A rash of accidents — one of them fatal — occurred on Friday (June 20), according to videos posted online.A 30-year-old motorcyclist died and another was injured following an accident along Admiralty Road towards Woodlands Centre Road at 3.15pm.The accident involved two motorcycles, a truck and a lorry, the police said in a statement to AsiaOne.In videos and photos of the accident posted to the Singapore Roads Accident.com and SGRV Frontman Facebook pages, paramedics could be seen putting a white cloth over the body of the motorcyclist.The victim was believed to have been run over by the garbage truck after falling onto the road, reported Shin Min Daily News. A colleague of the deceased told the Chinese evening daily that a group of them were heading back to Johor Bahru when the accident occurred.

BEIJING — Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will make a five-day official visit from June 22 to China, where he will seek to chart the strategic direction of bilateral ties with Chinese leaders.

A fire broke out on Friday afternoon (June 20) in a bunk of an unoccupied accommodation block at the Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) on Pulau Tekong.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said the fire alarm was triggered at 1.51pm and the fire was promptly extinguished by BMTC staff who had heard the alarm and spotted the smoke.The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was also alerted and responded to the scene.No injuries were reported among staff or trainees.Footage of the aftermath, which has since circulated on TikTok, shows the interior of the bunk damaged, with overturned mattresses, scorched walls and ceilings, and exposed wiring.[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@kengmando/video/7518041206278966544[/embed]The caption on the video indicated that the affected bunk belonged to the Viper Company, though Mindef did not confirm this.In their statement, Mindef also noted that the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are working with the SCDF to determine the cause of the fire. 

SINGAPORE — The wait-out period for private property downgraders looking to buy a resale flat may be relaxed before 2027, with an expected rise in supply of new and resale flats.Speaking at a community event in Toa Payoh on June 21, National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat said the supply of resale flats is expected to rise from 2026, as batches of Build-To-Order (BTO) flats affected by the Covid-19 pandemic hit their five-year minimum occupation period (MOP).The Housing Board will also be launching more than 50,000 units from 2025 to 2027.

Motorists travelling to Malaysia should expect delays, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) today (June 21). The advisory comes amid the June school holidays and the weekend travel surge.In a Facebook post today at 8.16am, ICA wrote: «Very heavy departure traffic at Woodlands Checkpoint due to tailback from Malaysia. The tailback has extended beyond BKE (Woodlands) Exit 10A. Motorists can expect queuing time of three hours or longer.» A check by AsiaOne on the Check the Jam app at 10.55am showed the queuing time to Johor via Woodlands Causeway is approximately three hours and five minutes.The queue time to Johor through the Second Link is more than two hours.

A participant from the National Day Parade (NDP) has died after collapsing during a rehearsal at the Padang on Saturday (June 21).The 47-year-old man, who was from the OneChangi contingent for the parade and ceremony segment, collapsed at 11.23am, said the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) in a joint media release.He was immediately evacuated to the on-site medical post and arrived at 11.26am, where he was attended by the duty medical officer. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was administered immediately.The participant, however, remained unresponsive and was transferred onto a SAF ambulance at 11.42am for conveyance to the hospital. Resuscitation efforts continued enroute to the hospital. The man arrived at Singapore General Hospital at 11.57am and was pronounced dead at 12.19pm.«Changi Airport Group and the NDP 2025 Executive Committee are in contact with the family and providing full support during this difficult time. We extend our deepest condolences to the family,» said the joint statement. [[nid:719328]]desmondng@asiaone.com

SINGAPORE - A New-York based paediatrician is suing Singapore Airlines for allegedly serving her a meal containing shrimp even though she claimed she had notified the cabin crew that she was allergic to shellfish, causing her to suffer a severe allergic reaction.According to a June 17 lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Dr Doreen Benary, 41, had informed a cabin crew member about her allergy after boarding SIA flight SQ026 on Oct 8, 2024. The flight was bound for John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York from Frankfurt, Germany.However, Dr Benary, who was in the Business Class, was allegedly served a meal containing shrimp, which she was unaware of.Upon eating a portion of the food, Dr Benary detected the presence of shrimp and began to feel ill. She then questioned the cabin crew member, who admitted that she had made an error and apologised, according to the court document.

[Update June 20, 8pm]Responding to queries from AsiaOne, HDB said it was alerted to an accident involving spalling concrete at the unit on Thursday.«Upon being notified, our officers conducted an immediate investigation on the same afternoon and found loose spalling concrete on the floor of the master bedroom bathroom,» HDB stated. «We have since helped to remove it.»Slight bulging of concrete in the ceiling of the kitchen bathroom was also spotted.Although there were no signs of imminent spalling of concrete, HDB has arranged for contractors to remove the bulging concrete on Monday (June 23).«We understand this has been a distressing experience for the resident and his family, and are assisting the flat owners with the repairs to the spalling concrete under the Goodwill Repair Assistance scheme,» HDB said, adding that it is also coordinating with local grassroots to financially assist with repairs.HDB also clarified that the unit was completed 41 years ago and the HIP that the flat underwent saw upgrades to the toilet for new tiles and fittings, as well as a repainted ceiling.

Theatre company Wild Rice said that they «categorically reject the characterisation» that one of their plays «glamorises drug abuse», after it was banned by local authorities for undermining anti-drug policy. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in a joint statement on Friday (June 20), said that the dramatised reading of Homepar has been disallowed in its current form.This comes just a day before its staging. The revised script submitted on June 5 had substantially changed from the version submitted on April 21, they noted, pointing out that the new material glamorises drug abuse and portrays an undercover Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officer shielding abusers from detection.«It undermines Singapore's anti-drug policy, our drug rehabilitation regime, and public confidence in the CNB,» said the joint statement. «Performances that undermine Singapore's national interest are not permitted under the AECC (Arts Entertainment Classification Code).»

Several Punggol residents have raised concerns regarding the safety and aesthetics of laundry being hung on the facade of some HDB blocks at Waterway Terraces. In a forum letter published on The Straits Times on Thursday (June 19), one resident expressed frustration over the practice, saying it affects both the «appearance and liveability» of the estate.The resident, Margaret Siew, also pointed out that the visual clutter has become a source of distress, while posing safety risks. When AsiaOne visited the estate on Thursday (June 19), several units at 308A and 308B Punggol Walk had laundry hanging on the buildings' external facade — with some not properly unsecured. There were also what looked like makeshift poles with laundry hung outside some units.Other units, however, had grills installed to secure the laundry and prevent them from dropping.Speaking to AsiaOne, one resident, Salihin, 40, said that the practice poses potential safety risks, especially when residents fail to install proper grills or secure their poles. 

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong intends to nominate Seah Kian Peng as Speaker of the Parliament, with Indranee Rajah designated as Leader of the House when Parliament convenes in September.This was announced through a statement by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Friday (June 20).The 15th Parliament is set to meet for the first time on Sept 5, following the last session in April 15 when the 14th Parliament was dissolved ahead of the General Election.Seah has served as the Speaker since 2023, and has «presided over our debates with fairness and ensured that proceedings are conducted with dignity and decorum,» said PM Wong in a Facebook post on Friday (June 20).«I am confident he will continue to discharge his responsibilities with distinction.» In a Facebook post on Friday, Seah thanked PM Wong for his «confidence, support and nomination» and expressed his gratitude to the Members of the House, past and present, for their support.«I also have my two Deputy Speakers and colleagues at Parliament Secretariat to thank for their solid support to me since I assumed this appointment in August 2023,» he wrote.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong intends to nominate Seah Kian Peng as Speaker of the Parliament and Indranee Rajah as Leader of the House when Parliament convenes in September.This was announced through a statement by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Friday (June 20).The 15th Parliament is set to meet for the first time on Sept 5, following the last session in April 15 when the 14th Parliament was dissolved ahead of the General Election.Seah has served as the Speaker since 2023, and has «presided over our debates with fairness and ensured that proceedings are conducted with dignity and decorum,» said PM Wong in a Facebook post on Friday (June 20).«I am confident he will continue to discharge his responsibilities with distinction.» Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for National Development, has served as Leader since 2020 and will remain so.Senior Minister of State for Defence and Sustainability and the Environment, Zaqy Mohamad, will also be nominated to continue his role as the Deputy Leader.

The Johor government and ride hailing company Grab are in discussions to update the Cross-Border Travel Agreement between Singapore and the Malaysian state.This aims to make travel between Singapore and Johor smoother, said Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi in a statement posted to Facebook on Thursday (June 19). Stating that these discussions were raised during a recent meeting with Grab's senior management, amongst other key matters, Onn Hafiz explained that the talks form part of broader efforts to enhance Johor's tourism and transportation sectors ahead of Visit Johor Year 2026 (TMJ 2026).TMJ 2026 is a statewide campaign which aims to attract 12 million tourists to Johor and generate RM42 billion in revenue, reported Bernama.«The discussions also explored potential cross-border collaborations involving the Malaysian and Singaporean transport ministries, alongside the role of Grab and other public transport providers in facilitating smoother travel between the two countries,» Onn Hafiz said.AsiaOne has reached out to Grab for more information.

The Asian Art Association Singapore (AAA) has shut down claims that it misused artist profiles and falsely associated its events with the Singapore Botanic Gardens.In a statement posted to Facebook on Wednesday (June 18), the association said it was recently made aware of remarks circulating on social media which it described as «false and misleading».One of these remarks was about the artist profile of a Japanese illustrator who had been formally invited to join the association in 2022.A screenshot of the profile, which was shared with AsiaOne, showed the illustrator's name, place of origin, works and awards. It also had a short description of how aspects of his life influenced his art style.The person who made the accusatory post has since deleted it. Responding to AsiaOne's enquiries, AAA chairman Jay Chau said the illustrator had voluntarily submitted his materials for publication and was sent a draft webpage of his artist profile on Aug 23, 2022. The profile was only published after receiving the illustrator's written confirmation, according to the chairman.

SINGAPORE — New details have emerged to show that the cyclist who suffered a gunshot wound, and his friends, may have taken steps to conceal from the authorities the route they took on Sunday (June 15).The Straits Times learnt that the 42-year-old did not initially disclose to the police and the National University Hospital (NUH) that he had been riding near the Nee Soon live-firing range when he was hit by a projectile.The area between Upper Seletar and Upper Peirce reservoirs in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR) is gazetted for live-firing, with clear signs warning hikers and riders against trespassing.The cyclist, identified as L, often tracks his rides on hiking and cycling tracking app Strava. Checks by ST showed him entering the cycling trail from Chestnut Nature Park at about 9.50am on June 15, a Sunday.He was with a group of about 10 cyclists at the time. At least one other cyclist, identified as W, was his regular riding partner.W deleted details on Strava of his ride on June 15. But the route he took was mapped out on W's Garmin account, which is accessible to the public.

Two firefighters were among four people sent to hospital following a fire at Block 5 Holland Close on Thursday (June 19) evening.Firefighters from Alexandra Fire Station had responded to the call at the HDB block at around 7.25pm.According to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), one of the bedrooms in a 23rd-floor unit was on fire and firefighters entered the smoke-filled flat, extinguishing the fire with two water jets. However, the fire and smoke had already damaged the unit.About 100 people were evacuated by the police and SCDF from the affected block to a nearby futsal court.Two people who had fled the unit prior to SCDF's arrival were assessed for smoke inhalation before being taken to Singapore General Hospital.During the operation, two firefighters suffered heat exhaustion and one was taken to Singapore General Hospital, while the other was taken to National University Hospital.One of the two firefighters was discharged from hospital on Friday morning and given five days of medical leave.

One lucky punter hit the jackpot in the June 19 Toto draw with a windfall of $12,323,051. [[nid:719144]]This is also the third highest winning share since October 2014. The sole winner’s winning ticket is a System 7 ticket, which costs $7, purchased at a FairPrice outlet in Yew Tee Point. This outlet is not among the top 10 winning outlets.The winning numbers are 1, 10, 37, 40, 45, 47, with 19 as the additional number.According to Singapore Pools, the top winning share of $13,123,509 won on May 9, 2024, was a System 7 ticket purchased online, followed by a winning share of $13,077,918 won on Oct 2, 2023. The punter had bought a System 8 ticket for $28 from a Race Course Road outlet. The Group 2 prize of $108,637 for the June 19 draw was split between 13 people. The next draw will be held on June 23 (Monday), with the prize money reset to $1 million. [[nid:718705]]editor@asiaone.com 

More than 900 people have signed a petition calling on the Government to require food and beverage outlets to provide free tap water to diners.They want restaurants already imposing a 10 per cent service charge to offer what they consider a «basic necessity» at no extra cost.The petition on Change.org, which started in May 24, comes despite earlier concerns from the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) about water wastage and the additional costs such a move could impose on businesses.Petition creator Yee Yucai, a consultant at Singapore General Hospital’s Internal Medicine department, told AsiaOne on Thursday (June 19) he observed how food and beverage outlets seem to be «encouraging» diners to buy drinks to «boost profit margins» - even though the Government has been urging Singaporeans to cut down on sugar in their diets.

SINGAPORE — A man who was found with 178 videos and 153 still images of child pornography in his possession was sentenced to a year and nine months' jail, and two strokes of the cane on Thursday (June 19).Gan Qi Xuan, 26, had earlier downloaded such content from the Dark Web before categorising his collection on his personal electronic devices and online platforms.Court documents did not disclose how his offence came to light, but he was nabbed in a raid at his home in August 2023.On Aug 19, 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count of being in possession of child pornography.In earlier proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Koh Yi Wen told the court that Gan got to know about the Dark Web around 2015 and found a forum on child pornography on it.Initially, he did not download anything during his first visit as he was wary of viruses. But curiosity got the better of him about three months later, and he downloaded such videos and images from the Dark Web, including child abuse material.Soon after, Gan began to access the Dark Web regularly to download pornographic material, including those involving children.

One of two DNA profiles found on the body of a Singaporean woman killed in Spain in April 2024 has been linked by Spanish experts to the only suspect, a Singaporean man.Two male DNA profiles were earlier found on Ms Audrey Fang's body, and Spain's National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Science found that one of them matches the paternal lineage of suspect Mitchell Ong, news outlet La Opinion de Murcia reported on Wednesday (June 18).The match was for the Y-chromosome haplotype, which is a set of genetic markers passed directly from father to son.The second DNA profile has no links with Ong's DNA.Ong's lawyer Maria Jesus Ruiz de Castaneda said the findings cannot be used to identify a person conclusively, as the genetic marker is shared with all male members of Ong's paternal lineage.She added that the finding «reinforces the need to expand the investigation to include other possible individuals».«Mitchell Ong maintains his innocence, fully trusts the work of the Spanish justice system, and will continue to collaborate in all necessary to clarify the truth,» she said.

Hundreds of book lovers turned up at NUS Library's book adoption and exchange drive on Saturday (June 14) to pick up some of the discarded books from Yale-NUS College.Held outside the NUS Central Library, members of the public were given access to about 2,000 books.After the controversy over the disposal of hundreds of books in May, Yale-NUS College decided to host a donation drive for students, staff and their guests that month which saw «overwhelming response».'A piece of nostalgia'Over at NUS Central Library on June 14, AsiaOne noted hundreds of people, ranging from children to graduates to elderly, queuing up and collecting books. «I just wanted to grab a piece of nostalgia,» Yip, who declined to give his full name, said as he waited in the middle of a snaking queue.The 60-year-old, who studied economics in NUS about 20 years ago, added he was interested in collecting books on social sciences, humanities and history, as well as books on communication.

SINGAPORE — Two local Zika cases have been confirmed at Woodlands Street 11 and Street 32, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) in conjunction with the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA), in a Facebook post on June 19.Following each case notification, NEA commenced wastewater and mosquito surveillance surrounding the residential areas.The agency added that enhanced surveillance has revealed persistent Zika virus signals in the area, which suggests that this is an area with likely Zika transmission.The surveillance is a regular effort by the agency, in a bid to minimise the spread of vector-borne diseases in Singapore.It most often comes in the form of gravitraps that are placed around Housing Board estates to catch the urban-dwelling and day-biting Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which spread both Zika and dengue.A check of NEA's website found that three Zika cases have been reported locally since the week of May 25, with the latest being confirmed on June 11.In total, there have been seven cases reported for 2025 as at June 12.There were 13 reported Zika cases locally in 2024.

A Singaporean man was arrested by the Thai immigration police at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Wednesday (June 18) for his suspected involvement in cases of human trafficking and money laundering.The man, identified as Dexter, had arrived in Thailand on a Singapore Airlines flight SQ 714 from Singapore, reported Thai media outlet Khaosod English.Thai authorities had been informed that a foreign national wanted on charges related to prostitution and money laundering would be entering Thailand through the airport.A video posted by Khaosod English showed about eight individuals from Thailand's Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and immigration police approaching Dexter upon his arrival at the airport, before arresting and escorting him away.The media outlet reported that Dexter faces multiple charges, including, conspiracy to procure, entice, or transport persons for immoral purposes, and promote and facilitate prostitution while receiving various forms of benefits.He was transferred to Thai authorities under the Technology Crime Suppression Division for legal proceedings and further investigation.

Round-the-clock mental health support is now readily available with a call or text away with the launch of Singapore’s first national mental health helpline and textline service.Launched on Wednesday (June 18), the national mindline 1771 is part of the Ministry of Health's (MOH) efforts to enhance the mental health support ecosystem in Singapore.Individuals can seek help via three modes of communication — by dialling the telephone hotline 1771, sending a WhatsApp message to +65-6669-1771 or by using the chat widget at https://mindline.sg/fsmh.«The national mindline 1771 provides a safe space where individuals can seek help without fear of stigma,» said MOH. The ministry added that all conversations will be kept confidential and individuals seeking help will have the option to remain anonymous.The national mindline will be operated by a team of around 30 full-time counsellors and staff who have experience in dealing with mental health conditions and operation mental health helplines.

Her graduation ceremony is still a month away, but Singapore Management University (SMU) student Britney Kon is already working full-time.The 25-year-old Economics major landed a business analyst role at a tech firm in March — after submitting more than 270 job applications since December.Kon believes that most of her applications were not seen by employers. Still, at one point, she was landing up to three interviews a day.«Some had five rounds of interviews. I had to wait a week between each round,» she said. «A few ghosted me after round four. Companies posting job listings on LinkedIn are also farming for followers. It's a new type of hell altogether.»Kon first received a job offer from a tech firm about two weeks after finishing her final examinations.«I later got an email saying the company would be winding up due to legal troubles,» she said. «I basically lost my first job soon after signing for it.»Kon's job hunting struggles are in contrast to her university's rising reputation in global rankings.

The male cyclist who was hit by a stray bullet while cycling in a restricted area gazetted for live-firing exercises is being investigated for wilful trespass, the police said on Wednesday (June 18) in response to media queries on the case.The 42-year-old man was cycling with his friends in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve between Upper Seletar and Upper Pierce reservoirs on Sunday (June 15) when he suffered a gunshot wound, with a bullet slug lodged in his left lower back, at around 11.40am. The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) was at the time conducting an authorised live-firing activity at its Nee Soon 500m range, about 2.3km from where the man was. The area has clear signages to warn members of the public of the dangers and against entering the area.The man was taken to the National University Hospital by his friends, where he underwent surgery to remove the bullet slug, and is in a stable condition.Under the Military Manoeuvres Act, unauthorised individuals are not allowed to enter gazetted areas designated for SAF live firing for their own safety.