TOP OF THE NEWS
MediShield Life to start earlier
The MediShield Life health insurance scheme will be rolled out two months ahead of schedule on Nov 1, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong yesterday. The scheme will cover everyone and offer benefits such as lower co-payment and unlimited lifetime claims. All Singaporeans and permanent residents will be covered by the scheme from birth to death.
Immigration curbs not populist
Moves to curb the inflow of foreign workers and immigrants are not because the Government has decided to be populist, but are a recognition of real problems that can affect Singapore society, said PM Lee Hsien Loong.
WORLD
The Vietnamese government was striving to help residents affected by toxic mudslides caused by torrential rain. The deluge, which caused poisonous sludge to spill from coal mines nearby, has claimed at least 17 lives.
Britain and France have sounded the alarm over illegal migration by issuing a joint statement urging international cooperation to tackle "a global crisis". This came as a French politician accused British Premier David Cameron of failing to grasp the issue's severity.
OPINION
Russia's veto of the UN resolution to set up a tribunal on the shooting down of Flight MH17 drew outrage but was expected. Permanent members should not use the United Nations Security Council to try to embarrass opponents, says Europe correspondent Jonathan Eyal.
HOME
Fewer babies born with cleft lip and palate
The incidence of cleft lip and palate in Singapore has fallen from 2.07 cases per 1,000 live births between 1985 and 1994, to 1.87 cases per 1,000 live births between 1993 and 2002. The KK Women's and Children's Hospital's Cleft and Craniofacial Centre marked its 10th anniversary yesterday.
It's music to the ears of those hoping for better sound quality from smart devices: A team led by a Nanyang Technological University researcher has come up with a chip that can cut down on crackles and hisses in a range of devices.
Kit to tell mozzie viruses apart
Researchers have developed a kit that can differentiate between the dengue and chikungunya viruses, which are both transmitted by mosquitoes and have similar symptoms. The kit works by identifying the melting temperature of the viruses' genetic material.
SPORT
A pair of unheralded golfers led the field into yesterday's Women's British Open final round after weathering the wind and rain.
Twenty-year-old Ko Jin Young is playing in her first Major, has never been to Scotland and is new to links golf. She is joined by Taiwanese Teresa Lu, 27, who has had only one win on the LPGA Tour.
LIFE
The upcoming Spotlight On Singapore Cinema series will screen five classic local films shot from the 1950s to the 1970s free at the spruced-up Capitol Theatre.
The films include early P. Ramlee drama Patah Hati (1952) (above), and Hokkien period opera film Taming Of The Princess (1958).
For the past 1-1/2 months, Jack Neo has been based in a kampung in Ipoh, shooting a movie about the large-scale move of Singaporean families from villages to public housing estates. The $5 million movie, Long Long Time Ago, is slated for release during Chinese New Year and its cast includes Aileen Tan and Mark Lee.
