by 300-odd fans at the airport upon their return from Bangkok, where they had clinched the Asean Football Championship... [Read more]

Deal with Shin saga openly and transparently

I REFER to the replies of Mr Laurence Lien and Ms Myrna Thomas ('Temasek accountable to Govt on portfolio basis' and 'Temasek operates like any investment firm'; ST, March 8) to Mr Patrick Tan ('Billions at stake, so Shin saga a national concern'; ST, March 3).

Mr Lien rightly explains that we should evaluate Temasek's performance on the basis of its portfolio returns as a whole. However, he fails to acknowledge that well-constructed investment portfolios are made up of prudent individual investment decisions. While an investment manager is ultimately concerned with his entire portfolio's performance, that in no way exonerates him from performing due diligence on each individual investment, nor does it excuse him from making each individual investment with reasonable care.

While I am not claiming that Temasek has been negligent, the Shin Corp saga nevertheless has valuable lessons to teach investors. Mr Lien should not divert attention from the issue of the individual investment by referring to Temasek's portfolio. Instead, due effort should be made to review what may have gone wrong in order to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.

Ms Thomas claims that Temasek acts like any other commercial investment firm. I disagree.

As Mr Lien points out, Temasek is accountable to the Government of Singapore, which is, in turn, accountable to Singapore as a nation. This introduces political overtones into every investment that Temasek makes. Whether Temasek likes it or not, it has to deal with the potential for its national ownership to spark political reactions in other countries.

Because Temasek is owned by the Government, the political risks that it faces when making investments are real, tangible and heightened in comparison to privately owned investment firms. Indeed, these risks should be magnified when one considers that even privately owned companies sometimes run into political reactions when making transnational acquisitions.

Let us not sidestep the issue but deal with it openly and transparently so that such incidents can be avoided in the future.

Kevin Lee Tianrong
Melbourne, Australia

Hurrah for Larsson but injuries nag Fergie

LONDON - WHAT a way for Henrik Larsson to say goodbye. More crucially, what bad timing.

With his final touch in his final game at Old Trafford on Wednesday, the 35-year-old headed in the goal that beat Lille 1-0 and eased Manchester United into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

After he plays his final game at Middlesbrough in the FA Cup quarter-final tomorrow, United will be left without an out-and-out striker.

A hamstring injury will keep Louis Saha out for four weeks and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will not be available until the end of the month after a knee operation.

Paul Scholes begins a three-match suspension tomorrow.

A further setback came on Wednesday when defender Mikael Silvestre dislocated his shoulder after a collision with Efstathios Tavlaridis, leaving United to toil on against Lille with 10 men.

He is almost out for the remainder of the season, reported The Guardian.

'Apart from the results, it has been a bad week,' said manager Alex Ferguson.

'It is not looking good for Mikael at all. It is another big blow for us because, in the space of a week, we have lost five players.

'Louis will be missing for four weeks although, with hamstrings, you can never be sure exactly how long they will be out.

'Ole will not be available until March 31, Darren Fletcher is out for two months and now Larsson is leaving us.'

Not that Ferguson did not try to convince Larsson from returning to Sweden to play for Helsinborgs.

'Henrik has promised that to them,' he said. 'He has got his family, too. There's no point in going on about it.

'I've spoken to the man, and he is going back. That, unfortunately, is that.'

With regulations forbidding the calling back of young striker Giuseppe Rossi from loan at Parma, United are left with just Wayne Rooney and Alan Smith up front.

Rooney, playing with a stitched-up leg, has huffed and puffed to his 10 goals in 26 league matches.

Midfielder-turned-striker Smith came off the bench on Wednesday for his first taste of action since early November.

Chelsea will believe they have a genuine chance to overhaul United's nine-point lead at the top of the table.

Especially after watching United's scrappy display against a Lille side still seething over Ryan Giggs' first-leg winner.

The Red Devils started well enough.

In the 14th minute, Scholes selflessly chipped the ball across for Rooney, whose goal-bound volley hit Matthieu Chalme.

From the corner, John O'Shea's header thumped into the bar.

Scholes promptly forced a flying save from Tony Sylva, and it looked only a matter of time before United's superiority was manifested in a goal.

Midway through the first half, Lille should have gone ahead when Jean Makoun, once a United target, sent a free header straight at Edwin van der Sar from a free kick.

Then Cristiano Ronaldo was booked for trying to win a penalty with a dive, and United's display turned scrappy, reported The Independent.

Cries of 'Fergie, sort it out' rose from the fans.

With 19 minutes remaining, Ronaldo crossed superbly for the unmarked Larsson to bid farewell with a header from 10 metres.

Ferguson insisted he does not care who his team get in the quarter-finals draw today.

'There is not a lot between the sides left, so I feel we have a chance against anyone,' he said.

Not with Wednesday's display. His injury list has made things a lot harder.

Fed chief urges tougher line on 2 mortgage giants

WASHINGTON - US FEDERAL Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke urged Congress to bolster regulation of mortgage groups Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and suggested limiting their massive holdings to guard against any danger their debt poses to the overall economy.

His remarks come as worries about risky mortgages are making investors jittery.

Those fears contributed to last week's worldwide stock meltdown, where the Dow Jones Industrial Average suffered a gut-wrenching 416-point plunge. Wall Street on Tuesday staged a rebound, gaining more than 150 points.

Mr Bernanke has previously supported efforts to pare the two mortgage companies' huge portfolios. This time, however, he was a bit more specific and recommended that their holdings might be linked to a 'measurable public purpose, such as the promotion of affordable housing'.

The Fed chief's suggestion was contained in remarks delivered on Tuesday through satellite to a bankers' meeting in Hawaii.

Lenders to sub-prime borrowers - people with blemished credit histories - have been battered.

Rising interest rates and weak home prices have made it increasingly difficult for these borrowers - especially those with adjustable-rate mortgages - to keep up with their mortgage payments.

Delinquencies and foreclosures in the sub-prime mortgage market are spiking.

Against this backdrop, Mr Bernanke said he wanted to be clear that by suggesting the change in the portfolio holdings of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, he was not advocating a change in the exposure of the mortgage giants' sub-prime loans.

Last week, Freddie Mac announced that it would no longer buy certain risky, sub-prime mortgages. Fannie Mae is the biggest buyers of home mortgages in the United States; its rival, Freddie Mac, ranks as the second-largest buyer.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - also referred to as government-sponsored enterprises, or GSEs - were created by Congress to inject money into the mortgage market by buying home loans from banks and other lenders.

'Legislation to strengthen the regulation and supervision of GSEs is highly desirable, both to ensure that these companies pose fewer risks to the financial system and to direct them towards activities that provide important social benefits,' Mr Bernanke told the banking gathering.

He said the Fed would like to see legislation passed this year.

Representative Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, is proposing legislation that would give the regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac the discretion to limit or reduce the two mortgage companies' holdings.

The combined portfolios of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from the end of 1990 until the end of 2003 have grown more than tenfold - to US$1.56 trillion (S$2.4 trillion), Mr Bernanke said.

Besides buying mortgage-backed securities, the mortgage giants purchase other types of assets for their own investment portfolios, he added.

But less than 30 per cent of their current portfolio holdings are oriented towards affordable housing, he said.

Mr Bernanke did not provide any fresh insight on the turmoil seen in worldwide financial markets over the past week in his speech or in a brief question-and-answer session that followed.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Howell hopes Masters win will spark fine season

A STELLAR showing at this week's Clariden Leu Singapore Masters is what David Howell needs to kick-start his quiet season.

The world No 18 may be the highest-ranked golfer in the 204-man field here, but he is certainly not on top of the form chart.

As he said yesterday at the Laguna National Golf and Country Club: 'I've not been swinging the club particularly well.

'There's lots of hard work ahead of me, but I'm starting to get things together on the driving range.'

The 31-year-old from Swindon, England, finished third on the European Tour Order of Merit last year, but now lies a lowly 94th.

His stuttering start was in contrast to the bright manner he began last season - beating Tiger Woods by three strokes to win the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai.

What was the secret of his stunning win?

Said Howell: 'The main difficulty is keeping control of your own emotions.

'Fortunately, Tiger did not play his best golf that day.

'I had a one-stroke lead, started strong and put pressure on Tiger to perform really well on the back nine. That forced him into some mistakes.'

While memorable, the Shanghai win is not Howell's proudest achievement.

The two-time Ryder Cup winner counts lifting last year's BMW PGA Championship as the main highlight of his 11-year career.

He said: 'That's the European Tour's flagship event.

'But, without the experience of beating Tiger, that win may not have come about.'

Just as the Shanghai victory sparked off a fine season for him, he is hoping a win here would do likewise.

He said: 'That put me right up the top, and I had the momentum on my side.

'It hasn't started that way this time, but I ended very poorly last year, so I hope to do the opposite this year.

'I must remember - it's a marathon, not a sprint.'

However, with the US Masters coming up next month, he knows he has to hit top gear soon.

He said: 'If I can do well here, that would be a great boost to me going into the US Masters. I need to regain some confidence.'

The last time the Englishman played here was in 2005, when he finished 55th in the same tournament.

ALVIN FOO

Curbishley safe despite loss to Spurs

LONDON - ALAN Curbishley will not be sacked as West Ham manager, even if the club are relegated from the Premiership at the end of the season.

West Ham lost 3-4 to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. They led 2-0 and then 3-2 with only six minutes remaining.

The defeat left the them firmly entrenched at the bottom of the table.

The Hammers have won only once in 12 games since Curbishley took over in mid-December.

He admitted, after the defeat, that he would not be surprised if he was axed. However, a well-placed source told BBC Sport that Curbishley's job is safe.

West Ham, with 20 points, are 10 points from safety. They have nine games remaining.

BBC Sport's Garry Richardson said: 'My source at the club says that they will stick with Curbishley.

'I've been told that new chairman Eggert Magnusson is in for the long haul and wants Curbishley by his side.

'There is a feeling among some board members that Alan has inherited some players with the wrong attitude, and they will be sold in the summer.

'He will be given funds to buy. I was told there will be a major overhaul at the end of the season.''

The shell-shocked manager said on teamtalk.com: 'Naive is the word. It is down to lack of confidence and mental toughness, knowing how to see a game out. A mid-table team would have won that.

'There was a chance that if we got three points, we could close the gap on teams above us. We have blown it in terms of three points.

'We scored three goals and haven't taken anything. It is a massive disappointment. But we have got to keep going. We can't give up.''

West Ham attacked Tottenham with the spirit and determination that have been missing all season. But, ultimately, it was fruitless.

They led 2-0 after the first half with goals from Mark Noble and Carlos Tevez.

Tottenham hit back when Aaron Lennon won a penalty in the 50th minute, and Jermain Defoe stroked the spot kick past Robert Green.

The visitors equalised through Teemu Tainio in the 63rd minute. He scored from 10 metres after a superb pass from Lennon.

Curbishley must have thought West Ham were going to end their run of 11 matches without a win, when Bobby Zamora headed home Tevez's free kick in the 85th minute.

But Dimitar Berbatov curled a superb free kick past Paul Robinson four minutes later.

Paul Stalteri won it for Tottenham in stoppage time. He tapped the ball in after Green spilled Defoe's shot.

Said Tottenham manager Martin Jol: 'Today it was heaven, hell, heaven, hell.

'It was an amazing game.'

Meanwhile, West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand will be disciplined by the club after lying about leaving the country.

He disobeyed Curbishley by flying to the United States last month for a birthday party. The players had been told not to leave England during a four-day break.

Ferdinand has apologised. But he will still be fined, as the manager tries to impose some discipline on the team.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ASSOCIATED PRESS

News Today

Abe grilled over ministers' controversial remarks
TOKYO - JAPANESE Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his right-hand man were yesterday grilled over gaffes by two ministers who called the Iraq war a 'mistake' and women 'child-bearing machines'.The comments are giving Mr Abe a political headache when his support... [Read more]

Bid for best chingay seats
The best seats for this year's Chingay Parade are just a click away. For the first time in the parade's history, five pairs of Chingay premium tickets and two pairs of standing spaces on the grand opening float are being put... [Read more]

Fliers playing it safe - slow pick-up in duty-free sales
PLAY-IT-SAFE passengers flying from Changi Airport are still wary of having duty-free items aboard - five months after anti-terror restrictions were slapped on by certain countries.Duty-free sales at Changi Airport on the affected routes have picked up, but only marginally.The Civil... [Read more]

Rockeby lands new investors, such as ex-minister Cheow Tong
It places out 120m new shares at 1.9 Australian cents LOCAL biotech firm Rockeby biomed, which is planning again to get a listing on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) after having been rejected four years ago, has attracted new investors, including former... [Read more]

$30m Safra club in Jurong by 2009
THEY are already in the north, south, east and central districts. Coming next: a Safra club in the west. When completed by early 2009, the $30 million Jurong West Safra - themed a 'family playground' - will boast the largest indoor... [Read more]

US and Iraqi troops push into Baghdad
BAGHDAD - AMERICAN and Iraqi forces pushed into Baghdad yesterday to clean up insurgent and militia hotbeds, launching house-to-house searches in a major operation to restore order in the battered Iraqi capital. Witnesses said US and Iraqi troops had cordoned off... [Read more]

Demand for city-fringe, suburban homes picking up
DEMAND for new homes outside the plush prime districts picked up pace late last year, even though prices there climbed more slowly than in the red-hot central region. This may mean that demand is finally trickling down from the booming luxury... [Read more]

Why complainant could not get Business Class seats
I refer to the letter by Mr Robert James Eve, 'A would-be memorable trip marred by inability to get Business Class seat using frequent flyer award points' (Online forum, Feb 14).Singapore Airlines, like all other airlines, reserves a number of seats... [Read more]

New TV-show controversy involving Bollywood star
THE makers of controversial British reality television show Celebrity Big Brother have apologised and cancelled an eviction vote after Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty was mistakenly favoured over fellow contestants. Shetty, victim of alleged racist bullying on the show last week, is... [Read more]

Sports World
JOCKEY MURPHY DIES AFTER FALLWELLINGTON: Irish jockey Damien Murphy died yesterday from injuries suffered in a race fall.The 23-year-old never regained consciousness after crashing to the turf when his mount, Ajay's Luck, clipped the heels of another runner nearing the finish... [Read more]

Hundreds stranded in Taipei as fog delays 30 flights
TAIPEI - THICK fog at Taiwan's Taoyuan International Airport delayed more than 30 departing flights yesterday morning, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded, an airport official said.The foggy conditions were created by a humid maritime airstream, reducing visibility to less than 200m,... [Read more]

Isetan's explanation that its parent company is not able to support proposed rights issue not good enough

I refer to the article, 'Isetan proposes payout of $1.50 a share' (ST, Feb 28).

While the dividend payout is commendable, the explanation from Isetan Singapore that its parent company 'is, for its own reasons, not able to support a proposed rights issue at this point' (and therefore a higher $7.50 dividend payout) is clearly not good enough.

There should be more transparency.

As a shareholder, I would like to know whether the controlling shareholder in Japan has resolved the tax issue on its side. Given the much higher corporate tax rate in Japan, would setting up an intermediary holding company in Singapore to hold its dividend and rights entitlement and not repatriate the money be acceptable to the Japanese tax authority? Generally, no tax is payable if earnings are not repatriated.

Also, coming so soon after the EGM and with a cash hoard of slightly over $100 million, minority shareholders do understand it is clearly not sufficient for the higher dividend payout at this point in time.

This being the case, has Isetan explored the option for the sale and leaseback of its space at Wisma Atria? It should be able to fetch up to $300 million today.

With that amount of cash, Isetan Singapore could later declare not only a higher dividend to fully utilise the remaining tax credits but together with a rights issue has enough spare 'to face keener competition from new and revamped malls'.

It could use the extra cash to set up new shops at the coming new malls at Centrepoint and/or downtown IR resort.

Would Isetan Singapore provide shareholders some answers or progress report at the coming AGM?

Being a public listed company, it has certain responsibilities and that is to ensure that its minority shareholders are not kept in the dark and that the tax credits do not expire at their expense.

Lau Chee Kian

Two cars and gold bar on offer for perfect shot at the Masters

TWO cars and a solid kilo-bar of gold are up for grabs in next week's US$1.1 million (S$1.68 million) Clariden Leu Singapore Masters 2007.

The four-day golf tournament at the Laguna National Golf and Country Club will be offering them as hole-in-one prizes on the Masters course.

The cars - a Skoda Superb and a Geely CK - are sponsored by Group Exklusiv, distributor of the two makes, as well as owner of Laguna National.

An ace by any of the 204 participating golfers at the 201-yard par-three 17th will see him winning the Czech-made Skoda.

However, the organisers have not decided whether the fifth (192yd) or the eighth (180yd) hole will offer the China-made Geely.

In addition, Swiss private bank Clariden Leu, which was announced as the event's title sponsor yesterday, is dangling a 1kg, US$20,000 gold bar as the prize for acing the 12th hole (206yd).

The bank, formed two months ago by the merger of five Credit Suisse Group companies, replaces last year's sponsor OSIM International.

Prior to OSIM, Caltex was the title sponsor for five years since 2001.

Branch manager of Clariden Leu Singapore, Urs Brutsch, declined to reveal the value or tenure of the sponsorship.

However, he said: 'We certainly hope this will be a long-term relationship. We'll analyse after the tournament and then decide on the strategy going forward.'

The Clariden Leu Singapore Masters 2007, co-sanctioned by the Asian and European Tours, will include Ryder Cup stars Darren Clarke, David Howell and Lee Westwood.

Asian stars, such as Japan's Shingo Katayama and Thai duo Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant, will also be teeing off.

The Republic's charge will be spearheaded by defending champion Mardan Mamat.

The other Singaporeans are Lam Chih Bing, M. Murugiah, Bill Fung, Lim Kian Boon, Lim Kian Kee, Poh Eng Wah, Mohd Ashiek, Patrick Tang, Khalid Yusoff and Poh Eing Chong.

Starting next Thursday, the first two rounds will be played at both the Masters and Classic courses.

But the weekend action will be confined to the Masters course.

For the record, the odds of achieving a hole-in-one are 42,000 to 1.

Richard Johnson's ace in 2002 remains the only one in the Masters' history.

Then, the Swede struck his four-iron tee shot to perfection at the 17th to win a Volkswagen Beetle.

'Basic skill is a must,' said Laguna National and Group Exklusiv executive chairman Peter Kwee, 'but luck plays a very important part.'

Boro book United date

LONDON - MIDDLESBROUGH manager Gareth Southgate cannot wait to pit his wits against Alex Ferguson after his side set up an FA Cup quarter-final clash against Manchester United.

Southgate's team held their nerve to beat 10-man West Bromwich Albion 5-4 on penalties after their fifth-round replay at The Hawthorns on Tuesday. They had finished 1-1.

Middlesbrough will host Premiership leaders United at the Riverside Stadium on March 10.

Southgate is in his first season as a boss, while Ferguson has been at United for 20 years.

But Southgate, a former England defender, is already dreaming of a win in the biggest match of his short managerial career.

He said: 'Great credit to the players. They rallied themselves and, in the second half, they gave a really good display.

'It looked like we would go on and win it, but we weren't able to take some of the good chances we had. We couldn't finish it in extra-time, but we showed great nerve to finish the penalties.

'The effort we put in was incredible. A lot of people had West Bromwich as favourites to go through. But we not only got the job done, but also came from behind, which showed the character in the dressing room.

'Now, we have a brilliant tie to look forward to against Manchester United at our place.'

Middlesbrough were given a torrid time by their Championship opponents in the first half. Only a heroic display from goalkeeper Brad Jones kept them in the match.

The Australian, deputising for the injured Mark Schwarzer, had denied Richard Chaplow, Zoltan Gera and Nathan Ellington.

Albion finally broke the deadlock in the 26th minute, Darren Carter unleashing a curling shot that flashed past Jones.

Middlesbrough drew level in the 63rd minute. Stuart Panarby crossed for Australia striker Mark Viduka to send in a shot that deflected off Curtis Davies and past Dean Kiely for his eighth goal in 10 games.

Albion were reduced to 10 men early in extra-time, when Ellington was dismissed for a two-footed lunge on Panarby. But Boro could not make their advantage count.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Teams divided over hiring cyclists involved in probe

NEW YORK - CYCLING'S biggest doping probe is dividing the sport, as disagreements arise over teams hiring riders linked to the Spanish investigation.

Some race organisers say riders like Ivan Basso and Tyler Hamilton should stay away until their cases are resolved.

Basso now rides for Discovery Channel, co-owned by seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong.

Olympic gold medallist Hamilton has signed with Tinkoff Credit Systems.

Said Victor Cordero, general director of the Tour of Spain: 'Cycling is at a junction. We can either go the way of entertainment-style wrestling in the United States, or the way of a credible sport.

'We can't have anything hanging over the sport.'

Jan Ullrich, the 1997 Tour de France champion, retired on Monday because of 'wrong allegations' stemming from the Spanish probe.

Spanish police, who discovered 200 bags of frozen blood in their raid on a Madrid apartment last May, provided international cycling authorities with the names of 58 riders implicated in the probe.

Forty-three of the riders will compete this season, the Spanish sports daily As reported on Feb 7.

As doping is not a crime in Spain, none of the riders will be charged, says Elisa Beni, a spokesman for Madrid's provincial court.

The Italian cycling federation said on Oct 12 that it would not discipline Basso, who has denied any wrong-doing.

Johan Bruyneel, manager of the Discovery team, says race organisers have been influenced by unsubstantiated news reports.

He said: 'If the Italian federation clears Ivan, what reason do I have to doubt that decision?

'Nobody should be the judge, apart from who is able to make the decision.'

However, other teams have steered away from riders embroiled in the scandal.

T-Mobile fired Ullrich, 33, on July 21 last year, after he failed to prove he was not linked to the Spanish case.

Brian Cookson, president of British Cycling, said such purges are necessary.

He added: 'Cycling is a mess and we need to clean it up or it won't have a future.'

BLOOMBERG NEWS

News Today

Pakistan makes a pitch for more S'pore investments
A TOP Pakistani government minister has urged Singapore investors from all sectors to invest in his country which, he says, has flung its doors wide open to foreign investors.Privatisation and Investment Minister Zahid Hamid also said yesterday that PSA International's recent... [Read more]

Foreign influx: Mind and check the social divide
SOME years back, I was mistaken for a prostitute from China.I was sitting at a Geylang coffee shop frequented by the working ladies with their lilting charm, when someone asked me for my fee.While the episode makes for a good yarn... [Read more]

What it should have been
In our report, 'Non-Indonesian sand arrives as prices start to rise' on Tuesday, we reported that we spoke to ready-mix concrete supplier Supermix Concrete. This is wrong. It was Alliance Concrete and not Supermix Concrete. We are sorry for the error.... [Read more]

Floods over, drought looms in Malaysia
PETALING JAYA - ALTHOUGH parts of Malaysia are still mopping up after last month's devastating floods, the weatherman is warning that the country may soon be wishing for rain.The Meteorological Department has forecast weather so dry in the weeks after the... [Read more]

Bush hits the road to push for free trade
IN WASHINGTON - US PRESIDENT George W. Bush has hit the road to garner support for his free trade agenda. This comes against a backdrop of brewing opposition in the Democrat-controlled Congress, which is trying to clip his powers to negotiate... [Read more]

Zero-rate tax on goods and services to charities
I REFER to previous letters on the zero-rating of essential items for the needy ('Zero-rate GST on essential food items', ST, Feb 17; and 'Limit GST zero rating to 8 essential food items', ST, Feb 20).Budget 2007 seems to have overlooked... [Read more]

Scaly guest pays a visit
Mr Chan Kok Seng, 49, showing an uninvited guest he found curled up under a banana tree at his Upper Thomson home on Wednesday.His guest turned out to be a pangolin, a nocturnal mammal normally found in forested areas of South-east... [Read more]

Iranian bombs smuggled into Iraq, says coalition
BAGHDAD - UNITED States-led coalition forces in Iraq presented yesterday what officials said was 'a growing body' of evidence of Iranian weapons being used to kill coalition soldiers.A senior defence official from the Multi-National Force told a briefing that 170 coalition... [Read more]

Rotary's earnings surge to $35.2m
THE red-hot oil and gas sector has been a bonanza for Rotary Engineering, which yesterday reported record earnings of $35.2 million, up a staggering 320 per cent.Rotary helps build and maintain oil storage terminals and other infrastructure for the petrochemical industry.... [Read more]

Lawyer wants witness' testimony thrown out
THE trial of Chee Soon Juan, accused of trying to leave Singapore while a bankrupt, took an unexpected turn yesterday when his lawyer asked the court to throw out the testimony of a key prosecution witness.The reason: Ms Kalaselvi Rengasamy, a... [Read more]

Jol worried about Spurs' form, not job
LONDON - TOTTENHAM manager Martin Jol is adamant he is under no pressure after their defeat by Sheffield United on Saturday.But he is concerned about his side's lack of form.Spurs threw away an early lead against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane,... [Read more]

News Today

British, US kids the worst-off in rich world
LONDON - BRITAIN is the worst country among 21 wealthy nations in which to be a child, closely followed by the United States, according to a study by the United Nations. The Netherlands is the best, the study says, followed by... [Read more]

Not allowing a scientist the exclusive use of his research findings may be detrimental in the long run
The direction of biomedical research has been brought into question and, as a consequence, the symbiosis between industry and research. One proposal was that although a manufacturer would be free to spend millions to secure a cure (new medicine), after three... [Read more]

No longer noted
PHOTO: AFP Mount Everest will replace this picture of King Gyanendra on Nepalese 10 rupee (20 Singapore cents) notes, the country's government said yesterday. King Gyanendra was stripped of nearly all his powers following mass protests last year that ended nearly... [Read more]

Britain's Iraq troop withdrawal plan fuels debate in US
IN WASHINGTON - BRITAIN'S timetable for withdrawing forces from Iraq has stirred a heated debate in the United States. The White House declares it a sign of progress, but critics charge that the US is becoming increasingly isolated in its war... [Read more]

Autocratic democracy: A pragmatic view
I refer to the article, 'Autocratic democracy worked, but will it continue to work?' (Online forum, Feb 2) by Adrienne Ng Qian Wen. I would like to take a pragmatic view.In an economic system that is small and where information is... [Read more]

Hyundai overtakes Mercedes as largest limo cab
MOVE over Mercedes - Hyundai now has the biggest limo taxi here. The Hyundai Azera is the choice of taxi operator Smart Automobile, which has secured a fleet of these cars. They are longer, wider and taller than the Mercedes-Benz E-class... [Read more]

China trade surplus hit $24.4b in January
HONG KONG - CHINA posted a US$15.9 billion (S$24.4 billion) trade surplus last month, pumping more cash into the world's fourth-biggest economy and adding pressure on Beijing to let the yuan rise faster. Imports jumped 27.5 per cent from a year... [Read more]

Provide more details on S'pore competitiveness
IN THE World Competitiveness Scoreboard (WCS) 2006, Singapore ranked third, behind the United States and Hong Kong.Ireland, which is mentioned frequently in terms of its 12.5 per cent corporate tax rate as a competitive element, was ranked 11th, behind Iceland (fourth),... [Read more]

Up next: Thailand in the final
SO SINGAPORE will meet Thailand for the Asean Football Championship crown. The clash will pit the only two teams to have lifted the title. The Thais have won the tournament, formerly known as the Tiger Cup, thrice. The Lions have won... [Read more]

SM's call to wealthy: Give 0.5% of annual pay to needy
THIS is a call from Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong: If you are wealthy, donate at least 0.5 per cent of your annual income to help the needy. Mr Goh made it yesterday, saying he hoped Singapore will one day become... [Read more]

Clash on Lebanon-Israel border
JERUSALEM - UN PEACEKEEPERS beefed up their presence on the volatile Lebanese-Israeli border yesterday after a clash between the armies of both sides, the first since last year's war between Hizbollah and Israel.The clash took place after Lebanese troops fired into... [Read more]

Results

BASKETBALL

NBA: Dallas 80 Houston 77, Cleveland 114 LA Lakers 108.

CRICKET

First Chappell-Hadlee series one-day match in Wellington: Australia 148 all out in 49.3 overs (M. Hussey 42; Bond 5-23, Gillespie 2-27, Vettori 2-26, McMillan 1-3). New Zealand 149-0 in 27 overs (L.Vincent 73 n.o., S.Fleming 70 n.o.). New Zealand won by 10 wkts.

GOLF

Indonesia Open, 2nd rd leaders (suspended owing to poor light): 134 Andrew Tampion (Aus) 68 66 137 Chapchai Nirat (Tha) 68 69, Nam Young Woo (Kor) 68 69, Suk Jong Yul (Kor) 69 68, Gaurav Ghei (Ind) 68 69 138 Scott Strange (Aus) 69 69, Alexander Noren (Swe) 69 69, Gareth Davies (Eng) 71 67 139 Henrik Nystrom (Swe) 70 69, Prom Meesawat (Tha) 71 68, Thammanoon Srirot (Tha) 72 67, Chawalit Plaphol (Tha) 65 74, Airil Rizman Zahari (Mas) 70 69, Frankie Minoza (Phi) 71 68, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 72 67. Singaporeans: 141 Mardan Mamat 74 67. 72 Lam Chih Bing (yet to complete rd 2).

Nissan Open in Los Angeles, 1st rd (USA unless stated): 63 Padraig Harrington 66 Phil Mickelson, Briny Baird, Pat Perez 67 Jim Furyk, Cameron Beckman, Sergio Garcia (Esp), David Howell (Eng) 68 Eric Axley, Rod Pampling (Aus), Vijay Singh (Fij), Aaron Baddeley (Aus), Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 69 Bo Van Pelt, Robert Karlsson (Swe), Rory Sabbatini (Rsa), Will MacKenzie, David Toms, Rich Beem, Charley Hoffman, Steve Elkington (Aus), Ernie Els (Rsa), Robert Allenby (Aus), Daniel Chopra (Swe), Charles Howell, Heath Slocum, Lucas Glover, Ted Purdy, Ben Curtis, Zach Johnson. Selected: 70 Jose Maria Olazabal (Esp) 71 Ryuji Imada (Jpn), Retief Goosen (Rsa), Peter Lonard (Aus), Shigeki Maruyama (Jpn) 72 Daisuke Maruyama (Jpn), K.J. Choi (Kor).

LPGA SBS Open in Kahuku, Hawaii, 1st rd (USA unless stated): 67 Paula Creamer, Paige Mackenzie, Sherri Steinhauer 68 Julieta Granada (Par), Natalie Gulbis, Wendy Ward, Kim Sung Ah (Kor) 69 Irene Cho, Han Hee Won (Kor), Juli Inkster, Lin Yu-ping (Twn), Janice Moodie (Sco), Stacy Prammanasudh, Morgan Pressel, Alena Sharp (Can) 70 Kim Hall, Kim Mi Hyun (Kor), Lee Seon Hwa (Kor), Lee Jee Young (Kor), Mhairi McKay (Sco), Karrie Webb (Aus), Lindsey Wright (Aus).

ICE HOCKEY

NHL: Buffalo 2 Edmonton 1 (OT), Toronto 4 Philadelphia 2, NY Rangers 4 Carolina 1, Tampa Bay 3 Washington 2 (SO), NY Islanders 4 Boston 1, Anaheim 5 Phoenix 4 (OT), Colorado 7 Calgary 5.

SOCCER

Uefa Cup 1st knock-out rd, 1st leg: Lens 3 Panathinaikos 1, Zulte-Waregem 1 Newcastle 3, Braga 1 Parma 0, Steaua Bucharest 0 Sevilla 2, Spartak Moscow 1 Celta Vigo 1.

TENNIS

ATP Marseille Open, 2nd rd: Marcos Baghdatis (Cyp) bt Cyril Saulnier (Fra) 6-4 6-3, Richard Gasquet (Fra) bt Marc Gicquel (Fra) 7-6(2) 6-2, Gilles Simon (Fra) bt Lleyton Hewitt (Aus) 6-1 3-2 (ret), Mikhail Youzhny (Rus) bt Fabrice Santoro (Fra) 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 6-3, Jonas Bjorkman (Swe) bt Andreas Seppi (Ita) 6-1 6-0, Jarkko Nieminen (Fin) bt Nicolas Mahut (Fra) 6-4 3-6 6-3, Julien Benneteau (Fra) bt David Ferrer (Esp) 4-6 6-0 6-1, Robin Soederling (Swe) bt Thomas Johansson (Swe) 6-4 7-5.

ATP San Jose Open, 2nd rd: Marat Safin (Rus) bt Lu Yen-hsun (Twn) 6-4 5-7 6-4, Ivo Karlovic (Cro) bt James Blake (USA) 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (13-11) 6-4, Mardy Fish (USA) bt Sam Warburg (USA) 2-6 6-4 6-2, Vince Spadea (USA) bt Feliciano Lopez (Esp) 4-6 7-5 6-7 (6-8), Lee Hyung Taik (Kor) bt Simon Greul (Ger) 6-2 7-6 (7-3), Benjamin Becker (Ger) bt Bjoern Phau (Ger) 7-6 (7-4) 1-6 6-3.

WTA Antwerp Diamond Games, 2nd rd: Ana Ivanovic (Ser) bt Nathalie Dechy (Fra) 6-3 6-7 (2-7) 6-2, Amelie Mauresmo (Fra) bt Virginie Razzano (Fra) 7-6 (8-6) 7-5, Elena Likhovtseva (Rus) bt Elena Dementieva (Rus) 6-2 1-1 (ret), Nadia Petrova (Rus) bt Vera Zvonareva (Rus) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4.

WTA Bangalore Open, 2nd rd: Sania Mirza (Ind) bt Tatiana Poutchek (Blr) 3-6 7-5 6-2, Olga Savchuk (Ukr) bt Alicia Molik (Aus) 6-4 4-6 6-4, Mara Santangelo (Ita) bt Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzb) 3-6 7-5 6-2, Melinda Czink (Hun) bt Hsien Su-wei (Twn) 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 7-5.

News Summaries

Youngsters make their mark
MELBOURNE - NOVAK Djokovic and Andy Murray have confirmed their status as the new generation's leading lights. The 19-year-olds have impressed at the Australian Open, easing through the draw.Murray dispatched Spaniards Alberto Martin and Fernando Verdasco in straight sets.Djokovic saw off... [Read more]

Coerced info can now be used in Guantanamo trials
WASHINGTON - THE Pentagon has unveiled new rules for trials of 'war on terror' detainees that will allow hearsay and coerced information as evidence if a judge considers it credible.The new rule handbook, sent to Congress, will apply to the special... [Read more]

US troops told: Kill or nab Iranian spies in Iraq
WASHINGTON - THE Bush administration has authorised the US military to kill or capture Iranian operatives inside Iraq in an aggressive new strategy to weaken Teheran's influence across the Middle East and compel it to give up its nuclear programme.This was... [Read more]

China case shows futility of taking govt to court
BEIJING - WHEN the Beijing Zhonghongji Construction company sued two developers for unpaid wages after building a central government ministry's dormitory, it won. But both developers, including one owned by a central government ministry, had gone bankrupt and could not pay... [Read more]

China and Japan vow to build ties
BEIJING - MINISTERS from China and Japan wrapped up three days of closed-door strategic talks at the weekend, vowing to build 'mutually beneficial' ties, Chinese state media reported yesterday. The talks, the seventh in a series kicked off in May 2005,... [Read more]

Make it easier to invest in government bonds
THE Singapore Government Securities (SGS) market has been open to retail investors for a number of years. As a risk-free debt instrument, SGS bonds could form an important part of an investment portfolio, particularly as their yield can exceed comparable investments,... [Read more]

Diversified Indian firm with global presence
NEW DELHI - INDIA'S Tata Group boasts an increasingly global stable of interests from tea and trucks to technology.A little more than two years ago, Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata said he wanted the conglomerate to 'spread its wings far beyond... [Read more]

Growing trend
AD AGENCY Y&R Singapore stepped up its PR efforts this month by hiring Mr Justin Low, 30, from Grayling Public Relations to manage its publicity affairs. Mr Charles Sng, who specialises in marketing communications at headhunting firm Aquent, says it is... [Read more]

Lakers beat slumping Spurs
KOBE Bryant overcame a slow start to score 34 points, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 100-96 road victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.He had just three points in the first quarter, but caught fire in the second,... [Read more]

What a character
PHOTO: REUTERSA snowman in Tokyo draws attention with a face made up of Japanese hiragana characters,which are commonly used in children's drawing of faces. Henohenomoheji are the characters broken into seven letters - the eyebrows are the first two 'he', the... [Read more]

Analyst admits affair with model
KUALA LUMPUR - PROMINENT political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda admitted to police that he had an affair with murdered Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu, a High Court here was told yesterday.Even though the trial of Abdul Razak, who is charged with abetting... [Read more]