A total of 250 offences were detected with 111 active mobility devices (AMDs) and motor vehicles seized during a nine-day joint enforcement operation by Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Singapore Police Force (SPF) targeting errant riders, the authorities said on Friday (June 26).The operation, which ran on non-consecutive days from June 1, zeroed in on hotspots including town centres, key congregation areas and selected residential locations.Friday marked the ninth and final enforcement day, during which officers detected 25 offences and impounded 15 devices in a night operation that spanned Sengkang and Punggol.

Workers are at the core of successes with bus services in Singapore, Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said at Tower Transit's 10th anniversary carnival on Saturday (June 27).The carnival, which is being held at Bulim bus depot from 9.30am to 4pm on Saturday, aims to celebrate 10 years since Tower Transit arrived in Singapore in 2016.The event also saw the unveiling of new uniforms for staff as well as various activities for families, ranging from magic shows to a bus wash experience.Speaking at the event, Siow reminisced how Singapore used to only have two bus operators.«The system worked, but we wanted more - a bus network that was better connected and more reliable, reaching more corners of Singapore, serving more Singaporeans.»We wanted bus companies that not only competed on how well they put commuters first, but more importantly, how well they take care of their workers."In 2015, Tower Transit became the first public bus operator to join SBS Transit and SMRT after three decades, commencing operations in May 2016.

SINGAPORE – A judge has denied a bid by the child protection authorities to place a nine-month-old infant, who had been removed from his parents, in foster care.Instead, the judge ordered the boy to be returned to the care of his mother, under the supervision of an approved welfare officer.The father's contact with the child is subject to the officer's approval.In a written grounds of decision published on June 22, district judge Chua Wei Yuan concluded that the child needed protection, but was not persuaded that fostering was the most ideal arrangement.The judge noted that state intervention, especially removing a child from a home, is a measure of last resort.In the current case, each parent was individually capable of taking care of the child.«The real concern was that the parents' relationship was so acrimonious that it would endanger (the child's) safety to place him around both parents at the same time,» said the judge.He said it was not unsafe to leave the child in the care of one parent at one time.

A Tengah resident has expressed her concerns after security camera footage allegedly showed a deliveryman taking her parcel, according to a post to Facebook group Complaint Singapore by user Christine Toh on Saturday (June 27).«So sad,» Toh, 44, wrote in her post. «Think my Shopee delivery got taken away by the delivery guy himself.»In video footage taken from her security camera, a man in an orange shirt can be seen holding a parcel and a phone, walking past Toh's door.He then goes up to the neighbouring unit beside Toh, snapping a photograph of the home with his phone while waving it around.The man then takes another picture, this time including the parcel in his other hand, placing it in the foreground of the shot.He also visibly wiggles the phone as he takes the photograph.Without leaving the parcel behind, the man then walks out of sight of the camera as the video ends.«Seems like he tried to blame my neighbour by taking photo of proof of delivery to my next-door neighbour and took it away for himself,» Toh surmised.

After seeing a dove tied down with a string, a user went to the internet to ask if it was animal abuse.In a Reddit post uploaded on Friday (June 26), a user posted a video of a dove that had its legs tied with a string attached to an open rattan dish.The bird was spotted attempting to fly off but was «violently recoiling» after being held down.«Is this not animal abuse?» the netizen asked.«Surely a bird trying to fly off but is stuck violently recoiling in place with each attempt is animal cruelty right?»The netizen said that they had reported to NParks a week ago.NParks reached out to the user after the post, stating that they had visited the unit and «engaged with the bird owner».«A Letter of Advice will be issued to the pet owner, emphasising the importance of responsible pet ownership,» the agency allegedly told the user.«The owner was also reminded to ensure proper care and improve the living conditions of their pets.»Netizens in the comments pointed out the danger behind this situation, adding that the dove can easily fall prey to other predatory birds due to its inability to fly.

A couple returned from their Vietnam vacation with one more precious «cargo'» — their baby girl, born prematurely at 27 weeks and one day.Their extraordinary birth journey was shared by the Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children in a Facebook post celebrating their discharge from the hospital on Monday (June 22).According to a handwritten note penned by the new father, identified only as Chen, he and his pregnant wife had travelled to Vietnamese city of Da Nang for a «short holiday» on March 10 before returning to Singapore «to wait for the arrival of our princess girl».But his wife began experiencing discomfort the night before their flight home and was admitted to the hospital.She was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia, a serious complication where the mother experiences high blood pressure, leakage of protein in the urine, and/or other signs of organ damage. It can affect her life as well as the baby's.«Our life changed, tone switched 180 degrees,» Chen's letter read.«Suddenly, we have to face life and death in a foreign country and communicating using only Google translate.»

The mobile speed camera deployed along a stretch of Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) towards Woodlands Checkpoint since June 16 will be operationalised from July 1.Police stated on Friday (June 26) that the camera has been undergoing calibration and testing since its deployment.«The camera will be operationalised with effect from July 1. Motorists are advised to adhere to the speed limits at all times,» the police said, adding that the deployment is part of enhancements to speed management measures there to improve road safety for all road users.AsiaOne reported on the deployment on June 17, and noted that about eight in 10 vehicles had slowed down while passing the stretch of road, even though they were already driving at or below the speed limit of 90kmh.

A 41-year-old woman was arrested for her alleged involvement in the online sale of counterfeit goods on Thursday (June 25).She was nabbed by officers from the Criminal Investigation Department during a raid at Yishun Street 61, where police found more than 700 purportedly fake items.Police said on Friday night that the items seized, with an estimated street value of over $34,000, included accessories, apparels, footwear, luxury bags, sunglasses, watches and wallets.They added members of the public that the distribution and sale of counterfeit goods, including through online platforms, are serious offences.«The police will not hesitate to take tough action against those who profit at the expense of legitimate businesses and consumers.»Investigations into the woman are ongoing.Those convicted of possessing goods with falsely applied trademarks for the purpose of trade may be fined up to $100,000, jailed for up to five years, or both.

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers had to deploy crowbars and cutters to cut and pry open parts of a Malaysia-registered tanker truck during an enhanced check at Tuas Checkpoint on June 11.An image analyst found anomalies in the scanner image of its floorboard where search and examinations went on to uncover 3,050 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes.A 42-year-old male Malaysian driver was arrested and referred to the Singapore Customs for further investigation.This incident happened days before a Malaysia-registered bus hid more than 880 cartons and 110 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes from the modified engine compartment of the vehicle. In a video posted on its social media on Friday (June 26), ICA officers and workers are seen standing in a manhole, using a cutter to open up the tanker's floorboard.After cutting open a section of the modified compartment, workers used a crowbar to pry open the welded panels. 

ComfortDelGro's Zig has expanded its longstanding Study Achievement Awards into a new Education Support Fund, committing $1 million over five years to support children of taxi drivers from primary through to tertiary education.The public transport operator announced this on Friday (June 26) at the inaugural awards ceremony attended by Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance, Jeffrey Siow. Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance, Jeffrey Siow at the launch of the Education Support Fund by ComfortDelGro's Zig. PHOTO: ComfortDelGro At the event, $200,000 was awarded to children of taxi drivers in recognition of their academic achievements.One of this year’s recipients is Sieow Yew Lee, a Zig driver-partner for 30 years, and his three children.

A man was sentenced to six weeks in jail after he took upskirt videos of six women in under three hours during a trip to Singapore.Filipino national Usi Christian Jior Orlino, 27, faced six counts of voyeurism, and pleaded guilty to three of them, with the remaining counts to be taken into consideration by the judge during sentencing, reported Shin Min Daily News.Orlino was in Singapore as a tourist at the time of the incident, and was reportedly staying with his girlfriend. Charge sheets obtained by AsiaOne show that Orlino had filmed six different women in under three hours on Nov 6, 2025, recording five at Chinatown Point and one at Outram Park MRT station.The first incident happened at 6.48pm at the mall, while the last instance occurred at 9pm at the MRT station.One of the cases happened at BreadTalk in Chinatown Point, where Orlino secretly placed his iPhone SE under the skirt of a woman wearing a blue dress, and filmed her for approximately 33 seconds.Another instance happened at Watsons in Chinatown Point, where he recorded a 19-second video.

A Singapore-registered vessel which was struck by an unknown projectile while leaving the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday (June 25) sustained minor damage to its bridge area, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).The incident happened at about 10pm (Singapore time) on Thursday, and the vessel has since completed its transit through the Strait of Hormuz and is proceeding on its voyage, MPA said in response to AsiaOne's queries.Checks by AsiaOne on ship tracking platform MarineTraffic show the vessel underway using its own engine off Muscat, Oman. It is sailing with two other Singapore-registered vessels — Ever Unicorn and Ever Lotus. Both vessels belong to shipping firm Evergreen and are bound for Singapore.

Singapore's manufacturing output rose by 13 per cent year-on-year in May, driven mainly by growth in the electronics, precision engineering and general manufacturing clusters.Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output in May increased by 17.7 per cent, according to official data from the Economic Development Board (EDB) released on Friday (June 26).On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, manufacturing output decreased by 0.7 per cent, while output excluding biomedical manufacturing increased by 3.1 per cent.Biomedical manufacturing droppedBiomedical manufacturing declined 24.2 per cent in May amid softer demand for medical devices, while pharmaceuticals output contracted on lower biologics production and a different mix of active pharmaceutical ingredients, EDB said.The highest growth of 35.8 per cent was recorded in the electronics cluster, led by the info-communications and consumer electronics and semiconductor segments, on the back of robust artificial intelligence-led demand.

SINGAPORE – Singapore-founded Ohmyhome Ltd has sold its main real estate brokerage business and will now focus entirely on digital marketing. The property businesses will continue to run privately and its leadership under sisters Race and Rhonda Wong will remain unchanged.In June 18 filings lodged with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the Nasdaq-listed company said it had sold its wholly owned subsidiary, Ohmyhome (BVI), to a corporate vehicle called Sterling Oat for US$1 (S$1.30).Ohmyhome (BVI) is the holding company of Ohmyhome Singapore and its subsidiaries, which are engaged in providing real estate brokerage and property-related services in Singapore and Malaysia.These services include property brokerage, property management, renovation and home improvement services, mortgage referrals, legal referrals and other ancillary property-related services.Ohmyhome Ltd said it decided to dispose of its subsidiary after evaluating its declining revenue and continuing operating losses.

There are close to 400 job vacancies being offered to foreign workers involved in a wage dispute with their employers, said Ng Chee Meng.In a Facebook post on Friday (June 26), Ng, who is secretary-general at the National Trades Unions Congress (NTUC), said that over 80 firms have stepped forward and that job placements will begin next week.The job vacancies will support about 410 foreign workers who are owed wages for several months.According to Ng, the affected workers will also be relocated to a single lodging facility and will be settled in by this weekend, making it easier to coordinate support for all of them.He added that the Tripartite Alliance Dispute Management was present at the foreign workers' dormitory to help the remaining workers lodge their claims directly. «We will make sure no one is left behind in this process,» Ng said.

SINGAPORE — The Monetary Authority of Singapore will soon start consultations on quicker approvals of new types of investment funds within its retail funds regulatory framework, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said at the Association of Banks in Singapore's annual dinner on Thursday (June 25).After the consultation process, the central bank could introduce a new category and approval process for non-traditional funds.Here are some details:Gan said that for most new fund types, MAS will aim to establish the necessary guardrails in about three months, which is quicker than the current process.Once the guardrails are in place, similar funds could receive authorisation in around three weeks.Funds would still need to meet core requirements in governance and asset safekeeping. He said a fund's underlying assets should be based on publicly traded securities and financial derivatives.Gan also said the MAS would establish the Future of Finance Institute, an innovation centre to pool resources for specific artificial intelligence and tokenisation capabilities as well as test emerging technologies.[[nid:738841]]

SINGAPORE – Disgruntled with their leader Pritam Singh and agitating for change, a group of Workers’ Party cadres aim to unseat him at the party’s internal elections come June 28.The search for a challenger has intensified in recent weeks, stemming from a High Court decision in December 2025 to uphold Singh’s conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee.The disgruntled lot have made overtures to several of the opposition party’s senior MPs, though no one has confirmed that they will run against Singh so far, party insiders told The Straits Times. They did not want to be named, citing disciplinary actions against members who had been publicly critical of the party.Names that have come up in discussion include Aljunied GRC MP Gerald Giam and Hougang MP Dennis Tan. Also mentioned were Sengkang GRC MPs He Ting Ru and Jamus Lim, who were part of a three-person disciplinary panel that found Singh had contravened the WP’s Constitution over his conviction.Several cadres said the situation was still fluid and may continue to change even up to the day of the votes.

Upset that he was penalised for a mistake he claimed he did not commit, a Foodpanda delivery rider has taken the battle to his customer.The rider, who identified himself as Sam, filed a police report after a customer allegedly cancelled an order he completed, he told AsiaOne on Thursday (June 25).According to the police report seen by AsiaOne, Sam received the customer's order on Tuesday at around 11.45am.The 39-year-old claimed he left the order at the designated drop-off point at the customer's office located within the Marina Bay financial district. Completing the order just after noon, Sam was on his way to get a separate order done when he received a notification from Foodpanda requesting compliance.This refers to Foodpanda's rider compliance rule, which deters riders against a range of negative behaviour such as missing items in delivery, taking long breaks or incorrectly marking orders as complete.Sam, who has been doing deliveries since 2020, immediately submitted an investigation request to Foodpanda, claiming that it was «very unlikely» that he delivered the wrong order.

A 31-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday (June 24) for allegedly molesting an 11-year-old girl in Woodlands.In a news release on Thursday afternoon, the police said the alleged offence happened at about 8.30pm on June 23 in the vicinity of Woodlands Drive 50.Checks by AsiaOne show that the stretch of road runs through several HDB precincts, including Woodlands Primary School.The man was identified and arrested by officers from Woodlands Police Division and the Criminal Investigation Department through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from police cameras.He was arrested within a day of the report being made.If found guilty of outage of modesty, he faces a jail term of up to 10 years, along with mandatory caning. The police advised victims of molestation to move away from perpetrators and call the police immediately when it is safe to do so. Where possible and safe, victims should try to note key details such as the perpetrator's physical appearance, clothing, the time and location of the incident. [[nid:737395]]editor@asiaone.com 

A Singaporean photographer got off a flight and was greeted with «disbelief» after he was informed that Cristiano Ronaldo had reposted his pictures on Instagram.Freelance sports photographer Edmund Wong was in Houston to shoot the Portugal vs Uzbekistan match at the 2026 World Cup, when he managed to snap a couple of candid shots of the Portuguese superstar on the field.Much to Wong's «disbelief», the photos were later shared by Ronaldo, 41, to his 668 million Instagram followers, but without crediting Wong.The match, which saw Portugal win 4-0, also featured the football star's first two goals of the tournament.An emotional moment ensued on the field where Ronaldo's teammates hugged him after his first goal — that was immortalised by Wong in one of his photos, which he managed to capture with a bird's-eye view.This photo was reposted by Ronaldo on his account, which has since garnered eight million likes.However, Wong, a Fifa-accredited photographer, was not credited or tagged anywhere in the caption.

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Wednesday (June 24) conveyed Singapore's condolences to Timor-Leste after the passing of its former president Francisco Guterres. The 71-year-old served as Timor-Leste's president from 2017 to 2022, following decades of political and armed struggle that led to the nation's independence from Indonesia in May 2002.He won the 2017 presidential election to become the nation's sixth president, but was defeated in a run-off by Nobel laureate Ramos-Horta, when he ran for re-election in 2022.In his letter on behalf of Singaporeans, President Tharman said Guterres devoted his life to Timor-Leste.«In the struggle for independence and later as president, he played a crucial role in strengthening Timor-Leste's democratic institutions and fostering national unity,» President Tharman wrote.He added that Guterres' commitment and contributions towards the building of a sovereign and independent Timor-Leste will long be remembered.

For one former domestic helper, the bond she formed with a Singapore family endured long after her years of service.Five years after Marilou Serrano Galindo, 54, returned home to the Philippines, she reunited with her former employer Tan Teck Lee, who had taken his wife, three daughters and son-in-law to Maddela, Quirino province to visit her.Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, the 63-year-old Tan said Marilou remained in close contact with his family throughout the years.Their trip to her hometown, which lasted from June 8 to 16, began with about 11 hours of travel, including a flight to Manila, a domestic flight and a two-hour car ride.«We went boating, enjoyed the scenery, ate local food, celebrated Marilou's birthday together and took many photos, creating happy memories,» said Tan, adding that the trip felt like a large family gathering.In a Facebook post shared on Wednesday (June 17), Marilou's family recounted her difficult early years working in Singapore. 

Two Singaporean men were charged by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Thursday (June 25) for harbouring and employing immigration offenders.In a news release on the same day, ICA listed 62-year-old Kamarulzaman Yahaya and 27-year-old Mohamad Elfie Hakim Bin Lokman as the two charged.Kamarulzaman is accused of harbouring a 54-year-old Filipina who had remained unlawfully in Singapore after her visit pass expired on April 28, 2003.The woman, Leonardo Federigan Leonora, was subsequently found guilty, sentenced to six months' imprisonment and fined $2,000. She has since completed her sentence, deported and barred from re-entering Singapore.Investigations revealed that Kamarulzaman had allowed Leonara to live in his Bedok unit for 22 years — from March 2004 to March 20206 — despite knowing that she had overstayed in Singapore.In the second case, Elfie was charged for employing a 26-year-old Indian national who had remained unlawfully in Singapore after his visit pass expired on June 17, 2025.Kakadiya Avanit Rajubhai was later fined $4,000. He has since been deported and barred from re-entering Singapore.

A 25-year-old male motorcyclist and a 21-year-old woman riding pillon died in the wee hours of Thursday (June 25) after their bike skidded in Yio Chu Kang.Responding to media queries, the police said they were alerted to the accident along Yio Chu Kang Road at about 3.35am.The motorcycle is believed to have skidded, the police said.Paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force pronounced the duo dead at the scene.A video posted on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu show two blue police tents on the left-most lane, which had been cordoned off.A toppled motorcycle is seen slightly ahead.At least three police vehicles and about 10 officers are seen at the accident site.The deceased were believed to be a couple, reported Shin Min Daily News.Police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:738811]]lim.kewei@asiaone.com

The police are appealing for information on the whereabouts of a 12-year-old teenage girl, Koon Hui Lin, who was last seen in Ang Mo Kio.Police said in a news release on Thursday (June 25) that Hui Lin was last seen at about 10am on Wednesday at Block 131 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, wearing a black t-shirt and grey pants.The address is in the vicinity of Ang Mo Kio Town Garden and the popular Ang Mo Kio Park McDonald's. Anyone with information is urged to contact the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness.All information will be kept strictly confidential.[[nid:735166]]editor@asiaone.com 

Having recently fallen victim to a scam, a Singaporean mother nearly dismissed a call she thought was another fraud attempt — only to discover she had won $10,000 prize in a Sheng Siong-Foodpanda launch campaign.To mark their partnership, the two companies launched a campaign from June 22 to July 19 offering customers who order Sheng Siong via Foodpanda a chance to win $10,000 in cash, with one winner announced daily. Nabeelah was named the campaign's first winner on Tuesday (June 23). The 31-year-old told AsiaOne that she had just woken up when the call came through on Tuesday. Believing it might be a hoax, she remained cautious and said it took a while for the reality of her win to sink in.«Once I realised it was genuine, I was shocked and excited… it honestly felt like a dream,» she described, adding that it was a big surprise for her and her husband.

A floating fish farm along the waterways near Pulau Ubin caught fire on Wednesday (June 24) night.The fire started after lightning struck moored fishing boats in the area, engulfing them in flames, reported 8world.It then spread to at least two neighbouring floating fish farms in the vicinity, with operators estimating huge financial losses due to the incident.The fire reportedly went on for two hours, with four police boats, two SCDF vessels and a tugboat spotted at the scene attempting to extinguish the blaze.Nobody was in the affected farm when the fire occurred, 8world reported, adding that other workers in the neighbouring fish farms had assisted in containing the fire.The Fish Farmers Association of Singapore (FFAS) stated that at least two fish farms were damaged in the fire, and estimated that the financial losses were rather substantial.FFAS chairman Daniel Tay said that the association had met with the owners of the affected fish farms, who were all «frustrated» at the incident.«We usually farm sea bass, snappers and groupers in this area, and these are all high-value fishes,» he said.

Two individuals, including a 17-year-old, were caught for vaping and underage smoking during enforcement operations carried out by the Health Sciences Authority's (HSA) last week.In a media statement on Thursday (June 25), HSA said the duo were caught during operations conducted at Bugis, Somerset and Yishun between June 18 and 20.During its operations, HSA officers detected a 44-year-old man vaping, and seized his vaporiser. He was issued a fine on the spot.Meanwhile, a 17-year-old male teen was caught for underage smoking and referred to the Health Promotion Board for cessation counselling.HSA stated that such operations are part of its ongoing enforcement patrols to detect vape-related offences.

Singapore's port has been named best globally at the Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain (AFLAS) Awards 2026 on Wednesday (June 24).The annual awards are organised by Asia Cargo News, a fortnightly logistics and supply chains publication to recognise leading logistics and supply chain service providers.In a media release on Thursday, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said this is the fifth time the Port of Singapore has been named «Best Global Seaport».It was also awarded the same accolade in 2025.MPA chief executive Ang Wee Keong said the award reflects the collective efforts of the entire maritime community in strengthening Singapore's position as a leading global hub port.«As supply chains evolve and new challenges emerge, we will continue to invest in innovation, infrastructure, and talent to keep Singapore resilient, connected, and future-ready,» he added.According to AFLAS, winners are determined from over 15,000 readers who nominate and vote across 49 award categories

SINGAPORE — There is a high risk of severe haze blanketing the region in the second half of the year, due to the return of El Nino, as well as increased deforestation spurred by biofuel demand.The warming El Nino climate phenomenon is expected to create a longer and stronger dry season at a time when fire readiness could be compromised by economic uncertainty and budget pressures, said the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) in its annual haze outlook report.This is the second time since its annual outlooks began in 2019 that the think-tank has put out a red alert. The first was in 2023, also an El Nino year when Singapore experienced haze over a weekend in October.El Nino refers to the warming of the sea surface over the eastern Pacific, leading to hotter and drier weather over the region. Scientists predict that this cycle could be a super El Nino, putting 2026 and 2027 on track for exceptionally sizzling years.At the same time, another climate phenomenon called the positive Indian Ocean Dipole is expected to develop in July or August. 

SINGAPORE - The full Economic Strategy Review Final Report was released on Wednesday (June 24), with further details of the 32 recommendations that were released with an executive summary on May 13.These include specific new proposals such as reviewing Singapore’s taxation framework to help startups attract foreign talent, and expanding the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme to cover more workers.The government will study the recommendations and work with industry partners and unions to translate them into action, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information said in a statement.The report sets out the country’s strategy to secure growth and create good jobs for Singaporeans in a “fundamentally changed global environment”.Its 32 recommendations fall across eight focus areas – four aimed at securing economic growth, three at creating good jobs and one on resilience.Seven recommendations were first unveiled in January at the ESR’s midterm update, before the full slate was presented at the Singapore Business Federation’s Future Economy Conference in May.

Some 22,634 applications for the Build-To-Order (BTO) flats launched in the latest June sales exercise have been submitted to HDB as at 5pm on Wednesday (June 24).This is about three times the total number of units available — 6,952 — across seven projects.According to data published on the HDB website, the Prime projects in Bishan's Lakeview estate and Bukit Merah's Berlayar neighbourhood garnered the most interest.Lakeview Cascadia, which is the first BTO project in the Lakeview and Shunfu neighbourhood in over 40 years, saw 2,046 applicants for 476 2-room Flexi flats.The 745 4-room units for sale is oversubscribed by about five times, with the application rate for first-timer families at 3.7 and the rate for second-timer families being 17.2.[[nid:729212]]For the Berlayar Rise project, 3,224 applications have been submitted for 816 2-room Flexi flats.There were 577 applicants for the 172 3-room units, and 5,023 applicants for the 988 4-room flats.

An elderly woman was filled with «immense joy» after volunteers found buckets of coins and her long-lost gold chains worth thousands while cleaning and decluttering her three-room HDB flat in Bedok. The 70-year-old newspaper vendor, who declined to be named, said she and her sister continued living in the unit after their mother died more than a decade ago.And over the years, items gradually accumulated, reported Shin Min Daily News on Tuesday (June 23).Over time, the unit became packed with plastic bags and miscellaneous items, leaving only a narrow walkway from the living room to the kitchen and toilet.Michael Sim, founder of ground-up community initiative AMKSS Social Move, posted on Facebook about the clean up in June, saying that he led over 30 volunteers from Ang Mo Kio Secondary School and the East Coast Town Council to assist in the clearing operation.During the clean-up — which lasted from 9am to 5pm — volunteers reportedly found a large number of coins, which were stored in a large plastic box. It was so heavy it needed more than two men to carry the box. 

Some 40 construction firms have stepped in to offer 150 jobs to the migrant workers caught in a wage dispute with an air-con servicing company, said The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) on Wednesday (June 24).In a doorstop visit at Tuas View Dormitory on Wednesday, NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng said that they have been working with their employer partners to facilitate job matching and placements for the affected migrant workers.«As of this morning, we have 40 [construction] firms stepping forward [with] 150 vacancies to hopefully be able to match these migrant workers into new jobs as quickly as possible,» shared Ng.He stressed that job placement is «more critical» for these migrant workers as they owe agency fees and some of them are struggling with debts.This comes after over 100 migrant workers gathered at the MOM headquarters in Bendemeer on Monday over alleged unpaid wages.

Former PwC Singapore executive chairman Yeoh Oon Jin will take over as chairman of Singapore Pools from July 1, the city state's sole legal lottery and sports betting operator announced on Wednesday (June 24).He takes over from Kaikhushru Nargolwala, who became Singapore Pools' board chairman in 2021.Yeoh, 65, handed over his role at PwC Singapore in 2021 when he retired. He currently serves on the boards of Singapore Exchange, Singapore Airlines, Trust Bank, SingHealth and Wing Tai Holdings.He is also the chairman of the the Singapore Institute of Directors and had previously served on the boards of the Singapore Land Authority, Jurong Town Corporation, Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority and the National Arts Council.In a statement issued by the operator, Yeoh said he is honoured to take on the role and to contribute to an organisation that combines operational excellence with a strong social purpose.He also thanked his predecessor for the strong foundation he has left behind.