10 must-reads for today

Search-and-rescue teams were deployed across the blackened ruins of southern Oregon towns on Sunday even as smouldering wildfires continued to ravage the US Pacific Coast states after causing widespread destruction. A blitz of wildfires across Oregon, California and Washington has destroyed thousands of homes and a half dozen small towns.

The labour market is starting to feel the full force of the Covid-19 pandemic, with retrenchments and unemployment rising in the second quarter of the year. Amid ongoing uncertainties, observers say that the labour market is likely to remain weak for some time to come.

Indonesian capital Jakarta kicked off a second shutdown yesterday in a bid to slow the surge of new coronavirus cases. The restrictions, which will remain in place for two weeks, are less stringent than the city's first lockdown in April, with non-essential businesses allowed to operate and malls and markets remaining open subject to compliance with health protocols.

Kremlin-backed candidates swept most major contests in Russian regional elections over the weekend but opposition leader Alexei Navalny's supporters claimed wins in two Siberian cities - Novosibirsk and Tomsk, where he was poisoned last month. Observers said the opposition's performance proved a desire for political change in the cities.

Chinese power and pressure are not necessarily a hindrance to Taiwan's efforts to build ties with others, says global affairs correspondent Goh Sui Noi.

Thirty recently retrenched staff from the Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group have applied for jobs at EtonHouse International Education Group. If successful, they will take up about a third of the more than 100 positions on offer at the international school group. That is the number of jobs the school committed to offer last Friday to former SIA staff who have been retrenched.

Since yesterday, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) can immediately prosecute those who create serious fire safety risks as amendments to the Fire Safety Act came into effect. Among the key changes are enhanced penalties for irresponsible industry professionals who fail to properly supervise and certify fire safety works.

Nvidia will buy British chip designer Arm from Japan's SoftBank Group for as much as US$40 billion (S$55 billion), the companies said yesterday, in a deal set to reshape the global semiconductor sector. Within hours of the announcement, critics questioned how Arm would maintain its open approach under US ownership and at a time of friction with China.

South Korean golfer Lee Mi-rim, 29, claimed her maiden LPGA Major title at the ANA Inspiration on Sunday after birdieing the first extra hole in a three-way play-off to beat American Nelly Korda and Canadian Brooke Henderson at the Mission Hills Country Club in California.

Photography enclave Deck, which is up for demolition next March, has launched a year-long campaign to raise funds to construct a permanent space where artists can hone their craft. Made from used shipping containers, the current space has hosted more than 350 workshops and exhibitions since it started six years ago. The new two-storey centre will be thrice the size of the old one.

Synchronised swimmer Debbie Soh is a picture of confidence, strength and suppleness. But the athlete has had issues with her body image and she still struggles with controlling her weight. str.sg/blurb581

Dr Jared Ng, consultant at the Institute of Mental Health's emergency service, talks about how the pandemic has affected some people more than others and how kindness can go a long way in staving off stress. str.sg/blurb582