SINGAPORE - An elderly woman was left penniless and homeless after she sold her house to live with her only son who promised to take care of her, but he disappeared after pocketing the sales proceeds.A woman in her 70s handed her ATM card to her son to help her withdraw money as she has mobility issues - only to find out that he took at least $20,000 to $30,000 from the account without her consent, leaving her with almost nothing.Social workers and lawyers told The Straits Times they have seen such cases of seniors financially abused by loved ones, and that elder financial abuse remains a hidden, under-reported problem.A Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) spokeswoman told ST that it is currently studying the issue with its partners. Financial abuse remains a concern, especially among the elderly, she said.Such cases include adult children forcing their parents to monetise their assets for the children's benefit, and withdrawing money from their parents' bank accounts without their knowledge.In some cases, the perpetrator turned violent.

A 66-year-old man who allegedly stabbed his upstairs neighbour over a noise dispute did not attend mediation at the Community Mediation Centre (CMC), the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) and Ministry of National Development (MND) said on Saturday (Sept 27).Singaporean Koh Ah Hwee has been charged in court with the murder of 30-year-old Nguyen Phuong Tra.He is accused of stabbing Nguyen and her husband at Block 323 Yishun Central on Sept 24. The mother-of-two later died in hospital, and her husband suffered serious injuries.Residents told AsiaOne that Koh and Nguyen's family had been entangled in a neighbour dispute over noise purportedly originating from the victims' unit.Nee Soon GRC MP Jackson Lam said to members of the media that a woman had raised the concerns at a Meet-the-People session in July, and an appeal was submitted to HDB.[[nid:723075]]In a joint statement on Saturday, MinLaw and MND clarified the deceased woman had applied for mediation at the CMC on June 12.

Pharmaceutical companies in Singapore aim to build manufacturing plants in the US to gain an exemption to the recently-announced 100 per cent tariff on branded drugs.Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong told local reporters on Saturday (Sept 27) that Singapore had already been in talks with the companies «to better understand their concerns and the situation with regard to their exports to the US» previously and subsequently learnt about their plans following the new tariffs.«In the meantime, they are also continuing to clarify with the US administration, to better understand the conditions and the criteria, and to confirm that whether there are plans for the [new] plants in place, whether they will be eligible for tariff exemption,» he said.DPM Gan, who's also the Minister for Trade and Industry, added that pharmaceuticals make up 13 per cent of Singapore's exports to the US, amounting to $4 billion.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said in a media release on Friday (Sept 26) that there is «currently no robust scientific evidence» to support the link between the use of paracetamol during pregnancy and autism in children.This follows a statement made by US President Donald Trump during a news conference at the White House on Sept 22, where he advised pregnant women to avoid using the painkiller Tylenol — which contains acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) — citing concerns over a possible increased risk of autism in children.In response, HSA noted: «Paracetamol has been used worldwide for decades to manage pain and fever, including in pregnant women».«It remains the recommended treatment for pain or fever in pregnant women when used as directed.»HSA also emphasised that «while some studies have reported an association between paracetamol and neurological conditions such as autism, a causal link has not been established, and many other studies found no such connection».

A 6.3m-long baleen whale carcass was found in the waters off Tanjong Pagar on Sept 6. PHOTO: Facebook/Lee Kong Chian National History Museum Retrieval efforts by researchers from the Lee Kong Chian National History Museum and Singapore Salvage Engineers allowed the carcass to be secured before it was lost to open sea, and it's currently being studied by the researchers.This is the first time in a decade that a whale carcass has been found in Singapore's waters. In 2015, a sperm whale carcass later named Jubi Lee, washed up near Jurong Island.

A 61-year-old Chinese man was charged in court today (Sept 27) with one count of deliberately intending to wound racial feelings.Bill Tan Keng Hwee was arrested on Sept 25 for his suspected involvement in delivering an envelope containing pork to Al-Istiqamah Mosque in Serangoon.According to court documents, it allegedly contained a piece of pork with an offensive note and it was placed in the sight of a Malay man.In a media statement on Sept 27, the police said they were alerted to a suspicious parcel delivered to the mosque at 2 Serangoon North Avenue 2, at about 5.20pm on Sept 24.Police officers from the Bedok Police Division and the Criminal Investigation Department established the man's identity through ground enquiries and footage from police cameras.Preliminary investigations also revealed that he was allegedly involved in several similar cases at other mosques around Singapore.Tan will return to court on Oct 3. If convicted, he faces a jail term of up to three years, or a fine, or both.

SINGAPORE — A couple was fined in a district court on Sept 26 for instructing 15 foreign workers to hold placards at two worksites to demand outstanding payment owed to a company.Rebecca Rubini Ravinthiran, 33, pleaded guilty to three charges of organising a public assembly without a permit and instigating various foreign employees to break a condition in their work passes.Court documents showed that Rebecca had organised two public assemblies at Dakota Breeze in Jalan Satu, and Tengah Garden Walk on Oct 24, 2024, with the help of her husband, Vee Derrick Mahendran, 36.

A woman who worked with an accomplice to transport cash totalling $450,000 into Singapore without informing the authorities was fined $16,000 on Sept 26.Believing her fellow Indonesian accomplice, the woman, Col Vinna, 33, thought that the 45 pieces of $10,000 notes in Singapore currency were genuine, but they were not.She also thought that she could earn up to $45,000 in commissions from the plan.Col was handed the fine after she pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a conspiracy with Sofia Martha to move more than $20,000 in cash into Singapore without alerting the authorities.Sofia, then 51, was sentenced to two months’ jail in May.Deputy Public Prosecutor David Koh said: “This case exemplifies the pressing public interest in defending our financial system against money laundering and other illicit funds.“As these notes turned out to be counterfeit, this placed Singapore at risk of the circulation of counterfeit currency.”

The police nabbed 16 people for e-vaporiser related offences in a series of raids on public entertainment outlets.The suspects, aged between 21 to 50, were caught in establishments such as pubs, bars and KTV lounges, said the police and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in a joint release on Friday (Sept 26). More than 70 e-vaporisers and related components were seized from those who were caught and they were fined under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act.A total of nine island-wide, multi-agency enforcement operations were conducted between Sept 11 and 19 by all seven police land divisions and the Criminal Investigation Department, supported by officers from HSA.More than 780 people were checked across 101 public entertainment outlets by a total of 150 police and HSA officers.These enforcement operations are part of ongoing efforts to crack down on vaping.Those who are caught possessing, using or purchasing e-vaporisers now face higher penalties under an enhanced enforcement regime which kicked off on Sept 1.[[nid:721857]]

Yip Pin Xiu added an eighth world title to her long list of career achievements on Sept 26, clinching gold in the women’s 50m backstroke S2 at the Toyota World Para Swimming Championships.It was the first gold for the Singaporean at the meet – and her fourth consecutive world title in the event – after she claimed silver in the 100m backstroke S2 on Sept 23.At the OCBC Aquatic Centre on Sept 26, the 33-year-old touched the wall first in 1min 04.31sec, ahead of Russian neutral athlete Diana Koltsova (1:05.72) and Italy’s Arjola Trimi (1:05.83) who finished second and third respectively.Yip had qualified first in the morning’s heats, clocking 1:09.58. Italy’s Angela Procida (1:10.89) was second fastest, while Mexico’s Fabiola Ramirez Martinez (1:10.94) was third.In the morning’s other heats, Wong Zhi Wei clocked 4:47.22 to finish 12th out of 12 in the men’s 400m freestyle S13, while Sophie Soon (1:30.84) was last out of nine in the women’s 100m back S11 heats.

The Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) has voiced deep concerns regarding the incident at  the Al-Istiqamah Mosque in Serangoon North.A parcel, found to contain meat that appeared to be pork, caused the mosque to be evacuated on Wednesday (Sept 24) night.In a Facebook post on Thursday (Sept 25), the IRO said that it takes a strong stand against any actions that threaten the peace and safety of places of worship or undermine religious harmony in Singapore.«An act against one religion is an act against all religions,» it said The IRO is a non-governmental organisation founded by leaders from the Hindu, Jewish, Zoroastrian, Buddhist, Taoist, Jain, Christian, Muslim, Sikh and Baha'i religions. 

The Government temporarily listed etomidate under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) as the situation involving vapes laced with the drug was deemed urgent, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said in Parliament on Friday (Sept 26).The interim measure allows tougher enforcement as well as rehabilitation for abusers, pending the strengthening of vape laws, he added.Associate Professor Faishal was responding to a question from Vikram Nair (Sembawang GRC) who had asked why etomidate was classified as a Class C drug for only six months till Feb 28, 2026.To counter the growing problem of vaping, the Government announced that etomidate would be listed as a harmful drug from Sept 1.This means stiffer penalties for those who abuse and traffic the drug which was previously classified under the Poisons Act.On Friday, Assoc Prof Faishal said that the Ministry of Home Affairs takes the decision to list a substance under the MDA «very seriously».

The Government will make changes to the income ceiling for couples and the eligibility age for singles applying for Build-To-Order (BTO) flats when sufficient conditions are met, said Senior Minister of State for National Development Sun Xueling.Speaking during the debate on the President's Address in Parliament on Sept 26, Sun said that policy space and a higher supply of BTO flats is needed before any changes to current policies can be made.Addressing the demand for public housing, she said that the Government is taking «active steps to ensure there is housing to meet the different needs of our people».Sun said that there is «strong broad-based housing demand» in «land scarce Singapore», highlighting young families who want their own homes and singles who want to live independently.BTO income ceilingIn particular, she recognised concerns over the current BTO income ceiling of $14,000, which was last revised in 2019, despite incomes having gone up over the years.

A Singaporean man whose drug trafficking charges were temporarily dropped has been issued a detention order, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Friday (Sept 26).Benny Kee Soon Chuan, 32, is suspected of supplying and distributing drugs in Singapore. In September 2024, he was repatriated from Thailand and charged with engaging in a conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine.However, on Sept 8, 2025, the prosecution applied for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal, which was granted, reported CNA.Kee's lawyer Ramesh Tiwary told CNA that his client «is innocent» and «very grateful to be reunited with his family» once released from remand.On Friday, MHA said Kee was arrested under the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act (CLTPA) the same day he got a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.He was subsequently issued a detention order on Sept 22.It explained that drug offences are typically prosecuted under the Misuse of Drugs Act, and the CLTPA is invoked «only as a last resort» when prosecution is not possible.

Nine drivers were caught for providing illegal ride-hailing services in Singapore and for trips to and from Malaysia. In a Facebook post on Friday (Sept 26), the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that the drivers were caught during recent patrols in Arab Street, Marina Bay Cruise Centre, Marsiling Road and Changi Airport. The nine foreign-registered vehicles have since been impounded.The authority added that on top of ongoing regulatory efforts, it had acted on tip-offs from the National Private Hire Vehicles Association and National Taxi Association.Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling said in a Facebook post on Friday that the drivers will be charged for providing illegal ride-hailing services.«As their vehicles are unlicensed, they also do not have adequate insurance coverage for passengers who engage their services,» she said. 

Excessive checks against foreigners working illegally as delivery riders are unsustainable and risk inconveniencing customers, Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon said in Parliament on Friday (Sept 26).He added that a «balance and calibrated approach» would be for delivery platforms to conduct their own checks, such as random facial recognition for riders on their mobile applications throughout the day.Koh was responding to parliamentary questions from MPs, including Leader of Opposition Pritam Singh, on foreigners working illegally on delivery platforms.The senior minister of state said that the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) receives an average of 50 complaints of illegal platform work each year since 2023, with the number of enforcement checks ramped up over the past few months.Out of the 644 delivery workers checked in more than 30 hot spots islandwide since July, four foreigners were caught without a valid work pass.But Koh cautioned that «excessive» enforcement checks at hot spots, where “huge crowds” of such workers congregate during peak hours, can lead to unintended “side effects”.

The Government will make changes to the income ceiling for couples and the eligibility age for singles applying for Build-To-Order (BTO) flats when sufficient conditions are met, said Senior Minister of State for National Development Sun Xueling.Speaking during the debate on the President's Address in Parliament on Sept 26, Sun said that policy space and a higher supply of BTO flats is needed before any changes to current policies can be made.Addressing the demand for public housing, she said that the Government is taking «active steps to ensure there is housing to meet the different needs of our people».Sun said that there is «strong broad-based housing demand» in «land scarce Singapore», highlighting young families who want their own homes and singles who want to live independently.BTO income ceilingIn particular, she recognised concerns over the current BTO income ceiling of $14,000, which was last revised in 2019, despite incomes having gone up over the years.

SINGAPORE — Music producer and former Singapore Idol judge Ken Lim, 61, has been convicted of a molestation charge involving a 25-year-old woman.The incident happened at the Hype Records office in Henderson Road on Nov 23, 2021. Lim was the executive director of the record label company at the time.In delivering her decision on Sept 26, Principal District Judge Lee Lit Cheng said that she found the victim's testimony to be unusually convincing, which left no reasonable doubt of Lim's guilt.The judge noted that Lim had «jokingly» sent the woman a message stating that he could tie her up.She also found him to be an untruthful witness, who was willing to make claims to serve his own interests.In 2024, Lim had to fight off allegations involving a different woman who had accused him of using inappropriate words while they were at Hype Records' premises on July 25, 2012.After a trial, District Judge Wong Peck found Lim not guilty of insulting a woman's modesty.She said the woman, who was then 25 years old, had embellished her evidence and was not a credible witness.

A grand prize of approximately $10 million is up for grabs at the next Toto draw on Monday (Sept 29) after the past three draws yielded no winners.This is the tenth time that the Toto Group 1 prize has snowballed to $10 million in 2025. The upcoming draw will be a cascade draw, which is triggered when there are no Group 1 winners for three consecutive draws.If there is no Group 1 winner at the end of the fourth draw on Monday, the final jackpot amount will be paid to the next prize group's winners and shared equally.According to Singapore Pools' website, the prize money snowballed from nearly $1.24 million on Sept 18 to $3 million on Sept 22 and $5.66 million on Sept 25 with no winner for the Group 1 prize. The most recent draw on Thursday saw 23 winners for Group 2, who split a prize of $24,231.The last time a jackpot surpassed $10 million, a grand prize of $12.5 million was split between three lucky winners on Aug 28.The upcoming draw on Monday will take place at 9.30pm.[[nid:721923]]dana.leong@asiaone.com

Eleven people were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation after a fire broke out at Block 510, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8, on Thursday (Sept 25) night.In response to queries from AsiaOne, the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed that a call for assistance was made at around 8.25 pm.SCDF added that the fire, which involved a personal mobility aid and bicycles at the lift lobby on the 7th floor, was swiftly extinguished by firefighters. Eleven individuals, aged between 18 months and 85 years old, were assessed for smoke inhalation and subsequently conveyed conscious to the hospital, said the police.As a precautionary measure, about 90 persons from the block were evacuated by the police and SCDF.Two male teenagers aged 16 and 17 were arrested for the offence of mischief by fire. 

SINGAPORE — Two people who were accused of working together with other unknown individuals to cheat three victims of nearly $263,000 in total have walked free after they were given stern warnings.Chinese national Wang Rui, 34 and Malaysian Sau Young Seng, 38, were then granted a discharge amounting to an acquittal.Those given such a discharge cannot be charged again with the same offences.Without disclosing details, the Attorney-General's Chambers responded to queries from The Straits Times in a statement on Sept 24, saying: «After carefully considering the facts and circumstances of the matter, the prosecution directed that stern warnings in lieu of prosecution be issued to both Wang and Sau.»Following the administration of the stern warnings... the prosecution applied for a discharge amounting to an acquittal in relation to the charges against them."District Judge Brenda Tan granted the discharge on Sept 17.Wang and Sau were each handed three cheating charges on Nov 15, 2024.

A 66-year-old man was charged on Thursday (Sept 25) with the alleged murder of his neighbour, a Vietnamese woman, in Yishun.Singaporean Koh Ah Hwee allegedly stabbed 30-year-old Nguyen Phuong Tra outside a unit on the sixth floor of Block 323 Yishun Central on the morning of Sept 24.She died in hospital.The police said in an earlier statement that officers responding to the incident saw one woman and two men lying injured at the corridor when they arrived.Preliminary investigations revealed an altercation had allegedly arose from a noise dispute between Koh and Nguyen's family. The other injured man, aged 33, is Nguyen's husband.[[nid:723075]]According to The Straits Times, Koh had allegedly used a knife to stab the mother-of-two in the chest. Her husband allegedly sustained serious injuries trying to stop the man.The police said Nguyen was unconscious when taken to hospital, where she subsequently died. The two men were conscious when sent to the hospital.

The parcel delivered to Al-Istiqamah Mosque on Wednesday (Sept 24) is «obviously inflammatory», said Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam, after revealing it contained a piece of meat, which seemed to be pork.Speaking to media at the mosque on Thursday afternoon, he said: «We have not confirmed what it is... but at first sight, it appears to be pork.»Regardless what the meat in the parcel was, Shanmugam has condemned the act.«And if it is pork, it is worse,» he said.«Whatever the motive, this is playing with fire. We are treating this matter very seriously, and we will deal firmly with anyone found responsible.»Shanmugam also said that this was not the first time such an incident occurred. «There have been other similar cases recently, at other mosques. Police were already investigating these cases, and in that context, this has happened again,» he said. 

Several MPs have raised different options for resolving conflicts between neighbours, following a fatal stabbing incident that occurred on Wednesday (Sept 24) at Yishun Central.A 30-year-old Vietnamese woman had died after a 66-year-old Chinese man allegedly used a knife to injure the woman. Another man aged 33, was also reportedly injured during the incident.Investigations revealed that the fight had started from a noise dispute. MP for Bukit Panjang SMC, Liang Eng Hwa, said that disputes between neighbours and residents occur fairly consistently in his ward, reported The Straits Times. Liang noted that while such neighbour disputes are identified during his house visits, there are steps in place to resolve them.He added that it often begins with MPs or volunteers helping to open a line of communication between the bickering neighbours, giving both sides a platform to voice their concerns.

An Australian man allegedly went on a shoplifting spree in the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 2, filching various items including bags, luggage and accessories from eight stores.The 45-year-old was arrested by airport police less than an hour after a pair of sunglasses was reported missing from one of his targeted stores.The police said in a statement on Thursday (Sept 25) a retail assistant alerted them to a case of shop theft at about 7.40pm on Sept 2.Preliminary investigations found that the staff had discovered a pair of sunglasses missing from the display shelf. CCTV footage from the shop showed a man allegedly taking the sunglasses without paying. A pair of sunglasses recovered from the Australian national.PHOTO: Singapore Police Force He was swiftly identified and detained in the transit area within an hour of the report and stopped from leaving Singapore.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has ordered Meta to implement measures against scams impersonating government officials by Sept 30.In a statement on Thursday (Sept 25), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that the parent company of Facebook was issued an implementation directive on Sept 24 under the Online Criminal Harms Act (Ocha).Ocha came into force in February 2024 and allows the Government to remove criminal content online.Under the directive, Meta will have to implement enhanced facial recognition measures.It will also be required to prioritise review of end-user reports from Singapore, to reduce scam advertisements, accounts, profiles, and/or business pages impersonating key government office-holders.Failure to comply by the deadline «without reasonable excuse» will result in a fine of up to $1 million, in addition to a $100,000 fine for each day or part of a day during which the offence continues after conviction, said MHA.

A car with a badly-damaged bonnet has raised netizens' eyebrows, after it was spotted being driven on the expressway.A short 12-second clip posted by TikTok user Shahruldzul on Tuesday (Sept 23) showed the damaged red sedan travelling along the road in the second rightmost lane.Besides a severely-crumpled hood, the rest of the sedan appeared to be undamaged. The car also seemed to have captured the attention of a motorcyclist, who is seen turning his head to take a quick glance at the red car as he passed.The clip has since garnered close to 163,000 views on the platform and over 130 comments.Some TikTok users speculated that the driver could have been on his way to a workshop across the Causeway to save money on repairs.«On the way (to) Johor Bahru find workshop more cheap,» wrote one, while others wondered if the vehicle would make it past immigration.Other commenters also noted that being able to drive the car to a workshop would save the driver significant costs compared with calling a tow truck.The driver might also have prevented a jam on the expressway by doing so, said one.

A woman stayed just 10 days in a rented flat before moving out, after discovering that there were at least 13 other people living in the three-room unit.41-year-old Liu told Shin Min Daily News that her sister had rented a bed in an HDB flat at Block 501 Jurong West Street 51 in August, for a monthly rate of $450.Anxious to move in after securing a job here, the woman did not view the flat and paid the 'landlord' one month's rent and a deposit of $450, which came up to a total of $900.Liu said her sister only realised she had rented a sublet unit after moving in and finding 10 other flat occupants.«There are four 'rooms'. Two of the rooms each housed six people, with a third room occupied by a couple. It is unclear how many people are in the last room,» she claimed.A photo Liu gave Shin Min depicts three bunk beds in a room, with towels which served as privacy «curtains» draped over the beds.While the woman's bed was in the master bedroom, which has an attached toilet, she was purportedly not allowed to use it, and all tenants had to share the other toilet.

Hailing a taxi from Marina Bay Cruise Centre will cost more at certain times from Oct 1.In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Sept 24), transport operator ComfortDelGro announced that it is extending the surcharge hours for trips starting from the cruise centre's taxi stand.Currently, a $5 surcharge is added to metered fares for trips from the cruise centre from 7am to 10.59am every day, including public holidays.From Oct 1, this surcharge will instead apply from 7am to 4.59pm on the same days. At all other timings, a $3 surcharge will apply. ComfortDelGro explained in its post that this move aims to increase the supply of taxis at underserved areas by incentivising drivers to go there.

The Al-Istiqamah Mosque in Serangoon North was evacuated after a suspicious parcel was delivered there.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they were alerted to the case of a suspicious parcel being delivered to a mosque at 2 Serangoon North Avenue 2 on Wednesday (Sept 24), at about 5.20pm. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that an unknown parcel was found on the premises upon its arrival.It added that the area has been cordoned off and hazmat specialists are currently investigating at the scene.The mosque was evacuated by the police and SCDF as a precautionary measure, said the police.Police officers and SCDF are at scene to assess and manage the situation. Members of the public are advised to avoid the vicinity of 2 Serangoon North Avenue 2. Investigations are ongoing.In a Facebook post made on the same day, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) stated that it is aware of the incident and working closely with authorities on the matter.This is a developing story.bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com

The Government will strive to create more fulfilling lives for youths and “to the generations that follow”, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in Parliament on Wednesday (Sept 24).This is through initiatives to strengthen social mobility and safety nets, as well as deepening Singapore’s “sense of solidarity”, he added.PM Wong made the pledge in his speech on the third day of the debate on the President’s Address, which laid out the key priorities of the Government during the 15th Parliament.In his speech, the prime minister noted that competition has “intensified” in Singapore compared to the past when “securing paper qualifications was seen as a sure ticket to success”.“Young people sometimes feel like they are trapped in a relentless rat race, from classroom to workplace,” said PM Wong.He added that it is not unique in Singapore where youths are worried that society is becoming more stratified with the rich “pulling ahead, while others struggle to keep up”.

HDB has the option of selectively acquiring privately owned HDB shops if there is a need to meet demand in existing estates, Senior Minister of State for National Development Sun Xueling said in Parliament on Wednesday (Sept 24).She was responding to questions from MPs on efforts to keep rents of HDB shops affordable.Sun said that 90 per cent of units directly leased by HDB have remained largely unchanged over the last five years.But the median rental for heartland shops held by private landlords has doubled in the past year, according to Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Realis data released on Sept 1.From $3.51 per sq ft (psf) in the second quarter of 2024, it has gone up to $7.34 psf in the second quarter of 2025 — the highest rental for privately held HDB shops since 1999.There are about 740 privately-owned HDB shops sold on 30-year leases, of which more than 80 per cent have less than 10 years of lease remaining, and these shops will progressively be returned to HDB and tenanted out, Sun said.About 7,700 privately held HDB shops sold on 99-year leases still have more than 30 years of lease remaining.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has warned the public that it is illegal to purchase and use vitamin diffusers.They are classified as «imitation tobacco products» and banned in Singapore as a result, said the authority on Wednesday (Sept 24).It was responding to recent concerns over such diffusers being marketed online as «healthier alternatives» to e-vaporisers.Often promoted via influencers and online advertisements, these products claim to contain substances like caffeine, vitamin B12 and melatonin.A check by AsiaOne showed that some sites which sell such devices offer shipping to Singapore, stating that it is the consumers' responsibility to ensure they follow the laws of their country of residence.Despite looking harmless, such devices could contain substances that are not intended for consumption — which could lead to long-term health risks, said HSA, adding that such products may also serve as a gateway for users to experimenting with cigarettes or even hard drugs.Youths are particularly vulnerable to such risks, it said.

Local telecommunications operator Singtel has apologised for a service outage involving its Australian subsidiary Optus that resulted in the deaths of three people.In an SGX filing on Wednesday (Sept 24), Singtel group CEO Yuen Kuan Moon said that the company is «deeply sorry» for the outage on Sept 18 and that it is working with Optus to «ensure a thorough investigation of this incident to prevent any future recurrence».«Optus has been co-operating fully and transparently with all relevant government agencies and regulatory bodies while the matter is being investigated and will share the findings in due course,» said Yuen.The outage was caused by a departure from regular processes during a network upgrade, which sparked a technical failure and subsequently disrupted emergency call services for 13 hours.Some 600 customers across South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory were affected by the glitch, and three deaths have been linked to it. The death of an 8-week-old boy was initially linked to the disruption, but the claim was later dismissed by police, ABC News reported. 

A young boy was taken to the hospital after severing his fingertip while on a swing in Bishan on Monday (Sept 22).The incident reportedly occurred at around 5pm on a newly reconstructed pavilion swing near Bishan Park.The 10-year-old's finger was trapped between the wooden slats of the swing, according to citizen journalism site, Stomp.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that they received a call for assistance from Block 219 Bishan Street 23 at around 5.05pm on Monday.SCDF also said that the boy was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital for treatment.The boy and his older brother had sought help from two construction workers working nearby after the accident, an eyewitness told Stomp.He added that the swing is popular with residents and park users but appeared to have defects.While the man called for an ambulance, the construction workers stayed with the boy and reassured him while waiting for help to arrive.«Thanks to these two foreign workers from Tong Shing Contractors! Our salute and appreciation to them,» said the eyewitness.