The Business Times, 2 February 2008

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Microfilm: NL28831
Total Pages: 20
1 20 The Business Times
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  • Title Section
    Lock icon Masthead
    21 1 THE BUSINESS TIMES weekend SINGAPORE 85 cents A SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS PUBLICATION :OREGNNOI9B4O2B6BE MICA (P) 122/12/2007- February 2-3,2008 online at http://business-times.asial.com.sg
    21 words
  • Article
    Lock icon Rental market watchers home in on key figures
    808 1  -  KALPANA RASHIWALA Launch delays, construction bottlenecks may lead to lower home completions than thought By [SINGAPORE] With private residential rents shooting up 41 per cent last year, one big question is on the minds of property market watchers. They are now busy
    808 words
  • Article
    Lock icon Microsoft surprises with US$44.6b Yahoo bid
    503 1 AP, Reuters [SAN FRANCISCO] Microsoft Corp has pounced on slumping Internet icon Yahoo Inc with an unsolicited takeover offer of U5544.6 billion, the second time in a year, in its boldest bid yet to challenge Google Inc's dominance of the lucrative online search and
    – AP, Reuters  -  503 words
  • Article, Illustration
    Lock icon JENNIE SHOWS THE WAY
    104 1 WHEN it comes to cutting through red tape, there's no one with quite the touch of Pro-Enterprise Panel member Jennie Chua, who is also president and chief executive officer of The Ascott Group. With a few deft snips, Ms Chua demonstrated what could be done to
    La ARTHUR LEE  -  104 words
  • MARKETS DIGEST
    • Article
      Lock icon PRIME RATES
      29 1 Bloomberg SINGAPORE 5.33 MALAYSIA 6.74 HONG KONG 5.75 INDONESIA 14.655 TAIWAN 6.236 JAPAN 1.875 KOREA 9.33 BRITAIN 5.50 US 6.00 CANADA 5.75 SWITZERLAND 4.18 INDIA 12.75 Source:
      Bloomberg  -  29 words
    • Article
      Lock icon MARKETS
      42 1 1COMP Closed IIKKEI225 13,497.16 -95.31 IANG SENG 24,123.58 +667.84 ;et index 810.86 +26.63 JAKARTA COM P 2,646.82 +19.57 1ANILACOMP 3,294.08 +28.08 ;eoulcomp 1,634.53 +9.85 ;henzhen b 640.45 +1.67 IUMBAI IND 18,242.58 +593.87 11AM EDT Change 12,624.35 -26.01 )OW IASDAQ 2,376.86 -13.00
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    • Article
      Lock icon FOREX
      40 1 IS$ (S$ ier US$) 1.416 (uss/ss ii 1.990 2.818 :uroi :us$/s$/e; 1.488 2.107 'EN 106.40 75.10 3.236 2.285 IK$ 7.796 5.506 !AHT 32.93 23.25 lUPIAH 9,195 6,493 1ENMINBI 7.183 5.073 INDIAN RUPEE 39.34 27.78 1.115 0.787 IZ$ 1.268 0.895
      40 words
  • Article
    Lock icon Singapore's future role remains an 'open question'
    658 1  -  UMA SHANKARI By [SINGAPORE] It is difficult enough to say what will happen next week just ask a weather forecaster or a stock market analyst but one group has been trying to work out what Singapore might be like 22 years from now,
    658 words
  • Page 1 Advertisements
  • Page 1 Miscellaneous
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  • TOP STORIES
    • Article
      Lock icon Bond insurer bailout shaping up to be rescue of big players
      731 2 Reuters Selective lifeline instead of industry-wide solution most likely [NEW YORK] A bailout of bond insurers is likely to end up looking a lot like the SIV bailout, a selective rescue of the biggest players instead of an industry-wide
      – Reuters  -  731 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Film studios play Oscar nominee card
      707 2 Bloomuerg [LOS ANGELES] Hollywood's campaign for Oscar gold is in full swing. And we're not just talking about the coveted statuette. Studios are pushing films nominated for best picture into more cinemas to take advantage of the hype that precedes the Feb 24 Academy
      – Bloomuerg  -  707 words
    • Article
      Lock icon BNP Paribas top bet as buyer of SocGen
      151 2 Reuters [LONDON] BNP Paribas is the clear favourite to buy French bank Societe Generale as its rival reels from a rogue trading scandal at least by British and Irish bookmakers. BNP Paribas is given odds of 5/4 to take over SocGen by
      Reuters  -  151 words
    • Article
      Lock icon UBS shareholders to vote on alternative plan
      289 2 Bloomberg [ZURICH] ÜBS AG, Europe's largest bank by assets, said shareholders at its extraordinary general meeting will vote on an alternative proposal to its plan to raise capital from investors in Singapore and the Middle East. Shareholders will vote on a proposal from
      ■ Bloomberg  -  289 words
    • THREE-MINUTE DIGEST
      • Article
        Lock icon DBS wins bid to acquire Taiwan's Bowa Bank
        74 2 DBS Group has won the bid to take over Taiwan's failed Bowa Bank with a government subsidy of NT544.5 billion or about Ssl.9 billion, making it the first Singapore bank to gain a foothold in Asia's third-richest country and fourth-largest economy. It
        74 words
      • Article
        Lock icon SIA posts $590m Q3 net profit
        75 2 SINGAPORE Airlines has reported a net profit of $590 million for the third quarter ended Dec 31, 2007, comparable to the previous corresponding quarter's $589.2 million, which included a one-off gain of $198 million. Excluding the exceptional gain from the sale of its 35.5
        75 words
      • Article
        Lock icon Chartered's Q4 profit up 9.3% at US&5.9m
        85 2 CHARTERED Semiconductor Manufacturing has reported a 9.3 per cent rise in fourth-quarter profits after a tax gain, but warns of a possible slowdown due to seasonal decline in chip bookings for its current quarter. The company, which supplies chips for Microsoft's XBox 360
        85 words
      • Article
        Lock icon CapitaLand raises record $1.3b in bonds
        55 2 CAPITALAND has raised $1.3 billion through a 10-year convertible bond, said to be the largest ever done in Singapore. The bonds, which have been fully placed with institutional and "sophisticated" investors, have a 46 per cent conversion premium, translating into a conversion price of
        55 words
      • Article
        Lock icon S'pore needs an A Team at helm: MM Lee
        80 2 THE most critical challenge Singapore faces in the years ahead is the risk of losing for good its best brains to the bright lights elsewhere, from China to the US, says Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. "That's the challenge I consider
        80 words
      • Article
        Lock icon Bursa Malaysia's profit up 73% at RM49.5m
        70 2 BURSA Malaysia yesterday has posted a 73 per cent jump in fourth-quarter profit as equity trading revenue jumped after the benchmark stock index posted its biggest annual gain in eight years. Net income rose to RM49.5 miUion (5521.7 million), or 9.5 sen a
        70 words
      • Article
        Lock icon China fund chief to avoid 'unwelcoming' Europe
        67 2 THE head of China's sovereign wealth fund plans to steer clear of markets such as Europe where he feels unwelcome, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Lou Jiwei, chairman of China Investment Corp, told the paper that the state-controlled US$2OO billion fund
        67 words
      • Article
        Lock icon Sovereign bank investments tapped out
        67 2 INVESTMENTS in US financial institutions by sovereign wealth funds are likely to be tapped out and companies instead will probably need to rely on earnings, asset sales or mergers or acquisitions to replenish capital, Credit Sights said on Thursday. US financial companies are posting multibillion-dollar
        67 words
  • Page 2 Advertisements
    • Advertisement
      Lock icon Page 2 Advertisements Column 1
      101 2 "The Worid Top 01 The Hoot" Highly symbolic value that All Dzi stones possess the Mystic Power I of bringing Luck, Wealth SPeace.My Dzi Stones are 100%"Authentical" Latest coii6CtionlExtfßnt6iypT6Cious&f(w 12 Eyt% Dzi stone 'mosterpKce' ■3EyesiTanßk6EyespredoiisDilMom lpcUmgaKyamlutus Battle Design lpcHemmandEmthDnMatif ipcExtrarKlyßareßutldnaeyes'Quadniple' HCflV£fl Clflß COnh lpcHightyteirtdDoubleHemuuitKlEarth with two cheny lines ffnasfcfpiscßj ■3paßcaut7fu/779W(MlhMoW
      101 words
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  • THE RAFFLES CONVERSATION
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Taking ST Engineering to the next phase
      2444 3 Tan Pheng Hock, ST Engineering president and chief executive officer, tells WONG WEI KONG that the defence conglomerate has reached a stage where it is ready to shape the market SINGAPORE Technologies Engineering (ST Engineering) used to set the pace for other blue
      ARTHUR LEE  -  2,444 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Raffles Hotels & Resorts
      97 3 Raffles Hotels Resorts The Raffles Conversation is brought to you through a special arrangement with Raffles Hotels Resorts. Ranked second among the world's top hotel brands in the 2006 Conde Nast Traveler Business Travel Awards, Raffles Hotels Resorts is a collection of luxury hotels that distinguishes itself through the highest
      97 words
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  • COMPANY NEWS
    • Article
      Lock icon DBS wins bid to acquire Bowa Bank
      554 4  -  SIOW LI SEN This makes DBS the Ist Spore bank to secure foothold in Taiwan By DBS Group Holdings has won the bid to take over Taiwan's failed Bowa Bank with a government subsidy of NT544.5 billion or about Ssl.9 billion, making it
      554 words
    • Article
      Lock icon SIA posts $590m Q3 net profit
      511 4  -  YEN SREENIVASAN By SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) reported a group net profit of $590 million for its third quarter ended Dec 31, 2007, comparable to the previous corresponding quarter's $589.2 million, which included a one-off gain of $198 million. Excluding the previous year's $198 million
      511 words
    • Article
      Lock icon At a glance
      76 4 Full year ended Dec 2007 year en Chartered SemiCond 146.23 96.38 51.7 1949.19 2034.09 -4.2 SP Chemicals 51.91 51.95 -0.1 322.27 295.72 9.0 AllcoReit 47.53 22.69 nm 75.25 34.89 nm Notes: Net profit refers to profit attributable to equity holders Trust Reits: Turnover is gross revenue; Earnings
      76 words
    • Article
      Lock icon SGX MAINBOARD
      8609 4 Transaction date: Feb 1 52-wks Tel )h Low Code Last Sale Vol ('000) Hit Day Last Quote |h Low Buyer Seller Div Gr Yld Net C'vr P/E MCap $mil Hii Com[ i an; 5716 1st Software 22 6.5 3148 STelecom 29 11 5834 A-Sonic 107 98 6389 ABF
      8,609 words
    • Article
      Lock icon CapitaLand's record $1.3b bond
      389 5  -  ARTHUR SIM Proceeds for new investments and refinancing existing loans By CAPITALAND has raised $1.3 billion through a 10-year convertible bond, said to be the largest ever done in Singapore. The bonds, which have been fully placed with institutional and "sophisticated" investors, have a 46 per
      389 words
    • Article
      Lock icon SP Chemicals reports 52% fall in net profit for Q4
      266 5  -  QUAH CHIN CHIN By SP Chemicals, one of the largest producers of ionmembrane chlor-alkali and aniline in China, yesterday reported a 52 per cent year-on-year fall in net profit to 38.2 million yuan (557.5 million) for its fourth quarter ended
      266 words
    • SGX
      • Article
        Lock icon MOST ACTIVE STOCKS
        61 5 VOLUME Centra Land 61,401,000 Memstar 56,991,000 China Honqxinq 47,520,000 Yangzijiang 37,673,000 Capita Land 37,273,000 Jade Tech 28,764,000 JiutianC 23,609,000 Sing Tel 23,534,000 Keppel Corp 22,805,000 STXPO KWIOO 22,223,000 Clob VALUE (S) Keppel Corp 247,204,928 Capita Land 211,925,107 DBS Grp 121,328,521 SGX 110,264,450 UOB 98,181,852 Sing Tel 88,025,500
        61 words
      • Article
        Lock icon RISES
        109 5 BY CENTS CLOSE UP China H 10US$ 1733 165.6 7.. UOB 1792 52.0 3.0 JMH 2582 48.1 1.3 SIA 200 1568 42.0 2.8 UOB MBL JCW*****0 571 37.0 6.9 iBS Gr| 1770 32.0 1.1 Asia Pac Brew 1350 30.0 2.3 Land 623 27.0 4. S I A 1564 24.0
        109 words
      • Article
        Lock icon FALLS
        110 5 CLOSE DOWN CLOSE DOWN Con 1076 -56.0 -4.! SembMar BNPeCW*****1 -90.9 -10.0 iitalanMBLiCW***** 194 -41.0 -17.. ChinaESaveW*****2 1 -87.5 -7.0 i Con MBLiCW*****0 329 -40.0 -10.1 East. )ateW*****4 -75.0 -3.0 STI 3150 DBePW*****3 45 -35.5 -44.1 SGXSGAeCW*****8 2 -66.7 -4.0 HKLand 447 -32.6 -4.9 Ca iitalanMBLeCW***** 3 -60.0 -4.5
        110 words
    • Article
      Lock icon SECURITIES TRADING SCOREBOARD
      86 5 Up Down Unch 6 5 5 Up Down Unch OOP Up Down Unch 6 5 5 Multi Ind Manufacturim 53 78 45 11 13 86 58 Commerce 18 30 22 21 39 27 25 12 Finance 21 21 lonstruction Pro 18 14 18 14 Hotel s/Rsts Jervices
      86 words
    • Article
      Lock icon SECURITIES TRADING TURNOVER
      121 5 TURNOVER C000) MAIN SDQ TOTAL MAIN VALUE C000) SDQ TOTAL Multi Ind 33,154 33,154 274,943 274,943 Manufacturing 332,947 46,557 379,504 303,558 5,407 308,965 Commerce 69,759 1,906 71,665 83,193 337 83,529 115,166 696 115,862 312,606 159 312,761 Finance 42,902 42,902 390,852 390,852 Construction 44,825 14,602 59,427 12,414 1,189
      121 words
    • Article
      Lock icon STRAITS TIMES INDEX STOCKS
      46 5 >tod name lose lange Capita Land 5.800 -0.100 .apital lev .osco .orp mp :ent fntl Ia~ri line ippel .orp ippel .am ,rp >tod name lose tange 01am 2.690 +0.100 ngg :ngg >eml .orp lemi >ing tar lai leverage Imar 'angzijiang 'anl \oR
      46 words
    • Article
      Lock icon BONDS & WARRANTS
      2251 5 BONDS WARRANTS Tel Code Company Last Sale Prem Expiry Vol Conv Exer Disc Gear- Mths +or- ("000) Ratio Price ing Left 2036 Advance SCT Ltd W*****9 8798 Ascendas REIT SGA ECW*****3... 9092 Asia Environment W*****4 3657 Biosensors DB ECW*****3 4014 Capitaland BNP ECW*****8 3879 Capitaland BNP ECW*****2 3666 Capitaland BNP
      2,251 words
    • Article
      Lock icon SGX CATALIST
      2318 5 STOCK PRICES LEGEND: Straits Times Index Stocks; s Catalist Non-Sponsored; t Catalist; N Net or Tax-exempted dividend; ct Conditional Trdg; xd ex-dividend cd cum dividend; cri cum right issue cbi cum bonus issue; xri ex-right issue; xbi ex-bonus issue xall ex-all; cdxa cum dividend ex-all co cum offer
      2,318 words
    • Article
      Lock icon SGX XTRANET
      74 5 f»k Tel Low Code Last Sale Vol COOP) My Low Last (uote Seller Div Cvr irVId Net P/E riCap Smil Hi! Coi Hi! 200 116 6065 Diamonds 6200 5000 6095 IS DJ US Tech 1000 1000 6097 IS MSCI Spore ***** ***** 6101 IS S&P500 ***** ***** 6170
      74 words
    • Article
      Lock icon GLOB INTERNATIONAL
      60 5 Hil Low Code Comi 'an: Sale COOO] Hii Low By rer Seller C'vr P/E M 141 90 6000 AVJennings 21.5 5 6134 Over&Gen 60.5 19.5 6017 StarCruises 320 181 6019 TanChonglnt ...A92 ...A13 US2S .HK250 +0.5 unch 9806 753 27 250 25.5 247 90 25.5 247 26 250
      60 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Datacraft posts 51 % rise in Q1 earnings
      573 7  - Datacraft posts 51 rise in Q1 earnings AMIT ROY CHOUDHURY Services, hardware both contribute to strong growth in all four regions By DRIVEN by strong demand in key markets, IT solutions and services provider Datacraft Asia yesterday announced a 51 per cent jump in net profit in the fiscal 2008
      573 words
    • COMPANY BRIEFS
      • Article
        Lock icon Koda six-month net profit up 8.7%
        36 7 FURNITURE manufacturer Koda reported net profit of US$4.2 million for the six months ended Dec 31, 2007, up 8.7 per cent year-on-year. Revenue grew 2.6 per cent to US$35 million.
        36 words
      • Article
        Lock icon PCI posts 6.4% rise in six-month net profit
        43 7 PCI Ltd, an electronic manufacturing services provider, has reported net profit of U552.46 million for the six months ended Dec 31, 2007, up 6.4 per cent year-on-year. Revenue was U5582.12 million, down 20.5 per cent.
        43 words
      • Article
        Lock icon Boardroom Q2 net profit up 23.9%
        60 7 BOARDROOM Ltd, a professional business services group, announced revenue for the second quarter ended Dec 31, 2007, of $9.7 million, an increase of 19.6 per cent year-on-year. This was attributed to growth in its number of clients across its business units. Profit after tax
        60 words
      • Article
        Lock icon HG Metal Q1 net profit soars 130.5%
        38 7 HG Metal Manufacturing Ltd has reported net profit of $8.5 million for the first quarter ended Dec 31, 2007, up 130.5 percent year-on-year. Revenue increased 15.6 per cent to $117.3 million.
        38 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Raffles Education Q2 profit up 55%; proposal to delist 2 firms
      452 7  -  CHOW PENN NEE By RAFFLES Education Corporation (REC) yesterday reported a second-quarter net profit of $16.3 million, 55.1 per cent higher than a year ago, on increased student enrolment and course fees, and contributions from China Education Limited (CEL)
      452 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon No relief for stocks yet, despite US rate cuts
      540 7  -  R SIVANITHY STOCKS THE week started off with some promise of relief from the recent selling as investors looked forward to yet another generous dose of monetary easing by the US Federal Reserve, but as it turned out, investors had only
      540 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Chartered's Q4 profit up 9.3%
      581 7  -  WINSTON CHAI By THANKS to a tax benefit, Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing reported a 9.3 per cent rise in fourth-quarter net income. But the Singapore-based semiconductor foundry warned of a possible slowdown due to a seasonal decline in chip bookings for its current quarter. Chartered, which
      581 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Keppel shares tumble despite strong results
      620 7  -  CONRAD RAJ By AFTER some initial euphoria over its strong results, the price of Keppel Corporation shares yesterday took a tumble over fears of margin erosions, a slowdown in orders and foreign exchange hedging concerns. This despite the announcements of record earnings and turnover
      I FILE PHOTO  -  620 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Bio-Treat's H1 profit dips on higher tax expenses
      253 7  -  LYNETTE KHOO By 810-TREAT Technology's net profit for the first half ended Dec 31, 2007, dipped 2.9 per cent from a year ago to 151.93 million yuan (5529.9 million) as higher tax expenses erased the gains achieved in revenue. The 79.26 million
      253 words
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  • PERSONAL INVESTMENT
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon BROKERS' TAKE
      896 6  -  UMA SHANKARI Sembcorp Marine Feb 1 close: $3.08 DEUTSCHE BANK, Feb 1 WITH solid fundamentals and valuations now sufficiently attractive we upgrade Sembcorp Marine from "sell" to "buy". Order backlog is strong, with earnings visibility beyond 2010. New order wins will be unpredictable but the need to find
      : Bloomberg  -  896 words
    • BT SHARE INFORMATION SERVICE
      • Article
        Lock icon SUBSTANTIAL SHAREHOLDER/DIRECTOR TRANSACTIONS
        749 6 Trans Date Shareholder/ Director Sell Conv Shares '000 Price Per Shr$ Before ('000] l(j After ('000] Stock Fragrance Grp 1-Feb-08 KohWeeMeng Buy 50 0.41 *****0 72.67 *****0 72.67 Oriental Century 31-Jan-08 Raffles Edu Corp Buy 244 na ***** 28.40 ***** 28.54 AussinoGrp 31-Jan-08 Yeo Seng Chong «Buy
        749 words
      • Article
        Lock icon COMPANY MEETINGS
        195 6 COMPANY MEETING PLACE DATE TIME Sapphire Corp E 123 Genting Lane #07-01 Yenom Industrial Building Singapore *****4 04-Feb 11.00am Man Wah Hldgs S NTUC Business Centre NTUC Centre No.1 Marina Boulevard #10-04 Singapore *****9 13-Feb 10.00am PSL Hldgs E 58 Sungei Kadut Drive Singapore *****2 14-Feb 10.00am Memstar
        195 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Randomness will have the last word
      1936 6  -  TEH HOOI LING SHOW ME THE MONEY Probability is the acceptance of the lack of certainty in our knowledge THE world we live in is more random than we think, says Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the Dean's Professor in Sciences of Uncertainty at the University
      FILE PHOTC  -  1,936 words
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  • Page 7 Advertisements
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      Lock icon Page 7 Advertisements Column 1
      215 7 Responsibilities: Perform consolidation and create Financial Statements from ledgers and I maintain company's bookkeeping system. Prepare and send periodic I billing statements/invoices to clients and ensure collection of receivables. I Consolidate and prepare documentation of payments/payables. Handle CPF I contributions and GST submissions and returns. Liaise with parties such as
      215 words
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  • SINGAPORE NEWS
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon S'pore needs an A Team at helm: MM Lee
      489 8  -  ANNA TEO SINGAPORE PERSPECTIVES 2008 Nation's most critical challenge is risk of losing its talent pool By i THE most critical challenge Singapore faces in the years ahead is the risk of losing for good its best brains to the bright
      489 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Move with growth while it lasts
      342 8  -  CHEN HUIFEN By IT is very difficult for Singapore to control its growth to an extent that the pace may be slower but more manageable because in the country's efforts to draw investments, "either you take the whole bite or not at all". In
      342 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Worker migration 'better way to boost population'
      370 8  -  MATTHEW PHAN Raising fertility is a much slower method: academics By IMMIGRATION of foreign workers is essential if Singapore wants its population to grow, said academics at a session on population and urban planning at the Singapore Perspectives 2008 conference yesterday. Assuming fertility
      370 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Earnings gap here 'higher than in OECD states'
      280 8  -  CHEW XIANG By WAGE inequality in Singapore is the highest by far compared with all OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries, an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy said yesterday. Hui Weng Tat emphasised the
      280 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Qatar desert well worth a visit: SM Goh
      228 8  -  OH BOON PING By QATAR'S desert is well worth a trip, says Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong after an official visit to the Arab emirate's capital, Doha. "I encourage people to take a trip to the desert, just to experience what life
      DESMOND LIM/THE STRAITS TIMES  -  228 words
    • Article
      Lock icon SMRT, SBS to increase train trips
      261 8  -  LYNETTE KHOO By COMMUTERS can look forward to more comfortable train rides soon with shorter waiting times and less crowded trains. Following the recent policy speeches on the Land Transport Review, SMRT and SBS Transit are adding more train trips come Feb 4 as
      261 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Bahrain firm eyes energy assets
      497 8  -  MATTHEW PHAN By LIQUIDITY in the Middle East and Asia will not plug the gap left by the reduction in liquidity from the US and Europe, said Asim Zafar, executive director of Arcapita Bank, a Bah-rain-based investment firm which officially opened in Singapore yesterday. "The
      497 words
    • Article
      Lock icon JTC appoints Mapletree to manage Reit
      328 9  -  UMA SHANKARI Trust due to launch in middle of the year, subject to market conditions By JTC Corporation yesterday said that it has appointed Temasek unit Mapletree Investments to establish and manage its upcoming real estate investment trust (Reit). The Reit is set for
      328 words
    • Article
      Lock icon RFID innovation platform launched
      184 9 A NEW $4.5 million body is being set up to help with the introduction of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, Minister of State for Trade and Industry S Iswaran announced at its launch yesterday. The body, called the RFID innovation platform, will seek new ideas for
      184 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Govt to reward red-tape busters
      266 9  -  QUAH CHIN CHIN Best idea gets $1,000 from Pro-Enterprise Panel By BUSINESSES brimming with ideas on ways to cut red tape and create a more business-friendly environment in Singapore now stand to win awards by the Pro-Enterprise Panel (PEP), an agency that reviews suggestions from
      266 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Budget boost to funding for adult worker training
      283 9 THE government will "make a significant contribution" to funding for adult worker training in this year's Budget, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday. He was speaking at the launch of the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), a partnership between NTUC, the
      283 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Budget flight from KL ends a long wait
      282 9  -  YEN SREENIVASAN By THERE was a huge razzmatazz yesterday morning to greet the arrival at Changi Airport of Air Asia's flight AKI23 from Kuala Lumpur. The flight arrived 10 minutes before schedule but passengers had been waiting for years for such an
      282 words
    • Article
      Lock icon UNIT TRUSTS & FUNDS
      7816 9 UNIT TRUSTS FUNDS ABN AMRO Asset Mgt (Spore) Star Europe Eqty!** 0.905/ Star Europe Bond 1.204/ Star Europe Bal 1.177/ Star Asian Tiger Eqty 1.423/ Star Asia Bond 1.239/ Star Asia Balanced 1.008/ Star Global Technology Fund!** 0.2/ Multi St Fd 0.907/ Star Asia Bond(USD) 0.873/ Gib Multi St USD
      7,816 words
  • Page 8 Advertisements
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      Lock icon Page 8 Advertisements Column 1
      1023 8 SAVU INVESTMENTS LTD (Company Registration No: *****0062 C) (Incorporated in the Republic of Singapore) NOTICE OF REDEMPTION EARLY REDEMPTION OF THE 5565,000,000 SECURED FIXED RATE NOTES DUE 2008 COMPRISED IN SERIES 008 (THE "NOTES") OF SAVU INVESTMENTS LTD (THE "COMPANY") 1. Reference is made to the Company's notices (the "Notices")
      1,023 words
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  • MALAYSIA/INDONESIA
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Bursa Malaysia's profit up 73%
      518 10 Bloomberg Net income rises to RM49.5m in Q4 on surge in equity trading revenue [KUALA LUMPUR] Bursa Malaysia Bhd, the nation's stock exchange operator, said fourth-quarter profit rose 73 per cent as equity trading revenue jumped after the benchmark stock index posted its biggest annual
      Bloomberg  -  518 words
    • Article
      Lock icon UBG eyes more infrastructure acquisitions
      362 10 Reuters [KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysia's ÜBG Group is harnessing Middle Eastern capital and sniffing out additional acquisitions in a mission to turn itself into an infrastructure and construction group, a local newspaper reported yesterday. ÜBG, controlled by the family of the chief minister of Malaysia's eastern
      – Reuters  -  362 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Indonesia's January CPI rises 7.35%
      450 10 Reuters [JAKARTA] Indonesia's annual inflation picked up in January on the back of high prices of food staples, even as a steady rupiah currency helped limit the pressure from import prices, government data showed yesterday. Analysts said the central bank was likely to hold rates
      Reuters  -  450 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Jakarta airport closed, cars stranded after torrential rains
      337 10 Reuters [JAKARTA] Indonesia's main airport was closed yesterday as more than 40 flights were delayed and some forced to return after takeoff due to low visibility following torrential rains. Several cars were stranded and people waded through nearly knee-high water as flood
      ■ Reuters; REUTERS  -  337 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Krakatau Steel to expand output
      232 10 Reuters [JAKARTA] Indonesia's PT Krakatau Steel plans to invest US$4OO million this year to expand its steel processing facilities to reduce imports of semi-fin-ished steel products, the company's president director Fazwar Bujang said late on Thursday. The unlisted company plans a number of projects including
      – Reuters  -  232 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Malaysia eases capital market rules
      268 10 [KUALA LUMPUR] Regulator Securities Commission (SC) has revised guidelines to liberalise fund-raising requirements and promote higher market conduct standards, reported Malaysia's Business Times. The new guidelines, effective from yesterday, were issued on Thursday to create a more competitive capital market. The four guidelines are for
      268 words
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  • GREATER CHINA
    • Article
      Lock icon China fund chief to avoid 'unwelcoming' Europe
      543 11 -Reuters, Bloomberg Fund wants to be seen as commercial enterprise, not political force [NEW YORK] The head of China's sovereign wealth fund plans to steer clear of markets such as Europe where he feels unwelcome, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Lou
      -Reuters,; Bloomberg  -  543 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Credit tightening may be over: Merrill
      380 11 Reuters [BEIJING] An emergency order by the People's Bank of China to open the money taps to help fight the impact of severe winter weather spells the end of the central bank's three-month tightening campaign, Merrill Lynch said yesterday. The PBOC issued instructions late
      Reuters  -  380 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Red chips to get priority for China issues
      245 11 ■AFP SHANGHAI] Chinese firms .ncorporated overseas and isted in Hong Kong will be illowed to issue shares on mainland stock markets ihead of foreign companies, state media ;aid yesterday. There are currently 93 >uch firms, better known is red chips, listed on
      ■AFP  -  245 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Beijing announces 5b yuan disaster fund for farmers
      579 11 AP [BEIJING] China yesterday announced a five billion yuan (Ss9B6 million) fund to help farmers recover from devastating snowstorms as more steel mills cut production due to lack of power and companies' losses mounted. Total damages have risen to 53.8 billion yuan
      AP  -  579 words
    • Article
      Lock icon This may be a good year for H shares: analysts
      914 11 Reuters [SHANGHAI/HONG KONG] China's massive stock bull run should finally run out of steam in 2008, but investors wanting to tap still soaring growth in the world's fourth-largest economy may fare better with Chinese companies listed in Hong Kong. Analysts
      Reuters  -  914 words
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      10 11 jobs cars property >s ST U £&t vM stuff WWW.ST7OI.COM
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      57 11 mH 11 Ih M yTHHTI Li JN 11 IK--] J Required in Singapore For the world's largest and most respected I independent Offshore Financial Advisory firm. You must have at least five years Management experience in the Financial i Services Industry. 1 I Interested then please in the first instance
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  • INDIA
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Foreign funds seen to flow in
      675 12 Reuters Exchanges expect US, Australian investments after relaxation of rules [NEW DELHI] India's move to allow foreign firms, funds and exchanges to own nearly 50 per cent of a commodity bourse will forge a string of deals but with single holdings capped at 5
      ■ Reuters; BLOOMBERG  -  675 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Volatility chief risk to Indian IPOs: JPMorgan
      544 12 Reuters But it can serve to bring quality issues to the fore [MUMBAI] Volatility is the chief risk to India's record pipeline of initial public offerings this year, but if the market shake-out is short-lived, the dip in values should bring quality to
      ■ Reuters  -  544 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Central bank set to tackle inflation
      674 12 Reuters [MUMBAI] In an increasingly complex and uncertain world, India's central bank is likely to focus in the next few months on one thing it knows it can do something about inflation. While US recession worries and a steep difference in interest rates with
      Reuters  -  674 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Profit growth slows for Reliance's wireless unit
      196 12 Bloomberg [BANGALORE] Reliance Communications Ltd, India's second-largest wireless provider, reported profit growth that slowed as handsets offered for as little as US$2O failed to help it win as many customers as its larger rival. Net income increased 49 per cent to 13.7 billion
      – Bloomberg  -  196 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Kerala state seeks quack-free spas
      503 12 AFP [THIRUVANANTHAPURAM] Spa owner Sadasivan is doing his bit to reassure tourists coming to India's resort state of Kerala they won't get rubbed the wrong way when they get an Ayurvedic oil massage. Mr Sadasivan said he has just spent US$3,OOO sprucing up his "Divine
      AFP  -  503 words
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      47 12 QQ9S9 JIEASYSTEPS mSSmSmi •btowib: i yMifflSfiittS <!. Sony fJCi^fgf Fall 2007 I J. J"; .SL^^b-^U^Pm/^^P Igas* Ai^- f wed^^ I i J 1 e-£ffi| PROM OUR -1 Vf \Sk&m jjg^l PRipDIY DJS g Wh :^™B|i^ BUST DISEWY WmmHm^ step T7 TUNE INTO B tttl sPHmagazines —^l£fW "UB"D""OF"""O"E'"EJ1HO1""!' WWW.RADIO9I3.COM
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  • ASIA-PACIFIC/WORLD
    • Article
      Lock icon Job cuts latest sign economy is in danger of stalling
      737 13 ■AP LATEST US DATA Wage growth also slows in January, indicating employers are tightening belts [WASHINGTON] Nervous employers cut 17,000 jobs in January the first such reduction in more than four years and a fresh trouble sign that the US
      ■AP  -  737 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Negotiators argue over scope of Doha meeting
      375 13 Reuters [GENEVA] Big differences are emerging on what ministers should cover when they meet in the next few weeks to discuss an outline deal to open up world trade, a meeting of trade negotiators heard on Thursday. Diplomats from 151 countries working at
      ■ Reuters  -  375 words
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      Lock icon Chinalco, Alcoa buy £7.2b Rio Tinto stake, hinder BHP
      466 13 Bloomberg [LONDON/SHANGHAI] Aluminum Corp of China and Alcoa Inc bought a £7.2 billion (5520.2 billion) stake in Rio Tinto Group, hindering BHP Billiton Ltd's plan to acquire the world's third-largest mining company. Rio jumped 16 per cent in London after Chinalco,
      Bloomberg; REUTERS  -  466 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Pepsi's debut on Philippine bourse fizzles out
      380 13  -  AL LABITA The firm expected to raise four billion pesos from its IPO By in Manila FOREIGN buying led by the Government of Singapore Investment Corp (GIC) of shares of the Philippine bottler of US soft drinks giant Pepsi Cola failed yesterday to
      380 words
    • Article
      Lock icon SocGen shares jump as bidder field widens
      416 13 Reuters [PARIS/LONDON] Societe Generale, the French bank hit by a rogue trader scandal, was studying bid defence options yesterday as a newspaper said a second domestic rival had hired advisers to consider a takeover. Shares in SocGen rose as much as 4.5 per
      – Reuters  -  416 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Lone Star slapped with US$53m fine
      526 13 AFP [SEOUL] A South Korean court yesterday convicted US buyout fund Lone Star of rigging shares following its takeover of a local bank, imposing fines totalling US$53 million and jailing an executive. The Seoul Central District Court found the Dallasbased fund and Paul Yoo,
      AFP  -  526 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Pulling ahead
      365 13 JAMAICA'S rich vein of form has continued overnight and they have managed to extend their lead to more than 50 nautical miles at midday (GMT) yesterday. "The pressure of being in the front is very different from the pressure of being at the back," reports Jamaica skipper, Simon
      Photo: ONEDITION  -  365 words
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  • WORLD
    • Article
      Lock icon Sovereign bank investments tapped out
      636 14 Reuters Succeeding rounds of write-downs will have to rely on asset sales, earnings, M&A [NEW YORK] Investments in US financial institutions by sovereign wealth funds are likely to be tapped out and companies instead will likely need to rely on earnings, asset sales or mergers
      Reuters  -  636 words
    • Article
      Lock icon Banks may face up to USs6ob in writedowns
      208 14 Bloomberg [ZURICH] Banks may face additional writedowns of as much as US$6O billion this year from investments in commercial real estate and non-traditional residential mortgages, Goldman Sachs Group Inc analysts said. Commercial real estate prices may fall 21 per cent to 26
      – Bloomberg  -  208 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Warren Buffett poised to cash in on bond insurer woes
      811 14 Reuters [NEW YORK] There's likely to be one sure winner when the dust settles from the turmoil in the bond insurance industry: Warren Buffett. Whether bond insurers get rescued as regulators seek possible new sources of capital for them, or
      Reuters; AFP  -  811 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Motorola mulls separating loss-making mobile phone division
      664 14 Reuters [NEW YORK] Motorola Inc said on Thursday that it was considering separating its loss-making mobile phone unit, in an apparent concession to demands from activist investor Carl Icahn, sending its shares up 12.7 per cent in af-ter-hours trade. The world's third-larg-est mobile
      Reuters; BLOOMBERG  -  664 words
    • Article
      Lock icon US should do more than just monitor bond insurance market
      677 14 Reuters Markets are closely watching US banking regulators [WASHINGTON] Like a broken record, US banking regulators say they are "monitoring" the financial woes of bond insurers who strayed from their traditional business of municipal bonds and into sub-prime mortgage-related securities.
      ■ Reuters  -  677 words
    • Article
      Lock icon MBIA stuck in the doghouse, wants to be let out
      331 14 Reuters [NEW YORK] The world's biggest bond insurer, MBIA Inc, admitted it was in the doghouse but showed it could be a very patient corporate creature. In an unusually long conference call on Thursday, CEO Gary Dunton said bond insurers
      Reuters  -  331 words
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  • MOTORING
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon A passion for the three-pointed star
      791 15 Spending more than a quarter of a century dealing in Mercedes Benz cars has not diminished Gilbert Kwek's love for the luxury brand. The general manager for sales and marketing talks to SAMUEL EE GILBERT Kwek still remembers the first thing his first customer
      ARTHUR LEE  -  791 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Tuas motorcycle circuit baptised
      386 15  -  CHRISTOPHER LIM By FORTY-EIGHT motorbikes whipped up the earth last month as they raced around a dirt track. But this was no illegal race held by renegades with no regard for safety or authority. Rather, it was the inaugural event for Circuit@Tuas, Singapore's first purpose-built motorsports
      386 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Two wheels good but three wheels better
      357 15  -  SAMUEL EE By A UNIQUE three-wheeler has been popping up around town more frequently since it was launched here almost a year ago. The Piaggio MP3 is unusual because unlike a standard three-wheel trike, it has two front wheels and one rear wheel.
      357 words
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  • GOLF
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon When brother and sister turn pro
      1466 16 Jennifer and Gerald Rosales, who were introduced to golf by their father, tell JUSTINE MOSS how the game has brought them closer together ASK most pros how they got started in golf and a common response is being introduced to the game by a
      ASIAN TOUR, WORLD SPORT GROUP  -  1,466 words
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      647 16 Wilie&dilie with weekendßT Mezeßar Walnuts are lightly coasted with honey; hence, the Savour authentic Peranakan cuisine, served buffet-style. accentuated by the unique tastes and flavours of Brazil. 333 Orchard Road, Meritus Mandarin Singapore, "wch re f mains fh of p sweetnf S T And Breakfast, daily from 6am to 10.30
      647 words
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  • WELLNESS
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Medela pumps made to mimic baby's suckling
      1062 17 Swiss manufacturer very proud of the amount of research that goes into its products. CORINNE KERK reports FOR many women, how a baby suckles at a mother's breast is information they really don't want to know that is, until they have a baby
      1,062 words
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      Lock icon Study gathers data on melasma in Asians
      554 17 The condition affects about 40% of women, writes CHEAH UI-HOON THE largest controlled study of melasma dark, pigmented patches on the face in Asians has been carried out on 260 people, including 50 at two Singapore hospitals. The other patients were from Taiwan,
      554 words
    • HEALTH BEAT
      • Article
        Lock icon Contact lenses for dry eyes
        225 17 IF you're a contact lens user and find your eyes drying out faster these days, this lens may help you. Cooper Vision's Proclear has material that has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to provide "improved comfort for symptoms related to dryness
        225 words
      • Article, Illustration
        Lock icon Royal Jelly in fresh form
        134 17  -  CHEAH UI-HOON FRESH Royal Jelly has been used as an all-natural energy boost and alternative medicine. It has been proven to increase energy, reduce stress and lower cholesterol. But it's not easy to find fresh and pure Royal Jelly in the market. Much of it
        134 words
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  • Page 17 Miscellaneous
    • Miscellaneous
      Lock icon Page 17 Miscellaneous Column 1
      289 17 CRYPTIC CROSSWORD ACROSS 5 Sweet that scores highly? 7 After something to drink, (5-3) had a meal to finish off (9) 6 Unusually long title to de--8 Does it call for a costume or- scribe "The Wages of Sin"? nament? (5) (3-6) 10 Sad about relative, he is a 9
      289 words
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  • SHOPPING
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Prada powering on, IPO or not
      873 18 Italian fashion group Prada wants a listing, but will it be derailed by the current market turmoil? CHEAH UI-HOON finds out what's in store should the label get listed and then soaks up the ambience of Miv Miu's inaugural Asian fashion show in Macau
      873 words
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      Lock icon Miu Miu creates a buzz in Macau
      347 18 MIU MIU has come into its own, even though it might have once been perceived as Prada's "little sister" brand. And its pulsingly theatrical fashion show debut in Macau of its Spring/Summer 08 collection last weekend attests to the brand's edgier, more provocative
      347 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Lighten up – Fujitsu offers a thin glimpse of the future
      534 18 Lighten up Fujitsu offers a thin glimpse of the future These theoretical PCs may be produced in a few years, writes CHRISTOPHER LIM APPLE showed off its ludicrously slim MacBook Air laptop to drooling local media yesterday, but although it and Bang and Olufsen's BeoCenter 6 multimedia TV epitomise the
      534 words
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Jewellery after a car lover's heart
      181 18  -  Cheah Ui-Hoon WHEN two top manufacturers get together for a project, one can expect something exceptional from the collaboration. In this instance, it's the range of Bugatti Veyron-inspired jewellery designed by German jewellery manufacturer Freiesleben. The supercar marque had approached founder Ulrich Freiesleben a
      181 words
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  • TRAVEL
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Discreet Valentine's getaways
      1466 19 Can't decide how to spend Valentine's Day this year? CHRISTOPHER LIM looks at a few options you can consider VALENTINE'S Day falls on a Thursday this year, which isn't exactly convenient for a romantic getaway if you're snowed under with work and can't take leave. This doesn't
      1,466 words
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  • THE BUSINESS TIMES weekend
    • Article, Illustration
      Lock icon Tossing non-Chinese CNY fare
      1662 20 GEOFFREY EU checks out some non-Chinese restaurants offering special culinary delights on Chinese New Year CHINESE New Year may be just around the corner, but it's not only Chinese restaurants that are gearing up for the rush to ring in the Year of the Rat. Naturally,
      1,662 words
  • Page 20 Miscellaneous