The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has commenced airdrop operations to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.In an updated Facebook post on Saturday (Aug 16), the Ministry of Defence said that the operation commenced on Friday (Aug 15) and was conducted in close coordination with the Royal Jordanian Air Force and other participating air forces.  This follows the deployment of a C-130 transport aircraft and personnel from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and Singapore Army to deliver Singapore's ninth tranche of humanitarian aid for Gaza on Aug 12.

The Workers' Party (WP) responded to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's National Day Rally speech, urging the Government to «engage widely» and consider all options amid uncertainty.In a statement posted on its official Facebook page on Monday (Aug 18), the opposition party referenced Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) labour force report for the second quarter of this year.According to the report, global economic uncertainty is expected to persist in the coming months and may weigh on hiring and wage growth — especially in outward-oriented sectors.«Against this cautious backdrop, the Workers' Party urges the Government to engage widely and explore all solutions tabled in good faith, including previously untapped ones,» said WP.«Singapore should leave no stone unturned in our collective efforts to build a truly resilient nation for the future and keep our Singapore flag flying high.»The party suggested that the Government «tackle present concerns» for businesses and employees.

With just four out of the 11 available stalls open, a food court at Le Quest Mall in Bukit Batok has been dubbed on social media as “saddest Koufu in Singapore”.Already grappling with low footfall, its remaining stall owners’ fortunes took a further hit after a new hawker centre opened next door in March.Jenny Lim’s mixed rice stall, which she runs with her husband, has been a mainstay at the Koufu food court since it opened five years ago.When asked by AsiaOne on Friday (Aug 15) how much they make in a month, Lim, 57, said: “Why don’t you ask us what our losses are like instead?”Her answer? A staggering $8,000 in losses each month. She declined to reveal the cost of renting the stall and other operating costs. A video posted on TikTok on Aug 14 showed the near-empty food court with seven vacant stalls — some of them still bearing their signboards. “Only drinks, cai fan (economy rice), western and chicken [rice stalls]. The saddest Koufu in Singapore,” said user yokey017 in the caption.The video has since garnered over 157,000 views and 1,000 likes. 

Nathaniel Zachariah Tan, 27, was due to marry his polytechnic sweetheart in mid-November — only to have the rare brain disease that had plagued him for years claim his life on Aug 12.In his final act, Tan donated his liver, two kidneys and an iliac artery, potentially saving the lives of four people.He was also placed in his coffin in a suit embroidered with his wedding vows, according to Shin Min Daily News. A standee of Tan dressed in his suit was also placed at the funeral wake.«He was a very loving person. Before he died, he told his fiancee that if he passed away one day, his organs should be donated to help others in need,» said his mother Queenie Tan, 62.«He was buried with a cross and in the suit he had planned to wear for his wedding,» added Mrs Tan, noting that the suit had been ordered long ago. When her son's condition worsened, it was sent to Beijing for alteration, and eventually shipped back for the funeral.

The Government is currently studying the experiences of other countries that have passed new laws to tighten access to the internet and social media for children, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said at the National Day Rally 2025 on Sunday (Aug 17).PM Wong highlighted the concern that the government has regarding the impact of technology, including social media, on children, explaining that many parents worry that their children spend too much time in front of their screens.«This isn't a new worry — in the past, children were constantly reminded not to watch too much TV,» he compared.«But today's environment is on a wholly different scale. Everyone is online — always connected, and always within reach on their phones.»This means that parents find it harder to set boundaries or keep track of their child's digital footprint, whether they are scrolling on social media, surfing the internet or playing games online.«When young people become overly immersed in the virtual world, they may lose touch with the real one. They may grow up more socially isolated,» PM Wong warned.

The Government will support fresh graduates and help them secure employment opportunities with government-funded traineeship programmes. The programme is meant to offer more training opportunities amid the current economic uncertainty, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as he announced it during his National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 17). «After graduation, I know many are concerned about jobs,» he said, adding that the traineeships will be a «near term» solution that provides these graduates with the chance to gain real-world experience while receiving an allowance.Through the traineeships, graduates will be able to «keep their skills sharp», he said, better equipping them to secure full-time jobs once the economy fully recovers.The new government-funded traineeship programme will apply to Institute of Technical Education, polytechnic and university graduates.According to PM Wong, the programme will be announced by the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce (SERT) and will begin with «a more focussed rollout».«If the economy worsens, we will scale up the programme,» he added.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong addressed the nation during the National Day Rally 2025 on Sunday (Aug 17), where he weighed in on Singapore's journey thus far and unveiled his plans for the future. The rally also saw attendance from Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and Opposition leader Pritam Singh.Speaking from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central at Ang Mo Kio, he looked back on the nation's 60th birthday, which was celebrated at the Padang and Marina Bay.«60 may not seem like a major milestone, but for us it carries deep meaning, because it comes at a turning point in global history and it marks the start of a new chapter in our Singapore story,» PM Wong said.Highlighting the turbulence present in the world today, he stressed that peace and stability are now «precarious», and shared Singapore's steps forward for a «complex new era».Here are five key points he brought up during the rally. 

The disruptions to the North East Line and the Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT) lines on Aug 12 was due to a «double fault» scenario which occurred in a voltage transformer for one of two interconnected switchboards at the Sengkang Depot Substation — an occurrence described as «rare».The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SBS Transit (SBST) said this in a statement on Saturday (Aug 16), providing updates on the power fault incidents which occurred on Aug 12 and Aug 15.In the case on Aug 12, which occurred at 11am and lasted for about three hours, the two faults occurred at the voltage transformer for Switchboard 2, the statement read.The first involved a high current surge due to a fault in the voltage transformer, while the second was a dislodged cable connecting to the voltage transformer.

A 12-year-old girl was sent to hospital after allegedly being involved in an accident with a cyclist at Punggol Waterway Park.According to a Facebook post by user Matthew L. Tan to the SG PCN Cyclist group on Saturday (Aug 16), the accident involved his friend's daughter and occurred on Friday in front of Waterway Point mall.He wrote that the girl was «knocked down by a cyclist» and was unconscious in the hospital's intensive care unit.A photo posted of the incident showed a girl lying on the ground, surrounded by Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers and several bystanders.A pink bicycle was also pictured on the ground near the girl. Girl conscious when taken to hospitalAccording to Lianhe Zaobao, the bicycle which hit the girl was a fixed-gear bike or «fixie», which are not typically affixed with brakes.A police spokesperson told AsiaOne that the police had received a call for assistance at about 5.20pm on Aug 15. A 12-year-old girl was taken to hospital while conscious. A 51-year-old man is assisting the police with investigations for rash act causing hurt and investigations are ongoing.

Patrons at nightlife venues will soon see «Vaping is Prohibited» signs displayed at entrances and within premises.In a press release on Aug 16, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) announced that it is partnering with the Singapore Nightlife Business Association (SNBA) to step up efforts against vaping at nightlife establishments.The signs will carry QR codes linking directly to HSA's online reporting portal, enabling patrons and staff to report any illegal use or supply of e-vaporisers. Nightlife venues have also been urged to deny entry to patrons found carrying or consuming e-vaporisers.«Working with industry partners like SNBA helps strengthen ground-level deterrence and is an important part of HSA's strategy to combat illegal vaping,» said Adjunct Professor (Dr) Raymond Chua, HSA Chief Executive Officer. «Vaping has no place in daily life, including Singapore's nightlife entertainment scene.»SNBA president Danny Loong said the association is committed to working closely with HSA to ensure nightlife venues remain safe and compliant with the law, while safeguarding the health of patrons and staff.

SINGAPORE - A routine evening at home turned into a life-changing moment on Aug 10 for Ms Latashni Gobi Nathan, when she and her best friend helped her next-door neighbour deliver a baby.While watching post-National Day celebrations together from the rooftop of their Punggol Housing Board block at around 6pm, the neighbour, Ms Nur Amalina, 34, told Ms Latashni and her husband that she was having mild contractions.«Around noon, I was having mild contractions. We talked to the neighbours and asked them to help with taking care of our two daughters if I needed to go to hospital the next day,» Ms Amalina, a homemaker, told The Straits Times.The baby was not due until Aug 17, the 34-year-old added.«At around 10pm, my contractions got even more intense. I told my husband we had to go. I started panicking, wondering if I had the time to make it to the hospital or not.»Ms Amalina's husband Dzukri Bachtiar, 40, a field service engineer, said he managed to remain calm."I was already prepared on what to do. My parents, who live with us, were on holiday that day, so it was just us. We had contacted my sister, but she could make it only at 11pm.

Winning a large sum of money at a casino may seem like a dream come true, but few anticipate the challenges and stress involved in bringing that money back home if the win happens overseas.Ms Sherylynn Kok, 28, experienced this first-hand in April, after winning RM800,000 (S$244,000) at a slot machine in a Genting Highlands casino.She, her boyfriend and her parents were on a weekend getaway at the hill resort. On that fateful Friday afternoon, they began playing at the jackpot machines.Ms Kok was initially on a losing streak.“I kept changing slot machines and finally sat down at a random one,” recalls the owner of a frozen food supply company and social media agency.Five minutes in, she triggered a feature game offering four jackpot tiers: mini, minor, major and grand, each with rising prize values and shrinking odds. She pressed the button.The columns began aligning on the payline. Three of the grand prize symbols appeared on the screen, along with a small message at the bottom of the screen: She had won the grand prize of RM800,000.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and Singapore Police Force (SPF) seized four e-vaporiser pods suspected to contain etomidate during a joint enforcement operation in City Hall.On Saturday (Aug 16), AsiaOne was among the media invited to visit a seemingly quiet, unassuming building along Coleman Street.The authorities raided two public entertainment establishments at the location during the wee hours of the morning.Upon the media's arrival at around 1.15am, a crowd was seen leaving the building with some people seemingly agitated and a few even hurling expletives.At one point, some were also heard shouting incoherently from the higher floors.The first establishment raided by police and HSA officers was a smaller area which had multiple private karaoke rooms.Upon entering the premises, two suspects were seen seated in adjacent rooms while facing away from the doors. 

SINGAPORE — A man who was on death row for drug trafficking has had his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment after succeeding in his petition for clemency, which is rarely granted.Tristan Tan Yi Rui, 33, was sentenced to death in February 2023 after he was found guilty of trafficking 337.6g of methamphetamine. His conviction and sentence were upheld by the Court of Appeal.In response to queries from The Straits Times on Friday (Aug 15), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that on Aug 14, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, on the advice of the Cabinet, granted a pardon to Tan.The statement said the Cabinet was advised that the sentence imposed on Tan was legally sound.«Nevertheless, a recommendation was made to grant clemency to him because of the specific facts and circumstances of the case,» said MHA.The statement said Tan was arrested as part of a Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) operation which involved the arrest of several other subjects.One of the other subjects arrested in the operation, who was tried separately on a capital charge, eventually received a non-capital sentence.