SINGAPORE, August 1, 2008 (AFP) - Australian television reporter Peter Lloyd, charged with drug trafficking in Singapore, is doing well, his lawyer said Friday after a pre-trial hearing of his case.

SINGAPORE, July 29, 2008 (AFP) - Singapore's state-linked investment firm Temasek Holdings, the largest shareholder in troubled US investment bank Merrill Lynch, confirmed on Tuesday it was increasing its stake.

The move is the latest Singapore investment in global financial houses battered by a crisis that began in the US subprime, or higher-risk, mortgage sector.

WASHINGTON, July 29, 2008 (AFP) - Wall Street titan Merrill Lynch announced Monday it was dumping billions of dollars of mortgage debt at a steep loss and raising 8.5 billion in new capital, as the US housing crisis continued to devastate the country's banking sector.

WASHINGTON, July 28, 2008 (AFP) - Leading US investment bank Merrill Lynch announced Monday it was raising 8.5 billion dollars in new capital through a public offering, and said Singapore's state-owned investment fund Temasek was taking up 3.4 billion dollars of the offer.

SINGAPORE, July 28, 2008 (AFP) - Singapore Airlines said Monday its net profit in the first quarter fell 15.4 percent compared with the same period last year as higher fuel costs cut into rising revenues.

The airline reported a net profit of 359 million Singapore dollars (263 million US) for the three months ended June, a drop of 65 million from the same quarter last year.

SINGAPORE, July 25, 2008 (AFP) - An Australian television reporter already charged with drug trafficking faced three new drug charges in Singapore on Friday, according to court documents.

SINGAPORE, July 21, 2008 (AFP) - Singapore on Monday offered a reward of one million dollars (740,000 US) for information leading to the recapture of an alleged extremist leader whose escape in February stunned the city-state.

SINGAPORE, July 20, 2008 (AFP) - ASEAN foreign ministers expressed 'deep disappointment' Sunday over the extension of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's detention and called for all political prisoners in the country to be freed.

SINGAPORE, July 20, 2008 (AFP) - Regional rogues North Korea and Myanmar will top the billing at Asia's main security forum this week, but the inflation crisis and disaster response have emerged as critical new concerns.

SINGAPORE, July 18, 2008 (AFP) - A television reporter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation has been arrested in Singapore and was expected to face drug charges on Friday, his employer said.