Thailand has declared a two-day holiday for civil servants from Sep. 28 to 29.

According to Reuters, the Thai cabinet approved the special holidays for Bangkok and three surrounding provinces — Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, and Samut Prakan — due to heavy rainfall and flooding.

The Thai government said that it is part of measures to reduce travel and mitigate traffic disruptions for the public, though it added that important business may still be conducted as deemed appropriate.

The inundated capital was declared a "disaster zone" on Sep. 26, as heavy rains left cars partially submerged and led residents to hoard essentials.

Though floodwaters began to recede on Sep. 27, some residents are still stranded at home.

Reuters reported that the civil service holiday could have interfered with the reading of a verdict by the Thai Constitutional Court, in a case raised by the country's ombudsman relating to ballots used in Thailand's elections in February.

However, the court said that the reading would continue as planned.

Malaysian actress and singer Bella Astillah said she was not actively looking for a new partner until her fiancé, Muar Member of Parliament Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, came into her life.

Instead, after going through difficulties in her previous marriage, the 32-year-old said she wanted to focus on her career, parents, and children.

Speaking on a podcast with Indonesian preacher Oki Setiana Dewi, Bella said: "I wasn't looking, I wasn't planning for a relationship."

She added that she had focused on earning money, making her parents happy, and spending time with her children.

During a period when she was feeling down, Bella sought solace by drawing closer to God and performing the umrah pilgrimage without thinking about finding another partner.

Prayed for happiness

Bella said she prayed to God to grant her happiness after everything she had gone through, adding that she was "tired of feeling sad and hurt".

She then spoke about Syed Saddiq, explaining that his acceptance of her children was one of the main reasons she was drawn to him.

She said her children were comfortable with Syed Saddiq and that she was also touched by the way he respected her parents and cared for his own.

Bella added that God had given her more than what she had prayed for.

Doesn't want past trauma to affect new relationship

Bella also reflected on the trauma that can remain after a failed marriage, saying it should not be carried into another relationship.

“Whatever old wounds we have are actually our own responsibility, without having to involve someone else,” she said.

Bella described her relationship with Syed Saddiq as a second chance at happiness.

While Bella admitted she sometimes feared losing her newfound happiness, she said she was grateful to have an understanding partner who prioritised her children and hoped they could face future challenges together.

Getting married on Oct. 10

Bella and Syed Saddiq are set to marry on Oct. 10 at Menara Merdeka Maybank, the tallest building in Malaysia.

The pair grew close in 2025 and became engaged on Mar. 28, 2026.

A 66-year-old tourist from Singapore reportedly died in Italy on Sep. 16.

The death was reported by Italian media La Sicilia, a daily newspaper based in Catania, Italy.

The paper stated that the tourist died in Rifugio Sapienza, a hotel on Mount Etna.

Alleged presence of carbon monoxide

Following this, firefighters reportedly detected the presence of carbon monoxide in the room.

Several guests at the hotel were reportedly affected by carbon monoxide poisoning, with prosecutors intending to determine the source of the carbon monoxide leak.

The facility is also said to be under preventive seizure with the case being coordinated by a prosecutor.

According to news website CanaleSicilia, the legal representative of the hotel has been placed under investigation.

Investigation

CanaleSicilia reported that two cases were opened by the Prosecutor's Office — manslaughter and negligent assault.

Following this, an autopsy was scheduled to be performed on Sep. 25 at a university hospital morgue.

Investigations by the fire brigade also revealed that the leak could be linked to a malfunctioning LPG boiler below the affected bedrooms.

A total of 23,549 Simba customers were affected by a data breach incident on Sep. 24, the telecommunications company said in a statement on Sep. 25.

Based on investigations by that time, the data involved included these customers' names, identity card (IC) numbers, dates of birth, phone numbers, and email addresses.

No credit card or bank account information is at risk, the company said.

There had also been no indication that any data had been maliciously misused.

Simba added that it has resolved the incident.

It has taken immediate action to review existing security measures to protect core infrastructure and systems, while working with the relevant authorities.

The company has been progressively notifying affected customers via email, a process it expects to complete within the following week.

In response to Mothership's queries, the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) said it is aware of the incident and is investigating it.

A five-room resale flat that is a 5-minute walk to Kallang MRT station sold for S$1.58 million in September 2026, setting a record resale price for this flat type in the Kallang/ Whampoa area.

The 1,249 sq ft premium apartment unit at Block 8A Upper Boon Keng Road is part of the Kallang Trivista estate.

The flat is located between the 28th and 30th floors, according to the Housing and Development Board (HDB) website for checking resale flat prices.

The unit's resale price translates to a S$1,273 psf price.

Rare 5-room unit

The record price of the resale flat in the Kallang/ Whampoa area is due to the scarcity of large units.

The block, which is part of three blocks in the cluster, was completed in 2017.

Each block has 28 storeys.

Within Block 8A, there are 270 units: 81 three-room flats, 162 four-room flats, and only 27 five-room flats.

The flat that got sold has about 89 years and 10 months left on its lease, making it a relatively new public housing development in Kallang/ Whampoa

For its size, it has one of the longest tenures among five-room resale units in the area.

Scarcity of resale transactions

Five-room resale transactions for the block are scarce.

A 1,249 sq ft unit on the 1st to 3rd floors sold for S$1.33 million (S$1,064 psf) in July 2026.

A previous 1,249 sq ft unit on the 16th to 18th floors sold for S$1.068 million (S$855 psf) in March 2021.

HDB flats with very high resale prices 'a minority'

In an April 2026 written 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.

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A 60-year-old man in Taiwan who was found curled up at the back of the bus on Sep. 27 had reportedly been dead for several days.

Sin Chew Daily reported that the deceased was found by a passenger.

Dead for several days

When the police and firefighters arrived at the scene, the man, Gao, was found with no external injuries but in a state of rigor mortis, udn.com reported.

This indicated that he had been dead for several days.

According to Sin Chew Daily, surveillance footage revealed that at about 8:40pm on Sep. 24, Gao apparently boarded the bus at a parking lot.

The bus returned to its final stop at about 10:30pm the same day.

Alzheimer's

At about 6:45am on Sep. 27, a 27-year-old driver went to work after going on leave for two days, but allegedly did not check the vehicle before departing.

Local police then received a report at about 6:54am on Sep. 27 that a man on board a bus was unwell after a passenger found Gao lying on the floor.

Prior to his death, Gao, who suffered from Alzheimer's, lived with his father.

Gao's wife and children lived in mainland China, Sin Chew Daily reported.

Autopsy, investigation

According to udn.com, Gao's body was sent to a funeral home and was awaiting an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death, though homicide was preliminarily ruled out.

Sing Tao Headlines reported that police are reviewing surveillance footage from the area to determine how Gao entered the vehicle.

Police will also investigate his time of death and whether he boarded the wrong bus, as well as whether the driver failed to thoroughly inspect the vehicle before departing.

The police were alerted to a case of alleged matricide on Sep. 27 in Manjung.

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of killing her mother, and an investigation has been launched.

According to Sinchew, the incident is suspected to have taken place at about 9pm.

The police arrived at a house in Golden Garden, Manjung, after receiving the report.

The area was cordoned off, and an investigation was launched. The deceased’s body was removed at about 11pm, and handed over to authorities for processing.

In a subsequent piece, Sinchew reported that the deceased, Qiong, 70, had lived at the house with her late husband for over 20 years.

They got along well with their neighbours, and were described as easygoing.

Qiong and her husband were reportedly sent to a nursing home in 2025.

Her husband died during their time there. Qiong's daughter and her family also moved into the house in May 2026.

Qiong had also moved back in around that time. Neighbours said the daughter did not interact with them much.

A new employment pathway to help taxi and private hire car drivers reskill and transition to bus captains will be rolled out, announced Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling.

This comes as part of the considerations of the government's broader plan to transition to autonomous vehicles (AVs).

Speaking at a media doorstop on Sep. 28 at the Singapore Bus Academy, Sun said that while technology can provide more options for commuters, it will also impact transport-related jobs.

"We want to make sure that there are various options for our workers in the transport sector," she added.

Adoption of autonomous vehicles

A press release by the Ministry of Transport, Skills and Workforce Development Agency, and National Trades Union Congress shared that the government is progressively adopting AVs to improve connectivity particularly in remote and underserved areas, with plans to establish a few hundred of such vehicles in the next two years.

Despite AVs still being in its "infancy stages of development", Sun noted that "as with all new forms of technology, once it hits an inflection point, it can move quickly".

She also shared that drivers have voiced concerns that AVs will impact their jobs.

To allow for drivers to have more options to diversify their skills and improve career progression prospects, a support package will be put together to aid them.

This comprises of structured employment pathways through Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs), a new training incentive scheme, and enhanced outreach and career guidance.

New pathway for bus captaining

While a previous CCP focusing on AV specialisation was rolled out, this new Point-to-Point Driver to Bus Captain Pathway aims to support taxi and private hire car drivers transition to bus captains, equipping them with technical and operational skills.

It was implemented by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), developed in consultation with NTUC – namely its affiliated National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA) and National Taxi Association (NTA) – and the National Transport Workers' Union (NTWU).

According to the press release, many taxi and private hire car drivers often value the freedom to balance work and personal responsibilities.

Under this new pathway, taxi and private hire car drivers can have more flexibility by choosing to train on either a part-time or full-time basis.

The programme includes building skills and on-the-job training, and will take between two to six months.

Drivers who already hold a Class 4 licence are eligible for a shorter training programme and can make a faster transition.

Sun added that this CCP aimed at bus captain conversion is meant to be one option of many for drivers, and as such the government does not have a target placement rate.

Making the role of bus captain more attractive

The newly announced pathway complements broader efforts to attract and retain local bus captains.

The government is working with public transport operators to offer more flexible work arrangements such that drivers will have the option of balancing bus driving and other work opportunities, said Yeo Wanling, NTUC Assistant Secretary-General and Advisor to NPHVA, NTA and Executive Secretary of NTWU.

The salaries of bus captains have also been raised to ensure that there will continue to be "good jobs" in the transport sector, Sun added.

Participants under the new pathway will be eligible for the increased starting salaries and enhanced sign-on bonuses for new local bus captains, which will take effect from Jan. 1, 2027.

Applicants interested in the Point-to-Point Driver to Bus Captain Pathway can apply for bus captain positions directly with the public bus operators or visit this website to find out more.

Related story

Six people were charged in court on Sep. 28 under the Public Order Act for participating in public assemblies outside the State Courts and Changi Prison without a permit and/or in a prohibited area.

Those charged include freelance journalist and activist Kirsten Han, 37, as well as actor couple Lim Kay Siu, 70, and Neo Swee Lin Winifred, 63.

Lim and Neo were in local sitcom "Phua Chu Kang".

Lim played Frankie Foo, while Neo was acting as Phua's mother.

Activists Annamalai Kokila Parvathi, 38, Howe Wen Khong Rocky, 31, and Ten Leu Jiun Jeanne-Marie, 55, were also charged.

All six arrived at the State Court close to 9am.

Annamalai and Howe, who were wearing t-shirts featuring political symbols and messages, were asked by security personnel to change their shirts.

Charges

Han was charged for taking part in an assembly on Feb. 3, 2025, publicising the cause of abolishing capital punishment in Singapore outside the State Courts.

She was previously given penalties including stern warnings and a 12-month conditional warning over similar offences of participation in various public assemblies/procession.

Lim, Neo, Annamalai, and Howe were also each charged with one count of participating in the same public assembly outside the State Courts.

Annamalai was previously convicted for several offences involving organising a public procession without a permit and public assemblies without permits.

Howe was also charged with three counts of participating in a public assembly without a permit outside Changi Prison.

This is despite having been issued a stern warning for two similar offences previously.

Meanwhile, Ten was charged with two counts of participating in a public assembly without a permit on Nov. 22 and 29, 2024, outside Changi Prison.

Supporters

Supporters were present in the public gallery, including opposition politicians Chee Soon Juan and Paul Tambyah.

Activist Elijah Tay, who similarly faces charges under the Public Order Act, was also in attendance.

Tay was also wearing a shirt with political symbols and was made to change shirts as well.

A driver pulled into a car park in River Valley on Sep. 25, stayed roughly five minutes, and left well within the free grace period.

However, the system recorded the visit as slightly longer.

Its reading put the duration at 7,204 days, 22 hours and 51 minutes, which translated to a S$100,870 fee.

That is roughly 20 years of parking.

Card was set to auto top-up

The driver posted about it on Reddit under the title, "accidentally parked for 20 years".

One commenter asked whether they had enough in the CashCard to be debited in the first place.

The driver replied that the card was in the in-vehicle unit at the gantry, and that it tops up automatically.

They wrote:

"It has the auto top up to top S$50 from my credit card when it goes negative. I didn't know if it will run infinitely until it hit $100k! Luckily it didn't."

The driver called the car park hotline to ask what had happened, and the system had apparently not detected his IU going in, even though the gantry opened.

The car park management's response

The car park's management said it became aware of the incident after it began circulating on social media, and sent someone down immediately, Shin Min Daily News reported.

The affected part has since been replaced.

A spokesperson said the issue had been resolved and that the car owner did not suffer any losses as a result.

The management also apologised for the inconvenience and said measures have been taken to address the issue.