SINGAPORE — The higher income ceiling will increase demand for public housing, but a strong pipeline of new and resale flats entering the market means supply will be able to keep pace, property analysts said.They pointed to the steady supply of Build-To-Order (BTO) flats, as well as several waves of resale flats that will reach their minimum occupation period (MOP) in the coming years, after which they can be sold on the open market.In his National Day Rally speech on Aug 23, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the income ceiling for BTO flats will be increased to $16,000 for families and $8,000 for singles. The current income ceiling is $14,000 and $7,000, respectively.This higher ceiling will also apply to those buying an HDB resale flat with the CPF Housing Grant and Singles Grant.While this is likely to drive up demand, analysts noted that many flats could enter the resale market in the coming years.About 13,500 flats will reach their MOP in 2026. This will rise to 15,000 in 2027, and 19,500 in 2028.

For nearly a year, some residents of a Hougang HDB block have been plagued by a foul stench emanating from the lift lobby.Urine and a brown substance believed to be faeces have allegedly been splashed on walls and belongings left along corridors, reported Shin Min Daily News.A reporter from the Chinese evening daily recently visited Block 552 Hougang Street 51. The reporter detected a urine odour at the lift lobbies of the ground floor and the first five floors of the building.A resident, who did not want to be named, said the smell had been an issue for quite some time.«Sometimes, the urine smell is present up to five days a week. It is unbearable when we pass by the area on our way home,» the resident said.«To keep the smell out of our house, we keep the doors and windows tightly shut.»Another female resident, who also was not named, told Shin Min that the situation has persisted for almost one year.She said she had once found an unpleasant smelling brown substance smeared on the walls and floor of the lift lobby.

Barely a week has passed since a 73-year-old elderly man was shoved to the ground at a coffee shop in East Coast, but there's already another case of a senior being pushed to the ground — this time during a fight. The incident on Saturday (Aug 22), involving a 75-year-old man and a 50-year-old man, took place at about 9.55pm at a coffee shop in Yew Tee Point. A video of the altercation circulating on social media shows the elderly man speaking in dialect and warning the other not to threaten him.After a further exchange of words between the two, the younger man is seen walking off. While doing so, he could be heard saying the senior was courting his death.But the senior continues to swear at him, prompting the 50-year-old to grab a chair. He then swings it at the senior before holding himself back. However, the senior continues to provoke him, and the younger man is next seen grabbing the senior by the collar.

The monthly household income ceiling for Build-To-Order (BTO) flat buyers will be raised from $14,000 to $16,000, announced Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during his National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 23).This is to keep public housing affordable and accessible for Singaporeans, he added.This will kick into effect from Aug 24, according to a joint press release from the Ministry of National Development (MND) and the Housing Development Board (HDB).«These days, Singaporeans are marrying later. By the time they settle down, many are further along in their careers and earning more. So more young couples are crossing the current income ceilings,» said PM Wong on Sunday.He added that the government wants to ensure that the vast majority of Singaporean couples can continue to have access to subsidised public housing, which is why the income ceiling will be raised.According to the joint statement by MND and HDB, incomes have risen since the income ceilings were last adjusted in 2019, resulting in more aspiring home buyers exceeding the existing ceilings.

The Government is studying the feasibility of building undersea tunnels to Pulau Tekong, where new military recruits undergo their first months of training.With no physical structures connecting Singapore's mainland and the island located off the north-eastern coast, soldiers currently use ferries.«In the past, we relied on this to get there — Ramp Powered Launches (RPL), standing room only, and no air-con!» PM Wong said during the National Day Rally 2026 speech at the ITE College Central on Sunday (Aug 23). Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said military recruits used to board Ramp Powered Launches to reach Pulau Tekong.PHOTO: Screengrab/YouTube/Lawrence Wong Speaking about the connectivity of the nation's coastline, he said Pulau Tekong still has no land connection, unlike other islands such as Sentosa and Jurong Island.

Raising the income ceiling for HDB home buyers, giving working parents more childcare leave and providing greater financial support for new parents — these were among the measures announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 23).Speaking at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central in Ang Mo Kio, PM Wong unveiled a series of measures spanning childcare support and housing policies, as well as plans to harness advances in technology, including autonomous vehicles (AV).Here are five key points he brought up during the rally. 1. BTO income ceiling to be raisedThe income ceilings for all Build-To-Order (BTO) flats and executive condominiums (EC) will be raised from Aug 24, in a bid to keep public housing affordable and accessible for Singaporeans.Income ceilings were last adjusted in 2019, and will now be increased from $14,000 to $16,000 for BTO flats. ECs will see theirs raised from $16,000 to $18,000.

Singaporeans and Singapore businesses could see more opportunities in the region if they pick up Malay and better appreciate its culture, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. He made this point in his Malay speech at the 2026 National Day Rally held at the ITE College Central on Sunday (Aug 23).Referring to Kampong Glam, where he officiated at the reopening of the Malay Heritage Centre on April 25, PM Wong said that beyond the community's rich heritage, the place is special as it reminds Singaporeans of their close connections to the region.«It is also a part of our shared history and heritage. We (Singapore) value these connections,» he added.Turning to how the Malay language is an «integral part» of Singapore's identity, PM Wong pointed out that it is the Republic's national language, the language of the national anthem, and used for commands in the Armed Forces.And given the city state's location, it would be valuable for Singaporeans to learn Malay and better appreciate its culture, he said.

The National Library Board (NLB) is partnering the National Library of China (NLC) to stage an exhibition on the Four Great Classic Novels, which will see several rare historical artefacts being displayed outside China for the first time.The event was announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his Mandarin speech at the 2026 National Day Rally held at the Institute of Technical Education College Central on Sunday (Aug 23).Amid concerns that the falling use of Mandarin in Chinese households could cause Singapore to slowly lose touch with its cultural roots, and consequently, its bilingual edge, PM Wong emphasised that the Republic must not become a monolingual society.The prime minister noted that since his first NDR in 2024 — when it was announced that the criteria for taking up Higher Chinese would be eased — more than 1,000 students have benefitted from the change, which took effect this year.About one in four Secondary One students now take Higher Chinese in school, he said.In addition to school, the language environment at home matters too, said PM Wong.

Singapore's bilingual policy and efforts to promote Mandarin must continue, but the country can also make room for dialects, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Sunday (April 23).Speaking at the 2026 National Day Rally at the Institute of Technical Education College Central, he noted that Teochew film Dear You had sparked lively debates.«I believe it is because it reminded us of our pioneers, the sacrifices they made and the hardships they endured, as well as the values they lived by,» he said, adding that he agreed dialects are cultural heritage worth preserving.But that cannot come at the expense of the hard-won gains of the Speak Mandarin campaign, making Mandarin now the common language among Chinese Singaporeans and laying a strong foundation for the country's bilingual policy.PM Wong also pointed out that the language connects Singapore with Chinese communities worldwide.«Therefore, our bilingual policy and efforts to promote Mandarin are moving in the right direction and must continue,» he said.

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong will make official visits to Kazakhstan from Aug 24 to 27, and to Uzbekistan from Aug 27 to 31. This will also be SM Lee's first visit to Central Asia, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement on Sunday (Aug 23).While in Kazakhstan, SM Lee will visit Astana, where he will call on President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev, and Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev.He will also be conferred the Order of Dostyk (Friendship) of the First Class Award — one of Kazakhstan's highest civilian honours — by President Tokayev and deliver a lecture at Nazarbayev University, where he will be conferred an honorary professorship.SM Lee will then head to Almaty, where he will be hosted to lunch by Mayor of Almaty Darkhan Satybaldy and meet with Singapore and Kazakh business leaders.Kazakhstan is Singapore's largest trading partner in Central Asia, with bilateral trade in goods amounting to $326.6 million and bilateral trade in services reaching $159 million.

SINGAPORE — A 34-year-old man was arrested for allegedly drink driving and driving without a valid licence after an accident in Geylang on Sunday (Aug 23).His 31-year-old male passenger was also arrested for permitting a person without a valid licence to drive.In response to queries from The Straits Times, the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to an accident involving a car and a van at the junction of Guillemard Road and Geylang Road at about 3.30am.A 54-year-old male van driver was taken conscious to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.Images of the aftermath of the accident posted on a Facebook group, Professional PHV Drivers Singapore: Grab, Gojek, Tada n Ryde, show a grey van flipped onto its side at the junction, surrounded by passing traffic.Several people can be seen trying to push the van back onto its wheels.The user who uploaded the post said that «many strong men (tried) to push the van back but to no avail», adding that the police were directing traffic at the accident scene.Police investigations are ongoing.

More than 10 residents were evacuated after a fire broke out in Bukit Batok on Saturday (Aug 22) afternoon. The fire broke out at about 1pm in a two-storey maisonette on the third floor at Block 628, Bukit Batok Central, reported Lianhe Zaobao.Videos of the aftermath shared by Lianhe Zaobao on TikTok shows the walls outside the unit blackened by smoke. The windows were also reportedly shattered and debris was scattered on the floor outside the unit. The homeowner, identified as Anna, told the Chinese daily that she was having lunch nearby with her husband and two of their children when the fire broke out. Her other two daughters, aged 15 and 19, were home at the time. «I immediately rushed home after receiving a call from my daughter, but I'm not sure what caused the fire,» she said. A neighbour in the adjacent unit, Lian Mengnan (transliterated), 72, said that the fire was suspected to have started from the electrical wiring next to the sofa, reported Lianhe Zaobao. Lian recalled that he was picking up a package outside his house when his neighbour's daughter ran out in a panic to ask for help. 

An elderly woman battling a rat infestation at her HDB block in Chinatown has turned to a homemade bait recipe, reportedly catching nearly 20 rats in just three weeks.The incident occurred at Block 32, New Market Road and has been ongoing for almost a year, reported Shin Min Daily News. Xie (transliterated), a 76-year-old cleaner who lives on the fifth floor, told the Chinese newspaper that she has lived there for decades and despite there being a hawker centre downstairs, rats rarely come upstairs. However, residents have reportedly spotted the rodents running around the corridors, biting on things and causing hygiene issues since the end of last year.  Xie, who leaves home very early each day, said she often sees rats scurrying around when she opens her door at around 4am or 5am. She added that her home security camera also captured footage of rats running along the top of her iron gate last year. She bought sticky rat traps, using fried anchovies, duck bones and oyster sauce as bait, to lure the rats. She usually sets two or three traps at a time. 

Three years after news broke that a prominent Workers' Party politician, Nicole Seah, stepped down from politics amid allegations of an affair with fellow party member Leon Perera, who was married at the time, many netizens are asking one curious question: Where are she and her husband now?1. Nicole worked as manager at French multinational advertising firmAlthough Nicole's social media accounts have gone silent since 2023, screenshots of her LinkedIn page recently resurfaced on Reddit.Based on cached Google search results, her most recently listed position was deputy general manager at Publicis Media, a French multinational advertising and public relations company.A screenshot showed Nicole worked at a global advertising firm.However, her account appears to have been taken down at the time of this article.2. Husband worked as sales manager at manufacturing companyHer husband, a Singaporean engineer who goes by Bryan, has also kept a low profile.

A 60-year-old private-hire driver found himself trapped after a tree fell on his car in Dempsey on Saturday (Aug 22) morning.The driver, identified as Saiful, told The Straits Times (ST) that he had heard a loud cracking sound as he was turning his white Nissan multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) out of the Museum of Ice Cream along Loewen Road. «I looked up and I could see the tree on the left side of my car slowly toppling in front of me,» he saidThe 60-year-old tried to reverse his vehicle, he recalled, but part of the tree had already toppled onto the passenger's side of the car, crushing the roof and trapping Saiful, who was unable to open the door from the inside.Employees from a spa in the area later came out and helped free him from the driver's seat, reported ST. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and an ambulance reportedly arrived shortly after and assessed Saiful for injuries. He was unhurt and his family arrived soon afterwards.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the SCDF said it received a call for assistance at about 10am to the incident along 75 Loewen Road, but no ambulance assistance was required.