The Business Times, 31 March 2012

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Microfilm: NL31821
Total Pages: 47
1 20 The Business Times
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  • TOP STORIES
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Oxley Tower units snapped up in a jiffy
      364 2  -  Cafes and shops sold out in buying frenzy, 60% of office units taken up By Michelle Tan michtyz@sph.com.sg Singapore IF NOT for the Oxley Tower signboard in the lobby, it would have looked like yet another line of Singaporeans queueing up for
      364 words
    • MARKETS
      • Article
        Lock icon STOCKS
        58 2 GSTI 3,010.46 (+16.37) GSTI FUTURES 2,996.00 (+2.00) GSIMSCI 348.39 (+1.60) HSIMSCI FUTURES 345.00 (-2.30) Friday Change KL COMP 1,596.33 +10.899 NIKKEI 225 10,083.56 -31.231 HANG SENG 20,555.58 -53.81 SET 1,196.77 -7.14 JAKARTA 4121.55 +16.38 MANILA 5,107.73 +22.49 KOSPI 2,014.04 -0.37 SHENZHEN B 640.13 +6.72 MUMBAI IND 17,404.20 +345.59 12noon
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      • Article
        Lock icon PRIME RATES
        29 2 SINGAPORE 5.38 MALAYSIA 6.55 HONG KONG 5.00 INDONESIA 14.470 TAIWAN 5.036 JAPAN 1.475 KOREA 9.33 BRITAIN 0.50 US 3.25 CANADA 3.00 SWITZERLAND 0.51 INDIA 14.75 Source: Bloomberg
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      • Article
        Lock icon FOREX
        52 2 us$ s$ US$ (S$ per US$) 1.257 (US$/S$ per 1.599 2.010 E U RO (U S$/S$/E) 1.335 1.679 Foreign currency per US$ S$ YEN 82.20 65.40 RM 3.064 2.438 HK$ 7.764 6.177 BAHT 30.81 24.51 RUPIAH 9,180 7,303 RENMINBI 6.299 5.012 INDIAN RUPEE 51.07 40.63 A$ 0.961 0.765 NZ$
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    • Article
      Lock icon Big gas usage, little space for LNG terminals
      712 4  -  Paper on future LNG supplies suggests two models to tackle rising demand By Ronnie Lim ronnie@sph.com.sg Singapore SINGAPORE’S LNG terminal on Jurong Island can at best be used by up to four large LNG importers, the Energy Market Authority said yesterday in
      712 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Like it or not, Facebook’s Timeline is now ‘live’
      868 4  -  The site’s two new aspects could make some firms have egg on their faces By Victoria Ho vhoip@sph.com.sg Singapore THE new Facebook format, Timeline, has gone live, and there’s no avoiding it now. The world’s most popular social network unveiled its
      868 words
    • Article
      Lock icon PSA Int’l reports 3.7% fall in profit to $1.14b
      325 5  -  Revenue 5.8% higher as group throughput increases 5.6% to 57.1m TEUs By Lynn Kan lynnkan@sph.com.sg Singapore A STRONGER year of cargo handling for port operator PSA International did not result in higher earnings, as inflation in most of its operating regions
      325 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Dian Xiao Er couple do not want the court to say ‘No’ to YES
      853 6  -  Yik Kuen Koon and Eliza Gunawan withdraw claim to wind up YES F&B By Joyce Hooi joyceh@sph.com.sg Singapore A TWIST has emerged in the legal battle between the couple of Dian Xiao Er chain fame and
      853 words
    • Article
      Lock icon High Court orders Profitable Plots directors’ bail to be cut
      583 6  -  It allows $400,000 bail set by the lower court to be reduced By Grace Leong gleong@sph.com.sg Singapore A HIGH Court judge yesterday allowed a $400,000 bail set by the lower court for each of the three directors of troubled landbanking
      583 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon More firms taking Earth Hour beyond just 60 mins
      760 7  -  But mainstay of the green movement lights-out will take place at 8.30 tonight By Lim Wei Sheng limwsg@sph.com.sg Singapore IT may last only an hour, but the significance of Earth Hour should endure. At 8.30 pm, darkness will sweep over the
      760 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon S’pore luxury property market still resilient
      673 8  -  Report: The city is seen as a safe haven, a lifestyle destination By Genevieve Cua gen@sph.com.sg Singapore SINGAPORE luxury property remains resilient despite the government’s cooling measures, as the wealthy look to the city as a “safe haven” and a lifestyle destination. This is
      673 words
    • Article
      Lock icon More cooling measures ‘likely’
      282 8  -  By Mindy Tan tanmindy@sph.com.sg Singapore THE likelihood of the government implementing a sixth round of cooling measures is now much higher than two months back. That being said, measures, if implemented, are likely to happen only in the second quarter of this year, said Png Poh
      282 words
  • Page 2 Advertisements
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      Lock icon Page 2 Advertisements Column 1
      60 2 CONTENTS NEWS Top Stories 2-8 Week in Review 9 Raffles Conversation 10-11 Companies 12-15 From The Desk Of 16 Singapore 17-18 World 19-22 Stocks Stats 23-27 Perspective 28-29 Wealth 30-32 Show Me The Money 33 Househunt 34 Real Estate 35 LIVING Dining L2-7 Shopping L8-9 Home Garden L10-11 Style L12-13
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  • Page 3 Advertisements
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      Lock icon Page 3 Advertisements Column 1
      139 3 r m V V, THE SHOPPES AT MARINA BAY SANDS® PRESENTS MEN'S FASHION WEEK 2012 18-22 APRIL In a celebration of Fashion and Music, Men's Fashion Week 2012 is set to raise the style bar. Enjoy these exclusive deals and prizes from 23 March 22 April WIN* An unforgettable trip
      139 words
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  • Page 5 Advertisements
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      Lock icon Page 5 Advertisements Column 1
      164 5 'St WAT-3 NOTICES IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, CAP. 50 and IN THE MATTER OF CARGOLUX MARITIME PTE LTD Company Regn No *****1864R (In Voluntary Liquidation) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Creditors of the abovenamed Company, which is being wound up voluntarily, are required on or before
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    • Advertisement
      Lock icon Page 5 Advertisements Column 2
      160 5 IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, CAP. 50 and IN THE MATTER OF GAN FAMILY HOLDINGS PRIVATE LIMITED Company Regn No: *****2345E (In Voluntary Liquidation) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Creditors of the abovenamed Company, which is being wound up voluntarily, are required on or before 02 MAY
      160 words
    • Advertisement
      Lock icon Page 5 Advertisements Column 3
      180 5 THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT (CHAPTER 50) AND IN THE MATTER OF UNIVERSE MARITIME PTE. LTD. (IN MEMBERS’VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP) NOTICE OF FINAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Section 308 of the Companies Act Chapter 50, the Final Meeting of the members of the abovenamed company will
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    • Advertisement
      Lock icon Page 5 Advertisements Column 4
      75 5 SINGAPORE —SWEEP— 1 ST PRIZE $2,200,000 2-PRIZE $500,000 3 rd PRIZE $250,000 SUPER SWEEP $300,000 K SSSSaSi WPrteSUS -3SH KSSS Ind 3rd Prize r **Wo.B| SINGAPORE °4/2072|| —SWEEP—t MMBSBqI Draw No. S*SjHrBl *****12 N ST J51NGAPORE —Aumn' 111 >c A wad idwid DRAW ON WEDNESDAY, 4 APRIL 2012 p LAYi)
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  • Page 7 Advertisements
    • Advertisement
      Lock icon Page 7 Advertisements Column 1
      738 7 WATS NOTICES IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, CAP. 50 AND IN THE MATTER OF PML CORPORATION PTE. LTD. (the “company”) (In Members’ Voluntary Liquidation) (Company Registration Number: *****7406W) NOTICE OF RESOLUTION At an Extraordinary General Meeting of the company held on 30th March 2012 at 19 West Coast
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  • WEEK IN REVIEW/WEEK AHEAD
    • THIS WEEK March 26-30, 2012
      • Article
        Lock icon HDB upgraders between a rock and a hard place
        84 9 WITH cash-over-valuation (COV) figures the cash premium paid by buyers over an HDB flat’s valuation continuing to fall amid a slowing resale market, HDB upgraders are facing an increasingly uphill task of moving into the private market. While HDB has stopped
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      • Article
        Lock icon Make equity investing part of financial planning: SGX
        63 9 THE Singapore Exchange is pushing investor education in a big way in the hope that the retail public will make stock market investing part of financial planning for retirement. Executive vice-president Chew Sutat said that the exchange believes there is a need
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      • Article
        Lock icon MAS to review advisory industry in a big way
        54 9 AS its 50th anniversary gift, the Life Insurance Association got this message from the Monetary Authority of Singapore: The advisory industry has to do better. The regulator is embarking on a wide-rang-ing review of the financial advisory landscape to further “protect
        54 words
      • Article
        Lock icon Longer stay for workers from China, NTS sources
        48 9 IN a move aimed at giving business- es from all sectors more flexibility, the Ministry of Manpower is extending the maximum period of employment for unskilled work permit holders from China and non-traditional sources from six years to 10 years.
        48 words
      • Article
        Lock icon Profitable deals set new subsales market record
        46 9 A RECORD 98.1 per cent of 2011’s subsales were still profitable even after counting the seller’s stamp duty where applicable because the bulk of the 2,337 subsold units had been purchased prior to the punitive SSD regime taking effect.
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      • Article
        Lock icon Profitable Plots directors charged with cheating
        37 9 THREE directors of beleaguered land banking firm Profitable Plots were each charged with 86 criminal counts of cheating investors of US$2.4 million on investments related to an industrial lubricant called Boron.
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      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon Bocker gets IPOs on his plate as deputy quits
        90 9 SINGAPORE Exchange chief executive Magnus Bocker has publicly taken on the reins of the core business at the exchange even as another top gun at SGX tendered his resignation. Mr Bocker will take on the role of head of listings, as
        FILE PHOTO  -  90 words
      • Article
        Lock icon Why it’s in Asia’s interest to help ‘rich’ eurozone
        68 9 IT is in the interest of Asian countries to help boost the International Monetary Fund’s resources even if these funds are used to bail out relatively richer nations of the eu- rozone, says the Fund’s first deputy managing director, David Lipton.
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      • Article
        Lock icon Pitfalls remain as Myanmar steps into sun
        62 9 AS reform fever grips Myanmar with a parliamentary by-election due this Sunday and the road to foreign investments likely to be widened in April the whole world wants a piece of it. But entrepreneurs in search of opportunities would do well to remember
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      • Article
        Lock icon Legal eagles asked to settle fowl battle
        59 9 THE husband-and-wife team behind roast duck chain Dian Xiao Er have taken its parent company Soup Restaurant Group of Samsui chicken fame to court over allegations of fowl play. Yik Kuen Koon and his wife, Eliza Gunawan, are accusing the directors of Soup
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      • Article
        Lock icon HDB tightens rules to benefit genuine buyers
        72 9 EVEN as more is done to create more housing options for households, steps are also being taken to discourage buyers who book flats but subsequently cancel their bookings. To further discourage such buyers, applicants who cancel their bookings not due to exceptional circumstances
        72 words
    • Article
      Lock icon NEXT WEEK April 2-6, 2012
      77 9 US DATA April 2 Feb construction spending April 3 Feb factory orders April 4 March ISM services April 6 March non-farm payrolls CHINA DATA April 1 PMI manufacturing HSBC manufacturing PMI April 3 China non-manufacturing PMI EVENTS April 1 Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference
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  • Page 9 Miscellaneous
    • Miscellaneous
      Lock icon Page 9 Miscellaneous Column 1
      308 9 Across 3 One might take a risk with surreal ‘op art’ clues (10) 8 Large drinking cup for a small mouth? (6) 9 Clobber blokes surrounding a Royal Marine (8) 10 Cronies upset about a storyline (8) 11 Leave a university storeroom (6) 12 Being a member of this, may
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    • Miscellaneous
      Lock icon Page 9 Miscellaneous Column 2
      18 9 SATURDAY with Ludwig ‘Since we’re flying on a budget, are there more air pockets from here to Singapore?
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  • RAFFLES CONVERSATION
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Bourse builder
      2279 10 / 11  -  Tom Kloet, the S ngapore Exchange’s fi st CEO who now runs the Toronto Stock Exchange, shares notes on markets, mergers and muddied waters. By R Sivanithy By R Sivanithy sivan@sph.com.sg IT’S more than ten years since I last saw and spoke to Tom Kloet, the Singapore Exchange’s
      TMX GROUP  -  2,279 words
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  • COMPANIES
    • Article
      Lock icon S’pore market value surges 14.1% in Q1
      714 12  -  Investor confidence boosts market cap to eight-month high of $81 7.6b By Kelly Tay kellytay@sph.com.sg Singapore A REBOUND in investor confidence has sent the market value of the Singapore bourse to an eight-month high. The Singapore market closed the first quarter of 2012
      714 words
    • Article
      Lock icon SGX defends governance record, says it ‘was and is in compliance’
      402 12  -  By Lynette Khoo lynkhoo@sph.com.sg Singapore THE Singapore Exchange has made it clear that its recent board changes were in compliance with regulations. It did so in a letter to BT yesterday, with the header “SGX was and is in
      402 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Room for Asian stocks to rise by 10-15%: DBS
      371 12  -  By Emilyn Yap emilyny@sph.com.sg INVESTORS will have to be more discerning about their stock picks from now on. While a tide of liquidity lifted equities across the board in the first quarter, fundamentals will be the key driver ahead. “The easy
      371 words
    • Article
      Lock icon APB’s China sale falls through
      336 13  -  By Nisha Ramchandani nishar@sph.com.sg Singapore ASIA Pacific Breweries’ (APB) proposed sale of its 50 per cent owned Heineken-APB China to China Resources Snow Breweries (CRSB) for RMB870 million (S$174 million) has fallen through. “In light of the termination of the sale, APB expects a negative
      336 words
    • Article
      Lock icon S’pore IPO volumes lag rivals’ in Q1
      525 13  -  With just one share sale, SGX is out of global top 1 2 bourses after clinching 3rd spot in Q1 201 1 By Kenneth Lim kenlim@sph.com.sg Singapore SINGAPORE’S IPO market lagged behind key rivals in the first quarter of 2012 as global listing
      525 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Swee Hong plans to raise some $20m in share sale
      308 13  -  By Jamie Lee leejamie@sph.com.sg Singapore CIVIL engineering firm Swee Hong Engineering plans to raise about $20 million in an initial public offering (IPO), BT understands. A source close to the deal, who declined to be named, expects the new shares
      308 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Jardine group stocks help window-dress STI
      971 14  -  Penny stocks see heavy play; new IPO Cordlife also actively traded STOCKS R Sivanithy sivan@sph.com.sg Senior correspondent THE main features of the week just past were heightened speculative churning of penny stocks, the lower the absolute price the better, and the quar-ter-ending window-dressing push
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    • Article
      Lock icon NOL postpones proposed S$ issue
      199 14 Singapore NEPTUNE Orient Lines (NOL) yesterday called off its proposed issue of Singapore dollar-denomi-nated perpetual capital securities. “In view of the current market conditions in Asia, the company has decided to postpone the proposed issue of the securities to a time when the market conditions
      199 words
    • Article
      Lock icon DBS bids for stake in Danamon
      135 14 Reuters Singapore DBS Group is making a bid for a controlling stake in Indonesia’s Bank Danamon worth about US$3.2 billion and owned by an arm of Temasek Holdings, sources said yesterday. Fullerton Financial Holdings, the Temasek unit, confirmed it had received an offer for
      Reuters  -  135 words
    • Article
      Lock icon SPH gets 2 new directors
      258 14  -  By Jasmine Ng jasng@sph.com.sg Singapore SINGAPORE Press Holdings will have two new independent directors Tan Yen Yen and Bahren Shaari from April 1. Ms Tan will be a member of the remuneration committee while Mr Shaari will sit on the audit committee. Ms Tan, 46,
      258 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Business lending up 1.5% in Feb
      436 15  -  Loans rise 36.3% from year ago but figures warped by timing of CNY holidays By Conrad Tan conradt@sph.com.sg Singapore BANK lending to businesses grew 1.5 per cent in February, after stalling in January, driving overall banking loans up by one per cent. Singapore-dollar business
      436 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Shipping industry sees more ‘alternative’ funds
      399 15  -  By Lynn Kan lynnkan@sph.com.sg Singapore Singapore MORE “alternative investors” such as hedge funds and commodity companies will pour their capital into shipping companies or assets, said a panel of shipping industry players at a KPMG event yesterday. That will come about as the landscape
      399 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Consolidation the best option for easing overcapacity: shipping execs
      386 15  -  By Lynn Kan lynnkan@sph.com.sg Singapore THE consensus among shipping executives is that consolidation is the best way forward for now to deal with an oversupply of ships. According to a “live” straw poll of 60 Singapore-based shipping executives conducted by KPMG
      386 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Net profit for BOC Aviation up 20%
      352 15  -  By Ven Sreenivasan ven@sph.com.sg Singapore SINGAPORE-BASED aircraft lessor BOC Aviation’s net profit for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2011, hit US$201 million, up 20 per cent from the preceding year’s US$168 million. Total assets as at Dec 31 were US$7.6 billion, up
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  • Page 13 Advertisements
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      Lock icon Page 13 Advertisements Column 1
      1149 13 WATS NOTICES IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT, CAP. 50 HORSBURGH MARITIME INVESTMENTS PTE. LTD. (REG. NO. *****7835G) (INCORPORATED IN SINGAPORE) At an Extraordinary General Meeting of the abovenamed Company duly convened and held at 60B Orchard Road, #06-18 The Atrium@ Orchard, S(*****1) on the 30 MAR 2012 the
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  • FROM THE DESK OF
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon It’s time biomeds reach out to consumers
      1065 16  -  As self-educating healthcare consumers become better informed, biomedical corporations would do well to broaden their approach beyond their traditional market of physicians FROM THE DESK OF Gregory J Lovas Partner at CTPartners, Singapore Biomedical corporations have traditionally marketed directly to physicians, a strategy
      1,065 words
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  • SINGAPORE
    • Article
      Lock icon New technology, big money for solar plant
      646 17  -  REC of Norway to transfer know-how to Singapore site, which generates half of its global revenue By Ronnie Lim ronnie@sph.com.sg NORWAY’S Renewable Energy Corporation (REC) intends to inject new wafer technology and “several tens of million euros” of additional plant investment to facilitate
      646 words
    • Article
      Lock icon SMEs to get $200m boost from Spring Singapore
      207 17 WITH effect from April 1, Spring Singapore will be increasing funding support of an additional $200 million for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) Capability Development Programmes. This will likely benefit an additional 1800 SME projects aimed at building up capabilities and restructuring
      207 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Peter Ho to replace Alan Chan as URA chairman
      250 17  -  By Eve Yeo eveypyeo@sph.com.sg BOARD changes at several statutory boards will come into effect tomorrow, including one that will see former civil service head Peter Ho replacing Alan Chan as chairman of the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). Mr Ho, currently senior
      250 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Rare whisky gifts BT BAF to the tune of $36,890
      269 17  -  By Christopher Lim limchris@sph.com.sg THE BT Budding Artists Fund (BT BAF) got a $36,890 boost on Thursday night when Francis Koh, managing director and group chief executive of Koh Brothers Group, made the winning bid for a bottle of The
      269 words
    • Article
      Lock icon NUS Board of Trustees to have 4 new members
      479 18  -  They’ll replace four current members; S’pore Poly also sees change in board of governors By Lim Wei Sheng limwsg@sph.com.sg THE National University of Singapore (NUS) announced the appointment yesterday of four new members to its Board of Trustees for terms beginning
      479 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Earth Hour: M&C doing its bit
      276 18  -  By Arthur Lee arthurl@sph.com.sg MILLENNIUM Copthorne Hotels (M&C), the London-listed subsidiary of City Developments Limited (CDL), is doing its part to recognise the significance of “Earth Hour” tomorrow. It is rolling out a large energy savings project aimed at reducing overall energy consumption across
      ARTHUR LEE  -  276 words
    • Article
      Lock icon CGH to use Parkway East ward
      357 18  -  By Nisha Ramchandani nishar@sph.com.sg TO COPE with the high demand for hospital beds in the public healthcare sector, Changi General Hospital (CGH) will manage 30 beds in Parkway East Hospital from the second quarter of 2012, as part of an agreement signed between the
      357 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Man Utd Platinum Visa card launched
      320 18  -  By Timothy Low timloh@sph.com.sg FANS of legendary football club Manchester United have reason to rejoice today with the launch of the Official Manchester United Platinum Visa card. This credit card, the first of its kind, is the result of a multi-million dollar deal made
      320 words
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  • WORLD
    • Briefing
      • Article
        Lock icon US consumer spending rises 0.8% in February
        98 19 Bloomberg Washington CONSUMER spending in the US rose in February by the most in seven months, showing the biggest part of the economy is strengthening. Purchases climbed 0.8 per cent, the largest gain since July, Commerce Department figures showed yesterday in Washington. Incomes
        Bloomberg  -  98 words
      • Article
        Lock icon 4 bourses are on a shortlist of bidders for LME
        87 19 Reuters London CME Group, NYSE Euronext, InterContinental Exchange (ICE) and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd (HKEx) are on a shortlist of bidders for the London Metal Exchange (LME), sources close to the matter said.The final four have been whittled
        Reuters  -  87 words
      • Article
        Lock icon India’s budget deficit at 4.94t rupees
        99 19 Bloomberg New Delhi INDIA’S budget deficit in the 11 months through February was 94.6 per cent of the fiscal-year goal as the nation struggles to curb the widest shortfall among the biggest emerging markets. The gap was 4.94 trillion rupees (S$122.2 billion), the Controller
        Bloomberg  -  99 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Eurozone finance chiefs agree to boost rescue capacity
      522 19 But it is unclear if markets and Europe’s G-20 partners would see the boost as sufficient Reuters AFP Copenhagen EUROZONE finance ministers agreed yesterday to raise their financial firewall to prevent a new flare-up of Europe’s sovereign debt crisis, but it was
      Reuters; AFP  -  522 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon EU trade chief to meet Asean ministers
      440 19  -  By Lee U-Wen leeuwen@sph.com.sg Singapore EUROPE’S top trade negotiator is in Cambodia to meet the region’s economic ministers and push for progress in bilateral free trade talks with a number of South-east Asian nations. Karel De Gucht, the European Union’s Trade Commissioner, will
      REUTERS  -  440 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Staff abused at plants making Apple gadgets
      572 20 Forced overtime at China factories leads to work weeks breaking govt-set 76-hour limit AFP Washington WORKPLACE abuses were uncovered in an audit that equated to “a full body scan” of three Chinese factories pumping out coveted Apple gadgets, independent investigators reported on Thursday.
      AFP; BLOOMBERG  -  572 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Japan Cabinet okays tax hike bill
      622 20  -  By Anthony Rowley bt wo rl d @s p h .co m .sg Tokyo THE Cabinet yesterday approved a Bill to double Japan’s consumption tax to 10 per cent in two steps between now and 2015, setting the stage for what is likely to
      622 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Debt: eircom seeks court protection
      140 20 Reuters Dublin IRELAND’S former state telecom operator eircom applied for court protection as expected on Thursday to allow it to restructure its 3.75 billion euro (S$6.29 billion) debt mountain, a move it said was “necessary and unavoidable”. The application follows the company’s agreement to support
      Reuters  -  140 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Murdoch’s media empire strikes back
      529 21 Those who allege his pay-TV business of sabotaging rivals slammed as ‘toffs’ stuck in the last century Reuters London RUPERT Murdoch has declared war against “enemies” who have accused his pay-TV operation of sabotaging its rivals, denouncing them as “toffs and right wingers” stuck in
      Reuters  -  529 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Polls won’t be free or fair, but I’d still fight: Suu Kyi
      550 21 AP Yangon OPPOSITION leader Aung San Suu Kyi said yesterday that Myanmar’s landmark weekend elections will be neither free nor fair because of widespread irregularities, but vowed to continue her candidacy for the sake of the long-repressed nation.
      AP; AFP  -  550 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Wall Street banks face credit downgrade
      692 22 Moody’s may bring Morgan Stanley, BOA, Citigroup down a few notches NYT New York SOME of Wall Street’s biggest banks are bracing themselves for a fallout from a possible cut in their credit ratings. Moody’s Investors Service, one of the two big ratings agencies,
      NYT  -  692 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Li Ka-shing vows to keep his investments in HK
      489 22 Bloomberg Hong Kong BILLIONAIRE Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong’s richest man, pledged to keep his investments in the city and urged support for the next chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, after backing the candidate he defeated in an election. “I definitely won’t” withdraw
      Bloomberg; BLOOMBERG  -  489 words
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  • Page 21 Advertisements
    • Advertisement
      Lock icon Page 21 Advertisements Column 1
      25 21 UOjJBlS oipeu (epyjo W,V. ■siivjLaa 3idOkN and lAIODElBOOVidWVAMA OJ. NO □□1 tJO 1/NdElB OJ. Nl 3NHi V N#fl««#W flWYf Nllit fN#lffIf A1W fOAIANI y lAlffllliXI
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  • Page 22 Advertisements
    • Advertisement
      Lock icon Page 22 Advertisements Column 1
      61 22 British India is hiring a Retail Manager International Engine Component Overhaul has a position open for a Customer Business Executive The Lubrizol Corporation has a vacancy for an Account Manager (Plastic Additives) Bio-Rad is recruiting a Manufacturing Engineering Manager The Singapore Cord Blood Bank is looking for a Manager, Quality
      61 words
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  • Article
    Lock icon SGX
    8052 23 Transaction date: Mar 30 52-wks Last Vol Day Last Quote Div GrYld Net M Cap High Low Company Sale +/-(‘000) High Low Buyer Seller C’vr P/E $mil 17.5 11.5 8Telecom 14 13.5 14 66.8 0.4 3.4 67 9.5 4 A-Sonic 4.4 -0.2 130 4.7 4.4 4.4 5.3 3 31.5
    8,052 words
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  • Article
    Lock icon SGX CATALIST
    1727 26 52-wks Last Vol Day Last Quote Div GrYld Net M Cap High Low Company Sale +/-(‘000) High Low Buyer Seller C’vr P/E $mil 34 12.1 t 800 Super 17.4 unch 21 17.4 16.5 16.6 17.4 4.7 3.2 6.7 31.1 4.5 2.5 t AA Grp 3.7 -0.2 44 4
    1,727 words
  • Article
    Lock icon SECURITIES TRADING SCOREBOARD
    186 26 MAIN CATL TOTAL Up Down Unch Up Down Unch Up Down Unch Multi Ind 10 2 3 0 0 0 10 2 3 Manufacturing 56 47 44 7 4 9 63 51 53 Commerce 29 19 17 5 0 2 34 19 19 Tpt/Stor/Comms 16 7 10
    186 words
  • Article
    Lock icon BT SHARE INFORMATION SERVICE
    793 26 SUBSTANTIAL SHAREHOLDER/DIRECTOR TRANSACTIONS For week beginning Mar 26 Substantial Buy No of Price ———SHAREHOLDING Trans Shareholder/ Sell Shares Per Before After Stock Date Director Conv '000 Shr ('000) ('000) Liang Huat Aluminium 29-Mar-12 Tan Yong Kee Sell 2000 0.01 *****4 5.23 *****4 5.18 Hu An Cable
    793 words
  • Article
    Lock icon SECURITIES TRADING TURNOVER
    121 26 TURNOVER (‘000) VALUE (‘000) MAIN CATL TOTAL MAIN CATL TOTAL Multi Ind 24,453 24,453 110,965 110,965 Manufacturing 324,303 47,142 371,445 257,809 703 258,512 Commerce 276,593 2,476 279,069 138,670 206 138,876 Tpt/Stor/Comms 128,555 9,725 138,280 234,753 2,315 237,068 Finance 32,584 32,584 287,123 287,123 Construction 470,261 22,243 492,504 23,749
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  • MARKETS
    • Article
      Lock icon LIFFE
      80 27 Mar 29 COCOA (£/tonne) Close Prev High/Low May 12 1463 1526 1520/1455 Jul 12 1478 1538 1517/1470 Sep 12 1480 1540 1518/1474 Dec 12 1483 1542 1519/1476 COFFEE(US$/tonne) Close Prev High/Low Mar 12 2031 2049 2052/2025 May 12 2041 2059 2057/2030 Jul 12 2038 2051 2050/2030 Sep 12 2051
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    • Article
      Lock icon METALS
      69 27 Mar 30 GOLD(US$/oz) Mar 29 Mar 30 Hong Kong 1670.00 1673.50 Hong Kong Mar 28 Mar 29 London 1672.69 1652.56 1673.91 1653.33 Source: Thomson Reuters SILVER Selling Buying Passbook 1 oz 41.02 40.35 Source: UOB PLATINUM Lon (US$/oz) Mar 29 Close Previous PM Fix 1641.00 1642.00 AM Fix 1641.00
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    • Article
      Lock icon PALM OIL
      39 27 Mar 30 *I_C£ PAUM FimjflES (RM/A*T) lV‘ •v H| X' J •)««n •l*»v w 'f J —'ll «IULU -IUU.' i Mni Cl 1 itfMl Ulfcr. U/Arff IBS. COU •t'U) H«*U NJD»t» >u\ .1 C* Source: Bursa Malaysia
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    • Article
      Lock icon GOVERNMENT SECURITIES
      88 27 Mar 30 TREASURY BILLS Period Issue Maturity Yesterday's Day's code Bid High Low 3-Month BQ*****Z 28-Jun-12 0.30 1-Year BY*****W 01-Nov-12 0.32 GOVERNMENT BONDS Period Issue Coupon Maturity Close Day's code rate Bid High Low 2-Year N*****0H 0.250 01-Feb-14 100.16 100.19 100.17 5-Year N*****0Z 2.375 01-Apr-17 108.54 108.6 108.55
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    • Article
      Lock icon INTERBANK CURRENCY RATES
      154 27 Mar 30 Against S$ Against US$ Currencies Bid Offer Bid Offer S$/US$ to one unit of foreign currency: Australian dollar 1.3062 1.3085 1.0396 1.0406 Canadian dollar 1.2589 1.2608 1.0020 1.0027 Euro 1.6778 1.6793 1.3354 1.3355 NZ dollar 1.0313 1.0326 0.8208 0.8212 Sterling pound 2.0087 2.0112 1.5988 1.5995
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      Lock icon SMX MARKET UPDATE
      142 27 As on 29 March 2012 www.smx.com.sg PRODUCT CONTRACT HIGH LOW CLOSE VOL (in Lots) PRECIOUS METAL GOLD FUT JUN2012 1665.10 1648.10 1654.60 241 CURRENCY AUD-USD FUT JUN2012 1.0274 1.0253 1.0264 6 EUR-USD FUT JUN2012 1.3351 1.3258 1.3289 6731 BASE METAL COPPER FUT MAY2012 8388 8309 8367 2299
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    • Article
      Lock icon CHICAGO BOT
      103 27 Mar 29 SOYBEANS (5,000 bu min; USc/60 lb bushels) Close Previous High/Low May 12 1355.50 1367.50 1376.50 1351.00 Jul 12 1361.25 1373.00 1381.25 1356.00 Aug 12 1350.75 1364.00 1371.75 1347.00 Sep 12 1326.25 1340.00 1344.25 1321.25 SOYBEAN/OIL(60,000 lbs; USc/lb) Close Previous High/Low May 12 53.59 54.60 54.83 53.55
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    • Article
      Lock icon OIL
      74 27 Mar 29 CRUDE US$/barrel (FOB origin) Close Change Brent blend (1-Mth F) 123.14 -1.22 WTI (Near Mth) 103.01 -2.41 Dubai (1-Mth F) 120.87 -0.39 Tapis blend 131.32 -0.21 Minas 131.32 -0.21 PRODUCT US$/barrel (FOB S'pore) Close Change Naphtha 118.00 0.72 Jet Kerosene 136.86 0.17 US$/barrel OpecOil Basket Price 121.57
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    • Article
      Lock icon FOREIGN CURRENCY NOTE RATES
      118 27 Mar 30 Singapore dollars to one unit of foreign currency: Currencies Sell Buy Aust dollar 1.334 1.271 Can dollar 1.285 1.236 Euro 1.706 1.641 Sterling pound 2.045 1.967 NZ dollar 1.056 1.006 US dollar 1.277 1.228 Local dollars to 100 units of foreign currency: Currencies Sell
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    • Article
      Lock icon LONDON METALS
      69 27 Mar 29 Aluminium, 99.7% purity (US$/tonne) Close Previous Cash 2094.00 2127.25 3 months 2134.00 2169.00 Copper, Grade A (US$/tonne) Cash 8382.00 8369.00 3 months 8350.00 8349.00 Lead (US$/tonne) Cash 2004.50 1986.75 3 months 1995.00 1989.00 Nickel (US$/tonne) Cash *****.00 *****.00 3 months *****.00 *****.00 Tin (US$/tonne) Cash *****.00
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    • Article
      Lock icon MORGAN STANLEY CAPITAL INT'L INDICES
      373 27 In local curr In S$ In US$ dy yr dy yr dy yr Mar 29 Index Change Change Change Change Change Change World Preliminary 910.2 -1.0 9.7 -0.8 6.8 -0.9 9.9 EAFE Preliminary 742.7 -1.2 8.9 -0.9 6.1 -1.0 9.2 Europe Preliminary 1087.0 -1.4 5.9
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    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon STOCK MARKETS
      92 27 YTD change:+13.76% 52-week high: 3,227.28 on Aug 1, 2011 52-week low: 2,521.95 on Oct 5,2011 Source: Bloomberg YTD change:+11.51% 52-week high: 24,468.60 on Apr 8,2011 52-week low: 16,170.30 on Oct 4,2011 Source: Bloomberg YTD change: +7.60% 52-week high: 13,289.00 on Mar 16,2012 52-week low: 10,404.40 on Oct 4,2011
      Source: Bloomberg  -  92 words
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  • PERSPECTIVE
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon The privilege of being beautiful
      1329 28 / 29  -  But there are four dimensions on which those who are not blessed with good looks can, and do, compensate for this. By Bruno S Frey and Jana Gallus By Bruno S Frey, Jana Gallus THE world appears to be unfair. Those who are prettier are
      AFP  -  1,329 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Earth Hour is for the good of our Earth
      1000 28 / 29  -  By Euston Quah, Mona Chew HERE’S how you can save the Earth: If you were to yell continuously for eight years, seven months and six days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee. This is,
      1,000 words
    • Article
      Lock icon SGX corporate governance well within regulations
      161 28 / 29  -  LETTER TO THE EDITOR Ding Hui Yun (Ms) Company Secretary Singapore Exchange WE refer to the letter by Mr Paul Merison, “SGX’s approach to its own governance questionable” (BT, March 30). In October 2011, SGX received new clarification by MAS that SGX’s Audit Committee,
      161 words
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  • Wealth
    • WEALTH INVESTING
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        Lock icon BROKERS' TAKE
        755 30 / 31  -  Compiled by CONRAD TAN Oil and Gas sector Overweight OCBC Investment Research Mar 30 QUOTING French ministers, newswires such as Bloomberg and Reuters have reported that France is in talks with the US and Britain on a possible release of strategic oil reserves to push fuel prices lower.
        755 words
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon Fee-based advisory service the way to go
        1359 30 / 31  -  Doing away with commissions would make the Singapore marketplace much more financially sophisticated and serve the financial advisory industry well in the long run Genevieve Cua gen@sph.com.sg Personal Finance Editor THE prospect of an advisory landscape sans commissions has generated an intense buzz
        FILE PHOTO  -  1,359 words
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon Asian ETFs need more transparency
        933 32  -  It’s perhaps time to take stock of ETF labyrinth, including clarity of underlying assets, structures and risks in structures WEALTH INSIGHT Lee Kha Loon ~The writer is head of the standards and financial market integrity division of CFA Institute for the Asia-Pacific region IN August
        BLOOMBERG  -  933 words
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon Taking stock of the first quarter
        1218 33  -  SHOW ME THE MONEY Teh Hooi Ling hooiling@sph.com.sg Senior correspondent ~The writer is a CFA charterholder ON JAN 9, I revamped the six portfolios that The Business Times carries on its pages every Monday. Instead of tracking the same portfolios over time, I decided
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    • WEALTH REAL ESTATE
      • Article
        Lock icon Househunt
        917 34 PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS FOR SELECTED DISTRICTS WITH CONTRACT DATES BETWEEN FEB 29 AND MARCH 6,2012 PROJECT NAME/ STREET NAME PROP TYPE CONTRACT DATE TENURE BUILT-IN/LAND AREA*(SQ FT) PRICE (S$'000) PSF (S$) District 1 NON-LANDED One Shenton Apt 02/03/2012 99 1582 3124 1975 District 2 NON-LANDED Spottiswoode Park Apt 02/03/2012 99
        917 words
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon Q1 sales of new private homes may hit 5,200 units
        796 35  -  This figure is the second-highest level since the 5,578 units sold in Q3 2009 and final tally may even surpass that record By Kalpana Rashiwala kalpana@sph.com.sg Singapore DEVELOPERS’ sales of new private homes this quarter could reach 5,200 units the
        Source: URA, CBRE Research; Source: URA (caveats downloaded on Mar 30 ‘12); CBRE Research  -  796 words
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon Supply mismatch between city and suburban office space
        530 35  -  By Michelle Tan michtyz@sph.com.sg Singapore THERE is a demand and supply mismatch in Singapore’s prime central business district (CBD) and suburban office space, said Toby Dodd, country manager at Cushman Wakefield Singapore. “It’s all about affordability,” said Mr Dodd, who pointed out
        530 words
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      Lock icon Page 36 Advertisements Column 1
      134 36 TO BREAK THE RULES, YOU MUST FIRST MASTER THEM. I' U THE WATCH THAT BROKE ALL THE RULES, REBORN FOR 2012. IN 1972, THE ORIGINAL ROYAL OAK SHOCKED THE WATCHMAKING WORLD AS THE FIRST HAUTE HOROLOGY SPORTS WATCH TO TREAT STEEL AS A PRECIOUS METAL, TODAY THE NEW ROYAL OAK
      134 words
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      Lock icon Page 1 Advertisements Column 1
      53 1 Living THE BUSINESS TIMES WEEKEND MARCH 31-APRIL 1 2012 BT HOME GARDEN Green with envy L10-11 GOOD DOG Fast food goes upmarket L2-5 DINING Gastronomic musical chairs L6-7 GADGETS Earth’s finest hour L14 SHOPPING Runway to reality L8-9 PHOTO: YEN MENG JIIN MOTORING In the comfortable zone L18 STYLE Art
      53 words
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  • BT Living
    • DINING
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon GOURMET TOGO
        2903 2 / 3  -  A new breed of designer fast-food eateries go upmarket by offering novel concepts and better quality ingredients. By Debbie Yong debyong@sph.com.sg NOT all fast food is junk food. At least that’s the notion that a recent crop of new quick-casual eateries is trying to impress upon local diners.
        PURPLE MUSTARD, ZEN DOG PHOTOS BY YEN MENG JIIN  -  2,903 words
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon Up dog, down dog, Zen dog
        555 4 / 5  -  By Bryan Koh bryankoh@sph.com.sg ZenDog The Sail Marina Bay 6 Marina Boulevard #01-16 Open 11.30am 9.30pm Mon-Fri THREE American buddies’ fondness for hot dogs and sauces has given birth to Zen Dog. The trio, comprising Robin Leong, Dan Segall and Craig Panter, set up
        555 words
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon Gastronomic musical chairs
        1452 6 / 7  -  Huge shake-ups lie ahead in the local restaurant scene in April and May. By Debbie Yong debyong@sph.com.sg April may have been the cruellest month for Anglo-American poet T S Eliot, but for foodies in Singapore, it looks set to be the most exhilarating. Besides two food festivals
        1,452 words
    • SHOPPING
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon RUNWAY TO REALITY
        1299 8 / 9  -  A new fashion ecommerce portal allows online viewers to shop the runways, and bag their togs before they hit stores. But is it a revolutionary retail game-changer, or just another marketing novelty? By May Yip By May Yip btnews@sph.com.sg FASHION weeks around the world have long been
        1,299 words
    • HOME & GARDEN
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon Green with envy
        1443 10 / 11  -  In keeping with Earth Hour, Daniel Teo’s Kranji farm employs various eco-friendly methods. By Jaime Ee By Jaime Ee jaime@sph.com.sg MANY people who enjoy greenery usually just do that enjoy it. As, in, say, strolling through the Botanic Gardens, turning one’s backyard into a stylised jungle landscape,
        PHOTOS BY JOHN HENG  -  1,443 words
    • STYLE
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon Art of branding
        928 12 / 13  -  Italian menswear label Ermenegildo Zegna is the latest brand to extend itself to the art world and become a patron. By Cheah Ui-Hoon By Cheah Ui-Hoon uihoon@sph.com.sg BY SPONSORING artists exhibitions at their stores, commissioning art work, or collaborating with artists to create merchandise, luxury brands have
        928 words
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon Roman inspiration
        630 12 / 13  -  By Cheah Ui-Hoon uihoon@sph.com.sg FOR two years, Lucy and Jorge Orta put a variety of materials that included textiles on their work table, photographs and sketches of their ideas, as they visited Rome occasionally to create Fabulae Romanae. In their celebration of The Eternal City, what resulted were
        630 words
    • GADGETS
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon Earth’s finest hour
        578 14  -  Join the worldwide Earth Hour movement tonight at 8.30pm and reduce your carbon footprint with nifty energy-efficient gizmos. By Christopher Lim By Christopher Lim limchris@sph.com.sg Philips myLightAccent range $139 to $249 If you must turn on an electric light, choosing an energy-efficient one like one of Philips’
        578 words
    • HEALTH
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon Enjoy your cuppa
        1090 15  -  Can coffee really keep the doctor away? While recent findings have been encouraging, there is still a long way before these prove conclusive. By Michael Lim By Michael Lim ~Dr Lim is medical director at the Singapore Heart, Stroke Cancer Centre. He is also editor-in-chief, Heart Asia;
        AFP  -  1,090 words
    • SPORT
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon Titans clash at Wrestlemania XXVIII
        625 16  -  no holds barred Lee U-Wen leeuwen@sph.com.sg Correspondent MANY may regard professional wrestling as nothing more than fake, but the vast sums of money that the industry generates most certainly isn’t. The sport’s marquee event Wrestlemania takes place tomorrow (Monday morning, Singapore time) in sunny Miami
        AP  -  625 words
      • Article
        Lock icon Credit where credit is due
        560 16  -  kick off with shebby singh IN FOOTBALL, managers are always under pressure by fans and the expectations placed on them by the media. But does winning championships define what makes the best manager? Certainly, those who coach the bigger clubs and those who win trophies
        560 words
    • GOLF
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon Tiger, Tiger burning bright
        1229 17  -  The battle lines are drawn for the US Masters final on April 8 with a Tiger Woods awakening. By Justine Moss AS the year’s first major looms, one figure has emerged from the darkest period in his illustrious career to become a hot favourite at the
        PHOTOS: REUTERS, FILE  -  1,229 words
    • MOTORING
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon IN THE COMFORTABLE ZONE
        649 18  -  The new Honda CR-V combines the utility of an MPV with the handling of a sedan. By Samuel Ee By Samuel Ee samuelee@sph.com.sg HONDA’S Comfortable Runabout Vehicle has become more and more car-like with each new model, with the latest CR-V coming closest to the Japanese
        649 words
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon STILL SPECIAL
        764 19  -  The magical sound of the V8 engine may no longer be there in the new Audi S5 Coupé but the car makes up for that in sheer performance. By Samuel Ee samuelee@sph.com.sg THE delicious burble of the naturally aspirated V8 engine is gone, replaced by a more urgent
        764 words
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon Smart moves
        507 20  -  The electric age has arrived. Well, sort of. Samuel Ee drives two fully electric vehicles Samuel Ee YOU may not know the driver of that electric car beside you but you can safely assume that he or she has at least two things on his or her mind
        507 words
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon Zero emission fun
        479 20 samuelee@sph.com.sg ONE of the nicest things about the Renault Fluence ZE electric vehicle is that it looks and drives like a normal Fluence but better. ZE stands for Zero Emission, thanks to a 95 hp electric motor which churns out 226 Nm of torque for thumping acceleration
        479 words
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      850 12 / 13 wine&dine with BTWeekend Bar on 5 Level 5 Mandarin Orchard Singapore 333 Orchard RoadZ6831 6288 Bar on 5 is the ideal place to chill out and unwind after a hard day’s work. Located five floors above Orchard Road, it provides a fabulous view of the shopping belt. The beverage menu
      850 words
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