Top stories from The Straits Times on Sunday, Nov 17

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Sunday, Nov 17.


New poll highlights concern over gig workers' prospects

The gig economy landscape, which began to grow five years ago, has seen considerable change. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

Food delivery riders and ride-hailing drivers in Singapore tend to be young and low-income, a survey found.

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Hong Kong protesters unleash stash of petrol bombs; Chinese soldiers clear roads

Chinese People's Liberation Army joined pro-China residents in Hong Kong to clean up barricades and debris on Nov 16, 2019. PHOTO: AFP

The presence of China's PLA soldiers on the streets, even to help clean up, could stoke further controversy over Hong Kong's autonomous status at a time many fear Beijing is tightening its grip on the city.

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Love letter to a Hong Kong I once knew

ST ILLUSTRATION: CEL GULAPA

Amid the steady descent into wanton violence and silence, enterprise editor Li Xueying says she no longer recognises the city.

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Tanjung Piai by-election: Barisan Nasional grabs landslide victory in Johor seat

(From left) Tanjung Piai Umno chief Jefridin Atan, president of Barisan Nasional's Malaysian Chinese Association Wee Ka Siong, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Tanjung Piai's victorious candidate Wee Jeck Seng, former premier Najib Razak and Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan. PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

Malaysia's ruling coalition Pakatan Harapan suffered a massive electoral defeat, its fourth electoral loss this year in a Malay-Muslim majority ward.

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Product of Singapore but made in China? Industry players call for clearer, more transparent food labels

Mr Loke Chee Weng, who runs Reach Trading, imports raw garlic from China and shallots from the Philippines. They are peeled in Singapore and then labelled "Product of Singapore". ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

It is currently not clear where exactly the line is drawn when it comes to deciding whether a food product is made in Singapore or not, they say.

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NTU to admit 50 per cent of undergrads using broader admission criteria

Nanyang Technological University draws about 30,000 applications a year. ST PHOTO: KELLY HUI

To make the move, NTU is considering using online interviews, especially for full-time national servicemen who may find it difficult to attend face-to-face interviews.

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Price gap widens between new and resale condos

Overall condo sales are still resilient because the price-to-income ratio has come down to 4.6 in 2019 from 5.1 in 2016. PHOTO: ST FILE

While new private home sales appear to be on the rebound, the outlook may not be as good for resale condos.

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Jakarta's new MRT system setting standards in the city

Dr William Sabandar, president director of PT MRT Jakarta, said the public's response to the mass rapid transit system (above) was "beyond expectations". Its first 16km route, which runs from Hotel Indonesia, in the heart of the capital, to Lebak Bulus, in the south, was launched in March this year. ST PHOTOS: ARIFFIN JAMAR, ARLINA ARSHAD

"We are running at 99.8 per cent on-time performance. We are really putting safety and security at the top of our priorities," said Dr William Sabandar, president director of PT MRT Jakarta.

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Abbot in sex allegation: 2 senior monks appointed to run Leong San See Temple

The move comes as the current abbot, Venerable Tuan Boon is seriously ill, on dialysis and warded at Farrer Park Hospital. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

The temple has lodged a police report against a Facebook user who on Thursday posted photos and descriptions allegedly of Venerable Tuan Boon engaging in sex acts with men.

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8 home gym apps to help you keep fit

The Nike Training Club app has drills and audio guides from professional trainers and even celebrities like football star Cristiano Ronaldo. PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/NIKETRAINING

With these fitness apps, it's like having your own personal trainer, any time, anywhere.

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