When Jiya Sharma, 15, went to Starbucks at Downtown East two months ago to study, she could not buy a drink as the outlet has stopped accepting cash.The Secondary 3 student, who had visited the outlet weekly over the past two years, left empty-handed that day.She also recalled having a similar experience about a year ago while trying to buy food from Wok Hey at White Sands mall, after the store stopped accepting cash.Indeed, “cashless-only” signs have been popping up across stores in Singapore as shop owners get used to the convenience of not having to handle notes and coins, after making the switch for hygiene reasons during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.This is a sharp contrast from store encounters before the pandemic hit, when many shops insisted on “cash-only” payments.Associate professor of finance Fu Fangjian of SMU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business attributed this to the success of the Government’s go-digital campaign.Said Prof Fu: “Singapore’s Government has been very deliberate in driving the Smart Nation agenda... Grants under the SMEs Go Digital programme have made it easier and cheaper for merchants to go cashless.”

Almost 3,300 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats with wait times of less than three years will be offered in the upcoming October sales exercise.In a press release on Sunday (Oct 12), HDB announced that the Shorter Waiting Time (SWT) flats will be offered across four BTO projects in Bedok, Sengkang and Yishun. Among the SWT flats, a variety of flat types will be offered, including 2-room Flexi units, 3Gen flats for multi-generation families and Community Care Apartments (CCAs) for seniors.A total of 9,100 BTO flats will offered during the exercise, with other projects located in Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Bukit Merah, Jurong East, and Toa Payoh.With the upcoming October exercise factored in, the total number of SWT flats launched in 2025 will reach 4,690, exceeding HDB's earlier commitment of 4,500 for the year.«Over the next two years, we will launch another 4,000 SWT flats per year as part of our continued efforts to reduce waiting times and expand housing options for home buyers with more pressing housing needs,» said HDB.

A Vietnam Airlines flight bound for Hanoi from Singapore scheduled to depart on Friday (Oct 10) afternoon only ended up departing the next day, leaving passengers stranded at Changi Airport for nearly 14 hours. According to global travel data provider OAG, flight VNN660 was scheduled to depart Terminal 3 at 1.05pm on Oct 10 and land in Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport at 3.35pm the same day. However, the flight only took off on Oct 11 at 2.54am and landed in Hanoi at 5.05am. Over 100 passengers were affected and the departure time was repeatedly delayed throughout the day, reported Shin Min Daily News on Oct 11. A civil servant surnamed Wei told the Chinese daily that his wife and two relatives were supposed to go to Hanoi for a five-day trip till Oct 14. They had spent $400 on round-trip tickets, with return flights booked on Singapore Airlines. They first learned that their flight had been delayed while waiting at the boarding gate around 12pm on Friday and the staff did not share the reason why. 

Rescue personnel from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) had to be called in after a female drinks stall employee had her hand caught in a sugarcane juicer at a Clementi hawker centre.The incident occurred on Friday (Oct 10) at Block 448 Clementi Avenue 3, according to Shin Min Daily News.In a statement to AsiaOne, a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) spokesperson stated that officers had received a call for assistance at 6.50pm.A person's right hand was found trapped in a sugarcane machine at a stall.«Firefighters and rescue specialists from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) carried out the rescue together with an SCDF paramedic, who administered pain-relief medication and monitored the person's vital signs throughout the operation,» said the spokesperson.An emergency medical team from Ng Teng Fong General Hospital was also deployed on site to provide medical support.The person's hand was subsequently released, and SCDF conveyed the person to National University Hospital, the statement added. 

SINGAPORE - She was close to her only child, a 27-year-old son, but his addiction to etomidate-laced vaporisers, or Kpods, damaged the relationship.It got to a point where her son physically hurt her once when he was high and struggled with withdrawal.Rose (not her real name), 56, then applied for a personal protection order against Ben (not his real name) because as a single parent with little family support, she was fearful that he would hurt her badly.At the height of his addiction, Ben was using up to three pods a day.In November 2024, he attempted to harm himself by climbing out of the window in the living room of their HDB flat, which is on a high floor. When his mother tried to stop him, he yelled at her, choked her and slammed her head against a wall.Rose had to call the police on him for this and another incident.After his second arrest, Ben was admitted to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for suicide ideation, and stayed there for two weeks.It was then that he decided to undergo rehabilitation.He was discharged on Sept 3, 2025.

The sight of workers on gondolas or abseiling down facades to clean high-rise ledges at HDB blocks may soon be a thing of the past if an ongoing trial is successful and adopted.The Ministry of National Development (MND) is trialling the use of drones to do the cleaning.In a Facebook post on Saturday (Oct 11), Senior Minister of State for National Development Sun Xueling said that she has been studying the use of technology for higher-risk activities in the built environment sector. «Traditional methods involve (the) use of workers on gondolas and ‘spidermen’ which unfortunately have risk for workers.»This morning, we are testing out using drones to wash high-rise ledges. This involves various steps involving use of water pressure and dissolvents."The trial was conducted at Block 271D Punggol Walk.Following the trial, Sun said that MND will be studying the results of the cleaning, residents’ feedback and also the cost of deploying such technology before proceeding further.

To Azlinah Amin, the day started like any other, amid customers flocking to the United Overseas Bank's (UOB) main branch at Raffles Place because of good gold prices in April this year, a peculiar interaction with one stood out to her.«A male retiree came into the bank to enquire about buying 5kg worth of gold,» shared the branch service manager.But what set off red flags were his next moves, and thanks to the quick action of Azlinah and her colleagues they managed to stop a transaction of almost $700,000 being lost to a gold scam.Speaking to AsiaOne at the National Crime Prevention Centre (NCPC) Appreciation Dinner and Crime Prevention Awards Ceremony on Tuesday (Oct 7), Azlinah shares how empathy helped eased a customer and stopped him from becoming a victim of a crime.

SINGAPORE — A recent study has found that 68 per cent of youth in Singapore are open, actively or passively, to new job opportunities.Financial gain and job stability ranked as their top two priorities, while flexible work arrangements and work-life balance were also important, according to the study by the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS).Results from the study on youth employment were released on Oct 10 during a media briefing held at A Good Place, a community hub at One Holland Village.The study’s principal investigator is Associate Professor Justina Tan, vice-president of strategic partnership and engagement at SUSS.

Eight men were arrested for their alleged involvement in an illegal transaction of marine gas oil.The arrests were made on Friday (Oct 10), when officers from the Police Coast Guard (PCG) discovered the alleged illegal transaction during a routine check on a Singapore-registered tugboat in the waters off Tuas.Preliminary investigations revealed that the crew members of the Singapore-registered allegedly misappropriated the marine gas oil, which was valued at about $6,920.They then allegedly sold it to crew members of a foreign-registered tugboat.Three crew members on the Singapore-registered tugboat were arrested.PCG officers also intercepted the foreign-registered tugboat in the vicinity, where five crew members on board were arrested and the tugboat was subsequently seized as a case exhibit.Ninety-two sticks of duty-unpaid cigarettes were also found in the Singapore-registered tugboat, and were handed over to Singapore Customs.

Malaysian ride hailing company Kummute has begun offering online bookings for licensed taxis from Malaysia to Singapore through its app.  Known as CB Taxi, the option allows travellers to book a ride from anywhere in Malaysia to Ban San Street Terminal in Singapore.There is also a «SG cross-border taxi» option, where users can book 30 minutes in advance, with distance-based fares shown upfront on the Kummute app.But the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it has not approved any ride-hailing platform to provide cross-border services, in response to media queries.«We are working with Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency to clarify the business model of Kummute’s e-hailing platform,» a spokesperson said.Checks by AsiaOne found that users with a Singapore phone number can register for an account on the app.A trip from Larkin Terminal in Johor Bahru (JB) to AsiaOne’s office in Bendemeer costs RM$289 (S$88).When this AsiaOne reporter tried booking a ride from anywhere in Singapore to Malaysia, the app prompted that «this feature is currently under development».

Ever witnessed an arrest and wondered why multiple police officers are seen responding to what seems like a straightforward incident?The Singapore Police Force (SPF) explained the reason in a light-hearted myth buster video on social media on Wednesday (Oct 8).  In a dramatic re-enactment, four officers are seen approaching a man believed to be drunk and causing public nuisance. He is also seen holding a screwdriver in his right hand. Meanwhile, a fifth officer faces the man and issues instructions to him, while maintaining a distance between them.

The reliability of the MRT network dipped in August, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Friday (Oct 10) in its first monthly report of Singapore’s rail performance.Previously published on a quarterly basis, it said that the monthly updates are part of its efforts to improve transparency and accountability.LTA sets a one million train-km target for its MRT network. Rail reliability in Singapore is measured using 12-month mean kilometres between failure (MKBF) metric, which tracks the average distance a train travels before experiencing a delay of more than five minutes.The MKBF as at the end of August was 1,740,000 train-km, according to the report, a drop from the 1,818,000 train-km as of the end of July, but an improvement from 1,598,000 train-km as of the end June.The North-South Line and Circle Line both saw increases in their MKBF since end-July, from 1,413,000 to 1,648,000 train-km, and 1,067,000 train-km to 1,245,000 train-km respectively.The Downtown Line’s reliability fell from 4,131,000 train-km to 2,760,000 train-km, while the North-East Line dipped to 2,142,000 train-km.

We have all seen lightning strikes in Singapore before, but from 400km above in outer space?Electrifying views of lightning strikes illuminating the city state seen from the International Space Station (ISS) on June 15 was shared by Nasa astronaut Nicole Ayers on her X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram accounts that day.Ayers was a pilot on Expedition 72/73 at the International Space Station (ISS) which orbits at around 400km from earth. That day, when the ISS was orbiting at about  417km above the South China Sea, Ayers, who frequently shares her life in the ISS on social media, saw lightning striking and illuminating the clouds over Singapore during a storm. Nasa said that the photograph was taken at about 3.18am. 

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 4,200 packets of chewing tobacco into Singapore via Tuas Checkpoint on Oct 2. In a Facebook post on Friday (Oct 10), ICA said that the Malaysia-registered lorry was identified for enhanced checks and more than 4,200 packets of chewing tobacco were found concealed in its consignment of goods declared as mattresses, polyfoam pillows, and plastic sheet rolls. The 23-year-old male Malaysian driver was arrested and the case referred to the Health Sciences Authority for further investigation. Chewing tobacco, which contains carcinogens, or chemicals known to cause cancer, is a prohibited substance in Singapore. If convicted, the driver can be jailed for up to six months, fined up to $10,000, or both.On Sept 11, ICA officers foiled a similar attempt to smuggle prohibited items into Singapore via consignments of goods on a Malaysia-registered goods vehicle.

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam has reappointed Lucien Wong as attorney-general for another three-year term.The new term will be from Jan 14, 2026, to Jan 13, 2029, said the Attorney-General's Chambers in a media statement on Friday (Oct 10). Wong was appointed as post-independence Singapore's ninth attorney-general on Jan 14, 2017, for a term of three years.He was reappointed for another two more terms on Jan 14, 2020, and Jan 14, 2023. AGC also said that Lionel Yee, who was appointed as deputy attorney-general on Jan 14, 2017, and reappointed for another two more terms in 2020 and 2023, will be reappointed for another three-year term.Yee's fourth term as deputy attorney-general will be from Jan 14, 2026, to Jan 13, 2029. [[nid:723384]]editor@asiaone.com 

Amid increasing global uncertainty, Singapore and New Zealand have elevated bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) to «turn challenges into opportunities», said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday (Oct 10). PM Wong and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon were speaking at a joint press conference during PM Wong's first official visit to New Zealand this week, coinciding with 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.«Singapore and New Zealand may be small in size. But we have shown time and again that the power of our partnership far outweighs our scale. »By working closely together, I am confident [that] we can continue to turn challenges into opportunities, and deliver benefits for our peoples and the wider region," said PM Wong. Comprehensive Strategic PartnershipNew Zealand was Singapore's first bilateral free trade agreement partner in 2000. 

The woman found dead in a Sengkang HDB unit on Monday (Oct 6) reportedly held degrees from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the University of Cambridge.The 47-year-old woman, Xu Na, had been found dead along with her father in their home at Block 324D Sengkang East Way at around 1.35pm, according to the police.Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, Xu Rong (transliteration), Xu Na's classmate from NUS, said that he immediately recognised Xu Na upon seeing the photo released by the police in their appeal for her next-of-kin.He subsequently contacted his classmates and confirmed her identity, and they all expressed sorrow over her passing.According to Xu Rong, he and Xu Na were undergraduate students at the same time and studied Computer Science at NUS. He also described her as introverted, polite and kind.«At first, we weren't very close. Then she joined the Chinese Language Society at NUS, so I got to know her better. She also likes sports, and I used to play table tennis with her,» he told Shin Min.

Singapore welcomes the agreement by Israel and Hamas to commence the first phase of US President Donald Trump's proposed plan to end the conflict in Gaza, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said. In a statement on Thursday night (Oct 9), an MFA spokesperson said the ceasefire and release of hostages «will bring great relief» to the people in Gaza and Israel. «Singapore commends the leadership of President Trump and the tireless efforts of all the mediators involved, especially the US, Qatar, Egypt and Turkiye, who have been instrumental in securing this agreement,» the ministry said.MFA also urged all parties to make further progress towards resolving outstanding issues in subsequent phases.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said he welcomes the agreement by Israel and Hamas to commence the first phase of US President Donald Trump's proposed plan to end the Gaza conflict. In a Facebook post on Friday (Oct 10), PM Wong said that “it has been two long years” since the Oct 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas. “Far too many lives have been lost, and the suffering has been immense”, said PM Wong.He also acknowledged the role of US President Donald Trump and the regional intermediaries.“I commend the leadership of President Donald Trump, and the invaluable efforts of Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye in helping to achieve this breakthrough”. PM Wong added that the “road ahead will not be easy” and hopes that Israel and Hamas will soon reach a final agreement so that Gazans can begin to rebuild their lives and homes.

Unhappy with a six-year-old boy who had kicked a styrofoam wall at a mall, causing his daughter to fall, a man slapped the boy’s face and bruised it.The 39-year-old Singaporean was sentenced to three weeks’ jail on Oct 9. He had pleaded guilty on Aug 20 to one charge of voluntarily causing hurt.He cannot be named to protect the identity of his daughter, who was around three years old at the time of the incident and is referred to as X1 in court documents.In sentencing, District Judge Janet Wang called the assault unwarranted and unprovoked.“Even if the accused was upset by the victim’s (act)… this reaction was way in excess of proportion,” said Judge Wang.The court heard previously that the man, his wife and their three daughters had gone to an indoor playground at Westgate shopping mall in Jurong on Dec 22, 2024.At around 2.30pm, he saw the boy kick a wall made of multicoloured styrofoam building blocks while at least one of his daughters was standing near it.At least one of the building blocks then fell on the floor, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Joelle Loy.

A man who visited a car wash in Johor Bahru has warned other drivers against patronising the business, calling it a «nightmare».In a TikTok video posted on Wednesday (Oct 8), the man, believed to be Singaporean, is heard saying that the establishment's staff refused to do a «normal wash» for his vehicle.The short clip then shows three employees confronting the man, with one of them repeatedly asking him what his problem was and why he was filming.The video has over 431,000 views and nearly 8,900 likes as of Thursday.The Singaporean driver claimed that one of the employees had refused to wash his car as he had rejected the «water wax treatment», which was a pricier service. He also claimed that the staff member had said that because they did not get enough customers that day, they would only do a «water wax treatment» and no «normal wash».The driver added that when he tried to leave, the employees became aggressive and even pulled on his car door to stop him from closing it. They also demanded he delete the videos he took of the place.

Parts of The Clementi Mall were flooded on Wednesday (Oct 8) night, with some areas unwalkable due to the excess water.The incident was captured by a user on Xiaohongshu who uploaded three pictures of the mall at around 8.55pm on Wednesday night.The photos showed various parts of The Clementi Mall, located at 3155 Commonwealth Ave West, with its floors covered in water. One picture also showed some areas being cordoned off with «Caution wet floor» signs placed on the ground.A separate video of the incident was posted to TikTok on Thursday, showing staff cleaning the wet floors.@lunachloe0573Nowadays the weather a bit erratic...♬ Yuletide Reverie - Cotoshu

The long-sought deal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release would not have been possible without US president Donald Trump, said Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam on Thursday (Oct 9).This came after Trump on Wednesday announced that Israel and Hamas have signed off on the first phase of his peace plan.It involves Hamas releasing 20 living hostages it is still holding, while Israel will withdraw its troops to an agreed line and free nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees.Shanmugam cautioned that due to the volatile situation between the two sides, a peace deal agreement is “never done until it is done”.«At least there is more hope than there was previously,» he added. «Trump has to be commended tremendously for pushing both sides, and ultimately, only the United States of America can influence Israel's cause of action.»And he has done that. I think a lot of credit, even for us to be here, has to go to him."