Around two weeks before Christmas, Jurong resident Lim Chwee Guan noticed a strange smell wafting along the corridor of his 18th floor Housing Board unit. After three days, the 78-year-old retiree alerted the police when he suspected something tragic had happened. A number of residents who live in Block 338B Kang Ching Road, near Lakeside MRT, are senior citizens. His fears came true on Dec 15, 2024, when police discovered the decomposing bodies of an elderly couple who lived on the 18th floor. They had died of natural causes. While there have been reports of seniors dying alone in their flat, trauma cleaner Rahman Razali, of DDQ Services, said the Kang Ching Road incident was unusual. His company is one of three firms in Singapore that are engaged by town councils to clean up a flat after such cases. Said Mr Rahman: “My company attends between two and three cases every week involving seniors dying alone at home. “But it is very rare to hear of two people dying together like this. I have only encountered one or two such cases after 10 years in this line of work.”

«Looking to let go of a lunch banquet at Caroline Mansion (at The St Regis Singapore) on March 1, 2025, Saturday. $10,000 will be absorbed on my end. Only for serious couples, thank you,» reads the pitch on one post. Another promises cheaper table rates and a slew of perks from The Westin Singapore. These posts, on discounted wedding packages at hotels here, have transformed online platforms like the Singapore Brides forum into a bustling marketplace for couples trying to offload their banquet bookings. They include packages that come significantly discounted — one such post offered a 20 per cent discount on a $44,200 banquet for 250 people at The Westin Singapore's Grand Ballroom. Those who sell their packages told The Straits Times that they were driven to do so after wedding plans went awry and they found themselves facing cancellation fees that could sometimes amount to tens of thousands of dollars. However, lawyers said these fees, which can kick in the moment a banquet agreement is signed, could be deemed unreasonable and unenforceable under Singapore law.

SINGAPORE - The National Parks Board (NParks) is monitoring an incident involving several crocodiles that escaped from a farm in Batam on Jan 13. Their escape is believed to have resulted from downpours over three days, which caused parts of the fence around a breeding pond to collapse, according to reports by Indonesia media. Bulan island, where the farm is located, is roughly 30km from recreational offshore island Sentosa. NParks’ group director of wildlife management How Choon Beng told The Straits Times on Jan 18 that members of the public should report any encounters with crocodiles to the statutory board. It is unclear how many crocodiles broke free, but at least 23 have been caught so far, according to CNN Indonesia, which identified the reptiles as saltwater crocodiles. Mr Kannan Raja, president of the Herpetological Society of Singapore, which studies reptiles and amphibians, said saltwater crocodiles swim out to sea to find food and as part of their natural movement patterns. But while they could reach Singapore from Batam, “it doesn’t mean they will”, he said.

Redeeming the Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers disbursed on Jan 3? Be careful of of the link you click on because it could come from a scammer.  In an advisory on Friday (Jan 17), the police said there is a resurgence of phishing websites involving the impersonation of the RedeemSG website. With the latest disbursement of CDC vouchers, several members of the public have reported receiving messages with fake website links, phishing for their personal details.  The police said that those claiming their vouchers will only receive an SMS with the unique link from gov.sg right after they have successfully claimed their vouchers at go.gov.sg/cdcv.  When claiming their digital CDC vouchers, members of the public will only be asked to log in via Singpass for authentication.

With the Lunar New Year just around the corner, some may choose to do their festive shopping in neighbouring countries.  But before you lug back those boxes of bak kwa from Malaysia to Singapore, take note — the new rules have yet to kick in. On Jan 8, Parliament passed the Food Safety and Security Bill, which provides more flexibility for food brought into Singapore for private consumption.  Singaporeans will be allowed to bring in a total of 15kg of various categories of food from overseas, up from the current limit of 5kg of meat and seafood. However, some people thought that the new rules was already in place and had tried to bring in bak kwa from Malaysia.  They were then ordered to discard the items when crossing the border.

SINGAPORE — A man who lured around 50 women and teenage girls for photo shoots after promising to pay them went on to record intimate videos of the victims. Some of the videos, which included those showing sexual acts, were taken without the victims' consent. Min Thein Kyaw, who was working for a software firm at the time of the offences and was not a professional photographer, committed them from 2011 to 2020. The victims were then between 15 and 25 years old. Separately, he also sent sexual text messages to a 12-year-old girl despite knowing that she was a primary school pupil at the time. On Jan 17, the 46-year-old Singaporean, who is a married man, was sentenced to four years, three months and 14 weeks' jail. Min, who pleaded guilty to 19 charges for offences that include insulting a woman's modesty and making obscene films, was also ordered to receive two strokes of the cane. Fifty-six other charges were considered during his sentencing. Deputy Public Prosecutor Melissa Heng told the court that Min began photographing female models in either 2009 or 2010.

A 42-year-old woman was taken to hospital after suffering burns while attempting to extinguish a kitchen fire on Tuesday (Jan 14) night.   The woman surnamed Li, told Shin Min Daily News she was preparing to fry snacks for Chinese New Year in her home at Block 229A, Sumang Lane.  However, the oil caught fire when she turned up the heat on the gas stove.  In a moment of panic, the mother of three tried to put out the fire by adding water to the flames, which caused the fire to intensify.  «I was very worried about my children and husband, so I went to wake them up and told them to run away. »I stayed in the kitchen to try and put out the fire, but it got bigger. I ended up getting burned,« said Li, who works in customer service.  »This is not the first time I've made this snack. I just turned on the gas to heat up the oil, but I didn't expect it to burst into flames.«  Li ended up suffering burns to her right hand and cheek, which had to be bandaged.  She added that it was heart-breaking to see her home of two years burn down. »But thankfully, everyone is okay," Li said. 

SINGAPORE — It was a Monday evening in December four years ago when the Chia family was out for dinner at Ion Orchard. Nick Chia heard screaming from the mall's toilet that his three daughters and the helper were in and knew something was wrong. He did not imagine that his five-year-old daughter Kara would place her hand in the toilet's hand dryer, and have her finger mangled within seconds. The fan blades of the dryer, which was missing a vent cover, severed the girl's finger and shattered the bones. Kara Chia with her mother in Tokyo in December 2024. PHOTO: The Straits Times She lost more than half of her left index finger and was left with a stump after amputation. In November 2024, the family found some closure after their case was concluded in court. They received compensation of $170,000 in damages and $39,507 in legal costs from Ion Orchard and its insurers.

Flying from Melaka to Singapore usually takes less than an hour, but some travellers recently took over half a day to reach their destination. They were kept waiting at the Melaka International Airport for nine hours last Friday (Jan 10) before the flight was cancelled due to poor weather conditions. A passenger on the flight, Marcus Lim, documented his experience and shared it on Facebook on Jan 11. According to flight records, Scoot flight TR403 was scheduled to depart Melaka at 10.15pm on Jan 10. Lim, who arrived at the airport at around 7.30pm, noted that there was no sign of a plane at the gate by 9.45pm.

SINGAPORE — A second monsoon surge is expected to hit Singapore from Jan 17 (Friday) to Jan 19, after one battered the Republic with heavy downpours and floods just days earlier.  The Jan 10 to 13 surge saw flash floods, falling trees and temperatures plunging to 21.6 deg C in Newton. A flooded stretch of road in Mountbatten saw cars driving through ankle-deep water as pedestrians waded by.  The Straits Times spoke to experts to find out how motorists can navigate roads safely during flooding.  Q: Should you try and drive through a flash flood?  A: Experts advised motorists, both drivers and motorcyclists, to stay off the roads when there are flash floods due to safety reasons.

A woman travelling from Singapore to Bangkok, Thailand, was caught openly vaping in the plane cabin, despite e-cigarettes being illegal in both countries. The incident occurred on Jetstar flight 3K515 on Jan 10, according to TikTok account Exploring Singapore. Their video shows the woman, who is seated along the aisle, exhaling clouds of vapour. It then cuts to show an in-flight magazine, which features a section stating that smoking and vaping are prohibited. The last clip shows the woman walking back to her seat, presumably after talking to a cabin crew. «How did she get it (the vape) through customs?» read the video caption. The TikTok user wrote in a comment that they informed the cabin crew about the vaping. Responding to AsiaOne's queries, a Jetstar Asia spokesperson said the vape was confiscated by cabin crew, and the incident has been reported to local authorities. «Smoking, vaping, or the use of electronic cigarettes on any Jetstar aircraft is strictly prohibited,» said the spokesperson. «Safety is our top priority, and this type of behaviour will never be tolerated.»

An adorable wild boar piglet was recently spotted snuffling along a grass patch by the side of a footpath in Bukit Panjang. In a video on Tuesday (Jan 14), TikTok user Ahguaman shared his up-close encounter with the piglet. The clip starts with the camera panning from the TikTok user to the piglet, which scampers away. It cuts to several shorter clips of the animal nosing around the grass. https://www.tiktok.com/@ahguaman/video/7459746825042545938 No matter how cute a piglet may look, approaching them is dangerous as female adult boars are known to be very protective of their young and easily provoked, according to the National Parks Board (NParks). Sows and piglets typically travel in a group and may wander into parks and gardens in search of food, states an NParks advisory. If threatened, they may attack humans and cause injury. In the comment section, some TikTok users pointed out that the sow was likely nearby and could have attacked the man. «Wild boar mum is no joke. If you see a baby, please leave the area immediately,» cautioned one user.

Singapore is set to experience another weekend of wet weather from Jan 17 to 19 as a second monsoon surge descends, bringing windy and cooler conditions. Spells of moderate to heavy thundery showers over Singapore and the surrounding vicinity are also expected, said the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) on Thursday (Jan 16). Temperatures are expected to dip to around 22 degrees Celsius in the next few days, coinciding with the monsoon surge, it added. Subsequently, temperatures are forecast to range between 24 and 34 degrees Celsius, said MSS.  Periods of intense rain during seasonal high tides can often result in flash floods. Low-lying coastal areas, such as East Coast Park could experience more flash floods during the upcoming monsoon surge as tides are expected to be higher. PUB added that high tides of up to 3.2m are also expected over this period, which could result in high water levels in coastal canals. Tides reached a high of 2.9m during the monsoon surge last weekend, reported The Straits Times. 

Two lucky punters won $3.04 million each after the Toto draw on Monday (Jan 13). The $6.08 million jackpot was up for grabs after two previous draws on Jan 6 and 9 saw no Group 1 winners. The winning numbers were 3, 7, 11, 13, 34, 35, and 17 as the «additional number». Seven Group 2 prize winners also took home $91,930 each. According to Singapore Pools, one of the Group 1 winning tickets, a QuickPick System 7 entry, was bought online. The other winning ticket, an ordinary entry, was bought from a Singapore Pools outlet at Block 101 Yishun Avenue 5. That betting outlet had previously seen seven Toto jackpot winners in the past five years. The biggest prize was $5.5 million in October 2022. The next Toto draw, with a $1 million jackpot, will be held on Thursday (Jan 16).

A family in Pasir Ris has drawn both admiration and criticism for turning foam dart gun practice into a unique family bonding activity. Stomp contributor Jailani alerted Stomp to a video circulating on TikTok and Facebook, showing the family's technical training in the lift lobby of their HDB block. While some have raised concerns, others have shown their support. Critics questioned the potential disturbance to the family's neighbours, with one Facebook user commenting: «Wah, the next-door neighbour must be sianz... Every day hear gun shots.» Others deemed the practice 'inconsiderate,' arguing that it takes up too much space in the shared corridor.

A 12-year-old student was allegedly attacked by another student earlier this month (Jan 7) - his fourth day in the school since starting secondary one. The aggressor had allegedly used a plastic bottle to strike the victim's head, causing a 5cm long cut on the back of his head requiring stiches. In 2021, another secondary student was allegedly ostracised as bullies forced other students to avoid her, according to a now-deleted Facebook post by her mum. The student ultimately took her own life in 2023.  So, what steps can victims take when confronted with bullying? James Chong, clinical director at The Lion Mind counselling service, advised victims to seek help from trusted adults like school counsellors or teachers, and file a police report if necessary. «Seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness, and taking action prevents further empowerment of the bully. It is crucial for victims to remember that they are not at fault for the bullying and that support is available,» he told AsiaOne. 

SINGAPORE — From March 31, app stores must block young users below 18 years old from downloading apps not meant for their age group, including dating app Tinder and adult video games like Grand Theft Auto. Under the new Code of Practice for Online Safety for App Distribution Services, app stores targeting users in Singapore must also block children below 12 from downloading apps like Instagram and TikTok, which are rated for ages 12 and above. «We recognise that app distribution services are key gateways to accessing apps on our digital devices and are marketplaces for online content including online games,» said the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in announcing the launch of the new code on Jan 15. «With more people including children owning mobile devices... there is an increased risk of exposure to harmful content, including age-inappropriate content for children.»

Despite knowing that firefighters in the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) must operate minimally in pairs, a senior SCDF officer left a full-time national serviceman (NSF) to fight one alone. Muhammad Kamil Mohamed Yasin, 39, did so as he felt dizzy from the heat while fighting a fire at Block 91 Henderson Road in Bukit Merah on Dec 8, 2022, and wanted to rest. He gave 19-year-old Edward H. Go a thumbs up, left the HDB flat and did not tell colleagues that the NSF was fighting the fire alone. Sgt 1 Go was later found motionless in the kitchen and pronounced dead that day. On Jan 15, Kamil, 39, pleaded guilty to one charge of causing grievous hurt to Sgt 1 Go by committing a rash act which endangers life and was sentenced to six months’ jail. Sgt 1 Go was the first firefighter to die during an SCDF firefighting operation. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Sergeant (1). Sgt 1 Go’s family was present during Kamil’s hearing on Jan 15. Deputy Public Prosecutor Benjamin Low said Kamil has been a firefighter since 2008 and knew that firefighters must always operate minimally in pairs.

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.