News Today

Heart pill: Pay $1,000 less the NUH way
FOR subsidised heart patients in need of potentially life-saving medication, where they get treated could mean a difference of more than $1,000 when footing the bill. At the National University Hospital (NUH), a patient gets a year's supply of medicine when... [Read more]

SPCA took in fewer animals last year
THE number of animals taken in by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) last year fell 6 per cent compared to the year before. Last year, it gave shelter to 9,706 animals, more than half of which... [Read more]

Delay in CPF fund transfer explained
I REFER to the letter, '10 days later, funds still not with CPF' by Mdm Sek Lay See (ST, Feb 1). DBS received the funds from OCBC on Jan 15 and the funds were transferred to the customer's CPF Investment Account... [Read more]

Beijing slams Taipei over changes to textbooks
BEIJING - CHINA lashed out at Taiwan yesterday for dropping phrases from high-school history textbooks that link the two as one country, and said the move was another step towards promoting the island's independence.The changes included replacing terms such as 'the... [Read more]

Yong, Loo drop claims against two ex-board members
FORMER National Kidney Foundation chairman Richard Yong and ex-treasurer Loo Say San have withdrawn their third-party claims against former board members Kweh Soon Han and Lawrence Chia. Mr Yong and Mr Loo, who, along with former board member Matilda Chua, were... [Read more]

Micro-Mechanics profit soars a fifth at half-time
PRECISION tools maker Micro-Mechanics has reported a 20.9 per cent rise in half-time net profit to $4.4 million. Revenue for the six months ended Dec 31 was up 15.2 per cent at $17.7 million. To reward shareholders, the Sesdaq company is... [Read more]

Pet shops pass off rodents as mini-pigs
HONG KONG - ANIMAL carers in Hong Kong said yesterday pet lovers who had bought piglets for Year of the Pig luck may have been conned by shopowners who sold them rodents. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals... [Read more]

Quick-thinking pilot, passengers foil hijack
LAS PALMAS (SPAIN) - PLUCKY passengers of a Mauritanian plane overpowered a suspected armed hijacker with help from a quick-thinking pilot. The Air Mauritania Boeing 737 was on an internal flight in the north-western African country on Thursday when the hijacker,... [Read more]

Protests against name changes
TAIPEI - HUNDREDS of employees at Taiwan's state-run Chunghwa Post Co protested angrily yesterday against the company's plan to change its name from 'Chunghwa' - which means Chinese - to 'Taiwan'. The protesters held placards and shouted slogans outside Chunghwa's headquarters... [Read more]

Boosting defence ties
An American defence official received the Singapore Defence Technology Distinguished Fellowship yesterday, for boosting defence cooperation between Singapore and the United States. Mr Craig Hunter, the former deputy assistant secretary of the army for defence export and cooperation, received the award... [Read more]

Another two banks tie new home loans to public rates
TWO more banks have jumped on the bandwagon of offering new home loans pegged to external rates, in a bid to make their rates more transparent.Late last week, OCBC Bank and United Overseas Bank (UOB) launched new mortgage packages that are... [Read more]