The Government will strive to create more fulfilling lives for youths and “to the generations that follow”, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in Parliament on Wednesday (Sept 24).This is through initiatives to strengthen social mobility and safety nets, as well as deepening Singapore’s “sense of solidarity”, he added.PM Wong made the pledge in his speech on the third day of the debate on the President’s Address, which laid out the key priorities of the Government during the 15th Parliament.In his speech, the prime minister noted that competition has “intensified” in Singapore compared to the past when “securing paper qualifications was seen as a sure ticket to success”.“Young people sometimes feel like they are trapped in a relentless rat race, from classroom to workplace,” said PM Wong.He added that it is not unique in Singapore where youths are worried that society is becoming more stratified with the rich “pulling ahead, while others struggle to keep up”.

HDB has the option of selectively acquiring privately owned HDB shops if there is a need to meet demand in existing estates, Senior Minister of State for National Development Sun Xueling said in Parliament on Wednesday (Sept 24).She was responding to questions from MPs on efforts to keep rents of HDB shops affordable.Sun said that 90 per cent of units directly leased by HDB have remained largely unchanged over the last five years.But the median rental for heartland shops held by private landlords has doubled in the past year, according to Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Realis data released on Sept 1.From $3.51 per sq ft (psf) in the second quarter of 2024, it has gone up to $7.34 psf in the second quarter of 2025 — the highest rental for privately held HDB shops since 1999.There are about 740 privately-owned HDB shops sold on 30-year leases, of which more than 80 per cent have less than 10 years of lease remaining, and these shops will progressively be returned to HDB and tenanted out, Sun said.About 7,700 privately held HDB shops sold on 99-year leases still have more than 30 years of lease remaining.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has warned the public that it is illegal to purchase and use vitamin diffusers.They are classified as «imitation tobacco products» and banned in Singapore as a result, said the authority on Wednesday (Sept 24).It was responding to recent concerns over such diffusers being marketed online as «healthier alternatives» to e-vaporisers.Often promoted via influencers and online advertisements, these products claim to contain substances like caffeine, vitamin B12 and melatonin.A check by AsiaOne showed that some sites which sell such devices offer shipping to Singapore, stating that it is the consumers' responsibility to ensure they follow the laws of their country of residence.Despite looking harmless, such devices could contain substances that are not intended for consumption — which could lead to long-term health risks, said HSA, adding that such products may also serve as a gateway for users to experimenting with cigarettes or even hard drugs.Youths are particularly vulnerable to such risks, it said.

Local telecommunications operator Singtel has apologised for a service outage involving its Australian subsidiary Optus that resulted in the deaths of three people.In an SGX filing on Wednesday (Sept 24), Singtel group CEO Yuen Kuan Moon said that the company is «deeply sorry» for the outage on Sept 18 and that it is working with Optus to «ensure a thorough investigation of this incident to prevent any future recurrence».«Optus has been co-operating fully and transparently with all relevant government agencies and regulatory bodies while the matter is being investigated and will share the findings in due course,» said Yuen.The outage was caused by a departure from regular processes during a network upgrade, which sparked a technical failure and subsequently disrupted emergency call services for 13 hours.Some 600 customers across South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory were affected by the glitch, and three deaths have been linked to it. The death of an 8-week-old boy was initially linked to the disruption, but the claim was later dismissed by police, ABC News reported. 

A young boy was taken to the hospital after severing his fingertip while on a swing in Bishan on Monday (Sept 22).The incident reportedly occurred at around 5pm on a newly reconstructed pavilion swing near Bishan Park.The 10-year-old's finger was trapped between the wooden slats of the swing, according to citizen journalism site, Stomp.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that they received a call for assistance from Block 219 Bishan Street 23 at around 5.05pm on Monday.SCDF also said that the boy was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital for treatment.The boy and his older brother had sought help from two construction workers working nearby after the accident, an eyewitness told Stomp.He added that the swing is popular with residents and park users but appeared to have defects.While the man called for an ambulance, the construction workers stayed with the boy and reassured him while waiting for help to arrive.«Thanks to these two foreign workers from Tong Shing Contractors! Our salute and appreciation to them,» said the eyewitness.

A woman has died following a stabbing incident in Yishun Central on Wednesday (Sept 24) morning, reported the Straits Times (ST). The Singapore Civil Defence Force told AsiaOne it received a call for assistance at Block 323 Yishun Central at about 7.25am. Three people were taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. A female victim succumbed to her injuries there, according to ST, which also reported that the alleged perpetrator has been arrested.A resident who wished to be known as Koh told the paper that there had been a neighbour dispute between a man and a couple. He described hearing screams, and later seeing a bloodied woman lying near the lift landing on the sixth floor. The 69-year-old reportedly said: «Her husband was trying to fight off a man who was holding a knife. At the same time, the husband was yelling, 'Anyone knows CPR? Please help my wife!'»Then I saw the husband get stabbed at his chest area."AsiaOne spotted about six police cars at Block 323 at 10.30am. Spots of blood were seen at the ground floor lift lobby.AsiaOne has reached out to the police for more information. 

Swimmer Yip Pin Xiu won Singapore's first medal at the World Para Swimming Championships today (Sept 23).She finished second in the women's 100m backstroke S2 final held at the OCBC Aquatic Centre.The 33-year-old had qualified first overall in the morning's heats, ahead of Italy's Arjola Trimi and Angela Procida.However, she was surpassed by Russia's Diana Koltsova — who is competing as a neutral athlete — in the evening's final.Koltsova touched the wall first at the 2:19.60 mark while Yip finished second at 2:23.73. Procida came third at 2:32.32.Yip will compete in the 50m backstroke S2 on Sept 26, an event for which she secured a gold medal in 2023.The swimmer was already a seven-time gold medallist and three-time silver medallist entering this world championships.Last year, Yip made waves at the Paris Paralympics by retaining her top spot in the 50m and 100m backstroke S2 events, earning a double gold for her third Paralympics in a row.She also holds the world record for the two events.

The Workers’ Party (WP) must justify its standing in Parliament as the sole opposition presence by presenting its own alternative visions and policies for Singapore, said Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Ong Ye Kung on Tuesday (Sept 23).This way, a vote for the Opposition is not just an endorsement for more checks and balances on the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), said Ong in his speech on day two of the debate on the President’s Address.“If the WP wishes to position itself as the ‘0.5 in a 1.5-party system’, I think it needs to present a principled, consistent and coherent approach to the main challenges facing Singapore,” added Ong, who is also Minister for Health.WP is the only opposition party this term, with 10 elected MPs and two Non-Constituency MPs — its largest-ever presence in Parliament.Ong said that Singaporeans want PAP to remain in government, but also want an opposition in Parliament “as an alternative voice, and to provide a check”.The MP for Sembawang GRC recalled an interaction with residents who told him that “they were happy with the new facilities at Bukit Canberra”.

It's Monday and basketball superstars LeBron James and Stephen Curry are casually travelling around Singapore.Except these two men looking like James and Curry are actually their celebrity doppelgangers, though their getup probably attracted double takes from passersby.TikTok user sleepymo0npie uploaded a video on Monday (Sept 22) of the duo striding past with smiles and waves. Keong Saik Bakery's Jewel Changi Airport outlet is seen in the background.«I just saw LeBron and Steph Curry here in SG,» the user captioned in Tagalog.

The site of the former Keppel Club will be transformed into Berlayar estate, a new area at the Greater Southern Waterfront that will offer around 7,000 public housing units, said Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat.This is up from the 6,000 units that was previously announced earlier this year.Speaking at the HDB Awards Ceremony on Sept 23, Chee unveiled the masterplan for Berlayar estate, adding that the first project — Berlayar Residences — will be launched at the October 2025 sales exercise.Berlayar estate will span some 48 ha and is estimated to provide about 10,000 new homes when completed, of which about 7,000 will be public housing.«Berlayar marks an exciting first step towards realising our vision for urban living along the Greater Southern Waterfront. It reflects our vision for the future of public housing – to provide not just roofs over our heads, but also liveable spaces where communities can thrive,» said Chee.Berlayar Residences will offer 870 Build-to-Order (BTO) units — including 2-room Flexi, 3-room and 4-room flats — and 200 rental flats.

Paranormal activity, natural phenomenon or artificial intelligence (AI)? Sightings of purple glowing spheres around Singapore had gone viral on TikTok recently, with the orbs being seen bouncing around Tampines, Yishun and Pasir Ris.«Mystery solved: Seen these purple ball lightning videos online? That was us,» said fintech-company YouTrip, in an Instagram post on Monday (Sept 22), adding that the videos were all part of marketing promotions.The first TikTok clip surfaced on Sept 19, with dash dashcam footage from a car capturing a luminescent purple orb bouncing across the street in Tampines.

Transport operator SMRT has filed a police report against a man who was caught drinking water in front of a «no drinking or eating» sign on board a train. In a video shared on Instagram on Sunday (Sept 21), the man was seen standing in front of the gantry at Chinese Garden MRT station holding a bottle of water. «Everyone knows it is prohibited to drink on Singapore trains, but today, let's do a challenge where I'll drink water on the MRT train,» the man said in Mandarin.The video then shows him inside a train cabin, pointing to a «no drinking or eating» sign, which indicates a $500 fine.After seemingly checking his surroundings, the man, believed to be a foreigner, opens his bottle of water and takes a gulp before nodding and giving a thumbs up.Towards the end of the video, on the Outram Park MRT platform, the man holds up his bottle and claims that his actions prove one can drink freely on Singapore trains.

New parliamentarian Jeffrey Siow has gotten less sleep since his election as MP for Choa Chu Kang GRC in this year's General Election, and subsequent appointment to the Cabinet.The Acting Minister for Transport quipped in Parliament on Monday (Sept 22): «My daughter has observed that my eyebags have their own eyebags.»Siow was speaking at the debate on the President's Address, where he opened up at the beginning of his address on how life has changed since he entered politics.«I have less time to play football with my friends on Sundays. And even when I do, I am the most polite of players. When I get kicked at the back of my leg, I am the first to say, 'sorry, sorry',» he described.What keeps him going is his family, he said, thanking his wife, brother, children and his mother — who chips in by volunteering at his Meet-the-People sessions.«My family makes me feel that I am part of a team,» Siow added.[[nid:723011]]

A man who allegedly molested an eight-year-old girl on two occasions will be charged on Tuesday (Sept 23).The 33-year-old had allegedly molested the victim on June 12 and was arrested on June 18, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a news release on Monday. Further investigations revealed he had also allegedly molested the child at a separate occasion, sometime in 2025. The man faces four counts of outrage of modesty against a person below 14 years of age.The offence carries an imprisonment term which may extend to five years, a fine, caning, or any combination of such punishments.Three other men are also alleged to have molested minors and will be facing charges on Tuesday.A 36-year-old man and a 68-year-old man are each facing one count of outrage of modesty against a person below 14 years of age.The 36-year-old was arrested on June 25, after allegedly molesting a 12-year-old girl in a supermarket at Hougang Street 21.The 68-year-old had allegedly molested a 13-year-old boy on a public bus on Nov 5, 2024, and was arrested the next day.

Public consultations for the next transport master plan will begin in a few weeks’ time, Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said on Monday (Sept 22).Speaking during the debate on the President’s Address in Parliament, he said that he hopes to engage more Singaporeans «than ever before» to help shape the country's transportation future.«Commuters, drivers, cyclists, seniors, persons with disabilities, mobility device users. We want to bring all of them together to have deeper conversations and to weigh trade-offs,» he added.«My hope is simple. That more Singaporeans feel the system works for them and that their story matters.»Siow said that since his appointment as acting transport minister in May, he has heard stories from «some people who feel that the system is sometimes not working for them».These include a single mother who uses a personal mobility scooter to take her three kids to preschool even though it is illegal, and an office worker who ran in the rain to catch a bus.

The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) has worked alongside global counterparts to seize over 100kg of drugs in a transnational operation, according to a Facebook post by the bureau on Monday (Sept 22).It worked with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Narcotics Control Bureau of Brunei Darussalam (NCB), New Zealand Customs Service, New Zealand Police, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force (ABF) to intercept and disrupt trafficking attempts at multiple borders.CNB's involvement came in April this year, when it received information about freight parcels that were suspected to contain controlled drugs transiting through Singapore.These parcels — originating from the US and bound for New Zealand — were intercepted, and officers discovered over 10kg of Ice, also known as methamphetamine.But this was not the end of the trail as follow-up investigations allowed CNB to identify other similar parcels headed for New Zealand and Australia and inform the relevant parties.

Malaysia began its trial of a new QR code immigration system on Monday (Sept 22) at the Johor land checkpoints.However, some travellers from Singapore to Johor Bahru reported issues generating the QR code.The National Integrated Immigration System (NIISe) is currently limited to passenger cars, said the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday (Sept 20).A total of 16 car lanes — eight each for entry and exit — have been fitted with the system at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex in Johor Bahru.Similarly, the Sultan Abu Bakar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex at the Second Link has 12 car lanes — six each for entry and exit — in operation.The ministry added that as at Sept 19, the app had been downloaded by over 10,000 users which shows «positive initial acceptance».However, some comments under posts by the MyNIISE Facebook page raised issues with the new app.One comment read: «Loading non-stop, can't scan (my) passport...very, very slow.»

Singapore will formally recognise the state of Palestine when it has an effective government that accepts Israel’s right to exist, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on Parliament on Monday (Sept 22).The Palestinian government must also renounce terrorism, he added in a ministerial statement.He was replying to 13 questions filed by MPs on the issue, including whether Singapore is reconsidering its position on recognising Palestinian statehood, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.Outlining Singapore’s “consistent” support for a negotiated two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Dr Balakrishnan acknowledged the barriers to recognise Palestine.There is no unified Palestinian government that exercises “effective control” in Palestinian Territories in both the West Bank and Gaza for the last 18 years at least, he said.He noted that Hamas had “violently seized” Gaza from the Palestinian Authority in 2007 and that “what will happen in Gaza after the ceasefire is unclear”.Dr Balakrishnan added that Hamas has also consistently rejected Israel’s right to exist, and that it has yet to renounce terrorism or agree to disarm.

Looking to cross the Causeway by hired car? Travellers will now have one more cross-border ride hailing option to choose from as Strides Premier has joined the ranks of licenced taxis.The ride-hailing service operator announced last Friday (Sept 19) that rides between Singapore and Johor Bahru will cost between $60 and $120, depending on the pick-up and drop-off location.There is no date yet on when the service will start.Trips from Ban San Street Terminal in Rochor to JB's Larkin bus terminal will cost $60.The fixed fare for each one-way ride goes up to $80 and $120 when commuters are picked up at any one location in Singapore and Changi Airport, respectively.Meanwhile, a ride from Larkin Terminal to any one location in Singapore will cost $70 if an advanced booking is placed, and $60 if hired on the spot there.And if travelling back to Ban San Street, the drive will cost just RM120 (S$36).Ban San Street Terminal and Larkin Terminal are each country's designated point for cross-border taxis.Strides Premier's online enquiry form has already opened for bookings, according to The Straits Times.

SINGAPORE — Nicholas Tan, the Singaporean founder of popular home-grown handbag brand Aupen, has been ordered to post correction notices on his personal and business Instagram pages over accusations made against the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (Ipos).The Pofma Office, which administers the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, was instructed by Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong to issue the correction direction to Tan and Aupen under Singapore's fake news law, the law ministry said on Sept 22.Tan had claimed on three separate occasions in September that Ipos told him not to pursue a trademark dispute with American retail giant Target as he would likely lose, and that Singapore's trademark laws favoured foreign businesses over local ones.He also said Ipos had told him legal reform against bad faith trademark registrations in Singapore were impossible and that the trademark office had flip-flopped on its advice to him in its public statement issued on Sept 11.The statements were posted on Instagram, once to Aupen's official Instagram page and thrice to Tan's personal page.