1 Flooding in Michigan
Flood waters unleashed by two dam failures submerged parts of the town of Midland in the US state of central Michigan, displacing thousands of residents and spreading into a Dow chemical plant in the riverfront city. The National Weather Service had warned of "life-threatening" flooding as the Tittabawassee River rose to historic levels.
2 Virus cases cross 5m mark
Global coronavirus cases crossed the five million mark yesterday, creeping past 5.1 million last evening. Brazil now accounts for the third-highest number of cases in the world after the United States and Russia.
3 US could delist China firms
Chinese companies, including Alibaba and Baidu, could be kicked off stock exchanges in the United States or barred from listing on them if they do not comply with a Bill passed by the US Senate. The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act bans companies from listing on US exchanges if they fail to comply with audits by the US Public Company Accounting Oversight Board for three years in a row.
4 Novel Hari Raya in Malaysia
From masks to movement restrictions between states and dinners via video call, Malaysian Muslims are preparing to celebrate a novel Hari Raya Aidilfitri against the backdrop of a pandemic that is unprecedented in its scale and impact throughout the world.
5 Virus' impact on Mid-East
As the winds of the pandemic's economic impact blow through the Middle East, old friends and foes are having to adjust to the changes underpinning their relationships, says associate editor Ravi Velloor.
6 Why no prayer calls on TV
The communal prayer calls for Hari Raya Aidilfitri and the special sermon on Sunday will be broadcast on radio and livestreamed online, but not broadcast on TV because religious content is not allowed on free-to-air channels, the authorities said yesterday.
7 Fresh chicken prices to rise
Fresh chicken prices in Singapore are expected to rise next week, as suppliers deal with the rising costs of procuring from poultry farms in Malaysia. Poultry Merchants' Association chairman Ong Kian San said most suppliers have been absorbing the cost and keeping prices stable for now, but will most likely have to increase prices.
8 Citi returns wage suppport
Citi Singapore will return the Jobs Support Scheme wage support to the Singapore Government. The bank's move comes after Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said earlier this month that 32 companies had returned the subsidy.
9 No further Olympics delay
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach yesterday agreed with the organisers that the postponed Tokyo Games will be called off if they still cannot be held next year. He supports Japan's position that the Olympics will not go on unless the coronavirus is under control by then.
10 Tune in for ambient walk
During the circuit breaker, concept artist Heman Chong made 20 new videos for his Ambient Walking channel. The videos, lasting from 30 minutes to more than an hour each, are point-of-view shots of environments, with only ambient noise as the soundtrack. He sees his efforts as "historically important documents of our shared urban fabric during the Covid-19 crisis".
WEB SPECIAL
NDP with a difference
Plans for celebrating Singapore's birthday on Aug 9 were unveiled on Wednesday. Here are five things to know about this year's National Day Parade, which will be one with many changes. str.sg/blurb383
VIDEO
Chocolate cake made simple
With a possible shortage of baking goods such as flour, brought on by the recent home-baking frenzy due to the circuit breaker, multimedia journalist Kimberly Jow shows you how to make a flourless chocolate cake. str.sg/blurb384
