ST Explainers: French presidency, FAS saga and fire-resistant wood

ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG

This is a fortnightly round-up of FAQs, pegged on news events, published on The Straits Times' website. Go to http://str.sg/Z9Zr for more.

Elections dominated world headlines in the past fortnight, with France closer to electing a new president while Britain's leader called for a snap election on June 8. Closer to home, the issues tackled ranged from wildlife to the saga unfolding at the Football Association of Singapore (FAS).


Macron, Le Pen to face off for French presidency

Centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen will face off in the final round of France's presidential election on May 7. Find out more about the duo and their political stances on issues at http://str.sg/4BbF


How snap polls will affect Britain and Brexit

British Prime Minister Theresa May called for an early election to be held on June 8. Find out why she decided on snap polls and what this means for Brexit and Britain. http://str.sg/4B57


Battle of the world's aircraft carriers

China unveiled its new aircraft carrier, making it one of only seven countries in the world capable of building an aircraft carrier. Look at how China's carriers stack up against carriers from the United States, Britain and India. http://str.sg/42oW


From kick-off to extra time: An FAS saga timeline

The election of new leaders at FAS has turned into a dramatic saga involving a $500,000 donation, revelations about club incomes and a police report over the suspected misuse of Tiong Bahru FC's funds. The timeline at http://str.sg/4BM8 will allow you to catch up on the story so far.


Things you didn't know about hashing

Three men from a hash group caused a security alert on April 18 that shut down Woodleigh MRT station. They were using flour to mark their hashing trail, but what is hashing ? Find out more about this hobby at http://str.sg/4Bce


NTU's new sports hall built with fire-resistant wood

The Nanyang Technological University's new sports hall is an engineering marvel built with wood. To learn more about mass-engineered timber, which is fire resistant as well as a sustainable resource, read our explainer at http://str.sg/4BbR


What to do when you encounter wildlife

An errant macaque in Segar Road made the headlines for attacking people. So, what do you do when you are confronted by a macaque, a python or a wild boar? Here is our quick guide to animal encounters. http://str.sg/4BiV

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 29, 2017, with the headline ST Explainers: French presidency, FAS saga and fire-resistant wood. Subscribe