Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance Jeffrey Siow has announced that Tengah and Brickland will have a total of eight new bus services within the next 18 months.Speaking to media on Sunday (June 8), Siow stated that two of these bus routes will be in service by the end of this year.Dr Choo Pei Ling, MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC, announced that bus service 872 will begin operating from Tengah Bus Interchange from Aug 10.It will provide a direct link for Tengah residents to Chinese Garden MRT station while passing through areas in Bukit Batok, Plantation Crescent and Jurong East.«We hope that residents like this National Day present from us,» she said.The second bus service, which is still in the works, will begin at Brickland and pass through two MRT stations, according to Siow, who added that further details will be released closer to the end of this year.He also stated that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will introduce two more express bus services in Tengah by the end of next year.Both routes will start at the Brickland area, with one going towards the city and the other to one-north.

SINGAPORE - In a few weeks' time, five women and five men will be flying to a villa in Japan on a trip inspired by South Korean reality television series Single's Inferno.The participants will not have met before going on the four-day, three-night trip, and will share a room with those of the same gender, as in the show.They are paying $1,111 each for a yacht trip, an Osaka day trip and an activity of their choice such as Universal Studios Japan and tea ceremony in Nara, among other things.Around 40 Singaporeans have signed up for three such trips, planned by Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts design practice student Leo Ching Ling, 24, and business owner Ric Ang, 50.The pair, who met while Ms Leo was interning at a company Mr Ang was working in, have held around 10 social mixers around the numerology theme since August 2024 under their events brand Until 1111. Their parties offer compatibility readings, tarot card readings and purpose-infused crystal-making.Numerology is a practice that assigns a number to individuals based on their birthdate and name. The belief is that these numbers hold insights into personality, life path and potential.

A 65-year-old bak kut teh stall owner in Bishan had died in January this year of overwork, his wife revealed, with his last wishes for her to carry on the business.Ang Yong Seh, owner of Xin Ming Road Bak Kut Teh, had worked tirelessly to repay a $100,000 debt incurred during the Covid-19 pandemic to keep their business afloat, his wife Lilian Chua, 66, told Shin Min Daily News.Following the pandemic, he often worked 18-hour days behind the stove at his stall located at Block 36 Sin Ming Drive.Speaking to Shin Min recently about her husband's sudden passing, Chua said her husband had been battling the flu for three weeks but still continued to work up till four days before his death.«I was worried for his health at the time but he told me, 'Don't worry, I can still live for a few more years',» said Chua.However, on Jan 9 this year, he suddenly experienced breathing difficulties and was rushed to hospital at about 11pm, but died several hours later.In a June 4 interview with online food channel HappyCat, Chua indicated that the reason she held on to the stall was because of her husband's last wishes.

With six children and three part-time jobs to juggle, Ms Lydia Susiyanti Sukarbi, the 36-year-old sole breadwinner of her household, may not have much.But what she has – compassion, generosity and grit – she gives freely.Three times a week before the crack of dawn, she dishes out free breakfast to underprivileged children who live in her Ang Mo Kio neighbourhood.Ms Lydia, a former school canteen stall vendor, started her Breakfast Buddy initiative in February as she had seen first-hand how some students went without recess so that their younger siblings had money to buy food to eat. “How can we, as neighbours, step up for these kids? I feel I should help to fill this gap,” said Ms Lydia, who lives with her family in a two-room Housing Board rental flat.“Breakfast Buddy is more than giving them breakfast. It’s to let the children know there are resources for them, and I’m here to share my resources. If it’s within my capability, I will give.“I’m like an auntie, mother, teacher to them. And they share many things with me.”

SINGAPORE - In a few weeks' time, five women and five men will be flying to a villa in Japan on a trip inspired by South Korean reality television series Single's Inferno.The participants will not have met before going on the four-day, three-night trip, and will share a room with those of the same gender, as in the show.They are paying $1,111 each for a yacht trip, an Osaka day trip and an activity of their choice such as Universal Studios Japan and tea ceremony in Nara, among other things.Around 40 Singaporeans have signed up for three such trips, planned by Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts design practice student Leo Ching Ling, 24, and business owner Ric Ang, 50.The pair, who met while Ms Leo was interning at a company Mr Ang was working in, have held around 10 social mixers around the numerology theme since August 2024 under their events brand Until 1111. Their parties offer compatibility readings, tarot card readings and purpose-infused crystal-making.Numerology is a practice that assigns a number to individuals based on their birthdate and name. The belief is that these numbers hold insights into personality, life path and potential.

Three women and one man aged between 47 and 61 were arrested and charged on suspicion of involvement in multiple spiritual 'blessing' scams.The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a press release on Friday (June 6) that they had received a report three days prior from a woman who was allegedly cheated by the three others in Chinatown.«The first woman had initially approached the victim seeking directions to a Chinese physician. A second woman then intervened, claiming knowledge of a suitable physician but explained that consultations could only occur outside the premises due to overcrowding,» the release stated.This second woman wanted the victim to pose as her relative, and the trio went to meet the third woman, who claimed to be a Chinese physician and told the victim she was «experiencing misfortune due to negative spiritual elements».«The three woman and the victim then arranged to meet at Hong Lim Park and the victim was convinced to surrender $700 in cash and a gold necklace with a Guan Yin pendant to the 'Chinese physician', who then placed the items in a black plastic bag and performed a purported blessing ritual,» the release read.

It's past midnight and most would be asleep, but for this individual, sleep would not come easily.A Geylang resident is in distress over loud music being blasted past midnight near his rented apartment, according to a Reddit post by user Obsessionmachine on Saturday (June 7).In his post, Obsessionmachine shared a video of the neighbouring estate across the road, Crystal Mansions.Loud music can be heard blaring, apparently emanating from somewhere within Crystal Mansions.«This is happening at 1am,» the user clarified.«Can't locate the source of this music. Police couldn't help either. I suppose this will be my life until my rent agreement is over in one and a half year.»The user also sought help from other Redditors, asking if there is anything he could do to resolve this issue.One user suggested contacting Jalan Besar's Member of Parliament, also highlighting noise control regulations.«You have the right to a quiet night's rest,» they said. «You need to believe that while seeking resolution.»

A cyclist was conveyed to the hospital after a police vehicle collided into him along Keppel Road on Friday (June 6).At around 3.10pm, the police were alerted to an accident involving a police vehicle and a 41-year-old cyclist along Keppel Road towards Marina Coastal Expressway, the police said.According to preliminary investigations, the driver of the police vehicle, a 30-year-old male officer from the Special Operations Command (SOC) had allegedly left the scene after colliding with the cyclist.«He was not aware that he had done so until the traffic police contacted the SOC,» the police said.«The officer returned to the scene immediately to assist with investigations upon being informed.»The cyclist was conveyed conscious to hospital, and the officer is assisting with investigations for driving without due consideration of other road users and causing hurt.The officer has also been removed from driving duties while police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:715805]]khooyihang@asiaone.com

Tiberias International Food, the operator of chain restaurant Ayam Penyet President, has been fined $1,000 on June 4 for food safety lapses.In a media release on Thursday June 5, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said it and the Ministry of Health (MOH) had received reports involving six diners ill with gastroenteritis after eating food Ayam Penyet President in June 2024.None of the six were hospitalised, added the food agency.MOH and SFA then jointly inspected the establishment's premises located at Hillion Mall in Bukit Panjang and found multiple food safety lapses.The lapses included a dirty chiller, which increases the risk of cross contamination, as well as dirty racks and wall tiles, which were indicative of poor food safety standards, explained SFA.In 2020, the Ayam Penyet President shop at Kallang Wave Mall had its licence suspended for two weeks after incurring 12 demerit points over a 12-month period.They had been given six demerit points then for selling unclean food and another six demerit points for failing to register a food handling assistant.

The challenges facing Singapore's agriculture sector — which have led in a dip in local production of vegetables and seafood — reflect a transitional phase for local farms, a food security expert told AsiaOne on Friday (June 6).Professor William Chen, director of the Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) Food Science and Technology Programme, added that it is still «premature» to deem the Government's goal of producing 30 per cent of the country's nutritional needs locally by 2030 a failure.On Thursday, a report released by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) showed that just three per cent of the vegetables consumed in Singapore were grown locally, down from 3.2 per cent in 2023 and 3.9 the year before.Local production of seafood dropped from 7.3 per cent in 2023 to 6.1 per cent in 2024, which SFA attributed in its Singapore Food Statistics report that it is partly due to the «restructuring of a few fish farms in Singapore».Prof Chen said while the findings from SFA's report looks «disappointing», he sees several positive signs which are encouraging to the sector.

A Singaporean man made a police report after he found a Deliveroo order mistakenly left at his door last month.According to Mothership, the man, identified as Lee, «felt unsafe» handling the unfamiliar package and contacted Deliveroo's customer service, who told him to keep or dispose of the food.A picture of the delivery receipt indicated that the order included tomato soup noodles, vinegar black fungus and chicken wings from noodle chain Tamjai Samgor.While the receipt had the original customer's name, it did not have the intended address for the delivery.He said that when he requested to speak with the customer service manager, the call agent left him on hold for five minutes before hanging up.He then called the police, who helped him dispose of the food, and also lodged a report.When contacted by AsiaOne, the police confirmed that an officer helped Lee dispose off the delivery and added that there was no offence and no investigation regarding this incident.

Household furniture, such as a shoe rack, were damaged after a fight broke out between stepfather and stepson at flat in Yishun earlier this week.According to Shin Min Daily News, the unit is occupied by a family of three — a married couple and a man in his 30s.The duo were known to have frequent disputes, the report said.Residents told the Chinese daily that shortly before police arrived, the fighting from inside the flat had moved into the corridor.The younger man reportedly sustained a head injury during the altercation.Both individuals were subsequently taken away before officers entered the unit for inspection. It was also observed that a shoe rack outside the flat was broken, with both the rack and shoes scattered across the ground.In response to queries from AsiaOne, the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force confirmed that a call for assistance was made at about 10am on June 1 at Block 510A Yishun Street 51. A 35-year-old man was taken conscious to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. A 57-year-old man was assessed for minor injuries but declined to be sent to the hospital.

Former Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean will join Temasek Holdings as its deputy chairman on July 1 and succeed Lim Boon Heng as chairman on Oct 9, the Ministry of Finance and Temasek announced on Friday (June 6).In response to his appointment, Teo said he is looking forward to «build on the achievements of Temasek and chart a path for its continued success in the new global environment».«As a key Singapore institution with a global investment footprint, Temasek understands that its long-term success requires both addressing today's risks and opportunities and anticipating tomorrow's trends,» he added.Teo's appointment in Temasek comes after he retired from politics following the General Election in May.Before helming the role of Senior Minister in 2019, Teo served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2009 and Coordinating Minister for National Security from 2011 till his retirement.

SINGAPORE — Singaporean students who are currently undergraduates at Harvard University have been told that autonomous universities here can offer them placements if they wish to discontinue their studies in the US and return home, owing to recent developments.Lui Tuck Yew, the Republic's ambassador to the US, said this during a virtual town hall with the affected students on May 30, The Straits Times has learnt.In response to queries from ST, a Ministry of Education spokesperson said the Republic's autonomous universities «stand ready to support Singaporean students in Harvard if they wish to continue their studies in Singapore».The spokesperson added that this message was shared with affected students so they could consider returning to Singapore as a possible option to continue their studies.There are six autonomous universities here: National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore University of Technology and Design and Singapore Institute of Technology.

SINGAPORE/JOHOR BAHRU — Waves of Singapore motorists showed up at Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) application and installation centres in Singapore and Johor Bahru a day after Malaysia announced that enforcement of the VEP will start on July 1.Singapore-registered vehicles entering the country from that date without a valid VEP will be fined RM300 (S$91), Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on June 4. The drivers will have to pay the fine and complete their VEP registration before leaving Malaysia.On June 5, motorists showed up at VEP centres in Woodlands in Singapore and Danga Bay in Johor Bahru because they needed help with signing up on the online portal or had problems activating their radio frequency identification (RFID) tags.VEP-registered vehicles need to have RFID tags installed and activated in order to make payments for Malaysian expressway tolls and the road charge when entering Johor via the two land checkpoints.The counters in Malaysia are operated by TCSens, Malaysia's ministry-appointed vendor for handling VEP registrations; while the one in Singapore is run by My VEP, a separate company, in collaboration with TCSens.

SINGAPORE — The Court of Appeal has found Goh Jin Hian, a former director of insolvent marine fuel supplier Inter-Pacific Petroleum (IPP), is not liable to pay US$146 million (S$187 million) plus interest in compensation for losses suffered by the firm. In overturning a lower court ruling that found Goh was not entitled to relief from liability, the Appellate division of the High Court clarified that «it cannot be part of a director's duty of supervision and oversight to pick up fraud unless there are tell-tale warning signs. »A director may be a sentinel, but he is not a forensics investigator or a sleuth, unless there are signs that would put him on inquiry,« according to a 63-page ruling on June 5 delivered by Justice Kannan Ramesh, a Judge of the Appellate division. »While we agree with the (High Court) Judge that Dr Goh had breached the care duty by reason of his ignorance of the cargo trading business, IPP has failed to show... that the breach caused the loss in question," the Appellate court said. Goh, the son of former prime minister Goh Chok Tong, served as a director of IPP from June 28, 2011, to August 2019.

The $52,188 monthly rental bid for a general practitioner (GP) clinic in Tampines is the highest per square foot rent that the Housing Development Board (HDB) has received for GP and dental clinics of this size to date. Responding to AsiaOne's queries on Thursday (June 5), HDB said that the tender for the Tampines clinic attracted 13 bids in total. It was awarded to Dr Shaun Lum, the co-owner of I-Health Medical Holdings, in March 2025, at $52,188 a month. The unit at Block 954C Tampines Street 96 in March is reportedly 52 sqm, which is about 560 sq ft big. «This is significantly higher than the average tendered rent of around $9,800 per month for similar-sized clinics let by HDB in 2024 and it is also the highest per square foot rent that HDB has received for GP and dental clinics of this size to date,» said HDB. The housing board added that all tenders awarded for GP clinics thus far are based on tendered price.  And that bids submitted by tenderers — including private clinic operators — are business decisions influenced by various factors including location, shop size, trades, and prevailing market conditions.

Land owned by the Malaysian government will be acquired for the extension of Woodlands Checkpoint, according to a joint press release by the Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) on Wednesday (June 4). The plots of land to be acquired, which total approximately 0.79ha, are opposite HDB blocks 214 and 215 along Marsiling Lane and are currently covered in vegetation and unused. The first phase of the redevelopment will see an extension built at Old Woodlands Town Centre in September this year, alongside an extension of the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE). Around 10 residents whom AsiaOne spoke to shared that they were not aware that the plots of land are owned by the Malaysian government. One of them is Marsiling resident Justin Teo, who has lived in the neighbourhood for the past year and a half. The 17-year-old student said he didn't know the plots of land even existed. Another resident, Chia, 65, observed that the area is «deserted and hardly maintained». He too, was not aware the Singapore government is in talks to acquire the two plots of land.

Staff at Scoot erupted in cheers upon finding out that they would receive almost five months of bonus pay. The big reveal was captured on video and uploaded to Scoot's TikTok account on Wednesday (June 4).

During a recent night ride to his office, the newly appointed Minister for Defence, Chan Chun Sing had a heartwarming encounter that left a lasting impression. Chan shared in a Facebook post on Wednesday (June 4) how a soldier on night duty, Zhong Ting, approached him at the gate of a military camp. Zhong immediately recognised Chan and shared that they had taken a selfie together years ago when the latter visited his school then. Chan previously served as Minister for Education from May 2021 to May 2025. Eager to relive the memory, Zhong showed Chan the photo that they had taken together. «Sometimes it's moments like these that really makes your day (or night),» Chan wrote in his Facebook post recounting the experience. He also added that they had a pleasant chat before he continued on his journey home — with a smile on his face. Chan expressed how «it's a special feeling to see the schoolboys I met while I was at MOE (Ministry of Education) maturing as young men and defending our country». 

A Singaporean businessman was arrested at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport on suspicion of tax evasion amounting to over 5 million baht (S$197,550), said Thai police in a Facebook post on Wednesday (June 4). David Liu, 71, was arrested after a complaint by Thailand's Revenue Department against media analytics company Isentia Monitoring Services, where he had worked as a director from July 1 to Oct 30, 2015, reported The Straits Times. According to the Facebook post by Thailand's Central Investigation Bureau, the company was found to have reported zero sales, purchase, and net tax obligations, despite generating business revenue — indicating incorrect tax filings. Further investigation into the value-added tax filings of the company revealed that the total damages to the state were close to 5.24 million baht, the police added. An investigation officer from the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD) had issued a summons for the company's directors to acknowledge the charges, but they received no response, which led to suspicions of evasion.

SINGAPORE — A maid who repeatedly assaulted a frail 90-year-old woman with dementia, including choking and biting her, was sentenced to one year in jail on June 4. The victim, who had to wear adult diapers, was later found with injuries, including multiple broken ribs and bruises on her face and limbs. But a doctor could not state with certainty if her assailant's offences had caused the injuries. Myanmar national Kyal Kyal Tun, 39, who had taken out her frustrations on the senior citizen as she was feeling «very stressed», pleaded guilty to three counts of assault in April. Three counts of using criminal force on the victim and a fourth assault charge were also considered during her sentencing. In earlier proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Caleb Looi told the court that, at the time of the offences, the victim lived in a Housing Board flat with her 91-year-old husband, who also had dementia and wore adult diapers. The couple's 32-year-old grandson, who lived elsewhere, had employed Kyal Kyal Tun, and she began working in the flat in late 2024, caring for the elderly couple.

Parents have expressed their frustration at the sudden closure of Little Paddington Preschool in Bishan last week. Speaking to AsiaOne on the condition of anonymity, an affected parent said that that he is currently weighing his options. «I don't think (the situation) has been handled very fairly,» he said, adding that the affected parents have sent a letter on Sunday (June 1) to the preschool management regarding feedback and demands for compensation. In the letter, parents demanded a three-month fee waiver for those who choose to stay with the preschool, and a three-month refund for those who are withdrawing. On Friday (May 30), parents were notified that the school's lease would expire on May 31 and that operations there would cease effectively. The school later received a one-week lease extension to continue operations at Bishan, and offered to enrol the affected children in the Thomson Walk branch. The preschool is under investigation by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) after failing to comply with regulations and giving parents just a day's notice before shutting down the branch.

Salon chain HairFun has admitted to engaging in unfair trade practices by targeting the elderly and misleading them to purchase unnecessary packages. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) said in a media release on Wednesday (June 4) that the salons had unfairly charged some elderly customers thousands of dollars. Investigations conducted by the competition watchdog found that HairFun, which has three outlets in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10, Toa Payoh Central and Tampines Central, targeted seniors by offering free or low-cost haircuts costing $4 to $10 between May 2023 and July 2024. The salons had misled its customers, particularly the elderly, about the necessity of treatment packages and charged them for expensive services and packages which were not requested for.

For police officer Imran Mohd Hajar, his instincts remained sharp even while he was off duty. Speaking to the media on Wednesday (June 4) at New Phoenix Park, he recounted the suspicious incident onboard a Scoot flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, where two men were arrested for theft on board an aircraft.  Imran was travelling with his family then. The 47-year-old deputy team leader from the Clementi Division shared that he and his family noticed a male subject «moving around and looking about suspiciously near our section». «He was walking back and forth, which was pretty unusual,» he pointed out.  And about five to ten minutes before takeoff, Imran observed that man rummaging through a sling bag in an overhead compartment located near his seat.  While he could not confirm whether the bag belonged to the individual, he decided to stay alert and continued observing throughout the flight. The man's suspicious behaviour also caught the attention of a couple who was seated nearby, who continued to observe him throughout the flight. 

Singapore Pools has introduced a new Toto format called Toto Match, which pays out a fixed prize for every dollar bet, starting with the June 12 draw. While the traditional Toto format has a jackpot prize, Toto Match allows punters to win bigger payouts when they make larger bets. For every Toto draw, six winning numbers and one additional number will be chosen between one and 49. Two bet types are available under Toto Match and punters can participate in both for the same draw. First, players can bet on matching either two, three, or four numbers from the winning draw. For every dollar bet, players will receive $50 for two matches, $500 for three matches, and $7,000 for four matches. Under this type, players must have the selected number of matches to win the corresponding prize. For example, if a player bets on getting three matches but has only two, he will not receive the $50 prize for two matches.