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Hongbao for 105, 000 needy folk
NEARLY 105,000 needy old folk and disabled people will have received early Chinese New Year hongbao by the end of today from two benefactors. The Singapore Buddhist Lodge Welfare Foundation will give out these red packets of money to a record... [Read more]

Urgent cases receive priority
I REFER to Miss Nurazlina Kamis' letter, 'Terrible toothache but dental date is Feb 14' (ST, Jan 26). At our dental clinics, emergency cases are attended to on the same day while non-emergency cases are given the earliest appointment slot available.... [Read more]

Wilko's 27 points fire England to opening win
LONDON - JONNY Wilkinson could not have scripted his comeback any better. After more than three years of injuries to his neck, shoulder, arm, knee, appendix, groin and, most recently, kidney, the fly-half returned to rugby's international stage with a bang.... [Read more]

Three Thai firms show interest in Shin Sat
BANGKOK - TWO state-owned telecoms firms, as well as a private one, have reportedly shown interest in buying Temasek Holdings' stake in Shin Sat. According to reports in The Nation, Telephones of Thailand Corp and CAT Telecom have expressed their interest... [Read more]

Mayor admits affair with top aide's wife
CONFRONTING a political scandal that sounds more like a soap opera, San Francisco's handsome young mayor has made an emotional apology for an affair with the wife of his campaign manager. 'I want to make it clear that everything you've heard... [Read more]

Hu 'offers deputy top advisory post'
BEIJING - CHINESE Vice-President Zeng Qinghong has been offered the top job in a government advisory body, dimming his allies' hopes that he might one day become president, sources with ties to the leadership said yesterday.Mr Zeng's political fate will be... [Read more]

Ancient water dispute still causing ripples
THOUSANDS of riot policemen fanned out across India's technology hub of Bangalore earlier this week, as a court ruled on an ancient water dispute between the country's federal states.Not long after the British conquered India, the colonial rulers decided that the... [Read more]

How to live with neighbours: Stay cool despite heated spats
IN 2002, Shanghai authorities decided that the Shanghai Concert Hall was in too noisy a neighbourhood, no thanks to a nearby expressway. Seven months of planning later, in April 2003, the entire building was moved off its foundation. It was hoisted... [Read more]

SingTel's billing system periodically checked and audited to ensure that bills are accurate
We refer to the letter by Mr Tan Guan Hua (Online forum, Feb 3) and thank him for his feedback.We apologise for the miscommunication over his bill and the inconvenience caused.We would like to assure our customers that they are billed... [Read more]

45,000 fans expected
AT LEAST 45,000 fans will be at tonight's Singapore v Malaysia match at the National Stadium.They are expected to be joined by President S R Nathan.The remaining 10,200 adult gallery tickets, priced at $6 each, will be sold today at the... [Read more]

US trade deficit hit record high of $1.17 trillion last year
WASHINGTON - THE United States trade deficit surged to a record US$763.6 billion (S$1.172 trillion) last year owing to new highs for oil prices and the commercial shortfall with China, a report said yesterday.The US Commerce Department report said that the... [Read more]