TOP OF THE NEWS
President-elect Donald Trump met President Barack Obama yesterday amid widespread anti-Trump protests, as the slow transfer of power began under a cloud. In scenes unprecedented in contemporary American history, protesters marched in college campuses, blocked roads and surrounded Trump properties in at least 25 cities nationwide.
TOP OF THE NEWS
Money changers and Indian banks here are not accepting 500 and 1,000 rupee notes after they stopped being legal tender on Nov 8. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the banknotes would be withdrawn from the financial system in an effort to crack down on corruption and illegal cash holdings.
WORLD
Singles' Day sales set to spike
Sales on Singles' Day, a shopping extravaganza started by e-commerce company Alibaba, are expected to jump to US$20 billion (S$28 billion) today, eclipsing the combined sales of equivalent events in the United States - Cyber Monday and Black Friday. This year, the sector is projected to handle 1.05 billion packages for Singles' Day.
OPINION
Need for moderate voices to speak up
In Indonesia, protests erupted against Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama's alleged blasphemy against the Quran. What's worrying is that moderate groups have been silent over the issue, allowing the hardliners free rein, writes associate editor of global affairs Ravi Velloor.
WORLD
9m 'left behind' kids in China
More than nine million children have been "left behind" in China's countryside by parents who have moved to its towns and cities to find work, Beijing has said. The plight of these children is one of the most emotive consequences of China's economic boom.
HOME
A year-long trial to reduce the pigeon population outside the Haji Muhammad Salleh mosque is working, with numbers dropping by more than half. The birds are given feed containing a drug that stops them laying eggs or makes them lay eggs that do not hatch.
HOME
New tool to help stroke victims
A team at the National Neuroscience Institute has developed a score sheet that helps in identifying stroke victims who may be at risk of suffering dementia-like symptoms, allowing doctors to carry out early intervention.
BUSINESS
The rules governing venture capital firms are being reviewed to make it easier for investors to put money into start-ups.
Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said yesterday that the review is looking to shorten the authorisation process for new venture capital managers.
SPORT
Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann (photo), one of the hottest strikers currently, wants to extend his France partnership with Paul Pogba to Manchester United some day. Fellow French striker Anthony Martial's lack of play time means he has been dropped for the World Cup qualifier against Sweden. France have also been hit by injuries to Layvin Kurzawa and Kingsley Coman.
LIFE
Zouk will host its last party in Jiak Kim Street on Dec 3. But before it leaves its iconic location of 25 years, it will be partying to some of the themed nights programmed by its past and present marketing managers. Zouk has not announced when it will take up residence at its new home in Clarke Quay.
LIFE
Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight vampire romance series, has surprised her fans with her new book - a grisly, twisted thriller about a highly skilled female interrogator who goes into hiding after her bosses at a secret government agency try to kill her.
