http://www.smarttpapers.com/today Today SmarttPapers en MediaCorp Press Ltd Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Today SmarttPapers Newspapers webmaster@smarttpapers.com webmaster@smarttpapers.com 720 http://www.smarttpapers.com To view more than just a glimpse of the main section of Today SmarttPapers, visit Today SmarttPapers now! Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=3&art=333843 ALONG with four weeks more maternity leave, mums will get better protection from being unfairly sacked or retrenched during their pregnancy. What should increase their peace of mind: Employers who retrench them in the last three months of their pregnancy, or dismiss them without due course in the last six months, will have to cough up their maternity leave benefits. Currently, the penalty only applies to unfair dismissal in the last three months. As announced... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=3&art=333843 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=3&art=333844 The $1.6B BUDGET for the measures won't mean higher taxes, in fact, it will significantly lesse nthetax burden on families with children, says Finan... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=3&art=333844 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=3&art=333845 A BIGGER Baby Bonus for kids No 1 and 2. Doubled child-care subsidies for working mums, who also get more relief per child. And the good news for bigger families, especially: Enhanced tax rebates for all children, not just the first four. These add up to a significantly bigger hamper of financial goodies for Singaporean parents, that should be seen not as bait but a generous helping hand. "We're not trying to convince those who don't want babies to have... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=3&art=333845 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=3&art=333846 BEIJING -- A sprint double was all too predictable. To make the Beijing Olympics absolutely special, Usain Bolt added a world record double last night by winning the gold medal in the 200 metres. Already well ahead coming off a tight bend that was supposed to be his only challenge, the Jamaican didn't slow for the first time in the Games and bettered the world record of Michael Johnson -- one that even the track great considered still out of reach. With a time of 19.30... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=3&art=333846 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=4&art=333847 mums for their efforts in balancing work and family, stay-at-home mums see fewer direct benefits by comparison coming their way. Ms Teoh Tze Pin, 36, a mother of two and freelance consultant, felt the package was skewed towards keeping women in the workplace. But there are a lot of women out there, like me, who leave their jobs because we don't want to farm out our children to childcare, maids and grandparents. We want to be fully involved in raising our... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=4&art=333847 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=4&art=333848 I think we have signalled that through increasing the childcare leave and also providing the unpaid infant care leave, said Mr Wong, who heads the National Population Committee. Giving another perspective, Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport Lim Hwee Hwa pointed out that specifying the extra leave was for mums would ease the guilt of women when they apply for the leave. The feedback is that a lot of the women do want that extra four... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=4&art=333848 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=4&art=333849 I HAVE just taken a year's no-pay leave from my job as an executive to look after my two kids, because my mother can't cope. Financially, I probably will not last out the year. Even with some money coming in from a part-time project now, we have been thinking of selling the house and moving in with my mum, to reduce the mortgage. But the housing market is down, and costs are rising. Our FairPrice groceries bill, once about $400, now hovers at $600. It's not ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=4&art=333849 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=4&art=333850 UNLIKE the last marriage and parenthood package announced in 2004, where the measures took effect in the same year, Singaporeans will have to wait until next year to enjoy the enhanced benefits, as time was needed to put measures in place, explained Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng. He was asked why measures -- such as the longer maternity leave and bigger Baby Bonus -- couldn't take effect earlier to benefit those already pregnant. Only the subsidy for Assisted... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=4&art=333850 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=4&art=333851 women, really uncool for employers to discriminate against parents of young kids. If, as a society, we frown on such behaviour, we would have gone far and done much. Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong said there had been no significant increase in the number of complaints received. So, I think we would be able to manage it as we introduce these measures. For some employers like Mr Lee Chee Yong, who runs a printing firm with 40 staff, promoting a pro-family... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=4&art=333851 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=4&art=333852 FOR BOTH PARENTS RELIEF: Either - Qualifying Child Relief: $4,000 per child (under 16 or studying full-time, no limit on number of children) Or - Handicapped Child Relief: $5,500 per child (physically or mentally disabled) Relief effective year of assessment (YA) 2009. TAX REBATE: 1st child: $5,000 2nd child: $10,000 3rd child+: $20,000 ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=4&art=333852 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=5&art=333853 IF POLITICS is an art that combines practice and perception, then the Prime Minister and his team have their work cut out. Devoting nearly one-third of his National Day rally speech to what is really an old story -- what the Government has done and is doing to help you fight inflation -- one could almost notice a sense of exasperation in Mr Lee Hsien Loong's voice when he thought aloud: How come some Singaporeans don't appreciate all the goodies that are being given to... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=5&art=333853 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=7&art=333854 FINALLY pregnant after eight years of trying, Mrs J Chua yesterday got another pleasant surprise when the Government announced its co-funding scheme for Assisted Reproduction Technology (ART) procedures. A first-time mother, 36-year-old Mrs Chua conceived after one cycle of In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH). Now five months pregnant, she was going to stop at one, partly because the unsubsidised procedure is costly.... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=7&art=333854 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=7&art=333855 FIRST CHILD 36-year-old Mrs J Chua got pregnant after one IVF cycle at KKH. She spent ... $6,000+ SECOND CHILD If she aims for a second child with IVF treatment at KKH, her estimated cost per cycle is ... $7,000 to $9,000 This depends on her response to the injections. Amount includes injection drugs, ultrasound scans, doctor's reviews, egg pick-up and embryo transfer procedure. She also gets $3,000 ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=7&art=333855 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=8&art=333856 Global Brands, Globalized Branding - Ms Hazel Lam, Brand Programme Manager, Business Capability Division, International Enterprise Singapore Effective Branding for B2B - Mr Neil Johnson, Executive Creative Director, DDB Accelerate Your Business Through Next-Generation Marketing Content - Mr Philip Lee, Small and Medium Businesses Solutions Manager, Hewlett-Packard Asia-Pacific & Japan, Personal Systems Group Marketing Your Company Locally and Overseas. From Niche to Niche - Mr K K... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=8&art=333856 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=8&art=333857 Standing out in today's cluttered marketplace is key to building a thriving business. The TODAY-HP Total Care Seminar will touch on the finer points of brand building and creative marketing. Providing valuable insights will be a panel of experts from International Enterprise Singapore, DDB and HP. Drawing from 30 years of experience in the print service industry, Mr. K.K. Fong, Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Xpress Holdings Ltd, will share tips on how to market your company locally and... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=8&art=333857 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=9&art=333858 CASE STUDY SPARKS FLEW FOR THE WATTS He was eager to join in the Social Development Unit's (SDU) activities to make more friends. She was reluctant to do so due to the "Single, Desperate, Ugly" tag attached to its members. But as Fate would have it, Cupid worked his magic on them at an SDU dancefloor. Five years later, the lovebirds tied the knot, joining the list of almost 190,000 SDU members who have wedded since 1984. The SDU now has 90,000 members. Bank officer Mr ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=9&art=333858 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=11&art=333859 IF YOUR child has been on the waitlist of the Jurong NTUC Childcare centre for a long time, the wait may soon end. In the next six months, NTUC Childcare will open five new centres, offering space for 60 infants and 280 children. There will be one centre at Jurong Point, Woodlands and Hougang, and two at Sengkang. Three years later, Singapore's largest operator of childcare facilities hopes to open up to 40 new centres. It now has 39 centres catering to... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=11&art=333859 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=11&art=333860 AS THE bar rises for pre-school teachers, parents have to recognise that costs will have to go up, said Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan. "There will be demand for qualified, good people in this childcare industry and quite frankly, I think wages, salaries for people in this sector would have to rise in order to attract quality people in sufficient quantities," he said. This would increase costs, which would be passed on to parents.... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=11&art=333860 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=13&art=333861 WITH the budget for the enhanced marriage and parenthood package expected to add up to $1.6 billion a year, nearly double that of the current package, some may be concerned that this could spell higher taxes for all. The Government's assurance is that this will not happen -- in fact, quite the opposite -- as the package is within Singapore's means. It is the equivalent of 0.6 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product. Responding to questions on whether ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=13&art=333861 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=13&art=333862 SINGAPORE'S Clean Energy Programme Office (Cepo) is making an international call for research and development proposals to develop solar harvesting devices and systems for the tropics. The reason? Most systems today are optimised to operate under temperate climates, in countries such as Germany and Japan, home to some of the largest global markets for solar energy. There is, however, a lack of solar systems tailored for hot and humid tropical climates. With this grant call,... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=13&art=333862 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=15&art=333863 LIKE a number of Singaporeans, public relations consultant Mr Khaled Talib has family overseas -- one reason why he would consider retiring in Australia. That puts the 43-year-old among a majority of Singaporeans when it comes to preparing for ageing and retirement. As many as 63 per cent of Singaporeans would consider moving to another country for retirement, according to a survey by the Tsao Foundation and market research company TNS. And it... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=15&art=333863 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=15&art=333864 THE Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said yesterday that Singapore's blood supply is safe. The statement comes after the recall of a chemical substance used to test donated blood. Some batches of reagents for the Nucleic Acid Test, one of two tests used by HSA to detect HIV, Hepatitis B virus and Hepatitis C virus, were recalled on Aug 15 by its supplier, Chiron. The Novartis company recalled the reagents after finding they were stored in a freezer with inconsistent... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=15&art=333864 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=17&art=333865 KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia's anti-corruption watchdog arrested two state lawmakers from Mr Anwar Ibrahim's Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) for alleged bribery yesterday, complicating the opposition leader's bid to re-enter Parliament. Opposition groups voiced concerns that the arrests were meant to undermine public support for Mr Anwar ahead of next week's parliamentary by-election in Permatang Pauh. The incident is expected to send the Perak government into turmoil as the state ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=17&art=333865 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=17&art=333866 BLOGGER's behaviour WAS 'DESPICABLE', SAYS BADAWI Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has described as despicable the action of a blogger who called on his readers to fly the national flag upside down as a sign of protest, the Malaysian Insider reported yesterday. "This is uncouth behaviour, showing no respect at all for the national flag", Mr Abdullah was quoted by the news portal as saying. The premier said the blogger came up with the idea to fly the... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=17&art=333866 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=17&art=333867 MUKHRIZ MAHATHIR CASTS DOUBT ON BN HOPES There are doubts whether the ruling Barisan Nasional candidate can beat opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim at the Permatang Pauh by-election on Aug 26, said Malaysian MP Mukhriz Mahathir yesterday (picture). "Whether we can win or not, that's a big question but the response to our own candidate is very positive, he's a local over there and he speaks the lingo," said Mr Mukhriz, 44, who is an Umno Youth executive council member. Umno is... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=17&art=333867 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=19&art=333868 BANGKOK -- Ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will seek political asylum in Britain, claiming that he and his family are not safe in Thailand, his lawyer said yesterday. Mr Thaksin, 59, his wife Pojaman, 51, and their three adult children fled to London last week. Ms Pojaman has been convicted of tax evasion and the couple face corruption charges in a property scandal. "At this moment, Thaksin's legal team is proceeding to ask for political asylum for Thaksin and... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=19&art=333868 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=19&art=333869 BEIJING -- A 5.3-magnitude earthquake hit China's border with Myanmar early yesterday, destroying homes and forcing more than a thousand people to evacuate, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Chinese state media said. The tremor struck at 5.35am local time, 224km from the city of Dali in south-west China's Yunnan province and 65km from Myitkyina in Myanmar, according to a statement on the USGS website. The USGS said the quake was centred at a depth of about... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=19&art=333869 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=19&art=333870 WWII bomb blast kills two scrapyard workers Two foreign workers in a Malaysian scrapyard were killed when a World War II bomb exploded as they were cutting up the 100kg device, reports said yesterday. The victims, a Bangladeshi and an Indian man, died of their injuries shortly after the blast on Tuesday, which destroyed the scrapyard they were working at as well as a hostel located above it, reports said. The scrapyard owner told The Star newspaper that he had... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=19&art=333870 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=20&art=333871 BEIJING -- Martial arts student Cheng Jianghua only saw the army barracks he stayed in and the stadium where he performed at the spectacular Olympics opening ceremony. But his sacrifices were minor ­-- other performers were injured, fainted from heatstroke or forced to wear adult diapers so the show could go on. Ceremony director Zhang Yimou, a filmmaker, insisted that suffering and sacrifice were required to pull off the Aug 8 opening, which involved wrangling nearly... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=20&art=333871 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=20&art=333872 BEIJING -- Two elderly Chinese women were ordered to spend one year in a labour camp after they applied to protest during the Beijing Olympics against being forced from their homes. This came as Olympic officials for the first time openly criticised their Beijing hosts for China's intolerance of public protests, questioning their desire to allow citizens the right to raise grievances during the games, the Financial Times (FT) reported Tuesday. The elderly Chinese women were... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=20&art=333872 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=22&art=333873 SYDNEY -- Under a plan revealed by a girls' college yesterday, Australian high-school students will be able to telephone a friend, surf the Internet and listen to podcasts during exams. Sydney's Presbyterian Ladies' College said it was updating the "open book" exam concept, in which students are able to bring in reference books, to take into account new technology. The school is doing a trial of the use of new media with 14- and 15-year-old students in English classes, but... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=22&art=333873 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=22&art=333874 SYDNEY -- Scores of angry women have protested against the mayor of their outback Australian town after he said fat and unattractive females often found love and happiness in the remote mining community. Up to 200 people rallied against Mount Isa mayor John Molony late on Tuesday, with many demanding his resignation over his call for "beauty-disadvantaged" women to move there to make the most of a gender imbalance. "We should find out where there are beauty-disadvantaged women ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=22&art=333874 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=23&art=333875 TAIPEI -- A Taiwanese prosecutor is due to head to Singapore, but the reports are unclear as to whether he is heading to the island to investigate alleged money-laundering by former President Chen Shui-bian and his family or to attend a conference. The United Daily News, a Taiwanese newspaper, yesterday claimed that prosecutor Ching Chi-jen would probe allegations that the Chen family had transferred funds to Switzerland via the Singapore bank accounts of Mr Chen's brother-in-law Wu... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=23&art=333875 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=23&art=333876 residents forcing open a door to release water trapped inside a house in Barangay Bagong silangan, north-east of Manila. Five people were killed as Typhoon nuri slammed into northern Philippines yesterday, officials said. Packing maximum sustained winds of 140km an hour, nuri covered large parts of Luzon island with heavy rain, including Manila and nearby suburbs, and schools had called off classes in some affected provinces. nuri is expected to move towards hong Kong, triggering fears the ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=23&art=333876 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=23&art=333877 a boy trying to balance on top of a floating locker on a street in Florida. Tropical storm Fay continued its erratic path yesterday, moving north along the Florida coast but not going out over the atlantic Ocean, where many had feared it could strengthen and curve back towards the state as a hurricane. Fay flooded streets and homes, injured several people and cut power to thousands in southern Florida, after killing more than a dozen people in the Caribbean.... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=23&art=333877 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=25&art=333878 AS ASEAN forges ahead in an increasingly-competitive world, parlimentarians from the member nations must continue to enlist public support and build bridges across the region. Only then can the members keep the difficulties in perspective and maintain friendships even when problems arise between Asean countries, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the opening ceremony of the 29th Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (Aipa) General Assembly. "With your ears and eyes close... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=25&art=333878 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=25&art=333879 Thailand to deport Glitter to UK Thailand declared British former glam rocker Gary Glitter "persona non grata" yesterday and moved to deport him to Britain, one day after he finished almost three years in a Vietnamese prison for child sex offences. The order was set to end Glitter's state of limbo since he arrived overnight at the Bangkok airport from Vietnam. The 64-year-old singer had been due to board a connecting flight to London but instead stayed in the airport... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=25&art=333879 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=27&art=333880 MOSCOW -- Russian lawmakers moved yesterday to recognise the independence of Georgian separatist regions, heightening tensions after Russia also blocked a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding a withdrawal of its forces from Georgia. Russian forces remained entrenched in the rebel Georgian provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, although President Dmitry Medvedev said the bulk of the troops would be out by the weekend. The Deputy Speaker of the... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=27&art=333880 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=27&art=333881 ALGIERS -- Two car bomb attacks in eastern Algeria have killed at least 11 people, the Algerian state radio reported yesterday. One bomb targeted a bus parked near the Sophie hotel, in the city centre. The second bomb went off near the military headquarters in Bouira, which is 120km south-east of Algiers. The early-morning attacks came only a day after a suicide bomber drove a car packed with explosives into a police school killing 43 people and injuring 45 in Issers, also... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=27&art=333881 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=27&art=333882 United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski signed a deal yesterday that will put an American missile defence base in Poland. The move has angered a resurgent Russia, which issued threats that Poland is making itself vulnerable to attack - even a nuclear one. The formal signing comes six days after the two countries agreed to a deal that will see 10 US interceptor missiles placed just 180km from Russia's westernmost... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=27&art=333882 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=31&art=333883 WASHINGTON -- Neither Mr Barack Obama nor Mr John McCain has consistently followed the government's instructions for keeping prohibited foreign money out of their presidential campaigns, and some of that banned money has slipped into Mr Obama's campaign. The Associated Press analysed 1.27 million campaign contributions to Mr Obama and Mr McCain to identify 6,948 contributions from people who appeared to live outside the United States and who were not obviously in the US... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=31&art=333883 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=31&art=333884 BEIJING -- Mr Hua Guofeng, who succeeded Mao Zedong as chairman of China's ruling Communist Party, has died at the age of 87 in Beijing, state media reported yesterday. State broadcaster CCTV said that Mr Hua died of an unspecified illness. Mr Hua, one of the last of the revolutionary old guard, spent a brief period at the helm of the Communist Party after Mao's death in 1976, before being eased out of power a few years later by Mr Deng Xiaoping who introduced reforms that... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=31&art=333884 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=31&art=333885 BERLIN -- A German diplomat has criticised a group of German Members of Parliament (MPs) over their behaviour on a recent visit to San Francisco, accusing them of choosing sightseeing and shopping above meetings with United States counterparts. Mr Rolf Schutte, the German consul-general in San Francisco, wrote to the foreign ministry in Berlin. His confidential letter has been leaked to the German press and created a public debate about the legitimacy of publicly-funded foreign... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=31&art=333885 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=33&art=333886 I REFER to "How to boost Singapore's birth rate" (Aug 20). Mr Edmund Ng is suggesting a return to the 12-week maternity leave, flexible working schemes for working mothers, and a waiver of the COE and road tax payments for first-time parents who want to own a car. Does Mr Ng really think that if all these suggestions are accepted, it would make the birth rate go up, and there would be no other demands? With regards to the extended maternity leave,... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=33&art=333886 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=33&art=333887 I REFER to "How to boost Singapore's birth rate" (Aug 20). Mr Edmund Ng's suggestions for a waiver of the COE on cars for first-time parents, as well as free road tax for the first two years are beyond the reasonable. Procreation is a natural course of events. If carrots are required to entice a couple to have children, it just goes to show that such couples have no maternal or paternal instincts. Besides, those who want babies are already enjoying many other forms of incentives such ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=33&art=333887 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=33&art=333888 I REFER to "How to boost Singapore's birth rate" (Aug 20). I do agree with Mr Edmund Ng that the maternity leave need not be extended to 16 weeks. But regardless of the length of the leave, I believe that, like in some European countries, the duration of the leave taken should be mandatory across the board in both the private and public sectors. This would create a more level playing field for all working mothers and corporations would discriminate less against individuals when it... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=33&art=333888 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=33&art=333889 In the typical Singapore school, we do not merely miss the wood for the trees. Instead, for the sake of our exams, we desperately memorise the bark, the twigs, the useless fallen dead leaves - and we will be punished for failing to do so. blogged@mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=33&art=333889 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=33&art=333890 Just how sensitive are we to the disabled, beyond the courtesy and assistance we render to those we see in daily life? As a nation, are our buildings and infrastructure designed such that the disabled, too, have ease of use? Tune in to TalkBack on 938Live from 8.15am to 8.45am tomorrow. Call us at 66911938 and share your views with us. ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=33&art=333890 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=35&art=333891 SO WITH an Olympic silver, our wait has ended. Or has it? Let's not forget what we are really aiming for. The big picture isn't about dressing up our trophy cabinet. Foreign talent are ultimately here to be a catalyst for creating a sustainable pool of local talent. How much closer are we now? There might be merits to the Foreign Talent Scheme, but at what cost? The continued "success" of foreign talent could serve as further... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=35&art=333891 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=35&art=333892 Offer advice with love, respect When you want to offer advice to a person about a flaw or a shortcoming in his or her character, it's best to do it the way porcupines make love: very, very carefully. It's often difficult to open the eyes of friends or relatives to their own blind spots. It's even more risky to discuss a mistake in the way parenting responsibilities are being handled. You're liable to get your ears pinned back, even when your motives are honourable and you... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=35&art=333892 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=35&art=333893 I SAY enough of this griping that the silver medallist paddlers were not born in Singapore. From their point of view, they will always owe Singapore a debt which is never repayable: For giving them a chance to shine that would never have happened if they were in China. They took a risk to come to Singapore -- that their plans would not come to pass. One thing is for sure, given the thousands vying for so few spots to represent China, the risk they took was worth it. ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=35&art=333893 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=37&art=333894 I REFER to "Great expectations" (Aug 15). I applaud Education Minister Ng Eng Hen in setting new directions and aspirations in the educating of Singaporeans. The three broad directions will cover the imparting of values by engaging the young generation, meeting parents' expectations with qualified teachers and empowered schools, and helping more students realise their aspirations for higher education. However, we are still deficient in one aspect -- the typical... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=37&art=333894 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=37&art=333895 Letter from goh shih yong Assistant Director, Corporate Communications for Chief Executive Officer Agri-food & Veterinary Authority Ministry Of National Development WE REFER to Why cull a dog that has been sterilised? (Aug 15). Rabies is an acute viral disease transmitted to man by the bite of a rabid animal, most commonly a dog, and the outcome is usually fatal. Though Singapore is free from rabies, the disease is endemic in the region. Hence, we have to remain constantly... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=37&art=333895 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=37&art=333896 WE REFER to "Why cull a dog that has been sterilised?" (Aug 15). Rabies is an acute viral disease transmitted to man by the bite of a rabid animal, most commonly a dog, and the outcome is usually fatal. Though Singapore is free from rabies, the disease is endemic in the region. Hence, we have to remain constantly vigilant as the possibility of rabies entering Singapore remains. It is especially important to keep the stray dog population in check as stray dogs are highly... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=37&art=333896 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=39&art=333897 EVERY year, thousands of alternative music fans flock to Esplanade: Theatres on the Bay for Baybeats, that ode to alternative music from Singapore and the region, which celebrates its seventh anniversary this year. This three-day music festival drew about 85,000 people last year, and this year, organiser Esplanade expects an even larger crowd. Not bad, considering they started out seven years ago with a modest 7,000 turnout. And not bad, considering the non-mainstream music the... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=39&art=333897 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=39&art=333898 Love your music but don't want to leave the house on Baybeats weekend? No worries -- Plus has picked out three ways to feed your passion while tucked in snugly at home ... READ 21 Nights by Prince & Randee St Nicholas You can't read this book just at the moment, 'cos it's not yet available. But you might want to put this on your pre-order wishlist. Like a movie-in-a-book, it follows Prince's European tour which included a record-breaking 21-night stint at London's... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=39&art=333898 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=39&art=333899 EVERY year, thousands of alternative music fans flock to Esplanade: Theatres on the Bay for Baybeats, that ode to alternative music from Singapore and the region, which celebrates its seventh anniversary this year. This three-day music festival drew about 85,000 people last year, and this year, organiser Esplanade expects an even larger crowd. Not bad, considering they started out seven years ago with a modest 7,000 turnout. And not bad, considering the non-mainstream music the... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=39&art=333899 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=39&art=333900 Terms & Conditions: Now your fi lthiest, mankiest old sports shoes can get you $50 off a brand new pair of adidas Bounce shoes and $30 off other adidas sports shoes with a minimum shoe value of $100. But your trainers can only be reborn again when you choose regular priced items. The Bounce Medals range, adidas Originals, Stella McCartney and golf shoes are not included in this offer. And remember to bring your dirty, old trainers in by 7th September 2008 when the promotion ends. So ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=39&art=333900 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=39&art=333901 EVERY year, thousands of alternative music fans flock to Esplanade: Theatres on the Bay for Baybeats, that ode to alternative music from Singapore and the region, which celebrates its seventh anniversary this year. This three-day music festival drew about 85,000 people last year, and this year, organiser Esplanade expects an even larger crowd. Not bad, considering they started out seven years ago with a modest 7,000 turnout. And not bad, considering the non-mainstream music the... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=39&art=333901 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=40&art=333902 THE SCRIPT THE SCRIPT Step aside, U2, and make way for The Script. Irish trio Danny O'Donaghue (vocals, keyboards) Mark Sheehan (guitars) and Glen Power (drums) make up The Script, a band that plays what the rags are calling "Celtic soul". But really, it's just some really well-constructed songs delivered with some raw emotion. They've been hailed as one of the new big things to look out for, and it's not hard to see why. Both Danny and Mark have worked with some of the best... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=40&art=333902 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=40&art=333903 MUSICIAN, artist and now, bicycling rack designer David Byrne (picture) has designed nine unusual bike racks that have been installed around New York City. The Department of Transportation says the artistic installations by the Talking Heads singer are meant to spark interest in bicycling. Each rack reflects its location. A guitar-shaped rack named Hipster has been placed in Brooklyn's trendy Williamsburg neighbourhood. A rack that looks like a dollar sign is in the Wall... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=40&art=333903 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=40&art=333904 THE SCRIPT THE SCRIPT Step aside, U2, and make way for The Script. Irish trio Danny O'Donaghue (vocals, keyboards) Mark Sheehan (guitars) and Glen Power (drums) make up The Script, a band that plays what the rags are calling "Celtic soul". But really, it's just some really well-constructed songs delivered with some raw emotion. They've been hailed as one of the new big things to look out for, and it's not hard to see why. Both Danny and Mark have worked with some of the best... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=40&art=333904 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=40&art=333905 THE SCRIPT THE SCRIPT Step aside, U2, and make way for The Script. Irish trio Danny O'Donaghue (vocals, keyboards) Mark Sheehan (guitars) and Glen Power (drums) make up The Script, a band that plays what the rags are calling "Celtic soul". But really, it's just some really well-constructed songs delivered with some raw emotion. They've been hailed as one of the new big things to look out for, and it's not hard to see why. Both Danny and Mark have worked with some of the best... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=40&art=333905 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=40&art=333906 THE SCRIPT THE SCRIPT Step aside, U2, and make way for The Script. Irish trio Danny O'Donaghue (vocals, keyboards) Mark Sheehan (guitars) and Glen Power (drums) make up The Script, a band that plays what the rags are calling "Celtic soul". But really, it's just some really well-constructed songs delivered with some raw emotion. They've been hailed as one of the new big things to look out for, and it's not hard to see why. Both Danny and Mark have worked with some of the best... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=40&art=333906 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=40&art=333907 THE SCRIPT THE SCRIPT Step aside, U2, and make way for The Script. Irish trio Danny O'Donaghue (vocals, keyboards) Mark Sheehan (guitars) and Glen Power (drums) make up The Script, a band that plays what the rags are calling "Celtic soul". But really, it's just some really well-constructed songs delivered with some raw emotion. They've been hailed as one of the new big things to look out for, and it's not hard to see why. Both Danny and Mark have worked with some of the best... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=40&art=333907 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=41&art=333908 WHEN R J Rosales (picture) last performed in Singapore, he was wearing a tutu. That was for a role in the musical Cabaret in 2006, the same year he played the "evil son of an evil father" in The Forbidden City. But for his return concert at the Esplanade next Friday, the Filipino-Australian singer-actor will be crooning without the theatrics. "I feel most at home when I sing a lot of Frank Sinatra stuff, the heavy ballads or the musicals. They're just so comfortable ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=41&art=333908 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=41&art=333909 LEROI Moore (picture), saxophonist and founding member of the Dave Matthews Band, died yesterday afternoon of complications from an accident in June. Moore, born in 1961, died unexpectedly at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Centre in Los Angeles, the band said in a statement on its website. Moore was in an accident involving an all-terrain vehicle at his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia, and was living in his Los Angeles home to begin a physical rehabilitation programme,... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=41&art=333909 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=42&art=333910 IN NORTHERN Thailand, glutinous rice is a staple eaten at every meal. Because of its sticky nature, the Northern Thais steam the rice and then knead them into balls that stick together but not to the fingers. These rice balls are used as an accompaniment to their main dishes like curries and stir-fries. Here in Singapore, most of us use glutinous rice to make our own versions of the Thai dessert of mango and sticky rice drizzled with sweetened coconut cream. The other common ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=42&art=333910 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=43&art=333911 The south of France drew the brightest stars of the art world in their day. Picasso, Cezanne, Matisse and Van Gogh all descended on the region to capture its light on their canvas. And no doubt Peter Mayle with his best-selling series of travelogues sold many arm-chair travellers on the pool-side and idyllic boule-bowling and pastis-sipping days of the region. I was drawn to Provence by a postcard I spotted at a souvenir stop during my drive through Burgundy. The... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=43&art=333911 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=43&art=333912 Driving is one of the best ways to explore the country. Once outside of Paris' impatient traffic, driving in France is straightforward, albeit on the other side of the road. Here are some tips. Road signs point to the next community, so check the name of the villages along your route to determine your direction. Signs are posted at traffic roundabouts, so if you miss your turn, drive around again until you find the right turn-off. Avoid the highways if you're not in a... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=43&art=333912 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=44&art=333913 while New England is the undisputed queen of classic autumn scenery, other regions in the United States boast pretty fall foliage, too. And the good news for travellers seeking autumn's gold stateside is that leaf-peeping season extends beyond late September and early October, the typical prime periods to see fall foliage. Autumn comes early in Alaska, brushing Denali National Park with purple and gold in late August. In warmer climates and near sea level, autumn colours can last... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=44&art=333913 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=44&art=333914 It seemed rather narrow, almost too diminutive for a river that had nourished a great civilisation for thousands of years. From the deck of our riverboat docked at Luxor, it felt like we could reach right across to the other bank of the Nile. The river at this point may be narrow but there was no mistaking the immensity of the monuments that dotted the landscape everywhere we turned in Egypt. There is no better way to come face to face with this magnificence than to sail up river in a ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=44&art=333914 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=44&art=333915 while New England is the undisputed queen of classic autumn scenery, other regions in the United States boast pretty fall foliage, too. And the good news for travellers seeking autumn's gold stateside is that leaf-peeping season extends beyond late September and early October, the typical prime periods to see fall foliage. Autumn comes early in Alaska, brushing Denali National Park with purple and gold in late August. In warmer climates and near sea level, autumn colours can last... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=44&art=333915 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=44&art=333916 Mount Mitchell, which is the highest peak in eastern North America; and the Blue Ridge Parkway -- which starts in Virginia but runs through North Carolina and Tennessee -- which has many scenic overlooks. When: Autumn colour usually appears in the mountains the second week in October at 910m to 1,520m. Leaf reports are posted starting the last week of September on www.visitNC.com. highlights: Look for sugar maples (orange and red), tulip poplars (yellow), sassafras black gum... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=44&art=333916 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=45&art=333917 You can trawl the Internet for answers to your travel gear queries, or you can take them to The Planet Traveller this Friday. That's when the store, which brands itself as a travel-solutions specialist, will commemorate its 10th year with a 10-day exhibition to help business, fashion-savvy and adventure travellers with their travel needs. Said Philip Tan, The Planet Traveller's managing director: "As business and leisure travel are increasingly common in Singapore, we... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=45&art=333917 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=45&art=333918 Millions of years ago, three of the mountains in Cappadocia were active volcanoes and through time, resulted in the formations known as fairy chimneys. Inhabited since prehistoric times, the relics of the past, dating as far back as the Assyrian civilisation, the Hattis, the Hittites, Phrygians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, and Ottomans are still evident today.A UNESCO heritage site, Cappadocia is a destination not to be missed with its natural dwellings, chapels, churches and... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=45&art=333918 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=47&art=333919 Just when you think travel fairs are over, another one comes along to tug at your holiday dollar. the AsA Holidays Powerpacked! travel Fair is on this sunday and the key to discounts is the OCBC credit card. the first 30 people to use their OCBC credit cards can buy a 7-day Japan package for $1,422. the usual price is $2,100. Cardmembers also enjoy holiday packages to popular spots such as Hong Kong, siem Reap, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok and taipei... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=47&art=333919 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=47&art=333920 dubai stays for less fly emirates Fly to Dubai on Emirates during the month of Ramadan to save on lodging and enjoy a host of deals. Passengers can enjoy two-nights stay in selected hotels -- including the Marco Polo Hotel, Novotel World Trade Centre Dubai and Hyatt Regency Dubai -- starting from US$57 ($80) per person per night. They are also eligible for the Arabian Adventures Welcome Pack, which includes a meet-and-assist service at Dubai International Airport, airport transfers to... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=47&art=333920 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333921 In this north-western Indian city, Bobby Chinn visits Milk Lane to see the various types of dairy products being traded and gets treated to a traditional royal feast. ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333921 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333922 6.00AM Demons to Darlings The Mcgonagles 6.30 Prime Time Morning 9.00 Beijing Olympic Games 2008 (Day 13) Athletics and/or Diving (Semi-Final) 1.00PM Today in Beijing (Encore) 2.00 Beijing Olympic Games 2008 (Day 13) Table Tennis 4.00 Beijing Olympic Games 2008 (Day 13) Beach Volleyball 6.00 Beijing Olympic Games 2008 (Day 13) ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333922 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333923 6.00AM Golden Age 7.00 Good Morning Singapore 10.00 Secret Files (Last Episode) 11.00 Two of Us NOON Creatively Mine 1.00PM News 8 at One 1.30 TR Report: Super Kids IV 2.00 Money Smarts 2.30 Dandelion 3.30 Man of the House 4.30 The Unforgettable Memory 5.30 The Hotel 6.30 Singapore Today 7.00 Love is All Around 8.00 Say It If You Dare... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333923 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333924 9.00AM Thomas & Friends Thomas and the Shooting Star/Which Way Now (Preschool) 9.30 Clifford's Puppy Days Paw Print Picasso/Hup-Hup (Preschool) 10.00 The Koala Brothers Archie's Loose Tooth/Penny Comes to Stay (Preschool) 10.30 Honk, Toot & Swo-swoosh (Preschool) 11.00 Hi-5 (Preschool) 11.30 Jacob Two-Two Jacob Two-Two and the Bookworm Brouhaha (Preschool) NOON Louie (Preschool)... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333924 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333925 3.00PM Selingan Hiburan 4.00 Bersama Ziana 5.00 Metafora 6.00 Inovasi 6.30 Selera Asia II 7.00 Zon Si Kecil Kemaraan Semangat Muzik 7.30 Impian Illyana III 8.00 Berita 8.30 Kerana Fateha 9.30 Cinta Madinah 10.30 Sedutan Rapat Umum Hari Kebangsaan 2008 11.30 Berita MN Close ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333925 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333926 The true story of Aimee Dubuca De Rivery, a French girl sold into slavery to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333926 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333927 When orphaned sisters Sal and Rae find adoptive parents, it seems like the perfect beginning to the rest of their lives. But things get complicated when the girls find out that their Great Dane puppy, Chestnut, isn't welcome at their new home. Their parents' apartment building doesn't allow dogs and their new father is allergic to animals. Rather than leave Chesnut, the girls sneak him into their new home and begin a game of hide and seek. Can two girls' love for their dog somehow reconcile... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333927 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333928 6.00AM Asian Home News 6.30 Primetime Morning 9.40 Correspondent Diary 10.00 World Today 10.33 Explore Middle East 11.00 World Today 11.33 Asian Home News NOON World Today 12.32PM A Journey of Hope 1.02 Asian Home News 1.32 Spirit of Champions (picture) 2.00 World Today 2.33 Shubh Labh India 3.00 Asia Today 3.32 ASEAN/Asian Panorama 4.00 World... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333928 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333929 Branding is no longer just about selling the product or service. It's about the user experience and getting involved in the community. Going green, green-washing and social responsibility are buzz words in branding right now. Can brands actually save our planet? Join brand consultant Jorg Dietzel in the concluding episode of the series ? in green Singapore. ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333929 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333930 Honour, friendship, revenge ... As each duelist remembers what they're fighting for, the battle royal rages on where none of the duelists know where the next attack is going to come from! Joey may have fought some of the fiercest fights in Battle City, but has all his frontline training taught him to become an elite duelist, or is he still a cut... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=49&art=333930 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=50&art=333931 HE WALKED in as the sounds of U2's Vertigo crashed off the walls and shivered the glass panes around the Omega Pavilion. His image beamed out of countless small television screens behind him, and the electric entry of swimming's greatest star would surely have got the nod of approval from Bono and The Edge. It's about the only way to introduce Michael Phelps these days. He's so big even Bruce Springsteen stopped in the middle of a concert last Saturday in the United... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=50&art=333931 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=51&art=333932 BEIJING -- The dramatic ascendance of Usain Bolt as the world's greatest sprinter continued last night at the Beijing Olympics as he left another group of elite runners far behind in setting a world record in the 200m and winning his second gold medal. Having obliterated the world record in the 100m on Saturday, Bolt, 21, is the first man to win both the 100 and 200m at the same Olympics since Carl Lewis in 1984. But more than that, the Jamaican is the first man... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=51&art=333932 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=51&art=333933 No stopping Jamaicans On a sultry evening where nothing seemed to go wrong for the overpowering Jamaicans, Melaine Walker (picture) continued her nation's domination of US women by winning the 400m hurdles in Olympic record time at the Bird's Nest last night. Walker clocked 52.64sec, with American Sheena Tosta second in 53.70s and Britain's Tasha Danvers third in 53.84s. The grudge match began when Jamaicans swept the women's 100m medals with three Americans adrift... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=51&art=333933 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=51&art=333934 Only nine men have won both the 100m and 200m in the same Summer Olympics yEar NamE (couNTry) 100m 200m 2008 usain Bolt (Jam) 9.69 19.30 1984 carl Lewis (us) 9.99 19.80 1972 valeriy Borzov (ussr) 10.14 20.00 1956 Bobby morrow (us) 10.50 20.70 1936 Jesse owens (us) 10.30 20.70 1932 Eddie Tolan (us) 10.30 21.20 1928 percy williams (canada) 10.80 21.80 1912 ralph craig (us) 10.80 21.70 1904 archie hahn (us) 11.00... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=51&art=333934 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=52&art=333935 JUST three days after taking to the winner's podium in Beijing, Singapore's female paddlers had a mixed first outing at the Peking University Gymnasium in the women's singles. The silver medal-winning trio of Li Jiawei, Wang Yuegu and Feng Tianwei -- who won silver in the women's table tennis team final on Sunday -- were in action yesterday after receiving byes into the third round. While Li and Feng cruised through their respective ties, fifth seed Wang was shocked... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=52&art=333935 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=52&art=333936 BEIJING -- Team USA powered its way closer to Beijing Olympics gold last night, despatching Australia 116-85 in a quarter-final match behind the attacking play of NBA superstars Kobe Bryant (picture) and LeBron James. LA Lakers guard Bryant scored 11 of his game high 25 points during a 14-0 run to start the second half, extending a 55-43 lead at the break to 89-61 at the start of the final period. "At the start of the second half we wanted to come out and we had a particular... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=52&art=333936 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=52&art=333937 OLYMPICS: SELECTED RESULTS ATHLETICS Women's - hammer throw: 1 Aksana Miankova (Blr) 76.34m (OR), 2 Yipsi Moreno (Cub) 75.20m, 3 Zhang Wenxiu (Chn) 74.32m; 400m H: 1 Melanie Walker (Jam) 52.64s (OR), 2 Sheena Tosta (US) 53.70s, 3 Tasha Danvers (Gbr) 53.84s; Men's 200m: 1 Usain Bolt (Jam) 19.30s (WR), 2 Churandy Martina (Aho) 19.82s, 3 Shawn Crawford (US) 19.96s BASKETBALL Men's quarter-finals: Spain 72 Croatia 59; Lithuania 94 China 68; US 116 Australia... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=52&art=333937 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=52&art=333938 OLYMPICS: SELECTED RESULTS ATHLETICS Women's - hammer throw: 1 Aksana Miankova (Blr) 76.34m (OR), 2 Yipsi Moreno (Cub) 75.20m, 3 Zhang Wenxiu (Chn) 74.32m; 400m H: 1 Melanie Walker (Jam) 52.64s (OR), 2 Sheena Tosta (US) 53.70s, 3 Tasha Danvers (Gbr) 53.84s; Men's 200m: 1 Usain Bolt (Jam) 19.30s (WR), 2 Churandy Martina (Aho) 19.82s, 3 Shawn Crawford (US) 19.96s BASKETBALL Men's quarter-finals: Spain 72 Croatia 59; Lithuania 94 China 68; US 116 Australia... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=52&art=333938 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=52&art=333939 OLYMPICS: SELECTED RESULTS ATHLETICS Women's - hammer throw: 1 Aksana Miankova (Blr) 76.34m (OR), 2 Yipsi Moreno (Cub) 75.20m, 3 Zhang Wenxiu (Chn) 74.32m; 400m H: 1 Melanie Walker (Jam) 52.64s (OR), 2 Sheena Tosta (US) 53.70s, 3 Tasha Danvers (Gbr) 53.84s; Men's 200m: 1 Usain Bolt (Jam) 19.30s (WR), 2 Churandy Martina (Aho) 19.82s, 3 Shawn Crawford (US) 19.96s BASKETBALL Men's quarter-finals: Spain 72 Croatia 59; Lithuania 94 China 68; US 116 Australia... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=52&art=333939 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=53&art=333940 OUT of the 33 throwers that posted a mark in the women's shot put qualifying competition at the 2008 Olympic Games on Saturday, Zhang Guirong finished in 29th spot. Her first attempt was a foul, she threw the iron ball a distance of 16.23m on her second try and in the third and final effort, she fared worse with a mark of 16.08m. Obviously, the Singaporean failed to make the final. The lowest qualifier among the top-15, Russia's Olga Ivanova, posted a mark of... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=53&art=333940 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=53&art=333941 BEIJING -- Of the 75 countries who have made the official table, based solely on gold medals, China have a strong lead with 45 compared to the United States on 26 and Great Britain's 16 as of yesterday evening. Singapore, who won their first medal in 48 years when the women's table tennis team took silver on Sunday, are 59th in the official standings, which are generally considered a reflection of economic input. But what if you were to factor in countries' Gross Domestic... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=53&art=333941 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=53&art=333942 OUT of the 33 throwers that posted a mark in the women's shot put qualifying competition at the 2008 Olympic Games on Saturday, Zhang Guirong finished in 29th spot. Her first attempt was a foul, she threw the iron ball a distance of 16.23m on her second try and in the third and final effort, she fared worse with a mark of 16.08m. Obviously, the Singaporean failed to make the final. The lowest qualifier among the top-15, Russia's Olga Ivanova, posted a mark of... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=53&art=333942 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=55&art=333943 BEIJING (China) -- Natalie du Toit pulled herself onto the dock and waited for someone to bring her prosthetic leg. She stretched out the other leg -- the one she didn't lose in that horrendous motorcycle accident -- and chatted with an official about the first open water race in Olympic history. Du Toit didn't finish the race where she wanted. But just making it to the Beijing Games was a huge victory for anyone who's ever faced a disability. Hoping to contend for a... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=55&art=333943 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=55&art=333944 OVERHEARD AT THE OLYMPICS "Everyone is saying it's unfair. I got ripped. Everyone is saying I got ripped. I could crawl up and cry like a baby but I am trying to be strong... I guess this wasn't meant to be, I guess God has other ideas for me." - Ivett Gonda aims some kicks at the judges after the Canadian lost in the preliminary round of the women's -49kg taekwondo to Sweden's Hanna Zajc. "It was a bit rough in the pack, there was a bit... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=55&art=333944 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=56&art=333945 BEIJING -- Few rivalries in sport match Australia and Britain and the barbs have started flying at the Olympics, where the Brits could beat their Aussie cousins on the Olympic medal table for the first time in 20 years. Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates got the ball rolling when he said Britain's medal haul from the aquatic sports wasn't bad for a nation with "few swimming pools and not very much soap". It wound up the British press, who have been wallowing in their... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=56&art=333945 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=56&art=333946 BEIJING -- For seven years, David Tool has patrolled Beijing's streets hunting for embarrassing signboards, inspecting menus and teaching residents English to help the city prepare for the Olympics. The 66-year-old former US Army colonel from South Carolina played such a central role in helping the Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Committee raise English standards that officials honoured him by making him the first foreign torch bearer when the Olympic flame entered the capital. ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=56&art=333946 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=57&art=333947 LONDON -- Mikael Silvestre, the long-serving Manchester United defender, is on the verge of foregoing a testimonial season at Old Trafford to become the club's first player to be sold to Arsenal for 34 years. Arsene Wenger instigated the move on Tuesday (yesterday morning, Singapore time) after learning that the former France international had been holding talks with Manchester City and Sunderland. Silvestre had provisionally agreed a move to City before contacting... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=57&art=333947 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=57&art=333948 BEIJING -- Dunga is confident he will keep his high-pressure job as Brazil's national coach despite a blow to the football-mad country's psyche from a 3-0 drubbing by rivals Argentina in their Olympic football semi-final on Tuesday. Pressure is racheting up on Dunga as the Brazilians leave the Olympics again without a gold medal, and the prospect that Argentina will clinch back-to-back titles in Saturday's final against Nigeria. Dunga came to Beijing already under fire over... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=57&art=333948 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=57&art=333949 LONDON -- Chelsea will now attempt to test AC Milan's resolve with an audacious £70 million ($183.5 million) world-record bid for Kaka, according to reports. Earlier this summer, Milan emphatically warned the London club against making a move for the 26-year-old Brazilian, after revealing they had received and rejected an "astronomical offer" for him. In a move that could pave the way to Stamford Bridge for the World Player of the Year, Chelsea are letting Andriy... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=57&art=333949 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=57&art=333950 8am Baseball LittleLeagueSF1:WestvNorthwest,Ch23 8.10am Football CopraSudamericanaEstudiantesv Independiente,Ch27 9pm Golf TheKLMOpen-Day1,Ch26 11.10pm Cricket NatwestDiv2:DerbyshirevYorkshire,Ch110 TOMORROW 2am Golf PGATour:FedexCupPlayoffs--TheBarclays Day1,Ch26&Ch304 4am Baseball LittleLeagueSF2:MexicovLatinAmerica,Ch23 7am MLB... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=57&art=333950 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=58&art=333951 WOODLANDS Wellington are one of the biggest clubs in the S-League, with a strong following and long history. With players like Park Tae Won, Akihiro Nakamura, Hasrin Jailani and 2006 S-League Player of the Year Laakkad Abdelhadi on their roster, opponents never take them lightly. The Young Lions certainly won't as they visit Woodlands Stadium tonight for the first leg of their RHB Singapore Cup 2008 semi-final. But the proud Rams can't seem the shake their... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=58&art=333951 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=58&art=333952 THE Young Lions could not have ended their winless spell at a better time, with the first leg of their RHB Singapore Cup 2008 semi-final tie with Woodlands Wellington tonight. V Sundramoorthy's boys go into match on the back of their 2-0 win over Sengkang Punggol on Saturday to snap an 11-game winless streak dating back to the start of May, when they edged Woodlands 2-1. "Last Saturday's win was definitely a plus point for us," said Sundramoorthy. "The boys are ready and I am... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=58&art=333952 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=59&art=333953 THE dong may be down and inflation at a raging 25 per cent, but the Vietnamese economy is still growing, albeit at a slower 6 to 7 per cent pace, compared with over 8 per cent annually in the last few years. Along with the weaker economy, property prices have dipped quite a bit. Homes built by local developers have fallen by more than 30 per cent from the peak of last year. "But, in the last couple of weeks, there have been reports that the take-up rate of residences by... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=59&art=333953 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=59&art=333954 THE dong may be down and inflation at a raging 25 per cent, but the Vietnamese economy is still growing, albeit at a slower 6 to 7 per cent pace, compared with over 8 per cent annually in the last few years. Along with the weaker economy, property prices have dipped quite a bit. Homes built by local developers have fallen by more than 30 per cent from the peak of last year. "But, in the last couple of weeks, there have been reports that the take-up rate of residences by... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=59&art=333954 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=60&art=333955 ONE of the highlights of Singapore's Draft Master Plan 2008 is to bring jobs closer to home. Economists point out that it makes financial sense for firms to locate in suburban areas. What then are the limiting factors that prevent complete decentralisation? Agglomeration benefits, such as accessibility to clients and supporting services, largely account for the continual concentration of businesses in the Central Business District (CBD). However, with the advent of... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=60&art=333955 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=60&art=333956 How Much Can Values Rise? From the regression analysis of the March development charges rates, land value of most decentralised areas was below or close to the predicted value - only Tampines has a residual of more than 10 per cent of the predicted value. With development plans in place for Jurong East, we can expect its commercial land value to rise 8 to 10 per cent above the predicted value, similar to that in Tampines. Another area to be developed is Paya Lebar. ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=60&art=333956 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=61&art=333957 SOME people who sell things on eBay are fed up with new rules the company has been imposing in hopes of making the auction site more attractive to online shoppers. Now even more changes are coming in the next few weeks, but this time, eBay hopes it can cool tempers. In this year, eBay has tinkered with its fee structure, search results and feedback system. These efforts might be meeting eBay's aims of improving the experience for buyers, but several sellers say that their... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=61&art=333957 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=61&art=333958 NO MORE FREE LUNCHES: UNITED United Airlines will become the first carrier in the United States to stop serving free meals and snacks in the economy class cabin of some overseas flights as it tries to stem losses from record fuel prices. United, the second-largest US carrier, will replace free meals with food that can be purchased aboard trips to Europe from Washington's Dulles International Airport starting Oct 1. The change expands the list of services airlines... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=61&art=333958 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=61&art=333959 CHINA RAISES ELECTRICITY PRICES - FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 2 MONTHS China has raised electricity prices for the second time in two months to help utilities offset high coal costs, highlighting Beijing's struggle to ensure power supplies for its booming economy. Wholesale power prices will rise by about 5 per cent, said the country's planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission. That comes on top of a 4.7-per-cent increase in July. The move is... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=61&art=333959 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=62&art=333960 IMAGINE a scenario where you stride confidently into a bank, armed with a good credit history, only to have your request for a loan surprisingly rejected. Citing your bad credit profile, the lender hands over records of your many credit lines and unpaid bills, to your horror. You have never seen them before. If this has ever happened to you, then perhaps you are a victim of identity theft. Mr Alvin Ow, senior director of IT security firm, Symantec ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=62&art=333960 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=62&art=333961 ASL Marine posts record profit ASL Marine has posted record full-year profits, rising almost 50 per cent to $60.3 million. As a result, it is rewarding shareholders with a final dividend of 3 cents per share as well as a special dividend of 1 cent a share. The firm owns shipyards in Singapore, Batam and Guangdong. In the financial year to June 30, it enjoyed robust growth across all its three core business segments - shipbuilding, repair and... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=62&art=333961 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=62&art=333962 TRITECH SET TO START TRADING The initial public offering of Tritech Group has been fully subscribed despite weak market sentiments. Tritech is a geotechnical, ground and structural engineering fields specialist. It raised net proceeds of approximately $4.4 million, which will be used for overseas expansion and the acquisition of machinery and equipment, among other purposes Tritech is expected to start its trading debut this morning on... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=62&art=333962 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=62&art=333963 How it works PROTECTION Credit Bureau of Singapore, which tracks consumers' credit histories and loan activities, will provide email alerts to ID Protect users whenever a credit is applied for in their name, or a payment has been missed. Credit reports will be provided upon customers' requests, to track any instances of fraudulent activity. RESOLUTION In the event of identity theft, an identity protection agent will provide professional assistance... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=62&art=333963 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=63&art=333964 From being an instant name card printer in 1986, Xpress Holdings now has a Pan-Asian reach in the speed printing arena with offices as far afield as Australia and China. But the path to success wasn't easy for the Singapore firm's flamboyant founder, Mr Fong Kah Kuen, better known as K K Fong to his many friends. Mr Fong faced bankruptcy a couple of times, but on each occasion bounced back with renewed vigour and determination, aiming to make his company a truly... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=63&art=333964 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=63&art=333965 in June last year, city Telecom was `seriously' considering bidding for hK's fifth 3g mobile phone licence. but when the deadline came in October, it did not submit a... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=63&art=333965 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=63&art=333966 in the nielsen global consumer confidence index, three out of four singaporeans polled listed unemployment as their biggest fear, followed by... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=63&art=333966 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=63&art=333967 City Telecom has been seeking new businesses to bolster growth to compensate for declining sales of international direct-dial services. In March this year, it signed a memorandum of understanding with StarHub and M1 to compete for the role of Singapore's network company, which will build the ducts and wirelines for the next generation platform. This is not the first time Hong Kong's City Telecom has suffered cold feet. In June last year, the carrier said it ... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=63&art=333967 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=63&art=333968 Some companies are also facing lower demand for their goods as a result. Purple Sage, a stylish caterer, has seen a 30-per-cent decline in online enquiries for its food services, according to its chief executive Tony Seow. On the other hand, Far East Flora, whose online retail business accounts for 30 per cent of revenue, said it is still seeing steady orders for flowers at the moment, despite declining consumer sentiments. Corporates may decide to cut... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=63&art=333968 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=63&art=333969 managing director of ryanair michael O'leary during a promotional press conference in madrid yesterday. The low-cost irish carrier, which largely operates out of stansted airport, said it welcomed britain's competition commission's `comprehensive report into the market power of the baa monopoly and fully endorse its findings'. The commission recommended yesterday the sale of three airports, two in london and one in scotland, that are operated by spanish-owned group baa,... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=63&art=333969 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=64&art=333970 BERLIN -- In echoes of a nationalistic backlash that greeted the sale of Thailand's Shin Corp to Temasek Holdings about two years ago, nearly 300 workers from a German shipping group held a protest on Tuesday against a possible takeover by the Neptune Orient Lines (NOL). The protesting employees of Hapag-Lloyd marched outside the Singapore Embassy in the German capital, blowing whistles and ringing bells. Some waved banners that said "Hands off, Singapore!" and "Save our jobs", a... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=64&art=333970 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=64&art=333971 HONG Kong's City Telecom is pulling out of consortium bidding for rights to build Singapore's next generation high-speed Internet network. Instead, StarHub will replace it as leader of the Infinity Consortium, which also includes one of its local rivals, MobileOne (M1). With City Telecom's withdrawal, state-owned Qatar Investment Authority is coming as a consortium replacement. Qatar Investment Authority provides "substantial financial support and expertise in... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=64&art=333971 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=64&art=333972 STOCK CALLS Food Empire 57 cents Buy OCBC Investment Research starts coverage with a fair value of 65 cents, based on 10 times blended FY2008-2009 earnings. It expects the instant beverage maker to get a boost from its acquisition of Petrovskaya, a coffee mix brand, and forecasts 11-per-cent and 9-per-cent growth in FY2008 and FY2009 earnings. Jaya Holdings $1.32 Buy Kim Eng Securities trims the price target for the shipbuilder and... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=64&art=333972 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=64&art=333973 STOCK CALLS Food Empire 57 cents Buy OCBC Investment Research starts coverage with a fair value of 65 cents, based on 10 times blended FY2008-2009 earnings. It expects the instant beverage maker to get a boost from its acquisition of Petrovskaya, a coffee mix brand, and forecasts 11-per-cent and 9-per-cent growth in FY2008 and FY2009 earnings. Jaya Holdings $1.32 Buy Kim Eng Securities trims the price target for the shipbuilder and... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=64&art=333973 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=64&art=333974 STOCK CALLS Food Empire 57 cents Buy OCBC Investment Research starts coverage with a fair value of 65 cents, based on 10 times blended FY2008-2009 earnings. It expects the instant beverage maker to get a boost from its acquisition of Petrovskaya, a coffee mix brand, and forecasts 11-per-cent and 9-per-cent growth in FY2008 and FY2009 earnings. Jaya Holdings $1.32 Buy Kim Eng Securities trims the price target for the shipbuilder and... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=64&art=333974 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=64&art=333975 STOCK CALLS Food Empire 57 cents Buy OCBC Investment Research starts coverage with a fair value of 65 cents, based on 10 times blended FY2008-2009 earnings. It expects the instant beverage maker to get a boost from its acquisition of Petrovskaya, a coffee mix brand, and forecasts 11-per-cent and 9-per-cent growth in FY2008 and FY2009 earnings. Jaya Holdings $1.32 Buy Kim Eng Securities trims the price target for the shipbuilder and... Fri, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0800 http://www.smarttpapers.com/today/issue2.asp?iss=2008-08-21&page=64&art=333975