SINGAPORE — The National Environment Agency (NEA) has been fined $230,000 for safety lapses in the 2021 Tuas Incineration Plant (TIP) explosion.The incident on Sept 23, 2021, claimed the lives of two NEA employees — Kwok Yeow Wai and Wee Eng Leng. A third employee, engineer Low Yin Choon, was seriously injured.NEA and two of its employees were charged with workplace safety offences in December 2023 following an investigation that involved several agencies, including the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force.Christopher Lee Yew Binn, divisional director of the waste infrastructure operations and management division of NEA at the time, and Ng Wah Yong, then general manager of TIP, were handed one charge each under the Workplace Safety and Health Act.Lee’s case has been fixed for a pre-trial conference on Nov 28. Ng’s case will be mentioned again in court on Nov 20.

Have a fear of needles, or hate having a sore arm after getting the flu jab?A new influenza vaccine administered as a nasal spray instead of an injection is now available in Singapore, announced maker AstraZeneca on Tuesday (Nov 18).Called the FluMist Trivalent, the vaccine protects against types A and B of the influenza virus and has been approved by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for use in individuals aged two to 49.The FluMist Trivalent is the first and only intranasal and needle-free influenza vaccine available in Singapore. It has also been approved for use in other countries, including the UK and US.Dr Leong Hoe Nam, infectious disease specialist at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, said in AstraZeneca's statement that having a needle-free vaccine option can be a «game-changer» for public health.«Removing the barrier of needles could significantly increase vaccination uptake across the population,» he surmised.«It is an innovation that has the potential to shift our vaccination rates and strengthen Singapore's resilience against seasonal flu outbreaks.»

Grab Singapore will increase the minimum fare for its drivers by 50 cents with effect from Nov 24, in a bid to boost drivers' earnings on short-distance trips under 3km.The price increase will be fully funded by Grab and will have no impact on customer prices, said the private-hire company in a press release on Monday (Nov 17).All Grab services except for GrabHitch, 9-seater, 13- seater and hourly rental services, will be subject to the price increase.The minimum fare for JustGrab services, for example, will increase from $5.30 to $5.80. This increase in fares follows talks between Grab Singapore and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA), aiming to address lower earnings on short trips, where operational costs like fuel make up a larger share of the fare.The fare adjustment will translate to an increase of up to 9 per cent in drivers' minimum fare, according to Raven Lee, executive secretary of NPHVA.

The results of the 2025 Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) will be released on Nov 25 at 11am, said the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) on Tuesday (Nov 18).Details of the collection arrangements will be shared by the respective schools with their students, said MOE and SEAB in a joint media release on Nov 18.Students who are unable to return to school to collect their results may appoint a proxy to do so on their behalf by Nov 27, they said.Choosing secondary schoolsIn their joint media release, MOE and SEAB encouraged students to consider schools holistically - selecting those that best match their educational needs, strengths and interests.«This includes considering factors such as school culture, distinctive programmes, subject offerings, and co-curricular activities,» MOE and SEAB said.Students are also encouraged to include at least two to three schools within their six school choices with previous year's cut-off points that are less stringent than their PSLE score.

SINGAPORE — Music producer and former Singapore Idol judge Ken Lim, 61, was sentenced to 13 months' jail on Nov 18 for molesting a 25-year-old woman.The incident happened at the Hype Records office in Henderson Road on Nov 23, 2021, when he was the executive director of the record company.Following a trial, Principal District Judge Lee Lit Cheng convicted him of a molestation charge in September.The victim's details cannot be disclosed due to a gag order.The molestation case involved a work-related interview at Lim's office.The victim had said that she met Lim three times, adding that he made suggestive comments at the second and third meeting.She also said Lim had asked her if she would perform a sex act on a director and have sex with someone «to bring about change».The woman added that she was molested during their third meeting, and that it happened after Lim asked her to kiss him. She did so but felt disgusted after doing it.She told the court Lim asked her to kiss him again but to do it with more passion. The woman said that as they kissed, he touched her chest.

SINGAPORE — Just as the stakes are high on the pitch for the Asian Cup qualifier between Hong Kong and Singapore on Nov 18, the monetary rewards off the field are considerable too, with around a million dollars up for grabs for each side.The Straits Times understands that the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has two sets of bonuses in place for the Lions.The first is their regular bonus for winning matches, which promises $6,000 for each player who takes to the field, regardless of the number of minutes, and less than half for the others in the squad.There is a bigger prize should Singapore secure a maiden qualification for the Asian Cup — they did play in the continental showpiece as hosts in 1984 — as each player could receive up to $40,000 for the feat.To earn that reward, they must either beat Hong Kong at Kai Tak Stadium on Nov 18 or leapfrog them to first place in Group C on the last day of qualification on March 31, 2026.Again, there is a varying scale for the players as well as for the staff, depending on their degree of involvement throughout the campaign, which takes the kitty to around $1 million.

A 25-year-old Singaporean man was arrested after attempting to smuggle e-vaporiser pods into Singapore via a Malaysia-registered car on Nov 6. Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers directed the vehicle for enhanced checks, where they uncovered nine e-vaporiser pods believed to contain etomidate packed into a ziplock bag and concealed in a backpack. The backpack belonged to the Singaporean passenger. The man was arrested for e-vaporiser and suspected drug-related offences, according to ICA in a statement posted to Facebook on Monday (Nov 17).The case has been referred to the Health Sciences Authority for further investigation. The Central Narcotics Bureau is also investigating the man for suspected consumption of controlled drugs. 

SINGAPORE – The 20 electric public buses made by Yutong on Singapore’s roads cannot be remotely controlled by the Chinese manufacturer, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Nov 17.The buses also do not support over-the-air software updates, LTA added in response to The Straits Times’ questions about the cyber security of such buses, following a report by Norwegian public transport operator Ruter.Ruter said in late October that tests on the electric buses suggested that Yutong could remotely turn them off.“This could be exploited to affect the bus,” its report said. The operator now plans to introduce stricter security requirements and step up anti-hacking measures.The 20 Yutong buses in Singapore have been operating smoothly on public bus services in Singapore since 2020, LTA said.Yutong buses here are used by public bus operators Tower Transit Singapore, Go-Ahead Singapore and SMRT, according to Land Transport Guru, an independent website focusing on Singapore’s public transport system.Acknowledging Ruter’s report, LTA said: “We note Yutong’s public clarification that its buses cannot be remotely controlled or deactivated.”

A 24-year-old Malaysian man, who is among the 27 Singaporeans and seven Malaysians wanted by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) over their alleged involvement in a scam ring operating in Cambodia, was arrested on Monday (Nov 17). He was deported to Singapore and arrested on arrival that day. Bernard Goh Yie Shen, 24, will be charged in court on Nov 18 for facilitating the commission of a serious offence, and aiding the illegal purpose of a locally-linked organised crime group under the Organised Crime Act.If convicted, he faces up to five years' jail, a fine of up to $100,000, or both.Goh was arrested by the Cambodian National Police (CNP) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and deported to Malaysia, said the Singapore police in a statement on Nov 17.His arrest by the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) was due to a warrant of arrest issued by the State Court of Singapore. He was then handed over to the SPF on Nov 17 for being part of an organised crime group. 

Singapore is diversifying its energy mix through alternative sources of energy such as biomethane and solar. It is also studying the potential deployment of nuclear energy, said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu on Monday (Nov 17).Fu, who is also Singapore's Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, was delivering Singapore's national statement at the high-level segment of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Belem, Brazil on Nov 17. Singapore was 13th among the list of first 31 countries and regional groupings to deliver their national statements in the first session. The two-day segment will see countries delivering their national statements. Intergovernmental organisations and groups of non-governmental organisations admitted by the Conference of the Parties (COP) will also deliver their statements.In her statement on behalf of Singapore, the minister reaffirmed Singapore's commitment to work with the global community to progress towards climate goals.

The United States' ambassador to Singapore, Dr Anjani Sinha, presented his credentials to President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Monday (Nov 17) at the Istana.According to diplomatic protocol, all foreign ambassadors and high commissioners will present their credentials to the President before assuming their duties in Singapore.In a Facebook post on the same day, Dr Sinha said that he looks forward to deepening the mutual respect that will anchor US-Singapore ties in the years ahead.«As I officially begin my mission as the Ambassador of the United States to the Republic of Singapore, I look forward to strengthening the bonds of friendship, prosperity, and shared purpose that have defined our 60 years of partnership - and to deepening the mutual respect which will anchor US-Singapore ties in the years ahead,» wrote the new ambassador.

The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link reached another key phase on Saturday (Nov 15) as Train Set 02 arrived at the Wadi Hana Depot in Johor to commence testing and commissioning.RTS Operations' chief executive officer Dr Ahmad Marzuki Arrifin told Bernama that the delivery and placement of the train onto the tracks is a «major milestone» for the RTS project.«The delivery of this train marks the project's transition into the pre-operational phase, of various system testing and integration activities, to ensure that the train and its infrastructure function flawlessly and comply with safety standards,» Bernama quoted Ahmad Marzuki as saying.At a press conference on Nov 3, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke had said that the trains will arrive in Johor Bahru from mid-November and testing will commence between «mid-November and December». 

Two men, aged 19 and 21, were charged in court on Monday (Nov 17) for allegedly importing e-vaporisers into Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint.Lim Teck Wee, 19, and Muhd Amirul Iqbal Mohd Nazri, 21, were caught in separate cases on Nov 15.In a media statement on Monday, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said that more than 1,600 e-vaporisers and related components were found in the Malaysia-registered van driven by Lim. The Malaysia-registered van driven by Lim Teck Wee was found with over 1,600 e-vaporisers and related components. PHOTO: Health Sciences Authority Amirul Iqbal was found with 1,000 e-vaporisers in the Malaysia-registered car he was driving.

The Government has issued an order to block Malaysian news site MalaysiaNow from being accessed in Singapore, after it «rejected» carrying correction directions under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma).Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo directed the Infocomm Media Development Authority to issue access blocking orders requiring internet service providers to disable access to the website on Monday (Nov 17), two days after the issuance of the Pofma order.The correction order concerns a Nov 9 article which alleged mistreatment in the case of Pannir Selvam Pranthaman, who was executed on Oct 8 for drug trafficking.The article contains five falsehoods, said the Ministry of Home Affairs on Nov 15, and the Pofma order requires the Malaysian news site to include correction notices on the falsehoods alongside the article on its website and its Facebook, X and LinkedIn posts.

Two men were arrested after a fight broke out at a durian stall in Ang Mo Kio on Saturday (Nov 15) between a long-time employee and a new hire. A customer at a nearby coffee shop, who declined to be named, told Shin Min Daily News that the incident allegedly started with an argument, which then escalated into a fight.«I heard that the two men disliked each other, which led to a fight. When the police arrived, they questioned them and both were subsequently taken away in a police car,» said the customer. It is understood that another employee, also present at the scene, was reportedly assisting one of the men involved in the altercation.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force confirmed that a call for assistance was made at Block 530 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 at about 10pm. The location is the address of an S11 coffee shop.Two men, aged 26 and 31, were arrested for affray. 

A diner at a Jurong Point eatery who discovered bugs in her meal has called out the staff for their indifferent reaction.Taking to the Complaint Singapore Facebook group on Sunday (Nov 16), the woman said she spotted the extra ‘ingredients’ halfway through her bowl of noodles at the Eat outlet in Jurong Point.«I walked to the counter to kindly alert the staff member to come over,» she said. «Not only that she didn’t, but she stared at me and said, 'if you don’t want to eat then just bring it to the return tray area'.»The woman said that she turned down the staff’s “unwilling” offer to cook another bowl of noodles, as well as a refund for her meal.«This is not a question about money,» she said. «There is a problem with (her) attitude.»The woman’s Facebook post has since garnered over 40 comments, 90 shares and 290 reactions.In the comments, several netizens lamented what they saw as declining service standards.«I would rather spend a bit more for consistent quality and healthy food,» said WM Tan.AsiaOne has contacted Fei Siong Group, which owns the Eat chain of eateries, for comment.[[nid:626681]]

Singapore's key exports rose 22.2 per cent year-on-year in October, up from seven per cent in September, according to data from Enterprise Singapore on Monday (Nov 17).Singapore's non-oil domestic exports (Nodx) for October far exceeded forecasts — both Bloomberg and Reuters polls predicted a 7.5 per cent rise. The rise in Nodx was driven by growth in exports of both electronics and non-electronics, said EnterpriseSG, adding that Nodx growth for the first 10 months of 2025 is 4.1 per cent year-on-year. Electronic exports rose 33.2 per cent, extending the 30.4 per cent rise in the previous month.Growth in shipments of electronics was particularly driven by the 77.7 per cent spike in personal computer exports, while exports of integrated circuits rose by 40.9 per cent.Non-electronic exports also expanded in October, rising to 18.8 per cent year-on-year in October from 0.5 per cent in September.Growth was mainly driven by a 176.8 per cent jump in non-monetary gold exports.

Four expressway locations will see Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates go up by $1 from Jan 2, 2026. In a statement on Monday (Nov 17), the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that the rate revision follows its monitoring of traffic conditions in October.«Traffic has built up at various stretches of expressways,» the transport regulator said, adding that «traffic speeds have fallen below the optimal range».The increase along stretches of the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), the Central Expressway (CTE), the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) and the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) covers nine time periods.

Those travelling to Malaysia during the upcoming year-end school holidays — from Nov 21, 2025, to Jan 1, 2026, — can expect longer waiting times to clear immigration at both Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said on Monday (Nov 17).ICA has sought travellers' understanding to cooperate with its officers, observe traffic rules and maintain lane discipline.During the recent Deepavali long weekend from Oct 17 to 20, close to two million travellers crossed Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints.The peak was on Oct 17 when over 550,000 travellers cleared immigration through the land checkpoints in a single day, the authority said.Car travellers departing during peak periods over the long weekend had to wait up to three hours for immigration clearance, due to traffic tailback from Malaysia.