10 must-reads for today

North Korea destroyed the inter-Korea liaison office building - a key symbol of inter-Korea cooperation - in the border city of Kaesong yesterday. The move is seen as an attempt to exert pressure on Seoul and Washington for their stalled dialogue. Smoke was seen billowing from the office building.

With the future of aviation under a cloud, Singapore has halted construction of the upcoming mega Changi Airport Terminal 5 (T5) for at least two years, and will review its scale and design. The project will not resume until the Republic has undertaken a study on prospects for the sector, which has been battered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The global tally of coronavirus cases has exceeded eight million, as infections surge in Latin America and fresh outbreaks occur in the United States and China. The US still has the greatest number of cases - more than two million, or about 25 per cent of all reported cases.

India and China held marathon military talks to prevent a border row intensifying and destabilising bilateral ties after the killing of an Indian colonel and two junior soldiers in the Ladakh region. These border tensions are the worst between the two countries in nearly 45 years.

TraceTogether wins points for respecting privacy, and to get more people in Singapore to use the app, independent experts should verify it and influencers can urge adoption. The use of the app as well as the token, when it is issued, should continue to be voluntary, and most people will cooperate, says Professor Ang Peng Hwa.

The number of weekly dengue infections has soared past the 1,000 mark for the first time in Singapore's history. The 1,158 cases last week is a huge 33 per cent increase from the 870 people infected in the previous week.

Building design rules could change, as the Building and Construction Authority begins discussions with industry experts on whether rules on air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation in buildings need to be revised in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic. The aim is to boost ventilation in crowded spaces and improve air quality for situations like public health emergencies.

Technology company Grab is cutting about 360 jobs, or around 5 per cent of its headcount, amid the growing economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. The company has also dropped a series of incentive schemes for drivers. It will focus on its delivery services by redeploying staff to meet the increased demand for deliveries.

Nothing joins people like play, says assistant sports editor Rohit Brijnath. Ahead of Friday's phase two of the economy's reopening, he is eagerly anticipating his tennis game on Sunday after many empty weekends. But do not shake hands, he reminds us, as no one wants a return to April.

Next year's Oscars ceremony has been moved to April from February owing to the havoc caused in the movie industry by the coronavirus pandemic. The ceremony for the film industry's highest honours will take place on April 25, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said in a statement on Monday. It had originally been scheduled for Feb 28.

Here are highlights of an interview with Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran on Singapore's digital push and the focus on helping hawkers and seniors adopt digital technology. str.sg/blurb429

As jobs in Metro Manila get wiped out by the relentless pandemic, many Filipinos are retreating to their sanctuaries in the provinces, some of which are hundreds of kilometres away. str.sg/blurb430