TOP OF THE NEWS
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday highlighted Asia's importance to the United States and urged the US to sustain its economic ties with the region, which holds many opportunities for US businesses.
PM Lee also called on the US to uphold free trade.
TOP OF THE NEWS
SMRT will add 40 per cent more rail engineers in the next three years, and form inspection teams to keep check on maintenance works. A chief maintenance officer was also hired earlier this month, said SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming, who told staff there was a long road ahead in SMRT's bid to win back public trust and confidence.
WORLD
Xi starts second term in office
Two crucial events will make clear the extent of Chinese President Xi Jinping's power, as he formally begins his second five-year term in office. Mr Xi's political ideology looks set to be written into his party's Constitution today, and tomorrow's unveiling of China's seven-member apex decision-making body could be another indication of his authority.
WORLD
Iranian militias to stay: Iraq
Iraq has dismissed a call from US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for Iranian-backed paramilitary units that helped Baghdad defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to end operations in Iraq.
The United States is concerned that Iran will take advantage of gains against ISIS to expand its influence.
OPINION
Singapore has to consider using nuclear power to generate energy, as other energy sources - such as natural gas, petroleum and solar - all have drawbacks here, says Lim Soon Heng.
HOME
Career guidance at all schools
The Education Ministry has completed the deployment of education and career guidance counsellors so every school can now better help students chart their careers. This is after a study which found that close to half of young people here chose their careers without sufficient exploration.
HOME
Car-Free Sunday will continue next year. The authorities say the move to close some roads to cars has shown the benefits of a car-lite city. Support from groups such as cyclists and heritage enthusiasts has also been growing.
BUSINESS
S'pore top in Asia for pensions
Singapore is the best performer in Asia when it comes to providing adequate and sustainable income for retirement, but there is room for improvement, pensions expert Mercer said yesterday.
The Republic received a B rating with an overall index score of 69.4, up 2.4 points from a year earlier and well ahead of the global average of 59.9.
SPORT
While tennis world No. 1 Simona Halep has had a roller-coaster season in which her mental strength has been questioned, coach Darren Cahill points instead to her fighting spirit. He and Halep are trying to emulate men's No. 1 Rafael Nadal. "He is not happy just being No. 1 - he wants to be a better player," said Cahill.
LIFE
Singapore: Inside Out will take place in Sydney from Nov 3 to 5, and feature works by 20 Singaporean and Australian creatives, including local installation artist Donna Ong (above). The inaugural event in 2015 toured Beijing, London and New York, before returning to Singapore.
Straits Times Digital
VIDEO
Venus serves up answers
Tennis champ Venus Williams fields The Straits Times' quick-fire questions, such as: What is her favourite cheat meal? str.sg/askvenus
VIDEO
Battling nuclear arms
Dr Ronald McCoy, founder of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, on why he took up the cause. str.sg/nobelpeace
