A family's road trip over the Deepavali holidays turned into tragedy when the minivan which they were travelling in met with an accident on Malaysia's North-South Expressway. One woman was killed and several others were injured in the incident, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday (Oct 31) at the 138km-mark near Yong Peng, Johor, media outlets reported. The deceased has been identified as 44-year-old Chang Lee Won, a permanent resident in Singapore. Other passengers inside the vehicle included her husband, a Singaporean, as well as their two sons aged 19 and 16. According to Shin Min, the family were believed to be on their way to Chang's hometown in Kuala Lumpur when the accident happened. Chang was killed instantly in the crash while her husband and sons as well as their Malaysian driver sustained injuries, the report added.

He had wanted a plate of roast duck rice, sans rice, but was taken aback when his order was rejected. The patron, surnamed Li, told Shin Min Daily News that he had gone to a roast meat stall near Toa Payoh MRT station on Tuesday (Oct 29) and placed an order for «duck rice without rice». However, he was told by the employee that they don't offer such an option. Li, 42, explained that he only wanted to have the meat and thought that ordering it with rice would be a waste. «The duck rice costs $6.90 and I was willing to foot the amount. The female staff member however said that her boss had indicated that they wouldn't sell it without rice.» Thinking he might have misunderstood what the employee was saying, Li returned to the eatery two days later, only for his request to be turned down yet again. «I've bought individual portions of meat at other stalls, I don't understand why this stall can't do it,» said Li. According to Shin Min, a reporter who went down to the eatery had tried ordering the same item and was also rejected.

SINGAPORE – A 46-year-old Thai construction worker died on Oct 30 after he was struck by a concrete mixer truck that was entering a work site in Marina East Drive. This is the seventh reported workplace death in the period between July and October. The worker was pronounced dead at the scene by a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) paramedic. The driver of the truck, a 41-year-old man, was arrested for causing death by a negligent act. The police and the SCDF said they were alerted to the incident at about 7.50am on Oct 30. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said the truck was entering the Marina East site for refuelling when it struck the Thai worker, who was employed by Koh Kock Leong Enterprise. The civil engineering and construction company is also the occupier of the work site. This means the company has control over the premises, which is being used to store excavated material. MOM said it has instructed the firm to stop all vehicular operations at the refuelling area where the fatal incident occurred.

SINGAPORE – Bosses here are overwhelmingly against implementing a four-day working week, according to a new survey. It found that only 5 per cent out of the 330 employers polled said they would instigate a four-day week, noting that it would improve employee well-being and job satisfaction. However, 79 per cent said they would not implement a four-day working week, while 16 per cent said they would not implement it, but would consider doing so. “A small handful of employers, mainly from the information and communications, general and support services, and finance industries had respectively indicated that they will do so,” said a spokesperson for the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), which commissioned the survey. The federation said a four-day working week involves employees working eight or nine hours a day – up to 36 hours a week – while receiving the same compensation as they would for a typical five-day working week, which usually entails staff working up to 44 hours.

When a man collapsed in a coffee shop in Yishun, a few patrons and a doctor wasted no time in helping him, likely saving his life. Roslan Rahman, who operates a satay stall at the coffee shop in question, detailed the incident in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Oct 30). His assistant and close friend, Rahmat, had gone to the coffee shop on his day off after cycling and suddenly collapsed as he was having a seizure, said Roslan. Rahmat also stopped breathing soon after, he added. Upon witnessing this, a woman who was sitting near the collapsed man sprung into action, instructing bystanders to lay him on the floor. Another coffee shop patron ran to the nearby Heartland Clinic at Yishun Street 31 to fetch a doctor, while a third bystander called an ambulance. CPR administered by doctor A Dr Lee, who arrived at the scene almost immediately, began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on Rahmat, said Roslan. The female patron then got an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and assisted Dr Lee in using it. Their efforts paid off, as the man started breathing again, although remaining unconscious.

SINGAPORE – Who let the monkey out? The Mandai Wildlife Group is trying to find that out as it reviews its safety protocols after a monkey native to Africa escaped from the Singapore Zoo six months earlier. The black-and-white colobus named Mykel was safely captured from an area of the Rail Corridor in Choa Chu Kang and returned to the zoo on Nov 1, said a spokesperson for the group. The 14-year-old male monkey was first seen near Woodlands Road on Oct 31 by a member of the public, who called the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) rescue hotline, said an Acres spokesperson. The monkey, known for its distinctive U-shaped mantle of long white fur that descends from its shoulders and around its back, made its way to trees near a playground at Villa Verde Park, which is about 3km from the zoo. Mykel will undergo a health check when brought back to the zoo, Mandai Wildlife Group said, adding that the animal appears healthy and in good physical condition. The group said that Mykel, which used to reside at the Primate Kingdom at the Singapore Zoo, had separated from his troop six months ago.

A father accompanied by two kids were caught on camera stealing $100 worth of Labubu dolls at Dr. Clawtopus, a claw machine store located at Sim Lim Square last Sunday (Oct 27). The three dolls that were stolen included a Halloween Labubu and a Pronounce Labubu worth about $38 each, and a «Have a Seat» Labubu worth about $25.  Shop owner Cash Chong shared CCTV footage of the incident with Mothership, revealing how the man broke into the claw machine. The footage showed a man tinkering with the claw machine while two kids, presumably his children, waited by his side. After managing to unlock the machine, he proceeded to push the Labubu dolls into the toy retrieval compartment. Chong also uploaded a screenshot of the family in a now-deleted post on his store's Instagram page last Sunday. He said that he hoped that the family would see the post and return the dolls, adding that no legal action would be taken if they were returned in good condition. The dolls have yet to be returned. Speaking to AsiaOne, the police confirm that a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing.

A supermarket in Choa Chu Kang has left customers confused after refusing to provide plastic bags, even when the latter were willing to pay for them, Shin Min Daily News reported on Wednesday (Oct 30). Speaking with Shin Min, a shopper surnamed Li shared that he had visited the U Stars Supermarket outlet at Block 810A, Choa Chu Kang Ave 7 at 11pm last Saturday (Oct 26).  He had intended to purchase some necessities, but later found out that no plastic bags would be provided at checkout. Noticing plastic bags at the counter, Li tried asking if he could purchase the bags from the store. However, the shop's staff reportedly refused, explaining that it was a new regulation for them. «I asked about when these new regulations were introduced and why there was no notice,» Li told Shin Min. «The staff member hesitated at first before admitting that the regulations were only just introduced a day ago.» Li ultimately put his purchases into his own bag before leaving the shop, but also expressed dissatisfaction with the sudden change in regulations that left some customers uninformed.

Lee Hsien Yang has turned a personal vendetta into an international smear campaign against his father, family and country, said the Singapore government on Thursday (Oct 31).  The statement comes after Lee's interview with the Associated Press (AP) published on Thursday, where he claimed that Singapore has become much more repressive in the decade since the death of his father, founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.  In the interview with the American news outlet, Lee, who was recently granted political asylum in the UK, said: «Singapore has this veneer that purports to be a sort of affluent, democratic, free country. The veneer is quite thin,»  «Beneath that there is a repressive nature to that regime and there are people fleeing from it.»  Addressing Lee's claims, the Singapore government on Thursday (Oct 31) noted that Lee, 67, was a «major beneficiary of the Singapore system». 

Three international students were found to be evading taxes on cigarettes by smuggling them in stuffed toys. In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Oct 30), Singapore Customs said that a two-day operation from Oct 22 to 23 uncovered seven parcels with cigarettes concealed in plush toys declared as «decorations». Officers had cracked down on the unique smuggling tactic following a referral from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. A 21-year-old Chinese national was arrested at Tao Ching Road with 70 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes in four parcels, said Singapore Customs. He had allegedly received the parcels on behalf of a friend overseas, who instructed him to deliver them or arrange for them to be collected by buyers in Singapore. The man was charged in the State Courts on Oct 25. Two Chinese nationals, aged 22 and 28, were also issued composition sums of $3,000 and $2,500 for importing the other three parcels, the government agency said, adding that all three men are student-pass holders.

Although Deepavali is a festival traditionally celebrated by Indians, it's also a busy time for 71-year-old Chen Xixiang (transliteration), who is also Hindu.  Chen, who converted to Hinduism some 55 years ago, told Lianhe Zaobao she was influenced by her husband, who would follow his colleagues to a Hindu temple.  He became a medium at the temple and participated in several of their religious festivals.  The Chens also started a home altar and opened their doors to fellow believers who wanted to worship there.  «Later on, as the kampungs were gradually demolished, we brought the religious statues to [our] HDB flats.  »Our flats weren't located on a floor with a lift, so us believers had to carry the statues individually up the stairs, including the 100-year-old Kali statue, so that we could continue our worship. This way, other believers could also come to our home," said Chen.  Chen's three daughters and 25-year-old granddaughter, He Jiahui, also converted to Hinduism. 

Rumoured changes at Raffles Institution (RI) have sparked a student revolt, with a petition now circulating online calling for principal Aaron Loh's immediate dismissal. The alleged changes, reportedly leaked from internal meetings, span curriculum adjustments, CCA restructuring, policy shifts and even facility modifications. A major point of contention is the rumoured CCA overhaul, including the removal of Judo and other CCAs, and the conversion of some Merit CCAs (like Chess and Math Club) to Core CCAs. This restructuring has sparked debate, with some arguing it improves resource allocation and broadens participation, while others worry about losing specialised activities and impact on students' CCA records and Leap applications. Further anxiety stems from potential curriculum cuts, including Philosophy, Research Education (RE), and Raffles Academy, which some fear will limit academic opportunities and hinder intellectual growth.

SINGAPORE - A Singaporean who lost his mental capacity after a road traffic accident in Malaysia six years ago was awarded $4.75 million by the High Court in June. This might be the highest sum awarded so far by a court here to a Singaporean victim of an accident in Malaysia, said lawyer Raj Singh Shergill, who represented the victim, Mr Lim Chun Yong. Mr Lim was 38 years old at the time of the accident. Since then, he has required full-time care. More importantly, said Mr Shergill, who was recently rated one of Singapore's top lawyers in an annual survey of the best law firms, the case affirms that victims can pursue legal action in Singapore, rather than in Malaysia, if the circumstances and conditions warrant it. «Where the pretrial and future losses are primarily incurred in Singapore, the courts will assess personal injury claims based on the merits of the case, regardless of location,» he added. For Mr Shergill, success has come from championing the cause of the layperson against bigger entities in personal injury claims ranging from traffic accidents to medical negligence.

Did you catch Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's first National Day Rally (NDR) this year? A «major reset» of several policies is underway to help Singaporeans of all ages realise their ambitions and achieve their goals, whether that means owning your first home or enabling younger Singaporeans to come into their full potential through diverse pathways. AsiaOne surveyed 1,175 respondents and conducted street interviews with Singaporeans from all walks of life to share their honest thoughts on the policies and how they might befit their personal aspirations and life stages. Here's what they shared. Housing and recreation Respondents were excited about the changes to Build-To-Order (BTO) flats, which will see shorter waiting times of around three years or less, down from the current timeline estimates of about four years. Come mid-2025, singles above 35 who wish to live near their parents will get priority for the BTO exercise - a scheme that is currently only extended to married children.