The Business Times, 29 April 2006

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Total Pages: 20
1 20 The Business Times
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  • Title Section
    Lock icon Masthead
    20 1 THE BUSINESS TIME SINGAPORE 85 cents MICA (P) 099/03/2006 online at http business-times astal com scj 1 April 29-30, 2006
    20 words
  • Article, Illustration
    Lock icon Luxury retailers make hay while the region shines
    951 1  -  Big brand names are expanding their operations both in Singapore and the region By UMA SHANKARI [SINGAPORE] French jeweller and watchmaker Cartier is planning a world first for Singapore when it opens a boutique in Ngee Ann City next month dedicated to
    951 words
  • Article
    Lock icon Govt sets $605m land price for Sentosa IR
    501 1  -  Sentosa project may prove more profitable than Marina: analyst By ARTHUR SIM [SINGAPORE] There was eyen more interest than expected when the Government set a price of $605 million for 49 ha of land set aside for the integrated resort (IR) on
    501 words
  • Article
    Lock icon MARKETS DIGEST
    143 1 sn 2,610.71 (+9.65) ST INDEX FUTURES 2,597.00 (-4.00) SIMSCI 311.36 (+1.79) SIMSQ FUTURES 307.50 (-2.70) MARKETS Friday Change KLSECOMP 949 23 +1.62 NIKKEI 225 16.906 23 208.31 HANG SENG 16.661-30 81.55 SET INDEX 768.29 -1.72 JAKARTA COMP 1,464 41 -10.20 MANILA COMP 2.270.53 -10.86 5EOULCOMP 1,419.73 -32.80 SHENZHEN
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  • Article
    Lock icon Be it press freedom or income gap, S'pore will find own way: MM Lee
    479 1  -  By CHEN HUIFEN [SINGAPORE] Singapore will arrive in its own way, at its own pace, whether it is in press freedom or in solving the challenge of income disparity, according to Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.
    479 words
  • Page 1 Advertisements
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  • TOP STORIES
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Private home prices up 1.5% in first quarter
      790 2  -  Resale HDB flat prices creep up 0.2%, official figures show By KALPANA RASHIWALA [SINGAPORE] Singapore's official private home price index edged up 1.5 per cent quarter on quarter in the first three months of this year. And in the public housing segment,
      Source:  -  790 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Lightning hits major oil storage facility in M'sia
      211 2 AFP [KUALA LUMPUR] Five fuel tanks exploded at a major oil facility in Malaysia's southern Johor state after being struck by lightning, officials said yesterday. "The fire is still blazing, but we're working to prevent it from spreading," a district official from
      AFP  -  211 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon March unemployment rate held at 2.6%
      556 2  -  By CHUANG PECK MING [SINGAPORE] The March unemployment rate was unchanged from December's revised 2.6 per cent as the robust economy added more jobs, according to preliminary estimates from the Ministry of Manpower. The March rate the lowest in more than four years was
      556 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Thai court orders halt to third round of by-elections
      828 2 By OUR CORRESPONDENT in Bangkok THAILAND'S Administrative Court yesterday issued an injunction which effectively dooms plans for a new parliament. The court ordered a stop to the planned third round of byelections in 14 constituencies scheduled to take place today, saying
      AP  -  828 words
    • Article
      Lock icon THREE-MINUTE DIGEST
      601 2 Examine Opposition critically: PM Lee PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong last night turned the spotlight on the opposition parties, asking voters to scrutinise them with a more critical eye. On the track record of opposition MPs Chiam See Tong and Low Thia Khiang, he said that they have
      601 words
  • Page 2 Advertisements
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  • RAFFLES CONVERSATION
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Anatomy of a partnership
      2151 3  -  Liew Mun Leong, CEO of CapitaLand, and J Terrence Lanni, chairman and CEO of MGM-Mirage, talk to VIKRAM KHANNA about their joint vision for Singapore's first integrated resort VIKRAM KHANNA BOTH are heads of the largest companies in their field on their respective turfs. Liew Mun
      FILE PHOTO; ARTHUR LEE  -  2,151 words
  • Page 3 Advertisements
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      Lock icon Page 3 Advertisements Column 1
      72 3 j§sr The Raffles Conversation is brought to you through a special arrangement with Raffles I M |A\p 7 International Hotels and Resorts. The Traveller's I g\ I I |r~V Palm in the Raffles International logo is an apt symbol. Not only has water stored at the base of INTERNATIONAL this
      72 words
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  • GENERAL ELECTION 2006
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon WP to focus on accountability, 'first-world' govt, income gap
      517 4  -  It sketches out key themes for rallies at its first event By NANDE KHIN ACCOUNTABILITY of the government, hope for the future, and what makes a first-world government. These are the key tenets the Workers' Party (WP) will focus on in
      Photo Bt, Reuters  -  517 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Examine Opposition critically: PM Lee
      457 4  -  They have no vision, no idea of big challenges Singapore faces By By CHUANG PECK MING and OH BOON PING PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong last night turned the spotlight on the opposition parties, asking voters to scrutinise them more critically. "Ask them the difficult
      ST  -  457 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Hougang wants upgrading: PAP poll
      508 4  -  Ward an ageing estate with ageing population: SM Goh By DANIEL BUENAS THE battle for Hougang may hinge on the issue of public housing upgrading if the results of a survey conducted by People's Action Party candidate Eric Low is anything to go by. Mr
      508 words
    • Article
      Lock icon NSP's Steve Chia 'almost quit politics' after 2003 scandal
      359 4 OPPOSITION candidate Steve Chia has revealed that he almost quit politics after a scandal in 2003. The revelations are made in a foreword to a book Called to Serve, a compilation of his speeches in Parliament. The 3,000-word article has just
      359 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Chiam defends track record, dismisses age issue
      359 4  -  By MATTHEW PHAN VETERAN opposition politician Chiam See Tong defended his track record and dismissed age as an issue in his opening rally in defence of his Potong Pasir ward last night. Mr Chiam, who is defending his seat for the fifth consecutive
      ST  -  359 words
    • Article
      Lock icon SDP written off by most S'poreans because of its antics: Boon Heng
      369 4  -  By NANDE KHIN THE "vast majority" of Singaporeans have "written off" the Singapore Democratic Party, People's Action Party chairman Lim Boon Heng told reporters yesterday at an NTUC event. "SDP is known for its antics in order to
      369 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Elections Department releases video to clear air over Gomez
      272 4  -  By OH BOON PING THE Elections Department (ELD) has released the closed circuit television footage showing James Gomez leaving its office without submitting his minority application form, in a bid to clear the air over the incident. This is also the
      272 words
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  • COMPANY NEWS
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Stellar Q1 results drive DBS shares to 5-year closing peak
      669 5  -  Bank beats analysts' forecasts with 39% surge in net profit to $518m By LESLIE YEE DBS Group Holdings reported a 39 per cent year-on-year increase in net profit for the first quarter this year to $518 million, sending the bank's
      FILE PHOTO  -  669 words
    • Article
      Lock icon SMRT's Q4 profit dips on higher diesel costs, provision
      472 5  -  By SAMUEL EE SURGING diesel costs and the provision for losses from an associated company combined to push SMRT Corp's net profit down 7.8 per cent to $19.99 million for its fourth quarter ended March 31, 2006. This was despite revenue
      472 words
    • COMPANY BRIEFS
      • Article
        Lock icon UIC earnings slip 10% in Q1
        27 5 UNITED Industrial Corp's first quarter net profit fell 10 per cent to $17.01 million. Revenue rose 4 per centto $74.71 million.
        27 words
      • Article
        Lock icon SingLand profit up 23% in Q1
        44 5 SINGAPORE Land's net profit for the first quarter to March 31,2006, rose 23 per cent to $22.5 million while turnover rose 17 per cent to $51.12 million due to improved rental income after the renovation of Marina Square.
        44 words
      • Article
        Lock icon Enviro-Hub plans bonus issue
        33 5 ENVIRO-HUB Holdings Ltd is proposing a bonus issue of about 114.18 million new shares on the basis of one bonus share for every three existing shares held by shareholders.
        33 words
      • Article
        Lock icon FerroChina CEO raises stake in company
        62 5 FERROCHINA Limited said its chief executive, She Chun Tai, has bought a 2.98 per cent stake in the maker of steel coils, raising his direct and deemed stake to 17.49 per cent. The shares, at $0.88 apiece, came from non-executive director Lee Tung Hsi,
        62 words
      • Article
        Lock icon Magnus placing out 228 m new shares
        63 5 MAGNUS Energy Group Ltd is placing 228 million new shares to four subscribers at 8.57 cents a share, raising some $19.52 million in net proceeds. The proceeds will be used in part to settle its purchase of a 72 per cent stake in
        63 words
      • Article
        Lock icon Nera Telecom's Q1 net jumps 28.6%
        42 5 NERA Telecommunications' net profit for the first quarter ended March 31,2006, rose 28.6 per cent to $3.48 million. Turnover rose 4.6 per cent to $64.27 million due to higher sales from the telecom and infocomm business.
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      • Article
        Lock icon Nera Electronics' profit up 14.8% in Q1
        33 5 NERA Electronics* net profit for the first quarter to end March rose 14.8 per cent to $1.67 million. Turnover fell 6.7 per cent to $24.88 million.
        33 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Pacific Shipping Trust plans offer of 222m units
      528 5  -  By SIOW LI SEN PACIFIC Shipping Trust (PST) is planning to offer 222 million units in Singapore's first business trust with a projected yield 7.77 per cent to 8.08 per cent for the first year. The offering, which will raise at least
      FILE PHOTO  -  528 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon AGM discussions point to a new beginning for CAO
      413 5  -  AGM WATCH By MICHELLE QUAH A HEALTHY turnout yesterday at China Aviation Oil's (CAO) annual general meeting (AGM) saw spirited discussion of concerns past and present reflecting the recent turbulent times the company has been through. Almost 100 shareholders filled a
      FILE PHOTO  -  413 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Looking beyond just the numbers
      543 5  -  STOCKS R SIVAMTHY Senior Correspondent IF you were to only look at the numbers when evaluating the week just passed, you might gain the mistaken impression that nothing much occurred the Straits Times Index (STI) started the week at 2,603 and ended at 2,610.7, a
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  • PERSONAL INVESTMENT
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon BROKERS' TAKE
      952 6  -  Compiled by UMA SHANKARI Singapore Post April 28 docc: 551.13 MORGAN STANLEY RESEARCH, April 27 SINGPOST reported EPS of 1.62 cents for 4QFYOS (year ended March 2006), marginally 5 per cent higher than our expectation of 1.55 cents. A final quarterly dividend of 1.75 cents per share was
      Source: Bloomberg  -  952 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Is research a boon to companies?
      1159 6  -  SHOW ME THE MONEY Yes, but for only 55% of 210 companies which take part in an SGX research scheme TEH HOOI LING Senior Correspondent DO companies that participate in the Singapore Exchange research scheme generally think that their shares are undervalued and thus
      1,159 words
    • Article
      Lock icon BT SHARE INFORMATION SERVICE
      1124 6 For week beginning Apr 24 SUBSTANTIAL SHAREHOLDER/DIRECTOR TRANSACTIONS Subsantial Buy No of Prke SHAREHOLDING Trans Shareholder/ Soil Shares For Before After Stocfc Date Director Conv '000 Shr COOP) C000) Memtech 28 Apr 06 Chuang Wen Fu Buy 130 0.35 7452 1.04 7582 1.05 Youcan Foods 27-Apr
      1,124 words
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  • BT INVESTMENT ROUNDTABLE
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Equities likely to consolidate
      3839 7 OVERVIEW STOCK markets the world over have been sizzling so far this year. Of the 77 major stock indices, oply 11 declined. Particularly hot are the emerging markets. Those in Peru, Venezuela, Morocco, Russia and Jakarta have chalked up gains in excess of 40 per cent
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  • SINGAPORE NEWS
    • Article
      Lock icon Chip Eng Seng buys Westpeak for $206m
      510 8  -  PROPERTY Metropole Hotel also changes hands; Hilton Towers' sale confirmed Reports by KALPANA RASHIWALA CONSTRUCTION and property group Chip Eng Seng has clinched its second col-lective-sale site this month Westpeak Condominium. Its purchase price of $206.09 million reflects a unit land price of
      510 words
    • Article
      Lock icon HDB resale market seen stabilising
      465 8 THE Housing Development Board's (HDB) resale flat price index, which rose 0.2 per cent in the first quarter from the preceding three months, is likely to remain flat this year, says ERA Real Estate. "There is an absence of factors that can significantly cause the
      465 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Dental sector a star performer
      273 8  -  By CHEN HUIFEN THE dental services sector has become a star performer in Singapore's healthcare services industry, registering the highest profitability and earningsexpenditure ratios in 2004. According to data released by the Department of Statistics (DOS) yesterday, dental services' profitability ratio the proportion of operating
      273 words
    • SINGAPORE ROUNDUP
      • Article
        Lock icon Govt launches $5m workplace safety fund
        95 8 THE government has launched a $5 million fund to help improve workplace safety. The money will be made available over a three-year period in a scheme in which the government will co-fund up to 70 per cent of the consultancy cost, up to a
        95 words
      • Article
        Lock icon Petrol, diesel prices up 10 cents/litre islandwide
        65 8 PETROL and diesel prices are now up 10 cents a litre islandwide, as Caltex and Singapore Petroleum Company yesterday matched the pump-price increases of Shell and ExxonMobil. The increases. attributed to this month's spike in wholesale fuel prices, bring 98-octane petrol to $1.917,
        65 words
      • Article
        Lock icon Second review of JSEPA underway
        55 8 THE Supervisory Committee for the Japan-Singapore New-Age Economic Partnership Agreement (JSEPA), which met in Tokyo on Thursday and yesterday, has launched the second review of the pact. Ministry ofTrade and Industry said the scope of the review included enhancing financial services commitments and expanding the
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      • Article
        Lock icon WDA & partner to improve Chinese workplace literacy
        41 8 WDA partner to improve Chinese workplace literacy THE Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and The Office of Chinese Language Council International, have entered into an agreement to develop training and certification of Chinese workplace literacy and numeracy skills for Singapore workers.
        41 words
      • Article
        Lock icon Flextronics Q4 net down to US$42.9m
        30 8 Bloomberg FLEXTRONICS International, the world's largest maker of custom-made electronics, said fourth-quarter net income declined to US$42.9 million as costs from shedding assets rose.
        Bloomberg  -  30 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Boon Heng wants young blood for NTUC
      359 8  -  By NANDE KHIN LABOUR chief Lim Boon Heng wants to groom a younger group of members to be the next generation to drive the National Trade Unions Congress (NTUC) forward. "I've got to look for younger people to run the movement forward. If
      ASHLEIGH SIM/ST  -  359 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Biomed sector on next plane
      283 8  -  Translational and clinical research the next key step By ROLAND LIM HAVING established Singapore in the area of basic biomedical sciences research, the next key step is to focus on translational and clinical research, said Tony Tan, chairman of the National Research Foundation (NRF). Speaking
      283 words
    • Article
      Lock icon BASF opens nanotech research centre here
      227 8  -  By SIM PING KHUAN LEADING chemical company BASF opened in Singapore its first nanotechnology research facility in Asia yesterday. The new research centre, located at Science Park 3, will involve a $26 million investment of research expenditure over the next three years. BASF said
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      Lock icon Page 9 Advertisements Column 1
      1574 9 HONG LEONG FINANCE LIMITED and its subsidiaries (incorporated in the Republic of Singapore) Company Registration Numberl96loooo3D FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2005 PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2005 IMPORTANT Group Company The following financial information contains only a summary of the
      1,574 words
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  • MALAYSIA
    • Article
      Lock icon Foreign participation in Bursa Malaysia on the rise
      496 10  -  Exchange should match last year's net profit of RM81.33m, says CEO Yusli By PAULINE NG in Kuala Lumpur FOREIGN participation in the Malaysian stock market is on the rise, reaching 37 per cent in the first quarter of the year or the
      496 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Stop bickering over Causeway bridge decision: Syed Hamid
      210 10 Bernama [KUALA LUMPUR] Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar yesterday called for a halt to the airing of disagreements over the government's decision to cancel the project to build a bridge to replace the Johor Causeway as it could create disunity and weaken
      Bernama  -  210 words
    • Article
      Lock icon UEM World comes full circle as share price triples
      533 10  -  By S JAYASANKARAN in Kuala Lumpur THINGS are coming full circle for Renong now known as United Engineers (M) World (UEM World) an infrastructure, materials provider and healthcare conglomerate. It came unstuck after the time in the 1990s when it could
      533 words
    • Article
      Lock icon SGX MAINBOARD
      8418 10 Transaction date: Apr 28 524* Td Last Vol Day Lot Quote Grttv Mv GrYM MM MCaa law Coda Cowpiy Sala fOOO) Wj» Low Iwyr 5*t S Cvt Wi Sm* 5 1 5716 1st Software St 2.5 unch 238 3 2.5 2.5 3 10.1 17 6 3148 8TelecomUS2c 9
      8,418 words
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  • INDONESIA
    • Article
      Lock icon Iran to invest in Indonesian gas & oil
      225 11 Iran to invest in Indonesian gas oil US$600m investment will provide the fuel sector a much-needed cash injection AP [JAKARTA] Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will sign US$6OO million (Ss9so million) in investments in Indonesia's gas and oil sector during a state visit next month, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said yesterday.
      AP  -  225 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Ex-senior insurance official gets eight years for graft
      251 11 AFP [JAKARTA] A court in Indonesia has sentenced a former head of the stateowned workers' insurance company to eight years in jail for his involvement in a US$35 million scam, an official said yesterday. Ahmad Junaidi, former president director of Jamsostek, was
      AFP  -  251 words
    • Article
      Lock icon US presses Jakarta to keep up graft fight
      83 11 Reuters [JAKARTA] Indonesia is on the right track to improve its economy but needs further progress in areas like fighting corruption, a senior US official said yesterday. Indonesia has been ranked among the most corrupt countries in the world by independent groups,
      Reuters  -  83 words
    • Article
      Lock icon SGX
      6337 11 Transaction Date: Apr 28 MOST ACTIVE STOCKS VOLUME VALUE Sino-Env 82.046.000 DBS Grp 254.172.170 GoldtronO.lc 68.158.000 OCBC Bk 50c 123.718.516 GMG Global 5c 58.235.000 UOB 119.340.130 SingTel 15c 41.043.000 SingTel 1Sc 112.826.190 BrightWor 39.250.000 CapitaLand 66.826.830 Wee Poh 0.5c 37.672.000 SIA50c 62.873.900 Eucon 5c 37.584.000 Keppel Corp 50c 62.075.600
      6,337 words
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  • GREATER CHINA
    • Article
      Lock icon Move aimed at 'fine-tuning hot economy'
      782 12 CHINA RATE HIKE Latest rate rise will help cool down property sector, says official paper Reuters [BEIJING] China sent a clear signal yesterday that its first interest rate rise in 18 months will not be the start of a fierce tightening cycle that could
      Reuters  -  782 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon MORE THAN MERE SKELETON
      57 12 [BEIJING] A Chinese visitor looking at a preserved human body at an exhibition in Shanghai yesterday. The exhibition has on display 21 bodies and22o body parts preserved using chemicals, dyes and resins. The show has been described by its organisers as an effort to promote science
      AP  -  57 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Chinese firms pay over US$1b in piracy disputes
      237 12 AFP [BEIJING] Chinese companies have paid out more than US$l billion to foreign firms after losing copyright lawsuits over the past five years, China's technology minister said in remarks that were published yesterday. Science and Technology Minister Xu Guanhua told the State
      AFP  -  237 words
    • BRIEFLY ASIA
      • Article
        Lock icon China to standardise corporate tax rates
        63 12 Xinhua [BEIJING] China is set to unify the income tax rate for domestic and overseas-funded enterprises, yesterday's Beijing News reports. The amended law on corporate income tax will be submitted to the State Council in May, and by end-August, the amendment is expected to
        Xinhua  -  63 words
      • Article
        Lock icon BOC set to make debut on Jun 1
        85 12 Bloomberg IHONG KONG] Bank of China, the nation's secondbiggest lender in which Singapore's T emasek Holdings has a stake, won the go-ahead for its US$B billion initial public offering and plans to make its Hong Kong debut on June 1, people involved
        Bloomberg  -  85 words
      • Article
        Lock icon Losses widen for top China chipmaker
        73 12 Reuters [SAN FRANCISCO] SMIC, China's biggest maker of microchips, on Thursday reported its sixth straight quarterly loss amid lingering fallout from a recent sector downturn, but beat expectations as sales rose. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp made a Q1 net loss of US$B.7 million, or
        Reuters  -  73 words
      • Article
        Lock icon Hindustan Lever's profit jumps 77%
        87 12 Reuters [MUMBAI] India's top consumer goods maker, Hindustan Lever, yesterday posted a 77 per cent jump in quarterly profit, but its shares fell more than 4 per cent as earnings were boosted by a one-time gain from a brand sale. Lever, maker of Lux soap
        Reuters  -  87 words
      • Article
        Lock icon Labuan banks see profits fall 11.5%
        82 12 Reuters [KUALA LUMPUR] Banks operating in Malaysia's offshore Labuan financial centre reported a drop of 11.5 per cent in pre-tax profits last year due to higher loan loss provisions and narrowing interest margins. The 56 banks in Labuan, an island just off the northwest
        Reuters  -  82 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Central bank sees limited impact of rate rise on house buyers
      200 12 Reuters [BEIJING] China's centra! bank said yesterday that the country's first lending rate rise in 18 months would have a limited impact on the growing number of house buyers. In a question-and-answer document, the People's Bank of China said
      Reuters  -  200 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Taiwan eases ban on China-bound tech investments
      328 12 AFP Reuters rTAIPEI] Taiwan is easing a ban on China-bound investments in small-sized flat panel display manufacturing and low-end integrated circuit (IC) packaging and testing services, the government said yesterday. Local thin-film transistor liquid crystal display makers have been given the green light
      AFP; Reuters  -  328 words
    • Article
      Lock icon BURSA MALAYSIA
      2273 12 VOL Gamuda 438 -0.02 318 W- r*«) General Corp _A71 0.01 352 Genting ...25.50 1.20 824 ASM Realty 1.38 0.02 4 George Kent 0 56 -0.01 126 Abric 036 unch 0 GHLSystems .038 unch ***** ACP Industries 1.07 -0.01 371 GiobetronicsTedi ...0.36 0.02 ***** Advance Synergy -0-23 0.01
      2,273 words
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  • INDIA
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Indian regulator moves on alleged IPO manipulation
      471 13 24 brokerages banned from trading on their own account AFP [MUMBAI] Indian share prices plunged yesterday then bounced back in extremely volatile trade after the market regulator cracked down on two dozen brokerages alleging manipulation of initial public share offerings. Mumbai's benchmark 30-share
      AFP  -  471 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Foreign groups eye pie as India's coffee love grows
      553 13  -  By PRIYANKA BHARDWAJ in New Delhi IT HAS long been offered as an add-on at roadside chai (tea) shops, but these days it is becoming much more of a "lifestyle" drink as Indians, especially in the north of the country, catch
      553 words
    • Article
      Lock icon UNIT TRUSTS & FUNDS
      5850 13 UNIT TRUSTS FUNDS ACMGI Amer Income B USD 8.51 ACMGI Amer Income A EUR 6.8/ ACMGI Amer Income 8 EUR 6.8/ AtN Ainro Asset Mgt (5 pore) ACMGI Europ Income Opp AT SGO 15.081 Star Ejope Eqty' 0 95/ ACMGI Europ Income Opp BT SGO 15 061 SOI Europe Bond
      5,850 words
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  • ASIA-PACIFIC/WORLD
    • Article
      Lock icon 4.8% Q1 economic growth highest in 2 1/2 years
      523 14 LATEST US DATA Employment costs during same period rise at slowest pace in seven years Reuters [WASHINGTON] The United States economy grew at its strongest rate in 2V* years during the first quarter on strong spending and investment and a key
      Reuters  -  523 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Is the world heading back to a barter economy?
      726 14  -  By ANTHONY ROWLEY in Tokyo THE price of gold has rocketed by 25 per cent in the first four months of this year alone and analysts are beginning to attribute its dramatic ascent directly to investors hedging against the falling US
      726 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Intel plans major revamp in bid to cut US$1b in costs
      602 14 NYT [SAN FRANCISCO] Intel said on Thursday that it planned a sweeping restructuring aimed at greater efficiencies and reduced costs in an effort to get back on track after another quar-. ter of declining profit and lost market share.
      NYT  -  602 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Fed ready for cautious experiment: Bernanke
      584 14 NYT [WASHINGTON] The chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben S Bernanke. indicated on Thursday that the central bank was ready for a cautious experiment. Despite unexpectedly strong economic growth in recent months, and some evidence of inflation, he told Congress that the Fed's policy-making
      NYT; REUTERS  -  584 words
    • WORLD WATCH
      • Article
        Lock icon Nomura posts 5-fold quarterly profit rise
        65 14 Reuters [TOKYO] Nomura Holdings Inc, Japan's biggest brokerage, reported a better-than-expected five-fold rise in quarterly profit yesterday as its underwriting businesses flourished and its merchant banking arm booked a windfall gain. Nomura's net profit of 304 billion yen (554.2 billion) in the year ended
        Reuters  -  65 words
      • Article
        Lock icon Bank of America to buy back shares
        77 14 Bloomberg [NORTH CAROLINA] Bank of America Corp, the No 2 US bank, said it will repurchase up to US$l2 billion of its stock within the next 18 months. This authorises the company to buy back up to 200 million, or 4.3 per cent,
        Bloomberg  -  77 words
      • Article
        Lock icon Toshiba annual net profit up 70%
        120 14 Reuters [TOKYO] April 28 Japanese electronics maker Toshiba Corp posted a 70 per cent rise in annual net profit yesterday, helped by flash memory operations, but it fell short of expectations in forecasting slower growth this year. Toshiba enjoyed robust demand for NAND-type flash
        Reuters  -  120 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Microsoft's Q3 profit up 16% to US$3b on database program orders
      469 14 Bloomberg Reuters AP [SAN FRANCISCO] Microsoft Corp the world's largest software maker said third-quarter profit rose 16 per cent on orders for database programs. Earnings this year and next may miss some analysts' estimates, sending the shares down. Net
      Bloomberg; Reuters; AP  -  469 words
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  • MOTORING
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon BMW springs big surprise
      531 15  -  SAMUEL EE SAMUEL EE highlights some of the interesting features in the latest 335i Coupe THE best-selling -luxury coupe is back and the top-of-the-line model promises to be a whopper. The previous BMW 3 Series Coupe, together with its Convertible version, dominated the premium twodoor market
      531 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Rare, old beauties on their way to S'pore
      304 15  -  By SAMUEL EE ABOUT 70 rare beauties will make their regal way to the Leng Kee Road area tomorrow and allow their mature but still very sensual curves to be viewed and appraised. A Concours d'Elegance featuring vintage and classic cars will
      304 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Tall order
      664 15  -  One is an extra-large MPV which has been radically transformed, the other is a mini-MPV that has undergone a more subtle makeover. SAMUEL EE drives one big and one small multi-purpose vehicle SAMUEL EE IT MAY have long lost that cool bullet-like shape and ideal weight distribution but
      664 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Small is beautiful
      430 15 UNLIKE true-blue MPVs with seven seats, the Opel Meriva has only five but its versatile cabin certainly qualifies it as a multi-purpose vehicle, albeit a diminutive one. Introduced here slightly over two years ago, this mini-MPV has since been given both outer and inner enhancements. Cosmetically, the
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  • GOLF
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      Lock icon Have a credit card, will tee off
      1210 16  -  Many golf lovers are signing up for such cards just to take advantage of bank deals that allow them to play at some of Asia's best courses, says JUSTINE MOSS JUSTINE MOSS OVER the years, most financial institutions in Singapore have launched a
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      971 16 wine&dine withweekendßT '—T- Cafebiz experience from the Chinese, Malay and Indian live show dishes Cooked to perfection to tantalise your taste bods. Tex-Mex Menu Complimentary Chips Dips $5 Dining Traders Hotel Lobby Level. kitchens. Open daily from 6.30 am to midnight. Buffet lunch Exclusively for Diners Club Cardmembers: one-for-one pizza
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  • WELLNESS
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      Lock icon Make healthful eating a lifelong practice
      718 17  -  Moving from disordered to ordered eating is a step in the right direction, writes CHRIS ROSENBLOOM CHRIS ROSENBLOOM NYT I WAS planning to review the latest diet books this week. With swimsuit season just around the corner and a diet book always on the
      NYT; FILE PHOTO  -  718 words
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      111 17 i i W 1 M .i n r iHVI# IV9WV I in Stxidifd Charttftd 1 M K K I mM f J I coming GEt wrtirilnd I wj^JjjKEKKjKEJKJKKJKJ^JKKjKIKtJ^I^^ I O SMS"sphnews"to7lll7 I S 0 0 You'll receive a cost-free WAP Push I I A message with WAP link to SPH
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      1 17 mmm
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      1185 17 /jfejft SSH Corporation Ltd. Qg|4«t VW-lfgLXi] (Company registration: *****0985 C) (Incorporated in the Republic of Singapore) NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an Extraordinary General Meeting of SSH Corporation Ltd. (the Company) will be held at 19 Jurong Port Road, Singapore *****3 on Friday, 19 May 2006 at 10.00 am, for
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  • Page 17 Miscellaneous
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      199 17 CRYPTIC CROSSWORD 00 W* x flirting? (12) YESTERDAY'S SOLUTION 1 PPefy Ya 14 A fnar s at 'ogSfheads with Across: j stalls, 4 Freak out, 10 o rrwH.tw t0 rell 9 lous 9 rou P Out-and-out. 11 Acerb, 12 Discard. 2 Now appropriate to modify (5) (9) 13 Overawe, 14
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  • SHOPPING
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      Lock icon Double duty apparel
      1691 18  -  Workout gear is so comfortable and attractive-looking these days that it is also doubling up as weekend wear, CHEAH UI-HOON finds out CHEAH UI-HOON WITH more women pursuing holistic lifestyles nowadays, going organic or vegetarian, joining yoga or Pilates classes plus other fitness activities, fashion is following
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      Lock icon One-of-a-kind flea market
      441 18  -  By CHEAH UI-HOON THERE are flea-ish flea markets, and then there are the fashionable ones. They're far and few in between, but once in a while, a fashionable bazaar does come around to perk up the off-the-beaten-track retail scene. Mark your calender for next week's FashBash, where
      441 words
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  • PERSONAL SPACE
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      916 19  -  Soothing blue lends a resort-like feel to this home, which showcases the owners' Middle-Eastern heritage, CHEAH UI-HOON discovers CHEAH UI-HOON B* ESIDES being a cool colour i that gives a day-to-day living space the welcoming, soothing feel of a holiday resort, blue has been used to good effect
      PHOTOS: ARTHUR LEE  -  916 words
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  • THE BUSINESS TIMES weekend
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      Lock icon Icons of classical cuisine
      1347 20  -  JAIME EE speaks to two three-Michelin star chefs who show that traditional need not be boring JAIME EE ONE is Spanish, the other French. Their cooking styles are a world apart, but three Michelin star chefs Santi Santamaria and Philippe Legendre are both united in their
      PETER KNIPP HOLDINGS  -  1,347 words
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      652 20  -  FOOD AND HOTEL ASIA 2006 By JAIME EE THEY came. They saw. They tasted. That pretty much described Food and Hotel Asia 2006, where not only the latest in hotel and commercial kitchen products were featured, but also some of the most comprehensive
      652 words
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