Ten drivers were caught for providing illegal cross-border ride-hailing services at Singapore's land checkpoints on Wednesday (Oct 15).In a Facebook post on the same day, Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling said that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) conducted joint enforcement operations.According to LTA, officers at the borders acted on tip-offs from the National Private Hire Vehicles Association and National Taxi Association.All 10 vehicles were impounded, said LTA.'Crucial to protect commuter safety': SunToday's enforcement operation comes amid enhanced crackdowns by both Singapore and Malaysian authorities on illegal ride-hailing services between Singapore and Johor Bahru.According to Sun, the total number of vehicles impounded for providing such illegal services since July is now 117.«These operations are crucial to protect commuter safety,» she said, emphasising the safety risks involved when commuters engage with unlicensed vehicles that lack the necessary insurance.

SINGAPORE — A maid accused of causing grievous hurt by performing a rash act that led to the death of a four-year-old girl will now be contesting a reduced charge.Lilyana Eva, 33, an Indonesian national, had claimed trial over the charge relating to a fatal road accident at Institution Hill, near River Valley Road, on Jan 23, 2024.Lilyana was the child's maid, and the girl had run across an unsignalised junction and was hit by a car.The Indonesian was facing up to four years' jail and a fine of up to $10,000 after originally being charged with causing grievous hurt by performing a rash act.Lilyana now faces a reduced charge of endangering the child's life by a negligent act.If convicted, she faces a jail term of up to three months, a fine of up to $1,500, or both.Lilyana is accused of failing to ensure the safety of the child by not holding onto her while jaywalking at an unsignalised junction at Institution Hill.The first day of her trial had been slated to start on Oct 15 at 9.30am.But the prosecution and Lilyana's lawyers met in the chambers of District Judge Ong Luan Tze, and it was adjourned to 2.30pm.

SINGAPORE — To keep premiums for national long-term care insurance in check, older individuals with mild and moderate disabilities will no longer be able to opt in to the scheme from 2026.Some seniors will even enjoy lower premiums than what they are paying now, said Senior Minister of State for Health Koh Poh Koon in Parliament.The aim is to safeguard sustainability and affordability of the scheme, he said during the debate of the CareShield Life and Long-Term Care (Amendment) Bill, which was passed unanimously on Oct 15.«By restoring the underwriting criteria for the scheme, we will lower premiums for older Optional Cohort policyholders, who today pay higher annual premiums than Mandatory Cohort policyholders, who joined the scheme at a younger age.»From 2026, those born in 1979 or earlier who have mild and moderate disabilities will no longer be allowed to opt-in to CareShield Life, but those who do not have pre-existing disabilities can still do so.

A new Bill was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday (Oct 15) which will give the Government powers to order social media platforms and app providers to take down harmful content.The Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Bill will also establish an Online Safety Commission (OSC) for victims of 13 online harms — including stalking and online harassment — to seek timely relief and obtain redress by the end of the first half of 2026.The Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) and the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) said in a statement that victims will be required to first report the harm they have experienced to the online platform before submitting a report to the OSC.Victims of online harms that «warrant urgent relief», such as when their intimate photos are leaked without their consent, can approach the OSC directly.The proposed government agency will be empowered to include directions to take down the harmful content, restrict the perpetrator's online account, or to allow the victim to post a reply.

More than 9,100 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats have been launched by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in the October sales exercise, including the first flats in the Mount Pleasant and Berlayar estates.A total of 10 projects across Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Bishan, Bukit Merah, Jurong East, Sengkang, Toa Payoh and Yishun are available during the sales exercise, which began on Wednesday (Oct 15), said HDB in a press release on the same day.Berlayar's first project, Berlayar Residences, has a subsidy clawback of 14 per cent — the highest seen for BTO flats to date.A subsidy clawback means that upon the sale of their flats, owners have to pay HDB a percentage of the resale or valuation price, whichever is higher.These clawbacks correspond to the extent of the extra subsidies offered for these flats, said HDB, adding that there is also a 10-year minimum occupation period (MOP) for them.In comparison, the rates for other Prime flats in the July sales exercise were between 11 and 12 per cent.

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers foiled an attempt to smuggle almost 5,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes at Tuas Checkpoint on Oct 9.In a Facebook post on Oct 15, ICA said that the cigarettes were hidden in a Malaysia-registered lorry carrying cargo declared as «oats».The cigarettes were discovered when ICA Search & Examination officers carried out enhanced checks.The 45-year-old male Malaysian driver was arrested.The exhibits and the suspect were referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation.Buying, selling, conveying, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are considered serious offences under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax Act.If convicted, offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both.Vehicles used in these offences and proceeds of sales of duty-unpaid goods are also liable to be forfeited.[[nid:723782]]dana.leong@asiaone.com

SINGAPORE — A former UOB employee was convicted on Oct 14 of multiple charges following the disclosure of information on more than 1,000 customers to a scammer.Cao Wenqing, 30, was convicted of 14 charges under the Computer Misuse Act and 13 charges under the Banking Act.The Chinese national had contested the charges and was represented in court by lawyer Kalidass Murugaiyan from Kalidass Law Corp.Court documents showed Cao was a junior officer working in the bank's mortgage department at the time of the offences. She had access to the customer database for her work, which involved selling mortgages to new customers and servicing existing customers with mortgages.The database contained information on customers' names, nationalities, account numbers, addresses, identification numbers and bank balances.In March 2021, two unknown individuals known as «Xiang Ying Dong» and «Captain Lu» contacted Cao, claiming to be police officers from China. Court documents did not specify what they told her.Cao later agreed to act as a person assisting the «Chinese police» on a voluntary basis.

Two people were taken to the hospital after a fire broke out in a HDB flat kitchen in Jurong West on Tuesday (Oct 14).Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to a fire at Block 675A, Jurong West Street 64, at about 5.40pm.Upon arrival, SCDF found the kitchen of a 13th-floor unit on fire and extinguished the blaze using a water jet.Two people were taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.SCDF reminded the public not to leave any cooking or heating activities unattended and to switch off all gas and electrical appliances when not in use.According to SCDF's annual statistics report released on Feb 13, the number of residential fires in 2024 remained largely unchanged, with a total of 968 cases. Unattended cooking and electrical faults continued to be the two leading causes of fires in residential premises.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has warned the public against hanging on traffic lights and signposts as part of a social media trend.In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Oct 14), the authority stated that it is aware of the trend where people film themselves hanging from traffic lights, road signs and other road infrastructure.«Fun's fun, but our road infrastructure isn't a playground. It helps facilitate travel and keeps everyone safe. Please don't use them as props for social media. Let's keep our roads safe (and your content risk-free),» said LTA. The post also had images depicting the challenge which were generated by artificial intelligence. 

Sales staff of a beauty chain in Singapore have been accused of misleading and hard selling packages or products, amounting to nearly $1 million, to customers.Fifty-three complaints against DNA Brands Co were made to the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) from August 2024 to Oct 14, 2025, with at least 20 elderly consumers submitting complaints to the watchdog.Case said in a statement on Wednesday (Oct 15) that the complaints involved a total value of over $980,000 and pertain to two beauty brands run by DNA Brands Co. The businesses involved are beauty salons operating under the Beautique name and wellness retail outlets under The Mineral Boutique label. High-pressure sales tactics Complainants alleged that they had been misled or pressured by sales assistants into purchasing excessive beauty packages or products.25 cases were lodged in the last five months of 2024, and 28 in 2025.Half of the complaints involved purchases exceeding $10,000, according to Case. One consumer was charged at least $370,000 for products and packages.

A Singaporean man who helped his Thai wife run a multi-million-dollar luxury goods scam was sentenced to a jail term of five years and 10 months.Pi Jiapeng, 30, pleaded guilty to three charges for fraudulent trading, breaching his duties as a director and money laundering on Tuesday (Oct 14).According to the police, another four charges were also taken into consideration in his sentencing.Pi and his wife, Pansuk Siriwipa, 30, were arrested in August 2022 after fleeing the country during police investigations.They made the headlines in 2022 as the couple involved in the $32 million luxury goods scam.The couple started two businesses, Tradenation and Tradeluxury, operating primarily as re-sellers of luxury watches and bags on a pre-order basis, offering the goods for sale online.The luxury goods were sold at fixed prices around 10 to 20 per cent lower than other local resellers, and customers were required to make full payment when placing their order.According to the police, Pi was the sole director of both companies.

Four men and one woman will be charged in court on Wednesday (Oct 15) for their suspected involvement in separate cases of outrage of modesty.In a press release on Oct 14, the police said that five individuals, aged between 30 and 72, allegedly committed their crimes between January and August this year.The only woman in the group, a 31-year-old, allegedly molested a 25-year-old woman along Duxton Hill on July 11. She was identified through follow-up investigations and the use of CCTV images and subsequently arrested by the police.Separately, a 72-year-old man allegedly molested a 47-year-old woman along Temple Street on Jan 28 and was arrested at the scene.On May 17, a 30-year-old man allegedly molested a 24-year-old woman along Veerasamy Road, and was also arrested at the scene.The other men who will be hauled to court include a 47-year-old man who allegedly molested a 33-year-old woman along Rochor Canal Road, and 41-year-old man who allegedly molested a 29-year-old woman along Bayfront Avenue on July 7.

The Workers' Party (WP) statement on foreigners attempting to influence the General Election 2025 (GE2025) was «ambiguous», Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam told Parliament on Tuesday (Oct 14).Shanmugam, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, said in a ministerial statement that race and religion must not be brought into Singapore politics.He touched on several «troubling incidents» of foreign interferences during GE2025 and attempts to canvass votes from the Malay/Muslim community.One case involved Singaporean religious preacher Noor Deros, who said on April 19 he would campaign for any political party who could meet his demands for the rights of the Malay/Muslim community to be prioritised.

Singapore's multiculuralism has positioned our society ahead of other countries, but ensuring equality for all races is still a «work in progress», said Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam.Incidents relating to racism and discrimination is the «lived realities» of minority groups, he said in Parliament on Tuesday (Oct 14), adding that a fraction of the Chinese community have also told of similar experiences.Delivering a ministerial statement on political interference and canvassing during the General Election 2025, Shanmugam stressed that race and religion is fundamental to the Republic.He told of how founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew declared that all citizens would be equal and enabled to preserve their own racial and religious heritage.English was recognised as one of the official languages and taught as the primary language in schools with Malay being a national language.At that time, many other nations chose the language of the majority ethnic group as their official language and implemented policies favouring the majority. 

The National Council of Social Service (NCSS) will be getting a new leader after the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) announced a leadership change on Tuesday (Oct 14). Lim Shung Yar, 45, will be appointed chief executive officer on Feb 1, 2026. As part of the transition, he will be appointed chief executive officer-designate on Nov 1. He will take over from Tan Li San, 50, who became NCSS' chief in 2020. Lim is currently senior director for leadership development and strategy in the Public Service Division, and has also held appointments in the culture, community and youth, and education ministries. President of NCSS Anita Fam welcomed Lim's appointment and said: «We are confident that with his experience and commitment, he will steer NCSS to another exciting new chapter with continued growth and innovation.»Outgoing CEO Tan is credited with strengthening NCSS' role as a sector developer. MSF said that she led NCSS through a period of transformation and rapid responses to community needs arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Amendments to the Penal Code and other legislation have been proposed to further rationalise Singapore's criminal laws, better protect vulnerable victims, and tackle emerging crime trends. Among the key amendments to the Bill introduced in Parliament on Tuesday (Oct 14) is the introduction of caning for scams and scam-related offences. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement that judicial caning serves the function of deterrence and proportionate punishment. «There are currently 161 offences that attract caning: 96 attract discretionary caning, while 65 attract mandatory caning.»Fighting scams continues to be a top national priority. The number of scam cases and scam losses remain concerning. MHA will introduce caning for scams and scams-related offences for stronger deterrence," added the ministry. Earlier on March 4, former MP Dr Tan Wu Meng had called for mandatory caning for scammers in egregious cases. 

Amendments to the Criminal Law Bill has been proposed to further rationalise Singapore's criminal laws, better protect vulnerable victims, and tackle emerging crime trends. Among the key amendments to the Bill introduced in Parliament on Tuesday (Oct 14) is the introduction of caning for scams and scam-related offences. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement that judicial caning serves the function of deterrence and proportionate punishment. «There are currently 161 offences that attract caning: 96 attract discretionary caning, while 65 attract mandatory caning.»Fighting scams continues to be a top national priority. The number of scam cases and scam losses remain concerning. MHA will introduce caning for scams and scams-related offences for stronger deterrence," added the ministry. Earlier on March 4, former MP Dr Tan Wu Meng had called for mandatory caning for scammers in egregious cases. 

A food court, a cafe and a childcare centre - these are just some of the offerings the public can enjoy with the opening of the new Central Manpower Base (CMPB) today (Oct 14). Speaking at the official opening of this new facility at Bukit Gombak on Tuesday (Oct 14), Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing pointed out that the new CMPB is more than just a building for administrative matters.«It is our commitment to providing the best support for our servicemen and women. Most importantly, it is our commitment to continue to innovate at speed,» he said.This new CMPB which was progressively launched in 2025, is the only publicly accessible Mindef/SAF building till date.It features a range of community amenities including outdoor exercise facilities, a food court with a beer garden, a cafe, a convenience store, and a childcare centre.Located opposite Cashew MRT station, the new CMPB will also serve as an integrated one-stop service hub to support the National Service (NS) community throughout their NS journey.

Almost exactly a year ago, 48-year-old Roger Tan was told he had only 12 months left to live.Today, the former bank risk manager, who was diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer in 2024, is still defying the odds.Tan writes daily letters of encouragement to prison inmates and leads charity work for inmates and the community, reported Shin Min Daily News.He has even complied a collection of his letters written to inmates over the years into a book, and all 200 copies have sold out.Liver problems run in his familyLiver problems run in Tan's family. Since the age of 14, he has gone for yearly check-ups, all of which showed no issues.But during a routine screening in 2024, doctors found a tumour in his liver.After his diagnosis, Tan told Shin Min, he underwent surgery in August. However, during the operation, the tumour ruptured unexpectedly, causing blood clots which worsened his condition.Last October, doctors told him his cancer was terminal and that he had only a year to live.

A nine-year-old boy was taken to hospital after he was hit by a taxi while crossing a traffic junction along Middle Road towards Nicoll Highway on Monday (Oct 13).A video of the incident recorded by a dashcam camera was posted on the SGRV Facebook page the same evening.The short clip showed a boy on a kick scooter dashing across the junction before being hit by the ComfortDelGro taxi. The video did not show the aftermath of the collision.According to the caption to the video, the boy had been crossing the junction of Middle Road and Bencoolen Street and had failed to conform to the red-light signal.The police and Singapore Civil Defence Force told AsiaOne that they were alerted to the incident at 2.40pm and 2.45pm respectively on Oct 13. A nine-year-old pedestrian was taken while conscious to KK Women's and Children's Hospital.Police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:723860]]candicecai@asiaone.com

SINGAPORE - Singapore's economy beat expectations in the third quarter, supported by resilient activity in the manufacturing and domestic consumer-facing sectors.The economy grew by 2.9 per cent from the third quarter of 2025, moderating from the 4.5 per cent growth in the previous quarter, according to the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) on Oct 14.The performance was better than expected, beating economists' forecast of two per cent growth in a Bloomberg poll.On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally adjusted basis, the economy expanded by 1.3 per cent, slightly slower than the 1.5 per cent growth in the second quarter, MTI said.In a separate release, the Monetary Authority of Singapore said the economy grew 3.9 per cent in the first three quarters of 2025, faster than the same period last year.MAS assesses that the output gap should stay positive for the year as a whole.However, the central bank added that Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP) growth is expected to «moderate from this above-trend pace in the upcoming quarters as activity normalises in the trade-related sectors».

A 9-year-old boy who was reported missing on Monday (Oct 13) has been found. In a news release on Monday night, the police said Zulfi Amzi Abdullah was last seen in the vicinity of Block 48 Lower Delta Road at around 11.10am of the same day.They updated on the same evening that he has been found. In their earlier appeal, the police had said that anyone with information was urged to contact the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at police.gov.sg/i-witness.All information would be kept strictly confidential, said the police.[[nid:723311]]editor@asiaone.com

A doctor who consumed methamphetamine outside work for about eight years has been sanctioned by the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) and barred from practising medicine in the country.Dr Leong Kok Cheong Darren will be de-registered as a doctor under Part I of the Register of Medical Practitioners, according to the disciplinary tribunal's grounds of decision published on Monday (Oct 13).To practise medicine in Singapore again, he will need to apply under Part II of the Register, which requires him to satisfy a list of conditions including submitting a letter of undertaking, practising under a supervising medical practitioner and attending drug rehabilitation for at least 12 months.According to the disciplinary ruling, Dr Leong has been a medical practitioner since April 2006. He was practising at the Changi General Hospital (CGH) in the Department of Sport & Exercise Medicine at the time of the offence.On June 11, Dr Leong pleaded guilty to a charge under the Medical Registration Act for improper conduct which brought disrepute to the medical profession. 

The police are appealing for information on the whereabouts of Zulfi Amzi Abdullah, a 9-year-old boy.In a news release on Monday (Oct 13) night, the police said that Zulfi was last seen in the vicinity of Block 48 Lower Delta Road at around 11.10am of the same day.Anyone with information is urged to contact the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at police.gov.sg/i-witness.All information will be kept strictly confidential, said the police.[[nid:723311]]editor@asiaone.com

A 76-year-old hawker, who is facing financial problems, was left disappointed when all of her Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers were allegedly claimed by a stranger.The woman, surnamed Shen, told Shin Min Daily News that all $800 in CDC vouchers were also used up without her knowledge.Shen, who runs an economical rice stall at People’s Park Food Center in Chinatown, first received a reminder in July to collect her SG60 vouchers.After redeeming her SG60 vouchers, staff at Hougang Community Club then asked her if she had collected her CDC vouchers.The Government had disbursed $300 and $500 in vouchers in January and May respectively to all Singaporean households to help with daily expenses.«I was shocked to find out that they had been sent twice this year,» said Shen. «When I asked the staff to help me print them, they told me that the vouchers had been claimed a while ago.»Shen said that the staff at the community club told her that the vouchers were claimed on Jan 12 and May 18, both in the afternoon.

SINGAPORE — An average of 420 employers were hauled up each year from 2021 to 2024 for hiring foreign workers without valid work passes in Singapore.About 200 of them were prosecuted or fined annually, while the rest — mainly cases involving first-time offenders or illegal employment over a short period — were given a warning, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Oct 13 in response to queries.An MOM spokesman said: «In general, foreigners must possess valid work passes to work in Singapore.»Businesses and individuals engaging foreigners to work in Singapore must ensure that they hold valid passes before starting work in the specified job. This is not a new requirement."He added that MOM also takes into account a host of factors in deciding the penalty, including the duration of the offence and how many illegal workers were involved.On Sept 11, MOM — in a joint statement with the Visual, Audio, Creative Content Professionals Association (Singapore) — said foreigners on tourist or student visas are not allowed to provide creative services in Singapore.

An owner of a Malaysian-registered car was accused of allegedly providing illegal cross-border service in Singapore.In dashcam footage shared on the SG Road Vigilante Facebook group on Sunday (Oct 12), a man was seen helping a family load several pieces of luggage into the vehicle in Gardens by the Bay.A man was heard asking the car owner if they are his relatives, to which the latter ignored.The video has since garnered over 500 comments, 620 shares and 230,000 views. In the comments, several netizens were shocked that a Malaysian private-hire vehicle driver was providing an illegal cross-border service in broad daylight.“The fine is too light. They are not scared,” said user Kym Wong.“Just report online. No point confronting them,” added Tan Chow Hong.

Five people, aged between 15 and 37, were caught for possessing e-vaporisers and other related components during joint enforcement operations  by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) from Oct 8 to 10.A total of six e-vaporisers and related components were seized, including one e-vaporiser suspected to contain etomidate, a sedative-hypnotic drug. The seized pod has been sent for further testing, said HSA.The operations targeted areas including Khatib, Yishun, and Punggol.In a statement released on Monday (Oct 13), HSA said that all five individuals were fined the maximum of $2,000 on the spot. «Following public feedback received from our reporting platforms, we identified vaping hotspots and conducted enforcement operations in these areas,» said HSA.

Those travelling to Malaysia during the Deepavali long weekend — from Oct 17 to Oct 20 — can expect longer waiting time to clear immigration at both Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a statement on Monday (Oct 13).It also sought travellers' understanding to cooperate with its officers, observe traffic rules and maintain lane discipline.Travellers can check the Land Transport Authority's One Motoring website or ICA's Facebook and X (former Twitter) account for the traffic situation at the land checkpoints before embarking on their journey.Those who are travelling during peak periods can also consider taking the cross-border bus services to avoid congestion.Meanwhile, more than 5.8 million travellers crossed Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints during the September school holidays from Sept 5 to 15.The peak was on Sept 5 with over 575,000 travellers clearing immigration at the land checkpoints in a single day, the ICA said on Monday.

A 30-year-old motorcyclist died after colliding with an SBS Transit bus along the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) on Thursday (Oct 9).Dashcam footage of the accident, posted by Facebook page SG Road Vigilante shows an SBS bus and a van travelling along the expressway when they suddenly come to a stop.Moments later, an orange scooter is seen lying on the road.Frontal video footage also revealed a man, believed to be the bus driver, and another driver checking the situation after the collision.In another video posted on TikTok, police cars can be seen at the accident site, conducting investigations.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force confirmed that they were alerted to a road traffic accident involving a bus and a motorcycle along PIE towards the airport at about 5pm.A 30-year-old female motorcyclist was taken unconscious to Changi General Hospital where she subsequently died.Police investigations are ongoing.

When Jiya Sharma, 15, went to Starbucks at Downtown East two months ago to study, she could not buy a drink as the outlet has stopped accepting cash.The Secondary 3 student, who had visited the outlet weekly over the past two years, left empty-handed that day.She also recalled having a similar experience about a year ago while trying to buy food from Wok Hey at White Sands mall, after the store stopped accepting cash.Indeed, “cashless-only” signs have been popping up across stores in Singapore as shop owners get used to the convenience of not having to handle notes and coins, after making the switch for hygiene reasons during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.This is a sharp contrast from store encounters before the pandemic hit, when many shops insisted on “cash-only” payments.Associate professor of finance Fu Fangjian of SMU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business attributed this to the success of the Government’s go-digital campaign.Said Prof Fu: “Singapore’s Government has been very deliberate in driving the Smart Nation agenda... Grants under the SMEs Go Digital programme have made it easier and cheaper for merchants to go cashless.”

Almost 3,300 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats with wait times of less than three years will be offered in the upcoming October sales exercise.In a press release on Sunday (Oct 12), HDB announced that the Shorter Waiting Time (SWT) flats will be offered across four BTO projects in Bedok, Sengkang and Yishun. Among the SWT flats, a variety of flat types will be offered, including 2-room Flexi units, 3Gen flats for multi-generation families and Community Care Apartments (CCAs) for seniors.A total of 9,100 BTO flats will offered during the exercise, with other projects located in Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Bukit Merah, Jurong East, and Toa Payoh.With the upcoming October exercise factored in, the total number of SWT flats launched in 2025 will reach 4,690, exceeding HDB's earlier commitment of 4,500 for the year.«Over the next two years, we will launch another 4,000 SWT flats per year as part of our continued efforts to reduce waiting times and expand housing options for home buyers with more pressing housing needs,» said HDB.

A Vietnam Airlines flight bound for Hanoi from Singapore scheduled to depart on Friday (Oct 10) afternoon only ended up departing the next day, leaving passengers stranded at Changi Airport for nearly 14 hours. According to global travel data provider OAG, flight VNN660 was scheduled to depart Terminal 3 at 1.05pm on Oct 10 and land in Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport at 3.35pm the same day. However, the flight only took off on Oct 11 at 2.54am and landed in Hanoi at 5.05am. Over 100 passengers were affected and the departure time was repeatedly delayed throughout the day, reported Shin Min Daily News on Oct 11. A civil servant surnamed Wei told the Chinese daily that his wife and two relatives were supposed to go to Hanoi for a five-day trip till Oct 14. They had spent $400 on round-trip tickets, with return flights booked on Singapore Airlines. They first learned that their flight had been delayed while waiting at the boarding gate around 12pm on Friday and the staff did not share the reason why. 

Rescue personnel from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) had to be called in after a female drinks stall employee had her hand caught in a sugarcane juicer at a Clementi hawker centre.The incident occurred on Friday (Oct 10) at Block 448 Clementi Avenue 3, according to Shin Min Daily News.In a statement to AsiaOne, a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) spokesperson stated that officers had received a call for assistance at 6.50pm.A person's right hand was found trapped in a sugarcane machine at a stall.«Firefighters and rescue specialists from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) carried out the rescue together with an SCDF paramedic, who administered pain-relief medication and monitored the person's vital signs throughout the operation,» said the spokesperson.An emergency medical team from Ng Teng Fong General Hospital was also deployed on site to provide medical support.The person's hand was subsequently released, and SCDF conveyed the person to National University Hospital, the statement added. 

SINGAPORE - She was close to her only child, a 27-year-old son, but his addiction to etomidate-laced vaporisers, or Kpods, damaged the relationship.It got to a point where her son physically hurt her once when he was high and struggled with withdrawal.Rose (not her real name), 56, then applied for a personal protection order against Ben (not his real name) because as a single parent with little family support, she was fearful that he would hurt her badly.At the height of his addiction, Ben was using up to three pods a day.In November 2024, he attempted to harm himself by climbing out of the window in the living room of their HDB flat, which is on a high floor. When his mother tried to stop him, he yelled at her, choked her and slammed her head against a wall.Rose had to call the police on him for this and another incident.After his second arrest, Ben was admitted to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for suicide ideation, and stayed there for two weeks.It was then that he decided to undergo rehabilitation.He was discharged on Sept 3, 2025.