A 17-year-old female pedestrian was taken to hospital on the eve of Chinese New Year (Feb 16) after she was knocked down by a car in Bukit Panjang.The accident happened at about 1.35pm along Petir Road, outside Hillion Mall. Motorists who passed the scene said in a chat group that there was a traffic build-up in the area due to the accident.A picture of the incident shared to the chat group showed paramedics attending to the teen on the road.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force said that the accident involved the teenager and a car, and that she was taken to National University Hospital.Police investigations are ongoing. In the first half of 2025, the number of traffic accidents resulting in injuries and fatalities increased by 8.9 per cent to 3,818 cases, up from 3,507 in the same period in 2024.To curb speeding violations and speeding-related incidents, stiffer penalties came into effect from Jan 1 this year.

A Singaporean driver, 39, was arrested at Woodlands Checkpoint after e-vaporisers and e-vaporiser pods were discovered in his car.In a Facebook post on Monday (Feb 16), the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said the incident occurred on Feb 6.While attempting to enter the country, the Singapore-registered car was directed for enhanced checks based on information received by ICA's Integrated Targeting Centre.During investigations, ICA officers uncovered a stash of two e-vaporisers and 210 e-vaporiser pods hidden in two packages labelled as detergent powder.The driver was arrested and the case has been referred to the Health Sciences Authority for further investigation.Under the enhanced penalties introduced on Sept 1 last year, those convicted of importing vapes into Singapore will face a jail term of up to six months, a maximum fine of $10,000, or both, for their first offence. Need support around vaping or addiction?

The US military presence off Venezuela is costing US taxpayers billions, Bloomberg calculations show Read Full Article at RT.com

Twenty national leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron,  Brazil’s Lula, and CEOs of Google and ChatGPT to attend Read Full Article at RT.com

Populations in NATO countries should be ready for “hard” choices on financing the military, top UK and German officials have warned Read Full Article at RT.com

Chinese President Xi Jinping has announced a duty-free policy for goods imported from 53 African countries Read Full Article at RT.com

SAARC would help improve supply chains and reduce logistics costs in South Asia, BNP leader Nasir Uddin Ahmed Ashim told RT India Read Full Article at RT.com

​Speaking at the Gas Turbine Research Establishment in Bengaluru, defence minister Rajnath Singh said the establishment, functioning under the DRDO, has become «the foundation of India's strategic capability,» crediting its scientists for consistently delivering successful tests and strengthening the country's defence preparedness. Rajnath Singh acknowledged the deadline as a challenge; however, he said it should not come «as a shock or a surprise.»​​

The Supreme Court directed petitioners to the Gauhati High Court regarding pleas against Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. Meanwhile, eight workers died in a Rajasthan firecracker unit blast, and Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar criticized Rahul Gandhi. Rajpal Yadav received interim bail, and India advanced to the T20 World Cup Super 8s after defeating Pakistan.

The Ísólfur search and rescue team from Seyðisfjörður came to the aid of a group of people whose car became stuck on Fjarðarheiði last night.

There was a time when children leapt out of bed at dawn on Bolludagur to rush in and spank their parents with a bolluvöndur while they were still in bed, earning a cream bun as a reward for each swat.

«The key thing is that Russia supports Belarus in its time of need and doesn’t turn its back on Belarus,» the Belarusian leader pointed out

Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow considers such statements biased and ungrounded

In the Novye Lageri settlement, an unoccupied building and a private home were damaged as a result of shelling

According to the report, France and Italy are advocating for the need to resume dialogue with Russia in order not to be left out of the Ukrainian settlement process

The Russian president said GRP demonstrates very good indicators

Team GB's curlers fell foul of increased surveillance by officials after Canada's cheating row, with Bruce Mouat's team penalised for a 'double touch' on Sunday.

Three GOP candidates, all former interns for Mitch McConnell, are keeping their distance as they seek to align with President Donald Trump.

Brain health depends on genetic, lifestyle, environmental and social determinants, and its decline reduces independence and quality of life, requiring a coordinated EU‑level response. Neurological diseases are one of Europe’s most urgent and rapidly expanding health, social and economic challenges. As the population ages, neurodegenerative conditions, such as dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease), Parkinson’s disease and ALS, will rise sharply, increasing pressure on healthcare systems, social support structures and informal caregivers. The overall economic burden of these neurological disorders in Europe was estimated at EUR 368 billion per year in 2019. More than half of these costs are attributable to informal care, reflecting the significant responsibilities placed on families and communities. An ambitious coordinated, European health plan dedicated to neurological health linking prevention, early diagnosis, research, innovation to enable effective therapies, care and social support is essential to mitigate the growing impact of neurodegenerative diseases and strengthen Europe’s long‑term resilience and well‑being. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Viktor Orban warned that his government would not change its stance on the issue

The Ukrainian Ministry of Finance clarified that the Japanese side had sent $544 million, and the Canadian side had sent $146 million

The decree absolutely contradicts international law, Viktor Koronelli said

Dmitry Peskov stressed that it was impossible to interpret the situation any other way

Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president's special representative for investment and economic cooperation, earlier took over the leadership of the bilateral Russian-American working group on economic issues

Today there will be a northerly wind, generally 3–10 m/s in the west but 13–18 m/s in the east.

Three GOP candidates, all former McConnell interns, are keeping their distance as they seek to align with Trump.

Scenes of devotees rushing to be among the first to plant incense offerings at temples — a custom known as tou xiang («first joss sticks») — are common in places where ethnic Chinese communities exist, such as Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.According to tradition, it is believed that the person who plants the first incense stick will receive the best luck and blessings from deities for the year. A devotee praying at Sri Krishnan temple, also in Waterloo Street, on the eve of Chinese New Year (Feb 16). The temple has put up Chinese New Year decorations. PHOTO: AsiaOne/Rauf Khan This has often led to crowds of worshippers vying to do so in hopes for a new fortuitous year.

From April 1, property agents from the five biggest real estate agencies will be subject to stricter regulations when distributing flyers and face consequences for non-compliance.The Singapore Institute of Estate Agents (SIEA) and five real estate agencies — PropNex, ERA, Huttons Asia, OrangeTee & Tie and SRI — signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Feb 13, agreeing to reinforce proper flyer distribution practices across HDB estates.Under the new agreement, agents from these agencies will have to abide by a shared framework that requires all flyers and pamphlets to be properly distributed to homes and visible only to the intended recipient.For instance, flyers can be distributed through mailboxes, SIEA said.The participating agencies will keep SIEA informed on any complaints received from residents regarding errant property agents, and all records will be kept by SIEA.«With SIEA serving as the industry's secretariat, we can ensure consistent monitoring, clearer enforcement and greater accountability across all participating agencies,» said Eugene Lim, president of SIEA.

Towns and cities are home to nearly three quarters of the EU's population. Many EU cities and urban areas are vibrant spaces of economic growth and innovation. However, they also face complex challenges, such as tackling inequalities, addressing housing and demographic issues, building inclusive societies and responding to climate change and environmental degradation. Cities are at the forefront of implementing EU legislation in several policy areas, including cohesion, and have been demanding both a stronger role in shaping these policies and greater access to EU financial resources. The EU's cohesion policy has a strong urban dimension. Its role in supporting sustainable urban development was strengthened in the current 2021 2027 programming period to help cities play an active part in shaping and implementing policy responses to their own challenges. Cohesion funds invest more than €100 billion in towns and cities. For their part, cities are directly responsible for designing and implementing investments worth over €24 billion under cohesion policy programmes. The 2016 Urban Agenda for the EU and the launch of participatory partnerships have created new expectations about the role of urban authorities in EU decision-making. The Pact of Amsterdam provided for urban partnerships focusing on key themes, such as air quality, urban poverty and housing. However, progress in empowering cities within cohesion policy has been limited. Stakeholders evaluating the progress of the Urban Agenda for the EU have highlighted issues such as insufficient EU resources channelled into urban issues, obstacles in obtaining direct EU funding, a lack of effective long-term urban governance mechanisms and limited input from urban areas into EU policies. On 3 December 2025, the European Commission launched the EU agenda for cities to support cities in delivering on Europe's green, digital and social priorities. This new framework recognises the importance of cities in many policy areas and provides a set of instruments to involve them in EU policymaking. The current briefing is an update of a previous briefing on the new urban policy agenda for the EU. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP