Top stories from The Straits Times on Friday, June 22

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kickstart your Friday, June 22.


Insurance for freelancers to guard against income loss

The new policy is among a list of recommendations made in February by a tripartite workgroup looking into the needs of self-employed persons.PHOTO: ST FILE

The Freelancer Income Protection (Flip) policy created by local start-up GigaCover comes after it was noted that freelancers had little protection from prolonged illness.

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VIDEO: Ex-Malaysian PM Najib denies 1MDB misappropriated funds from TRX City

View of the The Exchange 106 (formerly TRX Signature Tower) currently under construction in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on June 3, 2018. PHOTO: REUTERS

Mr Najib was responding to remarks by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng that about RM3.1 billion (S$1.05 billion) of government funds were misappropriated to pay off the state fund's debts.

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VIDEO: Trump says North Korea blowing up test sites, total denuclearisation 'has already started'

US President Donald Trump speaks with the media before meeting with members of his administration in the Cabinet Room of the White House Washington, DC, US, on June 21, 2018.PHOTO: EPA-EFE

The US President said North Korea was blowing up four of its big test sites and that a process of "total denuclearisation... has already started taking place."

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VIDEO: World Cup: Messi's Argentina on brink of exit as Croatia qualify for knockouts

Argentina's Lionel Messi looking dejected during the Group D football match against Croatia at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, in Russia, on June 21, 2018. PHOTO: REUTERS

Second-half goals from Ante Rebis, Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic sealed a deserved 3-0 victory for Croatia, as Argentina were left on the brink of a humiliating first round exit.

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VIDEO: France through to last 16, Argentina mess up again: World Cup results and fixtures at a glance

France's forward Olivier Giroud (centre) shoots the ball during the Russia 2018 World Cup Group C football match between France and Peru at the Ekaterinburg Arena in Ekaterinburg on June 21, 2018.PHOTO: AFP

Forward Kylian Mbappe's goal was enough for France to record their second straight win in Group C, while Argentina in Group D will hope for a favourable result in the Iceland vs Nigeria match tonight.

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VIDEO: 'I really don't care': First Lady Melania Trump's jacket stuns on migrant visit at US-Mexico border

US First Lady Melania Trump arrives back in Washington from Texas wearing a rain jacket sporting the phrase "I Really Don't Care. Do U?" on the back. PHOTO: AFP

Melania Trump surprised the world by visiting child migrants on the US-Mexico border Thursday (June 21) - but it was her choice of clothing for the trip that stunned the Internet: a jacket emblazoned with the words "I really don't care, do you?"

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More CDAC support for students and parents from vulnerable families: Ong Ye Kung

(Left to right) Ms Low Yen Ling, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Manpower and member of CDAC board of directors, Mr Ong Ye Kung, Education Minister and chairman of CDAC, Mr Sam Tan, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Social and Family Development and member of CDAC board of directors, and Mr Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Education and member of the CDAC board of directors. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

The Chinese Development Assistance Council is adopting a new approach to help the community's needy students and their parents.

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VIDEO: New technology on trial at Changi Prison can detect cell fights through video analytics

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and for National Development Sun Xueling (second left) toured the A4 cluster of the prison to see the new initiatives.ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

The vision is to have fewer guards patrolling the prison cells but it will not mean that abnormal activities such as fights will go undetected.

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VIDEO: Singaporean filmmaker wins Cannes Lions award with team that created VR music video

Mr David Liu was part of the team that won the Digital Craft Grand Prix award for a video made for the The Aeronaut, a track by Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan.

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Food Picks: Jiangnan dishes at Si Chuan Dou Hua

Deep-fried Minced Meat RollPHOTOS: PAN PACIFIC SINGAPORE, SI CHUAN DOU HUA, WONG AH YOKE

Taking inspiration from Qing dynasty emperor Qian Long's sojourns into Jiangnan, Si Chuan Dou Hua chef Leung Wing Chung has come up with a list of dishes this month celebrating the cooking of this Chinese region.

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