Straits Times Interactive - NEWS

Okay to use English to teach Chinese

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Using English to teach Chinese has proven to be effective for children from predominantly English-speaking homes.

So, teachers should not be hung up on whether it is taboo to use a mix of English and Chinese for these children, Education Minister Ng Eng Hen said yesterday.

10 months' jail for Ming Yi

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Disgraced Buddhist monk Ming Yi was yesterday sentenced to 10 months' jail, while his former personal aide Raymond Yeung got nine months.

Sports Hub: Vivian asks for patience

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Please be patient and Singapore will get a Sports Hub everyone can be proud of.

Floods in England

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

London - Raging floods that have engulfed northern England's picturesque Lake District have been described as a 'once-in-a-thousand- years event'.

NSF dies after ship incident

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

A full-time national serviceman died in hospital yesterday, three days after he was warded in the intensive care unit.

China mine blast kills 42

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Beijing - A gas explosion tore through a state-run coal mine in northern China yesterday, killing 42 people and trapping 66 others 500m underground.

Obama's India policy raises concern ahead of PM's visit

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to arrive in Washington today as the first full-fledged state guest of United States President Barack Obama.

Two faces of Ming Yi

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Even though Ming Yi had risked life and limb for his 'baby' Ren Ci, his sacrifices for the charity were offset by the lavish lifestyle he led, said the prosecution yesterday.

Lawyers plead against jail for clients

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Tsunami-sized. That has been the amount of shame and embarrassment Ming Yi has had to bear since coming under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

About the case

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Ming Yi, 47, and his former personal assistant Raymond Yeung, 34, were convicted last month after a high-profile criminal trial.

Timeline

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

June 2001: Raymond Yeung from Hong Kong quits his job as a Cathay Pacific air steward. He joins Ming Yi in Singapore as his personal aide despite not obtaining an employment pass.

Submerged cars, sinking hearts

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Mr Kevin Liang's brand-new Ferrari can usually go from zero to 100kmh in four seconds.

Choose your own power provider

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Clementi West resident Esther Ng is buying electricity in a new way that matches her preferences and lifestyle.

Ubin cheers clean energy grid

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Every month, Mr Tan Chee Kiang spends $2,000 on electricity.

NKF to dip into reserves of $270m

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) plans to dip into its reserves of about $270 million to keep its commitments to Singaporeans suffering from kidney failure.

Broadcast veteran Palmer, 84, dies

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Singapore lost a broadcasting personality last Friday when former radio and TV newsreader Vernon Palmer died in hospital.

Game for Chinese class?

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Despite coming from a Chinese-speaking family, Joo Jia Le always found the language boring and repetitive.

How teaching of Chinese has evolved

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

1960s: Bilingual policy is implemented in schools, with focus on character-writing and dictation for the Chinese language.

TV funnyman flunked A-level language exam

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Adrian Pang makes his living as a funnyman on television in English and Chinese, but his struggle with the Chinese language was no laughing matter during his teenage years.

He hated every minute of the boring lessons

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

There is no love lost between business manager Leon Khoo and the Chinese language.

Sleepless nights over pasar malam

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Are pasar malam held too often?

Award for late Anthony Yeo

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

The late Anthony Yeo devoted his life to counselling work but did not seek awards for it.

$116,800 raised for charity

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Students from St Margaret's Secondary School Chinese Dance Troupe (below) putting on a dazzling performance at the Youth Talent Concert yesterday. The event at VivoCity's amphitheatre was organised by Singapore Press Holdings' Chinese Newspapers Division (CND) and it drew an audience of 1,200.

It's panda mania all over again

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

A giant poster at the Singapore Zoo's entrance announces the imminent arrival of two panda cubs from China.

Name the pandas

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

The buzz has started. In 2011, 'Wu Jie' (Valiant and Outstanding) and 'Hu Bao' (Shanghai's Treasure) will get new names when they arrive here.

Help gets closer for dyslexic kids

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

The Education Ministry (MOE) is sending teachers trained in helping children with learning difficulties to the schools next year, to coach pupils with dyslexia in reading and spelling.

Cat strangling: Reward for info

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

A cat was found dead yesterday tied to a pipe at Block 205, Toa Payoh North. It is believed to have been strangled to death with the string.

Rogue plumbers leave many high and dry

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

They will pretend your bathroom has a problem, do a shoddy job or even use bullying tactics, victims say.

Over 500 turn up at seniors-only job fair

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Mr Ang Koon Tong, a grandfather of three, got bitten anew by the working bug earlier this year, despite retiring from his position as a warehouse assistant over a decade ago.

Union leaders show mettle

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

In July, union leader Chua Cher Meng, 50, had to undergo a knee operation after a fall. But she delayed surgery by a week - against doctor's orders - just so that she could attend the first module of an industrial relations course.

Firm, union sign pact after long dispute

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

A long-drawn dispute over a major construction firm's refusal to enter into talks and conclude a collective agreement with its union has come to an end.

More condos let you walk on air

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

The sky is now a playground for condo residents.

Just 21, this funeral director is 'in it for life'

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Just 18 years old in 2006, Mr Nicky Teo Chin Li coordinated his first funeral. It was a day he will always remember.

Bowing towards controversy

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Tokyo: A foreign dignitary bowing to Emperor Akihito?

How low do you go?

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Mastering the art of bowing is a must for all Japanese when they start working life.

Tokyo 'to admit to secret N-pact'

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Tokyo - The Japanese Foreign Ministry has decided to admit the existence of a secret Japan-United States nuclear pact, Kyodo news agency cited ministry sources as saying yesterday.

Aide's body exhumed

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Kuala Lumpur: The body of an aide to a Selangor politician was exhumed yesterday for a second autopsy, following an order by a coroner's inquest held after his controversial death.

HK teen models spur worship, debate

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Hong Kong: It is of no surprise that people first noticed Chrissie Chau only when she stripped and walked through throngs of young office workers downtown, wearing only a bikini.

In Brief

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Jakarta - Officials say they have confiscated 75 tonnes of an explosive material being shipped from Malaysia to Indonesia and are examining possible links to terrorism.

Hot off the press

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Taipei - Confronted with an ever-growing pile of old newspapers, Taiwanese fashion designer Colin Lin came up with the idea of using them to make shoes and tote bags for her environmentally friendly footwear company.

US lawmakers push for Taiwan arms sales

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Washington - Supporters of Taiwan in the United States Congress have pushed for President Barack Obama to move towards selling arms to the island, a step that would likely set back warming US ties with China.

'I begged her not to attend protests'

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

As Neda Agha Soltan lay dying on the hot Teheran tarmac, her fiance was a few streets away, photographing the extraordinary scenes of unrest in the Iranian capital.

Dead Korean model felt insecure, said she didn't fit in

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Seoul - Fans and friends yesterday expressed shock at the death of a South Korean supermodel who was found hanged in her central Paris apartment last week.

US banks' capital under tighter scrutiny

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Washington - Federal Reserve officials are stepping up scrutiny of the biggest United States banks to ensure the lenders can withstand a reversal of soaring global-asset prices.

Japan may use postal savings for regional firms

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Tokyo - Japan's government and ruling coalition are considering using money from state-owned Japan Post's massive savings and insurance units to make loans to regional businesses, a Japanese newspaper said yesterday.

Jobless rate rises in 29 US states

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Washington - California, Delaware, South Carolina and Florida registered record rates of unemployment last month as weakness in the labour market stretches from coast to coast and limits the economic recovery.

All that glitters is not Goldman

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Get this: Goldman Sachs will be taking out the garbage at Thanksgiving.

Lankan govt to free Tamil war refugees

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Manik Farm (Sri Lanka) - Sri Lanka will release 136,000 ethnic minority Tamil war refugees from Dec 1, allowing the civilians to leave squalid and overcrowded government camps after a half-year detainment, a top official said yesterday.

Ex-S'porean on the run nabbed in KL

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Petaling Jaya - A former Singaporean, who was wanted for murder in the Netherlands and has been on the run in Malaysia for 14 years, has been nabbed and extradited to Amsterdam.

Ties between Philippines and S'pore 'good'

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Manila: Foreign Minister George Yeo wrapped up a four-day visit to the Philippines last night, attending a concert combining the talents of Singaporean and Filipino musicians which marked 40 years of diplomatic relations.

Older staff face rehiring hurdles

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Business development manager Chandran Suppiah is used to a fast-paced life that sees him zipping in and out of countries to clinch deals.

A way to stay mentally alert

21 Nov 2009 22:00 GMT

Mohammad Idris, 63