The Straits Times

20 people have died after a fire at a 7-storey building in Jakarta. A video online shows people on the roof of the Terra Drone Indonesia's office as smoke billows. https://str.sg/xo2j

🎤 Taiwanese singer Eric Chou will be performing at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on April 11 and 12 as part of his new world tour. https://str.sg/bnHb

Pop Mart is launching exclusive Molly-themed merchandise from Dec 15 in a collaboration with Pizza Hut Singapore. Check them out here: https://str.sg/t95v

A former photographer for the National Dental Centre of Singapore has been sentenced to 2 years and 3 months’ jail after he took over 600 voyeuristic pictures of female patients he found attractive. He had also created digital folders with the victims’ names, each containing photos of their faces and cleavage. https://str.sg/sVkN

🎧 Did the pioneer leaders have differing views on Singapore’s Aug 9, 1965 split from Malaysia? ST's Sumiko Tan speaks to Janadas Devan from the Ministry of Digital Development and Information on how the book The Albatross File: Inside Separation sheds fresh light on the decisions that led to Singapore’s independence. https://str.sg/y285

Malaysia will offer a special 30% discount to mark the launch of its electric train service to JB Sentral from KL. The discount applies to trips between Dec 12, 2025 and Jan 11, 2026. https://str.sg/DxnD

⛈ News for your morning! Singapore SingPost to increase regular domestic postage rate by 10 cents from Jan 1 READ: https://str.sg/xmvG Singapore Airshow returns in 2026 with first-ever Space Summit; public tickets on sale from Dec 10 READ: https://str.sg/cvYbu Tender for historic Moulmein Road site awarded to Dempsey Hill developer READ: https://str.sg/JppB5 Stay in the know: https://str.sg/wyYP

A tsunami warning has been lifted after a powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake shook northeastern Japan on Dec 8. 23 people were left injured following the quake. https://str.sg/46oBq

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake has hit Japan's Aomori prefecture. Local authorities have issued a tsunami warning, saying that a maximum 3m high waves are expected. https://str.sg/GfMx

Isetan will shut its NEX store in April 2026, which will leave the department store with one outlet at Shaw House in Orchard Road. https://str.sg/vDTM

Animal Lovers League, one of Singapore's pioneer animal welfare groups, has been ordered to return its units to AVS after owing more than 50 months' rent. AVS inspectors also found that several animals were sick and not receiving adequate care. https://str.sg/Gag6

🎉 Gearing up to party this festive period? Keep this guide handy for free shuttle bus rides on your late-night jaunts around town. Details: https://str.sg/3f8U

Singapore has admitted its first Kpod abuser into a drug rehabilitation centre. The 16-year-old had committed 3 etomidate-related offences in less than 2 months. https://str.sg/HLBP

Singaporean distance runner Soh Rui Yong has been medically cleared to compete in the 10,000m race at the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand. The 2-time men’s marathon champion is aiming for a podium finish in the event on Dec 16. https://str.sg/FDYt

Singapore’s consumer watchdog has taken action against Courts and PRISM+ for using website design features that mislead consumers. Courts was found to have automatically added items into consumers’ shopping carts while PRISM+ used fake countdown timers and misleading stock indicators to pressure consumers into purchases. https://str.sg/d4Tj

Regular MRT service has resumed smoothly on the East–West Line after 9 days of track works. There was minimal confusion as Tanah Merah station shifted to a new platform layout. https://str.sg/uKKK

A police report has been made after one of the Tiger God statues at Rochore Tua Pek Kong Temple in Balestier was found to be missing. https://str.sg/vGaN

Thailand has launched air strikes along the border with Cambodia after both countries accused each other of breaching a ceasefire deal. https://str.sg/6qAF

If somebody just gives you the answers, that is passive learning.

Unlike most popular AI chatbots used by students to get instant answers, this bot flips the script by testing the user’s understanding, asking questions like a friend would. It was developed by 25-year-old Akshaya Rajesh, who was inspired by a learning technique developed by a Nobel Prize-winning physicist. How it works: https://str.sg/mccn #stheadstart

☁️ News for your morning! Singapore Passengers guided off train at Tanjong Pagar MRT station after power bank emits smoke READ: https://str.sg/y426 How a fatal virus sparked Pulau Ubin’s mouse-deer boom READ: https://str.sg/b7yP Is carob the new cocoa? NUS researchers fine-tune carob as chocolate alternative READ: https://str.sg/Hfpn Stay in the know: https://str.sg/wyYP