News Today

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]

New sculpture hints at old days at S'pore River
THE reeds that used to grow along the Singapore River are back - this time in the form of a cast bronze sculpture. Called the Reed Sculpture, it was designed by Mr Peter Chen, 39, who is trained as an architect... [Read more]

WP forms 'action plan' to attract more Malays
THE Workers' Party (WP) is rolling out its post-election plans to attract more Malay members and reach out to the community, starting with the young.Four Malays now sit on the 12-member council of the party's youth wing, compared to none when... [Read more]

Virgin plans to build casino resort in Macau
HONG KONG - SIR Richard Branson's Virgin Group is in advanced talks to secure land in Macau on which it intends to build a US$3 billion (S$4.6 billion) casino resort.Sir Richard, the British entrepreneur who founded the airline-to-mobile-phone empire, is close... [Read more]

FA looks into Barton's lewd gesture
LONDON - JOEY Barton sought to make his peace with Pedro Mendes on Monday - but still finds himself the subject of an FA investigation. Manchester City's Barton will be charged with misconduct, if the FA feels he gestured obscenely at... [Read more]

Who's who
James Lawton, chief sports writer and columnist for The Independent, an English dailyGordon Farquhar, BBC sports news correspondentBarry Whitbread, former Singapore coach and current Liverpool FC director of recruitmentRobert Alberts, Football Association of Malaysia technical directorSpencer Robinson, British-born sports writer based... [Read more]

Apology to journalists
A PRESS conference called to trumpet Singapore's stellar tourism performance ended with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) having to apologise to foreign journalists.They were upset that Singapore - which had decided not to sponsor their stay here during the Asean Tourism... [Read more]

Sports World
INDONESIAN OFFICIAL SAYS SORRY TO CHUASONNY Tobing, an official of the Indonesian bodybuilding federation (PABBSI), has issued a public apology to Singapore Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation president Paul Chua.He also withdrew the 'damaging, untrue and false' statement he had made in... [Read more]

S'pore takes up 29% stake in Nanjing airport
IN NANJING - CHANGI Airports International (CAI) yesterday landed its first airport investment deal in China, acquiring a multimillion-dollar stake in the largest airport in eastern Jiangsu province. CAI is investing 1.1 billion yuan (S$220 million) for a 29 per cent... [Read more]

Couple get back baby held over unpaid bills
JAKARTA - THE impoverished parents of a baby held by an Indonesian clinic for three weeks because they could not pay the bill for her birth have been reunited with their daughter, a welfare official said yesterday. The clinic was forced... [Read more]

Companies in brief
OSIM EXPECTS WEAKER FULL-YEAR GAINOSIM International warned yesterday that profit for the year ended Dec 31 is likely to be lower than the previous year's gain by between 20 and 28 per cent. Interest expenses at American unit Brookstone and tie-up... [Read more]