PRESS DIGEST - Singapore newspapers - March 24

SINGAPORE, March 25 (Reuters) - The following are stories from Singapore newspapers on Thursday. Reuters has not verified these stories.

STRAITS TIMES

- Prices for government-issued permits for car purchases in Singapore, a measure of vehicle demand, spiked sharply at Wednesday's tender, taking industry players aback and sparking calls for calm.

- The shipping industry outlook remains so uncertain that freight lines could find themselves awash with as much red ink this year as last year, an industry leader said.

BUSINESS TIMES

- The president of Singapore's real estate developers' association called for the government to allow the property market to operate fully as a free market.

- Marine and property conglomerate Keppel Corp (KPLM.SI) expects 2010 to be better than 2009, with its key offshore and marine business bagging S$1.3 billion ($925 million) worth of new orders in the first two months of this year. (Reporting by Fabian Ng; Editing by Neil Chatterjee and Valerie Lee)