Owners of older private residential developments could find it easier to pursue collective sales under proposed changes to Singapore's en bloc sale regime, with consent thresholds proposed to be lowered for ageing developments.Introduced in Parliament on Tuesday (Aug 4), the Land Titles (Strata) (Amendment) Bill 2026 proposes a tiered consent framework based on the age of a development.Under the proposed changes, developments aged between 40 and 59 years would require the support of 70 per cent of owners to proceed with a collective sale, while those aged 60 years and above would require only 65 per cent consent.Currently, the consent threshold for developments less than 10 years old is 90 per cent, while the threshold for developments older than 10 years old is 80 per cent. The proposed amendments, said the Ministry of Law (MinLaw), are intended to better support the renewal of ageing developments and optimise land use in Singapore. 

Sites that appear vacant or underused, including the former Raffles Junior College site at Mount Sinai and the former ITE HQ site at Dover-Medway, are among sites which are already intended for housing, said Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan on Tuesday (Aug 4).He was responding to parliamentary questions on the public housing development plans for Gillman Barracks and Sunset Way, including Maju Forest.At least 18 MPs had filed questions on the Housing and Development Board's (HDB) statement on July 10, which announced that Gillman Barracks will be transformed into a residential estate comprising both public and private housing, while the Sunset Way site in Clementi will offer public housing integrated with greenery and nature.

A former child pop star has taken legal action against Singapore Airlines (SIA) after a splinter from a satay stick was allegedly stuck in her throat, damaging her vocal cords.Briohny Smyth, 44, was a Thai-Australian pop star in her youth who attained a platinum album at 13 years old.Stepping away from the limelight, she eventually became a yoga instructor in Los Angeles, California.On July 28, 2024, Smyth had been in a business class flight on board an SIA plane when she «unknowingly swallowed a jagged wooden splinter» from a chicken satay skewer that was part of her in-flight meal, reported The Independent last Friday (July 31).She said she was on board SIA flight SQ36 from Singapore to Los Angeles that day.The splinter, purportedly measuring 3.8cm, was then stuck in her throat, causing her pain, violent coughing and terror as she felt choked, The Independent reported, citing a federal lawsuit.Filed on July 24, the civil lawsuit also alleges that Smyth had to endure «pain and emotional distress» as she attempted to remove the splinter mid-flight.

A 38-year-old Singaporean man sexually abused his teenage niece for almost two years and later threatened to leak her explicit photos when she resisted his demands.The man, who cannot be named to protect the victim's identity, was sentenced to 21 years' jail and 16 strokes of the cane on Monday (Aug 3).He pleaded guilty to six charges, including statutory rape, sexual assault and threatening to distribute intimate images of the girl.Prior to the victim turning 13, the pair interacted mainly during family gatherings on special occasions, reported The Straits Times (ST).The man took his niece out for a birthday celebration in September 2022, after which the two began seeing each other more frequently. The girl began to visit her uncle's home after school often, where he would sometimes tutor her in Mandarin, according to ST.On one occasion, the man molested her, but she did not react or object to it.The two subsequently started seeing themselves as a couple from October 2022. They would exchange romantic messages daily while maintaining their distance in the presence of other family members.

A 19-year-old teenager and a 25-year-old woman were arrested on Sunday (Aug 2) for their alleged involvement in several cases of loanshark harassment.Police said in a news release on Monday night that they were alerted to a series of loanshark harassment cases across the island on Sunday morning.The cases took place between 2am and 10am, according to the police.They added that the main gates and doors of several residential units were splashed with white, black, yellow and red paint, while debtors' notes were pasted on the doors.A photograph provided by the police, purportedly showing a debtor's note left behind by the pair, read: «This is only the starting!!! Today is paint, next time you see how I burn!!! If you want settle then call me back ASAP!!! (sic)»

Five people were rescued from a fifth-floor flat after a fire broke out at Block 684 Race Course Road on Monday night (Aug 3), with three of them found unconscious, according to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).In response to AsiaOne's queries, the SCDF said it was alerted to the fire at 7.10pm.A bedroom in a unit on the fifth floor was on fire and five people were trapped in the unit, said SCDF. Of the five, one was rescued by the police. The other four people were rescued by SCDF personnel. The area was cordoned off and passersby gathered across the road.PHOTO: AsiaOne/Naufal Danish According to SCDF, three of the five people rescued were unconscious.Three persons were conveyed to Singapore General Hospital and two persons were conveyed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.The fire was extinguished with a water jet, said SCDF.

Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing on Monday (Aug 3) expressed optimism about Singapore's ability to overcome challenges beyond its 61st birthday on Aug 9, provided it guards against complacency. «Because with every year of success — on the security front, on the economic front — we might just be tempted as Singaporeans to think that this state of affairs will be eternal,» he said at the 18th Asean & Asia Forum, organised by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.The coordinating minister stressed that Singapore must continue to earn its «rightful place in the sun».He described Singapore's 61 years of independence as an «aberration» in Southeast Asian history, noting that small city-states have historically struggled to remain independent without a hinterland."We, for the last 61 years, have tried to transcend geography by making sure that we remain connected to the world. 

Expect «very heavy traffic» at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints from Aug 7 to Aug 10, during the National Day long weekend, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said on Monday (Aug 3).The ICA also said that it has stepped up security checks at all checkpoints since Feb 28 because of the heightened global security environment and recent developments in the Middle East.«Travellers should therefore expect longer waiting time during peak travel periods,» said the authority.Over 18 million travellers crossed checkpointsMore than 18 million travellers crossed the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints during the recent Hari Raya Haji, Vesak Day long weekend and June school holidays from May 26 to June 28, according to ICA.Traffic peaked on June 19 with more than 598,000 crossings in a single day, surpassing the previous record of almost 589,000 crossings on December 19, 2025.According to ICA, car travellers experienced waiting times of up to three hours for immigration clearance due to traffic tailbacks from Malaysia during the peak periods.

A 56-year-old Singaporean man died after a multi-vehicle collision involving an MPV and three motorcycles on Malaysia's North-South Expressway.The crash occurred at around 2pm on Sunday (Aug 2) at the 44.6km mark of the expressway in the southbound direction near Kulai, Johor, reported The Star.According to Kulai District police Chief Assistant Commissioner Tan Seng Lee, the man was travelling southbound with two Malaysian motorcyclists, aged 39 and 57, when he reportedly lost control of his motorcycle and crashed into the rear of an MPV. The MPV, which was travelling in the right lane, was driven by a 32-year-old Singaporean woman, the police said.«The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics,» the police chief said.He added that a 39-year-old Malaysian rider suffered a fractured right thigh, while a 57-year-old sustained minor injuries.

A male lorry driver has died after a scaffolding collapsed onto the lorry he was in at a Jurong Port construction site on Monday (Aug 3) morning. A photograph of the incident shared with AsiaOne shows a section of fallen scaffolding on the lorry, crushing its cabin.Nearby, a forklift and workers are seen working alongside Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) rescuers at the collapsed structure.AsiaOne understands that the site is where construction works for the Jurong Port Integrated Construction and Prefabrication Hub is taking place. It is part of Singapore's first integrated construction park launched in November 2024.In response to AsiaOne's queries, SCDF stated that it received a call for assistance at about 9.50am on Monday. «Upon SCDF's arrival, a person was found trapped in the driver's seat of a lorry after the scaffolding collapsed onto the lorry,» it said. 

A total of 276 commercial vehicles were checked during a three-day islandwide enforcement operation by the traffic police (TP) from July 20 to 22, with 154 summonses issued.The offences included speeding, failing to wear seatbelt and not keeping to the left, the police said on Monday (Aug 3).TP officers also detected 99 violations, which included the offence of displaying improper licence plates.They have since been referred to the Land Transport Authority for follow-up.Thee people, aged between 34 and 47, were also caught driving without a valid licence and using a vehicle without insurance coverage.The police also reminded motorists to comply with Singapore's traffic laws, adding that they take a serious view of errant road users who blatantly flout traffic laws and endanger the safety of other road users.[[nid:740033]]Speed limitersHeavy vehicles found exceeding their regulated speed limits will be required to undergo inspection to verify that their speed limiters are functioning properly.

A dry rising main that was not in proper working condition hampered firefighting operations during a fatal fire in Clementi on Friday (July 31), which claimed a resident's life and left two firefighters injured.The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) responded to a fire on the eighth floor of Block 309 Clementi Avenue 4 at around 11.10pm, where an unconscious resident was taken to hospital and later died.Two firefighters were also taken to hospital after sustaining burn injuries during the operation.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the SCDF said that firefighters discovered that the dry rising main was «not in proper working condition». A dry rising main is a vertical red pipe that is connected to a fire engine to pump water to upper floors during firefighting operations. In this instance, the SCDF said that the malfunction resulted in reduced water pressure, preventing water from being charged effectively to the affected floor.

An 80-year-old petrol station attendant suffered a fractured arm after he was allegedly assaulted by a taxi driver last Thursday (July 30) while trying to stop him from parking illegally outside a toilet.The incident occurred at around 6am at an Esso gas station along Dunearn Road that day. Chen, an 80-year-old employee, told Shin Min Daily News that his shift typically begins at 7am. As he always arrives early to prepare for the day, Chen then noticed a taxi parked outside a toilet near the staff changing room that morning. Seeing the male driver about to enter the toilet, Chen approached him to dissuade him from doing so, reported the Chinese newspaper.Chen pointed out that the taxi was parked in a spot marked with double yellow lines and that there were several parking spaces available just a short distance away. Double yellow lines indicate that parking is prohibited at all times on the road.«I politely reminded him that he couldn't park here, and he got very agitated,» said Chen.The driver allegedly taunted him to «call the police» and even tried to hit him with a safety cone outside the toilet.

What was meant to be a second chance at love turned into a costly experience for one man, who said he lost about $220,000 after his second marriage ended in divorce.Speaking to AsiaOne on Thursday (July 30), True Love Vietnam Bride Matchmaker owner Mark Lin, 64, said he entered the marriage believing he had found a loving and supportive partner after his first marriage ended.«I married my second wife in 2017. Everything was perfect at first — there were no issues, and we were very loving and supportive of one another,» said Lin.«I thought I had found someone for life, and we were together for seven years.»Lin said his former Vietnamese wife, who is 25 years his junior, was initially introduced to one of his customers through his matchmaking business. He was 54 years old at the time, and she was 29.«My customer and my ex-wife originally went on a date, but they did not hit it off. Interestingly, when I spoke to her then, I felt there was a spark,» he said. 

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will deliver this year's National Day message on Aug 8 (Saturday), the eve of National Day.PM Wong, who is also the Minister for Finance, will deliver his message in English.His message will be broadcast at 6.45pm on CNA and radio station CNA938.The Prime Minister's Office said that the National Day message will also be available on its website and YouTube channel after the first broadcasts.Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong will deliver the message in Manadarin, broadcast on Mediacorp's Channel 8 and radio station Capital 95.8FM at 7pm.Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad will deliver the message in Malay, at 8.30pm on Mediacorp's Suria.Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, and Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash will deliver the message in Tamil, at 9pm on Mediacorp's Vasantham and radio station Oli 96.8FM.

English trip-hop band Massive Attack has responded to a ban on re-entering Singapore after they were seen holding up a Palestinian flag at their concert last Wednesday (July 29).The band, which consists of Robert «3D» Del Naja and Grant «Daddy G» Marshall, posted a statement on their social media platforms on Sunday expressing their «surprise» and «disappointment» at their detainment as police investigated the situation.However, they stopped short of addressing the ban directly.«Following our performance at the Star Theatre, Singapore, we were surprised and disappointed that our entire band was detained by the police, isolated and separately questioned – with some members subjected to hotel room searches and temporary passport confiscation,» the statement read.

SINGAPORE — In recent weeks, the US has been hit by an outbreak of a gastrointestinal illness known as cyclosporiasis.So far, there have been more than 6,700 laboratory-confirmed infections, with an additional 11,500 suspected cases in various states across the US, including Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan — the worse-hit area, where more than 10,000 have been affected.The cause of the outbreak is still unknown, though the US Food and Drug Administration has linked it to iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell fast-food restaurants sourced from Taylor Farms’ facility in central Mexico.However, cases continue to rise even after the supplier had recalled all iceberg lettuce grown and processed at the facility in question.What exactly is cyclosporiasis, and could a similar outbreak happen in Singapore? Simply Science takes a look.What is cyclosporiasis?The disease’s main symptom is explosive, watery diarrhoea, while other symptoms include fatigue, low-grade fever and nausea.

A total of nine hawker centres across Singapore will close for between one and three days from Monday (Aug 3) for spring cleaning.According to the National Environment Agency (NEA), such cleaning is conducted regularly so that Singaporeans can enjoy affordable food in a clean and hygienic place.Cleaning at hawker centres owned by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment is conducted by NEA, while town councils are responsible for cleaning at Housing and Development Board-owned (HDB) hawker centres.The nine hawker centres affected for the upcoming spring cleaning are mostly in central region, but also include The Hawker Centre @ Our Tampines Hub and Buangkok Hawker Centre in the eastern and north-eastern regions.Meanwhile, the Teck Ghee Square hawker centre at Block 409 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 is set to reopen on Aug 7 following repairs and redecoration work since June 8, according to a list published on NEA's website.