A group of runners did not let the haze disrupt their morning workout routine.

Running community X-Run Singapore, along with Key Power Sports, took their run indoors in Marina Square before opening hours on Oct. 17.

They reportedly received permission from the mall.

At least 12 people joined in, according to a group photo shared on the organisers' Instagram pages.

Videos posted online showed them running in an empty mall, past stores that had not yet opened.

Due to the worsening haze, several running events were cancelled over the past two weeks.

This included community runs by the Singapore Runners Club and Chill Movement, as well as the Great Eastern Women's Run that was scheduled for Nov. 17.

ActiveSG also announced on Oct. 15 that it will close many of its outdoor and non-air-conditioned facilities temporarily.

'A great alternative'

Elmer Loy, who participated in the Marina Square run, wrote on Instagram that it was "a great alternative" to continue doing his long runs during the haze period.

He clocked 19km that morning, while another participant, Nathan Jon Sing, said he ran a half-marathon.

The first two levels of the mall are about 1.2km long per loop, and the third level is about 800m per loop.

Adel G, who described it as a fun morning, also ran in other malls solo to beat the haze.

"Can't be running outdoors in this haze, so gotta get creative," she wrote in a post, adding that running in a mall was much better than staring at a treadmill wall.

According to her, X-Run will organise weekly runs at Marina Square, every Saturday at 7am.

A request by an Indian influencer based in Madurai for Deepavali treats turned into a nightmare, after he was inundated with cash-on-delivery orders for household appliances and other electronic devices under his name.

Posted his address online hoping people would send him sweets

The influencer, known as Veeramani, had shared his address online in the hopes that he would receive a box of sweets from his followers, Indian media reported.

However, he ended up receiving appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators, televisions and smartphones, with one of the televisions reportedly priced at 169,000 rupees (S$2,275).

In response, Veeramani uploaded videos to Instagram appealing for the orders to stop.

"Why are you guys doing this? The delivery boys are coming from long distances. Stop doing this. Fifteen orders came in half an hour, and I don't have money for all of that," he said.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by veeramani (@veeramani_121)

In another video, Veeramani highlighted how the delivery workers had been caught up in the situation as well.

"Why should I get scolded by them? They are working and are unnecessarily involved. I don't have money, I am only begging: stop doing this," he said.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by veeramani (@veeramani_121)

Food deliveries and other bizarre claims

The Times of India reported that Veeramani had received food delivery orders as well, according to his neighbours.

Veeramani also said he had since started to receive calls asking for kidney donations, NDTV further reported.

On social media, there were also claims that orders of excavators and even a tank had been placed for delivery to Veeramani's address.

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A post shared by veeramani (@veeramani_121)

Has purportedly left his home

Veeramani eventually uploaded another video of himself on a bus, in which he said he was leaving town as people were scolding and harassing him due to the number of orders being placed under his name.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by veeramani (@veeramani_121)

The Times of India reported that when they visited his house, they found that it was locked, with his neighbours confirming that he had indeed left town.

A private-hire vehicle driver in Singapore suffered a serious stroke in September 2026 and was rushed to the hospital, where doctors discovered he had high blood pressure.

Wu Jin Xiong (transliteration), 37, typically worked for more than 14 hours each day, picking up passengers from about 4am in the morning, Zaobao reported.

His father recalled how his son suddenly fell ill that day and was not able to speak coherently.

The doctors at Tan Tock Seng Hospital said that Wu's stroke was related to his high blood pressure, but he also had other stroke risk factors such as a high cholesterol, being overweight, and smoking.

He appeared "healthy" on the outside, but his job meant that he often stayed immobile in his driver's seat.

His father also said that Wu did not exercise enough, and would still stay up late after returning home from a long day of work. Such a lifestyle perhaps contributed to his stroke as well.

Acupuncture recovery

After staying in the hospital for about a week, his health gradually began to stabilise, and he continued his recovery at Tan Tock Seng Hospital's Integrated Care Hub (ICH).

Initially, despite the treatment, Wu felt some pain and weakness in his arms.

At his father's advice, he signed up for the acupuncture treatment at the ICH.

His father had previously tried acupuncture when he felt pain in his arms and legs, and found it to be effective.

Now, he has seen improvement in his son too.

Wu has been feeling less pain, and has been sleeping better in the afternoon than before, his father observed.

More holistic treatment

The inpatient acupuncture service at TTSH ICH has been available since January 2025, and more than 200 patients have received this service.

Separately, the stroke rehabilitation programme is one of the projects awarded under MOH's Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Integrative Sandbox.

Loh Yong Joo, the head of Tan Tock Seng Hospital's Rehabilitation Medicine department, told the Zaobao that it is not ideal for stroke patients to use painkillers to relieve pain symptoms due to their side effects.

Acupuncture can treat the body more holistically, from the physical to the psychological, which is something one cannot get from taking Western medicine alone, the doctor said.

Two youths were seen illegally fishing at the Singapore River near the Louis Vuitton Island store at Marina Bay Sands.

Footage of the moment they caught a fish, which appeared to be filmed from one of the youths' perspective, was uploaded to TikTok by user @dennisteodt, prompting many commenters to point out that their actions were seemingly illegal.

What did the video show?

The video opens with one of the youths posing with the fish they have caught, then switches to the moment in which the fish was reeled in.

The individual reeling the fish in can be heard calling his friend for help, as he struggles with reeling in the fish.

The other individual is then seen lowering a rubber bait towards the fish and the two of them are able to bring in the fish.

While there were commenters who pointed out the illegality of their actions, others also complimented the youths on their catch.

Fishing areas

In Singapore, fishing is only permitted at designated locations in selected reservoirs and waterways.

These locations are listed on the website of national water agency PUB.

They do not include Singapore River or the area outside Marina Bay Sands.

According to PUB, people caught violating fishing regulations may be fined up to S$3,000.

Previously in November 2025, PUB said it was investigating an incident where two boys were seen fishing along the Singapore River near Fullerton Bay Hotel in Marina Bay.

Singapore’s Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong will be making official visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Oct. 18 to 22.

This will be the first time PM Wong has visited either country as PM.

He is doing so at the invitation of Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, and Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the UAE.

PM Wong will visit Qatar from Oct. 18 to 20, and the UAE from Oct. 20 to 22, according to an Oct. 17 statement by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

Qatar

While in Qatar, he will call on Tamim, and both men will co-chair the ninth Qatar-Singapore High-Level Joint Committee (HLJC).

PM Wong will also meet his Qatari counterpart, Qatar's prime minister and foreign minister Mohammed Bid Abdulrahman Bin Jassim Al Thani.

PM Wong and the Emir previously met on the sidelines of the 2nd Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Kuala Lumpur in May 2025.

The pair previously spoke in March this year, when PM Wong called to voice Singapore’s support for ongoing diplomatic efforts by Qatar, just after the United States launched attacks on Iran, resulting in retaliatory attacks on U.S. bases in the region, including in Qatar.

The United Arab Emirates

While in the UAE, PM Wong will visit Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and will call on the UAE president, Sheikh Mohamed.

He similarly had a call with Sheikh Mohamed in March this year, where he discussed events in the region and thanked the UAE president for supporting and assisting Singaporeans residing there.

He will also meet the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

While in Dubai, he will meet the deputy prime minister, finance minister, and deputy ruler of Dubai, Maktoum Bin Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

PM Wong will also meet overseas Singaporeans in Doha and Dubai.

The visits will provide a "timely opportunity for Singapore to exchange views with regional leaders on developments in the Middle East", PMO said in its statement.

They would also reaffirm Singapore's support for dialogue and diplomacy, as well as strengthen cooperation with Qatar and the UAE in areas of mutual interest, particularly energy security and economic resilience.

Visiting ministers

PM Wong will be accompanied by his wife, Loo Tze Lui, as well as Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Tan See Leng, and Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs, Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim.

During the working visit, DPM Gan Kim Yong will act as prime minister.

A 77-year-old woman who was found along the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) on Oct. 16 and pronounced dead at the scene had earlier been involved in a hit-and-run accident in Jurong West, preliminary police investigations found.

This marks a distance of around 2.2km where she was allegedly hit and where her body was found.

In an updated statement, the police said the woman had been involved in a prior hit-and-run with a minibus at the junction of Jurong West Street 61 and Jurong West Avenue 4.

According to Shin Min Daily News, the woman had rolled under the minibus and was dragged along the road for over 1.5km.

Body found along PIE

Police were alerted to a body found along the PIE towards Changi at about 7:10am on Oct. 16.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene by a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) paramedic.

Mothership previously reported that a 66-year-old minibus driver had been arrested in connection with the case.

The driver had left the scene before police arrived.

He was subsequently arrested for driving without due care and attention causing death.

Police investigations are ongoing.

HDB has responded to criticism over kitchen sizes at a Tengah BTO flat, explaining that the layouts are meant to provide homeowners with flexibility to configure the space to their preferences.

They were replying to an Oct. 8 video by YouTube channel Reno Scout, run by renovation specialist Rhys Ng.

In an Oct. 14 Facebook post, HDB said defended the "small" kitchen size, explaining that the kitchens at the Garden Waterfront units are meant to be “open-concept”.

Such open-concept kitchen designs have been the standard design for BTO flats since 2018, and are popular with many homeowners, it added.

The criticism

In his video, Ng criticised the kitchen size in a new four-room BTO at Block 213B Tengah Garden Avenue.

The video was titled "MOST Pathetic BTO 4 room Kitchen EVER SEEN".

The renovation specialist called the kitchen layout "tiny" and "problematic", and said that new buyers would be "shocked".

The video has garnered over 110,000 views so far, with over 880 likes and over 380 comments, sparking a heated discussion about the flat's layout.

Small kitchen problems

Ng said the flat was similar to blocks in the same area and the same developer, and he listed a number of complaints such as:

• The lack of a service yard
• The lack of room to place a refrigerator in the kitchen, especially when it might affect the overhead clothes drying rack
• The close spacing between the likely location of a sink and a stove
• A general lack of space to place appliances like rice cookers, water filter, or dishwashers

He described the kitchen as a “one-person kitchen”, suggesting that there was no space for a second person to help a cook with preparation or by washing up at the same time.

He also suggested that three-room flats in the area would likely face a similar problem, although five-room flats were unlikely to have the same issues.

Conversion costs

Ng acknowledged that space immediately adjacent to the kitchen could be converted into kitchen space, but said that such an extension’s cost would have to be borne by the resident.

Furthermore, the lack of built-in kitchen space made such a conversion more difficult, such as the lack of beam structures to support the building of necessary features, like a sliding door.

However, he did praise the “beamless” design, noting that there were few internal beams in the unit, and the structural beams were located along the perimeter of the unit, making it easier to install cabinetry while wasting less space.

Ng said that he hoped HDB would explain the thinking behind the layout.

Open-concept reply

On Oct. 14, HDB responded to the video with a social media post, in which it explained that the flat's layout was a more flexible "open-concept" one.

The "small" kitchen referred to in the video was the "wet" kitchen", which was designed to be compact and function together with the adjoining "dry" kitchen.

"Together, these areas occupy approximately 10 sqm, roughly the size of a standard kitchen in newer HDB flats that come with a service yard. 10 sqm is also the rough size of a common bedroom in an HDB flat," HDB said.

The statutory board added that the layout was meant to provides homeowners with flexibility to configure the space to suit their preferences.

HDB also pointed out that the open-concept kitchen has been the standard design for new BTO flats since 2018, whenever layout permits.

Such a design is popular with many HDB flat buyers, as it offers more flexibility in how they use their living spaces, it said.

For instance, those who cook frequently may choose to allocate more space for a larger kitchen, while others might otherwise use the space for a larger living or dining area.

In order to help flat buyers make an informed choice, floor plans with layout ideas are provided before flat selection, so they can consider how the layout meets their household needs and preferences.

Service yards and second cooks

However, some comments on HDB's post expressed dissatisfaction with the explanation.

Some agreed with Ng's comments that there would be no way for a second person to help during cooking, due to the close placement of the suggested stove and sink areas.

The other main complaint featured in the comments was the combining of the service yard and kitchen space, with one commenter suggesting that it was not viable to cook while doing laundry, while another called for the retention of the service yard.

A number of Singaporean or Singapore-listed palm oil producers have issued general announcements to explain their position in relation to the ongoing forest fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra that are responsible for the worst transboundary haze in over a decade.

One of them, Kencana Agri, confirmed that it is facing an inquiry by Indonesian authorities and is cooperating fully.

All have stated a zero or no-burning policy.

Cited El Niño

Five such companies, Wilmar International, First Resources, Kencana Agri, Bumitama, and Golden Agri-Resources, reporting through their Indonesian subsidiary SMART Agri-Business and Food, published their announcements on Oct. 15 and 16.

Four of them, Kencana excluded, cited El Niño-related drought conditions causing an “unusually severe” dry season.

Wilmar stated that all of its land preparation, clearing, and development is done mechanically.

Bumitama went on to say that the dry conditions make vegetation and peat more combustible as water availability falls.

Bumitama, along with Kencana, First Resources, and Wilmar, said fires came from areas outside of their concessions or directly managed areas, spreading inward with significant speed.

Kencana noted that it is currently undergoing a preliminary inquiry by authorities into a fire incident at a subsidiary in North Kalimantan.

All companies noted that they had personnel equipped to fight fires, and some, such as Wilmar and Bumitama, said that they had dedicated on-site firefighting teams.

Seeking information on impact of fires

The statements came in response to reports and queries, including from the Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo).

In an Oct. 16 statement, SGX RegCo said it takes the ongoing forest fires and the consequent haze "seriously".

It has engaged with listed issuers with agricultural operations and plantations in Indonesia to seek information about the impact of fires on their operations, whether their activities might have contributed to the haze, as well as their responses.

SGX RegCo said it had also strengthened its Environmental, Social, and Governance disclosure and reporting standards, seeking to improve issuers’ disclosure on environmental policies, risks, and practices.

"SGX RegCo will take appropriate regulatory action where companies fail to meet their disclosure obligations under the SGX Listing Rules," the subsidiary said.

All options open

On Oct. 16, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu and the National Environment Agency announced that seven companies have been issued with preventive measure notices under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act.

Three of these companies had been issued similar notices in 2015.

Fu said that the Singapore government would “keep all options open”, including “fines or charges”, when dealing with the companies, should they not comply with the measures, which include fighting the fires burning on their land and ceasing burning activities.

A company director was sentenced to 10 months and two weeks’ jail for his role in a corruption case involving a DSO National Laboratories staff member.

Jason Chua Aik Leng, 67, was sentenced on Oct. 16, The Straits Times reported.

He was the senior executive director and shareholder of Wah Loon Engineering (WLE), and had pleaded guilty to one charge of abetting the corrupt giving of gratification.

Chua was among five people charged in March 2026 in connection with alleged corruption involving DSO projects, according to Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).

DSO National Laboratories is Singapore’s largest defence research and development organisation.

It was formerly known as the Defence Science Organisation, but was renamed after being incorporated as a nonprofit under the Ministry of Defence in 1997.

Agreed to give DSO staff member ‘token of appreciation’

According to court documents cited by ST, the case involved a DSO building project in 2018.

Poh Beng San, an assistant manager with DSO’s facilities management team, allegedly told subcontractor Alex Lee Yew Huat that DSO was seeking contractors for works at one of its buildings.

Lee worked as a supervisor at fire protection company Fire-Mech at the time.

Poh allegedly asked for a token of appreciation if the contractor secured the project.

Lee later approached Chua and said he had information from a DSO contact who could help WLE secure the project.

The arrangement involved WLE sub-contracting the fire protection works to Fire-Mech, while about one per cent of the contract price would go to the DSO staff member as a "token of appreciation".

Chua agreed to the arrangement.

At least S$150,000 in gratification

In January 2018, DSO invited four contractors to submit tenders for the building works, three of which had WLE as a sub-contractor.

One of the three was awarded the contract in September 2018.

The overall project was worth more than S$46 million, while the mechanical and engineering sub-contract was valued at S$31.7 million.

CPIB said Chua and Lee allegedly conspired on at least two occasions between around October 2018 and February 2019 to give Poh at least S$150,000 in gratification to advance WLE’s business interests with DSO.

CPIB received information

CPIB began investigating after receiving information in February 2023 that Poh had allegedly accepted gratification from contractors.

Chua was subsequently questioned and admitted to his role, The Straits Times reported.

Poh and Lee’s cases are ongoing.

According to CPIB, Poh received gratifications from six individuals, including at least S$230,000 in cash, a Xiaomi 13 Pro phone, a Lenovo Xiaoxin Pad Pro tablet, and a repair of his home door valued at around S$100.

He also allegedly tried to launder the corruptly-obtained funds.

Asked to defer sentence until February 2027

Chua asked the court to defer his sentence until February 2027.

He wanted to celebrate his mother’s 100th birthday in November, take a family holiday and celebrate the Lunar New Year.

District Judge Paul Chan allowed the request in part.

He found that the planned holiday and Lunar New Year celebrations did not justify a longer deferment.

He did accept the birthday, saying that turning 100 was a significant milestone that would not come around again.

Chua remains out on S$100,000 bail and is due to start serving his sentence on Nov. 23.

When the bus Neo Ying Ying was riding suddenly came to a hard stop, she did not think much of it.

It jolted her a bit, but she went back to listening to her music on her AirPods.

Then, she noticed that the bus captain was slumped over his seat — but the bus was still moving slowly.

"My first instinct was to go and check out the situation," Neo recalled. "I just rushed forward... I think [the bus captain] needed some help."

Another passenger, Ng Lihui, also went forward to help. She found the handbrake and brought the bus to a stop.

Along with a third passenger, they stayed with the bus captain until the ambulance arrived.

A medical emergency

Speaking at an Oct. 16 appreciation ceremony, the two women recounted the events of that day.

The incident took place onboard the bus 854. As it approached a bus stop along Hougang Avenue 3 that afternoon, the bus captain fell ill.

He appeared to have fainted, Neo recalled. Both Neo and Ng were on their way home at the time.

Mothership understands that although he had managed to hit the brakes first, his foot lifted slightly off the pedal when he became unresponsive.

This made the bus start to move again.

Pulling the brakes

A man waiting at the bus stop saw that the bus captain was slumped in the cabin. He banged on the front door to alert the passengers inside.

Ng, 40, recalled feeling calm and scared at the same time.

The bus had hit a curb and was not moving fast, she explained, but still she felt anxious not knowing what would happen.

Thanks to a large sticker, she found the handbrake right beside the bus captain's seat, and climbed in to pull it.

Meanwhile, Neo, 18, had got on the bus after a driving lesson, which she believed was why her instinct to help kicked in fast.

She attended to him and called for an ambulance.

The two women were not the only ones who stepped forward. The bus captain operating a bus behind them, Toh Tiong Huat, also noticed the commuter at the bus stop who was banging on the front door.

Quickly, he went over and showed Ng the button to contact Tower Transit's control centre.

He then returned to his bus, as a long line had formed by that time.

Worried for the bus captain

After the bus came to a stop, "the only worrying factor [was] the uncle", Neo said.

She described how the elderly man had some foam around his mouth.

Another passenger, a young man whom Neo said looked to be around her age, joined them to lift the bus captain out of his seat to lie down on the floor, as advised by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) on the phone.

Over the roughly 20 minutes' wait for the ambulance, the bus captain began regaining consciousness, though he would stare at Neo blankly.

The three of them stayed with the man until the ambulance arrived.

"I just hope that Uncle will recover," Neo said.

As he looked around the same age as her grandfather, his condition made her feel "very sad".

"I think [when the bus captains are] working, they get very tired," she said. "We know how they always wake up very early.... maybe three plus [in the morning]... So I think maybe it caused like a strain on his health."

"After that I went back and hugged my Ah Gong and my Ah Ma... I felt very sad, so I gave them a big hug."

Mothership understands that the bus captain is currently recovering at home.

Presented with awards

Tower Transit Singapore, which operates the bus involved in the incident on Sep. 14, previously commended the passengers for their quick action.

They recently identified Neo and Ng, as well as the captain of the SBS Transit bus who also provided assistance, to express their thanks.

On Oct. 16, Tower Transit and the Public Transport Council organised a ceremony where Minister of State for Transport Baey Yam Keng presented tokens of appreciation to all three.

Asked how she felt to receive praise from the community and at the appreciation ceremony, Ng said she was grateful.

She did not initially think about coming forward as one of the passengers involved, and did so only at the encouragement of her family and friends.

"I don't think we we needed any appreciation," she said. "It could have gone unknown."

At the ceremony, Baey urged the man at the bus stop and the third passenger who also provided assistance to come forward so that the authorities could thank them too.

"The good work of these five individuals really shows us what we can all do as a person looking out for others," he said.