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India to set up aerospace defence shield
NW DELHI - INDIA will set up an aerospace defence command to shield itself against possible attacks from outer space, officials said.The announcement came three days after Russia backed India's response to a Chinese satellite-destroying missile test that demanded a 'weapons-free... [Read more]

Mayor admits affair with top aide's wife
CONFRONTING a political scandal that sounds more like a soap opera, San Francisco's handsome young mayor has made an emotional apology for an affair with the wife of his campaign manager. 'I want to make it clear that everything you've heard... [Read more]

Russian and Qatar groups join Hinduja's bid for Essar
MUMBAI - INDIA'S Hinduja Group has teamed with Qatar Telecom and Russia's Altimo in its bid for control of fourth-biggest Indian mobile operator Hutchison Essar, newspapers said yesterday. Hinduja, with Qatar Telecom and Altimo, have submitted a 'binding bid' for the... [Read more]

Matilda 'thought of settling from 3rd day of suit'
SHE may have thrown in the towel only yesterday, but former NKF director Matilda Chua, widely regarded as Mr T.T. Durai's number two, had been thinking 'settlement' as early as three days into the suit, her lawyer said yesterday. That was... [Read more]

INSIDE SCOOP on gelato business
WHAT on earth does an engineer know about ice cream? Well, here's the scoop from Mr Michael Koh - it tastes good and there is a dollar or two to be made out of it. The engineer with a sweet tooth... [Read more]

Call to let Chinese Muslims build own mosques
KUALA LUMPUR - THE Perlis mufti, who has created waves with his non-traditional interpretation of Islam, has said that Malaysia should allow Chinese Muslims to build and run their own mosques.Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said it was unfair of state... [Read more]

Kim Jong Il turns 65, with no successor in sight
SEOUL - RAINBOWS fill the sky and frost flickers like fireworks as North Korea prepares for the birthday of its 'Dear Leader', who is reaching an age when many retire, yet is reluctant to name his successor. Mr Kim Jong Il... [Read more]

Ronaldinho scores twice in Barca win
MADRID - AFTER a series of subdued performances, Ronaldinho showed a return to form when he struck twice on Sunday.The Brazilian striker, who has been criticised for his poor showings in recent games, scored both goals in Barcelona's 2-0 victory over... [Read more]

Help sibling and win tax relief
YOU will soon be rewarded for extending a helping hand to your brother and sister.Those who use cash to top up the Central Provident Fund (CPF) retirement accounts of their siblings will now be allowed to claim tax relief of up... [Read more]

Hammers chairman backs Curbishley '100 per cent'
LONDON - WEST Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson has given his '100 per cent backing' to manager Alan Curbishley, insisting there is no deadline for him to turn the club's fortunes around. The Icelandic businessman has been infuriated by reports that he... [Read more]

Movie pirates hit hard in 12-nation blitz
OPERATION Trident, a two-month blitz on big-time movie pirates that involved 12 countries across the Asia-Pacific, has dealt a blow to the bootleg industry.Almost five million discs were seized in all, in the past two months. Some 870 arrests from Beijing... [Read more]