Two people have been arrested after a video of a man getting violently attacked went viral, according to the police on Wednesday (May 7). A 31-year-old man and 35-year-old woman were arrested for their alleged involvement in a case of voluntarily causing grievous hurt with common intention and suspected drug consumption. In the 49-second video posted on Facebook on Tuesday, the victim can be seen handing over a plastic bag to a man in what appears to be a transaction. After a few words were exchanged, the victim then appears to return the man his banknote while tapping on his phone. However, the man receiving the handoff suddenly delivers an uppercut to the victim, sending the latter's glasses flying. The man follows this up with a flurry of blows, causing the victim to reel backwards and collapse on the ground, as punches continue to rain down upon him. As the victim tries to right himself, the attacker kicks him in the head, knocking him back against the wall. The victim's bloodied face and hands and face are shown as the video ends.

The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) has signed a contract with Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems to acquire two more Invincible-class submarines, growing its fleet to six from 2034 onwards.  The procurement of two additional submarines was previously announced by Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen at the Committee of Supply 2025 debate in Parliament on March 3.  «Four submarines are not optimal for a submarine fleet,» said Dr Ng. He explained that submarines are subjected to more rigorous and frequent maintenance cycles as they operate under intense pressure. This is in turn affects operational time. «This is why most navies that operate submarines have more than four — Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam», added Dr Ng.  The Republic of Singapore Navy started building four custom-made Invincible-class submarines, in Germany, in 2017. Two of the four existing submarines, the RSS Invincible and RSS Impeccable, were commissioned in September 2024 and have begun operations in Singapore waters. 

SINGAPORE — Cardinal William Goh is one of 133 cardinals from about 70 countries — and the first Singaporean — choosing the new pope in the papal election that starts on May 7 at the Vatican. The 67-year-old head of the Catholic Church in Singapore also has a shot at becoming the next pope, like the other cardinals gathered in Rome to pick the leader for the 1.4 billion Catholics globally. Cardinals are second in rank only to the pope in the Church's hierarchy. After the pope dies, all cardinals under the age of 80, who are known as cardinal electors, come together to choose the new pope. They typically choose someone from among their ranks. Pope Francis, who died on April 21, elevated Cardinal Goh to a cardinal in 2022. Cardinal Goh is the first and only Singaporean to be appointed a cardinal so far, and he heads the 395,000-strong Catholic Church here. One of six children of a housewife and a clerk, Cardinal Goh grew up in a zinc-roofed house in Hougang and later worked as a forex dealer before he answered the call of priesthood. He was ordained as a priest in 1985 at the age of 27.

SINGAPORE - Seven years ago, a foreigner molested a woman at Serangoon MRT station and left Singapore without being apprehended. But Zhang Yang, 34, was arrested upon re-entering the Republic in March. The Chinese national was sentenced to three weeks' jail on May 7 after he admitted to one count of outrage of modesty. A second similar charge was taken into consideration for sentencing. The offence happened on Aug 22, 2018. Zhang, a construction worker at the time, did not know the 21-year-old victim. She was at Serangoon MRT station, intending to travel to Little India. As she walked towards one end of the platform while waiting for the train, Zhang walked towards her and brushed his arm against her shorts. After they crossed paths, he turned and walked back towards her. She immediately moved to an area where more people were standing as she was afraid he would touch her again. But Zhang followed closely behind her and molested her a second time. Deputy Public Prosecutor Jordy Kay said: «This occurred less than a minute after the first incident. The victim was shocked and felt scared.»

SINGAPORE - Seven years ago, a foreigner molested a woman at Serangoon MRT station and left Singapore without being apprehended. But Zhang Yang, 34, was arrested upon re-entering the Republic in March. The Chinese national was sentenced to three weeks' jail on May 7 after he admitted to one count of outrage of modesty. A second similar charge was taken into consideration for sentencing. The offence happened on Aug 22, 2018. Zhang, a construction worker at the time, did not know the 21-year-old victim. She was at Serangoon MRT station, intending to travel to Little India. As she walked towards one end of the platform while waiting for the train, Zhang walked towards her and brushed his arm against her shorts. After they crossed paths, he turned and walked back towards her. She immediately moved to an area where more people were standing as she was afraid he would touch her again. But Zhang followed closely behind her and molested her a second time. Deputy Public Prosecutor Jordy Kay said: «This occurred less than a minute after the first incident. The victim was shocked and felt scared.»

An 18-year-old Chinese national studying in Singapore was allegedly kidnapped in Kuala Lumpur, with a ransom of $628,381 demanded from his parents. The teenager's parents had received videos on Friday (May 2) at around 11.44am showing their son being held hostage, reported China Press.  At the time, his mother, surnamed Cheng, 40, and father, surnamed Ye, 43, were in Dubai for work.  Cheng explained that in the videos sent to her, her son's mouth was sealed with black tape, his hands tied to a chair, while being physically abused. At one point, when the tape was removed, the boy would plead for help over the phone, urging his family to pay the ransom quickly.  The perpetrators also reportedly threatened to bury him alive. The family noted that the videos featured at least two distinct voices, indicating that more than one person was involved in the staged abduction. One video even included fake blood to make the scenario appear more convincing. The couple immediately flew to Malaysia after receiving the news.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong expressed his gratitude to Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean and Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat for their contributions to Singapore as they retire from politics after the recent general election. In a Facebook post on Tuesday (May 6), PM Wong expressed his gratitude to the «two giants of public service», thanking them for their «immense contributions to Singapore and Singaporeans». He also shared valedictory letters he had written to SM Teo and DPM Heng in his post. «Their decades of service have helped build the strong foundations that my team and I now stand on, as we chart the way forward for Singapore,» said PM Wong. 

SINGAPORE - The two independent candidates who contested the May 3 election intend to use their new-found platforms to engage with Singaporeans on local and national issues, even though neither was elected. Mountbatten candidate Jeremy Tan, 34, told The Straits Times on May 5 that he has not ruled out contesting the next general election. Mr Darryl Lo, 28, who contested in Radin Mas, was coy about his plans, saying he was unsure if he would continue being involved in politics. Political observers said the pair - part of an «evolving profile» of political independents - had polled better than expected, and were able to put their views across coherently during their campaigns. They also noted that Mr Tan and Mr Lo performed better at the ballot box than some candidates from small opposition parties fielded in single seats. Mr Tan, a retired business owner, ran against maritime lawyer Gho Sze Kee from the ruling PAP in Mountbatten. Both are political newcomers.

«If global temperatures continue to rise at the current rate, Asia's economic future will be in severe jeopardy if we do not do anything,» remarked Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security, Teo Chee Hean. He was speaking at Temasek's Ecosperity event held on Tuesday (May 6). He cited the Asian Development Bank's estimates on GDP losses given a high-end greenhouse gas emissions scenario and warned against regular flooding with disruptions to the food supply chain with heat and weather extremities. «Our region is not just vulnerable to the crisis. We are integral to solving it,» said SM Teo. He also noted the path forward for Asia should see growth, maturity and adoption of green technologies, as well as closer collaborations between governments, business and investors to complement efforts on climate action for a low-carbon future.

Seven students dressed in boldly coloured outfits belted out the lyrics to the song Drip by BabyMonster while executing slick dance moves, drawing curious and appreciative looks at Nanyang Polytechnic's (NYP) Student Life Carnival, a co-curricular activities (CCAs) showcase, in April. They are members of the K-Wave Club, a cultural club inspired by all things Korean. Preparation for performances like this often takes more than a month, with rehearsals running into the night as performers sing and synchronise their dance moves over and over in front of a large mirror.  Members of the K-Wave Club performing at the Student Life Carnival in April. PHOTO: Sylvia Tan All this is done without hired instructors, and with performers learning dance and vocal techniques from other members and alumni instead.

SINGAPORE — A Singaporean man was part of a group arrested in Bangkok for selling drug-laced electronic cigarettes, amassing nearly 16 million baht (S$627,000) in suspected ill-gotten gains, said the police in Thailand. The 37-year-old Singaporean man, identified by the police as Neo Ming Loon, was among six suspects arrested on April 30. Evidence, including vaping equipment and cash, was also seized in two raids — one at a house in the Bangkok subdistrict of Din Daeng, the other at an apartment in the Pathum Thani province north of the Thai capital. The Royal Thai Police's Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) said in a statement on May 2 that they had received a report about smuggled e-cigarettes or vapes that were mixed with narcotics like ketamine and hawked as «Kpods» to tourists. Suspicions were partially confirmed when an undercover officer managed to purchase a vape from one of the suspects described as a low-level dealer at around 2,500 baht, said the police. Investigations found that etomidate, a substance commonly used as a medical anaesthetic, and not ketamine, had been mixed into the vape pods.

A British man has been arrested for allegedly stealing items amounting to over $2,900 from shops at Changi Airport. These items included perfumes, cosmetics, wine, confectionery and a wallet. The police said in a statement on Monday (May 5) that they were alerted to a case of shop theft at Shilla Perfume and Cosmetic in the transit area of a Changi Airport terminal at about 9.45 pm on April 15. According to preliminary investigations and CCTV footage, the man had entered the shop and allegedly left with a bottle of perfume without paying. The retail supervisor later noticed the missing bottle from the shop’s shelf while taking stock of the inventory. In a follow-up investigation, officers from Airport Police Division were able to identify and arrest the 32-year-old. The man is expected to be charged on Wednesday with eight counts of theft in dwelling. If found guilty, he may be jailed up to seven years, fined or both for each count.

A woman carrying a baby escaped unscathed after an escalator they were on malfunctioned and several steps became dislodged. The incident occurred at HarbourFront Centre on Sunday (May 4) at about 2pm, according to the mall's management Mapletree. Photos posted on social media showed the mangled steps at the top of the upward-moving escalator, with metal fragments strewn around the escalator landing. The escalator, located between the second and third floors, was still being repaired when Shin Min visited the site on Monday at around 10.15am. A notice was also put up by the mall's management informing patrons to use lifts or alternate escalators. When interviewed, a shop assistant on the second floor told the Chinese evening daily that she heard a loud noise when the incident happened. «I heard a loud 'boom' and when I looked up, I saw that the top escalator steps were bent out of shape and the escalator had also stopped running,» said the woman. She recalled that there was a woman riding the escalator at the time.