Singapore's economy was a big deal in the news, with Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat delivering his maiden Budget in Parliament on March 24. The Straits Times' coverage spanned a live blog with commentary in real time by deputy editor Ignatius Low and opinion editor Chua Mui Hoong, as well as a Budget microsite and explainers online.
Tech-savvy Singaporeans may soon want to tap into another way of paying for their bus and train rides - using their smartphones.
Beyond Singapore, US President Barack Obama's historic visit to Cuba, an international nuclear summit attended by more than 50 leaders, and the Syrian government's recapturing of the ancient city of Palmyra offered more fodder for digital-only content on www.straitstimes.com
Important things to know about Budget 2016
The business-minded Singapore Budget was aimed at supporting local businesses as well as Singaporeans who have to weather an economic slowdown. You do not have to plough through stacks of information to get to the important bits. We have a handy guide to 11 things you need to know about the Budget announcements. http://str.sg/ZtRK
If you want to find out more, here are six schemes to help workers adapt, http://str.sg/ZtD3, and six things the Government is planning to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). http://str.sg/ZtRr
There are also big plans afoot to transform Singapore Inc, from encouraging automation to promoting start-ups. Here are 10 schemes introduced during the speech. http://str.sg/ZtD4
SIMply high-tech way to pay fares, if you have the right gear
It was announced on Wednesday that passengers can now pay for their bus and train rides by tapping their compatible smartphones. But before you rush out to try this newfangled method, you may want to read tech editor Irene Tham's list of caveats. She highlights five things to consider before you upgrade your SIM to support mobile payments with Near Field Communications (NFC). http://str.sg/ZvTf
Decades of secret US-Cuba talks before Obama's visit
President Barack Obama was the first US president in 88 years to visit Cuba. But since bilateral ties were frozen in the wake of Fidel Castro's ascent to power in 1959, there have been discreet attempts on the part of some US presidents at rapprochement with the world's last socialist stronghold. Here is a quick rundown of strategies employed by various American leaders in the past 50 years. http://str.sg/ZtMW
PM Lee attends nuclear security summit in Washington
President Barack Obama also hosted an international summit in Washington on Thursday, attended by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, where nuclear security was the focus. The summit was first convened by Mr Obama in 2010 and then in 2012 and 2014. PM Lee has attended all four summits. Here is an explainer on why the summits are important in promoting nuclear security worldwide. http://str.sg/ZvGF
Recapture of Palmyra by Syrian forces good news for heritage
There was good news for world heritage recently when Syrian government forces recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant group, which seized control of the site last May. Here are five things to know about the Unesco World Heritage site that dates back to the 19th century BC. http://str.sg/ZvZZ
