TOP OF THE NEWS
THE $3.5 billion Phase 3 and 4 development of Pasir Panjang Terminal was officially opened yesterday, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highlighting the crucial role that the port has played in positioning Singapore globally.
A NEW "Two-Room Flexi" scheme will be launched soon, grouping together studio apartments with two-room flats to give home buyers different lease lengths for greater flexibility.
WORLD
US PRESIDENT Barack Obama touched a raw nerve when he used the word "nigger" in a podcast interview yesterday as he tried to drive home his point that racism still exists. He caused a stir in a nation struggling to confront racism days after the killings of nine black parishioners in a South Carolina church.
CLIMATE change will affect human health more severely than previously thought. A report in The Lancet estimates that the exposure of people to extreme rainfall will more than quadruple, while the exposure of older people to heatwaves is expected to go up by a factor of 12.
US DEFENCE Secretary Ashton Carter made a strong stand yesterday, announcing US land and air support for a new Nato response force that aims to deter any future aggression by Russia. Mr Carter pointedly singled out Russia, warning that "we do not seek to make Russia an enemy.. but we will defend our allies".
AMID increasing concern about foreign fighters returning home, Australia will soon be able to strip dual nationals linked to terrorism of their citizenship after a change to the Citizenship Act.
The legislation will be tabled in Parliament today.
OPINION
Water tariffs must discourage wastage
Singaporeans need to be reminded that water is not just an economic commodity but also a strategic resource. It may be time for Singapore to look at increasing water tariffs to discourage wastage, but this needs to be done judiciously so as to make it equitable.
AMERICA'S plan to deal with an assertive China through tough talk is not working.
A new approach is needed. The first step is for the US to understand the problem, and the fact that winning a bigger leadership role for itself in Asia is a key priority for China's President Xi Jinping, writes Hugh White.
SINGAPORE
THE number of motoring offences in bus lanes has been on the wane since on-board cameras were introduced in buses in 2008, new figures reveal. Back then, the number of motorists caught by these cameras was 2,112. Last year, it was 866, said the Land Transport Authority.
SINGAPORE'S bioethics watchdog released 51 broad new guidelines yesterday.
The Bioethics Advisory Committee went through its 15-year body of work that included laws and recommendations on everything from cloning to confidentiality, and fine-tuned them to keep pace with technological changes and research developments.
MONEY
AN INTEREST rate hike by the US Federal Reserve, anticipated in September, may likely see the Singapore Interbank Offered Rate head higher by year-end, analysts say. The three-month Sibor - which governs many home loans - is at 0.82146 per cent now, a drop from the early April level of 1.02 per cent.
SPORT
RED Bull team principal Christian Horner has shrugged off speculation that he will be the fall guy for their worst Formula One season in seven years.
Rumours abound after last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix that Gerhard Berger, the former McLaren and Ferrari driver, was in the frame to take over.
LIFE!
AMERICAN TV network NBC is killing off Hannibal after three seasons of the critically acclaimed drama, a prequel to Silence Of The Lambs. But its creator, Bryan Fuller, told fans on Twitter that he is investigating options to carry on the series with the show's studio Gaumont International Television.
IN TOWN for the opening of his restaurant, Bread Street Kitchen, at Marina Bay Sands, Scottish celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay says he has never underestimated the power of Singapore, whose residents know good food and have amazing palates that get it immediately.
