What's Next: Jan 29, 2016

Doubts over Syria peace talks

United Nations-sponsored peace talks to end the war in Syria are scheduled to begin today in Geneva, but confusion over which groups fighting against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will represent the opposition could delay the process.

Adding to doubts over whether the talks will go ahead, some groups have indicated there can be no negotiations without an end to bombardments and blockades in the country.

Exhibits from Singapore's early days

A letter by the wife of Sir Stamford Raffles declaring her love for him, Singapore's first newspaper, and the earliest Quran published here are among the highlights of the over 100 artefacts from the 18th and 19th centuries on show at the From the Stacks exhibition. The exhibition will be launched this evening at the National Library and will run for seven months.

Rough January for S'pore stocks

The trading of stocks and shares in the first month of 2016 ends today and the picture is far from pretty.

The Singapore stock market is expected to post the worst start to a year since the global financial crisis hit its trough in January 2009, with the benchmark Straits Times Index down 11 per cent in the year to date.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 29, 2016, with the headline What's Next: Jan 29, 2016. Subscribe