The harsh heat did little to deter the will of some 1,000 Singapore football fans at Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday (Dec 22).  Armed with foldable chairs, umbrellas and the company of their friends and families, those in queue waited orderly and patiently for a chance to secure the nearly 6,000 tickets available for the Asean Championship semi-final.  Some came as early as 8am - four hours ahead of the start of ticketing sales at noon.  Lau, who is in his 50s, was one of them. He was joined by his two sons and a friend.  Speaking to AsiaOne, Lau said that the current Singapore football team under Japanese coach Tsutomu Ogura “is more adventurous in play and makes more attacks”. The Lions supporter described Singapore’s late 4-2 loss to Thailand on Tuesday (Dec 17) as “valiant” and hopes that the Lions will now go on to make it to the final. 

The harsh heat did little to deter the will of some 1,000 Singapore football fans at Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday (Dec 22).  Armed with foldable chairs, umbrellas and the company of their friends and families, those in queue waited orderly and patiently for a chance to secure the nearly 6,000 tickets available.  Some came as early as 8am - four hours ahead of the start of ticketing sales at noon.  Mr Lau, who is in his 50s, was one of them. He was joined by his two sons and a friend.  Speaking to AsiaOne, Lau said that the current Singapore football team under Japanese coach Tsutomu Ogura “is more adventurous in play and makes more attacks”. The Singapore football (Lions) supporter described Singapore’s late 2-4 loss to Thailand on Tuesday (Dec 17) as “valiant” and hopes that the Lions will now go on to make it to the finals. 

Scalpers have been selling appointment dates for foreigners here to convert their driving licences for an average price of $350, Lianhe Zaobao reported on Sunday (Dec 22). According to Zaobao, some individuals are believed to have exploited a loophole in the online system to book multiple appointment time slots, leading to a waiting time that has extended beyond six months. The Traffic Police had announced in April the launch of an online appointment system from April 29, in a move towards the digitalisation of certain services. Applications for the conversion of foreign driving licence are now processed via FormSG, and the entire process is expected to take about six weeks. However, one user of the service told Zaobao that when he tried to convert his driving licence some time back, the closest appointment time he could get was for May 2025. The programmer, surnamed Cai, stated: «A friend later told me that many scalpers have been illegally reselling appointment slots online, and you can book a time slot at a closer date for $400.»

The family of the woman who died in a car accident in Taiwan has yet to pick up her body, citing financial and logistical difficulties.  The 33-year-old woman died on Dec 14, after her husband crashed their rental car into a power pole on a highway. They were in Taiwan for a holiday with their three-year-old daughter.  Her husband, a 36-year-old Singaporean, and the girl escaped with minor injuries, but the woman was stuck in the rear seat and eventually succumbed to her injuries.  A family friend of the woman told 8world that her family lives in a remote village in Guangdong, China.  «I heard that her family wanted to fly [to Taiwan] as soon as possible, but they were unable to afford tickets, and they were still trying to settle some administrative matters,» said the family friend.  They are also receiving help from the relevant authorities. 

A Foodpanda deliveryman was caught stealing a customer's food with the help of an accomplice - believed to be his friend.  The incident, which happened on Dec 17, was caught by the customer's CCTV camera, and the footage was posted on Beh Chia Lor's Facebook page.  The location where the incident took place was undisclosed.  In the video, the young male rider was seen hanging the plastic bag on the customer's gate and taking a picture of the item as proof.  A second male individual standing beside him subsequently grabbed the bag and the pair quickly fled the scene, after seemingly being startled by a noise coming from inside the house. In response to AsiaOne's queries, a spokesperson from Foodpanda said they have suspended the delivery rider's account following investigations into the incident.  «Foodpanda does not condone any unlawful behaviour, and appropriate action will be taken against offending delivery partners,» added the spokesperson. 

About 20 cats are believed to have been abandoned in a flat filled with garbage. Netizen Deng shared in a Facebook group on Dec 19 that a resident of 147 Bedok Reservoir Road had found a dead kitten at the foot of the block. On the same night of Dec 16, Deng found a gray kitten curled up behind a pillar. «When I took the injured kitten to the vet, I found out that it had fallen from a height,» she revealed, adding that it was not the first time cats were found at the foot of the block - one was found dead on Dec 11. Deng and a few others went floor by floor to search for the unit the cats could have jumped from. They also notified NParks and SPCA. «While I was waiting for the authorities to come and take the cats away for investigation, another cat fell in front of me and blood was coming out of its mouth,» said Deng. She looked up and saw two other cats sitting on a window sill. The authorities, with the help of a locksmith, gained access to the flat, which was in a deplorable condition. The living room was filled with garbage, the floor covered with faeces and urine. There were cats in the flat.

SINGAPORE - A little blue card, with his name and a few numbers that say who he is and where he lives. To Ricqo Rafiezuwan, a 25-year-old whom The Straits Times featured in September in an article about stateless individuals and the challenges they face, the blue identity card he now guards jealously is more than just a document. He said it confirms he is no longer someone without an identity. As he spoke to ST on Dec 18, Rafiezuwan proudly held up his blue identity card. There it was - his name in big, bold letters. «I cannot believe that I am holding this. I look at it and think, wow, is this real? »Because this is what I have wanted for a very long time, for 25 years," said Rafiezuwan, fighting to hold back his tears. After the photographer was done taking pictures of him holding up the card, Rafiezuwan wiped it with his hands and returned it to his wallet. He slid the wallet into his back pocket, and gave that a gentle pat. His card was safe. Rafiezuwan said he will not forget the day he received the news that he had been granted permanent residency status.

SINGAPORE - The first signs surfaced in February 2024, but 24-year-old Chee Ming Heng, who was healthy and fit, quickly dismissed them. On his first day of work experience on Feb 8, he realised that he struggled to write his name on the time sheet, said the student at LaSalle College of the Arts. «I could hold the pen but I could not find a way to write (my name). It was very mentally tortuous to write it.» He eventually managed to do so, but his writing was a lot more closely strung together than his usual style. It was strange, but he did not think much of it. A day earlier, he had already felt some weakness in his right hand. He also had to miss his family reunion dinner four days earlier because he was unwell. When Chinese New Year rolled around on Feb 10, he went visiting and realised he had difficulty holding cutlery. The next day, he visited a general practitioner, but did not get a referral letter to see a hospital specialist. On Feb 12, his family members noticed that the right side of his face was drooping slightly when they gathered for a family photo.

SINGAPORE - A little blue card, with his name and a few numbers that say who he is and where he lives. To Ricqo Rafiezuwan, a 25-year-old whom The Straits Times featured in September in an article about stateless individuals and the challenges they face, the blue identity card he now guards jealously is more than just a document. He said it confirms he is no longer someone without an identity. As he spoke to ST on Dec 18, Rafiezuwan proudly held up his blue identity card. There it was - his name in big, bold letters. «I cannot believe that I am holding this. I look at it and think, wow, is this real? »Because this is what I have wanted for a very long time, for 25 years," said Rafiezuwan, fighting to hold back his tears. After the photographer was done taking pictures of him holding up the card, Rafiezuwan wiped it with his hands and returned it to his wallet. He slid the wallet into his back pocket, and gave that a gentle pat. His card was safe. Rafiezuwan said he will not forget the day he received the news that he had been granted permanent residency status.

Two HDB flats in the quiet neighbourhoods of Bukit Batok and Choa Chu Kang hid a shocking secret. They were allegedly being used by tenants to offer sexual services, which were promoted and arranged via online messaging apps. In an operation that took place on Dec 5, officers from the Jurong Police Division raided the two units simultaneously. AsiaOne was among the media invited to visit the two scenes, where officers arrested four suspects and found various items such as baby oil, wet wipes as well as a stash of condoms. The police were alerted to suspicious activity in these units via multiple calls and reports. The shoebox containing the hidden camera at the unit along Choa Chu Kang Street 52. PHOTO: AsiaOne/Danial Zahrin At the first flat, located along Choa Chu Kang Street 52, a surveillance camera was concealed in a shoebox placed on a rack outside the flat.

A bus in Rovaniemi, Finland carrying 29 tourists from Singapore tour group Chan Brothers was involved in an accident on Thursday (Dec 19). The incident occurred at around 1pm local time (7pm Singapore time) when the tour bus collided head-on with a minibus, reported Lianhe Zaobao on Dec 19. A total of 37 people, mainly from Singapore and China, were taken to the hospital, said the Finnish police.  Out of the 37, 31 needed further medical assessment.  Two people — the minibus driver and a passenger — died at the scene.  Several of the tourists from Singapore, who had begun their tour on December 11, sustained minor injuries. After being examined at the hospital, they were discharged and continued with the final two days of their tour, reported Zaobao. The Chan Brothers tour group were on a 13-day, 10-night Lapland Northern Lights and Lofoten Islands tour. The tour group members had been wearing seat belts at the time of the accident. According to footage released by Finnish media, the front of the tour bus was severely damaged and the windshield was broken. On the other hand, the minibus was mangled. 

Passengers of a Vietjet flight bound for Hanoi, Vietnam faced a gruelling ordeal at Changi Airport's Terminal 4 on Dec 19, as the flight was reportedly ultimately cancelled after nearly five hours of delays. One of the passengers, Stomp contributor Benjamin, shared with Stomp that flight VJ916 was originally scheduled to depart at 2.55pm. According to the Stomp contributor, passengers were informed of delays hourly, with each update offering no clear information on when the flight would depart. In response to the extended wait, passengers were offered a light bite from Texas Chicken. By 7pm, frustrated passengers demanded answers from airline staff, only to be told at 7.45pm that the flight would not be operating at all. Benjamin said the reason cited for the disruption was a «technical issue». Ground staff and mechanics were observed working on the aircraft during the delay, but no further details about the issue were provided. According to FlightAware, VietJet Air flight VJ916 operates daily from Singapore to Hanoi, but no flight was recorded on Dec 19.

SINGAPORE - Individuals whose full NRIC numbers were exposed on the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority's (Acra) database earlier in December face potential cyber-security risks, as organisations frequently rely on NRIC numbers to retrieve personal information. Checks by The Straits Times also found that NRIC numbers can serve as a key to collecting information about individuals, which can be used for targeted scams or mischief. Cyber-security experts cautioned that NRIC numbers can be used by bad actors to trick victims into believing they are authority figures or to commit crime. The exposed NRIC numbers can also be used to collect further information for scams. The experts said the risks highlight how an NRIC number in the wrong hands can pose risks to individuals, who need to be vigilant against scams, even as changes in how NRIC numbers are used in the private sector are afoot.

Upon their release on Dec 16, miniature Grab uniforms for Labubu dolls were snatched up within minutes and were being resold at up to 10 times the price. The uniform set, originally priced at $29.90, includes a shirt, pants, and Grab delivery backpack. It was being sold as part of an initiative inspired by delivery riders who frequently bring plush toys on their bikes, reported MS News earlier in December. Just 50 sets were put up for sale that day on GrabFood Gear, a platform for Grab delivery partners, and they were sold out within eight minutes, a Grab spokesperson told the media outlet. On Thursday (19 Dec), the miniature Grab uniform was reportedly being listed at significantly marked up prices on Carousell with one such listing asking for $288. The other listings were asking for $168 and $99 respectively. On Friday, these listings were either removed or had their prices reduced. The set previously being sold for $288 had its price reportedly slashed by more than half to $138.

BUKIT JALIL - They were the lower-ranked underdogs playing in their archrivals' den, but the defiant Lions secured an outstanding 0-0 draw in Malaysia on Dec 20 to qualify for the ASEAN Championship semi-finals. In the last four, Group A runners-up Singapore will meet the Group B winners who will be decided among Vietnam, Indonesia and Myanmar on Dec 21. The Lions will host the first leg at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Dec 26 before playing the second leg away on Dec 29. Meanwhile, Group A winners Thailand, who beat Cambodia 3-2 in Bangkok, will play the Group B runners-up away on Dec 27 and at home on Dec 30. In front of 31,127 fans at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, the Tigers threw the proverbial kitchen sink at world No. 160 Singapore, but Lions goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud would not be beaten, as his teammates also defended resolutely. The 34-year-old said: «It was a mature performance and everybody worked hard. This is a tough place to come to, in front of more than 30,000 fans. We stood our ground and I'm so proud of the boys.»

Commuters living in the north-east region who travel before 7.15am or between 8.45am and 9.45am will enjoy discounts of up to 80 per cent off their fares from Jan 2 next year. This is part of the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) expanded Travel Smart Journeys programme, which is aimed to encourage passengers to travel outside of the morning peak period on weekdays. In a news release on Friday (Dec 20), LTA said commuters must tap in at Punggol Coast, Punggol, Sengkang, Hougang or Buangkok MRT stations along the North East Line (NEL), or any station along the Punggol and Sengkang LRT lines to be eligible for the discounts. Those who do so will be awarded points on the SimplyGo app that can be converted into e-vouchers. This incentive is on top of the existing morning pre-peak fare scheme, where rail passengers can save up to 50 cents off their fares if they tap in before 7.45am on weekdays.

A charity group in Singapore has raised over $2.6 million to help children and families affected by the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.  The fundraiser, which ran from Sept 18 to Dec 13, was organised by the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF) together with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO), and local organisation Humanity Matters (HM). A total of $2,608,717 was raised over the three-month period, said RLAF in a press release on Friday (Dec 20). RLAF is a charity set up by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore.  Some of the fundraiser activities included an event on Nov 17, which involved some 300 volunteers collecting donations from the public. They also distributed One Nation, One Humanity stickers across the island. On Dec 1, over 300 volunteers packed more than 20 tonnes of essential supplies which included food, healthcare and hygiene products, for shipment to Jordan.  The supplies are expected to be delivered in January 2025.

One driver travelling along Commonwealth Avenue allegedly had to jam on the brakes when he saw three bicycles parked in the middle of the road. All three lanes of the road were blocked by the stationary bicycles, said a woman who deemed the act a «dangerous prank». The incident reportedly occurred at the junction between Commonwealth Ave and Stirling Road on Friday (Dec 20). Geraldine Lim, who uploaded the photo to Facebook group Complaint Singapore, told AsiaOne that it was shared with her through a WhatsApp chat for private-hire drivers. The bicycles in the photo appear to be parked in a row across the lanes, obstructing traffic.

Twelve drivers were caught by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in an operation on Wednesday (Dec 18) at Changi Airport for providing illegal ride-hailing services. In a Facebook post by the LTA on Thursday, it stated that the drivers were providing rides illegally between Singapore and Malaysia, as well as within Singapore. Their foreign-registered vehicles were also impounded, added LTA. A 21-second video accompanying the post showed enforcement officers cracking down on the drivers, most of whom appeared to be waiting for passengers outside the airport's arrival hall and car park.

SINGAPORE — After drinking 10 cans of beer, a private-hire driver decided to drive a car into Bedok Camp in Upper East Coast Road to «see the reaction of the security». Muhammad Sathiq Mohamed Sadakatulla arrived outside the camp at around 6am on Dec 20, 2023, but security did not raise the entry barrier for him. Sathiq then drove through the barrier and entered the camp, before turning and crashing through an exit barrier. After he was arrested at home, he was found to have 36 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath. This is slightly above the prescribed limit of 35mcg of alcohol in the same amount of breath. In September 2024, while out on bail, Sathiq assaulted two policemen after consuming beer in an unrelated incident. On Dec 18, the 38-year-old Singaporean was sentenced to 20 weeks' jail after he pleaded guilty to one count of entering a protected place without a permit and two counts of assaulting a police officer. The prosecution said that on Dec 19, 2023, after dropping off a passenger at around 8.30pm, Sathiq drank two cans of beer, followed by another four, before heading home.

After being diagnosed with cancer in February, hawker Yan Mengjing (transliteration) had to temporarily close her seven cooked food and market stalls to focus on recovery. The 48-year-old single mum subsequently received rental waivers totalling over $10,000 from the National Environment Agency (NEA), reported Shin Min Daily News on Wednesday (Dec 18). Yan, who hails from Myanmar, obtained Singapore citizenship in 2003. To raise her daughter after her divorce more than 10 years ago, she set up a yong tau foo stall before starting to sell seafood in 2019. «At first, I had two stalls. Then, I noticed many vacant stalls and decided to rent them too. In addition to the six market stalls, I also run a cooked food stall selling Burmese curry,» she told Shin Min. Yan was busy running the stalls — until she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in February. Amid multiple surgeries, chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments that lasted over six months, Yan would periodically return to work. «Due to my weakened immune system, the doctor advised me to avoid crowds, so I wasn't able to work as usual,» she said.

SINGAPORE - Local banks and insurers are reviewing their use of NRIC numbers, and existing practices could change, they said in separate statements on Dec 19. Their statements came in the wake of security concerns over the disclosure of NRIC numbers in an updated version of Singapore's business registry portal, run by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Acra). Addressing concerns of impersonators using NRICs to cheat banks, the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) said NRIC numbers alone cannot be used to make payment and fund transfers. Customers who want to do so will have to pass multi-factor authentication challenges, in the form of one-time passwords or biometric authentication, to log in to their accounts. Higher-risk activities like high-value fund transfers or adding new payees will have to be further authorised, said ABS. In calls that The Straits Times made to local banks in the past week, banks typically required callers to identify themselves by entering their NRIC numbers during the call. The caller is required to enter a one-time password before services or privileged information are provided.

The government has apologised for causing anxiety and confusion among the public over the unmasking of NRIC numbers on the Bizfile platform.  «We are very sorry to have caused them much anxiety,” said Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, who emphasised that the public's concerns are taken seriously.  Speaking at a joint press conference on Thursday (Dec 19), she clarified that the move to eventually unmask NRIC numbers was to give the public »better protection«, as the current situation leaves people vulnerable.  The government’s plans to discontinue the use of masked NRIC numbers was meant to be implemented first on new services, and subsequently older services as they get updated. Implementing it in the private sector would only happen after a public consultation was done, said Teo.  The authorities had wanted to make the change after explaining its rationale, but a »miscommunication" regarding its implementation led to the launch of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority's (Acra) new Bizfile platform on Dec 9, which had a search function that produced people's full NRIC numbers with their names.

Within six hours of a case of housebreaking and theft at a landed house in Bukit Timah getting reported on Wednesday (Dec 18), the police arrested two Chinese nationals who are in Singapore on social visit passes.  The two men, aged 38 and 52, are suspected of breaking into the house along Greenleaf View to commit theft on Monday night when the unit was empty. Police canvassed security cameras within and around the unit, including police cameras, to identify the suspects.  They were arrested at about 6pm on Wednesday at a hotel along Joo Chiat Road.  The two suspects wore trekking gear to commit the housebreakings.  PHOTO: AsiaOne/Sean Ler Two watches valued at about $8,800, a branded pouch valued at about $5,000, an assortment of jewellery, and about $3,750 in cash were recovered from them. 

To support those in need, FairPrice will be extending its daily discount schemes for Pioneer Generation, Merdeka Generation and Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) Orange and Blue cardholders into 2025.  These cardholders can enjoy a three per cent discount on purchases on selected days of the week. The discount scheme will be available across all FairPrice stores and Unity outlets till Dec 31, 2025, FairPrice Group said on Thursday (Dec 19). Discount schemes at FairPrice will be extended till Dec 31, 2025.  PHOTO: FairPrice Group The CHAS Orange discount scheme, introduced in October, aims to help more Singaporeans afford daily essentials. It is available to individuals whose total gross household monthly income per family member living together ranges from $1,501 to $2,300. 

SINGAPORE — Travellers can expect very heavy traffic at Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints during the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays, and are advised to factor in additional waiting time. In a statement on Thursday (Dec 19), the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said over 3.4 million travellers crossed the land checkpoints during the first week of year-end school holidays, between Dec 15 and 21. On Dec 13, a record of over 553,000 travellers crossed in a single day, with the figure surpassing the previous peak of more than 543,000 travellers on Sept 6. Car travellers leaving Singapore during peak periods had to wait up to three hours to clear immigration, due to traffic tailback from Malaysia, said ICA. «Travellers are advised to factor in additional waiting time, especially over the weekends,» said the agency. «Alternatively, travellers can consider taking the cross-border bus services.» Travellers are also advised to co-operate with ICA officers, observe traffic rules, and maintain lane discipline.