10 must-reads for today

Pre-schoolers participating in a gym class at Zion Kindergarten in Serangoon. The school opened in 1956 and is now fighting to stay in the sector.
Pre-schoolers participating in a gym class at Zion Kindergarten in Serangoon. The school opened in 1956 and is now fighting to stay in the sector. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

1 Fewer church pre-schools

Beset with difficulties and dwindling enrolment, many faith-based pre-schools are closing down. Set up from the 1970s to 1990s mostly by churches to provide affordable and accessible education, the centres now face intense competition from larger operators. There are now fewer than 80 such church-based kindergartens, down from about 120 in 2012.

2 Boris Johnson wins PM race

Mr Boris Johnson will be Britain's new prime minister after winning the Conservative Party leadership race to succeed Mrs Theresa May, it was announced yesterday. The former London mayor, one of the leading figures of the Brexit campaign, beat Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, winning 66.4 per cent of the vote.

3 Study on cooling HDB flats

The Housing Board has teamed up with German industrial giant Evonik to study integrating insulation material into the roof panels of blocks of flats to reduce heat gain and transmission. The aim is to reduce indoor temperatures by 2 deg C using the firm's new silicon-based material.

4 Cabinet reshuffle in KL?

A Malaysian Cabinet photo session that took place last Friday has sparked speculation of a reshuffle just over a year after the 28-member line-up was completed. While Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has downplayed the photo call, talk of a reshuffle has grown louder amid jostling within his fledgling coalition.

5 Indian seafarers in a jam

As the maritime stand-off between Iran and its rivals escalates, Indian seafarers are increasingly finding themselves caught in the cross hairs. In the latest incident, 18 Indian nationals are now in Iran's custody after the British oil tanker they were working on was seized by the Iranian authorities last Friday.

6 Spat fuelled by history

The latest Japan-South Korea row may have sprung up over trade exports, but a history of mutual antagonism is fuelling sentiments, says East Asia editor Goh Sui Noi.

PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

7 New pilot scheme at SGH

An iPad loaded with the MyCare app and placed beside hospital beds in the Singapore General Hospital will allow patients to view their daily care schedules and monitor their medical information such as diagnosis and medications. The pilot programme is being carried out in two wards comprising 51 beds.

8 Office rents hit 10-year high

Grade A office rents in Singapore's central business district have risen to a 10-year high. Leading the way is the Beach Road or Bugis micro-market, surging 18 per cent due largely to tight vacancies in office buildings in the area.

9 Attractive prizes for ST Run

Local runners at The Straits Times Run will get a chance to take part in a post-race lucky draw which is offering a Panasonic 65-inch OLED TV set worth $10,999. The top three local finishers of the 18.45km and 10km categories will also win prizes sponsored by Panasonic.

10 Hunt for top hawkers

The 12th edition of the annual City Hawker Food Hunt was launched yesterday at Bedok South Market and Food Centre. The hawker hunt - in which members of the public can nominate their favourite hawker stalls - is organised by gas provider City Gas and Chinese evening newspaper Shin Min Daily News. Award winners will be announced in November.


VIDEO

Online seafood auctions

Live Facebook auctions are hooking Malaysian seafood lovers, as fishermen turn to the Internet to sell their catch. The trend is taking off as fish sold this way is often cheaper than at wet markets. http://str.sg/bidfish

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Money Hacks

Trade wars, currency swings, natural disasters - what is an investor to do when markets flip-flop? We ask StashAway chief investment officer Freddy Lim for some tips. http://str.sg/moneyhacks50

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 24, 2019, with the headline 10 must-reads for today. Subscribe