TOP OF THE NEWS
The Land Transport Authority has been asked to beef up its engineering team, said Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan, in case the Government has to take over the running and maintenance of the MRT. The day might come if the rail industry is restructured, he added.
TOP OF THE NEWS
Mr Lee is ST Asian of the Year
Singapore's founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, is The Straits Times Asian of the Year.
Mr Lee was the unanimous choice of the newspaper's editors for the annual award, now in its fourth year. The award recognises an individual or an organisation that has contributed significantly to improving lives at home or in the wider neighbourhood. Mr Lee died in March this year.
WORLD
Germany's Lower House of Parliament yesterday approved government plans to join the military campaign in Syria against ISIS. This will include sending six Tornado jets (photo), a frigate, refuelling aircraft, and up to 1,200 military personnel. Germany will not conduct air strikes.
WORLD
Ammo, bomb stockpile in US shooting suspects' home
The couple who the police say killed 14 people in California had stockpiled thousands of rounds of ammunition and a dozen home-made pipe bombs in their residence - a sign that they might have been planning further attacks. While no evidence has directly linked the two suspects - Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik - to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the US has not dismissed terrorism as a motive.
OPINION
As governments go on the offensive against ISIS, another battle is raging in the Muslim world. It is a fight between Muslims who want to impose their brand of Islam by any means, and Muslims who believe in peace and tolerance, writes Endy Bayuni.
HOME
With more than 400,000 people a day using the Causeway and Second Link during the year-end holidays and heightened security measures in place since the Paris terror attacks, the authorities are warning travellers to and from Malaysia to expect delays.
HOME
A five-room resale flat in Punggol was sold last month for $760,000, a record for the non-mature estate. It was able to command such a price as it was bigger than usual and had a rare loft design, said agents.
BUSINESS
The clock is ticking down on crucial talks in a potentially multibillion- dollar deal for France's CMA CGM to buy Singapore icon Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) as a deadline looms next Monday. Any deal will likely be structured to ensure Singapore's interests - especially its position as a major shipping hub - remain well-protected, say analysts.
SPORT
Sofie Chandra often suffers from blocked ears when she runs. The Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore tomorrow will be "quite a struggle" but she will push in the 10km to raise funds and awareness for the Alzheimer's Disease Association as part of her group's year-long charity project.
LIFE
What is the best hatchback in the market right now? The Audi RS3. Its steering is responsive, it boasts more lightweight materials so the weight distribution is improved, and its interiors are roomy and practical.
But the best part is its 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo engine, which makes it the most powerful hot hatch around today.
LIFE
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa) has received a $10 million donation from the charity Ngee Ann Kongsi. The bulk of the money will go towards the school's urgently needed fourth campus, which will be built over the upcoming Bencoolen MRT station. The amount is the largest donation the art school has received.
