New initiatives, including digital signages and visual cues, are being piloted at Serangoon MRT Station to help commuters navigate their way during rail disruptions. The measures are being implemented by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and public transport operators SMRT and SBS Transit. The digital signages at fare gates and linkways, among other locations, provide colour-coded status updates for all rail lines. During normal operations, they also double as mobile advertising panels. Previously, station staff would have to place physical signboards during delays or disruptions. The digital signages allow staff to focus on assisting commuters. 

Three's not a crowd when it comes to baby leopards. On Friday (Jan 23), Mandai Wildlife Reserve announced that one of their rare Sri Lankan leopards had given birth to a litter on New Year's Day at the Singapore Zoo. «Sri Lankan leopards are Vulnerable (under the IUCN Red List) in the wild, making the births extra meaningful,» the wildlife park operator wrote in a Facebook post. «These little ones help keep the global zoo population healthy and ensure the species has a safer future.»The accompanying video shows three tiny cubs squeaking as their mother licks them clean. The Sri Lankan leopard subspecies has been listed as Vulnerable since 2020, with the wild population estimated at less than 800 mature individuals and their numbers likely decreasing. While the cubs at the Singapore Zoo are not out and about just yet, they can be seen via a live camera feed at the leopard exhibit.[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/DT0BjrRE3Ch/[/embed]The Straits Times reported that the last time a leopard had given birth at the Singapore Zoo was 29 years ago in 1997. 

Speaking Singlish doesn't mean Singaporeans are bad at English. TikTok influencer Nini posted a video in defence of the creole on Monday (Jan 19), stating: «In fact, everyone really misunderstands Singaporeans. »At various occasions, the English they use can be converted [into standard English]. They use Singlish in their daily lives because Singlish is easy to understand.«The Singapore-based Chinese content creator who uses the TikTok handle _k_yn added that Singaporeans did not have to speak a long sentence for it to be comprehensible. Instead of a long spiel like, »Put your wallet away, the bill is on me,« a Singaporean can say: »I pay, I pay. No need, I pay.« Likewise, instead of holding up the queue at a coffee shop by asking, »Excuse me, auntie, can I have a cup of kopi C kosong? Thank you«, a simple »Auntie, kopi C kosong" would suffice.Nini added that the notion of Singaporeans being unintelligible to non-Singaporeans is another misunderstanding, as they can code-switch. 

SINGAPORE – Democracy is under pressure because some governments have failed to deliver, not because there is something intrinsically wrong with the system, said Law Minister Edwin Tong.Some governments have abused their power and have been elected by unfair means, and through these means, have remained in power and abused their position, he said at a dialogue on Jan 22 titled Is Democracy in Trouble? at the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland.This has caused many citizens to be cynical about the process, he said.Some governments have also failed to carry out and discharge their obligation to improve their societies, said Tong, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs.Trust in institutions has eroded, and there is now more misinformation than previous generations had to contend with that has undermined many elections.“So all these factors and forces, I think, are buffeting the process of democracy,” he said during the dialogue which saw politicians and an academic debate the future of the political system.

SINGAPORE – For Carla Castle, 29, a public servant, the City Direct bus journey from her home in Jalan Kayu to her workplace in Bugis takes about an hour.Previously, she relied on the MRT, a trip that could take between 1hr 20min and 1hr 45min.At a focus group discussion held by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Jan 23, she suggested running City Direct bus services – which ply express routes between housing estates and the city – more frequently, and extending Travel Smart incentives for train commuters into the evening peak.“That would incentivise people to travel at different times... I think that’s a good way to disperse the crowds,” she said.The Travel Smart Journeys programme is aimed at encouraging passengers to avoid the busier segments of the MRT network in north-eastern Singapore during the morning peak. By doing so, they can earn rebates worth up to 80 per cent of the journey fare.Castle said including the evening peak in the scheme would spread the office crowd over a few hours, adding: “It seems like that’s one of the more immediate solutions [to crowding on the MRT] that could be implemented.”

No threat was identified at Paya Lebar Air Base at the end of security sweeps after a bomb threat, said the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) on Jan 23. In a Facebook post at 11.35pm, RSAF said that it was made aware of online posts alleging a bomb threat at its air base. “Precautionary measures were taken and bomb sweeps were conducted at the air base. No threat was identified,” a Ministry of Defence spokesperson told AsiaOne at around the same time. The spokesperson added that investigations are ongoing. In a post made on a social media platform seen by AsiaOne, the user alleged that bombs were planted at various parts of the air base, including the security trooper squadron. Making a bomb hoax is a crime punishable by up to seven years' jail, a fine of up to $50,000 or both.AsiaOne has contacted the police for more information. [[nid:727082]]editor@asiaone.com

A 17-year-old male teenager will be charged in court on Saturday (Jan 24) for allegedly causing a  police officer to suffer facial injuries which required about 20 stitches.The police officer was responding to a case of noise disturbance caused by a group of youths at about 10.30pm on Thursday (Jan 22) at Block 305A Punggol Road.Police said in a statement on Friday (Jan 23) that the group began to disperse in various directions upon the officers' arrival. The teenager, who was seated on his personal mobility device (PMD) was stopped by the injured officer, who had held on to the PMD's handlebar and the teenager's arm.Despite this, the teen allegedly sped off, causing the officer to be dragged for some distance before falling off. He later crashed into a nearby pillar and was arrested.The officer sustained cuts on his forehead, left eyebrow and left cheek, and received about 20 stitches for his facial injuries. He was also given 13 days of medical leave.

A Malaysian man has been sentenced to 14 weeks' jail for attempting to smuggle e-vaporisers into Singapore concealed in groceries.Muhammad Amirul Iqbal Mohd Nazri, 21, pleaded guilty to one charge of importing an imitation tobacco product on Thursday (Jan 22).Amirul was caught by Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority officers at Woodlands Checkpoint when they uncovered 1,000 e-vaporisers in his rental car on Nov 15, 2025.He was working for a man named MK, who instructed him to import the vapes into Singapore in exchange for a cash reward of RM1,000 (S$320), reported The Straits Times.MK sent a worker who provided Amirul with instructions on how to smuggle the vapes into Singapore.Amirul was told to rent a car and fill it with groceries to conceal the vapes loaded into the car by MK's accomplice before entering Singapore.Amirul was caught that night, according to court documents.Under the enhanced penalties introduced on Sept 1 last year, those convicted of importing into Singapore will face a jail term of up to six months, a maximum fine of $10,000 or both for their first offence.

A 30-year-old man was arrested on Thursday (Jan 22) for allegedly stealing a car parked at a multi-storey carpark along Woodlands Street 83.The incident took place sometime between Jan 18 and 19.Police said the driver had parked his rental car at the said carpark on Jan 18, and based on preliminary investigations, he left the key unattended overnight on one of the tyres. After being alerted to the incident at about 11.45pm on Jan 19, officers from Woodlands Police Division established the identity of the suspect through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from police cameras.The 30-year-old was arrested on Thursday and will be charged in court on Saturday (Jan 24). If found guilty of theft of motor vehicle, he may be jailed for up to seven years and fined.[[nid:728304]]editor@asiaone.com 

A 27-year-old Singaporean woman riding pillion and a 38-year-old Malaysian motorcyclist died on the spot after being run over by a trailer truck on a Johor Bahru expressway on Wednesday (Jan 21). The two were travelling to the JB city centre along the North-South Expressway when the incident involving a lorry, motorcycle and trailer truck took place, reported China Press. In a statement on Thursday (Jan 22), Johor Bahru Southern District police chief Raub Selamat said that the male motorcyclist was trying to overtake a lorry when he lost control and crashed into the left rear end of the vehicle.  Both victims then tumbled to the right most lane and were subsequently run over by the trailer truck, he added. Their bodies were taken to hospital for post-mortem examination.Police investigations are ongoing. 

The police are investigating after a man was spotted verbally abusing SMRT staff at Choa Chu Kang LRT station on Wednesday (Jan 21).In a video uploaded to Instagram page sgfollowsall, he can be seen shouting at four station staff members.At one point, he could be heard yelling, «You are nothing but a prostitute,» while one staff member covered her ears. Another video of the incident, shared on TikTok, shows him sitting on the floor as security personnel pat his shoulders in an attempt to calm him.Under the comments section, several netizens suggested that he could be mentally unwell and in need of help.«That's a special needs person. Something or someone must have triggered him,» said one user.Another added: «If he has special needs, unfortunately he does not know better. He has been triggered, (which) explains the reaction.»

A Chinese man allegedly filmed and uploaded a video of a restricted area at a Singapore border checkpoint, violating the Infrastructure Protection Act. Douyin user Hei Zai (transliteration) allegedly uploaded the video on the social media platform, which has since been removed on Jan 18, reported Lianhe Zaobao. The 28-second clip was allegedly filmed in what appeared to be one of the rooms inside a Singapore border checkpoint. A male voice with a Chinese accent was reportedly heard laughing and saying, «Landed in Singapore... detained in a small dark room by Singapore Customs.» Three other women and another man were also in the room, reported the Chinese daily. The room had warning signs on its wall and window forbidding filming.The man was seen smiling and laughing at the camera as he repeated that he was «detained in a small dark room as soon as I arrived in Singapore». Under the Infrastructure Protection Act, anyone convicted of unauthorised photography, filming or video‑recording of a protected area or protected place can be fined up to $20,000, jailed for up to two years, or both.

A week-long enforcement operation resulted in 52 individuals being investigated for their suspected involvement in registering SIM cards for illicit purposes.In a statement on Friday (Jan 23), the police said that the operation was carried out between Jan 8 and Jan 16 by officers from the Anti-Scam Command and the seven Police Land Divisions.Twenty-two men and 13 women, aged between 16 and 38, were arrested during the operation while another 17 individuals are assisting with investigations.Those involved were allegedly instructed to purchase SIM cards in bulk from different retailers in exchange for cash rewards between $15 and $20 per SIM card, said the police.In total, between 30 and 69 registered SIM cards were handed over to the syndicate's courier.According to the police, local SIM cards are typically exploited by criminal syndicates as a channel of communication for scams, unlicensed moneylending and vice, among other illicit activities.Those convicted of knowingly providing a registered SIM card to another person to facilitate a crime for any gain will face a maximum fine of $10,000, a jail term of up to three years, or both.

A Chinese man has been being accused of filming and uploading a video of a restricted area at a Singapore border checkpoint, violating the Infrastructure Protection Act. Douyin user Hei Zai (transliteration) allegedly uploaded the video on the social media platform, which has since been removed on Jan 18, reported Lianhe Zaobao. The 28-second clip was allegedly filmed in what appeared to be one of the rooms inside a Singapore border checkpoint. A male voice with a Chinese accent was reportedly heard laughing and saying, «Landed in Singapore... detained in a small dark room by Singapore Customs.» Three other women and another man were also in the room, reported the Chinese daily. The room had warning signs on its wall and window forbidding filming.The man was seen smiling and laughing at the camera as he repeated that he was «detained in a small dark room as soon as I arrived in Singapore». 

The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link project has reached yet another milestone with the completion of the inner facade steel bands at the Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru.In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Jan 21), the Malaysia Rapid Transit Corp (MRT Corp) highlighted that the completion marks an important turning point in the station's construction.«With the roof structure now in place, works can progress more efficiently into architectural finishes, systems installation and the final phase of facade works,» the Malaysian rail operator said.It added that the progress brings the project «another step closer» towards targeted passenger service by 2027.Speaking at an event at the Redha Institute on Jan 15, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke revealed that the first train is scheduled to run on Jan 1, 2027. 

A 30-year-old man has been charged in court for allegedly trafficking almost 2,000 etomidate e-vaporiser pods into Singapore, said the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).In a press release on Thursday (Jan 22), HSA said that the operation yielded the largest haul of etomidate e-vaporiser pods — otherwise known as Kpods — since etomidate was classified as a Class C controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) on Sep 1 last year.The agency said that Muhamad Khairuddin Bin Abdullah had attempted to smuggle the Kpods into Singapore at Woodlands Checkpoint on the night of Jan 20.Muhamad was travelling with his 63-year-old mother and four-month-old niece in a rental car, and had hidden the 1,989 e-vaporiser pods in the car boot.Upon discovery of the hidden e-vaporiser pods, Muhamad was detained by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). HSA was also alerted, and subsequently conducted a raid at his residence, yielding three regular e-vaporiser pods. 

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has come out tops among its peers in Fortune's world's most admired companies list for 2026 released on Wednesday (Jan 21).It is ahead of Delta Air Lines, Air France-KLM Group, United Airlines and Lufthansa Group, and outshone the wider aviation sector including Airbus and Lockheed Martin. SIA and Toyota are the only Asian companies in the top 25 —the automobile company is ranked 23rd overall, while SIA is ranked 24th — bettering its 28th spot in 2025.It is also the only Singapore-based company to feature in the top 50.According to consultancy firm Korn Ferry, which partnered Fortune, nine attributes were used to evaluate companies when determining the industry rankings: ability to attract and retain talented people; quality of management; social responsibility to the community and the environment; innovativeness; quality of products or services; wise use of corporate assets; financial soundness; long-term investment value; and, effectiveness in doing business globally. In an online statement, SIA said that it is honoured to be included in the list and for topping the industry.

A day after the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it is resetting the Expected Time of Arrival (ETA) system for buses, the transport regulator announced that it has identified the root cause of the issues affecting the system.In an update issued on Thursday (Jan 22) evening, the authority said that its engineers and contractors discovered a memory cache build-up in the on-board systems of some buses.«This disrupted data transmissions between on-board bus systems and the central ETA processing servers, leading to missing bus arrival timings.» About 50 per cent of the bus fleet across all bus operators have been affected.Restoration process to take about four days: LTAAs part of the restoration process, technicians will need to reconfigure the ETA system and clear the cache on all the affected buses.Given that there were 5,841 public buses as at the end of 2024, technicians will have to physically service more than 2,900 on-board units.LTA said that this process is expected to take about four days to complete.

Most people are concerned about the need for security and growth in their careers, including the dignity of knowing that they are able to contribute in their roles, said President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. President Tharman, who also co-chairs the World Bank Group's high-level advisory council on jobs, was speaking at the World Economic Forum's session on the jobs challenge in emerging markets on Wednesday (Jan 21) in Davos.Speaking after Ajay Banga, president of the World Bank Group, who talked about concerns regarding the insufficiency of jobs in emerging markets for people coming of age, President Tharman agreed that geopolitics aside, most people would be most concerned about jobs.He said: «Ask ordinary people around the world what their main concerns in life are, what is on the minds of most people is the need for security and growth in their careers. »Not necessarily the same job, but the security of a career, growth through their lives, and the dignity of knowing that they are able to contribute." 

The supply of Certificates of Entitlement (COE) for the February to April period will drop by 1 per cent compared to the previous quarter, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Thursday (Jan 22).The total number of COEs will fall slightly to 18,824, down from 18,894 from November 2025 to January 2026 period, which saw a 1.5 per cent increase.Compared with the last quarter, the quota for Categories A and E will decrease by around 1 and 13 per cent respectively, while the quota for Categories B and C will increase by around 1.5 per cent and 3 per cent respectively.The quota for Category D will remain unchanged.LTA added that bidding under the new quota will begin on Feb 2.The COE quota for the bidding period of May to July 2026 will be announced in April.The upcoming COE quota consists of the following components:

SINGAPORE — A wave of controversy over sexually explicit artificial intelligence (AI) deepfakes has not made billionaire Elon Musk's social media platform X or chatbot Grok any less popular in Singapore.Instead, it may have done the opposite.Since late December 2025, X has been at the centre of a storm over users creating AI-generated sexually explicit images of other users without their consent. Users could do so simply by posting a message aimed at Grok's account on the social media platform.In the wake of such controversy, the Grok app has shot up the charts on the Google and Apple app stores for Singapore users, according to data from analytics firm SensorTower.On Google Play Store's top free apps chart, Grok has been in the top 10 for most of January — a feat it last achieved in late November.On the Apple App Store top free apps chart, Grok has hovered in the top 25 since early January, up from around the No. 100 to 130 range in October.X continues to hover in the top 100 apps in both stores, with interest rising in the Google Play Store in January after a late December slump.

SINGAPORE — The Nature Society Singapore (NSS) is proposing that almost a third of the vegetation in and around Paya Lebar Air Base be retained as green spaces, ahead of redevelopment of the area set to begin in the 2030s.The Straits Times has learnt that the society submitted a report to the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) detailing its proposal to retain 389ha of land in the area, which comprises forest, parkland and water bodies.URA said it will assess the proposal.Based on NSS' estimates, the area­ slated to be redeveloped for housing and industrial purposes after the airbase is relocated amounts to 1,271ha — an area slightly bigger than the size of Wood­lands.Of this, 805ha comprises areas of biodiversity importance, said the society. These refer to areas that are critical to support flora and fauna, and parts of it, at least, should be preserved, it believes.NSS spokesman Tony O'Dempsey said the greenery in the area represents one of the last «wild growth areas» in north-east Singapore.

A construction firm allegedly allowed its workers to live on its premises without authorisation, and continued to house them even after the building management ordered it to stop.The illegal dormitory is located in an industrial estate at Defu South Street 1, reported Shin Min Daily News on Wednesday (Jan 21).This came to light when a whistle-blower, surnamed Xu, tipped off the newspaper about the workers living there.According to his tip-off, the sleeping quarters had been constructed on top of a metal frame about two storeys high.«Sleeping at such a high place, if a fire breaks out, they might not be able to escape,» Xu told Shin Min.In response to media queries, spokespersons for the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and JTC, which manages the industrial estate, said they received feedback about an unauthorised dormitory on Dec 31, 2025.When they inspected the premises of Lian Hup Seng Construction & Tentage on Jan 2 and 5, they found evidence of workers living there. 

Passenger movement at Singapore's Changi Airport hit a record high of 69.98 million in 2025, Changi Airport Group (CAG) said in a press release on Thursday (Jan 22).The figure is a 3.4 per cent increase over the 67.7 million passengers in 2024. Last year, 374,000 flights landed at or took off from Changi Airport, up 2.2 per cent compared to 2024.Meanwhile, airfreight throughput - the volume of cargo that passes through an airport or air cargo facility over a certain period - totalled 2.08 million, up 4.5 per cent compared to the previous year.New routes, expanded connectivityAmid the 374,000 landings and take-offs, 13 new routes were added last year. This includes: Changchun, Harbin, Lanzhou, Yichang and Zhangjiajie in China; Labuan Bajo, Padang and Semarang in Indonesia; Vienna in Austria; Vijayawada in India; Kota Bahru in Malaysia; Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia and Nha Trang in Vietnam. Two new passenger airlines - MIAT Mongolian Airlines and Pelitia Air - were also added last year.

An accident along the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) on Wednesday (Jan 21) evening left one car overturned, though no significant injuries were reported.The accident, involving one car and one tipper truck, happened at about 7.40pm along AYE towards the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE), before Clementi Avenue 2 exit.When AsiaOne arrived at the scene at around 7.45pm, debris was seen strewn across two of the three lanes along the AYE. There was also debris on the leftmost lane of the slip road towards Clementi Avenue 2.A man in army uniform was seen next to a red car which was overturned on the third lane. Nearby, a tipper truck and another car were stopped along the slip road. A man wearing a safety vest, presumably the driver of the tipper truck, and another man dressed in black were seen near the overturned car.Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force said that one person was assessed for minor injuries but he declined to be sent to hospital.Although a Traffic Police expressway patrol unit was seen at the scene, AsiaOne understands that the two drivers involved agreed to settle the matter privately.

More than 70 travellers were caught for various offences — including failing to declare large amounts of cash and evading taxes on cigarettes and liquor — in a week-long, multi-agency enforcement operation conducted across Singapore's land, air and sea checkpoints.In a joint statement on Thursday (Jan 22), the police, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and Singapore Customs said more than 10,000 travellers and 260 vehicles were checked during the operation, which took place between Jan 13 and 19. Law enforcement officers conducting checks at Singapore's land, air and sea checkpoints during the operation. PHOTO: SPF, ICA In addition, more than 14,000 pieces of luggage and hand-carry bags were scanned or searched. 

The office of the Leader of the Opposition (LO) will remain vacant until the Workers' Party (WP) is ready to nominate someone to take on the responsibility,  said the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Wednesday (Jan 21).In response to WP's letter shared earlier on Wednesday, the PMO said that it accepts the party's decision.While agreeing with WP that the main opposition party in Parliament is «indeed the natural choice to serve», it said that Singapore is currently in an «exceptional situation» due to Pritam Singh's criminal conviction.«In Singapore, we place a high premium on honesty and integrity in our political system, and on respect for the rule of law,» the PMO said.MPs must exemplify these values and uphold the integrity of our system, it said.The PMO also said that in other jurisdictions, members convicted of crimes involving dishonesty or lying under oath would typically resign from their roles.«This has not happened here,» said the PMO, adding that the office of the LO will thus remain vacant until WP nominates another member to take the role.[[nid:728551]]

Tower Transit bus captain of service 858 Lim Chwin Chien, who was seen on video helping to put out a vegetation fire, had to rush home to register his marriage in Malaysia after his shift ended.The fire happened at about 12.10 am on Tuesday (Jan 20) behind a bus stop before Punggol Road and along the Tampines Expressway.

A diner was left concerned after trays of cutlery and dirty dishes were left scattered across tables and seats at a hawker centre, preventing other patrons from using them.In a Facebook video shared on Saturday (Jan 17), the user highlighted the incident, showing an overwhelming number of plates and trays piled on top of tables and chairs.According to the post, the incident is believed to have occurred at Chong Boon Market and Food Centre, located at Block 453A, Ang Mo Kio Ave 10.In the video, a woman can be seen clearing the plates alone. She appears shorthanded, given the large number of piled-up trays.Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, one vendor, who wished to be known only as Zheng, said that the hawker centre's cleaning package, which used to cost about $1,200 a month had increased by $100 starting in January. The package includes both the washing of dishes as well as the return of the plates and cutlery to the respective stalls.Despite the increase in cleaning fees, many vendors noted that the service had not improved. 

An wild sambar deer spotted lying on its side at Chestnut Nature Park on Tuesday (Jan 20) died of injuries believed to have been sustained from a traffic accident.Images and a video of the injured animal were shared on Facebook group SG Wildlife by user Karen Chiam, who said she reported the sighting to the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) and the National Parks Board (NParks).The 27-second clip she filmed shows the deer kicking its legs while on the ground. It subsequently stops struggling, and what appears to be blood is seen on its front leg.Acres CEO Kalaivanan Balakrishnan confirmed to AsiaOne that it had received Chiam's report and had requested her to contact NParks as the animal was in a nature reserve.On Wednesday (Jan 21) morning, the Love Sambar Facebook page said that the male adult deer died by the time the NParks team arrived at the nature trail.The post said that the deer had been in a accident with a vehicle at Bangkit Loop on Tuesday morning and crawled towards Chestnut Nature Park, where it was found.

A 33-year-old female motorcyclist died after colliding with a lorry on the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) on Wednesday (Jan 21). The police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told AsiaOne that they were alerted to the accident at about 9.25am, involving a lorry and a motorcycle on the PIE towards Changi Airport.She was pronounced dead at the scene, SCDF added. The police said that the 40-year-old male lorry driver is assisting with investigations. In a Facebook video posted on the same day, paramedics can be seen standing beside the body, which was covered with a white sheet and lying next to the crashed motorcycle. In a post on X in the morning, the Land Transport Authority said there was an accident on the PIE, towards Changi and after the Lornie Road exit, adding that the accident led to traffic delays until the Bukit-Timah Expressway and advised commuters to avoid the fifth lane. Investigations are ongoing. [[nid:728432]]esther.lam@asiaone.com 

Eighty people were evacuated after a fire broke out at an eatery in Boat Quay on Tuesday (Jan 20). In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it was alerted to the fire at 78 Boat Quay at about 11.20pm.  «The fire involved cooking equipment on the ground floor,» said SCDF, adding that the blaze was extinguished using a water jet. As a precautionary measure, the police and SCDF evacuated 80 persons from neighbouring units. One person was assessed by a paramedic for smoke inhalation but declined to be sent to the hospital. The cause of the fire is under investigation, said SCDF.  PHOTO: Xiaohongshu/Orbit [[nid:728504]]esther.lam@asiaone.com 

A viral video, first posted in 2024, showing a man in Malaysia breaking out in a series of impromptu dance moves as a dog charges at him has recently resurfaced on social media amid laughter and debate.In the 2024 video posted by TikTok user NrDahliaRostam, a man is seen walking out from a landed residential property when a free-roaming dog across the street starts charging towards him, albeit with a slight limp.The man stops briefly for a second to consider his actions before breaking out into a series of dance moves.As he starts shuffling his feet in all directions, the dog is seen mirroring his moves. After about 10 seconds, the man stops and stands his ground before backing off. The dog then moves away from the gate as well.The original video, which reached two million views, was reposted by TikTok user nobitasan8693 on Jan 18 and has reached nearly 300,000 views at the time of writing.Across both videos, most users found the interaction funny, with several users amused by how the man reacted in the situation as well as the dog's response.

An initiative helping children and adolescents lead a healthy lifestyle will be expanded to include kindergarteners and Primary 4 and 5 students.Known as the Health Plan, school children are given a set of goals after consulting with a trained professional, who assesses their annual health screening results and a parent-completed questionnaire to create their tailored «lifestyle prescription».About 114,000 Primary 1 to Primary 3 pupils have received their health plans in 2025, since the scheme under the national health promotion strategy Grow Well SG was launched that year.From January 2026, the personalised health plans will be introduced to preschoolers enrolled in Kindergarten 1 and 2 as well as P4 and 5 students, announced the Ministries of Health, Education and Social and Family Development on Wednesday (Jan 21).The three ministries said in a joint statement that the initiative had received positive feedback from parents and educators after a pilot with approximately 840 kindergarteners in July 2025.

A 70-year-old male bus driver is assisting police with investigations into a traffic incident in the early hours of Tuesday (Jan 20), after he mistakenly entered a residential estate at Loyang Rise and damaged several vehicles.In a post uploaded to Facebook, Go-Ahead said the incident occurred following the temporary closure of Loyang Avenue, towards Tampines Avenue 7.«The bus captain involved made an incorrect turn and grazed several vehicles parked along the roadside,» said Go-Ahead.According to CCTV footage from a resident shared on Instagram, a bus can be seen entering a landed estate and colliding with several parked cars before driving away.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police confirmed that they were alerted to a hit-and-run accident involving a bus and three cars along Loyang Rise at around 5.05am.The police added that no injuries were reported and that a 70-year-old male bus driver is assisting with ongoing investigations.