$112 million more set aside for built environment research, innovation
National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat announced that the amount will be used over the next five years. It will also be used to provide commercialising solutions that can be deployed in Singapore and overseas under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2030 plan. The amount adds to the $185 million already secured under the plan in the past year.
Focus areas include safer, more efficient demolition techniques as Singapore rejuvenates more of the city, smarter building maintenance and reducing operational and embodied carbon emissions to support the 2050 net zero target.
Blue, Orange CHAS card holders to get 6% discount at Fairprice till Jan 1
The discount doubles the usual 3 per cent rate. Discounts apply to purchases of up to $200 per day/customer at all FairPrice stores, Unity pharmacies, and FairPrice Online, and can be stacked with existing promotions and CDC vouchers. Online shoppers get a $3.99 service fee waiver with a $100 minimum spend.
The move builds on over $10 million in savings already given to CHAS cardholders in 2026. NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng said: “We will continue working with our partners to extend practical support that makes a real difference, and to help workers and Singaporeans stretch their dollar further where it matters most.”
Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon: Rule of Law must adapt as society’s values evolve
Speaking at the NUS Law Bicentennial Lecture at Yale-NUS College Hall, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said Singapore’s repeal of Section 377A, which had criminalised sex between men, shows why the rule of law should never be regarded as a “finished achievement” and must adapt as societal values and circumstances evolve.
“These kinds of questions – political questions, social questions, questions of morality – are best left to politics, where society and the diverse groups can forge their consensus and find an acceptable deviated compromise or resolution,” he said.
Man who raped teen stepdaughter gets 22 years jail
A 43-year-old man raped his teenage stepdaughter over nine months either in his delivery van, at an empty carpark or at the family’s one room flat while her mother and siblings slept.
He was sentenced to 22 years’ jail and 24 strokes of the cane on Sept 1 after pleading guilty to four rape charges, with nine further charges considered during sentencing.
He admitted raping her at least 12 times between June 2023 and Feb 2024, sending lewd texts he later deleted remotely.
When the abuse surfaced, her mother and siblings didn’t believe her, and she was placed in a welfare home.
Tekka Centre among food courts to close for September cleaning
Popular food spots Tekka Centre and Adam Road Food Centre will be closed on certain days this month for spring cleaning, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said early this week.
The iconic Tekka Centre in Little India houses several well-known hawker stalls such as Jaan West (mee goreng), Allauddin’s Biryani, Haji Johan (rojak), and Delhi Lahori (naan) and will be closed on Sept 21–22. Adam Road, which has Bahrakath (mutton soup) and Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak will be closed on Sept 7. Newton Food Centre is closed for cleaning on Sept 2–4.
About 15,000 affected by error in MINDEF system
The 15,000 affected includes operationally ready national servicemen, plus eligible parents and spouses.
These taxpayers will receive the wrong NSman tax relief amounts across assessment years 2025 and 2026, MINDEF and IRAS said in a joint statement on Sept 3.
The error came from incorrect NS activity records used to calculate reliefs.
About 7,000 will see their tax bill rise, and 8,000 will see it fall, while most will see either an upward or downward adjustment of less than $200.
In total, about $930,000 will be recovered, and about $995,000 will be refunded, MINDEF and IRAS said.
Indian streaming platform JioHotstar hits Singapore
The platform, backed by Reliance and Disney, has launched in Singapore alongside the UK and Canada – its first international expansion beyond India.
The platform replaces the existing Hotstar service, bringing over 160,000 hours of content across more than 12 Asian languages, including Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, and Gujarati.
It enters the market already served by Amazon Prime Video, StarHub and Singtel, targeting Singapore’s South Asian diaspora with deeper multilingual programming than most local rivals offer.
Subscriptions cost $29.98 quarterly or $69.98 annually.
