The Business Times, 11 February 2006

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Total Pages: 20
1 20 The Business Times
  • 16 1 THE BUSINESS TIMES weekend MICA (P) 089/03/2005 SINGAPORE 85 cents February 11-12, 200b cnitrve Http j
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  • 649 1  -  To pay more will not be in keeping with business sense, says S'pore port operator By DONALD URQUHART [SINGAPORE] Singapore port operator PSA International has withdrawn from the contest for the highly prized port and ferry assets of Britain's Peninsular and Oriental
    REUTERS; The Business Times, February 6,2006  -  649 words
  • 136 1 sn 2,423.59 (-8.03) ST INDEX FUTURES £427.00 (-8.00) siMsa 287.14 (-1.29) SIMSa FUTURES 288.10 (-0.10) MARKETS Friday Change KLSE COMP 920.31 -0,32 NIKKEI 225 16,257.83 -181.84 HANG SENG 15,425.95 +12.52 SET INDEX 738-07 >4.93 JAKARTA COMP 1,253.10 +6.46 MANILA COMP 2,085.29 +1.64 SEOUL COMP 1,335.23 +13.57 SHENZHEN B
    136 words
  • 641 1  -  By OUR CORRESPONDENT in Bangkok THAI Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's family lawyer has said the family did not hold its stake in telecommunications conglomerate Shin Corp through two offshore companies. The denial comes after days of silence following claims that Mr Thaksin's
    641 words
  • 517 1  -  By ANNA TEO [SINGAPORE] Roping in a Singapore or government-linked company as partner in the contest to build an integrated resort (IR) will not in itself add to the strength of the bid, Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang said
    517 words
  • Page 1 Advertisements
    • 43 1 SINGAPORE 85 cents motoring The new j J-_-i:-, THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS mgm Starting today, BT brings you a special four-part series on the sports industry in Singapore; focusing on the business of sports and the opportunities available to the private sector PG
      43 words
    • 58 1 golf Hidden gems pg l»tf jF **fs& 'i "5% tli it xd'j j '«,<«. y» I jJ jsprf 4' Hf 1 jE^m^z 6 1 want to be the one to stir the pot in order to put pressure on the jHHH|||^^H nation's politicians to do their best? J^r Steve Forbes,
      58 words
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  • TOP STORIES
    • 477 2  -  Thai AirAsia is expected to announce a new partner soon By PAULINE NG in Kuala Lumpur AIRASIA chief Tony Fernandes yesterday said the Malaysian budget airline has no intention of reducing its stake in Thai Air sia, which is embroiled
      477 words
    • 558 2  -  By ALEXANDRA HO in Las Vegas THE blockbuster roster of architects working on MGM Mirage's US$7 billion Project City Center at the heart of the Las Vegas Strip could find itself designing the Marina Bay integrated resort (IR) that MGM is bidding for
      558 words
    • 541 2  -  By NANDE KHIN [SINGAPORE] Genting International and Las Vegas Sands are Merrill Lynch analyst Tony Raza's picks to come out winners for the integrated resort (IR) bids. Genting, which was earlier dismissed by analysts as having little chance of winning the Marina Bay
      541 words
    • 563 2 Property here's to a better mass market By KALPANA RASHIWALA [SINGAPORE] Developers aren't expecting much goodies for the property sector in next Friday's Budget. But they hope that the recovery in the luxury residential segment will filter down to the mass market. These were some of the thoughts of Singapore
      ARTHUR LEE  -  563 words
    • 354 2 Raffles Hldgs may sell stake in complex RAFFLES Holdings is looking to sell its 45 per cent stake in its remaining asset Raffles City Complex, last valued in December 2004 at $1.2 billion. COMPANY NEWS, PG 4 S'pore Reits unaffected by interest rates: analyst HIGHER interest rates will
      354 words
    • 404 2 Source: The Globalist Women at work In recent decades, increasing numbers of women have joined the global towr force. Their participation in the workforce Is influenced by many factors, such as cultural norms* economic necessity and the availability of childcare.We wonder. Which of the Mowing countries has the lowest
      Source: The Globalist  -  404 words
  • Page 2 Advertisements
    • 32 2 BT ONLINE BT print subscribers get free access to the Business Times Online. To activate your account log on to http:// business-times. asial.com.sg. For more information, email btocs@sph.com .sg or call 6388-3838.
      32 words

  • RAFFLES CONVERSATION
    • 1968 3 Steve Forbes, CEO of Forbes magazine and two-time US presidential aspirant, tells AL DIZON why people are worth agitating for STEVE FORBES and his siblings were trained at an early age in what their father called "learning while your bread was buttered". So he would take them
      CHRIS LOH  -  1,968 words
  • Page 3 Advertisements
    • 160 3 |||j||| The Raffles Conversation is brought to you V"V T through a special arrangement with Raffles I 3 |/Ap International Hotels and Resorts. The Traveller's I I IT~~X Palm in the Raffles International logo is an apt symbol. Not only has water stored at the base of INTERNATIONAL this palm
      160 words

  • COMPANY NEWS
    • 496 4  -  It holds 45 per cent of Raffles City Complex-its remaining asset By ARTHUR SIM RAFFLES Holdings is looking to sell its 45 per cent stake in its remaining asset Raffles City Complex, last valued in December 2004 at $1.2 billion. Raffles Holdings, which
      FILE PHOTO  -  496 words
    • 538 4  -  By LESLIE YEE HIGHER interest rates will not spell the demise of Singapore real estate investment trusts (Reits), says OCBC Investment Research analyst Winston Liew in a recently released research report. Mr Liew argues that the bull run for Reits some of
      538 words
    • 522 4  -  STOCKS R SIVANITHY Seniqr Correspondent FROM this week's events, it looks like two observations are possible: first, that interest is spreading away from blue chips to the second line; and second, superior earnings will be handsomely rewarded but disappointments will be
      522 words
    • COMPANY BRIEFS
      • 50 4 CITIRAYA Industries Ltd said the High Court, with the consent of all the creditors of Citiraya (Singapore) Pte Ltd (CSPL) present at a hearing, has ordered that CSPL be placed injudicial management, with Ernst Young's Ong Yew Huat and Seshadri Rajagopalan as the judicial managers.
        50 words
      • 66 4 OLAM International Ltd yesterday announced the retirement of its chairman, MK Chanrai, 83, and the concurrent appointment of R Jayachandran, 62, as the new chairman with effect from today. Mr Jayachandran served as Olam's non-executive director from 1994 and vice-chairman from 2004. He
        66 words
      • 41 4 CHINA Aviation Oil (Singapore) Corp Ltd yesterday entered into supplemental agreements with BP, Aranda and parent CAOHC to amend the cut-off date under the Investment Agreement and Subscription Agreement, from Feb 28,2006 to March 31,2006.
        41 words
      • 41 4 CHINA Essence said its total invitation of 96 million shares was 5 times subscribed. Anchor investors include Dubai Investment Group Ltd, Tung Ting Ltd and Royal Bank of Canada„Brunei. Its shares start trading on Monday.
        41 words
    • 487 4  -  Assetgold vendors to hold at least 66% of its share capital By LESLIE YEE JOINING the list of recently announced reverse takeover (RTO) transactions, Sesdaq-listed Global Ariel said yesterday that it has signed an agreement to acquire Assetgold Finance, a China-based manufacturer and
      487 words
    • 205 4 CREDIT rating agency Standard Poor's Ratings Services yesterday said its BB+ long-term corporate credit rating on Noble Group Ltd is not affected by the Asian commodities trader's reported trading losses from its aluminium department. "The losses raise concerns about the effectiveness of Noble's
      205 words
    • 334 4  -  By WONG WEI KONG THIS is one signal the Singapore Exchange (SGX) will be happy to receive. Hengxin Technology Ltd, a major manufacturer of radio frequency (RF) coaxial cables for mobile communications and telecommunications equipment in China, is aiming for a listing
      334 words
    • 231 4  -  By MICHELLE QUAH THE Securities Investors Association of Singapore (SIAS) has called on listed companies to declare their dividend policies for the sake of their shareholders. In a letter to BT yesterday, SIAS president and CEO David Gerald said many retail investors, especially
      231 words
    • 475 5  -  CORPORATE RESULTS Brewery arm APB's earnings rise 21.6% to $40.6m By MICHELLE QUAH MAINBOARD-LISTED conglomerate Fraser Neave (F&N) saw its net income climb 5.4 per cent for its first quarter, as its soft drinks, dairies and breweries businesses chalked up a
      475 words
    • OTHER RESULTS
      • 130 5 HELPED by a surge in investment profit and lower tax expense, GuocoLand's net profit more than doubled to $31.7 million for its second quarter. The $31.7 million earnings attributable to shareholders compare with $14.7 million in the previous corresponding period. Q2 revenue rose 35 per cent
        130 words
      • 127 5 MARINE logistics company Chuan Hup Holdings continued to report scintillating profits for the second quarter of its current financial year which will end on June 30,2006, thanks to a sale of ships to Malaysian oil and energy company, Scomi Marine. The sale of the vessels
        127 words
      • 117 5 MORE patients, particularly foreigners, boosted the earnings of Raffles Medical Group (RMG) to record levels in 2005. The healthcare provider, which owns Raffles Hospital, said net profit for its full year ended Dec 31, 2005 rose 26.1 per cent from $9.5 million to $12 million
        117 words
      • 35 5 INVESTMENT-LINKED Boardroom's net profit for the second quarter ended Dec 31,2005 trebled to $2.17 million from $0.72 million in the year-ago period. Its turnover surged from $4.16 million to $7.67 million.
        35 words
      • 49 5 SP CORP'S net profit for the year ended Dec 31,2005 soared 80 per pent to $5.4 million. Revenue grew 21 per cent to $223.'3 million, thanks to its commodities and specialty products trading unit. But the group expects 2006 to be a challenging year.
        49 words
      • 50 5 VITA Holdings saw net profit for the six months ended Dec 31,2005, fall to $6,000 from $3.38 million for the same period in 2004. Revenue grew 3.7 per cent to $11.76 million. Factors cited included loss in the ship-chartering business and a higher effective tax rate.
        50 words
      • 79 5 INFORMATICS Holdings has narrowed its net loss to $7.8 million for its third quarter ended Dec 31,2005, from $12.2 million in the previous corresponding quarter. This is due mainly to savings in staff costs and other operating expenses arising from the group's consolidation exercise, said the
        79 words
      • 60 5 HUAN Hsin Holdings, an integrated contract manufacturer of telecommunications and electronics products, reported a 29 per cent decline in net profit for the year ended Dec 31,2005, to $22.8 million. Turnover was up 40 per cent to $660.3 million, mainly due to more orders for products
        60 words
      • 41 5 GRP grew its net profit by 737 per cent to $2.67 million for the six months ended Dec 31,2005. Revenue rose 7.4 per cent to $12.5 million. GRP expects to maintain profitability in the next reporting period.
        41 words
      • 52 5 FOR its third quarter ended Dec 31, 2005, engineering group MTQ Corporation reported a 403 per cent rise in net profit to $3.38 million. Revenue for Q3 fell 11 per cent to $12.3 million. Earnings received a boost from MTQ's dilution of its shareholding in associate
        52 words
    • 238 5  -  $120m deal to be completed in June By LESLIE YEE TOTAL Automation announced yesterday evening that it had entered into a conditional sale and purchase agreement with Wartsila Corporation to sell its entire business plus equity interests in subsidiaries and associated companies for a
      238 words
    • 200 5  -  By AL LABITA in Manila INSTITUTIONAL investors in Singapore and Hong Kong have gobbled up the US$l25 million securities offering of listed Metrobank, the Philippines' largest bank. The issue, the biggest foreign float by a Philippine bank, sparked strong demand from foreign investors with
      200 words
    • 214 5  -  By RONNIE LIM EASING crude oil prices should lead to a rebound in Asian refining margins in the near term, says a sectorial update yesterday by CIMB-GK Research. Listed Singapore Petroleum Company (SPC), it adds, has also indicated that its joint venture, Singapore Refining
      214 words
    • 250 5  -  By SIOW LI SEN YELLOW Pages (Singapore) has posted a 37.3 per cent year-on-year rise in thirdquarter net profit to $828,000, helped by lower finance expense. Despite a 1.9 per cent dip in Q3 operating revenue to $8.73 million, earnings for the three months
      250 words

  • Page 5 Advertisements
    • 1347 5 CHINA FLEXIBLE PACKAGING HOLDINGS LIMITED (Company Registration Number: *****) (incorporated in Bermuda) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual General Meeting of China Flexible Packaging Holdings Limited ("the Company") will be held at Sheraton Towers, Ballroom 4, Level 2, 39 Scotts Road, Singapore *****0 on 28 February 2006 at 9.30
      1,347 words

  • PERSONAL INVESTMENT
    • Article, Illustration
      898 6  -  Compiled by LESLIE YEE GuocoLand Feb 10 dose: $1.94 ÜBS INVESTMENT RESEARCH. Feb 9 GUOCOLAND has undertaken a series of balance sheet restructurings in the past five years. It is now well capitalised with a good management team. GuocoLand is 68 per cent controlled by Malaysian tycoon Quek Leng
      Source: Bloomberg  -  898 words
    • 1361 6  -  SHOW ME THE MONEY In last 3 years, SGX-listed firms with $50m-$100m market cap reward investors most TEH HOOI LING Senior Correspondent FOR decades, millions of finance students around the world were taught the capital asset pricing model, or CAPM. It was the standard
      1,361 words
    • 1008 6 For week beginning Feb 6 SUBSTANTIAL SHAREHOLDER/DIRECTOR TRANSACTIONS SubuirtM hy No of Met SHAREHOLDING Trans Shareholder/ s3 Shores Mr More Aftor Stock Date Director Coo* BOO Shr (000) r000) PCATech 8-Feb-06 Ng Yiak Meng 'Buy 500 na ***** 13.19 ***** 13.41 Eastern Hldgs 8-Feb-06 Janet Lim
      1,008 words
  • Page 6 Advertisements

  • SPORTS BUSINESS
    • 1519 7  -  Like other countries, Singapore can develop a critical mass that brings about irayor economic benefits, says NANDE KHIN NANDE KHIN Manchester united. Tiger Woods, Maria Sharapova, lan Thorpe, Yao Ming. And closer to home, Jocelyn Yeo, Li Jiawei, Ronald Susilo, Ang Peng Siong, Yvonne Danson and
      1,519 words

  • SINGAPORE NEWS
    • 504 8  -  Meritocracy must remain the basic principle, with all races engaged By DANIEL BUENAS COMMUNITY engagement must go hand in hand with economic engagement to help strengthen minority communities, but the government is against affirmative action-based employment policies because they are
      JOYCE FANG/ST  -  504 words
    • 517 8  -  By CHEN HUIFEN SOCIAL and cultural attitudes, rather than a lack of structural support, may be bigger barriers to the growth of entrepreneurship in Singapore, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) says in a report on its 2005 survey. At a presentation yesterday
      517 words
    • 288 8  -  By CONRAD TAN THE National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) turns 45 this year and has set itself the ambitious target of doubling its current membership of 500,000 in 10 years. Yesterday, it unveiled the theme Together. A Brighter Future For All!
      288 words
    • 660 8  -  By CHUANG PECK MING TO WIN elections, opposition parties must do what the People's Action Party is doing get good men and craft better policies, and not offer handouts, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said last night. "There are no simple shortcuts
      660 words
    • 356 8  -  By NANDE KHIN SINGAPORE is well placed to ride the wave of growth in the global aerospace industry but needs to build a solid base of trained and educated workers to take advantage of emerging opportunities, Minister of State for Education and Trade and
      356 words
    • 265 8  -  By VEN SREENIVASAN QANT AS is moving to link its three low-cost carriers via a single website, supported by a Singaporebased call centre and back-office operations, according to Australian media reports. Qantas chief financial officer Peter Gregg, who has also been appointed chairman
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  • Page 8 Advertisements
    • 384 8 :*at^ NOTICES BUY IT SELL IT FIND IT In the Matter of the Companies Act, Cap 50 and in the Matter of Denlizco Pie Ltd (In Members' Voluntary Liquidation) Reg no: *****0497 C Notice of Final Meeting of Members NOTICfe IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 308 of the Companies
      384 words

  • BT INVESTMENT ROUNDTABLE
    • 2264 9 OVERVIEW MALAYSIA'S New Economic Policy (NEP) has been its over-riding economic ideology for over three decades. A sweeping affirmative action policy designed to uplift poorer ethnic Malays, who form the majority (62 per cent) of Malaysia's 24 million people, into economic parity with their richer non-Malay countrymen,
      FILE PHOTO  -  2,264 words

  • MALAYSIA
    • 576 10  -  Tan Teong Hean puts his bank up for auction and calls for bids By S Jayasankaran in Kuala Lumpur IN A somewhat surreal press conference, Tan Teong Hean, the chief executive of takeover target Southern Bank (SBB), officially declared yesterday that his bank was
      576 words
    • 364 10  -  By EDDIE TOH WHILE Temasek Holdings and partners are emerging as controlling shareholders of Thai telecom group Shin Corp, the Singapore investment company has ceased to be a substantial shareholder of Telekom Malaysia. Hibiscus Investments a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fullerton Management, which in
      364 words
    • BRIEFLY ASIA
      • 72 10 AP [NEW DELHI] India's state-run telecommunication companies yesterday declared a fresh war against private competitors in the booming phone market, cutting rates and announcing unprecedented rupee-per-minute calls anywhere within the sprawling country. "You can call any part of the country,
        AP  -  72 words
      • 72 10 AFP [MUMBAI] Indian share prices closed up 0.66 per cent at a record high, driven by buying in pharmaceutical and automobile stocks, dealers said. They said investors were turning to pharmaceutical and automobile shares because they were cheaper than other
        AFP  -  72 words
      • 66 10 Bloomberg [KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysia's economy probably grew more than 5 per cent last year and the government isn't concerned about inflation, Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop said. "We are confident that it will exceed 5 per cent," Mr Nor
        Bloomberg  -  66 words
      • 91 10 Reuters [TAIPEI] Shares in state-linked Taiwan financial group Mega Financial jumped to their highest in nearly two months yesterday, after a private rival announced plans to buy a 10 per cent stake worth up to NT527.5 billion (Ssl .4 billion)
        Reuters  -  91 words
    • 3026 10 Transaction date: Feb 10 S2-Wk T.I L*t Voi Day UetQwte GriJJv Wv GrYJd MM MCap +f- nww HwT* law Grf Cw '"i P* "v3 h51*Low uL Comply We (JSI lw» »>■ SaOg %_Cvr P« HMLow Cod* company Sata *h C000) High Low luyar Sato Cw PTE Htafc Low
      3,026 words

  • INDONESIA
    • 436 11 Indon minister says that would need nod of the House of Representatives [JAKARTA] The government will not guarantee Garuda Indonesia's foreign debts as any such move would require the approval of the House of Representatives, the Jakarta Post yesterday reported State Minister for State Enterprises
      BLOOMBERG  -  436 words
    • 186 11 AP [JAKARTA] Indonesia wants to renegotiate its profit-shar-ing agreement with US mining giant Freeport because of soaring mineral prices on the global market, Indonesia's Vice- President said yesterday. "Prices of gold and nickel are currently high, (and) based on this, profit sharing should
      AP  -  186 words
    • 6275 11 Transaction Date: Feb 10 MOST ACTIVE STOCKS VOLUME VALUE K1 Ventures 10c 69.049.000 UOB 86.615.735 MemoryD US3c 35.393.000 DBS Grp 81.327.612 Biosensors USO.OIc 33.753.000 Capita Land 62.197.780 China Sun HK25c 30.875.000 SingTel 15c 44.841.967 Pac Andes 20c 26.730.000 Biosensors USO.OIc 40.618.340 GlobalVoice 5c 25.977.000 SIA50c 33.521.000 SSH Corp 1c
      6,275 words

  • GREATER CHINA
    • 565 12 It aims to increase the attractiveness of the local market, say analysts Bloomberg [SHANGHAI] The China Securities Regulatory Commission plans to encourage Chinese companies that are traded overseas to raise equity at home, in a move to revive stock benchmarks that fell
      Bloomberg  -  565 words
    • 282 12 Reuters [HONG KONG] Air China Ltd, China's largest airline by market capitalisation, aims to float shares on the Shanghai stock exchange to help finance the purchase of 20 Airbus and 25 Boeing planes. The carrier one of the country's
      Reuters; AFP  -  282 words
    • 224 12 Reuters [BEIJING] Foreign investments by Chinese firms, excluding banks, jumped 26 per cent last year to US$6.9 billion, the Ministry of Commerce said yesterday. China has been encouraging its companies to head overseas to secure resources, build brands and win market share, and
      Reuters  -  224 words
    • 347 12 Reuters [BEIJING] China Construction Bank (CCB), the country's third-largest lender in which Singapore investment company Temasek Holdings has a stake, sees rising residential mortgages and fee income as its key earnings drivers this year, deputy president Fan Yifei said yesterday. CCB, which is 9
      Reuters  -  347 words
    • 290 12 Reuters [HONG KONG] China Netcom Group Corp (Hong Kong) Ltd will join the Hang Seng Index and H-share companies, including China Construction Bank Corp, can be added to the blue chip gauge in the future under new rules,
      Reuters  -  290 words
    • 2370 12 VOL nam fmtt AIM Realty 1.43 0.03 1 Abric 033 -0.01 77 ACP Industrie .0.68 -031 221 Advance Synergy 034 -031 386 Admit* 03f 001 911 AffinHldgi 169 0.05 495 Ahmad Zaki Res 1 -26 undi 3 AlCCorp 1.14 undi 16 Air Asia 1.75 -0.01 1104 AKN Technology
      2,370 words
  • Page 12 Advertisements

  • INDIA
    • 374 13 It will achieve annual outsourcing exports of US$60b by March 2010 AP [BANGALORE] India's software and back-office outsourcing exports in the fiscal year to end March will be U5523.4 billion, growing by 32 per cent over the previous year, the main trade body
      AP  -  374 words
    • 448 13 AP, Reuters [NEW DELHI] India's Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath yesterday criticised some European governments that oppose Mittal Steel's bid for rival steel maker Arcelor and warned that their stance could derail continuing global trade talks. Last month, Rotterdambased Mittal Steel Co the world's
      AP,; Reuters  -  448 words
    • 270 13 [MUMBAI] The agreement on supply of gas is not the only bone of contention between Mukesh Am-bani-controlled Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and Anil Ambani's Reliance-Adag (Radag), Business Standard reported yesterday. Differences seem to have cropped up on non-compete and brand-sharing agreements too, with
      270 words
    • 6080 13 UNIT TRUSTS FUNDS AM Amto Asset Mgt (S'pore) Star Europe Eqty!** 0896/ Star Eixope Bond 1-17# Star Europe Bat 1.156/ Star Asian Tiger Eqly 1.161/ Star Asia Bond 1.31/ Star Asia Balanced 1.073/ Star Global Technology FtrnJ!** 0-21/ MuMStFd 1X153/ Star Asia Bond* USD) 0803/ Gib Mult St USD 1.133/
      6,080 words
  • Page 13 Advertisements
    • 27 13 I: AllianzGI Global High Payout Fund rated 4 stars Allianz bv Mercer Investment Consultinq. Visit OCBC Bank for details. ciobai investors J vJ company regn no *****7169Z
      27 words

  • ASIA-PACIFIC/WORLD
    • 865 14 He has earned tens of thousands talking to investors since he retired as Fed chief Bloomberg [WASHINGTON] Alan Greenspan spent 18 years as Federal Reserve chairman guarding his words like gold. Now he is cashing in. Mr Greenspan, who retired from the Fed on Jan
      Bloomberg  -  865 words
    • 422 14 It hits US$725.8b on record imports; figure is up by 17.5% from'04 AP [WASHINGTON] The United States trade deficit soared to an all-time high of U*****.8 billion in 2005, pushed upward by record imports of oil, food, cars and other consumer
      AP  -  422 words
    • 301 14 Reuters [LONDON] Anyone thinking of buying a diamond as a token of their love this Valentine's Day should pop the crucial question first—is it a conflict gem? Mindful of the diamonds that have for years been smuggled out of war zones across Africa
      Reuters  -  301 words
    • 132 14 AFP [LONDON] Freddie Laker, the British pioneer of low-cost airline travel, has died in the US at the age of 83. British media reported yesterday. Laker, who introduced cheap trans-Atlantic shuttle flights in the *****, died of undisclosed causes in Miami, a family friend
      AFP; REUTERS  -  132 words
    • 506 14 NYT [NEW YORK] The first auction of 30-year Treasury bonds since 2001 was met with surprisingly strong demand on Thursday. The sale allowed the US government to borrow US$l4 billion at a yield of up to 4.53 per cent, nearly a percentage point lower
      NYT  -  506 words
    • 394 14 This is the biggest settlement by a single firm in US Reuters [NEW YORK] American International Group (AIG) on Thursday agreed to pay US$l.64 billion to settle charges of fraud, bid-rig-ging and improper accounting, the biggest regulatory settlement by a single
      Reuters  -  394 words
    • WORLD WATCH
      • 94 14 AFP [SEOUL] South Korea's Finance Minister Han Duck-Soo, yesterday rejected pressure from the National Assembly to prevent US equity fund Lone Star from selling Korea Exchange Bank (KEB). Mr Han said: "KEB's sale is proceeding according to our rules and regulations. We
        AFP  -  94 words
      • 90 14 Reuters [DUBAI] Dubai-based hotel group Kingdom Hotel Investments (KHI) yesterday said it expects its shares to price at between US$B.OO and US$9.5O in an initial public offering, which would value the company at up to US$l.63 billion. KHI said it plans to float nearly
        Reuters  -  90 words
      • 68 14 Reuters [NEW YORK] Edison International and BP pic plan to jointly develop a US$l billion power plant at a California oil refinery designed to be less harmful to the environment, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. It said the 500-megawatt plant would convert
        Reuters  -  68 words
      • 71 14 Bloomberg [WASHINGTON] Microsoft Corp will spend US$l billion expanding its main campus, to make room for staff needed to work on new projects. Construction began on seven buildings in Redmond, Washington, and the company plans to buy seven others to add 3.1 million
        Bloomberg  -  71 words
      • 53 14 Bloomberg [SAN FRANCISCO] Oracle Corp, a week after completing its US$5.B5 billion acquisition of Siebel Systems, will fire 2,000 workers from the combined company's staff. Oracle also reduced its profit forecast for 2006. The cuts will save US$4OO million, chief financial officer Safra
        Bloomberg  -  53 words

  • MOTORING
    • 794 15  -  The Nissan Sylphy combines a simplistic Zen-like interior with generous leg-room, says SAMUEL EE SAMUEL EE FIRST of all, in case there are still any lingering doubts, the new Nissan Sylphy is not a replacement for the Sunny. The ageing but improbably popular Sunny
      YEN MENG JIIN  -  794 words
    • 345 15 WHILE one Nissan is waiting in the wings like a debutante, another has just got a makeover and is facing the world. For 2006, the midsized Cefiro will wear a redesigned grille with new headlamps and tail lamps. More importantly, the top-of-the-line
      345 words
    • 169 15  -  By SAMUEL EE IT may not be a luxury limo or the latest sports car but interest in the new Audi Q7 seven-seat SUV is so strong that a left-hand-drive model had to be imported four months before its official launch here just to
      169 words
    • 830 15  - New C70 looks good topless or not By C Y CHEW OWNING a cabriolet in Singapore is often a love-hate relationship. Sometimes you love the freedom but other times, you just hate the relentless heat. No wonder most convertible owners keep their tops up 90 per cent of the time.'
      CY CHEW  -  830 words

  • GOLF
    • 951 16  -  JUSTINE MOSS highlights some lesser known but first-rate championship golf courses around the world JUSTINE MOSS ASKED to name a famous golf course, more often than not, golfers would throw out the usual suspects like St Andrews, Augusta or Pebble Beach. All have made their
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  • Page 16 Advertisements
    • 821 16 wine&dine withweekendBT fi Ah Hoi's Kitchen Grand Hyatt Singapore restaurant ill Venice as well as on the Queen Elizabeth H. to 5pm. Dinner daily 6.30pm to 1030pm. Traders Hotel Poolsvie (above Tangiin Matt) Level lOScottsRoad. TeL 6416 7114 RafStttlarina Ah Hoi's Kitchen features a new pictorial a la carte menu
      821 words

  • WELLNESS
    • 796 17  -  By CHEAH UI-HOON IF YOU visit a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner, have his fingers on your pulse for a few minutes and hear him rattle off his diagnosis after that, don't be thinking it's quack medicine in practice. The ancient method of reading
      Source:; FILE PHOTO  -  796 words
    • 1297 17  -  Here's how to get warm and soft all over this Valentine's Day. CHEAH UI-HOON looks at some pampering spa packages couples can indulge in CHEAH UI-HOON Darling. I've booked us a spa treatment. This is the latest line from the New Age husband/fiance/boyfriend who knows how
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  • Page 17 Miscellaneous
    • 197 17 CRYPTIC CROSSWORD royalty! ?8) 18 Favourite runs well inside, get- I ■H ~TM| ting a (6) bfoh d? DOWN (15) YESTERDAY'S SOLUTION 1 A glass slipper? (7) 8 Illegal-sounding object for a Across: 1 Electrocute, 7 Copse, 2 The sort of gambling Stalin thief (6) Attaching, 10 Terrace, 11 Stetsoi
      197 words

  • SHOPPING
    • 1104 18  -  It's Valentine's Day next week and women will no doubt be expecting their men to surprise them with something special. But while they fantasise about candlelight dinners and Tiffany rings, what do the men really think of the whole thing? JAIME EE asks them JAIME
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    • 426 18 So you Ve heard it from your fellow men. Flowers are it, and so are dinner and a pretty gift. If you haven't already made up your fljxmind, here's some help Prestat: For classic chocolate lovers, Prestat presents sweets for your sweet in pretty heart shaped boxes
      426 words

  • TRAVEL
    • 1711 19  -  With no extremes in temperature, exotic, scenic and hospitable Mauritius is easily a year-round destination, says PARVATHI NAYAR PARVATHI NAYAR IT'S REASSURING how certain things never fail to delight, and high on that list is the delicious sensation of sea water flirting with your toes. This
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  • THE BUSINESS TIMES weekend
    • 1360 20  -  JAIME EE recommends romancing your Valentine date with good food and scenic view JAIME EE SO IT'S Valentine's Day on Tuesday. It's not exactly the most convenient day of the week to switch from crabby work mode to dutiful Romeo and demure Juliet demeanour. But that
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