TOP OF THE NEWS

China's view on regional order

China has published a White Paper on its policy on security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific for the first time.

The document is being seen as a sign of China's growing interest in reshaping the regional security architecture.

TOP OF THE NEWS

New record for O levels

Students who took the O levels last year set a new record, outperforming their seniors, with 84.3 per cent of the cohort attaining at least five passes.This surpasses the 83.8 per cent set by the 2015 cohort, which was then Singapore's best O-level showing in at least three decades.

WORLD

Chinese ships in Taiwan Strait

China's aircraft carrier, Liaoning, and a flotilla of five warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait yesterday, at a time of heightened tension with Taiwan. Taiwan scrambled F-16 jets and other warplanes in response to the entry into its air defence zone, with analysts and observers indicating that China was putting pressure on the island to acknowledge the "one China" principle.

WORLD

China revises war history

China is revising primary and secondary school textbooks nationwide to expand the timeline of the war of resistance against Japanese aggression from eight years to 14 years. The change aims to reflect the Communist Party of China's role in the war.

OPINION

Meeting the Uber challenge

Ride-hailing apps such as Uber are giving taxi operators a run for their money. As the Government tries to level the regulatory playing field, operators can do more to streamline fare structures while cabbies must also provide better service, says reporter Adrian Lim.

HOME

Help to fix concrete problem

About 17,800 households have had help from the Housing Board in the last three years to fix spalling concrete, which occurs when the steel reinforcement bars embedded in ceilings begin to rust. The scheme allows owners to split the cost of repairs with the HDB.

HOME

Escalator fall: Man out of coma

A retiree has emerged from a coma he fell into two months ago after falling down an escalator at Bishan MRT station. Not much is known of how Mr Lim Chwee Leong, 64, met with the accident. He is now able to nod responses and move his right leg and hand a little.

BUSINESS

Port of S'pore holds steady

The Port of Singapore sustained its performance last year amid weaker-than-expected global economic conditions and significant structural changes in the maritime industry. The number of standard-sized containers handled last year was 30.9 million, similar to the figure in 2015, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore yesterday.

SPORT

Team before MVP: Harden

Fresh from his 11th triple-double of the season in Houston's win over Charlotte on Tuesday, National Basketball Association hotshot James Harden has brushed aside talk that he might be voted Most Valuable Player. "If it happens, it happens. The most important thing is winning," he said, as the Rockets improved to a 31-9 record.

LIFE

Shui passing the baton in 2019

Conductor Shui Lan, who has taken the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) to new heights during his 20 years as music director, will step down in January 2019. The China-born Singapore permanent resident, who turns 60 this year, wants to spend more time with his wife and two young sons.