1 Typhoon in Philippines
Powerful Typhoon Vongfong dumped heavy rain as it made landfall in central Philippines yesterday, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate to cramped emergency shelters, many of them without face masks to guard against the coronavirus.
2 Testing all pre-school staff
All pre-school staff will have to be tested for Covid-19. The one-time swab test, a precautionary measure, will cover principals, teachers and carers who look after infants and toddlers.
3 Elective surgery may restart
Public hospitals had been deferring non-urgent and non-essential healthcare services progressively since February to ensure there would be enough capacity to treat Covid-19 patients who need hospitalisation. But with the circuit breaker ending on June 1, it looks increasingly likely that some postponed elective, or non-urgent, procedures here can resume soon, though in a gradual manner.
4 Muhyiddin under siege
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's already slim grip on power is showing signs of slipping after an MP from his political party appeared to desert him, claiming the party is on the path to irrelevance.
5 Clashes could escalate
Recent border skirmishes between India and China, and a deadly encounter in Kashmir run the risk of escalation. Tensions are high in the new geopolitical environment, and India, China and Pakistan are caught at a vulnerable moment because of Covid-19, says associate editor Ravi Velloor.
6 PDPA may have stiffer fines
Proposed amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) will include those seeking higher fines for cases of data breaches. Organisations involved may soon be fined up to 10 per cent of their annual gross turnover or $1 million, whichever is higher, if the proposed amendments go through.
7 Online ceremony for grads
Yale-NUS College has decided to push through an online version of its graduation ceremony next Monday, as the coronavirus pandemic has derailed plans for the ceremony. It will be the first among the local universities to hold a graduation ceremony online.
8 Free webinars to help SMEs
A series of free webinars for local firms, conducted by public and private industry players, was launched yesterday, with around 200 owners and management staff of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) attending the first session.
9 Vital step to Asiad 2022
Netball and floorball have made the roster of the 2021 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (Aimag) in Thailand, which will help in the sports' push for inclusion in the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2022. E-sports will also make its debut among the 24 sports that will feature at next year's Aimag.
10 Virtual fashion exhibition
Ballerina: Fashion's Modern Muse is a must-see for both fashion and ballet fans. A gorgeous online exhibition by New York's Fashion Institute of Technology, it traces the intertwined pathways of ballet stardom and high-fashion trends from the early to late 20th century.
WEB SPECIAL
New rules at workplaces
As Singapore eases tightened circuit breaker curbs, companies and workplaces must put in place safe management measures to prevent Covid-19 from spreading in the community again. str.sg/blurb371
VIDEO
Cook with top chefs online
Want to be an Insta-cook but do not know where to start? Learn from chefs themselves as they take to Facebook and Instagram to share simple recipes for beginners. str.sg/blurb372
