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To slow down or not? US tech leaders, politicians and researchers clash over need for AI regulations

The Straits Times examines the key polarising views.

What happens inside a baby’s brain when looking at screens? S’pore study shows the impact

Teams at NUS Medicine and A*STAR are among researchers worldwide looking into the impact of screen exposure on growing children.

Singapore-UAE team wins autonomous car race in Italy on third attempt

Team Kinetiz members came from NTU, UAE tech firm K2 and autonomous systems specialist Alp Autonomy.

How runaway AI agents could pose an existential threat to humanity

AI could multiply harm across bioterrorism, cyberwarfare, disinformation and advanced weaponry.

Global tug of war over AI rules: A look at the arguments, risks and emerging regulations

A debate is intensifying over AI slowdown and regulation. ST examines what's going on in the AI world.

'No Lah, No Now, No CDC': Kovan drink stall owner explains quirky cash-only signage

A drink stall in Kovan has made the rounds online for its creative "Cash Only" sign. Nan Fang Ming Tea House at 209 Hougang Street 21 has put up a sign to emphasise that the stall only accepts cash, which says: "No Lah, No Now, No CDC" and "Only Mr Yusof Bin Ishak". Photo via Cru...

Clementi fish seller fined S$2,000 for harassing pork stall owner by telling customers to buy pork from another stall

A fish seller at a wet market in Clementi was fined S$2,000 on Sep. 18 for harassing a butcher whose stall was located directly opposite hers. The 68-year-old woman, Xu Zhenji (transliteration), had reportedly told customers that the pork sold at a neighbouring stall was better a...

Names, workplaces of patients with hereditary cancer allegedly exposed in 'administrative error' at National Cancer Centre

An email invitation sent by the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) has allegedly exposed the names and contact details of individuals with a hereditary cancer condition, including their workplaces in some cases. Recipients were listed in the carbon copy (CC) field instead of...

‘Paying RM20 is very cruel’: Malaysians criticise US tourist after Grab driver drives from Klang to KL to return his his US$5500 camera

KUALA LUMPUR: After a tourist from the United States posted (and then later deleted) a video of an altercation with a Grab driver over the amount paid for returning the camera he left in the vehicle, Malaysian commenters have by and large sided with the driver. The tourist had fi...

'Your ego cannot feed your hungry stomach': Filipino uni grad, 26, comes to S'pore to work as helper, hopes to open cafe one day

While studying for her degree in hospitality management, 26-year-old Clergg Lee Sarancial dreamt of working on a cruise line. She finally graduated after four years, and got a job in an office. But despite her degree, she only earned about S$300 a month — not enough to pay her bi...

In the 90s, divers spent over 10,000 hours to save corals before Jurong Island reclamation. What about the new Western island?

During his 2026 National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced the intention to create a new Western island by merging several along Singapore's southern shores: Semakau, Sudong, Bukom and "a few other smaller islands". It could be used for "advanced manufacturing fac...

'Salad bar,’ youth extremism on the rise; S'poreans must be 'true friends' to defend loved ones from radicalisation

In a departure from the past two decades, the phenomenon of "salad bar" extremism — extremism that does not belong to a single coherent ideology — is now on the rise in Singapore. At the same time, extremist narratives are reaching younger and younger audiences, in part thanks to...

Delivery rider, 64, dies after reportedly feeling unwell & falling into Tanah Merah condo swimming pool

A Grab delivery rider died after he reportedly fell into a swimming pool while making a delivery at a condominium along Tanah Merah Kechil Avenue. The 64-year-old man was found unconscious and later died in the hospital. No foul play According to Shin Min Daily News , the inciden...

Phone screens, loud videos and confrontation: Singaporeans debate whether public etiquette is slipping

SINGAPORE: A moviegoer has questioned whether the Singaporean’s movie etiquette has been deteriorating after he encountered a very disappointing experience when he last went to a movie theatre. As shared on Reddit, the netizen stated that while he was watching a movie with his wi...

S'pore man accuses wife of cheating & chokes her until son steps in, gets 1 year & 10 weeks' jail

A man was sentenced to jail after choking his wife when she denied having an affair. According to Lianhe Zaobao , the woman lost consciousness before their son stepped in and pulled his father away. The 46-year-old man was subsequently handed eight charges that include voluntaril...

The Art of Small Talk - Part 1: Singapore Youths Cannot Talk With Confidence

The Art of Small Talk - Part 1: Singapore Youths Cannot Talk With Confidence channelnewsasia.com

Boxes of rabbits allegedly abandoned at Seletar roadside, some were baby rabbits just a few days old

Several boxes containing rabbits were allegedly abandoned along the side of a road in the Seletar Farmway area on Sep. 18. These included a box of baby rabbits just a few days old, according to an Instagram post by animal welfare group Voices For Animals (VFA) founder Derrick Tan...

Singapore woman says ex secretly booked travel with her credit card, then vanished when fee landed on her bill

SINGAPORE: A woman has accused her ex-boyfriend of using her credit card to make a backup travel booking without her knowledge, only to allegedly ghost her after a “no-show” fee of several hundred dollars appeared on her bill. In a post on the r/sgdatingscene forum, the woman exp...

Teen cyclist, 16, arrested after accident in Yishun with man, 74, who later died

A 16-year-old boy was arrested after an accident involving a 74-year-old pedestrian who subsequently passed away. In response to Mothership's queries, the Singapore Police Force said that it received a call for assistance at Block 741 Yishun Avenue 5 on Sep. 15 at around 11:45am....

Hong Kong woman, 70, falls out with best friend of 20 years after friend, 60, marries ex-boyfriend, 83

A 20-year friendship between two women in Hong Kong apparently fell apart after one of them married the other's former boyfriend. The relationship dispute, involving two women aged 70 and 60 and an 83-year-old man, was featured on an episode of Hong Kong’s TVB programme “Scoop”. ...

National Cancer Centre apologises after email addresses of over 460 recipients mistakenly exposed

The Personal Data Protection Commission said it is investigating the incident.

Support group founder who empowers cardiac patients to heal together among S’pore’s silent heroes

Majority of residents of brick-faced Tampines blocks vote for paint that matches original colour

Residents of the eight 497 blocks in Tampines Street 45 have decided: 76.02 per cent voted for the original paint scheme in a recent poll.

Why books still matter: Reading linked to better focus, empathy and brain health

SINGAPORE: Reading a book can feel almost old-fashioned these days. Between endless TikTok videos, Instagram reels, YouTube clips, and AI tools that can summarise hundreds of pages in seconds, sitting down with a book and reading it from beginning to end requires a rather differe...

At least 20 passersby rally together to move fallen tree in MacPherson, manage to clear 1 lane

At least 20 passers-by were spotted working together to help move a tree that had fallen onto a road in MacPherson on Sep. 18. The incident came to light after an Instagram user, @crayoncheryl, posted a video showing several people pushing the tree towards the side of the road, w...

Ex-MUIS senior director, 59, misappropriated over S$68,000 in funds meant for religious school, gets jail

A Singaporean man responsible for managing the affairs of a madrasah misappropriated S$68,629 from the religious school at Braddell Road. 59-year-old Razak Mohamed Lazim was a former senior director at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) from 2011 to January 2016. O...

Progress must go hand in hand with identity and community: PM Wong

He was speaking at the Tamils Representative Council’s 75th anniversary celebration.

‘Your wife should be sitting down. Not you.’— Woman confronts man after he blames her for wife standing on MRT

SINGAPORE: A local content creator said in a recent video that she noticed a woman was standing in the MRT while her husband and young daughter had seats near her. To her surprise, she overheard the father blame her when the little girl asked why her mum was not sitting down. She...

Why are Micron's Taiwan workers rejecting up to 68 months bonuses & even threatening a strike?

Taiwanese employees at U.S. chipmaker Micron have rejected a reward package announced by the company on Sep. 11, 2026, saying they want a long-term profit-sharing mechanism instead. Under the reward package, employees in Taiwan would receive bonuses equivalent to 35 to 68 months ...

Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry of Singapore

Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry of Singapore ASEAN Main Portal

Crowds at open-air diners, parks thin out as air quality deteriorates on Sept 19

On Sept 19, air quality in parts of Singapore deteriorated again after a few days of respite.

Yoga Inc closes last 2 outlets in S'pore, students & teachers allegedly not told of closure

Yoga studio Yoga Inc has closed its remaining Singapore outlets. According to a Substack blog called The Yoga Edit , instructors apparently received a text message on Sep. 18. Instructors were informed that Yoga Inc's remaining two outlets at SAFRA Punggol and Our Tampines Hub ce...

'Bank card! Bank card!': S'porean woman overhears scam call on MRT, intervenes & helps victim hang up

On Sep. 17, a Singaporean woman overheard what seemed to be a scam call on the MRT. Noticing that her fellow commuter appeared distressed, she made the decision to intercept the possible scam. In an Instagram post, Vit Olivia Ng, 29, shared about her experience. View this post on...

Team Singapore athletes at Asian Games 2026 opening ceremony

Team Singapore athletes at Asian Games 2026 opening ceremony channelnewsasia.com

Asian Games open in Nagoya with celebration of solidarity and Japanese culture

This is the first time in 32 years that Japan is hosting the Asian Games.

Popular Bookstore outlet in Waterway Point closed for the weekend after water leakage

The mall is providing support to Popular as rectification works are carried out.

RM59.4 billion in six months: Johor reports strong approved investments as minister urges caution

JOHOR BAHRU: Johor recorded RM59.4 billion (S$18.56 billion) in approved investments during the first half of 2026, covering the manufacturing, machinery manufacturing, and electrical and electronics sectors, Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir confirmed, as reported by I...

Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke resigns over former PM Najib’s conditional pardon, other DAP ministers to stay on

The decision was reached during an emergency meeting of Democratic Action Party's central executive committee on Saturday (Sep 19), a day after Najib Razak’s pardon was granted by the Malaysian king....

S'pore gardener, 55, hospitalised after cooking & eating wild mushroom

About an hour after a woman ate some wild mushrooms she had foraged and cooked, she started experiencing abdominal pain. The pain continued to grow, such that she was admitted to the emergency department of Khoo Teck Puat Hospital roughly two hours later with severe, generalised ...

Singapore restaurant voted world's second best fine dining destination: Tripadvisor

Singapore restaurant voted world's second best fine dining destination: Tripadvisor VnExpress International

An average of 539 child neglect cases a year in Singapore required authorities to step in

Such cases include babies or toddlers being left home alone.

National Cancer Centre apologises after e-mail lapse exposes patients’ details including workplaces

The incident has been reported to the Ministry of Health and the Personal Data Protection Commission.

Amid global calls for AI slowdown, Minister Josephine Teo shares her take

SINGAPORE: Over the past week, a number of prominent industry leaders have called for a slowdown in the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) , citing substantial, perhaps even existential, safety risks. Among them are Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei, OpenAI chief executi...

ICA: 27 motorists caught for traffic offences at Woodlands Checkpoint during September school holidays — Eight hit with entry bans

SINGAPORE: ICA officers conducting stepped-up traffic enforcement at Woodlands Checkpoint during the September school holidays between September 4 and 13, 2026, caught 27 motorists for traffic violations, queue cutting, and dangerous road behaviour. Of the 27 detected, 24 were ca...

‘Go home and make your own hot water’: Singapore diner slammed over 50-cent charge complaint

SINGAPORE: A diner has questioned whether water is becoming an expensive commodity after being charged S$0.50 for a small glass of warm water at a local eatery. Posting in the Complaint Singapore (Anonymous) Facebook group on Friday (Sep 18), the diner uploaded a picture of the r...

Two men arrested by Singapore police after Italy busts international child abuse network

The police were acting on a tip-off from the Italian police, who arrested 17 earlier in the week.

Haze in Singapore: PSI in central region back in the unhealthy range

The 24-hour reading in the area hit 102 at 1pm and increased further to 107 at 3pm.

Air quality back at unhealthy levels in central Singapore

The 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) in the central region crossed into the unhealthy band at 1pm on Saturday (Sep 19).

‘No response’: Yoga Inc shutters SAFRA Punggol outlet, cancels classes at Our Tampines Hub

Customers learnt of the closure only through their instructors.

Singapore and Canada sign joint declaration to establish economic partnership framework

The framework includes areas such as emerging technologies as well as energy and food security.

Singapore drops out of global top 10 in 2026 Global Cities Index, ranks second in Asia

SINGAPORE: Singapore ranked 29th worldwide out of 1,000 in the recent 2026 Global Cities Index released by Oxford Economics on Sept 15. Although the country did not reach the top 5, Singapore ranked second among Asian cities, only behind Tokyo, and also jumped to third place glob...

Cyclist, 16, arrested after accident with 74-year-old pedestrian who later dies

The male teenager was arrested for the offence of a rash act causing death.

Scammers are using AI to commit crimes at speed. How is Singapore police's new Cyber Command keeping up?

Hackers are using AI to help write malicious code and find exploitable weaknesses, says a cybersecurity specialist with the Singapore Police Force's new Cyber Command....

2-year-old S’pore boy is one of estimated 400 in world with disease caused by single altered gene

Zhu-Tokita-Takenouchi-Kim syndrome was identified in 2016 and affects brain development.

Within minutes: How quickly a scam site can be taken down under newly formed Cyber Command

In the first half of 2026, the police disrupted more than 52,200 malicious websites.

What laws or rules apply to civil servants when using information obtained from work?

A study claims civil servants disproportionately bought property near unannounced MRT stations.

HDB completes Tengah BTO project using new technologies

The technologies include 3D concrete printing and a device that makes lifting operations safer.

Singapore man posts warning after almost getting scammed by fake Booking.com link

SINGAPORE: A man in Singapore posted a warning recently on social media after he was almost scammed when he received a link that was purportedly from the popular online travel agency Booking.com. Jim Tay, a property consultant who is OrangeTee's Country Director for Japan, took t...

‘Do it now’: Scammers impersonate firm’s chairman on Microsoft Teams chat; company almost lost $120k

Such business e-mail compromise scams exploit trusted communication channels used by employees.

Singapore exploring Canada as potential energy source, anticipates further fuel disruptions from Middle East: Vivian Balakrishnan

Speaking after his visit to Ottawa, Dr Balakrishnan described Canada as an energy "superpower" in both fossil fuels and renewable energy.