What's News: July 9, 2015

An empty station on the North-South line after train services were disrupted on July 7.
PHOTO: REUTERS

TOP OF THE NEWS

SMRT yet to nail the fault

SMRT Corp says Tuesday's breakdown of the North-South and East-West lines might have been caused by worn cable insulation, a water leak, or a power substation glitch. But it is not "100 per cent sure" and is continuing to investigate, it said. The disruption affected 250,000 commuters.

TOP OF THE NEWS

Greece promises reforms

In a speech to the European Parliament yesterday, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called for a fair deal to keep his country in the euro zone. He also promised to start pension and tax reforms next week, in return for a three-year euro zone loan.

WORLD

Africa the new terror front

Africa is increasingly turning into the new front line in the battle against terrorism with multiple countries now fighting Muslim militants. Bombings have killed at least 31 people across northern Nigerian cities since late Monday, the latest attacks in a rising tide of violence since a new president took office five weeks ago.

WORLD

Myanmar elections set for Nov 8

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi campaigning in Wahtheinkha village in Kawmhu township, Yangon, last Saturday. PHOTO: EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY

Myanmar officials have announced Nov 8 as the date for a historic general election set to be the first contested by the Aung San Suu Kyi-led opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party in a quarter of a century. NLD has not confirmed its participation.

OPINION

Breaking 'rising tuition' cycle

Seven in 10 students have private tuition even though the Ministry of Education says it is unnecessary, and parents concur.

Sandra Davie calls for studies on whether tuition is helpful or harmful.

HOME

$80,000 koi meal for otters?

Expensive koi that are worth some $80,000 have gone missing from a hotel and a private home in Sentosa, and they are thought to have ended up as meals for wild otters.

Experts advise owners of fish ponds, where otters have been spotted, to fence off their ponds.

BUSINESS

Aussie dollar tumbles

The tumbling Australian dollar is within a hair's breadth of parity with the Singapore dollar, which is good news for travellers and Singapore students there. At 7pm yesterday, A$1 was worth S$1.005. Weak global commodity prices and the rising greenback have taken a toll on the Australian currency.

SPORT

Liverpool's Sterling wants out

Raheem Sterling has asked to be left out of Liverpool's pre-season Asia-Pacific tour, a clear indication to manager Brendan Rodgers that he is determined to quit the English Premier League club.

The absence of the 20-year-old comes amid talk that Manchester City might return with an even higher third bid for him.

LIFE

Han Solo to get own movie

Han Solo, the Star Wars space hero with a fast ship and a good blaster, will get his own stand-alone film, directed by the makers of The Lego Movie.

The untitled project, slated for release on May 25, 2018, will be the second stand-alone film in the Star Wars Anthology.

LIFE

Restaurateur Juli Soler dies

Juli Soler, the restaurateur who put Ferran Adria in charge of the kitchen at elBulli in Spain and helped him transform the restaurant into a gastronomic legend, died on Monday at his home near Barcelona. He was 66.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 09, 2015, with the headline What's News: July 9, 2015. Subscribe