Top stories from The Straits Times on Thursday, Jan 31

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Thursday, Jan 31.

US stocks rally on earnings, dovish Fed

Traders working on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

The Fed kept interest rates unchanged and definitively signaled a cautious approach to further interest rate hikes, with Fed chairman Jerome Powell saying "the case for raising rates has weakened somewhat".

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Suspicions of HIV Registry data leak surfaced as early as 2012, court papers show

American fraudster Mikhy Farrera-Brochez (left) blew the whistle on his Singaporean doctor-boyfriend Ler Teck Siang to the Ministry of Health when the former complained that Ler shared screenshots of the HIV registry. PHOTOS: THE NEW PAPER, FAITH MEDICAL GROUP

American fraudster Mikhy Farrera-Brochez complained to an MOH director that his Singaporean doctor-boyfriend Ler Teck Siang had shared screenshots of the HIV registry and also divulged his HIV-positive status to another individual.

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Major revamp of Orchard Road announced with new developments, different offerings in sub-precincts

The centre of Orchard Road will remain the retail core, with more mixed-use developments to be built on vacant parcels of state land along Orchard Boulevard. PHOTO: ST FILE

Part of the road may go car-free to connect green spaces at the Istana Park, Dhoby Ghaut Green and the open space at Plaza Singapura and turn it into a garden oasis with a playground and sheltered events space.

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Aloysius Pang's death: Independent committee of inquiry convened to investigate case

Corporal First Class (NS) Aloysius Pang died on Jan 23, four days after he had sustained serious injury while doing repair work inside a Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer. PHOTO: FACEBOOK/ALOYSIUS 冯伟衷

None of the members work within Mindef or are SAF regulars. Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen will deliver a ministerial statement addressing recent national service training deaths when Parliament next sits on Feb 11.

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Answers to many questions needed to assuage public concerns

American fraudster Mikhy Farrera-Brochez (left) blew the whistle on his Singaporean doctor-boyfriend Ler Teck Siang to the Ministry of Health when the former complained that Ler shared screenshots of the HIV registry. PHOTOS: CLARK COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICE, FAITH MEDICAL GROUP

Two days after the Ministry of Health's (MOH) bombshell disclosure that data of HIV-positive individuals in Singapore had been leaked online, many questions remain over how this happened, whether the matter has been handled appropriately and if enough has been done to stem the further spread of information that had been obtained illegally.

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Mikhy Farrera Brochez arrested for criminal trespass in Kentucky

Mikhy Farrera Brochez was arrested in Clark County, Kentucky, for criminal trespass last month. PHOTO: MUGSHOTS.COM

The American at the centre of the leak of information in Singapore's HIV Registry was arrested in Clark County, Kentucky, for criminal trespass last month.

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Honestbee, FairPrice to temporarily end partnership

An e-mail from honestbee said that it would be temporarily suspending its partnership with FairPrice from Jan 31. PHOTO: ST FILE

Freelancers could still fulfil orders for honestbee shoppers who purchase groceries from other stores like Tesco and Jones the Grocer but the number of orders would be substantially lower without the FairPrice option.

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Elections Department to move from iconic Prinsep Street building

The present Elections Department office, housed in a three-storey building, has been the hub of administrative matters related to elections for nearly 25 years, with the most recent being the 2017 presidential election. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

The Elections Department (ELD) will be moving from its iconic Prinsep Street building, the scene of many an election drama, to Novena Rise.

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Windshield damage causes Scoot flight for Gold Coast to return to Singapore after three hours into journey

Flight TR6, which was carrying 341 passengers between Singapore and Gold Coast, sustained some damage on the exterior of the front windshield. PHOTO: TWITTER/KAZFOFINHA

A decision was made for the plane to return to Singapore about three hours into the flight as a safety precaution, Scoot said. There was no air leak or loss of cabin pressure.

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Teck Kee Tanglin Pau shuts shop earlier as buns sell out at heritage brand's outlets

A queue at the Killiney Road outlet for their soon-to-be last chances to have the Teck Kee Tanglin Pau. By 1.30pm, over a thousand of their iconic char siew pau were sold. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN

Those who are lamenting the loss of the 71-year-old heritage brand may not have to despair, as a cryptic farewell to its fans posted on its Facebook page suggests that it may not have said its final goodbye.

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