Several potholes spotted in Tanah Merah were repaired on Jan 12, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Tuesday (Jan 14). «LTA was alerted to several potholes along Tanah Merah Coast Road on Jan 10 and 11 following heavy rainfall.» A video posted to the Safe Cycling Task Force (SCTF) Facebook page showed over 20 potholes seen along Tanah Merah Coast Road on Jan 11 evening. «Cyclists and motorists, keep a good lookout when travelling along Tanah Merah Coast Road,» cautioned Steven Lim, president of the SCTF. Responding to AsiaOne's queries, an LTA spokesperson said that as of Jan 12, they have «detected close to 100 potholes island-wide».

About 850,000 Singaporean seniors will receive between $200 and $300 from the Assurance Package Seniors’ Bonus in February to help alleviate the rising cost of living. The cash payout will be given to those aged 55 and above who do not own more than one property, said the Ministry of Finance (MOF) on Wednesday (Jan 15). They must also be living in a property with an annual value of up to $31,000, as well as an annual accessible income not exceeding $34,000.  This payout is part of the $1.9 billion enhancement to the Assurance Package announced at Budget 2024 to cushion the GST increase, said MOF.  Singaporeans can check their eligibility for the seniors' bonus at the govbenefits website by logging in with their Singpass. Eligible seniors with an NRIC-linked PayNow can receive their payments from Feb 5.  Those without PayNow-NRIC linked bank accounts, but have a DBS/POSB, OCBC, or UOB bank account, can update their account information at the govbenefits website by Jan 27 in order to receive payments via GIRO from Feb 13.

Seven people have been arrested for allegedly using the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s (ICA) e-service to illegally change other people’s registered home addresses. In a statement on Jan 14, the police said the six men and a woman, aged between 19 and 32, are purportedly responsible for at least 30 of the cases of unauthorised attempts first announced by ICA on Jan 11. ICA had said then that it suspended that online service temporarily after 80 unauthorised attempts to change the registered home addresses via the service were reported, with 75 per cent of them successful. In an update later on Jan 14, ICA said that as at Jan 13, it found a total of 87 unauthorised attempts, 69 of which were successful. Of these successful attempts, the culprits gained control of 17 Singpass accounts, said ICA. The police said between Jan 11 and 13, more than 60 officers from the police’s Criminal Investigation Department and Police Intelligence Department mounted an islandwide operation to arrest the suspects. Six are being investigated for offences under the Computer Misuse Act, for unlawful disclosure of access codes.

Two men are being praised online for helping an elderly man cross the road amid a heavy downpour on Sunday (Jan 12) night. While many Singaporeans stayed in over the weekend to avoid the heavy rains over many parts of the island, this senior was spotted walking outside. In a video posted to Facebook, two men — one identified as a Bangladeshi worker — were seen supporting the elderly man as he crossed the road at Geylang Lorong 22.  The senior appeared to have trouble walking and needed the support of a walking stick. The two men worked together to get him across the road safely, with both of them holding up umbrellas to shield him from the rain. The pair patiently guided the elderly man although the traffic light for the crossing had turned red. A car also stopped at the traffic light, waiting for the senior to cross.  The video has since been viewed over 3,300 times, with netizens commending the two men for their kind act.

Days after a man was filmed urinating in public at Outram Park MRT station on Jan 10, a video of a second man relieving himself at another MRT station surfaced on social media. The clip appears to have been first posted on a Facebook page named Clowns of Singapore on Monday (Jan 13) morning. The incident occurred at Tanah Merah station on Jan 8, according to the post. The video shows a man in a red shirt standing at one end of the MRT platform, looking from side to side as he purportedly urinates on the floor. He appears to make eye contact with the camera as he turns to leave and runs out of frame. Responding to AsiaOne's queries, president of SMRT Trains Lam Sheau Kai confirmed the location to be Tanah Merah MRT station. «Such behaviour is unacceptable, as it defaces public spaces and poses health and sanitation risks to commuters,» he said. Lam added that a police report has been filed, and that SMRT is cooperating with police investigations.

A Singaporean woman was allegedly intimidated by a car wash manager in Johor Bahru after she questioned their incomplete service. The 48-year-old, identified as Jenny, had gone to a car wash in Larkin and was quoted RM12 ($3.65) for a car wash and vacuum service, reported the New Straits Times (NST) on Jan 12.  «I went to a nearby stall to buy a burger, and when I returned about an hour later, I noticed my car hadn't been vacuumed,» said Jenny to NST. When she questioned the staff, she learned the vacuum cleaner was broken. Despite this, they still charged her the full price. Upset over the incomplete service, she complained to a staff member that she should have been informed of the faulty vacuum cleaner before she agreed to the service. She also requested to speak with the manager, who allegedly dismissed her and said: «This is how things are done in Johor. If you're not happy, get your car washed in Singapore instead.» The manager reportedly took things one step further and audibly told his staff to «remember (Jenny's) face and car».

A woman was rescued by Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers on Monday (Jan 13) after she got stuck on the ledge outside a 10th floor flat in Tampines.  In a video uploaded by Sgfollowsall on Instagram, the woman can be seen standing on the narrow ledge outside of a HDB unit, holding onto the windows with both hands as concerned members of the public watched on.   The video's caption identified the location as Block 848 Tampines Street 82.  According to 8world, the woman was cleaning the windows when the incident happened. https://www.instagram.com/p/DEwG3ndBmVe/ Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the SCDF confirmed that they received a call for assistance at the abovementioned address at around 10.35am on Monday.   Upon arrival, firefighters secured the woman with a safety harness and safely brought her down using a combined platform ladder.  SCDF also deployed a safety life air pack at the foot of the block with rescuers from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team on standby as a precaution.

A water pipe that burst recently in the Phoenix Park office campus has cut off the water supply for offices and businesses there. A pre-school, enrichment centres, a yoga studio and a tailoring business are among affected businesses in the cluster of 11 colonial buildings located in Tanglin Road. The 59,630 sq m site, which used to house the former Ministry of Home Affairs office, is managed by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA). According to an e-mail sent to tenants on the morning of Jan 11, an underground pipe had burst, causing water leaks. It was sent by facilities management company Ocean IFM, a contractor hired by master tenant LHN Group, which offers real estate management services and leases out the majority of the units in Phoenix Park office campus to sub-tenants. The e-mail added that the water supply was disrupted, and that repairs works were taking place. On the morning of Jan 13, Ocean IFM sent another e-mail notifying LHN Group’s sub-tenants that the water disruption would continue on that day, “due to unforeseen circumstances and bad weather conditions”.

SINGAPORE — Facing financial difficulties, a woman started operating an online vice ring in 2017 and later lived on the earnings of six sex workers totalling more than $264,000. The mastermind of the vice syndicate, Phua Shewn Ying, 43, also known as Pan Xuanying, had engaged Singaporean and Malaysian women to work for her. The sex workers provided services on up to 1,005 occasions in total. Phua's husband, Lim Teck Lee, 45, started helping her with the vice-related activities in 2022. On 18 occasions between November 2022 and January 2023, Lim, who is also known as Lin Deli, transferred ill-gotten gains totalling more than $110,000 to a bank account, and helped his wife to live on the earnings of sex work. On Jan 13, Phua pleaded guilty to five prostitution-related charges under the Women's Charter while Lim pleaded guilty to two charges including one count of dealing with the benefits of criminal conduct. Deputy Public Prosecutor Natalie Chu told the court that Phua had initially operated alone after setting up the online vice ring in 2017.

Travellers commuting from Singapore to Malaysia by foot and bus on Friday (Jan 10) night found themselves stuck in a human traffic jam at Woodlands Checkpoint. Commuters not only had to brave the Friday peak period but also had to contend with the continuous rain pelting both countries. Some netizens in the Facebook group Both Checkpoint lamented taking three to four hours to cross the border, also advising hopeful travellers to head to Malaysia another day. One netizen said it took him nearly five hours to get through the checkpoint, and he didn't get home until about 3:30am, reported Shin Min Daily News. Videos posted to that group at about 6pm show a long line of people waiting at Kranji MRT station for buses to the checkpoint. One netizen snapped a photo of the crowded bus hall and said she had queued an hour to clear immigration. As the night wore on, more netizens shared media of the swelling crowds at the footbridge and walkways of Woodlands Train Checkpoint, which is linked to Woodlands Checkpoint. The train checkpoint was so packed that some even had to wait outside in the rain.

Located between Serangoon and Kallang, Bidadari is a relatively new estate in Singapore. Over 70 per cent of its Build-To-Order (BTO) flats have been completed in the past five years, with the remaining units expected to be ready by the end of this year. However, some residents who have completed their Minimum Occupation Period have already moved out of the estate - envisioned by Housing Board as a «tranquil urban oasis» - after making a tidy profit. HDB data in Sept 2024 showed that the first flats in Bidadari - the four-room types - were resold for between $937,500 and $1.17 million, and one home owner made a $500,000 profit after selling his five-roomer for $1.2 million. But this estate once again turned heads after a three-room HDB unit there changed hands for $900,000 last month.

A group of tourists, including several from Singapore, lost over $15,000 worth of luxury goods after they were stolen from their tour bus in Europe. One of the five victims, surnamed Huang, told Shin Min Daily News that she joined an 11-day Europe tour with her mother, which started on Dec 13.  There were a total 33 people in the tour group, which visited several countries including France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Italy.  Huang, 38, recounted that the incident happened at about 9pm, when the group left the bus for dinner.  The secretary realised her newly-purchased items, including a Saint Laurent bag worth $2,734, were gone after the group returned to the bus some 45 minutes later. Huang said she placed her purchases inside her luggage, which was stored inside the vehicle's storage compartment, before leaving for dinner.  When she returned, her entire luggage was missing.  «It was the first time I bought a [branded] bag, and it was lost so quickly. It was heartbreaking,» said Huang.

A motorcyclist caused his pillion rider to fall off his bike while attempting to avoid a traffic police officer on an expressway. The incident, which occurred on Jan 6, was captured in a video posted on the Singapore Road Accidents Facebook page.  In the video, the motorcyclist was seen throwing an object at the traffic police officer before making a sharp on the BKE exit towards Choa Chu Kang Road.  The drastic manoeuvre, however, caused the pillion to fall onto the road as the pursuit continued.  The video caption claimed that the pillion ran into the forest near the expressway after falling off the vehicle. 

A 41-year-old man was arrested for being a public nuisance after he was witnessed urinating on the handrail of an escalator at Outram Park MRT station on Jan 10. In a post on the Complaint Singapore Facebook group on Jan 11, user Stella Kee said that her friend had witnessed a man walking to the escalator handrail and urinating on it, near Exit 3 of the station, at about 10pm on Jan 10. She also shared a three-second video of a man in a black T-shirt and grey pants standing near the handrail. Describing the incident as “disturbing”, she said one of the witnesses rushed to the nearest passenger service counter to report the issue, while another kept an eye on the man. However, just as one of the witnesses was about to confront the man, he noticed that he was being watched and left using the lift, she added. “Upon closer inspection, the entire handrail of the escalator was contaminated with his urine,” she said. In response to The Straits Times’ queries, the police confirmed that a report was lodged and said that they have established the man’s identity.

Our MRT system stands out among other subway networks worldwide for so many things we can be proud of: its chop-chop efficiency and reliability, its crisp cleanliness, its comfortable design. And then — sigh — there are the public station and train announcements, which include: «Molestation and taking upskirt photos is a serious offence.» «Please be considerate and do not sit on the floor.» PHOTO: Pexels «For your safety, cycling is not allowed on the railway premises.» «If you see any suspicious-looking person or article, please inform our staff or press the emergency communication button located at the side of the train doors.»

Entire neighbourhoods in California have been levelled after wildfires tore through parts of Los Angeles since last Tuesday (Jan 7). According to ABC News on Sunday, it is estimated that the fires could be the costliest in US history, destroying more than 12,000 structures, including multimillion-dollar properties across the Pacific Palisades and Malibu, home to many Hollywood stars. One Singaporean woman living in the US has also expressed fear that her family's beachfront mansion in Malibu is among the many homes that have been incinerated by the fire. The 39-year-old homemaker, Zeng Xiangting (transliteration), currently lives in West Los Angeles with her husband and children, reported Shin Min Daily News. She shared that while they remain safe from the wildfires for now, their holiday home overlooking Malibu beach is unlikely to have survived the fire. Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, she shared that the house is usually used by her mother-in-law to conduct tea ceremony classes.

SINGAPORE - It was an ordinary day at work for assistant station manager Husri Hussein on Jan 3, until he received an alert on his walkie-talkie at 1.45pm that the emergency communication button had been activated on a train pulling into Dover station. With no other information, Mr Husri and Mr Tan Tuck Yong, senior station manager at Dover station, swiftly boarded the train, where they spotted a young man shouting «mummy not picking up» in agitation and slamming his hands on the seats next to him. The other passengers were either moving away from the cabin or staring at the young man in fear, observed Mr Husri, 40. As the father of a child with special needs, the scene was all too familiar to Mr Husri. His 10-year-old son, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also shows his anxiety through actions whenever his daily routine is disrupted. The assistant station manager knew he had to approach the young man gently, so he sat next to him and was quiet for close to 30 seconds to give him time to cool down.

SINGAPORE - The weekend plans of many were scuppered by incessant rain that began early on Jan 10 and continued well into Jan 11 - including travel plans. More than 50 Singapore Airlines flights over the two days were delayed or re-timed due to the inclement weather, said a spokesman for the national carrier. At the Aloha Sea Sports Centre in East Coast Park, where water-sports lovers go to stand-up paddle and windsurf, weekends are usually the busiest, but the constant showers led to 10 cancellations for bookings on both Jan 11 and 12, said general manager Loh Fock Jin. He said on Jan 11: «We've had totally zero business. »It's a very unusual season - the north-east monsoon should be entering a dry spell around this time and we should be getting strong trade winds. «Things are getting unpredictable.» The unseasonably wet weather is the product of a monsoon surge - a sudden increase in wind speeds that causes cold air to rush southwards in the South China Sea.

Exhaustion from long working hours is a common complaint among many. But imagine working over 15 hours a day, with only one rest day a month. This was the reality for domestic helper Ria (name changed to preserve anonymity) whose work day begins pre-dawn at 5.30am and ends at 11pm. The gruelling cycle repeats a few hours later. On Jan 5, Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home) posted a photo Ria shared with them — her detailed daily work schedule. Based on the photo, Ria's daily chores include sweeping and mopping the car park, preparing food for her employers and clearing the rubbish among others.

SINGAPORE - The home addresses of about 80 people were changed online without their knowledge, after scammers had obtained their NRIC and Singpass details. Scammers had used compromised Singpass accounts to circumvent several security safeguards in the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority's (ICA) change of address system. Initially, only several cases were reported in 2024. But they've increased recently, and it appears this is one method for crime syndicates to gain access to and control the victims' Singpass accounts. On Saturday (Jan 11), ICA said it started investigating cases of unauthorised changes of residential addresses in September 2024. All NRIC holders are required to report a change of address within 28 days of moving into a new residence, whether it is located in or outside Singapore. Anyone who reports a false residential address can be fined up to $3,000, jailed for two years, or both. It is also an offence if a user does not fix the new address sticker to the NRIC.

One lucky punter returned to the «source» of her good fortune, this time with even greater grandeur, after her prayers were answered. During a ceremony on Thursday (Jan 9) to express gratitude for winning $130,000 in the Toto New Year Draw, the woman prayed in front of the Erawan Shrine in a store at People's Park Centre in Chinatown. She also hired four traditional Thai dancers, with their 10-minute performance attracting several curious passers-by, who took photos with their mobile phones, reported Shin Min Daily News. The lucky winner, who declined to give her name, said that she had arranged for the dancers after learning that it is a practice punters would do to give thanks after winning the lottery. Photos were also shared on the store's Facebook page that same day, showing the traditional dancers performing before the store's entrance surrounded by a small crowd. There were also photos of a shrine with a cheque worth more than $130,000. She first started buying lottery tickets five years ago on a whim or whenever there was a large prize up for grabs.

Malware scams involving phishing links sent through messaging platform WhatsApp have led to at least $625,000 in losses since last December. Giving the figures in a news release on Friday (Jan 10), the Singapore Police Force said at least 82 cases of such scams have been reported. The victims fell into a recent type of scam when they responded to fraudulent advertisements promoting travel and cleaning services on Facebook or TikTok. After leaving their contact details to indicate their interest, scammers would contact them through WhatsApp to request for a $5 payment as «membership fee or an upfront deposit» made through a phishing link. The victims would key in their credit or debit card details and encounter payment issues. Scammers would then instruct them to download a malicious application in an Android package kit (APK) file format through WhatsApp to 'resolve' the payment issues. The malware, once downloaded, would allow scammers to steal sensitive information such as SMS one-time passwords.

SINGAPORE — A married couple and their teenage daughter lived in the five-room flat in Hougang that was engulfed in flames on Jan 9. The fire broke out at about 12.40pm in the third-floor unit of Block 971 Hougang Street 91. The occupants of the flat were Lee Choon Geak, 62; his wife, Seow Siew Choo, 56; and their teenage daughter. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) responded and arrived at the scene in eight minutes from the time they were alerted. Firefighters had to force their way into the unit, but faced challenges because of the excessive amount of items and heavily smoke-logged condition inside. The Straits Times understands that only Lee's body has been identified so far, as the bodies of the other victims suffered significant burns. According to records, Lee married Seow in 1992 and the family moved into the flat in 2019. Neighbours said the flat was cluttered, and the family owned several pets, including a cat, a bird and rabbits, causing a stench along the corridor. They said the family would often bring home a mix of items and leave them outside the unit.

SINGAPORE — The teenager involved in a motorcycle chase that led to the death of a Land Transport Authority (LTA) officer in 2024 has pleaded guilty to various charges. Through his lawyer, the offender, now 19, also apologised to the family of the officer and retracted an earlier statement that he made saying he was «not to be blamed» for the officer's death. On Friday (Jan 10), the teen admitted to six charges, including riding a motorcycle in a dangerous manner and drug consumption. Seven other charges will be taken into consideration during his sentencing on Jan 23. The teen cannot be named, as he was 17 years old when he consumed methamphetamine. Those below 18 are protected under the Children and Young Persons Act. On June 4, 2024, the teen illegally rode a motorcycle along the Seletar Expressway in a dangerous manner to evade LTA enforcement officer Zdulfika Ahakasah, 26, who had ordered him to stop. Zdulfika crashed his motorcycle while chasing the teen and subsequently died in hospital.

Four years ago, Xander Lee experienced a meltdown while sitting for a PSLE paper and left the examination hall without completing it. Xander, who was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) when he was nine, was disappointed with his PSLE results. On Friday (Jan 10), however, the 16-year-old roared with delight upon collecting his O-level result slip at Zhonghua Secondary School, exclaiming it to be «way better than expected». The teen achieved an EL1R2B2 score of 11, confirming his spot in Ngee Ann Polytechnic's Film, Sound & Video diploma course which he had secured through the Early Admissions Exercise. Entering Zhonghua Secondary via the Normal (Academic) stream, Xander told AsiaOne he initially faced difficulties in adapting to the new environment and «easily» gave in to impulsive thoughts. With ADHD, Xander struggled to stay focused in class and was hyperactive, while his ODD manifested in frequent bouts of anger and defiance against authority and often led to meltdowns.

Singapore experienced its hottest year in 2024, tied with 2019 and 2016, said the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) on Friday (Jan 10). According to MSS' Singapore Climate 2024: The Year in Numbers report, all months recorded temperatures that were equal to or above their respective long-term averages.  Long-term average refers to the average temperature between 1991 and 2020, while MSS's temperature records date back to 1929. April was the warmest month in 2024 with a mean temperature of 29.4 degrees Celsius. It was also the warmest April on record, tied with 2016. It was closely followed by July which had a mean temperature of 29.3 degrees Celsius.

Three residents were found dead after a fire broke out in an Hougang HDB flat on Thursday (Jan 9). The fire occurred in a third floor unit of Block 971 Hougang Street 91 at around 12.40pm, according to a Facebook post by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). Firefighters from Sengkang Fire Station and Ang Mo Kio Fire Station were deployed and conducted forcible entry into the unit but faced difficulties due to excessive items within the unit, SCDF added.  Around 30 residents in the affected block were evacuated by the police and SCDF during firefighting operations as a precautionary measure. Three residents were found inside a bedroom during the firefighting efforts and were pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic. Firefighters used three water jets and a firefighting robot to extinguish the fire. According to the SCDF, the fire was put out at about 3.15pm. A cat, a bird and eight rabbits were also rescued from the unit.

Whether it's jetting off for a trip across the globe or a short getaway nearby, Singaporeans enjoy the luxury of travelling without much worry about getting a visa, thanks to the strength of our passport.  Singapore has yet again emerged strongly, having the world's most powerful passport according to the 2025 Henley Passport Index. This is the second year in a row that Singapore has clinched the top spot since 2024. For those who aren't familiar, the Henley Passport Index is compiled by global citizenship and advisory firm Henley & Partners based on the number of visa-free destinations the passport holders has access to. It includes 199 passports and 227 travel destinations.  Based on the index's latest rankings released this Wednesday (Jan 8), Singapore currently ranks number one — with visa-free access to 195 travel destinations.  In January 2024, Singapore also ranked first but alongside France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain with visa-free access to 194 destinations.

SINGAPORE - A senior concierge, accused of misappropriating nearly $47,700 in cash earlier collected from a condominium's residents, is also said to have stolen valuables worth over $2 million from a unit at the same property. Eric Lim Jin Rong, 31, who appeared in a district court on Thursday (Jan 9), is accused of one count each of criminal breach of trust and theft. Between December 2023 and June 2024, the Singaporean allegedly misappropriated the money received from residents of the Hilltops condominium in Cairnhill Circle. Court documents stated that the money was meant for condominium-related purposes such as management fees and security deposits. Separately, Lim is also said to have stolen more than $2 million worth of valuables from a unit at the same property on June 4, 2024. They included a Patek Philippe watch worth $1.8 million. His pre-trial conference will be held on Jan 16. If convicted of theft, he can be jailed for up to seven years and fined. Offenders convicted of criminal breach of trust can be jailed for up to 15 years and fined.