Singapore is not expected to be hit by trade tariffs from the United States but still stands to be indirectly impacted as it is a small and open economy, said Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday (Feb 4), Dr Balakrishnan noted how the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has contributed to a tripling of bilateral trade since 2004, allowing the US to consistently maintain a trade surplus with Singapore. «I do not anticipate us being on the hit list for direct tariffs, because… the United States has a surplus as far as the trade balance with us is concerned,» said Dr Balakrishnan. But Singapore still needs to be careful and prepared for how turbulent the economic situation can be, he said.

It's time to shed your old luck and slither into the new year, possibly with heavier pockets. This year's Toto Hong Bao Draw will be held on Feb 7, with an estimated $12 million jackpot. The draw will take place at 9.30pm at the Singapore Pools Building at Middle Road. All betting outlets have started selling $10 and $20 ticket packs as of 6.10 pm on Monday (Feb 3).

Sustainability is a key element in helping Singapore create a better future for everyone, and Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP)'s new sustainability masterplan aims to drive sustainable change for the next generation. The masterplan comprises a pivotal component, NYP X, a series of plug-and-play sustainability initiatives and activities to involve and help catalyse positive change in different communities and neighbourhoods across Singapore, starting with NYP's immediate neighbourhood - Teck Ghee. From Project Rejuven-Aid, a home refurbishment initiative that supports vulnerable households, to the vibrant Freecycle Market that breathes new life into pre-loved items, NYP aims to expand these programmes through partnerships beyond their campus.

Singapore’s oldest living artist Lim Tze Peng, best known for his Chinese ink scenes of old Chinatown and the Singapore River, as well as his distinct calligraphic idiom termed “muddled writing”, has died at 103. According to a report in Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao, he died on Feb 3 at 6pm. His eldest son, Mr Lim Su Kok, told Zaobao that his father was hospitalised for pneumonia in January. Lim is the subject of a major ongoing solo exhibition at the National Gallery Singapore (NGS), along with at least three recently concluded exhibitions in private galleries. Ms Jazz Chong – owner of Ode To Art gallery, which has represented Lim for 17 years – said: “He is like a grandfather to me, one of the most compassionate and inspiring people in my life. His dedication to his art was unwavering, and even in his final months, it was a joy to see him still painting happily.” Gallerist Goh Chee Keong, who ran a solo exhibition by Lim titled Elan at Confluence Art Space until January, said Lim’s death was “a significant loss to our art scene”.

A shophouse along Norris Road in Little India caught fire on Monday (Feb 3) morning, damaging at least one car. Some shophouses in the area — including a spa and a clinic — were also affected, according to netizen Rafiqul Islam Mamun who posted a video of the incident on Facebook group Complaint Singapore. The shophouse, located at 31 Norris Road, could be seen smothered in thick smoke that blanketed two neighbouring units. Loud, sharp sounds could then be heard as the windows suddenly shatter, sending glass shards flying everywhere as the flames grew. Multiple police officers could also be seen fighting the fire with fire extinguishers. Several vehicles were also seen in front of the affected shophouse, which Rafiqul said sustained damages. In an update from Rafiqul at around 11.30am on Feb 3, he shared that SCDF firefighters were using a hose to extinguish the flames at the shophouse. The police had cordoned off the scene with tape and evacuated those in the immediate vicinity, watching the firefighting efforts from a distance.

Some luxury vehicles were allegedly vandalised at an open carpark in Teck Whye Lane on Jan 31. In a video posted to TikTok by user Engr.unclekiko on the same day, the vehicles in question can be seen covered in a while liquid — seemingly paint. The affected cars include a Ferrari sports car, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota Alphard, according to the TikTok post. The clip also shows a man exiting the sports car while on the phone. According to the post, he had called the police and officers arrived at the scene shortly afterwards. https://www.tiktok.com/@engr.unclekiko/video/7465923062135819528 A second video posted by the same user on Sunday (Feb 2) showed that the windscreen of the Mercedes-Benz had been smashed in yet another alleged act of vandalism. «Car owners who park in this area must be feeling uneasy. I sincerely hope the authorities will catch the person responsible soon,» said the post. AsiaOne has reached out to the TikTok user for more information. Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the police stated that they received a call for assistance at about 7.05am at the open carpark at Block 103 Teck Whye Lane.

«It's like an enforced time to study,» Andrew Koh, a parent, said of private tuition. Koh, a 45-year-old father of two, reckoned he spends between $700 and $800 a month on tuition classes for his Primary 4 daughter. On average, his daughter attends five hours of classes per week after Koh noticed that her grades were dropping. Koh told AsiaOne: «The problem was that [my daughter] spends a lot of time watching TV or YouTube.» «That's confirmed,» his daughter interjected, leading to laughter from Koh. He continued: «[They also] play with their devices - if they go for tuition, I think that will help them to spend their time more meaningfully.» $1.8 billion spent on private tuition in 2023 Koh is one of many Singaporean parents who have contributed to the $1.8 billion spent on tuition in 2023, according to a report by The Straits Times on Jan 20, citing the Singapore Department of Statistics's Household Expenditure Survey 2023. The survey, which polled 13,100 households between December 2022 and December 2023, is conducted every five years.

A Singaporean man recently sustained injuries while defending his in-laws from attackers at their Johor home. He had accompanied his wife, a 42-year-old hairdresser surnamed Fang, to her hometown in Kluang to celebrate Chinese New Year. During the festive season, however, two men harassed her family for three days, China Press reported. The pair set off firecrackers and splashed paint outside Fang's family home, and even smashed the windows of two cars, forcing the family to fight back with sticks. During the fight on Friday (Jan 31) morning, one of the attackers slashed Fang's husband with a parang, injuring the latter's head, chest, and left arm, reported The Star.

The authorities have urged stallholders at Beauty World Food Centre to step up hygiene and food safety measures following a suspected rodent infestation there. In a joint statement on Saturday (Feb 1), the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and National Environment Agency (NEA) instructed stallholders to properly dispose of food and keep their stalls clean of food scraps to prevent easy access to food by rats. Recent reports of rat sightings in the food centre prompted NEA to carry out an inspection of the premises, reported The Straits Times. On Jan 23, the building management sent a letter to stallholders, saying that NEA had discovered «extensive rodent droppings» all around the property. «This poses a serious hygiene risk, especially since food is being served in the hawker centre,» they explained. The building management also instructed stall owners to «eliminate potential food sources and breeding grounds» and remove all their items from common areas in order to stop any rodent activity.

SINGAPORE — Several residents in a housing estate in the Lavender area experienced a disruption to their water supply after a nearby underground pipe burst on Feb 1. One of them, part-time Grabfood delivery rider Ramdhan Sab’an, said he was heading to his home in Block 811 French Road at about 9pm when he found water gushing from the ground near his block. He said: «I asked my wife to check whether still we had water at home, but she said the supply was cut off.» Ramdhan, 39, who lives on the second floor, said the water supply to his home was yet to be restored at 11.30pm. In video footage seen by The Straits Times, water can be seen gushing from the ground near a block of flats. The water run-off can also be seen flooding a section of the nearby road.

A passenger at Gardens by the Bay MRT station was recently filmed attempting to board a train when the doors were already closing. This caused her walking stick to be momentarily trapped between platform screen doors. A 15-second clip of the incident circulating online shows the woman trying to squeeze through the closing platform screen doors. A man on the platform attempts to keep the screen doors open, while another man on board the train, presumably their companion, tries to force-open the train doors. But the doors close, causing the woman's walking stick to become stuck. When both doors open again after a few seconds, the woman retrieves her walking stick. The man in the train holds open the train doors for the woman and the man to enter the cabin. Netizens slammed the trio for their reckless behaviour. «I don't know why but is it difficult to board the next available train? It's not like one train has left and the other takes forever to wait for arrival,» said one Reddit user.

Most have seen the Mercedes-Benz public buses plying Singapore roads, but what about Mercedes-Benz waste collection trucks? Xiaohongshu user Xiao Wen Ge (transliteration), who appears to be from China, recently shared his sighting of the SembCorp vehicle at a HDB estate. «Singapore is indeed a rich country, even their waste collection truck is a Mercedes-Benz,» read his video caption. The post has since attracted over 3,000 likes, with a few netizens intrigued by the design. «The front looks like a bus, while the back is a truck. What is this 'hybrid style'?» commented one user. «It looks like the front of a bus, and the driver's cabin is low,» pointed out another. The waste collection truck is called the Mercedes-Benz Econic and has been around since 2020.

Singapore expects Nvidia to comply with United States export controls and Singapore’s laws, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has said in response to queries about Chinese start-up DeepSeek possibly acquiring advanced Nvidia chips through intermediaries in Singapore. In a statement on Feb 1, the ministry noted that Nvidia, a leading AI (artificial intelligence) chip designer, has stated that “there is no reason to believe that DeepSeek obtained any export-controlled products from Singapore”. “We expect US companies, like Nvidia, to comply with US export controls and our domestic legislation. Our customs and law enforcement agencies will continue to work closely with their US counterparts,” it said.  “We have always upheld the rule of law and acted decisively and firmly against individuals and companies that flout the rules,” the ministry added. Singapore has come under the spotlight in a US investigation into whether DeepSeek, whose AI model’s performance has made headlines worldwide, had circumvented US restrictions on advanced Nvidia chips by buying them from third parties in other countries, including Singapore.

A diner received an injury to his head after a dragon dance performance went awry in a restaurant located at Sin Ming Drive. In a 17-second video posted to the Sgfollowsall Instagram account on Wednesday (Jan 29), a dragon dance can be seen taking place on stage at Gim Seng Heng Seafood Restaurant, as diners looked on while having their meals. However, just as the performers attempted a corkscrew-like manoeuvre with the dragon puppet's body, a part of the puppet caught the large whirling fan above their heads. This launched the prop into the air, as poles that the performers were holding onto were ripped from their hands. In an instant, the crowd cried out in shock as both the puppet and rod were seen hurtling towards them. «It's bleeding,» a voice could be heard saying as the video ends abruptly. According to the Instagram post, the performance occurred on Tuesday (Jan 28). «They had a dragon dance performance on a very small stage with the ceiling fan still on,» said a purported diner who shared the incident with Sgfollowsall.

SINGAPORE — A relaxing reunion dinner in Orchard Rendezvous Hotel for a family of 12 turned dramatic as three of them raced against time to save a chef who was having a severe asthma attack. The family had finished their sixth course a little after 10pm on Tuesday (Jan 28) when medical student Alex (not his real name) visited the restroom of the TungLok Signatures restaurant and saw a chef, who looked to be in his 60s, crouched in a corner. «He was gasping, short of breath, holding his throat and turning pale,» the 23-year-old told The Straits Times. The NUS medical student helped to sit the chef up and administer his inhaler, but his condition was not improving. Two of the chef's colleagues had already called for an ambulance by then. «His situation was getting serious,» Alex said. At that point, his father, an orthopaedic surgeon, happened to enter the restroom. Alex said: «There was no other medical equipment, nothing much to do except to stay and monitor him.»

A man on a personal mobility device (PMD) was seen speeding down the left-most lane of West Coast Highway before he eventually lost control and tumbled over.  Dashcam footage of the incident was shared on Thursday (Jan 30) on Facebook group SG Road Vigilante.  According to the video, the incident occurred earlier that day at 1.55am. 

It started with an anonymous complaint from a member of the public about migrant worker cleaners in their estate giving money to their manager. Within days, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) deployed about 20 investigation officers to interview more than 30 workers and arrested the manager, Derrick Ho Chiak Hock. Ho, the former operations manager of conservancy firm Lian Cheng Contracting, had collected $396,440 from 57 Bangladeshi workers from 2014 to 2020 for the renewal of their work permits. All the workers have since got back their money. Ho, 55, was sentenced to 24 weeks’ jail on Nov 14, 2024, after admitting to offences under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.

Although the Lunar New Year is traditionally a Chinese festival, a local Indian family took the opportunity to reunite and celebrate, ringing in the new year with lo hei and hotpot.   Local content creator Abraham De Laure took to TikTok on Jan 29 to share how his Indian family of over 30 gathered to celebrate Chinese New Year. The minute-long video, which has garnered over 500,000 views overnight, showed the lively family giving out Mandarin oranges, having yusheng and indulging in hot pot. They made sure to shout auspicious phrases while tossing their lo hei, albeit chaotically. Abraham wittily remarked in the video: «I've never seen the lo hei fly to the ceiling before.» He told AsiaOne the idea sprung from his father and cousin. @abrahamdelaure Family celebrates Chinese new year

Army life may be tough, but even full-time national servicemen (NSFs) get some creature comforts during Chinese New Year. The Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) Facebook page posted on Tuesday (Jan 28): «To celebrate Chinese New Year, BMTC Cookhouse has created a special festive menu for our recruits! »This year’s feast includes both chicken and fish, symbolising good luck and prosperity." A photo shows the dish of brown rice with peppers, stir-fry xiao pei chye, baked chicken with lemongrass and coriander, and steamed fish with lemon and ginger. They also received tang hoon with crabmeat, and tau kee soup. And for dessert, the NSFs at Pulau Tekong got a pineapple tart and two oranges.

A 55-year-old man who considers it his duty to assist accident victims has been fined for modifying his car with four red-and-blue warning lights. He also added «Emergency Response Team» stickers to his vehicle. Mr Lim Kim Long told Shin Min Daily News that he had witnessed a collision between two cars on the Pan-Island Expressway in January last year. He stopped to assist, providing First Aid to a driver whose hand was cut by the airbag. The trained first responder keeps his car equipped with a First Aid kit, an automated external defibrillator (AED), a fire extinguisher and a stretcher. He explained that he uses the warning lights for safety reasons when stopping to assist at accident scenes. «I purchased the warning lights online and installed them on the front and rear of my car. I activate them only after stopping at an accident site to help those injured,» he said. However, while assisting the injured driver on PIE, auxiliary police officers arrived and questioned him about the lights. They also took down his identification details.

A young girl was rushed to the hospital after being stung by a jellyfish at Changi Beach at around 3pm on Sunday (Jan 26). A witness to the incident, Zhang Yuliang (transliteration), told Shin Min Daily News that the child of about seven or eight was stung while walking on the beach and that he had seen «the 'imprints' left by the jellyfish's tentacles on her legs». Her parents were with her, and she looked to be in pain, though the witness thought the injury was unlikely to be severe. According to photos shown to Shin Min by the man, paramedics could be seen attending to the girl. A restaurant manager working nearby told the Chinese daily that the child was wearing a swimsuit and he believed that she was swimming in the sea when she was stung. Her family also asked the restaurant for a cup of hot water, he added. «The girl was crying bitterly, and later an ambulance was called to take her to the hospital,» he said. The manager, who only gave his name as Mark, also noted that it was the second time he had witnessed someone being stung by a jellyfish, with the previous incident taking place in 2024.

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. 

SINGAPORE — Former Workers' Party (WP) MP Leon Perera on Jan 28 announced that he will be based in New York City for work, a move that signals he is unlikely to contest in the upcoming general election. In a post on LinkedIn, Perera said he had recently taken up a new role in his company as executive director for Yamada Consulting Group USA, the American office of the group. Speculation has been swirling since early 2024 that Perera had joined the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) after he was seen at several of the opposition party's events and posted about it on social media. PSP and Perera previously said he was assisting the party and was not a member. Still, murmurings on the ground continued, with some speculating that he could be fielded as a candidate in the election due by November 2025. Asked if he will be contesting in the coming general election, Perera declined to comment. «For now I have nothing to add to what I have posted,» he told The Straits Times. A PSP spokesman confirmed that Perera is still a volunteer with the party. With his move to New York City, he is all but certain to be sitting out the election.

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.