National water agency PUB will call for a tender on Friday (Dec 26) to study the feasibility for a potential new water desalination plant in Singapore. The city-state currently has five operational desalination plants: three in Tuas South, and one each at Marina East and Jurong Island. In a statement on Friday, PUB said the feasibility study is expected to take around 10 months to complete. «[It] will entail the development of various plant design options, and assessments on the technical feasibility and economic viability of the proposed designs,» said the agency, adding that the study will also assess the viability of a dual-mode plant similar to the existing plant in Marina East. A dual-mode desalination plant is equipped with the capability to treat either seawater of freshwater, with the flexibility to switch between modes, thereby enhancing the weather-resilience of Singapore's water supply. PUB expects the feasibility study to incorporate lessons learnt from existing desalination plants, such as including higher multi-storey buildings and deeper basements to house treatment facilities. 

An Airbnb in Johor Bahru was allegedly left in a state of complete disarray after a Singaporean man vomited all over the property and caused damages amounting to $1,430.Eva Er, the Airbnb owner, made a Facebook post on Monday (Dec 22) detailing the incident that happened the day prior.Er said that the Singaporean man rented her unit for six days — from Dec 15 to Dec 21 — and looked younger than 30 years old, reported China Press.The 32-year-old also noted that communication during check in was smooth and that he was polite when asking questions.Nauseating smell of vomit, green stainsAccording to Er, the Singaporean man did not respond to repeated phone calls on the day he was supposed to check out.She subsequently entered the unit with a security guard and a cleaner to check on the unit, and found him laying naked on the sofa.«When I opened the door to my room, there was a strong smell of vomit, which made me feel nauseous,» she said.Photos attached to the post showed trails of green and brown vomit on the floor and bedsheets.

A man who said he and former lawyer M Ravi were taking drugs before the latter died was charged in court on Friday (Dec 26) for allegedly arranging a gathering where controlled drugs were consumed. Shawn Loo Zhi Jian, 40, had allegedly arranged a gathering with Ravi to consume methamphetamine at an Upper Boon Keng Road flat on Dec 24 between 1 am and 5am, according to court documents. He is expected to be back in court on Jan 2, 2026. Loo is an assistant vice president at a foreign bank, according to his LinkedIn profile. In a joint statement on Friday, the police and Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said the 40-year-old Singaporean, previously identified only as «A», knew Ravi since 2023 and that the two had met through a social networking app. «The 40-year-old man stated that they had met at the Ravi's apartment on Dec 24 to consume drugs, which allegedly came from both of them, and engage in other activities,» the statement read. The statement did not elaborate on what these «other activities» are. 

A man who said he and former lawyer M. Ravi were taking drugs before the latter died was charged in court on Friday (Dec 26) for allegedly arranging a gathering where controlled drugs were consumed. Shawn Loo Zhi Jian, 40, had allegedly arranged a gathering with Ravi to consume methamphetamine at an Upper Boon Keng Road flat on Dec 24 between 1 am and 5am, according to court documents.He is expected to be back in court on Jan 2, 2026.Loo is an assistant vice president at a foreign bank, according to his LinkedIn profile. In a joint statement on Friday, the police and Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said that the 40-year-old Singaporean, previously identified only as “A”, knew Ravi since 2023 and that the two had met through a social networking app. “The 40-year-old man stated that they had met at the Ravi’s apartment on Dec 24 to consume drugs, which allegedly came from both of them, and engage in other activities,” the statement read.The statement did not elaborate on what these “other activities” are.According to Loo, Ravi later began to exhibit “concerning symptoms” and became unresponsive. 

A man who said he and former lawyer M. Ravi were taking drugs before the latter died will be charged in court on Friday (Dec 26) for allegedly arranging a gathering where controlled drugs were consumed. In a joint statement on Friday, the police and Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said that the 40-year-old Singaporean, previously identified only as “A”, knew Ravi since 2023 and that the two had met through a social networking app. “The 40-year-old man stated that they had met at the Ravi’s apartment on Dec 24 to consume drugs, which allegedly came from both of them, and engage in other activities,” the statement read.The statement did not elaborate on what these “other activities” are.According to the man, Ravi later began to exhibit “concerning symptoms” and became unresponsive. He went on to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and called for the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) assistance. Ravi was taken unconscious by SCDF paramedics to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he was subsequently pronounced dead at 6.50am. He was 56 years old.

Graffiti was found on walls and vehicles parked at Praisehaven - The Salvation Army on Christmas (Dec 25) morning. Photographs posted on Sgfollowsall's Instagram account show at least three parked vans and two walls covered with pieces of cloth at the Upper Bukit Timah premises. According to the post, staff from the outlet found «several parts of the walls and vehicles» spray painted red, adding that the words were «ill-intended». «Rags have been placed over the sprayed area and (the) Christmas celebration event is currently ongoing,» according to the post.«The police is on scene and currently investigating the matter».It is unknown what the spray painted words were, although AsiaOne understands that workers have started to paint over them.Three pictures posted by Sgfollowsall showing graffiti sprayed on vehicles and walls at The Salvation Army's premises along Upper Bukit Timah Road.

Passengers in taxis and private hire vehicles (PHV) should be respectful and treat their drivers kindly, said NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Yeo Wan Ling in a reminder for the current festive season.Yeo, who also serves as advisor to the National Taxi Association (NTA) and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA), uploaded a Facebook post on Wednesday (Dec 24), where she emphasised the importance of taking responsibility and compensating drivers fairly.In particular, she spoke about passengers who vomited in taxis and PHVs and subsequently refused to pay for cleaning, with some even reacting rudely or abusively to drivers.«This causes real hardship. When a vehicle is soiled, drivers may have to pay out of pocket for cleaning and lose precious hours of income,» she explained, adding that NTA and NPHVA have been negotiating with taxi and platform companies to charge passengers directly for cleaning fees and reimburse drivers.Yeo also warned passengers against evading fares, saying that convicted first-time offenders will face fines of up to $1,000.

Two males, aged 17 and 20, were arrested by the police on Wednesday (Dec 24) for their suspected involvement in a case of snatch theft.The alleged crime happened at about 2.50pm along Redhill Close.In a news release on Dec 25, the police said that a man had purportedly snatched a plastic bag containing cash from an elderly male victim before running away, adding that the suspect was later identified with the aid of images from police cameras and follow-up investigations.The man, as well as a male teenager believed to be his accomplice, were arrested within four hours of the report. The stolen cash, amounting to $1,625, was recovered.The duo will be charged in court on Friday.If found guilty of snatch theft, they could be jailed for up to seven years and shall also be liable to caning.The police advise those who encounter similar situations to stay calm, note down the physical appearance and distinctive features of the perpetrator, and call for police assistance as soon as possible.[[nid:727040]]editor@asiaone.com 

Graffiti was found on walls and vehicles parked at The Salvation Army William Booth Corps on Christmas (Dec 25) morning. Photographs posted on Sgfollowsall's Instagram account show at least three parked vans and two walls covered with pieces of cloth at the Upper Bukit Timah premises. According to the post, staff from the outlet found «several parts of the walls and vehicles» spray painted red, adding that the words were «ill-intended». «Rags have been placed over the sprayed area and (the) Christmas celebration event is currently ongoing,» according to the post.«The police is on scene and currently investigating the matter».It is unknown what the spray painted words were, although AsiaOne understands that workers have started to paint over them.Three pictures posted by Sgfollowsall showing graffiti sprayed on vehicles and walls at The Salvation Army's premises along Upper Bukit Timah Road.

The decomposed body of a 52-year-old man was found in his Punggol flat on Monday (Dec 22), months after his wife succumbed to cancer.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the police confirmed that they received a call for assistance from Block 306A Punggol Place at 12.05pm that day.The man was found lying motionless and was pronounced dead at the scene by an SCDF paramedic.According to the police, preliminary investigations do not suggest foul play, and investigations are ongoing.Wife died from cancerA resident living on the same floor told Shin Min Daily News that the man had moved into the unit with his wife around two years ago and that she used to see them together frequently.«I took the elevator with the uncle last month and he told me that his wife had just died from cancer,» she said, adding that the man still looked healthy at the time.She was shocked to find out about his death and said it was «regretful» how he died soon after his wife.Man believed to be dead for 4 daysThe fourth-floor unit had been cordoned off by police on Monday, reported Shin Min.