The Straits Times

☁️ 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

Singapore residents were less satisfied in 13 out of 17 areas of HDB living – including cleanliness, noise level and privacy within their flats Here’s more from the latest HDB Sample Household Survey: https://str.sg/yHJW

⚽ The 2026 World Cup group stage draw has been held! Check out the groupings and make your tournament predictions using this results simulator: https://str.sg/fh65

Regular MRT service on the East-West Line will resume tomorrow after track works and testing were completed a day ahead of schedule. Details: https://str.sg/FgyL

Pop star Katy Perry has made her relationship with former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau official, following months of speculation and sightings. Here’s what she posted on Instagram: https://str.sg/oyzZQ8

SM Lee Hsien Loong held back tears as he recounted Singapore's separation from Malaysia at the launch of The Albatross File book and exhibition at the National Library. https://str.sg/qywi The new book sheds light on Singapore's secret negotiations for independence. Here are 4 of its key revelations: https://str.sg/pYD4

Singapore car leasing firm SRS Auto and a commercial building at 2 Jalan Kilang Barat are under investigation for their alleged links to Cambodian tycoon Chen Zhi. Chen is accused of running a scam empire and laundering billions of dollars in stolen funds around the world. https://str.sg/arqG

Tengah residents can look forward to a new neighbourhood centre in the first quarter of 2026. Parc Point neighbourhood centre will feature a new polyclinic and more than 40 retail and dining outlets, including a FairPrice supermarket. https://str.sg/hTi8

❄️ The season’s first snowfall transformed Seoul into a winter wonderland but plunged traffic into chaos as commuters faced dangerous black-ice conditions. https://str.sg/w9mQs

Singapore Recreation Club's billiards group is suing the club over a vote to convert their room into a co-working space. They claimed that the resolution lacked majority support. https://str.sg/MiXM

Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear Grab uniforms. 🫡 2 Grab riders were seen clearing clogged drains along a street in Kuala Lumpur with their bare hands during a flood on Dec 4. https://str.sg/vYcq

🏝 Weekend plans = sorted. Batam is just an hour-long ferry ride away and has cheap and delicious food. ST’s Clara Lock checked out everything from chic cafes to fresh seafood from a kelong on the Indonesian island. Here’s what she recommends: https://str.sg/LNxVJ #stheadstart

An antibiotic-resistant "superbug" is causing a record number of infections in South Korea, with almost 45,000 cases reported so far this year. https://str.sg/GGf8

A $50m commercial property in Bukit Merah was taken off market 3 days after it was listed as the police investigate the owner's links to Cambodian scam tycoon Chen Zhi. https://str.sg/rxri

This week's trending stories: 🦝 'Spirit animal': Raccoon breaks into US liquor store, gets drunk and passes out in bathroom: https://str.sg/J4Qmn 🌕 'She's out after the storm': Cold Moon shines despite Singapore's rainy weather: https://str.sg/JfE3P 🤖 Robot dogs bearing realistic faces of tech titans, famous artists surprise visitors at Miami art fair: https://str.sg/kF4G

A man befriended a 12-year-old girl on Telegram and raped her at a grass patch near Sixth Avenue MRT station the next day. He has been sentenced to 15 years' jail and 14 strokes of the cane. https://str.sg/NsdZ

Netflix has agreed to buy Warner Bros Discovery’s TV and film studios and streaming unit for $93.2 billion. The deal gives the streaming giant control of major franchises, including Game of Thrones and Harry Potter, further strengthening its dominance in Hollywood. https://str.sg/Ax6a

Travellers flying out of Thailand will have to pay more airport tax from early 2026. The charge will rise from around $29.60 now to about $45.50 per person. https://str.sg/4axDD

“Does not make sense”: A new move to communicate minor MRT delays to passengers at affected stations is not enough, said commuters and experts. Some also said a 30-minute disruption is not minor. https://str.sg/MYVa

Passengers at Kembangan and Bedok stations will have to wait for up to 17 minutes for MRT trains as East-West Line track works enter their final stage. Regular service is slated to resume as planned on Tuesday, Dec 9, said LTA. https://str.sg/ML2f