PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIA has appointed former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra economic adviser to premier Hun Sen, a Cambodian government statement said on Wednesday, adding to tensions between the countries.

'Thaksin has already been appointed by royal decree... as personal adviser to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and the adviser to the Cambodian government in charge of economy,' said the statement read on state television.

IN A boost to Singapore's marine and offshore industry, Sembcorp Marine will develop the first integrated yard facility in Tuas, costing $750 million.

The new yard will transform the sector and position Singapore for continued global leadership in the industry.

THE new Downtown MRT Line is chugging along at full speed, with more than $7 billion worth of contracts awarded as of Wednesday. That is slightly more than half the projected cost of the $12 billion line.

Ten out of 17 major contracts were handed out by the Land Transport Authority between March and September - a record pace of sorts. Of these, the Korean construction firms accounted for the single largest slice of the pie - or 47 per cent of the dollar value.

AN 18-year-old girl who was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend suffered 15 external injuries, three of them fatal wounds, the High Court heard on Wednesday.

Miss Jeevith Panippans had stabs to her left chest and left shoulder. Her neck was also slit, said forensic pathologist George Paul, who conducted the autopsy on her.