News Today

Help the mentally ill and their caregivers
I REFER to the article, 'Calling all lawyers: Legal aid scheme needs help' (ST, Feb 1). Kudos to lawyer Lim Yong, who was instrumental in helping 53-year-old schizophrenic Ong Eng Char stay out of prison. Our society needs more compassionate people... [Read more]

Asean visitors spent $6b here last year
SINGAPORE has its Asean neighbours to thank for a new record in tourist spending last year. Its regional neighbours accounted for 45 per cent of the $12.4 billion in tourist spending last year, said tax- refund services provider Global Refund Singapore.Tourists... [Read more]

How to handle a pet peeve? Try living with a companion pet
I refer to Mr Heng Cho Choon's letter, 'Keeping animals: How to handle a pet peeve', (ST, Feb 22).I fully agree with Mr Heng's statement that the duration that a person spends in a country is not a good indication that... [Read more]

Waiting for the mating call
It's feeding time for Rosa in the rhino sanctuary at Way Kambas National Park on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. But soon, it may be breeding time for the young rhino, which is one of two female rhinos that are expected... [Read more]

Concerns over Workfare Bonus eligibility
LAST week, Madam Chan Wai Har paid homage to the gods with a smoking joss stick.She had just landed a job as a temporary assistant to a fishmonger who expects to reel in more business with the Chinese New Year crowds.This... [Read more]

Maybank introduces single board rate for all home loans
MAYBANK yesterday announced that it is adopting a single board rate for existing and new mortgage customers.This means all its mortgages will be pegged to the benchmark Singapore Interbank Offered Rate (Sibor) - the rate at which banks borrow from each... [Read more]

NHK loses case over toning down of sex slavery show
TOKYO - JAPAN'S public broadcaster was ordered to compensate a women's rights group yesterday after producers toned down a programme on World War II sex slavery following a complaint from government official Shinzo Abe, who is now the prime minister.The Tokyo... [Read more]

Complex factors at play in spat over Thaksin
BANGKOK - BANGKOK'S Sathorn Road, where the Singapore Embassy is located, is sometimes referred to as 'Little Singapore' because of all the Singapore-owned businesses and buildings in the area. That reflects the fact that Singapore is one of Thailand's largest investors... [Read more]

Dump 'cheap source' mindset: Swee Say
BLOWING the whistle on errant employers who do not contribute to their workers' Central Provident Fund (CPF) would not necessarily result in low-wage workers getting higher wages. Instead, it may blow their jobs away, said labour chief Lim Swee Say yesterday,... [Read more]

Tokyo, London bourses likely to sign alliance today
TOKYO - THE Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE) will announce an alliance today that is expected to include mutual listings of exchange- traded funds, the Nikkei business daily reported yesterday.The two bourses have been discussing a... [Read more]

Holding exams near CNY: Schools and private companies should be more culturally sensitive
I refer to the article, 'School tests near CNY hard on some students' (ST, Feb 15). I agree that schools these days are becoming more culturally insensitive in their decisions to set exam or test dates near or immediately after a... [Read more]