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]