SINGAPORE — In 2024, when two out of three lifts in his block at Fernwood Towers broke down, Haider Manasawala had to carry his suitcase down 21 storeys to catch a flight.«Only one lift was operating and it was taking forever to come. I didn't have a choice,» said Haider, a regional chief financial officer with a US multinational firm.On other occasions, all three ageing lifts failed, forcing Haider to climb the stairs to get home.Fernwood Towers, a 31-year-old freehold development near Siglap, has 11 lifts across four residential blocks. But despite frequent lift breakdowns, which started in 2021, the management corporation strata title (MCST) found it hard to get owners' support to raise funds and replace them.Fernwood Towers is among a growing number of condominium developments grappling with deteriorating infrastructure and insufficient sinking funds to carry out major repair and replacement works. This problem could worsen as more developments cross the 30-year mark, said industry experts.

Businesses in the Clarke Quay and Boat Quay areas are optimistic that extending their operating hours is the right way forward.On Thursday (Aug 7), the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of National Development, said that the Boat Quay precinct and neighbouring areas will be revitalised with a series of regulatory changes.Come Aug 18, businesses along Boat Quay and Clarke Quay can apply for extended liquor licenses until 4am on Thursdays and Fridays for a trial that will last a year.Proposals for new nightclubs, bars and pubs along Boat Quay Waterfront, Circular Road, Lorong Telok and Canton Street may also be submitted for temporary permission of up to three years.Circular Road will also be free of cars on Friday and Sunday evenings and on the eve of public holidays.Speaking with AsiaOne, Rafid, the manager of restaurant and bar Shahi Maharaja along Boat Quay, said that the extension is good news for him, especially on Fridays.The 38-year-old explained that he will likely be hiring more workers and extending his business hours past 1.30am if his application is approved.

Stay in the know with a recap of our top stories today.1. NDP 2025: Police Coast Guard to deploy upgraded patrol boats at Padang and Bayfront celebrationsThe Police Coast Guard will be patrolling the bay area on board upgraded boats and crafts during the upcoming National Day Parade 2025... » READ MORE2. 'Ah, National Day has arrived': Uncle Ong's 11-year flag tradition in Toa Payoh

A man was arrested on Tuesday (Aug 5) after he brandished a knife at a vehicle exiting Sim Lim Tower in Jalan Besar.Dashcam footage of the incident shared to Stomp shows the man walking on the left-most lane of Jalan Besar Road and towards the car.He stands in front of the vehicle before making a gesture and moving back to stand on the main road. A car occupant is heard saying that the man has a knife.As the vehicle slowly reverses, the man lunges forward with a knife in his right hand in an apparent attempt to jump the car bonnet.Unintelligible shouts are heard as the man stops briefly before approaching the reversing car again. Then, a man claiming to be from the police is heard asking the car occupants what happened.The driver, named Nay Zar, told Stomp he was thankful that the police were in the car behind him.«In the end, I realised that he wanted to disturb whatever car, so he left his bag in front of Sim Lim Tower and walked against traffic on the main road,» he reportedly said.«I want to say thanks to the police who came in and helped.»

Four Certis officers were charged on Friday (Aug 8) with various offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Official Secrets Act (OSA).They are Sri Daniah Abdul Razak, Muhammad Haaziq Karudin, Muhammad Khairul Amir Suhaimi and Mohammad Aziffi Selamat.The Corruption Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) and Singapore Customs said that the four were contract employees for the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.Their alleged offences are linked with a Singaporean named Muhammad Sukaimi Gasali, who was also charged on Friday.The 34-year-old allegedly paid the officers a total of $7,661 over multiple occasions between June 2021 and July 2023 to reward them for not taking enforcement actions against him at Jurong Port.He also gave Daniah, 26, an additional $2,190 as a reward for disclosing confidential information on enforcement actions at Tuas Checkpoint over multiple occasions between February and April 2024.

Car wash centres in Johor Bahru have been reclassified as high-risk businesses following repeated breach of regulations. This decision has prompted tighter licensing conditions and stricter enforcement by the Johor Baru City Council, reported the New Straits Times (NST).Johor Bahru mayor Datuk Mohd Haffiz Ahmad said the decision came during a recent meeting of the council's licensing committee in response to persistent non-compliance among operators. «Applications for new car wash licences have reopened, with immediate implementation of stricter requirements,» said Datuk Mohd Haffiz. According to The Star, Mohd Haffiz said new applicants must fulfil operating regulations before applying for a licence. "New applicants must operate from premises with adequate water drainage systems and ensure that their operations do not damage public roads.

A man has been charged for possessing five Kpods containing etomidate, three of which were allegedly for sale.On Aug 7, Muhammad Sabriee Mohd Tahar was charged in connection with an incident along Coleman Street at 12.10am on Oct 5, 2024.The 22-year-old Singaporean was handed two charges under the Poisons Act.The first charge was for possessing three vape pods containing etomidate in the area outside Grand Park City Hall hotel. The pods were meant for sale, according to court documents.Etomidate is classified as a poison under the Poisons Act and import and sale of the substance require a licence.The second charge was for possessing two additional vape pods containing etomidate which did not have a clear label indicating their contents and any distinction or mark indicating they contained poison.Sabriee was also handed three charges under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act for having three Kpods for sale, and possessing three vapes and two Kpods for purposes other than for sale.

SINGAPORE — Restaurant-bars, pubs, bars and nightclubs in the Boat Quay and Clarke Quay area will be able to apply for extension of liquor licences till 4am on Thursdays and Fridays come Aug 18, as part of a year-long pilot programme aimed at revitalising the area.Businesses will also be allowed to submit proposals for new bars, pubs and nightclubs along the Boat Quay waterfront, Circular Road, Lorong Telok and Canton Street, ending a 16-year moratorium on new nightlife venues in the historic district.Circular Road will soon also resume being a car-free zone for events and pedestrian-friendly activities on weekend evenings and the eve of public holidays.The regulatory changes follow feedback from stakeholders on the vibrancy of the Boat Quay precinct and neighbouring areas, and are in line with ongoing efforts to provide opportunities for businesses in the city centre, said the authorities.Speaking to reporters on Aug 7, Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam said the Government had been in discussions with the Singapore Nightlife Business Association (SNBA) and Singapore River One (SRO) on ways to revitalise Boat Quay and Clarke Quay.

SINGAPORE — Marcus Chew and Dominic Han, co-captains of the Singapore men's softball team, remember their 2019 clash against Australia at the Softball World Championship in Prague vividly.Then, they were humbled 10-0, with their loss sealed by a walk-off three-run hit from their opponents.Six years later on Aug 6, the Singaporean team shed tears as they faced Australia again, though this time it was tears of joy after notching a 10-9 win against the two-time world champions at the World Games in Chengdu, China.The victory marked a milestone for the 11th-ranked team, as it was their first over world No. 4 Australia, who were last crowned world champions in 2022.«Several years ago, if someone said we would be beating Australia, it would not have been something believable,» said Han, 32.«We got off to a very huge lead at the start, and then we just hung on for dear life. It was a really exhilarating win for us.»Australia is definitely a superpower in the sport, and I would say we snatched the victory from them. Some of our teammates did shed a tear and for the older ones like myself... it's unbelievable."

A student from Yuying Secondary School was taken to the hospital after being found with a vape and behaving aggressively towards a staff member.A video shared on TikTok showed an ambulance at the school, with a student asking: «He took Kpods ah?»The original video has been deleted but has been shared by separate accounts on TikTok, where one shared on Tuesday (Aug 5) has since garnered almost 30,000 views.In response to AsiaOne's queries, Chong Jack Sheng, the school's principal, said that the incident happened on July 31 and that there is an ongoing investigation by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).Chong said that the police were called after a student displayed aggressive behaviour towards a staff member. The student was subsequently found in possession of an e-vaporiser.«The safety of our staff and students is a key priority,» Chong said, adding that the student is well and that the school is monitoring his well-being.«We take a comprehensive approach towards preventing and addressing vaping among students, including taking appropriate action for discipline and rehabilitation,» said Chong.

SINGAPORE – There has been a spike in the number of chikungunya cases in Singapore in the past few months, with the authorities closely monitoring the situation amid global concern over the mosquito-borne virus.There have been 17 cases of chikungunya fever in Singapore since the start of the year as at Aug 2, according to the Communicable Diseases Agency’s (CDA) infectious disease bulletin published on Aug 7.This is more than double the eight registered in the same period in 2024. The total number of cases for 2024 was 15.Of the cases reported so far in 2025, at least 13 recently travelled to affected areas overseas while at least three local cases are not linked to one another, said CDA in response to queries from The Straits Times.There were initially two cases in February, gradually increasing at about two cases a month until there were nine by the end of May. However, the number jumped to 13 in June and then to 16 in July.CDA said if new information surfaces that suggests the virus poses an increased risk in Singapore, it will review the need for additional public health measures.

SINGAPORE — A man purchased multiple KrisFlyer account details from people he had met online and used the miles accrued in those accounts to pay for his own purchase around Singapore.The Indonesian national, who worked as a customer service support staff in Indonesia, knew the account details he had purchased were from compromised accounts.On Aug 6, Rizaldy Primanta Putra, 28, was sentenced to three months and four weeks' jail after he pleaded guilty to two charges for illegally modifying computer material.He was also ordered to make a compensation order of $1,667.76.The court heard that Putra is also a content creator with around 120,000 followers online.His conviction comes after he had first indicated his intention to claim trial to the charges in court on May 29.Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Suriya Prakash said that in the seven months from May to November 2024, the Indonesian national obtained eight different KrisFlyer account access details from sellers he had met in a Facebook group.

DBS, Singapore's largest bank, posted $2.82 billion in net profit for the second quarter of 2025, beating expectations amid heightened global uncertainties and challenging financial conditions.According to financial results posted on Thursday (Aug 7), net profit for the quarter which ended on June 30, was up by one per cent year-on-year, from $2.79 billion for the same period last year.  The bank's strong performance was driven by a five per cent boost in total income, which came in at $5.73 billion.DBS also noted that total income and profit before tax for the first half of the year came in at record highs of $11.6 billion and $6.83 billion respectively.Net interest income was higher, supported by strong deposit growth and proactive balance sheet hedging, said the bank, adding that fee income and treasury customer sales also rose to their second highest quarterly levels while markets trading performance strengthened.The bank declared a total divided payout of 75 cents per share for the quarter, comprising 60 cents ordinary dividend and 15 cents capital return dividend.

SINGAPORE — A man who recruited another person to open a bank account for illegal means forced the latter to drink urine after the account was frozen.Tan Ming Chuan and his alleged accomplice Cheong Wee Kiat, 26, thought that the 25-year-old male victim had pocketed the money in the account. His name has been redacted from court documents, which referred to him as A1.Tan and Cheong were unaware that A1 had earlier alerted the police about the account.On Aug 6, Tan, 28, was sentenced to four months and eight weeks' jail, and a fine of $300. He had pleaded guilty to one count each of criminal intimidation and misusing a computer system.Cheong's case is pending.Court documents stated that Tan got to know a person called Derrick in late 2021 and accepted a job offer from the latter to recruit people who wanted to relinquish their bank accounts.Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicole Tay said that for each bank account that Tan provided, Derrick would hand him about $800 to $1,000 in cash as payment.Tan would then hand $500 to the person who relinquished the bank account, and keep about $300 as a «commission» for himself.

Two men involved in a large-scale money laundering scheme in Singapore have had their Cypriot citizenships revoked. Su Haijin and Wang Dehai were stripped of their Cypriot nationality after being convicted and sentenced by a Singapore court, reported Cyprus news outlet Politis on Aug 4. Originally from China's Fujian province, both men acquired their Cypriot passports under the then-active «citizenship-by-investment» programme, known locally as the «golden passports».«Golden passports» are typically granted by a country in exchange for a significant financial investment, donation, or purchase of real estate.In late 2020, Cyprus terminated its citizenship programme following a report by news outlet Al Jazeera.The report found that among the more than 2,500 individuals who obtained a Cypriot passport between 2017 and 2019, dozens had prior criminal convictions, were facing charges abroad, or were subject to international sanctions.

SINGAPORE — Two workers died in the first half of 2025 after they were struck by flying compressed gas cylinders in separate incidents, the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council said on Aug 6.In the first incident, a worker had on March 28 removed a cylinder containing carbon dioxide from a newly installed fire suppression system, after the system triggered a false fire alarm.The cylinder was then placed upright and free-standing on the ground, and shortly after it flew and struck another worker standing nearby.The worker who was hit was taken to a hospital, where he died.In the second incident, which occurred on May 15, an excavator was being used to transfer scrap metal when a discarded fire extinguisher cylinder containing carbon dioxide suddenly flew and struck a worker seated nearby.The injured worker was taken to a hospital and later died.The WSH Council said in its advisory that the cylinder's valve connector likely broke when the excavator's electromagnet pressed on a scrap metal pile.

Almost half of the primary schools in Singapore were oversubscribed in Phase 2C of the Primary 1 registration exercise this year and will have to hold a ballot, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said.Of the 81 schools balloting, Princess Elizabeth Primary School is the most oversubscribed, according to the latest data on MOE's website.With only 41 spots for 232 applicants, there is less than a one in five chance of being selected.Nan Hua Primary School is the next most oversubscribed, with 41 spots available for 166 applicants, followed by South View Primary School with 41 spots for 155 applicants.Phase 2C of the Primary 1 registration process ended at 4.30pm on July 31, with results scheduled to be posted on Aug 12.Balloting is conducted when the number of applicants exceeds the school vacancies, which can happen in any phase from 2A to 2C Supplementary, according to MOE.The balloting process is conducted centrally by MOE, with priority given in this order: 

A 17-year-old girl who broke her home detention curfew was arrested alongside a 22-year-old man after they crashed into a Singapore Prison Service (SPS) vehicle while attempting to flee.A video and picture seen by AsiaOne on Aug 1 shows a collision between a yellow car and a grey, unmarked van near a multistorey carpark at Yishun Street 22.Jeffrey Kuan, the resident who had captured the video, told AsiaOne that he heard a loud bang from his window at about 9.30pm on July 31.Upon looking out, he saw «plainclothes officers» dragging a woman — seemingly in handcuffs —to a grey van as she resisted.Several police cars arrived at the scene soon after, and officers were conducting checks, said Kuan.Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) confirmed that a 17-year-old girl and a 22-year-old man had been arrested in the vicinity of Blk 269A and 269B Yishun Street 22.The teen had been admitted to the Drug Rehabilitation Centre on Oct 16, 2024 for drug consumption and was placed under home detention on June 6 this year.

SINGAPORE – Singapore will be fielding its largest-ever contingent for the Dec 9-20 SEA Games, but high-profile names such as the national men’s Under-22 football team and two-time marathon champion Soh Rui Yong have been omitted from the initial list.The Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) on Aug 6 announced the first batch of athletes and teams selected for the Games, with a total of 762 athletes across 42 sports provisionally picked for the event. The national sports associations have until Aug 15 to lodge appeals for their athletes.It is understood that the Young Lions missed the initial cut as they have not produced any international results that meet the SNOC’s qualifying criteria of matching the third-placed finishers of the previous edition.The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) had withdrawn the team from the Asean U-23 Championship from July 15 to 29, whose results could have been used to support their nomination for the SEA Games.

A 27-year-old man was arrested in Woodlands on Wednesday (Aug 6) for allegedly possessing weapons, e-vaporisers (also known as vapes), and duty-unpaid cigarettes.Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the police said they received a call for assistance at the junction of Woodlands Avenue 2 and Avenue 5 at about 5.45am.The man was arrested for offences under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958 and Gun, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021, as well as suspected drug-related offences.He was suspected to have in possession knife-related weapons, reported The Straits Times.The police said it also found e-vaporisers and duty-unpaid cigarettes in his vehicle.A seven-second clip uploaded to Xiaohongshu shows at least seven police vehicle lined up along Woodlands Avenue 5. Officers are seen near the man's car and laying down on the roadside grass items seized from the vehicle.The police said the suspected drug-related offences have been referred to the Central Narcotics Bureau. The vapes and duty-unpaid cigarettes will be referred to the Health Sciences Authority and Singapore Customs respectively.