1 Crucial week for UK govt
British MPs return from their summer holidays today to face what is likely to be one of the most significant weeks in the country's modern history. The rules of the country's largely unwritten Constitution will be stretched to the limit in a desperate battle between MPs supporting Brexit and those desperate to avoid such an outcome without a deal with the European Union.
2 Bolstering Harmony Act
Changes to the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act would allow restraining orders issued under the Act to take effect immediately, instead of after the 14-day notice the Government currently has to serve. With the proposed changes to the law, swift action can be taken against threats to religious harmony and to curb the impact of foreign influence.
3 $52.4b collected in taxes
The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore collected $52.4 billion in taxes in the fiscal year 2018/19, 4.4 per cent more than a year earlier, thanks to increased contributions from both corporate and individual taxpayers on the back of economic expansion last year.
4 S. Korea, Thailand boost ties
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha signed six agreements yesterday to pave the way for closer ties, particularly in high-technology cooperation and defence.
5 Island nations in peril
As the world warms, island nations face growing danger from not just rising seas, but also massive storms like Hurricane Dorian that has just battered the Bahamas. This is a warning to other countries about the perils posed by climate change, says assistant foreign editor David Fogarty.
6 More mosquito traps
In the fight against dengue, the National Environment Agency will progressively deploy 14,000 more Gravitraps - small black cylinders that trap female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes looking for< water surfaces to lay eggs on - to newly built Housing Board blocks and landed estates over the< next four months.
7 Language memory
A recent study by National University of Singapore researchers found that languages and dialects heard during a child's first few years of life have a lasting "ghost in the brain" effect, and they can be reactivated under the right circumstances.
8 Tycoon sues over share row
Tycoon Oei Hong Leong is facing off against the chairman of Raffles Education Chew Hua Seng in court over an alleged promise by Mr Chew to procure a buyer for Mr Oei's shares in the mainboard-listed education provider. Mr Oei and his company, Oei Hong Leong Art Museum, are claiming damages of between $15 million and $26.5 million.
9 Lessons from Goal 2010
While the Football Association of Singapore is currently engaging its stakeholders and refining its proposal to qualify for the 2034 World Cup finals, some members of the fraternity have urged the association to learn from Goal 2010, the failed project mooted in 1998 that had a similar goal of qualifying for the showpiece football tournament.
10 Get 'crafty' at Archifest
Archifest returns from Sept 27 to Oct 9 across various locations in Singapore. Themed Craft, the 13th edition of the annual architecture festival is organised by the Singapore Institute of Architects and curated by local architecture firm Formwerkz Architects.
Straits Times Digital
VIDEO
Full-time cosplayer
Reg, 22, who goes by Rea Kami in the cosplay (costume play) community, is one of a rare breed of full-time cosplayers in Singapore. Find out how she makes $3,500 to $4,000 in good months. http://str.sg/cosplayer
VIDEO
Thai breast milk initiative
A programme in selected Thai provinces offers free shipping of frozen breast milk, helping mothers who are not able to be with their babies because of work requirements. http://str.sg/milkyway
