What's News: March 13, 2017

TOP OF THE NEWS

More women in workforce

More women are participating in the workforce, even as the support system to enable them to balance family with career is being built up, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu said at the inaugural Crib Summit, which focuses on topics such as female entrepreneurship and leadership.


TOP OF THE NEWS

Handrails for seniors in jail

The number of elderly prisoners has almost doubled in the past five years, and the Singapore Prison Service has retrofitted some prison cells with senior-friendly features like grab bars and handrails. Last year, there were 651 inmates above 60 years old - nearly double the 359 in 2012. They made up 5.3 per cent of last year's prison population.


A protest at the Dutch consulate in Istanbul yesterday as a row with Turkey continued. PHOTO: REUTERS

WORLD

Row overshadows Dutch polls

The leaders of the Netherlands' six top political parties have held a key televised debate ahead of elections on Wednesday, but far-right MP Geert Wilders did not make an appearance. The leaders criss-crossed the country at the weekend to woo voters even as a bitter row with Turkey overshadowed the polls.


WORLD

Non-Muslims caned in Aceh

Two Chinese members of the Buddhist minority have been caned in Indonesia for cockfighting, the first time non-Muslims have received the punishment stipulated by the Islamic regulations in force in Aceh. The duo opted for the punishment instead of serving jail time under national law.


OPINION

Robot phobia and a wrong idea

Fear of robots must not lead to governments paying every person an income for doing nothing, writes Jonathan Eyal, who argues that the idea for a universal basic income gaining ground in some parts of the developed West is hare-brained.


HOME

Cyber victims turn bullies

One in nine adolescents said they have been victims of cyber bullying and close to half of them have, in turn, bullied others online. These are two findings of a study by the Singapore Children's Society and the Institute of Mental Health, which surveyed 3,319 students.


HOME

NS: Past, present, future

Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of the first formal step towards Singapore's national service policy with the passage of the National Service (Amendment) Act. ST examines the milestones and future of NS, and profiles five Home Team personnel.


BUSINESS

Ezra's fate still uncertain

The fate of home-grown offshore services firm Ezra Holdings continues to hang by a thread amid ballooning trade claims.

Analysts say the company's main problem is that it has too much debt, and creditors are likely baulking at the amount of money that would be needed to bail out the former stock market darling.


SPORT

Shaping football ecosystem

Sport Singapore chief executive officer Lim Teck Yin has defended the fast-expanding ActiveSG Football Academy, saying it is meant to boost junior participation. Amid complaints that its cheaper programmes are undercutting the private sector, he said the objective is to " influence the shape of the overall football ecosystem".


LIFE

Series 'not about Tom Cruise'

There are strong similarities between the series The Arrangement and the rumoured relationship between actor Tom Cruise and the Church of Scientology.

But in speaking to the press, its creators swear, unconvincingly, that the show is not about Cruise or Scientology.


INFOGRAPHIC

Fall of Korean queen

The full story behind South Korean President Park Geun Hye's fall from grace. http://str.sg/parkgeunhye

VIDEO

Rooftop parking

A black SUV in China ends up on the roof of a house after the driver loses control. http://str.sg/roofcrash

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 13, 2017, with the headline What's News: March 13, 2017. Subscribe