Two Singaporeans and an Indian national were arrested in separate incidents for attempting to leave Malaysia illegally via a «major land checkpoint» on motorcycles. The men, who are in their 20s and 30s, were detained by the Malaysian Immigration Department and are now under investigation, reported The Star on Friday (Aug 1). In the first incident, a Singaporean man allegedly entered Johor Bahru on motorcycle without having his passport stamped and was caught while trying to exit Malaysia. While he claimed he had taken the wrong route, investigations suggest he had entered the country using an unmanned motorcycle lane at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) Customs, Immigrations and Quarantine Complex in Johor. The second case involved two men, a Singaporean and an Indian National, who were travelling by motorcycle. Both were stopped after it was found that they had no entry records in the system. All three men are being investigated under Section 6(1)(C) of Malaysia's Immigration Act for entering the country without valid documentation. 

A teenager who was caught in a viral clip appearing dazed and falling over in an MRT train was found with an e-vaporiser and a pod, according to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).He is currently assisting HSA with investigations.In a clip posted to the Singapore Incidents Instagram account on Aug 1, the teenager, dressed in a white T-shirt and shorts, appears unsteady as he gets up from the seat and walks towards the MRT door.He falls backwards as he tries to exit, landing on the floor and startling other passengers, one of whom can be heard asking him, «Are you okay?»In an Instagram Story posted the same day, HSA stated that it had identified a 17-year-old who was «found with an e-vaporiser and a pod», and that the teenager was currently assisting with investigations.A statement by SMRT Trains' president Lam Sheau Kai to AsiaOne said that SMRT is aware of the video circulating on social media which alleged «the use of an etomidate-laced vape by a male commuter».The statement added that station staff was able to locate the commuter who was observed to be vaping. He was escorted out of the train and handed over to the authorities.

SINGAPORE — Supermarket operator Sheng Siong is set to open its first store in the Orchard Road area at The Cathay shopping mall.A spokesperson for the supermarket told The Straits Times that the 6,500 sq ft store is expected to open by the end of August.“Sheng Siong previously operated a store in the Tekka area, and over the years, customers have expressed their hope for Sheng Siong to have a presence in the central area,” the spokesperson said.“The Cathay is surrounded by residential developments, and we believe it is a convenient spot for daily grocery needs.”

Motorists living in Punggol West will have another way to access Tampines Expressway (TPE) when a new six-lane vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link opens on Aug 3.This alternative route to enter and exit Punggol town will help relieve traffic pressure on existing major arterial roads such as Punggol Way and Punggol Road, which feed into the TPE.The new bridge, located near Yusof Ishak Secondary School, comes with upgraded road junctions and barrier-free paths that link to the Punggol Park Connector, said Punggol GRC MP Sun Xueling in a Facebook post on July 31.It will form part of a new road called Seletar South Link.Ms Sun, Senior Minister of State for Transport and National Development, said in earlier social media posts that the bridge spanning the Sungei Punggol river will have cycling paths on both sides.“Punggol residents can benefit from more transport options in and out of the town,” she told The Straits Times on Aug 1.

An elderly man has been arrested for his suspected involvement in two cases of shop theft in March at Changi Airport.The Australian national, 82, was apprehended on July 24 as he returned to transit for another flight in Singapore, according to a news release by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) yesterday (Aug 1).A Shilla Cosmetics & Perfumes outlet in the transit area of Terminal 1 reported a case of shop theft to the SPF on March 18 at around 9.33am after a bottle of perfume, priced at $149, had been discovered missing.Officers from the Airport Police Division established the identity of the man by looking through CCTV footage and spotting him allegedly leaving the store with the item without paying. By then, he had already departed from Singapore.Further investigations led the SPF to discover that the same man had allegedly stolen another bottle of perfume from the store previously on March 13.Both items have not been recovered.The man will be charged on Aug 4 under Section 380 of the Penal Code 1871 with two counts of theft in dwelling, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years in jail with a fine.

A man was held in Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) custody after allegedly vaping on a public bus.AsiaOne understands that he has since been released.A video shared by SGFollowsAll recently went viral showing the individual, dressed in a No. 4 military uniform, taking several puffs from a pink device, presumably an e-vapouriser.Mindef told AsiaOne in a statement today (Aug 2) that the man had been identified and put in SAF custody to assist with the investigation.The ministry said that SAF takes a «serious view» on the possession and use of vapes by service personnel and called it «both a matter of military discipline and an offence under national law».Offenders could be fined up to $1,000 or detained if the devices are found to be laced with controlled drugs.«Besides enforcement, the SAF also undertakes awareness and education efforts, and provides cessation counselling and support,» the ministry added. «Service personnel are encouraged to speak to their commanders or medical officers if they require help.»

SINGAPORE - A team of nurses and doctors from the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) that went to Bangladesh to help treat burn victims of a fatal fighter jet crash has returned home on Aug 1.The eight-member team, comprising five nurses and three doctors, flew to Dhaka in stages, after an air force jet crashed into a school compound on July 21.More than 30 people were killed, and another 170 or so were injured. About 80 victims were hospitalised for a raft of injuries including serious burns. Many of the victims were children.A call for help came from the Bangladesh High Commission office in Singapore, asking for medical reinforcements, said Associate Professor Ong Yee Siang, who is SGH head of plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.On July 22, a team headed to Dhaka, led by SGH senior consultant Chong Si Jack and comprising nurses Jovan Lim and Poon Lai Kuan, as well as SingHealth international collaboration office director Vijaya Rao.On July 24, a second group left for the Bangladeshi capital, this one comprising doctors Jolin Wong and Irene Wong, and nurse clinicians Chester Chow, Wei Guiru and Tan Kwee Yuen.

Chong Jun-Yu was behind the wheel in the wee hours of the morning when he overheard his passenger’s distressing video call with a friend.“Her friend was drunk and contemplated ending her life over relationship issues,” the 47-year-old recalled about the incident last November.“I sensed she was very worried throughout the journey.”Chong, a full-time property agent, had been doing private-hire vehicle gigs in the past year at that time.But he could sense that his distressed passenger, who was her early '30s, would not be able to “handle it” on her own.“I could have minded my own business, but it’s not something I would do. If I can help, I should,” said Chong.Using details from the video call, the pair found a woman perched on the parapet on the 14th floor at a flat in Bidadari.While the passenger tried to talk her friend down, Chong reached through a gap in the wall and grabbed her arms to prevent a fall.“I cannot remember how long it was, it felt like forever,” he added.“The police came quite fast, but my arms were quite numb and there were bruises from rubbing against the railing.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the national water agency PUB have completed repair and safety assessments of the affected road sections along Tanjong Katong Road South, as well as the surrounding roads. In a Facebook post uploaded by LTA on Friday (July 1), it stated in a joint statement with PUB, that the checks were conducted in consultation with the Building and Construction Authority, confirming that the roads are now safe for use.«Road reinstatement works are ongoing, and the roads will reopen progressively,» it said. «Tanjong Katong Road South, from East Coast Parkway (ECP) to Mountbatten Road, will open to traffic on Saturday afternoon from 12pm, while the opposite direction, from Mountbatten Road to ECP, will open on Monday morning from 5am.»

What was meant to be a typical dinner turned into a nightmare after a man discovered maggots in his soup while dining at a claypot restaurant in Hougang on Wednesday (July 30).Speaking to AsiaOne, Leon Wee, said he was having dinner with his girlfriend at around 9pm when he encountered the «extra ingredient» in his dish.«It was so gross. There were so many of it inside the soup,» said the 29-year-old interior designer. Wee explained that he did not finish the chicken herbal soup but instead filtered it, only to discover about 15 to 20 larvae in the broth.According to Wee, the restaurant is located at Hougang Green Shopping Mall.He added that while he had visited the eatery a couple of times before, this was the first time he had experienced something like this. After spotting the maggots, Wee approached a waitress to provide feedback about the meal, but was only given an apology and an offer to offset the cost.«They ignored it at first and didn't even check if I was alright, only offering to waive my dish which costs about $6 to $9,» he said. 

A red e-vapouriser disposal bin in Bedok was more than half-filled by July 29 — just four days after the Bin The Vape initiative was launched.This was announced by MP for East Coast GRC Tan Kiat How in an Instagram post on July 31.«I'm heartened that many have stepped forth to voluntarily dispose of their e-vaporisers,» he wrote.The bin, which is located in Heartbeat@Bedok, has been safely emptied by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), according to Tan.«I encourage those who have not done so to come forward to bin your e-vapourisers during this campaign period and take the first step towards a better health,» he wrote.Tan is also the Senior Minister of State for Health. Campaign began amidst concerns about etomidateOn July 25, the Ministry of Health, HSA and People's Association launched the Bin The Vape campaign, encouraging vape users to kick the habit and safely dispose their devices in designated bins set up at 24 locations island-wide.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's National Day message will be delivered on Aug 8 (Friday), the eve of National Day. PM Wong, who is also Finance Minister, will deliver his message in English. This is his second National Day message since he took over as Singapore's fourth prime minister on May 15, 2024. His message will be broadcast at 6.40pm on CNA and radio station CNA938. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong will deliver the message in Mandarin, and it will be broadcast on Mediacorp's Channel 8 and radio station Capital 95.8FM at 8.40pm.Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim will deliver the message in Malay. This will be broadcast at 8.30pm on Mediacorp's Suria. Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, and Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash will deliver the message in Tamil. This will be broadcast at 9pm on Mediacorp's Vasantham and radio statio Oli 96.8FM. 

A single ticket bought online snagged over $12.8 million in prize money at the latest Toto cascade draw on Thursday (July 31).The winning ticket was bought through the Singapore Pools account betting service under the QuickPick Ordinary Entry and was the only one with the winning number combination.The winning numbers were 7, 19, 20, 21, 22, 29, and the additional number was 37.The Toto draw yielded no Group 1 winners in the previous three draws, causing the jackpot to snowball from around $1.2 million on July 21, to $2.9 million on July 24 and $5.8 million on July 28 draw.A cascade draw is triggered when there are no Group 1 winners for three consecutive draws. The jackpot can only snowball up to the fourth draw under Toto rules.There were 20 Group 2 winners who shared the prize of $73,408.

Eight men and 20 women, aged 21 to 61, were cuffed for their suspected involvement in vice-related activities on Wednesday (July 30).Officers from the police and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority had raided 12 locations island-wide, including Orchard, Boon Lay and Joo Chiat, that day. Officers preparing for a raid on July 30.PHOTO: Singapore Police Force Assets seized in the operation totalled over $610,000 and comprise of cash, bank account funds, two luxury cars and 18 luxury watches, as well as two phones, laptops and vice-related paraphernalia, said the police.

SINGAPORE — A 49-year-old man who is on trial for raping a woman after she hired him to repair the lights in her flat claimed that they had consensual sex after she made the first move.Taking the stand on July 31, the third day of his trial, Koh Lee Hwa said he ended up having sex with the woman after she pulled him by the arm.Denying that he had raped her, Koh said the sexual encounter took slightly over 10 minutes, which he compared with the «standard» length of time for sex between him and his wife.«How could it happen so fast if it was rape?» he said through a Mandarin interpreter.The prosecution said Koh's testimony was «unbelievable» and contended that the woman did not do anything to suggest that she wanted intimacy from him.The Singapore permanent resident faces one count of rape, one count of sexual assault by penetration and two counts of outrage of modesty.The offences were allegedly committed between about 11.40am and 12.40pm on Aug 23, 2021.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) can soon issue no-boarding directives to detect and stop high risk travellers even before they arrive in Singapore, said the authority at its 2025 Workplan Seminar on Thursday (July 31).The directive will instruct transport operators to deny boarding to individuals who pose security, immigration, or health risks on transportation bound for Singapore.This initiative will bolster Singapore's border security by preventing them from even reaching its checkpoints. More details on the implementation timeline will be shared in due course, said ICA.ICA's new Services Centre (ISC), which has been operating since April this year, was also officially opened by Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam at the seminar.The event showcased ISC's enhanced processes — including self-service kiosks where customers can collect their passports or identity cards on their own at any time on their appointment date.

Five foreign women, aged 21 to 48, were arrested at Changi Airport for suspected drug trafficking, after close to 27kg of cocaine was found in their luggage on Tuesday (July 29).The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said in a media release on Thursday (July 31) that the arrest was made following an exchange of intelligence with the Narcotics Bureau of the Hong Kong police.At the transit area of Terminal 4, CNB officers spotted a 21-year-old woman exchanging luggage with a 32-year-old woman.The pair and another three women were arrested and their belongings searched. Officers found about 26.9kg of cocaine and 10g of cannabis concealed within stuffed toys.Senior Assistant Commissioner Sng Chern Hong, covering director of CNB, said the authority is ready to work with its close counterparts to disrupt drug syndicates and their operations.«Those who attempt to traffic drugs through Singapore will be stopped and dealt with in accordance with the law,» he said.«Singapore is not a transit point for drug smugglers, and we will not allow our travel hubs to be misused for criminal activity.»

After over two decades of service in the region, Singapore-based budget airline Jetstar Asia will operate its final flights on Thursday (July 31).Speaking to the media at Changi Airport Terminal 4 on Thursday, Jetstar Asia's CEO, John Simeone, 56, reflected on the airline's final day, while praising the team behind its success. «It is a sad and emotional day. I've been in the crew lounge since 5.30am this morning to see off all the crew, and I'll be here tonight to welcome our last flight from Manila,» Simeone, whose career in aviation spans 26 years, said.The Australian, who took over as CEO in January 2024, reflected on the challenging journey of leading the airline through its final months.«One of the things I'll miss the most is the friendliness and dedication of the crew,» he said. «I've found this group of people to be incredibly committed professionals in the aviation industry, and I am so proud of what they have done.»

The authorities have been alerted after a Primary 4 student was approached by two teenagers who tried to sell him an e-vaporiser on his way home from school.The incident involved a student from Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) and occurred on July 25 at a zebra crossing along Dover Rise, which is situated between Fairfield Methodist School and Anglo-Chinese Junior College.Speaking to AsiaOne, Soh Mei Foong, the principal of Fairfield Methodist School (Primary), said that the school immediately reported the incident to the authorities after being alerted on July 25.«Students were informed of the incident and reminded not to engage with strangers and to inform trusted adults, should they be approached by any stranger or suspicious person,» she said.The school will also be stepping up their surveillance efforts within the vicinity of the school premises after school as a precautionary measure, said Soh.A parent of a nine-year-old student from the school told Lianhe Zaobao that he received a WhatsApp message from the class' group chat regarding the incident last Friday. 

There will be no train service on the Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) on two Sundays — Aug 31 and Sept 21 — to allow for integration testing of a new communications-based train control signalling system with new third-generation and upgraded second-generation light rail vehicles (LRVs).«This (closure) is needed to provide a longer period for continuous testing of the new signalling system simulating actual operating conditions», said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and rail operator SMRT in a joint statement on Wednesday (July 30).LTA and SMRT added that the the new signalling system is similar to that used on MRT lines and allows «better control of train speeds» so that commuters can «enjoy smoother and more reliable rides». The closures will allow the system to be comprehensively and rigorously tested, over a longer period, to ensure proper integration with the new and upgraded LRVs. Signalling system works are expected to be completed and deployed by end-2025.During the closures, a shuttle bus service — LRT shuttle B — will operate in the direction of BLRT service B, at a frequency of five to 15 minutes. 

He may have been in a rush, but the time he saved crossing the street may have cost him his life.A youth was seen dashing across a pedestrian crossing at a junction along Yio Chu Kang on Tuesday (July 29) evening, according to a post on Facebook group Singapore Road Vigilante (SGRV) the same day.Based on the clip, the accident is believed to have occurred at the junction of Yio Chu Kang Road and Hougang Avenue 9.In the video, the youth, carrying a bag, can be seen pausing for a moment at the side of the junction, before making a dash across the crossing while the pedestrian lights were still red.However, as he reaches the left-most lane, a taxi appears.Unable to stop in time, he makes contact with the right side of the cab, and is sent tumbling to the ground, landing on his side.In the collision, the youth drops his phone to the ground, while a blue object — possibly the taxi's sideview mirror — also falls onto the road towards the middle of the junction.Fortunately, the youth is able to get back on his feet, picking up his phone before walking over to the other side of the crossing.

SINGAPORE — The dry rising main at Block 229 Toa Payoh Lorong 8 was not in proper working condition when the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) fought the blaze there on July 29.SCDF said on July 30 that because the dry rising main was not working, water could not be charged up to the affected floors.Firefighters had to set up hoses directly from the fire engine below up to the 10th and 11th floors via the staircase.The fire had engulfed a flat on the 10th floor and spread to a unit on the 11th. A total of seven people, including a firefighter and a child, were taken to hospital.An SCDF spokesman said: «This is more onerous, but it is a contingency that SCDF firefighters regularly train for during their routine drills.»The dry rising main is a vertical red pipe installed in a building, and is typically dry when not in use.During a fire, it is charged with water from a fire engine, allowing water to reach the upper floors of a building.SCDF said it is working with the town council to investigate the incident. It is also working to rectify the dry rising main fault to ensure it is in proper working condition.

As SG60 celebrations kick into high gear, you've probably seen some reflections on social media on how far we've come - and where we're headed next. Perhaps, it's also time to move past some of the lingering stereotypes that hold us back, like the idea that Singaporeans love to complain.So what happens when everyday Singaporeans try to do the opposite? Instead of reacting negatively and pointing fingers when they spot an issue, some are devising solutions and rolling up their sleeves as they follow through on plans with dedication.Take for instance 39-year-old Johny Tan, a healthcare administrator and grassroots leader. He started the Boon Lay Clean-Up Project - an initiative that invites everyone, including those residing outside Boon Lay - to contribute towards a cleaner estate.Tan, whose work revolves around the study of population health, was inspired by research showing that clean environments improve well-being and reduce stress. He kickstarted this community effort to collectively uplift the welfare of fellow residents.