TOP OF THE NEWS
80 in Thailand exposed to Mers
MORE than 80 people in Thailand were exposed to the deadly Middle East respiratory syndrome virus after their contact with a 70-year-old man from Oman, the Thai authorities said yesterday, as they scrambled to contain the panic.
EVERY Singapore household will get a customised SG Funpack from next month to celebrate the nation's golden jubilee. Each pack will contain 13 items and extra goodies aimed at capturing the Singapore spirit.
ASIA/WORLD
THE first International Yoga Day championed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be celebrated tomorrow with tens of thousands of enthusiasts warming up to take part in outdoor yoga sessions. Officials consider this a reflection of New Delhi's soft power.
CHINESE state media labelled Hong Kong's pro-democracy lawmakers "disturbers" and "destroyers", one day after they voted down a Beijing-backed political reform package. All parties have ended up being losers in the political tug of war, an analysis said.
THE United States is gearing up to confront China over thorny issues, including cyber attacks and maritime disputes, in a strategic dialogue next week. China said it was not keen to add fuel to the fire, but it would never hesitate to defend its interests.
GREECE said it had not given up hope of reaching a deal with its creditors to stave off a default, which could trigger a series of chain effects leading to Athens' departure from the euro zone. "Terror scenarios" will not apply for the country, said Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
OPINION
Extended families could help to meet demographic challenge
A new study on extended families could help to fine-tune policies based till now on the nuclear household. How the study translates into policy will be watched closely. Extended family members would appreciate the support of state structures in making policies work.
Facing mortality
MOST of us cannot tell with certainty how we would respond should we be ambushed by a terminal illness. That is why we must face up to being mortal and discuss end-of-life issues like the Advance Medical Directive and palliative care, writes Professor Chong Siow Ann.
SINGAPORE
THE Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore is believed to be looking into the possibility of introducing remote tower technology at Changi Airport. It could one day see planes take off there guided by an air traffic controller in a room elsewhere.
SEVEN Chinese investors who say they are victims of an alleged US$1.2 billion scam (S$1.6 billion) visited a Sengkang flat yesterday to demand money back from a Singaporean employee of the company believed to be involved.
RICE importers have played down warnings from weather experts, saying they do not believe El Nino will affect supplies. Recent forecasts of the dry weather pattern warn of droughts and disrupted rice harvests in Asia-Pacific.
MONEY
SINGAPORE'S private residential market is set remain bleak with buyers continuing to hold off purchases for as long as hard-hitting cooling measures stay firmly in place. Analysts see private home prices shedding another 2 per cent in the second quarter of the year from the first.
SPORT
SERENA Williams is tipped to win Wimbledon for the sixth time next month and hold all four Grand Slam titles together for the second time. But former champions Chris Evert and John McEnroe say she must be more consistent and overcome her recent lean spell on grass.
SATURDAY
FROM a special jacket that hugs its user to a merry-go-round that generates electricity, The Straits Times joins more than 40 papers across the world to mark Impact Journalism Day by showcasing great ideas that inspire change.
LIFE
AH BOYS to Men stars Tosh Zhang and Wang Weiliang journeyed 50 days in China, minus cash, for StarHub's new travel reality show, Mission S-Change. They had to barter 50 Singapore products for food and shelter, with wacky results.
ANCIENT Buddhist art from Asia's oldest museum is on show in Singapore. The Indian Museum in Kolkata has partnered with the Asian Civilisations Museum to trace the evolution of Buddhism and Buddhist art over 2,000 years.
STRAITS TIMES DIGITAL
Quake survivors' tearful reunion
"WHEN I looked up, I saw a wave of rocks falling towards us," said trainer Hillary Augustinus (far right) from Malaysian mountaineering company Mountain Torq, recounting the moments when the quake struck Mount Kinabalu. ST Video spoke to him during his visit to Tanjong Katong Primary School for a reunion with quake survivors. See the video at http://str.sg/wUw
WEB SPECIALS
Grey matter
THE latest novel in the 50 Shades Of Grey erotic series is out in book stores. Reviews for Grey are in and they're pretty grim. http://str.sg/wU3
Greece in peril
HOW important is Greece to the world economy and would it matter if it defaulted? Learn about the impact of its possible euro exit at http://str.sg/wUo
