Record Date

Broadcast/Release Date

Recorded Duration

Recording Language

Accession No.

Type

Format

Conditions Governing Access

Conditions Governing Reproduction

Synopsis :

1.  India's politicians are scrambling to find a new Prime Minister by Monday. A member of the United Front Coalition says he is confident a new person would be found in the next few hours to replace outgoing Prime Minister Deve Gowde. But developments so far point to sharp differences within the coalition.

2.  President Clinton has assured Hong Kong of American support for political and economic freedom after the colony's handover.

3.  A high-ranking North Korean defector will leave for Seoul tomorrow.

4.  North Korea has delayed the resumption of talks with the US and South Korea on a landmark peace-proposal. They did not show-up at yesterday's scheduled meeting claiming they had not received their instructions from Pyongyang. The meeting was called to hear Pyongyang's formal response to the year-old South Korean proposal for four-party peace talks. Under the proposal, China would be the fourth nation negotiating a peace treaty, simed at replacing the fraying armistice on the Korean Peninsula. The talks were adjourned after Wednesday's inconclusive day-long meeting and were to have resumed yesterday.

5.  A Chinese vessel has completed an historic voyage to Taiwan. The first in nearly 50 years. The 6,000-tonne Sheng-Da set sail directly to Taiwan from the port of Xiamen this morning, and arrived at the Southern Port of Kaohsiung. The first Taiwanese vessel to embark for China is expected sometime next week.

6.  Hong Kong's future leader Tung Chee-Hwa has confirmed he gave money to Britain's Conservative Party in 1992. Aware of the sensitivity, he now wants to ensure this does not happen in Hong Kong. Tung has so far banned foreign funding for political groups after the handover. Local newspapers had reported that he gave more than 80-thousand US dollars to the Torries before the General Elections. The donation was made in a personal capacity, when he was chairman of a shipping group, Orient Overseas (International) Ltd. He resigned from the position last October, when he vied for Hong Kong's future leadership-post.

7.  Vietnam may soon have one of the highest unemployment rates in Asia. According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, seven percent of Vietnam's population is jobless. Our Indochina correspondent, Geraldine Goh, says the problem is expected to worsen with Vietnamese asylum-seekers repatriated from refugee camps in the region.

8.  Israel's Prime Minister is expected to escape corruption charges, over the controversial appointment of an Attorney General because the police do not have a strong case against him. State television said the State Prosecutor, who will announce the decision tomorrow, will very likely just criticise Mr. Netanyahu for the scandal. She is expected to say that their case hangs on the testimony of only one witness.

9.  Feedback Chairman Dr John Chen says feedback indicates that Singaporeans can live with a hike in MRT fares. The SMRT has submitted an application to the Public Transport Council to raise fares, following similar applications by bus companies. But at a feedback session today, it was increases in bus fares which came under intense scrutiny.

10. The Women's Charter amendments will come into effect on the 1st of May. And Community Development Minister Abdullah Tarmugi says there will be changes to several procedures. He was speaking at the launch of 'Family Ties', a video produced by the Community Development Ministry and the Law Society on family matters.

11. More hands to help care for the terminally ill. Deputy Prime Minister Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam made this call at the opening of Dover Park Hospice today. He said more volunteers will be needed to help in hospices.

12. Changi Airport has, for the ninth year running, won the Best Airport Award in the 1997 Travel Awards. The awards were presented by the publisher of Travel and Trade Gazette Asia and PATA Travel News Asia-Pacific to recognise the most outstanding individuals and organisations in the Asia-Pacific travel industry. Just last week the International Air Transport Association announced that long-haul air passengers had picked Changi Airport as the world's top.

13. Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula Horn has wrapped-up his four day visit, claiming Singapore and Hungary should further widen economic relations. His nation's diplomacy and bilateral relations, he says, are dictated by concrete economic opportunities.

14. Singapore and Luxembourg are starting a Third Country Training Programme. It is aimed at helping developing countries in human resource development.

15. The outgoing Commander of the Integrated Air Defence System or IADA, Air Vice-Marshal Errol McCormack and incoming commander Air Vice-Marshal Robert Treloar, called on Deputy Prime Minister and  Minister for Defence Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam  today. Both officers are from the Australian Defence Force. Air Vice-Marshal McCormack has been Commander IADA since 1995 and will hand-over his post to Air Vice-Marshal Treloar on May the 1st. IADS is a multinational air defence organisation under the Five Power Defence Arrangements.

16. The Fourth Brunei-Singapore Exchange Visit will take place from Monday till Thursday. Minister for Foreign Affairs , Professor S Jayakumar, Minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng and Minister for Health and Environment Yeo Cheow Tong will lead a Singapore delegation to Brunei. The MFA says the visit is part of a regular series of bilateral exchanges between both countries which first began in 1990.

17. From Monday, it will be easier for male Singaporeans between the ages of 11 and 16-and-a-half, to extend their International Passports. They no longer have to produce a letter from their schools to certify they are students when doing so. The Immigration Department and Exit Permit Offices now have on-line access to records of students in Singapore schools.

18. Lawyers, acting for PAP leaders in their defamation suits against Workers' Party Member Tang Liang-Hong, are now preparing affidavits for journalists and transcribers to testify in court. This is for the hearing on the assessment of damages next month. It is understood that over 250 documents, and more than 50 journalists, transcribers and others who had done something in relation to the suits, have been identified. However not all will be called to be witnesses.

This was decided in the High Court today by Judicial Commissioner Choo Han-Teck at a thirty-minute closed-door session. Till today, Mr. Tang has not refuted the documents, most of which are newspaper reports. If he does not do so by the time of the hearing, journalists who had written the articles need not testify.

19. They're disabled and far away from home. But an Indonesian performing troupe, made up of 39 disabled people, are here not to seek help for themselves, but to render help to Singapore's Disabled People's Association. They are performing tonight at the Victoria Theatre to raise funds for a 1.5 million dollar 'Independent Living Centre' in Ayer Rajah.

20. For the first time, 2 non-Singaporeans have swept the top awards in TCS's bi-annual Star-Search awards. The 5th Star-Search at the World Trade Centre tonight saw the contestants do more than just act their way to stardom.

21. Over in Taiwan, tens of thousands of buyers have gathered at a bicycle fair to check out the latest designs in the industry. The 10th Taipei Bicycle Show, the biggest of its kind in Asia, has attracted more than 500 bike-makers from all over the world. Taiwan is one of the world's leading bike-makers and exported a whopping nine-million bikes last year. But demand for the two-wheeled vehicle has dropped at home, so the manufacturers are hoping the fair will push the sales up overseas.

22. In the English Premier League, Manchester United has tightened their grip on the league crown. And ended Liverpool's title-challenge with a 3-1win at Anfield.

23. The Tiger Beer S League is next. The SAFFC are now three points clear at the top of the league following their 2-nil win over Home United this evening. Its closest challenger Tiong Bahru faltered, losing 1-5 to Woodlands Wellington at home.

24. Premier League Hockey, next. Police Sports Association are keeping alive their title-hopes with an emphatic 4-nil win over SAFSA this evening. In another game, Singapore Cricket Club registered their second straight win, beating Singapore Recreation Club 4-1 at the Delta Stadium.