News Today

Fed officials see no rate cut, citing inflation risks
WASHINGTON - UNITED States Federal Reserve officials, armed with figures showing inflation picking up, made it clear that they are not close to cutting interest rates. Hours after the government reported on Wednesday that consumer prices rose more than forecast last... [Read more]

Company's charity move scrutinised
ANOTHER group has come under scrutiny by the charities watchdog. A red flag went up when the Commissioner of Charities (COC) saw that it was to have been helmed by an individual who wanted to raise funds for kidney patients -... [Read more]

Hyundai overtakes Mercedes as largest limo cab
MOVE over Mercedes - Hyundai now has the biggest limo taxi here. The Hyundai Azera is the choice of taxi operator Smart Automobile, which has secured a fleet of these cars. They are longer, wider and taller than the Mercedes-Benz E-class... [Read more]

Ex-charity chief: My pay was not extravagant
YOUTH Challenge founder Vincent Lam yesterday attempted to defend himself against some criticisms levelled against him by the Commissioner of Charities (COC). In a three-page statement to the media, he tried to explain how his salary was not extravagant, given that... [Read more]

Harvard updates core curriculum
BOSTON - HARVARD University has announced its biggest curriculum overhaul in three decades, focusing on sensitive religious and cultural issues, the sciences and overcoming American 'parochialism'. The curriculum at the oldest US university has been criticised as focusing too narrowly on... [Read more]

EU firms lose $40b to China's barriers, says study
BRUSSELS - EUROPEAN Union firms are denied business opportunities in China worth at least 20 billion euros (S$40.3 billion) a year because of non-tariff trade barriers, a study published by the European Commission says.The survey, conducted by consultants for the EU... [Read more]

Protect employers, hold maid's loan repayment in trust
I REFER to the recent letters to the Forum on errant maids, and would like to highlight a practice of many maid agencies which is unfair to maid employers. Many agencies now require employers to pay about $3,000 upfront - $2,400... [Read more]

Valentine's Day threats and fetes
KARACHI - MANY young, urban Pakistanis ignored threats from religious conservatives and celebrated St Valentine's Day on Wednesday with gifts of red roses, heart-shaped cakes and chocolates. Some religious groups in the predominantly Muslim country have condemned the celebration of the... [Read more]

Friendlier inter-Korea relations on the cards
SEOUL - INTER-Korea ties may turn sunny again after Pyongyang agreed to halt its nuclear programme in return for aid and diplomatic benefits. A day after securing the six-party nuclear deal, the two Koreas announced yesterday that they would resume stalled... [Read more]

Repo man rammed car into me and injured legs: Accused
THE woman accused of stomping on the roof of a repossessor's car in a street- side altercation claimed in court yesterday that he injured her legs by ramming his car into her. Wong Nguek Chin said she had asked the man,... [Read more]

Russia to spend $290b to modernise military
MOSCOW - RUSSIA has unveiled ambitious plans for a US$189 billion (S$290 billion) defence spending spree in a move that is arousing fears of a new East-West confrontation.Outlining plans for building a new generation of intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear submarines and... [Read more]