TOP OF THE NEWS
Property investors should be aware that rising vacancy rates, declining rentals and impending interest rate hikes mean they may not always be able to rely on rental income to service their investment property loans, said the Monetary Authority of Singapore in its Financial Stability Review. It also warned that some firms could face debt repayment difficulties amid sluggish growth.
TOP OF THE NEWS
Nine men and two women from an alleged online gambling syndicate worth millions of dollars have been charged. The syndicate allegedly had 36 properties estimated to be worth $39 million and $6.5 million in bank accounts. It received bets totalling $2 million last month.
WORLD
A charter plane carrying a Brazilian football team has crashed in the mountains in Colombia, killing as many as 75 people. Officials said six survived, including four players. Brazil's President Michel Temer declared three days of mourning for the victims.The Chapecoense Real was heading to the Copa Sudamericana finals today against Atletico Nacional of Colombia.
WORLD
Thailand's Parliament said yesterday that it will invite Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, 64, to become the next King. The announcement ends weeks of anxiety over his accession after his father's death last month. Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said this could happen either today or tomorrow.
OPINION
Singapore's fintech (financial technology) scene is hotting up, thanks to an ecosystem of strong partnerships among government agencies, financial institutions and start-ups, says Yasmine Yahya.
HOME
Singtel, StarHub and M1 will soon be providing a service that allows consumers to log in with their mobile number instead of passwords when accessing online services. Mobile Connect may be launched as early as next year.
HOME
A radar-equipped military blimp, which can hover 600m high and spot hostile threats 200km away, will undergo testing from today. The 55m-long tethered balloon is up at Choa Chu Kang Camp. It will complement the Singapore Armed Forces' suite of airborne and ground-based sensors.
BUSINESS
More foreigners bought private homes here in the first nine months of this year compared with the same period a year ago, according to a new report from property consultancy JLL.
The largest number of buyers came from China, Indonesia, Malaysia and the United States.
SPORT
Rio Olympian Griselda Khng, a 49erFX helm, has a new crew - former national Under-21 netballer Olivia Chen - as the sailors bid to make it to Tokyo 2020. Khng's former partner Sara Tan is focusing on her university studies.
LIFE
Home-grown actress Oon Shu An is starring in her second local film with steamy scenes in two years.
After her sexy turn as a Japanese porn star in last year's Rubbers, she will be in new local anthology movie 4Love, playing an air steward's wife who has an affair with a photographer.
LIFE
Local comedy Lulu The Movie earned about $650,000 in its first weekend with 29 screens, making it the third highest-grossing movie over that period, ending last Sunday. In fact, the film - written, directed and starring Michelle Chong - earned about $22,000 a screen, more than the $15,751 for Disney's animated feature Moana, which was at No. 2.
