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1.  The Middle East peace process has taken a back seat to a domestic scandal in Israel that's threatening to topple Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The political crisis follows a police report recommending that Mr. Netanyahu be indicted for fraud.
2.  The death toll in the fire which swept a pilgrim camp near Mecca yesterday has risen to 343. Saudi authorities say the fire was an accident, with no political motive. The source remains a cooking gas canister in the Pakistani pilgrims' camp. Pakistan is joining the Saudis in carrying out an inquiry into the blaze that razed thousands of tents. New tents have since been erected and the pilgrimage or Muslim Haj is continuing smoothly.
3.  The exiled Cambodian Prince Norodom Sirivudh left Hongkong for Europe today after failing to return home. A German airline confirmed that he was on the noon flight to Frankfurt. A Cambodian cabinet spokesman said Mr. Sirividh is heading back to Paris. The prince has been in exile for 15 months after being convicted of plotting to kill second prime minister Hun Sen. He landed in hongkong on Tuesday, on his way home to clear his name. But two airlines refused to fly him after Mr. Hun Sen refused to let him into Cambodia warning that Prince Sirivudh's return could spark violence.
4.  Well, Vietnam and the US have taken a big step towards normalising trade ties. They've reached an agreement to give US copyright holders the same protection enjoyed by Vietnamese companies. The copyright agreement is their first in the post-Vietnam War period. And the US trade office says it paves the way for Washington to grant most-favoured-nation trade status to Vietnam.
5.  Malaysian police have shot dead four criminals in front of a hotel in Kuala Lumpur. This morning's shooting took place when the car carrying the four men stopped at a parking payment centre in front of the hotel. Two men were shot dead inside the car. The other two were shot as they tried to escape. Police have recovered a gun from one of the criminals, who were in their 30's. During the exchange of fire, a teenage boy walking by, was hit in the left knee by a stray bullet. Police said he was taken to hospital and his condition is not serious.
6.  Over in Portugal, 12 people have been killed in a nightclub fire set off deliberately by three hooded men. 14 others were seriously burned. Witnesses said the men stormed in, fired many times into the air before dousing the club with petrol and setting it on fire. Police suspect revenge to be the reason behind the arson and have questioned one of the injured, who's a suspect. Firemen took two hours to bring the blaze under control.
7.  Singapore is set to expand into the Hungarian and Central eastern European markets with today's signing of three commercial agreements with Hungary. One of the most significant Thakral's acquisition agreement worth over 7 million US dollars.
8.  And also with a mind on business Egypt which has proposed setting up a joint business council with Singapore. This is to promote closer economic links between the two countries. The visiting Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal Al-Ganzoury told Lionel Skinner in an interview that he has 10 businessmen in mind to form the Egyptian delegation.
9.  In court today, a 47 year old man, sentenced to a year's jail and 3 strokes of the cane for molesting a girl, has had his sentence doubled. Alagan Ayahsamy had repeatedly molested a 13 year old girl while her mother was at work. The court heard that the incidents happened about two years ago, while Ayahsamy was staying with the victim's mother. He was, what the Prosecution called, a fatherly figure to the victim. In mitigation, Ayahsamy said he'd pleaded guilty to the charges adding that he had supported the girl and her family. But Chief Justice Yong Pung How noted that Ayahsamy pleaded guilty only after the victim was cross-examined. He increased Ayahsamy's sentence to 2 years in jail and 6 strokes of the cane.
10. Help patients understand the drugs they're given. That's what the new Medication Management Centre set up by Tan Tock Seng Hospital will do. The service, as Judith Tan reports, is the first of its kind in Asia.
11. Well, teaching children how to handle real life problems isn't always easy for teachers or even parents. A new play now touring schools uses drama to send the message home.
12. Paintings will dominate the 5th International Fine Arts and Antiques Fair for Asia this year. Better known as Tresors, the 6-day fair is expected to see 15 thousand visitors spend some 25 million dollars on the collectibles.
13. Some news on sport. Tickets are available for Singapore's game against Kuwait in the World Cup Qualifying Asia Group 7 match. Play will be on Saturday, 26 April at the National Stadium, at 8pm. You can get the tickets this Sunday, from several venues the National, Bedok and Queenstown Stadiums; as well as the Toa Payoh, Yio Chu Kang and Clementi Sports Halls. But from Monday onwards, tickets will only be sold at the National Stadium.
14. Still on soccer. Leicester City take home their first major trophy since 1964 with a one-nil victory over Middlesborough, in the English League Cup final replay.
15. Bobby Ong Cong Qin, the Singaporean investor accused of insider trading with regards the NOL, APL merger will decide today or tomorrow how he'll respond to the US SEC suit against him. Earlier today, his lawyer Charles Schwartz in the US let TCS News in on the options he's likely to pursue.
16. Singapore's non-oil trade figure for March will be in negative territory for the fifth month running though it will be better than that of February's. That� according to a Business Day poll of economists, tracking the leading indicator of the health of the Singapore economy.
17. IPO news now. Property and steel company, Lion Teck Chiang, formerly known as Malaysian Feedmills, made a flat debut today. The counter hit an intra-day high of one 38 to close at one 34. That� a 4 cent gain or 3 percent premium over its offer price of one 30. The counter had attracted the lowest take up rate of 2.9 times so far this year.
18. And Lion Teck Chiang, along with recently listed shares like MMI, and Raffles Medical Group dominated the top actives list. As for the broader market, shares in Singapore closed slightly higher in selective trading. With buyers cautious ahead of the long weekend. Volume was moderate at 144 million shares. A closer look at the end numbers now.
19. In Malaysia, blue chips surged as investors bargain hunted helping the Composite Index chalk up its biggest gain of 17 points this week.
20. Malaysia's Securities Commission has approved Bakun Hydro-Electric Corporation's listing on the KLSE for mid-June. And the foreign portion for the IPO is now open to Malaysians. Under the original proposal, Malaysians get 15 percent of the offer while foreign investors get ten. But there'll be no financial guarantee for the five and a half billion dollar project from the Malaysian government. Instead it's providing a letter of comfort which confirms the government's support for the project, but doesn't commit it to repay debts.
21. The Asian Development Bank expects Singapore's economy to pick up to grow by 7.5 percent next year and to around 8 percent in '98. And over the longer term, more modest growth can be expected as the economy matures. A UN survey yesterday put Singapore's average growth for the next few years at 6.7 percent, slightly lower than ADB's forecast. While Singapore's Trade and Industry Ministry's forecast is five to seven percent for this year.
22. Norwegian telecommunications firm Nera ASA, says its secondary listing here will raise the company's profile among its investors in the region.
23. SPH saw a 9.2 percent growth in interim net profit to 172 million dollars for the six months ended February. Its results were better than expected as most analysts had predicted flat earnings in the first half. The group also declared a pre-tax half year dividend of 12 cents against 10 cents previously.
24. Hong Kong's Win Foong Holding has bought more Hong Fok Corporation shares. Win Foong bought the shares in the open market at an average price of Singapore two dollars sixty one on Tuesday. Winfoong now holds some 7 million shares or 5 percent of Hong Fok.