A Grab driver was forced to call the police on a verbally abusive passenger, who swore at him for refusing to take a longer route to his destination.  The driver, surnamed Wu, told Shin Min Daily News that he picked up the male passenger from Block 626 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 at about 8am on June 7. He had booked a ride to the  SP Group building in MacPherson.  When the man boarded, he requested that Wu drive to his destination by going past Bishan, Braddell and Serangoon — a different route from what the GPS suggested.  «The original route was to go by CTE. My guess is that he wanted to avoid the ERP charges. But he suggested a roundabout route, which would take an extra 10 minutes,» said the 52-year-old driver. ERP rates along the CTE from 8am to 9am range from $4.50 to $5.  Since he became a private-hire driver in 2016, Wu said he would try to help passengers avoid ERP costs if possible.  «I'll help whenever I can, but I found his request too unreasonable, so I refused.»  When Wu informed the passenger that the route he wanted was too long, the latter told him it «didn't matter» and that he wanted to «kill time». 

SINGAPORE - Eligible families waiting for their Build-To-Order (BTO) units can apply to tap $300 a month in rental vouchers to offset rent for an HDB flat or bedroom on the open market from July 1. The voucher under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS), which provides interim rental housing for families with an unfinished flat from HDB's sale exercises, will run from July 2024 to June 2025. To qualify for the full year of support, which amounts to $3,600, applicants' tenancies must start on or before July 31, 2024, and they must submit their application to HDB by Aug 31. «This gives eligible households who are planning to apply for the PPHS voucher sufficient time to secure a suitable tenancy and apply for the voucher,» HDB said on June 13. The initiative provides these families with more support as HDB works to double its supply of interim rental flats under the scheme from 2,000 units now to 4,000 by 2025.

In recent months, some Bukit Batok residents have been troubled by sightings of rats in their estate.  On June 5, a netizen uploaded a video of a group of rats scurrying around the void deck of Block 304 Bukit Batok Street 31.  «They will roam around boldly at night, hopping in and out of the green dustbins in front of the block, scaring residents when they walk past as the rats in the bins cause the bins to rattle [sic],» wrote the netizen.  This has been going on for «months», he said, urging the authorities to look into the issue. 

A GrabFood rider ran into a speed bump during his delivery rounds when he nearly collided with a reversing vehicle in a HDB car park. Dashcam footage from the vehicle involved in the incident was posted on Facebook group Singapore roads accident.com on Wednesday (June 12).  In the 59-second video, a Grabfood rider on a bicycle is seen heading in the direction of the vehicle, which is backing up into a parking lot. Spotting the vehicle, the rider speeds up in an attempt to pass through before the car goes into the lot. The driver (wearing a cap) got out of his vehicle to check on the rider. PHOTO: Facebook/Singapore roads accident.com However, the driver appears to be caught offguard and only manages to stop at the last minute. This causes the rider to lose his balance and fall onto the grass patch beside the lot. Food packets also tumble out of the bag that was attached to the back of his bicycle.

KUALA LUMPUR – There is still a lot of work to be done domestically and externally to take Singapore forward, and the general election will be called at an appropriate time, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on June 12. He was responding to a question on whether people should expect a general election this year, during an interview with the Singapore media on his introductory visits to Brunei and Malaysia on June 11 and 12. Since PM Wong took office in May, there has been speculation that the upcoming general election, due by November 2025, may be called this year – as early as September. The first step on the road to an election is the formation of a committee to review electoral boundaries. In early June, the Elections Department said the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) had not been convened. On June 12, PM Wong said: “Eventually, at the time that we decide it’s appropriate, and an election has to be called, people will know. Same for the EBRC. Eventually, when it is convened and it has done its work, people will know, and then I suppose everyone will get ready for the elections.

SINGAPORE — Nearly half of workers in Singapore feel exhausted after a day at work, a recent survey by health technology provider Telus Health has shown. The survey points to the growing risk of burnout among workers and a need for greater mental health support, said the firm. The report, which was released on June 13, showed that 47 per cent of workers in Singapore feel mentally or physically exhausted by their work. Exhaustion is one of the three main symptoms of burnout, which is also characterised by diminished performance and cynicism, said Telus Health's director for Asia Haider Amir. The study showed that two-thirds of workers here have at least one of these three indicators of burnout, with those under the age of 40 being three times more likely to feel extremely burnt out than workers over 50. The same group was also nearly twice as likely as workers over 50 to find it difficult to be motivated to do their work. Workers said the top reason for burnout was having too much work — this was cited by 27 per cent of respondents.

A squabble between a diner and shop owner escalated into a brawl at Sim Lim Square last Wednesday (June 5). The altercation occurred at around lunchtime on the second floor of the complex, reported Shin Min Daily News. A video of the fight circulating online shows a man with black hair slamming another man with blond hair against the shutters of a shop named Sexy Corner and repeatedly pummeling him. The former is the diner while the latter is believed to be the owner of the shop, which sells sex toys, according to the Chinese daily. Both men end up tussling on the floor as a group of onlookers try in vain to break up the fight. The diner subsequently wraps both legs around the other man's head, pinning him down. The onlookers eventually manage to separate the duo. The police were also called to the scene, reported Shin Min. Responding to AsiaOne’s queries, the police confirmed a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing.

SINGAPORE – The tattoo of the five Olympic rings on Shanti Pereira’s right wrist embodies her quest to keep breaking new ground as a sprinter. On June 12, another ring came into the picture, adding another significant milestone to her life as she announced her engagement to her boyfriend Tan Zong Yang. The Asian Games gold medallist posted a series of photos on her Instagram with former national sprinter Tan, documenting the couple’s engagement in Stockholm on June 9. In the post, Pereira, 27, said: “Cheers to your 30th, 3 years together, and to the rest of our lives!!!!!!!!” https://www.instagram.com/p/C8G3-HJOiFN Tan, who won the 400m bronze at Hanoi SEA Games in 2022, has been a constant figure of support in Pereira’s life, travelling to cheer her on at various meets, including the Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Athletics Championships in 2023.

After completing a job at a condominium apartment, an air-con technician found that his van had been wheel-clamped at the car park. It turned out that he had unwittingly parked in a lot meant for residents. The 50-year-old, surnamed Lin, had to fork out $272 to get his vehicle released, reported Shin Min Daily News. But Lin said he genuinely thought he had parked at a visitor's lot and blamed his mistake on the «misleading» car park signage. The incident occurred around noon last Friday (June 7) at D'Leedon condo along Farrer Road. When he was at the car park, Lin said he noticed two pillars painted in purple with the word 'visitor'. He parked his van in the lot on the right side of one of the pillars. But when he returned to the car park around 45 minutes later, the vehicle had been wheel-clamped. He was told that he had parked in the space reserved for residents. Lin headed to the management office and was reportedly told that visitors can only use the parking lots marked out with purple grid lines.

Lions goalkeeper Hassan Sunny's nasi padang stall drew large crowds and numerous five-star reviews from Chinese football fans following his performance in Singapore's World Cup qualifier match against Thailand on Tuesday (June 11). Thailand needed to win with a three-goal margin to make it to the final round of Asia's qualifiers. It clinched the match, but the 3-1 score was not enough to stop second-placed China from advancing to the next stage. Chinese fans attributed China's progress to Hassan's heroics in the match, where he chalked up 11 saves, as well as Iksan Fandi's goal. The 40-year-old was lauded by the fans as a hero and trended on Chinese social media. In Singapore, they flocked to his stall, Dapur Hassan, at a coffee shop in Block 144 Tampines Street 12. Pictures posted by multiple users on Xiaohongshu on Wednesday showed long queues. Some Chinese football fans also snapped pictures with the stall's green signboard. «The saviour of the Chinese national football team, the Singaporean goalkeeper who sells nasi lemak has become famous,» wrote one netizen who patronised the stall.

It was a birthday cake which came with an added 'surprise'. A man has claimed that he found a small cockroach in a box containing a whole cake he'd bought from a Four Leaves outlet in HarbourFront Centre, according to a post made on Facebook group Complaint Singapore on Tuesday (June 11). The user, Jeff Soh, said that he had bought a Chocolate Classico cake from the bakery chain on Sunday (June 9) at around 5pm. He placed the cake in the fridge when he reached home, taking it out around 8pm for a birthday celebration. «However, to our horror, we found a dead baby cockroach lying on the cake board and next to the cake,» he wrote. Soh called the bakery's HarbourFront outlet to inform them about the issue and was contacted by the store's manager Daniel about an hour later. «[Daniel] was more interested to know how the cockroach came about and to arrange to retrieve the 'evidence',» Soh wrote. He claimed that the manager sought to settle the matter privately, «without offering any remedial actions».

The new housing estate in Yishun, Chencharu, will see the launch of its first Build-to-Order (BTO) project in June. The project comprises 1,270 units, ranging from two-room flexi to five-room flats. They make up part of the approximately 10,000 homes — of which 80 per cent will be public housing — to be built in Chencharu by 2040, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee announced in March. Flats in the estate will boast sustainable and smart features. For instance, they will be oriented in the north-south direction to improve natural ventilation and minimise direct sunlight entering the homes as well as the subsequent build-up of heat. «Where applicable, studies on wind flow, temperature, solar irradiance and sun-shadow analysis will be carried out to create a green and comfortable living environment,» said the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in a press release on Wednesday (June 12). «Homes will also incorporate provisions to facilitate the adoption of smart home solutions.»

SINGAPORE – A man ran a series of renovation and rental scams, cheating almost 70 people of about $78,000 which he then used for personal expenses like a hotel stay and alcohol. Tan Kai Wen, 24, had been arrested and released on bail three times, but kept scamming victims until he was finally kept in remand. On June 11, he was jailed for 28 months after he pleaded guilty to four cheating charges. Another eight cheating charges were taken into consideration for sentencing. The court heard that he has used up all the money he cheated people of and has made no restitution. Tan, a Malaysian, was previously working as a salesman at a renovation company here in late 2021. He was facing financial difficulties at the time, and came up with a plan to cheat clients by having them make payments to his bank account instead of the company’s, for tabletops and other renovation work. Tan began cheating clients from November 2021, getting four of them to transfer more than $11,000 in total to him. The ruse involved excuses such as the company’s account being closed on Saturdays and that he was able to offer discounts.

Are Chinese restaurants charging more for tea these days? According to Lemon8 user Lemonade8870, that appears to be the case.  «I have been dining at many Chinese restaurants… and have noticed that the charge for Chinese tea has gone up recently — to unreasonable prices, say about $4 to $5 per person,» she wrote in a post on Sunday (June 9). However, the price of $7 a person seems to be the last straw for her. «But I got a shock last night after I dined at Kai Garden in Marina Square — each person was charged $7.20 for Chinese tea,»  she continued. She added that the price was for free flow of the beverage, but that much is to be expected at Chinese restaurants. Describing the pricing as «atrocious», she said: «Just want to alert everyone so you know the amount they charge!» She had dined at the restaurant the evening before, ordering a spread of kurobuta pork, braised vermicelli and mushrooms. For drinks, she got ju pu tea, which cost $21.60 in total for three persons. Ju pu tea is a mix of pu'er and chrysanthemum tea.

Hoarding, while identified as a result of a mental condition, can also be caused by other factors unknown to anyone looking in from the outside. And hoarders often fall into a spiral and their living conditions become so dire, they need a village to help them regain their foothold in life. Singapore charity Helping Joy has volunteers to do just that – help hoarders declutter. National Development Minister Desmond Lee on June 9 shared a Facebook post in which he highlighted the work done by Helping Joy and several other partners in cleaning up a flat. According to Shin Min Daily News, the flat at Block 613 in Clementi West Street 2 belonged to a 68-year-old man whose hoarding had filled his flat with clutter.  The man fell and had to be hospitalised. Mr Lee joined the volunteers to clean up the flat – removing the junk, scrubbing the furniture and giving the walls a fresh coat of paint.

An early morning blaze, which broke out at a coffee shop in Ang Mo Kio on Tuesday (June 11), has ravaged about 10 stalls and the hawkers are worried about the huge sums of losses they may face. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) were alerted to the fire at GHK 407 Food House at Block 407 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 at about 2.40am. Eighteen residents living above the two-storey block were evacuated by the police and no injuries were reported. Preliminary investigations found that the fire likely originated from unattended cooking at one of the stalls.

With the help of an anonymous donor, one hawker at Chinatown Complex is now selling a bowl of Katong laksa for just $2 — half the usual price. Bobby Lee, 71, a graduate of social enterprise Project Dignity, has been running The Asian Makanstall for the past eight years, reported Shin Min Daily News. The stall has a rotating menu of dishes and started selling laksa — priced at $4 a bowl — about six months ago. Three weeks ago, Lee slashed the price by half at the request of a customer who donated a sum of money to the stall. «He said he hopes to let more people enjoy tasty and affordable food, especially the elderly or those in need,» the hawker said. He added that the customer frequently does charity work, including making donations to temples and elderly care homes. The donor prefers to keep his identity and contribution amount private, Lee said.

SINGAPORE — Media portal Gutzy Asia and its social media pages on Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter, have been designated as Declared Online Locations (DOLs) under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma), after its online accounts were issued three Pofma correction directions within six months. The declaration by Minister for Communications and Information (MCI) Josephine Teo on June 11 will last for two years, from June 12 until June 11, 2026. During this period, Gutzy Asia’s website, Facebook page and X account page are each required to carry a notice stating that they have been declared as DOLs. This is to warn visitors that it has a history of communicating falsehoods on these online locations, and to advise them to fact-check the information published. Owners of DOLs cannot derive financial or other material benefit from operating the sites. This means that service providers and digital advertising intermediaries must ensure that paid content are not communicated in Singapore.

To deter potential shoplifters, a gift shop owner in Chinatown has resorted to naming and shaming those who nicked items from her store.  The store at Trengganu Street, called Wow, recently went viral on Xiaohongshu for displaying more than 20 photos of people who allegedly stole from the shop.  An unnamed employee at the shop told Shin Min Daily News that theft has been a persistent problem since the shop opened last November.  Both tourists and locals have been caught on camera taking items without paying, she said.  «Something gets stolen every week. Sometimes, it even happens twice or thrice a day. The people whose photos we publish are locals and repeat offenders,» she added.  Last month, a female tourist who looked to be in her 20s made away with a pair of glasses. She had allegedly swiped two pairs from the shelf and concealed one inside a hat near the counter. She then told the shop owner that she didn't want the second pair and left the shop with the other one.  Another incident occurred during Chinese New Year. An elderly woman who was pushing a cart entered the shop around closing time. 

SINGAPORE – Six months before she was killed in Spain, Singaporean Audrey Fang deposited nearly $200,000 into her Central Provident Fund (CPF) accounts for investment-linked products, and also nominated a beneficiary. The sole beneficiary is Mitchell Ong, who is currently being held in custody in south-eastern Spain in connection with her murder. He is also the insurance agent who sold her two investment-linked policies in 2015. Ms Fang was found dead in April with more than 30 stab wounds while travelling alone. It is not clear how the pair knew each other, but they both attended the National University of Singapore at around the same time. Ms Fang, 39, studied architecture, while Ong did a course in economics. Ms Fang’s brother, Mr Benjamin Fang, 34, told The Straits Times that he was informed by the CPF Board that the nomination was done in person on Oct 4, 2023, at a CPF service centre. He noticed that at around the same time, Ms Fang had deposited money into her CPF accounts for investment purposes.

SINGAPORE - Mr Kong Fook Seng may be turning 70 in October, but his kidney is 98 years old and counting. It used to belong to his late father Kong Wing Hing. “Having received a kidney from my father was God’s blessing, rather than having to lie down in bed to do dialysis,” said Mr Kong, who works in design project management at a semiconductor company. Mr Kong was diagnosed in 1975 with chronic glomerulonephritis, an inflammation of the kidney’s tiny filters that remove excess fluid and waste from the bloodstream. “Before that, I was playing football as a sport. Then I gradually lost the strength to kick the ball. After the game, I had to lie down on the field for an hour before I could get up to go home,” he said. Mr Kong said he became very lethargic and got exhausted easily – climbing the steps to an overhead bridge took him 15 minutes. “I even had to sit up while sleeping, otherwise I would have difficulty breathing,” he added.

SINGAPORE - Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong will begin his series of introductory visits to South-east Asian capitals with a two-day trip to Brunei and Malaysia, starting on June 11. In Brunei, PM Wong will have an audience with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his wife, Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha, who will host him to lunch. In Bandar Seri Begawan, he will also meet Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Al-Muhtadee Billah and his wife, Princess Pengiran Anak Sarah. PM Wong will then leave for Malaysia in the evening, said the Prime Minister’s Office in a statement. In Kuala Lumpur, he will meet Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as well as other Malaysian leaders. This is PM Wong’s first overseas trip since he was sworn in as prime minister on May 15, continuing a custom established by the Republic’s earlier leaders. Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, when he took over as prime minister in August 2004, had also started his introductory visits to South-east Asian capitals with Brunei and Malaysia. Singapore enjoys longstanding and close relations with both neighbours.

With cafes having such pretty aesthetics these days, it's no wonder some customers feel the temptation to steal some of their fittings.  Speaking to AsiaOne, the cafe owner of The Coffee Code Singapore, who only wanted to be known as Gordon, shared that his team realised that a mirror from their shop was missing on Sunday (June 9).  «My staff opened the shop and saw that the mirror had disappeared,» the 31-year-old recounted.  After going through the CCTV footage, which has since been uploaded onto the cafe's Instagram stories, the team discovered that the mirror had been stolen at around 2.07am that same morning. The cafe is located at Neil Road. In the footage, a woman can be seen gesturing at someone off camera before removing her jacket.  She then crouched down to pick up the mirror —which was displayed on the floor— with the jacket.  She can then be seen sprinting away from the cafe, with another woman next to her. «When the Coffee Code's Mirror is too cute to resist, you can't help but to steal it home,» read a caption on the Instagram story.  «Goodbye little one, hope they will let you come back soon.»

An man in Sembawang has received some flak over the bulky items he's piled up along the corridor.  The resident on the 10th floor of Block 417 Canberra Road has been leaving an assortment of items outside his unit — including potted plants, bicycles, umbrellas and several cardboard boxes.  They are lined along the corridor from his unit all the way to the lift lobby, reported Shin Min Daily News. There is also an altar and incense burner outside his home.  While some residents on the same floor described the man as friendly and said that they would also greet him when they see him, they expressed concern about the clutter along the corridor.  «We've never seen him picking up rubbish. Maybe he just has too many things and can't bear to throw them away, but it would be better if he clear up [the clutter] and stop piling items [at the corridor],» said one resident who declined to be named.  Last Monday (June 3), a netizen named Chris who visited the block complained to Stomp about the clutter.

SINGAPORE - Dubai property broker Su Jianfeng has been sentenced to 17 months’ jail, making him the last of the 10 foreigners arrested in an anti-money laundering blitz in August 2023 to be sent to jail. The 36-year-old Vanuatu national, who is originally from China, had pleaded guilty on June 6 to money laundering and forgery. Another 12 charges were taken into consideration. They range from forgery and money laundering, to manpower-related offences for hiring a personal chef without a valid work pass. District Judge James Elisha Lee on June 10 said Su had demonstrated a high degree of disregard for the law in Singapore, with the charges showing he persistently committed the acts over a significant period of time. As part of his sentence, Su agreed to forfeit $178.9 million of his assets to the state. His forfeited assets represent 95.5 per cent of the $187 million fortune seized from him and his wife Chen Qiuyan. Court documents showed just after the couple relocated to Singapore in August 2020, they amassed a portfolio of assets which included 12 properties worth $63.9 million and seven vehicles worth $5.2 million.

A woman in Indonesia has died after being swallowed whole by a python, according to multiple media reports. Farida, 45, was found dead in the belly of a five-metre python in South Sulawesi last Friday (June 7). Search efforts by the family and residents of Kalempang village had begun after the mother of four went missing last Thursday night, village head Suardi Rosi told AFP. Her husband «found her belongings ... which made him suspicious. The villagers then searched the area. They soon spotted a python with a large belly,» Suardi said. The villagers then agreed to cut open the python's stomach. «As soon as they opened up the stomach, they immediately saw Farida's head,» Suardi said. She was found fully clothed inside the snake. Multiple deaths from pythons Although incidents such as these are considered extremely rare, many have died in Indonesia in recent years after being swallowed whole by pythons, The Straits Times reported last Saturday.

SINGAPORE - Motorists driving near workers’ dormitories have flagged concerns over migrant workers eating and drinking alcohol at night by the roads near their residences, saying the men are at risk if an errant driver mounts a kerb. On May 12, 2024, The Straits Times spotted a migrant worker fast asleep on Jalan Lekar, off Old Choa Chu Kang Road, at 10pm as motorists drove around him. He refused to budge even when two of his friends tried to rouse him, and moved only after 10 minutes of shaking and yelling in Tamil. About 30m away, motorists entering Jalan Tapisan had to slow down abruptly because dormitory residents were eating and drinking alcohol while sitting on the two-lane road next to Sungei Tengah Lodge. A migrant worker, who gave his name only as Vijay, said residents like him prefer to sit on the pavement outside, especially as alcohol consumption is banned by his dormitory on its premises. “It is quieter and cooler outside, and less crowded... You can sit anywhere,” said Mr Vijay, who was nursing a can of beer as he sat on the pavement in Kranji Way.

SINGAPORE – The ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) has promised to engage more widely with Singaporeans, including through new channels, to foster two-way dialogue. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on June 8 that the PAP will create two new groups within the party to address cross-cutting issues of mental health and climate change, while he will personally do more in his public communications. The party will also step up its engagement efforts through its government parliamentary committees (GPCs) – party organs organised along ministry lines – he said at an event to cap a six-month exercise to refresh and strengthen the PAP. PAP MPs want to engage not just within the party but also with wider community groups and stakeholders, PM Wong told a 400-strong crowd of party activists and partners at the event at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre. This is so that the PAP can better represent Singaporeans’ views, and have more effective discussions and debates in Parliament, said PM Wong, who is also the party’s deputy secretary-general.

A Singaporean man living in Thailand was arrested last Friday (June 7) for possessing and selling vape juice laced with drugs. Yao Yuheng, 34, was found with 90 pods of e-cigarette liquid mixed with methamphetamine and ketamine in Pattaya, reported Thai media outlet Khaosod English. He was nabbed during an undercover operation by officers from Thailand's Narcotics Suppression Bureau, who had posed as interested buyers and arranged to meet at an abandoned mall called the Major Hollywood. Thailand's Narcotics Suppression Bureau officers had gone undercover as interested buyers. PHOTO: Facebook/Khaosod English According to The Pattaya News, Yao was allegedly selling a new drug form known as Pod K — vape pods laced with drugs such as methamphetamine and ketamine. He was reportedly living in the Bang Bo district in Samut Prakan Province. The drug can be inhaled like e-cigarettes.

SINGAPORE — A 31-year-old Singaporean motorcyclist died on June 8 morning after a collision with a car in Malaysia, according to the country's news outlets. The man had been travelling in the direction of Johor Bahru at the 16km mark of the Second Link at about midnight, reported China Press. His Yamaha motorbike collided with a Proton Saga car that was making a U-turn, and the bike subsequently caught fire. The Singaporean died on the spot, according to Oriental Daily News. A 33-year-old male driver and a 40-year-old male passenger in the car were unhurt. In a Facebook post at 12.15am on June 8, Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said departure clearance at Tuas Checkpoint was on hold due to a traffic accident on the Second Link Bridge after the checkpoint. ICA then updated on Facebook at about 1am the same day that the accident had been cleared and all lanes were operational. A video posted on the Singapore Roads Accident.com Facebook page shows a person lying in the middle of the road, with traffic coming to a standstill on two out of three lanes of the bridge.

Two days after a coffee shop cleaner cleared away his glass of beer, the man returned for 'revenge', brutally beating up the elderly employee. The assault occurred at around 9.20pm on Friday (June 7) at Block 101 Yuan Sheng Road in Taman Jurong, reported Shin Min Daily News. A staff at the coffee shop's beverage stall told the Chinese evening daily that the perpetrator is a frequent drinker who lives nearby. The staff, who is in his 20s, said the man had suddenly punched the elderly cleaner, causing the latter to fall to the ground and supposedly pass out. Subsequently, he dragged the defenceless cleaner about 10 metres away before continuing to kick and punch him in the face and stomach. The beverage stall staff said that he had tried to pull the drinker away from the victim but got pushed by the former. Another eyewitness surnamed Li added that many people had tried to break up the fight, but the man was very agitated and violent. After both men were separated, the cleaner was taken to a hospital. Meanwhile, the man was taken away by the police after questioning.

SINGAPORE — Train service on the Sengkang-Punggol LRT system has resumed after a signalling fault caused a disruption that lasted more than four hours on June 9. Services had been unavailable at Punggol and Sengkang LRT stations from 5.45am to 10.12am, train operator SBS Transit said in a series of posts on X. «We are sorry for the inconvenience caused,» the operator said in its latest update at 10.34am. It added that free regular and bridging bus services, which were available at designated bus stops near affected stations and at Sengkang Bus Interchange, ceased at 10.20am. No fares would be deducted if passengers had exited from affected LRT stations, the train operator said. More information can also be found on the SBS Transit app under the Alternative Transport Option or the Land Transport Authority's MyTransport.SG app and under the Find My Way tab. The Straits Times has contacted SBS Transit for more information.

SINGAPORE — A signalling fault has resulted in the unavailability of train services at the Punggol and Sengkang LRT stations since 5.45am on June 9, said train operator SBS Transit in an X post. «We are repairing it and will update when service resumes. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused,» SBS Transit said in a follow-up post at 6.15am. It added that free regular and bridging bus services available at designated bus stops near affected stations and at Sengkang Bus Interchange. Affected passengers can follow directional signs or approach station staff to find the boarding points for these bus services. No fares will be deducted if passengers exit from affected LRT stations, the train operator said. More information can also be found on the SBS Transit app under the Alternative Transport Option or the Land Transport Authority's My Transport app and under the Find My Way tab.

SINGAPORE — The growing share of women remaining single is one major reason for Singapore's longstanding baby drought, with the resident total fertility rate (TFR) falling to below one in 2023 for the first time in Singapore's history. A Department of Statistics (DOS) analysis of the factors behind the falling TFR found that the drop in the TFR between 2005 and 2023 was due to a decline in the proportion of married women, which offset slight increases in the fertility rate of married women. The analysis, published in the DOS newsletter in May, comes after Singapore's resident TFR fell to 0.97 in 2023 — which is among the lowest in the world. The TFR refers to the average number of babies each woman would have during her reproductive years. If more Singaporeans remain unwed, what this means is that Singapore's TFR is likely to continue to fall, said the academics who study population issues.

SINGAPORE — Majlis Pusat Singapura, a society that was once a leading voice for the Malay/Muslim community here, has been ordered by the courts to shutter and have its assets liquidated after it failed to settle debts of close to $400,000. A notice gazetted on June 3 said RSM Corporate Advisory had been appointed as the liquidator, following an order by the High Court for the society to be wound up. The court issued the order on May 20 in favour of an application filed by Siti Hasmah Adam, the director of Three Aces — a company engaged by Majlis Pusat to operate a childcare centre between 2015 and 2020. According to court documents, Siti had claimed more than $228,000 for payments owed to her over the contractual period, as well as over $135,000 for fees for legal and arbitral proceedings, among other things. The dissolution of Majlis Pusat brings to an end a 55-year-old organisation that rallied the Malay/Muslim community in the uncertain years following independence. Formed in 1969, it was originally an umbrella organisation of more than 30 Malay/Muslim organisations, whose goal was to advocate for the Malay community here.