What's News: December 02, 2017

Dengvaxia was developed by Sanofi after 25 clinical studies over 20 years.
Dengvaxia was developed by Sanofi after 25 clinical studies over 20 years. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Singer Suthasini Rajenderan, who won the Best Emerging Act (Tamil) trophy.
Singer Suthasini Rajenderan, who won the Best Emerging Act (Tamil) trophy. ST PHOTO: JONATHAN CHOO

TOP OF THE NEWS

Bringing out a soldier's best

The Singapore Armed Forces has opened a Centre of Excellence for Soldier Performance to help soldiers train smarter, recover faster from injury, and be mentally stronger and more well equipped, amid an anticipated 30 per cent fall in the number of full-time national servicemen by 2030.


TOP OF THE NEWS

Experts downplay missile test

New worries have emerged as North Korea made a big leap testing its most advanced missile capable of striking continental United States. But analysts say it is far from being the "breakthrough" hailed by the regime, as it has yet to demonstrate key technologies, including successful re-entry through the atmosphere.


WORLD

Fears over dengue vaccine

The Philippines has put on hold its 3.5 billion peso (S$94 million) dengue vaccination programme after an alert issued by pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur that its Dengvaxia vaccine could be harmful to people never infected by the disease. The company said it would ask countries, including Singapore, to update their information on the vaccine.


WORLD

Akihito's abdication date set

Japan has announced that the revered Emperor Akihito will abdicate on April 30, 2019. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said yesterday that the April date was chosen as it was a "quieter environment" than another date under consideration: March 31, 2019, which coincided with the close of a fiscal year.


OPINION

Road map for China Dream

President Xi Jinping's "China Dream" is now a vision with hard economic targets. The outlook is good, but managing state-market relations could prove tricky, writes Professor John Wong.


HOME

$142m from wins unclaimed

Over the last three years, $142 million in prize money from lotteries and sports betting has been left unclaimed with Singapore Pools. The operator does not know how many did not claim their prizes. A spokesman said winners may have forgotten to check their tickets.


HOME

Car buyers left in the lurch

The Consumers Association of Singapore has received 11 complaints against Manhattan Motor in the last two weeks. The firm sold cars to more than 20 buyers, collected the money, but did not transfer their ownership to the buyers. Police are investigating.


BUSINESS

Fed alert on digital currencies

A top United States Federal Reserve official has sounded a warning that digital currencies like bitcoin could pose a threat to financial stability as they gain wider use. Newly installed Fed vice-chairman for supervision Randal Quarles has raised concerns about how cryptocurrencies would behave in a crisis.


SPORT

FAS general secretary resigns

Mr Winston Lee, who served as the general secretary of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) for the past nine years, resigned yesterday. He will leave the organisation he first joined in 1999 on Dec 31. FAS' current deputy general secretary Yazeen Buhari will act as general secretary on an interim basis.


LIFE

Honouring local music acts

Singapore's rising music talents were feted at the inaugural Next Music Awards on Thursday, an initiative that recognises new pop artists who sing in the nation's four main languages. The awards are part of the Sing50 Fund, formed in 2015 to promote and preserve Singapore's music heritage.


VIDEO

New lease of life

Miss Tan Xing En recently celebrated her 23rd birthday, having received the gift she had long been hoping for - a kidney - after waiting 10 years for a donor. str.sg/okLR

WEB SPECIAL

Cutting ties

The United States has urged the international community to cut all ties with North Korea. Here are five questions about isolating the hermit nation. str.sg/okji

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 02, 2017, with the headline What's News: December 02, 2017. Subscribe