SINGAPORE — Four Dutch crew members on a Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima, which hit another vessel at Pasir Panjang Terminal in June 2024, have admitted to failing to discharge their duties properly. The incident caused serious damage to a bunker vessel — the Singapore-flagged Marine Honour — and led to the worst oil spill in Singapore in 10 years. On March 12, Richard Ouwehand, 49, Martin Hans Sinke, 48, Eric Peijpers, 56, and Merijn Heidema, 26, pleaded guilty to one charge each under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 for their role in the oil spill. The oil spill spread to the coastlines of East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve and Sentosa, the Southern Islands and even to the Johor coastline in Kota Tinggi. Deputy Public Prosecutor Regina Lim told the court on March 12 that clean-up operations took more than two months, and that the full extent of the oil spill's impact on the coastal and marine environment is still being assessed. Marine Honour is still undergoing repairs for the damage, and the cost of repairs is estimated to exceed $6.6 million, the prosecutor added.

A 62-year-old bus driver died after he was involved in an accident with a lorry on Wednesday (March 12). The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to the accident at 11.15am near the junction of Eu Tong Sen Street and Outram Road. SCDF told AsiaOne two people were taken to Singapore General Hospital. The police said the the bus driver was unconscious when taken to the hospital, where he later died. A 47-year-old passenger was taken conscious to the hospital. In a video posted online, a white bus is seen mounted on a kerb with a fallen tree lying in its path.  Police investigations are ongoing.

Prosecutors told a court on Thursday (March 13) that a case in which Singapore-based firms have been accused of fraudulently supplying US servers to Malaysia involves transactions worth US$390 million (S$519 million). Three men have been charged with committing fraud against Dell and Super Micro by falsely representing where the servers would end up. Local media have linked the case to the possible transfer of Nvidia's artificial intelligence chips to Chinese AI firm DeepSeek. The US is investigating if DeepSeek, whose AI model's performance rocked the tech world in January, has been using banned US chips. Authorities have said the servers may have contained Nvidia chips but did not say whether the chips were the high-end semiconductors that are subject to US export controls. Asked about the potential link to DeepSeek, Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam said last week that he did not want to speculate. The three suspects are Singaporeans Aaron Woon, 41, and Alan Wei, 49, and Chinese national Li Ming, 51.

The electoral boundaries of Singapore have been redrawn — which means election season is almost here. New faces from various political parties have been spotted on the ground over the past few months, with some opposition parties laying early claims on certain constituencies. As recommended by the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC), there will be 10 five-member GRCs and eight four-member GRCs, as well as 15 SMCs in the 2025 General Election (GE). Particularly fierce contests are predicted to take place in some electoral divisions; here are five notable ones to keep an eye on. Aljunied GRC The first ever GRC to be won by an opposition party, Aljunied has been held by the Workers' Party (WP) since GE2011. In GE2020, the WP team of Pritam Singh, Sylvia Lim, Faisal Manap, Gerald Giam and Leon Perera claimed Aljunied GRC with 85,603 votes (59.93 per cent).

You may be familiar with the history of how Singapore grew from a fishing village to the metropolitan city that it is today. With such a huge transformation, it is important to reflect on how we got here and what our next steps are. To guide Singapore in charting its next lap of growth, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has unveiled the Singapore Economy 2030 vision. The strategic blueprint centres on four key pillars to propel Singapore's growth trajectory: Trade, Enterprise, Manufacturing, and Services. Here are the important takeaways from the Singapore Economy 2030 vision: Trade 2030 By 2030, Singapore aims to boost its export value to at least S$1 trillion and its international commodity trade flows to US$2 trillion (SGD$2.7 trillion). To achieve these goals, the Trade 2030 strategy focuses on anchoring new flows and growing trading volumes, deepening companies' efforts in key areas such as sustainability, and enhancing trade relationships with global economies.

SINGAPORE - Billionaire tycoon Kwek Leng Beng will drop the lawsuit he had filed against his son Sherman Kwek and other directors of City Developments Limited (CDL), in the latest turn of a high-profile family rift that set tongues wagging for more than two weeks. The executive chairman of CDL said on March 12 that he has decided to drop the lawsuit he had filed in February to stop his son and majority directors of CDL from implementing a number of board resolutions.  The lawsuit was also filed to restrain two newly appointed independent directors from exercising their powers. “I will continue in my role as executive chairman, and Sherman Kwek will continue as group chief executive officer,” he said. All the current directors, including the two new independent directors – Ms Jennifer Duong Young and Ms Wong Su-Yen – will remain on the CDL board, he added. The older Kwek said all CDL board members have agreed to put aside their differences for the greater good of CDL and its stakeholders.

Although the newly formed Sembawang West single-member constituency (SMC) has split from the Sembawang group representation constituency (GRC) for the upcoming general election, it «remains an integral part of the Sembawang family», said MP Ong Ye Kung. Ong, who is also Minister for Health, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday (March 12) that the new ward's upgrading and development plans will continue to be part of the GRC's town development plan. «As an SMC, [Sembawang West] will be able to have more autonomy and flexibility to implement initiatives to address the specific needs of its residents,» he wrote. Ong also said that the change in electoral boundaries in the area was not surprising as more residents have moved into Sembawang GRC, and the population has expanded considerably over the past few years. «Increasing the number of MPs from five to six in the area will help to better serve the needs of our residents,» he said, adding that the key change for the constituency is that it will go from being a five-person GRC to a «five-person GRC plus an SMC».

Voting patterns in the new Punggol Group Representation Constituency (GRC) may change due to young residents, a political expert has said. On Tuesday, the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee announced changes to constituencies which will include five new GRCs such as Pasir Ris-Changi, Punggol, Jurong East-Bukit Batok, Marine Parade-Braddell Heights and West Coast-Jurong West.  The new SMCs include Bukit Gombak, Jalan Kayu, Jurong Central, Queenstown, Sembawang West and Tampines Changkat. Speaking to AsiaOne on Tuesday (March 11) on the key battleground constituencies for the upcoming General Election (GE), independent political observer Dr Felix Tan commented that the new Punggol GRC comprises «a lot of younger voters and newer estates» which may «shift voting patterns around». On the ground, younger Punggol residents are hopeful that this change would help their voices be better heard. «I thought that (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) was actually quite big, so maybe being just Punggol GRC might be a good thing,» 34-year-old Punggol resident Lim told AsiaOne. «Maybe our MPs may be a bit more focused on our GRC.»

HANOI — Singapore and Vietnam on Wednesday (March 12) have agreed to enhance co-operation in subsea cables, finance, and energy, marking an upgrade in their relations to Vietnam's highest level, during a visit by its Communist Party Chief To Lam to the city-state. Singapore is the third Southeast Asian nation, after Malaysia and Indonesia, with which Vietnam has established a «comprehensive strategic relationship». In a joint statement released following the upgrade, Lam and Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong witnessed the exchange of six agreements and discussed co-operation in undersea cable development, digital connectivity, and cross-border data flows. Southeast Asian countries, a major junction for cables connecting Asia to Europe, aim to expand their networks to meet the surging demand for AI services and data centres. Vietnam alone plans to launch 10 new submarine cables by 2030.

Although the newly formed Sembawang West single-member constituency (SMC) has split from the Sembawang group representation constituency (GRC) for the upcoming general election, it «remains an integral part of the Sembawang family», said MP Ong Ye Kung. Ong, who is also the Minister for Health said in a Facebook post on Wednesday (March 12) that the new ward's upgrading and development plans will continue to be part of the GRC's town development plan. «As an SMC, (Sembawang West) will be able to have more autonomy and flexibility to implement initiatives to address the specific needs of its residents,» he wrote. Ong also said that the change in electoral boundaries in the area was not surprising as more residents have moved into Sembawang GRC, and the population has expanded considerably over the past few years. «Increasing the number of MPs from five to six in the area will help to better serve the needs of our residents,» he said, adding that the key change for constituency is that it will go from being a five-person GRC to a «five-person GRC plus an SMC».

Following the latest report by the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC), several opposition parties, including the Workers' Party (WP) and the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), have come out to express concerns over some of the boundary changes.  In a statement after the report was released on Tuesday (March 11), the WP noted «significant changes» to areas where they have been «working consistently for the last few years». The party didn't name those areas.  The Committee's proposed changes include 18 Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and 15 single-member constituencies (SMCs), an increase from the current 17 GRCs and 14 SMCs. The proposed revisions were a result of «population shifts and housing developments», said EBRC.

SINGAPORE – A 58-year-old man was arrested after a younger man was found dead in a Housing Board flat in Boon Lay on March 11.  The 56-year-old man was found lying motionless in an 11th-floor unit at Block 187 Boon Lay Avenue, and was pronounced dead at the scene. The police said they received a call for assistance at about 11.35am. Preliminary investigations showed that both parties were known to each other. The Straits Times understands that the pair are brothers. The suspect was arrested at the scene. Police investigations are ongoing. When ST arrived at the scene at 5.25pm, several police officers were outside the unit, which had been cordoned off. A body was removed from the unit at 5.30pm.

A pedestrian was taken to hospital after sustaining serious injuries in a car crash in Geylang on Monday (March 10). The accident took place along 340 Geylang Road towards Kallang Road.  According to Shin Min Daily News, the car crashed into the man, the impact throwing him about two metres away. The man was later seen lying on the ground, with his face covered in blood, Shin Min reported. He also suffered a wound on his thigh. A video of the incident posted on Facebook shows a white Mazda with a crushed bonnet. Paramedics can be seen attending to the injured pedestrian as a crowd gathered around the scene. The male driver, whose car mounted the curb before crashing into the victim, appears to be in a daze following the accident.  In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force said that they were alerted to the accident at about 10.10 am on Monday. A 48-year-old male driver and a 44-year-old male pedestrian were both conscious when conveyed to hospital. One was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and the other was taken to Raffles Hospital.

A Singaporean man was sentenced to 11 years in jail by a Hong Kong court on March 11 for separate charges of robbery and attempted robbery, local media reported. Leong How Seng, 75, pleaded guilty on March 10 to one count of robbery and one count of attempted robbery, according to Hong Kong daily Ming Pao.  On April 14, 2022, Leong entered China Construction Bank in Kowloon and passed a bank employee a note that said: «We have a gun, put the money into the bag quickly, if you don't co-operate, we will shoot.» Leong pointed the air gun at the employee and threatened to kill her when she tried to stall for time.  He fled the scene with around HK$14,000 (S$2,400) in cash, and was arrested at home on the same day. He later confessed to having spent some of the money, including HK$7,500 on rental.   According to Yahoo Hong Kong, Judge Douglas Yau Tak-hong said robbery and intimidation with a gun-like object warranted a sentence of at least 12 years. Leong also attempted another robbery on July 1, 2022, at a pharmacy in Mong Kok's Golden Plaza.

In a clear indication that a general election (GE) is imminent, the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) has published its report on Singapore's electoral boundaries. In the report, which was released on Tuesday (March 11), some of the changes include the creation of one more GRC and an additional single-seat ward. There will be 10 five-member GRCs, one less than the 11 in 2020, while the number of four-member GRCs increased to eight from the six in 2020. There will be 15 single member constituencies (SMCs). There are currently 14 SMCs and 17 GRCs with four or five members each. The Government has accepted the recommendations of the Committee and will implement them at the next GE. This paves the way for the upcoming GE which must be held by November 2025. It will be the first under Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and his 4G leadership team.

Nine people suffered severe skin reactions and were hospitalised after consuming unregistered medicines touted to boost energy and improve alertness. In a statement on Monday (March 10), the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) urged the public not to obtain or consume products containing modafinil or armodafinil without medical supervision. The authority said that these nine cases, involving seven men and two women aged between 18 and 57 years old, occurred between February 2024 and February 2025. There were three similar cases in a prior warning issued in November 2023. They had reportedly obtained modafinil and armodafinil from street peddlers in Geylang or from their friends and consumed them as «supplements to boost energy and health». Blistering and severe peeling of the skin Six of the nine individuals developed Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), a life-threatening skin condition characterised by blistering and severe peeling of the skin and mucous membranes, said HSA. A man in his 40s also suffered from severe oral ulcers that prevented him from eating and speaking for a few days.

SINGAPORE – Financial services firm Chocolate Finance on March 10 suspended instant withdrawals, citing high demand. It said on its mobile app that it was experiencing an unusually high volume of withdrawal requests, so users making requests during this period would have to wait between three and 10 days to get back their money. In a media statement released on March 10, Chocolate Finance said it wanted to “reassure our customers” that it “remains a strong and stable place for” their spare cash, and that customer funds are “always safe”. It said that the pause in instant withdrawals and its Chocolate card transaction service is “not a liquidity issue but a matter of managing our increased transaction volume”. The pausing of transactions on its card is also so that it could “implement measures to manage this volume and expedite the return to normal service”.

The Government will be doubling down on its efforts to provide holistic support for athletes and make sport a viable career, said Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth on Monday (March 10). Speaking during the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth's (MCCY) Committee of Supply debate in Parliament, Tong announced plans to consolidate the Singapore Sport Institute (SSI), National Youth Sports Institute (NYSI), and Singapore Sports School (SSP) into a single entity with the goal of enhancing services to athletes. Consolidation of the three entities will take place in multiple steps, beginning with the SSI and NYSI merging from April 1 this year. The new sport institute will then merge with SSP at a later date, though details are not available yet. Tong also elaborated on plans to transform the Kallang precinct into an integrated national training centre and homebase for Team Singapore athletes.

Writing down orders, counting sticks, and collecting cash - these have long been Lee Bee Hock's to-do list as a hawker. Starting off selling satay along a five-foot-way, Lee recalls that era when everything was done by hand. At the time, being a hawker required much coordination and mental calculations - she was the chef, accountant and store manager all rolled into one. «I do almost everything here,» says Lee, pointing to her son as the only other person who helps her out at her stall from time to time. While she used to have to manually count orders, satay sticks and cash to calculate her earnings, advances in technology have transformed the way her stall operates. Tradition and technology meet As a one-man operation, Lee recounts how, in the past, she had to jot down orders and payments in a book and store her cash in drawers. These days, she has a cash register with a point-of-sale (POS) system that helps her consolidate multiple orders, and a buzzer system to alert customers to collect their orders. With prices already set inside the system, she can key in orders efficiently at just the touch of a button.

The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) will launch two pilot programmes to help persons with disabilities live independently. Speaking at his ministry's Budget debate on Monday (March 10), Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth Eric Chua said that most persons with disabilities live with their families and would like to continue doing so. «However, many ageing caregivers who may soon be unable to care for them,» he said. «Without other options, they may end up institutionalised.» Chua said that his ministry will pilot the Enabled Living Programme (ELP), starting from the second half of 2025, for those who are not able to live with their families and may require additional support for their residential arrangements. This includes a lower-income person with disabilities whose elderly caregivers have passed. Those under ELP will live in designated public rental flats where they can receive support such as basic supervision and coaching on living and social skills, added Chua. A taskforce said last year that this pilot will benefit 250 people from 2025 to 2028.

Singaporean authorities have begun the extradition process against an Indonesian businessman over his alleged role in a corruption scandal, following a request by Indonesia. It is the first such request since the treaty between the two countries came into force in March last year. It was signed in January 2022. Paulus Tannos, who also goes by the name Tjhin Thian Po, holds Singapore permanent residency, and has been remanded without bail in Singapore. He is believed to be living here since 2017. He has been on the Indonesia Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) wanted list since Oct 19, 2021.  According to the KPK's wanted list and Indonesian media reports, Tannos, in his 60s, is wanted for his alleged role in a graft scandal involving the government's national electronic identity card (e-KTP) project, which led to state losses of about 2.3 trillion ruppiah (S$192 million). 

Singaporean Malone Lam – arrested and charged over one of the biggest crypto heist in the US – splurged up to US$500,000 (S$665,000) a night at clubs and was seen giving Hermes Birkin bags to models and influencers in his lavish outings. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) said the 20-year-old and co-accused, American Jeandiel Serrano, 21, were arrested in September 2024 and charged with “conspiracy to steal and launder over US$230 million in cryptocurrency from a victim in Washington, DC”. At today’s prices, the 4,100 stolen Bitcoin are worth more than US$450 million. In his latest court hearing last week, Lam appeared in a green prison jumpsuit in a Washington court where his trial date was set for Oct 6. In the short time between the theft and their arrest, Lam and Serrano wasted no time in living it up on their alleged ill-gotten loot.