Four healthcare operators have been appointed to deliver the enhanced Primary Care Plan (PCP) for migrant workers, providing this group with more affordable healthcare from April 2027, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Wednesday (Aug 5).Under this enhanced PCP, migrant workers will co-pay $5 per consultation for physical clinic consultation and telemedicine services. «[This will allow] migrant workers to seek care when they need to. This takes into account the higher costs of delivering telemedicine services while ensuring that consultation co-payments remain affordable for migrant workers,» said the ministry. The four operators are Sata CommHealth, St Andrew's Mission Hospital, Healthway Medical Group and Fullerton Health.Anchored in the north, south, east and west of Singapore, these operators will provide this service for the next five years from April 1, 2027.The PCP was introduced in 2022.MOM said that they have consulted with stakeholders and enhanced the PCP, aiming to make primary healthcare more accessible and strengthen service delivery while keeping costs affordable for employers.

Singapore's western rail network is set to expand further, with four new stations planned under Phase 3 of the Cross Island Line.Announced on July 31, the Cross Island Line Phase 3, or CRL3, will extend the line by about 10km from the future Jurong Lake District station to Gul Circle. It will serve residents in Taman Jurong while providing workers with better access to the industrial areas around Jalan Buroh, Benoi and Gul.Construction is expected to begin in 2027, while the stations are targeted to open by the late 2030s. Although the full benefits remain more than a decade away, the confirmed route provides a clearer picture of how homes and workplaces in the west will eventually be connected.

Phase 2C of the P1 registration exercise for 2027, which closed on July 30, will see 73 primary schools conduct balloting. All of these schools are oversubscribed except for Opera Estate Primary School, which will hold balloting for permanent resident (PR) applicants because of its cap on the intake of PR children.There are 182 primary schools in Singapore, with 179 open for registration in 2026.Phase 2C, considered the most competitive phase and open to all children, has 40 places reserved at each primary school.According to the latest vacancies and balloting status updated on the Ministry of Education's (MOE) website on Thursday (Aug 5), Princess Elizabeth Primary School in Bukit Batok was the most oversubscribed, with 159 children applying for 40 spots.The four other most oversubscribed schools are:

If you are heading to the National Stadium to attend the National Day Parade (NDP) on Aug 9, or planning to join the celebrations around the Kallang Basin area, do take note that large crowds and traffic delays are expected.The police had earlier declared the NDP as an enhanced security special event and designated a special event area around the National Stadium, with a special zone demarcated within it where enhanced security checks will be carried out.To prevent overcrowding, police officers, Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel and auxiliary police officers will be regulating the crowd flow around the National Stadium, such as Stadium Riverside Walk, Tanjong Rhu and Republic Avenue promenade, said the police in a statement on Thursday (Aug 6).These areas will be closed to ensure public safety when crowd levels reach safety thresholds.

SINGAPORE — While his pregnant wife was out running errands, a man raped a deaf and mute 13-year-old girl.The man, now 24, was sentenced to a jail term of 12 years and nine months, as well as 12 strokes of the cane, on Aug 5.He pleaded guilty to rape and a charge of being absent without leave from his national service duties with the Singapore Civil Defence Force for over a year.Another two molest charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.He cannot be named due to a gag order on the identities of both the man and victim.The incident happened in November 2024, when the man was living in a two-room rental flat with his wife. She was then about five months into her pregnancy.The court heard that the man and his wife knew the victim and her family. His wife was the goddaughter of the victim's mother, while he was a secondary schoolmate of the victim's older brother.The victim, who called him «uncle», initially found him «nice, kind and funny». They would communicate through very basic sign language and gestures, and by messages on their phones.

Shoppers can get a $6 voucher whenever they spend $61 in a single receipt at a FairPrice outlet between Aug 6 and 16, announced the supermarket chain on Thursday (Aug 6).Upon spending $61 at any FairPrice supermarkets, FairPrice Finest, FairPrice Xtra, and Unity pharmacy stores islandwide, customers will receive a $6 return voucher, capped at three per transaction.Multiples of these return vouchers can be used in a transaction, and can also be used together with CDC vouchers, Chas card discounts and senior citizen discounts.These return vouchers can be used on subsequent purchases up till Aug 31.FairPrice Group explained that this initiative comes amid public concern over inflation and rising cost of groceries, food and utilities — and ahead of the nation's 61st birthday.FairPrice Group CEO Vipul Chawla shared that even as the country celebrates National Day, many families still experience financial pressures.

Have you come across random, blur selfies of babies staring cutely at you in your IG feed?Well, it is a latest trend doing the rounds on social media.The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Wednesday (Aug 5) became the latest Singapore Government agency to «crawl» onto this trend, posting a baby dressed in dark blue — the colour of its uniform — with its building in the background.

Singapore is not choosing between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and multi-national companies (MNCs) as it needs both.Similarly, it is not choosing between domestic demand and external markets as they are needed, too, said Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance Jeffrey Siow.«We are not in a zero-sum situation. In fact, the growth of our local companies and our MNCs mutually reinforce each other,» he said during the debate on a motion on the future of Singapore's economy filed by Workers' Party MPs Kenneth Tiong (Aljunied GRC) and Associate Professor Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC). Speaking on Aug 5 afternoon as he seconded the motion, the Sengkang MP had called for a pivot away from MNCs as the driver of Singapore's growth, to promote SMEs as Singapore's economic engine. He raised this «bottom-up, domestic capital-led» approach as the solution to lagging productivity growth and a lack of risk-taking entrepreneurs. 

SINGAPORE — A woman who posted negative reviews on the Google page of a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinic must pay $12,500 in damages for defaming the physician who treated her.The customer, Cheryl Lim, had experienced weakness in her arm after she underwent acupuncture treatment at the Kin Teck Tong TCM Clinic at Plaza Singapura.In the first review she posted, she cautioned readers to “think twice” and questioned if the physician, Pheabe Chau, was qualified.After the clinic declined her request for a refund, Lim updated her review, this time stating that going to the clinic for treatment caused her to lose her arm strength.In a written judgment on Aug 4, District Judge Sim Mei Ling said both reviews were defamatory.The judge rejected Lim’s argument that they were justified, saying she had not sought to prove the truth of her statements.However, the judge concluded the first review expressed an honest opinion and amounted to fair comment, which is a defence to a defamation claim.But the second review was a definitive statement of fact.

SINGAPORE — DBS Group, Singapore's biggest bank, raised its full-year guidance after second-quarter net profit rose nine per cent, beating expectations as strong wealth-management fees, treasury sales and trading income offset pressure from lower interest rates.DBS, which is also Southeast Asia's biggest lender by assets, posted a record quarterly net profit of $3.08 billion, up from S$2.82 billion a year earlier.This beat the mean estimate of $2.88 billion from three analysts, according to LSEG data.Net interest margin, a key gauge of profitability, fell to 1.87 per cent from 2.05 per cent in the same period a year earlier, but that was offset by strong loan and deposit growth.«We delivered a strong set of results for the first half, anchored by the strength of our wealth management franchise,» CEO Tan Su Shan said in a statement, noting assets under management in the wealth division surpassed S$500 billion for the first time.She raised DBS' 2026 outlook, saying total income was expected to exceed 2025 levels, while group net interest income was expected to close the gap to 2025 levels. 

Footage of a facial recognition gantry at Punggol Coast MRT station has left some netizens intrigued about its purpose and effectiveness, according to multiple posts circulating on social media.A clip uploaded by user N9obs_win on YouTube shows that this facial recognition system appears to be incorporated into the priority use gantry.A screen mounted beside the gantry reflects a commuter's face as they attempt to pass through, similar to the way the automated clearance gantries used by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) work.In a separate TikTok video posted by 8days, a commuter attempted to use the facial recognition gantry to enter the station.However, the system did not work for the commuter, who then entered through a conventional gantry instead.Speaking to 8days, a staff member at Punggol Coast MRT station station said the system was being trialled and that registration was required before it could be used.Under the trial, a user's transport card is linked to the facial recognition system, allowing them to enter and exit through the gantry.

Workers' Party MPs on Wednesday (Aug 5) put forward a range of proposals in Parliament aimed at addressing challenges facing Singaporean workers, young people and local businesses.A motion titled «an economy of the future that works for all» was moved by Aljunied GRC MP Kenneth Tiong, who said in his opening speech that Singapore needs an updated growth model.Speaking on the challenge of innovation and entrepreneurship, he submitted the creation of a «special» zone consisting of residential and commercial space, including local enterprise and R&D, around Nanyang Technological University (NTU).Tiong said the State land in this district should not be priced at market scarcity value. Instead, it «takes its return in the companies that grow there instead of in rent».Tiong argued that high land costs have become a barrier to research, entrepreneurship and innovation, particularly for younger Singaporeans.He described the proposal as an «experiment» that could create a district that is both «pro-worker and pro-business».

A motion on Singapore's economic future filed by the Workers' Party (WP) MP Kenneth Tiong was amended and subsequently passed by the People's Action Party (PAP) majority on Wednesday (Aug 5) following more than eight hours of debate.The original motion stated that the House, notwithstanding the suggestions in the Economic Strategy Review on the future Singapore economy, believes in a more equal and inclusive economy.The WP's motion also said the House believes in an economic engine driven by dynamic local companies, healthy domestic demand, and Singaporeans and Singaporean capital venturing abroad.Holland-Bukit Timah MP Edward Chia, who spoke fourth in the debate, proposed to amend the motion by replacing the word «notwithstanding» to «in line with».He also proposed changing the phrase «economic engine driven» to «economic powered», inserting «global enterprises» after «local companies», and adding the words «and external» after the phrase «healthy domestic».Tiong said the WP cannot accept the first amendment of changing «notwithstanding» to «in line with», which «turns the sentence around».

A notice has been posted at Golden Village's GVmax theatre at VivoCity reminding Spider-Man fanatics not to take home the decorative seat covers.The latest movie of the beloved Marvel hero, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, has swung into theatres in Singapore, and some fans may have got carried away by the excitement.In a Threads post on Wednesday (Aug 5), user seangoh80 posted a picture of a notice at a Golden Village theatre urging moviegoers not to remove the Spider-Man seat covers from the movie hall.«Your friendly Spider-Man does not condone stealing,» the notice read, urging patrons to leave the seat covers behind for the next group of moviegoers to enjoy.The notice was also accompanied by a picture of the movie hall, showing just four seats fitted with Spider-Man themed seat covers.In response to AsiaOne's queries, a spokesperson for Golden Village said that they received reports from the GV VivoCity team that some of the seat covers were taken on the film's opening day.As a result, notices have been placed at the entrance and exits of the hall to remind patrons not to remove the seat covers.