2025 news round-up: 10 local stories that got everyone talking this year

As the year comes to an end, relive the events that took centre stage in Singapore in 2025. From MRT breakdowns and sinkholes to Ariana Grande being rushed at during the Wicked premiere, here are the top 10 local stories in 2025 that got tongues wagging.

MRT breakdowns: 2025 saw at least

15 rail disruptions in just three months,

leading to widespread scrutiny of the MRT network’s efficiency. The breakdowns thrust Singapore’s public transport into the spotlight as frustrated commuters questioned the reliability of rail. In response, a new task force was formed to help identify faults in the transport system.

Megan Khung’s abuse case:

Four-year-old Megan Khung died in 2020 from abuse

inflicted on her by her mother and her mother’s boyfriend. This year, an independent review panel identified a number of breaches by the government agencies that had handled the case. As a result of the review, a new social services coordination centre will be set up to handle cases of child abuse.

River Valley shophouse fire: On April 8,

a fire broke out at a cooking school for children

at a shophouse in River Valley Road. When some migrant workers who had been working nearby saw the burning shophouse and children stranded on a third-floor window ledge, they rushed over to help. They used a ladder to climb up to the third storey and brought the children to safety. Sadly, one 10-year-old girl died in the fire and 21 other children were injured, but the workers were widely praised for their courage in preventing a worse tragedy. They and members of the public who had also rushed to help were later commended by the authorities.

General election: On May 3,

Singapore held its general election.

Here were three memorable moments.

- The four-way fight in Tampines GRC: Since 1988, Tampines GRC has had two-way electoral races, except for 1997 when the PAP won in a walkover. But this year, an unprecedented four-way race between the PAP, Workers’ Party, National Solidarity Party and People’s Power Party emerged. The PAP won the constituency.

- Decent showing by independent candidates: Two independent candidates, Mr Jeremy Tan and Mr Darryl Lo, garnered public attention for their youth and creditable results. Political observers noted that both candidates received more votes than some candidates from smaller opposition parties, with Mr Tan, 34, earning 36.16 per cent of the vote in Mountbatten SMC (the highest vote count for an independent candidate since the GE in 1972), and Mr Lo, 28, receiving 23.47 per cent in Radin Mas. Their showing sparked discussion on whether they had viable political futures.

- Last-minute switches: On Nomination Day, the WP pulled out of the race for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC (previously Marine Parade GRC), ending in the first election walkover since 2011. At the same time, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, who was initially slated to lead the PAP team at Marine Parade-Braddell Heights, moved instead to helm the PAP team in Chua Chu Kang GRC. He replaced Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, who moved to head the PAP team in the new Punggol GRC against the WP. The surprise moves led to much talk about the parties’ election strategies.

Sinkhole in Tanjong Katong: On July 26, a car fell into

a sinkhole

that had opened suddenly

along Tanjong Katong Road.

The woman driver was pulled out by workers who were close by, and subsequently taken to Raffles Hospital. The unexpected incident shocked Singaporeans, who rarely face such hazards, and they became versed in sinkholes overnight.

Ong Beng Seng avoids jail due to medical condition: The 79-year-old tycoon was facing weeks of jail time for abetting the obstruction of justice in a case involving former transport minister S. Iswaran. On Aug 15, however,

a district court showed judicial mercy to Ong,

who is seriously ill with advanced cancer, and fined him $30,000 instead of sending him to jail. The decision sparked debate among Singaporeans, some of whom felt that one’s health status should not be a reason for avoiding jail.

Harsher vaping laws implemented in Singapore: With the listing of etomidate as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act in 2025,

harsher penalties were implemented for K-pod offenders,

including a mandatory minimum three-year jail sentence and five strokes of the cane. The change sparked national discussion as Singaporeans debated whether the harsher laws were reasonable.

Canteen vendors to be replaced as schools move to centralised kitchens: From January 2026,

13 Singaporean schools will start using a central kitchen,

replacing traditional canteen stalls, it was announced. Students will pre-order their meals, which will be delivered to the school. They are not the only ones affected by the change, which came about because of the difficulty in finding vendors. Schools say they will help the remaining stallholders find other positions, while some older vendors have decided to hang up their aprons. In the discussion it sparked, some Singaporeans lamented that those students will not have the traditional experience of queueing up and buying food at a school canteen.

Yishun murder stemming from noise frustrations: On Sept 24,

a woman was knifed to death in Yishun Central,

and her husband injured, allegedly by a neighbour because of an ongoing dispute they were having about noise. The nature of the incident prompted online reactions, with some netizens condemning the violent crime, but empathising with the assailant’s noise-related frustrations. It was also the fourth reported murder this year.

Ariana Grande gets jumped at the Wicked premiere in Singapore: On Nov 13, at the premiere of Wicked: For Good at Universal Studios Singapore (Resorts World Sentosa),

Australian Johnson Wen jumped over a barricade and ran towards Ariana Grande

to put his arm around her shoulders, jumping up and down as he did so. Grande’s co-star, Cynthia Erivo, quickly reacted to push Wen away as security stepped in. On Nov 17, Wen was sentenced to a nine-day jail term and banned from re-entering Singapore. The incident sparked outrage as Wen is a repeat offender, having pulled off similar stunts at other events such as Katy Perry’s concert in Sydney in June. Most recently, on Dec 9, he was removed from the arena at Lady Gaga’s concert in Brisbane before she came onstage.