What's News: Sept 18, 2017

Mr Tan Kok Yew, who is part of the opposition alliance, meeting Kedah residents.
Mr Tan Kok Yew, who is part of the opposition alliance, meeting Kedah residents. ST PHOTO: ARLINA ARSHAD

TOP OF THE NEWS

Apprenticeship scheme a hit

There were close to 200 applicants for about 65 places in the SkillsFuture Work-Study Degree Programmes that started in January. The scheme allows undergraduates to work and study for their degrees concurrently, and is meant to better support degree holders amid a more challenging job landscape.


TOP OF THE NEWS

Abe may call snap election

A snap election might be called in Japan as early as next month, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appears inclined to leverage on a rebound in support for his Liberal Democratic Party after what has been a bruising year. The poll for the 475-seat Lower House is not due until December next year.


WORLD

Malaysia opposition gets going

Malaysia's general election might be months away, but "Team Mahathir" and the opposition alliance are pulling out all the stops to capture the hearts of rural Malay voters in the state of Kedah. While former premier Mahathir Mohamad still commands a personal following, questions remain as to whether it is enough to sweep the opposition into power.


WORLD

US staying out of climate deal

The White House has pushed back at a European suggestion that it was softening its stance on the Paris climate accord, insisting America will withdraw from the agreement unless it can re-enter on more favourable terms. This came as ministers from some 30 nations gathered to discuss the accord.


OPINION

Lessons from Houston floods

If Singapore were to suffer flooding as Houston did, the consequences would be more serious, warns environmentalist Geh Min. It needs to raise its ecological quotient and approach building and population growth differently.


HOME

Upmarket pre-schools

Last month, the $200 million Early Learning Village opened in Lorong Chuan with a capacity for 2,100 children. It is the latest upmarket pre-school to open here, targeting parents who are willing to pay about $2,000 a month on early-years education.


HOME

More going for face-shaping

More people in Singapore are turning to face-shaping treatments, including ultrasound. Such treatments are different from procedures such as double-eyelid surgery and rhinoplasty, or nose jobs, which alter just the individual feature.


BUSINESS

Firms 'must be open to ideas'

Intellectual Property Intermediary Singapore, a non-profit body under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, says that as the need for innovation becomes more urgent, firms should be open to ideas and solutions, from within and also outside sources.


SPORT

Golovkin retains boxing titles

Gennady Golovkin of Kazakhstan retained his three world middleweight boxing belts on Saturday after a drawn fight in Las Vegas against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez of Mexico.


LIFE

Fan Bingbing to wed Li Chen

Chinese celebrity couple Fan Bingbing and Li Chen announced their engagement on her 36th birthday on Saturday. Actor Li, 38, proposed to the A-list actress at her birthday party and she was moved to tears, said NetEase website.


What it should have been

Yesterday's report, "Ferrari's Vettel is master of Marina Bay circuit", carried a photo of his teammate Kimi Raikkonen in his car instead. We are sorry for the error.

In a Sept 10 report, "Real promise marred by bots, trickery and fake ads", we stated that advertisers cannot pick specific sites where they want their ads to appear on the Google platform.

Google has clarified that advertisers can pick specific sites to place their ads, although some media agencies are not aware and prefer to negotiate with publishers directly. Advertisers can also block their ads from showing up on specific sites.


Straits Times Digital

VIDEO

Heartfelt reunion

Follow Serene Lee's journey to take Carmen Mark's heart home to Penang. http://str.sg/4jTH

WEB SPECIAL

Going off track

From durian tasting to fashion pitches, see what F1 drivers got up to away from the Singapore Grand Prix over the weekend. http://str.sg/4jcv

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 18, 2017, with the headline What's News: Sept 18, 2017. Subscribe