TOP OF THE NEWS
Govt to call tender for drones
The Transport Ministry will call a tender for drone providers at the end of this month in an effort to cut the red tape for government agencies. Public agencies are already testing more than 25 potential uses for drones, such as construction site surveys and mosquito eradication. They currently have to call their own tenders to get drones.
TOP OF THE NEWS
Some elderly residents of Jurong are taking part in a dementia study that requires them to sing in a choir. The study, which started last October, hopes to find out if choral singing can help to delay the onset of dementia.
WORLD
An offshore wind farm that is billed as the largest in the world and would power more than a million homes has been given the green light in Britain. The 1.2-gigawatt Hornsea Project One wind farm off the coast of Yorkshire is scheduled for completion by 2020. It will span 407 sq km and comprise 174 wind turbines, each one taller than London's landmark "Gherkin" tower.
WORLD
Five suspects have been arrested in the Indian city of Bengaluru over a mob attack on a Tanzanian student, who said she was beaten up, stripped and paraded naked after a drunken Sudanese driver in another vehicle ran over an Indian woman.
OPINION
A remake of US-Russia ties is long overdue, writes Associate Editor Ravi Velloor. He looks at Moscow's latest pivot to Asia and how it is poised to play a bigger role in this part of the world. A neutral Russia could be a healthy presence in South-east Asia, he says.
HOME
Spike in fish prices ahead of CNY
With its smooth taste and auspicious name, the silver pomfret is gold during Chinese New Year. Usually costing $20 to $30 a kg, it is now selling for $100 per kg and is set to cost even more closer to the eve of Chinese New Year. Other types of seafood popular during this period will also cost more.
HOME
Property experts expect HDB resale prices to remain flat this year after latest figures showed that overall prices in mature and non-mature estates dipped from December to last month. Prices have slid 11.1 per cent since their April 2013 peak.
BUSINESS
SIA ends year on a high Singapore
Airlines ended last year flying high with third-quarter operating profits almost doubling to $288 million, on the back of sterling performances by the parent carrier, and subsidiaries SilkAir and long-haul budget arm Scoot. Lower fuel prices also boosted the bottom line.
SPORT
On Monday, men's No. 1 golfer Jordan Spieth finished second by a shot at Sentosa's Serapong Course in the SMBC Singapore Open. And come next month, the world's top-10 women players will show their skills at the HSBC Women's Champions when the event returns for a ninth edition.
LIFE
The Chinese New Year four-day long weekend starts tomorrow. For those who are not celebrating the new year or want to do something besides visiting relatives, there are plenty of choices.
From visiting a festive market in Chinatown (above) to catching a concert at the Esplanade to watch- ing an underwater dragon dance, there is something for everyone in Life's weekend guide.
LIFE
Veteran singer Frances Yip, 69, reveals a little-known secret about her private life in a phone interview from Sydney. Her six-year-old grandson George has a brain tumour.
