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S'pore, China agree to draw closer

BEIJING: China and Singapore yesterday vowed to boost bilateral ties by increasing exchanges, contacts and cooperation.

The drive to draw closer was announced during a meeting between China's Vice-Premier Li Keqiang and visiting Singapore Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam, who was making an introductory trip to the Chinese capital.

Plans for Woodlands eldercare centre to proceed

THE Health Ministry is going ahead with plans for a daycare centre for the elderly in the void decks of two Woodlands blocks, but will take into consideration the concerns of residents who petitioned against it.

One Catholic church says: Dressing like this is NOT OKAY

THE Archdiocese of Singapore is looking into a dress code for Roman Catholic churches after a woman was told she could not wear three-quarter pants to church.

The Archdiocese, which oversees all 31 Roman Catholic churches in Singapore, will approach churches to find out the attire guidelines they put out and how they are enforced.

But it stressed that there are no plans to standardise any dress guidelines for the Catholic church at this stage.

LTA named a party in Thai teen's suit

THE lawyer representing Thai teenager Nitcharee Peneakchanasak, who lost her legs in a horrific accident last year, has named the Land Transport Authority (LTA) as a party in her suit filed against transport operator SMRT.

North Korea's largest hotel to open finally: 23 years late

SEOUL: Sometime this spring, North Korea's Ryugyong Hotel, which ranks among the world's 'most remarkable and mockable buildings', will partially open - 23 years behind schedule, according to South Korean media.

Pakistan court rejects PM's contempt appeal

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's top court threw out a last-ditch appeal from embattled Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani yesterday, ordering him to appear in court on Monday to face indictment for contempt that could cost him his job if convicted.

Will company bosses follow Govt example?

NOTHING excites Singapore's chattering classes more than the topic of politicians' salaries ('Ministers' starting pay cut to less than $1 million'; Jan5).

Government should offer a fairer distribution of benefits in this year's Budget

THE Hong Kong government's budget this year offered several measures to help ease the pressure of the economic downturn on the community, according to its website.

Penang public housing project: S'pore firm named consultant

SINGAPORE township development firm Surbana International Consultants has won a contract to provide consultancy services for a massive public housing development in Penang.

Home prices go up, but sizes go down

THE prices keep going up but the median size of private homes has been rapidly shrinking as home buyers try to stretch their dollar further.

India ignores the West on Iran trade

NEW YORK: India's Prime Minister resisted pressure from the United States and the European Union to curtail its trade with Iran over the country's suspected nuclear weapons programme, insisting yesterday that diplomacy was the best way to deal with the concerns.

Premier Manmohan Singh's comments came a day after New Delhi announced it was sending a large trade delegation to Teheran within weeks to exploit opportunities created by US and European anti-nuclear sanctions that are disrupting Iran's economy.

Teheran 'turning to barter to import basic staples'

PARIS/TEHERAN: Iran is turning to barter - offering gold bullion in overseas vaults or tankerloads of oil in return for food as new financial sanctions hurt its ability to import basic staples for its 74 million people, commodities traders say.

It'll be hostile

THE Old Trafford public do not tend to look kindly on Liverpool players at the best of times. Liverpool, rather than the neighbours from Manchester City, have tended to be regarded as the arch-enemy over the years. Their players have been treated accordingly. But none has arrived on enemy territory in quite the same circumstances as Luis Suarez. Liverpool's Uruguayan forward visits Old Trafford for the first time having just completed an eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra in October.

Giggs out to keep reds in their place

LONDON: Ryan Giggs likes Liverpool just where they are - behind Manchester United in the league title count. And the Welsh wizard wants nothing more than for their successful spell to continue.

Makiyo comes under police probe

Taipei - Prosecutors have put Japanese-Taiwanese starlet Makiyo under suspicion of causing grievous hurt after the cabby in her assault case identified her as one of his attackers.

Revolutionary film opens fest

Berlin - Actress Diane Kruger opened the 62nd Berlin film festival on Thursday with Farewell My Queen, an erotically and politically charged drama about a lovelorn Marie Antoinette on the eve of the French Revolution.

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