Singapore is focused on maintaining stability and avoiding a population decline amid falling birth rates, rather than updating its projected population planning figures, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.Speaking at a dialogue with the Singapore Press Club on Monday (June 8), PM Wong was asked if there would be an updated population White Paper with a new population planning parameter, perhaps «set at 10 million». With raised eyebrows, PM Wong replied: «How do we get to 10 million when the TFR (Total Fertility Rate) is so low?» He pointed out that given that Singapore's fertility rate — which reached a new low of 0.87 in 2025 — are not likely to go up.The 10 million population figure was used by opposition parties during the 2020 General Election to falsely suggest that the Government planned to increase Singapore's population by bringing in foreigners.The Government has since said that it has «not proposed, planned nor targeted for Singapore to increase its population to 10 million». 

Does Singapore's workplace culture lead employees to intentionally choose silence to avoid being penalised?The topic is at the centre of an online debate after Crystal Lim-Lange, the chief executive of leadership consultancy firm Forest Wolf, opined that workers are fully aware of the risks that come with speaking up.Lim-Lange, who is also an author, was speaking at Vogue Singapore's inaugural Wellness Day on Saturday (June 6).She later shared a clip of the dialogue session on her social media, where she said most employees «know» they will be penalised if they voice opinions.Lim-Lange explained in her post caption that employees will watch the room to see what happens to the risk-takers who speak.«Singaporeans don't speak up because they're damn smart,» she said in the video, adding that «they know that their workplaces are not safe enough» to do so.Hence, workshops about speaking up in the workplace would not work, she said.She explained that corporate leadership has to put up a mirror to itself first by fixing aspects such as psychological safety, inclusion, learner safety, contributor safety and challenger safety.

Pioneer generation (PG) seniors who were born before 1949 are set to receive MediSave top-ups of between $300 and $1,200 in mid-July.The top-ups, amounting to over $145 million, was announced by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) on Tuesday (June 9).MOF added that more than 450,000 PG seniors have benefitted from such top-ups since the launch of the Pioneer Generation Package in 2014.«These annual MediSave top-ups will continue to keep MediShield Life premiums affordable for all pioneers.»Older Pioneers born before or in 1934 will continue to see their MediShield Life premiums fully covered. Younger Pioneers born between 1935 and 1949 will have about two-thirds of their MediShield Life premiums covered," MOF said.Pioneers who receive these top-ups can use it to pay for the premiums for their MediShield Life, CareShield Life, ElderShield and other Medisave-approved insurance plans.It can also be used for medical expenses such as hospitalisation, day surgeries, and selected outpatient treatments.

A 71-year-old man was arrested on the afternoon of June 5 after he was found drunk near Hougang MRT station.He had fallen on a walkway and continued laying on the ground after paramedics arrived to assess his condition, reported Shin Min Daily News.A short clip circulating online shows several police officers escorting the elderly man outside the station.The man had keeled over in half, with his head bowed to the floor. He was unable to stand on both feet and sank to the ground as the officers supported his arms.A member of the public, surnamed Chen, told Shin Min she was passing by the area when she saw the arrest.«He was very agitated and kept cursing,» she claimed.Another eyewitness, surnamed Cai, said he called an ambulance for the elderly man after he collapsed on the ground and sustained scrapes on his arm.He told the Chinese paper that the man remained prone on the floor and could not balance himself when he later stood up.The elderly man's pants also appeared wet, he added.

Operations at ONE15 Marina Sentosa Cove have resumed after a fire engulfed a yacht, partially sinking it on Sunday (June 7).In a status update posted on its website, the marina announced that it has received clearance from the authorities to resume operations, adding that the affected berth will remain closed as a precaution. The marina also stated that its clubhouse remains fully operational.«We will continue to cooperate fully with the authorities and provide updates as appropriate as the investigation progresses,» ONE15 Marina Sentosa Cove said.

Singapore's first-quarter growth was solid and reflects the diversity and strength of its economy, but the global outlook remains uncertain, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Monday (June 8).The country is making broad adjustments in areas like economic planning to deal with the uncertainty and technological change, but what is most important is its ability to maintain solidarity and unity, he said.«We cannot fully control how the world changes, but we can choose how we respond, and that response must come from Singaporeans ourselves,» he said at a dialogue with the Singapore Press Club held at the SPH Media auditorium in Toa Payoh.Singapore is more diverse than ever before, with people from different backgrounds, different aspirations and perspectives. That diversity is a tremendous source of strength, PM Wong said.«Our greatest strength remains the same - and that's our ability to stay united and move forward together as one people,» he said.And as the world becomes more fractured, Singapore must become more cohesive, he added.

A Hong Kong school principal who was fired after he was caught on video swearing at security guards during a student trip to Singapore is seeking legal advice on his employment rights.Lee Cheuk Hing said on Friday (June 5) that he had appointed legal representatives to review his dismissal after the school board rejected his resignation and terminated his contract without compensation, according to Hong Kong publication South China Morning Post.It was reported that the school's manager and former lawmaker Edmund Wong Chun Sek said that the school board had not received any formal statement from Lee and that it would take its own legal steps should he bring in representatives to challenge his dismissal.On May 23, video footage surfaced online showing Lee swearing at Safra Jurong's security officers during a student trip.

Heavy rain is expected over many parts of Singapore in the afternoon of Monday (June 8).In a weather alert issued at 4.10pm, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said moderate to heavy thundery showers are expected from 4.40pm to 5.30pm. According to live rain radar on the NEA website, the rain is seen approaching from the east.On May 15, it was reported that for the rest of the month, short-duration thundery showers are expected over parts of Singapore on most afternoons, occasionally extending into the evening.During that period, daily maximum temperatures ranged between 33 deg C and 34 deg C on most days, with highs of around 35 deg C on a few days. [[nid:735931]]xingying.koh@asiaone.com

He drives a public bus, but 22-year-old Jayrius is certainly «not your typical bus uncle».For one, the Singaporean bus captain at SMRT is the youngest driver on the company's books, reported Lianhe Zaobao.Jayrius also has end-stage kidney disease — a diagnosis which came on his 21st birthday.«It was a very difficult time,» he told the Chinese paper. «I couldn't accept it and wondered if it was a misdiagnosis.»Despite this, the transport enthusiast said he still wanted to pursue his dream of becoming a bus captain. At last, he was hired by SMRT.As Jayrius has to undergo regular dialysis sessions, the bus operator supports him by providing flexible work arrangements to ensure he can attend treatment and have enough rest, according to Zaobao.Jayrius, who shares about his job and the industry on his personal social media pages, said in a TikTok video posted in March that he is «actively looking for a donor» so he could undergo a kidney transplant.

Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng is on a six-day official visit to China from Monday (June 8).In a statement, the Clerk of Parliament said the visit to Xiamen, Fuzhou and Beijing reaffirm the strong and friendly bilateral ties between Singapore and China and provide valuable opportunities for parliamentary and people-to-people exchanges.This is Seah's first visit to China in his capacity as Speaker.In a Facebook post on Monday morning, Seah said the visit is at the invitation of his counterpart, Zhao Leiji, who is the chairman of China's National People's Congress. He is accompanied by a delegation comprising MPs from both the People's Action Party (PAP) and Workers' Party. In Xiamen, Seah is scheduled to meet with chairman of the standing committee of Xiamen Municipal People's Congress Yang Guohao. The delegation will also visit PSA BDP Xiamen and ST Engineering's aircraft engine maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities there.Seah will also attend a reception with overseas Singaporeans, reinforcing the strong people-to-people ties between the two countries.

What was meant to be a lively event was marred by overcrowding and long queues at art and thrift market Mercury Festival over the weekend, with a would-be attendee describing it as a «war zone» after overcrowding forced organisers to suspend entry at multiple junctures. The woman — TikTok user @zilliediaries — posted on that platform on Saturday (June 6) showing a swarm of people populating the fourth floor hallway of Suntec City, with the caption: «It's literally a war zone to Mercury Fest...»She shared that she was ultimately unable to get in, claiming there were 8,000 people in line and that queue numbers had been stopped. Disappointed by the «wasted trip», she added: «It's like the whole Singapore is here.»Another TikTok video by user @twopratakosong that same day show a large crowd gathered near the entrance, seemingly waiting to be granted entry, at around 1.43pm. One netizen commented that they joined the queue at 3.30pm and only managed to enter after almost a five-hour wait at 8pm, shortly before the event ended at 8.30pm.

A Singaporean man went on an unusual cross-island journey after his AirPods Pro case went missing, tracking its live location from Jurong to Toa Payoh in a bid to recover it.In a TikTok video posted on Sunday (June 7), Ethan, 22, recounted how he lost the case on June 5, either at Beauty World or at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.He had bought it «only a month earlier using money from my National Service allowance».Speaking to AsiaOne, he said he was shocked to find out that it was first located at Jurong Point. After finding out that a replacement would cost $139, he decided to try recovering it instead.Tracking it across the islandEthan, who lives in Serangoon, began tracking its movements through the Find My app on June 6.Using its location history, he noticed it had travelled from Jurong Point towards Toa Payoh. 

While walking home from grocery shopping along Upper Thomson Road in July 2014, Lim Giok was hit by a lorry at a traffic junction.Lim, who was 66 then, suffered a brain injury and had to undergo four operations in the subsequent months.Complications caused her to lose control of the right side of her body, like a stroke patient.Despite making a full physical recovery, she still suffers from memory loss and cognitive impairment.Traffic deaths hit a 10-year high in 2025, with 149 killed, compared with 141 in 2016. There were 142 deaths in 2024. The number of injured people also increased, from 9,342 in 2024 to 9,955 in 2025.Given the dire situation on the roads, The Straits Times has been running a series of stories to call on all road users to be more careful.In 2025, there were 247 traffic accidents involving elderly pedestrians, up from 203 in 2024. The 27 elderly pedestrian deaths in 2025 were among 36 pedestrian deaths in total for the year.Lim’s relative, who wanted to be known as Koh, said his family was devastated by the accident.

Some 2,000 season parking holders of commercial vehicles are set to pay less for their monthly season parking fees at Housing and Development Board (HDB) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) car parks.In a Facebook post on Monday (June 8), National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat announced that the two agencies will reduce their season parking charges for commercial vehicles with unladen weight of 1,801kg to 2,000kg from August 1.Vehicles with an unladen weight of between 1,801kg and 2,000kg include vans and light goods vehicles.Owners of such vehicles currently pay a monthly rate of $185 for season parking at HDB car parks, while URA charges between $120 to $160.