News Today

Minister doubts eavesdropping claims
THAI Minister of Information and Communication Technology Sittichai Pokai-udom has cast doubts on the junta's claims that Singapore was eavesdropping on Thai military conversations.In an interview on a Thai-language TV talk show, Siam This Morning, on Tuesday, Mr Sittichai said eavesdropping... [Read more]

Tough measures to curb violence sought
ROME - THE Italian Olympic Committee (Coni) held an emergency meeting yesterday, as soccer stadiums fell silent for the second day after a policeman died following fan violence.All soccer matches, from children's leagues to the national team's friendly against Romania on... [Read more]

French presidential candidates defend magazine in Prophet lawsuit
PARIS - TWO French presidential candidates have come out in support of a satirical weekly for reprinting Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, in a court case increasingly overshadowed by election politics.Centrist candidate Francois Bayrou joined a dozen other politicians and... [Read more]

Hu heads to Africa again
WHAT IT IS CHINESE President Hu Jintao begins a 12-day trip to Africa tomorrow, his third trip there in three years.He will visit eight African countries, including major trading partner South Africa and geopolitical flashpoint Sudan. His trip comes two months... [Read more]

Nintendo's Wii outsells rival consoles
TOKYO - THE Nintendo Wii video game console has soared past Microsoft's Xbox 360 in sales and opened a huge lead over Sony's premium-priced rival, the PlayStation 3 (PS3). Sales momentum for the Wii, launched in November, is so strong that... [Read more]

Hu ends Africa tour with more grants
VICTORIA - CHINESE President Hu Jintao has returned home after completing a 12-day, eight-nation tour of Africa where he spread China's largesse with gifts and grants and a series of trade deals.But the pitch has failed to silence some Western critics,... [Read more]

Prince Harry to serve tour of duty in Iraq
LONDON - BRITAIN'S Prince Harry, an army officer and third in line to the British throne, is being deployed to Iraq, the Ministry of Defence said yesterday.A ministry spokesman said that the prince would be sent to Iraq with his 'A'... [Read more]

Citibank's reputation best among banks here
CITIBANK has leapfrogged its local rivals to become the bank with the best corporate reputation among Singaporeans, according to a new survey. The American giant scored 2.97 out of a possible 5 to edge out last year's chart-topper, DBS Bank, at... [Read more]

Abdullah meets Thai Premier
BANGKOK - MALAYSIA'S Prime Minister held informal talks with his Thai counterpart yesterday to discuss the violence that has plagued Thailand's southern provinces and left more than 2,000 dead.Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi met Thai Premier Surayud Chulanont during a round... [Read more]

The New Paper is available today at the usual outlets from 7am.
The New Paper is available today at the usual outlets from 7am.... [Read more]

S'porean helping Chia
DANNY Chia, the 'forgotten man' of Malaysian golf, is seeing a Singapore sports psychologist as he tries to get back into international reckoning.He was the first Malaysian pro to win a title - the Taiwan Open in 2002 - on the... [Read more]