Delhi gang-rape suspects formally charged

NEW DELHI: Indian police on Thursday formally charged five men with murder, kidnapping and rape following the fatal gang-rape of a young woman that appalled the nation."We have filed the charge sheet against the five accused," an investigating police officer told a magistrate hearing the case in the Saket court complex in New Delhi.The five men, who could face the death penalty if convicted,...

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Tennis: Impressive Azarenka reaches Brisbane International quarter-finals

BRISBANE, Australia: World number one Victoria Azarenka moved into the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International with a hard-fought 6-3, 6-3 win over German Sabine Lisicki on Wednesday.Azarenka was made to work hard for her win by the hard-hitting Lisicki, who traded punishing ground strokes with the top seed but was let down by a high error rate -- 36 unforced errors compared with...

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Surge in demand for pet hotel service during year-end holidays

SINGAPORE: Pet hotels are becoming a hit with owners who want to ensure that their furry friends are in good hands while they are away.Some hotels said demand went up by about 30 per cent last year, compared with 2011 while occupancy rates are almost always full during the year-end holidays.From massages to soothe aching joints to customised spa sessions that come with a clay pack wrap...

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Taiwan upgrades dozens of fighter jets

TAIPEI: Taiwan plans to complete the first stage of an ambitious plan to upgrade its fighter jet force by the end of 2013, in an effort to maintain a credible deterrent against China into the 2030s.Some 60 of Taiwan's Indigenous Defence Fighters (IDFs) will be upgraded and ready for deployment within 12 months, according to a report submitted to parliament by the defence ministry.The aircraft...

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Two hurt as protesters attack Iraq deputy PM

RAMADI, Iraq: Two people were wounded when security forces opened fire to disperse protesters who attacked Iraq's deputy premier on Sunday, forcing him to flee a rally he was addressing, an AFP reporter said.The demonstrators, who have blocked a key highway connecting Iraq to Syria and Jordan for the past week over the alleged targeting of their Sunni Arab minority by the Shiite-led government...

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Work-life harmony in S'pore remains stable: study

SINGAPORE: A national study has shown that work-life harmony in Singapore has been stable over the past six years.The 2012 National Work-Life Harmony Study, conducted by the Social and Family Development Ministry, shows Singapore having an index of 63.This is a notch lower than the index of 64, achieved in the inaugural study in 2006.In the study, zero indicates "no harmony", while 100...

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FEOrchard appoints Koh Boon Hwee as non-exec director, non-exec chairman

SINGAPORE : Far East Orchard (FEOrchard), formerly known as Orchard Parade Holdings, has appointed Koh Boon Hwee as a non-executive director and non-executive chairman with effect from 1 January 2013.62-year-old Mr Koh will take over from Philip Ng who will be stepping down as a non-executive director and non-executive chairman from next year.In a statement issued on Friday, FEOrchard...

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Fewer small businesses confident of growth in 2013: survey

SINGAPORE: Fewer small companies in Singapore are confident that their businesses will grow in 2013 compared to the years before, found the CPA Australia Asia Pacific Small Business Survey.The survey, conducted by accounting body CPA Australia between 2 and 15 October, covered 250 businesses that have fewer than 21 employees. The businesses surveyed spanned the retail, information, media...

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Vivian Balakrishnan attends state funeral of former Gerakan president

SINGAPORE : Singapore's Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan was in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday to attend the state funeral of former Gerakan president, Lim Keng Yaik.Dr Balakrishnan conveyed condolences on behalf of the Singapore Government. He was accompanied by Singapore's High Commissioner in Kuala Lumpur Ong Keng Yong.Dr Lim, who served as Malaysia's Energy,...

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More parents sending children for ECA during school holidays

SINGAPORE: More parents are sending their children for extra-curricular activities during the school holidays.Parents say this allows the kids to spend time in a fun and meaningful way.Singing along to a "pizza song", these children pick up pizza-making skills from a restaurant chef. The lyrics have been modified to help them remember the steps.Some parents also joined in the sessions...

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Putin signs helicopter, jet deals with Indian PM

NEW DELHI: Visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin signed deals to sell 71 military helicopters and kits to build 42 fighter jets to India on Monday as he sought to firm up ties with a traditional ally.The contract for Mi-17 helicopters was first signed in 2010 and India has now increased the order from 59 to 71, the ministry of external affairs said in its list of deals agreed by Putin...

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Norovirus kills six in Japanese hospital

TOKYO: The norovirus has killed six elderly people in a rural Japanese hospital and infected dozens of other patients and staff, officials said on Sunday.The winter bug, which causes vomiting and diarrhoea, has killed six patients in their 70s and 80s since December 12, the officials from the Shunko-kai Higashi Hospital in southern Miyazaki prefecture said.Another 24 patients and 14 staff...

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Man loses S$6,000 in unhonoured online purchase

SINGAPORE: 21-year-old Kenrick Ho is S$6,000 poorer after an online purchase gone wrong.He had ordered 10 mobile phone sets from an eBay seller named Ms Siah, in September 2012.But after making full payment, no goods were delivered."(I am) very depressed and stressed because I can do alot with S$6,000," he lamented. "What if I need the money urgently? The seller said she'd refund the money,...

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Venture Scouts, Girl Guides conferred prestigious awards

SINGAPORE: Eighteen Venture Scouts and seven Girl Guides in Singapore have been conferred the highest honour in the movement.President Tony Tan Keng Yam presented the President's Scout Award and the President's Guide Award for 2012 at the Istana on Friday. The awards are the highest honour given to Singapore's most all-rounded Venture Scouts and Girl Guides.The awards come as recognition...

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Singapore shares end 0.5% higher

SINGAPORE -- Singapore share prices ended 0.5% higher on Thursday, shrugging off negative cues from Wall Street.The blue-chip Straits Times Index (STI) rose 16.95 points to end at 3,175.52, supported by the announcement of fresh easing measures by the Bank of Japan.While the market opened lower amid fresh concerns over whether a US fiscal cliff deal will emerge before year-end, support...

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S. Korea's Park to win presidential vote: TV

  SEOUL: South Korea has elected its first woman president, TV channels said Wednesday, predicting a clear victory for conservative Park Geun-Hye, daughter of the country's former dictator.The KBS, SBS and MBC national broadcasters all declared Park "certain" to secure victory over her liberal rival Moon Jae-In with nearly 40 per cent of the nationwide vote counted.- AFP/ck !--...

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ASEAN-India commemorative summit to chart future ties

SINGAPORE: The achievements in 20 years of ties between ASEAN and dialogue partner India will be celebrated with a commemorative summit in New Delhi on Thursday.ASEAN leaders and their Indian host, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, are expected to adopt the "ASEAN-India Vision Statement" charting the future direction of their ties at the summit.India started its Look East policy in 1992 under...

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India cuts growth rate forecast

NEW DELHI: India on Monday cut its growth forecast for the current fiscal year to just below six percent, putting Asia's third-largest economy on track for its worst annual performance in a decade.The finance ministry said "supportive" moves from the central bank would be needed even for the economy to expand at the revised level of 5.7-to-5.9 percent, down from 7.85 percent estimated...

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EC supply rate can afford to slow: housing experts

SINGAPORE: Housing experts say the supply rate of executive condominiums (EC) into the housing market can afford to slow down, as some 20 per cent of units launched as part of seven EC projects this year remain unsold. "I think EC units would have probably hit the ceiling in terms of amount, so I probably think this year we will hit close to about 4,000 being supplied to the market," said...

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2,500 needy families to get help with childcare costs

SINGAPORE: Some 2,500 low-income families will benefit from a S$250,000 initiative to help their children. The five Commmunity Development Councils will help identify eligible families with monthly household incomes of less than S$3,500.OCBC Bank will also contribute S$100 when a low-income family deposits the first S$50 into their Child Development Account (CDA). Under the existing Baby...

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