About 20 people were evacuated by the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) after a fire broke out at People's Park Complex on Sunday (Jan 4) afternoon.SCDF said in a Facebook post on the same day that they were alerted to the fire at about 1.55pm.The fire, which happened in the living room of a residential unit on the 21st floor of the mixed-use development in Chinatown, was put out with two water jets after SCDF conducted forcible entry into the unit. According to SCDF, no one was inside the unit at the time of the fire.Videos posted on social media show at least three fire engines along Park Road, where People's Park Complex is located. Smoke is also seen bellowing out from the unit's windows.There were no reported injuries in the fire and the cause of the fire is under investigation.In April 2025, another fire also happened in a storage area on the sixth floor of the same development. Six persons were taken to Singapore General Hospital for smoke inhalation then.

National water agency PUB has responded to a video online showing water being drained from an underground car park at Fu Lu Shou Complex at Bugis after a pipe purportedly burst.The video, taken at night and posted on TikTok by user _jopig_ on Saturday (Dec 3), stated that efforts to drain the water had started from 3pm.«Flooded in B3 and B2. What a way to start 2026,» she wrote.An eyewitness, surnamed Huang, told 8world that she had heard an announcement in the building at about 3pm requesting drivers to remove their vehicles from the basement car park immediately.She said the water level at B2 was more than ankle-deep, and believed flooding at the B3 level to be worse, although she did not see the extent of the flooding for herself.Huang told 8world that when she got off work at 10.54pm, she still saw workers pumping water from the underground levels to the main road outside the building.Repairs completed within 3 hours: PUBIn a statement on Saturday (Dec 3), PUB said that it was aware of the clip showing water being «pumped out of the basement car park at Fu Lu Shou Complex, into the nearby drains».

Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has called on the United States to exercise restraint amid it's intervention in Venezuela on Saturday (Jan 3).The US had, on Jan 3, attacked Venezuela and deposed its long-serving President Nicolas Maduro in an overnight operation, in Washington's most direct intervention in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama.In a statement on Jan 4, a MFA spokesperson said that Singapore is «gravely concerned» by the situation.«Singapore is deeply committed to international law and the principles of the UN Charter that safeguard the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states, especially small states.»Singapore has consistently opposed actions contrary to international law by any parties, including foreign military intervention in any country," the spokesperson added.

The nearly $8 million Toto jackpot from Jan 2 will be split among three winning tickets, following no winners in the previous Group 1 draw.The winning numbers were 11, 18, 20, 32, 38 and 39, and the additional number was 34.The Jan 2 draw started out with $5 million prize money but was increased to $6.8 million and later $7.9 million after there were no winners in the previous draw.Each of the three winners will receive $2,653,368.To win Group 1 prize, a ticket must have all six winning numbers. The prize money will snowball to the next draw if there are no winners, up till the fourth draw. After that, the amount will be shared among the winners in Group 2.The three winning tickets were bought through a Quickpick System 7 entry, an iToto System 12 ticket and a Singapore Pools branch in Upper Boon Keng Road.An iToto ticket comprises 12 numbers, increasing the odds of winning and is split into 28 shares. A normal System 12 ticket of 12 numbers is priced at $924, but a person can also buy multiple shares at $33 each.The Group 2 draw on Jan 2 had 17 winners, who will each be receiving about $98,000.

A video of an alleged Singapore-registered car in Malaysia with a partially taped up licence plate and its driver seen pumping Ron95 petrol has gone viral.The clip, believed to have occurred in Kulai, a district in Johor, was posted to X on Saturday (Jan 3).In the clip, a middle-aged man wearing a striped shirt is seen refilling his white Volkswagen car as another driver pulls up from behind and calls out to him. A person in the passenger seat films the interaction.«Singaporean ah,» the male driver questions, to which the Volkswagen driver replies «bukan» («no» in Malay).It can be seen from the video, however, that the licence plate of the Volkswagen is partially taped up to obscure the first letter, 'S', as well as the last alphabet, 'M'.The Volkwagen driver tries to explain himself further when it is clear that the other party did not believe him.«Kita orang Malaysian ('We are Malaysians'),» he says, indicating that he and another middle-aged woman who appears by his side are Malaysian citizens.

About 20 people were evacuated from a HDB block in Telok Blangah on Jan 3 after a fire involving a power-assisted bicycle (PAB) broke out.The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a Facebook post on the same day that they were alerted to the fire at Block 108 Bukit Purmei Road at about 1.20pm.The fire was located in a bedroom of a flat on the sixth floor, and firefighters extinguished the fire with two water jets after forcing entry into the smoke-filled unit, SCDF said.They added that the fire was confined to the bedroom and there was no one inside the unit.There were no reported injuries, but as a precautionary measure, the police and SCDF evacuated about 20 people from the affected block.Preliminary findings indicated that the fire likely originated from the battery of a PAB in the bedroom.

A customer relations officer at Marina Square has been sent to prison for fraudulently obtaining nearly $28,000 in e-vouchers to use at the shopping mall. Aravindran Vallaban, a 26-year-old Malaysian citizen, was jailed for 20 months on Friday (Jan 2) after pleading guilty to one charge of cheating, reported CNA. Between May 13, 2024, and April 3, 2025, Aravindran created 2,172 fake Marina Square membership accounts to use the mall's referral programme. As part of a promotion, new members could use a referral code from an existing member to join, and both parties would receive $5 in e-vouchers to use at the mall. New members also had to confirm their identity using a one-time password (OTP) sent to their phones. Aravindran obtained S$27,915 in e-vouchers fraudulently and spent them on personal expenses. He has since made full restitution. Used supervisor's credentials, ChatGPTAravindran's job as assistant customer relations supervisor saw him handle customer inquiries and help with promotions. 

It's the end of the year, which means it's time to look back and ask one important question: what did we spend way too much time talking about in 2025?Because in Singapore, we don't just experience things and move on. We discuss them to death: in group chats, comment sections and kopi catch-ups, until everyone is tired but no one actually stops.And yes, I've rated each topic based entirely on how unavoidable it was, how loud the discourse got and how long it refused to die.⭐☆☆☆☆ - Mentioned once, then we moved on⭐⭐☆☆☆ - Everyone had a take, then forgot⭐⭐⭐☆☆ - Hard to escape, even if you tried⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ - Group chats would not shut up⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - National-level discourse1. GE 2025 (and the memes that came with it)Even if you didn't follow politics, you followed the memes.GE 2025 wasn't just about policies and speeches. It was screenshots pulled out of context, reaction edits within minutes, and phrases that escaped rallies and interviews to take on lives of their own. The phrase «Look left, look right» became a format, remixed, reused and repurposed across platforms.

A 34-year-old private bus driver is assisting with police investigations after being involved in a chain collision along the Seletar Expressway (SLE) on Friday (Jan 2). The accident involved 5 cars and the private bus, and took place along the SLE in the direction of Bukit Timah Expressway. The police told AsiaOne that it was alerted to the accident at about 7.30pm. A 19-year-old male car driver sustained minor injuries, but declined to be taken to hospital. Dashcam footage of the accident's aftermath was uploaded to Facebook group Both Checkpoint. It showed a private bus with a shattered windshield at the back of the the pile-up. Investigations are ongoing.[[nid:727386]]bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com

The Workers' Party leadership has directed that a disciplinary panel be formed to determine if party chief Pritam Singh has contravened the constitution of the party. In a media statement on Saturday (Jan 3), the party said its central executive committee (CEC) met on Friday to deliberate on matters arising from the High Court judgment last month on Singh's failed appeal against conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee. The Friday meeting also discussed the request for a special cadre members' conference (special CMC). «The CEC has concluded that it is appropriate to call the special CMC after the disciplinary panel has completed its work, considering the need for due process,» WP said in its statement on Saturday. «To prevent undue delay, the CEC has set a timeline that the disciplinary process be concluded within three months. The notice of the special CMC will be issued within two weeks after the conclusion of the disciplinary process.» [[nid:726880]]bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com

Canned and bottled drinks will come with an additional 10-cent charge under a new scheme which will be implemented from April 1. The 10-cent container return deposit will be refunded when consumers return the empty can or bottle at designated reverse vending machines. This was announced by Senior Minister of State of Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary in a Facebook post on Saturday (Jan 3). «This initiative is a significant step towards Singapore's circular economy goals, encouraging the recycling of beverage containers like metal cans and plastic bottles,» he said. The scheme was originally set to start in April 2025, but was pushed back at the request of major beverage producers who said they needed more time to operationalise it.In response, the authorities have extended the transition period to six months — spanning April 1 to Sep 30, said Dr Janil.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) was the fourth most punctual airline in the Asia-Pacific region in 2025. It was ranked third in 2024. The national carrier's on-time performance score was 78.58 per cent, a dip from the previous year's score of 78.67 per cent, according to a report released by aviation analytics firm Cirium on Friday (Jan 2).The top spot was clinched by Philippines Airlines, which scored 83.12 per cent.The airline had an impressive climb from its number 7 spot in 2024 with a score of 76.06 per cent.The second and third place went to Air New Zealand and Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) respectively.In 2024, Air New Zealand was in fourth place — just behind Singapore — while ANA took second place.Responding to AsiaOnes queries, an SIA spokesperson said that they «remain firmly committed to operational excellence, and enhancing the end-to-end travel experience for all [their] customers.»Aeromexico is world's most punctual airlineIn global rankings, Mexico's Aeromexico retained its title as the world's most punctual airline, with a score of 90.02 per cent.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong kicked off the first working day of 2026 with a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Friday (Jan 2). In a statement on Friday night, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said the two leaders noted that this year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.  The leaders reaffirmed the enduring strength of the mutually beneficial partnership that spans multiple domains, and looked forward to deepening cooperation in established areas and expanding into new ones, added MFA. Writing on his Facebook page, PM Wong said these new areas include artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and civilian nuclear power. Singapore is studying the potential deployment of nuclear energy to diversify its energy mix. 

An 18-year-old male teenager was arrested on Friday (Jan 2) for his suspected involvement in a case of motorcycle theft. In a news release, the police said the alleged theft occurred at about 9.45am on Friday at a carpark in the vicinity of Hougang Street 92. Officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division arrested the suspect within six hours of the report being made. They identified him via ground enquiries and with the aid of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly did not possess a valid riding licence. He will be charged in court on Saturday. If found guilty of motor vehicle theft, the suspect may be jailed for up to seven years and also fined. [[nid:727215]]editor@asiaone.com 

A 37-year-old man will be charged in court on Saturday (Jan 3) for allegedly vandalising a crime alert signage belonging to the police. In a news release on Friday night, the police said that the purported offence occurred along Stadium Place at about 4.10pm on Dec 30. The suspect was arrested on Jan 2 by officers from Bedok Police Division following ground enquires and with the aid of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage. Based on preliminary investigations, the man is also suspected to be involved in another case of vandalising a public banner. If found guilty of vandalism, the man faces a fine of up to $2,000 or jail for up to three years, along with mandatory caning of between three and eight strokes. [[nid:727311]]editor@asiaone.com 

Thundery showers which persisted over the final two weeks of 2025 are expected to continue into the first fortnight of 2026, the Meteorological Service Singapore said on Friday (Jan 2). They are expected over parts of Singapore in the afternoon on most days, extending into the evening on some days, added the weatherman.The total rainfall is expected to be below average over most parts of the island — with daily maximum temperatures between 32 deg C and 34 deg C on most days. The second half of December also saw mostly thundery showers. Temperatures were similar — at between 32 deg C and 34 deg C, with a high of 34.7 deg C recorded at Jurong Island on Christmas Eve. On Dec 26, heavy thundery showers affected the southern, western and central parts of the island in the afternoon, with a total rainfall of 98.4mm — the highest rainfall recorded for the second half of December — at Pasir Laba. [[nid:726838]]editor@asiaone.com 

A total of 32 Singaporean men were convicted and sentenced for drug and money laundering offences in 2025, said the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) in a statement on Friday (Jan 2). The men, who were arrested by the CNB in separate anti-drug operations, were convicted and sentenced to jail terms of up to 31 years and 18 strokes of the cane. The youngest offender was 19 years old at the time of conviction.CNB said it seized about 8.8kg of heroin, 3kg of Ice, 7.8kg of cannabis, about 110g of cannabis-infused candies, 0.9kg of ketamine, 1,160 Ecstasy tablets, 447 Erimin-5 tablets and other controlled drugs during the anti-drug operations. The drugs seized are estimated to be worth about $1.5 million and can feed the addiction of about 7,000 abusers for a week. About $101,000 worth of proceeds derived from the offenders’ illegal drug activities or otherwise linked to them, were forfeited and surrendered to the state, added the police. 

A former national swimmer and a high-ranking National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) member are set to be new Nominated Members of Parliament (NMP).Darryl Lo and Jeremy Tan, the two independent candidates in the last General Election who threw their hats in the ring for consideration, will not be among the eight new faces appointed to parliament.Mark Lee Kean Phi, chief executive officer of apparel company Sing Lun Holdings, will return for a second term, according to a press release by the Clerk of Parliament on Friday (Jan 2).The nine are:

SINGAPORE – Some residents at a Sin Ming condominium were greeted by brown and yellowish water flowing from their taps on New Year’s Day, following a pipe leak near the junction of Sin Ming Avenue and Upper Thomson Road.National water agency PUB said it was alerted to the incident at 9am on Jan 1.“We immediately deployed our service crew on site to trace the source of the leak and commence repair works. Water supply to homes and businesses in the vicinity was not affected,” it said in response to queries from The Straits Times.A PUB spokesman said the agency is investigating the cause of the pipe leak.Residents of the nearby Flame Tree Park condo had reported that discoloured water was flowing from their taps. This was likely due to resuspension of mineral sediments in the water pipe network due to the leak, PUB said.Repair works are ongoing and are expected to be completed by Jan 2, it added.A 42-year-old doctor who lives in the condo told ST that at around 2am, his wife noticed the water in the toilet bowl was brown even after flushing.At around 8am, he saw discoloured water flowing from the kitchen and toilet taps.

Four people were taken to the hospital after a fire broke out in an HDB flat located along Sembawang Drive on Jan 1. In a Facebook post the same day, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to a fire at Block 462 Sembawang Drive at around 3:15pm. Firefighters extinguished the fire, which broke out on a unit on the 11th floor, with a water jet. A person from the affected unit had evacuated before SCDF’s arrival.As a precautionary measure, about 90 people from the affected block were evacuated by the police and SCDF. 4 people were assessed for smoke inhalation, with 3 taken to Singapore General Hospital and 1 taken to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.The cause of the fire is under investigation, said SCDF.[embed]https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AcH1EjX9Z/[/embed][[nid:727539]]esther.lam@asiaone.com 

A van was allegedly involved in multiple hit-and-run accidents on Wednesday (Dec 31) along Towner Road and Lavender Street, before crashing into a signpost along Raffles Avenue.In three separate posts uploaded to Facebook groups SGRV and SGRV Front Man, the same orange Nippon Paint van was seen involved in multiple road incidents, all of which occurred on different roads.In the first post, the driver of the Toyota Hiace is alleged to have been involved in a hit-and-run accident near Block 149A Towner Road, before being accused of fleeing the scene.An uploaded video showed the van ramming through a car park barricade in the process of doing so. According to the post, the van crashed through the barricade after attempting to flee the scene, along Towner Road. PHOTO: Screengrab/Facebook/SGRV According to SGRV, the incident occurred at 1.32pm.

Singapore ushered in the new year with multiple firework displays across the island, some of which were held in heartland areas like Boon Lay and Woodlands.However, based on multiple videos posted online, Tampines residents reportedly started the new year witnessing flames shooting from the roof of Our Tampines Hub (OTH) shortly after the fireworks display.In a TikTok video by @38mlow posted on Jan 1, smoke could be seen rising from the back of the roof of OTH, while multiple ambulances were seen entering the vicinity of the building. Ambulance sirens could also be heard. 

A 16-year-old teenager is among 143 people assisting in police investigations for their suspected involvement in scams as scammers or money mules, where victims reportedly lost more than $3.82 million. Officers from the Commercial Affairs Department and the seven police land divisions conducted a nearly two week-long operation between Dec 19 and 30, said the police in a statement on New Year's Eve (Dec 31). A total of 41 women and 102 men, aged between 16 and 79, are believed to be involved in more than 400 cases of scams, comprising mainly e-commerce scams, friend impersonation scams, job scams, government official impersonation scams, investment scams and rental scams. They are being investigated for the alleged offences of cheating, money laundering or providing payment services without a licence. The latest enforcement operation comes right after two similar operations in November, and another in the first two weeks of December. 

Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh on Wednesday (Dec 31) said the party will continue to defend the rights of workers and all Singaporeans, call for institutional safeguards, and ensure that governance in Singapore remains transparent and accountable. «As we look to the year ahead, the importance of robust checks and balances has never been more critical,» he said in his New Year message.Singh, who is also Leader of the Opposition, noted unprecedented disruption with the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence transforming the workplace. «In such times, the government must not only be efficient but also fair. Singaporean workers and families deal with Singaporean cost-of-living issues, job insecurities, and social realities which require policy empathy,» he said.

Celebrations lit up the night sky as thousands of people in Singapore came together to welcome 2026 with festive gatherings and celebration booths on Wednesday (Dec 31). Speaking to AsiaOne at The Kallang on Dec 31, Muhammad Yusri Khalid, 33, said it was the first time in four years that he and his family had come out to see the fireworks. «We came out to watch the fireworks at 9pm, as well as enjoy the activities for the kids, like the tattoo booths,» said the father of three. «This year is different for us because we usually stay home by midnight and miss the fireworks as the kids get tired. It's the first time in four years that we've come out to watch them.» Yusri's wife Amanah Koh also shared their hopes for the new year, including the challenge of preparing their daughter for Primary 1 in 2026, and their second child for school the following year in 2027. 

There was a flurry of activity at the Charis Tabernacle church in Paya Lebar on the morning of New Year's Eve as about 150 volunteers worked to package humanitarian aid bound for Gaza.A hefty 18 tonnes of aid, consisting of 60,000 packs of ready-to-eat bean soup meals and 3,000 pieces of 10-litre collapsible jerry cans will be shipped to Jordan in January and then delivered to Gaza via land crossings or airdrops.The latest tranche of aid facilitated by non-profit organisation Humanity Matters is worth $204,000. It is hoped that the relief supplies will reach Gaza in time for Ramadan, which is expected to start around Feb 18, 2026.At the relief packing event on Dec 31, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam said the situation in Gaza is «still very dire» despite news of a ceasefire in October.«It's not a very happy new year if you're in Gaza right now, nor is it particularly happy if you're in Ukraine or Sudan or Yemen,» he observed in his speech as the event's guest of honour.

Emotions ran high, and fingers were pointed after a commuter was allegedly not allowed on board a bus, supposedly due to durian.A TikTok user, who wanted to be known as Fuse, told AsiaOne that she witnessed the spat at Woodlands Bus Interchange at about 9.45pm on Saturday (Dec 28).The video which she uploaded online shows a SMRT bus captain of service 911 in a stand-off with a woman in a red top.«Bring it out!» says the driver repeatedly as the woman shouts unintelligibly, pointing a finger at the former, while other commuters are seen trying to pacify her.A shriek is heard at one point, after which the bus captain sits down and appears to disengage from the situation.Fuse told AsiaOne that she was not aware of what sparked the dispute, which had attracted the attention of other passers-by.«A few people tried to calm (the woman) down. But it did not work,» she said.Several netizens speculated that durian could have been the cause, noting that it is not allowed on public transport because of its strong smell.

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers have foiled two attempts to smuggle duty-unpaid cigarettes into Singapore at Tuas Checkpoint.The incident happened on Dec 12, according to a Facebook post on Tuesday (Dec 30). ICA said that radiographic image analysts spotted anomalies in the scanned images and directed the vehicles for enhanced checks.The first case involved a truck containing more than 2,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden within a consignment declared as «tool box and drawer storage».A second truck with 1,500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden within a consignment declared as «furniture» was also interrupted on the same day.Three Malaysian men, aged 27, 28, and 33, were arrested in connection with these cases, and the exhibits and suspects referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation.Buying, selling, conveying, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods is considered serious offences under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax Act. 

A local influencer filed a police report after his 12-year-old son was threatened during a TikTok livestream. The father, Singapore-based influencer Alex Lee, posted a subsequent video, which has since garnered over 2.6 million views, describing the incident.According to Lee, a netizen allegedly threatened to beat up his older son Daken at his new secondary school during the livestream. Lee added: «I don't know whether this person is a senior in his new school or just a random person on the internet, but no one threatens my son and gets away with it. »I have screenshots and (a) video recording of the interaction and I've made a police report. I'm waiting for the investigation officer to get back to me."Lee is married to Bonita Ma, the founder of Basic Models Management, with whom he has two sons — Daken and Raiden. Daken recently received his PSLE results and secondary school posting — both of which were documented on their TikTok page. Lee also urged the public to be mindful about their speech and actions, especially in the online space. 

Almost a million Singaporean HDB households will receive rebates on their utility and conservancy bills in January, in the fourth quarterly disbursement for Financial Year 2025. Eligible households will receive U-Save and Service & Conservancy Charges (S&CC) rebates in January next year as part of the permanent GST Voucher scheme and the enhanced Assurance Package, said the Ministry of Finance (MOF) in a statement on Tuesday (Dec 30). The rebates help to offset the utility bills and conservancy charges for lower- to middle-income HDB households and are disbursed quarterly each financial year, said MOF. Households will receive rebates according to their HDB flat type. For instance, households living in a one- or two-room flat will receive $190 worth of U-Save and half a month of S&CC rebates. Eligible households do not need to take any action and will have the rebates automatically credited to their utilities accounts by SP Services and their town councils respectively. 

Two male motorcyclists were arrested during a two-day enforcement blitz targeting errant motorcyclists on expressways. In a statement on Tuesday (Dec 30), the Traffic Police (TP) said they conducted checks on 132 vehicles as part of the operation on Dec 15 and 16. The two motorcyclists, aged 21 and 33, were arrested for driving without a valid licence and for using a motor vehicle without insurance coverage. Over the two days, a total of 154 summonses were issued for various traffic offences, including speeding, riding on road shoulders, stopping on road shoulders, and using unapproved helmets, said the police. For driving without a licence, offenders may be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to three years, or both. Repeat offenders can be fined up to $20,000, jailed up to six years, or both. The vehicle may also be forfeited. For using a motor vehicle without insurance coverage, offenders may face a fine up to $1,000, a jail term of up to three months, or both. Offenders will also be disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles. [[nid:727423]]

The police are looking for one of two prime movers involved in an accident which resulted in the death of a 61-year-old motorcyclist on the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) on Monday (Dec 29) evening. The fatal accident occurred in the direction of Tuas after Clementi Road at about 5.45pm. In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said the male motorist was declared dead at the scene by a paramedic from the Singapore Civil Defence Force. «Efforts to trace one of the prime movers are underway,» it said, adding that investigations are ongoing. A video filmed by an eyewitness shows an overturned motorcycle and trails of blood streaking the rain-soaked road, reported 8world. A taxi driver, surnamed Fu, told Shin Min Daily News that it was a «horrific» accident. The Chinese evening daily reported that the victim is believed to have fallen after being hit by one of the prime movers and then run over by the other heavy vehicle. Fu said that a person had placed an umbrella over the victim to shield him from the rain while waiting for first responders to arrive. 

More than 80kg of rhinoceros horns, lion and tiger bones were seized in Johannesburg on Dec 1, following a joint operation between the National Parks Board (NParks) and South African authorities.In a statement on Tuesday (Dec 30), NParks said it was alerted to a suspicious shipment transiting through Singapore Changi Airport from South Africa on Nov 11.The cargo «bore similarities» to a previous shipment seized by NParks on Nov 8 and found to contain 35.7kg of rhino horns worth $1.13 million and other animal parts, it added.Following an assessment, NParks did not seize the shipment but instead coordinated with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and initiated a controlled return of the shipment to South Africa to enable further investigation. On Dec 1, the DPCI's Serious Organised Crime Investigation’s Wildlife Trafficking Unit launched an operation which traced the shipment to a storage facility in Johannesburg. There, four boxes containing 17 rhinoceros horns weighing 55.4kg, along with 26.2kg of lion and tiger bones, including skulls and claws, were seized.

Households will see lower electricity and gas bills from January to March, following a drop in energy and fuel costs. Electricity tariffs for households will go down by 0.84 cent per kilowatt-hour (kWh), while gas tariffs will decrease by 0.67 cent per kWh, before goods and services tax (GST).  PHOTO: SP Group In a statement on Tuesday (Dec 30), grid operator SP Group said the electricity tariffs, including for non-households, will decrease by 3.1 per cent from the previous quarter. Families living in four-room flats can expect a decrease by $3.17 before GST on their average monthly electricity bill. In another statement on the same day, gas provider City Energy said that the gas tariff for households will drop by 0.67 cent per kWh, from 22.35 cents to 21.68 cents, from January to March. 

SINGAPORE - The Hindu community now has a sheltered space to perform seaside rituals for their departed loved ones with the opening of a new facility at Changi Beach.Announced five years ago, Karma Kaariya Nilaiyam - a one-storey building with four private halls - was officially launched on Dec 29 and is located next to Carpark 2 of the beach.Families can book the private halls online to carry out post-death Hindu rites or Karumathi prayers, performed on the 13th or 16th day after cremation, said the Hindu Endowments Board (HEB), which funds and manages the facility.Previously, most families would place a mat on the ground at Changi Beach to prepare for and carry out the rituals, typically in the pre-dawn hours. This left them exposed to a dark environment, heavy rain and winds, HEB secretary Satish Appoo told the media on Dec 29.Families had to take along their own light sources, and the only sheltered spaces available were empty beach pavilions, he added.«This facility provides a calm, dignified and respectful environment. Families are still mourning, so they need privacy to focus on these rituals,» added Satish.