Top stories from The Straits Times on Friday, May 24

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Friday, May 24.


India elections: Modi's 5M magic carries the day for BJP

Money, machine, media, majoritarian messages and Mr Modi himself helped his party retain power, says ST associate editor Ravi Velloor.

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Lawyer goes missing after ordering payout of $33 million held in escrow account

Allied Technologies said the $33 million payout instructed by law firm JLC Advisors' managing partner Jeffrey Ong Su Aun "might have been unauthorised".

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NTUC First Campus to add 4,000 pre-school places by 2021, bringing total to 24,000

The early childhood anchor operator announced this at the official opening of My First Skool's first and largest Early Years Centre in Punggol Drive.

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Trump says 'dangerous' Huawei could be included in US-China trade deal

US President Donald Trump also predicted a swift end to the ongoing trade war with China.

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Free heritage tours of Southern Islands to mark bicentennial: Sentosa

The programme includes a brief walking tour of Sentosa, followed by a ferry ride from One Degree 15 Marina Sentosa Cove to Kusu, St John's and Lazarus islands.

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Tech advances see sexual offences take on digital wings

Digital tools have made voyeurism more widespread and more traumatic for victims as images can spread easily and are hard to remove online. New laws will deal with this more effectively, says ST's Jolene Ang.

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ST Run 2019: Registration starts today with early-bird discounts; new 3.5km Fun Run

Those who sign up for any of the individual categories by June 16 will get a $10 discount.

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Hangout with ST: Tosh Zhang and Pink Dot, and young people overcoming setbacks

This week's episode discusses whether local actor Tosh Zhang should have stepped down as a Pink Dot ambassador.

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Court of Appeal grants stay of execution to drug mule a day before scheduled hanging

The drug mule applied for his death sentence to be stayed as he intends to mount a legal challenge against the rejection of his petition for clemency to President Halimah Yacob.

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Down to earth - fashion brands gear up for the Great Outdoors

Designers from brands such as Loewe and Jil Sander are looking to the great outdoors for inspiration, says fashion writer Gordon Ng.

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