The North-South Corridor (NSC) is "one of the most complex road projects we have undertaken in Singapore", said Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow.

But it is also necessary to improve connectivity between the north and the city, in particular to support new towns such as those in Sembawang, Woodlands, and Yishun.

"I know these benefits are still some years away, and therefore cold comfort to the families and business owners living with the construction today," Siow said.

He added that the government would do "everything in [its] power" to ease friction on the ground, including prioritising surface works to cut down on noise and dust for residents.

Reason for delays

On Sep. 17, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that the NSC would have its completion timeline moved back to 2029 instead of 2027.

It attributed the delay to "significant construction challenges".

In response to questions by Members of Parliament (MPs), Siow elaborated on the reasons for the delays in a parliamentary speech on Oct. 6.

"It passes through densely built-up areas, including homes and older buildings, and bypasses major utilities, heavily used roads, and even MRT lines," he said.

In some places, they have had to tunnel "less than one metre" away from the MRT lines.

In addition, as excavations progressed, it turned out that the actual conditions were more difficult than what soil investigations had earlier indicated.

Not safe to compress timeline further

After encountering the obstacles, LTA deployed additional manpower and equipment, adjusted construction methods, and changed the sequence of works where possible.

But trying to compress the programme further would have led to "significant additional safety risks", Siow said.

However, he emphasised that the government will not leave businesses and residents to fend for themselves.

To address complaints such as dust and noise, LTA will prioritise completing surface works so they improve from next year.

Most major structural works that create the most dust and noise will be completed by end-2027, and LTA will begin to reinstate roads, footpaths, and other affected spaces from 2028.

As for businesses which have had their customer traffic affected by changes to pedestrian routes or road access, LTA has installed signs and banners to help guide customers amid disruptions.

He added:

"When surface works are completed, many access routes for pedestrians will be restored as a priority.

In the meantime, LTA will also try to introduce more direct walking routes to shops and F&B establishments to make it easier for customers to reach these businesses."

No financial support as general principle

Siow also responded to questions from MPs about whether additional financial support could be given to affected businesses and residents.

Several businesses in HDB rental shops most affected by the construction works have already been receiving rental rebates on a case-by-case basis, which will continue where there are grounds to do so, he said.

But as a general principle, the government does not compensate stakeholders for project delays, as these would add "significant costs" to these projects.

Previously, CNA reported that some businesses, particularly in the Novena area, have seen declines in traffic of up to 75 per cent amid the ongoing construction.

Two digital cameras worth a total of S$393 were allegedly stolen from Digicam Diaries at 36 Haji Lane at around 7:40pm on Oct. 4.

The shop had initially posted CCTV footage on social media of the incident. Footage included a girl and boy entering the shop, and the back view of the girl in the area where the aforementioned cameras were.

Digicam Diaries said several people, whom it described as the girl’s schoolmates, identified the girl from the footage and provided her contact number.

The girl has since paid for both cameras via PayNow.

Discovered during closing inventory count

Speaking to Mothership, a Digicam Diaries spokesperson said its staff first noticed the cameras were missing at around 8pm while conducting their closing inventory count.

The shop said its team counts the cameras before and after each shift. That evening, two were unaccounted for: a pink Sony Cyber-shot T77 priced at S$208 and a white Panasonic Lumix XS1 priced at S$185.

Digicam Diaries' staff went on to review the store's CCTV footage to establish what had happened.

Alleged thief identified by schoolmates

Digicam Diaries posted clips of the alleged theft on their social media accounts, asking the involved individuals to come forward and make amends.

Following the shop’s online appeal, several people whom the spokesperson described as the girl’s schoolmates identified her and provided her contact number.

The shop said the girl initially denied taking the cameras and claimed their price tags showed lower amounts than the prices the shop had set.

She subsequently paid the shop for the cameras via PayNow, the spokesperson said.

Police report lodged that night

Digicam Diaries said it lodged a police report at around 10pm on Oct. 4.

According to the shop, an officer responded promptly and remained in contact with its team until midnight.

The spokesperson added that police had advised them to take down the CCTV video from their social media pages while investigations were ongoing.

The police confirmed with Mothership that a report had been lodged and investigations are ongoing.

Shop urges people not to shoplift

Digicam Diaries said they had experienced shoplifting before but always caught it due to their "meticulous inventory log".

The shop urged people not to shoplift, particularly from small businesses.

“Shoplifting really harms small businesses,” it said, adding that it was also concerned about the impact such incidents could have on the futures of the young people involved.

Cadillac Formula 1 driver Valtteri Bottas is cycling from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Singapore.

The 37-year-old Finnish driver is travelling roughly 350km between Sepang International Circuit and Singapore on a gravel race bicycle.

According to a team spokesperson for Cadillac, Bottas would take about three days to complete the ride, Reuters reported.

At one point, a video he posted on Instagram story showed him cycling through a dirt track at about 2am.

His "Malaysia to Singapore Day 1" activity showed that he finished 56.6km in 128 minutes, at an average speed of 28km/h.

Bottas is known to be an avid cyclist.

He retired early at the Bahrain Grand Prix held at Sepang on Oct. 4 after he spun into the gravel on a wet track.

A wild Bottas spotted

People in Malaysia have spotted the F1 driver in public.

Bottas and another rider were seen in Melaka at about 6pm on Monday, Oct. 5, about 245km from Singapore.

Bottas' Australian partner Tiffany Cromwell is a professional road and gravel cyclist.

Practice for the Singapore race starts on Oct. 9, with media commitments on Oct. 8.

A resale five-room Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) flat in Bishan sold for S$1.71 million in October 2026, setting a record resale price for this flat type in the estate.

A similar unit located between 31 and 33 floors was sold for S$1.6 million in September 2026, according to the Housing and Development Board (HDB) website for checking resale flat prices.

High-floor flat

The 1,292 sq ft unit at Block 273A Bishan Street 24 is at Natura Loft.

The flat is located between the 37th and 39th floors.

The unit's resale price translates to a S$1,324 psf price.

Previously, the record for the estate was a similar-sized unit at Block 275A between the 34th and 36th floors that transacted for S$1.63 million (S$1,263 psf) when it was sold in November 2025, according to Stacked Homes.

Natura Loft, which has blocks that reach 40 storeys, is the only DBSS project in Bishan, it was also reported.

There are 480 units in total.

Block 273A has 160 flats, comprising four- and five-room flats.

Natura Loft was completed in 2011.

It has more than 83 years left on its lease.

Its price could be due to the limited number of four-room and five-room flats in Bishan entering the market, the price analysis on Stacked Homes suggested.

Singapore's most expensive resale flat on record is a five-room unit in Bukit Merah that sold for S$1.728 million in April 2026.

HDB flats with very high resale prices 'a minority'

In an April 2026 parliamentary reply, the Ministry of National Development (MND) said about 6 per cent of resale flats transacted above S$1 million in 2025.

Based on the flash estimate for the first quarter of 2026, resale prices declined slightly by 0.1 per cent.

MND added that the resale market continues to provide a wide range of flats at different price points, catering to different budgets and needs.

In 2025, there were four-room resale flats with leases of 70 years or longer in Tampines and Punggol going for around S$650,000 to S$700,000.

In Sembawang and Yishun, such flats were available below S$600,000, MND added, while in Jurong West and Woodlands, there were options below S$550,000.

Eligible first-time resale buyers can get housing grants of up to S$230,000, further reducing the amounts they need to pay, MND said.

Previously, at a media briefing on Aug. 20, 2024, then-National Development Minister Desmond Lee shared that HDB flats with very high resale prices make up "a very small proportion of all transactions", even though record HDB resale prices have frequently made headlines.

Lee added at the time that such transactions made up only 0.5 per cent of all four-room or smaller flats transacted in the last two years, are very central, and are well served by transport connectivity and comprehensive amenities.

Lee noted that more than half of them are also located on very high floors, above 30 storeys, and have good views.

However, they have caused Singaporeans to be concerned about "the affordability of resale flats as a whole":

"Flat sellers who are reading such news raise their expectations about how much the flat could bring, while flat buyers become anxious to secure flats before prices get higher.

If we are not careful, such market dynamics can cause the resale market to run out of line with economic fundamentals and cause a bubble."

Lee also noted then that flats that cross the million-dollar mark made up about 2 per cent of all resale transactions over the last 1.5 years at the time.

Top image Google Maps

OldTown White Coffee will close its last Singapore outlet in Kallang Wave Mall.

Its last day of operations is on Oct. 11, 2026.

The restaurant chain serves Malaysian cuisine.

"After more than 12 years of serving our valued customers at OldTown Kallang Wave, we would like to announce the permanent closure of our outlet," OldTown White Coffee said in an Oct. 2 Facebook post.

OldTown White Coffee told The Straits Times that the closure was due to "the landlord's decision not to renew our lease at the current location" and being "unable to reach a mutual agreement for an extension".

Kallang Wave Mall is part of The Kallang.

OldTown White Coffee had outlets in Farrer Park, East Coast and Novena.

It also said it did not rule out returning to Singapore in the future.

Two large slabs of raw pork were photographed lying on the ground at Block 216 Bedok North Street 1 wet market.

The photos were shared on the SG Dirty Fella Facebook group on Oct. 2, along with a caption: "Thawing meat on the floor?!?!?! Buy at your own risk!"

The meat was resting in front of a large chest freezer.

The stall owner, surnamed Fang (transliteration), admitted to Shin Min Daily News that the meat was on the ground, but claimed that it had slid down accidentally from the top of the freezer.

"If the authorities want to fine me, I will accept it," he added.

Washed it the next morning

In the photos, the wet market appeared empty and was outside of operating hours.

Some commenters questioned the hygiene at the stall, with one saying that the stall needs to "use soap to wash the meat before cooking".

The 64-year-old stall owner repeatedly emphasised that he did not place the pork on the ground intentionally, and that he usually kept raw meat inside the freezer.

"That day, an employee placed the pork on top of the freezer, and somehow it fell on the ground," he said. "When I saw it the next morning, I rushed to wash it clean with water. It was really not intentional."

He had initially thought of it as a small matter, and did not expect it to be photographed and posted online.

He added: "These few days, customers have been asking about it, and I had to explain what happened to each of them."

He added that he would be more careful in the future to prevent such incidents from happening again.

Reactions from the public

The incident drew a mixed response from patrons.

Two women separately told Shin Min that they would be all right with it as long as the ground where the meat had fallen was not too dirty.

One felt that it would be a waste if the pork was thrown away.

"I would have to cook the meat at home anyway, so I don't really mind," the other woman said.

However, a third woman objected to it, pointing out that the ground is likely to have germs that cannot be completely removed even after the meat is washed.

"It's best to cut away the part of the pork that touched the ground directly, so that everyone can eat it with a peace of mind," she said.

A 32-year-old man will be charged in court for murder after an incident at Block 61 Telok Blangah Heights on Oct. 5.

According to a Singapore Police Force (SPF) news release, the Police received calls for assistance in the vicinity of the block at about 6pm.

They responded to the scene within 10 minutes.

On arrival, they found a 73-year-old man lying motionless and a 53-year-old man injured at the ground floor of the block.

Both were conveyed to the hospital.

The 73-year-old subsequently passed away.

The 53-year-old was conscious when conveyed to the hospital.

The 32-year-old man subsequently called the police to surrender and was arrested in the vicinity.

He is believed to have acted alone.

According to the SPF, there is currently no evidence to suggest that it was a religiously motivated attack or an act of terror.

The 32-year-old will be charged in court on Oct. 7.

If convicted of murder, he could face the death penalty.

Police investigations are ongoing.

A band busking outside Pasir Ris MRT station on Oct. 2 were shouted at to turn their volume down as they were apparently "too loud" for one man's liking.

The situation, as seen in a video, turned tense after a man approached the group of performers and yelled at them.

The incident happened towards the end of the four-member J.P.A.G Band's performance at around 11:50am, the lead singer Jazzica Lee told Mothership.

What video showed

As seen in the video that Lee posted on Instagram, the performers were in the middle of "Locked Out of Heaven" by Bruno Mars when a man started raising his voice.

He could be heard on camera telling the band, "Lower your volume, you're too loud."

The man's voice was audible over the music.

At one point, he even went up to the keyboardist and pointed at her and repeatedly told the group to lower their volume.

Staying calm

Lee said the band had never experienced such a confrontation before.

They busk regularly in Pasir Ris.

It was also their first time encountering the complainant in a blue cap.

When the man first approached them, the band members exchanged nervous glances with one another, the video showed.

They tried to remain calm, as Lee nodded to acknowledge that she had heard his demands.

"We usually try not to stop in the middle of a song as there was an audience watching us," she said.

At that time, she was standing between the instrumentalists holding a wired microphone, which did not allow her to move immediately to adjust the speaker’s volume.

She explained that her band uses a sound meter app to ensure that they do not exceed 65 decibels, which is a rule set by the National Arts Council (NAC) for daytime busking performances.

They also use a mixer and speaker system to help prevent distortion and peaking.

Did what he requested and stopped playing

But the man's persistent complaints prompted the band to simply do what he requested and lower their volume.

The guitarist stopped playing, and the keyboardist made her keyboard softer.

After the man got very close to the keyboardist and pointed at her while yelling, Lee grew worried for her bandmates' safety and told them they should stop and pack up.

Help from the public

A few passersby who were at the scene tried to de-escalate the situation.

A man who was with his young daughter went forward and stood between the complainant and the keyboardist to protect the latter, Lee said.

"It was very kind and thoughtful of him, and we are extremely grateful that he stepped forward," she told Mothership.

A user, believed to be the passerby, subsequently commented on Lee's Instagram video, saying that the man in the blue cap later followed him to a McDonald's to tell him off for trying to stop him.

Another passerby also helped to keep the man away, Lee shared.

The passerby told the band to ignore the man and continue playing.

"We are very grateful to the members of the public who stepped forward to help us," Lee said.

As the band packed up, she saw that the man in the blue cap was still watching them from a distance.

But he left before the police arrived.

Lee said her group was not the ones who called the police, and they are unsure who did.

In addition to taking their statements, the police officers advised the musicians to stay vigilant in case the man showed up again.

According to the video, Lee was seen packing up to leave the venue before two police officers showed up to speak to the band.

She said the officers asked about the man and took down the group's particulars and statement.

Mothership understands that no further police action was taken.

Consumers reported almost S$6.7 million in prepayment losses to the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) between Jan. 1 and Sep. 30, 2026.

This was about 147 per cent higher than the S$2.71 million reported in 2025, CASE said in an Oct. 5 media release.

More than half of this year’s reported losses came from complaints received following the closures of True Fitness, True Yoga and Yoga Inc., involving money consumers had paid upfront for services.

1,610 complaints following fitness closures

Between Sep. 10 and 30, CASE received 1,610 complaints involving nearly S$3.82 million in reported prepayment losses following the fitness businesses’ closures.

True Fitness and True Yoga accounted for 1,518 complaints involving about S$3.78 million, while Yoga Inc. accounted for another 92 complaints involving about S$32,827.

CASE said it had helped affected consumers lodge claims and proofs of debt with the relevant liquidators.

However, the association noted that consumers are generally treated as unsecured creditors when a business enters liquidation. Their prepaid funds are therefore not necessarily protected, and lodging a claim does not guarantee that they will recover the full amount.

Three mandatory safeguards

CASE said the scale of the reported losses showed the need for stronger protections, "particularly as consumers are generally treated as unsecured creditors when a business enters liquidation".

In a statement, CASE said:

"Several overseas jurisdictions have introduced or proposed measures to protect consumers who make advance payments. CASE believes Singapore should similarly consider mandatory safeguards for sectors involving substantial or long-term consumer prepayments."

The association called on the government to adopt three complementary measures.

1. Cooling-off periods for high-value packages

The first is a mandatory cooling-off period for high-value prepaid packages.

This would give consumers time to reconsider purchases involving substantial upfront payments and cancel without a penalty.

The release did not specify a proposed duration for the cooling-off period or a minimum package value.

2. Compulsory CaseTrust accreditation

CASE also proposed making CaseTrust accreditation compulsory for businesses in sectors involving substantial or long-term consumer prepayments.

Accreditation would require businesses to provide safeguards such as prepayment protection, transparent pricing, clear contractual terms, proper disclosure and reasonable refund arrangements.

3. Investigation and enforcement of potential wrongful trading cases

The third proposal calls for potential cases of wrongful trading to be appropriately investigated, with enforcement action taken under section 239(6) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 where the relevant legal requirements are met.

CASE said circumstances involving substantial prepayments collected shortly before liquidation could warrant closer examination.

"Effective investigation and enforcement, where supported by the evidence, would strengthen accountability and provide a meaningful deterrent.

These proposals are intended to strengthen the overall consumer protection framework and do not constitute an allegation of wrongdoing against any particular business or individual."

CASE urges prompt action

CASE president Melvin Yong said the recent fitness closures and sharp rise in reported losses highlighted the limitations of relying solely on voluntary measures.

“Consumers should not continue to bear substantial losses when prepaid services cannot be fulfilled because a business ceases operations,” he said.

CASE called for the safeguards to be introduced promptly to protect consumers’ money and establish clear standards for businesses.

The measures remain proposals from CASE. Government action would be needed to make the proposed protections compulsory.

Planning a weekend getaway to Kuala Lumpur soon and looking for something fun?

From now till Nov. 7, Sunway Lagoon at Sunway City Kuala Lumpur is hosting its annual spooky event titled Nights Of Fright 12 (NOF12): APE-OCALYPSE.

The event will run every Friday, Saturday and Sunday during this period from 7:30pm to 11:30pm with themed attractions, interactive experiences, live entertainment and more.

Apart from the main event, there will also be eight haunted houses inspired by Japanese horror, K-pop and local hantus.

Here are some highlights.

A two-in-one combo of Mad Max and Planet of the Apes

This year’s titular event draws its inspiration from Planet of the Apes and Mad Max, so yes, you can definitely expect to be shocked by some chainsaw-wielding apes in a post-apocalyptic world when you make your way through this haunted house, all burning with a deep hatred for humans and hunting us down solely for their brutal entertainment.

But that’s not all, however.

Another terrifying sight you can catch is:

Yokai Road

Inspired by Japanese folklore, expect to encounter plenty of demons from Japanese myths and legends to send shivers down your spine in an alley within the quiet town of Fukusaki, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.

Right at the end lies the home of Kunio Yanagita—the custodian of Japanese folklore—where visitors can expect to see the yokai myths of old come alive in a terrifying fashion.

There’s also:

The Freezer: Fresh Meat

Find out what it’s like to become part of an abattoir in this haunted house, with the machines, the hanging carcasses and the industrial sounds assailing you at every turn.

Will you escape becoming the abattoir's next victim?

The Romeos and Juliet

Come soak in a K-pop fantasy with a horror twist: one fan’s deadly obsession with a K-pop boyband.

Juliet has always been the ultimate superfan of the Romeos but another jealous fan, Sophia, will stop at nothing to replace her as the band’s number one fan.

This haunted house will take you into the Romeos Fan Club Headquarters, which has now been transformed into a chilling crime scene.

Return to Silent Hill

Whether you are a fan of the cult horror video game series Silent Hill or have always heard it referenced each time the weather turns foggy or hazy, you will be in for a treat.

Return to Silent Hill brings dread at every turn, with every building concealing terror.

What will you find?

Scarytales Immersive Theatre – Pontianak vs Pocong: Origins

No horror experience in Malaysia is complete without a taste of local flair and here’s where you can get your dose with Scarytales Immersive Theatre – Pontianak vs Pocong: Origins.

Witness the origins of two of Southeast Asia’s most legendary spirits come to life and be prepared to be immersed in a world of ancient curses, dark folklore and supernatural vengeance as these two hantus clash.

Beyond the haunted houses

It’s not just the haunted houses you can look forward to, however.

Beyond these, there are also plenty of thrilling shows for you to enjoy, including fire-breathing performances.

There will also be a Little Shop of Horrors booth where you can take a photo, share it on social

media and redeem a complimentary pack of Venus flytrap seeds, subject to terms and conditions.

You can also redeem a complimentary mini Daruma if you spend a minimum of RM100 at selected Nights Of Frights F&B or retail outlets, at Wishes Upon a Daruma.

If you are looking for some more challenges, there’s the Mystery Box challenge where you can take a guess at which Nights Of Fright haunted house each mystery box represents and redeem a complimentary Mini Sunway Theme Parks Kedai Runcit popcorn.

You can also go for a complimentary tarot card reading at The Oracle Table, limited to one reading per guest. Collectors also can take part in the Nights of Fright trading card experience. The first 50 guests to complete their collection will be eligible to redeem a mystery gift.

Terms and conditions apply.

Here are the ticket prices:

• RM138 – One admission ticket + One free Sunway Theme Parks Kedai Runcit Potato Crisps
• RM236 – One admission ticket + Express pass + One free Sunway Theme Parks Kedai Runcit Potato Crisps

They can be purchased via the Sunway Super App, KLOOK, and the official Sunway Lagoon website.

So why not spice up your KL weekend with some terror?

This sponsored article made the author consider planning a weekend trip to KL for Halloween.