1 Reactions to peace pact

A pact under which Israel pledges to suspend its planned annexation of Palestinian lands in exchange for a normalisation of ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was met with mixed reactions in Asia. The deal was strongly condemned by the Palestinian leadership, which said it was a betrayal of their cause.

2 DPM to unveil new measures

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat will deliver a ministerial statement on Monday at 3.30pm on how the Government will continue to support workers and businesses, with support schemes set to expire while the Covid-19 pandemic drags on.

3 Green lanes can raise traffic

Singapore may consider introducing reciprocal green lanes at Changi Airport for tourists from countries where the Covid-19 situation is similar to or better than that in the Republic. Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung suggested the arrangement as a way to help boost Changi's passenger numbers to about 40 per cent of pre-Covid levels.

4 Malaysia Q2 GDP down 17%

Malaysia's economy contracted by 17.1 per cent in the second quarter from the same period last year, hit by a global downturn and partial shutdown resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. This is the country's worst performance since the Asian financial crisis, when the fourth quarter of 1998 saw an 11.2 per cent contraction in gross domestic product.

5 Facing up to race bias

Cultural biases evolved to help human tribes distinguish quickly between kin and foe. Today, such implicit (or unconscious) bias can add up to structural obstacles for minority communities. It is time to face up to our own implicit bias on race, says Professor Chong Siow Ann.

6 Food delivery via drone

On Thursday, food delivery platform Foodpanda successfully trialled its pandaFly drone delivery in collaboration with ST Engineering. Five packets of ayam penyet made their way from Marina South Pier to an offshore vessel 3km away in about 10 minutes.

7 Ruling on prisoners' rights

Singapore's highest court said yesterday that the Singapore Prison Service is not allowed to forward copies of inmates' documents to the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC). If the AGC wishes to have copies of documents belonging to a prisoner, the proper procedure would be to obtain the prisoner's consent or an order of court, said the Court of Appeal.

8 Digital boost for logistics

About 86,300 workers in the logistics sector are expected to benefit from an enhanced industry digital plan that will help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) tailor training programmes to meet workers' needs in various job roles. The plan also sets out digital solutions for SMEs at different stages of growth.

9 Watch, not predict talent

Sport's real test is the mastery over time, and not even Nostradamus armed with a pot of tea leaves can prophesy that. Let us not say what PGA Championship winner Collin Morikawa will be, but watch delightedly what he can be, says columnist Rohit Brijnath.

10 Optimal blend of features