Top stories from The Straits Times on Saturday, May 5

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kickstart your Saturday, May 5.


LTA will open 2-month window for bike-sharing operators to apply for licence; recalcitrant users face 1-year ban

Bike-sharing operators will have to apply for a licence and have their fleet size regulated by the LTA as part of moves to curb indiscriminate parking. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

Companies have until July 7 to apply for a licence, while users caught parking indiscriminately three times in a year will face a ban of up to one year from using all bicycle-sharing services.

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Kusu Island's beaches and lagoons closed to public after asbestos discovered

The Singapore Land Authority said pieces of debris containing asbestos were found on Kusu Island. PHOTOS: SINGAPORE LAND AUTHORITY

The potentially toxic material was however not detected at the island's other main public attractions like the Da Bo Gong (Tua Pek Kong) temple and tortoise sanctuary, which will remain open.

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Video: Malaysia election: Mahathir and former ministers Rafidah, Daim attend Melaka rally

Former Prime Minister and Pakatan Harapan chairman Mahathir Mohamad at a rally in Mutiara, Malacca on May 4, 2018. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

The three formidable ex-ministers descended on Melaka state on Friday evening in an opposition rally that drew strong attention on the ground and on Facebook Live.

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Video: Donald Trump says Kim Jong Un summit date and venue agreed, announcement soon

Trump speaks to the press before making his way to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House. PHOTO: AFP

"We have a date, we have a location," the US President told reporters as he also expressed optimism that three Americans held in a North Korean prison would be released soon.

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Hit-and-run driver jailed for giving dead ex-colleague's details to Traffic Police instead of his own

Ivan Tan Chun Keng was sentenced to four months' jail, a fine of $1,800 and disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles for a year. ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

Ivan Tan Chun Keng, 32, was sentenced to four months' jail, fined $1,800 and disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles for a year.

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Fruit machine addiction turns sour as debts pile up for jackpot gamblers

Jackpot or fruit machines came under the spotlight in April 2017 following reports on how they were a key income source for many clubs. PHOTO: ST FILE

The statistics show that there are some 51,000 people banned from both casinos and jackpot rooms under family, automatic and third-party exclusion orders.

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New minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli has big plans to boost mother tongue

Mr Masagos at a Malay Activity Executive Committees Council dialogue with MPs Intan Azura Mokhtar and Saktiandi Supaat earlier this year. Mr Masagos Zulkifli participating in a water rationing exercise at a National University of Singapore residentia
Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli, who is also Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, spoke of the need to promote Malay, saying ''it is through language that you can propagate good Asian values to the next generation''. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

In the first of a series of interviews with 4G ministers, ST speaks to Mr Masagos, who wants to strengthen the Malay network while also forging links with other communities in Singapore.

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Video: Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani defends legality of payment to porn star Stormy Daniels

US President Trump's lawyer, former mayor Rudy Giuliani (left), issued a statement saying the US$130,000 (S$170,000) in hush money paid to adult-film star Stormy Daniels (right) was not an election law violation. PHOTOS: NYTIMES, WASHINGTON POST, REUTERS

Hours after the US President said his lawyer did not have "his facts straight", Mr Giuliani issued a statement saying the US$130,000 in hush money paid was not an election law violation.

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Video: New ways to Karaoke: Customers offered all-in-one entertainment, including arcade games

A Batman-themed deluxe room at HaveFun Karaoke in Bugis Cube with amenities like board games and an arcade machine. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

Karaoke venues piling on the entertainment options is a new phenomenon here, say experts, who add that it is a way to stand out from the competition.

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Meghan Markle's father to walk her down aisle at wedding to Britain's Prince Harry

Mr Thomas Markle will walk his daughter Meghan down the aisle when she marries Prince Harry on May 19, 2018. PHOTO: REUTERS

Both the bride-to-be's divorced parents, Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland, would have "important roles" in the wedding at Windsor Castle on May 19.

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