Singapore Virgina

SMEs should make full use of Budget perks: Chamber chief
LOCAL firms should take full advantage of the perks offered to them in the latest Budget, said the president of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) on Sunday. Mr Chua Thian Poh urged local businesses, particularly small and... [Read more]

$15b in Iraq reconstruction funds wasted by US
WASHINGTON - ABOUT US$10 billion (S$15.3 billion) has been squandered by the US government on Iraq reconstruction aid because of overcharges and unsupported expenses, and federal investigators say more money is at risk. The three top auditors overseeing work in Iraq... [Read more]

A study of chinese temples
A book recording the history and development of 40 temples in Singapore was released yesterday. Chinese Temple and Culture Volume 2, produced by Shin Min Daily News, also features articles by 10 local experts on Chinese customs. It was launched by... [Read more]

Russian concerns behind the handshakes in India
RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin was received with great warmth in New Delhi this week. And he signed a raft of new military agreements for hundreds of tanks, as well as new jets. India plans to spend S$15 billion on new defence... [Read more]

Repair delayed due to rare fault in plasma TV set
WE REFER Mr Li Jianming's letter, 'Philips' after-sales service a big letdown' (ST, Feb 15). We would like to clarify that the fault detected on Mr Li's plasma TV is indeed a very rare intermittent fault and hence a longer period... [Read more]

Duo jailed, caned for fatal bashing at Marina South bar
TWO men who attacked another - who later died - at a Marina South bar last April have been handed jail terms and six strokes of the cane each. The victim, Mr Mohamed Salleh Tukiman, 38, was brutally beaten up at... [Read more]

Shooting sprees in two US cities leave 10 dead
SALT LAKE CITY (UTAH) - AT LEAST 10 people died and several others were injured when two gunmen went on separate shooting sprees in two US cities. Witnesses in a crowded Salt Lake City shopping mall in Utah reported hearing 'shot... [Read more]

Rules eased to get more foreign docs here
THE door has been opened wider to foreign doctors, as Singapore moves towards a new goal of having one doctor per patient in public hospitals.The public sector currently employs 3,156 doctors, which translates to one doctor for every two patients at... [Read more]

Local index falls as trading slows ahead of long weekend
WHEN traders have the prospect of a long weekend in front of them, not even a pro-business Budget can keep them on the job. Skipping out early was the game plan yesterday and the market showed the indifference with volume dipping... [Read more]

eSys lays off staff ahead of Teledata merger
POSTER boy entrepreneur Vikas Goel's eSys Technologies has laid off nearly one-sixth of its Singapore workforce, just before a merger with Chennai-based Teledata Informatics. eSys, one of the world's largest distributors of hard disks, said yesterday it has whittled down the... [Read more]

Companies in brief
COURTS SOUNDS PROFIT WARNING DUE TO THAI LOSSESTHE furniture and electronics retailer Courts (Singapore) issued a profit warning yesterday, flagging losses incurred by its operations in Thailand.The group said it expects to be in the red for the third quarter ended... [Read more]