<p>ABOUT half of the young people who killed themselves in Singapore last year had stopped schooling, and the lack of outreach to this distressed group is a gap that needs to be plugged, said psychiatrist Daniel Fung.</p><p>Dropping out of school signals a host of problems which puts the young person at greater risk, said the the chief of the child and adolescent psychiatry department at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).</p>

1 in 2 youth suicides are drop outs

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_576819.html

<p>NEW YORK - US STOCKS soared on Thursday after new data showing an improvement in the job market and a narrowing trade gap bolstered hopes that the US economy was on a recovery track. </p><p>The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 80.15 points (0.77 per cent) to 10,467.16 in opening trades, while the broader S&P 500 index gained 10.87 points (0.99 per cent) to 1,109.74 points. </p>

Wall Steet soars

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Money/Story/STIStory_576813.html

<p>THE Prime Minister wishes all Muslims Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.</p><p>The Straits Times wishes all Muslim readers Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.<br/></p>

Hari Raya Greetings

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_576812.html

<p>KUALA LUMPUR - LONG-HAUL budget airline AirAsia X said on Thursday it has no plans to begin flights to Paris this year, according to a top official, after French reports it had been given a slot at Orly Airport. </p><p>French media had reported that the carrier, which will operate the route after its affiliate AirAsia won landing rights in October last year, has been given a slot at the southern Paris airport starting from next month. </p>

AirAsia X still in talks to start Paris route

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Money/Story/STIStory_576807.html

<p>A FORMER Institute of Technical Education lecturer had a three-year driving ban slashed to a year after the High Court ruled that the lower court's sentence was manifestly excessive.</p><p>In January last year, a motor insurance offence saw Ronald Yapp, 37, banned for a year from operating all classes of vehicles.</p>

Biker's ban slashed by two-thirds

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_576805.html

<p>A 17-YEAR-OLD student first got to know a primary school pupil through online networking website Friendster and decided to befriend her.</p><p>But within a month of their online encounter in August last year, Muhammad Saifulddin Abu Samad, a student at Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Bishan at the time, asked her for sex.</p>

Teen guilty of oral sex with minor

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_576804.html

<p>WASHINGTON - THE United States (US) trade deficit narrowed more than expected in July, as imports retreated and exports shot to their highest since August 2008, according to a government report on Thursday that could lift hopes for third-quarter economic growth.</p><p>The monthly trade deficit shrank 14 per cent to $42.8 billion (S$57.4 billion), which was smaller than the mid-point forecast of $47.3 billion from economists surveyed before the Commerce Department report.</p>

July US trade gap surprises

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Money/Story/STIStory_576803.html

<p>THE Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has raised concerns that the Underwater World's new Dolphin Lagoon is too small for its six dolphins.</p><p>In June, it paid a visit to the new facility next to Underwater World's premises at Sentosa's Siloso Point, and wrote to the attraction's management about the pool.</p>

Dolphin Lagoon too small

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_576802.html

<p>THE Singapore dollar hit a fresh high against the American dollar on Thursday - for the second time in a week - and may continue to strengthen further.</p><p>The currency is among several in the region that have been soaring as the excess liquidity sloshing around in world markets heads towards Asia's higher yields. The Thai baht also surged to a 13-year high against the greenback on Thursday while the Philippine peso jumped to a two-year high.</p>

S'pore dollar hits new high

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_576606.html

<p>SINGAPORE has held onto third place in a global competitiveness ranking to remain true to its form as the fastest recovering economy post-recession.</p><p>It lost out only to Switzerland, which retained top spot, and Sweden, the new No. 2 in the latest World Economic Forum (WEF) annual Global Competitiveness Report, which was released in Tianjin, China on Thursday.</p>

S'pore holds on to 3rd place

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_576661.html

<p>PARIS - GLOBAL economic recovery is slowing faster than expected and extra stimulus from governments may be needed, although another recession remains 'unlikely,' the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said on Thursday.</p><p>Growth in the Group of Seven leading industrialised economies could slow to an annual rate of 1.5 per cent in the second half of the year, the OECD said in an interim assessment, lowering a projection in May of 1.75 per cent.</p>

Economic recovery slowing

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<p>CAREER civil servant Chong Lit Cheong will retire at the end of this year after 25 years in the public sector, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said on Thursday.</p><p>The chief executive of IE Singapore will hand over the reins of the trade agency to Mr Teo Eng Cheong, his counterpart at the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS), who will officially take over on Jan 1 next year.</p>

IE S'pore chief to retire

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_576799.html

<p>IT'S a case of hawker rude but food good at Chomp Chomp food centre in Serangoon Gardens, where one hawker had several complaints lodged against him for his offensive behaviour.</p><p>The hawker turned nasty and started hurling Hokkien vulgarities and threatening customers with a beer bottle for making too much noise.</p>

Nasty, rude and unruly S'poreans

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_576798.html

<p>'COME, sit before me like a Buddha, smile.' </p><p>And like so, with a small bow of the head, Thich Nhat Hanh, one of the world's leading masters of Zen Buddhism, received his audience.</p>

Viet Zen master in S'pore

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_576726.html

<p>A DIPLOMAT and a historian will head the first two residential colleges at the National University of Singapore's upcoming University Town (NUS UTown).</p><p>Ambassador-At-Large Tommy Koh and East Asian historian Wang Gungwu have been appointed rectors of the new undergraduate residential colleges, which will be located next to the NUS Kent Ridge campus.</p>

Rectors appointed for colleges

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_576725.html

<p>A RESTAURANT located in City Square Mall has apologised and offered to compensate parents whose children had allegedly fallen sick after dining there last week. </p><p>Nine children - all Primary 6 pupils - had eaten lunch at the Saizeriya Italian Restaurant and came down with diarrhea and vomitting later. </p>

Apology, compensation offered

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<p>SEVENTY per cent of Singaporeans have fallen victim to cybercrimes - more than the global average of 65 per cent. </p><p>Nearly half these victims have had their computers invaded by viruses. </p>

7 in 10, cybercrime victims

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_576723.html

<p> LONDON - CHELSEA'S chase for a fourth straight win at the start of its Premier League title defense could spell big trouble for former Blues manager Avram Grant. </p><p>Grant led Chelsea to the 2008 Champions League final but is already under pressure at West Ham after his new team lost its first three Premier League matches to fall to the bottom of the standings. </p>

West Ham under pressure

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Sport/Story/STIStory_576721.html

<p>LONDON - EVERTON defender Phil Jagielka has warned England team-mate Wayne Rooney to expect a hostile reception when the Manchester United striker returns to his former club on Saturday. </p><p>Jagielka played alongside Rooney as England secured victories over Bulgaria and Switzerland to kick off their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign in fine style, but the pair will be in direct opposition when United face Everton at Goodison Park this weekend. </p>

Rooney told to expect hostile reception

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Sport/Story/STIStory_576719.html

<p>VIENNA - THE OPEC oil cartel held steady its forecast for world oil demand growth this year and next year, but warned on Thursday that prevailing economic uncertainty made forecasting difficult. </p><p>'Repeated revisions to world economic growth - a key driver of oil demand - have made forecasting oil market developments in 2010 particularly difficult,' the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said in its September monthly bulletin. </p>

Global oil demand growth at 1.2%

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Money/Story/STIStory_576718.html