SINGAPORE — Hundreds of Built-To-Order flats with shorter waiting times will be launched in Sin Ming and Toa Payoh, with construction of the new homes underway and slated for completion by mid-2030.In Sin Ming Street, which is part of Bishan town, a 1,076-unit project that will include a childcare centre and a supermarketis currently being constructed across the road from Sin Ming Residences, a public housing project that is nearing completion with 984 units.And in Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, work has started on a 40-storey HDB block comprising 193 units that will be accompanied by a multi-storey carpark with a roof garden, a precinct pavilion and other community facilities.The Housing Board said in a statement to The Straits Times that the flats' launch dates and estimated waiting times will be announced at a later date, although their projected completion date suggests that both projects will likely go on sale in mid-2027 at the earliest.Flats with shorter waiting time have wait times of under three years, with construction work typically starting before these flats are launched for sale so buyers can move into their homes sooner.

An elderly cyclist was seen on her knees after she was believed to be issued a summon by Land Transport Authority (LTA) officers recently.

Team Singapore will head to the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games this September without a public medal target, with chef de mission Goh Kee Nguan instead urging athletes to focus on producing their best performances against Asia's top competitors.«We are not going to Nagoya to count medals, especially before the Games begin,» Goh said after the Team Singapore Flag Presentation Ceremony at OCBC Square on Aug 29.«What we are there for is really to make sure that the athletes are there to compete, and we will compete all we can to win as much as we can.»Singapore National Olympic Council president Grace Fu struck a similar note in her address to the contingent.«Performance matters, but so do the memories you create, the challenges you overcome, and the example you set for those who follow,» she said.Singapore will field 304 athletes across 27 sports, with the Republic competing in mixed martial arts (MMA) and kurash for the first time. More than 60 per cent of the contingent will be making their Asian Games debuts.

There was brief panic at Sultan Plaza on Friday (Aug 28) night after jellified insecticide used during fumigation at a Chinese restaurant created smoke that was mistaken for a fire.At least 30 people self-evacuated, and emergency services were called at about 10.45pm, after smoke was seen coming from the first-floor eatery.When AsiaOne reached the scene at about 10.55pm, the area outside the eatery was still slightly smoky and a pungent, choking smell hung in the air. Mallgoers were seen exiting the plaza's premises, with some coughing as they walked out.At least four Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) appliances were present at the scene as firefighters in full breathing apparatus checked the eatery.

A total of 80 luxury properties which were seized in Singapore's largest money laundering case to date will be progressively put up for sale, alongside designer handbags, watches and jewellery forfeited to the state.This was confirmed in a statement by Deloitte to AsiaOne on Saturday (Aug 29).The firm was appointed by the Singapore Police Force in July 2025 to manage and realise the forfeited non-cash assets.It stated that luxury items such as branded handbags, watches and jewellery seized by authorities in Singapore in the landmark case, will be sold through a series of timed, online-only auctions from September this year till mid-2027.The authorities had seized over 200 properties across prime locations such as Orchard Road and Sentosa in connection to the $3 billion money laundering case, according to Bloomberg.Hotlotz, the local auction house appointed to handle the sales, said it plans to hold 15 auctions featuring more than 1,000 items.A Hotlotz spokesperson told AsiaOne that two auctions — one for fine jewellery and another for handbags — will be held on Sept 7 as part of the first phase of the sales process.

The Government plans to do more to build a society where everyone is respected, valued and given the chance to contribute, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at Singapore's inaugural Paralympic Day on Saturday (Aug 29).Speaking at the launch event at East Coast Park, Wong urged Singaporeans to «see ability before disability» and said inclusion goes beyond government policies.«Ultimately, inclusion is not achieved by policies alone. It is built through the choices we make every day, whether we see ability before disability, recognise what every person can contribute, and give everyone a fair chance to do so,» he said.

NEW DELHI - Singapore state investor Temasek, the majority shareholder of Singapore Airlines, on Saturday backed the airline's investment in Air India, as scrutiny grows over its stake in the loss-making Indian carrier.Air India's request for about US$1.5 billion (S$1.9 billion) in fresh equity from owners Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines was first reported by Reuters this week. Singapore Airlines owns 25.1 per cent of India's second-largest airline, with the rest owned by Tata.News of the funding request prompted Kenneth Tiong, a lawmaker from Singapore's opposition Workers' Party, to urge that Temasek's funds not to be used to shore up the Indian carrier.Singapore's Business Times also ran a commentary arguing that Singapore Airlines could not realistically exit its Air India stake, with Tata the only plausible buyer. It questioned what its 25.1 per cent holding offered beyond a board seat and a share of the losses, while saying the strategic logic of the investment still held.

The wife of Geoffrey Kitchen, a 73-year-old British man who died after severe turbulence on board Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 in May 2024, is suing the airline.The BBC reported on Friday (Aug 28) that Linda Kitchen, 74, from Thornbury near Bristol, has begun High Court proceedings in the United Kingdom.She was on board the flight from London to Singapore with Geoffrey and is seeking damages to access specialist support for her back, which was injured in the same event.The flight encountered severe turbulence over Myanmar and diverted to Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand.«There had been some turbulence over Europe, and it had been shaky over the water, but it was around 10 hours into the flight when we encountered the main turbulence,» Linda told the BBC. «It was so severe; it felt like the aircraft was dropping. I noticed my Kindle and Geoff's phone had fallen to the floor, and I thought the plane was going down.»

A keeper at Singapore Zoo is recovering in hospital after being bitten by an adult Malayan tapir.The incident took place on the evening of Aug 26 during routine end-of-day activities, when the keeper was guiding the animal back to its off-exhibit den, Mandai Wildlife Group said in a statement to AsiaOne.A second keeper who was also in the exhibit stepped in to assist, and the tapir was secured in its den shortly after.«The keeper is currently in hospital and on the way to recovery under close medical supervision,» a Mandai Wildlife Group spokesperson said.«We're in close touch with our staff and the family to provide support.»The tapir involved is a 23-year-old female. Malayan tapirs are the only tapir species native to Asia and are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.Mandai Wildlife Group pointed out that tapirs are generally shy and non-confrontational animals, making such incidents rare.

SINGAPORE — A woman's application for protection against her husband was dismissed by the court, which ruled the man's text messages, where he shared fantasies of wanting to hurt and kill her, did not constitute emotional or psychological abuse.Magistrate Yvette Tay noted in grounds of decision issued on Aug 19 that even though the wife had claimed she was afraid of him, her immediate replies to his messages were that she missed him.Tay said the woman did not appear to display signs of emotional or mental distress or harm. In various text messages, the woman told her husband that she expected him to provide for her and to turn up for family events.She even suggested they take a holiday together.The magistrate added: «The applicant still wanted physical intimacy with the respondent and even sent him intimate photographs of herself.»To make such a request would suggest that the applicant was not fearful of the respondent."The couple, whose ages were not stated in court documents, were married in December 2023 but started living apart less than a year later in October 2024.

A total of 18 people were taken to two hospitals after two lorries collided in Taman Jurong on Friday (Aug 28) morning.The incident happened at about 6.55am at the junction of Jalan Tukang and Tukang Innovation Drive. A video of the incident seen by AsiaOne shows a white lorry flipped on its right side, while another lorry is seen stopped at an angle on the leftmost lane behind it.At least 20 workers are seen at the roadside and pedestrian walkway.The Singapore Civil Defence Force told AsiaOne that a male lorry driver was found trapped in his seat and was rescued by firefighters using hydraulic rescue tools.Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the police said both lorry drivers, aged 30 and 35, and 16 male passengers, aged between 24 and 55, were taken conscious to the National University Hospital and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.The police added that a 35-year-old male lorry driver is assisting with ongoing police investigations.[[nid:743702]]editor@asiaone.com 

A 90-year-old man found unfit to stand trial for killing his wife in their Bukit Panjang flat in 2024 was given a five-year notional imprisonment period by the High Court judge on Aug 28.Under Singapore’s criminal procedure, the court must now report Ridawi Morsudin to the Law Minister, who will decide if he is to be confined in a psychiatric institution or another place of safe custody, or be given a conditional release.Ridawi was found unfit to stand trial for his actions due to severe cognitive impairment. Medical reports stated that he is unlikely to regain fitness to stand trial due to the progressive nature of his condition.In reporting the case to the minister, the judge has to specify the notional imprisonment period that the accused would have been required to undergo if convicted of the offence. This serves as the upper limit of the period of confinement subsequently ordered by the minister.In specifying a period of five years, Justice Hoo Sheau Peng considered the case of Kong Peng Yee, who fatally slashed his wife at their Sengkang home in 2016 during a psychotic episode. 

Motorists travelling to Malaysia on Saturday (Aug 29) are advised to expect delays at Woodlands Checkpoint due to heavy departure traffic.In a traffic update posted on its social media at 10am, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said delays are expected and advised travellers to check traffic conditions before embarking on their journey.Checks by AsiaOne on the Land Transport Authority's traffic cameras at 10.40am indicate that traffic conditions at Woodlands Crossing and Bukit Timah Expressway — leading to Woodlands Checkpoint — remain smooth.