TOP OF THE NEWS
The new Parliament will sit on Jan 15, when the Speaker will be elected and MPs sworn in. Later that evening, President Tony Tan Keng Yam will deliver his Opening Address, on the priorities, policies and programmes of the Government for its five-year term. MPs will debate the President's Address from Jan 25 to 29.
TOP OF THE NEWS
Malaysian opposition leader Wan Azizah Wan Ismail formally submitted a motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Najib Razak yesterday, but the proposal is unlikely to win enough support to dislodge him.
WORLD
Abe on trip to boost influence
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe travelled to Ulan Bator yesterday on the first leg of a week-long tour to Mongolia and five Central Asian nations in which he will seek to counter growing Chinese influence in the region through billions of dollars in business deals. He next heads to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, to be followed by Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
WORLD
Nanyang Technological University scientists warn that Taiwan's south-western coast is a potential tsunami zone, following studies of a giant wave that hit the region in the 18th century. A repeat of that tsunami could endanger over 4.5 million people living in Kaohsiung and Tainan.
OPINION
America's lawmaking House of Representatives has no Speaker, the Republican Party is in chaos and blame has fallen on the House Freedom Caucus, a small group of insurgents so single-minded that there is no telling what further havoc they will wreak, including on free trade, writes US Bureau Chief Jeremy Au Yong.
HOME
Schools here are boosting the security of their websites, with a new service that detects breaches. The move comes after several website hacking incidents in the last two years.
HOME
A study of 1,000 people aged 90 or above will be held to find out how to help the elderly live longer and better. Called the SG90 Longevity Study, it was launched yesterday by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research and the National University Health System.
BUSINESS
Steps to boost logistics sector
Measures to boost the efficiency of Singapore's logistics industry were unveiled yesterday by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Among them is a $20 million pilot project that will use technology to consolidate and coordinate deliveries to malls.
SPORT
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal praised teenage striker Anthony Martial (above) for his equaliser against CSKA Moscow, after criticising him for a "stupid reaction" in conceding a penalty with a hand-ball. The spot kick led to the Russian side's opener in the 1-1 draw on Wednesday night. Martial's team-mate Morgan Schneiderlin also lauded the 19-year-old for his maturity.
LIFE
Singapore River Festival to give quay district a buzz
The Singapore River Festival, on from tonight till Sunday, will host events ranging from acrobatic and musical performances to art exhibitions and light installations around Clarke Quay, Boat Quay and Robertson Quay. It is organised for the first time by Singapore River One, a non-profit, private sector-led organisation, and most activities are free or at a nominal fee.
LIFE
Hong Kong's Jenny Bakery, famed for its rich butter cookies, has set up shop here. The Singapore shop opens today at 11am at Block 422 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3. The coveted made-in-Hong Kong cookies are more expensive here, owing to the high cost of flying them in weekly from the territory.
