The collision between the two Hunter armoured vehicles during Exercise Wallaby was likely caused by low visibility from the dust clouds that formed during the movement of the vehicles.  Preliminary checks showed that dust clouds were a «likely contributory factor», said Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen in a written reply to a parliamentary question on Tuesday (Oct 15) about the incident which occurred in Queensland, Australia, in September.  The question was posed by MP Dennis Tan, who asked about the cause of the accident and if there were lessons to be learnt about improving training safety.  In his reply, Dr Ng also said: «It was also ascertained that the soldiers on board the vehicles had adhered to the safety protocols, including the use of seat belts and protective gear, and consequently only sustained no or mild injuries.» A total of 12 Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) servicemen were injured from the accident, but all were able to rejoin their units after receiving medical care. 

A pedestrian was taken to hospital after a tree collapsed along Jurong West Ave 1 on Tuesday (Oct 15) at about 5.10pm, striking her, Lianhe Zaobao reported. The pedestrian, a woman in her 50s, was crossing the road when the tree fell. The tree, which was approximately four storeys tall, had fallen on the road, cutting across multiple lanes and smashing into the road divider. A sign attached to a traffic light was also damaged in the process. «There was another man with me and we found the woman who fell and was injured,» a 40-year-old food deliveryman who wished to remain anonymous, told Zaobao. «We quickly helped her to the side [of the road],» he recalled, adding that she suffered injuries to her face and knees. «She looked terrified, but there were no visible injuries elsewhere on her body. When paramedics arrived, they sent her to the hospital for treatment.» Residents in the area told Zaobao that they had heard the sound of branches breaking apart before witnessing the tree topple over. He Yonglun (transliteration), said that the woman didn't appear to have suffered severe injuries.

SINGAPORE — He claimed to have drunk a small glass of beer before a traffic accident, then consumed only four or five cans at home after leaving the scene. Song Chee Kiong, 52, later changed his story, saying he drank 10 cans of beer at home. But for all his claims, the court still convicted him of drink driving and careless driving. He was sentenced to 10 weeks' jail, got a $19,000 fine, and was banned from driving for life. Song appealed against his conviction and sentence, but the High Court dismissed his appeals on Oct 4. This was his third drink-driving conviction. Song was driving along Bukit Batok Road on Oct 8, 2020, when he hit a car in front at about 8.40pm. He exchanged particulars with the other driver, and they agreed to claim damages from their respective insurance policies. But after Song left the scene, the other driver called for a tow truck and made a police report, saying he smelled alcohol on Song. The Traffic Police conducted a breathalyser test on him about 5.5 hours later.

A Singaporean couple running a livestreaming business selling branded goods from overseas underdeclared product values, evading over $90,000 in Goods and Services Tax (GST) and $4,000 in freight charges. Wang Siew Ching, 34, and her husband Rayson Loo Sian Hao, 33, were convicted and fined $396,000 and $453,000 respectively on Tuesday (Oct 15), totalling $849,000. The couple run fashion retailer business Vanity Closet, where Wang is a company director and Loo is a manager. Singapore Customs said in a media release that Wang would source and promote branded goods via Facebook livestreams while Loo would arrange the shipments to Singapore. In January 2022, Customs conducted checks on Vanity Closet's shipments imported in 2021 and found discrepancies between the actual values of the goods and the values declared. Investigations revealed that the couple and their employees would conduct sales livestream at retail outlets selling branded goods in the US and the UK. Goods ordered by customers will be purchased at the end of the session and shipped to Singapore by air.

A bus captain from SBS Transit has been disciplined after he took the wrong route and ended up missing several bus stops in Boon Lay. He was operating bus service 198 towards Boon Lay Interchange on Sept 28 around 7.30pm.  A commuter waiting at a bus stop told Stomp that the driver continued driving straight after missing the turn from Corporation Road into Boon Lay Avenue and subsequently missed multiple bus stops along the route. The bus driver eventually stopped at Corporation Road bus stop — a bus stop not on service 198's route. «I saw a couple getting down from the bus. They had sounded out to the bus driver who did not know until they informed him,» the commuter said. The couple notified the driver about his mistake and asked him to alert the rest of the passengers aboard. According to the commuter, the bus captain appeared to be a new driver who was unaware that he had taken the wrong route. In response to media queries, SBS Transit apologised for the incident and said that the driver «has been disciplined». 

Pritam Singh's lawyer has accused former Workers' Party MP Raeesah Khan of being a habitual liar during the party chief's ongoing trial at the State Courts. In the cross-examination on Tuesday (Oct 15), defence lawyer Andre Jumabhoy had referred to Khan's anecdote in parliament on Aug 3, 2021, asking her: «You are in fact a liar, correct?» Khan, 30, replied: «Yes, I've lied.» «You tell lies non-stop, don't you?» Jumabhoy continued. When she denied this, he said that he was referring to the anecdote, the Committee of Privileges (COP) as well as the court proceedings that began on Monday. Giving an example, Jumabhoy said Khan had claimed to have spoken with a 25-year-old victim of rape and accompanied her to a police station, where the victim later left crying. She admitted that it was not true. «So that’s a flat-out lie, isn't it?… you can’t be in any doubt that you’ve never accompanied anyone to the police station,» he said. When Singh sought more details on Khan's anecdote, she had replied with more lies such as the number of the person who put the victim in touch with her was not working anymore.

SINGAPORE – In what prosecutors called “one of the worst cases of animal cruelty”, a man vented his frustrations by abusing cats in the Ang Mo Kio area. Besides kicking and suffocating them, Barrie Lin Pengli also killed two cats by throwing them off high floors at HDB blocks. On Oct 15, Lin, 32, admitted to three counts of animal cruelty. Two other similar charges will be taken into consideration for his sentencing on Nov 13. The court heard that Lin has major depressive disorder, but Deputy Principal District Judge Kessler Soh declined to call for a mandatory treatment order in lieu of jail time. Judge Soh said: “Rehabilitation has been wholly eclipsed... given the cruelty inflicted by the defendant on the cats and the extreme harm suffered by them.” The court heard that Lin began abusing cats around the end of 2019. Deputy Public Prosecutor Regina Lim said whenever Lin was feeling frustrated with life, he would go for walks in the Ang Mo Kio area. DPP Lim said this was because Lin knew the area had more cats and he wanted the option to harm them when he felt angry.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) scrambled two F-15SG fighter jets on Tuesday night (Oct 15) in response to a suspected bomb threat on a Singapore-bound Air India Express flight, said Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen. In a Facebook post, Dr Ng revealed that the budget airline had «received an email that there was a bomb on board». The fighters escorted the plane «away from populated areas», before eventually landing at Changi Airport at 10.04pm. Ground Based Air Defence systems and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team were also activated. https://www.facebook.com/ngenghen/posts/pfbid038M9CzuwNNMX22Jraovks3SWyT2XovBWMSGjur8WGBu7Xf7heRuhzEo5G9CBBnzntl At about 9.45pm, what sounded like the roar of fighter jets was briefly heard over Hougang and Punggol. The fighters returned at around 10.12pm.

The 41-year-old man who is accused of murdering a 48-year-old woman inside a food stall at Maxwell Food Centre was taken back to the crime scene on Tuesday (Oct 15).  Wu Tao, a Chinese national and Singapore permanent resident, arrived at the scene at about 9am. He allegedly killed Thai national Tan Kamonwan, inside Chinese and Thai food stall, Dao Xiang Ju, between 10.25pm and 10.55pm on Sept 6.  Dressed in a red polo shirt, black shorts and slippers, Wu had a blue surgical face mask on and was restrained at his wrists and ankles.  He was accompanied by eight police investigators and forensics officers. Upon arrival, investigators led Wu into the stall, where forensics officers who had earlier brought in marker arrows were waiting.  Police had earlier set up a cordon spanning about five food stalls.  At times, Wu was made to sit at a stool outside the stall as officers continued their investigations. He remained mostly expressionless, but would occasionally answer questions posed by an officer standing next to him. 

A Sengkang resident called the police for help after coming face to face with an unknown man who allegedly attempted to unlock her digital lock. The incident occurred in the Rivervale Shores estate at about 10.35pm last Friday (Oct 11), reported Shin Min Daily News. The Chinese evening daily received a tip-off on a Facebook post made by the resident, who said the stranger had acted as if he had returned to the wrong flat when she opened her door. «If he had really gone to the wrong unit, why would he unlock the lock of the wooden door and not the lock of the metal gate outside?» CCTV footage uploaded by the homeowner reportedly shows a bearded man in a blue shirt looking stunned and taking two steps back after the door opens. The resident, who declined to be named, told Shin Min she called the police that night, and officers later arrived to take her statement. According to the Chinese evening daily, police officers patrolled the area, but did not spot the man captured in the footage.

First-generation Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) trains that remain reliable can continue to be used if they have not exceeded the total service life of 38 years, said Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat in Parliament on Tuesday (Oct 15). In a ministerial statement, he addressed a series of parliamentary questions on the East-West Line MRT disruptions that took place last month. Responding to questions on first-gen trains' operations and maintenance by Workers' Party MPs Gerald Giam and Dennis Tan, Chee said that the total service life of the trains — 38 years — had been determined by an independent assessor, which evaluated the trains' structural integrity, in 2012. «The reliability of a train depends on several factors, and not only on its age alone,» he said. Chee explained that under the New Rail Financing Framework, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) owns rail operating assets such as the train fleet while rail operators are responsible for maintaining, deploying, and operating the assets.

The Lions were on the receiving end of a chastening 7-1 defeat by J1 League's Yokohama F. Marinos on Oct 14, when they rounded up their 10-day training camp in Japan. Singapore coach Tsutomu Ogura did not mince his words as he told The Straits Times post-match at the F. Marinos Sports Park: «We need to improve everything — offence, defence, intensity, one-against-one, individual and group technique. »Before this, they had a feeling how big the gap was between them and J1 teams, but this became real for them when they actually played. «They knew what they had to do. I told the players we needed things like good defence and good organisation, and if we were missing any one of these areas, losing 10-0 or 20-0 is possible.» A lopsided score did materialise in front of about 300 spectators that included the club's youth teams, fans and coaches, such as former Albirex Niigata coach Kazuaki Yoshinaga. After losing the J-League Cup semi-finals on aggregate a day earlier, the hosts started with mainly second stringers, seven of whom have made at least 17 appearances this season.

The authorities have suspended the operations of Stamford Catering after 51 people fell ill from consuming food provided by the caterer. In a joint statement on Monday (Oct 14), the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said that they are investigating Stamford Catering for three incidents of gastroenteritis, which can cause diarrhoea and vomiting, affecting 51 people on Oct 12. The affected individuals either sought outpatient treatment or self-medicated. None were hospitalised, said MOH and SFA. In view of the incident, SFA said it has suspended the company's food business operations until further notice. During the suspension, Stamford Catering must take measures such as cleaning and sanitising of its premises at 24A Senoko South Road as well as its equipment and utensils. All food handlers and the appointed Food Hygiene Officer working in the caterer’s premises are also required to get re-certified for food safety and test negative for food borne pathogens before resuming work. Food operators should observe good food and personal hygiene practices at all times, the agency added.

Seventeen years ago today (Oct 15), Singapore Airlines (SIA) made aviation history when it took delivery of the world's first-ever Airbus A380. This wasn't just any plane. It was the world's largest passenger jet with four powerful engines, a double-decker layout, and a wingspan of 262 feet. That's longer than an Olympic-sized swimming pool! First flight Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 taking off.  PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons SIA made sure to give its A380 a star-studded debut. On Oct 25, 2007, Flight SQ380 took off from Singapore to Sydney with a full load of passengers who won the chance to fly via a charity auction. Passengers paid between US$560 (S$732) and US$100,380, with all the proceeds (a whopping US$1.3 million) going to various charities locally and in Australia.

SINGAPORE - Mr Lee Hsien Yang, the youngest child of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, says he will be applying to demolish the house at 38 Oxley Road to build a small private dwelling. In a Facebook post on Oct 15, Mr Lee, who is also the younger brother of Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, said the entity would be “held within the family in perpetuity”. He did not elaborate on who he would file the application with. The announcement follows the death of their sister, Dr Lee Wei Ling, on Oct 9. Dr Lee and Mr Lee Hsien Yang were the joint administrators and executors of the late Mr Lee’s will. In 2017, they made public their dispute with SM Lee, who was Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s oldest child, over the will with regard to 38 Oxley Road. The two younger Lee siblings had alleged that SM Lee, then the prime minister, wanted the pre-war house preserved for his political gain, against their father’s wishes. But SM Lee refuted their accusations in a ministerial statement in Parliament, after having raised “grave concerns” over the “troubling circumstances” around the preparation of their late father’s final will.

The trial of Leader of the Opposition and Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh got underway on Monday (Oct 14). Singh, 48, is accused of giving false answers to the Committee of Privileges (COP), which was convened in November 2021 to look into a controversy involving Raeesah Khan, a former WP MP who had lied in the House about a sexual assault case. Singh pleaded not guilty to two charges under Section 31(q) of the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act. Cutting a sombre figure, Khan, 30, was the first witness the prosecution called to testify during the trial. Others present in the packed courtroom at the State Courts included Singh's father Amarjit Singh and WP MPs Faisal Manap, Gerald Giam, Assoc Prof Jamus Lim and Louis Chua. Here are some highlights from the day's proceedings. 1. Singh had 'sought to mislead the COP' In the prosecution's opening statement on Monday, Deputy Attorney-General (DAG) Ang Cheng Hock told the court that Singh had «sought to mislead the COP about what he wanted Khan to do» about her lie.

The government will put a halt to the deal between NTUC Income and German insurer Allianz to protect public interest, said Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong. In a ministerial statement in Parliament on Monday (Oct 14), he explained that the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) had become concerned after it reviewed the information on the proposed transaction. «We decided that there was sufficient basis for the government to intervene in the proposed transaction to protect the public interest, notwithstanding that the financial prudential requirements had been satisfied.» said Tong. «MCCY is not confident that the proposed transaction would not affect the ability of the co-operative society (Co-Op) movement as a whole, or of Income itself to carry out its social mission.» Income has played an important role in providing affordable insurance for workers and Singaporeans at large over the years, even after Income switched from a Co-Op to a corporate model in 2022, Tong added.