News Today

EPL survival, not Cup glory, is key
LONDON - LEAVE FA Cup glory to others.Beating Wigan at home today is the priority for Watford, the Premiership's bottom club, says manager Adrian Boothroyd.His men will travel to Plymouth, whom the Hornets beat in the 1984 FA Cup semi-final, in... [Read more]

Asia Quickly
LAW TO TARGET 'AH LONG' CLIENTS?KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians who try to borrow money from loan sharks would be prosecuted under proposals floated by police, who are cracking down on illegal money-lending.The director of the federal Commercial Crime Department, Datuk Ramli Yusuf,... [Read more]

Iran still defiant over nuclear push
TEHERAN - IRANIAN President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday defiantly vowed to continue his country's nuclear programme in the face of international condemnation. But he also said his country was prepared to enter negotiations on the issue if conditions for talks imposed by... [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]

Opting out of Hota: It?s a matter of wresting back control over our persons
I wonder how Dr Lee Wei Ling, 'Organ transplant: Unease over last-minute opt-out' (ST Forum, Feb 22), came to the conclusion that 'given a choice, the vast majority of families would object strongly if they thought this could prevent their loved... [Read more]

Malaysia to review curbs on foreign investors
KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA is to review curbs on foreign shareholding in state-linked firms as it gears up for a big push to attract more foreign investment and raise its profile, a minister said yesterday.Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop revealed... [Read more]

Thigh strain rules Vieira out of Valencia match
MILAN - INTER Milan midfielder Patrick Vieira will not play in today's Champions League first-leg match against Valencia after aggravating a thigh strain in training.The French international, who missed Inter's 1-0 win over Cagliari at the weekend because of the injury,... [Read more]

Tobacco fee unchanged for second year
SMOKERS coughed, spluttered but breathed a little easier, when they were spared having to pay a heftier sin tax for their habit. For the second year in a row, the tobacco tax remained unchanged at $352 per 1,000 cigarettes.It was only... [Read more]

Sports World
ENGLAND TRIUMPHSYDNEY: England ended a run of nine straight losses to Australia with a 92-run win in a tri-series one-day cricket international yesterday.That kept alive their chances of leap-frogging New Zealand into the best-of-three finals.Ed Joyce belted 107 to help England... [Read more]

'Judge erred', so housewife cleared of hurting maid
A HOUSEWIFE, originally sentenced to 15 months' jail for hurting her maid, yesterday walked out of court a free woman after the High Court overturned her conviction. Justice V.K. Rajah, in acquitting Madam Sakthivel Punithavathi, 32, said that the district judge... [Read more]

S'pore urged to grab larger slice of Islamic banking pie
SINGAPORE has made a start at offering Islamic financial products - but must do more to get a significant slice of the estimated US$450 billion (S$690.5 billion) invested globally. Speakers at a conference here on this fast-emerging niche sector said wealthy... [Read more]