What's News: April 22, 2016

TOP OF THE NEWS

No softening on drug policies

Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam did not mince words in his rebuttal to states pushing for a less hardline approach to curbing drugs at a United Nations meeting. He said Singapore will not soften its drug policies, as they have ensured a high level of safety and security in the city.

ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

TOP OF THE NEWS

Key to property sector's future

The property market's long-term prospects are not dependent on whether market-cooling measures are lifted but the overall state of the local economy, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong yesterday. He said he knows the sector is "fixated" on cooling measures but the key issue is for the country to grow, and to remain a successful global city over the next 10 to 20 years.

WORLD

3 nations eye joint patrols

Foreign ministers and armed forces commanders from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines will meet in Jakarta on May 3 to discuss the possibility of joint patrols in the waters of north-east Borneo island, an official said yesterday, in the wake of three reported kidnappings in the area.

WORLD

Japan told to reflect on past

China yesterday urged Japan to "deeply reflect on its invasion history" after Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine for the war dead. South Korea also called on Tokyo to face up to history and show sincerity in its repentance for war atrocities.

OPINION

Democratic race gets ugly

The Democratic Party primary battle has turned aggressive and policy differences between Mr Bernie Sanders and Mrs Hillary Clinton seem irreconcilable. US Bureau chief Jeremy Au Yong examines if the party might splinter and hurt its own chances of securing the presidency.

HOME

Attendance app draws flak

Singapore Polytechnic students are calling for a new attendance system to be reviewed, with some claiming glitches in it have caused them to be wrongly penalised. Under the system, they must key a code displayed in class into an app. If they fail to do so in 15 minutes, they will be marked as absent.

HOME

A chance to reform for teen

A judge yesterday handed a chance to reform to a student who slashed another teenager with a breadknife on an Institute of Technical Education campus last year. Instead of 18 months' jail and six strokes of the cane, 17-year-old Muhammad Zuhairie Adely Zulkifli will undergo reformative training.

BUSINESS

Creative ways to sell homes

Developers are getting creative in marketing private homes, with some offering potential buyers sure-win games dangling up to $250,000 in cash rebates. Local developers are also increasingly banking on overseas markets - for their prime properties, in particular - with two developers taking their projects to Indonesia before even launching them here.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MOK YING RONG

SPORT

New mark, but she didn't know

Mok Ying Rong clocked 1hr 23min 14sec at the Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Half Marathon to win the Women's Open category on April 9. But she had no idea it was a national best time until she heard about it from friends over a week later. Her brother Ying Ren is the men's best time holder in the same event.

New attraction Singapore Gourmetbus offers patrons a sumptuous meal while taking in the sights on an air-conditioned luxury coach. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI

LIFE

Hop on for a moving dining experience

The Singapore Gourmetbus, a new attraction by tour company Duck & Hippo, is one bus where eating is not only permitted, but is also the main draw. The two-hour ride features a three-course Asian feast by Soup Restaurant or a five-course dinner by IndoChine Group.

LIFE

Suit over Voice Of China

The future of the Chinese singing competition judged by pop king Jay Chou is uncertain, as the Dutch producer of the Voice format charged on Wednesday that the Chinese show is a pirated programme. The Voice Of China has been renamed China Super Vocal for its upcoming fifth season, which retains Chou.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 22, 2016, with the headline What's News: April 22, 2016. Subscribe