10 must-reads for today

Activists marching towards Congress in a protest to coincide with President Rodrigo Duterte's State of the Nation Address yesterday. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Activists marching towards Congress in a protest to coincide with President Rodrigo Duterte's State of the Nation Address yesterday. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

1 Duterte fights on

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte urged lawmakers to reinstate the death penalty in his State of the Nation Address yesterday, as he vowed to pursue his crackdown on drugs and corruption until he steps down in three years. His brutal war on drugs has claimed thousands of lives and sparked international concern over human rights.

2 HK govt condemns violence

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and her Cabinet members yesterday condemned the separate acts of violence by anti-extradition protesters and an armed mob on Sunday night. The protesters had vandalised a Chinese liaison office, while the mob attacked commuters at the Yuen Long MTR station.

3 Youth urged to build bridges

The challenge facing the younger generation is to decide whether to build further bridges or erect walls that will stall development, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said at the annual Hwa Chong Asia Pacific Young Leaders Summit, as he outlined how the connectivity of ideas, technology and trade have brought about great progress.

4 Abe delays reform plan

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pushed back his timeline for holding a national referendum on revising the country's pacifist Constitution to Sept 2021, after his Liberal Democratic Party failed to secure a two-thirds majority in the Upper House in Sunday's election. The revision will need the support of the opposition, which has said that concerns like stagnant wages and social security should be prioritised.

5 Realities in Trump-Kim ties

The Kim Jong Un-Donald Trump bromance is full of drama, but cold realities underlie the flashy moments, says Professor Joseph Chinyong Liow.

6 Reskilling aviation staff

A new scheme will let white-collar workers in the air transport sector upgrade their skills, while mid-career professionals wanting to switch to the sector can benefit from an expansion of a reskilling programme. These measures announced by Manpower Minister Josephine Teo come amid moves to transform the sector and keep Singapore's position as a global aviation hub.

7 Motorised PMDs more risky

People who use motorised personal mobility devices (PMDs) are at three times the risk of severe injury than those using non-motorised devices. A study by trauma specialist Wong Ting Hway also showed that powered devices doubled users' risk of being hospitalised.

8 Iconic building up for sale

The Eu Yan Sang Building in Chinatown has been launched for sale with a guide price of $62.5 million. The building, built in 1910, is now a row of conservation shophouses leased by Eu Yan Sang's flagship store, two hostels and a law firm.

9 Why we watch sport

Why do you watch sport? To relax, or for the adrenaline? Adam Peaty was scared of taking showers, now he conquers water. A boy uncertain about liquid is now feared in it. He is reason No. 32 why I watch sport, says assistant sports editor Rohit Brijnath, because of the things athletes can overcome.

10This summer's pop hits

Every year, the global pop music industry throws up a new batch of upbeat, catchy songs during the summer season in Europe and the United States. Here are 10 of this year's biggest summer hits, from Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello's Senorita to Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber's I Don't Care.


Straits Times Digital

VIDEO

Red Lions set to thrill

Go behind the scenes with the Red Lions, the Singapore Army's parachute team, as they execute a formation called the "bomb burst" ahead of the National Day Parade at the Padang. http://str.sg/skyhigh


VIDEO

Make a 'mess-terpiece'

Channel your inner Jackson Pollock at Splat Paint House, Singapore's first splatter paint studio, which its founder says is a good place to de-stress or feel like a child again. http://str.sg/splatpaint

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 23, 2019, with the headline 10 must-reads for today. Subscribe