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On Aug 9, the flag will be raised in concurrent ceremonies at the Padang and seven other locations around the island. Singaporeans will be rallied to take part from their homes, while each location will have its own National Day event attended by ministers.
Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak was yesterday found guilty of corruption and sentenced to 12 years in jail and fined RM210 million (S$68 million) in the first of five trials he faces relating to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal.
The concentration of migrant workers in dormitories has been thinned out significantly, and large sections of dorms are no longer gazetted as isolation areas. Purpose-built dorms, the largest sites for housing migrant workers, have seen a 25 per cent drop in occupancy, said officials.
Vietnam announced yesterday that all domestic passenger flights to and from Danang will be suspended for 15 days. At least 22 Covid-19 cases have been detected in or around the city since last Saturday. All bus and train services to and from Danang have also been suspended from yesterday.
New Zealand has suspended its extradition agreement with Hong Kong, falling into step with its Western allies after China passed a national security law for the financial hub. China, in a tit-for-tat move, announced the suspension yesterday of Hong Kong's extradition treaties with Canada, Australia and Britain.
Once the preserve of speculators and investment mavericks, crypto assets are moving higher up the radar screens of commercial banks, hedge funds and other institutional investors. Interestingly, Covid-19 has had central banks warming to digital currencies, says associate editor Vikram Khanna.
Aircraft repair company Eagle Services Asia has refuted rumours that it has laid off over 140 workers. It says some employees are on paid leave while the firm negotiates with the unions over jobs.
Indonesia, which has the highest number of unicorns in South-east Asia, is keen to have these start-ups listed on the country's stock exchange, and hopes to see millennials come in as investors of the companies whose apps they use daily, a top bourse official has said.
Olympic-bound gymnast Tan Sze En's preparations for the Tokyo Games remain on track despite the resignation of national coach Gerrit Beltman a year before the event. Mr Beltman made a family-based decision to resign this month, with his departure said to be unrelated to his recent admission that he had previously "mistreated and humiliated young gymnasts to win medals".
The Ju-On and Grudge films - about a deadly curse that begins in a house in Tokyo and eventually spreads all the way to the United States - are finally getting a proper origin story. The new Netflix series, Ju-On: Origins, which serves as a prequel to the popular horror franchise, references real-life disasters and murders that have happened in Japan.
StraitsTimes Digital
VIDEO
Six months on, Covid-19 fatigue hits home
Wearing masks and social distancing have become part of daily life since Covid-19 hit Singapore. But as things return to "normal", have Singaporeans become tired of following the rules? str.sg/blurb499
VIDEO
The Big Story
As his new Cabinet is sworn in, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says he has formed the strongest Cabinet he could, and will use the mandate given to vigorously deal with the ongoing economic and public health challenges. str.sg/blurb500
