S'pore trio advance in Indonesia Open
JAKARTA • Three Singaporeans are through to the second round of badminton's Indonesia Open.
Leading women's singles player Liang Xiaoyu took out American Iris Wang 22-20, 23-21, while mixed doubles pair Terry Hee and Tan Wei Han beat Indians Manu Attri and Ashwini Ponnappa 21-14, 27-25.
Singapore's top men's singles shuttler Derek Wong plays England's Rajiv Ouseph in the opening round today. But Chinese top seed Chen Long has withdrawn with a back injury, conceding a walkover to local veteran Sony Dwi Kuncoro.
Merckx could face corruption charges
BRUSSELS • Eddy Merckx, the Belgian regarded as the greatest cyclist of all time, could face corruption charges over sweeteners he allegedly paid for a contract to supply bikes to a Brussels police force.
The Belgian paper La Dernière Heure said the five-time Tour de France winner is suspected of giving the commissioner of the Brussels-Midi police force and his wife two top-end bicycles made by his company in order to win a €15,000 (S$23,000) contract to supply 46 cycles to officers in 2006.
THE GUARDIAN
Japan baseball star to avoid prison stint
TOKYO • Former Japanese baseball star Kazuhiro Kiyohara, who was arrested in February for allegedly using stimulants, will avoid prison.
The Tokyo District Court sentenced the 48-year-old former Yomiuri Giants player to two and a half years in prison but suspended it for four years.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE•
