«Relieved.» That was the simple yet emotional word Swiss travellers Jeremie Berard, 36, and Joana Goncalves, 31, used to describe their feelings after checking in for Singapore Airlines flight SQ8002 on Sunday (March 8) morning.The special flight was arranged by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) for non-resident travellers, whose travel arrangements between Feb 28 to March 8 were cancelled by an airline due to the closure of airspace in the Middle East.The two were originally scheduled to depart Singapore on Feb 28 via Qatar Airways. It was also the day that the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran. «Qatar Airways cancelled our flights. We bought more flights and they were also cancelled. All the other direct flights were sold out and we couldn't find other opportunities to go home,» said the couple as they described to AsiaOne their exasperating experience over the past week.

A 23-year-old Malaysian woman fell victim to a Singapore rental scam, in which the other party tried to extort more money by accusing her of money laundering, sending fake lawyer letters, and even threatening to set fire to her home in Malaysia.Kota Tinggi native Huang Xiaohan (transliterated), who works in retail, told Sin Chew Daily News that she had already been working in Singapore for a few years, and had previously rented a room under a friend's recommendation.When the lease expired, she went on Facebook to find a new place at the end of February, where she stumbled upon an advertisement about a flat for rent in Serangoon.She then contacted a woman on WhatsApp, who according to Shin Min Daily News, went by the name «Christina» (transliterated), who claimed to be the owner of the house.Speaking in a press conference, Huang said that Christina claimed that the room was in high demand, and was told to pay a deposit of $1,250.Two days later, the other party told her of another potential tenant who could pay for a month's deposit and rent, and told Huang that she will be the tenant if she could pay for the full amount. 

SINGAPORE – The number of crows in Singapore grew by more than 20 times over less than a decade, The Straits Times has learnt.On Feb 23, the authorities announced that they planned to resume the shooting of crows in March after a six-year hiatus, as alternative population control methods were deemed inadequate amid a rise in reports about crow attacks.Shooting had been discontinued in 2020 after instances of pellets striking residences.This is more than 20 times the figure cited in an earlier population study in 2016, when shooting operations still took place, with the birds on mainland Singapore numbering about 7,295 then.How said the use of firearms adds to the existing suite of measures to control the country’s crow population, which includes removing nests, deploying traps and pruning trees to reduce the number of birds that roost there.This approach was chosen as crows are an invasive species that pose a threat to native biodiversity and can attack humans, especially when they are perceived as threats to their young.Droppings from the birds also create unsanitary conditions where they gather and roost.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has issued Disabling Directions (DD) under the Online Criminal Harms Act 2023 (OCHA) to Meta over a video of a man stepping on a Quran in Singapore, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a statement published on Sunday (March 8). This act was believed to have taken place on a public bus.While the original video is no longer available, it had been reposted and shared multiple times across other social media platforms.The MHA and SPF had assessed that the video constitutes an offence of insulting the religion of another person under Section 17F(4) of the Maintenance Religious Act 1990.Five DDs were issued to Meta to disable access to the content, while posts containing the video are no longer accessible to end-users in Singapore.«While some individuals may have reposted the video to condemn the actions of the original poster, doing so perpetuates the offensive content online,» MHA said in the statement.«Members of the public who come across such content are advised to inform the authorities instead.»

Quiet anticipation turned into cheers and tears at Changi Airport Terminal 3 on Saturday (March 7) night as some 152 Singaporeans and their dependents returned home on Singapore Airlines flight SQ8001.Family members, friends and relatives of those onboard starting streaming in to the waiting area of the arrival hall near belt 47 just after 8pm. Several were seen checking flight tracking applications on their mobile phones with eager anticipation. Afterall, it has been almost a week of uncertainty and worry for some, after the United States and Israel struck Iran on Feb 28. 

A staff member of Ji Xiang Ang Ku Kueh has shared how the founder had helped her as she paid tribute to him at his funeral, she shared in a TikTok video uploaded by Shin Min Daily News on Friday (March 6).The founder, Toh Poh Seek, died at age 81, according to a Facebook post by Ji Xiang ang ku kueh a day prior.«I'm truly so grateful,» the staff member, Zheng Mulan, told Shin Min. «During my most difficult period, he helped me.»«I lived at his home for half a year - I ate at his home, even as I lived in it,» she revealed.The 47-year-old explained that she came to Singapore from China to earn a living, and worked with Ji Xiang for about 14 years.In 2016, Zheng was involved in a car accident and racked up a medical bill between $30,000 and $40,000, according to Shin Min.«Boss Toh called my son, who was in secondary school at the time, sharing that he would help pay my medical expenses and that my son shouldn't worry about it,» she recalled.«I never expected to receive such care while living in a foreign country,» she stated. «I consider them my godparents.»

Even as the first of two repatriation flights from Muscat in Oman is still underway, Singapore is already planning to mount another repatriation flight — this time for Singaporeans and their dependents from Saudi Arabia. In a message sent to Singaporeans there, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said the Government has been exploring options to bring Singaporeans back from different parts of the Middle East to Singapore. «We are currently making plans to dispatch a repatriation flight for Singaporeans and their dependents from Saudi Arabia to Singapore during the window of March 10 to 12, 2026,» the message read. It added that the date and time are subject to flight approvals and ground situation, with details to be disseminated to Singaporeans once they are confirmed.Meanwhile, plans are also underway to provide overland transport from Doha in Qatar, Manama in Bahrain, Al Khobar and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia for Singaporeans to Riyadh — one day before the confirmed flight date.  

«Seeing your national carrier at an airport it does not serve is so cool.» This was what Ms Francesca Danielle wrote on her Instagram just before boarding SQ8001, a government-assisted repatriation flight from Muscat in Oman to Singapore on Saturday (March 7) afternoon.The 41-year-old, a mother of two young daughters, is among Singaporeans who become stranded in the Middle East as tensions rose following strikes on Iran launched by Israel and the United States on Feb 28.She was on a work trip in Dubai with five other colleagues and were initially scheduled to return home on March 3, but found their Emirates flight cancelled after the strikes.In a video story posted on Instagram before boarding the flight, Francesca recounted how she and fellow Singaporeans received assistance from officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). 

The first of two repatriation flights organised by Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) for Singaporeans stranded in Middle East has begun its journey home. Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight SQ8001 departed from Muscat International Airport in Oman at about 2.45pm on Saturday (March 7). It is expected to land at Changi Airport Terminal 3 at about 9.20pm.  Singapore Airlines flight SQ8001 departed Muscat International Airport at about 2.44pm. PHOTO: FlightRadar24 AsiaOne has reached out to MFA to check on the number of citizens who boarded the repatriation flight. 

A 41-year-old woman was found dead at the foot of a Housing and Development Board (HDB) block in Sengkang on Friday (March 6) afternoon. The incident happened at about 12pm at Block 289A Compassvale Crescent. A video posted on TikTok showed two Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) ambulances parked along a driveway in front of the block. In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police and SCDF said the 41-year-old woman is believed to have fallen from height. She was found lying motionless at the foot of the block and was pronounced dead at the scene by a SCDF paramedic. Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not suspect any foul play. Investigations are ongoing. 

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Saturday (March 7) thanked United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan for his country's assistance to Singaporeans residing there.In a Facebook post on Saturday afternoon, PM Wong said he discussed the escalating situation in the Middle East with the UAE president earlier in the day.PM Wong thanked Sheik Mohamed for UAE officials' support and assistance to Singaporeans residing there.«Our officials have been working closely together to ensure Singaporeans remain safe, and to facilitate arrangements for those who wish to return home,» PM Wong wrote.He added that a protracted conflict in the Middle East will have «serious consequences» for the world and expressed his hope that the parties involved will find ways to de-escalate and restore stability to the region.The prime minister also said that Singapore values its «close friendship» with the UAE, and stands in solidarity with the UAE and its people during what he described as a «challenging time».

Johor may require cross-border taxis from Singapore to install a location tracking system to monitor their movements and ensure that passengers are picked up and dropped off at designated locations, said Johor state executive councillor Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh. Fazli, who also chairs the Johor State Public Works, Transport, Infrastructure and Communications Committee, told Bernama in an interview that this is in line with Singapore's requirement for Malaysian cross-border taxis to be fitted with an ERP2.0 on-board unit (OBU). «Malaysia is expected to implement a similar, or at least an equivalent measure. However, the matter of installation cost is still under discussion,» Bernama reported Fazli as saying.He added that this would also allow the transport department to conduct monitoring and take necessary enforcement actions.

Two lawyers have been ordered to bear a cost of $5,000 each for their roles in mentioning two fictitious cases in a closing submission cited in court. In a judgment on March 6, Justice S Mohan said it was “plainly evident” that an AI tool had been used in the preparation of the draft. While there is no inherent objection to the use of AI tools in the industry, Justice Mohan said such tools can play the part of only the «handmaiden». «The fundamental point remains that lawyers bear ultimate responsibility for ensuring that all materials placed before the court – including case authorities – are, without exception, true and accurate, and crucially, verified by them to be so,» said the judge, who added that AI tools will become an increasingly prevalent feature of the legal ecosystem.The case surrounds the estate of the late Tan Thuan Teck and three suits filed by his sons against the late Tan's brothers and their company. Tan's sons had filed the suits in 2023 to recover money their father had lent to his brothers and their company. 

Two groups of Singaporeans in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates seeking to return home via the first government-organised repatriation flight from the region embarked on a five hour bus ride to Muscat in Oman early on Friday (March 6) morning. They were sent off by the Singapore Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate-General in Dubai respectively, and were accompanied on their bus rides by Singapore Embassy/Consulate officers. In Oman, the returning Singaporeans were supported by the Singapore Embassy in Muscat and a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Crisis Response Team until their departure via the chartered flight on Saturday. The flight is due to land in Singapore on Saturday evening, while another flight is scheduled to land on Sunday.