10 must-reads for today

Summer heat saw crowds of daytrippers descend on British coastal resorts. The southern seaside resort of Bournemouth was forced to declare a major incident on Thursday after thousands flocked to its beach on the hottest day of the year. Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that he could close beaches to head off any potential new round of coronavirus cases.

As he unveiled the final batch of the ruling People's Action Party's new faces contesting the upcoming general election, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing pinpointed a key ingredient in the party's system of renewing leadership: continuity. Each new batch works with its predecessors so that the PAP can plan long term and ensure continuity, he said.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong participated in the 36th Asean Summit yesterday. He called for greater unity and economic integration and cooperation among Asean members to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic from permanently damaging their economies.

Emotional calls to shun Chinese products, following the deadly clash on the disputed border between India and China, make for good television viewing, but snapping extensive economic links with China is impractical. Still, the clash has hastened India's process of weaning itself from dependence on China.

America's post-war foreign policy grand strategy has been hollowed out and President Donald Trump's departure will not change that. China is not a sufficiently telegenic ideological foe to fully reanimate it, says Dr Adam Garfinkle, founding editor of The American Interest magazine.

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund and the newspaper's 175th anniversary this year, the fund is partnering retailer Challenger to provide $1 million worth of e-grants to 2,000 students from low-income families. Each student will receive an e-grant of $500 to purchase a range of products from Challenger.

The number of phishing attempts to trick users to give up personal information almost tripled last year from the year before, and doubled during the months when people had to stay home to stem the spread of Covid-19. The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore said there were 47,500 cases of phishing here last year, compared with 16,100 cases in 2018.

A new initiative is under way to help the retail, food and beverage (F&B) and lifestyle sectors amid the pandemic, said the Singapore Business Federation yesterday. It will focus on developing a tenancy framework to deal with present and long-term issues and establish industry norms on tenancy practices and terms.

Badminton's world No. 1 Kento Momota says he can "give 100 per cent in practice" again after a full recovery from an eye injury suffered in a car accident. While the coronavirus crisis affected training, he is now back to focusing on delivering the gold at his home Olympics, which have been postponed to next year.

The Seat Alhambra multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) takes its name from the famed Moorish fortress in southern Spain. It is an apt name because the MPV is a mini-fortress on wheels. Boasting a 2-litre turbocharged engine, the seven-seater stands out in three areas - space, features and performance. LIFE C6

We ran an analysis on all the electoral boundary changes since 1968 and found that every area of Singapore has seen at least one change. Find out when your constituency was moved. str.sg/blurb447

The coming polls will take place amid the Covid-19 pandemic. We ask some Singaporeans how they feel about having a general election during this period, and whether they are worried. str.sg/blurb448