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Tokyo unwilling to provide energy aid
TOKYO - THE six-nation accord signed in Beijing to provide energy aid to North Korea in exchange for shutting down Pyongyang's nuclear facilities has put the Tokyo government in a bind.Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said yesterday that his government will not... [Read more]

PwC to axe scandal-hit Japan affiliate
TOKYO - THE world's biggest accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), is set to shut a Japanese affiliate because of its involvement in the Nikko Cordial Securities broking scandal. This leaves PwC with a significantly smaller presence than rivals in Japan. Misuzu Audit,... [Read more]

Healthy demand
WHAT is fuelling demand for doctors: Patients who are better educated and want to know more, causing consultation time to go up. This is good, as 'a committed patient, who is better informed, is more likely to take greater responsibility for... [Read more]

For lease: 6 state properties for office use
THE Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has put up six state properties for lease via public tender solely for office use. They are: 195 Pearl's Hill Terrace, the former police headquarters. 18 Pearl's Hill Terrace, which used to house a Criminal Investigation... [Read more]

Proposals to help disabled out soon
RECOMMENDATIONS to help the disabled live as independently as possible are expected to be made by the end of this month, said Minister of State (Community Development, Youth and Sports) Yu-Foo Yee Shoon yesterday.The proposals will come from a committee drawing... [Read more]

Stock market fever hits China's students
BEIJING - UNIVERSITY students on shoestring budgets have traditionally waited tables, flipped burgers at fast-food joints or taken on odd jobs to earn an extra buck. But recently, enterprising students in China are turning to a quicker, albeit riskier, way of... [Read more]

Malaysia trade crosses RM1 trillion mark
KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA'S trade surpassed the RM1 trillion (S$439 billion) mark for the first time, prompting Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi to call it an 'inspiring achievement'. Datuk Seri Abdullah, who also holds the finance portfolio, said on Thursday that trade... [Read more]

China trade surplus hit $24.4b in January
HONG KONG - CHINA posted a US$15.9 billion (S$24.4 billion) trade surplus last month, pumping more cash into the world's fourth-biggest economy and adding pressure on Beijing to let the yuan rise faster. Imports jumped 27.5 per cent from a year... [Read more]

Chef in demand beyond our shores
JUSTIN Quek, 44, is one of Singapore's best-known chefs. He has cooked for the likes of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and former Chinese president Jiang Zemin in a career spanning more than 20 years. He set... [Read more]

Woodlands outshine disjointed Home stars 2-0
ONE side boasted a handsome collection of S-League talents, including five national players. The other had only the league's Player of the Year, albeit with the support of an experienced and cohesive unit. Last night, it was teamwork that defeated star... [Read more]

Philippine 'coup adviser' to run for Senate from jail
FORMER army colonel Gregorio 'Gringo' Honasan, the Philippines' self-confessed 'adviser' on coup plots, yesterday threw his hat into the Senate race and vowed to unite the country if he won. The 58-year-old is in detention and being tried for allegedly masterminding... [Read more]