Three people were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation and burn injuries after a fire broke out at a Toa Payoh HDB flat on Tuesday (July 29) afternoon.In a Facebook post, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF)said it was alerted to a fire at the 10th floor unit of Block 229 Lor 8 Toa Payoh at 1.10pm.«SCDF is currently at the scene conducting a firefighting operation,» the post read.At around 3.25pm, the SCDF said it brought the fire at the 10th-floor unit under control with two water jets.Firefighters then conducted forcible entry into a unit on the 11th floor and are currently fighting a fire in the unit.Three people were assessed for smoke inhalation and burn injuries and sent to Singapore General Hospital.An AsiaOne reporter on the ground shared that there were five police vehicles on scene, alongside four from the SCDF.Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP Saktiandi Supaat is also at the scene.

SINGAPORE — A World Cup winner, a former English Premier League assistant coach, and a former Liverpool player and Champions League winner are among the candidates that are on an extended shortlist for the Singapore national football coach's role, The Straits Times has learnt.Over 60 candidates have expressed interest in taking the hot seat since Japanese tactician Tsutomu Ogura resigned due to personal reasons on June 24. Ogura guided the Lions to the top of their Asian Cup qualifying group on goals scored, leaving them potentially four positive results away from a maiden qualification for the continental showpiece.In its hunt for a new head coach, the Football Association of Singapore's (FAS) new leadership team's commitment to the search has brought a host of top names from abroad.Several sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity told ST that numerous interviews have already been conducted by the FAS top brass, and an initial list of candidates has now been whittled down to around 15 names.

SINGAPORE — A volatile global landscape arising from developments like the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to drive the high terrorism threat in Singapore, said the Internal Security Department (ISD).It released its annual report on terrorism on July 29, saying terrorist organisations have exploited situations like the one in Gaza to spread their propaganda, using them to reinforce their violent narratives.ISD said ISIS and Al-Qaeda have incited attacks against Israeli and Jewish interests, and those of countries seen as supporting Israel.This has corresponded with an increase in anti-Semitic incidents worldwide and in Islamophobia overseas, it added.ISD said there is currently no specific intelligence of an imminent terrorist attack against Singapore.But the country continues to be viewed as an attractive target by terrorists because of its friendly relations with Western nations and Israel, and its status as a secular and multicultural state.Since its last report in July 2024, ISD has dealt with eight self-radicalised Singaporeans: six males and two females aged 15 to 56.

Twenty-one men and 10 women, aged between 16 and 48, were arrested for allegedly providing fraudulently registered postpaid SIM cards for money, said the police on Monday (July 28).Another nine men and four women, aged between 16 and 57, are assisting with investigations, following an island-wide enforcement operation conducted from July 17 to 25.Preliminary investigations found that the suspects were purportedly offered between $10 and $15 for every SIM card they signed up for.They were allegedly told to purchase SIM cards in bulk from different retailers and hand them to the criminal syndicate via their couriers.Each of them had allegedly supplied between 31 and 49 SIM cards registered using their particulars.The police noted that crime syndicates exploit local SIM cards and eSIMs for illicit activities like scams, unlicensed moneylending and vice.For knowingly providing a fraudulently registered SIM card to another person to facilitate a crime for any gain, one can be fined up to $10,000, or jailed for up to three years, or both.

A former preschool teacher was sentenced to nine months and two weeks' jail on Monday (July 28) for repeatedly tripping a toddler at the centre where she worked.Her actions caused the girl to suffer bruises to her face and bleeding from the nose, reported The Straits times and CNA.Saiidah Kamarudin, 34, had pleaded guilty in June to one of two counts of ill-treating the 20-month-old girl in the case which occurred in November 2023. The other charge was taken into consideration for her sentencing.Media reports did not name the victim and the childcare centre, to protect the girl's identity.Saiidah, a mother of two herself, had started working at the centre in late September but tendered her resignation a month later.On Nov 6, while serving her notice, she had taken the victim to the toilet area to clean her up. While seated with the girl in front of her, Saiidah swept her right leg outwards, which caught the toddler's left foot, causing her to stumble.She repeated the action, which resulted in the girl falling backwards onto the floor. Saiidah picked her up and continued to clean her face.

When Matthew (not his real name) joined a company in April 2023 with predominantly Chinese employees, he initially did not think much of the fact that he was one of the few minorities in the office.Speaking to AsiaOne, the 27-year-old who is now director of growth at an educational technology start-up, said that he thought his colleagues would accept him, or at least respect his skills and merit.«But over time, it became clear that certain attitudes were deeply ingrained,» he said, adding that «casual racist remarks» such as referring to him as «the Indian guy» or asking, «Since when could Malay people speak so well?» were often directed at him.Matthew, who is Indian-Malay, said that while these comments seemed more ignorant than malicious, they became increasingly direct and damaging.«I was being referred to as 'black boy', among other names, by senior figures in the company... (and) often found myself on the receiving end of their jokes, stereotypes, and ridicule as a whole,» he said.

Recovery efforts along Tanjong Katong South Road have now been underway for more than two days after a sinkhole formed there on Saturday (July 26). In the meantime, efforts to ready the road for reopening are advancing steadily, with tests being conducted to check ground conditions, said national water agency PUB late on July 28.PUB’s director for water reclamation (network) Herman Ching told reporters that while recovery efforts are “progressing steadily”, safety still remains "a priority”. Ching also confirmed that backfilling works - using liquified stabilised soil (LSS) - were completed this morning. LSS is made of cement, soil, and water and is used to fill cavities in the soil. It also provides the strength needed for subsequent road construction works. 

Last Saturday (July 26), the ground opened beneath her, swallowing her — and her vehicle — whole.In videos of the incident, this woman had been driving along the junction of Tanjong Katong Road and Mountbatten Road when the tarmac under her vehicle gave way.Her vehicle slid into the sinkhole, flipping as it landed in upside-down in the water below.Thankfully, this driver managed to escape the sinkhole that opened up in Tanjong Katong that evening, partly with the aid of brave construction workers in the vicinity.She reportedly exited the vehicle on her own.A section of Tanjong Katong Road South has since been closed until further notice amid urgent repair works, the Land Transport Authority announced on Sunday.While sinkholes are far from a common occurrence in Singapore, the question remains: what should you do if you find yourself at the bottom of one?

A fire broke out at an HDB flat in Bukit Merah on Saturday (July 26), allegedly sparked by an altar inside the unit.Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that they received a call for help involving a fire at 6.05pm on July 26 at Block 55 Lengkok Bahru.The fire involved the contents of a living room in a unit on the 12th floor, SCDF added. A resident living in the HDB estate was alerted to the fire when they heard a loud noise and saw multiple SCDF personnel outside the unit, reported Shin Min.The resident also told Shin Min that the fire was caused by an altar in the unit.Speaking to AsiaOne, SCDF said that they conducted forcible entry and managed to extinguished the fire with a water jet.They also said that the cause of the fire is under investigation.Queenstown MP Eric Chua visited the affected HDB unit following the incident.In a Facebook post that night, he said that the family who was living there had already been relocated to a temporary flat and that they were «holding up well».

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has commended the migrant workers who helped rescue the woman whose car fell into the sinkhole that formed at Tanjong Katong Road South on Saturday (July 26).In a video posted to Facebook on Monday (July 28), Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash said that he met the seven workers and presented them with an MOM Appreciation Coin on July 27 evening.Detailing the series of events which led to the workers rescuing the woman from the sinkhole, Dinesh said: «I think this is a very good example of how our migrant workers help society in general.» 

PUB said they will be calling for a safety time-out to review and assess sewer construction works similar to the Tanjong Katong incident on Saturday (July 26). A sewage shaft failure was identified as the cause for the sinkhole which formed at Tanjong Katong Road South and swallowed a black car that day, said the agency in a statement issued on July 27 night. The car's driver, who managed to exit the vehicle on her own, was then rescued by workers at the site and later taken to hospital by the Singapore Civil Defence Force.According to the national water agency, a caisson ring at a PUB worksite at Tanjong Katong — where a 16-metre deep shaft was being built to connect three existing sewer lines — was observed to have failed at about 5.50pm on July 26. A sinkhole formed on the adjacent road at around the same time. It is still not clear what contributed to this failure, the agency added.

Local authorities in JB have been instructed to revoke the business licences of car wash operators who refuse to serve locals and cater exclusively to foreign customers, including those driving Singapore-registered cars. Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Johor Property Expo 2025 at Angsana Johor Bahru Mall on Thursday (July 24), State Housing and Local Government Committee Chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said he viewed such behaviour seriously. «If someone is doing business in Johor but only prioritises foreigners while sidelining locals just for bigger profits, then we will not tolerate it,» said Datuk Mohd Jafni, reported The Star. «I will instruct local councils to cancel the licences of any car wash operators who insist on only accepting foreign-registered vehicles, especially those from Singapore.»

When their daughter did not return home as agreed, the upset parents visited the boyfriend's home in Toa Payoh to pick her up but got into a physical conflict with him.They returned to the flat the following afternoon and scattered joss paper in front of the unit in hopes the boyfriend would open the front door, reported Shin Min Daily News.The incident, which occurred last Tuesday (July 22) at 51 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, saw the police being called in to mediate the situation.The girl's father surnamed Yang, 54, told the Chinese publication his daughter was unable to leave her boyfriend's residence, and that the police had been called to stop him from fetching her.When a Shin Min reporter arrived, Yang and his wife as well as five or six police officers were standing in front of the flat, which had its door shut.The father said in an interview that he and his wife are at a loss as their daughter was unwilling to come home.Yang elaborated that his daughter had been seeing her boyfriend for several years, but he disapproved of her partner due to multiple reasons related to his health and employment.

Rekha Kaur was faced with a dilemma: stay in the same job she had been in for decades that no longer challenged her, or take a leap of faith and embrace reskilling for a career in a new industry?Kaur, now a Station Manager at SBS Transit, shared the journey of her mid-career change from the hospitality industry to her current role, in a panel discussion about reskilling and upskilling alongside Kevin Chan, Assistant Operations Manager at On Cheong Jewellery; Ho Nai Chuen, Managing Director at On Cheong Jewellery; and Kelvin Tan, Principal Career Coach at Workforce Singapore.The panel discussion, which was hosted and moderated by Munah Bagharib, featured personal anecdotes on upskilling as well as information on the strengthened support that is now available for workers keen on upgrading their skills. This includes increased channels for career guidance, structured programmes and financial schemes. Watch the video to hear what they had to share.

Backfilling works at the sinkhole along Tanjong Katong Road South have been ongoing since Sunday afternoon (July 27), after a car that fell into the three metre-deep cavity on Saturday evening was lifted out at around 2pm. Member of Parliament for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC Goh Pei Ming told reporters during a second visit to the site on Sunday that works are “progressing on track well”.Goh also said that backfilling works are ongoing to fill any cavities around the walls of the sinkhole with “a kind of soil stabiliser”. AsiaOne observed that a truck-mounted concrete pump has been deployed since operations transited to the backfilling phase. A consistent stream of cement mixers were also seen at the work area, working in tandem with the truck. 

The supervisor of the site where the sinkhole occurred on Saturday (July 26) said that the incident from the car sinking to the driver's rescue took place within five minutes.Site foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah, 46, from Ohin Construction, told reporters on Sunday afternoon (July 27) that he and three other workers were at the PUB worksite at Tanjong Katong Road South, near One Amber condominium, when they heard a sound.«I went to see the road and one car with a (woman) was inside,» said Pitchai of the incident which occurred at around 5.50pm.He and three other workers immediately sprang into action to help rescue the driver from the hole.He added that she had opened the door herself, and appeared to be unhurt. The sinkhole was also dry at the time, he said, but later began filling up with water.

A video of the moment the ground caved in and swallowed a car on Tanjong Katong Road South on Saturday (July 26) evening has emerged on social media.Dashcam footage posted by Facebook page SGRV shows traffic cones placed on one lane of the two-lane road, and a worker acting as a traffic marshal.When the black Mazda turns into Tanjong Katong Road South from Mountbatten Road, the ground sinks suddenly, and the vehicle falls sideways into the hole.Other videos online also showed migrant workers from the adjacent PUB worksite springing into action.A seven-minute-long clip posted by Facebook user Maureen Yeong on Saturday showed one worker leaning into the sinkhole as two more workers approached the edge.The female driver of the car which had sunk into the road appears from the cavity and is quickly pulled out by about four or five workers.The woman is led to safety by them as indiscernible shouts are heard.

A Singaporean doctor in Australia accused of secretly filming colleagues in hospital toilets is now facing five additional charges, including producing intimate images, using an optical surveillance device, and refusing to assist police investigations.Ryan Cho, 27, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Friday (July 25), where Victoria police revealed they had uncovered over 4,500 intimate videos of at least 460 victims allegedly recorded between 2021 and 2025, Australian news outlets reported.The videos were reportedly organised into folders by victims' names and workplaces, and involved staff at three major Melbourne hospitals — the Austin Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital, and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.Court documents alleged that the majority of victims were female medical staff, including doctors, nurses, and paramedics, reported ABC News.The footage, which was said to have been captured in toilets and showers, depicted victims in vulnerable positions.Some videos were allegedly filmed in homes, reported Nine News.

SINGAPORE - Despite her mother's vehement objections and her former partner's indifference to her pregnancy, Sarah dropped out of school at Secondary 3 and became a mum at the age of 15.Sarah (not her real name), whose baby daughter is now 11 months old, said: «I considered abortion at first, but when I saw my baby on the ultrasound, I felt a very strong connection to her.»The 16-year-old added: «I feel the baby is innocent. I wanted to step up and take responsibility for the mistake I made.»More teenagers, like Sarah, are becoming mothers, according to the Report on Registration of Births and Deaths 2024 released by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority on July 18.In 2024, there were 244 babies born to teenagers aged 19 or younger, up 7 per cent from the 228 such babies in 2023. In 2022, the figure was 218.The slight increase marks a reversal from the steady fall in teen births in the past 20 years, especially when the numbers for teen births were much higher in the decade leading up to 2010.For example, there were 853 teen births in 2005.

A section of Tanjong Katong Road South has been closed until further notice after a sinkhole opened up along the stretch on Saturday evening (July 26), prompting authorities to carry out urgent repair works.The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on Sunday that the closure affects the road between Mountbatten Road and East Coast Parkway (ECP).The sinkhole had formed near a worksite managed by the national water agency PUB, close to the junction of Tanjong Katong Road and Mountbatten Road.In a Facebook update, LTA said it is working closely with PUB and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) to oversee the ongoing repairs and ensure the safety of the area. Preliminary inspections by BCA found no impact on surrounding buildings, while PUB has since isolated the affected water mains.

Singapore faces no “insurmountable challenges” should it decide to adopt nuclear energy as a source of power, said the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi on Saturday (July 26).The UN nuclear watchdog chief made the remarks during a sit-down interview with local media at the sidelines of his one-day visit to Singapore, which is part of the S R Nathan Fellowship, a high-level programme for foreign leaders and prominent individuals to visit the country.The 64-year-old said that unlike some countries which would have to start from scratch, Singapore has already laid the “groundwork” if it chooses to embark on a nuclear energy programme.The Argentinian pointed to Singapore as a “fine technological base” with “mature” regulatory framework, and “very good safety and research capabilities”.“I don’t see any obstacles (for Singapore),” he added. “For some countries, it could be financing, or the lack of human capacity — the workforce.“You don’t have these problems… There are many boxes that have been checked already.”

A sinkhole appeared in Tanjong Katong Road this evening (July 26).From videos posted to social media, a car can be seen floating in the waterlogged hole. PUB said in a Facebook post that the incident occurred today at approximately 5pm at the junction of Tanjong Katong Road and Mountbatten Road, adjacent to an existing PUB worksite. Two lanes of the road were affected.PUB added: «One vehicle fell into the sinkhole. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) rescued the female driver, and conveyed her conscious to Raffles Hospital.»The police, SCDF, and Land Transport Authority (LTA) are currently on site managing the situation. Both directions of the affected road have been closed to traffic. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and use alternative routes."Two water mains were damaged in the incident and PUB is isolating the affected water mains.

Two men will be charged in court on Saturday (July 26) for their suspected involvement in several cases of government official impersonation scams.The duo, aged 20 and 21, allegedly impersonated an official from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, said the police on July 25.The scammers allegedly instructed a victim to hand over $35,000 in cash to one of the men, who acted as a cash mule, according to a police report received on June 23.Following extensive ground inquiries and investigations, officers from the Anti-Scam Command managed to arrest the two men on July 24.Preliminary investigations by the police found that the other man involved is allegedly the accomplice of the cash mule.The two men were allegedly working under instructions from an unknown person to collect money from scam victims.Police also believe that the duo are involved in other similar cases.The 20-year-old man faces a fine of up to $500,000, a jail term of up to 10 years, or both if convicted on the charge of assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct.

SINGAPORE — Close to 12,000 Housing Board flats in Tengah have been completed, comprising around 40 per cent of the 30,000 flats launched so far in the new town.Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat gave this update on July 26 at HDB Community Day, adding that almost half of the planned 30,000 flats in Tengah will be completed by the end of 2025.Speaking at Tengah Community Club, Chee said the planning of the new town gave residents opportunities to share ideas for the estate before moving in.

The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) thwarted an attempt to smuggle duty-unpaid cigarettes through Woodlands Checkpoint on Wednesday (June 23).In a Facebook post on Friday (July 25), it said that officers had directed the Malaysia-registered vehicle for enhanced checks and discovered over 500 packets concealed in various components.Photos uploaded by ICA show the duty-unpaid cigarettes wrapped in black hidden within the body of the motorcycle.The case has been referred to the Singapore Customs for further investigation.  

A joint operation by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) yielded almost three tonnes of illegally imported produce from Malaysia at Woodlands Checkpoint.Conducted on July 24 and July 25, the operation targeted delivery trucks which typically transport produce intended for direct distribution to retailers and customers, said the authorities in a joint statement on Friday (July 25).ICA officers at Woodlands Checkpoint noticed discrepancies in the consignment transported by a truck and subsequently referred them to SFA for further checks. Upon investigation, SFA found under-declared vegetables in the truck including eggplants, cucumbers and long beans. All illegally imported produce were seized.SFA investigations are also ongoing.Food imports into Singapore must meet SFA requirements, and illegally imported produce of unknown sources can pose a food safety risk. Food can only be imported by licensed importers, and every consignment must be declared and accompanied with a valid import permit, the authorities said.

SINGAPORE — Etomidate has been detected in the blood samples of two people involved in a fatal road accident in Punggol Road in May, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said on July 25.The pair were riding in a car that collided with a bus at about 2.50pm on May 13.The police discovered 42 e-vaporisers and more than 1,200 pods in the car, with some tested by HSA to contain etomidate, the authority said in a statement.The 30-year-old male driver was conscious when taken to hospital after the accident. His passenger, a 28-year-old woman, was taken unconscious to hospital where she subsequently died.«The driver is currently assisting the police and HSA in investigations regarding both the accident and e-vaporiser-related offences,» the authority said.Etomidate, which is used as an anaesthetic agent, is allowed for use only in clinical settings and subject to strict conditions, according to HSA.On July 20, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said the Health and Home Affairs ministries are working to list the substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act, amid a growing trend of e-vaporisers — or vapes — containing the drug.

The Ministry of Health, Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and People's Association have launched a campaign encouraging vape users to kick the habit and safely dispose their devices in designated bins set up at 24 locations island-wide.Those who surrender their devices by binning them, or voluntarily seek support for quitting, will not face any penalties for doing so, said the authorities.Starting July 25, disposal bins have been placed at 23 Community Clubs and one Residents' Network Centre for members of the public to voluntarily dispose of vapes. This comes amid fresh public concern over vapes laced with etomidate, an anaesthetic agent that can cause seizures and psychosis.Etomidate will be listed as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act in the next few weeks, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on July 20.[[nid:720403]]Ahead of this, HSA is encouraging users of e-vaporiser to give up their devices and related components and quit vaping through the new initiative called Bin the Vape.

East-West Line MRT stations Tanah Merah, Expo and Changi are set to be converted to the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on Friday (July 25).A new interchange station - the TEL-Cross Island Line (CRL) interchange station at Terminal 5 - will also enable a direct rail connection between Changi Airport and the city centre.This new TEL-CRL interchange station will be part of the Thomson-East Coast Line extension (TELe).This 14km addition will extend the TEL from Sungei Bedok station to the new interchange station which will then connect to Tanah Merah station.From there, the TEL will be further extended to connect to Tanah Merah station, with the existing East-West Line stretch between Changi Airport and Tanah Merah stations converted to TEL systems.«Future passengers from the existing Changi Airport station and the new Changi Terminal 5 station will enjoy seamless and convenient access to the TEL network,» said LTA.Preparatory works to modify Tanah Merah station into an interchange station between the East-West Line and TEL have been ongoing since 2016.