News Today

Learn the 'language of non-violence'
I refer to Ms Aishah Mohamed's letter, 'Don't call non-Muslims infidel or kafir' (ST, Feb 13). In Singapore, Muslims normally use the term 'kafir' to mean 'non-Muslim' and not 'a rejector of truth'. In the early history of Islam, even the... [Read more]

More in your CPF
What: Employers will contribute an extra 1.5 percentage points into their workers' Central Provident Fund (CPF) from July 1. This increase is only for those who earn more than $1,500 a month, or who are 35 years or younger. How much:... [Read more]

Is service charge for waiters and waitresses or for the establishment?
I refer to Mr Patrick Tan Siong Kuan's letter, 'Want good service? Bring back tipping' (ST, Jan 25), and Mr Alvin Gho Weijie's letter, 'Service charge is a misnomer' (ST, Feb 1). The unspoken understanding is that the mandatory 10 per... [Read more]

Education the way to bridge income gap: Fed chairman
WASHINGTON - BOLSTERING education and training - rather than erecting trade barriers - would help narrow the economic gap between low- and high-income workers, US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said.In his most extensive remarks to date on economic inequality, Mr... [Read more]

Is there an offset plan for defence spending?
THE letter, 'Hefty spending on defence justified' (ST, Jan 30), by Mr Goh Khee Kuan says, and I agree, that a decisive deterrence is critical. He concedes that the defence expenditure is large and at the expense of many other areas,... [Read more]

Red light for traffic photo contest
KUALA LUMPUR - EMBARRASSED officials have suspended a contest offering citizens cash for photographs of traffic offenders after protests from lawyers. The 'Snap, Send and Win' contest had a weekly prize of RM150 (S$66) for the best picture of traffic offences,... [Read more]

Malaysia Airlines' earnings 'to beat target'
KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA Airlines (MAS) said fourth-quarter earnings exceeded internal targets after the company cut 3,000 jobs and some routes. The carrier also forecast a profit for this year. 'We'll beat our fourth-quarter target,' managing director Idris Jala said in... [Read more]

Jail terms of copper wire thieves upped on appeal
ARGUING that the theft of copper wire had become a widespread problem, the prosecution won its appeal yesterday to have deterrent sentences imposed on two men described as 'career criminals'. One had his jail term doubled from nine months to 1-1/2... [Read more]

Is Woods' total dominance good for golf?
ATLANTA - NO ONE is crazy enough to suggest that anyone other than Tiger Woods is the world's best golfer. The American has held the No1 spot in the world rankings since June 12, 2005, a span of 89 weeks. He... [Read more]

Time-wasting: Allardyce calls Wenger a 'hypocrite'
LONDON - BOLTON manager Sam Allardyce has accused Arsene Wenger of hypocrisy over claims that teams use time-wasting tactics against Arsenal. Wenger was unhappy with Wigan on Sunday as they attempted to hold onto their slender lead by taking as much... [Read more]

FA Cup q-finals
Middlesbrough/West Bromwich Albion v Manchester United/ReadingArsenal/Blackburn Rovers v Manchester CityChelsea v Tottenham HotspurPlymouth Argyle v Watford... [Read more]