Residents raise alarm over rat infestation in Tampines, with electric vehicle's wires chewed through , Singapore News - AsiaOne   https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/residents-rat-infestation-tampines-hdb   The rat infestation in Tampines has escalated to a point where residents are facing significant property damage and daily disruptions. The details reported by *AsiaOne* and *8world* shed light on the extent of the situation:   ### The Electric Vehicle Incident  * **The Victim & Damage:** Jiang Liangqiang, a resident of **Tampines Street 42, Block 460**, discovered the issue on May 31, 2026, when his month-old Electric Vehicle (EV) suddenly flashed its hazard lights while he was taking his family out.    * **The Repair Bill:** A trip to the workshop revealed a large accumulation of rat droppings inside the vehicle and extensive damage where rodents had chewed straight through the car's wiring. The total repair cost came out to **around $4,700**.    * **The Root Cause Theory:** Jiang noted that he frequently used a charging lot located near a ground-floor trash chute. He suspects the proximity to the refuse area attracted the rats, which then nested or scavenged inside the warm, rear electrical compartments of his EV.    * **Avoidance Tactics:** Having tried unsuccessfully to report the issue earlier via the OneService app, Jiang is now attempting to seek compensation from the town council. In the meantime, he refuses to park near his block, opting to walk five minutes away to park at the Block 499 multi-storey carpark on Tampines Avenue 9.   ### Daily Life Impact on Residents Other residents in the neighborhood have highlighted that the rodent issue is deeply entrenched:    * **Nighttime Activity:** A 68-year-old long-time resident, Lin Jinmao, noted that after 10:00 PM, the streets become highly active with rats running around, leaving droppings everywhere, and occasionally getting into physical fights with community cats.    * **Property Soiling:** Rats are frequently spotted scaling stationary cars, leaving urine and feces all over residents' car tires.    * **Ground Floor Intrusions:** Residents living on the ground floor, such as a resident named Fitz, reported that rats regularly climb up onto outdoor shoe racks right outside their front doors. Dead rats are also a common sight rotting on the grass patches in front of the blocks.   ### Official Response & Mitigation Measures David Neo, MP for Tampines GRC and Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, along with the Tampines Town Council, have detailed their current intervention strategies:    * **Mass Culling:** The town council has executed intensive pest control operations, resulting in the **culling of over 1,100 rats** and the destruction of **more than 800 rat burrows**, specifically focusing heavily on the Tampines North area.    * **Food Waste Digesters:** Recognizing that commercial food waste is the primary driver of the infestation, the town council announced plans to install specialized waste digesters at nearby coffee shops and food stalls to systematically reduce the local rodent food supply.    * **Community Appeal:** The town council has urged residents to ensure proper waste disposal and to actively recycle food waste where possible, emphasizing that structural pest management requires a joint effort between the municipality and the community.

How come hawker claim "economy is bad and everybody is struggling" when the government claims everything rosy? 

rooks rike Mandai crematorium 

ABC Brickworks Market reopens, with some hawkers raising prices by up to $1: 'Nothing I could do', Singapore News - AsiaOne   https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/abc-brickworks-market-reopen-stalls-price-hikes-increase     The AsiaOne report details the reopening of the **ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre** in Bukit Merah on Monday, June 8, 2026, following a two-month closure for Repairs and Redecoration (R&R) works.   While the physical space has been upgraded, the return of the popular food centre has brought mixed feelings for diners due to immediate price hikes from several stalls.   ### The Upgrades & Physical Changes   The market was closed from April 9 to June 7, 2026. The key improvements include:    * **Aesthetics & Accessibility:** New blue tables and chairs have been installed, including designated, wheelchair-accessible seating.    * **Vendor Utilities:** 14 brand-new storage rooms were built for hawkers to secure their belongings.    * **Ventilation & Cleanliness:** Diners noted that the space feels cooler, cleaner, and much more well-ventilated thanks to the installation of brand-new exhaust fans.    * **Bird Mitigation:** To combat long-standing bird infestation issues, green wire mesh and bird spikes have been fitted across the ceilings to block birds from flying into the dining area.   ### The Price Adjustments The Brickworks Hawker's Association chairman, Lim Kim Hock, noted that while the majority of stalls have maintained their old prices, a notable number have bumped their prices up by **$0.30 to $1.00**.   The adjustments are primarily driven by suppliers raising their costs right around the reopening, rather than the renovation itself. The report highlights several specific stall responses:    * **Hua Ling Wanton Noodles:** Raised prices from **$4.00 to $4.50** per bowl due to a sharp increase in raw ingredient and packaging costs.    * **Japanese Food Stall:** Increasing prices by up to **$0.50**, but strictly limiting the hike to selected items on the menu.    * **BBQ Chicken Wings / Satay Stall:** Kept the increase minimal at a **$0.10** hike.    * **Yong Tau Foo Stall:** Chose to **freeze prices entirely**, with the owner stating that because "the economy is bad right now and everybody is struggling," they want to avoid passing additional burden to regular customers.   ### How Diners are Reacting Public reaction is split between appreciating the cleaner environment and feeling the pinch of the hikes. One customer interviewed shared that a dish she regularly buys jumped from $5.50 to $6.00 on day one, calling the increase "a bit much" and expressing hope that prices would stabilize. On the flip side, many patrons welcomed the noticeably cooler atmosphere and the relief from birds interrupt ing their meals.

⚠️ At least $68,200 has been lost in about 10 days to scams involving the sale of BTS' Singapore concert tickets.   While victims came across offers for tickets on Instagram and Carousell, scammers approached victims through X in most cases.    https://str.sg/5HYH   This specific alert highlights a highly prevalent and sophisticated e-commerce tactic known as **concert ticket scamming**, which frequently surges in Singapore whenever major global acts announce local tour dates. While the exact Straits Times link (str.sg/5HYH) represents a specific police advisory period, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Cyber Crime Command regularly track and report these exact patterns.   ### How the Scam Operates Scammers capitalize on the "fear of missing out" (FOMO) when highly anticipated concerts sell out instantly on official platforms (like Ticketmaster or Sistic).   The mechanics typically follow a specific pattern across social media platforms:    1. **The Bait (X, Instagram, Carousell):** Scammers create listings or search for users posting desperate pleas for tickets (e.g., using hashtags like #BTSTickets or #SUGATourSG). While Carousell and Instagram are common, **X (formerly Twitter)** is heavily favored by concert scammers because it allows them to easily search public conversations and directly slide into fans' Direct Messages (DMs).    2. **The "Proof":** To build trust, scammers often send altered screen recordings of their Ticketmaster account, fake PDF tickets with edited names, or fabricated booking confirmations.    3. **The Urgency & Payment:** Victims are told other buyers are waiting and are pressured to pay immediately via fast, non-reversible payment methods like **PayNow**, bank transfers, or virtual gift cards.    4. **The "Ghosting" or Extortion:** Once the money is sent, the scammer either deletes their account instantly or takes it a step further—claiming the "ticket transfer failed" and demanding *additional* money to "unlock" the ticket.   ### The Scale of the Problem in Singapore Concert ticket scams have become a multi-million dollar issue for Singaporean youth and concertgoers. During peak concert seasons (such as the massive waves for Taylor Swift's *Eras Tour* and Coldplay's residencies), the statistics show a staggering vulnerability:    * **Massive Losses:** In early 2024 alone, over $213,000 was lost to Taylor Swift ticket scams in a matter of weeks, affecting hundreds of victims.    * **Platform Bans:** The threat became so severe that platforms like Carousell took the drastic step of completely banning the resale of specific concert tickets during peak event windows to protect consumers.   ### How to Protect Yourself Moving Forward   If you are looking for tickets to sold-out shows in Singapore, safety advocates and the SPF emphasize three golden rules:    * **Use Escrow Payment Features:** If buying on Carousell, *only* use **Carousellomart** (formerly Certified/Settle). This holds your payment in a secure vault and only releases it to the seller once you have physically verified or scanned the ticket at the venue. If a seller refuses and insists on a direct PayNow transfer, walk away immediately.    * **Verify Seller Authenticity:** Check the seller’s account age and review history. Be highly suspicious of accounts created just days or weeks ago, or accounts with generic, stolen profile pictures.    * **Physical Meet-ups:** For physical or wristband tickets, insist on meeting up in a safe, public place (like a MRT station or shopping mall) to verify the items before transferring any funds.