The Straits Times

March 9, 2009 Monday

Updated

Straits Times Headlines

Gloom and boom at international schools

S'pore woman 'hired killers in Phuket attack'

Winning course

Inside

Tiptoeing round the 'N' word

View Points

Obama to reverse curbs on stem-cell study

7.59

Help for single mums in downturn

Imported wives left in the lurch

Hard times make marital woes worse

Growing tug-of-war over lost treasures **

Global econ to pick-up soon

BASEL (Switzerland) - THE global economy is 'approaching' a pick-up point as positive elements that could fuel growth have yet to be priced in, G10 central bankers said on Monday.

'We have a number of elements that are suggesting that we are approaching the moment where you would have a pick up,' European Central Bank head Jean-Claude Trichet said in his capacity as spokesman for the G10 central bankers meeting at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).

'Swiss Gigolo' jailed 6 yrs

MUNICH - A SMOOTH-talking con man known as the 'Swiss Gigolo' was jailed for six years on Monday for cheating and blackmailing a string of super-rich lovers, including Germany's wealthiest woman.

Helg Sgarbi, 44, admitted as his trial opened in Munich 'the essence' of the charges against him, which included trying to hoodwink BMW heiress Susanne Klatten out of more than 340 million euros (S$666 million).

20,000 vie for 800 IR jobs

SOME 20,000 job seekers have applied for the 800 job openings offered by Resorts World at Sentosa (RWS) at the four-day career fair held at Suntec onvention centre, reflecting the strong lure of the integrated resort.

RWS senior vice-president for human resources and training, Ms Seah-Khoo Ee Boon, said on Monday that over half were keen on a job with the casino and another 40 per cent were looking to work in the Universal Studios theme park.

Merlion re-opens in 2 wks

THE Merlion at Merlion Park, which was struck by lightning late last month, is expected to re-open in two weeks.

On Feb 28, lightning during a heavy downpour sheared off a chunk from the Merlion structure. Nobody was hurt in the incident.

Taiwan to end conscription

TAIPEI - TAIWAN will phase out its decades-old military conscription policy over the next five years, the defence minister said on Monday, amid warming ties with China. Currently all men aged over 20 are required to do one year's military service.

But Defence Minister Chen Chao-min told reporters that the structure of Taiwan's military manpower will undergo a dramatic change over the next few years.