10 must-reads for today

Mr Victor Hoon, who was severely injured in an accident in 2005, mouth painting at the Visual Arts Centre in Dhoby Ghaut in March.
Mr Victor Hoon, who was severely injured in an accident in 2005, mouth painting at the Visual Arts Centre in Dhoby Ghaut in March. ST PHOTO: JOEL CHAN
PHOTO: NINJA VAN

1 Art after accident

Just when Mr Victor Hoon had put his delinquent ways behind him, he had to work hard once again after a motorcycle accident left him paralysed from the neck down. Now, he spends much of his time mouth painting. He won a scholarship from Mouth and Foot Painting Artists and has completed about 30 paintings.

2 S'pore trickles back to life

The streets got a little busier yesterday and public transport hummed into full gear, despite moderate commuter numbers, as Singapore emerged from its circuit breaker period. Most shops still remained shuttered, but some masked workers marched back to offices.

3 HK extends virus curbs

A coronavirus outbreak in a Hong Kong residential estate that ended a 16-day streak of zero local infections has sparked warnings from the city's Chief Executive, prompting the government to extend existing social distancing measures that are about to expire. Health Secretary Sophia Chan said coronavirus prevention measures have been extended until June 18.

4 Trump's photo op draws ire

United States President Donald Trump deepened outrage by posing at a church holding a Bible after law enforcement officers used tear gas and flash-bang grenades to clear the way for him to walk there after he made his remarks at the White House Rose Garden on Monday. The church had been briefly set ablaze as the protests devolved on Sunday evening.

5 KL grants firms 5G spectrum

Malaysia has quietly awarded the 5G telecommunications spectrum to several players, seemingly without an open tender, in what appeared to be the first major reversal of infrastructure policy by the three-month-old Perikatan Nasional government.

6 New point for cooperation

Now, more than ever, international cooperation is needed to escape the slump due to the pandemic shutdown. But in today's geopolitically fractured world, international cooperation is no easy call. A new starting point is needed: A compact for multilateral cooperation between Asian nations can provide exactly that.

7 Covid-19: Car rentals fall

Singapore's rental car population had been growing exponentially since 2014. But with the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak, the rental car population shrank by 1.4 per cent in April. It was the second consecutive fall in two months, bringing the population to its lowest in six months.

8 Insurer offers 1k vacancies

Great Eastern Holdings is offering vacancies, traineeships and internships to give job seekers, graduates and students opportunities amid the economic and employment uncertainty brought about by Covid-19, it said yesterday. The insurance company said up to 1,000 vacancies will be available to those looking to join its growing agency force.

9 Back to work in the pool

Despite the inevitable rustiness after months away from the pool, Singapore's Olympic-bound swimmers and diver are just glad to return to the water after the circuit breaker period. They have to keep to allocated time slots, among other safety measures.

10 Time to shake up logistics

More thought could be put into streamlining workflow and plugging service gaps in the logistics sector. One under-served area, for example, is consumer parcel pickup for return, which will be in demand as e-commerce grows. Technology is only one ingredient for change - others include committed leadership and an adaptable workforce. It is hoped that the pandemic will provide the much needed wake-up call for the sector to take action. LIFE C6


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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 03, 2020, with the headline 10 must-reads for today. Subscribe