Top stories from The Straits Times on Saturday, April 7

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kickstart your Saturday, April 7.


Video: Najib set to unveil election manifesto vowing to 'make Malaysia great'

A man watches televisions on display at a shopping mall store as Malaysian PM Najib Razak announces the dissolution of Parliament in Kuala Lumpur, on April 6, 2018. PHOTO: AFP

Barisan Nasional is expected to officially unveil the "Hebatkan Negaraku" (Make My Country Great) slogan tonight, when Prime Minister Najib Razak launches the ruling coaltition's election manifesto in front of some 40,000 supporters.

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Last 400,000 HDB homes nudged to go for digital TV

A vendor installing a digital tuner and antenna at an HDB home. After Dec 31, those who have not installed new digital TV equipment or subscribed to pay-TV services will no longer receive Mediacorp's free-to-air channels. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

After a six-year campaign to get Singapore households to switch from analogue to digital broadcasting, up to 400,000 Housing Board homes yet to make the switch are set to come on board.

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Video: Scoot bomb scare: Presence of fighters didn't alarm most people, says passenger

Passengers on Flight TR634 were finally able to depart Singapore for Hat Yai again at about 6.30pm later that day, after the aircraft was declared safe following investigations and associated procedures were concluded. ST PHOTO: KELVIN LIM

Passengers on a Scoot flight from Singapore to Hat Yai, Thailand, first realised something was amiss when the plane suddenly descended mid-flight on Thursday afternoon.

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askST: What causes strong wind gusts in Singapore?

Several farms in Lim Chu Kang were battered during a thunderstorm last Friday as a wind gust strength of 133.3kmh was measured in nearby Tengah, the strongest in Singapore since 2010. ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

The Meteorological Service Singapore reported that a wind gust strength of 133.3kmh was measured in Tengah last Friday - the strongest since 2010.

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Chen Show Mao unlikely to battle Pritam Singh for Workers' Party chief position on Sunday

The Straits Times understands that during a meeting with his core group of supporters, Mr Chen Show Mao told them he does not intend to contest the Workers' Party's secretary-general position.PHOTO: ST FILE

Signs are that Workers' Party's (WP) Mr Chen Show Mao has decided not to challenge Mr Pritam Singh for the party's top post on Sunday, paving the way for Mr Singh's ascendance as WP's next secretary-general.

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Video: South Korea's Park Geun Hye jailed: The scandal that brought down a president

Former South Korean President Park Geun Hye (left) sits near her longtime friend Choi Soon Sil (right) for her trial at the Seoul Central District Court on May 23, 2017. PHOTO: REUTERS

The scandal that led to the jailing of former South Korean president Park Geun Hye for 24 years on Friday came to light in September 2016, when thousands of students at Seoul's prestigious Ehwa University staged a protest against the manipulation of the academic records of a student.

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Video: Boracay island closure: Airlines offer options such as full refund, change of destination

Airlines and travellers were caught off guard after a sudden announcement by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte that Boracay island will be closed for six months from April 26, 2018. PHOTO: REUTERS

Some airlines are extending options such as a full refund and a change of destination to customers whose flights to Kalibo and Caticlan in the Philippines have been affected by the impending closure of Boracay island.

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Travelling Farm brings gardening to the masses

The Travelling Farm, housed in a bright yellow, 20-foot, retrofitted cargo container, is a shop for plants and gardening equipment that also provides craft activities. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

The farm, which started its travels in December at Bougainvillea Park, will be doing three-month stints at Raffles Place Park, Dhoby Ghaut Green and Bougainvillea Park in a rotation that ends in December 2020.

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Local bakeries selling versions of on-trend 'dirty' bread that is hot in Beijing, Taiwan

"Dirty" bread is so named for the mess that is left on the eater's face after he bites into the bun, which is dusted with toppings ranging from matcha to chocolate. PHOTOS: BREADTALK SINGAPORE, KEONG SAIK BAKERY, PROOFER BOULANGERIE

Dirty is not how one usually hopes bread to be. However, a recent trend of "dirty" bread or buns, literally "zang zang bao" in Chinese, has proliferated in Beijing and Taiwan.

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Video: Training birds to free-fly takes off among enthusiasts

It is one thing to train your dog to fetch - it is another to train your pet bird to fly back to you. Mr Arman Mastan, 44, is a founding member of an enthusiast group that trains birds to free-fly, which is a growing hobby in Singapore.

It is one thing to train your dog to fetch - it is another to train your pet bird to fly back to you.

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