The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is investigating a series of network issues that plagued Singtel over a three-day period between March 16 and 18, said Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo in Parliament on Tuesday (April 7).Teo was responding to questions from several MPs who asked about the telco's network resilience, system robustness and redundancy, after more than 600,000 of the telco's customers were reportedly affected by the incidents.Singtel Singapore chief executive Ng Tian Chong had earlier apologised for the incidents, acknowledging that «this should not have happened».It also announced a «goodwill rebate» to affected customers on their upcoming bill.Referring to the Telecoms Act, the minister assured MPs that all incidents of service disruptions are taken «seriously» by both the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) and IMDA.

The new Traffic Violation Enforcement Cameras (TVECs) rolled out by the Traffic Police (TP) for trials since March 2025 have picked up over 67,000 cases of traffic violations, said Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam.He was responding to a parliamentary question from Pasir Ris GRC MP Valerie Lee who asked for an update on the nine TVECs deployed for trials.In his written reply, the minister revealed that 67,000 cases of traffic violations were detected between April 2025 and February this year.These violations include running red lights, illegal U-turns, and crossing double white lines.Shanmugam added that TP has deployed the nine TVECs on public roads since March, and is also developing plans to increase the number of such cameras.

Nineteen people have been charged in an Indonesian court for their alleged involvement in a trafficking ring that sent babies across the country and overseas, including to Singapore. The 19 suspects — 18 women and one man — were charged at the Indonesian Bandung District Court on Tuesday (April 7) and face up to 15 years in jail if convicted, reported CNA. A total of 34 babies were involved. The primary charge the suspects face is human trafficking, which covers the alleged recruitment, transport, harbouring or transfer of individuals through means such as fraud, coercion, threats, or abuse of vulnerability for the purpose of exploitation, according to The Straits Times (ST).The alleged ringleader of the group was identified as 70-year-old Lie Siu Luan, also known as Lily, who was reportedly arrested in July 2025 at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport upon returning from Singapore.The trafficking ring allegedly sent 10 babies to Singapore between 2023 and 2025, CNA reported Indonesian prosecutors as saying, adding that the infants were sold for as much as $18,000 per child. 

Amidst the Government announcing a series of support measures to cushion the impact of the Middle East situation, now in its sixth week, it will however not reduce petrol or diesel duties.«We do not think this would be the right move. It is too blunt an approach, and it could also be regressive,» said Senior Minister of State for Finance Jeffrey Siow as he delivered a ministerial statement — on what the Government is doing to support businesses, workers, and households — in Parliament on Tuesday (April 7).Addressing questions fielded by several Members of Parliament on the magnitude and speed of pump prices adjustments, the senior minister of state explained that as an open economy, Singapore must allow fuel prices to reflect market realities. 

SINGAPORE  — The US government has removed an official statement that wrongly claimed that Singapore had a bilateral trade surplus with the US, Minister of State for Trade and Industry (MTI) Gan Siow Huang said on April 7.She added that the Government will be attending upcoming public hearings on investigations under Section 301 of the US Trade Act, which will be held from May 5 to 8 in Washington.Singapore was named in a Section 301 probe launched by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) on March 11 against more than 16 major economies, focused on alleged excess manufacturing capacity.The Republic is also involved in a second unfair practices probe, which the trade agency initiated into 60 economies on the importation of goods produced with forced labour.The USTR’s Federal Register Notice had highlighted Singapore as having a bilateral trade surplus with the US in both goods and services, amounting to US$27 billion (S$34.7 billion) in 2024.The MTI had said it would reach out to clarify the trade data, because Singapore actually recorded a deficit of the same amount.

As part of the Government's first tranche of support measures for businesses, households and industry sectors impacted by the ongoing Middle East conflict, it will share 50 per cent of cost increases for critical public sector construction projects.This was announced by Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat in a social media post on Tuesday (April 7).Chee said: «It will be difficult for these firms to fully absorb the cost increases over a sustained period.»The Government will provide support to affected firms working on critical public sector projects by sharing 50 per cent of the cost increases due to additional diesel and bitumen costs incurred.«These include firms involved in earthworks, piling, roadworks, and reclamation.»He also urged private sector developers to similarly support their contractors by sharing the cost increases.The minister also highlighted other existing schemes that can provide relief for contractors.

A 38-year-old woman will be charged in court on Wednesday (April 8) following a road traffic accident that resulted in the death of a six-year-old girl and left a 31-year-old woman with grievous injuries.In a statement on Tuesday, police said they were alerted to an accident involving a car and two pedestrians along Spring Street on Feb 6 at about 11.50am. One of them, a six-year-old girl, was taken unconscious to the hospital where she subsequently died. The 31-year-old woman, was taken conscious to the hospital and has since been discharged, said the police. It was reported that the mother and daughter were Indonesian tourists.The accused faces two charges under the Road Traffic Act 1961, for driving without due care and attention causing death; and driving without due care and attention causing grievous hurt, said the police. The traffic police said they take a serious view of motorists who drive carelessly and endanger the lives or safety of other road users. 

Malaysian immigration officers stationed at the Woodlands North station of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link will not have powers of arrest.The same applies for Singaporean immigration officers stationed at the Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru.This key feature is part of the Cross-Border Railways (Border Control Co-Location) Bill, which was tabled for First Reading in Parliament on Tuesday (April 7).Should the Bill be passed, it will provide the legal basis for the co-location of border clearance in addition to the coordination of railway security and the management of cross-border incidents at the RTS Link.This Bill also plays an important role in supporting the operation of the RTS Link.Travellers will only need to clear immigration once, at the point of embarkation, similar to existing arrangements.This is enabled by co-locating both countries' customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) facilities at both RTS Link stations in Woodlands North and Bukit Chagar. 

Prices to fuel and energy are likely to remain high even after hostilities in the Middle East cease, Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam said on Tuesday (April 7). This is due to the extent of the damage to oil facilities which will take time to repair, he said, adding that the Ministry of Trade and Industry is monitoring the situation closely. More than half of Singapore's crude oil imports come from the Middle East, while nine per cent of natural gas would have been imported from Qatar this year prior to the crisis.«Even if the Strait of Hormuz fully reopens tomorrow, global oil and gas export capacity will not return to pre-conflict levels so quickly.»In the longer-term, we are concerned about broader disruptions to global supply chains affecting goods critical to Singapore's economy and essential services." Shanmugam, who is chair of the Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee, was speaking in Parliament during a ministerial statement.The committee was convened by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to coordinate Singapore's response to energy disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict. 

A 36-year-old man who allegedly struck a four-year-old boy twice at a bus stop in Woodlands on March 6 was charged in court on Tuesday (April 7).Muhammad Firdhaus Mokhtar was charged with voluntarily causing hurt and using criminal force with enhanced penalties for offences against persons below 14 years of age.He was also charged with intentionally causing harassment. These offences were purportedly committed at a bus stop near Block 875 Woodlands Street 82.According to court documents seen by AsiaOne, Firdhaus allegedly struck the 4-year-old boy twice — once on the right side of the face and once on the left.He is also said to have grabbed the boy's right arm and swung it back, causing the latter to step back.Firdhaus is also accused of threatening to break the boy's fingers.The boy cannot be named due to a gag order on his identity.

Singapore's overall inflation for 2026 is expected to rise above the earlier projection of between 1 to 2 per cent because of the ongoing Middle East conflict.Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong — who is also Trade and Industry Minister — told Parliament so on Tuesday (April 7) in his ministerial statement discussing the impact of the conflict on Singapore.«The Middle East situation has driven up global energy and commodity prices, which will drive up global inflation. Consequently, we now expect Singapore's overall inflation for 2026 to be higher than earlier projected,» he said.Separately, Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam and Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow are also delivering separate statements on the impact. This comes as 32 MPs have submitted 62 questions on the war's impact, including rising energy prices in the Republic, and the Government's response.

Singapore residents can play their part in dealing with the current energy crisis by using fans and taking public transport, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Tuesday (April 7).Delivering his ministerial statement about the impact of the Middle East conflict on Singapore in Parliament, he said that the effect of the conflict could persist for «some time».The Government is continuing to strengthen international trade partnerships, and will also provide support to households and businesses, shared DPM Gan, who is also Minister for Trade and Industry.«All of us — Government, businesses and households — will need to do our part,» he stated.DPM Gan said households should endeavour to conserve electricity and use climate vouchers to purchase more energy-efficient appliances.«Households can...adopt simple measures such as using fans instead of air-conditioning, and taking public transport instead of driving,» he suggested.'Inevitable' rise in fuel and electricity costsMeanwhile, businesses can conserve energy through schemes such as the Energy Efficiency Grant, and investing in more efficient equipment.

A fire broke out at a building at Buona Vista on Monday (April 6) evening. Images of the fire shared to Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu showed thick smoke billowing from the building. In other photos, workers were seen waiting in the lobby for the fire to subside. Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to a fire at 30 Science Park Road at about 6.35pm.According to the above-mentioned location, the building houses the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies, which is a technical agency under the Ministry of Defence. SCDF added the fire involved a cooling tower at the rooftop of the affected building. The blaze was extinguished by building workers using a hosereel and dry powder fire extinguishers before SCDF arrived. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation. [[nid:719347]]xingying.koh@asiaone.com

Just before Parliament sits to discuss the impact of the Middle East situation on Singapore, Caltex on Tuesday (April 7) raised diesel prices — mirroring adjustments made by Esso, Shell, Sinopec and SPC on Monday.In a price board update at 9am, Caltex announced that it has raised its posted price for diesel by 25 cents, to $4.68. As with the four other major companies, Caltex also kept its prices for petrol unchanged. Meanwhile, the global Brent benchmark went up past US$110 at the time of this article's publication as Iran rejected a ceasefire plan put together by Pakistan.

A BMW coupe caught fire at about 4.40pm on Monday (April 6) at the junction of Woodlands Avenue 9 and Woodlands Avenue 6.Videos of the incident seen by AsiaOne show what appears to be the front part of of the grey coupe — the front right section of the bonnet, wheel arc, and bumper — on fire. The other parts of vehicle were seemingly unaffected. Map showing where the car fire happened. INFOGRAPHIC: AsiaOne (Images from Google Maps, Social media) In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said its firefighters extinguished the fire using a compressed air foam jet and a water jet.It added that no injuries were reported in the incident and that the cause of the fire is under investigation.[[nid:730619]]

A BMW coupe caught fire at about 4.40pm on Monday (April 6) at the junction of Woodlands Avenue 9 and Woodlands Avenue 6.Videos of the incident seen by AsiaOne show what appears to be the front part of of the grey coupe — the front right section of the bonnet, wheel arc, and bumper — on fire. The other parts of vehicle were seemingly unaffected. Map showing where the car fire happened. INFOGRAPHIC: AsiaOne (Images from Google Maps, Social media) In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said its firefighters extinguished the fire using a compressed air foam jet and a water jet.It added that no injuries were reported in the incident and that the cause of the fire is under investigation.[[nid:730619]]

Two foreign nationals will be charged in court for their alleged involvement in a case of shop theft at Changi Airport last month. The two suspects, a 63-year-old New Zealand man and a 52-year-old Australian woman, allegedly stole 2 cosmetic items worth $437.60 in total from a retail store in the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 2, said the police in a press release on Monday (April 6). The police were alerted to the thefts at around 1.50pm on March 26, after a retail assistant noticed that the two cosmetic items were missing from the display shelf at around 12.35pm. Through ground enquiries and the use of CCTV images, officers managed to establish the identities of the two foreigners. CCTV footage showed that the man allegedly took a bottle of perfume valued at $239.60 at around 12.20pm, after which the duo left the store without making payment. The two suspects then returned to the store about two minutes later, where the man allegedly took a container of cream valued at $198. The couple then left without making payment. 

A 36-year-old man who allegedly slapped a 4-year-old boy outside a preschool in Woodlands on March 6 will be charged in court on Tuesday (April 7) with causing hurt, using criminal force, and causing intentional harassment. Police had earlier told AsiaOne on March 9 that the 36-year-old man was arrested for voluntarily causing hurt and that investigations were ongoing.The incident also prompted Sembawang GRC MP Mariam Jaffar to urge members of the public to focus on the boy's recovery, and to «step up and help» when they see a bad situation unfolding.[[nid:731063]]What happenedAccording to the boy's mother, he was playing catching with his classmates when he showed his middle finger after being caught. The alleged assailant, the father of another child, was said to have grabbed the boy by his collar and slapped him across the face.In a post on her Instagram story, the boy's mother claimed that the man also pointed his finger at his face and threatened to break his fingers.

A South Korean national was arrested at Changi Airport after attempting to smuggle heat sticks and vapes into Singapore.In a Facebook post on Monday (April 6), the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said the 27-year-old man was nabbed on March 27 at Terminal 2.Prior to checks, the man told ICA officers that he had no items to declare, but subsequent checks found anomalies in the scanned image of his belongings.Upon investigation, officers found more than 2,000 heat sticks — also known as heat-not-burn tobacco — and over 130 vaporisers and related components.The man was arrested in connection with the case and referred to the Health Sciences Authority for further investigation. [[nid:732226]]

A day ahead of ministerial statements in Parliament on the impact of the Middle East situation on Singapore, fuel companies on Monday (April 6) raised diesel prices by between 20 and 30 cents, with the posted price at Shell now just 32 cents shy of $5 per litre.In a price board update at 4pm, Shell announced that it has raised its posted price for diesel by 25 cents to $4.68 — the highest among fuel companies here.This was followed by Sinopec and then SPC, with both fuel companies raising their prices for diesel by 20 cents and 30 cents to $4.43 and $4.42 respectively. All three fuel companies kept their petrol prices unchanged.The latest round of diesel-centric price hikes follows two consecutive days of higher pump prices last week as Caltex, Shell and SPC raised prices on April 2, while Esso and Sinopec mirrored similar changes on Good Friday (April 3). 

Three ministers — Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam, and Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow — are scheduled to deliver separate statements on the impact of the Middle East situation on Singapore when Parliament sits on Tuesday (April 7). According to the order paper published on Parliament's website on Monday, 62 questions have also been filed by 32 members on the war's impact on businesses, consumers and households, including how the Government intends to secure the country's food and energy security.Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Foo Cexiang and Sengkang GRC MP Louis Chua asked the Government if the Middle East situation has been used as «a convenient excuse» by petrol companies here, given the recent «magnitude and speed of adjustments» in pump prices. With the excise duty for petrol at 79 cents per litre, Nee Soon GRC MP Lee Hui Ying asked if the Government will consider lowering the duty rate to help households and businesses cope with the impact of rising fuel costs. 

An 18-year-old male teenager was charged in court on Monday (April 6) with trafficking etomidate vaporiser pods, also known as Kpods. In a press release, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said the teen, Cornelius Goh Shao Zhi, had allegedly sold the pods to buyers after notifying them of stock availability via Telegram. Goh was arrested on April 4 after HSA enforcement officers, acting on a tip-off, raided his home. HSA officers seized one vaporiser, 108 pods and one packet of duty-unpaid cigarettes at the unit. The pods tested positive for etomidate. Goh is the second 18-year-old to be charged by HSA for allegedly trafficking Kpods. On Oct 17, Rayern Kwek Rui An, was charged with the same offence. Authorities seized two e-vaporisers and 127 suspected Kpods from Kwek's vehicle, along with another five pods from his home in Bedok. Investigations into Goh's alleged trafficking of Kpods are ongoing. 

A police report has been filed after local content creator Naomi Neo was allegedly groped at a flea market in Aperia Mall on Saturday (April 4). In a now-deleted Instagram post, the 30-year-old said she was at her booth as a vendor at the shopping mall, located in Kallang, when the incident occurred. Neo said the molester who had been lingering around her booth touched her inappropriately before running away.Neo's friends who witnessed the incident gave chase and caught up with the culprit. They then reported the matter to the police.«I considered letting it slide because he was a fan, but I couldn't justify that — especially with so many girls around. If I don't pursue the matter, what's going to stop him from doing it again?» wrote Neo. 

Retail sales in Singapore went up 8.3 per cent year-on-year in February which was the Chinese New Year (CNY) month.It reverses the 0.5 per cent decrease in January, according to data from the Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat) released on Monday (April 6).Excluding motor vehicles, parts and accessories, retail sales increased 11.2 per cent in February, compared to the 2.9 per cent decline at the start of the year.But on a seasonally adjusted basis, retail sales declined 4.1 per cent in February over the previous month.Supermarkets and hypermarkets saw the most growth year-on-year rising 29.3 per cent.Closely following are recreational goods which increased by 26 per cent, as well as department store sales which grew 16.8 per cent.While sales of apparel and footwear grew 8.8 per cent compared to last year, its performance fell 14.4 per cent when seasonally adjusted.Sales also fell for petrol service stations and motor vehicles, recording a decline of 9.8 per cent and 7.8 per cent respectively.

SINGAPORE — At Lakeview Estate in Upper Thomson Road, ageing lifts have become more than just an inconvenience.The 49-year-old development has three blocks, with each lift serving alternate floors. When one breaks down, residents on those floors - including the elderly and wheelchair users - effectively lose lift access.Replacing all 12 lifts would cost $1.8 million, but as at August 2025, the sinking fund held barely $1 million, The Straits Times reported then.Lakeview Estate's dilemma is not unique.More than 1,000 of Singapore's 3,750 private residential developments are at least 30 years old. Many were built in the 1980s and 1990s and are now reaching the stage where major systems - from lifts to plumbing and electrical systems - begin to fail.But many may not have collected adequate sinking funds for such urgent essential repairs, especially since maintenance costs have risen over the years.

An overhead signage along the Causeway towards Woodlands Checkpoint landed on top of the two Malaysia-registered heavy vehicles on Monday (April 6) morning.The incident happened at about 7.35am and affected both lanes of the road for about 10 minutes.Videos and photos of the incident circulating on social media show an overhead signage — used to direct buses, coaches, and passenger vans — on a bus and trailer.No visible damage was seen on the structure from which the signage was mounted, although the height restriction barrier appeared dented.

Passengers departing from Singapore will be allowed to carry only a maximum of two power banks per person on board flights.In a media release on Monday (April 6), the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said the new restrictions will be implemented from April 15.Passengers carrying more than two power banks will be required to dispose of the excess ones before the flight, the statement said.Following the new restrictions, they must not be charged on board the aircraft and are strictly not permitted in checked-in baggage.Instead, power banks must be carried only in hand-carry baggage.This is to allow for any incident involving power banks during flight to be handled without delay.Power banks, also known as power packs or mobile batteries, are portable devices primarily designed to supply power to other equipment. From April 15, power banks with Watt-hour rating of not more than 100 Watt‑hour (Wh)/mAh, or approximately 27,000 mAh, are allowed whereas those with more than 100 Wh, but not exceeding 160 Wh, are subject to airline's approval.

A peregrine falcon chick which recently took its first flight out of its nest at OCBC Centre was found dead in the Central Business District (CBD) on Saturday (April 4).Confirming the death, the National Parks Board (NParks) told AsiaOne it is saddened to share that the fledgling was found on the ground on that day.It did not state the reason for the death.The chick was part of a full clutch of four which hatched on Feb 20 and 22. One was seen on a 24/7 live stream taking its maiden flight on April 3.Dr Malcolm Soh, principal researcher at the agency's wildlife management research branch, said two of the three remaining nestlings have also fledged and begun taking test flights.The last chick is expected to follow suit soon.«As the rest of the fledglings continue to embark on test flights, they may accidentally find themselves on the ground,» said Dr Soh.He urged members of the public to contact NParks' Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600 if any of the fledglings are seen on the ground.[[nid:730929]]

The Lionesses have a new head coach in former Arsenal Women FC forward Mihoko Ishida, whose appointment was announced by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on Sunday (April 5).Ishida 43, has had a glittering playing career. She joined Arsenal Women FC, then known as Arsenal Ladies, in 2003 after impressing during a college tour of England, going on to win the Premier League and FA Cup.She returned to Japan in 2006 to play for JEF United Ichihara Chiba Ladies, before retiring from football in 2009 to focus on her music career.Ishida became coach of Sfida Setagaya FC in 2019, guiding them from the bottom half of the second division, to second place.In 2022, she joined Nippatsu Yokohama FC Seagulls as its coach and later director.Asked about her decision to take the role in Singapore, Ishida pointed to the opportunity to be part of something still being built.«One of the reasons I chose Singapore is the opportunity to take on challenges together as a group. It's not something already completed — there is a strong appeal in building something from the ground up,» she said. 

The sister of a man who was missing since March 27 after a boat collision off the Southern Islands mourned his passing in a social media post, as news that his body was found in Indonesian waters broke on Sunday (April 5).Police said in a statement on the same day that they were alerted by Indonesian authorities to a case of a body found floating off the sea of Karimun, to the southwest of Singapore, at about 3pm on March 30.«The body, believed to be the missing person from the collision between a pleasure craft and supply vessel off the Southern Islands on March 27, was found motionless and subsequently retrieved from the waters,» they added.A 49-year-old man has been arrested for rash navigation of a vessel, police said.Two other people onboard the pleasure vessel were rescued.Persons onboard the supply vessel were also accounted for, with no injuries reported, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said in its statement on March 27.

A 37-year-old mother of four watched in horror as a bag of rubbish — filled with used party ware and glass bottles — fell in front of three of her children and two nieces on Saturday (April 4) night.The incident purportedly happened at about 11.30pm at Block 656 Choa Chu Kang Crescent.Speaking to AsiaOne on Sunday, the woman, who only wished to be known only as Wani, said her family was visiting her brother who lives there.«It happened when they were walking out from the void deck,» she added.«When they came out, the bag of rubbish fell in front of them, between my daughter and niece.»There were glass bottles in it and glass shards were everywhere. Can you imagine what would have happened if my daughter took another step forward? It would have landed on her.«When asked how the children reacted, a still distressed Wani said that they were traumatised.»My children were scared and my nieces were traumatised. They were just five kids walking in a HDB estate," she said.

Local eatery chain Eighteen Chefs has withdrawn a memo informing employees that they must provide a photo of them at a clinic for their sick leave to be valid.Alison, who worked at the eatery for several years, told Shin Min Daily News that she received the memo through messaging platform WhatsApp last month, with the policy to be implemented with immediate effect.It stated that all staff members on sick leave are required to provide a valid medical certificate (MC), along with a «photo of themselves taken at the clinic during consultation».The memo also said that the eatery will not accept MCs from teleconsultation clinics.«The company issued this without any advance notice or explanation,» Shin Min quoted the employee as saying.«We are surprised and we feel it is very unfair. We dare not request for sick leave.»Eighteen Chefs told the Chinese publication that the notice issued by its human resource department was withdrawn shortly after it had alerted the company’s senior management, adding that no employee has been disciplined or punished.

A 53-year-old man was arrested on Saturday (April 4) for his alleged involvement in a case of vandalism against a police vehicle.The incident happened at about 7.40pm on April 2 at Block 83 Redhill Close.Police said they received a report from a member of public that he had allegedly used an object to scratch a police vehicle parked there.He left the scene before police officers arrived at the scene, but was identified and arrested by officers from Clementi Police Division through extensive ground enquiries and follow-up investigations.Preliminary investigations revealed that the man had come across the parked police vehicle and allegedly used his keys to scratch the doors of the vehicle.He will be charged in court on Monday with the offence of vandalism.If found guilty of the said offence, the man may be jailed for up to three years, fined up to $2,000, and receive up to eight strokes of the cane.[[nid:733026]]editor@asiaone.com No part of this story can be reproduced without the permission of AsiaOne.

SINGAPORE - All 76 owners of units at the Automobile Megamart (AML) in Ubi have until May 15 to pay $68 million to renew the site's lease until 2040, The Straits Times has learnt. If they do not do so, they will have to vacate the premises by July 18.Located in the Ubi industrial area near Paya Lebar Air Base, the eight-storey complex is the largest dedicated used-car centre in Singapore, housing 121 showrooms and offices. The occupants are mostly car dealerships for new and used cars, as well as related businesses such as vehicle leasing and financing.The 30-year lease for the land that AML sits on was awarded to a group of car dealers in 1996. The building was officially opened in 2000.If the lease renewal is successful, the occupants can remain until the end of 2040.The May 15 deadline was a final four-week extension given by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) after earlier rounds of extensions.At several junctures of the renewal process, the owners were unable to come to a unanimous agreement, leading to the lease renewal offer lapsing once before SLA revised it and issued a second offer.

SINGAPORE - Since 2024, an army of seniors have been going around their neighbourhoods performing simple tasks such as packing and delivering food to other seniors who live alone, distributing groceries to low-income families and restocking community fridges.More than 1,400 seniors have signed up to join Neighbourhood Kakis since it was piloted in neighbourhoods under 10 grassroots constituency offices. They have completed more than 30,000 tasks across 20 categories for a token payment of $2 per completed task.The People's Association (PA) initiative, which aims to keep seniors active, socially connected and meaningfully engaged in their communities, will now be expanded to more neighbourhoods, said Law Minister Edwin Tong at the official opening of the new Mountbatten Community Club (CC) on April 4.«At a broader level, we are very keen to continue to engage our seniors, as well as our young seniors... to ensure that we encourage our seniors to stay healthy, socially connected and mentally active,» said Mr Tong, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs and PA deputy chairman.