News Today

Pilot shortage forces Jetstar to cancel over 80 flights
A PILOT scarcity and the grounding of planes for routine maintenance has forced low-cost carrier Jetstar Asia to cancel more than 80 flights in the past six weeks. Passengers hit by the cancellations - more than 15 per cent of the... [Read more]

Tory leader 'smoked cannabis at Eton'
BRITISH opposition leader David Cameron yesterday refused to deny newspaper reports claiming he had smoked cannabis as a teenager. 'I'm not issuing denials,' Mr Cameron said. 'Like many people, I did things when I was young that I shouldn't have done... [Read more]

Thailand won't seize control of satellites
BANGKOK - THAILAND wants to 'properly' buy back ShinSat's satellites from Temasek Holdings, Thai military junta leader General Sonthi Boonyarataglin said yesterday, ruling out any sudden seizure. Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the powerful Council for National Security (CNS),... [Read more]

Directors' Trades
UNISTEEL DIRECTORS EXERCISE OPTIONS FOUR directors of Unisteel Technology have raised their direct stakes in the company by exercising their share options. The conversion follows Unisteel's release of its full-year earnings last Thursday, which beat most analysts' expectations. Unisteel, a specialist... [Read more]

Iraqi insurgents' new weapon: Bombs that contain chlorine
BAGHDAD - IRAQI insurgents have begun using bombs that combine explosives with chlorine gas in what officials fear is a new and deadly tactic against civilians. On Wednesday, a truck bomb combining explosives with the gas blew up in Baghdad, the... [Read more]

Impact of ban 'manageable'
INDONESIA'S ban on land sand exports came into effect this week, but the construction industry should not be overly worried because any impact will be manageable, a minister said here yesterday. Regular shipments of sand are arriving from new sources and... [Read more]

Chen claims China is 'provoking' Taiwan
TAIPEI - TAIWANESE President Chen Shui-bian has accused China of 'provoking' his government by targeting the island with nearly 1,000 missiles, rejecting claims that he was to blame for cross-strait tensions.He also pledged to continue his drive for a new Constitution... [Read more]

N. Korea, US more optimistic over talks
BEIJING - NORTH KOREA and the United States appeared to be entering a fresh round of six-way nuclear talks, which begins here today, with a greater willingness to compromise, analysts say.While negotiators are unlikely to reach a final deal over the... [Read more]

Could a wedding break the Gandhi-Bachchan ice?
IF THE Gandhis are the dominant clan in Indian politics, there is little doubt who calls the shots in Mumbai, headquarters of the nation's film world: The Bachchans are the first family of glamour. The city pauses when Amitabh Bachchan, India's... [Read more]

Online bomb hoax: Youth pleads guilty
A MAN who 'mooched' on a neighbour's unsecured wireless network to make a bomb hoax posting online caused alarm and got his neighbour arrested.Full-time national serviceman Lin Zhenghuang's hoax posting on Aug 1, 2005 - a day after the London subway... [Read more]

Young army on the march
WITH their Kids Army sweeping to the League Cup final - they slammed Tottenham 3-1 - Arsenal can claim to be the pace-setters among the Big Four in bringing through young talent.Of their starting XI at Tottenham on Wednesday, only Justin... [Read more]