Thundery showers which persisted over the final two weeks of 2025 are expected to continue into the first fortnight of 2026, the Meteorological Service Singapore said on Friday (Jan 2). They are expected over parts of Singapore in the afternoon on most days, extending into the evening on some days, added the weatherman.The total rainfall is expected to be below average over most parts of the island — with daily maximum temperatures between 32 deg C and 34 deg C on most days. The second half of December also saw mostly thundery showers. Temperatures were similar — at between 32 deg C and 34 deg C, with a high of 34.7 deg C recorded at Jurong Island on Christmas Eve. On Dec 26, heavy thundery showers affected the southern, western and central parts of the island in the afternoon, with a total rainfall of 98.4mm — the highest rainfall recorded for the second half of December — at Pasir Laba. [[nid:726838]]editor@asiaone.com 

A total of 32 Singaporean men were convicted and sentenced for drug and money laundering offences in 2025, said the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) in a statement on Friday (Jan 2). The men, who were arrested by the CNB in separate anti-drug operations, were convicted and sentenced to jail terms of up to 31 years and 18 strokes of the cane. The youngest offender was 19 years old at the time of conviction.CNB said it seized about 8.8kg of heroin, 3kg of Ice, 7.8kg of cannabis, about 110g of cannabis-infused candies, 0.9kg of ketamine, 1,160 Ecstasy tablets, 447 Erimin-5 tablets and other controlled drugs during the anti-drug operations. The drugs seized are estimated to be worth about $1.5 million and can feed the addiction of about 7,000 abusers for a week. About $101,000 worth of proceeds derived from the offenders’ illegal drug activities or otherwise linked to them, were forfeited and surrendered to the state, added the police. 

A former national swimmer and a high-ranking National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) member are set to be new Nominated Members of Parliament (NMP).Darryl Lo and Jeremy Tan, the two independent candidates in the last General Election who threw their hats in the ring for consideration, will not be among the eight new faces appointed to parliament.Mark Lee Kean Phi, chief executive officer of apparel company Sing Lun Holdings, will return for a second term, according to a press release by the Clerk of Parliament on Friday (Jan 2).The nine are:

SINGAPORE – Some residents at a Sin Ming condominium were greeted by brown and yellowish water flowing from their taps on New Year’s Day, following a pipe leak near the junction of Sin Ming Avenue and Upper Thomson Road.National water agency PUB said it was alerted to the incident at 9am on Jan 1.“We immediately deployed our service crew on site to trace the source of the leak and commence repair works. Water supply to homes and businesses in the vicinity was not affected,” it said in response to queries from The Straits Times.A PUB spokesman said the agency is investigating the cause of the pipe leak.Residents of the nearby Flame Tree Park condo had reported that discoloured water was flowing from their taps. This was likely due to resuspension of mineral sediments in the water pipe network due to the leak, PUB said.Repair works are ongoing and are expected to be completed by Jan 2, it added.A 42-year-old doctor who lives in the condo told ST that at around 2am, his wife noticed the water in the toilet bowl was brown even after flushing.At around 8am, he saw discoloured water flowing from the kitchen and toilet taps.

Four people were taken to the hospital after a fire broke out in an HDB flat located along Sembawang Drive on Jan 1. In a Facebook post the same day, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to a fire at Block 462 Sembawang Drive at around 3:15pm. Firefighters extinguished the fire, which broke out on a unit on the 11th floor, with a water jet. A person from the affected unit had evacuated before SCDF’s arrival.As a precautionary measure, about 90 people from the affected block were evacuated by the police and SCDF. 4 people were assessed for smoke inhalation, with 3 taken to Singapore General Hospital and 1 taken to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.The cause of the fire is under investigation, said SCDF.[embed]https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AcH1EjX9Z/[/embed][[nid:727539]]esther.lam@asiaone.com 

A van was allegedly involved in multiple hit-and-run accidents on Wednesday (Dec 31) along Towner Road and Lavender Street, before crashing into a signpost along Raffles Avenue.In three separate posts uploaded to Facebook groups SGRV and SGRV Front Man, the same orange Nippon Paint van was seen involved in multiple road incidents, all of which occurred on different roads.In the first post, the driver of the Toyota Hiace is alleged to have been involved in a hit-and-run accident near Block 149A Towner Road, before being accused of fleeing the scene.An uploaded video showed the van ramming through a car park barricade in the process of doing so. According to the post, the van crashed through the barricade after attempting to flee the scene, along Towner Road. PHOTO: Screengrab/Facebook/SGRV According to SGRV, the incident occurred at 1.32pm.

Singapore ushered in the new year with multiple firework displays across the island, some of which were held in heartland areas like Boon Lay and Woodlands.However, based on multiple videos posted online, Tampines residents reportedly started the new year witnessing flames shooting from the roof of Our Tampines Hub (OTH) shortly after the fireworks display.In a TikTok video by @38mlow posted on Jan 1, smoke could be seen rising from the back of the roof of OTH, while multiple ambulances were seen entering the vicinity of the building. Ambulance sirens could also be heard. 

A 16-year-old teenager is among 143 people assisting in police investigations for their suspected involvement in scams as scammers or money mules, where victims reportedly lost more than $3.82 million. Officers from the Commercial Affairs Department and the seven police land divisions conducted a nearly two week-long operation between Dec 19 and 30, said the police in a statement on New Year's Eve (Dec 31). A total of 41 women and 102 men, aged between 16 and 79, are believed to be involved in more than 400 cases of scams, comprising mainly e-commerce scams, friend impersonation scams, job scams, government official impersonation scams, investment scams and rental scams. They are being investigated for the alleged offences of cheating, money laundering or providing payment services without a licence. The latest enforcement operation comes right after two similar operations in November, and another in the first two weeks of December. 

Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh on Wednesday (Dec 31) said the party will continue to defend the rights of workers and all Singaporeans, call for institutional safeguards, and ensure that governance in Singapore remains transparent and accountable. «As we look to the year ahead, the importance of robust checks and balances has never been more critical,» he said in his New Year message.Singh, who is also Leader of the Opposition, noted unprecedented disruption with the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence transforming the workplace. «In such times, the government must not only be efficient but also fair. Singaporean workers and families deal with Singaporean cost-of-living issues, job insecurities, and social realities which require policy empathy,» he said.

Celebrations lit up the night sky as thousands of people in Singapore came together to welcome 2026 with festive gatherings and celebration booths on Wednesday (Dec 31). Speaking to AsiaOne at The Kallang on Dec 31, Muhammad Yusri Khalid, 33, said it was the first time in four years that he and his family had come out to see the fireworks. «We came out to watch the fireworks at 9pm, as well as enjoy the activities for the kids, like the tattoo booths,» said the father of three. «This year is different for us because we usually stay home by midnight and miss the fireworks as the kids get tired. It's the first time in four years that we've come out to watch them.» Yusri's wife Amanah Koh also shared their hopes for the new year, including the challenge of preparing their daughter for Primary 1 in 2026, and their second child for school the following year in 2027.