Flood-hit Britain faces more rain

Britons are bracing themselves for more rain today in northern England plus Wales, Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland. York, Leeds and Manchester in northern England have been hit by flooding in recent days amid volatile weather conditions around Europe. France is melting under unusually high temperatures in the Alps, Italy is fogging under a smog build-up, while Spain is battling more than 130 forest fires over 2,000ha of land.

Poly and ITE success stories in a book

The success stories of 50 graduates from the polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education have been collected in a new book to mark Singapore's 50th anniversary.

A Nation Of Skilled Talents was written by Dr Jonathan Loh, a polytechnic graduate who is now a scientist, and graduate student Chadi El Farran. Acting Education Minister Ong Ye Kung will launch the book today at The Future of Us exhibition at Gardens by the Bay.

US and UK housing market data

Both the US and the UK will be releasing data for their countries' housing markets today. The UK will be releasing its nationwide housing price index for the month of December. The index rose 3.7 per cent in November, compared with the same month last year, and is expected to continue rising in December. Similarly, the US will be releasing data on its pending home sales, a leading indicator for the health of the housing market, for November, today.