Birds may flock to her, but she's no Disney princess  — and her actions have also ruffled her neighbours' feathers. A woman in Choa Chu Kang has been accused of feeding birds with bags of bread on multiple occasions, upsetting residents in the area, Shin Min Daily News reported on Sunday (May 12). A 60-year-old resident surnamed Cai (transliteration) told Shin Min that the area below Block 276 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 2, where she is often seen feeding the birds, ends up becoming very dirty. «This woman always brings a bag of bread down to feed the birds,» Cai said. «Aside from feeding them below the block, she also feeds them behind the multi-storey car park as well.» In video footage shared with Shin Min, the woman can be seen tossing pieces of bread onto a patch of grass nearby, attracting around 20 pigeons. The woman also reportedly feeds cats in the area. Another resident surnamed Shen (transliteration), 39, said he's been affected by the birds that flock over because he lives on a lower floor. "Some of the birds will rest on the roof of the the sheltered walkway, waiting to be fed.

SINGAPORE — A man's adult sons knew him as «Abdul Rahman Bin Majid» only to find out after his death that he had assumed someone else's identity. Investigations revealed that the real Abdul Rahman Bin Majid, who has the same identity card number as the dead man, is still alive and has been living at a home since 1994 due to chronic schizophrenia, court documents said. Fingerprints taken from the real Abdul Rahman matched the ones linked to the identity card while those taken from the dead man could not be found in the local database. In his findings uploaded online on May 14, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda said that the identity of the dead man, who died of coronary artery disease and an enlarged heart, remains unknown. Recording an open verdict on the case, he said the man's 10 fingerprints were sent to Malaysian and Indonesian authorities for comparison with their national databases. Both jurisdictions later replied that there was no match in their databases. His fingerprints were also sent to Thai authorities for comparison on Aug 15, 2023.

SINGAPORE – In an interview in which Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong talked about his aspirations for Singapore and the challenges that lie ahead, the 51-year-old leader also gave the media a glimpse into his personal life and what he does in his spare time. 1. He reads biographies of leaders, tech books and more DPM Wong reads widely, mainly about current affairs and topics he wants to learn about. A recent interest is in quantum computing and artificial intelligence. Some titles he has shared on Facebook are The Coming Wave by artificial intelligence entrepreneur Mustafa Suleyman, and Never Enough by reporter Jennifer Breheny Wallace on toxic achievement culture. He also reads biographies of leaders, both local and foreign. He is a fan of The Singapore Lion, a book on one of Singapore’s founding fathers S. Rajaratnam, written by Ms Irene Ng, a former MP and journalist.

What was supposed to have been a straightforward car repair job turned into an ordeal for one woman, who had to call the police to get her vehicle returned.  The woman surnamed Tan told Shin Min Daily News she sent her car to a workshop located in Boon Lay Way to repair her brake light on May 7.  She only wanted the brake light repaired, but the workshop staff reportedly told her that they would have to replace the front lower control arm, steering rack and wiring — which would cost her a total of $1,280.  Out of that amount, $380 was for labour costs, and $280 for electrical wiring work. As she felt the repair cost was too expensive, Tan told the workshop staff she did not want to repair her car anymore.  «I felt that they were trying to hard sell me, because I only wanted my brake lights repaired,» said the 42-year-old, who works in the beauty industry.  A friend who consulted another car workshop also told her that something was amiss about the price she was quoted.  However, she was told that they already placed an order for the replacement parts, and had already removed parts from her car for the works.

A Singaporean biker's need for speed on a Malaysian highway has landed him in the hospital with serious injuries, and possibly in trouble with the Malaysian police. The rider, who was on a Kawasaki ZX10R, a supersport motorcycle, was speeding along the 80.3km mark of the North-South Expressway, reported the New Straits Times (NST). A nearly one-and-a-half-minute video — taken from a helmet camera and posted on Facebook group SG Road Vigilante —  shows the rider switching from the left to the right lane while going at high speed, before crashing into a white car on the right lane of the two-lane highway. In the accident's aftermath, the biker is seen lying at the side of the road and his motorcycle is completely mangled. The car, a Honda Civic, suffered significant damage as well, as seen in the video. The rider is part of a convoy of superbikers from Singapore who were heading towards Malacca when the accident happened, reported NST. He was rushed to the Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital in Batu Pahat, Johor.

The prospect of having their valuables stolen in Johor Bahru is a common concern among drivers of Singapore-registered vehicles. One Facebook post appears to have the answer to ward off car thieves across the border. A photo shared on the SGKaypoh page on May 5 shows a placard stuck on the side window of a car. It reads: «Please do not break my window again. This car has already been broken into. There is nothing to steal.» SGKaypoh wrote that vehicles from Singapore would need this sign when entering Malaysia, followed by a «laughing» emoji. The post has since garnered over 1,800 reactions and 1,700 comments. Several Singaporean netizens were tickled by the placard.

The best part of a meal is often savoured last. But one diner got an unpleasant surprise when she bit on something hard at the final bite. Immediately spitting her food out, the 60-year-old woman discovered a metal wire embedded in her chicken wing. Luo, a healthcare professional, told Shin Min Daily News that she bought a plate of nasi padang for lunch from the Kopitiam outlet at Tan Tock Seng Hospital last Friday (May 10). «The wire is as thick as a safety pin; I don't dare to imagine what would've happened if I swallowed it. This is a hospital; wouldn't it be even worse if a patient accidentally swallowed it?» She questioned. Luo later returned to the stall where a staff member apologised to her. The employee reportedly said that the wire did not come from the stall, and that food ingredients are provided by their supplier. Stall offers refund When contacted by Shin Min, the owner of the nasi padang stall explained that they rarely use steel scourers and guessed that the wire might have been hidden the curry chicken which Luo had ordered.

SINGAPORE — Singapore's two cruise terminals will be consolidated in the coming years, with the cruise centre in HarbourFront set to move, so that a continuous promenade can be established as part of the Greater Southern Waterfront. Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) chief executive Lim Eng Hwee described the terminals' forthcoming consolidation as a «small move» that will make a huge difference and allow the authorities to «stitch up the entire waterfront» from Labrador Nature Park through to the Keppel-Tanjong Pagar area, Marina Bay and the future Long Island. Three city port terminals near the cruise centre in HarbourFront — Tanjong Pagar, Keppel and Brani — will move to Tuas by 2027, as previously announced. The Republic's other cruise centre — Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore, which opened in 2012 — is located in Marina South, and was reported in 2018 to be under consideration for expansion. «With the port moving, there's a lot of infrastructural work that needs to be done — some reclamation, and the cruise hub will be formed as part of that,» Lim said.

SINGAPORE - A man was arrested on the afternoon of May 12, following an accident in Aljunied Road involving a van carrying contraband cigarettes. In a video of the accident that is circulating online, a light-coloured van is seen partially lodged in an uncovered roadside drain, after it seemingly crashed through the roadside railings. At least eight cardboard boxes can be seen on the pavement behind the van, with police officers and at least three police cars at the scene. The police said they were alerted at about 3.10pm on May 12 to the accident in Aljunied Road, in the direction of Lorong 22 Geylang before Merpati Road. They added that a 44-year-old male van driver was conscious when taken to the hospital. He was arrested for traffic-related offences. The Straits Times understands that the driver was not found at the scene of the accident, but was located nearby. When contacted, the Singapore Civil Defence Force said it was notified of the accident at about 4.40pm, and took one person to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

SINGAPORE — A South Korean engineer saw his inebriated neighbour sleeping by the pool of their serviced apartment compound and tried to rape her. The 25-year-old woman, an exchange student from Sweden, was shocked when she woke up to find the man on top of her. She repeatedly told him to stop and managed to get away after a scuffle. On May 13, Cho Tae-kwon, who is now 51, was sentenced to a jail term of eight years and 4½ months, after he pleaded guilty to one charge each of attempted rape and outrage of modesty. Two other charges, for molesting the victim, were taken into consideration. Cho's sentence included jail time in lieu of caning. He cannot be caned as he is above the age of 50. He was 49 years old when he entered Singapore on June 20, 2022 on a short-term social visit pass. He was working as an engineer at the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre and lived in a unit on the 9th floor with four other colleagues. There is a gag order to protect the identities of the victim and her friends, as well as regarding the location of the offence.

Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong will be promoted to deputy prime minister (DPM) after a Cabinet reshuffle on Monday (May 13).  Gan, who has been the Minister for Trade and Industry since 2021, will serve alongside Heng Swee Keat, who was appointed DPM in 2019.  He will be Acting Prime Minister in the absence of the Prime Minister, reported CNA.  The 65-year-old will also take over as chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore from DPM Lawrence Wong and assume responsibility for the Strategy Group within the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).  Gan was also the Minister of Health from 2011 to 2021.  He co-chaired the Covid-19 multi-Ministry taskforce with DPM Wong and current health minister Ong Ye Kung, where he directed and coordinated Singapore’s response to the pandemic.  On Monday, PM Lee Hsien Loong announced his resignation in a letter to President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.  In his letter, he said that he wanted to hand over the reins by his 70th birthday, but his plans were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

SINGAPORE – From July 8, the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) will be known as the Ministry of Digital Development and Information. Announcing the name change on May 13, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement: “The new name reflects the ministry’s role in driving our national digital agenda. “The ministry will also continue to oversee information policy and strategy, media development, and public communications efforts.” During a press briefing on May 13 to announce his new Cabinet line-up, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that the change is not just a renaming exercise but also marks a significant change in mindset orientation. Specifically, the change is meant to give a strong signal and push on Singapore’s digitalisation efforts, he added. “Digital technologies will be a big enabler for us to transform our economy, and also to improve our lives, for everyone in society,” said DPM Wong. Singapore’s national digitalisation strategies include artificial intelligence and many other technologies that cut across sectors and agencies.

While walking past a coffee shop in Geylang, a passer-by was horrified to spot a large rat nosing around one of the food stalls. Taking to Facebook group Complaint Singapore on Saturday (May 11) morning, user Marilyn Crow shared a video of the rodent scurrying around a stall front and jumping onto a stack of trays.  The clip then pans to show a signboard of coffee shop chain Food Loft.  A Shin Min Daily News reporter who visited the coffee shop that night found that the food stalls had been cleaned and there were no rodents in sight.

If you've ever wanted to feel extra safe at home, this may be the room for you. A user purportedly posted on Facebook group Room Rental Singapore to advertise a room at Balestier Road for $750 a month. The problem? The room looks suspiciously like a bomb shelter, Shin Min Daily News reported on Sunday (May 12).  According to the now-deleted post, the unit is a two-minute walk from supermarkets and food courts, 500m from 13 bus stops, and near Boon Keng and Novena MRT stations. Additionally, the landlord isn't residing in the unit and there are no agency fees. Tenants are allowed to cook, use the pool and gym facilities and have visitors in the day. In the fully furnished four-bedroom, two-bathroom unit, tenants will have access to a washing machine, dryer and refrigerator. Utility expenses are shared between tenants. Netizens commented that the photo of the room that is for rent resembles a bomb shelter with air-conditioning installed, with little space left after the bed frame — which is pictured — is placed.

An Ang Mo Kio resident was left frustrated at the state of her home after a pipe clog left it flooded and damaged some items she was preparing to sell. In a video posted to Facebook last Thursday (May 9), Lydia Lee Nakamura shows how the bathroom, kitchen and living room of her rental flat were flooded with water from a drain. The flooding started late at night on Wednesday, which prompted her to call the Essential Maintenance Services Unit (EMSU) at Ang Mo Kio Town Council for assistance, she wrote. When she mentioned that her flat was rented from the Housing and Development Board (HDB), however, she was told to contact HDB's EMSU hotline instead, she said.

He was given a written warning. A woman alleged she was sexually harassed by a man who did pull-ups over her head in the 24XFitness gym at SingPost Centre in Paya Lebar on May 3. What made it worse for Stomp contributor Zenn was that after she reported the incident to the gym staff, she felt victim-blamed. In response to a Stomp query, the police confirmed that a report was lodged and said they are looking into the matter. The Stomp contributor shared a 22-second video of the incident at the squat and pull-up rack, which is for both exercises, though probably not at the same time. She took the video of herself in the wall mirror sitting on the floor and resting between her squat sets as the man stood over her and started to do pull-ups near her head. The Stomp contributor said in the video: «I'm using the squat rack and there's another one there.» She panned the camera to show another squat and pull-up rack beside the one she was using. «But he's insisting on doing this here,» she said of the man doing pull-ups right above her.

Some commuters who were on their way to Johor Bahru (JB) found themselves trapped inside bus service 178 after the driver locked the doors and refused to drive.  He had done so after some passengers refused to pay their fare, reported Shin Min Daily News.  The incident occurred last Friday (May 10) at about 5pm at the bus stop opposite Kranji MRT station.  Service 178 is managed by SMRT Corporation and runs between Boon Lay and Woodlands terminals. It stops at Woodlands Train Checkpoint on the route from Boon Lay to Woodlands. A passenger surnamed Liang told the Chinese daily that the bus captain had opened both doors to make it easier for passengers to board and alight.  The 56-year-old, who works as a purchaser in Singapore, was heading back to JB that evening.  «Some passengers boarded the bus via the rear door, and some of them didn't pay the fare. The bus captain reminded everyone to pay, but no one listened to him,» she recounted.  The driver's threat to call the police also fell on deaf ears. 

SINGAPORE – A 68-year-old man was taken to hospital after a fire broke out at a flat in Chinatown on May 11. The police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the fire at Block 5 Banda Street at around 2.20pm. The fire broke out inside the bedroom of an 11th-floor flat, SCDF added. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, which involved a mattress, with a water jet. SCDF said it rescued a person from the unit and had to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the person. The person was unconscious when taken to Singapore General Hospital. The police and SCDF evacuated about 15 people from the affected block as a precaution. The cause of the fire is under investigation, SCDF added. According to statistics released by SCDF in February 2024, there were more fires in 2023 than the year before, with 1,954 cases in total. This represented an increase of 8.6 per cent from the 1,799 cases in 2022. Of the 1,954 fires in 2023, 970 – or almost half – were in residential buildings.

Ask any Singaporean if they believe there is enough land space in Singapore, and the answer is likely to be no. Yet, this prevailing perception does not deter Colin Low, Singapore Land Authority's (SLA) chief executive, from his steadfast mission to create unlimited spaces. In a behind-the-scenes look at how SLA functions, Low describes the paradox of having «limited land, unlimited space», and explains how it pushes his team to continuously reimagine spaces in our little red dot. How does SLA function? In a country where land is precious and scarce, we may be most familiar with SLA's role in being the custodian of Singapore's properties. In essence, when leases on places like army camps or school buildings expire and return to the state, SLA assumes responsibility for them. If there are no redevelopment plans in place, it falls upon the team at SLA to figure out how to optimise these spaces for the community. However, that is just one aspect of SLA's governance. In fact, there are three pillars that encompass SLA's functions: land and properties, regulatory, and geospatial.

After getting heckled by an auntie during his busking session on Chinese New Year, local musician, Evan Goh, returns with another interesting encounter, this time with a kid. A TikTok video shared on April 19 shows a kid stomping on Goh's microphone equipment mid-performance. https://www.tiktok.com/@evantellstories/video/7359404701206514960 The video starts with Goh mentioning the durability of his microphone equipment and later showing the various attacks made by the kid to his equipment, asking «Why [do] you have to be mad?» in his video. Despite the kid's reaction, Paya Lebar busker remained unfazed and proceeded with his performance. Goh wrote in his caption: «While busking on the streets, we meet all sorts of interesting characters.» He added that the video was just for laughs and that one should not take it too seriously.

Their relationship has become like a zero-sum game - he keeps adding more to his hoard, while she stands by, constantly at a loss. An 80-year-old man has left his wife at her wits' end as his hoarding habits have earned the ire of residents of Block 2A, Upper Boon Keng Road, Shin Min Daily News reported on Friday (May 10). The corridor, fire riser and stairwell has been filled with his items, creating an inconvenience not just for his neighbours, but also his wife - the 70-year-old Lu told Shin Min that she knew about her husband's problem, but couldn't do anything to help. She had repeatedly attempted to convince her husband to stop hoarding but gets ignored, causing them to get into arguments. «I know about these problems,» she said. «I know my neighbours are unhappy, but there's nothing I can do.» Speaking with Shin Min, a 57-year-old resident surnamed Lin said that he had moved in about a decade ago, and the clutter was already present then. He had tried to speak with the elderly man about his habits and things had improved at first.

'You can't afford it?' These words alleged uttered by a market vendor to a customer sparked a row on Friday (May 10), and police were called in. According to a Shin Min Daily News report on Saturday, the altercation occurred at a market located at Block 527 Ang Mo Kio 10 at around 8am. The BBQ and braised meats stall owner surnamed Wu, 46, told Shin Min Daily News that the argument had erupted following a customer's enquiry about the price of his braised pork. «The moment she came to my stall she complained that my braised pork was too expensive. So I simply said, 'If you think it's too expensive then don't buy'. She then started to scold me and I scolded her back,» said Wu. He alleged that his mobile phone was also knocked to the ground in the ensuing fracas. When contacted by a Shin Min reporter, the customer, surnamed Yu, had a slightly different take on what had transpired. According to the 40-year-old medical worker, she and her husband had just bought some braised duck wings from another stall when they chanced upon Wu's braised meat stall.

SINGAPORE - It was a rare moment in his 20 years of flying commercial aircraft. As the Embraer E190-E2 plane touched down in Krabi, Thailand, after taking off from Changi Airport on May 7, Captain Darius Yeo was greeted with applause from passengers. The 46-year-old, who is the pilot in charge of Scoot's new E190-E2 fleet, was at the controls of the budget carrier's first Brazilian-made jet on its maiden commercial flight. While the 112-seat plane is smaller than the Airbus A320, Boeing 777 and double-deck Airbus A380 «superjumbo» he previously flew, the flight was no less significant. Made in Sao Jose dos Campos, a city in Brazil an hour from Sao Paulo, the E190-E2 is the first aircraft from manufacturer Embraer operated by a Singapore carrier. It is also the first time since the late 1990s that a carrier in the Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group is flying a plane not supplied by Boeing or Airbus. For passengers, the main benefit besides the novelty and added option is the absence of a middle seat. Capt Yeo said the jet, touted as being the quietest in its class, has so far lived up to expectations.

A Facebook post meant to 'shame' a driver for «blocking others» might have backfired. Instead of supportive comments, it received mixed reactions from netizens. In a post shared on SG Road Vigilante on Thursday (May 9), showed a photo of a car parked near a school gate. The caption wrote: «Two lane road becomes one lane because this man always parked his car near the school gate for his own convenience when fetching his kids,» adding that the car «always blocks others.» Netizens were quick to jump in saying that it is very common for the car to be parked there and all schools are the same. One commenter added: «You'll learn to be forgiving when you have kids.»

SINGAPORE - Two people were taken to hospital following a chain collision on the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) on May 10 afternoon. The police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the accident involving eight cars along AYE towards Marina Coastal Expressway, before Alexandra Road, at about 12.10pm. A video of the accident's aftermath posted on Reddit shows the vehicles on the right-most lane of the road, which was cordoned off. An Emas recovery truck and two SCDF ambulances can be seen in the footage. A 25-year-old male car driver and a 37-year-old female passenger were taken conscious to the National University Hospital. Police investigations are ongoing. ALSO READ: Man's leg crushed after falling out of moving car, dies from blood clot later

SINGAPORE - Catering firm Sakura Buffet has had its licence cancelled from May 10 after several reports of food safety concerns were lodged against it, including over mouldy food as well as food that contained hair and insects. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said in a statement on May 11 that the complaints started coming in from late March, and involved home-delivery catered meals supplied by five web-based businesses. Investigations found that all the catered meals had been supplied by Sakura Buffet, with another seven web-based businesses also being linked to it. The web-based businesses are: Yu Mummy Confinement Meals, Home Tingkat Catering, Happy Mamapapa Catering, Vegetarian Buffet, Angel Confinement Meals, After Surgery Food Delivery/Catering, Healthy Meals Catering, Keto Meals Catering, Grain Luscious, Royal Cuisine Group/The Garden Kitchen, Nonya Buffet and Pregnancy Meals Catering. Between March and May 2024, SFA conducted inspections at the Sakura Buffet premises in Geylang Bahru, where officers found several food safety lapses.

Don't feel like going to work or school? Just do a teleconsultation and get a medical chit to go on sick leave for the day. The Ministry of Health (MOH) fears that too many people are doing just that - and that doctors are acceding to such requests. It is now seeking feedback from doctors on tightening the rules on issuing medical certificates (MCs). In a circular sent to doctors on April 22 reminding them of their obligations, MOH also sought their feedback on a proposal to amend the Healthcare Services Act to tighten the conditions for issuing MCs. «(An MC) must be made in the context of an existing patient-doctor relationship and is premised on the duty of care the doctor owes the patient arising from this patient-doctor relationship,» according to the circular seen by The Straits Times. MOH said that it has received feedback from various employers and government agencies regarding the excessive issuance of MCs following outpatient medical service consultations, particularly teleconsultations.

One Tampines resident was baffled by the sight of couriers sorting parcels under a void deck, and was irked when he saw them tossing the packages around. Sean Rajamorgan uploaded two videos of the scene, which took place at Tampines Street 22, to Facebook on Friday (May 10). «I don't understand why they are using the void deck as a sorting centre,» he said.  «Plus they are just throwing the packages around while sorting. It's not fair to the customers who will receive damaged orders.» In the clips, piles of bags and packages are seen placed messily in an area of the void deck, and some packages are lined up on the path outside. Two couriers are seen taking packages out of the bags and flinging them across the space. Rajamorgan said the bags were dropped off by a van. «Hope they can sort out this current mess... So irksome». He added that he contacted the Tampines Town Council, which  told him that an advisory would be put up. A netizen who commented on the post said of the sorting and rough handling: «Same here at my block. Just hope not yours when they throw around.»

SINGAPORE — A new framework allowing those living in Housing Board flats to keep cats will come into effect in September, when a two-year transition period for cat owners to meet licensing and microchipping requirements begins. The Cat Management Framework — under the National Parks Board's Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) — will allow up to two cats to be kept in each HDB flat, and three cats for each private residence, with owners required to license and microchip all their pet cats. «Those with more cats than the limits for HDB flats and private premises will be allowed to keep all their existing pet cats if they license them within this transition period,» said the AVS. Licensing will be available online via the AVS' Pet Animal Licensing System portal from Sept 1. First-time applicants will also need to complete a one-time free online pet ownership course covering basic pet care skills and responsible ownership.

How much would you pay for a cup of plain water when dining out?  For one customer, $1 was a bit too much.  On Friday (May 10), netizen Ng Ai Kheng took to Facebook to share her experience.  She had patronised a Kaffe & Toast outlet at Sengkang General Hospital outlet and ordered a cup of hot water, one which cost her $1.  Shocked, Ng called it «unethical pricing» for a «small cup of tap water (hot)». «Many can have the choice of not patronising the shop but someone needs to voice out,» she said.  «I personally feel that this kind of pricing should not be a benchmark for others to follow. It is setting a precedent for unnatural inflation.» She also placed the receipt for that cup of water next to another receipt for an order of kopi-c and teh-o.  The kopi-c cost $2.20 while the teh-o was $2, which was not very far off from the amount that Ng had paid for her water.  AsiaOne has reached out to Ng and Kaffe & Toast for more details.  In the comments, some sided with Ng and said that $1 was too much. 

A 42-year-old man died from a blood clot in his lung last Friday (May 3) evening, days after undergoing surgery on his leg. Lianhe Zaobao reported on May 10 that the man had fallen while getting into his colleague's car on the afternoon of April 24 at Bulim Avenue in Jurong West. The moving car then ran over the man's left leg, and he was immediately rushed to the hospital for treatment. According to the Chinese paper, the man was later discharged and allowed to return home. The hospital he stayed at, and his discharge date was not reported. On April 29, the man visited the hospital for a follow-up appointment, where he was recommended to undergo surgery as the wound was swollen. He was hospitalised again after the surgery and was reportedly in good condition. Four days later, however, a ward nurse discovered that the man was not breathing. His cause of death was pulmonary embolism caused by deep vein thrombosis in the calf, reported Zaobao.

Singapore has dealt with sensitive issues such as tudung wearing and decriminalising sex between men in a way that enabled people to better understand each other, accept their differences and work out practical arrangements, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. He spoke on the Government’s handling of such issues and other topics such as racism and social safety nets in two wide-ranging media interviews at the Istana on April 26 and 28, ahead of his handover to Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on May 15. Here are some key takeaways from the interviews: Dealing with sensitive topics Besides allowing nurses to wear the tudung with their uniforms and repealing Section 377A of the Penal Code, PM Lee cited the terrorism threat posed by the Jemaah Islamiyah group after the Sept 11, 2001, attacks as another sensitive issue that the Government dealt with. “New York was far away, but it took place in our region, in Bali, in Jakarta subsequently, and how do we react?” said PM Lee. “We are multiracial. We have Muslims, we have non-Muslims. Do we trust each other or not?”

A 27-year-old auxiliary police officer was arrested on Thursday (May 9) for failing to return his service revolver, ammunition and baton after his shift.  The police said in a press release that they were alerted by Certis at about 9.50pm that the officer did not return his firearms after his duty at Changi Airport.  CCTV footage showed that he changed out of his uniform and left his workplace with a fully-loaded Taurus revolver that contained five bullets.  He was also carrying a speed revolver loaded with another five bullets, and a baton in a pouch.  Over 100 deployed to find him More than 100 police officers from various units were deployed to search for the man, who was eventually found loitering at a mall in Victoria Street past midnight.  The police said he did not put up a struggle and did not try to reach for the gun when he was arrested.  All equipment issued to him were successfully recovered.  He will be charged in court on May 11 for the unlawful carrying of a firearm.  If found guilty, he could be imprisoned for five to 14 years, and may be liable for at least six strokes of the cane. 

Several customers have called out the operator of a tingkat meal service for «wasting their time» after they did not receive food that they paid for. In a Facebook post on the Complaint Singapore page on Friday (May 10), one customer, who goes by Panda Xanh, said that he paid $159.50 for a 10-day package with Tingkat Singapore on May 7. But on the first day of delivery, the meal service told the customer that they were not able to fulfil the order after their chiller had broken down. «The chef deems the food is not safe to consume as it is under uncold [sic] temperature overnight,» Tingkit Singapore said in a text message to the customer. But Panda Xanh said that he was not impressed by their service. «What about my money?» he said. «I searched on Google and realised that there were many people like me who paid into their bank account, but they did not deliver any food or deliver food that was fishy and smelly.» The social media user claimed that amidst the number of complaints, Tingkat Singapore was still promoting their meal service through Facebook advertisements.

Although she has stayed clear of drugs for 15 years now, the journey to recovery wasn't easy for 39-year-old Hannah Chun.  Growing up in a broken home, Chun began consuming drugs at 13 to cover up the abandonment, rejection and hurt that she was going through.  Her parents divorced when she was about eight years old, and her mum left the house, reported Christian publication Salt and Light.  Her two sisters then left the home, leaving her alone with her 'temperamental' father and grandfather. She also dropped out of school at 13 and started drinking, smoking and taking drugs. At 15, she began sourcing for drugs overseas and selling them to her friends who were also drug abusers.  "I felt rejected, abandoned and alone,” she told the Christian publication.  Son used pencil to hurt others For Chun, her turning point came when she saw her eldest son, who was about four then, acting up in school. The boy would use a pencil to poke his friends' hands, injuring them. He was also very fearful.  Chun added that he also exhibited other worrying behaviours at home.