SINGAPORE — Bus travellers will be able to use QR codes to enter and exit Singapore's two land checkpoints during a trial starting end-November, said Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Nov 21. Eligible travellers on the trial at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints will include Singapore residents — citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders — as well as foreigners who have previously visited the Republic. They will join others travelling from or to Johor by car, motorcycle or even bicycle, who can already opt to clear immigration at Singapore checkpoints with QR codes. Prior to the rollout of the initiative in March, ICA estimated cars with four travellers can save around 20 seconds when using QR codes, while clearance time for motorcycles and their pillion riders was has been reduced by around 30 per cent. The trial will begin from Nov 23 for those travelling through Tuas and the Second Link, and from Nov 28 for travellers using the Woodlands Checkpoint and the Causeway. Similar to those using private vehicles, bus travellers can generate a unique QR code on the MyICA app.

From zeroes to heroes? The number 0000 was the second prize number in the 4D draw on Nov 20, more than 10 years after the last time this happened on Sept 6, 2014. Stomp contributor Lee lamented: «Why, why, why second prize?» A Facebook user posted in the Complaint Singapore group a screenshot of the latest results with the quadruple aughts circled and asked: «This type of number how to strike?» In response, two people posted in the comments photos of a 4D betting slip for the Nov 20 draw that had 0000 as one of the numbers. PHOTO: Stomp One commenter recounted: "When I was in primary school, my dad asked me for a lottery number. I wasn't very interested as you know, a kid. I actually did give him a number and it was 0000.

There will be celebrations aplenty come New Year's Eve, with various activities to be held in the city centre and 17 heartland locations. Residents living in selected neighbourhoods — including Ang Mo Kio, Boon Lay, Bukit Panjang, Hougang, Marine Parade, Nee Soon, Tampines and Woodlands — can look forward to various activities at the celebrations held as part of One Countdown 2025. Some of these activities include live band performances, a New Year's Eve balloon drop and carnival rides. One Countdown will be the first in a series of events celebrating SG60, said the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth on Thursday (Nov 21).  Programme highlights for each countdown location will be revealed by organiser People's Association in early December.  Meanwhile, Singaporeans wanting to start the year with a bang can catch the fireworks displays at Marina Bay, Sentosa's Palawan Beach and Siloso Beach, as well as the Let's Celebrate 2025 countdown show held at Singapore Sports Hub. There will also be drone shows at the Yuewen Music Festival at Siloso Beach, and the countdown celebration at Clarke Quay.

Lured by the offer of a job promising high renumeration for low risk and minimal effort tasks, a Singaporean man travelled to Taiwan to be a runner for a scam syndicate. The 22-year-old man surnamed Ye was busted by Taiwan police during a deal with a scam victim, reported local media. In a press release on Tuesday (Nov 19), Yilan County police said the 46-year-old female victim had lost NT$1.22 million ($50,300) to an online investment scam operated by the syndicate. She was reportedly tricked into joining a LINE chat group operated by fraudsters posing as investment consultants after chancing upon a Facebook advertisement. After agreeing to hand over another NT$1 million to the group, the woman then grew suspicious of why her previous 'investments' were not making any 'profit', and made a police report. Leveraging on the agreed meeting, officers successfully arrested Ye at a local convenience store and seized fake contracts, work permits, receipts and NT$1 million in cash. A pink Singapore IC was also seized.

SINGAPORE — From Nov 22 to 28, shoppers at FairPrice and Unity stores can get a $4 voucher for every $50 they spend in a single transaction, up to a maximum of three vouchers. The vouchers can be used the day after customers receive the voucher, between Nov 23 and Dec 31. Multiple vouchers can be used in a single transaction. The deal applies to all FairPrice, FairPrice Finest, FairPrice Xtra and Unity stores, except for the Unity stores in Changi Airport. «Through this initiative, FPG aims to help Singaporeans stretch their dollar further as they plan year-end gatherings with their loved ones,» said FairPrice Group (FPG) in a statement on Nov 21. FPG introduced a similar deal in October. Earlier in 2024, it also held a price freeze on popular seafood, as well as deals for produce, ahead of Chinese New Year. And during the Save Every Day campaign from June to September, FPG gave shoppers over 400 savings coupons worth over $2,000

Fraudsters are now impersonating operations to combat scams, such as the police’s Anti-Scam Centre (ASC) and ScamShield. Posing as officers from the ASC or ScamShield, these conmen would call victims to inform that their phone numbers were used to conduct illegal activities, said the police in a statement on Wednesday (Nov 20).  In some cases, the scammers would correctly state the victim's full name and identification number, and request that victims verify the information.  The ScamShield app alerts users about potential scam threats on messaging platforms. Its website also includes advisories on the latest scam trends.  In their statement, the police reminded members of the public not to disclose their personal details to unknown persons without confirming their identity.  They added that they will never ask for an individual's personal details over the phone or social messaging platforms for the purpose of investigations.  Members of the public with any information relating to such scams can call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit an online report. 

Both sports and disability awareness hold a special place in Vanessa Quek's heart. The 32-year-old PE teacher at the St Andrew's School for Autism told AsiaOne that she has always wanted to help students with autism or other disabilities benefit from sports. In 2020, Quek found an avenue to champion disability awareness through Play Inclusive, a sports competition where athletes with intellectual disabilities are teamed up with people without disabilities to ensure equal and quality participation. Programmes like these allow Quek's students to interact with students from mainstream schools, she said. «Sports is a platform for them to not only benefit physically, but socially as well,» she explained, adding that it is «beautiful» to see friendships blossoming as a result of such activities. The good news is, more support is heading their way as Play Inclusive plans to triple its participants under the new Disability Sports Masterplan (DSMP) 2024, which was unveiled on Wednesday (Nov 20). 

Myanmar’s objection to Asean engaging more partners for defence cooperation risks undermining the Asean centrality that has been painstakingly built over more than two decades of defence cooperation, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said on Nov 20. Speaking after the 18th Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) in Vientiane, Laos, Dr Ng said Asean was at an impasse on certain issues discussed at the meeting due to Myanmar’s sole objection. He warned that the ADMM will lose credibility if the impasse continued, and called on Myanmar to “not use Asean to engage in the politics of retaliation”. Following a March meeting, the ADMM said it was considering accepting new members for its expanded defence meeting platform, the ADMM-Plus, which currently includes eight dialogue partners: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the US. Some Western countries had expressed interest in joining the ADMM-Plus, and the process was supposed to be finalised and proposed for Asean members’ endorsement at the just-concluded ADMM.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has congratulated all students who sat for the 2024 Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) on Wednesday (Nov 20), following the release of results this morning. In a Facebook post on Wednesday afternoon, PM Wong told students to remember that there is «no need to compare or to feel pressured by what others do». «Choose your own path and excel in all that you do,» he said. Similarly, on Tuesday night, Minister of State for Social and Family Development Sun Xueling shared an inspirational quote with parents and students in a Facebook post. «Life is a long journey. There will be ups and downs,» she wrote. «Let's keep calm and carry on️. The journey itself is the reward. Keep faith!»

Foodpanda said on Wednesday (Nov 20) it will offer refunds to those who recently signed up for the Pandapro plan. The spokesperson told AsiaOne that the food delivery platform will contact all affected subscribers to offer refunds on a no-questions-asked basis.   This comes after the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) issued the food delivery platform a warning for its misleading advertisement.  Foodpanda's campaign, which ran from July 1 to Sept 30, promised «unlimited free delivery on all restaurants» to those who purchased a Pandapro subscription, which starts from $4.99 a month.  The advertisement was displayed across multiple platforms, including the company's Instagram page, its in-app marketing as well as billboards and signages at public areas, said CCCS. The lack of qualifiers in the campaign could mislead consumers into thinking that Pandapro subscribers would enjoy free delivery on all restaurants available on the app, the commission added. However, Pandapro subscribers only received a $3 discount for all restaurants, or a discount of up to $6 for selected restaurants. 

SINGAPORE — National sports agency Sport Singapore (SportSG) has dismissed allegations against former national table tennis player Feng Tianwei over «claims of misappropriation of public funds» by an individual claiming to be her former physical trainer. A person purporting to be Zhou Xiang recently levelled numerous accusations at the Olympic medallist via a dossier containing over 100 pages. The printed documents were sent to The Straits Times two weeks ago, and an anonymous e-mail carrying similar content was also sent to SportSG, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the media on Nov 10. The dispute involving the individual claiming to be Zhou and Feng, who retired in 2022 and is now an assistant director at SportSG and principal of the ActiveSG Table Tennis Academy, is allegedly financial in nature, among other matters. Responding to ST's queries, a SportSG spokesman said on Nov 19: "SportSG is aware of recent allegations stemming from a personal arrangement between retired paddler Feng Tianwei and her former personal fitness coach.

SINGAPORE – In a case involving the first prosecution under a new law aimed at addressing risks relating to money laundering, a business called Kim Heng Jewellers and Goldsmiths was fined $35,000 on Nov 19. Two employees of the store, located at People’s Park Complex in Park Road, sold valuables worth more than $313,000 in total to customers, and over $140,000 of that amount was later traced to two Singaporean victims of a malware scam. The women, who were working for the store at the time, had processed the payments without conducting the necessary checks, despite having reasons to suspect that the funds were linked to money laundering activities. The business was convicted of one charge, involving more than $173,000, under the Precious Stones and Precious Metals (Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing) Act. Two other similar charges linked to the remaining amount were considered during sentencing.

RIO DE JANEIRO — Singapore has to be realistic and adapt to the current shape of global trade, as it continues to work with like-minded countries to strengthen support for multilateralism, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Tuesday (Nov 19). This means bringing Asean countries closer together and linking up with other regional groups, such as the Mercosur bloc in Latin America, he told reporters on the last day of the Group of 20 (G-20) Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. «The reality is that trade is continuing, but it is being reconfigured,» PM Wong said in an interview to wrap up his trip, where he spoke on the impact of changes to global trade flows and why the Republic's participation at international meetings like the G-20 Summit makes a difference. Singapore is not a member of the G-20, which comprises 19 major and emerging economies, along with the European Union and African Union. However, it is regularly invited to take part in the group's meetings.

A Singaporean woman's solo trip in Japan turned sour when a local man started heckling her and behaved aggressively. Stomp contributor Jann said the incident took place at Hakone Shrine on the morning of Nov 19, when she was posing for photos at the iconic spot, being «very mindful of the three-minute rule». She was referring to a rule about how visitors are allowed up to three minutes to take pictures at the shrine. Jann, who is in her 50s, explained: «There is a signboard placed prominently next to the queue for the shrine. From what I could see, everyone was abiding by the rule — tourists and locals alike. »I had asked a solo traveller (a PhD student from China) queuing in front of me to take my pics and I would take his. «It is possible the Japanese man thought we were together in a group and therefore should take three minutes in total. Even then, I am sure the two of us took three minutes or less. There was a line of visitors since it's a famous spot, so both of us were very mindful. »This Japanese guy was heckling me in the background, saying, «Chinese go home.»

A stall in Dunman Food Centre has received five bids in October, with the highest nearly hitting the $7,000 mark, 8world reported on Monday (Nov 18). The $6,929 offer was from the son of a hawker who runs a stall in the same row. If he wins the tender, he intends to open a third drink stall. While they find the $7,000 rent too steep, some hawkers told 8world that they believe there will be fairer competition once the revised rental renewal policy kicks in this month. «This rental price is a bit ridiculous,» one hawker said. Another stated: «We can accept the market price the government gives us now. But if it goes up, we'll have a harder time.» Worried about the trickle-down effects on customers, a drinks vendor said: «The lower the tender bid, the better… If we set our prices too high, customers will walk away after asking for our prices.» Record-high prices in Toa Payoh Meanwhile, a food stall in Toa Payoh's Lorong 8 Food Centre received four bids, with the highest bid at $6,508. This marks a record-high since 2021, 8world reported.

Two taxi passengers, a 31-year-old woman and a two-year-old boy, were rushed to hospital after an accident involving two cars and a taxi on the Central Expressway (CTE) last Sunday (Nov 17). The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the police said they were alerted to the accident, which occurred in the direction of the Seletar Expressway after Cairnhill Road exit, at about 8.35pm that night.  Three others were assessed for minor injuries but declined to be taken to hospital, said the SCDF. One of them, a 27-year-old driver, is assisting with investigations.  In a video shared on SG Road Vigilante's Facebook page, the Trans-Cab taxi is seen driving in the rightmost lane of the four-lane CTE tunnel moments before getting rear-ended by a red car that cut across two lanes. 

SINGAPORE — Resort World Sentosa's (RWS) casino licence has been renewed for two years, instead of three, after its tourism performance was deemed unsatisfactory by the authorities. In a statement on Nov 18, the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) said the renewal will take effect from Feb 6, 2025. In deciding the new licence period, the agency said it took into account RWS' ability to «develop, maintain, and promote its integrated resort as a compelling tourist destination that meets prevailing market demand and industry standards», among other factors. An evaluation panel, appointed by the Minister for Trade and Industry, found that RWS' tourism performance between 2021 and 2023 was «unsatisfactory», and added that there were a number of areas that require «rectification and substantial improvement». GRA said it also considered the views of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC). The panel recommended that the next evaluation of RWS should take place in 2026, said the statement.

RIO DE JANEIRO — Countries can fight poverty by sustaining economic growth through open trade and investments, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Nov 18. Growth and trade remain one of the best ways to create jobs, he told Group of 20 (G-20) leaders at a discussion on poverty and hunger at the G-20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. «Jobs, in turn, are the most direct way to reduce poverty,» he said, adding that this is because they provide a path to dignity, stability and self-reliance. This is why efforts to reform and strengthen the World Trade Organisation are so important, PM Wong said. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva launched a global alliance against hunger and poverty on day one of the G-20 Summit. More than 80 countries, including Singapore, have agreed to back it. In his speech, PM Wong said the most direct way to tackle hunger and poverty is to stop conflicts and wars, and provide assistance to conflict zones where needs are greatest. Singapore is doing its part where possible, including providing several rounds of humanitarian aid for people in Gaza, he added.

A hotel in Johor Bahru has apologised and offered a guest a full refund after a male staff member «accidentally» opened her room door. In a now-deleted post to Facebook page Complaint Singapore on Nov 13, a woman from Singapore recounted «numerous issues» she faced during her two-night stay at Hako Hotel Mount Austin with three other friends. She said the bathrooms would flood whenever they showered, and they had to open the drain covers to drain the water as «nothing was done» to solve the issue despite them informing the hotel's reception. The woman added that the soundproofing in the hotel was poor, and that a male staff member had opened the door of the room her female friend was staying in. The friend in question, surnamed Lin, told Shin Min Daily News that their group of four had stayed in two separate rooms from Nov 8 to 10. «I had just taken a shower and finished changing when a male employee suddenly pushed open the door. I was shocked and yelled at him to get out,» she said. Lin, 33, told her friend in the next room about what had happened, and the pair reported the incident to the front desk.

The eldest son of the Yakult auntie who died a week after she was punched on the job revealed that his mother had previously wished for a peaceful death. The 43-year-old man, who did not want to be named, told Shin Min Daily News that his family had to make the difficult decision to pull his mother off life support after learning that she was in a critical condition.  After being punched in the right side of the face on Oct 29, the elderly woman, surnamed Au, was rushed to the hospital, where she was found to be severely injured. Her attacker, 30-year-old Lim Chuan Xun, was charged in court on Nov 15 for voluntarily causing grievous hurt to the elderly woman.  Doctors told her family then that she would become paralysed or bedridden.  "We called the doctor several times about whether [my mother] should undergo surgery. My younger sister wanted her to go for it, and our relatives were pressuring us.