Three Chinese passengers, aged between 20 and 23, were caught red-handed by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at Changi Airport Terminal 1's green channel on Feb 27.In a post on its social media on Friday (March 6), ICA said the three travellers were seen behaving suspiciously after they had collected their luggage.They were profiled for baggage screening at the green channel and asked if they had any items to declare, to which the trio replied that they had nothing to declare.ICA said its search and examination officers subsequently discovered more than 300 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden in their luggage.The trio were arrested and the case referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation. 

When I was 10, Milo trucks may not have been the best thing in the world, but they were certainly a contender for it.Now, it seems a new truck is giving even that a run for its money — a Pokemon-themed truck is making its way around Singapore, and fans are delighted.This Pokemon truck has made a pit stop outside Bugis+, and AsiaOne was invited for a sneak peek on Friday (March 6) morning.Even though crowds were admittedly sparse on a weekday morning, the atmosphere was already very much celebratory with staff members handing out free Pokemon-themed sun visors and Ditto-shaped flyers.Some fans had already started trying out the free demo for Pokemon Pokopia on the Nintendo Switch 2, which is available in the truck itself.Others, including families, were seen hanging around a colouring booth as they waited their turn for the demo.Speaking with AsiaOne, a fan, surnamed Ho, shared that she had seen this truck on Instagram and was excited to have a look.She has been a fan of Pokemon since the early days of Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow, available on the Game Boy.

Whether you are headed out for last-minute shopping, or simply staying out with friends to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan, you can do so with a peace of mind.Public transport operators SBS Transit and SMRT will extend the operating hours of train services on the eve of Hari Raya Puasa (March 20). In addition, the operating hours of 53 bus services will also be extended to complement the extension of train operating hours. Commuters are advised to plan their journeys early and to note the changes. NSL, EWL, CCL and TELThe last train will depart North-South Line's City Hall MRT station for Marina South Pier and Jurong East at 12.30amMeanwhile, the last train to depart from the East-West Line's City Hall MRT station for Tuas Link and Pasir Ris will also be at 12.30am.On the Circle Line, the last train leaving from Dhoby Ghaut and HarbourFront MRT stations will be at 11.55pm and 11.30pm respectively.The last train departing from Bayshore and Woodlands North MRT stations are at 12am and 12.12am respectively.There will be no extension for Bukit Panjang LRT and Changi Airport services.

Officers with Singapore's national water agency PUB may soon have powers to forcibly enter a landowner's premises to address coastal flood risks. These powers are part of the Coastal Protection and Other Amendments Bill, which was tabled for Second Reading in Parliament on Friday (March 6). Should the Bill be passed, these powers will help PUB officers carry out coastal protection functions, deter undesirable behaviours and provide immunities for officers carrying out their duties. In particular, the power to conduct forced entry can only be used as a last resort, such as in the event of an imminent coastal flooding event. «This power of forced entry will only be used judiciously, and only where there is an imminent coastal flooding event,» Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu told the House. «I would like to assure Members that we have set a high bar to activate this clause.» Immunities for authorised officers will also only apply if they have acted in good faith and with reasonable care.

Derek Tan, Chief Infrastructure Planning Officer at the Ministry of National Development (MND), will be appointed chief executive officer of the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) effective May 1, on Friday (March 6).Tan will be appointed chief executive officer (designate) on April 1.He will take over from Kelvin Wong Wee Siong, who was appointed to the role on Nov 2, 2020,  MND and BCA said.A HDB scholar, Tan joined the Housing Board in 1999 and served as the board's group director of housing management from June 2017 to July 2022.The incoming CEO is credited with leading the group to effectively address multiple challenges, including revamping processes and procedures during the Covid-19 pandemic to minimise service disruptions, while maintaining high service standards.He assumed his current role at MND in 2024 and later took on the concurrent role of executive director of planning in December 2025.In his present role, Tan is responsible for driving and coordinating the pro-enterprise work areas and inter-agency infrastructure coordination across the ministry.

In a move to clamp down on vaping and etomidate abuse, a new law was passed in Parliament on Friday (March 6) which will see users, sellers and smugglers face stiffer fines.Under amendments to the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sales) Act, vape users can be fined up to $10,000 from May 1, five times the current amount.Fines for sellers have been raised by 20 times of up to $200,000, while smugglers can be slapped with fines of up to $300,000, 30 times the current amount.They can also be jailed up to six years and nine years respectively.The Bill, which includes a name change to the Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act (TVCA), will also target adults who recklessly leave etomidate-laced vapes, or K-pods, where children can access them.Adults who do not take «reasonable steps» to prevent children from using K-pods can be jailed for up to 10 years for the first offence.Onus will be on owners of entertainment venues such as bars and nightclubs to exercise due care to prevent the use and storage of vapes in their premises.

SINGAPORE/DUBAI - Soon after the first Iranian missile and drone attacks on Dubai last week, two Indian entrepreneurs based there tried to move more than $100,000 each from their local bank accounts to Singapore to hedge risk.Technological glitches in the aftermath of the Iranian attacks initially scuppered those plans, the entrepreneurs, who did not wish to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters.One of them said he managed to subsequently transfer the sum to his Singapore bank account via another Emirates-based bank.Scores of other wealthy Asians are making enquiries or taking similar steps to move their Dubai-parked assets to the regional financial hubs of Singapore and Hong Kong, industry advisers and lawyers said, as the US-Israel war on Iran clouds the Gulf's safe-haven aura and rattles investors.While the rich typically diversify their investments across regions and asset classes, they choose where to be based depending on tax, regulatory, privacy and operational considerations.

Investigations into a private ambulance are ongoing after footage showing it driving recklessly near Stadium Road went viral online.The incident occurred on March 3 at around 11am, according to footage uploaded to the SG Road Vigilante Facebook group which has since garnered over 150,000 views.In the video, a Goodwill Ambulance Services van is seen speeding and overtaking another van after turning into Kallang Airport Way.The ambulance subsequently speeds up and even drives over the chevron markings to overtake the camcar while filtering onto the road towards the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE).The ambulance can then be seen driving over the kerb and stopping, narrowly missing oncoming traffic.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they received a report and that an investigation is ongoing.AsiaOne has reached out to Goodwill Ambulance Services Group for more information.[[nid:730930]]dana.leong@asiaone.com 

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) will assist foreign visitors in Singapore affected by the Middle East airspace closure to travel to Oman. In a media statement on Friday (March 6), STB said the special flight will depart Changi Airport for Muscat in Oman at 5.30am on Sunday.The board urged affected such non-resident travellers — whose travel arrangements between Feb 28 to March 8 have been cancelled by an airline due to the closure of airspace in the Middle East — to express their interest by 9am on Saturday, via its website. Tickets for flight SQ8002, operated by Singapore's national carrier, Singapore Airlines, are priced at S$600 per seat.Children aged two and above are required to have their own seat and will be charged the same fare.STB sought travellers' understanding that seating will be assigned at random, although efforts will be made to group families together.

Budget 2026's Committee of Supply debates have ended with the passing of the largest annual budget in Singapore to date of over $207.9 billion.This is amid the backdrop of a changed world global uncertainty, Leader of the House Indranee Rajah said in Parliament on Friday (March 6).«The international order that underpinned stability and prosperity for over nearly eight decades is breaking down,» she said.«Geopolitical tensions have increased, the multilateral system that had served us well has weakened. More countries are resorting to unilateral action. The rule of law is under strain with the resurgence of a might is right approach.»Budget 2026 is therefore presented as an action plan for Singaporeans to navigate this changed world and secure their future, she added.In order to do so, Singaporeans must make use of the resources available.One key aspect discussed in Budget 2026 was artificial intelligence (AI).

A married couple were hauled to court on Friday (March 6) after they allegedly carried out a plan to avoid paying overseas customs tax on gold jewellery by claiming to be victims of snatch theft.The couple, Hewa Sahabanduge Waruna Kanishka, 30, and Jayasekara Gamlath Ralalage Yehelichathurika, 29, were charged with obstruction of justice with common intention.Hewa, who had lodged a police report over the fake theft, was handed another charge of providing false information to a public servant.In a media release, the police said Hewa had made a report on March 4, alleging that a stranger had stolen his black sling bag containing gold jewellery, a phone, and $400 in cash along Queen Street in Bugis.The «stolen» items were worth an estimated $21,668.«In view of the seriousness of the report, the police deployed significant resources to investigate the alleged offence and to search for the perpetrator,» it said.But officers discovered discrepancies in Hewa's account, and he allegedly admitted to having lodged a false report to evade overseas customs tax.

FairPrice Group will be handing over operations of its convenience retail operations at all Esso stations to Cold Storage over the next few months.Announced on Thursday (March 5) in a joint statement by Aster Mobility Solutions 1 and Cold Storage, the new partnership will introduce «new in-station experiences that enriches everyday living conveniences and evolving mobility needs».Aster, a subsidiary of Indonesia's Chandra Asri Group, bought over ExxonMobil's network of 60 Esso petrol stations in Singapore in October 2025. «Aster's partnership with Cold Storage reflects our shared commitment in Singapore – our people, our progress, and our everyday moments. Together, we are reimagining what the service station experience can be,» said Andre Khor, Deputy CEO of Aster.Cold Storage will roll out a refreshed convenience retail concept «designed to complement Esso's fuel and mobility services, offering a thoughtfully curated range of everyday essentials, fresh and ready-to-eat options tailored for customers on the move», according to the statement. 

The gross monthly household income ceiling for the Additional Subsidy for childcare and Kindergarten Fee Assistance Scheme, or KiFAS, will be raised to $15,000, from January 2027 said Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming on Friday (March 6).Speaking during the Committee of Supply debate in Parliament, Goh said that income thresholds for all subsidy tiers will also be increased to reflect household income changes, helping to further reduce fees for more families.«This will further improve affordability of pre-schools for more than 60,000 lower- and middle-income families with young children,» Goh said.He added, «For example, a median income household earning $12,500, with two children in Anchor Operator childcare, will see their total out-of-pocket fees for both children reduce by 35 per cent from $730 in 2026 to $470 in 2027.»Goh highlighted that, since the start of the year, full-day childcare fees have been capped at $610 for anchor operator pre-schools and $650 for partner operator pre-schools, representing a 15 per cent reduction since 2020.

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam made a working visit to Rome, Italy, from March 4 to 5, where he co-chaired a World Bank meeting, and had bilateral meetings with leaders from Italy and the Holy See.On Wednesday (March 4), President Tharman met Italian President Sergio Mattarella where the two leaders exchanged views on regional and global developments. They also welcomed the growing cooperation between Singapore and Italy in areas including culture, defence, economy and science.