BEIJING - A CHINESE court has officially accepted the first lawsuit seeking compensation for last year's tainted milk scandal, state media said on Wednesday, opening up the possibility of a flood of court actions.

A district court in the northern city of Shijiazhuang decided on Wednesday that it would hear the suit filed against the Sanlu Group, the dairy firm at the centre of the poisoned milk controversy, Xinhua news agency said.

TITLE sponsors for this year's Singapore Formula One Grand Prix have started the countdown early with more prizes, grid girls and opportunities for the public to try out F1 simulators.

SingTel, which also sponsored the inaugural F1 night race last year, is offering fans a chance to win race passes and premiums worth over $100,000, through its revamped race website.

NEARLY 2,600 foreign workers were found to be living in 16 unapproved dormitories, which were raided by several government agencies over two days this month.

The Ministry of Manpower, together with the National Environment Agency, the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the Urban Redevelopment Authority, conducted checks on the workers quarters the Woodlands, Tuas, Serangoon Road and Tagore areas on March 10 and 24.

LONDON - VANDALS smashed windows and damaged a car on Wednesday at the home of a former British bank chief who sparked public anger when he refused to give up his big pension after the government rescued his bank.

Fred Goodwin, former chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland, left the bank with a 693,000 pound (S$1.54 million) annual pension last October after the government bailed it out.