What's News: Oct 7, 2017

Yuriko Koike PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Xiao Ruoteng PHOTO: EPA-EFE

TOP OF THE NEWS

More flexi-work options

Workers here will be offered more options for flexi-work under a new scheme launched yesterday by Second Manpower Minister Josephine Teo. The voluntary initiative will require employers to commit to a set of good practices if they adopt the tripartite standard on flexible work arrangements.


TOP OF THE NEWS

Grab woos over 3,000 cabbies

Soon after ComfortDelGro announced in August that it was exploring a possible partnership with American ride-sharing firm Uber, Grab went on the offensive. Yesterday, Grab said more than 3,000 ComfortDelGro cabbies have signed up with the ride-hailing firm, and the majority have become private-hire car drivers.


WORLD

Koike challenges Abenomics

Japan's election this month looks set to be a toss-up between "Yurinomics" and "Abenomics". The new party of Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has unveiled what it dubbed "Yurinomics" - policies to revitalise Japan's economy while cutting reliance on the aggressive spending and monetary easing that are central to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's strategy.


WORLD

Madrid sorry for crackdown

The Spanish government has apologised for a crackdown on Catalonia's independence referendum, while the region's leader appeared to inch away from a plan to declare independence on Monday, as both sides looked for a way out of the nation's worst crisis since it became a democracy.


OPINION

A shot at work for mentally ill

Work offers a sense of identity and boosts self-esteem. But people with mental illness are often excluded. This year's World Mental Health Day focuses on the workplace, and it is time to end such discrimination, says Professor Chong Siow Ann.


HOME

NTU renames academic ranks

The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has joined the National University of Singapore in renaming its honours degrees for students graduating from January next year. NTU has adopted classifications that major American universities like Stanford use.


HOME

Man admits to evading NS

A Singaporean who lived in Canada for nine years without a valid exit permit pleaded guilty in court yesterday to defaulting on his national service (NS) obligations. Isaac Tan Yang En, 25, returned two years ago to enlist. His older brother had also defaulted.


BUSINESS

Property stocks surge

Real estate stocks charged ahead yesterday on more signs of an upswing in the property market. Market sentiment has been on the mend since the start of the year, with the benchmark FTSE ST Real Estate Index up by 20.6 per cent. It enjoyed a further boost with the success of two large collective sales this week.


SPORT

China gymnasts win big

China occupied the top two spots in the men's all-around for the first time at the gymnastics world championships, as Xiao Ruoteng, who missed the Rio Olympics because of injury, beat off the challenge of Lin Chaopan in Montreal on Thursday. Japan's Shirai Kenzo took the bronze, but Russian David Belyavskiy fell on his final rotation to miss out.


LIFE

A jazzy final for Joanna Dong?

Music industry experts say Singaporean singer Joanna Dong should play to her strength and perform in a jazz style at the grand final of Sing! China tomorrow. While she cannot reveal the solo songs she will be performing in the popular Chinese singing contest, she does not rule out jazz.


VIDEO

Here comes 'summons uncle'

Parking enforcement officer Victor Kumaran keeps his cool when he deals with irate motorists. str.sg/parkingguy

WEB SPECIAL

There goes the neighbourhood

A look at Normanton Park, which has been sold en bloc, and four other historic estates slated for redevelopment. str.sg/5estates

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 07, 2017, with the headline What's News: Oct 7, 2017. Subscribe