The office of the Leader of the Opposition (LO) will remain vacant until the Workers' Party (WP) is ready to nominate someone to take on the responsibility,  said the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Wednesday (Jan 21).In response to WP's letter shared earlier on Wednesday, the PMO said that it accepts the party's decision.While agreeing with WP that the main opposition party in Parliament is «indeed the natural choice to serve», it said that Singapore is currently in an «exceptional situation» due to Pritam Singh's criminal conviction.«In Singapore, we place a high premium on honesty and integrity in our political system, and on respect for the rule of law,» the PMO said.MPs must exemplify these values and uphold the integrity of our system, it said.The PMO also said that in other jurisdictions, members convicted of crimes involving dishonesty or lying under oath would typically resign from their roles.«This has not happened here,» said the PMO, adding that the office of the LO will thus remain vacant until WP nominates another member to take the role.[[nid:728551]]

Tower Transit bus captain of service 858 Lim Chwin Chien, who was seen on video helping to put out a vegetation fire, had to rush home to register his marriage in Malaysia after his shift ended.The fire happened at about 12.10 am on Tuesday (Jan 20) behind a bus stop before Punggol Road and along the Tampines Expressway.

A diner was left concerned after trays of cutlery and dirty dishes were left scattered across tables and seats at a hawker centre, preventing other patrons from using them.In a Facebook video shared on Saturday (Jan 17), the user highlighted the incident, showing an overwhelming number of plates and trays piled on top of tables and chairs.According to the post, the incident is believed to have occurred at Chong Boon Market and Food Centre, located at Block 453A, Ang Mo Kio Ave 10.In the video, a woman can be seen clearing the plates alone. She appears shorthanded, given the large number of piled-up trays.Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, one vendor, who wished to be known only as Zheng, said that the hawker centre's cleaning package, which used to cost about $1,200 a month had increased by $100 starting in January. The package includes both the washing of dishes as well as the return of the plates and cutlery to the respective stalls.Despite the increase in cleaning fees, many vendors noted that the service had not improved. 

An wild sambar deer spotted lying on its side at Chestnut Nature Park on Tuesday (Jan 20) died of injuries believed to have been sustained from a traffic accident.Images and a video of the injured animal were shared on Facebook group SG Wildlife by user Karen Chiam, who said she reported the sighting to the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) and the National Parks Board (NParks).The 27-second clip she filmed shows the deer kicking its legs while on the ground. It subsequently stops struggling, and what appears to be blood is seen on its front leg.Acres CEO Kalaivanan Balakrishnan confirmed to AsiaOne that it had received Chiam's report and had requested her to contact NParks as the animal was in a nature reserve.On Wednesday (Jan 21) morning, the Love Sambar Facebook page said that the male adult deer died by the time the NParks team arrived at the nature trail.The post said that the deer had been in a accident with a vehicle at Bangkit Loop on Tuesday morning and crawled towards Chestnut Nature Park, where it was found.

A 33-year-old female motorcyclist died after colliding with a lorry on the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) on Wednesday (Jan 21). The police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told AsiaOne that they were alerted to the accident at about 9.25am, involving a lorry and a motorcycle on the PIE towards Changi Airport.She was pronounced dead at the scene, SCDF added. The police said that the 40-year-old male lorry driver is assisting with investigations. In a Facebook video posted on the same day, paramedics can be seen standing beside the body, which was covered with a white sheet and lying next to the crashed motorcycle. In a post on X in the morning, the Land Transport Authority said there was an accident on the PIE, towards Changi and after the Lornie Road exit, adding that the accident led to traffic delays until the Bukit-Timah Expressway and advised commuters to avoid the fifth lane. Investigations are ongoing. [[nid:728432]]esther.lam@asiaone.com 

Eighty people were evacuated after a fire broke out at an eatery in Boat Quay on Tuesday (Jan 20). In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it was alerted to the fire at 78 Boat Quay at about 11.20pm.  «The fire involved cooking equipment on the ground floor,» said SCDF, adding that the blaze was extinguished using a water jet. As a precautionary measure, the police and SCDF evacuated 80 persons from neighbouring units. One person was assessed by a paramedic for smoke inhalation but declined to be sent to the hospital. The cause of the fire is under investigation, said SCDF.  PHOTO: Xiaohongshu/Orbit [[nid:728504]]esther.lam@asiaone.com 

A viral video, first posted in 2024, showing a man in Malaysia breaking out in a series of impromptu dance moves as a dog charges at him has recently resurfaced on social media amid laughter and debate.In the 2024 video posted by TikTok user NrDahliaRostam, a man is seen walking out from a landed residential property when a free-roaming dog across the street starts charging towards him, albeit with a slight limp.The man stops briefly for a second to consider his actions before breaking out into a series of dance moves.As he starts shuffling his feet in all directions, the dog is seen mirroring his moves. After about 10 seconds, the man stops and stands his ground before backing off. The dog then moves away from the gate as well.The original video, which reached two million views, was reposted by TikTok user nobitasan8693 on Jan 18 and has reached nearly 300,000 views at the time of writing.Across both videos, most users found the interaction funny, with several users amused by how the man reacted in the situation as well as the dog's response.

An initiative helping children and adolescents lead a healthy lifestyle will be expanded to include kindergarteners and Primary 4 and 5 students.Known as the Health Plan, school children are given a set of goals after consulting with a trained professional, who assesses their annual health screening results and a parent-completed questionnaire to create their tailored «lifestyle prescription».About 114,000 Primary 1 to Primary 3 pupils have received their health plans in 2025, since the scheme under the national health promotion strategy Grow Well SG was launched that year.From January 2026, the personalised health plans will be introduced to preschoolers enrolled in Kindergarten 1 and 2 as well as P4 and 5 students, announced the Ministries of Health, Education and Social and Family Development on Wednesday (Jan 21).The three ministries said in a joint statement that the initiative had received positive feedback from parents and educators after a pilot with approximately 840 kindergarteners in July 2025.

A 70-year-old male bus driver is assisting police with investigations into a traffic incident in the early hours of Tuesday (Jan 20), after he mistakenly entered a residential estate at Loyang Rise and damaged several vehicles.In a post uploaded to Facebook, Go-Ahead said the incident occurred following the temporary closure of Loyang Avenue, towards Tampines Avenue 7.«The bus captain involved made an incorrect turn and grazed several vehicles parked along the roadside,» said Go-Ahead.According to CCTV footage from a resident shared on Instagram, a bus can be seen entering a landed estate and colliding with several parked cars before driving away.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police confirmed that they were alerted to a hit-and-run accident involving a bus and three cars along Loyang Rise at around 5.05am.The police added that no injuries were reported and that a 70-year-old male bus driver is assisting with ongoing investigations.

The Workers' Party (WP) MPs He Ting Ru and Jamus Lim, as well as former MP Png Eng Huat, are on a disciplinary panel convened to examine party chief Pritam Singh's conduct and conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee, reported local media.Two-term Sengkang GRC MPs He and Lim are part of the opposition party's central executive committee (CEC) — He is treasurer and Associate Professor Lim is deputy head of policy research.Png was elected MP for Hougang SMC in 2012 and held onto the constituency till the 2020 General Election, which he did not recontest in. He left the CEC in 2022.An unnamed WP cadre told CNA that past incidents had seen CEC members appointed to similar panels. The inclusion of Png, however, is unusual, according to both former and current party cadres.

Two Tower Transit staff service members have been praised for stepping forward to restrain a 58-year-old man, who allegedly assaulted and injured another staff member in Yishun on Jan 19. In a Facebook post on Jan 20, Tower Transit Singapore shared that a man physically assaulted a female service ambassador and sprayed commuters with a fire extinguisher. The transport operator said that interchange supervisor Faisal and bus captain Zaki confronted the man and followed him into Northpoint City. The man proceeded to spray the extinguisher and threw it at a shopper. Seeing a critical opening, Faisal rushed forward to restrain the man before the police arrived and the man was subsequently arrested.  

A patient has accused nurses at Sengkang General Hospital of using force on her and «making inappropriate and threatening remarks», among other allegations, during her stay.The 27-year-old woman, who declined to give her full name, told AsiaOne that the incidents occurred after 10pm on Sunday (Jan 18) night, after she'd left her hospital bed out of boredom.She alleged that one of the male registered nurses had told her: «Since your parents are not around, I can do whatever I like», while transferring her back to her bed.He had allegedly followed it up by saying, «I have no patience with you as I have no children.»«I hope actions can be taken to improve patient care and hopefully it will never happen again,» she told AsiaOne.Admitted to hospital after suffering seizureThe patient told AsiaOne that she was admitted to the hospital on Jan 18, after suffering from a seizure from urinary retention issues.Feeling bored while alone in the hospital room, she sat on a chair near the nurses' counter for «fresh air».