A customer who ordered a bowl of fish soup found an unexpected ingredient in his dish: a plastic clothes peg. The 46-year-old clinic assistant, who wishes to be known as CT Zu, posted a picture of his soup to Facebook Group Complaint Singapore on Thursday (June 27). «Found this clip in my tom yum fish soup, bought from Cantine at Jurong Point,» read the caption. A large, pink plastic clothes peg, which seems to have been fished out of the soup, can be seen in the picture. These clips are also used to attach order slips to containers to inform the kitchen of the order and removed before the food is packed. Speaking to AsiaOne, Zu said that he ordered three portions of fish soup from the food court operated by Kopitiam on Wednesday evening via Grab. Upon opening one of the tom yum fish soups, he was shocked to discover a whole plastic clip inside. «I was agitated, disgusted and annoyed. An angry man is a hungry man,» said Zu. «Luckily I ordered other food as well.» According to a picture of Zu's order receipt seen by AsiaOne, one bowl of tom yum fish soup cost $7.50 and his total order came up to $28.10.

When it comes to extremism and acts of terrorism, Singapore has always taken a zero-tolerance approach, said Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam.  He was speaking to reporters on Friday (June 28), just days after the arrest of eight suspected extremists in Malaysia earlier this week and the May 17 attack by radicalised individuals on Ulu Tiram Police Station. The May 17 attack resulted in the deaths of two policemen, and left one injured. The alleged attacker, Radin Luqman, 21, was killed in the ensuing firefight. Describing the Ulu Tiram attack as «brazen», Shanmugam noted that Luqman had arrived at the police station carrying a bag filled with metal sheets, and was wearing a bulletproof vest. «Obviously, the attack seems to have been pre-planned,» he said. Shanmugam added that Luqman, his father Radin Imran Mohd Yassin, 62, and brother are reported to be ISIS supporters. And that the act was likely inspired by the Islamic State (ISIS).

The decomposing body of an 80-year-old woman was found inside her flat on Wednesday (June 26), days after residents noticed a foul smell wafting into their homes. The discovery was made in a ninth-storey flat at Block 245 Jurong East Street 24 at around 5pm, reported Shin Min Daily News. A 34-year-old resident surnamed Chen, who lives in the unit directly above on the tenth floor, said that his family started noticing an odour from outside his bedroom window last Sunday. «A neighbour on our floor lives alone, so we were worried something might have happened to him,» he said. «But when we saw that he was safe and sound, we thought the smell might be from a rotting animal carcass.» When the smell worsened over the next two days, he contacted the Jurong-Clementi Town Council, whose staff visited the block on Monday and Tuesday but could not pinpoint the source of the stench. «They went into my bedroom and noticed the foul odour too,» Chen added.

SINGAPORE — Gas and electricity tariffs will rise for the next three months. From July 1 to Sept 30, those supplied by grid operator SP Group will see a 0.3 per cent increase in electricity tariffs compared with the previous quarter, the group said in a statement on June 28. For households, this amounts to a tariff of 29.88 cents per kilowatt-hour before goods and services tax, up from 29.79 cents currently. The new tariff is still one cent lower than the first quarter of 2024. With the new tariff, the average monthly electricity bill for families living in four-room Housing Board flats will rise by 35 cents before GST, increasing from $118.03 to $118.38. The hike is due to an increase in energy costs, by 0.09 cents per kWh on average, said SP Group. These costs, which are paid to power generation companies, are adjusted quarterly to reflect changes in the cost of fuel and power generation. City Energy, the producer and retailer of piped gas, said in a separate statement on June 28 that town gas tariffs will increase by 0.03 cents per kWh over the same period, also due to higher costs.

She's a navy officer now, but things might have turned out quite differently had she continued her passion for the arts. The Commanding Officer of RSS Indomitable Major Jaime Liew had originally dreamed of chasing a career in the arts - and she's thankful that she didn't, she shared in an interview with the media on June 20. «I was interested in doing art-related stuff… visual art, painting, drawing, dance, performing arts,» the 32-year-old said. «But I don't think that I would have been good enough,» she admitted, adding that it was good that she got pulled into the navy before she «embarked on a career that might not have worked out». Entering the navy wasn't all that easy, however, as her father was «surprised» by her decision to join the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). «So my dad took a while to come around to it, but he eventually gave me his full support,» she said. «I don't think that I would have had so much confidence when going through basic military training - which was honestly at the deep end of the pool -  if my classmates from junior college and family members hadn't all [given me their support].»

A construction worker had a close shave with death after he was struck by a bus on Thursday (June 27) and dragged under for a few seconds. Miraculously, he managed to get to his feet after that. The accident happened around 5.20pm at the junction of Anson Road and Palmer Road. In a video uploaded to Facebook group SG Road Vigilante, the worker, wearing a bright green reflective vest and hard hat, is seen walking to the bus lane and placing a cone. He then turns around to walk back to the side of the road, where there were construction works near a bus stop. However, he fails to notice that an SMRT bus is turning in from his left. The bus rams into him, and he falls under the left front wheel and is dragged under the carriage for a short distance. He manages to sweep his legs out before the rear wheel strikes him. The bus comes to a halt at the bus stop a few metres away from where the worker lies. A man in a red reflective vest and another worker in a green vest help the man get to his feet.

A resident in Yishun is so fed up with a woman feeding the birds in his neighbourhood that he has installed a CCTV camera outside his flat to catch her in the act. The man, surnamed Chen, told Shin Min Daily News that over the past year, the woman, whom he said looks to be in her 60s, has been tossing slices of bread onto the grass patch near Block 148 Yishun Street 44. She used to only feed the birds occasionally, but has been throwing down bread at 5am almost every day in the past month, Chen said. «I've seen over 50 birds at the grass patch,» lamented the 49-year-old. This is despite a signboard put up by the Nee Soon Town Council at the location informing the public to report bird feeders and that the act is an offence. According to the Wildlife Act, those who feed birds and other wildlife can be fined up to S$10,000. Reporting the woman to authorities is what Chen plans to do. Last week, he purchased a camera for about $40 and installed it at his front door, with the intention of sending in the footage of the woman to the authorities.

A Singaporean man was shocked and betrayed when he reportedly woke up to his Thai girlfriend and various valuables missing from his hotel room. He then reported the incident to Huay Kwang Police Station in Bangkok on Tuesday (June 25). The man, whose identity has not been released, met the Thai woman online and chatted with her for four years before travelling to Bangkok to meet her in person, reported Thai media outlet Thaiger. The couple had dined together before returning to the man's hotel room for the night. The next morning, the Singaporean reportedly woke up to find that his girlfriend had disappeared along with his Rolex watch worth about 1.5 million baht (S$55,300), cash, and designer clothes, reported Thai media outlet Channel 7 HD News. He believed that he had been drugged and robbed by the woman, he told police. After looking through the hotel's CCTV footage, the police identified the Thai woman as 33-year-old Kittiyaporn. She reportedly has three outstanding arrest warrants for theft from another Bangkok police station and the Mueang Pattaya Police Station.

SINGAPORE - A construction worker was killed and another was injured in an accident on Thursday (June 27) at a worksite for the upcoming Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link station in Woodlands North. The workers, aged 48 and 49, were injured by falling steel reinforcement bars that were being installed for the station's foundation at around 9.30am. Both workers were taken to hospital, where the younger man later died. Police investigations are ongoing, but based on preliminary findings, foul play is not suspected. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said the steel bars had swayed before falling. It added that it takes a serious view of safety incidents, and a safety timeout has been called to review and further enhance the safety process. Meanwhile, the authority is working with the main contractor, Japanese firm Penta-Ocean Construction, and the subcontractor involved, Interno Engineering, to assist the family of the dead worker. This is the third death of a worker at an LTA worksite in seven months.

Nine people were taken to the hospital after an accident between two cars at the junction of Tanah Merah Kechil Road and New Upper Changi Road on Thursday (June 27) morning. In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that two male car drivers, aged 44 and 57, and seven car passengers aged four to 77, were conveyed conscious to Changi General Hospital. Investigations are ongoing. Three of the passengers are children, including a four-year-old. According to footage of the accident taken by AsiaOne around 11am, a white vehicle is flipped on its side, and a dark blue car with a dented hood is nearby. A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) ambulance is also at the scene. A young boy is standing on the kerb. SCDF personnel is seen helping five other people, including a young girl, out of the flipped car. After taking them to the kerb, they are checked by an SCDF personnel carrying a medical bag. A man in a black shirt is also seen limping away after closing the door of the blue car.

SINGAPORE - Three women who were allegedly involved in organising a procession without a permit along the perimeter of the Istana, which is a prohibited area, were charged in court on Thursday (June 27). Mossammad Sobikun Nahar, 25, Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori, 29, and Annamalai Kokila Parvathi, 35, had purportedly organised the procession to show their support for the Palestinian cause, including soliciting attendance online. Annamalai was charged with one count of abetment of organising a public procession in a prohibited area, while Mossammad and Amirah were each charged with one count of organising a public procession in a prohibited area. They are offences under the Public Order Act. Court documents showed Mossammad and Amirah had purportedly organised the procession along the perimeter of the Istana on Feb 2, 2024, between 2pm and 3pm, to publicise the cause. Annamalai allegedly conspired with Mossammad, Amirah and a number of other individuals, including Ms Alysha Mohamed Rahmat Shah and Ms Anystasha Mohamed Rahmat Shah, to organise the procession.

SINGAPORE – Singaporean Audrey Fang, who was killed in Spain in April, had been romantically interested in her suspected killer Mitchell Ong, whom she met on a social dating network, her two friends told the Spanish court. Speaking through a translator on June 26 via a video call from Singapore, the friends testified that the pair had known each other at least since 2014. They described the relationship as “on and off”, Spanish media outlet La Verdad reported on June 27. The friends, who were not identified, added that Ong appeared to be only keen to sell financial assets to Ms Fang. The 43-year-old Singaporean had sold her two investment-linked policies in 2015, when he was working as an insurance agent with AIA. He also previously claimed to be a financial expert on his now-defunct website, with clients that included chief executives and celebrities. Ong has been in custody since April 16 after Ms Fang was found with 30 stab wounds and other injuries near a parking area for lorries in the town of Abanilla on April 10.

A Yishun resident was rudely awakened by a loud bang underneath her block at about 7.20am on Thursday (June 27) when a white BMW car crashed into the void deck.  Christina Chua, a resident living at Block 476A Yishun Street 44, said that she went to check out the scene after she was roused from her sleep.  «I couldn't see what happened because it was under my block,» said Chua, who lives on the second floor.  «But later on I saw police cars and a tow truck moving the car away.»  Speaking to AsiaOne, Chua said she does not recognise the car, and does not know who the owner is. The 22-year-old, who is unemployed, added that her elder sister also heard the crash while she was leaving the house to head to work.  Photos taken by an AsiaOne reader shortly after the accident show the car parked at the void deck. The entire area was also cordoned off by the police.  Another video taken by Chua shows the car getting towed away, as curious onlookers stood at the side watching. The bumper and hood of the white convertible were badly dented. 

Was he making some dough on the side? Photos showing a driver using a Gardenia truck to move furniture have recently sparked questions from members of the public. According to a post on Facebook group SG Road Vigilante on Monday (June 24), the person who shared the photos wrote: «Gardenia Bread company now offering home moving services too. So unhygienic.» In the photos, a truck with Gardenia branding is seen parked on a double-yellow line in the vicinity of a HDB block. A man appears to be loading or unloading the truck with the plastic-wrapped furniture behind him. While some netizens wondered if this truck may have simply been running an advertisement for Gardenia, others suggested that the man might be an employee using the Gardenia van for a side gig. «Could be helping friends and relatives during his off days,» one netizen said. «However, if he is using company assets for personal purposes, that's a big no-no without permission.» A comment also accused the person who posted the photos of being «kay poh (a busybody)», and interfering with the driver's «rice bowl (income)».

SINGAPORE - At least 60 victims have fallen prey to a scam targeting businesses in the renovation, food and beverage, retail and service industries, with at least $831,000 lost since April 12. The police on Wednesday (June 26) warned of the re-emergence of bulk order scams, which usually begins with scammers posing as customers of renovation contractors, restaurants or other businesses. These scammers call or text the businesses via WhatsApp under the pretext of making bulk orders or reservations, and would typically request for additional items, or an item from a brand that the businesses do not stock, or quantities that retailers are unable to fulfil on short notice. The scammer would then recommend a fake supplier for the victims to buy the items from. The police said in some cases, scammers would pretend to be Singapore teachers looking for contractors for painting or plumbing jobs, to buy items like bicycles or tyres, or to engage photography services.

The housewife had packed her unwanted items into five boxes and placed them neatly beside a recycling bin on the ground floor of her HDB block last Thursday (June 20). But passers-by later started picking through the items to look for «treasure», causing a «mountain of trash» to build up, Wu Shiyan (transliteration), who lives at Block 125 Pasir Ris Street 11, told Shin Min Daily News. The 45-year-old said: «I already told them not to rummage through the discarded items as the cleaners will have a hard time clearing it, but they wouldn't listen.» Indeed, four town council cleaners reportedly had to work overtime - until as late as 9pm - over three days to clear the mess. One worker recounted: «On Thursday, we cleared three barrels of rubbish, which included DVDs and audio equipment. »On Friday, we cleared another three barrels, where there were fragments of glass and ceramic. Saturday was a little better, but we still cleared two barrels."

A durian stall in Hougang is offering the popular Musang King variety at a heavily discounted price for seniors and lower-income customers. On Tuesday (June 25), Lexus Durian King announced on their Facebook page that it is selling Musang King durians at $5 each to Pioneer Generation customers and CHAS (Community Health Assist Scheme) card holders. To redeem the deal, customers should flash the relevant cards at the flagship stall at 1001 Upper Serangoon Road. Each person can buy up to two durians. The promotion is valid while stocks last, the stall's co-director Stella Soh told AsiaOne on Wednesday. 

A worried dog owner was upset when the car in front of the pet ambulance carrying her sick dog refused to give way. In a video posted to Facebook group SG Road Vigilante on Wednesday (June 26), a pet ambulance from the Royal Animal Rescue (RAR) can be seen driving down the rightmost lane along the East Coast Parkway.  The caption under the video said that the dog in the pet ambulance was having an emergency and was on oxygen support while heading to a 24-hour vet hospital. Given the circumstances, the driver of the ambulance had turned on its blinking lights to alert other drivers on the road. However, a black car driving in front of the pet ambulance seems to have no intention of giving way. Stating that the dog had eventually died, its owner wrote: «The driver still didn't give way even after the ambulance sounded its horn multiple times. Is it because it's not a human ambulance? Animals are also living things, it's a life too.» «Every car was being nice and giving way after seeing the ambulance's blinking lights, yet this driver refused to give way.»

SINGAPORE — The maid who was with a four-year-old girl who was killed in a car accident in January had jaywalked with her in River Valley, despite being told not to. A coroner's inquiry into the death of Zara Mei Orlic was held on June 26, after she had died on Jan 23 when a car hit her at Institution Hill at River Valley. During the inquiry, it was revealed that Zara had dashed across the road when the accident happened. Zara had suddenly appeared between two stationary vehicles parked along Institution Hill, which is a two-lane road, when a car driving from the opposite direction hit her. Traffic Police station inspector (SI) Muhammad Firdaus Suleiman was called as a witness. He said the maid, who was holding the hand of Zara's two-year-old sister, was three steps behind Zara and yelled for the car to stop when the collision occurred. When assisting officer Jeanice Lim asked how long it took for Zara to be visible in the in-car camera footage to when she was hit, SI Firdaus replied that it was one second.

SEOUL/SINGAPORE — Congestion at Singapore's container port is at its worst since the Covid-19 pandemic, a sign of how prolonged vessel re-routing to avoid Red Sea attacks has disrupted global ocean shipping — with bottlenecks also appearing in other Asian and European ports. Retailers, manufacturers and other industries that rely on massive box ships are again battling surging rates, port backups and shortages of empty containers, even as many consumer-oriented firms look to build inventories heading into the peak year-end shopping season. Global port congestion has reached an 18-month high, with 60 per cent of ships waiting at anchor located in Asia, maritime data firm Linerlytica said in June. Ships with a total capacity of over 2.4 million twenty-foot equivalent container units were waiting at anchorages as of mid-June. But, unlike during the pandemic, it is not a buying flurry by house-bound consumers that is swamping ports.

A taxi driver got into an argument with two men after he declined to ferry them to their destination. The reason for his refusal? Because the men reeked of alcohol, reported Shin Min Daily News. An eyewitness surnamed Deng said he saw two men in their 40s and 50s and a Trans-Cab driver being questioned by the police when he passed by a taxi stand near the OG department store in Chinatown at about 5.30pm last Saturday (June 22). «I believe they had a dispute, and someone called the police,» he added. «When I walked past [the area] again at 6pm, they had left.» According to the Chinese evening daily, nobody was injured, and the discourse was settled privately. A Trans-Cab spokesperson told Shin Min that the company regrets the unpleasant experience. They added that their drivers can only refuse service when they are changing shifts. It is an offence for taxi drivers to refuse to pick up passengers without valid reasons, according to a media reply by LTA in 2019.

He may have been in a rush, but his haste could have cost him his life. A cyclist was knocked over by a car when he tried to cross a road in Ang Mo Kio while the traffic light was green, according to a video uploaded to SG Road Vigilante on Tuesday (June 25). In the video which was purportedly taken at 5.50pm on Tuesday, the cyclist attempts to cross the road from the right - heading towards Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park - just as the traffic light turned green for vehicles. Although he's fast enough to avoid traffic coming from his right, he fails to do the same for traffic from his left. Despite multiple cars having already driven through the pedestrian crossing, the cyclist tries his luck and tries to cycle straight through traffic. He gets past the car on the third lane, which slows down for him, but didn't have such luck for the driver on the fourth lane, who ends up driving straight into him. The cyclist is flipped on his side and thrown onto the car's windshield before he tumbles off the car's hood. His bicycle is sent flying a couple of metres away; a motorcyclist loses control of his bike on the wet road as a result.

SINGAPORE – The Covid-19 wave, driven by sub-variants KP.1 and KP.2, is clearly waning, and the falling number of infected patients admitted to hospitals and intensive care units in the past four weeks is evidence of this. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said he was “naturally worried” when hospitalisation cases rose rapidly to about 280 in May when the wave first started. “We were entering the mid-year travelling season then. If the severe cases double twice, from 280 to 560 to over 1,000, the equivalent of one regional hospital will be occupied by Covid-19 patients with severe illness,” Mr Ong said on Facebook on June 25. “This will adversely impact our healthcare system, which is already very busy, and lengthen waiting times further.” He added: “Fortunately, the number of hospitalised cases reached 370, and then started to taper off. The downward trend has persisted for four weeks now.” The number of Covid-19 patients in hospital fell to 136 in the week starting June 16. 

Commonly considered an eyesore by members of the public, the infamous rock pigeons have constantly made headlines for their loud chattering and nesting on HDB blocks. Residents have also complained about the stinky and unsightly droppings, which can pose health and hygiene concerns. To rein in the population of this invasive species, various government agencies including the National Parks Board (NParks), the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) are rolling out a six-months-long pilot action plan to address this issue from June. The agencies, in a joint press briefing today, said they will work with the Ang Mo Kio Town Council, Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council and Tanjong Pagar Town Council where the estates have been identified as pigeon hotspots. The plan? To actively manage the pigeon population in these areas through the reduction of food source and to control the numbers there. 

How much would you pay for extra chilli sauce?  A vegetarian stall at the food court in People's Park Complex has recently gotten some heat for charging diners $2 for an extra spoonful of chilli sauce.  The stall, which sells Thunder Tea Rice and other vegetarian dishes, offers diners the option to add extra ingredients such as vegetables, wantons and braised tofu, which are priced from $1 to $3.50.  While the prices of the other ingredients are considered acceptable, some diners took issue with the charge for the extra chilli sauce.  Despite the negative reactions from some, stall owner Cai Youzhao maintained that the charge is not a money-making tactic.  The 37-year-old told Shin Min Daily News that he usually gives customers the chilli for free, and only charges them if they return for a third helping.  «We just don't want customers to take [the chilli] and waste it. Previously a customer insisted that we should provide as much chilli as they want, and it's their choice whether they eat it or not.»  However, Cai said that there are customers who genuinely enjoy his chilli and have no issue paying extra for it. 

Next-door neighbours on the 10th storey of Block 218 Tampines Street 24 unhappy over items placed in the common corridor used potted plants to get back at each other. But the person who was apparently most inconvenienced was a third neighbour, who is a personal mobility device (PMD) user. The man told Shin Min Daily News: «I tried to communicate with Angela but she accused me of being heartless.» He claimed that Angela, who is said to have moved into her corner unit less than a year ago, had arranged her potted plants up to the space in front of his door. Angela has been in dispute with her immediate neighbours, the Yangs. She told Stomp that the neighbours had placed their footwear and potted plants in the space right outside her door, which runs along the wall to their unit. «This is my passageway but the plants and shoes belong to them. I have already complained to the Town Council,» she said. Tampines TC on April 28 issued a secular informing the residents that the clutter should be removed from the corridor by May 2 and reminded them about the need to keep at least 1.2m of the corridor width clutter-free.

SINGAPORE — Every Singaporean household can now claim $300 in Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers for their daily expenses. They will be split equally for spending at participating hawkers and heartland merchants, and supermarkets. The last tranche of CDC vouchers worth $500 was launched by then-Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Jan 3, 2024. It provided households with $200 more help than the previous tranche in 2023. The $500 given out in January 2024, together with the $300 in June, means that each Singaporean household will get a total of $800 in 2024. This is the first time two tranches of CDC vouchers have been given out in the same calendar year. Wong, who is also Finance Minister, announced at Budget 2024 in February that Singaporeans will get a mix of cash, vouchers and rebates under a $1.9 billion boost to the Assurance Package to help with cost-of-living concerns and an uncertain economic outlook. Among the enhancements were an additional $600 in CDC vouchers — the first $300 to be disbursed end June in 2024, and the remaining $300 will be disbursed in January 2025.

With fewer residents and a dip in the number of visitors to the island over the years, Ng Ngak Heng's business has taken a hit. Last year, the 74-year-old, who owns Yak Hong provision shop in Pulau Ubin, chalked up a loss of $6,000. But throwing in the towel has never crossed her mind.  The shop is located just a stone's throw away from the jetty.  Ng told Shin Min Daily News that she moved to the island in 1975 after marrying her husband Law Kuing Liak. He inherited the provision shop from his father, who started it in the 1920s. «The shop now has a history of almost 100 years,» said Ng, adding that it is open all year round, from 7am to 7.30pm.  In an interview with CNA in 2022, she shared that Yak Hong used to supply Pulau Ubin residents with basic necessities and feed for their farm animals.  However, the demand for such goods has plunged with the dwindling number of residents. From the 1950s to 1970s, about 2,000 people lived on the island. Only about 30 remain today, reported CNA. Even Ng's two sons live and work on the mainland, and visit her over the weekends and during Chinese New Year. 

SINGAPORE – Suspecting that one of her four children, aged eight to 11, stole her money, a woman made them look for the cash as she splashed hot water on them. On June 24, the single mother, 33, who cannot be named due to a gag order to protect her children’s identities, pleaded guilty to one charge of ill-treating a child under her care. Her offences were committed when her three daughters were aged eight, 10 and 11, and her son was nine. Deputy Public Prosecutor Tin Shu Min said that on July 2, 2022, the woman woke her children up to shower and get them ready for madrasah, or Islamic religious school. She told her eldest daughter to take $20 from her wallet to buy bread for breakfast. When the girl said there was only $5 in the wallet, instead of $60 the woman thought she had, she suspected that one of the children may have taken it. The woman told the children to look for the money as she watched and threatened to splash hot water on them if they failed to find it.