A stallholder at Yuhua Place Market and Hawker Centre has apologised after a video of him cleaning the tables with a broom sparked hygiene concerns.On Feb 15, a netizen posted a few videos of the man using what looked like a broom to scrub the tables and stools in front of the Wellcome Food cai fan stall.Netizens were split, with some finding it «unhygienic», while others sided with the man.«Maybe the broom was used solely just for table and chairs... What's the big deal. If I use paintbrush to clean the table, would you even care?» said one netizen.«Honestly there is no need to make life difficult for the cleaner,» remarked another.In response to 8World News, Yuhua Constituency Street 31 Shop-Proprietors & Hawkers Association chairperson Karney Ngai Ching Kwan clarified that the man isn’t a cleaner and runs a cai fan stall with his sister and brother-in-law.The tool he used was a long-handled brush that he bought to clean tables, the chairperson added.

A fire broke out at a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown in the early hours of the second day of Chinese New Year (Feb 18).The incident happened at about 2.10am at 52 Smith Street.Checks by AsiaOne show that the address is the location of Chinese restaurant Wan Nian Stone Pot Fish.Responding to media queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force said that its firefighters found a fire in the kitchen of the restaurant on the ground floor, adding that the area was filled with smoke.The fire was put out with two water jets.No one was in the restaurant — which operates seven days a week, from 11.30am to 10.30pm — at the time of the incident. There were also no reported injuries.Fire investigation by SCDF is ongoing. [[nid:730009]]editor@asiaone.com 

Flash floods hit Jurong on the evening of the second day of Chinese New Year (Feb 18) amid heavy rain over several parts of Singapore.In a series of updates on its flood alerts channel on Telegram, national water agency PUB had also warned of the risk of flash floods occurring in two other locations.In its Telegram post at 5.55pm, PUB said that there was a flash flood at Jurong Town Hall Road, from Jurong East Street 11 to Jurong East Street 12.It came about five minutes after the agency first alerted the public of the risk of flash floods occurring there.The flash flood at Jurong Town Hall Road subsided at about 6.04pm.Between 5.25pm and 5.3pm, PUB also advised the public to avoid the junction of Sunset Drive and Sunset Way Road, and Jln Boon Lay — Enterprise Road to International Road. The Meteorological Service Singapore at 5.14pm warned of moderate to heavy thundery showers over the southern, western and central parts of Singapore between 5.20pm and 6pm.

He was driving along the Kallang–Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) tunnel early in the morning when he spotted a cat sitting on a drain cover.User Kazoku1606 recently shared his story on TikTok, adding that it happened at around 3.50am.In the video, the expressway appears to be empty.«Managed to save the cat,» he said, adding in the comments section: “When I tried get closer, the cat got frightened but I tried to calm it down and managed to get it out from the drain in about 20 minutes.”The feline is currently safe in his brother’s home, he said.The video has garnered over 57,000 views, with some netizens commending him for being «kind» while others expressed worry.«What if she has kittens to feed?» asked one netizen, to which he responded with a clarification that it was a male cat: «I searched and there were no more cats.»Another asked if there were vehicles driving by, and he said there were none while he recorded the video. «Thank you for rescuing the kitty. It probably felt so scared and needed a home,» said one netizen.Another remarked: «You are simply awesome and kind-hearted, may God bless you abundantly.»

Two crew members have died on board the Singapore-registered bulk carrier Mandy after an engine room fire on Tuesday (Feb 17).The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement that the incident took place at around 7.35pm Singapore time off the coast of China, and that the fire was extinguished by the crew.The authority reported that the ship was manned by 25 Myanmar nationals, and there were no Singaporeans on board.Two crew members died, while a third was evacuated to a shore medical facility for treatment.A bulk carrier is a specialised, single-deck vessel that transports large quantities of unpackaged, dry bulk cargo like grain or ore.There have been no reports of pollution due to the fire, and the ship will be towed to Yantai Port in China.«MPA extends its condolences to the families of the deceased,» the statement added. «MPA is in contact with the company and the relevant Chinese authorities to provide the necessary assistance.»The authority will be conducting an investigation into the fire.[[nid:728455]]drimac@asiaone.com

A tree fell across Pipit Road, causing traffic to be diverted on Wednesday (Feb 18) morning.MacPherson MP Tin Pei Ling shared in a Facebook post that the police and Marine Parade-Braddell Heights Town Council were on the scene «first thing» to help manage the traffic and pedestrians.While nobody had been injured nor cars damaged, bus services were affected.«This tree was last checked to be healthy by the Horticulture contractor in November last year,» she added.«I have nonetheless asked that the specialists investigate the cause of the fall and to check all the trees again.»Photos posted by Tin show the tree sprawled across the entire road, with a pole bent in half and a sign damaged.There is also tape cordoning the area off.

PropertyLimBrothers (PLB) is in hot water again — this time for an unruly Chinese New Year celebration that had staff flinging food at each other. The real estate agency posted a video on Thursday (Feb 12) of their annual shou gong fan — a meal held before Chinese New Year meant to celebrate a company's achievements — and is drawing criticism for their chaotic yusheng toss. In the video, staff are seen gathered around several tables to lohei and are heard shouting «huat ah» excitedly. While most staff toss the yusheng upwards, some are seen cheekily flinging the food towards other tables and colleagues. Other staff are seen using plastic lids from the yusheng boxes to shield themselves from the food, with one staff even putting a plastic bag over his head. «The celebration peaked as we rolled up our sleeves for hands-on CNY activities, creative showcases, and a meaningful Lo Hei — the PLB way,» the caption reads. Lohei is a Chinese New Year tradition where families and friends gather to toss yusheng while reciting auspicious phrases for the year ahead. 

Hot and humid weather has made way for cooler temperatures on Tuesday (Feb 17), the first day of Chinese New Year, after heavy downpours swept across the country. Temperatures across Singapore dipped amid the gloomy weather, reaching a low of 21.8 deg C at Newton at 12.11pm, according to data from the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS). Light to moderate rain persisted into the afternoon, with checks by AsiaOne at 4.22pm showing a low of 23.1 deg C in Admiralty and a high of 24.7 deg C in Semakau Island.  Temperatures ranged between 23.1 and 24.7 deg C at 4.22pm.PHOTO: Screengrab/Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) Wet weather across the island is expected to persist for a few days before transitioning into relatively drier weather, said the MSS in a media advisory on Monday. 

A ComfortDelGro taxi flipped upside down after a traffic accident on Tuesday (Feb 17), the first day of Chinese New Year. In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to a traffic accident at the junction of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 and Bishan Road at 7.50am. Two people were assessed for minor injuries, but declined to be taken to hospital. Photos of the incident shared online show the taxi blocking the two rightmost lanes on the road, with police officers and an ambulance nearby. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) also posted an update to X at 8.13am, alerting drivers of the accident and to avoid lanes 1, 2 and 3.A spokesperson from ComfortDelGro told AsiaOne the company is aware of the accident. The taxi driver was unharmed and there were no passengers onboard at the time, the spokesperson said. «We are monitoring the situation and providing assistance as needed,» the spokesperson added. [[nid:730017]]dana.leong@asiaone.com

The 23,000 people working at community care organisations could see their annual salaries increase by about 7 per cent or more under revised guidelines to be introduced by the end of 2026. To help defray the additional costs incurred as a result of the enhanced salaries, the Ministry of Health (MOH) will provide an initial tranche of $100 million, said Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung on Feb 17. Mr Ong said the raise for staff is in addition to the previously announced increase in the maximum subsidy for those requiring residential long-term care, which will be raised to 80 per cent in July 2026. The maximum subsidy for Singapore citizens was 75 per cent, while that for permanent residents was 50 per cent. Mr Ong said details of the revised salary guidelines will be issued in the coming months, following which organisations will have to make their necessary plans before their implementation by the end of the year. 

A 63-year-old male pedestrian died after being hit by a bus along Havelock Road on Monday (Feb 16) evening. Footage of the aftermath posted by SG Road Vigilante on Facebook shows an SBS Transit bus service 123 stopped with its hazard lights on, while paramedics perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on someone lying on the road behind the vehicle. There appears to be blood on the nose of the victim, whom AsiaOne understands to have been a tourist from China. In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the accident at about 7pm, and conveyed a person to the Singapore General Hospital. The police said the accident took place along 382 Havelock Road and the pedestrian, 63, was sent unconscious to hospital where he subsequently died. A 35-year-old male bus driver is assisting with ongoing police investigations. [[nid:730004]]drimac@asiaone.com