Fatal accidents and fatalities in Singapore declined in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, the police said in a Aug. 28, 2026 news release on the mid-year road traffic situation.

Fatal accidents fell by 23.1 per cent to 60, while fatalities fell by 22.8 per cent to 61, compared with the same period in 2025, when there were 79 fatalities.

The reduction was largely due to fewer fatalities among motorcyclists and pillion riders.

However, the overall number of accidents and casualties have been increasing, the statement highlighted.

Overall traffic situation for January to June 2026

The traffic police said "the broader road traffic situation remains worrying".

"This underscores the need for further enforcement and policy measures to deter irresponsible road user behaviour and improve road safety," the police said.

Increase in accidents and casualties, decrease in fatal accidents and fatalities

The total number of accidents resulting in injuries or fatalities increased by 2.7 per cent to 3,929, while the total number of injured persons and fatalities increased by 3.6 per cent to 5,151 in the first half of 2026, compared with the same period in 2025.

The number of accidents resulting in injuries increased by 3.2 per cent to 3,869 in the first half of 2026, from 3,748 in the first half of 2025, while the number of injured persons also increased by 4.0 per cent to 5,090 in the first half of 2026, from 4,894 in the first half of 2025.

The number of fatal accidents decreased by 23.1 per cent to 60 in the first half of 2026, from 78 in the first half of 2025.

Fatalities had also decreased by 22.8 per cent to 61 in the first half of 2026, from 79 in the first half of 2025.

This was largely due to fewer fatalities among motorcyclists and pillion riders.

But motorcyclists, pillion riders, and elderly pedestrians continue to be the most vulnerable road user groups, and remain over-represented in traffic fatalities, it was observed.

Speeding violations

The number of speeding violations increased by 6.1 per cent to 126,976 in the first half of 2026, from 119,640 in the first half of 2025.

This may be attributed to enhanced enforcement operations and the activation of the speed enforcement function in more red-light cameras islandwide.

Speed-related accidents

The number of fatal speed-related accidents increased by 5.3 per cent to 20 in the first half of 2026, from 19 in the first half of 2025.

This was despite an overall decrease in speed-related accidents by 4.4 per cent to 437 in the first half of 2026, from 457 in the first half of 2025.

The number of red-light running violations decreased by 31.7 per cent to 9,454 in the first half of 2026, from 13,832 in the first half of 2025.

Red-light running violations and accidents

Correspondingly, the total number of red-light running accidents also decreased by 3.8 per cent to 102 in the first half of 2026, from 106 in the first half of 2025.

The number of fatal red-light running accidents also decreased to two in the first half of 2026, from four in the first half of 2025.

Drink-driving situation

The total number of drink-driving accidents decreased by 8.1 per cent to 68 in the first half of 2026, from 74 in the first half of 2025.

The number of fatal drink-driving accidents has also decreased to four in the first half of 2026, from five in the first half of 2025.

However, the number of persons arrested for drink-driving increased by 1.6 per cent to 888 in the first half of 2026, from 874 in the first half of 2025.

Parliament has passed the legislative amendments to lower the prescribed alcohol limits for drink-driving offences in July 2026.

The newly prescribed limits only indicate the point at which driving impairment begins.

"There is no 'safe' number of drinks before driving, and TP reminds all drivers to never drink and drive," the statement said.

Traffic accidents involving elderly pedestrians

The total number of accidents involving elderly pedestrians increased by 19.0 per cent to 144 in the first half of 2026, from 121 in the first half of 2025.

The number of elderly pedestrians injured in accidents increased by 24.5 per cent to 132 in the first half of 2026, from 106 in the first half of 2025.

Of the 132 cases reported in the first half of 2026, 38.9 per cent involved elderly pedestrians who engaged in unsafe pedestrian behaviour.

These include jaywalking and crossing outside of designated pedestrian crossings.

The number of elderly pedestrian fatalities decreased by 40 per cent to nine in the first half of 2026, from 15 in the first half of 2025.

However, they accounted for half of all pedestrian fatalities.

Traffic accidents involving motorcyclists

The total number of accidents involving motorcyclists increased by 4.3 per cent to 2,186 in the first half of 2026, from 2,096 in the first half of 2025.

The number of injured motorcyclists and pillion riders also increased by 5.8 per cent to 2,470 in the first half of 2026, from 2,335 in the first half of 2025.

Motorcyclists and pillion riders were involved in 55.6 per cent of all traffic accidents in the first half of 2026.

The top three causes of motorcyclist-involved accidents were failure to keep a proper lookout, failure to have proper control, and failure to exercise due care when changing lanes.

Motorcyclist and pillion rider fatalities decreased by 34.9 per cent to 28 in the first half of 2026, from 43 in the first half of 2025.

However, they remained the largest group of road users involved in fatal traffic accidents.

They also accounted for 45.9 per cent of all road deaths.

Sustained enforcement and public education

The trends underscore the need for sustained enforcement and public education, the statement said.

To deter irresponsible road user behaviour, enforcement measures have been implemented over the past two years.

They include expanded speeding enforcement operations and activation of speed enforcement functions in red-light cameras.

The number of speeding violations detected in the first half of 2026 alone was equivalent to the total number of speeding violations detected for the entire year of 2023, it was noted.

The new mobile traffic violation enforcement cameras were also introduced from Mar. 1, 2026.

This is coupled by enhanced penalties for speeding offences, effective from Jan. 1, 2026, which will attract more demerit points and higher composition fines across all speeding bands.

Enhanced penalties for road traffic offences committed within Friendly Streets, were also effective from Jan. 1, 2026, where offenders will incur an additional two demerit points and S$100 in composition sums on top of the existing penalties.

To target heavier vehicles, the expansion of the speed limiter regime for lorries saw 94.2 per cent and 98.9 per cent of lorries completing speed limiter installation in the first and second phase, respectively.

The offence of failing to ensure that a speed limiter is fitted carries a fine of up to S$1,000 or a jail term of up to three months.

Strict enforcement action has been taken against non-compliant lorry owners, including towing away lorries, requiring vehicle inspections, and penalising those who install speed limiters after the stipulated deadline.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has also strengthened legislative levers to improve road safety, with an amendment passed in parliament in August 2026 to strengthen accountability for egregious road conduct, further deter driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and enhance the traffic police's ability to detect and enforce against traffic offences.

The demerit points regime for Singapore driving licence holders to deter traffic violations and keep errant motorists off the roads for longer periods will be tightened from Jan. 1, 2027.

Tariffs have hit the headlines again as U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policy comes up against Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Canada and the U.S. have been engaged in a trade war since Trump returned to power in 2025, when Trump levied new tariffs against his northern neighbour, despite having negotiated a wide-reaching trade deal with them during his first term in office.

Trade negotiations between the two countries were underway, seemingly heading to a successful conclusion when they broke down, as Politico reports, over the span of three days, culminating in Carney telling his negotiators to quit and return to Canada.

Ever since then, there has been a rhetorical and tariff war ratcheting up, with Trump renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America” and both countries leveraging 50 per cent tariffs and import bans on a range of goods.

New tariffs, who dis

The Trump administration has long believed in tariffs as a way to remake the global trading order more in its favour, but this worldview was struck a major blow in February 2026, when the U.S. Supreme Court said they were unconstitutional.

But those tariffs come under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), despite the administration trying to justify them, saying that trade imbalances and the import of the drug fentanyl represented national threats.

While Canada was not targeted by that set of tariffs, it was accused of being complicit in the fentanyl trade, and the new phase of the trade war is feared to be a testing ground for new approaches and justifications for tariff action by the administration.

The specific set of tariffs that the Trump administration is using against Canada is the Section 338 Tariff Act of 1930, and as the name implies, it's a nearly century-old set of laws.

The act was meant to protect U.S. industry in the throes of the Great Depression, and as The New York Times observes, it has never been tested in a court of law.

This presents a conundrum for all involved:

For Trump, it runs the risk of being overturned like his Liberation Day tariffs, which resulted in the administration having to repay over US$160 billion dollars in collected tariffs.

But it also means that affected parties, whether they be the Canadian government or businesses on either side of the border, are unsure how a case will turn out, or how long it might take.

Border, and broader, concerns

Of course, for Singapore and other countries, concern about the tariffs is not limited to the U.S.-Canada bilateral relationship.

There are at least two other concerns: firstly, the Section 338 tariffs might be utilised as a tool against other countries, and secondly, one of the specific reasons why trade negotiations between the two broke down: trade deals with other countries.

Flexible tool

The first concern is straightforward: the Liberation Day tariffs were based on the nearly half-century-old IEPPA tariffs, creatively adapted to suit the administration’s goals.

So if the new Canadian tariffs are successful or unchallenged, it could be used to target other countries.

An expert the NYT spoke to said that if Trump succeeds in implementing the Canadian tariffs, “you have to expect that we’re going to see a lot of 338 use”, describing it as a “very flexible tool.”

The law is not meant to allow tariffs without cause, and is meant to be used “In response to unreasonable and discriminatory trade practices” by other countries.

And the Trump administration has been able to find such grievances.

Most of the Liberation Day tariffs were justified by Trump suggesting that targeted countries had exploited loopholes in trade law, or disguised countries of origin.

Singapore would be vulnerable to such action, already having been targeted by a 12.5 per cent tariff in July 2026 for ostensibly trading in goods made with “forced labour”, a charge Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry denied.

Trade wars within trade wars

The second aspect is a kind of secondary shadow trade war fought in the shadows of the U.S.-Canada Trade War.

In the aftermath of the trade negotiations, the Canadian side alluded to sovereignty concerns, mainly in French language requirements, but also saying that the U.S. had demanded the ability to interfere in Canada's trade deals with third parties.

This has been widely interpreted to target China, with whom Canada's trading relationship has significantly warmed over the past two years.

The South China Morning Post suggested that chilling ties between the US and Canada could be beneficial for China-Canada trade, with China buying oil that would otherwise be bought by the U.S.

The Global Times published an editorial that backed Canada's reaction, saying that in the face of Washington's tariff stick, Canada had launched a Chinese-style counterattack, by which it meant responding firmly and proportionately while defending its sovereignty without compromise.

“No country has the privilege to monopolise the rules or dictate the fate of others.”

"Foolish" deals with "bad people"

Nearly a week on from the failure of Trade Talks, tensions between the two countries remain high. Although in some areas, such as French language requirements, the U.S. stance has softened, and Canada has said that might open the way to renewed negotiations.

Carney has been forthright about what he thinks is going to happen with the U.S.’s relationship, not just with his country, but the world at large, saying that the world lived in “an age of rupture, not transition” earlier in the year.

He also said that “you can't get a good deal with a bad person” when referring to Trump.

Trump has been equally critical of Canada and Carney, saying that Canada wanted the benefits of being a state without being one.

He called Canada’s stance “foolish", and that Canada clearly relied more on the U.S. economically than the reverse.

Meanwhile, the world watches cautiously how Carney’s attempts to brace against U.S. economic pressure turns out.

Related story

Residents across Singapore will have more avenues to address neighbour disputes at an earlier stage, with enhancements to mediation and community intervention measures being rolled out nationwide.

This was announced by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), the Ministry of Law (MinLaw), as well as the Ministry of National Development (MND) in a joint press release on Aug. 28.

From Sep. 1, 2026, the Mediation Direction framework, which allows disputing neighbours to be required to attend mediation, as well as the Community Relations Unit (CRU) model, will be expanded across Singapore.

This move is aimed at helping neighbours resolve disagreements before they escalate, while providing stronger intervention for more serious cases.

Enhanced framework to address neighbour disputes

The three ministries introduced enhancements to the Community Disputes Management Framework in November 2024 to strengthen the community's ability to manage and resolve disputes at an early stage.

These included the introduction of the Mediation Direction framework and the establishment of the CRU.

Under the framework, disputing neighbours are brought together for constructive dialogue and mediation before their disagreements escalate.

Mediation Directions are legally binding orders requiring disputing neighbours to attend mediation at the Community Mediation Centre.

Parties who are issued with such directions must comply with them.

On the other hand, the CRU was established to address severe neighbour noise disputes and hoarding cases where efforts by neighbours and agencies to resolve the issues have been unsuccessful.

It is also empowered to investigate cases and intervene where appropriate.

The two measures have been piloted in Tampines Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates since April 2025.

According to the three ministries, the pilot showed that the enhanced measures can help resolve disputes more effectively.

Expansion of the framework islandwide

With the nationwide expansion of the Mediation Direction framework, residents will be able to access mediation at an earlier stage, providing them with another avenue to resolve neighbour disputes amicably.

In public housing estates, HDB and the People's Association (PA) will be authorised to issue Mediation Directions.

For private housing estates, PA will have the authority to issue such directions.

Parties who reach a settlement following community mediation can register the settlement agreement as a Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals (CDRT) order, with the consent of both parties.

Such settlements are recognised by the Tribunal, allowing for faster and simpler enforcement if necessary.

CRU model will also be extended nationwide

In a similar vein, the CRU model will be expanded across Singapore to address severe neighbour noise cases in both public and private housing estates.

This will target excessive and prolonged noise disturbance cases that cannot be adequately addressed through community mediation or the CDRT.

CRU officers have legal powers to take statements from disputing neighbours and other individuals who may assist with investigations.

They can also issue warnings and abatement orders requiring individuals to stop the noise nuisance.

Failure to comply with an abatement order is a criminal offence.

However, the ministries stressed that government intervention is not intended to replace communication and mediation between neighbours.

"Government intervention through the CRU will therefore be reserved for the most severe neighbour noise cases, after neighbours and agencies have exhausted other avenues to resolve the dispute or the circumstances warrant such intervention," they said.

This will also allow CRU resources to be focused on cases where they are most needed.

Shared responsibility

The nationwide expansion of the Mediation Direction framework and CRU model marks a further step in Singapore's efforts to manage neighbour disputes.

According to the three ministries, the measures will provide residents with greater support to resolve disagreements amicably, whilst ensuring that severe neighbourhood noise cases can be addressed more effectively when required.

"Ultimately, building harmonious neighbourhoods is a shared responsibility," they said.

"Strong communities are built when neighbours treat one another with consideration, respect, and understanding; and when neighbours come together early and resolve their differences in an amicable manner."

On Oct. 13, 2025, just before the flight from Barcelona to Singapore was about to depart, a cabin crew member ran up to chief stewardess Serene Koh.

She looked "very worried", Koh, 48, recalled. "She told me a passenger was unconscious."

Without hesitation, Koh went to check on him. The passenger, an elderly man, was unresponsive.

He wasn't breathing. And he had no pulse.

She remembers how his wife, sitting next to him, begged her and her staff for help: "She was crying... she was pleading with us to save him, please save him. At whatever cost."

20 minutes of CPR

Koh's years of experience as a Singapore Airlines (SIA) cabin crew member kicked in.

The man was placed on the floor, in the narrow airplane aisle, and prepared for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Koh instructed her crew to call for medical assistance, get oxygen, and inform the in-flight manager.

Together with the in-flight manager, Kueh Joo Tong, 57, she began performing CPR on the man. Two medical doctors and first-aiders also responded to the call for help; between them, they took turns to try and revive him.

In total, they delivered 20 minutes of continuous CPR and two AED shocks to the man.

"It was very tiring," Koh recalled. "We were praying... that [he'd be OK]."

A well-oiled machine

Kueh added that while it was a shock, it "also felt automatic".

"We went for training every year to be ready for these situations, and it paid off," he said. It was his first medical emergency in his over three decades of years of service with SIA.

Fortunately, after their efforts, the man's pulse finally returned. Koh remembers that it was a just faint pulse; his eyes remained closed and he didn't respond verbally.

But he was breathing. "We managed to bring him back," Kueh said, with the faintest hint of pride.

The man was quickly rushed to the hospital. Thanks to the team's seamless coordination, they'd pre-emptively cleared his immigration and offloaded his baggage, so he could be transferred immediately.

The flight ended up departing just one hour behind schedule.

A close call

It was only a month later that Koh and Kueh finally found out what happened.

The man had arrhythmia, and that day, his heart had stopped. It might have been fatal if not for the efforts of the crew.

After the incident, he underwent surgery for a stent. Today, he's doing well.

On Aug. 28, both Koh and Kueh will be presented with a Fusion Award at the Singapore Airlines CEO Service Excellence Awards ceremony. It is, Koh told me, "the greatest honour".

Both staff have flown for SIA for decades — 26 years for Koh, and 34 years for Kueh. It's the first time they're receiving an award for their service.

But they are just thankful that because of their training, they were able to save a life.

"It's somebody's grandfather, somebody's father," Kueh said. "We were happy that we were able to help."

Two men in Nepal have been arrested after they were allegedly seen on video removing gold earrings from the body of a woman who was found dead in floodwaters.

The Nepal Police shared a clip highlighting that they have detained the men.

मृतकको कानको मुन्द्रा चोरी गर्ने व्यक्तिहरु नियन्त्रणमा लिएको सम्बन्धमा । pic.twitter.com/pnPlnQPn9j

— Nepal Police (@NepalPoliceHQ) August 27, 2026

What men allegedly did

The video showed the men pulling the body of a woman from the Narayani River by her hair and with the aid of a wooden plank.

The men were then seen removing earrings from the woman’s ears.

There were onlookers at the scene.

Arrested

Authorities subsequently identified and arrested two suspects near Pokhara Bus Park in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-1 on Aug, 27, Nepali news outlet Khabarhub reported.

The suspects were identified as Madan Gurung, 25, and Umesh Chaudhary, 38.

Police condemned the incident and emphasised that looting or engaging in any form of inhumane behaviour during a disaster will not be tolerated.

Flash flood incident

Flash floods and mudslides swept through mountainous areas along the Nepal-Tibet border on Aug. 26, 2026.

The death toll in Nepal has jumped to at least 469 people, with around 900 others unaccounted for, BBC reported on Aug. 28.

A glacier reportedly broke away and plunged to the valley floor gathering rocks and sediment, and a huge avalanche occurred on the north face of Mount Langtang Lirung in Nepal.

The landslide eventually registered as a magnitude 5.2 seismic event.

The deluge engulfed infrastructure, people, and vehicles in an instant, as seen in footage of the massive flooding that was circulated online.

Some of the worst damage occurred in Nepal’s Rasuwa district, immediately south of the Chinese border.

A physical altercation broke out at a children's play area in a Hong Kong mall after a girl was slapped by an elderly woman.

It resulted in three people, including the girl, being sent to the hospital for injuries, The South China Morning Post reported.

Police were called to the scene, and they arrested the elderly woman, her daughter, and the girl's mother.

The incident happened on Aug. 26 in the atrium of APM shopping mall, located in Hong Kong's Kwun Tong district.

Footage of the slap, circulating online, shows the elderly woman shoving the girl, then slapping her across the face, causing her to fall on the ground.

However, following investigations, the police believe that the woman, aged 68, may have been hit first by the girl's mother.

What happened?

The day of the incident, APM mall had a sports-themed playground at its atrium.

The elderly woman, a 68-year-old surnamed Leung, and her 34-year-old daughter surnamed Ng, brought Ng's son to play there.

Another woman, surnamed Tsui, also 34, had separately brought her 5-year-old daughter, The Standard reported.

The dispute allegedly began when the two children argued over a basketball installation.

After Leung shoved and slapped the girl, the girl's mother confronted both Leung and Ng, and further scuffling ensued.

A man who intervened at one point went towards Leung and yelled in Cantonese, "Did you just hit a child? I saw you."

Ng also confronted Tsui while holding an umbrella and told her, "You cannot leave."

According to The Standard, there is another video that shows Tsui allegedly slapping Leung across the face during a heated exchange before Leung slapped the girl.

The girl reportedly had a swollen right cheek due to the slap, while her mother and Ng also had minor facial injuries.

Charged

All three women involved have been charged with fighting in a public place, SCMP reported.

Leung faces an additional count of common assault.

They are all scheduled to appear in court on Sep. 3.

Ng has also been suspended by her employer, insurance provider AIA, following the dispute.

In a statement on Aug. 27, an AIA spokesperson said the company held its advisers to strict standards of professional conduct and did not condone any form of violence.

According to the Hong Kong Free Press, Tsui and her daughter are allegedly from mainland China, holding two-way permits that allow them to travel to and from Hong Kong.

Yassin Kampung restaurant stores in Singapore appeared empty weeks after debt recovery collectors were seen at an outlet.

When Mothership visited Yassin Kampung outlets at Admiralty and Marsiling after 8pm on Tuesday, Aug. 25, both were closed.

Boxes were seen inside the outlets and no staff or customers were present.

The opening hours of Yassin Kampung's Admiralty and Marsiling outlets are from 11am to 11:30pm and 10am to 11pm, respectively.

Calls to the two stores of the family restaurant chain on Aug. 27 subsequently went unanswered.

According to Stomp, men wearing "A.S.K Credit Collectors" were seen outside Yassim Kampung at Admiralty recently.

Instagram accounts down

Checks by Mothership on Aug. 25 showed that "yassinkampung" was unavailable on Instagram.

Responding to Mothership's queries, A.S.K Debt Recovery confirmed that its staff visited a number of outlets, including Yassin Kampung's Admiralty outlet.

The spokesperson said the purpose of the visits was to follow up on an alleged outstanding debt of more than S$60,000 owed by Yassin Kitchen Pte Ltd to its client, a food supplier company.

Before making the visits, they said they had made "numerous attempts" to contact relevant personnel, but that their "calls and attempts to communicate with them have not received any meaningful response."

Recovery process

As part of its recovery process, its staff subsequently visited the company's office premises in an attempt to speak with the relevant representatives and resolve the matter.

However, the office was reportedly closed at the time of their visit.

The spokesperson added that its staff then left a letter of demand at the premises, together with the contact details of its manager.

"However, the staff at the outlet declined to receive the documents or engage with our representatives," the debt recovery company spokesperson said.

He pointed out that there was no intention to cause any disturbance to the outlet, its employees or its customers.

The spokesperson also said "calls, messages, office visit and visits to the relevant outlets" has yet to lead to a "meaningful response".

"From our perspective, the situation demonstrates the difficulty faced by suppliers when substantial amounts remain outstanding despite repeated attempts to obtain payment or even establish communication with the debtor," the spokesperson said.

Mothership has reached out to Yassin Kitchen Pte Ltd for more information.

A 37-year-old man was sentenced to nine months’ jail on Aug. 27 after pleading guilty to assaulting a 78-year-old man who later died from a head injury.

Jimmy Yar Hock Long had shoved the elderly man, Goh Kim Inn, after seeing Goh hit Yar's father on the head with an umbrella.

Goh fell and hit his head on the ground, and died two days later at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

According to a report by The Straits Times (ST), Yar pleaded guilty to an assault charge and was sentenced to 9 months' jail.

History of altercations

Court documents seen by Mothership revealed that Goh and Yar's father, Yar Mui Cheoh, had been involved in several previous altercations.

Goh had assaulted Yar’s father in January and March 2024, and was subsequently given two police warnings on Aug. 20 that year.

Yar’s father was also issued a warning for fighting with Goh in a public place on Mar. 21, 2024.

Hit his head and became motionless

On May 25, 2025, Yar’s father was crossing the road with his family at a pedestrian crossing at the junction of Upper Serangoon Road and Wolskel Road.

Goh then approached the group from behind and struck Yar’s father on the head with an umbrella.

Upon seeing this, Yar rushed towards Goh, grabbed him, and pushed him onto the pavement.

Goh fell and hit his head on the ground.

He became motionless after the fall.

Yar’s sister then called for the ambulance and Goh was rushed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

He died of a head injury two days later.

Hurt caused was of the "most severe variety"

The prosecution sought a sentence of 10 to 12 months' imprisonment for Yar, arguing that the injury suffered by Goh was particularly severe.

"The hurt caused in this case is of the most severe variety," it said.

The defence, however, argued that Yar should receive no more than eight months’ jail, ST reported.

One of Yar’s lawyers said that Goh "was certainly not a helpless victim".

"Mr Yar then intervened spontaneously because of the surprise assault on his father and his concern for his elderly father’s safety," he was quoted as saying.

The lawyer also said that Yar’s father undergoes regular kidney dialysis and is recovering from stage-four cancer.

Yar’s bail has been set at S$20,000, and he is expected to begin serving his sentence on Sep. 28.

The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) is looking to expand the pool of infant care educators in Singapore.

By 2030, it aims to recruit 1,800 more infant care educators, Senior Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming said on Aug. 28.

Making preschool more affordable and accessible

Speaking at ECDA's Teachers’ Day celebrations at E-Bridge Preschool, Goh said the hiring increase will be to meet the expected demand growth as the government aims to make preschool more affordable and accessible.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced during the National Day Rally on Aug. 23 that full-day childcare and infant care fees will be progressively reduced from 2028 to S$150 and S$300, respectively, by 2030.

These fees will be "less than half" of today's fees, said the Prime Minister's Office.

Grants for preschools to join government-supported network

In light of this, Goh announced that a new grant will be introduced to help eligible preschool operators that wish to transition onto the government-supported network.

While specific details are still being worked through, the grants will allow a broader range of operators, including smaller operators, to benefit from government support while continuing to offer diverse programmes.

More details are expected to be shared later in the year.

Infant care manpower

Further, to meet an expected rise in demand for infant care educators, ECDA will be expanding the Manpower Hiring Grant (MHG) from September 2026.

The grants provides funding support, including up to 70 per cent in training stipends and up to 50 per cent in course fee subsidies for eligible local and foreign trainees to attain early childhood certification in Singapore.

The expanded MHG will be enhanced across trainee categories, with additional support for infant care certification.

This will include the Assistant Infant Educator (AIE) and Fundamentals Certificate in Infant Care (FCIC) courses.

Funding support will also be extended by three years to Dec. 31, 2030.

ECDA is also exploring overseas partnerships to widen the pool of potential caregiving candidates.

Encouraging infant caregiving

ECDA also aims to encourage more educators to enter infant caregiving through additional support for new and in-service educators.

Currently, more than 2,000 preschool educators hold qualifications that enable them to work in both infant care and other preschool roles.

However, as of August 2026, about 4 per cent are serve as infant educators while the remaining serve the older ages.

More details on the support will be provided at a later date.

"Infant care is much more than routine care," said Goh.

"Our infant care educators create safe, nurturing environments where infants can grow, learn, and develop holistically."

Concluding his speech, he added: "This Teachers' Day, I wish to express my thanks to all our educators for the meaningful work that they do every day."

A Singapore Airlines (SIA) business class passenger was taken away by the authorities after getting caught smoking on board the plane toilet of SQ836 flight from Singapore to Shanghai on Aug. 21

The incident was shared on Xiaohongshu.

Local authorities led the passenger away after the plane landed in China.

Smoking not allowed

A spokesperson for SIA told Mothership that the airline is aware of the incident involving a customer who smoked in a lavatory on board the plane on Friday.

"Smoking, including vaping and the use of e-cigarettes, is strictly prohibited on all SIA and Scoot flights. Customers who are caught smoking or vaping on board will be banned from travelling on Singapore Airlines and Scoot flights," the spokesperson said.

What social media post showed

According to a social media post, a cabin crew approached the business class passenger when the flight was about to land at Shanghai’s Pudong Airport.

The cabin crew was heard speaking in Mandarin.

The exchange lasted a few minutes and the passenger’s cigarettes were collected in a plastic bag.

An announcement was subsequently made to inform passengers to remain seated while authorities boarded the aircraft.

The other passengers were then told to disembark while the passenger who was caught smoking had to remain in the cabin.

Local police were seen waiting at the plane's exit.

Cigarette butts wrapped in a napkin were apparently handed over to the police.

The person who posted about the incident then confirmed with airport staff that a passenger was caught smoking in the plane’s toilet.