The High Court hearing of Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh's appeal against his conviction on Tuesday (Nov 4) saw exchanges between Justice Steven Chong, defence lawyer Andre Jumabhoy and Deputy Attorney-General (DAG) Goh Yihan over the Leader of the Opposition's lack of action during a «critical» eight-week period, among others.The court's decision was eventually adjourned to a later date.Here are some highlights from the day's proceedings:Questions over Singh's inaction for 8 weeksDuring the morning session, Justice Chong had asked Jumabhoy to address the court on Singh «doing nothing» between Aug 8, 2021 and Oct 3, 2021, following a meeting with then-party member Raeesah Khan at his house.Justice Chong said if Singh had told Khan that her lies had to be clarified at some point, then it is «unusual» that nothing was done during the «critical» eight-week period. He questioned if this behaviour is consistent with someone who wants to clarify the truth, or someone who was prepared to let the lie be buried.

SINGAPORE — When Carmen Ortega, a 39-year-old private hire driver, posted a video on social media in response to a viral clip of migrant workers being berated at a void deck, she did so because she wanted to «share my truth».In that earlier video, which emerged on social media platforms in mid-October, a man confronts at least three migrant workers resting on mats at the void deck of a Housing Board block. He questions them repeatedly, asking who had allowed them to sleep there, saying: «Here is not your grandfather's place, OK. This is not nice, you know.» Before walking away, he adds: «You all are all no use.»Ortega, a Singaporean who runs the Instagram page Confessions Of A Grab Driver, told The Straits Times she felt compelled to respond after seeing the clip. «I feel for them,» she said of migrant workers. «Grab drivers face the same stigma too. People have so many misunderstandings.»Her Instagram reel, which was posted on Oct 26, has since received more than 11,800 likes, 585 comments and 1,400 reposts. On TikTok, the video has been viewed over 203,000 times.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is conducting feasibility studies for the MRT's proposed Seletar Line, with an update to be provided «sometime across the turn of the year», said Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow.Siow gave the update in Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 4) in response to MP Ng Chee Meng, who asked if the potential line can be accelerated. This is the second time Ng has raised a question in parliament on the Seletar Line, which is likely to pass through his Jalan Kayu ward.On Sept 25, Ng asked for a «definitive timeline» for the feasibility studies, noting that «connectivity in Jalan Kayu, Fernvale can be improved». In response, Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling explained the areas being studied, adding that the agencies were working «as quickly as [they] can».

A Singaporean woman who was previously arrested in Taiwan has been sentenced by two counties there to a total of more than 31 years in prison for her involvement in nearly 30 incidents of fraud and money laundering.The woman was identified as Kek Hui Ting in court papers in Yunlin and Changhua counties, published on Oct 17 and 21, respectively. Her age was not given in the court papers, but the district prosecutor's office had said in April that she was 27 then.She was found guilty of 25 counts of fraud in Yunlin county, and three counts of fraud in Changhua county.She was sentenced to a jail term of 30 years and two months by the Yunlin court, and to one year and six months' jail and a NT$30,000 (S$1,270) fine by the Changhua court.Both county courts found that the syndicate involved in the incidents had an intent to defraud and to launder money.Kek entered Taiwan on Feb 21 on a tourist visa and, through a Telegram group she joined before she arrived, worked with a local scam syndicate, with a promised payment of $300 a day.

The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link will commence its first phase of trials — without the involvement of passengers — in December, said Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke.The update was given by Loke on Monday (Nov 3), after a site visit at the Immigration, Customs and Quarantine (ICQ) Complex in Bukit Chagar. Loke said that track installation has been completed and the first RTS trains are set to arrive at the Wadi Hana Depot in mid-November.“In the next two weeks, the first train will be sent and taken to the depot. If we go according to the schedule, many will get to see the train in motion in December, during the first phase of trials,” Loke told the media. «However, the trains wouldn't be open to the public yet because there are some important processes that need to be followed, including system integration and safety tests, before full operation can begin,» he added.Bernama reported RTS Operations (RTSO) chief executive officer Dr Ahmad Marzuki Arrifin as saying that all systems and operational works for the RTS Link Project have achieved 65 per cent progress and are on schedule.

A Thai tourist has spoken out about having a Richard Mille luxury watch worth around $400,000 stolen while on holiday in Singapore.In a TikTok post last Friday (Oct 31), Jinny Chotivichit shared that the incident had happened during the Formula One weekend but stated that she could not reveal further details on the alleged theft due to ongoing police investigations.The F1 Singapore Grand Prix weekend ran from 3 to 5 October.Chotivichit, 33, is a former Thai pop singer-turned-entrepreneur with over 450,000 followers on Instagram and 118,000 followers on TikTok.Speaking in English, she also said in the clip that she «never imagined such an incident could happen, especially in Singapore — a country I've long-admired and considered one of the safest places in the world».The watch in question is a Richard Mille RM 07-01 model featuring a red central dial with diamonds on its bezel, and a white crocodile leather strap.Police investigatingResponding to AsiaOne's queries, Chotivichit stated that the incident had occurred on Oct 5, which was the last day of the Formula One races in Singapore.

The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) assesses students on their ability to use critical thinking and apply concepts in different contexts, said Senior Minister of State for Education Janil Puthucheary.Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 4), Dr Puthucheary fielded questions posed by Workers' Party MP Gerald Giam regarding the academic rigour of the PSLE.In particular, Aljunied MP Giam asked if the challenging questions in the PSLE required knowledge beyond the primary school syllabus.He also followed up by asking if these challenging questions were a «sorting mechanism» or if the Ministry of Education (MOE) has safeguards to ensure that all students — including those without access to private tuition — are able to answer them.Dr Puthucheary said that approximately 15 per cent of PSLE questions are classified as «challenging», and that they are «based entirely on the primary school syllabus and do not require knowledge beyond the curriculum». To solve such questions, students are required to apply core concepts, such as higher order thinking, problem solving, creativity and imagination, in novel contexts.

Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh has turned up in Supreme Court on Tuesday morning (Nov 4) to appeal against his conviction and sentence for lying to a parliamentary committee.The 48-year-old, who was wearing blue, arrived at about about 9.35am. He was accompanied by his legal team including defence lawyers Andre Jumabhoy and Aristotle Eng.When asked by the media how he was feeling, Singh said: «Same way I feel every morning, which is great.»The Workers' Party (WP) chief was fined a total of $14,000 on Feb 17 after being found guilty of giving false testimony to the Committee of Privileges (COP), which had been convened to probe a lie told by former WP MP Raeesah Khan.He was found guilty of two charges lying to a parliamentary committee.He pleaded not guilty during the 13-day trial and after the sentencing, a media statement posted on Singh's Facebook page said that his lawyers will be appealing his conviction and sentence.

Two weeks after the Toto jackpot snowballed to $10 million - for the 11th time in 2025 - a cascade draw has been triggered again.The upcoming Toto draw on Thursday (Nov 6) will be a cascade draw, which is triggered when there are no Group 1 winners for three consecutive draws.This is the 12th time that the Toto Group 1 prize has snowballed to $10 million in 2025.According to Singapore Pools’ website, eight of the top 20 jackpot prizes since Oct 2014 have come from draws in 2025. The prize money for the upcoming Nov 6 draw snowballed from $1.25 million on Oct 30 to $2.96 million on Oct 30 and $5.83 million on Nov 6 with no winners for the Group 1 prize.In the last cascade draw on Oct 24, three winning tickets shared the $12.4 million Toto prize money.The Nov 6 draw will be held at 9.30pm on the same day. [[nid:723698]]editor@asiaone.com 

Hours after the Singapore government announced its intention to gazette 38 Oxley Road as a national monument, the current owner of the unit Lee Hsien Yang has responded on Nov 3, saying the decision «tramples on» Lee Kuan Yew's «unwavering wish» to demolish the house «in its entirety».In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Lee Hsien Yang said that his father was opposed to monuments, adding that the move «disrespects Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy and values».Lee also acknowledged that the plan to preserve 38 Oxley Road «effectively rejects» his demolition application made in October last year.

Moments after a bag began emitting smoke outside a live music bar in CQ @ Clarke Quay, a car crashed into a bollard at the adjacent driveway - and its driver then started attacking passers-by with a machete. Meanwhile, the bag's owner returns and «opens fire» with a pistol at people around the area.Thankfully, the «assailants» did not manage to effect maximum damage, thanks to those who managed to «flee» and used their mobile phones, once safe, to notify the authorities. The quick actions of CQ's Company Emergency Response Team (Cert) played a part too.

Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan is on a four-day working visit to the Palestinian Territories and Israel from Nov 3 to 6. In a statement on Monday (Nov 3) evening, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said that Dr Balakrishnan's visit follows the recent implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and the release of all hostages.The first phase of the ceasefire entails a staged Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas disarmament and a transitional government led by an international body.MFA added that Dr Balakrishnan's visit «reaffirms Singapore's commitment towards humanitarian assistance for Palestinian civilians in Gaza and our support for the two-state solution». «Singapore will continue to support the Palestinian Authority's capacity building programmes and assist international efforts for the long-term reconstruction of Gaza,» said MFA. 

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers foiled an attempt to smuggle over 520 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes at Woodlands Checkpoint on Oct 24.In a Facebook post on Monday (Nov 3), ICA said the cigarettes were hidden in the fairings of a Malaysia-registered motorcyclist ridden by a 30-year-old Malaysian man.The cigarettes were uncovered after ICA officers directed the vehicle for enhanced checks.The Malaysian motorcyclist has been arrested and the case referred to the Singapore Customs for further investigation. Buying, selling, conveying, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are considered serious offences under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax Act.If convicted, offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both.Vehicles used in these offences and proceeds of sales of duty-unpaid goods are also liable to be forfeited.[[nid:724548]]editor@asiaone.com 

SINGAPORE — Several pop-up booths in VivoCity and Harbourfront malls went up in flames after a depressed teen set their merchandise and equipment ablaze, causing over $27,000 in damages.Yogesh Pubalan Pubalan, 19, was convicted on Nov 3 after pleading guilty to two counts of mischief. A third mischief charge will be taken into consideration for sentencing.He was feeling upset while walking around VivoCity on the night of March 19, and suddenly felt an urge to set the booths on fire.At around 11.10pm, he found a Polo Ralph Lauren pop-up booth outside the Polo store on the first floor of the mall that was closed for the day.After confirming that no one else was around, Yogesh took out a lighter from his pocket and set fire to a black cloth covering the booth, then stood nearby to watch the fire spread.The blaze was eventually put out by passers-by, and caused over $17,000 in damages.At around 11.20pm, Yogesh found an Oh!Sunny pop-up booth and set it on fire in the same way.The booth suffered about $900 in damages.

SINGAPORE - A 69-year-old man who raped and sexually assaulted his step-granddaughter at home when she was nine to 10 years old was sentenced to 20 years' jail on Nov 3.The assaults, which took place from 2016 to 2017, came to light after the girl was referred to a school counsellor for self-harming behaviour, the High Court was told.On July 27, 2020, she told the counsellor about the abuse, and the school reported the matter to the Child Protective Service (CPS) of the Ministry of Social and Family Development.On Aug 31 that year, staff from the victim's school and an officer from CPS went to the girl's home to tell her grandmother about her allegations.It was not mentioned in court why the visit took place around a month after the girl's revelation.The victim made a police report that night.The offender was arrested on Sept 2, 2020, and has been remanded since.On Nov 3, the Singaporean pleaded guilty to a charge of rape and a charge of sexual assault by penetration.

Rats are wanted at Clementi 448 Market & Food Centre — and a big bounty is on their heads.Shin Min Daily News received a tip-off from a member of the public that while dining at the food centre, she spotted a huge rat on the eaves of the building, which frightened her so much into leaving. «It was so huge and really scary - I immediately lost my appetite,» she recounted. On a visit to the food centre on Oct 31, food vendors told Shin Min reporters that there was a rat problem in the area, and it has been affecting their operations.One stall owner shared that the rats mostly appear at night, particularly before and after the stalls close, crawling along the overhead beams. Another stall owner remarked that rat droppings could sometimes be found on the beams, making cleaning more time-consuming.To ensure hygiene and food safety, the vendors said they would cover their food or store it in refrigerators.

The National Heritage Board's (NHB) Preservation of Sites and Monuments Advisory Board (PSM AB) has completed its assessment of 38 Oxley Road and found it to be «worthy of preservation» as a national monument.According to NHB, national monuments are an integral part of Singapore's built heritage - preserved and promoted by NHB for posterity. They are also accorded the highest level of protection in Singapore. NHB and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) said in a joint statement on Monday (Nov 3) that the PSM AB found the site to be «of historic significance and national importance».In a NHB report issued in 2024, the late Lee Kuan Yew was said to have lived in 38 Oxley Road since about 1945, until he died in 2015.During this time, the site was associated with several historical events, phases and activities in Singapore's history.Here are six things to know:

The National Heritage Board (NHB) and Singapore Land Authority said on Monday (Nov 3) 38 Oxley Road has been determined «to be of national significance with great historic merit, and worthy of preservation».The bungalow on that site was Lee Kuan Yew's home from the mid-1940s until his death in 2015.A Notice of Intention will be issued on the same day, expressing the Singapore Government's intention to gazette the site as a national monument, according to the joint statement.The owner of the property is 38 Oxley Road Pte Ltd, which according to AsiaOne's checks is controlled by Lee Hsien Yang. Here's a timeline of events regarding the site:1898: The property was commissioned and built by Dutch merchant Hermann Cornelius Verloop who lived at No. 11 Lloyd Road. 

The Singapore Government has announced its intention to gazette the site at 38 Oxley Road — home of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew — to preserve it as a national monument. If a preservation order is made, the Government intends to acquire the site to «safeguard it and preserve it in keeping with its historical significance and national importance», said the National Heritage Board’s (NHB) Preservation of Sites and Monuments Advisory Board (PSM AB).The preservation of buildings, monuments and sites in Singapore is guided by the PSM division under NHB, with advice from the PSM AB.The bungalow on that site was Lee Kuan Yew's home from the mid-1940s until his death in 2015, and one of his sons, Lee Hsien Yang had claimed to be the sole legal owner of the site.The owner of the property is 38 Oxley Road Pte Ltd, which according to AsiaOne's checks is controlled by Lee Hsien Yang. His son Li Huanwu is listed as a director in that company.

The Government has announced its intention on Monday (Nov 3) to gazette the site at 38 Oxley Road - home of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew - to preserve it as a national monument.This site has been found «to be of national significance with great historic merit» and «worthy of preservation», said the National Heritage Board's (NHB) Preservation of Sites and Monuments Advisory Board.Based on this assessment, NHB has recommended that the site be preserved, while Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo has accepted this and intends to gazette 38 Oxley Road for preservation as a national monument.So, what does this mean for the site's owner? AsiaOne breaks down why it matters and what happens next.Why is 38 Oxley Road important?Built in the late 19th century, the site is associated with key events in Singapore's history. The basement dining room, for example, was where founding fathers such as Dr Goh Keng Swee and Dr Toh Chin Chye held meetings at during the 1950s. That subsequently led to the formation of the People's Action Party (PAP) and the site was PAP's headquarters until 1959.