The Straits Times

March 20, 2009 Friday

Updated

Straits Times Headlines

SGX calls for vigilance to spot scandal risks

Won $1 million? Care to give some to charity?

Name this mascot

Inside

Factor inflation into CPF Life annuity plans

View Points

Singapore can't spend its way out of recession

Austrian 'monster dad' gets life term

WSJ senior editor fined $10,000 for contempt of court

A French connection in Singapore

Four bosses of marine firms hauled to court

Woman, 51, charged with killing daughter

Obama: I'll take blame for AIG fallout

Senators call for crisis crime probe

Liddy asks employees to return part of the bonus

Cancer was a spur to Ironman **

A Spur to hire local drivers

SBS Transit and SMRT have received a boost in their efforts to hire local bus drivers, with the Government set to pay up to $3.2 million to fund the training of new hires over the next two years.

Ninety per cent of the operators' training costs for new drivers who are Singaporeans or permanent residents will be subsidised, giving them more incentive to hire locals.

SAF troops commended

A CEREMONY was held at the Ministry of Defence on Friday to mark the close of Singapore's contributions to rebuilding war-torn Iraq.

The 200 servicemen and women who had served on board the Singapore Navy's Landing Ship Tank (LST) RSS Resolution were each honoured for their work with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Overseas Service Medal, which they received from Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean.

Recovered loot cost $4.6m

THE 230 timepieces recovered from the man believed to be behind the Cortina Watch heist has been valued at a net cost of about $4.6 million.

Cortina made the announcement on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) website on Friday afternoon, adding that their estimated maximum loss from the theft is now revised to about $3.3 million.

1st contraction in 60 yrs

BEIJING - THE world economy is likely to shrink in 2009 despite growth in Asian powerhouses China and India, the head of the OECD Angel Gurria said on Friday, warning of a first global contraction in 60 years.

'Now we are probably seeing a world which will go negative because even the positive growth of India and China is not going to be enough to offset the negative growth in (developed countries),' he told reporters in Beijing.

10 hired already for IR

THE first 10 lucky hires - all Singaporeans - have been picked out of 20,000 applicants who tried for the 800 positions available at the Sentosa integrated resort during a recent job fair.

The screening, interviewing and hiring is still going on to fill the remaining 790 positions.