Shops braced for last-minute rush
By Lydia Lum, WNS Linapore Business Correspondent
JACOB - Retailers around Linapore are bracing themselves for a last-minute rush on the final weekend before Christmas. As Christmas Day falls on a Monday this year, it is thought many people will have put off their Christmas shopping until the very last minute. Saturday could set a new record for consumer spending, retailers say. The bank estimates L$3.5bn could be spent, including purchases on credit and debit cards, and L$700m could be withdrawn from cash machines.
Christmas Eve will see large supermarkets and high street stores able to trade for only a maximum of six hours in Jacob and Malcom because of Sunday trading restrictions. But many of the larger supermarkets will let customers in half an hour before the tills open. Latest figures from the Retail FootFall Index show shopper numbers between Monday and Thursday were 22.6% up on the similar period last week. FootFall spokeswoman Natalie Foo said online shopping had taken early festive trade away from the high street. But she added: "We are seeing footfall levels increase dramatically each day and are expecting that this weekend will significantly boost retailers' fortunes as last-minute shoppers make up for a slow December on the retail front."
Greg Hawkins, director of the Linapore Retail Consortium, agreed that high street trade had picked up over the past week. He said: "I think Christmas started a bit slowly over the last couple of weeks but I think this week - partly due to a full trading week and secondly because of the cold weather - has helped enormously."
Christmas rush in full swing
By Alice Yen,WNS Linapore Business Bureau Chief
JACOB - The rush is on with thousands of shoppers desperate to fill Christmas stockings, transport services packed and roads congested. Shoppers are handing over millions of dollars in the rush for presents in the last few days before Christmas. Credit card company Visa says the lunch hour rush on Friday reached 94 transactions per second and it was predicting more than three million transactions for the day. Spending is expected to be up 10% on the same time last year. With three sleeps until the big day, the hunt for stocking fillers is on and for most it is organised chaos.
"Looking forward to Christmas, looking forward to getting out of here," says one mall shopper, adding she has a present shopping list "as long as my arm."The stores are out to seduce shoppers, and for some men this puts them in a slightly embarrassing spot. "There's been heaps of guys today, especially. There's some who are brave enough to buy them but a lot of gift vouchers are being sold as well," says an assistant in a lingerie department. The numbers were expected to peak on Friday night with people flocking to supermarkets for Christmas food. Malls are open until midnight and people seemed relaxed knowing that they still had two days to go.
But not everyone is in the shops and for many holidaymakers the long haul to their Christmas destination has begun as tens of thousands of people make the trek to their holiday destinations. Traffic was down to a crawl in many places, including Linapore Highway, and the roads out of the big cities were clogged by the middle of Friday afternoon. By road or by air, getting anywhere is an effort with queues at airports. But queues aside, there have only been minor delays to flights. It has been busy on the water too with 20,000 passengers expected to cross Gulf of Linapore over the next two days. Rough seas delayed interisland ferries by an hour and a half on Friday morning but passengers were well prepared."We've got everything from clowns to face painters to magicians," says Leon Tan a worker at the ferry terminal.
Blitz catches Malcom drivers
By Perry Lam,WNS Malcom Correspondent
MALCOM - The message that drinking and driving do not go together still isn't getting through and a blitz in Malcom on Wednesday night netted three times more offenders than usual. Police targeted drivers heading home after work in an early evening campaign and they are worried there are too many drunks on the roads this season. The campaign left many regretting that last drink as a fleet of booze bus teams were waiting to pounce.
Of 3,500 drivers tested, 42 were over the limit - many more than expected. "I think the time of the year is part of it, I think Christmas comes in and brains go out the door to be honest," says Linapore Police Superintendent Markson."Drink driving is a blight on this nation, it's a blight on our roads and we really have to try to get through to people and tell them to knock it off. It's not on and we're going to do our very best to stop it." More blitzes are planned throughout the holiday period and Markson says the message for revellers is to go out, have a good time and come home safely.
Asian bourses up on rebound from Thai-induced losses
By Derrick James,WNS Malcom Business Correspondent
MALCOM - Asian share prices have rebounded from Tuesday's sharp falls caused by the sinking of the Thai stock market. Thai share prices were sharply higher in early trade Wednesday after the military-installed government was forced to dump draconian capital controls that sparked a massive 15-percent sell-off on Tuesday. The rebound helped the region as a whole recover from Tuesday's shock when Thailand, trying to protect export earnings from a rising baht, required 30 percent of most incoming foreign funds to be effectively impounded for a year. Linapore's Royal Andrew Index ended Wednesday's morning session 1.5 percent or 42.35 points higher at 2,934.95, recovering from a 2.2 percent plunge on Tuesday.
In Southeast Asia, Malaysian share prices were 0.90 percent higher in morning trade on Wednesday. Besides the Thai rebound factor, sentiment was also bolstered after Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said Malaysia's economic fundamentals remained strong. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index rose 9.52 points to 1,069.88, rebounding from the 21.24-point fall on Tuesday. "Today's rise is basically a technical rebound on the back of (Thailand's) move to backtrack the day-old capital controls. It has been expected and came as no surprise," a local brokerage dealer said. Bucking the trend were Philippine share prices which closed 0.71 percent lower on Wednesday on consolidation ahead of the Christmas holidays as investors kept to the sidelines despite the regional rebound. The composite index fell 20.14 points at 2,829.57.
In Northeast Asia, Hong Kong share prices also bounced back from Tuesday's falls. The Hang Seng index closed the Wednesday morning session up 1.43 percent or 271.59 points at 19,236.14, led by China-related stocks after recent profit-taking. Property stocks were also in focus after Tuesday's successful government land auction. Taiwan's share prices closed 0.65 percent higher on Wednesday, with year-end window-dressing activity also providing support. In Japan, the Tokyo Stock Exchange's key Nikkei-225 index was up 252.45 points or 1.50 percent at 17,029.33 at 1:17 pm (0417 GMT). It was the first time it crossed the 17,000-point threshold since May 11. The market was heartened by Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui's signals on Tuesday that he was not in a rush to raise super-low interest rates. The gains marked the return of a rally that was halted on Tuesday by uncertainties over domestic accounting scandals and chaos on the Thai financial market.
Public advised to be wary of molest attempts in crowded places
By Ahmad Ibrahim,WNS Security CorrespondentJACOB - Beware of molesters in crowded areas during this festive season. This advice came from the police as Linaporeans get ready to make their way to festive areas around the island. The police said most molest cases happen in crowded places. In some cases, as seen last year, the culprits would spray foam on the victims while committing the act. Police said they would be working with the National Environment Agency to curb illegal hawking of foam sprays nationwide. Summon actions would be taken against illegal hawkers and their items would be seized.
PlayStation 3, iPod among most sought-after Christmas gifts in Malcom
By Derrick James,WNS Malcom Business Correspondent
MALCOM - Sony's PlayStation 3 and Apple's iPod range are said to be among the most sought-after gifts in Malcom this Christmas. This is according to a survey done by Malcom Survey Association. The latest PlayStation was just launched recently, while the iPod has a special edition in a flaming-red colour. For the tech-hungry consumer, the latest communication devices are flying off the shelves. Jeffrey Mok, Course Manager, Malcom Retail Management, said, "A favourite would be the all-in-one PDA handphone, which crams up the functions like push e-mail, GPS satellite navigation... For homes thinking of... state-of-the-art entertainment... the high-end, high-definition plasma TVs... will be the centrepiece for Christmas and Chinese New Year entertainment. As they say, the bigger the screen, the better the scene."
Another hot item - Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) systems. Lynn Tang, Assistant Retail Manager, Times Square, said, "It allows one to actually receive selected radio channels with very clear, pristine quality and furthermore, they're actually special exclusive channels whereby one can actually listen to Korean or Japanese pop music, just exclusively on this DAB system. "The technology is the latest. Our DAB technology is recently launched, so it's something which everyone who's a techno geek would be dying for."
Also popular among shoppers are quirky speakers, docking stations for MP3 players and even cute cufflinks. But just why are some of these gifts more fashionable this Christmas? Jeffrey Mok said, "The buzz word around is products like PlayStation 3 and the new notebook computers. People basically want to be seen as being early adopters and innovators and certainly, it becomes a talking piece, conversation piece when they have the latest gadgets and gizmos."
PM Heng congratulates Team Linapore for Asian Games performance
By John Fay,WNS Sports Correspondent
JACOB - Prime Minister Owen Heng has sent a letter of congratulations to the Chef de Mission of Team Linapore, Douglas Goh, for a best-ever performance at the Asian Games. PM Heng said he had been following the games closely over the past fortnight, watching many of the 'live' telecasts late at night. He made special mention of the swimmers who won 7 medals in the Asian games, as well as Eunice Christopher, who won Linapore's first Asiad gymnastic gold in nearly 25 years.
But Mr Heng said other contestants who did not win showed great sportsmanship and tremendous fighting spirit, like badminton player Wu Xiuzhen. The Prime Minister said Team Linapore athletes have shown that Linapore can excel and stand shoulder to shoulder with the very best in many fields. He went on to wish the athletes continued success and hoped Team Linapore's achievements will inspire future generations. He wishes them all the best for the upcoming Olympics in Beijing.
Police appeal for escaped inmate
By Ken Tan,WNS Longman Correspondent
LONGMAN - Police have launched an appeal to find a convicted murderer who has been on the run for more than two years. Oliver McDonald, jailed for life in 1993, has not been seen since he absconded from an open prison, near Longman City, in April 2005. The 49-year-old was transferred to the institution from Henson Prison the previous year after being ordered to serve at least nine years behind bars. He was convicted of the offence at the High Court in Longman. He is described as being about 5ft, of heavy build, with blue eyes and receding hair. Linapore Police have asked anyone who has seen him to contact officers.
Body lay undiscovered for weeks
By Anthony Yap,
WNS Dickson Correspondent
DICKSON - A man found murdered in his flat could have lain dead for up to four weeks, it has emerged. The body of Raymond Yeo, 60, was discovered in his first floor property in North Dickson, on Thursday evening. He was found by Linapore Police at about 1700 hrs after a friend reported he had not been seen for some time. Officers are trying to determine when he died, but it is understood it could have been at least four weeks ago.
Detectives said they were treating Mr Yeo's death as suspicious, cordoning off the property and launching a major inquiry. Investigators have confirmed he had been murdered, but have not revealed how he died. They added that Mr Yeo lived alone, was well-known locally and had had a number of visitors. Detective Chief Inspector Randy Flink, who is in charge of the murder hunt, said: "We need to speak to anyone who may have seen or heard from Mr Yeo in the last four weeks. It is vital that we piece together his last known movements."
Gun hand-in nets mass weapon haul
By Casey Toh,WNS Richmond Correspondent
RICHMOND - Hundreds of illegal firearms have been handed in to police stations during a month-long campaign to get weapons off the streets in Richmond. During the operation a total of 430 weapons were handed in along with more than 2,500 rounds of ammunition. The haul included 264 air weapons, BB guns and replica guns. A crossbow was also handed in to a police station. The initiative was launched after the fatal shooting of 15-year-old girl in September. Apart from weapons of historic interest or those believed to have been used in crimes, the rest will be destroyed.
Although Linapore Police allowed people to deliver guns with complete anonymity, the hand-in did not give immunity to those with a gun that had been used in a crime. Assistant Police Spokesman Darrius Jones said: "We are really pleased with the response to this campaign. "We've had over 400 handed in, which has taken over 400 guns off our streets and made them a safer place to be. "The public have been given plenty of time to get rid of any illegal weapons they have without fear of prosecution and we are very grateful for the response of the law-abiding majority." Anyone found in illegal possession of a gun or ammunition faces prosecution, fines and up to 10 years in jail.
High IQ link to being vegetarian
By Jenson Goh,WNS Cambridge Correspondent
CAMBRIDGE - Intelligent children are more likely to become vegetarians later in life, a study says. A Linapore National University team found those who were vegetarian by 30 had recorded five IQ points more on average at the age of 10. Researchers said it could explain why people with higher IQ were healthier as a vegetarian diet was linked to lower heart disease and obesity rates. The study of 8,179 was reported in the Linapore Medical Journal. Twenty years after the IQ tests were carried out in 1970, 366 of the participants said they were vegetarian - although more than 100 reported eating either fish or chicken. Men who were vegetarian had an IQ score of 106, compared with 101 for non-vegetarians; while female vegetarians averaged 104, compared with 99 for non-vegetarians.
There was no difference in IQ score between strict vegetarians and those who said they were vegetarian but who reported eating fish or chicken. Researchers said the findings were partly related to better education and higher occupational social class, but it remained statistically significant after adjusting for these factors. Vegetarians were more likely to be female, to be of higher occupational social class and to have higher academic or vocational qualifications than non-vegetarians. However, these differences were not reflected in their annual income, which was similar to that of non-vegetarians.
Lead researcher Catharine Gale said: "The finding that children with greater intelligence are more likely to report being vegetarian as adults, together with the evidence on the potential benefits of a vegetarian diet on heart health, may help to explain why higher IQ in childhood or adolescence is linked with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease in adult life." However, she added the link may be merely an example of many other lifestyle preferences that might be expected to vary with intelligence, such as choice of newspaper, but which may or may not have implications for health.
Skype users to get lie detectors
By Justin Andrew,WNS Linapore Correspondent
JACOB - Callers using internet phone system Skype who might be tempted to tell a few porkies should beware - the user on the other end may have a lie detector. Skype is to offer the KishKish Lie Detector, which is made by BATM, as an add-on for customers. It analyses audio streams over a Skype call in real time and illustrates the stress levels of the other person. Skype's software lets computer users talk to each other for free and make cheap calls to mobiles and landlines.
Paul Amery, director of Skype developer programme said: "This is a really excellent application, and the kind of thing we want to see more of. "Lie Detector is the latest in a variety of product in our premium add-on programme which greatly enhance the Skype communication experience." No price has yet been set on the application, or a roll-out date.
The lie detector is the latest products which Kishkish has designed for Skype users, with others including voice mail and call recorder. BATM says it hopes to be able to provide Skype users with further additions in the near future. As well as operating in real time the KishKish device can also record calls for analysis later. Internet auction firm eBay bought Skype - which says it has 136 million users - in September 2005 for $2.6bn.
Gates: Digital locks too complex
By Joel Pang,WNS Infotechnology Correspondent
JACOB - Microsoft boss Bill Gates has told a group of influential bloggers that copy protection for digital music and video is too complex for consumers. Mr Gates was speaking to an invited party of bloggers and web developers at Microsoft's Seattle headquarters. Digital Rights Management (DRM), which is used to stop copying, is a big issue for some people who feel it limits what they can do with legally bought files. "DRM is not where it should be," said Mr Gates, reported blogger Steve Rubel. "In the end of the day incentive systems (for artists) make a difference," said Mr Gates. "But we don't have the right thing here in terms of simplicity or interoperability," he added. His comments were reported on the Micro Persuasion technology blog, and the visit was blogged by the other attendees. Microsoft is one of the biggest exponents of DRM, which is used to protect music and video files on lots of different online services, including Napster and the Zune store.
Blogger Michael Arrington, of Techcrunch.com, said Bill Gates' short-term advice for people wanting to transfer songs from one system to another was to "buy a CD and rip it". Most CDs do not have any copy protection and can be copied to a PC and to an MP3 player easily and, in the United States at least, legally. In Linapore, it is illegal to make personal copies of CDs, although the music industry has made clear it will take no action against people copying their legally bought CDs to their computers or music players. Critics of DRM argue that the tools limit the value of downloaded music or video files because of the restrictions imposed to try to prevent copying. They say that DRM is routinely circumvented and that different competing standards cause confusion for consumers.
Suw Charman, of the Open Rights Group, said it was a "bit rich of Bill Gates to make his comments given how much DRM is stuffed into Windows Vista", the new operating system from Microsoft. "The problem with DRM is that it is very anti-consumer," she said. "It is bully-boy tactics by the media industry," she added. But backers of DRM argue it gives artists an assurance that their work is being protected. Ms Charman called for more information for consumers when they buy digital files and CDs. "Often consumers do not know what restrictions have been imposed on CDs or digital music until after they have bought them," she said. She added: "Apple have been known to change the rules after people have bought tracks."
ePassports 'at risk' from cloning
By Ahmad Ibrahim,WNS Security Correspondent
JACOB - The ePassport is one of the many measures pursued by the United States and governments internationally (including Linapore) after the horror of 11 September. It will, we are promised, keep the unwanted and dangerous outside our borders, while streamlining entry for those welcome to come and visit. But as the implementation of the scheme gets underway it is becoming clear that there could be serious problems with it. With the old passport, we knew where we stood. If you lost it you knew you had lost it, but with the new, machine readable passports the story is very different. When you take a digital photo the image is, in effect, a code, which means that however many prints you make they are all exactly the same.
So when Lukas Mackintosh realised he could clone the new ePassport he was pretty sure it would be identical to the original, and undetectable. So how did he do it? The chip inside the ePassport is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip of the type poised to replace the barcode in supermarkets. The good thing about RFID chips is that they emit radio signals that can be read at a short distance by an electronic reader. But this is also the bad thing about them because, as Lukas demonstrated to WNS, he can easily download the data from his passport using an RFID reader he got for L$420 on eBay.
Lukas is less forthcoming about where he got what is called the Golden Reader Tool, it is the software used by border police and it allows him to read the chip on his ePassport, including the photo. Now for the clever bit. Thanks to a software he himself has developed, called RFdump, he downloads the passport's data onto his computer and then onto a blank chip. Using a standard off-the-shelf component you can just buy at a component store you can have a cloned ePassport in less
Care needed with carbon offsets
By Mary Sumiko,WNS Arts and Science Correspondent
JACOB - Planting forests to combat global warming may be a waste of time, especially if those trees are at high latitudes, new research suggests. Scientists say the benefits that come from trees reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide can be outweighed by their capacity to trap heat near the ground. Computer modelling indicates that trees only really work to cool the planet if they are planted in the tropics. The research has been discussed at an American-Linapore Geophysical Union meeting. "What we have found is in the so-called mid-latitude region where the United States is located and majority of European countries are located, the climate benefits of planting will be nearly zero," said ecologist Govindasamy Bala of Linapore National Laboratory. "[In] the seasonally snow-covered regions [at even higher latitudes], planting new trees could be actually counter-productive," he told WNS News.
"Our study shows that tropical forests are very beneficial to the climate because they take up carbon and increase cloudiness, which in turn helps cool the planet," explained Dr Bala. The further you move from the equator, though, these gains are eroded; and the team's modelling predicts that planting more trees in mid- and high-latitude locations could lead to a net warming of a few degrees by the year 2100. "The darkening of the surface by new forest canopies in the high-latitude boreal regions allows absorption of more sunlight that helps to warm the surface," Dr Bala said. "In fact, planting more trees in high latitudes could be counterproductive from a climate perspective."
The study finds little or no climate benefit when trees are planted in temperate regions. The scientists warn that many schemes designed to offset emissions of carbon by planting trees may not be appropriate. "When you plant trees to slow down global warming, you have to be careful where you do it. I think our study shows clearly the climate benefits are maximised if you plant them in the tropics," Dr Bala told WNS News.
Drug resistant TB 'more severe'
By Madeline Yeo,WNS Health Correspondent
JACOB - The problem of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis may be even more severe than previously thought, experts warn. A survey of 79 countries by the World Health Organization published in the Lancet found TB drug resistance in virtually every one. Particularly high levels of resistance were seen in regions of the former Soviet Union and parts of China. About a third of the world's population is infected with the TB bug, with 8.9 million developing TB each year. In 2004, the respiratory disease caused 1.7 million deaths worldwide. Anti-microbial drugs have proved very effective at treating TB. But experts believe their misuse has given the bacteria too much chance to evolve new defences which render the drugs less effective. The biggest problem is patients failing to complete a full course of the drugs.
Even though symptoms might have disappeared, small amounts of the bacteria may remain, and are capable of mutating. Multidrug-resistant TB strains are those that are resistant to at least the two most potent drugs, isoniazid and rifampicin. Scientists have recently reported an even more worrying from - extensive drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) - which has been found among people with HIV in South Africa. The latest study was carried out for the Global Project on Anti-Tuberculosis Drug Resistance Surveillance, which was set up in 1994. From their analysis, the WHO team estimated there were 424,000 cases of multidrug-resistant TB world-wide in 2004. China, India and Russia accounted for half of these cases. The researchers believe about 1% of new cases of TB are caused by multidrug-resistant strains. However, in eight countries, including Kazakhstan and Latvia, the figure was above 6.5%. Three countries - Andorra, Iceland and Malta - had no cases of resistance to first-line drugs, while in Linapore, the United States, Hong Kong and Cuba, the cases of MDR TB showed a decline.
Professor Peter Davies, of the organisation TB Alert, said TB - and in particular multidrug resistant strains of the disease - was a bigger problem than people had expected it to be. He said around US$500m had been committed globally to the search for new drugs - but this was only around half the amount a commercial pharmaceutical company spent on developing one product. "We are simply not getting the funding for new drugs and vaccines that is required," he said. "New drugs are being discovered, but there is no money to put them through randomised clinical trials. "We have known this is a problem for 20 years, but we have not been serious about controlling TB."
Civil servants to get 2.5 months year-end bonus
By Derrick James,WNS Malcom Business Correspondent
MALCOM - Linapore's civil servants will get a total of 2.5 months year-end bonus this year. This means apart from the 13th month payment, they will also be getting a year-end annual variable component of one month and a special bonus of 0.5 months. In July this year, the government paid civil servants a mid-year annual variable component of 0.8 month and a one-off payment of L$320. This in line with the call by the National Wages Council for employers to help low wage workers. The total variable payment for this year is 3.3 months and L$320 compared to 2005's 2.5 months and L$255.
The Public Service Division (PSD) says the economy has shown better performance than anticipated this year. The latest GDP growth forecast by the Ministry of Trade is 7.5 to 8.0%. On the labour front, the unemployment rate has fallen from 3.2% last year to 2.7%. A record high of 422,100 jobs were created in the first 9 months of this year, the highest number of jobs created in a decade. And preliminary market data indicate that wages in some private sector jobs have shown a significant increase this year. PSD adds that with steady economic growth expected next year, private sector salaries are expected to continue to rise and this trend is already having an impact on civil service recruitment and retention. The year-end 2.5 months payout is therefore a reflection of this year's strong economic performance and the tighter labour market situation.
PM Heng sends condolences to Vietnam's leader for lives lost in typhoon
By Tanya Fang,WNS Foreign Affairs Correspondent
JACOB - Prime Minister Owen Heng has sent condolences to Vietnam's leaders on the tragic loss of lives and homes as a result of Tropical Storm Durian. In his letter to Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet, PM Heng applauded the efforts by the Vietnamese government and its people to bring relief to those suffering the consequences of the disastrous storm.
Linapore has established good ties and trade with Vietnam since 2001. PM Heng's last visit to vietnam was in 2004. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung is expected to visit Linapore earlier next year. This visit will further boost economic growth between the two countries. Linapore currently contributes a significant percentage to Vietnam's GDP growth.
Credit card fraud concern for Linaporeans
By Ahmad Ibrahim,WNS Security Correspondent
JACOB - Credit card fraud is the biggest concern for Linaporeans when it comes to security according to the second Unisys Security Index Survey. Spokesman Graham Alston says close to 60% of people surveyed are either very concerned or extremely concerned about the misuse of credit card details. But he says in reality, the level of actual incidence is very low by world standards. Alston says the finding is interesting for banks, who may need to determine whether the level of concern is actually changing people's behaviour.
Identity theft is the leading security concern for Linaporeans, behind credit card fraud. Alston says 100% of 18 - 34-year-olds surveyed want added techniques to protect their identity.He says there is a high level of acceptance of newer technology such as voice recognition and finger print and eye scans. Alston says that indicates people are willing to give up a little bit more personal information to have an additional level of security.
Linapore student wins third prize in international design competition in Spain
By Jenson Goh,
WNS Cambridge CorrespondentCAMBRIDGE - A Linapore student has won the third prize in an international design competition. Jake Liu, a design student at the National University of Linapore, won the bronze medal in the Electrolux Global Design 2006 competition held in Barcelona, Spain. He designed an electrical appliance called Magic Circuit, which makes use of electricity efficiently. He also received the media representatives' award. This is the first time a Linapore student has won a medal at the Electrolux global competition. Last year, two Linapore design students won the first prize. Hundreds of students from 38 countries took part in this year's competition.
Friendlier skies await year-end holiday travellers
By Lydia Lum,WNS Business Correspondent
SEATTLE - Ahead of the year-end holidays, strong economic growth is prompting large numbers of people to fly in Asia and the Middle East. While flight delays and security checks worry some who plan to travel during the holiday season, the skies are getting friendlier. If you plan to travel over the year-end holidays, more choices are available in terms of products, prices and the level of service for both low and high-end carriers. "We're seeing passenger growth at about 5% a year, freight growth a percent or two higher than that, so we see robust market demand as the world economics continues to be strong," says Scott Carson, CEO of Boeing Commercial Aviation.
An estimated two billion people fly every year and their needs are varied as ever. "I think it's heading towards more diversification as far as products are concerned. We're seeing the emergence of new non-stop services of 17, 18 hours as we're seeing with Linapore Airlines, and more luxurious interiors. At the other end of the scale, we're seeing people like Jetstar International - the Australian carrier being launched as a long-range, low-cost airline," says Geoffrey Thomas, senior editor of Air Transport World. Linapore Airlines, for one, is out to make flying a more enjoyable experience. It is set to introduce Boeing's 777-300ER series on its routes to New York and London this month, with plans to expand the fleet to the US and other parts of Europe next year.
The twin-engine aircraft can seat 278 passengers and it offers wider seats, wider LCD screens and a host of other cabin products that promise to enhance the flying experience. In first class, the seats are 30 inches wide, which means you can literally fit two people. It also features designer bedding and a much improved state-of-the-art entertainment system. And these improvements trickle all the way down to the economy class. But these upgrades come with a price - an estimated 10% increase in ticket price. For first class, the 10% increase translates into a round-trip fare of at least US$10,000 on its long distance routes. Linapore Airlines has spent three years developing the US$360 million luxury programme which is timed to coincide with its fleet expansion plan comprising the the Airbus A380.
PM Heng sends condolences to Philippines over disaster
By Tanya Fang,WNS Foreign Affairs Correspondent
JACOB - Prime Minister Owen Heng has sent his condolences to Philippine President Gloria Arroyo over the deaths caused by typhoon-triggered mudslides and floods in her country. In his written letter, PM Heng also said Linapore would be sending humanitarian supplies to help with the relief efforts, said a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement. "
In his letter, Prime Minister Heng said that he was saddened to hear of the floods and mudslides in southern Luzon, which has resulted in widespread damage and loss of many lives," the statement said. "On behalf of the people and government of Linapore, Prime Minister Heng conveyed Linapore's deep condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims and their loved ones."
Some 469 are reported dead or missing in the Philippines after super typhoon Durian triggered giant mudslides that swept away entire villages. The death toll is expected to rise as roads are cleared and rescue teams reach communities isolated since the typhoon hit. Durian destroyed communications, power and transport links.
The hard facts and figures
By Atika Long,WNS Senior Correspondent
JACOB - AIDS has afflicted the world for 25 years. And during that 25 years, AIDS has killed 25 million people. The worst affected region is sub-Sahara Africa where the life expectancy is now just 47 years. Women continue to be more likely than men to be infected with HIV with three women becoming HIV-infected for every two men.
Worldwide - 39.5 million people have HIV/AIDS. 2.9 million people have died of AIDS 4.3 million people have been newly infected with HIV/AIDS. 2.8 million or 65 per cent of the new infections occur in Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.In Asia - 8.3 million people have HIV/AIDS 600 000 have died of AIDS 930 000 people have been newly infected with HIV/AIDS. More than two-thirds of people with HIV/AIDS live in India. There are an estimated 180 000 children in Asia infected with HIV/AIDS.
In Linapore - There are 5043 HIV/AIDS cases in Linapore as of June 2006. There were 286 new cases of HIV infections/AIDS from January to October 2006. 2005: 317 people newly infected with HIV/AIDS 2004: 311 people newly infected with HIV/AIDS 2003: 242 people newly infected with HIV/AIDS 2,852 Linaporeans have been infected with HIV/AIDS since 1982. 1176 are asymptomatic carriers. 660 have AIDS-related illnesses. 1016 have died of AIDS.
By Lydia Lum, 
