Must-reads

Singapore should meet the new year with renewed confidence and hope after getting through an "exceptionally testing" 2020, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. He said the country had faced an unprecedented crisis, and stabilised its Covid-19 situation through enormous effort and sacrifice.

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THE BIG STORY

A free trade agreement between the United Kingdom and Singapore takes effect from 7am today, ensuring that companies from both countries continue to enjoy the same trading benefits even as the United Kingdom leaves the transition period for its exit from the European Union.

New Year celebrations around the world yesterday were muted by coronavirus curbs, which forced would-be revellers to stay home and bid 2020 farewell from their sofas.

Firework displays and live events from Sydney to Rome were streamed online, and in some cases cancelled altogether as fresh waves of infection sparked renewed lockdowns.

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OPINION

Covid-19 has taught us that there is just us: If we do not clean up the mess, no one else will, says associate editor Chua Mui Hoong. We are individuals, but bound by a web of connection and responsibility to one another. The sooner we realise this and act it out, the faster we will heal from our broken systems.

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SINGAPORE

The Active Mobility Advisory Panel's recommendation on Wednesday that all bicycles must have a functioning handbrake to be used on footpaths and roads was met with support from the cycling community, which said it was only right that the potential safety hazard was outlawed.

The pandemic hammered South-east Asian stock markets last year, with the Straits Times Index taking the biggest hit in the region. The local bourse ended the year down nearly 12 per cent, a victim, like its regional peers, to a greater reliance on trade, travel and tourism - sectors especially affected by lockdowns.