SINGAPORE — Unhappy with a six-year-old stranger who had caused his daughter to fall, a man slapped the boy's face once, bruising it.For about a week following his ordeal, the boy was observed to be noticeably quieter, and he also experienced occasional nightmares.The bruise he sustained subsided several days after his assault and his behaviour has since returned to normal, the court heard.On Aug 20, his assailant pleaded guilty to an assault charge.The 39-year-old Singaporean man cannot be named to protect the identity of his daughter, who was around three years old at the time of the incident and referred to in court documents as X1.Individuals below 18 years old are protected under the Children and Young Persons Act.The court heard that the man, his wife and their three daughters had gone to an indoor playground at Westgate shopping mall in Gateway Drive, near Boon Lay Way, on Dec 22, 2024.At around 2.30pm, he saw the boy kick a wall made of multicoloured styrofoam building blocks while at least one of his daughters was standing near to it.

SINGAPORE – A staff member at the MindChamps PreSchool in East Coast has been diagnosed with active tuberculosis (TB) after a screening of children and staff there, as well as at MapleBear Toa Payoh.None of the children at either pre-school has tested positive so far, and there is “currently no evidence of spread within the pre-schools”, said the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) in a statement on Aug 20.The agency conducted screenings at the MindChamps and MapleBear pre-schools on Aug 13 and Aug 15 respectively, after a pre-school teacher who had taught at both schools tested positive for the disease.The staff member who was newly diagnosed on Aug 18 from the screenings is a household contact of the pre-school teacher, whom CDA was informed about on July 15.“The individual is currently asymptomatic and is on medical leave. She has commenced TB treatment and will be non-infectious after completing two weeks of treatment,” CDA said.

SMRT bus captain Yau Minddin Bin Muhamad had a moment of deliberation when he saw a car on fire near KK Women's and Children's Hospital, but concern for the vehicle occupants spurred him into action.The 48-year-old had been driving bus service 960e back to Woodlands Depot when he passed by the burning BMW along Bukit Timah Road on Sunday (Aug 17) evening.In an interview with AsiaOne on Wednesday, Yau said he stopped his vehicle at a bus stop ahead and thought for «a couple seconds» if he should lend a helping hand.«Then, I saw the driver waving but no one helping,» he recounted.«If my family or our colleague was trapped there, I cannot just ignore and leave it...if something happened [like an] explosion, I cannot forgive myself.»The bus captain of almost 10 years grabbed a portable fire extinguisher on board the bus and ran across the road.«No matter who they are, strangers or [someone] close, it's not important. That's why when I reached, the first thing I asked was whether any person was trapped in there.»

SINGAPORE — Ahead of a meeting with creditors set for Aug 29, the firm behind Singapore indie cinema The Projector has revealed that it owes them more than $1.2 million.In an e-mail sent out to creditors on Aug 19 and seen by The Straits Times, Pocket Cinema listed 33 different creditors comprising individuals and organisations.The highest amount — $382,888.03 — is owed to Overseas Movie (Private), while others named in the list include the firm's director, Karen Tan, as well as other shareholders, including one of The Projector's founders, Blaise Camille Trigg-Smith.Tan, who is also one of The Projector's founders, is owed more than $120,000, while Trigg-Smith is owed slightly above $100,000.ST has contacted Tan for more information.Other creditors include those who held memberships with The Projector that have yet to expire. These comprise 2,295 people who are owed a total of more than $89,000.The majority of them, or 1,566, held memberships with The Projector Fan Club.

SINGAPORE — FairPrice Group has apologised after a woman said she found a worm in a piece of salmon she bought from one of its Bedok North outlets and later cooked at home.In a statement on Aug 19, the supermarket chain said it was investigating the matter with its supplier.The incident has also been reported to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), which is carrying out its own investigation.The woman, who wanted to be known only as Liz, told The Straits Times that she had bought a discounted packet of salmon with bones on Aug 12.According to a receipt seen by ST, she bought four items at about 11.25pm on Aug 12, including three packets of xiao bai cai — a type of Chinese cabbage — and the salmon. The bill came up to $5.47.Her mother cooked the salmon on Aug 15, and Liz ate it later that night. She realised something was wrong only while eating.«I think my folks didn't eat the fried salmon bones, I ate 2½ pieces. The last half was the part with the worm,» she said, adding that the worm appeared to be white and «very long». She later measured it at 6.5cm with a ruler.

A leadership development programme designed to train the next generation of leaders for Chinese community groups, including clan associations, will receive funding support from the government. This follows Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's announcement of a new training programme to «systematically nurture the next generation of community leaders».PM Wong made the announcement at the National Day Rally on Sunday (Aug 17).During his Mandarin speech, PM Wong paid tribute to the Chinese community for playing a «crucial role» — through their philanthropy, nurturing bilingual and bicultural talent for Singapore - in championing and fostering a strong Singaporean identity.Providing further details on the programme on Wednesday (Aug 20), National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat said that participants of the programme will be nominated by Chinese community groups and selected by the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA). The programme targets to develop about 100 active Chinese community leaders, in theirs 30s and 40s, over the next five years. 

SINGAPORE — People in Singapore will be alerted to emergencies on their mobile phones via a disaster alert system that will be progressively implemented in Singapore by early 2026.Law Minister Edwin Tong said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is currently working with local telco companies to set up the Cell Broadcast System.The system will enable authorities to quickly alert the public in the affected area of an incident and broadcast emergency messages directly to their mobile phones, he said on Aug 20 at the Asean Strategic Policy Dialogue on Disaster Management.“The messages will provide the public with very clear guidance on the protective measures which they can take.”Tong, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs, was addressing around 230 guests at the dialogue held at Grand Hyatt Singapore, including government officials, representatives from non-government organisations and professionals in disaster relief and management.

Local ride-hailing platform Grab has cited a «temporary system issue» that led to «abnormally high prices» being wrongly displayed on the app on Wednesday (Aug 20).At around noon, many users noticed unusually high fares for rides within the country.In a post on Complaint Singapore Facebook page today, a user shared a screenshot of how a 20-minute trip from Changi Airport T2 to Punggol would cost him $1,516.A quick check by AsiaOne showed that a short 10-minute drive from Boon Keng to Middle Road would have cost over $1,500.The outage on Grab's app lasted for a total of 17 minutes.In response to AsiaOne's queries, a spokesperson from Grab said that the issue has been resolved and that the app is now functioning as usual.«We deeply regret the inconvenience caused,» the spokesperson said.Grab's system is designed to detect bookings with such abnormally high fees and typically blocks them. Grab is conducting checks to see if any rides went through, where affected users will be compensated.[[nid:716510]]dana.leong@asiaone.com

Three people, including a 14-year-old girl, were taken to hospitals after the minibus they were in smashed through railings and fell into a canal in Bukit Panjang, according to a post uploaded to the Singapore Roads Accident Facebook page on Tuesday (Aug 19).In photographs of the incident, a green minibus can be seen stationary inside the canal, perpendicular to the water's flow.The green railing separating the canal from the pedestrian pathway above is also visibly damaged.A separate post of the incident shows video footage of Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel escorting a man, woman and a girl out of the canal via a ladder.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the SCDF said that they were alerted to a road traffic accident near the junction of Bukit Panjang Road and Bukit Panjang Ring Road at about 1.10pm on Tuesday.When they arrived, the SCDF noted the van in the drain and officers used a ladder to gain access to the stranded civilians within.Three persons were brought out to safety, with two being taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, while another was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital.

SINGAPORE — What are acceptable pathways of success in Singapore? For Clarice Song, 37, there is no fixed route.It should be shaped through exploration and fun, said Song, co-founder of the youth organisation Bold At Work, adding: «There are not enough conversations about how one can pursue alternate pathways in Singapore.»Hoping to encourage more of such conversations, Song and her team created That's How We Roll!, a tactile game which encourages players to explore their own narratives of success and what it means to them.Inspired by the principles of design thinking and the storytelling elements of the game Dungeon & Dragons, the game encourages players to take charge of their life's narratives.The game is one of many youth-centred resources that will be showcased at the SG Youth Forum 2025 on Sept 6, where 30 organisations will be setting up booths.

A Gov.sg microsite has been launched to educate and deter the public from vaping.The page, titled Stop Vaping, went live the day after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced that Singapore will crack down on vaping and treat it «as a drug issue» during his National Day Rally (NDR) speech on Aug 17.Referring to vaping as a «public health threat», the microsite consists of information on how it is harmful as well as resources, avenues for reporting and helplines.It also highlights the government's zero-tolerance stance on vaping, urging users to bin their devices and quit immediately.New anti-vaping posters assuring the public that there will be no penalties for those who dispose of their vapes can also be seen on the microsite.These posters have also been spotted around void decks and lift landings.Vaping has been banned in Singapore since 2018 and those found possessing, using or buying vapes can be fined up to $2,000.

Nine individuals have been arrested on Tuesday (Aug 19) for alleged fixing matches in the 2025 K Star National Basketball League Division 1.The arrested individuals are aged between 19 and 35 years old, of whom eight are Singaporean while one is a Permanent Resident, said the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) in a statement the same day.According to CPIB, some of the individuals arrested are players in the basketball teams taking part in the competition.One of the alleged fixed matches was a match between Tagawa and Tong Whye which took place on Aug 1. Tagawa won the match with a score of 66 against Tong Whye's 43 points. The individuals are currently being investigated for suspected offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, said CPIB.«Singapore adopts a strict zero-tolerance approach towards corruption, and match-fixing of any form is not condoned in Singapore,» the agency said, adding that it will take firm enforcement action against any parties involved, if they have given, received, or offered bribes to fix a match.[[nid:721106]]dana.leong@asiaone.com

Malaysia's transport ministry is prepared to discuss the implementation of cross-border e-hailing with Singapore, according to transport minister Anthony Loke.Loke told the Malaysian Parliament on Monday (Aug 18) that Singapore was not ready to discuss the proposal when it was previously raised with former Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat.«This matter cannot be implemented by one party alone, both sides must agree before it can be implemented,» Loke was quoted by Bernama as saying.He explained that any proposal to allow cross-border e-hailing requires in-depth discussions at the government-to-government level.«We hope to continue these discussions and hope that Singapore will respond positively so that this idea can become a reality,» NST quoted him as saying.The Land Transport Authority (LTA) had clarified on Aug 3 that there are no plans to «fully liberalise» ride-hailing services between Singapore and Johor Bahru.

A Singaporean man who brutally killed his wife and stepson in Melaka was sentenced by a Malaysian court to 72 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane on Monday (Aug 18).Shahrul Nizam Zuraimy, 36, had murdered and dismembered his wife Norfazera Bidin, 27, and his 11-year-old stepson Muhammad Iman Ashraf between 6pm on Oct 6 and 7.30am on Oct 7, 2019, at a house in Taman Merdeka Jaya in the Melaka Tengah district.He hid their severed heads, dumped some body parts in a bush, and cleaned the house before fleeing to the Republic. He was later arrested in Singapore and handed over to Malaysian police, according to the New Straits Times (NST).In court on Monday, the prosecution and victim's family asked for Shahrul Nizam to be given the death penalty.But he was spared the gallows by Judge Datuk Anselm Charles Fernandis, who sentenced him to 36 years in prison and 12 strokes of the cane for each of the two murder charges.His jail sentence will run consecutively and is backdated to the date of his arrest on Oct 11, 2019, reported Bernama.[[nid:464361]]

Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad visited personnel from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and a non-governmental organisation (NGO) at the King Abdullah II Air Base in Jordan on Monday (Aug 18). SMS Zaqy, who was in Jordan for a working visit from Aug 17 to 18, also met with Major-General Yousef Huneiti, chairman of the Jordan Armed Forces' Joint Chiefs of Staff on Sunday (Aug 17). Personnel from the Singapore Army, Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), as well as from NGO Humanity Matters, along with a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, were deployed to deliver Singapore's ninth tranche of humanitarian aid for Gaza last Tuesday (Aug 12). The aid comprised medical supplies from the Ministry of Health and food supplies from various NGOs. The relief effort was coordinated through the Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre. 

Upon seeing a car on fire near the KK Women's and Children's Hospital, a SMRT bus captain jumped into action to help put out the blaze.The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to a fire involving the engine compartment of a car along Bukit Timah Road at about 5pm on Sunday (Aug 17).A clip of the incident posted online showed a man in SMRT uniform attempting to douse the flames razing the front bonnet of a white car.In response to AsiaOne's queries, deputy managing director of SMRT Buses Vincent Gay said the bus captain was operating service 960e along Bukit Timah Road when he noticed the car on fire on the opposite side of the road.With passenger safety in mind, he calmly stopped the bus at the next bus stop outside KKH and rushed to assist without hesitation, using the fire extinguisher on board the vehicle, Gay said.

A man caught smoking at Changi Airport by two National Environment Agency (NEA) officers and accused them of racial bias has been met with backlash from netizens.In a video he posted to TikTok on Aug 16, the man — who goes by thomasong220 — can be heard questioning if the officers are racist for penalising him despite letting an Indian couple and Indian man off for the same offence.The two-minute clip shows a female officer on a call with her supervisor. She does not respond to the man, while the male officer standing beside her only tells the man not to interrupt her while she is on the phone.The man then retorts that he is also on the phone, continuing to question if they are being racist. He also claims that they are refusing to follow him to the police station so he can lodge a report against them.The original TikTok video has garnered over 538,000 views as of Tuesday (Aug 19). The clip was also posted on various other social media platforms.Although a few netizens questioned why others who committed the same offence did not face consequences, they did not fully agree with the man.

Three women and one man, aged between 34 and 59, have been arrested for their suspected involvement in the online sale of counterfeit goods.The quartet were nabbed during a series of raids at multiple locations including Woodlands and Ang Mo Kio, where police found more than 1,100 allegedly fake items. In a media statement on Monday (Aug 18), police said the raids were conducted between July 24 and Aug 15.The items seized included luxury bags, wallets, sunglasses, pouches, scarves and brooches, with an estimated street value in excess of $99,000. Police investigations are ongoing. Those convicted of possessing goods with falsely applied trademarks for the purpose of trade may be fined up to $100,000, jailed for up to five years, or both.[[nid:719899]]editor@asiaone.com

Those caught vaping in public transport premises will be removed and reported to the authorities, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has warned.In a Facebook post on Monday (Aug 18), LTA said that for those found intoxicated, the police may be called in.The authority is the latest Government agency to step up enforcement efforts against vaping, following Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s announcement of a “nationwide enforcement” campaign a day earlier.“Our station staff are on active patrol to keep our public transport safe and smoke-free,” LTA said. “Anyone caught vaping will be removed from the premises and reported to the authorities. For those found intoxicated, the police may be called in too."

The Malaysian Special Branch's former director Dato' Sri Haji Mohd Khalid bin Haji Ismail has been conferred the prestigious Pingat Jasa Gemilang, or Meritorious Service Medal, by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Dato' Sri Haji Khalid was presented with the award by Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam on Monday (Aug 18). The award was given for his instrumental role in enhancing the strong professional ties and cooperation between the Malaysian Special Branch (MSB) and the Internal Security Department (ISD) during his tenure as director, a statement from ISD said. 

Three students at Sengkang Green Primary School have been suspended after they allegedly bullied a classmate and threatened to «dissect» her and her family.A voice message allegedly sent by one of the Primary 3 students was uploaded online by Facebook user Yin Ni, who said she is the victim's mother, on Aug 14.In the clip, the voice of a young boy can be heard spewing vulgarities and saying, « I might dissect her, I might dissect her into pieces like you.»So, which one do you want me to do? Dissect her, or end her life in school? Choose one. Either don't want one, I will kill you instead and your husband. (sic)«In response to media queries, Sengkang Green Primary School said it has engaged with the parents of the three students on their actions, and the students were immediately suspended.The school will review and take further disciplinary action which may include caning after police have looked into the matter, it said, adding that the students involved have been counselled.The school also said that its investigations found that the affected student had also engaged in »hurtful behaviours", and it will address them.

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has commenced airdrop operations to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.In an updated Facebook post on Saturday (Aug 16), the Ministry of Defence said that the operation commenced on Friday (Aug 15) and was conducted in close coordination with the Royal Jordanian Air Force and other participating air forces.  This follows the deployment of a C-130 transport aircraft and personnel from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and Singapore Army to deliver Singapore's ninth tranche of humanitarian aid for Gaza on Aug 12.

The Workers' Party (WP) responded to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's National Day Rally speech, urging the Government to «engage widely» and consider all options amid uncertainty.In a statement posted on its official Facebook page on Monday (Aug 18), the opposition party referenced Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) labour force report for the second quarter of this year.According to the report, global economic uncertainty is expected to persist in the coming months and may weigh on hiring and wage growth — especially in outward-oriented sectors.«Against this cautious backdrop, the Workers' Party urges the Government to engage widely and explore all solutions tabled in good faith, including previously untapped ones,» said WP.«Singapore should leave no stone unturned in our collective efforts to build a truly resilient nation for the future and keep our Singapore flag flying high.»The party suggested that the Government «tackle present concerns» for businesses and employees.

With just four out of the 11 available stalls open, a food court at Le Quest Mall in Bukit Batok has been dubbed on social media as “saddest Koufu in Singapore”.Already grappling with low footfall, its remaining stall owners’ fortunes took a further hit after a new hawker centre opened next door in March.Jenny Lim’s mixed rice stall, which she runs with her husband, has been a mainstay at the Koufu food court since it opened five years ago.When asked by AsiaOne on Friday (Aug 15) how much they make in a month, Lim, 57, said: “Why don’t you ask us what our losses are like instead?”Her answer? A staggering $8,000 in losses each month. She declined to reveal the cost of renting the stall and other operating costs. A video posted on TikTok on Aug 14 showed the near-empty food court with seven vacant stalls — some of them still bearing their signboards. “Only drinks, cai fan (economy rice), western and chicken [rice stalls]. The saddest Koufu in Singapore,” said user yokey017 in the caption.The video has since garnered over 157,000 views and 1,000 likes. 

Nathaniel Zachariah Tan, 27, was due to marry his polytechnic sweetheart in mid-November — only to have the rare brain disease that had plagued him for years claim his life on Aug 12.In his final act, Tan donated his liver, two kidneys and an iliac artery, potentially saving the lives of four people.He was also placed in his coffin in a suit embroidered with his wedding vows, according to Shin Min Daily News. A standee of Tan dressed in his suit was also placed at the funeral wake.«He was a very loving person. Before he died, he told his fiancee that if he passed away one day, his organs should be donated to help others in need,» said his mother Queenie Tan, 62.«He was buried with a cross and in the suit he had planned to wear for his wedding,» added Mrs Tan, noting that the suit had been ordered long ago. When her son's condition worsened, it was sent to Beijing for alteration, and eventually shipped back for the funeral.

The Government is currently studying the experiences of other countries that have passed new laws to tighten access to the internet and social media for children, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said at the National Day Rally 2025 on Sunday (Aug 17).PM Wong highlighted the concern that the government has regarding the impact of technology, including social media, on children, explaining that many parents worry that their children spend too much time in front of their screens.«This isn't a new worry — in the past, children were constantly reminded not to watch too much TV,» he compared.«But today's environment is on a wholly different scale. Everyone is online — always connected, and always within reach on their phones.»This means that parents find it harder to set boundaries or keep track of their child's digital footprint, whether they are scrolling on social media, surfing the internet or playing games online.«When young people become overly immersed in the virtual world, they may lose touch with the real one. They may grow up more socially isolated,» PM Wong warned.

The Government will support fresh graduates and help them secure employment opportunities with government-funded traineeship programmes. The programme is meant to offer more training opportunities amid the current economic uncertainty, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as he announced it during his National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 17). «After graduation, I know many are concerned about jobs,» he said, adding that the traineeships will be a «near term» solution that provides these graduates with the chance to gain real-world experience while receiving an allowance.Through the traineeships, graduates will be able to «keep their skills sharp», he said, better equipping them to secure full-time jobs once the economy fully recovers.The new government-funded traineeship programme will apply to Institute of Technical Education, polytechnic and university graduates.According to PM Wong, the programme will be announced by the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce (SERT) and will begin with «a more focussed rollout».«If the economy worsens, we will scale up the programme,» he added.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong addressed the nation during the National Day Rally 2025 on Sunday (Aug 17), where he weighed in on Singapore's journey thus far and unveiled his plans for the future. The rally also saw attendance from Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and Opposition leader Pritam Singh.Speaking from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central at Ang Mo Kio, he looked back on the nation's 60th birthday, which was celebrated at the Padang and Marina Bay.«60 may not seem like a major milestone, but for us it carries deep meaning, because it comes at a turning point in global history and it marks the start of a new chapter in our Singapore story,» PM Wong said.Highlighting the turbulence present in the world today, he stressed that peace and stability are now «precarious», and shared Singapore's steps forward for a «complex new era».Here are five key points he brought up during the rally. 

The disruptions to the North East Line and the Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT) lines on Aug 12 was due to a «double fault» scenario which occurred in a voltage transformer for one of two interconnected switchboards at the Sengkang Depot Substation — an occurrence described as «rare».The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SBS Transit (SBST) said this in a statement on Saturday (Aug 16), providing updates on the power fault incidents which occurred on Aug 12 and Aug 15.In the case on Aug 12, which occurred at 11am and lasted for about three hours, the two faults occurred at the voltage transformer for Switchboard 2, the statement read.The first involved a high current surge due to a fault in the voltage transformer, while the second was a dislodged cable connecting to the voltage transformer.

A 12-year-old girl was sent to hospital after allegedly being involved in an accident with a cyclist at Punggol Waterway Park.According to a Facebook post by user Matthew L. Tan to the SG PCN Cyclist group on Saturday (Aug 16), the accident involved his friend's daughter and occurred on Friday in front of Waterway Point mall.He wrote that the girl was «knocked down by a cyclist» and was unconscious in the hospital's intensive care unit.A photo posted of the incident showed a girl lying on the ground, surrounded by Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers and several bystanders.A pink bicycle was also pictured on the ground near the girl. Girl conscious when taken to hospitalAccording to Lianhe Zaobao, the bicycle which hit the girl was a fixed-gear bike or «fixie», which are not typically affixed with brakes.A police spokesperson told AsiaOne that the police had received a call for assistance at about 5.20pm on Aug 15. A 12-year-old girl was taken to hospital while conscious. A 51-year-old man is assisting the police with investigations for rash act causing hurt and investigations are ongoing.

Patrons at nightlife venues will soon see «Vaping is Prohibited» signs displayed at entrances and within premises.In a press release on Aug 16, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) announced that it is partnering with the Singapore Nightlife Business Association (SNBA) to step up efforts against vaping at nightlife establishments.The signs will carry QR codes linking directly to HSA's online reporting portal, enabling patrons and staff to report any illegal use or supply of e-vaporisers. Nightlife venues have also been urged to deny entry to patrons found carrying or consuming e-vaporisers.«Working with industry partners like SNBA helps strengthen ground-level deterrence and is an important part of HSA's strategy to combat illegal vaping,» said Adjunct Professor (Dr) Raymond Chua, HSA Chief Executive Officer. «Vaping has no place in daily life, including Singapore's nightlife entertainment scene.»SNBA president Danny Loong said the association is committed to working closely with HSA to ensure nightlife venues remain safe and compliant with the law, while safeguarding the health of patrons and staff.

SINGAPORE - A routine evening at home turned into a life-changing moment on Aug 10 for Ms Latashni Gobi Nathan, when she and her best friend helped her next-door neighbour deliver a baby.While watching post-National Day celebrations together from the rooftop of their Punggol Housing Board block at around 6pm, the neighbour, Ms Nur Amalina, 34, told Ms Latashni and her husband that she was having mild contractions.«Around noon, I was having mild contractions. We talked to the neighbours and asked them to help with taking care of our two daughters if I needed to go to hospital the next day,» Ms Amalina, a homemaker, told The Straits Times.The baby was not due until Aug 17, the 34-year-old added.«At around 10pm, my contractions got even more intense. I told my husband we had to go. I started panicking, wondering if I had the time to make it to the hospital or not.»Ms Amalina's husband Dzukri Bachtiar, 40, a field service engineer, said he managed to remain calm."I was already prepared on what to do. My parents, who live with us, were on holiday that day, so it was just us. We had contacted my sister, but she could make it only at 11pm.

Winning a large sum of money at a casino may seem like a dream come true, but few anticipate the challenges and stress involved in bringing that money back home if the win happens overseas.Ms Sherylynn Kok, 28, experienced this first-hand in April, after winning RM800,000 (S$244,000) at a slot machine in a Genting Highlands casino.She, her boyfriend and her parents were on a weekend getaway at the hill resort. On that fateful Friday afternoon, they began playing at the jackpot machines.Ms Kok was initially on a losing streak.“I kept changing slot machines and finally sat down at a random one,” recalls the owner of a frozen food supply company and social media agency.Five minutes in, she triggered a feature game offering four jackpot tiers: mini, minor, major and grand, each with rising prize values and shrinking odds. She pressed the button.The columns began aligning on the payline. Three of the grand prize symbols appeared on the screen, along with a small message at the bottom of the screen: She had won the grand prize of RM800,000.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and Singapore Police Force (SPF) seized four e-vaporiser pods suspected to contain etomidate during a joint enforcement operation in City Hall.On Saturday (Aug 16), AsiaOne was among the media invited to visit a seemingly quiet, unassuming building along Coleman Street.The authorities raided two public entertainment establishments at the location during the wee hours of the morning.Upon the media's arrival at around 1.15am, a crowd was seen leaving the building with some people seemingly agitated and a few even hurling expletives.At one point, some were also heard shouting incoherently from the higher floors.The first establishment raided by police and HSA officers was a smaller area which had multiple private karaoke rooms.Upon entering the premises, two suspects were seen seated in adjacent rooms while facing away from the doors. 

SINGAPORE — A man who was on death row for drug trafficking has had his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment after succeeding in his petition for clemency, which is rarely granted.Tristan Tan Yi Rui, 33, was sentenced to death in February 2023 after he was found guilty of trafficking 337.6g of methamphetamine. His conviction and sentence were upheld by the Court of Appeal.In response to queries from The Straits Times on Friday (Aug 15), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that on Aug 14, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, on the advice of the Cabinet, granted a pardon to Tan.The statement said the Cabinet was advised that the sentence imposed on Tan was legally sound.«Nevertheless, a recommendation was made to grant clemency to him because of the specific facts and circumstances of the case,» said MHA.The statement said Tan was arrested as part of a Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) operation which involved the arrest of several other subjects.One of the other subjects arrested in the operation, who was tried separately on a capital charge, eventually received a non-capital sentence.