TOP OF THE NEWS
Infrastructure upgrade for India
INDIAN Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday vowed to upgrade the infrastructure in 100 new and existing cities by 2022, in the hopes of better coping with an ever-growing population, and to boost economic development.
A TASK force overseen by Education Minister Heng Swee Keat will look into complaints about defects at the Centrale 8 HDB project in Tampines. Residents sent a petition to the developer, Sim Lian Group, last week.
ASIA/WORLD
THE world's top food and drink companies, consisting of some 400 retailers, manufacturers and other players, have vowed to halve the food they waste by 2025, following a report that up to two billion tonnes of food produced around the world is lost or wasted.
FOREIGNERS hoping to own a property in Indonesia will soon see their dreams come true, as Jakarta is reportedly finalising a regulation that would open its real estate market. Officials say the move will not trigger a price bubble, but will increase the appeal of the property sector.
THE United States disclosed that a recent test revealed vulnerabilities in one of its battleships, the USS Fort Worth (photo), which never engaged in combat but did encounter China once in the South China Sea. The combat ship will be taking part in a military drill with the Philippines this week.
OPINION
THE Monetary Authority of Singapore's deputy managing director for financial supervision Ong Chong Tee sets out the rationale for new measures at the Singapore Exchange. The aim, he says, is a vibrant and robust securities market.
CYCLING DOWN THE RAIL CORRIDOR
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's suggestion to use the Rail Corridor as a cycling track shows the distance Singapore has covered from the time when calculations of the national good weighed heavily on the utilitarian use of scarce land. Recreation increasingly is a part of the redefinition.
SINGAPORE
AN AMERICAN study has found that young adults with blood pressure at the high range of normal levels might find themselves with damaged heart muscles by the time they are middle-aged. The study tracked nearly 2,500 young adults over 25 years.
MOST Singaporeans are generally optimistic about the country's future, but feel that population and governance issues will be the main challenges.
The poll results were published in a report by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.
TELOK Ayer Street has seen enormous changes but in the heart of it is a temple that has stood the test of time.
The Thian Hock Keng Temple, or Temple of Heavenly Happiness, began as a simple shrine set up by the Hokkiens in 1819.
MONEY
PRICES at luxury enclave Sentosa Cove may have rebounded from the doldrums with newly disclosed figures showing units fetching in the range of $2,000 per sq ft. Experts say that while two transactions do not make a wave, it is nevertheless a good sign.
SPORT
AN ILL-TEMPERED quarter-final ended with hosts Chile's bid for a first Copa America still alive, as they eliminated holders Uruguay 1-0.
In all, 10 yellow cards and two reds were flashed in Santiago, with the losers ending with nine men after striker Edinson Cavani (photo) and defender Jorge Fucile were sent off.
CONTROVERSIAL coach Alberto Salazar finally broke his silence on the doping allegations against him and his athletes, insisting that all of them are clean.
In an 11,600-word open letter, the Cuban-born American defended himself and attacked his accusers.
LIFE!
THE Art Of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, the graphic novel by Sonny Liew (photo) which raised official hackles, sold out its second print run of 1,500 copies within a week. Its publisher Epigram Books is reprinting a further 3,000 copies of it. In total, it has sold 2,500 copies since its release last month.
BOBBI Kristina Brown, the only child of late singer Whitney Houston, was moved to hospice care on Wednesday after suffering irreversible brain damage five months ago, and her former boyfriend, Nick Gordon, was hit with a lawsuit alleging physical abuse and theft from her bank account.
SINGAPORE SLIDER
An old market in bustling business hub
IT IS officially Telok Ayer Market but everyone knows it as Lau Pa Sat, the old market that has been standing in the heart of the financial district for more than a century. Read about its long history and many changes over the years in Singapore Slider, the series that depicts landmarks Then & Now, at http://str.sg/4b4
WEB SPECIALS
Visa needed
CHECK out some of the countries where the Singapore passport, one of the most accepted in the world, does not allow you entry without a visa. http://str.sg/wNY
Trading partners
WHAT are the US Trade Promotion Authority and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and why do they matter to Singapore?
Get the answers at http://str.sg/wNc
