What's News: October 09, 2015

Pet grooming service managing director Sharon Low passing two pets to PetMate driver Sydney Fong Kah Woh for their trip home.
Pet grooming service managing director Sharon Low passing two pets to PetMate driver Sydney Fong Kah Woh for their trip home. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
Crowds at Tiananmen Square, Beijing, on Oct 1, at the start of Golden Week.
Crowds at Tiananmen Square, Beijing, on Oct 1, at the start of Golden Week. PHOTO: EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY

TOP OF THE NEWS

S'pore ready to send help

Singapore is ready to send its assistance to Indonesia, after Indonesia sent a formal note to Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs that said it welcomes Singapore's cooperation.

The help includes a Chinook helicopter with a 5,000-litre heli-bucket for aerial firefighting, and Singapore Civil Defence Force personnel.


TOP OF THE NEWS

Belarussian writer wins Nobel

Belarussian writer Svetlana Alexievich has won the 2015 Nobel Literature Prize. The 67-year-old won the prize for her work chronicling emotional first-person accounts of the Chernobyl disaster and World War II.


WORLD

Have yuan, will travel

China's slowing economy and a recent stock market rout have not dampened its citizens' appetite for travel. The figures have yet to be tallied, but destinations like Beijing as well as countries like Japan reported higher tourist numbers and receipts, which look likely to show record-level spending over the Golden Week holidays.


HOME

Book rides for pets via mobile app

A local firm has started a new taxi service for pets. PetMate has a pool of about 300 drivers who can take pets, with or without their owners, on single or return trips, from the vet or groomer, for instance. Bookings are made on a mobile app.


WORLD

S'pore diplomat taken to task

Singapore's Ambassador-at-Large Bilhari Kausikan has been taken to task by Malaysian opposition politicians Tony Pua and Ong Kian Meng for his opinion piece published in The Straits Times, in which he argued that Malaysia is undergoing systemic change.


OPINION

Hope against gun violence

Americans seem to have lost hope for reining in gun violence, with mass shootings such as the recent one in Oregon becoming "routine". But gun control groups now raise more funds than the gun lobby and that might provide hope, writes US Bureau Chief Jeremy Au Yong.


HOME

Chilled meat recalled

Online grocer Redmart has recalled chilled meat and seafood products that had not been stored at the correct temperature at its warehouse in Jurong. Affected customers were given a refund and goodwill store credit.


HOME

Teen blogger loses appeal

Teen blogger Amos Yee has lost his appeal against his conviction and jail term for upsetting the feelings of Christians in a video as well as uploading an obscene image onto his blog. A High Court judge yesterday dismissed his appeal, and ticked him off for his disregard for others.


BUSINESS

DBS unit to test yuan system

DBS Bank's Chinese unit has been chosen to be among the first group of banks to test a new international payment system that promises faster transactions for businesses using the yuan. The Cross-border International Payment System is seen as a big step towards making the yuan a global currency for trade and investment.


SPORT

Fifa body bans Blatter, Platini

Fifa president Sepp Blatter (far left) and Uefa boss Michel Platini were both suspended yesterday in an ever-deepening football corruption scandal. Fifa said that Blatter was not allowed to represent it, while Platini's hopes of running for the Fifa presidency depend on whether he can overturn the 90-day ban.


LIFE

7 Letters picked for Oscar bid

The critically lauded compendium 7 Letters has been selected by the Singapore Film Commission as the official entry to the Oscars' Best Foreign Language Film category. The Oscar nominations for next year will be announced on Jan 14 and the awards will take place on Feb 28. No previous entries have been nominated.

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