BANGKOK – Singapore sprint queen Shanti Pereira’s bid for a historic double-double at the SEA Games got off to a speedy start on Dec 11, when the 29-year-old retained her women’s 100m gold in Bangkok.Competing at the Suphachalasai National Stadium, she clocked 11.36sec to beat home favourite Khanonta Jirapat (11.54) and Ha Thi Thu (11.58) of Vietnam, who finished second and third, respectively.While Pereira said she did not feel “too good” the day before in practice, her coach Luis Cunha’s advice that “you just need to come in first” worked a treat.She said: “I didn’t think about the time too much. Of course, I wanted to do a good one, but it was really just about showing up and trying to attain my goal of defending the title no matter the timing.“I’m happy to go to coach and give him a great hug and get ready for the 200m.”At the 2023 edition in Cambodia, Pereira made history by becoming the first Singaporean to win the 100m and 200m golds.

Two men, aged 24 and 47, will be charged in court on Friday (Dec 12) for their alleged involvement in a government official impersonation scam (GOIS).In a statement on Dec 11, the police said they received a report involving the impersonation of an officer from the Singapore Police Force.Modus operandi: Your personal information was misusedThe female victim who filed the report was allegedly told over a video call, by a man dressed in police uniform, that she had purchased an insurance policy and that her personal information was misused.The woman was also instructed to surrender her money and valuables for the purpose of investigations. Convinced that she was under investigation, the woman handed over cash amounting to more than $7,000, and subsequently, gold worth over $53,000. The police said that the cash and gold were handed to a different unknown person on each occasion. They established the identities of the two individuals, a 47-year-old Malaysian man and a 24-year-old Singaporean man, through follow-up investigations and ground enquiries.

Several people helped fight a fire that engulfed a Malaysia-registered pickup truck along Tanjong Katong Road on Wednesday (Dec 10) afternoon.In a video posted on Instagram by Sgfollowsall, a man believed to be the driver is seen removing goods from the back of the truck while it is in flames. He then returns to the driver's cabin to remove a bag, and is also seen speaking on the phone.While he waits for help, two passersby approach him with fire extinguishers.They are soon joined by an elderly petrol station attendant and a fourth man.As the four use their fire extinguishers to bring the fire under control, thick smoke can be seen forming around the truck.Across social media posts of the incident, some netizens praised the passersby for stepping forward to help put out the fire.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has foiled an attempt to bring an e-vaporiser, or vape, and more than 800 heat sticks into Singapore. On Nov 30, ICA officers at Changi Airport Terminal 1 directed a male Japanese traveller for baggage checks, after first asking if he had anything to declare. Although the man denied having anything to declare, anomalies were detected in the scanned image, said ICA in a Facebook post on Thursday (Dec 11).A thorough check of his belongings found the vape and 849 heat sticks. A heat stick is a tobacco-filled unit inserted into a battery-operated device that heats the tobacco to produce an aerosol containing nicotine, without burning it.The traveller was referred to the Health Sciences Authority for further investigation. «Border security is a crucial aspect of the enforcement strategy against e-vaporisers,» said ICA in its Facebook post.«As guardians of the nation's borders, ICA remains committed to safeguarding Singapore by ensuring our borders remain safe and secure.»

Singapore's largest telco Singtel has been hit with a $1 million fine for a nationwide landline outage that disrupted calls to public institutions and emergency services on Oct 8, 2024. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said on Thursday (Dec 11) that it has concluded its probe into the incident that affected about 500,000 of Singtel's residential and corporate users. For about four hours that day, about half of the calls made to public service hotlines — including government agencies, banks and hospitals — could not be connected. The police and Singapore Civil Defence Force had urged the public to contact them via SMS instead. IMDA said the disruption had the potential to seriously impact the safety and security of the public. It also said the incident was within Singtel's control to prevent and was not caused by a cyberattack. 

US-bound travellers from 42 countries under the visa waiver programme — including Singapore — could be asked to provide their social media history over the last five years as a condition for entry under a new proposal unveiled by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Other than Singapore, some of the 41 other countries in the visa waiver programme include: Australia, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, South Korea, Spain and the United Kingdom. Under the programme, citizens from the 42 countries are currently allowed — for the purpose of tourism or business — stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. AsiaOne reviewed the notice published in the Federal Register, the official journal of the US government, on Wednesday (Dec 10). In the notice, social media history was proposed as a «mandatory data element» for an electronic system for travel authorisation (ESTA) application. 

The results of the 2025 Singapore-Cambridge N-level examinations will be released on Dec 18, said the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) on Thursday (Dec 11). Details of the collection arrangements will be shared by the respective schools with their students, said MOE and SEAB in a joint media release on Dec 11. Students who are unable to return to school to collect their results may appoint a proxy to do so on their behalf. Proxies are required to produce the relevant documents for verification when collecting the results, said MOE and SEAB, adding that school candidates can contact their school for assistance with the appointment of a proxy. Private candidates with a Singpass account can obtain their results via SEAB's candidate portal from 2.45pm on Dec 18. Those who do not have Singpass can view their results in the portal using the account they created during their earlier registration as examination candidates. 

The 2025 SEA Games opening ceremony at Bangkok's Rajamangala National Stadium on Tuesday (Dec 9) faced an embarrassing mix-up when Indonesia, the host of the 1997 SEA Games, was mistakenly represented with Singapore's flag. The mistake drew criticism from Indonesian viewers and spectators, reported the Jakarta Globe. But this was just one among several mishaps that marred the opening ceremony, which ran for more than two-and-a-half hours. When the event displayed a digital map projecting the different Southeast Asian nations as each delegation entered the arena, netizens noticed that some islands were missing from the Vietnam map, reported VietNamNet. The drone display for the gold medal tally also mistakenly formed the number 547 instead of 574, reported Thaiger. Ahead of the Games, a women's football schedule published on the official SEA Games website also showed Laos' flag next to Indonesia's name, while Thailand's flag was swapped with Vietnam's flag, reported Jakarta Globe. The 33rd SEA Games takes place from Dec 9 to 20 in Thailand, with Bangkok and Chonburi as host regions. 

A former driving tester has been charged for allegedly attempting to obtain $150 from a candidate in exchange for leniency during the latter's practical driving test.Muhamad Zahirey Bin Ishak, a 39-year-old Singaporean man, was charged in court on Thursday (Dec 11) for an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act, according to a statement by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau.According to court documents, Zahirey had been a driving tester with People Advantage and was deployed to Bukit Batok Driving Centre.On May 23 this year, Zahirey had attempted to obtain the $150 bribe from a test candidate as a reward to help the candidate obtain his Singapore driving licence.The court heard that he intends to plead guilty on Jan 29, 2026.If convicted, he will face a jail term of up to five years, a maximum fine of $100,000, or both.[[nid:726340]]dana.leong@asiaone.com

BANGKOK – If Team Singapore had not sensed the danger before these SEA Games, they were in for a rude shock on Day 1 of the swimming competition on Dec 10 at the Huamark Aquatic Centre as rivals from Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines loomed large in the rearview mirror before overtaking them in events they have long dominated.While they have topped the swimming medal standings since 2005 and have done so by healthy margins in the past decade, national swimming head coach Gary Tan acknowledged the tough competition his team face as he called these Games the most challenging one since the 2013 meet when they won 12 out of 32 events.He said: “The girls, especially, were coming into something that was tougher than the last few editions. The competition has gotten better and tighter. There’s a lot of swimmers coming through from different countries... but we will take it in our stride and fight every single day.”

A 41-year-old male personal mobility device (PMD) rider was taken to hospital following an accident with a car in Bishan on Tuesday (Dec 9).The accident took place at the junction of Bishan Road and Bishan Street 11 at about 7.35pm.The intersection is about 200m away from Junction 8, a popular heartland shopping mall. A video of the accident posted on Facebook page Roads.sg shows the man riding across the pedestrian crossing while the traffic lights are not in his favour.

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) are holding their seventh bilateral exercise, codenamed Exercise Cooperation, in Singapore from Dec 10 to 17. In a news release on Wednesday (Dec 10), the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said this year's exercise will focus on urban counter-terrorism operations. The exercise, conducted at Safti City for the first time, will feature a battalion-level field training exercise. «Participants from both armies will also engage in tactical drills, small arms live firing, use of drones for basic reconnaissance and patrol, and cohesion activities,» said Mindef, adding that the interactions aim to strengthen professional exchanges and enhance people-to-people ties. The exercise will involve 90 personnel from the 3rd Singapore Division and 1st Commando Battalion, and 90 personnel from the PLA Southern Theatre Command's 74th Army Group. 

Animal Lovers League (ALL) will downsize operations after its shelter lost its tenancy at The Animal Lodge (TAL), co-founders Mohan Div Sreedharan and Catherine Strong told reporters on Wednesday (Dec 10).The pair also hope to gather enough funds to settle the shelter's rental arrears totalling about $500,000 in January.On Dec 8, the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) said ALL's lease at TAL would not be renewed due to concerns about the health and welfare of animals there, as well as the unpaid rent.The animal welfare group was started in 2002 and has operated out of TAL since March 2018. TAL is managed by AVS.The founders said on Wednesday that the root of their troubles is the lack of funds, which have dwindled since the Covid-19 pandemic.«We hardly receive any donation at all,» Strong said.Mohan elaborated that ALL used to board animals, which helped supplement revenue. He did not say when this service stopped.

A 22-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman were arrested by police on Tuesday (Dec 9) over their alleged involvement in a case of loanshark harassment.The police said in a media release that they were alerted to a case of loanshark harassment along Woodlands Avenue 4 on Dec 9, where the walls near a lift lobby were scribbled with loanshark-related graffiti. The duo were identified and arrested by officers from Woodlands Police Division within 12 hours of the report being made. «They are also believed to be involved in at least five other similar cases of loanshark harassment across Singapore», the police added.Both of them will be charged in court on Dec 11.If found guilty of loanshark harassment, the two may be fined up to $50,000 and jailed for up to five years.In addition, the male suspect may receive up to six strokes of the cane. As caning can only be imposed on male offenders below 50 years old, the woman may receive an additional sentence in lieu of caning if she is found guilty.[[nid:726495]]editor@asiaone.com 

A 46-year-old US national was arrested on Tuesday (Dec 9) for allegedly molesting a six-year-old girl in the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 3.In a statement on Dec 10, the police said that the girl was sleeping on a bench next to her mother when the incident happened at about 4.55pm on Dec 9.«When the girl's mother woke up and noticed the man's presence and actions, she immediately confronted him. The man then walked away from the scene. The girl's mother subsequently alerted the police.»The man was identified and arrested by officers from the Airport Police Division, with the aid of CCTV cameras, within four hours of receiving the report. He will be charged in court on Dec 11 for using criminal force to a person with intent to outrage modesty.If found guilty of the offence, the man may be jailed for up to five years, fined, caned, or sentenced to any combination of the punishments.[[nid:725101]]editor@asiaone.com 

Singapore's survival and success, as it commemorates SG60, were hard won through leadership, courage and a focus on national interest, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday (Dec 10).In a Facebook post after visiting The Albatross File exhibition a day earlier with Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo, the Prime Minister reflected on the series of events and choices faced by Singapore's founding leaders.«After the 1964 race riots, it had become clear to leaders on both sides that merger was not working. »The question then was: what next? A complete break was not the starting point. But through a series of unexpected turns and difficult choices, events gathered momentum and the path became clear," said PM Wong in his post.[[nid:726382]]

The Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) is correct in not renewing the lease of Animal Lovers League (ALL) over concerns regarding the health and welfare of its shelter animals and more than four years of unpaid rent, said Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam on Wednesday (Dec 10).Shanmugam, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, made the comment following a visit to The Animal Lodge (TAL), an AVS-managed facility in Sungei Tengah supporting animal groups and businesses.ALL had operated Singapore's largest no-kill shelter out of 10 units at TAL since March 2018. From December 2024, however, AVS started receiving volunteer feedback citing welfare concerns. The agency also identified poor management of the shelter during inspections and conducted multiple follow-ups in the coming months.Speaking to members of the media on Wednesday, Shanmugam said it would have been a «serious dereliction of duty» if AVS did not act against ALL after the feedback was lodged.«AVS really is in a difficult position. They have tried to be sympathetic to ALL,» he noted of the agency under the National Parks Board.

The daughter of former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff has died in a freak car accident in Melbourne, after her car was crushed by a falling pole on an Australian highway. In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Dec 9), Zulfikar, 54, stated that his daughter had died in a car accident while on her way to work. He wrote: «This morning at 7.45am (Melbourne time), our beloved daughter Sayyida Nafeesa Zulfikar was invited to return to Allah. »She was in a car accident and passed at the scene. She was on the way to work at MyCollege (Islamic college) where she was an admin officer. «She passed on the way to perform her ibadah.» According to Australian news sources, the accident had occurred on Hume Highway in Melbourne's north on Tuesday at 7.45am, when a truck collided with a red sedan. The truck reportedly rolled over and knocked over a pole which landed on the roof of a silver Honda travelling in the opposite direction, killing the driver. 

More than 500 seniors formed a snaking queue at Block 848 Yishun Street 81 on Monday (Dec 8), as they waited patiently to receive free durians. The giveaway, which began at 6pm, was organised by durian seller Famous Durian. Over 1,000 durians with a combined weight of 1,200kg were given away in less than 1.5 hours, Shin Min Daily News reported. Seniors aged 60 and above were allowed to take two durians each, with one of them a premium Mao Shan Wang durian. MP for Nee Soon GRC Lee Hui Ying was also seen distributing durians to the elderly who queued up, some of whom reportedly stood in line for at least three hours. Stall owner Yan Qingshen (transliteration), 43, told Shin Min Daily News the intiative was his way of giving back to society. It was reportedly the fourth free durian giveaway organised by the business. Thanking his suppliers for their help, Yan also shared that durians given away were valued at over $10,000. According to Shin Min, there was already a long queue of over 200 people at 5pm, with the line winding across to a neighbouring block. 

The owner of a noodle stall has hit back at a customer’s gripe about paying 30 cents more for his takeaway noodles after bringing a container that was «too small».In a Facebook post on the Complaint Singapore page on Tuesday (Dec 9), Sam Siew shared about his unpleasant experience ordering food at June Kee Noodle House in Jurong West Hawker Centre.He said the stall owner insisted on the takeaway fee for his lor mee as she had «no time» to pour the gravy into his container.«In reality, the container I brought was sufficiently large,» said Siew, while claiming he was told that customers who bring their own containers have to wait longer for their order.The noodle stall appears to have created a Facebook account just to respond to the complaint, which they labelled as «misinformation». In a lengthy comment under Siew’s Facebook post, June Kee Noodle House said it is “completely untrue” that customers with their own containers experience longer waiting times for their food.

A 49-year-old man was arrested on Monday (Dec 8) over his alleged involvement in a case of loanshark harassment on Sunday.In a statement on Dec 9, the police said that they were alerted to a case of loanshark harassment at a residential unit along Jurong West Street 64. «The main gate of the unit was secured with a bicycle lock, splashed with red paint, and a debtor's note was also placed on the gate,» the police said.The man was identified through follow-up investigations and images from police cameras.Based on preliminary investigations, the police believe that the man was also involved in similar cases of loanshark harassment across Singapore.He will be charged in court on Dec 10. If found guilty, the man may be fined up to $50,000, jailed for up to five years, and receive up to six strokes of the cane.[[nid:726292]]editor@asiaone.com 

Two men in their 40s were arrested on Monday (Dec 8) for their alleged involvement in separate housebreaking cases around Singapore.In the first case, a 40-year-old Chinese national is suspected of breaking into three residential units along Chuan Drive and Li Hwan Close in Serangoon Gardens, and in the vicinity of Sentosa between Sunday and Monday.The police said in a statement on Tuesday that the man had allegedly broken into the homes while the occupants were away and made off with jewellery items.Officers seized the stolen jewellery as well as cash totalling over $1,000, four ez-link cards, a cap and a wig from the suspect.He will be taken to court on Dec 10 and charged with housebreaking.The other man, 47, arrested in an unrelated housebreaking case allegedly targeted a residential unit along Circuit Road, said the police on the same day.More than $100 in cash, a photo frame containing assortments of old collectible currency notes, coins and jewellery valued at about $1,000, and two bottles of liquor with a value of $2,200 were reported missing on Sunday noon.Only the jewellery has been recovered from the man.

The police are warning members of the public that scammers are using shell investment applications to sell fake products.In a statement on Tuesday (Dec 9), the police revealed that there have been at least 20 reported cases of such scams since October 2025, with losses totalling at least $1.7 million.In this fraud variant, scammers put up social media advertisements for «investment products» that promised lucrative returns.Victims who chanced upon these ads and clicked on them were contacted by the scammers via WhatsApp.They were then invited into chat groups with names such as «Interactive Elite Knowledge Academy» and «168 Pursuit».In these chat groups, victims would come across other members who claimed to be successful investors.They are believed to be scammers who would vouch for the authenticity of the «investment products», including their returns. 

A 26-year-old motorcyclist who was stopped by traffic police (TP) officers on Sunday (Dec 7) night ran away from them on foot. But officers caught up with the man and arrested him for riding without a valid licence and insurance, as well as drug-related offences. In response AsiaOne's queries, the police said TP officers were conducting routine checks along Alexandra Road towards Pasir Panjang Road at 10pm when they signalled the motorcyclist to stop. He refused to comply with instructions and fled on foot before subsequently being apprehended. The police added that the suspected drug-related offences have been referred to the Central Narcotics Bureau. The motorcyclist sustained minor injuries and was conscious when taken to hospital. Police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:726441]]lim.kewei@asiaone.com

A 44-year-old male driver has been arrested for suspected drink driving following an accident along the Central Expressway (CTE), before the Moulmein Road exit on Sunday (Dec 7).The police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that they were alerted to the accident involving two cars and a taxi at about 3.55am on Dec 7.«A 65-year-old male taxi driver and another 33-year-old female car passenger were conveyed conscious to the hospital,» the police said.SCDF added that the two persons were conveyed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.AsiaOne understands that the male passenger in the taxi was assessed for minor injuries and declined to be sent to the hospital.In a video posted to Facebook page SG Road Vigilante on Dec 8, a dark-coloured multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) is seen braking suddenly while travelling on the second rightmost lane of the CTE towards the Seletar Expressway. Within seconds, the MPV makes a sharp left turn, swerving across several lanes before colliding with a white sports utility vehicle (SUV) in the leftmost lane.

Hiring sentiment in Singapore is expected to weaken significantly amid heightened economic uncertainty and reach a four-year low in the first quarter of 2026, according to the latest survey by ManpowerGroup. Conducted in October, the survey collected responses from 504 employers and found that Singapore's net employment outlook for the first quarter of 2026 is 15 per cent. Comparatively, the global average stands at 24 per cent. Within the region, India leads with an outlook of 52 per cent, while the outlook in Hong Kong remains subdued at 1 per cent. While remaining positive, Singapore's outlook declined by five percentage points from the fourth quarter in 2025, and 11 percentage points from the same period last year. According to ManpowerGroup, the last time Singapore's net employment outlook was 15 per cent was in the first quarter of 2022 during the global pandemic. Out of the employers surveyed this time, 46 per cent expect to maintain current staffing levels. 32 per cent plan to increase headcount, while 18 per cent anticipate a decrease in their staffing levels. 

SINGAPORE — A former photographer for the National Dental Centre of Singapore (NDCS) was sentenced to two years and three months' jail on Dec 9 after he took voyeuristic pictures of female patients he found attractive.Elgin Ng, 29, who had taken more than 600 of such photographs of 25 victims and even sent some of them to a friend, pleaded guilty in November to nine charges, including multiple counts of voyeurism.Twenty-one other charges were considered during his sentencing.In earlier proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Jeremy Bin told the court that as an NDCS photographer, Ng was tasked to take pictures of the teeth and jaws of patients who were scheduled for surgery.He would then take pictures of patients' faces, primarily of their teeth and jaw.For added modesty, he had to provide patients with a blue board to cover their chest, regardless of his or her gender.When dealing with girls and women, Ng had to either have a female colleague present to assist in the photo-taking process, or keep the curtains in the room open.

Mailing rates in Singapore will increase by 10 cents from Jan 1, 2026, owing to declining mail volume and rising network costs, said Singapore Post (SingPost). The new rate for standard regular mail and standard large mail will be $0.62 and $0.90 respectively, according to a statement by the national postal service provider on Tuesday (Dec 9). Rates for domestic bulk mail used by businesses will also increase. According to SingPost, the increase in postage rates will go towards investing in modernisation efforts to improve customer experience and operational efficiency. Over the past year, SingPost has undertaken significant initiatives to improve service quality and efficiency, including expanding service touchpoints and enhancing e-commerce capabilities. At the same time, mail volumes have fallen by over 40 per cent since the 2019/2020 fiscal year while operating costs have risen, said SingPost. 

Marathoner Soh Rui Yong has been medically cleared to compete in the 2025 SEA Games following his previous abnormal pre-Games medical result that put his bid for a medal at risk. According to the Team Singapore website, the 34-year-old is listed to compete in the men's 5,000m finals on Saturday (Dec 13) and in the men's 10,000m finals on Tuesday (Dec 16) at the National Stadium in Bangkok. In response to media queries, a spokesperson for Singapore Athletics (SA) said: “Following an irregular finding during his routine pre-Games screening last week, Soh was referred for a specialist cardiology assessment. The specialist conducted a full evaluation and concluded that Soh is fit to compete, with no cardiac concerns that would prevent him from racing.” Previously, an abnormal finding surfaced during Soh's pre-Games medical screening which put him at risk of missing the Games. 

A 49-year-old male motorcyclist was taken to hospital after a multi-vehicle pile-up along the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) towards Tuas on Monday (Dec 8) evening. The police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the collision on the PIE, after the Whitley Road exit, at about 5pm. The accident involved a motorcycle, two vans and three cars. SCDF said the male motorcyclist was conveyed conscious to the National University Hospital, while another motorist declined to be sent to the hospital after being assessed for minor injuries. When AsiaOne passed by the scene at about 6pm, a Malaysia-registered van was seen lying on its side on the rightmost, or first, lane of the expressway. Behind the van was a stationary white car, while a red Kia sedan was stopped on the second lane — beside the white car — with its trunk door opened. A white Lalamove van and a black Honda hatchback were also stopped beside the Malaysia-registered van. 

A motorist driving along Woodlands Close on Sunday (Dec 7) morning came across three motorised personal mobility devices (PMD) at speeds of allegedly up to 50kmh.In a video posted by Facebook page SG Road Vigilante (SGRV), a driver is seen turning left onto Woodlands Close when two PMDs appear near the right rear of his vehicle. About eight seconds later, a third PMD appears in the rear camera's view.All three PMD riders do not appear to be wearing any helmet or protective gear.Based on the footage, the vehicle was travelling at about 40kmh. As the vehicle accelerates to 50kmh, the default speed limit for roads, the third PMD is seen overtaking the vehicle.Meanwhile, the first two PMDs remained behind the vehicle.«These individuals who are riding on modified [PMDs] are engaging in reckless behaviour on the road, showing a complete disregard for their own safety,» SGRV quoted the driver as saying.«The speed which they are travelling at is comparable to the car, which significantly increases the risk of serious accidents,» the driver added.

A total of six people were arrested following a three-day islandwide enforcement blitz conducted by the Traffic Police (TP) at night.In a news release on Monday (Dec 8), the police said that a total of 74 vehicles were checked during the three-day operation from Nov 27 to 29.Five of the six arrested were suspected to be driving under the influence of alcohol, while the remaining individual was arrested for driving without a valid licence.Another 18 summonses were issued for various traffic offences such as speeding and using a mobile device while driving.During the operation, eight violations related to the Land Transport Authority were also detected. Those found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol may be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to 12 months, or both.Driving without a valid licence carries a penalty of up to three years' jail, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.The Traffic Police also advised motorists to comply with Singapore's traffic laws, adding that they will continue with enforcement efforts to ensure road safety.

Former Member of Parliament (MP) Carrie Tan married her long-time partner Kevin Teo on Sunday (Dec 7).The couple of seven years were all smiles when they appeared in a Facebook livestream hosted on Tan's page, ready for the solemnisation ceremony.In the presence of their families, Tan and Teo exchanged vows and wedding rings, leaning in for a peck and a tight embrace.After signing the marriage certificate, they served tea to their parents in a simple Chinese tea ceremony.Tan, 43, proposed to Teo in April shortly after announcing her departure from politics. She had been elected Nee Soon GRC MP only in 2020.Teo is chief technology officer at non-profit organisation AVPN. The couple have both been through divorce.A week prior to the ceremony, they shared a «music video» of their pre-wedding shoot in Yunnan, China, over an audio of Tan singing the love song It's You by Miya Wang.«Already feeling so married,» she quipped then.«Borrowing this song from [Miya], because it's how I feel about our union.»

A total of 17,279 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes and a van were seized by Singapore Customs in its largest inland haul this year, with the total duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded exceeding $1.87 million. A 27-year-old Singaporean van driver and three Indian nationals — aged 30, 36, and 39 — were arrested in two raids on Nov 30 and Dec 1 in Pandan Loop and Jurong Port Road, said the agency in a statement on Monday (Dec 8). On Nov 30, Customs officers spotted a Singapore-registered van reversing into the loading bay of an industrial building in Pandan Loop. Three men then loaded brown boxes into the vehicle. A search of the van found 2,400 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes. The men then led officers to a unit in the building, where 3,195 more cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found. The contraband and van were seized, while the four men were arrested. 

A Tiger God statue made of clay was stolen at a Chinese temple in Balestier on Saturday (Dec 6) shortly past midnight. Calling the theft “disrespectful to the deity”, Rochore Tua Pek Kong Temple on 249 Balestier Road urged the culprit to “do the right thing”. In a Facebook post on Sunday, the temple wrote that closed-circuit television footage captured an elderly man loitering around the altar for about 30 minutes till 12.15am on Dec 6. The statue, one of seven in the temple, pays tribute to the Tiger Deity who is believed to protect people against evil spirits. “We sincerely appeal to the person involved to return the statue immediately and in its original condition”, they said, adding that the statue “belongs to the community”. “Failing which, we will resort to legal action and press criminal charges.” AsiaOne has contacted Rochore Tua Pek Kong and the police for more information. [[nid:725902]]chingshijie@asiaone.com