1 Wildfires out of control
Nearly 8,000 residents of Riverside County in Southern California have been forced to flee their homes after a wildfire spread across more than 1,600ha last Saturday. Another wildfire burning near the Arizona-Utah state line has spread over 4,519ha.
2 Tough curbs in Melbourne
Tough new restrictions have been imposed in Melbourne and the Australian state of Victoria amid a continued spike in coronavirus infections. The restrictions in Melbourne include a night-time curfew and limits on how far residents can move out of their homes.
3 Beijing sends experts to HK
Seven virus testing professionals from the Chinese mainland arrived in Hong Kong yesterday afternoon as the first batch of support teams to tackle the spread of Covid-19 in the city. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese government will test all 1.1 million residents of Danang, the city at the centre of a coronavirus outbreak.
4 Xi calls for defence boost
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for the advance and modernisation of China's defence and armed forces to ensure its military capability matches national strategic needs.
5 Tense Trump-Merkel ties
As US troops pull out of Germany, a look back at the relationship between President Donald Trump and Chancellor Angela Merkel suggests personal animosity was one factor driving the deterioration in the strategic partnership between their two countries, says global affairs correspondent Jonathan Eyal.
6 Lawyers seek to alter claims
Lawyers representing Aljunied-Hougang Town Council are applying to add amendments to the claims against then town councillor Pritam Singh and four others in a case which was decided by the High Court last year. The move is rare as judgment had already been given, with eight defendants found liable for various breaches.
7 Career conversions up
Despite the economic uncertainties this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, more employers have been tapping professional conversion programmes to reskill mid-career new hires or prepare current employees for new roles, said Workforce Singapore.
8 Grant boosts IPOs on SGX
A $75 million grant has supported 11 of 17 initial public offerings (IPOs) on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) since January last year, and widened research coverage on SGX-listed firms. The Grant for Equity Market Singapore supports companies that want to list on the bourse by defraying part of their costs.
9 Student athletes worried
Some students are worried that they will not get a fair shot at the Direct School Admission scheme after the National School Games were cancelled amid the Covid-19 crisis. And with no trials, selectors will have to interview and assess applicants online and watch their old match videos.
10 Convenience store dreams
South Korean star Ji Chang-wook may be a famous actor in real life, but he wants to try working at a convenience store - just like Dae-hyun, his character in romantic comedy Backstreet Rookie. He reveals that as a young man, he used to buy expiring but still edible food from convenience stores.
StraitsTimes Digital
VIDEO
Twins set up Singapore's biggest PC builder
In 2012, fraternal twins Marcus and Joe Wee started their company, Aftershock PC. It has expanded from one shophouse to employing staff in three countries. str.sg/blurb507
VIDEO
NDP mobile column in the heartland
While scaled down for this year's National Day Parade, the mobile column will travel into the heartland and salute healthcare workers as it travels past several key locations. str.sg/blurb508
