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]