TODAY

Beyond the puzzles: Meet the people who bring escape rooms to life | Video "The training to be a non-player character can be tough, some people quit after a day or two," said 28-year-old Krystal Jiang, founder of Inmers, a horror-themed escape room. 👻🧩https://tdy.sg/3Iy5EIN @todayonlinesg

Voices: I've always been my brother's caretaker. Now I'm learning to be his friend "When people talk about families of children with special needs, the spotlight often shines on the parents or the child with the diagnosis. But siblings of children with special needs need support too," Ms Isabelle Lee says. 👧👦 https://tdy.sg/3IJuTaZ @todayonlinesg

Ground Up: 'Frustrating, stressful' – the challenges faced by adults who develop allergies later in life In a nation obsessed with eating, what happens when danger may lurk in a mouthful of food? From social awkwardness to lack of sympathy, Singaporeans reveal how allergies reshape their lives. 🍨https://tdy.sg/3IAA4Kr @todayonlinesg

Big Read: As shopping centres in Bangkok and KL morph into lifestyle destinations, can Singapore’s malls keep up? “It’s not a shopping experience, it feels like a factory.” That’s how one Singaporean described malls in the Republic, where stores are “packed like sardines”. Do you agree? 🛍 https://tdy.sg/4lWRyih @todayonlinesg

Voices: Trying hard has become unfashionable in the workplace. How did we get here? Learned helplessness doesn’t appear out of nowhere. It’s cultivated, usually by a combination of systemic patterns that wear us down over time. One of the biggest culprits is micromanagement, writer Maelyn Lagman says. 😢💼 https://tdy.sg/4nUfiFO @todayonlinesg

Up Close: From Singapore to Silicon Valley, this young woman now shapes ChatGPT's future Singaporean Jerene Yang joined Google as a software engineer in 2020 and in 2024, she moved to work for OpenAI. 👩‍💻🤖https://tdy.sg/4lPdHir @todayonlinesg

Big Read: They look like regular vapes, but drug-laced 'Kpods' are more lethal and pernicious Sweet flavours, deadly risks. “Kpods” – vapes laced with drugs such as the anaesthetic etomidate – are trending among youths in Singapore. But experts warn: even one hit could be life-threatening. 🚫☠️ https://tdy.sg/44ngVEc @todayonlinesg

Voices: The harrowing ordeal of watching our sick child spend her first 429 days fighting for her life in hospital "In the very first week of Laura’s life, there was no mincing of words – we were told that she was 'very sick and might not overcome'." Ms Chua Sze Hwei shares how she and her husband dealt with caring for their very premature baby. 🤱💔 https://tdy.sg/4lm5zGn @todayonlinesg

Adulting: Parent or pal – why you should not try so hard to be your child's 'friend' If parents fall too far into the friend zone, they may fail to assert their authority. "It’s important to recognise that being warm towards a child does not mean permissive parenting," an expert who studies parenting styles said. 🧑‍🧒 https://tdy.sg/4eOt2xC @todayonlinesg

Ground Up: 'Drained all my savings' – some master's degree graduates wonder if sacrifice pays off Experts said that Singapore’s hiring landscape is becoming more nuanced. Employers now prize hands-on skills, while postgraduate qualifications remain critical largely in specialised fields, such as consulting, finance and technology. 🧑‍🎓https://tdy.sg/4lnR3y9 @todayonlinesg

Big Read: Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere. Here's how to manage the fire risk It's nearly impossible to avoid lithium-ion products due to their widespread use, but experts said consumers can still take some steps to reduce the risk of fire. 🔋🔥🚒 https://tdy.sg/4lqfURQ @todayonlinesg

Voices: I don’t want to micro-manage my kids’ schoolwork. But as a PSLE parent, do I have any other choice? "With each of our five children, we’ve learnt to observe and listen before deciding how involved or helpful we aim to be with their academic journey," says Ms Kelly Ang. 👦📝 https://tdy.sg/4lCTXi0 @todayonlinesg

Adulting: 'Things were not the same anymore' - after one partner cheats, can a relationship truly be saved? "If the unfaithful partner takes full responsibility, ends the affair completely and demonstrates genuine remorse – not just in words but through consistent and trustworthy actions – there is often a foundation to rebuild upon," a relationship counsellor said. 💍💔 https://tdy.sg/40wP8P5 @todayonlinesg

Up Close: Driven to put Singapore on the world map, this ex-GIC scholar co-founded a business with Zuckerberg's sister Ms Debbie Soon quit her job at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 and moved to the US with just two bags and her dog. She's now carving a new path in the uncharted world of crypto. 🇸🇬🇺🇸 https://tdy.sg/4nxnpIb @todayonlinesg

Big Read: CPF at 70 – the evolution of a do-it-all social security scheme that still finds it impossible to please everyone Beginning as a colonial ordinance, Singapore’s CPF was introduced amid riots in 1955 that were partially fuelled by fears over reduced take-home pay. Today, it has become one of the world’s most successful pension schemes. 💵👨‍🦳👵https://tdy.sg/4laQMOG @todayonlinesg

Not just lip service: The ventriloquists striving to keep the art form alive | Video "Ventriloquism is a sub-niche," Mr Joseph Then said. A professional ventriloquist for more than 15 years, he is hoping that many more people in Singapore can pick up the craft. 🎎 https://tdy.sg/4lY3tg7 @todayonlinesg

Ground Up: 'Nowhere else to go': Inside the welfare homes where women seek shelter, find hope “These women are not helpless – they are often resourceful but worn down by systemic barriers and a lack of support. With trust, dignity, and opportunity, many can rebuild their lives,” said one welfare home operator. 🏘https://tdy.sg/3Tok5kU @todayonlinesg

Big Read: From rejection to reinvention: Some fresh graduates, retrenched workers find their way out despite sluggish job market “If not now, then when? I didn't want to look back with regret about not taking this leap of faith while I was … not shackled to a corporate job." So says Ms Sheryl Tham, on why she pivoted to entrepreneurship after being retrenched. 💼😓💪https://tdy.sg/3TIWMCx @todayonlinesg

Voices: Before you shell out for that next big expense, do this simple calculation "Being financially responsible isn’t about being miserly. It’s about making sure we feel good about the things we choose to splurge on," says finance blogger Dawn Cher. 💵🛒 https://tdy.sg/40oIx9q @todayonlinesg

Mental Health Matters: Dislike being bound by the clock? You might be an 'event-timer' People with a loose relationship with the clock can adopt strategies to build some structure into their day, said experts. ⏰https://tdy.sg/4kheNmb @todayonlinesg