SINGAPORE - A judge ordered a man to include about $10 million of his wealth to the matrimonial pool of assets to be divided in his divorce, to signal the court's «utter contempt» at how the man tried to hide his wealth from his former wife. Judicial Commissioner Mohamed Faizal Mohamed Abdul Kadir said the man's actions were among the most brazen attempts to conceal one's assets in divorce cases the courts have seen. «It represents a fraud not just on the court, but on all of the parties involved in the litigation and the wider justice system,» he said in a judgment released on Jan 9. He also awarded the man's former wife 69 per cent of the matrimonial assets of about $10.2 million - which was more than the 50 per cent she had asked for. Before the sum of about $10 million was added, the couple's matrimonial assets amounted to only slightly over $100,000. In the end, the woman was awarded about $7 million of the assets, leaving the man with about $3.1 million.

SINGAPORE - Some 37,000 public healthcare workers can expect salary increases in 2025, as part of efforts to attract and retain staff in these three groups. Announcing this on Wednesday (Jan 29), on the first day of the Chinese New Year, Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung said allied health professionals (AHPs), pharmacists, and administrative, ancillary and support staff will see their monthly salaries increase from the middle of the year. Mr Ong said details on the salary increases are still being worked out, with the Ministry of Health (MOH) in discussions with other ministries and the unions. «In a new year, people have all kinds of hopes. They hope for health and happiness. They, of course, also hope for salary increases and big bonuses,» he said. MOH said demand for healthcare services and manpower will continue to increase as the population ages. «We last increased the salaries of AHPs, pharmacists and administrative, ancillary and support staff in 2021. »This salary increase will enable the public healthcare sector to better attract and retain such staff," MOH added in a statement.

Three people, including two children, were rescued by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) on Tuesday (Jan 28) after a mezzanine floor, along with storage racks, collapsed in a Toa Payoh warehouse. In a Facebook post on the same day, SCDF said that they were alerted to the incident in the first-floor unit at 11 Toa Payoh Industrial Park at approximately 5.50pm. Four people were reportedly «trapped under piles of rugs» but one had managed to free himself by the time rescuers arrived at the scene and alerted SCDF of the remaining three still trapped. The rescuers, who searched within a 20m by 10m area, included firefighters from Bishan Fire Station, the Special Response Unit and Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (Dart) personnel along with two SCDF search dogs. They removed the rugs and had to cut through storage racks to reach the three trapped people, in a rescue operation that took about 90 minutes. Photos alongside SCDF's post show a rescued individual wrapped in blue blankets being placed on a stretcher and Dart rescuers using equipment to cut through metal.

They may live alone or have few family and friends but these seniors had a great time celebrating Chinese New Year last Friday (Jan 24). A total of 30 seniors, accompanied by Lion Befrienders staff, gathered at a volunteer's home where they tucked into lunch, played games and made new friends.  Koh and his wife had invited the seniors to their home, where they served up a spread of festive dishes such as 'pen cai', herbal chicken and koi fish jelly to their guests. The couple also organised a lucky draw for the seniors, giving out prizes such as abalone and fortune cookies. Excitement filled the air as everyone cheered when the winners' names were announced.  Koh also made sure that his guests did not leave empty-handed as he distributed red packets to them.  'I can make new friends' AsiaOne spoke with some seniors at the event, who shared their thoughts on loneliness as well as the challenges they're facing.  Ng Choon Phuan, who is single and living alone, told us such celebrations give him the opportunity to connect with new people. 

A Singaporean woman was fined RM1,000 ($308) by the Johor Bahru Magistrate Court this morning (Jan 28) after she pleaded guilty to making a false police report. Amyra Laila Ho, who also goes by the name Venus, had previously claimed that she was almost abducted by a couple near KSL City Mall. In a now-deleted Instagram video, the 45-year-old detailed her experience and said that she had reported the matter to the authorities. However, JB police refuted her claims, stating that they had not received any report as of Jan 21. In a statement on Monday, Johor police chief M Kumar said that they then received such a report on Jan 22. The alleged incident was said to have occurred on Jan 10 at around 1pm. «The police investigation found that the attempted abduction did not occur as, based on CCTV footage and technical evidence, there was no movement detected at the scene,» Kumar said. The police chief also pointed out that the allegation had gone viral on several social media platforms, prompting some to question the safety of tourists in Johor.

SINGAPORE – Several cars suffered heat damage after a fire broke out at a multi-storey carpark in Ang Mo Kio on the afternoon of Jan 27. When contacted, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the fire at Block 712A Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 at about 12.40pm. The fire, which involved two cars on the third level of the carpark, was extinguished using two water jets and a compressed air foam backpack. Preliminary investigations indicated that the cars involved were not electrical vehicles, SCDF said. No injuries were reported. When The Straits Times arrived at the carpark around 7pm, the owner of one of the cars, who wanted to be known only as Mr Foo, watched with his wife as their Nissan Sylphy was towed away. The 40-year-old engineer said they had planned to drive to Malaysia to visit family for Chinese New Year. “But we can’t do that any more. Not only did our car get burned down, but also our passports, which we left in the car,” he said.

The Singapore government has said that the New York Times (NYT) drew «misleading analogies» between the United States and Singapore.  In a Jan 26 letter addressed to NYT's editor, Singapore's ambassador to the US Lui Tuck Yew responded to what Li Shengwu had said in the publication's opinion video How Tyranny Begins: It Can Happen Here In America released on Jan 22.  Li, an economics professor at Harvard University, appeared in the video featuring four individuals who claim to have been repressed in their home countries — the other three people spoke about oppression in Russia, Hungary and Nicaragua.  In the video, Li, who is also a grandson of the country's founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, accused his uncle and former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong of having a «pattern of using police investigations and criminal prosecutions to dispose of or exile his opponents».  The 39-year-old also referred to a private Facebook post he had made in 2017 that was found to be in contempt of court.  After that, Li said, «the Singapore government went after [him] with a criminal prosecution».

SINGAPORE — Hidden in leaf litter near wildlife corridors, a poorly known threat to public health lies in wait for hikers, cyclists and dog owners frequenting Singapore's green spaces. These spots are ideal for bead-size parasites called ticks, which can transmit diseases as they latch on to humans and feed on their blood. While Singapore does not require doctors to report tick bites or tick-borne diseases, a recent study has learnt that all 11 species of ticks found to have bitten humans in the island-state between 2002 and 2023 are capable of carrying one or more harmful microbes. «If Singapore is going to be a city in nature, it needs to manage the parasites that come with the wildlife,» said Hokkaido University parasitologist Mackenzie Kwak, the lead author of the study by researchers based in Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia. The paper, published on Jan 17, found that the gilded boar tick (Dermacentor auratus), named for its propensity to feed on wild pigs, had caused more than half of the 51 reported tick-bite cases between 2002 and 2023, making it the most medically important of Singapore's native ticks.

At least $399,000 was lost to Shopee scams in 2024, the police said in an advisory on Jan 24. More than 179 such cases were reported to the police amid a rise in e-commerce scams. According to the police, victims would encounter livestreams or product listings on the Shopee app and place their orders. However, the victims would then be asked to complete the transaction outside of the app. «The seller would offer victims a discount to entice victims to complete the transaction on messaging platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp,» the police said. «In some cases, victims were added to Telegram group chats with other scammers posing as buyers.» Scammers would then confirm the victims' receipt of products through the third-party app, leading them to believe that they're making a legitimate transaction. After transferring the money via PayNow or bank transfers, victims would then be notified that their products were held at customs. To release their purchases, they would need to transfer more money. 

The remains of a Singaporean man who died after an earthquake hit Taiwan's Hualien county last April have been found. 47-year-old Sim Hwee Kok's remains were discovered on Jan 11 by a farmer, reported Taiwanese news outlet China Times. The farmer had been attending to crops along the Shakadang Trail in Taroko National Park when he noticed something that resembled human remains and alerted the police. Forensic experts identified a human hip bone after examining the remains and subsequent DNA testing confirmed that the remains belonged to Sim. The police also conducted additional searches in the area but were unable to find more remains, the China Times reported. According to Taiwan news, the authorities believe that Sim and his wife Neo Siew Choo were caught in a landslide on the trail during the earthquake, and that falling debris carried Sim's remains down into the ravine. Following the DNA match with Sim's son, the police contacted the deceased's family to inform them of the discovery.

SINGAPORE - The names and NRIC numbers of more than 3,000 individuals were sent to 18 unintended recipients on Jan 21 due to a “technical issue” in the information technology system of the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA). In response to The Straits Times’ queries, CEA said on Jan 26 that it discovered the data leak at 11.21am on Jan 22. The incident resulted in the inadvertent disclosure of a set of data containing 3,320 names and NRIC numbers belonging to those who had previously registered for the March 2024 Real Estate Salesperson or April 2024 Real Estate Agency examinations. “No contact information such as phone numbers or e-mail addresses were disclosed,” said CEA, the statutory board that regulates and develops the real estate agency industry here. The agency said it has written to all affected individuals to inform them of the incident and its follow-up actions, and to apologise to them. It has also contacted the 18 unintended recipients, who are property agents, former property agents, and previous exam candidates for the Real Estate Salesperson examination.

SINGAPORE - Growing teens have voracious appetites, but Teo Zi Yee, 17, and David Lucas Soo, 13, feel starved constantly and cannot be left unattended with food. They have Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) - a rare neurodevelopmental and genetic condition where the «switch» in the brain that signals fullness never gets flipped on. PWS occurs when part of the genetic material inherited from the father is missing or does not function. The inability to feel full, causing uncontrollable hunger and overeating, is a hallmark of the syndrome. Eating often and in large portions leads to quick weight gain, and that leads to morbid obesity, said Associate Professor Angeline Lai, a senior consultant with the Genetics Service at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH). Complications associated with morbid obesity include obstructive sleep apnoea, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol. «The severity of obesity depends partly on how strictly their food intake is controlled. Often, parents have to lock the kitchen or the pantry cupboard to prevent their children with PWS from excessive eating,» Prof Lai said.

A fire that broke out at a HDB flat in Punggol resulted in one individual sent to the hospital while 60 residents were evacuated, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) stated in a Facebook post on Sunday (Jan 26). The fire occurred around 5am this morning at Block 224A, Sumang Lane, and firefighters from Punggol, Sengkang and Tampines Fire Station responded to the incident.  Prior to SCDF's arrival, four persons had already evacuated from the unit. «Upon arrival, black smoke was emitting from a unit on the seventh floor,» the SCDF said. «The fire, which involved a bedroom, was extinguished with a water jet.» As a precautionary measure, about 60 residents in neighbouring units were evacuated by police and SCDF personnel. One individual, however, was assessed by a paramedic for smoke inhalation and was sent to Singapore General Hospital. «Preliminary findings indicate that the fire was likely caused by an electrical origin in the bedroom,» according to the SCDF

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has revoked the licence of a clinic in Bishan from Jan 24 for failing to control its medication prescriptions to patients on numerous occasions. The clinic, located at 512 Bishan Street 12, will not be able to provide its service at its premises, respond to house calls or conduct teleconsultation services, the ministry said in a statement on Jan 25. According to MOH, Prudence Family Clinic was found to have violated the conditions of its licence under the Healthcare Services Act 2020 (HCSA). The breaches were in relation to the prescription and supply of codeine cough preparations, benzodiazepines and other hypnotics. These included the clinic's failure to ensure that doctors avoid prescribing two or more benzodiazepines and other hypnotics to their patient at the same time. They also failed to ensure their doctors referred patients to specialists for further treatment after they had been prescribed benzodiazepines and other hypnotics beyond the eight-week cumulative period.

SINGAPORE — Stay alert if you are walking your dogs near Block 262 Serangoon Central, as the rat burrows in the area have been treated with rodenticides. Facebook group Dogs Singapore user Matthew Koh, in a post, urged those walking their dogs to watch out for these burrows instead of staring at their phones. His post is accompanied by a photo of a treated rat burrow, with white powder sprinkled around its entrance. It is marked with a sign bearing the logo and address of pest control company AZantz Services. The sign indicates that the burrow was treated on Jan 23, and that wax bait and powder had been used. Another Dogs Singapore Facebook user, Wei Jie, also urged dog owners to be careful after he spotted at least two treated burrows. «My dog nearly sniffed it and I had to quickly pull her away, very worrying.» Other users of the group shared their concerns about the small warning sign possibly being washed or blown away, saying that such treatments may also pose a danger to birds, cats and children.