BRUSSELS - EU leaders struggled on Friday to hammer out a common plan for overhauling the global financial system as French-German frictions also flared over whether Europe needs a joint economic recovery plan.

While most European leaders agree that a sweeping revision of the rules of global finance is needed to prevent future crises, Sweden for one criticised the proposals as going too far.

DBS Group Holdings chief executive Richard Stanley has defended the bank's sale of now worthless products linked to bankrupt Lehman Brothers - in his first public comments on the furore.

'DBS would never knowingly do anything that will hurt customers,' Mr Stanley said, speaking at the release of DBS' third-quarter results on Friday.

CASINO operator Las Vegas Sands issued a statement on Friday evening to reassure Singapore that its US$4.5 billion (S$6.7 billion) integrated resort in Marina Bay there is still on.

This comes amid fresh doubts raised by its auditor PriceWaterhouseCoopers that the company may not be able to continue operating. Las Vegas Sands Corp chairman and chief executive officer Sheldon Adelson said: 'When we were selected to develop an Integrated Resort at Marina Bay, we made a commitment to the Singapore Government and the people of Singapore. In light of recent turmoil in the global markets, I felt the need to personally reaffirm our commitment to the success of Marina Bay Sands. I am pleased to say that the Singapore Government's support of our project remains strong.'

KUALA LUMPUR - OPPOSITION leader Anwar Ibrahim won a bid on Friday to prevent Malaysia's government from transferring his sodomy trial to a higher court - a move he claimed could have caused him to face a biased judge.

Anwar was charged in August with sodomising a 23-year-old man - a former aide. The former deputy prime minister faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted but has dismissed the accusation as a political plot by the government, which denies any conspiracy against Anwar.