The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) seized 27 e-vaporisers and related components in anti-vaping operations conducted at hotspot areas including Tampines and the Central Business District area.The four-day operation, which started on Sept 15, saw four persons between the ages of 24 and 43 fined for vape-related offences. Under new anti-vaping laws from Sept 1, repeat offenders will face a maximum fine of $2,000. Those caught using vapes containing etomidate will also have to undergo rehabilitation.  AsiaOne was tagged with one of the HSA teams on patrol in Tampines where officers covered extensive ground around Tampines Central 1, 4 and 5, including pathways between the buildings, bus interchange and MRT station. 

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) foiled a smuggling attempt involving 1,700 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes and 0.8g of methamphetamine, or Ice, according to a Facebook post on Thursday (Sept 18).On Sept 11, an image analyst with the ICA had noticed anomalies in scanned images of a Malaysia-registered lorry declared to have been carrying «assorted carbonated drinks».After directing the vehicle for further checks, ICA officers searched the vehicle and found the 1,700 cartons of cigarettes hidden within the consignment.Information from ICA's Integrated Targeting Centre (ITC) also prompted even deeper checks of the vehicle — yielding drug paraphernalia inside the driver's bag and about 0.8g of «Ice».«The case was referred to the Singapore Customs and the suspected drug-related offences were referred to CNB Drug Free SG,» ICA stated, adding that investigations are ongoing.[[nid:722622]]khooyihang@asiaone.com

Those looking to travel across the border can soon rely on ComfortDelGro's (CDG) services to do so, according to a Facebook post by the taxi company on Thursday (Sept 18).According to the post, Singapore's largest taxi operator will begin cross-border taxi services from Sept 25, with rides costing a fixed fare of $80 for travel from Singapore to Johor Bahru (Larkin Terminal).However, pick-ups from Ban San Street taxi stand and from the airport will differ, priced at $60 and $120 respectively.There will be 90 cabbies — all with valid cross-border taxi licenses — at the ready for this service, which can be booked up to 24 hours in advance, a CDG spokesperson told The Straits Times.“We recognise the growing demand for cross-border transportation and are committed to expanding our travel options for passengers, as well as more earning opportunities for our cabbies,” the spokesperson also added.Customers can make bookings via the CDG hotline at 6552 1111.

A Malaysian man has been arrested for his suspected involvement in a series of government official impersonation scams.The arrest was made on Sept 16 by the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) in Malaysia after a warrant for his arrest was issued by the State Courts of Singapore, according to a statement on Wednesday (Sept 17) night.The 31-year-old suspect was handed over to the Singapore Police Force on Sept 17.The police stated that they had received multiple reports of government official impersonation scams where victims were allegedly contacted by people claiming to be officials from the Monetary Authority of Singapore between July 12 and Aug 8.Victims were informed that their bank accounts had been implicated in money laundering activities or that their personal information had been compromised. They were subsequently prompted to surrender their money or valuables, or transfer money to a specified bank account to assist in investigations.The scammers would become uncontactable after the victims complied with instructions.

Singaporeans travelling to or from Johor Bahru via land checkpoints will be able to clear immigration using QR codes very soon, with Malaysia trialling its National Integrated Immigration System (NIISe) from Sept 22.The MyNIISe (pronounced «my nice») app can be used by Malaysians as well as travellers from 63 countries and territories, including Singapore, at land checkpoints at the Causeway and Second Link, said the Malaysian Home Affairs Ministry in a statement on Wednesday (Sept 17).The trial is set to run until Feb 28, 2026 and the system will also be rolled out in stages at five airports.This includes Kuala Lumpur International Airport's Terminals 1 and 2, and those in Penang, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.The MyNIISe app will help reduce congestion at the two Johor checkpoints, which see more than 300,000 people crossing daily, reported The Straits Times (ST).The team behind the new app told ST that commuters travelling in groups can also clear immigration checks using a single QR code — an improvement from the current MyBorderPass app for Malaysians which requires each traveller to scan a QR code for immigration clearance.

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 450 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes into Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint on Aug 26. In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Sept 17), ICA said that the motorcycle was directed for enhanced checks and more than 450 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found concealed in various compartments.The case has been referred to the Singapore Customs for further investigation.

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Singapore Industrial and Services Employees' Union (SISEU) have expressed their dismay over Agoda's alleged attempt to silence their retrenched workers, according to a joint statement by the two unions on Wednesday (Sept 17).This comes after the online travel platform announced that it has phased out customer service support roles in Singapore, Shanghai and Budapest.Fifty employees in Singapore were retrenched following an exercise that was announced in a closed town hall on Aug 4.Cost and recruitment challenges were cited as reasons for the move, The Business Times reported on Wednesday.According to the unions' joint statement, workers were purportedly warned via severance agreements not to make reports on their retrenchments to trade unions, the Government or other organisations.They were also allegedly warned against bringing any mediation requests, claims or proceedings relating to their employment or termination against Agoda.

Microsoft has seized 338 websites used in relation to a rapidly growing phishing service that has seen around 70 people in Singapore fall victim, the company said in press release on Wednesday (Sept 17).The service, known as RaccoonO365, is a tool used by cybercriminals to steal Microsoft 365 usernames and passwords, according to Microsoft.Phishing kits are offered via a subscription, letting users steal credentials from victims even if they are not familiar with the technology.«This case shows that cybercriminals don't need to be sophisticated to cause widespread harm — simple tools like RaccoonO365 make cybercrime accessible to virtually anyone, putting millions of users at risk,» Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) assistant general counsel Steven Masada said in a blogpost on Tuesday (Sept 16).Since its operation, these kits have been used to steal at least 5,000 Microsoft credentials from 94 countries, he said.Among these credentials were some that belonged to around 70 people in Singapore, the tech giant said.

SINGAPORE — A certain religious organisation's council member, whom the prosecution described as «outwardly pious», committed sexual offences against his friend's son when the child was between 11 and 12 years old.The offender, 66, even recorded a video of himself touching the child's private parts and took more than 40 pictures showing the victim's genitals.Details about the religious organisation have been redacted from court documents.Stressing that the man's conduct was «abhorrent», Deputy Public Prosecutor Dhiraj G. Chainani said: «(He was) so strict in his religiosity that he forbade any females from staying the night in his home.»Yet, behind closed doors, he revealed a markedly different self — a man driven by perverse intent, who consumed child pornography involving young males before turning his predatory attention to a young child who trusted him."The man, who cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the victim's identity, was sentenced to 13 years and three months' jail on Sept 16.

The Government will take strong action against vaping and enhance support for students' holistic development to build a fairer and more inclusive society that supports Singaporeans at every stage in life.These plans were announced on Wednesday (Sept 17) in their addenda to President Tharman Shanmugaratnam's address at the opening of Parliament, by the Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and Ministry of Education (MOE).In his address on Sept 5, President Shanmugaratnam highlighted the importance of «comprehensive social support systems in place» that will support social mobility and help Singaporeans navigate through challenging and uncertain times.As such, the ministries will enhance support for families, nurture the youth, and strengthen care for the elderly so that all Singaporeans can be reassured throughout their various stages of life.[[nid:722675]]Here are the highlights from the statements by each ministry.

The recent train disruptions are isolated incidents and not indicative of systemic issues, said SMRT Trains President Lam Sheau Kai.Speaking to media at Kim Chuan Depot on Wednesday (Sept 17), Lam explained that a faulty component in the power system caused a signalling failure, affecting services between Aljunied and Tanah Merah stations on Sept 16.«The component has since been isolated, and train services resumed as normal this morning,» he said.For the Sept 17 breakdown on the Thomson-East Coast Line, Lam said SMRT is working with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to investigate a signalling fault that required a system restart.«To minimise inconvenience during the morning peak, commuters were disembarked and advised to use alternate lines,» he said, adding that train services were temporarily suspended for about 30 minutes.

Train services along the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) have resumed after a two-hour disruption on Wednesday (Sept 17) morning, said SMRT.In a Facebook update at 8.54am, the train operator said that all train services on the TEL have resumed, and that free regular bus and bridging bus services have ended.The disruption, which occurred at around 7am, spanned across all stations on the TEL from Bayshore to Woodlands North, and was caused by a signal fault, said SMRT.Commuters were then advised by SMRT to allow for an additional 15 minutes of travel time due to the train disruption.In an update at 8.38am, SMRT said that TEL services were «progressively resuming to normalcy» and that free regular and bridging bus services were still available.Commuters were later informed at 8.49am that they could return to TEL stations to continue their journey, and that bridging bus services had ceased.

Four people were taken to hospital and 50 evacuated after a fire broke out in a Serangoon HDB flat on Tuesday (Sept 16) evening.In a Facebook post later that day, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it responded to a fire at Block 502 Serangoon North Avenue 4 at about 8pm.Upon arriving at the scene, firefighters saw that one of the bedrooms of the seventh-floor HDB unit was on fire and extinguished the flames with a water jet.Three people from the unit had evacuated before SCDF arrived, with one of them having suffered minor burn injuries.They were assessed for smoke inhalation and taken to Singapore General Hospital, alongside another resident from a neighbouring unit. As a precautionary measure, around 50 residents were also evacuated from the block by the police and SCDF.Preliminary findings revealed that the fire likely had an electrical origin in the bedroom.

The perennial debate of which food is better — Singaporean or Malaysian — had netizens chiming in again after Malaysia-based American content creator, Terry Pernell, gave his two cents' worth.Pernell and his partner, Mag, posted several TikTok videos on Sept 11, where both expressed surprise at the cost of food in Singapore.They ordered 10 sticks of satay, stir-fried beef, and a large plate of egg fried rice at Newton Food Centre and the bill was about $45.They noted that it was pricey.«This food better knock me off my feet,» Pernell stated while tasting the satay. And while it didn't quite hit the mark, he admitted that the satay was «good» and raved about the peanut sauce.«I can't say the food (is) bad though,» he concluded.In one of her videos, Mag also wrote that «Singapore is not for the poor», lamenting the high cost of a beer.[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@travelwithmag/video/7548500222763076870[/embed]To those thinking of visiting Singapore, Pernell had one piece of advice — «Bring all your money, don't leave none of your money at home,» he quipped.

Thundery showers and gusty winds are expected to continue into the second fortnight of September due to Sumatra squalls, said the Meteorological Service Singapore on Tuesday (Sept 16).Sumatra squalls are an organised line of thunderstorms that typically develop over Sumatra island or the Straits of Malacca. It generally moves eastwards towards Singapore and the surrounding region under the influence of south-westerly or westerly winds.According to the Met Service, this weather phenomenon commonly occurs during the south-west monsoon and inter-monsoon periods, and usually affects Singapore overnight or in the morning.The Met Service said that the prevailing south-west monsoon is forecast to persist for the rest of the month, adding that Sumatra squalls may bring widespread thundery showers and gusty winds in the pre-dawn and morning on several days.Localised short duration thundery showers are also expected over parts of the island on some afternoons, with a few dry days. «Overall, the total rainfall for the second fortnight of September is forecast to be near average over most parts of the island,» it added.

As part of ongoing efforts to improve vehicle and road safety, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Tuesday (Sept 16) that it will require all newly-registered motorcycles to be equipped with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) from April 1, 2027.ABS is a safety feature that prevents the wheels on motor vehicles from locking up during sudden or hard braking.This allows the driver or rider to maintain steering control and stability. All new cars here are already equipped with it, even though it has not been a legal requirement.LTA has been studying the impact of ABS for all motorcycles since 2023. Last year, the transport regulator was in talks with motorcycle retailers on the feasibility of requiring all new two-wheelers here to be fitted with this system.Citing a World Health Organisation study in its latest announcement, the authority said that motorcycles equipped with ABS have a 37 per cent lower fatal crash rate compared to those without it.

The co-location of the new Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) within a business district means more opportunities for applied learning and industry collaboration, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Tuesday (Sept 16).He was speaking at the official opening of the new campus in the Punggol Digital District (PDD).The PDD currently hosts companies like Panasonic, with organisations such as dConstruct, GovTech, UOB, OCBC, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, and the Association of Information Security Professionals set to move to the district.Speaking at the opening ceremony, PM Wong highlighted that SIT is the only university in Singapore co-located within a business district.SIT comprises two plots — the 42,000 sq m Campus Court facing the Coney Island waterfront and the 49,000 sq m Campus Heart featuring the Punggol Heritage Trail. The campus has been fully operational since May, after about six years of development following its groundbreaking in 2019, with approximately 11,000 students and nearly 1,300 staff.