At least $1.1 billion was lost to scams in Singapore last year, up by 70.6 per cent from 2023. The number of scam cases rose by 10.6 per cent year-on-year to 51,501 cases, up from 46,563 in 2023, said the police in their annual Scams and Cybercrimes brief on Tuesday (Feb 25).  In 2024, e-commerce scams were the largest — 22.7 per cent of the total number of cases reported.  At least $17.5 million was lost to these scams, with concert tickets at the top of the list.

A 65-year-old American woman was arrested at Phuket International Airport with 4.3kg of crystal methamphetamine, according to multiple reports. The woman, identified as Melba Geraldine Sharp from California, was reportedly set to board Scoot Airways flight TR653 to South Korea via Singapore on Sunday (Feb 23), according to The Phuket News. The methamphetamine, worth 1.29 million baht (S$51,500), was discovered after Sharp was flagged down during a routine risk assessment of passenger profiles, The Nation reported. Officers had received a tip-off about possible drug smuggling through the airport and an X-ray screening revealed suspicious objects inside her suitcase, Customs director-general Theeraj Athanavanich told media. While examining her luggage, police found four sets of bed sheets that were unusually heavy. Authorities opened them to find rectangular packages wrapped in multiple layers of brown tape, Bangkok Post reported. Chemical tests revealed the packages to contain the methamphetamine, weighing a total of 4.3kg.

A 65-year-old male cyclist died in an accident involving a prime mover in Tuas on Monday (Feb 24) morning. In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the accident at the junction of Tuas Avenue 1 and Avenue 8 at about 11am. The cyclist was pronounced dead at scene by an SCDF paramedic. Photos circulating online show the cyclist lying face down in a pool of blood on the road. The wheel of his bicycle has been deformed in the accident. In another video of the aftermath posted on Facebook, a blue police tent is seen set up at the accident site. A prime mover and several police vehicles are spotted at the scene.

The new Large Families Scheme announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his Budget speech on Feb 18 is neither an incentive nor a reward, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah. Rather, it provides financial support for parents who «would like three or more children», with the Government providing additional assistance.  «Incentive is like, 'if I give you money, out pops the kid',» said Indranee in a podcast with CNA shared on Monday (Feb 24). «It cannot work like that.» And to think of the scheme as a «reward» is also the wrong kind of signal to send to Singaporeans, she added.  As part of new measures to encourage Singaporeans to have more children, parents will receive a $5,000 Large Family MediSave grant for each third and subsequent child born from Feb 18. Parents will also receive $1,000 each year in LifeSG credits for each third and subsequent child between the ages of one and six, or a total of $6,000 over six years. Meanwhile, all third and subsequent Singapore citizen children born from Feb 18 will receive $10,000 in their Child Development Accounts (CDA) under the First Step grant.

Stay in the know with a recap of our top stories today. 1. Fewer uni grads in 2024 found full-time work, though more had higher pay: Survey Graduates fresh out of university found it harder to find full-time permanent jobs, with the proportion dropping below 80 per cent, according to the latest graduate employment survey...» READ MORE 2. Chinese singer Curley Gao visits alma mater Dunman High School while in Singapore, buys Milo nuggets and McDonald's fries

«If you feel ok, there is no point going for health screening». This is a common misconception deterring people from getting their health checked. Reasons why one might avoid regular screenings could include the fear of discovering a negative outcome and assumptions that it takes time to keep up with appointments. Healthier SG, a national initiative, is here to help you navigate your preventive care journey with ease. In this episode, follow Chef Bob, a culinary host and esteemed chef, as he brings you through his journey of enrolling in Healthier SG. To learn how Healthier SG can help Singaporeans in their 40s like him, Bob visited Dr Precelia Lam, a Healthier SG General Practitioner (GP) from Raffles Medical who has assisted more than 300 Healthier SG enrollees in customising their health plans and supporting them in managing their health or conditions in the long-term. Dr Lam likens the Health Plan to «a recipe you and your family doctor create together». «It gives you a clear picture of your health right now and changes you need to make to keep your health on track and prevent issues down the road», she explains.

A woman, claiming to be the mother of a student kicked by schoolmates at Montfort Secondary School, has filed a police report and is threatening legal action, she said in a Facebook post on Sunday (Feb 23). The post by user Joleen Wee claimed that she is a single mum speaking out on behalf of her son's «traumatic experience.» This comes after a Facebook post on Saturday (Feb 22) depicted a boy being kicked and tripped by schoolmates. The video, which has garnered over 3,900 reactions and more than 10,000 shares, has since been removed. One of the earlier posts on Facebook had reportedly racked up more than 1.2 million views. In the video, a group of Montfort Sec students trail behind their schoolmate for a distance, before two break off to approach him. One of them then trips the boy and pushes him, causing him to fall, while the other kicks him. The boy then gets back to his feet and attempts to walk away before being tripped again. Phobia about going school Adding to this video, Wee claimed that her son had been strangled and beaten prior to the video that was uploaded.

SINGAPORE — Graduates fresh out of university found it harder to find full-time permanent jobs, with the proportion dropping below 80 per cent, according to the latest graduate employment survey. Results from the survey, which were released on Feb 24, showed that 79.5 per cent of graduates secured full-time positions in 2024, down from 84.1 per cent in 2023. But those who did find full-time jobs saw higher earnings with the median gross monthly salary at $4,500 in 2024, up from $4,317 in 2023. More fresh graduates were unemployed — 12.9 per cent in 2024, up from 10.4 per cent in 2023. This group refers to those who are unemployed and looking for a job or about to start work or business ventures. More of them are also in part-time or temporary work — six per cent, up from four per cent in 2023 — or doing freelance work (1.6 per cent, up from 1.5 per cent in 2023). Most graduates in this group were in such roles voluntarily, the survey noted.

A fire that broke out at a Kranji warehouse on Feb 19 has been successfully extinguished after four days of intense firefighting efforts by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).  In a Facebook post on Sunday (Feb 23), SCDF said that they have «worked round-the-clock to douse the deep-seated pockets of fire within the waste heaps» since Wednesday (Feb 19).  SCDF added that resources are being scaled down, but a fire engine and crew will be maintained at the premises to watch over the area that was affected by the fire.  The agency said they will also progressively hand over the site at 11 Kranji Crescent – listed online as the address of recycling firm Wah & Hua – to the premises owner for their recovery operations.

SINGAPORE – The measures announced in the 2025 Budget are not just about vouchers, but also steps Singapore is taking to strengthen the social support system and economy to ensure that nobody is left behind. In a speech to Marsiling-Yew Tee residents on Feb 22, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said he hopes the $143.1 billion spending plan announced on Feb 18 will give Singaporeans the confidence that there is a plan to take the nation forward. He said the Government is aware of cost-of-living concerns. “We are doing more to help all of you cope with cost-of-living pressures,” said PM Wong, who added that Budget 2025 is more than just vouchers alone. “Beyond short-term measures, we are taking steps to strengthen our social support system and economy, so that we can continue to create good jobs and opportunities for all Singaporeans.”

Eight people were injured after 14 vehicles collided along the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) on Friday (Feb 21) night. In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the accident which happened along PIE towards Changi after Jalan Eunos exit at about 9.50pm. The police said eleven cars, two taxis and one motorcycle were involved in the accident. Among the eight people injured were a 25-year-old male motorcycle rider, a 71-year-old male car driver and his two passengers aged 54 and 67, two female taxi passengers aged 39 and 82 and two female car passengers aged 26 and 34. SCDF said seven of them were taken to Changi General Hospital, and one person was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital. According to videos of the accident circulating on Facebook, multiple vehicles with varying degrees of damage were seen piled up on the expressway, with the bonnets of several cars seen badly crumpled. A red car also appeared to have crashed into the road divider.

SINGAPORE – Opposition Progress Singapore Party founder and chairman Tan Cheng Bock has indicated that he intends to contest the next general election. When asked after a walkabout in Clementi on Feb 23 if he will stand in the election due by November, Dr Tan, 84, said: “As long as I am able and I’m still relevant, I will be around.” Asked again if he will be at the nomination centre before the election, he stopped short of confirming his candidacy but said: “That has to be the natural conclusion, right? “I think so long as I’m relevant, and I think the country needs people, and I feel that I can contribute to the country, I cannot shirk that duty.” Dr Tan added that the party expects West Coast GRC’s boundaries to change before the polls, but he said the party will contest in the area regardless. “You are a politician, you fight… I am not making excuses – however West Coast is going to be cut, we will be there,” he said. He was also asked why the PSP was walking about in Clementi, which is in the neighbouring Jurong GRC.

The People's Power Party (PPP) has withdrawn from its four-party alliance, People's Alliance for Reform (PAR), which includes the Peoples Voice (PV), Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Reform Party (RP).  Secretary-general Goh Meng Seng announced this in a Facebook post on Saturday (Feb 22) and said that the decision was due to the parties' «irreconcilable strategic differences» for the 2025 General Elections (GE).  «We have reached a consensus that it would be a better option for PPP to withdraw from PAR,» he said.  «This is to ensure that PAR could continue to function as an effective political force in the upcoming GE without unnecessary disruptions that might arise from our fundamental strategic differences.» 

SINGAPORE — The four Ong children, aged three, five, eight and 10, do not go for tuition, travel or shop for clothes or toys — hand-me-downs from neighbours serve them just fine. They share bedrooms and have their meals in their five-room flat. Weekends are spent at the parks, having picnics and playing Frisbee. This simple lifestyle makes the family's single income go a longer way. The father of the four children, James Ong, 42, had heard from older relatives and friends that they wished they had spent more time with their families. And so, while others in their 30s chased their careers, he made the decision to put his family first and support them with his paid work as a self-employed life coach. His wife, 41-year-old Quek See Leng, who had been engaged in youth work before she had her eight-year-old, said people spend a lot of time and energy making sure they have enough to meet the high costs of living here. «In time to come, we realise that actually we are serving money. We've always felt that money must serve us. We cannot serve money. So we must first know what we really want.»