Singapore News Blog @newzblogz.com

Just one year after the Singapore government's investment arm, Temasek Holdings, acquired a controlling stake in Shin Corp. from the family of former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, it looks as though the group may be prepared to unload some of its holdings.

Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo told the Straits Times that if there are Thai buyers for Shin Satellite, in which Temasek-controlled Shin holds 43%, then his government would give its blessing to a sale. "If this is a commercial transaction on the basis of both sides being willing parties, then I see no problem at all," he is quoted as saying in the Singapore-based newspaper.

But is Temasek really ready to sell? In an e-mail response to questions sent by BusinessWeek.com to its head office in Singapore, the company officially declined to comment. However, Thai Communications Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom said his government had held informal talks about the possible sale of Shin Satellite with Temasek. Meanwhile, Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont told Malaysian news agency Bernama that his government would not get involved in a private sale.

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Here are the ten most active Big Board issues at this timeFord Motor down .360 7.900iShares Japan Index Fund down .150 14.990General Electric Co down .100 35.240Advanced Micro Devices down .480 15.200Pfizer Inc down .160 25.680Qwest Communications International Inc down .080 8.670iShares Singapor...

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SINGAPORE ? Oil prices were steady in Asian trading Tuesday amid forecasts that data due the following day will show a decline in U.S. gasoline and distillate stockpiles.

Prices were also supported by worries over tensions between Western powers and Iran, OPEC's No. 2 supplier, and snowy weather in the U.S. Northeast, the country's largest heating oil market.

Light, sweet crude for April delivery gained 8 cents to $61.47 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange mid-afternoon in Singapore. The contract rose by 0.4 percent to close at a 2-month high of $61.39 a barrel Tuesday.

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Philadelphia, PA -- (Sports Network) - PGA TOUR - HONDA CLASSIC, PGA National Resort and Spa - Champion Course, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida - The first weekend of March means the PGA Tour has moved east and begins its countdown for the Masters.

First up this year, with the schedule rearranged from last year, is the Honda Classic. After opening with an even-par 72 last year, Luke Donald carded three straight rounds in the 60s to down Geoff Ogilvy by two strokes.

Donald is on hand to defend his crown this week against a field that includes newly crowned WGC - Accenture Match Play champion Henrik Stenson. Stenson managed to defeat Ogilvy, who won the Match Play crown last year.

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SINGAPORE ? Oil prices were steady in Asian trading Tuesday amid forecasts that data due the following day will show a decline in U.S. gasoline and distillate stockpiles.

Prices were also supported by worries over tensions between Western powers and Iran, OPEC's No. 2 supplier, and snowy weather in the U.S. Northeast, the country's largest heating oil market.

Light, sweet crude for April delivery gained a cent to $61.40 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange midmorning in Singapore. The contract rose by 0.4 percent to close at a 2-month high of $61.39 a barrel Tuesday.

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SINGAPORE - Oil prices were steady in Asian trading Tuesday amid forecasts that data due the following day will show a decline in U.S. gasoline and distillate stockpiles.

Prices were also supported by worries over tensions between Western powers and Iran, OPEC's No. 2 supplier, and snowy weather in the U.S. Northeast, the country's largest heating oil market.

Light, sweet crude for April delivery gained a cent to $61.40 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange midmorning in Singapore. The contract rose by 0.4 percent to close at a 2-month high of $61.39 a barrel Tuesday.

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SINGAPORE - Internet search company Google Inc. plans to open a research and development center in Singapore, its first in Southeast Asia, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

Google's managing director of Southeast Asian sales and operations, Richard Kimber, was quoted in The Straits Times newspaper as saying Singapore was picked for its "very vibrant ICT (information, communications and technology) space."

A public relations firm representing Google in Singapore did not deny the report, but said Kimber's comments were meant to recognize the city-state's efforts to foster talent in the industry and did not address the possibility of setting up a research and development center here.

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NISEKO, Japan (AP) American skiers have the Rockies, Europeans the Alps. But for increasingly affluent Asia, Japan's powdery slopes are emerging as the top international draw from Shanghai to Sydney.

Even as skiing wanes in popularity at home, Japanese mountain villages like Niseko are trading on their fabulous snow, high-tech infrastructure and reasonable prices to thrive as snowbound boom towns.

International investors are also taking a keen interest in Japanese resorts as the region's skiers increasingly eschew the likes of Aspen and Davos for the pure powder next door.

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The nation's biggest airlines, back on firmer financial ground after a five-year slump, are eager to start replacing their aging aircraft fleets, but they face some major obstacles.

Among their biggest challenges: finding enough new airplanes to meet their needs, figuring out a way to pay for them and deciding how long they can afford to wait in line for delivery. If they don't succeed, the consequences could include more delays for air travelers. (See related article.)

During the slump that began in 2001, the major U.S. carriers sat on the sidelines, focusing on cost cutting, while their foreign rivals went on a buying spree. Now, production at Boeing Co. and Airbus, the world's leading aircraft makers, is sold out until 2011.

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Following is the full text of a press release issued by TXU Corp. on Monday, Feb. 26 on its deal to be acquired for nearly $32 billion, plus the assumption of nearly $13 billion in debt, by a group led by two of the nation's biggest private-equity firms, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Texas Pacific Group.

TXU to Set New Direction As Private Company; Public Benefits Include Price Cuts, Price Protection, Investments in Alternative Energy and Stronger Environmental Policies

DALLAS, TX -- TXU Corp., a Dallas-based energy company, together with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Texas Pacific Group, two of the nation's leading private-equity firms, and Goldman Sachs & Co., a leading global investment bank, announced today the execution of a definitive merger agreement under which an investor group led by KKR and TPG will acquire TXU in a transaction valued at $45 billion. GS Capital Partners, Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and Morgan Stanley intend to be equity in...

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WASHINGTON D-N-A analysis has eliminated suspects and led to the release of people erroneously convicted of a crime. Now, it's helping to protect elephants.Ivory prices have nearly quadrupled in recent years, prompting poachers to kill more elephants to sell their tusks on the black market. But authorities often aren't sure where illegal hunting is occurring.A report by a University of Washington researcher says the seizure of tons of ivory in Singapore in 2002 has helped solve part of the puzzl...

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Despite holding a law degree and owning several restaurants and nightclubs, Chicago entrepreneur Billy Dec says his decision to go to business school was "a no-brainer."

A company growth spurt in 2005 left the 34-year-old president of Rockit Ranch Productions Inc. feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"I decided to get a strong understanding of how to run a company, not just grow but lead and manage," said Dec, whose company's holdings include the Rockit Bar & Grill and the Underground nightclub.

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SINGAPORE - Vice presidents sometimes have power problems.

It had been a particularly long, eight-hour flight Sunday from Sydney to Singapore without the benefit of the warm fare from the galley or the film library aboard Air Force Two, with both the kitchen and in-flight cinema disabled by an electrical problem aboard the vice president's aircraft.

The plane of Vice President Dick Cheney, it seemed, was at the mercy of a power surge.

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Vice presidents sometimes have power problems.

It had been a particularly long eight-hour flight Sunday from Sydney to Singapore without the benefit of the warm fare from the galley or the film library aboard Air Force Two, with both the kitchen and in-flight cinema disabled by an electrical problem aboard the vice president's aircraft.

The plane of Vice President Dick Cheney, it seemed, was at the mercy of a power surge.

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Two long years of waiting are over. California is now pouring more money into embryonic stem-cell research than the federal government or any other state in the nation.

After months of court delays, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine on Feb. 16 approved 72 grants totaling $45 million to 20 academic and non-profit research centers throughout the state.

Voters should take heart that their giant leap of faith is coming to fruition. It's now possible to envision that over the course of the next decade, California will fulfill its dream of becoming a world leader in what remains one of the most promising fields of medical study.

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SINGAPORE - Oil prices rose Monday in Asian trading as a winter storm plowed across the United States, spurring expectations of strong demand for heating oil.

Light, sweet crude for April delivery rose 27 cents to $61.41 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, midmorning in Singapore. The contract added 19 cents Friday to settle at $61.14, its highest closing price since Dec. 22.

The winter storm moved toward the U.S. East Coast after dumping as much as 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow in the Midwest, grounding hundreds of airline flights and closing major highways. By midday Sunday in the United States, snow was dwindling but still falling from the Dakotas to Washington D.C.

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SINGAPORE ? Oil prices rose Monday in Asian trading as a winter storm plowed across the United States, spurring expectations of strong demand for heating oil.

Light, sweet crude for April delivery rose 27 cents to $61.41 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, midmorning in Singapore. The contract added 19 cents Friday to settle at $61.14, its highest closing price since Dec. 22.

The winter storm moved toward the U.S. East Coast after dumping as much as 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow in the Midwest, grounding hundreds of airline flights and closing major highways. By midday Sunday in the United States, snow was dwindling but still falling from the Dakotas to Washington D.C.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Vice President Dick Cheney landed in the U.S.-allied Arab monarchy of Oman on Sunday and went directly to talks with its foreign minister, Omani government officials said.

A U.S. embassy spokesman in Oman declined to detail Cheney's plans or the focus of his visit to the sparsely populated oil-producing state, which allows the United States use of four air bases. But an Omani government official said Cheney was to discuss regional security issues, including the U.S. standoff with Iran over its nuclear program. The official, in the capital Muscat, spoke on condition of anonymity because he was unauthorized to speak to the press.

Oman sits across the strategically important Strait of Hormuz from Iran, through which two-fifths of the world's oil passes.

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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- This multiracial nation's tourism tagline is "Malaysia Truly Asia," and true to its slogan, it is home to a unique potpourri of Asian cultures -- Malay, Chinese, Indian -- along with many indigenous groups on Borneo island.

Malaysia is one of the most pleasant, hassle-free countries to visit in Southeast Asia. Aside from its gleaming 21st century glass towers, it boasts some of the most superb beaches, mountains and national parks in the region.

Malaysia is also launching its biggest-ever tourism campaign in effort to lure 20 million visitors here this year. More than 16 million tourists visited in 2005, the last year for which complete statistics were available.

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California is the top destination for travelers whose vacation plans include food festivals, wine tours and other culinary pursuits, according to a new Travel Industry Association study.

California was cited as a destination for food-related travel by 14 percent of those surveyed, followed by Florida (10 percent), New York (7 percent), Texas (6 percent), North Carolina (4 percent), Georgia (4 percent), Louisiana (3 percent), Illinois (3 percent), Nevada (3 percent), Pennsylvania (3 percent), Washington (3 percent), Hawaii (3 percent), Michigan (2 percent), Arizona (2 percent), and Virginia (2 percent).

The study, released Feb. 14, found that 27 million travelers, or 17 percent of U.S. leisure travelers, engaged in "culinary or wine-related activities" while traveling during the past three years.

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When you think of someone taking a class or earning a degree online, how would you describe this person? A stay-at-home mom, studying late at night while her children sleep? A Gen-Xer experimenting with a course, unsure of committing to a full-time program?

Not necessarily. Today's online students are as diverse as the reasons they're enrolled in distance learning. They are extraordinary people from all walks of life.

Young at Heart

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WASHINGTON/SYDNEY (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's plane had a small mechanical problem on Sunday but there were no safety concerns and it would make a planned refueling stop in Singapore, the White House said.

White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore said there was a problem with a generator on the plane, which left Sydney's international airport about 9 a.m. on Sunday (5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT) Saturday), but it posed no safety issues and the aircraft was fine.

A flight from Sydney to Singapore takes about seven hours.

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SINGAPORE (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's plane, which encountered a mechanical problem after leaving Australia to return to the United States, landed safely in Singapore on Sunday.

"This was the pre-planned, scheduled fuel stop," said Cheney's spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride. "We were not diverted," she added, following a comment by Australia's Prime Minister John Howard that Cheney's plane had been diverted to Singapore because of the mechanical problem.

McBride said there had been an issue with the electricity on the plane. Because of that, "a call was placed back to Sydney with the status," she said, adding the electrical problem did not cut off Cheney's ability to communicate with the rest of the world.

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Vice President Dick Cheney's plane experienced a minor mechanical problem but was making a refueling stop in Singapore as planned on Sunday, the White House said.

An Air Force spokesman told CBS News that the aircraft had a "non-serious" generator problem that will be checked out in Singapore. The Vice President's party is flying a C-32, the modified military version of the Boeing 757-200.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard had said earlier that he had received a report that Cheney's plane was being diverted after it took off from Sydney on Sunday morning, but that he did not have any more details.

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Spencer Partrich talks about Paul Goldman, the free-lance photographer whose black and white images captured the birth of Israel, as if he were a son.

"He was a Hungarian Jew who came over to Israel in the late '30s," Partrich said. "He was a superb photographer and because of that he gained access to all the politicians, the generals and people in general. He was there all the way through.

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Available for travel sometime in the next 60 days.

CITY RT AIRLINES

Acapulco $348 F9

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SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The plane carrying Vice President Dick Cheney from Australia to the United States landed safely in Singapore on Sunday, after encountering a mechanical problem, a United States embassy spokeswoman said.

"It's landed," the spokeswoman said, speaking from Singapore's Paya Lebar air base, a military airport in the eastern part of the island. "The vice president is skedded to remain on the plane. He is skedded to leave as soon as the refueling is completed."

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By the end of this year, the contents of all 1,800 courses taught at one of the world's most prestigious universities will be available online to anyone in the world, anywhere in the world. Learners won't have to register for the classes, and everyone is accepted.

The cost? It's all free of charge.

The OpenCourseWare movement, begun at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2002 and now spread to some 120 other universities worldwide, aims to disperse knowledge far beyond the ivy-clad walls of elite campuses to anyone who has an Internet connection and a desire to learn.

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SINGAPORE ? Vice President Dick Cheney's plane landed at a military air base in Singapore on Sunday for a scheduled refueling stop after experiencing a minor mechanical problem.

The plane was expected to stay at Singapore's Paya Lebar Air Base just long enough for refueling.

"The vice president is not scheduled to get off the plane and he has no scheduled meetings in Singapore," a U.S. Embassy spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity in keeping with embassy policy.

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SINGAPORE - Vice President Dick Cheney's plane landed at a military air base in Singapore on Sunday for a scheduled refueling stop after experiencing a minor mechanical problem.

The plane was expected to stay at Singapore's Paya Lebar Air Base just long enough for refueling.

"The vice president is not scheduled to get off the plane and he has no scheduled meetings in Singapore," a U.S. Embassy spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity in keeping with embassy policy.

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WHITE HOUSE The White House says Vice President Dick Cheney's plane experienced a minor mechanical problem but is making a refueling stop in Singapore as planned.Australian Prime Minister John Howard said earlier that he'd received a report that Cheney's plane was being diverted after it took off from Sydney, but that he did not have any details.A White House spokeswoman confirmed late Saturday that the plane experienced an electrical problem involving a generator, but said the plane was not div...

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SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney, who visited Asia-Pacific allies Japan and Australia last week, left Singapore on Sunday afternoon after his plane underwent minor repairs and refueled.

"This was the pre-planned, scheduled fuel stop," said Cheney's spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride. "We were not diverted," she added, following a comment by Australia's Prime Minister John Howard that Cheney's plane had been diverted to Singapore because of a problem.

McBride said there had been an issue with the electricity on the plane. Because of that, "a call was placed back to Sydney with the status," she said, adding the electrical problem did not cut off Cheney's ability to communicate with the rest of the world.

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LONDON - "I hate cars," Ken Livingstone told an interviewer back in 1999. "If I ever get any powers again I'd ban the lot."

A few months later, the outspoken Livingstone got himself elected mayor of London, and while he hasn't been able to actually ban the automobile from his city's streets, he has made driving in London a very expensive proposition.

In 2003, London became one of the first major cities to establish a traffic congestion charge zone. Motorists driving their cars in the city center between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. are now obliged to pay a $16 daily fee. The fine for violators is $200.

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The Dow Jones Stoxx 600 index rose 0.2 percent. The Stoxx 50 gained 0.3 percent, and the Euro Stoxx 50, a measure for the nations sharing the euro, added 0.1 percent. National benchmarks rose in 13 of 18 Western European markets.

In Asia, the Morgan Stanley Capital International Asia-Pacific index rose 0.4 percent, reaching a record high for a second day. Japan's Nikkei 225 index added 0.4 percent. The Hang Seng index retreated 0.5 percent.

"There's still room for the price of oil to move higher," said Tomokatsu Mori at Fukoku Capital Management Inc. in Tokyo. "There's no need to worry about any negative factors causing a slump in commodity markets."

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Sixty-five years ago, America faced its bleakest future since British troops burned the White House in 1814. By February 1942, prospects of victory were distant at best; bleak at worst. From Hawaii to Singapore, the Japanese had pummeled U.S. and British fortifications. Coupled with the German conquest of Northern and Western Europe, and Nazi divisions poised outside the walls of Moscow and Stalingrad, Japanese dominion over land and sea left little doubt as to the enormity of the task ahead.

In times of crisis and doubt, heroes offer hope and certitude. In the fog of the war's first days, a 26-year-old Florida farm boy provided a stirring measure of bravery to an America desperate for a hero: Colin Purdie Kelly, Jr. For the duration, editorial writers and war bond promoters summoned Americans to cherish his name and deed. Today, he is virtually unknown to anyone under age 70.

In the afterglow of Pearl Harbor, Japanese forces targeted the biggest prize in Southeast Asia, the Philippines. A series of land and aerial assaults quickly overwhelmed U.S. installations, deflating Gen. MacArthur's reputation and deepening American pessimism.

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Bach Festival Will Feature Special Performance/Recital on March 16

The 2007 Festival Weekend of the Bach Festival of Central Florida will open March 16 with an intimate recital by guest artist Daniel Bubeck, who is a countertenor.

Joining him on stage will be pianist Paul Floyd.

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SINGAPORE - Clad in military-style pants, bright T-shirts and dangling chains, 12 Singapore lawmakers grooved to hip-hop music in the city-state's largest annual street parade Saturday, part of the ruling party's efforts to ditch its authoritarian and conservative image.

The ministers, most of whom won parliament seats in last year's election, were joined by 300 dancers as they showed their moves at the Chingay parade. Some 18,000 people crowded the sidewalks of the Orchard Road shopping district, which was ablaze with lights and pyrotechnics.

"We enjoyed it," said civil servant Kok Ping Soon, 36, who attended the parade with his family. "It was good to see them dancing, to see that they are part of the community."

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NEW YORK (AP) -- Oil prices reached a new high for the year during a volatile session Friday, driven by tensions with oil-producing Iran and expectations of continued pressure on U.S. petroleum product supplies

Light, sweet crude for April delivery added 19 cents to settle on the New York Mercantile Exchange at $61.14, its highest closing price since Dec. 22.

Earlier in the session, prices had climbed as high as $61.80, setting a new peak for 2007. They also dipped as low as $60.50 during the afternoon, partly because of profit taking, said Ritterbusch & Associates' Jim Ritterbusch.

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NEW YORK ? Oil prices reached a new high for the year during a volatile session Friday, driven by tensions with oil-producing Iran and expectations of continued pressure on U.S. petroleum product supplies

Light, sweet crude for April delivery added 19 cents to settle on the New York Mercantile Exchange at $61.14, its highest closing price since Dec. 22.

Earlier in the session, prices had climbed as high as $61.80, setting a new peak for 2007. They also dipped as low as $60.50 during the afternoon, partly because of profit taking, said Ritterbusch & Associates' Jim Ritterbusch.

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Editor's note: The world's best cruise lines have not only unveiled a host of new ships in recent months, they've also introduced a series of global itineraries and that's good news for savvy Boca Raton-area travelers. Over the next three weeks Cruise Guide will bypass the obvious - Caribbean and European sailings - to take a closer look at what's in store for passengers who seek exotic voyages. This week, in part one of our three-part series, we take a look at Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asia. The name alone conjures up a host of images from giant Buddhas and gilded temple spires to neon-lit cities.

Look for eight of the most popular and luxurious cruise lines in the world - members of the Cruise Lines International Association, the chief marketing arm for 19 lines and some 17,000 North American-based travel agencies - to offer itineraries ranging from nine to 30-plus days aboard 14 ships in 2006 and 2007.

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Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar: 7956 Gateway East, $$, 598-7006. Chase a warm batch of spicy buffalo wings with the steak-and-riblet platter.

Bennigan's: 10497 Gateway West, $-$$$, 592-7200. Featuring the world-famous Monte Cristo sandwich, fried and served with raspberry preserves.

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse: 11905 Gateway West, $-$$$, 633-8300. Nice ambience and good food. The Sweet Pig pizza -- pineapples, Roma tomatoes and ham -- isn't bad.

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Asian stocks surged Thursday, and Japan's Nikkei 225 index surpassed 18,000 for the first time in nearly seven years after Bank of Japan Governor Toshihiko Fukui said interest rates will stay low.

"Most investors do not expect the central bank to raise rates before summer," said Haruo Otsuka at Toyota Asset Management Co. in Tokyo.

The Morgan Stanley Capital International Asia-Pacific index added 0.6 percent.

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Originally published 01:22 p.m., February 23, 2007

Updated 01:55 p.m., February 23, 2007

Oil prices rose Friday in a volatile session, driven by tensions with oil-producing Iran and expectations of continued pressure on U.S. petroleum product supplies

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SINGAPORE ? Oil trading was slow Friday as the market adjusted to a surprising drop in U.S. gasoline and heating oil inventories.

Light, sweet crude for April delivery nudged 3 cents higher to $60.98 in light electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange at midmorning in Singapore.

"Trading is quiet today because there is nothing special to react to," said Tetsu Emori, chief commodities strategist with Mitsui Bussan Futures in Tokyo. "The market is just adjusting to yesterday's leap."

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Editor's note: The world's best cruise lines have not only unveiled a host of new ships in recent months, they've also introduced a series of global itineraries and that's good news for savvy Boca Raton-area travelers. Over the next two weeks Cruise Guide will bypass the obvious - Caribbean and European sailings - to take a closer look at what's in store for passengers who seek exotic voyages. This week, in part two of our three-part series, we take a look at Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

There's more Down Under than meets the eye.

Upcoming cruises to Australia, New Zealand and the Polynesian islands will feature a combination of cosmopolitan cities, jungles and snow-capped mountains to fjords, white-sand beaches and coral reefs.

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Originally published 12:34 p.m., February 23, 2007

Updated 01:10 p.m., February 23, 2007

Oil prices dipped Friday, wiping out gains earlier in the day that had boosted prices to the highest level so far this year.

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Oil prices rose above $61 per barrel Friday, driven by tensions with oil-producing Iran and continued reaction to a surprising drop in U.S. gasoline and heating oil supplies.

Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and influential former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said in separate speeches Friday that critics of Iran's nuclear program are "bullying" the country. A day earlier, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said that Iran _ OPEC's No. 2 supplier _ is still refusing to end uranium enrichment, in defiance of the Security Council.

"With the path of the events being drifting towards a more confrontational outcome we expect geopolitics, and Iran in particular, to remain an important supportive factor for oil prices going forward," Barclays Capital analysts wrote in a research note.

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Oil trading was slow Friday as the market adjusted to a surprising drop in U.S. gasoline and heating oil inventories.

Light, sweet crude for April delivery nudged just 1 cent higher to $60.96 in light electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, midafternoon in Singapore.

The Brent crude contract for April was up 14 cents to $60.76 a barrel on London's ICE Futures Exchange.

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SINGAPORE - Oil trading was slow Friday as the market adjusted to a surprising drop in U.S. gasoline and heating oil inventories.

Light, sweet crude for April delivery nudged just 1 cent higher to $60.96 in light electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, midafternoon in Singapore.

The Brent crude contract for April was up 14 cents to $60.76 a barrel on London's ICE Futures Exchange.

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SINGAPORE ? Oil trading was slow Friday as the market adjusted to a surprising drop in U.S. gasoline and heating oil inventories.

Light, sweet crude for April delivery nudged just 1 cent higher to $60.96 in light electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, midafternoon in Singapore.

The Brent crude contract for April was up 14 cents to $60.76 a barrel on London's ICE Futures Exchange.

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SINGAPORE - Oil prices hovered around the psychologically important US$60-a-barrel mark in Asian trading Thursday ahead of the release of the U.S. government's fuel stocks data later in the day.

Light, sweet crude for April delivery fell 13 cents to $59.94 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange midday in Singapore.

The Brent crude contract for April was down 13 cents at $59.22 a barrel.

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SINGAPORE ? Oil prices hovered around the psychologically important US$60-a-barrel mark in Asian trading Thursday ahead of the release of the U.S. government's fuel stocks data later in the day.

Light, sweet crude for April delivery fell 13 cents to $59.94 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange midday in Singapore.

The Brent crude contract for April was down 13 cents at $59.22 a barrel.

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SINGAPORE — Oil prices hovered around the psychologically important $60-a-barrel mark in Asian trading Thursday ahead of the release of the U.S. government's fuel stocks data later in the day.

Light, sweet crude for April delivery traded down 1 cent at $60.06 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange midday in Singapore.

The upside target may be as high as $61 a barrel, said Ken Hasegawa of Tokyo brokerage Himawari CX, adding that market action in coming days may see prices move into the $57- to $62-a-barrel range.

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NEW YORK - Oil prices rose above $60 a barrel Wednesday after a spate of refinery shutdowns threatened to cut into supply. Increasing tensions over Iran's uranium enrichment program also helped to boost prices.

Light, sweet crude for April delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange climbed $1.27 to $60.12 a barrel in afternoon trading. Brent crude for April delivery also rose $1.44 to $59.42 a barrel on the ICE Futures Exchange in London.

The refinery shutdowns also drove products higher. Heating oil rose nearly 4 cents Wednesday to $1.5848 a gallon, while natural gas futures rose 14 cents to $7.725 per 1,000 cubic feet. Gasoline futures gained more than 5 cents to $1.7000 a gallon in afternoon trading.

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