What's News: May 17, 2016

A new tie-up of eight Asian budget carriers promises to offer consumers greater convenience, such as being able to book flights from the airlines on one website. Called Value Alliance, it includes Singapore Airlines subsidiaries Scoot and Tigerair, and others from countries such as Japan and the Philippines.

Watten Estate residents are pitching in to prevent mosquitoes from breeding or biting, even as the authorities step up vector-control efforts in their neighbourhood.

Singapore's first Zika patient, confirmed last Friday, lives in the estate. Residents said they wanted to do their part and knew the mozzie-prevention drill well.

Today, China's third-ranking leader Zhang Dejiang - also the man in charge of Hong Kong affairs in Beijing - arrives in Hong Kong for a three-day visit that has the city government pulling out all the stops. These include elaborate security measures that were not seen even when then Chinese President Hu Jintao visited in July 2012.

This year's edition of Imaginarium, the Singapore Art Museum's annual contemporary art show for children, draws inspiration from the ocean and sea. Its curators say the works may be more tactile, colourful and light-hearted to appeal to children, but they also introduce big ideas about recycling. The show runs till Aug 28.

It is a little-known fact that most major social media platforms have, in recent years, amassed editorial teams of their own. These are groups of people who select, tame and fill gaps in the material produced by users and media companies.

Some Brexit proponents argue that it will enable Britain to become a more dynamic economy, such as Singapore. But small countries have all placed regional integration at the core of their strategies. Brexit will not make Britain the Singapore of Europe, says David Skilling.

A training scheme to help mid-career professionals, managers, executives and technicians switch to the wafer fabrication industry was launched yesterday. The sector has 500 vacancies this year, said the Singapore Workforce Development Agency.

Staff of new bus operator Tower Transit can expect a 3.5 per cent pay rise from this month, in line with the average salary increase of Singaporean workers from 2014 to last year. The starting monthly pay of its junior bus captains is now $1,930, up from $1,865.

Sales of new private homes fell 11.6 per cent in April compared with March, Urban Redevelopment Authority data showed yesterday. Developers sold 745 new private homes last month. There were two new launches last month - the 305-unit Sturdee Residences and The Asana.

The Singapore Slingers will not need to wait till next season for another bite at the Malaysia Dragons, to whom they lost narrowly in the Asean Basketball League finals (photo). Their rivals are one of five foreign teams coming in September for the Merlion Cup invitational event, which was last held in 1996 .

In our story last Saturday, "Cheers for move to keep wildlife from becoming roadkill", we said that proposed changes to the Road Traffic Act (RTA), made in Parliament on May 9, would widen the definition of "animals". This is incorrect. The Home Affairs Ministry intends to review the definition of "animals" in the RTA. No changes to the RTA were proposed. We are sorry for the error.