Seniors in Singapore spend an average of $2,278 annually on lottery tickets, one study has found, with about half of those surveyed reporting net winnings in the past year. These findings were based on a paper titled «Consumption Responses to Income Shocks through Lottery Winning: Evidence from Older Adults in Singapore» published in 2024 by Koh Kanghyock and Kim Seonghoon, reported Lianhe Zaobao. The latter is an Associate Professor of Economics at Singapore Management University, as well as the Deputy Director at the Centre for Research on Successful Ageing (ROSA), according to the university's website, while Kang is an Associate Professor at the Department of Economics at Korea University. Based on data from 58.9 per cent of those surveyed, the average lottery expenditure in the last 12 months was $2,278. About 51 per cent of them reported that they had won a net positive amount in the last 12 months, with the average prize money at $1,090. This survey involved 6,212 individuals aged between 50 and 70.

SINGAPORE — In the heat of an argument over parenting styles, a woman threatened her husband that she would tell the police he had raped her, and told their teenage son she was going to kill his father in his sleep. Jessinta Tan Suat Lin, 50, also hit a female neighbour with a mop until its aluminium handle broke into three because the latter did not stop skipping rope in a common area after Tan asked her to. On Jan 2, Tan pleaded guilty to three charges — one each for committing a rash act, voluntarily causing hurt and harassment. Two other charges — for harassment and another rash act — will be taken into consideration for sentencing. The housewife is a former journalist who previously worked with news platforms including Today. On the evening of Feb 16, 2024, Tan was at home at Westmont condominium in West Coast Road when her neighbour began exercising with a skipping rope at the common area near the swimming pool. Frustrated because her son wanted to rest, Tan approached her neighbour and asked her to stop exercising, but she refused.

Some Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) officers were in for a treat yesterday (Jan 1) when they received a cake from their Malaysian counterpart at the ICA Woodlands checkpoint. In a Facebook post on the same day, the Malaysian immigration authorities wrote: «In conjunction with this new year's celebration, the Sultan Iskandar Building Immigration Office is pleased to hand over [our] gift in the form of a cake to our colleagues at ICA Woodlands.» «We thank you and may this practice continue every year as a symbol of the goodwill relationship between the authorities of the two countries. Happy New Year 2025.» Photos uploaded together with the post show Sultan Iskandar Building's Deputy Chief of Immigration Vimala Ramalinggam smiling as she handed the confectionery to Senior Assistant Commander Superintendent Lee Lai Yen. The rainbow cake received by ICA was adorned with red and white cream roses with well-wishes «Happy New Year 2025. Peace, prosperity, safety!» written on it. 

It takes 50 minutes to fly from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, but for one woman recently, it took two days. She boarded her Scoot flight at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Dec 28 evening and after a series of unfortunate circumstances, Stomp contributor Annah landed at Changi Airport only two days later on a different airline. Her original Scoot flight TR469 was scheduled to depart at 7.10pm on Dec 28, but a technical fault was detected. «We remained on the aircraft until they asked us to deplane at about 9pm,» recounted the Stomp contributor. «The new scheduled departure was an hour later. So we just hung around in the airport. They boarded us again at 10.30pm, but they couldn't take off due to same technical issues »Around 12:15am, they declared the flight cancelled and offered to two options: cancel and get 100 per cent refund or wait for them to work on hotels and a new flight." She said there were many children and elderly people on the flight and the passengers started getting upset as the ground staff were not providing information such as the time of the new flight.

A motorist was so astounded by the behaviour of a woman that he likened it to something you see on National Geographic. Stomp contributor Lee alerted Stomp to the videos of the incident in the carpark behind Ang Mo Kio Hub on the afternoon of New Year's Eve posted by Facebook user Ma Jian Ting, who was the motorist. He was waiting for a car to leave a lot before reversing into it, but as soon as the car departed, a red Byd Atto drove forward and a woman in a red top got out of the passenger side. Stepping forward, she raised her right hand to stop Ma from reversing into the lot so that the Byd could park there instead. After parking, the Byd driver got out of the car and both women took out their phones and appeared to take photos or videos of Ma's vehicle. Ma posted on Facebook: "Never in my life have I witnessed someone claim parking spaces like they were defending a sacred relic. Apparently, the entire street was her personal empire, and I was foolish enough to think I could park there.

A woman has penned an open letter to a boy's parents, after allegedly witnessing their domestic helper slapping him. The incident occurred at Kinex Mall located at Tanjong Katong last Saturday evening (Dec 28), according to a post submitted to the Complaint Singapore Instagram page on Thursday. «Hi mummy/daddy, if this is your helper, I just want to let you know that my family witnessed her slapping your son (wearing red) yesterday,» the user wrote, stating that it happened after they had just arrived at the indoor playground Wan To Play Space at about 6.50pm. She alleged that the boy had pushed the helper out of mischief, to which the helper swiftly retaliated. «She quickly turned around and gave him a very hard loud slap at his neck/face,» added the eyewitness who shared that the helper had «probably missed» his face. The eyewitness stated that she then voiced her displeasure and shock that the other woman had hit the child before leaving the area.

SINGAPORE - As he looked back on a year of robust debates in Parliament covering topics such as digital safety and anti-money laundering laws, Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh said the party would continue to work hard and secure the people's support ahead of the general election in 2025. In his New Year message posted on the WP Facebook page on Dec 31, the Leader of the Opposition said the WP firmly believes that «constructive parliamentary debates and the diligent responsiveness of policymakers to inquiries» result in improved policy outcomes for Singapore and Singaporeans. «Towards this aim, we worked and played our part as a loyal opposition in Parliament in 2024,» said Singh. His party has eight MPs in the House. In his message, he cited former president and People's Action Party (PAP) deputy prime minister Tony Tan, who in his memoirs launched in March said he felt Singapore was moving towards a two-party system. Singh said: "The Workers' Party has played its part to promote a more stable political arrangement for Singapore, where alternative views do not just have a voice, but a vote in Parliament.

A Singapore-registered car drove off after colliding with a motorcycle in Johor Bahru on Dec 29. Dashcam footage of the incident shared on X show a white sedan switching lanes to head in the direction of the Causeway towards Woodlands at 5.39pm. It knocks over a motorcycle and briefly stops ahead of the bike but drives off once the motorcyclist gets back up. The car, however, gets stuck in traffic, which allows a policeman to reach it on foot just two minutes after the collision. PHOTO: Screengrab/X/Update11111 Some Malaysian netizens were enraged by the incident, accusing Singaporeans of being disrespectful while in other countries. One X user tagged Singapore's police, government agencies and even Singapore Airlines to complain: «The country is rich but poor in manners.»

Two bulk carriers collided in China's Yangtze river, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on Tuesday (Dec 31), adding that no injuries to the crew were reported. Vega Dream, owned and operated by Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, collided with Yangze 22, the bulk carrier sailing under the Singaporean flag, on Dec 30, although the vessels were in stable condition, the MPA said. Yangze 22, whose hull was damaged by the collision, was reported to have spilt about nine metric tonnes of fuel oil. It is currently stationed at Hengsha East Anchorage for damage assessment, Singapore's port authority said. Officials from Mitsui O.S.K. Lines were not immediately available for comment. The Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) has been conducting the clean-up of the fuel oil spillage along with several support craft deployed by Yangze 22's company, the MPA said in a statement. The MPA did not immediately respond to a Reuters request seeking additional details on Yangze 22.

SINGAPORE — For the past year, Gerald Lim, 37, has been ferrying pupils to their primary schools in his Toyota Prius every weekday morning. The full-time private-hire car driver is among 60 to 70 drivers engaged by Lylo, a Singapore car rental and concierge company, for its school transport service. It costs between $20 and $50 per trip for every child, depending on distance and the type of vehicle used. If there are other children living close enough requesting the service to the same school, the company can carpool them. This brings the price down to between $8 and $15 a trip for each child. This means parents could spend anywhere between $160 and $300 a month for one-way carpooled trips for their children to or from school. The monthly fee is paid in advance, after the route and rate have been confirmed with Lylo. In comparison, school bus services can cost up to $240 a month for a one-way trip of no more than 4km from the school. Those living farther will be charged more if the bus operator can accommodate them.

SINGAPORE – Jubilant celebrations took place across more than 23 locations in Singapore as the country rang in 2025 with fireworks, drone shows, and even a K-pop mass dance event. While tens of thousands flocked to Marina Bay and the Kallang Basin areas to catch the fireworks display that lit up the skies every Dec 31st, many opted for locations closer to home, at 17 countdown celebrations in the heartlands organised to kick off the Republic’s diamond jubilee, dubbed SG60. They included social media executive Stephanie Tay, 25, who has a tradition of attending countdown celebrations every year with her husband and son. This year, for the first time, they joined the one at Our Tampines Hub. She was not disappointed - the Tampines countdown featured live music performances and a skating rink, though families donned rollerblades instead of ice skates and bubbles took the place of snow.

SINGAPORE — Singapore's economy grew four per cent in 2024, exceeding expectations, while median income has risen by 2.2 per cent per annum above inflation over the past decade. Unlike in many developed countries, Singapore is not plagued by unemployment and stagnant wages. Most workers have received wage increases that outpace inflation, making them better off in real terms, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who expects real incomes to rise further. In his first New Year message on Dec 31 as prime minister, he said the collective effort of Team Singapore made all the difference — be it overcoming crises, supporting one another in times of need, or striving for excellence on the global stage. This Team Singapore spirit must be carried into 2025 and beyond, said PM Wong, adding that he will set out the next steps of Forward Singapore in Budget 2025. The Budget speech will be delivered in Parliament on Feb 18. Through Forward Singapore, policies will be revised, attitudes and mindsets reset, and the Singapore Dream refreshed.

A woman was shocked to return home from holiday with her family to find that her Filipino maid had disappeared, along with $500 missing from the house. Zhang, a 40-year-old bank clerk, told Shin Min Daily News that she hired her maid, Giselle, in July this year. But a month later, she reportedly borrowed $500 from loan sharks.  «She performed well at work. In August, when I checked her chat history on her phone, I found out that she had borrowed money from loan sharks,» said Zhang. She told Shin Min that Giselle had also provided Zhang's information to the money lenders.  Zhang then reportedly brought Giselle to the police station to file a report and warned her not to repeat her actions. In December, Zhang who, was vacationing in Japan with her family, grew worried when she noticed no activity on her home's CCTV cameras. After checking the footage, she discovered that her 39-year-old maid had left their home the previous day with a small bag and has not returned since. 

Two Singaporeans were rescued on Monday (Dec 30) after they lost their way climbing a mountain in Langkawi, Malaysia. In a Facebook post on Monday, the Padang Matsirat fire and rescue department said they dispatched a team to search for the pair after receiving a call for assistance at 10.30pm on Sunday. The search for the hikers began just after midnight, starting at their last known location. Rescue personnel found Wang Cheng Kang, 23, and Li Shuen Qi, 25, at 2.48am and escorted them down the mountain, the Straits Times reported. They reached the foot of the mountain at 4.35am. «They started climbing Mount Mat Cincang at 12.02pm and are believed to have gotten lost due to the darkness,» said fire and rescue station chief Zaidi Lazim. Wang and Li were subsequently handed over to the police for further action, Bernama reported.

When the relationship between a landlady and her tenant became strained, the latter decided to move out and asked for her $600 rental deposit back. Their discussion allegedly turned physical after the landlady took offence when asked: «Do you really need this $600?» The conflict, which occurred on Dec 24, saw the police called in, reported Shin Min Daily News. The tenant from Malaysia, surnamed Chen, told the Chinese evening daily that she was renting the bedroom of a Marsiling HDB flat, and had negotiated the monthly rent from $600 to $580. Prior to moving in on Oct 31, the woman said the landlady had also agreed that she could cook in the kitchen. However, her monthly rent was reportedly raised to $600 after moving in. Chen said she uses the kitchen about four to five times a week. She claimed that the landlady would complain and shoot her dirty looks whenever she cooks, causing their relationship to become strained. On Dec 24, the tenant told her landlord she did not want to stay on and asked for her deposit back.

Amid the north-east monsoon and record rainfall events over the past few months, flash floods have hit Singapore on at least three occasions.  The most recent occurred in the evening of Dec 29, when several places including Dunearn Road, Bukit Timah Road near King Albert Park, and Balmoral Road were inundated.  Cars were stranded along many of the affected roads. The rainy north-east monsoon season, in particular, made November Singapore’s wettest since rainfall data collection began in 1980. This wet phase of the monsoon is expected to persist until late January 2025. “We are unable to predict the intensity of these showers far ahead of time, as rainstorms can develop quickly in Singapore’s climate,” said Mr Maurice Neo, director of the catchment and waterways department at national water agency PUB. “However, extremely heavy rainfall over a short period can sometimes exceed the capacity that the drains are designed for. That is when flash floods – small and localised floods that typically do not last for more than an hour – may occur,” he added.

A teen boy with special needs keeps stealing the e-bikes of food delivery riders in Woodlands and they are appealing for the authorities to do something about it. One of the delivery riders, Stomp contributor Tay, said they have been grappling with this «unique and persistent» issue since November. «A 14-year-old boy, reportedly carrying a special needs card, has been repeatedly stealing e-bikes and opening delivery bags to take the riders' belongings,» said the Stomp contributor. «Despite multiple police reports, the issue remains unresolved, leaving the riders frustrated and concerned. The boy targets e-bikes parked in the area every few days. Some of us also caught him in the act and even provided photos and videos of his actions. »However, due to the boy's condition, authorities are unable to press charges or detain him for long. Each time he is apprehended, he is released the following day, only to resume his disruptive activities."

Lucky punters will have the chance to win an estimated $8.2 million at the first Toto draw of 2025 happening this week. The Group 1 jackpot has snowballed after no winners were chosen at the past two draws on Dec 26 and Dec 30.  According to Singapore Pools' website, the prize started at $1.3 million on Dec 26 before snowballing to $3.2 million on Dec 30. The last draw occurred on Monday (Dec 30), yielding two Group 2 winners who shared the prize of $203,722. Extended operating hours for New Year Draw The 2025 TOTO New Year Draw will take place on Friday (Jan 3) at 9.30pm. All Singapore Pools' outlets will be extending their operating hours for the draw and will be open till 9pm on Friday. Authorised retailers will also be open from 8am to 8pm on Wednesday and Thursday.

A Singaporean hiker in Taiwan was rescued by a helicopter after fracturing her foot during a climb on Sunday (Dec 29). The woman, reportedly in her 30s, and her friends were trekking Xueshan (Snow Mountain) in Taichung when she fell, according to ET Today. As she was unable to walk, her friends called emergency services for help and carried her to a nearby lodge. Subsequently, a helicopter was dispatched to the lodge. Because of the steep terrain, rescuers decided to hoist the woman up to the aircraft, United Daily News reported. A clip of the operation shared online shows a crew member and the hiker being hoisted up and pulled into the cabin. After the helicopter arrived at Ching Chuan Kang air base, an ambulance took the Singaporean to hospital for medical treatment.

Households in Singapore can expect to see a dip in electricity and gas prices from January to March 2025, due to lower energy costs.  The electricity tariff will fall by 3.4 per cent or 0.98 cent per kilowatt hour (kWh) before GST, said SP Group on Monday (Dec 30). This translates to a revised pricing of 28.12 cents per kWh, down from the current 29.10 cents.   With the new tariff, the average monthly electricity bill for a family living in a four-room HDB flat, for example, will drop by $3.58. Electricity bills are calculated using four components, including the cost of energy and the cost of operating the power stations, among others. SP Group said it reviews electricity tariffs every quarter based on guidelines set by industry regulator the Energy Market Authority (EMA). Fees may also fluctuate due to global fuel prices. 

Having just touched down in Rome, Italy, a pair of Singaporean travellers made a pit stop at a mall to purchase some essentials. When they headed back to their rental vehicle, however, they found the car's side passenger window smashed and their belongings missing. In a TikTok video uploaded on Dec 25, Cindy Ng said the alleged theft occurred at a mall minutes away from Rome Fiumicino Airport. The culprits had allegedly stolen the travellers' passports and luggage stored in the car, leaving only their coats behind. Ng told AsiaOne the incident, which occurred on Nov 9, left her «completely dumbfounded». When she realised that their belongings had gone missing, the woman said: «My heart sank.» "This was supposed to be the start of an amazing trip, yet here we were, wondering how we’d manage the next eight days with nothing but a coat. How would we survive without our essentials? What about the cold weather?

Over 950,000 Singaporean households living in HDB flats will receive rebates for their utility and conservancy bills in January. Eligible households will receive up to $285 worth of U-Save and up to a month's worth of Service & Conservancy Charges (S&CC) rebates depending on their flat types, announced the Ministry of Finance (MOF) on Monday (Dec 30).  This will be the fourth disbursement of rebates for the 2024 financial year. Households previously received disbursements in April, July and October.  These are part of permanent GST Voucher (GSTV) and Assurance Package schemes to help lower- to middle-income households with the rising cost of living. In total, eligible households will receive 2.5 times the amount of regular U-Save rebates, as well as up to four months of S&CC rebates this financial year. «On average, this will cover about eight months of utility bills for those living in one- and two-room flats, and about four months of utility bills for those living in three- and four-room flats,» said MOF. 

Tiles falling from the archway at Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple hit a man on Sunday (Dec 29) morning, leaving scratches on his arm. Eyewitness Song Kangming (transliteration) told Lianhe Zaobao that he was waiting in line to enter the temple's hall when three tiles fell from the archway. «I heard a loud 'bang' and there was chaos at the scene,» Song recalled.  One tile had struck the arm of a man in his 50s who was picking up incense sticks, he told 8world. Song also heard a crash out of his line of sight and spun around to see a frightened woman carrying her baby. «Fortunately, the woman and her child managed to avoid getting hit,» he said. Speaking with Zaobao, Song surmised that the archway may have not been properly maintained, resulting in the tiles falling. «The Lunar New Year is coming soon and there will be a lot of devotees,» he said. «I hope Kwan Im Thong Temple can take measures as soon as possible to ensure their safety.» When an 8world reporter visited the temple on Monday morning, they noticed that the damaged parts of the archway had been covered up and that repair works were underway.

PHU THO — The Singapore footballers arrived in Vietnam aware of their mission: Strike early to silence the vociferous home crowd in a bid to claw back the 2-0 semi-final, first-leg deficit at the Asean Championship. And while the Lions were able to find the net as early as the 10th minute, it was contentiously ruled out in the first sign of what would ultimately be a night of frustration as the Lions' comeback mission unravelled at the Viet Tri Stadium in the Phu Tho province. On Dec 29, it was Vietnam, backed by a raucous sea of 15,284 supporters, who emerged 3-1 victors for a 5-1 aggregate victory. Lions captain Hariss Harun, who collected his 138th cap, was downcast after the final whistle as he trudged to the team bus with his teammates. When asked about Faris Ramli's disallowed goal, the 34-year-old shrugged his shoulders and said: «it is what it is.» He added: «When we saw the ball hit the net, we were all given an extra boost. We wanted to get the ball and start again, but then there was a long wait. So it was tough. »It's always tough to come here to play. I think we threw everything that we possibly could.

Heavy rainfall across Singapore for two hours caused flash floods in Bukit Timah on Sunday (Dec 29), leaving some cars partially submerged in floodwaters. National water agency PUB issued flood risk warnings for nearly 20 locations including Bukit Timah, Toa Payoh, Choa Chu Kang and Chinatown.  One heavily impacted area was along Tan Kim Cheng Road where the Lutheran Towers are located. Speaking with 8world, a car owner surnamed Zhang said that he was alerted by his mother about the flash flood at around 5.20pm. «The flooding today is particularly severe,» he said. «In the past, the water level only reached my ankles, but this time it was up to my waist - high enough to kayak.» He estimated the water level to be about a metre high. Zhang and other people who parked their cars in the area were also seen removing water from their cars at 6.20pm. Bukit Timah prone to flooding: PUB According to PUB, flash floods occurred along Dunearn Road and Bukit Timah Road near King Albert Park from 5pm. They were caused by high water levels in the adjacent drains and Bukit Timah Canal.

Passengers on board a Scoot flight scheduled to depart from Kuala Lumpur on Saturday (Dec 28) reportedly had to disembark the aircraft twice due to a technical issue. Jason Tan, who was on board flight TR469, told 8world that the plane had yet to take off for Singapore an hour after its scheduled departure time of 7.10pm. «The air-con was not turned on, and it was hard to breathe,» he said.  Tan said the crew then announced that the plane had encountered a technical issue and asked all passengers to disembark. According to him, everyone was allowed to board again an hour later, and informed that the plane would take off at 11.30pm. At about midnight, however, the aircraft was still on the tarmac, and passengers had to disembark again because of the technical issue. Describing the situation as «chaotic», Tan said that passengers were given two choices - either cancel their tickets or wait for Scoot to arrange for their accommodation and the next flight to Singapore. «The Scoot staff said that the airline will refund passengers who cancel their tickets, but there was no elaboration on compensation,» he said.

A pair of Onisuka Tiger sneakers for only 99 cents. The brand's Singapore website shows the Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 to be priced at $190. The deal was too good to be true, so it couldn't be true.  But Wu, 62, did not want to miss the opportunity he saw on TikTok at noon on Dec 18. He clicked on the ad to buy a pair of the shoes and was directed to another webpage where he had to fill in his card details. «I thought that was a bit weird because I am always prompted to use pre-saved details when I buy something on TikTok,» he told Shin Min Daily News. Wu was also asked to key in a one-time password. He also made other purchases on TikTok that day, so he did not pay attention to the multiple SMSes he received from the bank regarding transfers made out of his account. «I remember there was more than $2,000 in my bank account, but two days later I found only $7 left. I checked and found multiple transfer records.» Wu banked in $1,000 on Dec 20 but his balance stood at only $9 the following day.

A Singaporean woman wants compensation from a Johor Bahru hotel after finding a bed bug on the bed she was sleeping in. Stomp contributor Angela shared a video of the insect on the bed sheet. She and five friends had booked three rooms at Hallmark Regency Hotel via the Agoda website. «Two of us went a day early on Dec 13 to spend more time to do our shopping while the remaining four would join us the next day,» said the Stomp contributor. The plan was for all six of them to check out on Dec 15. «We checked in the hotel around 3pm,» recounted the Stomp contributor. «We went out and came back hotel around 3am. We showered and chat a bit. At around 4am, we went to bed. »But I couldn't sleep as I felt my body was itchy. At around 5am, I went to the toilet. I checked my body and that was when I noticed I hade a few bites on my body, including my butt. «I woke my friend up. and we saw the bed bug crawling on the bed as seen in the video I sent you.» She also shared a photo of the insect bites on her left buttock.