Verdict on big human trafficking case

The reading out of the verdict in a major human trafficking trial involving 103 defendants will start today in a Bangkok court, and is expected to last three days. Thai and Myanmar nationals were arrested in 2015 following the discovery of graves at jungle camps used by traffickers to hold migrants near the Thailand-Malaysia border. The trial began in 2015, and the defendants include 21 Thai government officials, including a senior army general.

Variety of activities at science festival

The Singapore Science Festival, which is starting tomorrow, promises an eclectic slate of offerings - such as prominent chemist Saiful Islam explaining how energy works, and "science buskers" who will "show off their ability to communicate and express science in a fun and creative manner". The festival will run till Aug 19. It is organised by the Agency for Science, Technology And Research (A*Star) and the Science Centre Singapore.

US housing starts for June out today

The United States' Department of Commerce will unveil data on housing starts for June today.

Home builders slowed down the pace of construction for the third straight month in May by 5.5 per cent, despite a solid job market with a relatively healthy unemployment rate of 4.3 per cent.

Correction note: In our earlier version, we had incorrectly named Science Centre Singapore as Singapore Science Centre. We are sorry for the error.