News Today

Seoul revamps policy on aid for refugees from the North
SEOUL - SOUTH Korea announced a new grants policy yesterday that rewards refugees from North Korea who find jobs but reduces settlement aid to new arrivals.The one-time settlement aid given to defectors from North Korea would be cut to six million... [Read more]

Top execs won over by services at luxury terminal
CHANGI Airport's luxury VVIP terminal has attracted a steady stream of mainly top-level executives and businessmen since opening last September. So far, more than 100 travellers and companies have signed up for membership in JetQuay, paying up to $1,000 a pop... [Read more]

Utd have to fight complacency
THERE is a sense that much of Manchester United's Champions League campaign has been about righting the wrongs of last season. That is certainly the case in their swift reunion with Lille. The unheralded French team defeated the Red Devils for... [Read more]

Dangerous to slow down to appease our neighbours
READING the report on the parliamentary debate about Singapore's relationship with its neighbours ('How to live with neighbours: Stay cool despite heated spats; ST, Feb 13), I was disappointed with what was attributed to Madam Ho Geok Choo. Although I do... [Read more]

The debate on biomedical research in Singapore
THE debate was sparked by an opinion piece by National Neuroscience Institute director Lee Wei Ling, headlined 'What ails biomedical research in Singapore?', published in The Straits Times on Nov 4, in which she wrote that in Singapore's push into the... [Read more]

Fund managers hail removal of 80:20 tax exemption rule
SMALL or 'boutique' fund managers in Singapore yesterday cheered the long-awaited removal of an unwieldy rule on tax exemptions for foreign investors.Under the rule, introduced in 2005, fund managers based here have had to ensure that at least 80 per cent... [Read more]

China tightens control over print media
HONG KONG - THE Chinese Communist Party's propaganda department has launched a points-based penalty system for the print media, a Hong Kong newspaper reported yesterday. The move is aimed at tightening control over the sector ahead of a crucial party congress... [Read more]

Window on new Vista
IT HAS been five years in the making, but Windows Vista has finally landed here. The new operating system has a snazzier interface and improved security, but all this comes at a price. Today's Digital Life gives you the lowdown on... [Read more]

Man United poised to set Ronaldo and Saha on Watford
LONDON - MANCHESTER United are ready to unleash goal-happy Cristiano Ronaldo and Louis Saha when the league leaders take on bottom club Watford tomorrow.Last weekend's FA Cup ties mean a midweek programme for the top-flight clubs.United, with a six-point lead over... [Read more]

Bill to end forced marriages for Pakistani women
ISLAMABAD - PAKISTAN'S government introduced a Bill in Parliament on Tuesday seeking to end the forced marriage of women and girls, and allowing women to inherit property, officials said. The move by the party of President Pervez Musharraf came as part... [Read more]

Ray of hope for families with sick kids
WHEN a chronic illness hits a child, it also hits the family. Parents will worry for the child - if not also over the extra expenses - and siblings may have to grapple with losing a bit of the attention they... [Read more]