A myriad of programmes will be held next year in commemoration of Singapore's 60th birthday. Speaking at the Community Club Management Committees' (CCMC) 60th Anniversary dinner at One Punggol on Monday night (Nov 4), Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that these events will be platforms for Singaporeans to connect, contribute and show care for one another. PM Wong, who also chairs the People's Association (PA), announced that the theme of SG60, Building Our Singapore Together, will support Singaporeans' commitment to a renewed social compact during the Forward Singapore exercise. “So we will have more opportunities, more platforms in SG60 next year for Singaporeans to connect with one another from all walks of life, for us to show our care and support for one another, and for everyone to contribute actively, in big ways or small to our community and to our nation”, said PM Wong. 

A myriad of programmes will be held next year in commemoration of Singapore's 60th birthday. Speaking at the Community Club Management Committees' (CCMC) 60th Anniversary dinner at One Punggol on Monday night (Nov 4), Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that these events will be platforms for Singaporeans to connect, contribute and show care for one another. PM Wong, who also chairs the People's Association (PA), announced that the theme of SG60, Building Our Singapore Together, will support Singaporeans' commitment to a renewed social compact during the Forward Singapore exercise. «SG60 aims to celebrate our nation-building journey and reflect on our shared values of multiculturalism, boldness, resilience and openness that have united and allowed us to prosper against the odds,» he said. These SG60 programmes will provide opportunities for Singaporeans to collaborate, share ideas, and co-create solutions to shape the future of the Singapore story. The list of upcoming programmes includes Chingay, a annual parade organised by PA to celebrate Singapore's multiculturalism.

She called it the craziest plane ride of her life. TikToker Bernice Lim posted a video on Sunday (Nov 3) recounting a wild 13-hour flight on Singapore Airlines that brought her back to where she started. She and her family were on the SQ878 flight from Singapore to Taipei on Thursday. «My family was so excited because this was their first time flying Singapore Airlines,» said the TikToker in the almost two-minute video.

A woman has claimed that a school bully punched and kicked her 11-year-old son for ignoring him. Chen, 46, told 8World that her son was hospitalised after coming home from a school in the north with a swollen head and complaining of nausea. «I'm so heartbroken that I don't know how to describe it,» said the single mother. Chen said that the bullying incident happened on Oct 8 afternoon, while her son and his classmates were waiting at the canteen for an oral examination. According to the boy's version of events told by his mother, he had slipped after placing his hand on a freshly-painted wall. Chen said that her son ignored a classmate who asked what had happened. She added that the classmate then became «angry» and hurled profanities at her son, who later told him to «don't talk to me like that». The classmate then pushed Chen's son to the ground, while punching and kicking him. A teacher was notified and brought the boy to the school office for medical treatment. According to Chen, the bully is one or two years older than her son but is also in the Primary 5 cohort.

A person was sentenced to six months in jail and fined $306 for sharing his internet banking account details and One-Time Password with another person.  That person had allegedly received RM$1,000 (S$302) for the illegal arrangement, said the police in statement on Monday (Nov 4).  The person's bank account was then used to launder more than $160,000 of money obtained from criminal conduct.  The unnamed individual is one of 74 people arrested by the police between Sept 9 and Nov 1 for allowing their Singpass credentials or bank accounts to be used for criminal activity. A total of 59 men and 15 women, aged between 18 to 59, were charged in court under the new amendments to the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act and the Computer Misuse Act, said the police. Some cheated banks into opening accounts Some also cheated banks into opening personal bank accounts before handing over the ATM cards and credentials of the accounts to unknown persons. 

A metal rod collapsed and fell onto the road at a traffic junction in Jurong, narrowly missing the vehicles on the road below. The incident occurred on Oct 3 at approximately 9.28am at the junction between Jurong West Avenue 2 and Jalan Bahar, according to a video posted on SG Road Vigilante's Facebook page. The metal rod was from an MRT track being constructed for the Jurong Region Line (JRL). Traffic was moving as usual when the metal rod fell onto the road. The rod landed just slightly to the left of a white van, which stopped momentarily before continuing on its path. Vehicles behind the van were also seen driving slowly to avoid the rod.

SINGAPORE — More than 100 live quail chicks were found discarded in a green rubbish bin in Lim Chu Kang late on Oct 27. In a social media post on Nov 3, the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) said a person called its wildlife rescue hotline and reported hearing chirping sounds coming from the bin. Upon investigating, Acres found a quail chick on a black rubbish bag inside the bin, and heard more chirping from inside the bag. The bag contained a total of 106 live chicks, along with lifeless chicks and unhatched eggs, said Acres. «It was a frustrating find for us,» said the animal welfare group. «And despite our best efforts, none of the chicks survived.» Acres added that a case has been filed with the National Parks Board (NParks) to investigate the circumstances leading to the abandonment of such a large number of fertilised quail eggs and chicks. In response to queries from The Straits Times, NParks confirmed it had received feedback regarding the alleged abandonment of quail chicks and was looking into the matter.

Five years into his strength training journey, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam has achieved a new personal record. The 65-year-old lifted 65 kg during his deadlift attempt, completing an impressive 102 repetitions at the annual Chong Pang Fitness Fiesta on Saturday (Nov 2). Shanmugam, a Member of Parliament for Nee Soon GRC, had set his personal best in 40 minutes on the hard court near Block 165 Yishun Ring Road, reported Shin Min Daily News. He reportedly led about 100 residents in doing the challenge. «I was very sceptical that I could do 100 reps as I wasn't in great shape today,» he told 8World, adding he had a cough that day. «I'm pretty happy that I was able to do [it], which shows I'm in pretty good shape.» During the event in 2022, Shanmugam bested his previous record of 105kg by lifting one repetition of 125kg. For this year's Chong Pang Fitness Fiesta, participants are challenged to carry their body weight multiple times.

SINGAPORE - Owners of penthouse units in Haig Avenue who had put up unauthorised structures on their rooftops will be given time to regularise or remove them after inspections by the authorities found no structural safety issues. The case involves eight penthouses at two private residential developments - Rose Maison and EiS Residences - where rooftop structures such as glass-enclosed spaces, roof extensions and windowed rooms had been brought to the attention of the authorities.  Inspections began in June, but it remains unclear whether the home owners had submitted plans for approval. Responding to queries from The Straits Times, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and Building and Construction Authority (BCA), said: «URA is working directly with the subsidiary proprietors and the management corporations of the developments, where a reasonable time will be given for parties to regularise or remove any unauthorised structures, as the case may be.»

A woman was caught on camera having a meltdown over a fellow MRT commuter's foldable bicycle. The incident occurred on a train on the North-South Line on Oct 30, at around 10.25pm. The train had just reached Yishun MRT station when the woman suddenly had an angry outburst over a foldable bicycle that was parked in a corner of the train cabin. She started shouting and asking who the bicycle belonged to. A middle-aged auntie seated next to her male companion on the train responded. A video recorded by Stomp shows the auntie saying in Mandarin: «Did you see me anyhow put? I placed it there properly.» The woman replied with a Chinese idiom that meant: «Do you want me to die or you perish?» https://www.instagram.com/p/DB0nzmmhGgP/ Interestingly, a man can then be seen riding a personal mobility device (PMD) on the train, but the woman had no reaction towards him.

SINGAPORE - Among West Coast Food Centre's rows of food stalls - many of which have QR codes plastered on their storefronts - Angie Sim's noodle stall stands out with its «Cash Only» sign. She is one of a group of hawkers who accept only cash for purchases made at their stalls, while others have adopted cashless payment methods such as payment via QR code under the Singapore Quick Response Code (SGQR) platform. «For me, using cash is easier and more convenient,» said the 65-year-old, who added that most of her customers are older, less tech-savvy, and usually carry cash. «When I see physical cash, I feel happy,» said Sim, who has worked at the food centre with her stall partner for over 20 years. They are among stall owners across eight hawker centres in Singapore that The Straits Times spoke to who continue to resist digital payments. They cited reasons such as a lack of digital literacy, poor eyesight, and fear of inconveniencing customers while they struggle with devices.

My car, my rules. One private-hire vehicle (PHV) driver took that adage to heart when they put up a laminated note listing three things for their passengers not to do. A now-deleted post was shared in the Facebook group Professional PHV Drivers Singapore on Saturday (Nov 2), and the first rule read: «No need to inform your driver that you are rushing or late for a meeting.» Continuing that there are «thousands of selfish riders» who only think about themselves, the driver added: «You are not worthy for me to put my life [at] stake. My only task is to transfer you from one point to the other point safely.» They added that they would rather spend more time at home with their family instead of on the road and that passengers had choices to avoid being late for their appointments. «1. Plan your trip earlier, 2. Wake up earlier,» the note read. While some PHV and taxi drivers ask their customers for their preferred route, it appears that this one was vehemently opposed to receiving input from passengers.

Drivers of Singapore-registered vehicles who use fake Malaysian licence plates to fill up their vehicles with RON95 petrol will be taken to task by the Malaysian authorities, according to Malaysian media outlets. RON95 is subsidised petrol that is available for sale only to Malaysian-registered vehicles. The warning came after a netizen claimed in a widely shared Facebook post that he witnessed a driver of a Singapore-registered car trying to top up with RON95 petrol after replacing his car’s licence plate with a Malaysian one. The post has been shared 1,700 times since Nov 1. The netizen, Kabhi Morgan, added that a police report had been made. However, according to the New Straits Times, the police said they have not received any report on the matter. RON95 petrol costs about RM2.05 (60 Singapore cents) per litre in Malaysia. In Singapore, petrol of a similar grade costs close to $3 a litre. Johor Road Transport Department director Azmil Zainal Adnan said all motorists are to display their registration plates clearly on the front and back of their vehicles, reported Harian Metro.