Barely a year into his new job as an engineer, former army officer Robin Chua died last Sunday (April 28) after collapsing at work.  The 43-year-old, who was married with a four-year-old son, left the army in 2023 after 20 years to work at his family's electrical engineering company. His rank was lieutenant colonel.  Chua's sister told Shin Min Daily News that her brother fainted at about 2pm that day. A colleague performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on him and was able to revive him.  Others around them called an ambulance to take Chua to the hospital. However, he fell unconscious enroute to the hospital and paramedics were unable to revive him. Chua was pronounced dead upon arrival. His family was told by doctors that his cause of death was cardiac arrest.  «He was a good son and brother. Family was always very important to him, and he would always be the first to help whenever there were problems at home,» said Chua's sister.  She added that their family did not have a history of heart disease, but her brother was a smoker.  Chua's sudden death also came as a shock to his former colleagues in the army. 

A counsellor at the Singapore Embassy in Japan who admitted to secretly filming a boy at a public bath in Tokyo, among other acts of voyeurism, is set to be asked to appear in a Japanese court, the Japanese media reported on May 2. The 55-year-old man, who has not been named, has since left the foreign service. A counsellor is a diplomatic rank for experienced foreign service officers. He was caught using a smartphone to film an undressed male teenager in the men's changing room of a public bath on Feb 27, Asahi Shimbun reported. A security camera at the bathhouse caught the Singaporean pointing his smartphone at another male customer, the Japanese daily reported. The incident was reported to the police by an employee of the bathhouse in Tokyo's Minato ward, where the Singapore embassy is located. The embassy told Asahi Shimbun on May 2 that the counsellor had already returned to Singapore. An embassy spokesman said the man had completed his mission and left Japan on April 12, adding that it was not aware about the filming incident. The embassy did not respond to The Straits Times when contacted.

Two men have been arrested and charged following a robbery case here involving valuables amounting to around $4.34 million.  The Malaysian nationals aged 28 and 32 were charged on Thursday (May 2) for the offence of armed gang robbery, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in a statement the same day. According to the statement, the police was alerted at about 2am on April 18 that a group of more than four men had robbed 11 victims between the ages of 25 and 45 at a King Albert Park residence. The group was alleged to have stolen an estimated $4.34 million in valuables, which included cash in both local and foreign currencies, cryptocurrency and luxury watches. The identities of the robbers were uncovered through ground enquiries by officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Clementi Police Division. Investigations also found that the group had fled to Malaysia soon after the police was alerted. With the help of the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP), two suspects were arrested in Malaysia on April 27 and 28. They were then handed over to the SPF on April 30.

As a sports coach, Kat Goh is probably used to an active lifestyle.  But a hit-and-run accident in March has now left her with serious injuries. And the culprit has yet to be found. Frustrated, her brother, Janus Goh, took to Facebook on April 25 to appeal for witnesses to the accident. He wrote: «[She] cannot perform her job and passion as a sports coach because of the incident and suffered multiple injuries that affected her ability to walk. She also suffered scarring on most parts of her body.» He also uploaded photos of his sister in the hospital, which showed her limbs bandaged up.  In his post, Goh said the accident took place on the TPE, near Ikea's Tampines store at about 2pm on March 26. 

A two-week operation by officers from the Central Police Division identified 12 suspects in an extortion scam which involved the use of manipulated obscene pictures. The seven men and five women, aged between 18 and 46, allegedly provided bank information and SIM cards acquired through illegal means, the police said in a statement on Wednesday (May 1). They are also suspected of assisting in unauthorised accessing of Singpass accounts. The suspects were allegedly given or promised commissions, preliminary investigations revealed. At least $115,000 in suspected criminal proceeds — some purportedly linked to other scam cases — were recovered and an array of electronic devices were seized during the operation. A 23-year-old woman is due to be charged in court on Thursday for facilitating unauthorised access to computer material, an offence that carries a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both. Threatening letters with manipulated photos Over 170 reports involving extortionary letters have been made between March and April, said the police.

Photos of two car-sharing electric vehicles (EVs) that were left behind and parked randomly at different multistorey car parks surfaced on Facebook group SG Road Vigilante this week. In one post, an empty GetGo car is shown parked in front of an up-going ramp at a multistorey car park. The post, put up on Tuesday (April 29), stated that the photo was taken on April 26 but did not name the car park's location. A separate post on the same day shared photos of a BlueSG car parked, against the flow of traffic, right outside the exit of a multistorey car park in Tampines. GetGo and BlueSG are car-sharing platforms that allow users to rent out their vehicles at different rates. Those who use EVs must return their vehicles to designated charging stations.  BlueSG has only EVs for rental. Non-EVs rented from GetGo must be returned at the rental location. 'Anyhow park' or ran out of juice? Many netizens called out the driver of the GetGo car, accusing the person of being irresponsible and inconsiderate. «Yes, they anyhow park,» one commented. «Not their car so they don't care.»

Some enhancements will be made to the new on-board unit (OBU) for the ERP 2.0 system, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Thursday (May 2). This comes after feedback from drivers that placing the processing unit on the left passenger footwell made it difficult for them to reach for the Cepas card (such as Nets FlashPay card, Nets Motoring Card or EZ-Link Motoring Card). In its press release on Thursday, LTA said that since April 19 this year, they have introduced a button on the touchscreen display so that drivers can press on it and deactivate their Cepas card without removing it from the processing unit. This allows them to use their complimentary parking ticket at the car park. If the driver forgets to reactivate the card after leaving the car park, it will not affect their ERP payments as the correct amount will still be deducted from the card balance when the vehicle reaches an active ERP gantry. The installation of the OBU began with a group of early adopters in August 2023, and so far, more than 18,000 vehicles have installed the OBU, said LTA.

A Woodlands resident was concerned to see dozens of parcels left unattended at the void deck of Block 335 Woodlands Street 32 on April 11. Stomp contributor Doutono said she walked down to get some groceries at about 10am when she saw the parcels scattered around the void deck. She added that several of the parcels appeared to be from Shopee sellers. «I felt that it was very dangerous for them to leave parcels like that as they may get stolen,» the Stomp contributor said. «Even after I came back from my grocery shopping, the parcels were left exactly how it was. »I just wanted to highlight this so the delivery companies will be able to prevent such cases in the future." This is not the first time passers-by have expressed concern over delivery parcels left unattended at HDB void decks. In January, another Woodlands resident called the police after seeing two dozen parcels strewn next to a Pick parcel delivery locker. ALSO READ: Parcels found strewn in void deck, police called

She called it the worst hotel in the world. Stomp contributor Jojo, who is from Hong Kong, had such a bad experience at D'Resort @ Downtown East that she does not want to come to Singapore any more. «No water and no power for the whole night,» alleged the Stomp contributor. «No refund. No apology. Only poor hospitality.» She recounted: «When l checked in at night on April 1, the staff told me there would be no power from 2am to 5am because of an annual check. »The staff knew my worries and told me the shutdown would not last for such long time, not exactly for three hours from 2 to 5am. Maybe around 15 to 20 minutes. No worries. l thought a few minutes was acceptable. It was too late and expensive to change hotel." The Stomp contributor shared a photo of a notice informing guests of the power interruptions but claimed she was not informed about the lack of water.

SINGAPORE - A Scoot flight bound for Bali from Singapore turned back to Changi Airport minutes into its ascent after smoke was detected in the cabin on April 30. Flight TR280 left for Bali at 7.33am and landed back in Singapore at about 8.27am “as a precaution”, Scoot said in response to queries from The Straits Times. The budget airline declined to reveal the cause of the smoke or the number of passengers affected. According to data from flight tracking site FlightAware, the aircraft was a Boeing 787. The routine flight was originally scheduled to leave Singapore at 7.50am and reach Bali around 10am, according to FlightAware. Passengers were given compensatory meal vouchers and a different plane was deployed to fly them to Bali, said Scoot. It departed from Changi at 12.40pm and landed in Denpasar shortly after 3pm. A spokesman for the carrier said: “Scoot sincerely apologises for the inconvenience caused. The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority, and we will continue to provide assistance to affected customers where necessary.”

It all started with an innocuous avocado plushie keychain that someone had dropped on campus at the National University of Singapore (NUS) in March. Another person found and propped it against the base of a lamp post near the College for Design and Engineering.  Very soon, the keychain was dubbed the «bell curve god» by students because of the avocado's curved shape.  They created a shrine for it and made offerings such as beverages and snacks to get blessings for good grades. The bell curve grading system assigns students grades based on how their academic performance compares to one another. Alas, the shrine — along with the keychain and offerings — was purportedly removed by school authorities in mid-April after it attracted pests, reported Today. Soon after, a 3D-printed replica of the keychain appeared at the same lamp post, according to social media posts by students. 

In his last May Day Rally speech at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre on Wednesday (May 1), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong thanked Singaporeans, fellow Ministers, Members of Parliament and union leaders for their trust, confidence and support throughout his time serving Singapore. «It has been my great honour to have served you, including as your PM,» said Lee, who also shared that this is his 40th year in politics.  «I have strived to lead you and to govern Singapore in the way you deserve, to mobilise Singaporeans to show what we can do together.» Addressing a crowd of over 1,700 people including unionists from the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), Lee, 72, said that he has also prepared a leadership team to succeed him, one that deserves the confidence and support of Singaporeans.  «As I prepare to hand over Singapore in good order to my successor, I feel a sense of satisfaction and completeness,» he added. «I have done my duty, and I am very happy that I chose this path of public service all those years ago.»

A bus can represent many things for many different people. For some, it's simply a way to get from point A to point B. Others see it as a place to be alone with their thoughts as they stare pensively out the window. For Mr Ong Guan Beng, it's been his «office» for the past 53 years. «I've seen some passengers since they were in primary school, until they went to university and became doctors - it's like I watched them grow up in my bus,» he said. The 74-year-old bus captain first started his career with SBS Transit as a bus conductor. He was just 21 years old at the time. In 1975, when the bus conductor role was phased out, Mr Ong trained to become a bus driver. From the moment he got behind the wheel, he took to the job like a duck to water. He enjoyed the routine of getting up early in the morning, going to the interchange and starting up his bus to take passengers wherever they were headed - as long as it was on his route. And it was along that route that he would meet the love of his life, Ms Low Ah Nia.

The body of a 33-year-old Vietnamese woman was recovered from the Singapore River near Clarke Quay last Friday (April 26).  The woman was identified as Dang Hoang Ly Na, a single mum who had just arrived in Singapore to work a week before her death.  Undertaker Roland Tay, who helped arrange the woman's funeral, told Shin Min Daily News in an article published April 30 that Dang came from a small village in Vietnam.  She was reportedly separated from her husband and had an 11-year-old daughter. Dang was also the only child in her family and her parents are in their 70s.  Despite having lung problems, she came to Singapore to work in a nightlife establishment so that she could support her family.  Tay told Shin Min that arrangements have been made to repatriate Dang's body back to Vietnam. «I decided to help because her daughter is still very young. It's a pity, so I decided it would be better that she gets to see her mum for the last time.  »I told Dang's family not to worry about the cost, I'll help to send her body back to her village pro bono." 

SINGAPORE - Singapore's next prime minister Lawrence Wong has the «fullest support» of the labour movement, said NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng, who also paid tribute to outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the annual May Day Rally. Describing Deputy Prime Minister Wong as «a consistent and strong advocate for workers», Mr Ng on May 1 said the labour movement looks forward to continuing its strong partnership with Mr Wong to benefit Singapore's workers and for the prosperity of the nation. In his half-hour opening address, Mr Ng said DPM Wong had touched the hearts of many union leaders when the latter said NTUC is the most important partner of the Government at the closing event at the #EveryWorkerMatters Conversations in 2023. «This sent a very strong message that our uniquely Singapore tripartite partnership will continue for many years to come under your leadership and we look forward to it,» said Mr Ng. The labour chief said DPM Wong has always had a heart for the lower-income and vulnerable workers.

Just as he was about to wash his breakfast down with a cup of tea, a diner at Fengshan Market and Food Centre spotted a cockroach in the drink. He immediately went back to the stall to ask for a new drink — only for an employee to refuse his request. Angered by her attitude, the man took to Facebook group Complaint Singapore on Monday (April 29) to air his grievances. «The employee was reluctant to make me a new drink,» he wrote. «She didn't even say sorry.» Speaking to 8world, the diner surnamed He said he had met a friend for breakfast at the food centre at around 8am on April 26. While his friend bought drinks from a stall called The Blend Inc, he went to buy some lor mee. The man said he only noticed that something was floating in his tea after finishing his noodles. «When I approached the drinks stall, I politely asked, 'Excuse me, there is a cockroach in my tea, can I have a new cup?',» he recounted to 8world. But the female employee in charge of making the beverages reportedly replied: "Drinks sold cannot be exchanged, your friend didn't check before taking the tea.

WASHINGTON - It tripled trade and demonstrated the benefits of a rules-based trading order. Next, the free trade agreement (FTA) between Singapore and the US can help usher in the age of artificial intelligence (AI), Singapore's Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong said in Washington at an event on April 29 celebrating the deal's 20th anniversary. And as much as the FTA has been a pathfinder for the bilateral trade and investment relationship for the last two decades, Mr Gan said, he hoped its next phase will be as impactful. «In the next 20 years and beyond, the next bound of economic co-operation between the US and Singapore can also serve as a pathfinder to accelerate adoption of emerging technologies like AI,» said the minister, who is on an official visit to the US. Recounting how the deal came about in a speech at a reception co-hosted by the US-Asean Business Council, Mr Gan said it was «a bridge built at the right place, at the right time».

The number of graft-related reports dipped in 2023, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CIPB) said on Tuesday (April 30) when it released its annual statistics. It received 215 corruption-related reports in 2023 — down by eight per cent from 234 reported in 2022, and 249 in 2021. Of  these, CPIB registered 81 reports as new cases for investigation in 2023. In 2022, 83 new cases were registered. A report is registered for investigation «if the information received is pursuable», CPIB said. One of the cases involved former transport minister S Iswaran. The 61-year-old is facing a total of 35 charges, including obtaining valuable things as a public servant.

SINGAPORE — Zhang Ruijin, an accused in the $3b money laundering case who told the court to put his lover in remand after their arrests, has been sentenced to 15 months' jail. This is the highest jail term meted out in this case so far. The 45-year-old Chinese national, who also holds a passport issued by Saint Kitts and Nevis, is the fifth person to plead guilty in this case. Zhang has agreed to forfeit about $118 million, or around 90 per cent, of his assets to the state, said his lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam. Deputy Public Prosecutor Ryan Lim said $131 million worth of assets, cash, vehicles and cryptocurrency belonging to Zhang have been seized by the authorities. On April 30, Zhang, who laundered a total of $36 million, admitted to one money laundering charge and two forgery charges. Five other charges were taken into consideration during sentencing. He has been in remand for over eight months since he and his lover, Lin Baoying, were arrested on Aug 15, 2023, in a bungalow on Pearl Island on Sentosa Cove.

A woman's swim with her children was cut short when she felt a sharp pain in her foot. To her horror, she had been cut by the sharp tiles on the swimming pool floor which had somehow come loose. In a post on Facebook group Complaint Singapore on Saturday (April 27), Cindy Wong detailed how her friend, Michelle Chee, was injured in the pool at Dorsett Singapore, a four-star hotel.  Chee, 40, who owns a migration and property firm in Australia, came to Singapore with her husband, two children and parents on a business cum leisure trip. Speaking to AsiaOne, Wong, 41, said that she and her boyfriend had arranged for Chee and her family to stay at Dorsett Singapore in Chinatown from April 15 to April 17 along with them. Wong had booked five rooms for the party of 11. Shortly after checking into their rooms at 5pm, Chee, an Australian citizen, and her children beelined for the swimming pool. Chee told AsiaOne that she had just gotten into the pool when she felt something sharp cut her right foot.

It has been a «roller-coaster» of emotions for Jim Chua in the week following the fatal accident which occurred at the junction of Tampines Avenue 1 and Avenue 4 on April 22. In a Facebook post on Monday, Chua described how his wife, Nicole Lee, and son were both involved in the accident which claimed two lives. Lee, 42, and their son, 11, are among the six people injured in the multi-vehicle collision, which occurred after the driver of a black car ran a red light, ploughing into vehicles at the intersection. The accident killed a 17-year-old Temasek Junior College student and a 57-year-old woman. The 42-year-old driver, Muhammad Syafie Ismail, has since been charged in court with four offences. «For those who are not familiar with the accident, we are very lucky that both of them are alive,» Chua said.

Yahoo is reportedly letting go of its editorial and social media teams in Singapore as it moves towards the curation of content here. The digital news publication, which uses a mix of third-party and original reporting, will be laying off some staff in Singapore. The Straits Times understands that the decision stemmed from a thorough evaluation by Yahoo, which found that its partner content has consistently driven engagement. The Edge Singapore reported on April 29 that 17 staff are affected by the shift in Yahoo’s strategy, and will leave the company after May 7.  They will receive slightly more than two weeks’ pay per year of service, reported The Edge Singapore, citing an anonymous source. Affected staff had met a human resources representative on April 23. Under its new strategy, Yahoo is hiring three “curation editors” and a market lead for Yahoo News Singapore. Newsrooms contributing syndicated content to Yahoo include HuffPost, AFP News, Reuters, EdgeProp and The Edge Singapore. Workers who were laid off were told that they can apply for the new roles, reported The Edge Singapore. 

BOGOR - Singapore has held its own on the international stage in the past 20 years and has secured its place on the global map by participating in discussions on many issues, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. He was in Bogor, West Java, for the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat, where he told Singapore media during an interview on April 29 that it was his last overseas trip as prime minister. When asked for some reflections on the past two decades of meeting international leaders and representing Singapore, PM Lee noted how the Republic contributed to discussions on world issues. “Over 20 years, Singapore has held its own internationally, we have managed to promote cooperation to contribute to discussions in many global forums,” he said. Singapore has also played its part in addressing climate change, as well as in trade pacts like the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

MADRID — Police investigating the death of Singaporean Audrey Fang are looking into the origins of a note left on her tablet that appears to justify a change in her Central Provident Fund (CPF) nomination to a «trusted confidant». The nomination is for a payout from her CPF savings in the event of her death. The note also granted the unknown beneficiary a «friendly loan of US$50,000 (S$68,000) based on our friendship in the past», separate from the CPF nomination.  Spanish media outlet La Verdad de Murcia reported on April 28 that the Civil Guard, one of two national police forces, was examining the note written on the 39-year-old's iPad on March 24. «I want to declare that my decision to name you in my CPF is because you have been a friend for a long time and my trusted confidant,» read the note. The newspaper said the message «raises as many questions as it answers». Ms Fang was found dead with 30 stab wounds and other injuries near a parking area for lorries in the town of Abanilla in south-eastern Spain on April 10 while she was on a solo trip.

SINGAPORE — Su Baolin, one of the 10 foreigners in Singapore's largest money-laundering case, made millions from his role in illegal online gambling operations abroad, said prosecutors. He got the money into Singapore by funnelling it through his accomplices and cryptocurrency platforms to make it hard for the authorities to detect his crimes. And when the police found a large sum of money in his bungalow, he lied that he had won the money by gambling in casinos. On April 29, Su was sentenced to 14 months' jail after pleading guilty to three charges — two for money laundering and one for abetting false representations made to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras). Su, 42, who is originally from China and holds a Cambodian passport, faced a total of 13 charges. The other 10 charges included forgery, making false declarations to the Ministry of Manpower and refusing to sign statements he made at Changi Prison. These were taken into consideration for sentencing. With one-third remission, Su — who has been in remand since his arrest on Aug 15, 2023 — could be out by end-May.

It was high drama at a HDB block in Jurong West last Sunday afternoon (April 28) when a man wielding a knife jumped from a 15-storey window and landed on the zinc roof of a makeshift shelter.  He survived the fall and was taken to National University Hospital.  The incident took place at Block 754 Jurong West Street 74. Before he jumped, the man had an hour-long standoff with the police, reported Shin Min Daily News.  A 55-year-old resident surnamed Guo told the Chinese evening daily that she saw the man climb out the window and sit on the ledge. Several police officers and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel were at the scene.  SCDF firefighters had deployed a safety mattress below the block and an ambulance was parked nearby.  An unnamed resident who lives on the 14th floor told Shin Min that he heard someone arguing and threatening to jump out of the block at about 4pm.  Another resident on the 12th floor said that police and SCDF officers had asked to enter his home so they could deploy a safety net. 

In a nod to her love for her family, Ms Audrey Fang’s brother Benjamin directed the hearse carrying his sister to drive by the floral shop their mother ran in Depot Lane. Ms Fang kept the business alive after her mother died in 2019. The 39-year-old left her job as a design manager in a construction firm in 2022 to run the place full-time. “It was just something we wanted to do for her,” Mr Fang told The Straits Times as he fought back tears. The hearse left the family home in Petir Road on April 29 at about 10.50am. It was accompanied by more than 60 friends and relatives of the designer, who was killed while on a solo trip to Spain. Ms Fang, who had travelled to Xabia in the south-east of the country on April 4, was found dead on April 10 about 150km from her hotel.

A suspected drunk driver who was allegedly involved in two accidents on the morning of Jan 4 was arrested after he refused to take a breathalyser test. Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the police said they were alerted to a hit-and-run accident involving a car and a 12-year-old girl at the junction of Neil Road and Cantonment Road at 6.20am that day. Four minutes later, they got another report about an accident involving a car along the CTE. As it turns out, it was the same car in both accidents. Dashcam footage of the hit-and-run accident captured by the driver behind the alleged car was posted by Facebook group SG Road Vigilante on Thursday (April 25). It shows a black BMW car making a right turn at the junction and hitting a girl who was crossing the road. The car drives off without stopping. Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, the girl's 47-year-old mother, surnamed Yao, said her daughter was on the way to school. «The driver of the car behind alighted to help, took my daughter to the void deck of a nearby block and notified us,» she recounted.

A migrant worker from Bangladesh working at a salvage yard in Sungei Kadut was struck in the neck by a forklift and later died of his wounds. The Straits Times understands the forklift driver at Beng Cheng Metal did not call for an ambulance after the incident on April 16, which happened at around 10am. He used his own car to rush Mr Biswas Sanjay Kumar, 37, to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, where the worker succumbed to his injuries on April 22, said Mr Alvin Lim, one of the directors of the company. “He (Mr Biswas) had been with the company for only one month, so it’s very unfortunate. It was an accident, and we are still in shock,” he added. Mr Lim said that on the day of the accident, Mr Biswas, who was hired as a driver, was shouting out instructions to the forklift driver operating the machine. The forklift driver only suspected something was amiss when Mr Biswas went quiet. He then found the Bangladeshi lying on the ground.

SINGAPORE — Normal service on the Circle Line (CCL) has resumed after commuters were met with delays following a train disruption during their travel on April 29. The announcement was made by transport operator SMRT in a Facebook post at 8.11am and it added that free bus and bridging bus services ceased at 8.15am. SMRT had first announced the disruption, caused by a train fault, at 6.09am on Facebook. It said trains between Holland Village and Pasir Panjang had been affected and advised commuters to add up to 30 minutes of travel time. At 6.28am, SMRT said that trains between Bishan and One-North were affected by a train fault. Free regular bus services were available between Bishan and HarbourFront. Later at 6.50am, SMRT said that trains between Paya Lebar and One-North were affected by a train fault and advised commuters to seek alternative MRT lines at Serangoon, Bishan, Caldecott, Botanical Garden and Buona Vista. In an update at 7am, SMRT advised commuters to add up to 30 minutes of travel time between Paya Lebar and HarbourFront stations.

SINGAPORE - Retiree Calvin Yeo was driving in Teck Whye with his son on April 27 when they spotted a creature on the road jumping and appearing to bite the tyres of moving vehicles. Upon getting closer, the pair spotted a 2m-long python attacking at least five passing vehicles in the middle of a two-lane road near Block 136 Teck Whye Lane at 10.45pm. The 63-year-old said: “It’s my first time seeing a big snake in an urban area. It was quite scary and aggressive. The snake’s belly was bulging like it had just eaten an animal the size of a cat.” He added that there were “loud, popping noises” when the snake struck at the vehicles for over 30 minutes. Mr Yeo and his son parked nearby and stood about two to three metres away from the reptile. Vehicles slowed down and avoided the snake as they passed by the area, he added. When contacted, the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) said the python was sluggish in movement as it had just eaten.

An elderly woman lost $270,000 to a love scammer within two months after meeting the fraudster online.  The ruse was discovered after she posted on Facebook about the transfers made. According to Shin Min Daily News' report on Saturday (April 27), $150,000 of the money was handed over to a runner, who received a jail sentence on Friday.  The retiree had got to know the suspect, named 'Chenghan' (transliteration), on Facebook last July, the Chinese evening daily reported. The two then exchanged phone numbers and began chatting on WhatsApp. 'Chenghan' began telling the victim that he hoped to settle down in Singapore so that he could be with her. He then asked her to help him pay a 'warehouse fee' of $23,800, which she did. He also told her later on that he wanted to set up a business and asked the woman for $150,000 in cash. After withdrawing the amount and putting them into two envelopes, the victim handed the money over to the intermediary on Sept 7.

SINGAPORE - Singaporeans who find themselves involuntarily unemployed will be able to receive more support under a new scheme due to be unveiled by the year end. Manpower Minister Tan See Leng pointed to the scheme in his May Day message on April 27, noting: «The pace of change in the economy is accelerating, and we know that more workers will likely be thrown curveballs. »We have heard and heeded the call to further support our workers who find themselves displaced through no fault of their own.« The re-employment support scheme, which was announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his National Day Rally speech in 2023, will help retrenched workers get back on their feet. PM Lee said then that the Government will provide individuals with temporary financial support so that they can focus on upgrading their skills for a better long-term job. »It will be a temporary safety net to help you meet immediate needs to free you to upskill and train, as you prepare yourself for a good long-term job," he added.

SINGAPORE - Some $100 million will be pumped into more than 200 active ageing centres from April 2024 to March 2025, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung. This is up from the $60 million provided from April 2023 to March 2024, Mr Ong said on April 27. The $100 million set aside for active ageing centres in the coming year forms part of the $800 million being funnelled over five years into active ageing centres to expand their outreach and increase the range and quality of programmes. There are now 208 such centres in Singapore, up from 157 in the last financial year, and 60 in 2021 when such drop-in centres were first rolled out to engage seniors with social and recreational activities, as well as to provide them with befriending and referrals for care services. Mr Ong had said earlier that the goal is to have 220 such centres by 2025, serving around 80 per cent of the senior population here. The minister was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a community mass brisk walk event in Sembawang Central, where he joined 800 residents on the 4.4km route.

A blade of a ceiling fan crashed down near a baby's cot mere minutes after the father had carried the child out of the bedroom. Sharing photos and a video of the broken fan, Stomp contributor Matthew said the incident happened on the evening of March 30. «At 6.10pm, I switched on my Fanco ceiling fan in the master bedroom, where my three-month-old baby usually naps in the day and sleeps at night,» recounted the Stomp contributor. «I had just carried him out to his nursery in the next room when I heard a loud crash from the master bedroom.» He rushed back to the room to find out what had happened. «I realised that one of the fan blades had broken and spun off, hitting the wardrobe and then the wall before landing near my baby's cot,» said the Stomp contributor. «Thankfully, I had just carried my baby out a few minutes ago and no one was in the room at that time! We were just one to 2m away from the crash.» Stomp contributor said he called the fan company, Fanco, which sent someone to replace the fan on April 2.