Seventy people were evacuated after a fire broke out at a 12th-floor unit in a Housing and Development Board (HDB) block in Bukit Merah on Saturday (Jan 24).The incident happened at about 5.30pm at Block 103B Depot Road in Bukit Merah.The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a Facebook post that the fire involved one of the rooms in a residential unit on the 12th-floor. When firefighters arrived at the scene, black smoke was seen emitting from the affected unit. The fire was put out with two water jets.«As a result of the fire, the rest of the unit also sustained heat and smoke damage,» SCDF said in its Facebook post.About 70 people were evacuated by the police and SCDF as a precautionary measure.One person from the affected unit, who had evacuated before firefighters arrived, was taken to Singapore General Hospital after he felt unwell.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Scoot have avoided the airspace of Iraq and the Red Sea as a precautionary measure amid tensions between US and Iran.In a reply to AsiaOne's query on Sunday (Jan 25), SIA Group stated that the measure has «no significant impact» on operations.SIA and Scoot does not fly over Iranian airspace, it added.«The SIA Group will continue to closely monitor the situation in the Middle East, and will adjust our flight paths as needed,» said a spokesperson.The spokesperson added that the SIA Group's top priority is the safety of its customers and staff.Airlines rerouting, cancelling flights across Middle EastAirlines have been rerouting and cancelling some flights across the Middle East as tensions ramp up between Iran and the United States, reported Reuters. President Donald Trump said on Thursday (Jan 22) that the US had an «armada» heading towards Iran, while a senior Iranian official said on Friday that Iran will treat any attack «as an all-out war». 

A motorcycle was seen moving without a rider back and forth across three lanes on the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) on Saturday (Jan 24) after being rear-ended by a car.The accident happened at about 11.40am, along KPE towards the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE), after the Airport Road entrance.  The accident happened at about 11.40am, along the KPE towards MCE, after the Airport Road entrance. PHOTO: Google Maps In a video posted to its page by SG Road Vigilante, a white Mercedes sports utility (SUV) vehicle is seen travelling on the merging lane after the Airport Road entrance.A motorcycle, which was travelling to the SUV's right, lines up ahead of the SUV towards the end of the merging lane as traffic slowed down near the bend. 

A woman was seen spitting water onto other commuters and the floor of a train, in a viral video posted online on Friday (Jan 23).The video, which was reportedly first uploaded to Xiaohongshu and then re-circulated online, stated that the train was travelling from Bukit Gombak to Choa Chu Kang on the North-South Line when the incident occurred.The clip, posted by Instagram user Summeryeow, has since garnered over 58,000 likes.In the video, the woman can be seen drinking water from a plastic bottle before spitting it onto the floor and at commuters, who looked exasperated at her behaviour.She did this several times before another female commuter confronted her by attempting to snatch the bottle away from her hands.«What's wrong with you?» the commuter asked her. «Nobody is offending you right?»«This is not the first time you do this [sic],» she continued.

A police officer responding to a case of noise disturbance in a Housing and Development Board (HDB) estate in Punggol on Thursday (Jan 22), ended up with nearly 20 stitches on his face, allegedly caused by a male teenager dragging him for some distance while fleeing.The incident happened at Treelodge@Punggol, a HDB estate along Punggol Road, at about 10.30pm. A 17-year-old male teenager, who was seated on his personal mobility device (PMD) was stopped by a police officer, who had held on to the device's handlebar and the teenager's arm.Despite this, the teen allegedly sped off, causing the officer to be dragged for some distance before falling off. The teen later crashed into a nearby pillar and was arrested.

The haze detected in eastern Singapore on Saturday (Jan 24) was likely due to a detected hot spot and smoke plume in Johor, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) in a statement.The one-hour PM2.5 level, which refers to the air particles that measure less than 2.5 micrometres, was 57 at 7pm that evening, or in the “elevated” range.Several residents also took to social media to report a faint burning smell.In a Facebook post at about 8pm on Saturday, NEA wrote: «PM2.5 levels in the eastern part of Singapore are currently slightly elevated. Some residents have reported a faint burnt smell. This is likely due to a detected hotspot and smoke plume in Johor that is near to Singapore.»It added that with prevailing winds blowing from the North and Northeast, some haze could have drifted over and affected air quality. As of 1pm on Sunday, air quality in all parts of Singapore fell within the normal range, according to readings posted on NEA's website. The one-hour PM2.5 was 11 in the East.

SINGAPORE - Years of concern over Mary's (not her real name) phone use came to a head in June 2025, when her parents discovered she had an online boyfriend.Now 16, she has had two such relationships since she was 15, meeting both boys through Roblox, an online game platform hugely popular among the young.Mary, a Secondary 4 student, told The Straits Times that she had been cautious, screening these individuals - who are not in Singapore - through video calls to ensure they were around her age before getting into a relationship. She had never met them in person.But her parents, alarmed and upset, made her cut off contact.In the most recent incident, her father smashed her phone in a fit of anger when he realised she had continued messaging one of the boys.When she falls out with her parents, she seeks solace online, resulting in a cycle of tension and unhappiness at home.Her mother has lashed out in frustration, sometimes comparing Mary with her twin sister.«I'm not as pretty, slim or smart (as her). I feel hurt when my parents compare us,» she said.

New initiatives, including digital signages and visual cues, are being piloted at Serangoon MRT Station to help commuters navigate their way during rail disruptions. The measures are being implemented by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and public transport operators SMRT and SBS Transit. The digital signages at fare gates and linkways, among other locations, provide colour-coded status updates for all rail lines. During normal operations, they also double as mobile advertising panels. Previously, station staff would have to place physical signboards during delays or disruptions. The digital signages allow staff to focus on assisting commuters. 

Three's not a crowd when it comes to baby leopards. On Friday (Jan 23), Mandai Wildlife Reserve announced that one of their rare Sri Lankan leopards had given birth to a litter on New Year's Day at the Singapore Zoo. «Sri Lankan leopards are Vulnerable (under the IUCN Red List) in the wild, making the births extra meaningful,» the wildlife park operator wrote in a Facebook post. «These little ones help keep the global zoo population healthy and ensure the species has a safer future.»The accompanying video shows three tiny cubs squeaking as their mother licks them clean. The Sri Lankan leopard subspecies has been listed as Vulnerable since 2020, with the wild population estimated at less than 800 mature individuals and their numbers likely decreasing. While the cubs at the Singapore Zoo are not out and about just yet, they can be seen via a live camera feed at the leopard exhibit.[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/DT0BjrRE3Ch/[/embed]The Straits Times reported that the last time a leopard had given birth at the Singapore Zoo was 29 years ago in 1997. 

Speaking Singlish doesn't mean Singaporeans are bad at English. TikTok influencer Nini posted a video in defence of the creole on Monday (Jan 19), stating: «In fact, everyone really misunderstands Singaporeans. »At various occasions, the English they use can be converted [into standard English]. They use Singlish in their daily lives because Singlish is easy to understand.«The Singapore-based Chinese content creator who uses the TikTok handle _k_yn added that Singaporeans did not have to speak a long sentence for it to be comprehensible. Instead of a long spiel like, »Put your wallet away, the bill is on me,« a Singaporean can say: »I pay, I pay. No need, I pay.« Likewise, instead of holding up the queue at a coffee shop by asking, »Excuse me, auntie, can I have a cup of kopi C kosong? Thank you«, a simple »Auntie, kopi C kosong" would suffice.Nini added that the notion of Singaporeans being unintelligible to non-Singaporeans is another misunderstanding, as they can code-switch. 

SINGAPORE – Democracy is under pressure because some governments have failed to deliver, not because there is something intrinsically wrong with the system, said Law Minister Edwin Tong.Some governments have abused their power and have been elected by unfair means, and through these means, have remained in power and abused their position, he said at a dialogue on Jan 22 titled Is Democracy in Trouble? at the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland.This has caused many citizens to be cynical about the process, he said.Some governments have also failed to carry out and discharge their obligation to improve their societies, said Tong, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs.Trust in institutions has eroded, and there is now more misinformation than previous generations had to contend with that has undermined many elections.“So all these factors and forces, I think, are buffeting the process of democracy,” he said during the dialogue which saw politicians and an academic debate the future of the political system.

SINGAPORE – For Carla Castle, 29, a public servant, the City Direct bus journey from her home in Jalan Kayu to her workplace in Bugis takes about an hour.Previously, she relied on the MRT, a trip that could take between 1hr 20min and 1hr 45min.At a focus group discussion held by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Jan 23, she suggested running City Direct bus services – which ply express routes between housing estates and the city – more frequently, and extending Travel Smart incentives for train commuters into the evening peak.“That would incentivise people to travel at different times... I think that’s a good way to disperse the crowds,” she said.The Travel Smart Journeys programme is aimed at encouraging passengers to avoid the busier segments of the MRT network in north-eastern Singapore during the morning peak. By doing so, they can earn rebates worth up to 80 per cent of the journey fare.Castle said including the evening peak in the scheme would spread the office crowd over a few hours, adding: “It seems like that’s one of the more immediate solutions [to crowding on the MRT] that could be implemented.”

No threat was identified at Paya Lebar Air Base at the end of security sweeps after a bomb threat, said the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) on Jan 23. In a Facebook post at 11.35pm, RSAF said that it was made aware of online posts alleging a bomb threat at its air base. “Precautionary measures were taken and bomb sweeps were conducted at the air base. No threat was identified,” a Ministry of Defence spokesperson told AsiaOne at around the same time. The spokesperson added that investigations are ongoing. In a post made on a social media platform seen by AsiaOne, the user alleged that bombs were planted at various parts of the air base, including the security trooper squadron. Making a bomb hoax is a crime punishable by up to seven years' jail, a fine of up to $50,000 or both.AsiaOne has contacted the police for more information. [[nid:727082]]editor@asiaone.com