SALARIES will still rise this year - but by less than half of last year.

According to the latest survey by human resources firm Hewitt Associates, the average annual salary increment projected for 2009 is 2.1 per cent.

In 2008, wages rose an average of 5 per cent across the same mix of industries.

THE use of biometrics is being ramped up to weed out travellers who are not who they claim to be.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority is working on introducing a non-intrusive facial capture system at the checkpoints, said ICA commissioner Eric Tan on Tuesday morning.

MORE than $22 billion of investments have been pumped into transforming Marina Bay and the vision of a prime waterfront location for living, working and playing is steadily taking shape.

'In one or two years' time, this bay will be alive with people, with activities, festivities and it's a testimony to the foresight of the people who started developing this area many, many years ago,' said National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan after touring key sites on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON - THE International Monetary Fund on Tuesday raised its estimate of the cost of the global financial crisis to more than $4 trillion (S$6 trillion) in writedowns on soured credit.

The IMF said the total estimated cost of US$4.054 trillion includes US$2.712 trillion in losses in US-originated assets. European losses were estimated at $1.193 trillion and Japanese losses at US$149 billion.