10 must-reads for today

Protesters outside a church where Democratic candidate Joe Biden met community and religious leaders in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Thursday.
Protesters outside a church where Democratic candidate Joe Biden met community and religious leaders in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Thursday. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

1 Biden takes aim at Trump

Taking a very different stand from US President Donald Trump, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Thursday aligned himself strongly with protesters of racial injustice and with black voters when he met those still grappling with the police shooting of Mr Jacob Blake.


2 Wage support for local hires

Companies that hire more locals in the coming months will get help in paying up to half of their wages, in a clear signal to firms to bring forward their hiring plans and create more jobs for Singaporeans. But for that to happen, and in order to attract investments, Singapore must stay open and competitive, the Government urged.


3 16k not rostered for tests

Some 16,000 workers required to undergo rostered routine testing for Covid-19 by today were yet to be scheduled for it by their employers as of last night. Unless they are tested by the deadline, they will not be allowed to return to work, the authorities said in a joint statement yesterday.


4 India, China set for talks

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe were expected to hold talks in Moscow yesterday, government officials said. Both ministers are in Moscow attending a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting, an Indian government official said. The request for the meeting came from the Chinese side, the official added.


5 Forces shaping US society

To understand the United States' present political struggles, both domestic and foreign, it pays to look at the underlying forces shaping American society, says Dr Adam Garfinkle, founding editor of The American Interest.


6 Women in science and tech

Minister of State for Manpower and Education Gan Siow Huang's work background strongly underlined her call at a webinar yesterday for more women to study and work in science and technology fields. Women continue to be under-represented in the infocomm and tech sector, according to official data.


7 Gene map for heart diseases

Researchers have developed a coherent map of genes in the heart and looked at how they may cause heart diseases, which could pave the way for new treatments. Heart diseases are a complex set of diseases influenced by different genes, and it is challenging to understand which genes are responsible for a particular disease, say experts.


8 Retail sales perk up

Retail sales shot up in July as the beleaguered sector continues its recovery from the Covid-19 crunch. Turnover surged 27.4 per cent over June levels on a seasonally adjusted basis, helped in part by a lower base in June, the Department of Statistics said yesterday.


9 Murray vows to fight on

At 33 years old and after two hip operations, Andy Murray (right) knows that it will be "extremely difficult" to add to his three Grand Slam titles. But after losing in the US Open second round to Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, the British former world No. 1 said that he is determined to rebuild his form in the next few months.


10 Topless head-turner

The Mitsuoka Rock Star - styled after the Chevrolet Corvette C2 - is a head-turning beauty. Boasting exquisite detailing, the 1.5-litre automatic is not a fast car, but it does not have to be fast to feel fast. The plucky and zesty engine lives for revs, and when second gear takes you to about 90kmh, you will feel its voracious appetite.


VIDEO

Training support for aerospace sector

Workers in the aerospace sector, heavily battered by the Covid-19 pandemic, can now access more than 13,000 training places across about 100 courses, with higher rates of subsidies.


VIDEO

Ventilation duct incident

A falling ventilation duct in a cinema has raised questions about public safety. Lawyer Justin Chan talks about how the law can help to prevent such accidents from happening again and the legal recourse available.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 05, 2020, with the headline 10 must-reads for today. Subscribe