Lower-income households who have yet to receive public transport vouchers (PTV) for the 2025 exercise can submit their applications starting Tuesday (Jan 20).Each household with a monthly per capita household income of not more than $1,800 is eligible for the voucher, worth $60, to help defray transport costs, said the Ministry of Transport and the People's Association in a joint statement on Monday (Jan 19).Bus and train fares had increased by up to 10 cents per journey for adult commuters from Dec 27, 2025.About 300,000 households who previously received the vouchers during the 2024 PTV exercise would have been notified via post or SMS last month.Those who have not received the vouchers can apply online or visit their local Community Centres/Clubs from Jan 20 to Oct 31.Households that require additional help, including those who did not qualify based on the household income eligibility criteria, can also submit an application.

Suspected cases of gastroenteritis are being investigated after 147 students at North View Primary School (NVPS) developed symptoms last week.In a joint statement on Monday (Jan 19), the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said that students across levels were affected.They developed symptoms since Jan 13 and most have recovered as at Jan 18.One student was hospitalised on Jan 17 and discharged the next day in stable condition, said the agencies, who added that the school has been in touch with affected students and their parents.The school said that it will continue to monitor the students' well-being, and that it will work closely with SFA and CDA to investigate the incident. According to the joint statement, NVPS is not one of the 13 schools under the Central Kitchen Meal Model implemented earlier this year.Since the incident, NVPS has also taken precautionary measures including cleaning and sanitising all classrooms and common areas, and minimising whole-school gatherings.

Grab's fleet of self-driving vehicles will continue their test run in Punggol, after an autonomous shuttle operated by ComfortDelGro collided with a road divider on Saturday (Jan 17).Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling said in a Facebook post on Monday (Jan 19) that the transport authorities take the safety of all road users seriously.Routes one and three of Punggol's designated shuttle services will operated by Grab and route two by ComfortDelGro.The autonomous vehicles on route one have begun community rides after it completed testing and preparatory work, travelling more than 10,000km without any incident.Sun noted that while the shuttles of both operators bear a similar colour scheme, they use different software and are of a different vehicle type.

Kidneys are vital for removing waste and toxins from our bodies. And when they fail, haemodialysis (HD), which is done at dialysis centres, has long been the option here.There's another option, peritoneal dialysis (PD), which is done in the comfort of the home and also gives kidney failure patients a better quality of life. But among patients in Singapore suitable for it, the take-up rate remains low, despite efforts to encourage its adoption.Both forms of dialysis remove waste and fluid from the body — a process that occurs naturally in healthy patients through urination. HD does it through the blood, while PD extracts them through the peritoneum, the membrane lining the abdominal wall.In Singapore, three out of four new kidney failure patients still opt for HD, where patients go to a dialysis centre three times a week for three to four hours to have their blood removed from their body, cleansed and then put back.

A woman who was recently in the spotlight for tearing down Chinese New Year decorations from the gate of a HDB flat in Boon Keng has apologised for her «spur of the moment» actions after seeing a photo of her relative pasted on the door of Lee, the flat owner. In a TikTok video on Sunday (Jan 18), she admitted that her actions were «completely not right», but explained that Lee is «not just an innocent victim» as he makes himself seem in a YouTube video he uploaded on Jan 12. 

A man was taken to hospital on Saturday (Jan 17) evening after being knocked down by a car in Sengkang.Based on dashcam footage, the accident happened at about 5.55pm at the junction of Buangkok Drive and Sengkang Central. Map showing where the approximate location of the accident on Jan 17. IMAGE: Google Maps In a video posted on TikTok, the pedestrian is seen running across the crossing when the red light comes on.Midway through, he notices a car coming from his left and tried to dodge, but to no avail.The impact sends him flying halfway across the junction before he gets up and limps towards the traffic island. He is seen clutching his left thigh.

SINGAPORE — A Canadian man quit his high-paying job in Singapore and moved back to his home country after his estranged wife applied for maintenance for herself and their four children.A warrant of arrest was issued against him after he failed to attend a court mention in January 2024.The warrant was cancelled only in December that year after he attended a court mention held via Zoom with his lawyers.He has been ordered by a district judge to pay nearly $634,000 in maintenance backdated to September 2023, when he reduced financial support to the family after he moved out to live with another woman.The sum covers the period between September 2023 and September 2025.The judge also ordered him to pay $23,500 in monthly maintenance starting from October 2024, when he started working for an employer in Canada.In a judgment dated Dec 29, 2025, District Judge Phang Hsiao Chung said that until the man started in his job in Canada, his earning capacity should be based on his income while he was employed by the Singapore employer.The man's annual income in 2023 was more than $860,000.

With the United States celebrating its 250th year of independence, its embassy here is calling for «financial contributions» from Singaporean businesses for the July 4 festivities. In a letter dated Jan 8, Ambassador Anjani Sinha wrote that the milestone is «a major White House priority», coinciding with 60 years of diplomatic relations between the US and Singapore. «Your partnership and financial contributions will help us honour the history we are proud to share and inspire us to look to future opportunities,» he said.«We are encouraging our partners to consider substantially larger gifts than in previous years in support of our 250th anniversary.»The letter was sent to members of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Singapore, which represents some 700 member companies, including American firms and global companies with US business interests. Responding to media queries, the US Embassy in Singapore said the practice of soliciting funds is in line with the practices of every American embassy worldwide.

The public may make bookings to collect fit-for-gifting bank notes for Chinese New Year (CNY) from Jan 27, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said on Monday (Jan 19).CNY falls on Feb 17 and 18.Singaporeans are also encouraged to be environmentally-conscious by choosing «fit» notes or electronic hongbao (e-hongbao), the authority said.These «fit» notes are similar to those from ATMs and may have fold lines or minor stains.A MAS survey of 1,853 Chinese Singaporeans and permanent residents conducted in July 2025 found that two in three people were open to receiving «fit» notes in their red packets. «The respondents also indicated that the condition of the notes did not matter and 'fit' notes were as meaningful as new notes,» MAS said.The finding is consistent with DBS' observations, with a 7 per cent year-on-year decline in cash withdrawals recorded in 2025.Last year, over 16 million pieces of «fit» notes were exchanged at the banks, enabling emission savings equivalent to the annual carbon footprint from powering 280 four-room HDB flats.

SINGAPORE — The vice-principal and executive director of a pre-school who covered up the molestation of a two-year-old girl by the school's cook were jailed for three months and two weeks, and four months, respectively.During sentencing on Jan 19, District Judge Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz said the two women were supposed to act as protectors of the children and to shield them from harm.Instead, their involvement in deleting CCTV footage of the sexual assault showed profound betrayal in the trust that society had in them to protect these vulnerable children, added the judge.«The egregious nature of their acts cannot be understated,» said the judge, adding that the footage was important as the children could neither articulate their experiences nor give testimony to what was done to them.The principal, 62, who was convicted of intentionally omitting information on the sexual assault, is expected to be sentenced in March.The three women had pleaded guilty on Dec 19, 2025, to covering up the crimes of Teo Guan Huat, 61.

A 61-year-old man who allegedly drove his car under the influence of alcohol was arrested by the police after an accident at a HDB estate in Choa Chu Kang on Saturday (Jan 17) night. The incident happened at around 10.10pm at Block 253A Choa Chu Kang Avenue 1, outside the Lam Hai Kwan Hock Tua temple. AsiaOne received photographs of the incident from members of a Telegram chat group. One photograph showed the Indian man slumped in his seat, sleeping with his arms folded. «He knocked into a stationary bike,» an eyewitness said in the chat. Other photographs showed the car stopped outside the temple, with the left side of its front bumper significantly damaged.A Traffic Police expressway patrol car was parked behind the damaged car, while two police officers stood over the man who was seated at the roadside curb.

A motorcycle was sent crashing to the ground after a Transcab taxi rear-ended into it while changing lanes along the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) on Friday (Jan 16) night.The accident happened at about 11pm along the PIE towards Changi, near the Bukit Timah Expressway exit. In a video posted to the SG Road Vigilante Facebook page, a Transcab taxi and a bus can be seen entering the PIE, towards Changi, from the Jalan Anak Bukit slip road. Both the bus and the taxi signalled to enter the leftmost lane of the expressway as the slip road runs out. At this time, a motorcycle was travelling straight along the said lane. The motorcyclist appeared to have slowed down for the bus to pass ahead. However, the taxi began switching lanes at the same time and rear-ended the motorcycle.The impact sent the motorcycle crashing to the ground and sparks were seen flying as it skidded for a distance.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force said that two people, including the 43-year-old male motorcyclist, were assessed for minor injuries. Both declined to be sent to the hospital. 

SINGAPORE — Dr Liu Thai Ker, the would-be artist who turned his mind to architecture and shaped the face of modern Singapore, was a highly driven person with a deep interest in building liveable cities, said those who knew him.They said his legacy will be remembered through the neighbourhoods and public housing that many Singaporeans call home.In the wake of his death at age 87 on Jan 18, tributes poured in from public figures and those in the architecture community.Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in a social media post on Jan 18 that Dr Liu — who spent 24 years in the public service — went beyond delivering new flats. He helped design and build complete new towns, with neighbourhood centres, green spaces and community facilities thoughtfully integrated from the outset.«He often said that to build a city, one must have the heart of a humanist, the mind of a scientist, and the eye of an artist. These ideals ran through his life's work. The buildings, homes and public spaces that Singaporeans use every day stand as a quiet testament to his dedication and vision.»Singapore is better because of Thai Ker's service," PM Wong added.