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TOP OF THE NEWSFirms hiring more localsFIRMS hired more locals and fewer foreigners in the first half of this year as foreign labour curbs continue to bite.迷你倉 Excluding maids, foreign employment growth slowed to 27,000, from 34,100 in the same period last year – the slowest rate of increase since 2010.Push for Syria conferenceRUSSIA and the United States have agreed to push again for an international conference aimed at ending Syria's civil war. Chances for a second conference in Geneva will require success first with the chemical weapons talks.WORLDAquino warns rebelsPHILIPPINE officials yesterdaynegotiated with Muslim rebels who were holding some 200 people hostage, as President Benigno Aquino warned that he would deploy the "full force of the state" if needed. He visited troops and some of the 24,000 people displaced by the violence in southern Zamboanga city.Brutal fiscal fight loomsUNITED States House Republicans are going for broke in a fiscal battle.The battle, potentially more toxic than usual, is rapidly shaping up in Congress as conservatives prepare to exploit looming fiscal deadlines to derail President Barack Obama's signature health-care reform law. But their demands for concessions on Obamacare are non-negotiable for the Democrats.OPINIONPutin's gambit trumps Obama gambleRussian President Vladimir Putin might stand alone in fervent support of the Assad regime but whatever the fate of his latest initiative, it has bought the world a bit of time to try to forge more of a consensus on how best to respond to Syria's alleged use of chemical weapons.'I dream' of fewer carsI HAVE a dream: of a Singapore with fewer cars, writes By Invitation columnist Kishore Mahbubani.He argues that it's time for Singapore to stop building more roads for cars and turn to alternatives like a great public transport system and car-sharing.Challenge for Thai govtHAVING fumbled on its rice policy, Thailand's ruling Puea Thai party needs to come up with a more sustainable way of appeasing its key supporters – or find itself with increasingly less room to manoeuvre.Researchers say relocating air-con units from the backs of shophouses will release space in the alleys for better uses. -- ST PHOTO: JAMIE KOHSINGAPOREBeautifying back alleysREMOVING hot, noisy and unsightly air-儲存onditioning units from back alleys behind shophouses would free up the space for new uses, researchers claim. They suggest an ambitious idea that would see the units moved onto rooftops instead, leaving space to transform the alleys into outdoor dining areas and tree-lined footpaths.Mobile shopping trendTHE smartphone shopping revolution is gathering pace in Singapore with seven7 per cent more people doing it than last year.A new survey found nearly a third of people here shop on their mobiles, though the Republic is still behind Japan and South Korea.MONEYRefinancing business hitNEW rules on home loan borrowing, which put a cap on debt-to-income ratios and so affected the amount home owners could borrow, have hit the mortgage refinancing business hard, with approvals plunging as much as 40 per cent, say mortgage advisers.Singapore GP deputy chairman Colin Syn. -- PHOTO: SINGAPORE GPSPORTRace to stay on poleTHE next two Formula One Singapore Grand Prix races will be the toughest for the organisers, said Singapore GP deputy chairman Colin Syn. With the night race losing its initial novelty, and with new countries bidding to enter the F1 race schedule next year, he said the Singapore GP has to constantly outdo itself to maintain its place at the top of the sporting and corporate calendar.SATURDAYMake everyone's $ countTHE Big Idea: Companies should start making things for the poor instead of just the rich to enjoy greater overall returns and be better global citizens, says American business don Vijay Govindarajan.TungLok Group boss Andrew Tjioe, whose chain runs 25 restaurants islandwide. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIMLIFEFood chains go abroadTWO Singapore restaurant brands are expanding overseas.TungLok Group is opening a restaurant in New York's Freedom Tower in 2015.The Les Amis Group is expanding with new outlets in Hong Kong, Vietnam and Myanmar. In Singapore, however, the brand is closing its Au Jardin outlet in the Botanic Gardens and making other changes to its lineup.Focus on unsung heroAT AGE 13, former Malaysian High Court judge Richard Tallala was put in solitary confinement by the Japanese and beaten with a rubber hose. All because two of his brothers flew for Britain's Royal Air Force. The family's remarkable history is the subject of a new television documentary.新蒲崗迷你倉