1 Trial of Israeli PM starts
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday became the country's first sitting premier to face criminal charges as the trial opened on corruption allegations against him. He insists that the allegations were fabricated by his political opponents to oust him.
2 China hits back at US leaders
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi yesterday hit back at US politicians for attacking and discrediting Beijing at every turn, saying their actions were caused by a spreading "political virus" and could push the two countries to the brink of a new cold war. However, he also said the two superpowers should find a way to coexist peacefully despite their differences.
3 Call to review WHO structure
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is designed to not be independent, experts say, because it relies on member states for funding, as well as for information and the mandate to act during a crisis. Its structure should be reviewed after the coronavirus pandemic, they say, to see how it can be strengthened.
4 India faces locust threat
India is bracing itself for swarms of locusts that threaten to destroy crops on its western front. Flying in from Pakistan, the pests have been spotted in over 17 districts in Rajasthan, which suffered damage costing billions of rupees in the last locust attack.
5 New nuclear arms race
As the Cold War-era arms control regimes fall apart, the nuclear threat grows amid a rising arsenal of intermediate-range missiles and a willingness to use them as tactical battlefield weapons, says global affairs correspondent Jonathan Eyal.
6 Home bakers see brisk sales
Home bakers have reported brisk sales this year amid the circuit breaker measures. Home baker Siti Hartini, 38, said sales from her usual menu, apart from Hari Raya bakes, had increased. Experts told The Straits Times that pent-up demand could have boosted the sales for home bakers and those who operate online.
7 Free meals for F&B workers
Some food and beverage (F&B) outlets have stepped up to provide free meals for fellow workers in the industry, which has been hammered by the pandemic. The initiative is part of the Together In Spirits campaign launched on May 11 by seven wine and spirits firms.
8 Huge boost for e-commerce
E-commerce received a huge boost from the Covid-19 crisis, with groceries and food, as well as indoor exercise equipment and gaming tools emerging as the most popular categories for online shopping. Experts say that even after countries relax restrictions, e-commerce will play a larger role in the "new normal" than before.
9 Sports facilities to stay shut
Sports, recreation and outdoor facilities, such as gyms and fitness studios, will remain shut as Singapore enters phase one of the post-circuit breaker period on June 2, national sport agency Sport Singapore announced yesterday.
10 S'pore's lesser-told stories
Creative project 15 Shorts gathers 15 short films from 15 Singaporean film-makers. The films are lesser-told stories of Singaporeans from the 1970s to the 1990s, offering a slice-of-life view of the nation-building era. They are now available on the project's dedicated website - cityofgood.sg/15shorts - and on Mediacorp's streaming platform meWatch.
StraitsTimes Digital
VIDEO
Robot patrol
Fully autonomous robots have been rolled out to patrol a foreign worker dormitory gazetted as an isolation facility to ensure residents abide by safe distancing measures. str.sg/blurb387
VIDEO
Keeping fit
Fitness enthusiasts are sharing their workouts and challenges on social media during the Covid-19 circuit breaker. Here are some that have caught our eye. str.sg/blurb388
