What's News: September 25, 2015

Schools across Singapore will be closed today due to the haze - the first time that the problem has forced such a measure to be taken. The authorities said last night that the decision was made due to the possibility of the haze reaching hazardous levels.

A huge stampede yesterday claimed more than 700 lives, and injured hundreds of others in Saudi Arabia, where nearly two million pilgrims were performing the haj.

It was the pilgrimage's worst disaster since the 1990 stampede that killed 1,426 pilgrims.

Amsterdam boasts what could be the world's smartest office building, the Edge. Packed with some 28,000 sensors and connected with residents through a smartphone app, the building knows what cars they drive, whom they are meeting, and even how much sugar they take in their coffee.

The governor of China's restive Xinjiang region yesterday thanked residents for their assistance in cracking down on extremists who are often blamed for fatal attacks in the country. He vowed to continue to curb terrorism in a White Paper on the region's social and economic development.

As Australia prepares to ratify a treaty to allow uranium sales to India, the long-awaited agreement has come under intense criticism and faces a new set of obstacles. A parliamentary committee warned that the deal could undermine international efforts to achieve nuclear non-proliferation.

The US governmentagain faces the prospect of a Budget shutdown. Toxic politics make it attractive for conservative hardliners to burnish their "tough" credentials by tagging on a topical issue to the Budget and holding it hostage, says US bureau chief Jeremy Au Yong.

More than 150 complaints have been made against a chain of seven hair salons which closed down suddenly last month, leaving customers with paid-for but unused packages believed to be worth a total of over $300,000. Police are investigating.

Almost 4,000 lambs and sheep were slaughtered in Singapore yesterday as part of the sacrificial ritual of korban to mark Hari Raya Haji. The animals were flown in from Australia and Ireland and unlike last year - when 174 sheep died in transit - there were no fatalities en route.

Video analytics firm Zweec Analytics, ambulance operator Hope First Response, restaurant chain GD Group and image search engine ViSenze have swept the trophies at this year's Emerging Enterprise awards. They were among 14 finalists in the awards, jointly organised by The Business Times and OCBC Bank.

Giant-killers Japan are now under orders from coach Eddie Jones to beat Samoa in their next match to keep alive their hopes of reaching the Rugby World Cup quarter- finals. Jones set the new target after the Brave Blossoms - heroes of a stunning 34-32 win over two-time champions South Africa - took a 45-10 hammering by Scotland.

After venturing into Hong Kong and Shanghai, home-grown restaurant chain Putien will open in Taiwan by the end of the year. This is a joint venture with Taiwanese restaurant group Wowprime Corporation, and their second collaboration after opening Italian-style restaurant Sufood at Raffles City last year.