An additional 31,000 students from lower- and middle-income families will receive financial support and schooling subsidies from the academic year 2026.The Ministry of Education (MOE) will raise the income eligibility criteria for several financial aid schemes at the primary, secondary and post-secondary levels, it announced on Thursday (Oct 16).For example, students in government schools, government-aided schools and specialised schools currently can apply for the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) if their gross household income (GHI) is $3,000 or less, or if their per capita income (PCI) is $750 or less.When the higher income eligibility ceilings come into effect, students with a GHI of up to $4,000 and PCI of up to $1,000 will be eligible for FAS.The GHI cap for the highest income tier of Government bursaries for students enrolled in publicly-funded Post-Secondary Education Institutions (PSEIs) will similarly be increased to $12,000 from the current $10,000.

Thundery showers are expected in the second fortnight of October, due to the prevailing inter-monsoon conditions over Singapore and the surrounding region.Short-duration thundery showers are expected over parts of the island in the afternoon on most days, said the Meteorological Service Singapore on Thursday (Oct 16).Winds are forecast to be mostly light and variable in direction.In addition, Sumatra squalls may bring widespread thundery showers and gusty winds during the predawn hours and morning on some days.Sumatra squalls are lines of thunderstorms that develop over Indonesia's Sumatra island or the Strait of Malacca and move eastward across the strait, bringing heavy rain and gusty winds to Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia.According to the Met Service, the total rainfall for the second half of October is forecast to be above average.

Finding a place to rest during a layover can often prove difficult.To combat this, some tourists in Singapore have started finding quiet areas in Changi Airport to catch some shut eye — including one which has been dubbed the «sleeper village».A woman from the US posted a video to TikTok on Oct 5, showing how she and her husband rested at that area.She explained that they opted to do this before their morning flight as their visit coincided with the Singapore Grand Prix and hotel prices were «astronomical» as a result.Hotels near the airport were charging US$400 (S$518) a night at that time, while the average is usually less than US$200, she said.While the couple had «a rough time» finding a place to rest initially, they discovered the Terminal 1 Arrival Garden, where they saw «at least 30 other people» sleeping.The woman referred to this area as the «sleeper village».The pair had come prepared with blankets and inflatable neck cushions, which they placed on the garden floor so they would lie down.

A breeding pair of Philippine cockatoos at Bird Paradise hatched a chick for the first time in 10 years since being rescued in Palawan and brought to Singapore.The critically endangered species, also known as the red-vented cockatoo, was once common throughout the Philippines but only exists primarily on the Palawan islands now due to illegal trapping wildlife trade and habitat loss, said the Mandai Wildlife Group and Mandai Nature in a statement on Oct 16.Fewer than 750 of these mature cockatoos remain there, they added.«These birds are notoriously difficult to breed in human care, so having this little one is both exciting and encouraging,» said Anais Tritto, assistant vice-president of animal care (operations) at Mandai Wildlife Group.She added that the fledgling is a reminder of how zoos can support species recovery by preserving genetic diversity and maintaining a safety-net population.With the new chick, knowledge gaps can be filled in terms of pair bonding and parental behaviour, which can be useful to enhance breeding efforts.

A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officer and his wife were charged in court on Thursday (Oct 16) for cheating the SCDF and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of over $130,000.The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said in a statement that Muhammad Zahid Rosli, 41, was a SCDF officer posted to the Civil Defence Academy at the time of the offences.Nuraifa Ahmad, 38, was the owner of Grundy Wellness Network and the director of Clutch Esports at the time. Business records showed that both companies were registered to run training courses for sports and games.Zahid faces a total of 28 charges, while Nuraifa faces 19.CPIB said that between 2017 and 2023, Zahid allegedly cheated the SCDF of about $52,000 by “dishonestly concealing his personal interest” in Grundy and Clutch when he submitted quotations from both companies on separate occasions for paintball and e-sports events.His wife allegedly aided him by uploading invoices from Grundy and Clutch in the Government Electronic Business Portal, so that both companies would receive payment for organising the events.

A fiery orange glow lit up the skyline on Wednesday (Oct 15) night, which left several residents wondering where it was from. Taking to Facebook on the CloudSpotting and SkySpotting Singapore group, a Yishun resident said that she was startled by the bright flaming sky in front of her door.“It’s still burning now after more than an hour,” she said.The social media post has since garnered over 280 comments and 1,100 reactions.Some netizens also shared photos of where they could see the mysterious glow from their window — from Marina Bay Sands to up on a plane.Among the more imaginative responses, a netizen quipped that The Eye of Sauron — the ominous presence from The Lord of The Rings — had appeared to cast its watchful gaze over northern Singapore .Another netizen believed that the mysterious glow is not a serious matter.“I saw this too while on my nightly hike, but there were no fire alarms or fire trucks,” he said.The more likely source, some netizens said, is flares from one of the petrochemical plants in Pasir Gudang near Johor Bahru.

A 23-year-old on duty full-time police national serviceman was found with a gunshot wound to his neck at about 9pm on Wednesday (Oct 15).In a late night statement the same night, police said the officer was found by his team mates in a toilet at 328 Pasir Panjang Road. Checks online by AsiaOne show the address is listed as a Shell petrol kiosk. “The officer was subsequently conveyed conscious to the hospital.“His service revolver and remaining ammunition were accounted for and seized at the scene. No other person was injured,” the police said. Based on preliminary investigations, police believe the gunshot wound was self-inflicted. The police also said they do not suspect foul play. Police investigations are ongoing. [[nid:723792]]editor@asiaone.com

A male pedestrian died after being hit by a van in Bedok on Wednesday (Oct 15).In a video posted to Facebook, several police officers can be seen at the accident site, with a red van parked along the side of the road. Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed that they were alerted to a road traffic accident along Bedok North Street 3 towards Bedok North Avenue 2 at about 5.15pm. A 62-year-old male pedestrian was conveyed unconscious to Changi General Hospital where he subsequently died. A 69-year-old male van driver was arrested for careless driving. Police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:723860]]xingying.koh@asiaone.com

Ten drivers were caught for providing illegal cross-border ride-hailing services at Singapore's land checkpoints on Wednesday (Oct 15).In a Facebook post on the same day, Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling said that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) conducted joint enforcement operations.According to LTA, officers at the borders acted on tip-offs from the National Private Hire Vehicles Association and National Taxi Association.All 10 vehicles were impounded, said LTA.'Crucial to protect commuter safety': SunToday's enforcement operation comes amid enhanced crackdowns by both Singapore and Malaysian authorities on illegal ride-hailing services between Singapore and Johor Bahru.According to Sun, the total number of vehicles impounded for providing such illegal services since July is now 117.«These operations are crucial to protect commuter safety,» she said, emphasising the safety risks involved when commuters engage with unlicensed vehicles that lack the necessary insurance.

SINGAPORE — A maid accused of causing grievous hurt by performing a rash act that led to the death of a four-year-old girl will now be contesting a reduced charge.Lilyana Eva, 33, an Indonesian national, had claimed trial over the charge relating to a fatal road accident at Institution Hill, near River Valley Road, on Jan 23, 2024.Lilyana was the child's maid, and the girl had run across an unsignalised junction and was hit by a car.The Indonesian was facing up to four years' jail and a fine of up to $10,000 after originally being charged with causing grievous hurt by performing a rash act.Lilyana now faces a reduced charge of endangering the child's life by a negligent act.If convicted, she faces a jail term of up to three months, a fine of up to $1,500, or both.Lilyana is accused of failing to ensure the safety of the child by not holding onto her while jaywalking at an unsignalised junction at Institution Hill.The first day of her trial had been slated to start on Oct 15 at 9.30am.But the prosecution and Lilyana's lawyers met in the chambers of District Judge Ong Luan Tze, and it was adjourned to 2.30pm.

SINGAPORE — To keep premiums for national long-term care insurance in check, older individuals with mild and moderate disabilities will no longer be able to opt in to the scheme from 2026.Some seniors will even enjoy lower premiums than what they are paying now, said Senior Minister of State for Health Koh Poh Koon in Parliament.The aim is to safeguard sustainability and affordability of the scheme, he said during the debate of the CareShield Life and Long-Term Care (Amendment) Bill, which was passed unanimously on Oct 15.«By restoring the underwriting criteria for the scheme, we will lower premiums for older Optional Cohort policyholders, who today pay higher annual premiums than Mandatory Cohort policyholders, who joined the scheme at a younger age.»From 2026, those born in 1979 or earlier who have mild and moderate disabilities will no longer be allowed to opt-in to CareShield Life, but those who do not have pre-existing disabilities can still do so.

A new Bill was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday (Oct 15) which will give the Government powers to order social media platforms and app providers to take down harmful content.The Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Bill will also establish an Online Safety Commission (OSC) for victims of 13 online harms — including stalking and online harassment — to seek timely relief and obtain redress by the end of the first half of 2026.The Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) and the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) said in a statement that victims will be required to first report the harm they have experienced to the online platform before submitting a report to the OSC.Victims of online harms that «warrant urgent relief», such as when their intimate photos are leaked without their consent, can approach the OSC directly.The proposed government agency will be empowered to include directions to take down the harmful content, restrict the perpetrator's online account, or to allow the victim to post a reply.

More than 9,100 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats have been launched by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in the October sales exercise, including the first flats in the Mount Pleasant and Berlayar estates.A total of 10 projects across Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Bishan, Bukit Merah, Jurong East, Sengkang, Toa Payoh and Yishun are available during the sales exercise, which began on Wednesday (Oct 15), said HDB in a press release on the same day.Berlayar's first project, Berlayar Residences, has a subsidy clawback of 14 per cent — the highest seen for BTO flats to date.A subsidy clawback means that upon the sale of their flats, owners have to pay HDB a percentage of the resale or valuation price, whichever is higher.These clawbacks correspond to the extent of the extra subsidies offered for these flats, said HDB, adding that there is also a 10-year minimum occupation period (MOP) for them.In comparison, the rates for other Prime flats in the July sales exercise were between 11 and 12 per cent.