The Causeway connection

Today, June 28, marks the centenary of the Causeway connecting Johor and Singapore. Explore this interactive piece on how the linkway evolved over the years to become one of the busiest land border crossings in the world. Beyond serving as a vital link between people and goods, it symbolises the deep ties between Singapore and Malaysia. For some, like these two sisters from Singapore, the Causeway has led to friendship, love and marriage.?

In another heart-warming story, a Singapore baby was born with a rare tumour located in a critical part of the brain, which controls all the body’s major functions. She was not expected to survive beyond a year.? But, against expectations, she beat the odds and may possibly be the only child in the world to survive an aggressive congenital cancer in her brain stem.?

I hope you enjoy these stories, and more below, for your weekend read. Have a good one.

— Jaime Ho, Straits Times Editor

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Interactive: How the Johor-Singapore Causeway evolved over 100 years

From a “rubble causeway”, it has grown to be one of the busiest land border crossings in the world.

How two sisters found love across the Causeway

It all began when their late father struck up a close friendship with a man from Johor in the 1970s.

S’pore baby with 1 in 100 million brain stem tumour survives and thrives against all odds

Doctors at the National University Hospital say she is truly a miracle baby.

Not just for burnout: Meet the people who took sabbaticals to chase sheep, start social enterprise

These breaks offer a chance to reorient and assess what is important in life, says a worker.

More picks:

• Are you too independent for your own good?
• China needs major reforms to avoid ‘Japanification’
• S’pore in top 10 nation list for uploading objectionable YouTube videos
• How a war historian tracked down Lim Bo Seng’s secret residence in Ipoh

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For your weekend:

• Food Picks: Restaurant-worthy porridge in a hawker centre, Chow Zan Dessert to launch savoury items
• Podcast: Get into an ‘Airbnb’ for car