What's News: 6 Jul 2018

To cool rising private home prices, the Government announced last night measures which will lead to buyers forking out more cash for new homes and paying higher stamp duties for additional properties.The news caused large crowds at showflats of people who wanted to beat the cooling measures, which kick in today.

A donation drive to "Free Najib" was launched yesterday, as supporters of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak banded together to collect funds to help him settle the unpaid half of a RM1 million (S$337,300) court bail.

The donations totalled RM11,000 soon after its launch.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (above) has warned again that the fight against deeply ingrained corruption is not yet over, and that the ruling Communist Party faces enormous challenges going forward, state media reported.

Mr Xi has overseen a sweeping campaign to root out graft, with dozens of senior officials jailed.

Numerous locations in the Northern Hemisphere have witnessed their hottest weather ever recorded in the past week.

But collectively, these heat records are consistent with the kind of extremes we expect to see increase in a warming world.

Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) is looking for external help to conduct a review of its performance over the past decade. It wants to find out where it stands on the international stage, and will mean making comparisons with foreign research institutes.

The Singapore Exchange saw a slowing in the number of initial public offers (IPOs) made in the first half of the year as rising geopolitical tensions and trade risks put dents in confidence.

According to EY Asean and Singapore managing partner Max Loh, SGX attracted seven IPOs in the first six months of the year, down 30 per cent from the same period last year.

The launch of a new sprints programme aims to tackle issues such as the ailing performance of local male sprinters and the high attrition rates among national athletes. A total of 48 athletes and their coaches have been invited to attend tomorrow's launch of the programme, led by national relay coaches Hamkah Afik (left) and Melvin Tan (right).

LIFE

Well-defined brows frame the face and pull one's look together. There is a burgeoning spectrum of brow products to choose from, such as K-beauty sponge-like cushions, pomades and gels to create brow beauty.

Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak was charged in court on July 4. We look at the events leading to his arrest. http://str.sg/oMzw

Here is a sneak preview of the new $80 million passenger terminal, which will open in December. http://str.sg/oMKv