Is the killer's writing on the wall?

But psychiatrists say that writing violent screenplays is no indication of actual violent behaviour

'Disemboweled bodies litter the streets. Some have been decapitated, others hung off bridges and overpasses'

Kimveer Gill (above) in a blog entry before shooting six people to death in Montreal last year.

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'...my reaction is to strike out toward the perceived source of my misery, society. My intent is to harm society as much as I can, then die'

Joseph Edward Duncan (above) before he killed three people and kidnapped two children in Idaho.

'...my reaction is to strike out toward the perceived source of my misery, society. My intent is to harm society as much as I can, then die'

Joseph Edward Duncan (above) before he killed three people and kidnapped two children in Idaho.

A boy verbally abuses his stepfather and fantasises about killing him. When he tries to choke his stepfather with a cereal bar, the much bigger man kills him

A scenario in a Cho Seung Hui (above) screenplay.

NEW YORK - Teachers and fellow students were horrified by Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung Hui's violent screenplays - bizarre tales of suburban mothers brandishing chain saws and high school teachers raping their students.

In retrospect, they are the bizarre product of a mind clearly on the brink of mayhem.

But psychiatrists say such incidents are no indicator of imminent violence. If it were, practically every writer in Hollywood would be a menace to society.

'I don't think you can take a wild leap from something somebody writes,' said clinical psychologist Stanton Samenow, who wrote the book Inside The Criminal Mind.

Psychologists and psychiatrists agree that there is no way to definitively predict future violent behaviour.

Yet, often there are warning signs and experts say people should trust their instincts when they feel threatened by a co-worker, neighbour or acquaintance.

Psychological studies have shown that perfectly normal college students often have violent ideas and fantasies. In one recent survey, 47 per cent of undergraduate students reported having had at least one homicidal fantasy.

In another, more than two out of three said they had fantasised about killing someone, and 30 per cent of men reported doing it frequently.

'Existing studies have clearly demonstrated that many more people have homicidal and sexually violent fantasies than act on them,' psychiatrists David Gellerman and Robert Suddath wrote recently in The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.

Some experts have even suggested violent fantasies may be therapeutic in psychologically healthy people, a mental means of blowing off steam.

Still, there may be some hints in a person's writing to indicate a potential for violence. For example, a writer might reveal his ignorance of social norms in a fictional story that goes too far in breaking taboos, said Mr Gregory Moffatt, a psychology professor at Atlanta Christian College.

'You look at the lines that are being crossed and how flagrantly they are being crossed,' he said.

For example? Chopping up the babysitter is a staple of the horror genre. Chopping up the baby is not.

Cho's screenplays are bizarre and absurdist, but whether they violate taboos is a matter of interpretation. In one, a boy verbally abuses his stepfather and fantasises about killing him. When he tries to choke his stepfather with a cereal bar, the much bigger man kills him with a single blow.

Another screenplay centres on three underage teenagers who are gambling in a casino and complaining about their much-hated teacher, Mr Brownstone. Some of their comments are quite graphic. Then Mr Brownstone appears just as one of the students hits the jackpot and conspires with casino security to steal the US$5 million pot.

Cho is not the first killer to have his writing scrutinised in the aftermath of his crime.

'Vengeance is coming,' Kimveer Gill wrote in a blog entry before shooting six people to death and injuring 19 more in Montreal last year. 'A light drizzle will be starting up. The clouds will be grey, so grey. Just the way I like it. Disemboweled bodies litter the streets. Some have been decapitated, others hung off bridges and overpasses.'

Joseph Edward Duncan III was much more explicit when he wrote in May 2005: 'I am scared, alone and confused, and my reaction is to strike out toward the perceived source of my misery, society. My intent is to harm society as much as I can, then die.'

Four days later he allegedly killed three members of a Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, family and kidnapped two children aged eight and nine. He sexually assaulted both and later killed one of them before being captured in Montana with the surviving child. Investigators later tied him to four unsolved murders in two states.

He was clearly a threat. He had spent years in prison on sexual assault charges and was a registered sex offender.

But though Cho had been investigated for stalking and had a history of mental illness, he did not have a record of violence.

Several of his professors were clearly alarmed enough to recommend him for counselling. One even concocted a code-word system to notify her assistant if she felt threatened during tutoring sessions.

But it was not just Cho's writing that alarmed them - his behaviour in class was considered odd and menacing. Some of his classmates have said they sensed he could be dangerous. They even joked about the possibility that he might go on a rampage.

In his book Blindsided: Homicide Where It Is Least Expected, Mr Moffatt refers to such jokes in a chapter entitled Seven Mistakes That Cost People Their Lives.

He says people should report their impressions to the authorities, even if they feel a little silly doing it.

AP

China's economy grows 11.1%, faster than expected

BEIJING - China's economy picked up speed in the first quarter, growing 11.1 per cent compared with the same period a year earlier, the government said on Thursday.

The outcome for the first three months of the year, largely in line with analyst forecasts at around 11 per cent, is likely to have been boosted by a yawning trade surplus and massive investment in infrastructure.

Growth in the world's fourth-largest economy reached 10.7 per cent in full-year 2006 and ran at 10.4 per cent in the three months to December.

The government has set a growth target of 8.0 per cent for 2007 as a whole.

The three months to March posted the highest quarterly growth rate since the second quarter of last year, when the economy expanded 11.5 per cent, according to revised government data.

Concerns about economic growth
Announcing the figures, the National Bureau of Statistics noted a whole series of concerns about the pace of economic growth which continues to run ahead despite government efforts to put the country on a more sustainable path.

'Outstanding problems existing in economic development are an imbalanced balance of payments, excessive liquidity, an irrational economic structure and high pressure on energy conservation and pollutant emissions reduction,' NBS spokesman Li Xiaochao said in a statement.

China's main measure of inflation, the consumer price index, rose 2.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2007 from a year earlier, the NBS said. CPI in March alone was up 3.3 per cent, suggesting a pick up in price pressures.

The government is targetting an inflation rate within three per cent this year in the fast growing economy.

Consumer inflation is one of the key measures that the central bank monitors when deciding what monetary measures to adopt.

Negative reaction
Prior to the data, stockmarkets in China and around the region had fallen sharply on concerns strong data combined with a pick up in inflation would see Beijing take more draconian measures to slow the economy.

Fixed asset investment rose 23.7 per cent in the first quarter.

Fixed asset investment, the main indicator of mostly state-funded spending on new productive capacity, is seen as being fuelled by the ample liquidity in the world's fourth-largest economy.

The government has undertaken several measures to tighten liquidity in the past several years as it tries to keep the economy on a more sustainable growth path.

Industrial output expanded 18.3 per cent in the first quarter. This indicator has been boosted by massive investment in new plant and equipment in recent years, alongside booming exports.

In the first three months of the year, China posted a trade surplus of US$46.4 billion (S$70.7 billion), about double the figure for the same period in 2006.

China has been eager to prove it is addressing concerns about its trade policies after the surplus last year soared 74 percent to hit a record 177.5 billion dollars. -- AFP

Asian shares tumble, STI down 3.21%

Asian stocks closed sharply lower on Thursday with markets gripped by fears that runaway growth in China has gotten out of hand and would dictate further intervention by Beijing.

Investors had shrugged off a record close on Wall Street overnight and sold down the benchmarks from the opening bell, after Chinese authorities announced they would delay the release of first quarter growth figures.

This fed the regional rumour mill and heavy trades were conducted on the prospect that Chinese growth figures would be much higher than anticipated.

In turn, this would lead to further measures, such as interest rate hikes, to cool the rampaging economy and probably trigger a massive sell-off in the booming Chinese stock market.

It was a scenario not unlike Feb 27 when a near nine per cent plunge on the Chinese markets caused panic selling on the global equity markets.

China economic growth
By day's end, authorities released the much awaited figures showing 11.1 per cent growth for the quarter to March, up from 10.4 per cent in the previous three months as the economy charged up again to prompt an official warning the Chinese economy was at risk of overheating.

That was not what investors wanted to hear in Asia, or in Europe where markets were also sold down in early trade.

Investors punished Shanghai to the tune of 4.52 per cent while Tokyo slumped 1.67 per cent, Hong Kong tumbled 2.30 per cent, Seoul was down 1.36 per cent, Taipei fell 1.43 per cent and Sydney shed 1.15 per cent.

Elsewhere, Singapore slumped 3.21 per cent, Jakarta stumbled 2.11 per cent, Kuala Lumpur shed 1.68 per cent as Bangkok fell 0.73 per cent, Mumbai was down 0.38 per cent and Wellington by 0.31 per cent.

SINGAPORE
Share prices closed 3.21 per cent lower on fears that China's rapid first quarter economic growth might prompt a further interest rate hike.

Dealers said worries over a call for measures to cool the possibly overheated Chinese economy were used by investors as an excuse to cash in gains after the main index's recent run-up to record levels.

The Straits Times Index closed down 109.13 points on volume of 3.86 billion shares worth $2.89 billion.

'We are reacting to China's inflation figures and expectations of a further tightening of their fiscal policy,' a dealer with a European brokerage said.

'It's slightly higher-than-expected and the authorities are bothered about it. It doesn't bode well for markets as a whole if China wants to tighten its monetary policy,' he said.

Dealers expect investors to exercise caution over the next few days, with the index taking its cue from the regional markets.

DBS Group Holdings was down 70 cents at $21.60.

KUALA LUMPUR
The benchmark Kuala Lumpur Composite Index, which recorded a new all-time high closing of 1,330.26 on Tuesday, ended the day 22.27 points or 1.68 per cent lower at 1,306.36.

In the broader market, losers outnumbered gainers 919 to 111. Turnover was at 1.8 billion worth RM3.3 billion (S$3.7 billion).

HONG KONG
Blue chips fell 477.38 points or 2.3 per cent and China plays slid 3.2 per cent on Thursday amid a broad sell-off as China's latest economic data sparked fears that the country would take further steps to cool its rapid investment.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index ended at 20,299.71, marking its biggest one-day percentage drop since March 14.

The China Enterprises index of H-shares, or Hong Kong-listed shares in mainland companies, suffered their worst one-day percentage decline since March 5.

TOKYO
Japanese share prices closed down 1.67 per cent on Thursday, hit by worries about a stronger yen and heavy losses on China’s stock markets, dealers said.

They said that the falls came despite fresh gains overnight on Wall Street where the Dow Jones index hit a record closing high on upbeat corporate news.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Nikkei-225 index of leading shares dropped 295.36 points to 17,371.97.

The broader Nikkei-225 index of all first-section shares lost 23.78 points or 1.37 per cent to 1,706.93. -- AFP, REUTERS

Earth threatened by 'slow genocide'

Security Council warns that global warming can be a destabilising force



NEW YORK - VANISHING shorelines, failing crops and food shortages threaten nearly every continent on earth, warns the UN Security Council, during a ground-breaking debate that pegs global warming as a threat to international peace and security.

Brushing aside objections from developing countries, which have insisted that the issue is not under the council's domain, the security body said on Tuesday that climate change is a destabilising force, on a par with 'a slow genocide'.

As food and arable land become more scarce, diplomats warn, farmers and fishermen will be displaced, and local wars over dwindling resources - such as the conflict in Sudan's Darfur - would become inevitable.

'While it may be difficult to quantify the relationship between climate change and international peace and security, there should be no doubt that climate change is an immediate global challenge whose effects are trans-boundary and multi-faceted,' said Singapore's UN ambassador Vanu Gopala Menon.

'There will be serious implications touching on politics, socio- economics, geography, security and the fundamental way in which we interact with nature and with each other,' he said.

Britain, which chairs the Security Council this month, decided to put climate change on the agenda after several recent studies and reports linked carbon emissions and global warming to human enterprise.

British Foreign Minister Margaret Beckett has called the issue too serious for the council to ignore.

'The implications of climate change for our security are more fundamental and more comprehensive than any single conflict,' Ms Beckett said, praising the discussion as a 'watershed' for environmental consciousness.

But many diplomats have disagreed, insisting that the 15-member Security Council, which is tasked with maintaining global peace and security, is encroaching on the turf of the 192-member General Assembly.

Even the president of the General Assembly, Sheikha Haya Bin Rashid Al-Khalifa of Bahrain, noted in an interview with The Straits Times last week that climate change and environmental issues are 'one package' which come under 'the competence of the General Assembly'.

Some of the most plaintive remarks have come from small countries, island nations and those already feeling the effects of global warming.

'This is not an academic exercise, but a matter of life and death for my country,' said the Nambian ambassador. In his country, the encroaching desert is swallowing once-arable land, while malarial mosquito populations are on the rise.

Several ambassadors from small island states, such as Palau, which lies south-east of the Philippines, also note that rising seas are killing the coral reefs they count on to draw tourists and fish for cash and food.

'The destruction of coral reefs is tantamount to the destruction of Palau,' said the country's UN representative Stuart Beck.

The United States, China and Russia were reluctant to expand the council's mandate to include environmental concerns, but eventually agreed to participate as long as the council did not issue statements or resolutions.

The Bush administration, which has taken a sceptical view of recent findings that human beings contribute to greenhouse gases and global warming, has stressed that energy independence is important to achieving stability, and emphasised that good governance would help countries adapt to uncertainty.

'The most effective way to bolster security and stability is to increase the capacity of states to govern effectively,' said US ambassador and charge d'affairs Alejandro Wolff.

'States that govern effectively can better anticipate and manage change and the challenges that come with change.'

US immigration let her through despite scissors

UNLIKE the sales executive whose family missed their flight to Australia recently because she mentioned the word 'bomb' to her daughter during a security check at Changi Airport's Budget Terminal, I had a different encounter in the United States.

My husband and I and our then two-year-old son were holidaying in the US in 2004. Though our son was on solid food, the food had to be cut into bite size to facilitate chewing. For that reason, we took along a pair of round-ended scissors wherever we travelled.

When we were flying back from San Francisco, I forgot to put the scissors in our check-in luggage. When we were clearing US immigration the scissors were detected in my hand-carried luggage by the scanning machine. The officer whisked me aside discreetly. I explained that the scissors were meant for cutting food for my son. We were soon joined by my husband and son. The officer glanced at our son and told us that though she understood why we had with us a pair of scissors, such instruments were not allowed on board the plane. However, as the scissors were round-ended, she let us through - together with the scissors - after reminding me to remember to remove all banned items before boarding another plane.

I could not thank her enough for her kindness and understanding.

In the wake of the recent incident over the 'bomb' remark, I shudder to think what would have happened if my scissors incident had taken place here.

Thanks to the immigration officer who exercised discretion, I have a high opinion of US security measures.

---

SCARY THOUGHT

I shudder to think what would have happened if the scissors incident had taken place here.

Gender mender

YOU can't really call playwright-performer Verena Tay's latest project, Between Woman And Man: The Erasure Of Verena Tay, a one-woman show.

That's because it sets out to question assumptions about gender identities, or what it means to be a man or a woman.

The production, which is split up into two parts on two nights, is directed by Richard Chua, who helms Little Red Shop, a theatre company dedicated to small-scale, intimate shows.

Through a series of folk tales, Tay explores male and female identities. Her status as a woman will be tested, stretched and even erased in the performances.

The first show tomorrow is called Male Instincts, and will feature four stories with male protagonists from India, Africa, the Maori tribe from New Zealand and an Aesop's fable she adapted to a Singaporean context.

On Saturday, she presents Women Wise, with three stories dealing with the roles of women, including a Japanese tale where a male wrestler learns from three strong women.

Tay, 41, says the project was inspired by her own personal frustrations with being a woman in Singapore.

'I'm not your typical Singaporean woman. I'm not small, petite or overtly feminine - but I've gotten by,' she says.

'Certain parts of me are strong, such as my ideas, my vision and leadership dynamics. I'm so strong in these areas that I'm interpreted as very male. But does that make me any less of a woman?'

Chua, 34, says: 'We always strive to be clear: A man needs to be a man, a woman, a woman. We don't give spaces in between. I think the most interesting places in life are the in-between ones.'

Adeline Chia

Between Woman And Man: The Erasure Of Verena Tay is on at The Substation Theatre, 45 Armenian Street tomorrow and on Saturday at 8pm. Tickets at $30 for both shows, $20 for one, from Gatecrash (tel: 6222-5595, www.gatecrash.com.sg).

American leaders in no hurry to ban guns

They are reluctant to call for restrictions as many were elected on pro-gun platforms


NEW YORK - TWO months ago, a Virginia Tech student walked into a pawn shop on Main Street in Virginia and bought a .22-calibre Walther P22 gun.

A month later, the same student went to a nondescript gun store 65km away and paid US$571 (S$870) for a Glock 9mm handgun and a box of ammunition.

As required by law, the student presented identification: A Virginia driver's licence, cheques that matched the address on the licence and a federal immigration card to prove he is a legal US resident. He passed a background check and left Roanoke Firearms with his gun.

'It really was a very unremarkable sale,' said owner John Markell.

'He was about as clean cut a kid as you would ever want to see.'

On Monday, the student, Cho Seung Hui, made a horrible kind of history by using that gun and another pistol to go on a murderous rampage at his university, killing 32 people before taking his own life.

'He must have bought a lot more ammo somewhere else,' Mr Markell said.

The tragedy is drawing attention to Virginia's gun laws, which some gun-control advocates described as lax.

The legal age for buying a gun in the state is only 12, with parental supervision.

Several Democrats and at least one leading presidential candidate, Mr John Edwards, have called for measures to restrict gun sales, even as they proclaimed their support for the Second Amendment.

The article in the US Constitution enshrines 'the right of the people to keep and bear arms'.

But Senator John McCain, who is also running for president, said: 'This brutal attack was not caused by nor should it lead to restrictions on the Second Amendment.'

Mr David Codrea, a blogger and a columnist for Guns Magazine, said: 'We see calls for gun control, but we may not see as much empathy for calls for armed self-defence.'

Many advocates on both sides of this debate, including the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, suggested they were waiting for more information about Cho and how he acquired his weapons.

President George W. Bush, who was endorsed by the NRA in both his presidential bids, took the same cautious stance.

He told ABC television: 'Now is not the time to do the debate until we are absolutely certain about what happened and after we help people get over their grieving. But, yeah, I do think there is going to be a lot of discussion.'

In Congress, Representative Carolyn McCarthy pushed House leaders to move quickly on a stalled Bill that would improve databases used to conduct criminal background checks on gun purchasers. The New York Democrat's husband was killed and her son was seriously wounded by a gunman more than a decade ago.

But for the most part, congressional leaders limited themselves to expressing their condolences to the Virginia victims.

'I hope there is not a rush to do anything,' said the Senate majority leader, Mr Harry Reid of Nevada. 'We need to take a deep breath.'

Even Senator Charles Schumer, who helped spearhead a ban on assault weapons more than a decade ago, said it was too early to discuss additional gun control measures.

The muted political response was a testament to political realities. Many Democrats in Congress were part of the new majority who were elected on pro-gun platforms. The Democratic Party is also trying to reach out to voters in the south and west.

School shootings do not happen only in the US. For instance, a gunman killed 15 people at a school in Erfurt, Germany, in 2002. But they have happened in the US more often than anywhere else.

'It is clear the ready availability of guns in the US makes it easier for someone to commit one of these crimes,' said sociology professor Joseph Gasper at Johns Hopkins University.

In Virginia and on gun-rights blogs, some critics were challenging Virginia Tech's regulations which prohibit gun owners from carrying their weapons on the campus, a common practice at many colleges.

But Mr Blaine Rummel, a board member of Virginians for Public Safety, an anti-gun group, said:. 'If easy availability was a solution, Virginia Tech would not be in mourning today.'

NEW YORK TIMES, LOS ANGELES TIMES, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Nagasaki mayor dies after suspected yakuza hit

Motive still unclear in rare gun attack that has stunned the Japanese public



NAGASAKI - STUNNED Japanese yesterday placed flowers at the spot where the mayor of Nagasaki was murdered by a gunman, as police investigate the killer's links to the country's largest crime syndicate.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the murder a challenge to democracy, and the authorities pledged to tighten security around political leaders ahead of local polls on Sunday in which the mayor was campaigning for re-election.

Mr Iccho Ito, 61, a political independent and anti-nuclear pacifist, died early yesterday from massive blood loss, hours after being shot outside his campaign offices in Nagasaki, a southern Japanese city which suffered an atomic bombing on Aug 9, 1945 that devastated it.

Police immediately arrested the gunman, 59-year-old Tetsuya Shiroo, who is said to be a senior member of the Suishinkai gang affiliated with Japan's largest underworld syndicate, the Yamaguchi Gumi.

'This criminal act during the election campaign is a challenge to democracy. It cannot be forgiven no matter what,' Mr Abe told reporters in Tokyo. 'We must eradicate violence like this resolutely.'

Yesterday, Mr Motohisa Mizuta, the leader of the Suishinkai affiliate in Nagasaki, went in person to a police station and handed a letter that said his group was disbanding, a senior officer told reporters.

'Our organisation has caused trouble to society,' the officer quoted the letter as saying.

Nagasaki will press ahead with its mayoral race and continue to accept new candidates today, which is the last day for nominations.

Mr Makoto Yokoo, 40, a son-in-law of the mayor and a Tokyo-based journalist with no experience in public office, told the media yesterday he plans to run for Mr Ito's job.

The motive for the killing remained unclear, although police said Shiroo had admitted to the shooting.

Some media reports said Shiroo had been upset at the city's handling of a traffic accident four years ago in which his car was damaged as it passed a public works construction site.

Gun attacks are rare in Japan, which has strict gun laws. Only people with job-related reasons are allowed to own them.

But crime syndicates have the money and know-how to smuggle foreign guns into Japan.

Of the 53 gun attacks reported last year, 36 were committed by the yakuza, or Japanese mafia, the national police agency said.

Police figures showed that membership in yakuza organisations totalled 41,500 last year - a drop from 2005 - but the number of associates willing to do their dirty work was up at 43,200.

Yamaguchi Gumi has reportedly been trying to branch out from its home base in Kobe, western Japan, into Tokyo, leading to rare shootings in the capital earlier this year as groups fought over turf.

Japanese Defence Minister Fumio Kyuma yesterday triggered criticism from opposition parties after he said the shooting of Mr Ito, who was backed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, would benefit the communist candidate running against him.

Mr Ito was still fighting for his life in the hospital when Mr Kyuma made the remark deemed to be insensitive.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ASSOCIATED PRESS, REUTERS

Private sector not feeling the heat to up pay

Civil service merely playing catch-up, say private firms, on pay hikes for fresh graduates


THE private sector is in no hurry to raise starting salaries for freshly minted graduates, despite moves by the civil service to do so.

One main reason for this, say companies and human resource (HR) consultants interviewed, is that the public sector is merely playing catch-up. They say the civil service tends to pay its rookies less than does the private sector.

The civil service will raise the starting pay of new graduates outside its Administrative Service by 10 per cent to $2,600 a month from June.

But this new pay in its Management Executive Scheme is for those with at least a second class upper honours degree.

Despite this hike, their pay is still lower than most of those in five sectors selected for comparison. The gap is particularly wide when matched against such skill-specific industries as law or information technology, said HR consultants.

IT company EPS Computer Systems pays non-honours degree graduates between $2,600 and $3,000 while those with honours degrees take home $300 more, said its director, Mr Kevin Liang.

Private sector lawyers start at even higher salaries. Those in small firms earn around $4,000 a month, and in large firms, from $4,500 to $4,800, said five law firms and HR consultants.

Rookies at accounting firms can earn between $2,800 and $3,200 a month, with the recent change in starting salaries by the Big Four accounting firms.

Companies employing entry-level engineers pay them between $2,400 and $2,800, with chemical engineers earning the most.

The president of the Institution of Engineers, Singapore, Mr Tan Seng Chuan, does not foresee an increase as the existing pay is comparable to the civil service's.

But it takes more than a fat pay cheque to draw talent, said the companies and HR consultants interviewed.

United Overseas Bank (UOB), which pays new graduates with a general degree about $2,400, said joining the bank was also about 'interesting work, personal growth and long-term career opportunities'.

Starting pay is less of an issue in the financial sector as the bonuses are generally bigger and the promotions faster.

Kelly Services' Asia-Pacific vice-president and managing director, Mr Dhirendra Shantilal, echoed this: 'Graduates look for jobs that will also present them with a conducive environment to work, learn and grow.'

He added: 'Pay may be a deciding factor for those already thinking of going into public service, though.'

For graduates like computer science major Yong Zhen Hoe, 25, learning opportunities are more important than the starting pay.

'I want to experience all aspects of a business or an organisation where training is structured, like a multinational corporation or the civil service,' he said.

Apart from attracting young talent, the civil service has another battle to fight.

Its attrition rate rose from 4.8 per cent in 2005 to 5.7 per cent last year. In some areas, it was as high as 25 per cent.

These rates worry the Government, but the private sector does not perceive them as alarming. In engineering, it is normal for companies to see an attrition rate of about 10 per cent, said Mr Tan of the Institution of Engineers, Singapore.

In banking, it is higher, ranging from 20 per cent to 25 per cent, say HR experts. For instance. it was about 18 per cent at UOBlast year.

Mr Peter Lee of wages consulting firm Remuneration Data Specialists said even a 20 per cent rate is very healthy.

'Not everyone can move up to director level in a company, so it's natural for people to want to move on.

'Plus, it's a good renewal process, with new blood bringing fresh ideas,' he said.

Those who quit tend to be in the 25 to 35 age group.

Many in this group have three to five years of experience, are mobile and are hungry for new challenges, say HR and wage specialists.

Bank to raise headcount by 58%

STANDARD Chartered bank is aiming to raise its headcount of 3,800 staff by 58 per cent to about 6,000 by 2010. 'We have every intent to be at the forefront in the continued growth of the financial centre in Singapore,' said group executive director, Asia, Mr Kai Nargolwala. The British-based bank's Singapore unit is in the top five contributors to group revenue and profit. Singapore is the global headquarters for most of Stanchart's businesses, including its consumer banking, corporate finance and debt capital markets.

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Stanchart seals S'pore's largest-ever office deal

It leases 24 floors at Marina Bay Financial Centre for 12 years


SINGAPORE'S drive to become a global financial centre took a major step forward yesterday when Standard Chartered signed the biggest office rental deal ever struck here.

The British bank, the latest in a string of international finance giants to expand here, has snapped up 24 floors of the Marina Bay Financial Centre (MBFC), a site some property experts once thought would be a white elephant.

Stanchart's rental deal, including renovations and relocation, is worth $800 million over 12 years starting in 2010 and comes amid a boom in the office rental market that has created shortages of prime office locations.

The 508,298 sq ft of space - just under half the size of VivoCity mall - will make it the biggest in Stanchart's office network across 57 countries.

It sees the deal as a strategic investment in Singapore, said its group executive director, Asia, Mr Kai Nargolwala.

'It demonstrates (our) long-term commitment to our customers and the community here,' said Mr Nargolwala.

Mr Chris Fossick, managing director at Jones Lang LaSalle here, which brokered the deal, said: 'It's a real illustration of how Singapore is developing as a financial hub.'

The bank is the latest to join the space race here. United States investment bank Merrill Lynch said last November that it would lease an entire building at Harbourfront, giving it 200,000 sq ft.

Germany's Deutsche Bank took 280,000 sq ft at One Raffles Quay, making it the single largest tenant. And Swiss bank UBS took up 200,000 sq ft over 10 floors in the same building.

The huge deals, particularly the Stanchart agreement, highlight the turnaround in the office rental sector in the last two years.

The release of the MBFC site for sale was delayed twice in 2003 because developers, battling a slump in demand for office space, feared it would cannibalise demand in the Central Business District.

Now, the booming economy has ignited the office market to the point where there is now a shortage of Grade A space - the top-tier of office space, based on factors such as size, location and amenities - while rents are going through the roof.

In the first quarter of this year, average rents for top- notch office space in Raffles Place climbed nearly 23 per cent to $11.80 per sq ft, according to Jones Lang LaSalle data.

Asking rents at some coveted buildings, including Republic Plaza and 6 Battery Road, are believed to be at record highs of $15 psf or more.

'We are expecting Grade A office rents to rise by another 40 to 50 per cent this year,' said the managing director of consultants Cushman & Wakefield Singapore, Mr Donald Han.

Rental pressure could come as financial institutions increase space in tandem with plans to make Singapore their regional or global base.

Stanchart will use its space in the 33-storey tower one at MBFC to house its front office staff, including local and global businesses. It also plans to hire an additional 2,200 people in the next three years.

The eight office locations it has here will be consolidated into just two or three, with the outlet at 6 Battery Road likely to be one of those retained.

Stanchart is the first tenant to sign up for the MBFC. It also has an option to extend its 12-year lease for a further eight years.

STANDARD Chartered bank is aiming to raise its headcount of 3,800 staff by 58 per cent to about 6,000 by 2010.

'We have every intent to be at the forefront in the continued growth of the financial centre in Singapore,' said group executive director, Asia, Mr Kai Nargolwala.

The British-based bank's Singapore unit is in the top five contributors to group revenue and profit.

Singapore is the global headquarters for most of Stanchart's businesses, including its consumer banking, corporate finance and debt capital markets.

Yangzijiang makes waves on trading debut

THERE were a few compelling tales surging through the market yesterday but the Straits Times Index (STI) only managed to tell one of them.

While the index rose and fell in its familiar manner before closing 14.91 points down at 3,400.41, a more dramatic narrative of a new listing which made waves was occurring on the sidelines.

Chinese shipbuilder Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, the largest China flotation in Singapore so far, debuted with a bang.

An astonishing 462.1 million shares changed hands with the price ending 39 cents above the 95 cent issue price at $1.34, although at one point it was 44 cents to the good. Lucky subscribers reaped a hefty 41 per cent gain.

Also, five covered warrants issued by foreign banks on the stock rose on its coat-tails.

An impressive 86.92 million contracts, in total, changed hands as traders switched between the mother share and the covered warrants throughout the session.

'Dealers thought the high turnover of Yangzijiang could also be linked to the simultaneous trading of the covered warrants on the counter,' said NetResearch.

One trader said the intense interest could also be due to anticipation that the shipbuilder may soon announce lucrative contracts.

Its sterling debut also spurred buying interest in other shipyard shares.

Keppel Corp rose 30 cents to a record $21 with 1.62 million shares traded, while Labroy Marine was up five cents at $2.40 on a volume of 2.42 million shares.

For the rest of the market, it was another good day for penny construction stocks with traders anticipating contracts to be handed out by Genting International to build the Sentosa casino resort.

'Singapore is attracting tonnes of foreign money and this is finding its way into the stock market as interbank rates drop,' said a dealer.

Singapore's benchmark three-month inter- bank interest rate has fallen by almost 1 percentage point to 2.56 per cent in the past six weeks.

And besides blue chips, investors are looking closely at penny stocks that may benefit from the building boom.

Yongnam Holdings - a fabricator of steel structures - gained 1.5 cents to 33 cents on a hefty volume of 82.3 million shares, while engineering contractor CSC Holdings rose 0.5 cent to 32 cents, on 61.5 million trades.

But Genting fell four cents to $1.01, with 78.8 million shares traded, as the exuberance accompanying the 'all clear' to start its Sentosa project wore out.

It all looked as if the blistering sideline action would also lift the STI initially.

For the second straight day, the STI opened above last Tuesday's record 3,422.62 and went on to hit 3,438.71.

But the recent run-up in property stocks petered out and they eventually dragged the index down to its 3,400.41 close.

CapitaLand slipped 20 cents to $8.35 on a volume of 6.55 million shares, while beverage and property giant Fraser & Neave lost 20 cents to $5.30, with 2.24 million shares traded.

Hotel Properties, another hot favourite in recent weeks, declined 20 cents to $6.15 with 2.25 million shares traded.

But GuocoLand hit a record high of $5.10 on a volume of 4.3 million shares, buoyed by the company's property exposure in China.

GOH ENG YEOW

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STRONG START

An astonishing 462.1 million Yangzijiang shares changed hands with the price ending 39 cents above the 95 cent issue price at $1.34. Lucky subscribers reaped a hefty 41 per cent gain.

SGX confident China IPOs will still flow here

THE Singapore Exchange (SGX) is confident that Chinese firms will continue to seek listings in Singapore, despite speculation that China is trying to steer them towards listing in Shanghai or Shenzhen instead.

It says demand for capital among China firms is so great that it would be impossible for the two domestic mainland bourses to cater to them all.

SGX's executive vice- president and head of listings, Mr Lawrence Wong, told The Straits Times yesterday that he does not believe that China regulators 'are trying to stop companies from coming out, as this will only create problems for themselves and problems for the companies'.

He was commenting on a recent report that Beijing had introduced an unofficial policy to allow China firms to list in Hong Kong only if they are seeking to raise more than US$1 billion (S$1.51 billion) or planning a simultaneous listing in China.

Some market watchers have said this could hit the number of China firms listing in Singapore too.

Mr Wong said: 'To raise US$1 billion will require a firm to have a US$3 billion to US$4 billion market capitalisation. Most China companies won't fall into that category. Imagine the consequences if all these companies try to go into the two bourses of China?'

Since last September, China firms have needed clearance from the China Securities Regulatory Commission in order to list overseas. This has led to fears that Beijing may impose tough hurdles before allowing them to do so.

But the impact is yet to be felt, as those China firms which already had initial public offerings (IPOs) under way restructured their operations before the new rule kicked in.

Mr Wong is convinced that Beijing will arrive at an amicable solution that will mean China firms can still list in places such as Singapore.

'I have a very high regard for the Chinese authorities. They know what they are doing. They have to look at different things, inside and outside the country and make the right policies.'

The SGX has continued to talk to China firms interested in a listing in Singapore 'either directly or through intermediaries'.

'China being China, it will continue to be an important source of listings for us and for a lot of other stock exchanges. Definitely, it will be on our radar screen,' he said.

Last year, China IPOs accounted for about half of the new listings on the SGX.

Mr Wong also noted that Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, which raised almost $1 billion in proceeds from its flotation, is the largest China firm to list here.

The counter started trading yesterday. 'It speaks a lot of our ability to take on large IPOs,' Mr Wong said.

US$ weakness cuts risk of forex shocks

THE managing director of Singapore's central bank said the US dollar's steady slide and the rise of Asian currencies were reducing the risk of a sudden currency shock, The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday.

'The US dollar has come down quite a bit, Asian currencies have gone up, the Japanese and European economies are growing and in China and many other Asian economies, you see domestic consumption increasing,' Mr Heng Swee Keat, the managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), said in an interview with the newspaper.

'So I see that as a good development, and if we can continue with those changes, the risks of a sharp change in the exchange rates would be that much diminished.'

Mr Heng also said he expected downward pressure on the US dollar to continue in the long term, although that would be tempered by the attractiveness of United States financial markets to international investors, the Journal said.

'In terms of the longer-term trends, if you look at the fundamental economic performance, that must change the value of the US dollar vis-a-vis the rest,' the newspaper quoted him as saying.

It said he added that the 'depth of financial markets' and innovations in the US financial system would offset that trend by keeping assets attractive for foreign buyers. Asked if he viewed the US dollar's decline as benign, he replied: 'Yes'.

REUTERS

US college massacre: Killer was S. Korean student

WASHINGTON - THE gunman in the deadliest mass shooting in American history has been identified as South Korean student Cho Seung Hui, 23.

Cho, a permanent resident in the United States, was an English major in his senior year at Virginia Tech University, where 33 people, including the gunman, were killed in a rampage on Monday morning.

Last night, officials said Cho was responsible for killing 30 people before turning the gun on himself. Police are still trying to determine if he was responsible for two earlier shootings on the campus.

The chilling events at the campus, nestled in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, reverberated throughout the world, as far away as India and Israel - the home countries of two professors who were killed in the massacre.

The two were professors Liviu Librescu, 76, an engineering science and mathematics lecturer from Israel, and India-born G.V. Loganathan, 51, a lecturer at the department of civil and environmental engineering.

In South Korea, the government expressed surprise and shock after news broke that Cho had been identified as the killer.

President Roh Moo-Hyun 'was shocked beyond description over the fact that the tragic incident was caused by a South Korean native who has permanent residency' in the US, his office said in a statement.

The president 'reiterated his deep condolences and consolation, along with South Koreans, to victims, their families and the American people', the statement said.

In Australia and elsewhere, condemnation of US 'gun culture' flew thick and fast, while condolences came from China, Britain and other countries.

Meanwhile, criticisms that university officials did not act fast enough to warn students of an unfolding tragedy grew as details surfaced about the shootings.

The massacre began at 7.15am on Monday with the killing of two people in a high-rise coed dormitory.

More than two hours later, Cho stalked Norris Hall, the engineering building a kilometre away. Wielding weapons and draped with an ammunition belt, he was described as being dressed in shorts, 'almost like a Boy Scout'.

Working methodically, with clear indication of some level of planning, he chained several doors of the building before moving from classroom to classroom, calmly pumping dozens of bullets into students and teachers.

He then shot himself in the face - disfiguring himself so badly that he could not be identified immediately.

Police recovered two handguns - a .22-calibre and 9mm - at the scene. They confirmed one gun was used at both scenes.

One witness used his cellphone camera to record the sound of bullets echoing through a stone building.

Student Trey Perkins said he counted about 30 shots over a 90-second period.

Amid scenes of chaos and pandemonium, some students jumped out of windows in a desperate bid to escape death.

Mr Charles Steger, the university’s president, expressed his 'horror and disbelief and sorrow' at what he described as a tragedy of monumental proportions.

US President George W, Bush sent his condolences to the families of the victims and the university community. 'Schools should be places of sanctuary and safety and learning,' he said.

The latest shootings took place almost eight years to the day after the Columbine High bloodbath near Littleton, Colorado. On April 20, 1999, two teenagers killed 12 fellow students and a teacher before taking their own lives.

The shootings are certain to re-ignite a debate on tougher gun laws. Virginia’s gun laws are among the least strict in the nation.

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FACE OF A KILLER

SOUTH Korean Cho Seung Hui (picture), 23, was an English major in his senior year at Virginia Tech University.

Officials said he killed 30 people before turning the gun on himself.

Jakarta to overhaul entire transport system

Plan unveiled as US officials warn travellers to avoid Indonesian airlines


JAKARTA - THE United States safety authorities have advised American travellers not to use Indonesian airlines because of their poor safety record.

Indonesian Transport Minister Hatta Radjasa concurred with this assessment, but pledged to fix the problem over the next few years.

In a message sent to American citizens in Indonesia yesterday, the US Embassy here cited an audit by the Indonesian civil aviation agency which revealed that none of its domestic airlines is in excellent condition.

'Whenever possible, Americans travelling to and from Indonesia should fly directly to their destinations on international carriers from countries whose civil aviation authorities meet international aviation safety standards,' the embassy said.

Admitting that most of the aircraft, railway tracks and ships in the country are outdated, Mr Hatta announced a plan to revamp Indonesia's entire transport system, which has been hit hard by a series of fatal accidents in recent months.

'We understand that the future of Indonesian transportation development is totally dependent on its safety and security record,' Mr Hatta told journalists as he unveiled the Roadmap for Enhancement of Safety in National Transportation.

Land, air and sea travel will be much safer by 2009, he said, after the massive efforts to modernise facilities and infrastructure, improve safety and security standards and enforce stricter laws on operators.

Noting that most of the domestic airlines operate aircraft that are about 20 years old, Mr Hatta added that many airports are also poorly equipped, lacking crucial equipment such as the Instrument Landing System, which helps aircraft land.

Investigations into the March 7 Garuda plane crash that killed 21 people at Yogyakarta airport found last week that the shorter-than-recommended safety run-off section at the end of the runway and the airport's poor accident management might have contributed to the severity of the accident.

Under the plan to overhaul about 36 airports across the country, ageing navigational radars will be replaced and the Instrument Landing System and X-ray detectors will be installed, Mr Hatta said.

There are also plans to build more runways and taxiways at the airports and provide more fire-fighting units, he said.

The authorities are also considering imposing a limit on the age of imported aircraft in the country to no more than 10 years.

Both airline and airport operators will be assessed on their compliance to international standards, and crew such as pilots, technicians and inspectors will undergo more training and scrutiny of their qualifications, Mr Hatta said.

'There will be severe punishment for those who fail to comply with the laws and the standards,' he said.

An audit of 54 aviation companies in the country last month revealed that none made it to the first of three rating categories, while six were given a warning to comply with safety regulations in three months or face closure.

To implement the plan, Mr Hatta said the government will double the state budget for the transport sector to about 16 trillion rupiah (S$2.7 billion) next year, including 3.5 trillion rupiah set aside for air transport.

'This amount is still small, so we need to combine it with foreign direct investment, public-private schemes and also from infrastructure funding that is going to be set up by the Ministry of Finance,' he said.

Indonesia, an archipelago nation of more than 17,000 islands, relies largely on air transportation.

The country has been plagued by a string of transport-related accidents, triggering calls for Mr Hatta to resign.

On this issue, the minister said: 'I have discussed with the President and the Vice-President - it is up to the President. Whatever his decision, I will follow.'

In January, an Adam Air jet crashed into the sea off the island of Sulawesi with 102 people on board. There were no survivors.

About the same time, a ferry carrying 58 people sank off the coast of Sumatra, a speedboat went missing near Kalimantan and a train derailed in Central Java.

Gallant husband

Former Taiwan vice-president Lien Chan manages to stop his wife Lien Fang Yu from falling as they exit the plane on arrival in Zhengzhou, in central China's Henan province, on Monday.

Mr Lien is in China to attend a forum jointly sponsored by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and its mainland Chinese counterparts. He will also attend a worship ceremony at the hometown of the Yellow Emperor, the ancestor of the Han Chinese, at the invitation of the Henan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Civil servants told to stay away from hookers

TAIPEI - TAIWAN has warned its civil servants against visiting prostitutes in China, fearing that such visits could expose them to pressure by the mainland authorities, a newspaper reported yesterday.

Apply Daily said that last November, several Taiwanese civil servants were forced to write 'letters of remorse' after Chinese police caught them whoring in China.

'They were warned that their friends and the media would receive compromising pictures if they should make pro-independence comments or moves following their return home,' it said.

An official of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council confirmed the council issued a warning to all civil servants, but refused to give details.

'We warned civil servants not to deviate from their scheduled travel itineraries to avoid unnecessary risks and problems,' said Mr Wei Shu-chuan.

The Apply Daily did not identify the civil servants caught in China.

According to Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily, it was only after last October that Taiwanese civil servants under Grade 10 could go on private visits to China without applying for special permission.

Civil servants above that grade are still subject to the requirement.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Bill Gates’ 11 Rules of Life

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it.

Rule 2: The world won’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $40,000 a year right out of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping — they called it OPPORTUNITY.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So, before you save the rainforest from the parasites of your parents’ generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.

–Bill Gates –

Venturing into Vietnam

Asia's second-fastest growing economy offers rich pickings in sectors like real estate, logistics, retail and health care, Ng Sook Zhen reports


VIETNAM, once an economic backwater closed to outsiders, is now an exciting new frontier for many Singapore firms.

The best business openings lie in building infrastructure - such as housing and ports - real estate, logistics, health care and retail, among others, says the Government's trade promotion arm, IE Singapore.

Vietnam's robust economic growth averages 7 per cent a year, placing it second only to China in Asia, and the country recently gained entry to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

That makes Vietnam particularly enticing to foreign investors, and an increasing number of them want a slice of this growing economic pie.

Real estate firm Mapletree Investments' executive vice-president of logistics investments, Mr Chua Tiow Chye, says growing wealth and foreign investment will have major economic spin-offs.

He says this will flow through to demand 'for better housing, better quality shopping malls, better offices and so on, which bodes well for the real estate market'.

IE Singapore's director for China strategic relations and regional director for South-east Asia, Mr Yew Sung Pei, says: 'A whopping 80 per cent of Vietnam's population will need to buy a house. Already, the city has allocated almost 13,000ha of land to investors from 2000 to July 2005 and more is expected.'

Growing domestic affluence has led to an increasing demand for quality homes by locals, and this is where Singapore firms can come into the picture.

With 40 years of experience in constructing high-rise buildings, Singapore firms are held in high esteem in Vietnam.

Mr Paul Chain, the chairman of project management firm Asia Project Consultants, says: 'The construction industry is not so well-developed. That's why in Vietnam, it is a trend now to get foreign consultants to do part of the work, or even the whole work.'

While the real estate and construction industries are set to remain buoyant in the medium term, other sectors have too much potential to be ignored. Logistics, for instance, was a fast-emerging sector last year.

With all these possibilities emerging, bilateral trade between Singapore and Vietnam rose 8.6 per cent to reach $11.28 billion last year.

And with its recent accession to the WTO, Vietnam's overseas trade is expected to increase even more, which will create an urgent need to upgrade its ports and other logistics infrastructure.

Mr Yew says the development of Vietnam's logistics infrastructure will lead to opportunities in global freight forwarding, container depot, supply chain management, seaport and airport projects.

'Singapore firms are well-poised to participate in this sector,' he says.

Synergy Logistics, for instance, sees huge potential in the market. It is currently involved in freight forwarding for the oil and gas industry in Vietnam.

Another key part of Vietnam's booming economy is consumer spending.

Management consultancy AT Kearney's 2005 Global Retail Development Index, an annual ranking of retail investment attractiveness in 30 emerging markets, put Vietnam eighth in terms of global retail expansion.

Singapore's Apex-Pal International, which runs the Sakae Sushi chain of restaurants, believes pent-up consumer demand and a youthful population are key reasons to venture into Vietnam. Apex-Pal is planning its expansion there, and will set up its first Sakae Sushi branch at the end of this year.

'Around this region, Vietnam has the youngest population. With recent developments, we see an increase in lifestyle needs,' says Apex-Pal chief executive Douglas Foo.

Mr Yew says: 'Urban consumerism is increasingly evident in Vietnam, with growing retail sales and increasing demand for new lifestyle concepts and products.'

Another growing sector identified by IE Singapore is health care.

Vietnam's Ministry of Health plans to develop a national hospital network by 2010, with investments estimated to total US$255 million (S$386 million) for the construction of 140 hospitals.

'Singapore health care commands a strong brand name,' says Mr Yew, adding that firms such as Thomson Medical Centre and SingHealth would benefit from riding on this established reputation to fill 'strong market demand for health-care investments'.

Despite the promise offered by these various industries, experienced Vietnam hands point out that business ventures in the country have their own share of challenges for newcomers.

A partnership with a local entity is still required in some sectors, even as market liberalisation gains pace. For example, Vietnam does not allow logistics firms to operate in the country if they are more than 49 per cent foreign owned.

This may spell a conflict of cultures, as 'it is sometimes difficult to get them to assimilate into our company culture', says Mr Joseph Ooi, the managing director of Synergy Logistics.

'The pace is very different, and we've got to practise a lot of patience,' he adds.

Other firms noted the high levels of attrition among local staff which, in turn, can cause disruptions to operations.

A spokesman for restaurant chain Crystal Jade, which operates outlets in Vietnam, says: 'It's hard to retain staff. If they are offered slightly higher pay, they will leave.'

Is your child a late bloomer?

In lower secondary school, Ivan was so small that his classmates called him 'shrimp'. He shrugged off their name-calling but deep down, it hurt.

Concerned about his stature, his mother took him to their family doctor, who referred Ivan to a paediatric endocrinologist, a doctor specialising in hormone disorders in children.

Cheryl was self-conscious about her flat chest when she was in Secondary 2. All the other girls in her class were wearing bras. When she showed no signs of menstruation by Secondary 4, she too went to a specialist.

Fortunately for Ivan, his was just a case of delayed puberty. Associate Professor Loke Kah Yin from the National University Hospital assured him that he was normal.

Boys normally start puberty between the ages of 91/2 and 14, and girls between nine and 131/2. Delayed puberty is when there are no signs of any body changes for boys by 14 years and for girls, by 13.

Recent media reports about a girl who got pregnant at age nine raised questions about when the transition to adulthood starts in children.

According to Prof Loke, delayed puberty is more commonly seen in boys than in girls, whereas precocious puberty (early puberty) happens more frequently in girls. This is because boys mature later and girls, earlier. And while obese children are more prone to precocious puberty, delayed puberty is more likely to occur in underweight children.

'In most instances, children with delayed puberty have parents who were themselves late developers,' said Prof Loke. 'It can be hard on these kids because their friends can be cruel and call them names. And this affects their self-esteem and confidence.'

There are several reasons why puberty may be delayed. Most often, it is simply a pattern of growth and development in the family. One or both of the child's parents probably reached puberty later than usual.

This is called constitutional delay or - simply put - a late bloomer. It does not need treatment, only reassurance from the doctor that the child will eventually catch up.

When Ivan hit puberty two years later, he even overtook a few of his classmates who had earlier teased him.

Hormonal problems
In some children, the 'switch' in the brain which releases the hormones that bring on puberty comes on later than normal. There are also those who are born with the inability to produce these hormones. The cause is sometimes a tumour in the brain.

Or it may be due to malnutrition. Children who are underweight or small-framed are more susceptible to delayed puberty. For example, ballerinas and athletes may be late developers because their level of exercise keeps them lean, with a low body mass index.

Problems with the chromosomes can also interfere with normal growth processes. Cheryl was found to be suffering from Turner syndrome, which occurs when one of the female's two X chromosomes is abnormal or missing.

This causes problems with growth and the development of the ovaries and production of sex hormones. Women who have untreated Turner syndrome tend to be shorter than normal, are infertile, and may have other medical problems.

Males with Klinefelter syndrome are born with an extra X chromosome (XXY instead of XY). This condition can also affect sexual development.

Mumps, an infection of the salivary glands, may cause inflammation of the testes. This condition, known as orchitis, can affect the production of testosterone (male sex hormone) which affects puberty.

Treatment
The doctor will conduct a physical exam and check out the family history. He may order blood tests to check for thyroid, pituitary, chromosomal, or other problems. He may also do a "bone age" X-ray, to see if the child's bones are maturing normally.

In some cases, injections of androgen (male sex hormones) for boys and oestrogen (female sex hormones) for girls are given monthly to get puberty going. Each injection of androgen costs about $30, and the oestrogen tablets cost about $20 per month.

When the underlying cause is treated, puberty is likely to proceed normally.

The following are the most common symptoms of delayed puberty:

GIRLS

>>lack of breast development by age 13
>>more than five years between breast growth and menstrual period
>>lack of pubic hair by age14
>>Failure to menstruate by age 16

BOYS
>>Lack of testicular enlargement by age 14
>>Lack of pubic hair by age15
>>More than five years to complete genital enlargement

Long and short of growth spurts

Boys have a greater growth rate than girls during the growth spurt. Over all, girls end up about 10per cent shorter than boys.

'But there are more boys seeking medical treatment for being short because society expects them to be tall,' said paediatric endocrinologist Loke Kah Yin of the National University Hospital.

Associate Professor Loke explained that short stature in children is often due to hereditary factors or delayed puberty. If parents are short, chances are, the child will take after them. If one parent is short and the other tall, the child's height may be somewhere in between, or he may take after either one of them.

During their growth spurt, boys are known to suddenly shoot up, with their height increasing between 28cm and 30cm. In the case of girls, once they start menstruating, their days of growth are almost over. They are likely to grow another 5cm or so, and then stop.

In terms of weight gain, girls who are plump will find themselves losing their puppy fat, Instead, they begin to fill up in other places - breasts and hips. It is common for girls to put on 18kg to 20kg during puberty.

With the boys, testosterone increases their lean body mass. They begin to lose their body fat and develop muscle instead. As a whole, boys can expect to put on between 25kg and 30kg during this period.

Teaching old sex drives new tricks

There's no age limit on libido, given the right factors and measures taken. A look at restoring that good old sex drive - without the help of drugs like Viagra



Here's a new word for you: obsolagnium. You may not find it in an ordinary dictionary. But if you are over 50, you may well be familiar with the concept, because it means 'waning sexual desire resulting from age'.

In fact, it is rarely age per se that accounts for declines in libido among those in the second half-century of life. Rather, it can be any of a dozen or more factors more common in older people that account for the changes. Many of these factors are subject to modification that can restore, if not the sexual energy of youth, at least the desire to seek and the ability to enjoy sex.

Nor is it just hormones. Addressing only the distaff side of the population, the Boston Women's Health Book Collective, in its newest work, Our Bodies, Ourselves: Menopause, points out: 'Our sexual desire and satisfaction may be influenced by our life circumstances, including the quality of our sexual relationships, our emotional and physical health, and our values and thoughts about sexuality, as well as by the ageing process and the shifting hormone levels that occur during the menopause transition.'

The same, of course, is true of men. Difficult life circumstances can do much to dampen anyone's libido. Stress at work or home, looming bankruptcy, impending divorce, serious illness, depression, a history of sexual abuse and a host of medications are among the many things that can put a big crimp in your desire for sex at any age.

Feel attractive, be attractive
As people age, both physical and emotional changes occur that can influence libido. Wrinkles, hair loss, declining muscle mass and accumulation of body fat, among other age-related changes, can make men and women feel less attractive. And if you do not see yourself as attractive, your brain may respond by dampening any impulse you might have to be intimate with someone.

There are no studies to corroborate this idea, but it is strongly suspected that older people who stay in shape physically, keep their brains stimulated and remain interested in a variety of activities are likely to feel more attractive and be more attractive - and thus more libidinous - than those who let themselves go to pot, as it were. I am not suggesting that people in their 60s and 70s start dressing and acting like twenty-somethings, but there are any number of age-appropriate actions that can help people see themselves - and help others see them - as sexually desirable beings.

Of course, illness, both mental and physical, can seriously disrupt a healthy libido at any age. Diseases of the adrenal, pituitary or thyroid glands can diminish sexual desire, as can depression and anxiety. Likewise, several common cancers - especially cancers of the breast, testes or prostate or the drugs used to treat them - may suppress the desire for sex.

Many commonly administered medications can interfere with sexual desire, performance or both. Among the most frequent offenders are anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs, blood pressure medications and opioid pain relievers. High doses of alcohol likewise blunt desire as well as performance. Even drugs taken to curb heartburn can curb the desire for sex. In some instances, changing the dose, switching to a different drug or taking a brief drug holiday (say, for the weekend) can boost libido.

A change of scene
While a drug like Viagra may help a man temporarily overcome disease- or medication-induced erectile dysfunction, it does nothing to increase desire, which is essential for these potency-enhancing drugs to work.

Knowing how to please each other sustains sexual interest for many long-established couples. But for others, familiarity can breed boredom; they lose interest in doing the same old thing the same old way time after time.

Novelty is a well-established sexual stimulant. An unattached man or woman in mid-life or beyond who had all but forgotten about sex meets someone new and attractive, and suddenly the flames of sex are reignited. This can happen to very old people too. Stories abound in assisted living and nursing home facilities of elderly widows and widowers whose long-dormant sexuality is reawakened by attraction to a new, albeit equally old, partner.

Of course, changing partners is not a realistic option for those in a long-standing monogamous relationship in which sexual intimacy is just a fond memory.

But there are ways for such couples to introduce novelty - ranging from a change of venue or techniques to an exchange of fantasies or even the introduction of sex toys - that may rekindle sexual feelings.

Even young couples can find their interest in sex diminished by a fear of interruption or being overheard by children or an elderly parent. It can take some effort - and perhaps a lock on the bedroom door and background music - to reduce the risk of distractions that blunt the flame of desire.

Women may think that the decline in oestrogen at menopause is responsible for their loss of interest in sex. But oestrogen loss is only an indirect factor; it can result in vaginal tightness and dryness that renders intercourse painful rather than pleasurable. The use of lubricants and a dildo or more frequent sex can often counteract these effects. But for some women, the use of a vaginal oestrogen cream or suppository is necessary to make sex comfortable and more desirable.

The testosterone factor
But the real libido hormone, for both men and women, is testosterone, which women produce in their ovaries and adrenal glands. As other ovarian hormone levels drop after menopause or surgical removal of the ovaries, so does the amount of desire-boosting testosterone. This has prompted some women to use testosterone replacement therapy to get their sex lives back on track. One drug commonly prescribed off-label is Estratest, a combination of small doses of oestrogen and testosterone. Some doctors tailor-make low-dose testosterone preparations for women. A testosterone patch for women has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration because of insufficient safety data.

Women taking testosterone should be carefully monitored, because safe levels of the hormone for women have not been determined. Common side effects include unwanted hair growth and a deepening of the voice. Women who have had breast or uterine cancer or diseases of the liver or heart should avoid testosterone replacement.

Sexual desire among men, too, can be squelched by low levels of testosterone. While there is no official recognition of male menopause, men experience declining levels of hormones as they age - what some experts call andropause - that can affect sexual desire and performance. Other symptoms of this deficiency may include enlarged breasts, loss of body or facial hair, and osteoporosis before age 65.

Testosterone replacement is helpful in restoring the sex drive only of men who have low levels of the hormone. A test of testosterone levels should be done and other causes (besides age) should be ruled out before the hormone is prescribed. Risks include prostate enlargement and prostate cancer.

- NEW YORK TIMES

Calcium absorption inhibited by fibre?

Q I was told that fibre prevents the absorption of calcium in our body. As such, when we take calcium-rich food that is fibrous, we are not able to benefit from it. For example, broccoli.

Kindly advise please.

ACalcium is an important mineral for strong bones and teeth and plays a role in blood clotting, regulating heartbeat and conducting nerve impulses. The daily recommendation of calcium ranges from 800 to 1000mg per day, depending on one's age and conditions such as pregnancy.

Calcium from dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt is more readily absorbed than those from plant sources.

Natural compounds such as oxalic and phytic acid in these foods can hamper the absorption of calcium. Oxalic acid is found in green leafy vegetables like spinach and broccoli and phytic acid is found in hulls of cereal grains and bran like wheat bran. They bind calcium from the diet and make it less absorbable in the body.

Research suggests that these compounds have greater impact on calcium absorption than fibre content. However, you should continue consuming green leafy vegetables in your diet - for vitamins, minerals, and fibre intake.

To meet your calcium recommendation, take foods rich in calcium such as milk, yogurt, tofu, beans as well as fortified foods like bread, soya bean milk, juices and cereals.

MS ASHU DATT IS A QUALIFIED MEMBER (DIETITIAN) OF THE SINGAPORE NUTRITION AND DIETETICS ASSOCIATION.

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Q Many people say that eating seafood such as crab and prawn raises cholesterol. But I have read many other reports that say taking seafood is good for the health, especially as it contains selenium which raises good cholesterol and protects the heart. I am really puzzled. Can you explain?

A Selenium is a mineral and is found mainly in seafood. It is an essential component in critical antioxidant enzymes the body uses to neutralise free radicals. As free radicals can lead to blood vessel blockage, selenium is thought to be beneficial for heart health.

Taking foods with moderate-to-high cholesterol does not directly increase body cholesterol levels.

In some seafood products, there is a high content of Pufa (Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids) which help lower triglyceride levels, another type of fat involved in heart disease.

Omega-3 fatty acids also contribute to the critical balance of lipoproteins, thus reducing the 'bad cholesterol': low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL).

In addition, omega-3 fatty acids help reduce the number and stickiness of blood platelets, thus helping to control the clotting of blood cells.

Recently, researchers also found non-cholesterol sterols in molluscs, such as clams, oysters, scallops and mussels. These sterols inhibit the absorption of cholesterol eaten at the same meal.

For a heart-friendly diet, however, you still need to ensure a dietary regime that is low in fat, saturated fat, and rich in fruit, vegetables and wholegrains.

You can also include fatty types of fishes like salmon and tuna twice a week.

MS MABEL YEONG IS A QUALIFIED MEMBER (DIETITIAN) OF THE SINGAPORE NUTRITION AND DIETETICS ASSOCIATION.

No sign of slowdown

China's economic growth likely picked up in the first quarter, with some forecasts running at more than 11 per cent, suggesting that the raft of cooling measures has so far had at best only a marginal impact, analysts said.

The economy, the world's fourth-largest, expanded by 10.7 per cent last year, the fourth straight year of double-digit growth, after a gain of 10.4 per cent in the three months ended December.

URBAN BOOM: The rising trend in growth figures seems confirmed by China's annoucement yesterday that fixed asset investment in urban areas, a key growth driver, rose to 25.3 per cent in the first quarter. -- AFP

Sterling rallies to US$2 for first time in 15 years

With inflation also at a high, central bank may raise rate again this year


LONDON - THE British pound leapt to US$2 for the first time in 15 years as a report showed that inflation had unexpectedly quickened to a decade high, prompting traders to bet the Bank of England would raise interest rates twice more this year.

Sterling reached its strongest level since September 1992, when billionaire investor George Soros and other speculators drove the currency out of the European system of linked exchange rates.

Britain's economy, Europe's second-largest, has shown few signs of cooling following three rate increases since early August.

Another quarter-point move would take borrowing costs to 5.5 per cent, the highest among the Group of Seven major economies.

'The sky's the limit for sterling,' Mr Simon Derrick, chief currency strategist at the Bank of New York, said in London. 'It's a favourite for investors because of the rate differential.'

The pound rallied to as high as US$2.0037, and was trading at US$2.0024 as at 11.35am in London (6.35pm in Singapore) yesterday, up from US$1.9897 late on Monday.

Against the euro, the pound strengthened to 67.70 euro cents, from 68.02 cents. It rose to 238.55 yen, from 238.26.

Consumer-price inflation accelerated to 3.1 per cent last month, the national statistics office said yesterday, forcing Bank of England governor Mervyn King to write a mandatory letter of explanation to Chancellor Gordon Brown for the first time since the central bank was granted independence in 1997.

The bank must ensure price expectations are 'anchored' on its target rate of 2 per cent, Mr King wrote. The letter is required when inflation is more than a percentage point away from the bank's 2 per cent target.

The pound has risen 3.5 per cent against the greenback since the central bank last raised its key bank rate, to 5.25 per cent, on Jan 11.

The currency is being buoyed by the so-called carry trade, where investors buy British assets by borrowing in lower-yielding currencies such as the yen.

Higher rates on sterling-denominated assets prompted central banks to increase the pound holdings in their reserves last year. The pound surpassed the yen as the world's third-most-popular reserve currency, behind only the greenback and the euro, as central banks sought higher yields.

The pound's gain yesterday took it to its highest level since before the United Kingdom was forced to leave a system of pegging the country's currency to those of other European Union members.

Withdrawal from the so-called European exchange rate mechanism in 1992 caused the pound to tumble against the deutschemark, then Germany's currency, as well as the greenback.

BLOOMBERG NEWS

US inflation cools, housing starts pick up

WASHINGTON - A MEASURE of United States inflation eased last month and housing starts unexpectedly climbed, suggesting the economy will continue to expand without a surge in prices.

The 0.1 per cent increase in core consumer prices, which exclude food and energy costs, was the smallest this year and follows a 0.2 per cent gain in February, the Labour Department said yesterday.

Builders broke ground on new homes at an annual rate of 1.518 million, up 0.8 per cent from the prior month, the Commerce Department reported.

The inflation figures mean Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke may keep interest rates unchanged even if the economy picks up after the slowdown. Treasury notes rallied after the price report and held their gains after the central bank said industrial production fell.

Including food and energy, US consumer prices rose 0.6 per cent, higher than February's 0.4 per cent.

Core prices were up 2.5 per cent in the 12 months to March, the smallest year-on-year gain in almost a year.

Overall prices were up 2.8 per cent from the same time last year, compared with a 2.4 per cent rise in February.

Industrial production declined last month as warm weather reduced electricity demand. Manufacturing output increased at the fastest pace of the year.

The 0.2 per cent drop in production followed a revised 0.8 per cent rise in February. Capacity utilisation, which measures the proportion of plants in use, fell to 81.4 per cent, from 81.6 per cent in February.

Unusually warm temperatures last month, along with signs that demand is starting to firm as prices moderate, encouraged builders to start work on more homes. Building permits, a sign of future construction, rose 0.8 per cent.

BLOOMBERG NEWS

China's growth to surge ahead despite cooling measures

Strong first-quarter data expected; official warns of emerging risks of overheating



BEIJING - CHINA is set to report yet more blistering growth figures tomorrow amid an emerging consensus that government attempts to apply the brakes have been far too feeble to slow the runaway economy.

Even before the widely-anticipated release of first-quarter data, preliminary statistics suggested that key fixed asset investment was picking up dangerously and one official went on the record to warn against overheating.

'We have completed the first- quarter economic statistics,' said National Bureau of Statistics deputy department chief Geng Qinzeng, according to the Nanfang Daily.

'The people who have studied the figures think that risks of overheating are emerging and that the overheating could be as serious as it was last year,' he added.

China's economy, the world's fourth-largest, expanded by 10.7 per cent last year, the fourth consecutive year of double-digit growth, after a gain of 10.4 per cent in the three months ended December.

The pace likely picked up in the first three months of this year, with some forecasts running at more than 11 per cent, suggesting that the raft of cooling measures has so far had at best only a marginal impact, analysts said.

'The recent rebound confirms our view that these policies have had only a temporary effect as a result of their piecemeal nature,' said Lehman Brothers economist Sun Mingchun in Hong Kong.

'The government had promised a comprehensive list of policies and reforms to rebalance the economy, but has so far implemented only a few, with tweaks here and there.'

Lehman recently raised its forecast for first-quarter economic growth to 10.5 per cent from 10.1 per cent, with other estimates for the first three months running as high as 11.2 per cent.

The trend seemed confirmed by the government's announcement yesterday that fixed asset investment in urban areas, a key growth driver, rose 25.3 per cent in the first quarter.

That compared with a 23.4 per cent rise for the first two months of the year, indicating that investment picked up in March. Last year, this component expanded 24 per cent.

The apparent pickup happened in spite of a series of measures that China has adopted, including three interest rate hikes since early last year, with the most recent one coming last month, and a tightening up on liquidity in the banks.

The government has also taken steps to shrink its trade surplus by reducing tax incentives for exporters and making it more attractive for companies to import certain products, with little apparent effect.

The surplus in the first three months of this year was US$46.6 billion (S$70.6 billion), about double the figure in the same period last year.

Looking ahead, the main concern is the continued strong influx of capital, some of it 'hot money' hoping for quick gains if, for instance, the Chinese currency - the yuan - suddenly rises steeply in value.

'Once you lose control of the money supply, it can result in huge pressure on the economy,' said Sinolink Securities analyst Fu Chunjiang in Shanghai.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Class time for SME bosses

What Spring's programme is about

WHAT is the Management Development Programme (MDP)?

The MDP is an initiative of Spring Singapore to upgrade the business management expertise of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to meet the challenges of today's globalised economy.

Through a partnership with local-based institutes of higher learning, the programme provides a range of postgraduate (Executive MBA) and executive development courses that are customised for SMEs.

How it caters to SME leaders

How different are the MDP courses from what is already available in the market today? How can the MDP courses benefit me?

While there is no lack of management courses in the market, these courses focus on general management areas with little or no focus on SMEs.

Recognising the pivotal role that SME leaders and management play in growing tomorrow's global businesses, the MDP programme is the first to focus on upgrading the management and leadership skills of SMEs.

For a start, Spring has partnered the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University to develop customised Executive MBA and Executive Development courses.

These customised courses will contain modules that are more relevant to SMEs. These include financing and valuation of SMEs, strategic financial management and creating strategic advantage through technology and innovation.

Other customised modules will deal with issues that are typically inherent in SMEs. These include management and growth dynamics of a family business, exit and harvesting strategies for SMEs and competitive strategy for start-ups and SMEs.

Duration and costs involved

What is the average duration and what are the costs of these courses?

The duration of the courses is flexible, ranging from one to two weeks every few months to longer-term studies. This is to ensure that the courses suit the busy schedules of the SME management.

Estimated course fees will range between $8,000 and $15,000 per participant for executive development courses and $30,000 and $35,000 per participant for post-graduate courses.

For a list of upcoming programme briefings, please visit www.spring.gov.sg

For more information, please refer to www.business.gov.sg

Answers provided by Spring Singapore.