A woman stayed just 10 days in a rented flat before moving out, after discovering that there were at least 13 other people living in the three-room unit.41-year-old Liu told Shin Min Daily News that her sister had rented a bed in an HDB flat at Block 501 Jurong West Street 51 in August, for a monthly rate of $450.Anxious to move in after securing a job here, the woman did not view the flat and paid the 'landlord' one month's rent and a deposit of $450, which came up to a total of $900.Liu said her sister only realised she had rented a sublet unit after moving in and finding 10 other flat occupants.«There are four 'rooms'. Two of the rooms each housed six people, with a third room occupied by a couple. It is unclear how many people are in the last room,» she claimed.A photo Liu gave Shin Min depicts three bunk beds in a room, with towels which served as privacy «curtains» draped over the beds.While the woman's bed was in the master bedroom, which has an attached toilet, she was purportedly not allowed to use it, and all tenants had to share the other toilet.

Hailing a taxi from Marina Bay Cruise Centre will cost more at certain times from Oct 1.In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Sept 24), transport operator ComfortDelGro announced that it is extending the surcharge hours for trips starting from the cruise centre's taxi stand.Currently, a $5 surcharge is added to metered fares for trips from the cruise centre from 7am to 10.59am every day, including public holidays.From Oct 1, this surcharge will instead apply from 7am to 4.59pm on the same days. At all other timings, a $3 surcharge will apply. ComfortDelGro explained in its post that this move aims to increase the supply of taxis at underserved areas by incentivising drivers to go there.

The Al-Istiqamah Mosque in Serangoon North was evacuated after a suspicious parcel was delivered there.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they were alerted to the case of a suspicious parcel being delivered to a mosque at 2 Serangoon North Avenue 2 on Wednesday (Sept 24), at about 5.20pm. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that an unknown parcel was found on the premises upon its arrival.It added that the area has been cordoned off and hazmat specialists are currently investigating at the scene.The mosque was evacuated by the police and SCDF as a precautionary measure, said the police.Police officers and SCDF are at scene to assess and manage the situation. Members of the public are advised to avoid the vicinity of 2 Serangoon North Avenue 2. Investigations are ongoing.In a Facebook post made on the same day, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) stated that it is aware of the incident and working closely with authorities on the matter.This is a developing story.bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com

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.