1. Gold was US$1,176.23 an ounce, near the highest level since July as signs of a weakening China economy add to the case for the United States Federal Reserve holding off an interest rate rise, Bloomberg said.

2. Norway's wealth fund chief said investors are taking heed of climate change risks and are aware of the potential for abrupt business changes amid a shift to a low-carbon economy, Bloomberg said.

3. The Singapore dollar strengthened slightly after the Monetary Authority of Singapore's change in policy stance was seen to be milder than expected. It was trading at around $1.3847 to the US dollar.

4. The 10 largest real estate plays, consisting of stocks and real estate investment trusts, have a combined market capitalisation of $86.5 billion. On average, they have lost 3.7 per cent.

5. Property giant CapitaLand said that together with other parties, it is in negotiations with the vendor of Asia Square Tower 1 over a potential transaction.