A 55-year-old man was arrested on Sunday (Dec 14) for his suspected involvement in a case of housebreaking and theft.The alleged theft took place at about 11.42am earlier that day at a food and beverage establishment along Chun Tin Road.In a statement on Dec 15, the police said more than $155 in cash was stolen from the business, adding that the suspect was identified with the aid of images from police cameras and follow-up investigations.He was arrested within seven hours of the report and the stolen cash was recovered and seized by the police.The suspect will be charged in court on Dec 16.If found guilty of housebreaking and theft, the man could be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.[[nid:726340]]editor@asiaone.com 

A motorcyclist died after a collision involving five vehicles in Yishun on Sunday (Dec 14) night.Photos of the incident were uploaded to the Professional PHV Drivers Singapore Facebook group. One of the photos shows paramedics attending to a motorist, while others show police officers at the scene.The road appeared to be cordoned off by the authorities, and was littered with debris from the cars involved in the crash.Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that they were alerted to a traffic accident at the junction of Yishun Avenue 3 and Yishun Central at around 10.20pm that day.The police said that the collision involved two motorcycles, two cars and a lorry.They told AsiaOne that a 20-year-old male motorcyclist was pronounced dead at scene by an SCDF paramedic. A second male motorcyclist was conveyed conscious to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, while three other individuals were treated for minor injuries but declined to be sent to the hospital.According to the police, a 38-year-old male car driver was arrested for dangerous driving causing death. 

An elderly man who saw a crow trap set up by the National Parks Board (NParks) in Toa Payoh allegedly cut the cable ties securing the netted structure. This led to the escape of the captured birds. The police on Monday (Dec 15) said it was alerted to the case at about 6.15pm on Oct 20. The crow trap at the grass patch near Block 181 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh had been deployed by NParks as part of operations to manage the bird population. The 77-year-old culprit was identified on Oct 22 through investigations and CCTV footage. He will be charged in court on Dec 16 with committing mischief that disrupted a public agency's work, said the police. If convicted, he could be jailed for up to 10 years and/or fined. «The police take a serious view of such acts of mischief and will not hesitate to take firm action against those who damage public property or any apparatus deployed to serve public functions,» it said. [[nid:718592]]lim.kewei@asiaone.com

BANGKOK — It was a case of third time lucky for Singapore's Letitia Sim, who won the women's 200m breaststroke final on Dec 14 to become the first swimmer to complete the SEA Games hat-trick in her stroke.In doing so, she also underlined her status as South-east Asia's queen of breaststroke.No one has achieved the feat since the 50m event was added to the programme in 2011. Sim had missed out in 2023 and 2022, when she finished second in the 50m and 200m respectively.But the 22-year-old has come of age since, improving on her speed and stamina, as she touched the wall first at the Huamark Aquatic Centre in a Games record 2min 27.37sec. Thailand's Pimchanok Chinveeraphan (2:31.50) was second, with Indonesia's Adellia (2:32.50) third.She said: "This means a lot. It showed the progress that I made throughout the past two SEA Games. I was extremely nervous for this event compared to the other ones because it's definitely one of the tougher races for me mentally and physically because you are just constantly doing it.

Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has written to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressing his condolences over the recent shooting at Bondi Beach.The shooting, carried out by a father and son duo at the famed beach in Sydney, happened on Sunday (Dec 14) during a Jewish celebration to mark the beginning of Hanukkah. The mass shooting resulted in the deaths of 15 people with some 40 taken to hospital, including two police officers and four children, one of whom later died from her wounds, Reuters reported. The victims' ages ranged from as young as 10 to 87. In a letter on the same day, PM Wong shared that he was deeply saddened to learn about the tragic incident and labelled it as an «act of terrorism».«This senseless violence struck a place cherished by Australians and visitors alike, including many Singaporeans,» he said, condemning the shooting.«Such acts have no place in our societies, and undermine the peace and security we all cherish.»PM Wong also extended his condolences to the affected families and expressed Singapore's solidarity with Australia.

A Chinese national suspected of breaking into three landed properties was brought back to one of his targeted houses in Serangoon Gardens on Monday (Dec 15) morning.Huang Xiaozong, 40, is accused of climbing over the gate of a home along Chuan Drive at about 8.40pm on Dec 7 and stealing a pair of wedding rings, a diamond-studded pendant, several necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings.The pieces of jewellery are valued at about $47,750, according to court documents seen by AsiaOne.The foreigner arrived at the row of terrace houses in an unmarked police vehicle at about 10.55am on Monday.Escorted by two officers, Huang kept his head down as he was questioned by another investigator near the burgled house. He left the scene at 11.02am. 

SINGAPORE - A Singaporean family of six holidaying in Sydney found themselves in the middle of a terror attack on Dec 14 when gunmen fired on beachgoers in Bondi Beach, leaving at least 16 dead and dozens injured.Recalling the harrowing experience, Ms Karin Lee, 44 and Mr Edward Wong, 49, told The Straits Times in a phone interview about 12 hours later that they were at the famous beach from about 1pm (10am SGT) with their triplet daughters, 12, and son aged five.The family had been in the Australian city since Dec 6 to celebrate the girls’ completion of PSLE, and was slated to return home on Dec 15.It was a very peaceful and sunny day when they arrived at the beach, said Ms Lee, with lots of families with young children having a good time. Once they had set up their belongings in the middle of the beach, the kids then went to play in the water.About five hours later, the family decided to pack up when they suddenly heard loud sounds that seemed like gunshots.Mr Wong’s first thought was: This is not normal.

SINGAPORE – A total of 44 people were taken to the hospitals after an accident involving two double-decker buses in Jurong West on the morning of Dec 14.In response to queries from The Straits Times, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the accident slightly before 11am.Upon SCDF's arrival, a person was trapped in the driver's seat of a bus, it said. The person was rescued using hydraulic rescue equipment, it added.Forty-two passengers and two bus drivers were taken to the hospitals, the authorities said. Police said a 49-year-old bus driver is assisting with ongoing investigations.Bus service 98, operated by Tower Transit, had rear-ended an SBS Transit-run bus service 99, which was stationary, at 10.54am in Jurong West Avenue 1, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a Facebook post at about 2.10pm.Those who were injured have been taken to the hospitals and are receiving medical attention, LTA said, adding that it and both transport operators are investigating the accident.LTA said: «We would like to apologise for the hurt and distress caused by this accident.»

Singapore on Friday (Dec 12) joined six other countries to enter a new US-led multilateral framework on economic security and technology.The framework, named Pax Silica, combines the Latin word «pax» - meaning peace, stability and long-term prosperity, and the word «silica» which refers to the compound that is refined into silicon used in computer chips that enable artificial intelligence (AI). According to the US State Department, the framework is intended to secure supply chains, trusted technology and strategic infrastructure. The inaugural summit on Dec 12 involved partners which the State Department said are home to the most important companies and investors powering the global AI supply chain.Writing on his X account, Undersecretary of State Jacon Helberg said the Pax Silica declaration operationalises US President Donald Trump's insight that artificial intelligence is the «new backbone of economic power».«This is the first time countries are organising around compute, silicon, minerals and manufacturing as shared strategic assets,» Helberg said. 

SINGAPORE – A total of 44 people were taken to the hospitals after an accident involving two double-decker buses in Jurong West on the morning of Dec 14.In response to queries from The Straits Times, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the accident slightly before 11am.Upon SCDF's arrival, it said, a person was trapped in the driver's seat of a bus. The person was rescued using hydraulic rescue equipment, SCDF said.Bus service 98, operated by Tower Transit, had rear-ended an SBS Transit-run bus service 99, which was stationary, at 10.54am in Jurong West Avenue 1, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a Facebook post at about 2.10pm.Those who were injured have been taken to the hospitals and are receiving medical attention, LTA said, adding that it and both transport operators are investigating the accident.LTA said: «We would like to apologise for the hurt and distress caused by this accident.»When ST arrived at the scene at around 12.30pm, the police have cordoned off the accident site. SCDF personnel were also there.Some of the injured were being attended to at a shelter near a HDB block.

A private jet which took off from Singapore's Changi Airport skidded off the runway after landing at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido on Friday (Dec 12) evening.The incident occurred shortly at about 6.40pm, reported Kyodo News Agency and Japan's NHK broadcasting network.There were five passengers on board, including a small child, along with three flight attendants. No injuries were reported, according to firefighters who rushed to the scene.The aircraft's fuselage was not damaged and there was no fire, added NHK.One of the New Chitose Airport's two runways was closed, but other aircraft operation were not affected, according to Japanese broadcaster HBC News, which posted a video of the aftermath on its YouTube channel.The aircraft appeared to have overshot the runway upon landing, coming to a stop on snow-covered ground.The report added that it was snowing at New Chitose Airport at the time. Authorities are investigating the incident.It was the second flight incident to have occurred in the region that day.

SINGAPORE - Even the best teachers struggle with large classes, a sentiment echoed by primary and secondary school teachers The Straits Times spoke to.With Singapore's plans to hire more than 1,000 teachers annually over the next few years, teachers say they hope the added manpower will eventually result in smaller class sizes.Average class sizes grew slightly from 2023 to 2024, based on the latest figures. In primary schools, the average class size rose from 33.6 to 33.8. In secondary schools, it increased from 32.6 to 32.9, and in junior colleges, from 23.1 to 23.2.The pupil-to-teacher ratio in primary schools was 15.6 in 2024, up from 14.5 in 2020. In secondary schools, the student-to-teacher ratio increased from 11.9 to 12.7 over the same period.The number of teachers fell from 30,396 in 2023 to 29,605 in 2024, even as the student cohort continued to shrink. Primary 1 enrolment, for example, dropped from 39,372 to 37,785 over the same period.

Nicholas Khaw, who won Singapore's first gold medal at the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand on Dec 10, has credited his family and team at the Police Logistics Department (PLD) for their unwavering support. Khaw, a full-time police national serviceman and his partner Diyanah Aqidah, 26, made history in the mixed poomsae pair taekwondo category by beating Vietnam's Nguyen Thi Kim Ha and Nguyen Trong Phuc.In a Facebook post on Dec 12, the Singapore Police Force shared that Khaw, 20, trains on weekdays after assisting with the logical needs of police operations during the day. He also trains during the weekends as well. Khaw also admitted that during the competition, he didn't think they stood a chance of performing well. 

Two women were taken to the hospital after a chain collision along Bedok Reservoir Road on Dec 12. TikTok user Gracie Daisy shared the incident in a video on the same day. The clip shows a damaged white car which had seemingly crashed into the back of a prime mover. There was also some white debris nearby. A few metres in front of the white car was a black vehicle with a dented rear bumper.Another video posted by Daisy on the same day shows a white BMW attached to a tow truck.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they were alerted to the incident on Dec 12 at around 4.30pm. The accident involved four cars and one prime mover. A 36-year-old female car driver and her 37-year-old female car passenger were taken conscious to the hospital.A 39-year-old male car driver is also assisting with investigations and police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:726702]]melissateo@asiaone.com

Businesses across the Causeway have seen a drop in customers from Singapore by up to 30 per cent this year-end — atypical for the holiday season — according to reports.However, some of these Johor Bahru (JB) businesses have cited reasons other than the stronger ringgit for the dip, according to Shin Min Daily News.The ringgit has appreciated against the Singapore dollar in recent months, with one Singapore dollar now buying RM3.17. It was above RM3.30 for most of 2025, The Straits Times reported.On Dec 5, Malaysian publication The Star reported that Johor business owners have seen noticeably fewer Singapore patrons, with the holiday season being «unusually quiet» this year.Some blamed the decrease in Singapore patrons on the less favourable currency exchange rate, along with the unpredictable weather.«The crowd from Singapore is missing, even on weekends. This is probably the worst year-end crowd we have seen since the Covid-19 pandemic,» business operator Robin Jian was quoted by The Star as saying.

The body of a man was discovered at the foot of an HDB block in Sengkang on Saturday (Dec 13).The 55-year-old is believed to have fallen from height.A photo of the incident posted on Facebook group Singapore Incidents on Dec 13 shows a police tent placed over the body. A police cordon was also seen extending from the grass patch below a stack of units to an area just after the centralised refute chute. Nearby, an ambulance, a police fast response car, and at least four police officers are seen.Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they were alerted to the incident at Block 278C Compassvale Bow on Saturday, at about 9.30am.He was pronounced dead at the scene by a Singapore Civil Defence Force paramedic.Based on preliminary investigations, no foul play is suspected.Police investigations are ongoing.

Japanese megastore Daiso will be closing its outlet at 100 AM mall in Tanjong Pagar on Jan 5, 2026.The closure was announced by the megastore on social media on Saturday (Dec 13). «It is with great regret that we would like to inform you that Daiso 100AM will cease operations from Jan 5, 2026,» said Daiso in its post. The last day of its operations at the mall in Tanjong Pagar is on Jan 4.  Daiso did not elaborate on the reason behind the closure in its post. Following the upcoming closure, Daiso still has 32 physical outlets in Singapore. Earlier in July, Daiso closed its store at Kinex in Tanjong Katong. 

BANGKOK - Shanti Pereira is an athlete who wears her heart on her sleeve, particularly when it comes to the SEA Games.At the Hanoi Games in 2022, there were tears and disbelief after winning her second gold medal in the 200m, seven years after her first.She was once again visibly emotional and fighting back tears in 2023, when she became the first Singaporean woman to claim a sprint double at the Cambodia Games.On Dec 13, however, after retaining her 200m crown to complete a historic double-double for Singapore at the biennial event, Pereira was cool, calm and candid.«I'm really happy I managed to win today, but kind of disappointed, though. I wish I did a better time today, honestly, because my training indicated I could definitely go faster, and so did my warm-up.»(But) that's okay. The goal was to come and defend my title and I did that, so I'm really happy," said Pereira, who blazed to victory in the final at the Supachalasai National Stadium in 23.05 seconds.Vietnam's Le Thi Cam Tu bagged the silver in 23.14sec, with Zion Nelson of the Philippines taking the bronze in 23.50sec.

Tomorrow, I will be co-chairing the 21st Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) with People's Republic of China Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang in Chongqing. As the apex bilateral mechanism between Singapore and China, the JCBC is more than a platform for dialogue. It has anchored our partnership, allowing leaders and officials from both sides to build trust, review progress, and set high-level direction to deliver substantive outcomes.This 21st edition of the JCBC is especially meaningful, as it coincides with several bilateral milestones. First, we mark the 35th anniversary of Singapore-China diplomatic relations this year, with PM Lawrence Wong and Premier Li Qiang exchanging official visits. Second, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative (CCI) — our third Government-to-Government (G2G) project. This follows recent anniversaries of our first two G2G projects — the 30th anniversary of the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) last year and the 15th anniversary of the Tianjin Eco-City in 2023.