TOP OF THE NEWS
Singapore's national unity is under threat from global forces, but Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in his National Day Message that he is confident that Singaporeans will "hold together and succeed". PM Lee underlined how Singapore's harmony was hard-won and set out three new challenges the Republic faces, as well as ways it can respond to them.
TOP OF THE NEWS
DBS chief executive Piyush Gupta defended the bank's decision to give additional loans to Swiber, saying that giving the troubled company a lifeline would give the bank a shot at retrieving the money loaned in the first place.
WORLD
In the strongest hint yet that he wants to step down, Japanese Emperor Akihito yesterday confessed in a rare video message his worries over not being able to fulfil his duties as he gets older. He suggested that a regency may be established to act in the place of the Emperor.
LIFE
Suicide Squad a box-office hit
Suicide Squad scored a colossal US$135.1 million (S$182 million) debut in the United States despite some of the worst reviews of the year. Overseas, the movie about a group of anti-heroes earned an extra US$132 million, bringing its global total to more than US$267 million.
WORLD
ISIS links: KL revokes passports
Malaysia has revoked the passports of 68 citizens who went abroad and are believed to have links to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant group. A total of 73 Malaysians travelled to join ISIS in Syria, including 19 killed in the fighting there, according to previous news reports.
OPINION
At SG51, it is time to move on to the next phase of nation-building - for the soul.
Literature and the imagination are key to this, says writer Meira Chand.
HOME
A cheque for $600,000, which bounced 82 days after being cleared due to "human error", has led to DBS Bank tightening its procedures. The man who cashed the cheque is now considering legal options. Lawyers say that if the unusual case goes to court, it would clarify laws.
HOME
Unionised firms are leading the way in rehiring workers aged over 65 - with just under a year to go until the re-employment age is raised. More than three-quarters of these companies are rehiring staff when they pass 65.
BUSINESS
Oil loans 'not a crisis for banks'
The oil and gas sector is seeing major stress, and bad loans from the sector could rise in the months ahead.
But this is unlikely to result in a crisis scenario for banks, which are well-capitalised, said analysts.
SPORT
Bowler Shayna Ng had a special quip after she and New Hui Fen finished third and fourth respectively at the prestigious US Women's Open on Sunday (Monday, Singapore time). Ng joked: "I was going to try to win it and say it's a birthday present for Singapore, but that didn't quite work out."
LIFE
In Hamlet | Collage, the opening act of the Singapore International Festival of Arts, Evgeny Mironov plays multiple characters from Shakespeare's Hamlet. He is one of Russia's favourite stars on stage. The performance will be staged in Russian with English subtitles.
