What's News: February 26, 2018

ST FILE PHOTO
Top Gear host Chris Harris with a Japanese sumo wrestler in a scene from the TV series.
Top Gear host Chris Harris with a Japanese sumo wrestler in a scene from the TV series. PHOTO: BBC

TOP OF THE NEWS

Longer term possible for Xi

China is set to change its Constitution to remove a two-term limit on the presidency, making it possible for President Xi Jinping to remain in office beyond 2023. Analysts say overturning the term limit is yet another indication of Mr Xi's dominance in the power structure, where he could move to break with a tradition that has been in place since the 1990s.


TOP OF THE NEWS

More older cars on the roads

Singapore's car population has aged noticeably, with 163,323 cars nine years or older as at end-2017, compared with 30,529 in 2007, according to Land Transport Authority statistics. The trend has ramped up business for vehicle workshops.


WORLD

Najib: Tycoon had govt help

Malaysia's richest man Robert Kuok has been in the political spotlight in the past few days after Prime Minister Najib Razak said his business boomed due to government help. Mr Kuok released a memoir last year where he implicitly criticised Malaysia's affirmative-action policy that helps Malays and other bumiputera races in education and business.


WORLD

Samsung unveils new phones

Samsung kicked off this year's premium smartphone race by announcing the S9 and S9+ handsets, the direct successors to last year's S8 smartphone line. The new Galaxy S9 and S9+ smartphones will be available in Singapore next month.


OPINION

Europe wary of China

China's rise is not going down well in parts of Western Europe. Germany, France and Britain have recently sounded warnings about the threat it poses on matters of security and a lack of reciprocity in trade and investment, says Europe correspondent Jonathan Eyal.


HOME

Telco curbs 3rd-party content

Singtel has asked some third-party mobile content providers to temporarily halt their activities, after some consumers complained that they had received SMS subscription confirmations and charges for mobile game services they did not sign up for. The telco is assisting the affected customers.


HOME

E-scooter thefts on the rise?

Media reports and anecdotal evidence suggest e-scooter thefts could be on the rise, with the popular device's portability making it an easy and attractive target. Interest groups urged users to invest in security features for it.


BUSINESS

Mega sky bridge in China

Singapore property developer CapitaLand has set the world record for a commercial and residential complex with the highest sky bridge linking the most number of towers in south-western Chongqing, China. Known as Raffles City Chongqing, the project will open in phases next year.


SPORT

Scotland wins Six Nations cup

Scotland produced a blistering display of attacking rugby to hand Eddie Jones just his second defeat as England's head coach and end the visitors' grand slam aspirations with a 25-13 Six Nations victory at Murrayfield in Edinburgh on Saturday. Led by the brilliance of Huw Jones, who scored a brace of tries, and Finn Russell, the hosts opened up a 16-point half-time lead and held on for a famous victory.


LIFE

Will Top Gear keep its drive?

If there is one mainstream show that lives up to the "boys will be boys" motto, it is Top Gear. Big stunts helped make it a worldwide phenomenon, even as complaints surfaced about racist jokes made by a former host. Will it keep its laddish sense of humour in the age of #MeToo?


VIDEO

Hokkaido Marche's best

Check out the must-try dishes at the new Hokkaido Marche Gourmet Hall at Orchard Central. str.sg/hokmarche

VIDEO

Survival of the fittest

Candidates vying for a spot in the 10-week Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team course by the elite Singapore Civil Defence Force unit have to first go through a gruelling 30-hour test. http://str.sg/dart

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 26, 2018, with the headline What's News: February 26, 2018. Subscribe