Breaking News

May 13, 2009 Wednesday

Updated

Straits Times Headlines

Shock as court rejects BN's Perak state chief

Surrounded by police, Mas Selamat tried to flee from house

Inside

Why S'pore has been slow in going cashless

View Points

NMP hopefuls from varied fields

China in a scramble after new flu case

Visa requirement for Mexicans lifted

Businesses told to stay alert

Japan's opposition chief to step down

Royal welcome for President Nathan

NTUC goes on hiring offensive

Dr Discount tends to the heartlands

Breaking News

Red Cross wants zone access

Won't quarantine entire hotel

US, China naval talks

Mass anti-China rally planned

'I don't feel much grief'

Nina Wang's lover hits back

Japan, Russia to sign nuke deal

Chen back in jail

Tycoon appeals over buyout

Solemn China mourns victims

Bangladesh culls 1,800 birds

Software piracy worsens **

Giant aid package for Pakistan

WASHINGTON - PRESIDENT Barack Obama's administration lobbied hard on Tuesday for a giant Pakistan aid package, arguing that to abandon the embattled nation now would jeopardize vital US national interests.

Richard Holbrooke, Mr Obama's special representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, said the ambitious aid bill sponsored by senators John Kerry and Richard Lugar had a 'talismanic quality' for Pakistanis.

China reports 2nd case of H1N1

BEIJING - CHINA reported its second suspected case of the new H1N1 strain of flu, a man in eastern Shandong province who had recently arrived from Canada, state media said on Tuesday.

Tests on the patient showed that he was 'suspected positive' of being infected with the A/H1N1 virus, Xinhua news agency cited the Health Ministry as saying.

Red Cross wants zone access

COLOMBO - THE International Committee of the Red Cross on Tuesday demanded 'unimpeded' access to Sri Lanka's war zone to save the lives of hundreds of wounded civilians.