What's happening around you
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Databricks to invest S$445m in Singapore and double staff to over 500
American data and AI firm Databricks will invest more than US$350 million (S$445 million) in Singapore and double its workforce to over 500 within three years. The company, which runs its Asia-Pacific and Japan headquarters here, will move into a 32,000 sq ft office at IOI Central Boulevard Towers in November and train 20,000 people in data and AI skills. New local customers include iFAST, Singtel and Singapore Customs.
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Man jailed 27 months after cannabis parcel intercepted at SingPost Centre
A 28-year-old Singapore permanent resident was sentenced to two years and three months' jail after a parcel containing about 136g of cannabis was intercepted at the SingPost Centre in Eunos Road in September 2025. Anton Andrievsky had ordered the drug from overseas via Telegram and had it sent to his Toa Payoh flat using the previous owner's details. He pleaded guilty to one count of attempted drug possession.
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PM Wong launches Connect by SWDA at SkillsFuture Festival
At the Lifelong Learning Institute in Singapore, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong launched Connect by SWDA, a new careers and skills service centre run by the merged Skills and Workforce Development Agency. He said firms must plan for their workers at the same time as they transform, rather than leaving workforce issues to HR after business decisions are made.
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SWDA launches 200 AI courses and Connect centre at Lifelong Learning Institute
Singapore's Skills and Workforce Development Agency rolled out over 200 AI-related training courses on Wednesday, with free six-month subscriptions to premium AI tools for eligible citizens. It also opened Connect by SWDA, a careers and skills service centre at the Lifelong Learning Institute, which Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said will make support easier to navigate.
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Man caught on CCTV wrecking Orchard Central store, damage estimated at S$1,000
A man was caught on CCTV trashing the Henri Charpentier store at Orchard Central at about 4am on Sep. 13, throwing furniture and shouting while apparently intoxicated. The store's operator is seeking about S$1,000 in compensation and has lodged a police report; investigations are ongoing.
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Six Malaysians jailed in Singapore over S$4.9m King Albert Park poker-game robbery
Six Malaysian men have been jailed in Singapore for an armed gang robbery at a King Albert Park bungalow during a poker game on April 18, 2024, stealing about S$4.9 million in cash, watches and cryptocurrency. Sentences ranged from seven years eight months to 12 years 11 months, with five receiving 24 strokes of the cane. Singapore Police recovered about S$1.69 million, leaving roughly S$3.21 million unrecovered, and one suspect remains at large.
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S$3b money laundering case: first seized properties go to auction from Sep 17
The first batch of properties seized in Singapore's largest money laundering case will be auctioned this month, with 25 properties including a Suntec City office and a South Beach Residences penthouse among over 80 to be sold from September to mid-2027. Knight Frank holds its auction on Sep 17, while SRI and Edmund Tie hold theirs on Sep 23.
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Tamil youth festival stages 'Tamil Voice' drama at Ngee Ann Polytechnic
A 'Tamil Voice - True Form Youth' event was held at Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore on September 11 as part of the Tamil Youth Festival. Organised by the National Institute of Early Childhood Development, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and the Tamil Language Movement, youths showcased songs, dances and a drama on Tamil identity. More than 80 students registered.
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Comic-making workshop for students at Tamil Youth Festival
A comic-drawing workshop was held on 12 September at the Possibility Room of the National Library Board building on Victoria Street, Singapore, as part of the Tamil Youth Festival. Organised by Creative Hands, it drew more than 20 students who learned AI tools while creating Tamil comics. A Ngee Ann Polytechnic team won first prize for their comic 'The Taste of Friendship'.
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Tiong Bahru man, 59, gets one-year treatment order for firing metal balls at crows
A 59-year-old man in Tiong Bahru built a makeshift crossbow-like device and fired metal ball bearings at crows between April and July 2025, damaging windows in the block opposite his flat. Seah Yam Seng pleaded guilty to endangering passersby and was sentenced on Sep. 15 to a one-year mandatory treatment order, with other charges taken into consideration.
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He Ting Ru pauses speech as minister talks over her in Parliament
Workers' Party MP He Ting Ru interrupted her own speech on the Food Security Motion in Singapore's Parliament on Sep 10 after a minister kept talking while she spoke. She posted a clip of the exchange on social media the next day, prompting netizens to praise her and ask who the minister was.
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26 luxury units tied to S$3b money laundering case go to auction
Twenty-six properties linked to Singapore's 2023 multibillion-dollar money laundering case, including a 61st-floor Wallich Residence apartment owned by convicted launderer Zhang Ruijin, go under the hammer from Sept 17. The first batch of more than 80 seized properties is being liquidated by Knight Frank, SRI and ETC, with the Wallich unit guided at $6.78 million.
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Worker wellness centre opens at Capital Tower in Singapore's CBD
A new centre at Capital Tower in Singapore's central business district began offering counselling, stress management and physiotherapy to workers from 15 September. Touchpoint@Capital Tower was launched by Touch Community Services with CapitaLand and opened by Minister of State Foo Cexiang.
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NUHS value-based care benefits over 300,000 patients in a decade
The National University Health System's Appropriate and Value-Based Care approach has helped more than 300,000 patients since 2015, avoiding 18,225 hospital days and saving over $13 million yearly. A symposium marking the decade was held on 15 September with Minister of State Rahayu Mahzam as guest of honour.
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Thailand, Cambodia take maritime border dispute to Singapore arbitration hearing
Thailand and Cambodia presented their cases before a five-member panel at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Singapore on Tuesday over overlapping maritime claims in the Gulf of Thailand. Bangkok accused Phnom Penh of playing the victim, while Cambodia said it sought a peaceful resolution after Thailand withdrew from a 2001 bilateral framework agreement.
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Kopitiam founder sues contractor over unfinished Whitley Road houses
Lim Bee Huat, founder of the Kopitiam foodcourt chain, is suing contractor Tiandi ACMV Engineering over allegedly abandoned and defective building works on two adjacent houses in Whitley Road, Singapore. He seeks about $456,000 to complete and rectify the works plus damages for loss of use, while Tiandi denies liability and counterclaims $1.14 million under the $3.5 million contract. The High Court trial began on Sept 14 and is set to run until Oct 15.
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NUHS value-based care programme helps family manage child's Type 1 diabetes at home
A five-year-old boy in Singapore with Type 1 diabetes depends on insulin for life, but his condition is managed at home with guidance from National University Hospital care teams. The National University Health System's Appropriate and Value-Based Care approach, introduced in 2015, has benefited more than 300,000 patients and marks its tenth year at the AVBC 2026 Symposium on 15 September.
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Thailand, Cambodia open UNCLOS maritime conciliation at PCA office in Singapore
Thailand and Cambodia began compulsory conciliation over overlapping maritime claims at the Permanent Court of Arbitration's Singapore office on Sept 15, with Thailand's foreign minister accusing Cambodia of hypocrisy and self-serving claims. The dispute covers about 26,000 sq km of sea believed to hold gas and oil worth roughly US$300 billion, and the process could take up to a year.
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Singapore retailers cut drink prices up to 50% ahead of Oct 1 deposit logo rule
With the Beverage Container Return Scheme's transition period ending Sept 30, some Singapore retailers and distributors are discounting drinks whose containers lack the 10-cent Return Right deposit mark by up to 50 per cent. From Oct 1, supplying regulated beverages without the mark and barcode becomes an offence under the Resource Sustainability Act, with fines up to $10,000 and/or three months' jail. Don Don Donki and K-Market are among those clearing non-labelled stock.
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Trevor Noah adds Nov 4 Singapore show at The Star Theatre
Trevor Noah has added a second Singapore performance on Nov 4 at The Star Theatre, following his previously announced Nov 3 show, as part of the Just For Laughs Singapore comedy festival. Organiser Bohm Presents said tickets for the new date are on sale via Sistic at S$128 to S$268, and Noah will also play extra shows in Hong Kong and Malaysia.
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Malcolm Todd to play first Singapore show at The Star Theatre on Nov 30
American singer-songwriter Malcolm Todd will perform in Singapore for the first time on Nov 30 at The Star Theatre, as part of his Do That Again World Tour. The Singapore date was announced on Monday, with tickets going on sale in phases from Sep 21. The Asia leg also includes Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, Seoul, Tokyo and Taipei.
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Exists to hold 'Back to School' concert in Singapore in January 2027
Malaysian pop-rock band Exists will perform 'Back To School Live In Singapore' on 15 January 2027 at The Star Theatre, The Star Performing Arts Centre. Tickets go on sale on 15 September in six price categories.
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Binjai Crest resident loses bid to remove security barrier, ordered to pay S$8,000
A resident of Binjai Crest, a strata landed estate in Bukit Timah, Singapore, failed to get the Strata Titles Board to order the removal of a security barrier installed at the main entrance. The board ruled the management corporation was managing common property and did not need a special resolution, and ordered Tay Jia Sheng to pay S$8,000 in legal costs.
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Singaporeans live about nine years longer than they stay healthy, summit hears
Singapore residents can expect roughly nine years of poor health at the end of their lives, a gap between lifespan and health span that the AIA Healthcare Summit 2026 discussed on Aug 12 at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore. The summit brought over 700 government, academic and healthcare figures together under the theme Purposeful Longevity. MOH Permanent Secretary Lai Wei Lin called for public-private collaboration on coverage, sustainability and preventive health as the number of Singaporeans aged 80 and above grows.