Singapore’s plans to tap into the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) by encouraging its timely adoption, several firms told AsiaOne on Friday (Feb 13).It comes after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced a slew of initiatives in his Budget 2026 speech on Thursday (Feb 12) — part of a nationwide push for businesses, workers and students to harness AI as a strategic advantage.PM Wong, who unveiled a record $154.7 billion budget, said: «AI will change how we work. The pace of change can be unsettling, especially when livelihoods are at stake. »We will press ahead with AI because we must. At the same time, we will put in place strong support to help our workers adapt and progress, because we will take care of our own."Adeline Liew, country business leader of Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise in Singapore, said that the immediate challenge for businesses is ensuring that there are resources in place to adopt AI in their operations.

SINGAPORE – Blind boxes offered in Singapore will soon be regulated, following a review by the authorities.In a written reply to a parliamentary question on Feb 12, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) have studied the issue and have decided to introduce regulations.The regulations, which are currently being drafted, will stipulate conditions under which blind boxes may be offered here, to better manage gambling inducement risks, he added.He was responding to a question from Mr Dennis Tan (Hougang) about whether the Government intends to legislate mandatory and standardised disclosure of odds and probability ranges for blind box or “gacha” products.Mr Shanmugam said Mr Tan’s suggestion will be among the points considered for the regulations.Blind boxes are sealed boxes that contain a random collectible, such as a figurine, toy or accessory.Buyers purchase blind boxes not knowing what collectible they will get, with the odds of getting specific collectibles not always disclosed explicitly by manufacturers.

Five people were taken to hospital after an accident involving a car and a van along the TPE on Friday (Feb 13) morning.The accident, involving a red Tesla and a van, happened at about 2.30am towards the PIE, before Punggol Road exit. When AsiaOne reached the scene at about 3.45am, the van was lying on its side. A video posted on its Facebook page by SG Road Vigilante shows passing motorists helping the 38-year-old male van driver and the three male passengers out of the van.They were later taken to hospital.

A 27-year-old Indonesian man was arrested on Feb 29 on suspicion of attempting to smuggle a drug called Kratom via Singapore.Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia, according to the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), and its leaves contain Mitragynine and 7-Hydroxymitragynine which can affect the brain and cause mood swings.It is commonly consumed by chewing on raw leaves or boiled as a tea.The stimulant can cause effects including nausea, seizures, and hallucinations.In a Facebook post on Friday (Feb 13), the Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said the man was flagged for additional checks at Singapore Cruise Centre as he appeared nervous.A search of his luggage revealed a wrapped package, which is suspected to contain 1.02kg of Kratom in powder form.Mitragynine and 7-Hydroxymitragynine are classified as Class A controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act.For importing Class A controlled drugs, offenders face a mandatory jail term of at least five years and five strokes of the cane.The case has been referred to CNB for further investigation.

A new workgroup has been set up to develop strategies and strengthen Singapore's position as a global leader in private capital, said Minister for National Development and deputy chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Chee Hong Tat.Speaking to the media on Friday (Feb 13), Chee said that the Growth Capital Workgroup will recommend measures to support the financing needs of companies from Singapore and the region across the various growth stages.The workgroup, first announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during his Budget statement on Thursday, will be chaired by Chee. It will comprise key private sector stakeholders and public sector representatives, including organisations like DBS, Temasek Holdings and Goldman Sachs. Shawn Huang, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Manpower, is the other political office holder in the workgroup.«The supply of capital and the demand for capital presents an opportunity for us as a trusted financial hub to see how we can benefit from this growth,» said Chee.

The police conducted enforcement operations against illegal activities in Chinatown and Jalan Besar on Thursday (Feb 12) which led to the arrest of seven women aged between 32 and 43.The seven women are being investigated for various offences, including working without a valid work pass; providing massage services without a licence; and keeping, managing or assisting in the management of a place of assignation.There have been previous media reports of shops suspected of offering «special» services to male customers.Most recently, in December 2025, there were reports of shops on the ground floor and third floor of People's Park Centre in Chinatown offering such services.Business owners in the complex noted that the authorities had conducted anti-vice raids, but the seedy parlours would resume their activities afterwards.

A 63-year-old man's HDB home was turned into a cat farm after he unknowingly took in a pregnant stray cat, which gave birth to four kittens that continued to interbreed until over 30 felines occupied his flat in Tampines. Chen Baodu (transliteration), who lives in a three-room flat in Tampines Street 11, told Shin Min Daily News that he adopted the stray in 2019 after he felt an affinity for the animal and started feeding it.A few months later, the cat gave birth to four kittens, which continued to mate. Eventually, more than 30 cats were living in the flat. A Shin Min reporter who visited the flat smelled a stench in the air as several cats wandered at the entrance. Inside, clutter filled the flat — an old desk, religious artefacts, plastic boxes, wooden planks. In one corner was a cardboard box covered in cat faeces. The reporter had to step over items and and squeeze their way through the clutter. Cats were seen climbing over the clutter and several newborn kittens were crawling around the flat. 

If you're outside and not smelling the haze, breathe in deep - you may just end up missing the fresh air in the coming weeks, as Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu warned in Parliament on Thursday (Feb 12) that haze may linger over Singapore.«The Meteorological Service Singapore has assessed that hot spot activity could increase in the coming weeks over nearby areas due to wind patterns and drier conditions in the current dry phase of the north-east monsoon,» Minister Fu stated.«This could result in hazy conditions affecting Singapore.»She was responding to questions from various Members of Parliament on the transboundary haze affecting Singapore.A taskforce to combat the impacts of the haze led by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and comprising 28 government agencies will take measures to protect the public should air conditions worsen, Fu added.The measures include ensuring sufficient supply of N95 masks, deploying indoor air purifiers in schools, public hospitals, nursing homes and polyclinics as well as issuing advisories to minimise outdoor activities.

When a man tumbled down an escalator at Paya Lebar Quarter (PLQ), mallgoers standing behind moved quickly to break his fall.The incident was captured on camera by one of the Good Samaritans, David King Raj, who posted the footage on social media on Wednesday (Feb 11).In the two-minute clip, the man riding an upwards escalator is seen gripping a panel instead of the handrail. He loses his balance and barrels backwards into two women, knocking one of them to the side.Raj immediately reaches out his hands to hold the man, supporting him to stand upright.«Stand steadily, its okay, it's okay,» one of the women dressed in a dark blue top assures the man in Mandarin. The woman who had been pushed to the side straightens up and looks on in concern.As the group reach the upper floor, they noticed that the man had suffered cuts on his left foot.«I don't think he can walk,» the woman in dark blue tells Raj, who then offers to carry the man or assist him in walking to find mall security to attend to his injury.Along the way, the man thanks them for their help.

A bus went up in flames along the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) on Friday (Feb 13), as captured in footage sent by an AsiaOne reader.In one of two separate videos, black smoke can be seen billowing across multiple lanes as the person behind the camera approaches from the oncoming lane.The other video shows a clearer view of the burning bus in the opposite side of the road - large, orange flames can be seen bursting from the rear of the bus as motorists drive past.The reader came across this incident at around 11.50am on Friday.AsiaOne has contacted the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the police for more information.This is a developing story.khooyihang@asiaone.com

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has rounded up 231 suspects following a massive two-week islandwide enforcement operation targeting scammers and money mules linked to over 900 scam cases.Victims involved in these reports allegedly lost more than $6.35 million in various schemes including investment, job, and e-commerce frauds. The operation, led by the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) and seven Police Land Divisions, took place between Jan 30 and Feb 12. The suspects, comprising 165 men and 66 women, are aged between 14 and 84 years.Investigators believe the group is linked to a wide array of tactics, specifically e-commerce, friend impersonation, job, government official impersonation, investment, and rental scams.The suspects are currently being investigated for alleged offences including cheating, money laundering, or providing payment services without a license. Under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871, the offence of cheating carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine.

SINGAPORE – Malaysia reported 10 new tuberculosis (TB) clusters in 2026 as at Feb 7, and some health experts have advised those travelling during the upcoming holiday season to put on face masks to prevent the spread of the disease.On Feb 10, Malaysian Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said that 37 TB cases were detected in Kota Tinggi, Johor.This cluster includes six students, three of whom have recovered, said state education and information committee chairman Aznan Tamin on Feb 12.A total of 2,571 cases were reported between Jan 1 and Feb 7, according to local media outlet Malay Mail.With both Chinese New Year and Ramadan starting next week, many Singaporeans are expected to travel to Malaysia.Should you defer your plans? Read on to find out more about the disease and what precautions you can take to protect yourself.What is TB?Possible symptoms include a persistent cough and fever, coughing blood, night sweats and weight loss.It is an endemic disease in Singapore, which means it remains permanently in the community, similar to dengue and influenza.

The Government will raise the tax on all tobacco products by 20 per cent from Thursday (Feb 12) to discourage consumption, announced Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his Budget 2026 statement.Smokers will now have to fork out 58.9 cents for each stick of cigarette, up from 49.1 cents now.The tobacco tax was last raised in Budget 2023 when it went up by 15 per cent. Revenue from tobacco duties in the three-year period between 2022 and 2024 reached a total of $3.24 billion.Following the increase, the additional revenue collected from tobacco duties is expected to reach $150 million per annum, a Ministry of Finance spokesperson told AsiaOne.[[nid:729819]]For more on Budget 2026, visit our microsite.editor@asiaone.com 

In the first Budget in this new term of Government, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong laid out how Singapore must continue to refresh its strategies and strengthen social compacts.«Past success alone will not carry us forward. In a profoundly changed world, standing still is not an option,» he said.From support for businesses to addressing climate change, here are the things in Budget 2026 that you might have missed.Support for businessesActing on key recommendations from the Economic Strategy Review committees, he announced measures which he said will achieve Singapore's ambitions to translate growth into good jobs and rising income.There will be a 40 per cent corporate income tax rebate in the Year of Assessment 2026. Every active company that employed at least a local employee last year will receive a minimum benefit of $1,500.The total maximum benefits for each company will be capped at $30,000.There will be support for companies to go abroad: The Market Readiness Assistance grant will be increased from 50 per cent to 70 per cent for Small and Medium Enterprises until March 31, 2029.

Long-serving employees of local food and beverage company Chang Cheng Holdings were presented with gold plaques in recognition of their service during the company's 32nd anniversary celebration recently.The banquet, held at the Fairmont Singapore on Friday (Feb 6) from 10pm to 1am, had over 100 tables and featured live performances, a lucky draw, and delicacies such as abalone, reported Shin Min Daily News.More than 100 employees who have served in the company for over 10 years, regardless of their positions, were presented with plaques reportedly weighing between 20 and 30 grams.The weight varied according to the employees' years of service. Staff with 10 to 14 years of service received 20g of gold, 15 to 19 years received 25g, and those with 20 years or more received 30g, reported the Chinese evening daily.Each plaque is said to be crafted from 999 gold — the purest grade of the precious metal — engraved with the employee's years of service, and the plaque's weight. 

The Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board will be introducing a new investment scheme in 2028 for longer-term investors interested in a simplified and low-cost option, announced Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on during his Budget statement. The scheme is a response to the CPF Board's recommendation in 2016 to introduce a Lifetime Retirement Investment Scheme (LRIS).This new scheme will be be an alternative investment option to the CPF Investment Scheme (CPFIS) that is currently available, according to a joint statement by the CPF Board and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Thursday.In particular, the new investment scheme will cater to CPF members with a longer runway to retirement, who are prepared to take more risk and generate potentially higher returns but have less expertise in navigating the numerous CPFIS offerings.Additionally, the new investment scheme will be suitable for those who prefer not to actively manage their investments.Scheme will be voluntarySimilar to CPFIS, participation in the new investment scheme will be voluntary.

The Government will take steps to aid Singaporeans with rising cost of living pressures, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in his Budget 2026 statement on Thursday (Feb 12).This will be in the form of cash payouts, rebates and CDC vouchers this financial year.The Government will be providing a cost-of-living special payment between $200 to $400 in cash to Singaporean adults earning up to $100,00 in assessable income, who do not own more than one property.They must also be aged 21 and above in 2026 and residing in Singapore. Annual value of residenceAssessable incomeAnnual value up to $15,000Annual value more than $15,000, up to $31,000Annual value more than $31,000Up to $22,000$400$300$200More than $22,000, up to $39,000$300$300$200More than $39,000, up to $100,000$200$200$200This payment will benefit about 2.4 million adult Singaporeans, according to the Ministry of Finance (MOF).