TOP OF THE NEWS
Rules for Uber, GrabCar drivers
Drivers of private-hire car services like Uber and GrabCar will have to get a vocational licence, go for medical tests and screenings, and comply with a demerit point system from next year. The industry will be regulated with a light touch to enhance commuter safety, while giving these start-ups room to grow, it was announced in Parliament yesterday.
TOP OF THE NEWS
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak hit back at detractors of his management of 1Malaysia Development Berhad, pointing to mega projects Tun Razak Exchange and Bandar Malaysia as the "real legacy" of the troubled state fund. He also said those who painted the Malaysian economy to be in turmoil "have their own agenda".
WORLD
Temperatures across many Malaysian states soared to between 33 deg C and 40 deg C over the past three days, even though seasonal rains have begun. In the northern state of Kedah, 18 cases of heatwave-related illnesses have been reported since March 2. Temperatures are expected to dip gradually until next Monday.
HOME
Free Wi-Fi in pilot bus project
Passengers on two service 176 buses, plying between Bukit Merah and Bukit Panjang, are the first in Singapore to be offered free Wi-Fi on a bus. A collaboration between telco M1 and the Infocomm Development Authority is allowing them access to the Wireless@SG network in a pilot project that could be widened to other buses.
WORLD
Millions of businesses in China will pay less tax from next month as Beijing overhauls its taxation system to lower business costs. From May 1, value-added tax will replace business tax in the construction, real estate, finance and consumer services sectors.
OPINION
More people are getting laid off each year, with 15,580 workers affected last year. Economic restructuring will cause even more job losses. It's time to look at having an unemployment benefit scheme to help support those in between jobs, writes Chia Yan Min.
HOME
More Singaporeans have become eligible for housing grants after the Government tweaked housing policies last year. For instance, 2,100 families and 240 singles have received the Proximity Housing Grant after its roll-out last year.
BUSINESS
Sales of resale non-landed private homes hit an eight-month high last month, following a lull in February. An estimated 577 resale units were sold in March, up 47.6 per cent from the 391 in February, and the highest since 586 units changed hands last July, according to a flash report by SRX Property yesterday.
SPORT
Australia may have won two rugby world cups and finished runners-up twice but they have never taken the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series title.
The quicker and shorter version of the sport is less popular Down Under but recent credible results mean a medal is a realistic target for Rio 2016, where rugby sevens will make its Olympic debut.
LIFE
In Season 2 of Fear The Walking Dead, the zombie menace follows the main characters as they seek refuge at sea.
This precipitates a sort of Jaws-meets-zombies narrative that has seldom been explored in this genre.
What it should have been
In yesterday's article in the Bon Voyage supplement, "Tranquil trail in Tokyo", the picture captioned as the Tokyo Metropolitan Building is incorrect.
It is actually the Aqua City in Odaiba, with the Fuji TV headquarters in the background. We are sorry for the error.
