Who was behind the drone attack on the Kremlin?

Hello.

A global whodunit broke this week after two drones ostensibly attacked the Kremlin. Russia claims it was a Ukrainian effort to kill the Russian president. Ukraine denied it. Russia then accused the United States of being behind it. The US denied it too.

It’s plausible too the entire thing was staged. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been suspected of false flag attacks before, and a Ukrainian “terrorist attack” aimed at the Kremlin would boost public opinion of the unpopular war, says Pusan National University’s Robert Kelly.

On the economic front, discussions on wealth inequality and property taxes in Singapore are in the spotlight. The idea of a “limited inheritance tax” on multi-million-dollar inherited property with some rules to prevent abuse could be worth considering, says NUS Business School professor Simon Poh.

Another topic up for debate is the physical discipline of children. A study has shown that parents who physically discipline their children face a lot of guilt and regret after. So, the broader question remains – if caning or spanking causes this much emotional tension, why are we still using it, asks Singapore Children’s Society CEO Ang Boon Min.

Also at the forefront of issues are the challenges of eldercare in an ageing society. Some in Singapore are calling for six days of eldercare leave. Community aged-care physician Dr Ng Wai Chong says no amount of eldercare leave will be enough for the harsh reality of caring for aged parents – not without broader support and assistance.

We hope you enjoy our selection of commentaries this week.

Alison Jenner

Senior Editor, Commentary

Highly unlikely that Ukraine was behind alleged drone strike on the Kremlin

A Ukrainian “terrorist attack” aimed at the Kremlin would justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and boost public opinion of the unpopular war, says Pusan National University’s Robert Kelly.

Reintroducing some form of inheritance tax could help address wealth inequality in Singapore

The idea of a “limited inheritance tax” on multi-million-dollar inherited property with some rules to prevent abuse could be worth considering, 15 years after Singapore removed it, says NUS Business School professor Simon Poh.

Should you take time off for leisure during working hours?

Ask remote workers in Singapore and chances are that they will think there’s nothing wrong with a foot massage or dim sum high tea during working hours, says HR expert Adrian Tan.

Singapore may not be able to outbid the big players, but it has its own ‘secret recipe’

Singapore’s 4G leaders will tap on an “inherited” political asset as they take over the reins from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the other senior Cabinet members, says the Institute of Policy Studies’ Gillian Koh.

Singapore’s latest property cooling measures: Who does it impact and how?

In the latest round of property cooling measures announced on Apr 26, what stood out was the 60 per cent additional buyer’s stamp duty (ABSD) for foreigners looking to buy in Singapore. How big of an impact do they have on the general market? Why are these moves considered pre-emptive? Steven Chia speaks to Dr Lee Nai Jia, head of real estate intelligence, data and software solutions at PropertyGuru Group and Aric Lim, a real estate consultant at Huttons Asia.

Should Singaporeans adopt tipping as a cultural norm?

The cost of living has gone up tremendously. Eateries are trying to save themselves. But somewhere along the way, the purpose of service charge – a tip meant for the servers – became lost, says award-winning author Christina Sng.

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