While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Oct 8
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Police officers point their non lethal weapons at the the public as they are heckled by the crowd at Nathan Road on Oct 7, 2019.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
Hong Kong police stage show of force on streets, jeered by residents
Hong Kong police staged a show of force on Monday (Oct 7) night in a district hit by some of the most violent clashes with protesters in recent months, but instead of being confronted by demonstrators were jeered by onlookers.
Many Hong Kongers say police have used excessive force against protesters - some of them school students and young adults - and want an independent inquiry into police action.
"The police are ridiculous, they are out of control," said a 22-year-old man watching the police who gave his name only as James.
US-China deputy-level trade talks get underway in tense atmosphere
US and Chinese deputy trade negotiators launched a new round of talks on Monday (Oct 7) aimed at resolving the two nations' 15-month trade war, with neither side showing any signs of giving ground.
About 30 Chinese officials, led by Vice Finance Minister Liao Min, entered the US Trade Representative's office for two days of negotiations, to be followed by the first minister-level trade talks in more than two months.
The White House officially confirmed that the high-level talks, involving Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin would begin on Thursday.
Parliament: Critical thinking not just in liberal education, but all schools here, says Faishal
Critical thinking is an essential skill that Singapore wants its young people to learn, and it is not confined to just liberal arts education, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education Faishal Ibrahim in Parliament on Monday (Oct 7).
"All of our educational institutions nurture students to conduct critical thinking, with maturity of thought and a sense of responsibility towards society," he added.
He was replying to Nominated MP Walter Theseira, who had called on the Government to extend liberal education beyond institutions like Yale-NUS College, a liberal arts institution.
UN racism expert slams Dutch burqa ban
A UN racism expert on Monday (Oct 7) criticised a Dutch ban on the wearing of face-covering garments such as the burqa in public, saying the law had "no place" in a tolerant society.
Tendayi Achiume, the UN Special Rapporteur on racism, said the ban reflected a wider "consolidation of Islamophobia" in the Netherlands.
The Dutch ban took effect in August, after being passed by parliament in 2018, and makes it illegal to wear face coverings in public buildings and on transport.
'I've never raped a woman,' says French director Luc Besson
French film director Luc Besson on Monday (Oct 7) denied raping or drugging a young actress - the first time the maker of The Fifth Element has spoken publicity about the sex allegations against him.
A judge reopened a rape investigation into the movie mogul on Friday, eight months after Paris prosecutors had dropped a case brought by the Dutch-Belgian actress Sand Van Roy, who claimed that Besson had repeatedly raped her over a two-year period.
She is one of nine women who have said they were assaulted or harassed by the powerful director and producer.