In celebration of Telok Kurau Secondary

A book will be launched today to celebrate the achievements of Telok Kurau Secondary School, which was set up in 1965, the same year Singapore became independent. The coffee- table book, written in English and Malay, reflects the spirit of the school, where students from English and Malay streams once studied together. In its 45 years - the school closed in 2010 - it had produced many notable alumni, including artists, sportsmen and politicians.

Thai student activists to face charges

Eleven student activists will appear in a Thai court today to face charges of illegal assembly for their attempt to stage a protest on Dec 7 at a scandal-hit park project in the seaside district of Hua Hin. The multimillion-dollar Rajabhakti Park project has been plagued by graft allegations, and the group's protest bid is a sign of public discontent over the affair. The activists' train was intercepted and they were held before they could proceed with the rally.

US consumer confidence set to edge up

The US will release its consumer confidence index for December today, with expectations that it would have been a subdued Christmas for Americans.

The index is expected to show a slight improvement from the 90.4 level logged last month, helped by the traditional holiday season as well as lower oil prices. But consumer confidence is unlikely to rise much further on the back of shaky economic and wage growth.

Editor's note: In an earlier version of this article, there was a photo showing Telok Kurau Secondary School. We have removed it as it is not related to the book launched on Dec 29, 2015.