TOP OF THE NEWS
Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat yesterday unveiled the Government's Budget for the year ahead. The Budget, which is expected to incur spending of $73.4 billion this year, includes a host of measures offering relief for companies and households amid the weakening economy, while getting them ready for Singapore's future.
TOP OF THE NEWS
European leaders and terrorism experts have lobbed criticisms at Belgium after it emerged that two brothers involved in Tuesday's terrorist blitz in Brussels were known to the Belgian authorities, who had ignored warnings about them from other nations. The attacks on the city's airport and subway killed at least 31 people.
WORLD
Taiwan bid rocks Manila's case
The Philippines risks losing a case it filed against China's claims to nearly all of the South China Sea if Taiwan succeeds in convincing an international tribunal that Itu Aba (above), an outcrop in the Spratlys, is an island and not a "rock", analysts say. Taiwan has occupied the 46ha Itu Aba, which it calls Taiping, since 1956.
WORLD
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has pledged not to devalue the yuan or interfere too much in the economy, acknowledging global concern over China's actions. His move comes after markets were jolted when China allowed the yuan to devalue by 2 per cent last August.
OPINION
Raring to be gateway to Africa
There is a little emerald dot in the Indian Ocean called Mauritius that doesn't spring to the Asian mind too often. It is time it did, says Ravi Velloor. Mauritius' multicultural society and strong governance give it an edge in its bid to be the gateway to the African continent.
HOME
The owners of more than 700 coffee shops here are being urged by their associations to install CCTV cameras on their premises.
Stallholders and workers will also undergo training on how to shore up against security threats.
HOME
Jailed for selling SingPass data
A former administrative assistant who cracked the passwords of SingPass holders and sold them to a Chinese syndicate producing sham Singapore visas was jailed for five years and two months yesterday. The court said James Sim Guan Liang, 39, had caused "significant public disquiet".
BUSINESS
Factory output here suffered a bigger-than-expected decline of 4.7 per cent year-on-year in February, hurt by weak external demand as well as structural changes from restructuring, economists say. Excluding the biomedical sector, overall output would have fallen by a larger 7.4 per cent. C16
SPORT
Spieth cruises, Day and McIlroy struggle
The world's top golfers got through their opening games in varied fashion at the WGC Match Play championship. Top-ranked Jordan Spieth cruised against Jamie Donaldson, but No. 2 Jason Day endured a bad back to beat Graeme McDowell, and Rory McIlroy dug deep to stop Thorbjorn Olesen.
LIFE
Watching Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice is a lot like walking into the winners' locker room after a rugby match. It is sweaty, grunty, loud, self-congratulatory and, if movies had smells, pungent. For a film that is aware of its own silliness, and revels in it, try Pee-Wee's Big Holiday, the first featuring the character in three decades.
LIFE
Members of all-girl pop groups Wonder Girls and Dal Shabet and actress Shin Se Kyung are among the female celebrities in South Korea vehemently protesting against rumours that they are on a list of women allegedly involved in prostitution. The list has been circulating for the past week.
