TOP OF THE NEWS
3 new military units for China
China has created three new military units and will update equipment as well as modernise its command structure as part of a major overhaul of the armed forces announced by President Xi Jinping in November. Mr Xi inaugurated the new general command unit for the army, a missile force and a strategic support for the People's Liberation Army at a ceremony yesterday.
TOP OF THE NEWS
The Infocomm Development Authority has proposed to allocate and regulate mobile airwaves in the 5.9GHz frequency band to enable driverless vehicles to run in Singapore. They would operate via wireless controllers installed on lamp posts and traffic lights.
WORLD
Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem has indicated that a state election is likely in three months, in what is likely to be a test of the Barisan Nasional's popularity after being battered by scandals in 2015. Analysts predict his policies, which often differed from the federal government's views, will sway voters to back his party.
WORLD
Iran blasts US over 'sanctions'
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has denounced the US for suggesting the possibility of new sanctions over Iranian missile tests, ordering his Defence Ministry to swiftly build more missiles in response, in a move likely to douse any hopes of reconciliation.
OPINION
The newly established Asean Economic Community is three days old. It is no magic silver bullet but can help maintain cohesion in a region beset by big-power competition, says Bilahari Kausikan.
HOME
2,000 visitors flock to old railway station despite rain
Some of the visitors to Tanjong Pagar Railway Station may not have been old enough to remember when trains last departed from it. But that did not stop them from braving the rain to visit the historic site, which saw more than 2,000 visitors yesterday. Over 48,000 have visited the site since last February, when it began opening its doors again on public holidays.
HOME
More than half a million Central Provident Fund (CPF) scheme members are set to benefit from changes that kicked in yesterday to help workers have more retirement savings. The CPF salary ceiling was raised from $5,000 to $6,000.
BUSINESS
Investors eyeing passive income may want to turn to blue-chip stocks rather than real estate investment trusts (Reits), said analysts.
They believe stocks such as SPH, banks and telcos should be able to keep up payout levels this year while Reits face pressure from factors such as higher interest rates.
SPORT
8 Singapore sailors set for Rio
Eight Singapore sailors will be at the Rio Olympics come August, beating the previous high of six in Beijing 2008. Griselda Khng and Sara Tan earned the Republic a spot in the 49erFX skiff event, which is making its Olympic debut. Among the SEA Games champions' sacrifices is spending nine months a year abroad for training.
LIFE
Gallery & Co, National Gallery Singapore's museum and lifestyle store, opened with the museum on Nov 24. Its cafe, cafeteria and another retail area were completed last week. An alfresco cafe-beer garden is slated to open in the coming weeks. It has received a ringing endorsement as one of the world's 10 best museum shops by The Guardian newspaper.
LIFE
Star Wars creator George Lucas apologised on Thursday for remarks he made in a recent interview, in which he described the new film as too "retro" for his taste and jokingly compared Disney, which bought the rights to the franchise, to "white slavers" who had bought his children.
