A mother is looking for the man who saved her four-year-old son from drowning in the swimming pool at Pan Pacific Hotel.The incident occurred on Aug 10 at around 10am, according to a post on Xiaohongshu made on Tuesday (Aug 19) by the mother, Wang (transliterated).In her post, she recounted how her son Jasper almost drowned in the pool but was rescued by one or two bystanders who rushed to help and perform CPR on him.Wang said that Jasper was rushed to hospital after regaining consciousness, where he was warded for two days before being discharged on Aug 12.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed that they received a call for assistance at around 10.45am at 7 Raffles Boulevard, where Pan Pacific Hotel is located.SCDF said they sent one person to KK Women's and Children's Hospital.«Without (the bystander), I wouldn't dare to imagine where we would be today. Because of them, Jasper has a second life,» Wang said.

SINGAPORE — North East Line operator SBS Transit has been found to be «100 per cent responsible» for an incident at Punggol MRT station, where the doors closed on a woman's head and neck after she tripped and fell while trying to exit the train.The woman, Ng Lai Ping, had filed a civil suit against SBS Transit for negligence over the June 27, 2022, incident.She contended that she was trapped between the doors for 12 seconds, though SBS Transit presented CCTV footage to show that, at best, it was for one to two seconds.In a judgment dated Aug 13, District Judge Sim Mei Ling found that SBS Transit had breached its duty of care to Ng.The trial will proceed to the next stage to determine whether the breach had caused the injuries allegedly suffered by Ng and the quantum of any damages to be awarded.SBS Transit has 14 days from the date of the judgment to file an appeal.According to the judgment, Ng had boarded a train at Sengkang MRT station, which was bound for Punggol MRT station, on the morning of June 27, 2022.She had intended to ride the train back from Punggol MRT station to Little India MRT station.

SINGAPORE — The Chinese city of Chengdu is famous for two things: Giant pandas and hotpot.After spending days in the capital of Sichuan without experiencing these delights, Singaporean powerlifter Farhanna Farid finally managed to catch the famous bears and indulge in the spicy local cuisine when the World Games 2025 concluded on Aug 17.Ahead of the Games, she held off on both to focus on the competition.Her hard work and discipline paid off as the 32-year-old broke the deadlift world record twice at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Centre Gymnasium on Aug 14, lifting 210kg and 217kg in the women's lightweight final.Her new mark of 217kg was almost 8kg more than her previous mark of 209.5kg set at the IPF World Open Classic Powerlifting Championships in Chemnitz, Germany, in June.It was her 12th world record since first achieving the feat in June 2022.With additional lifts of 147.5kg in the squat and 70kg in the bench press, she finished sixth overall with 110.58 points. France's Tiffany Chapon took gold (124.45), ahead of New Zealand's Megan-Li Smith (122.69) and Evie Corrigan (120.79).

SINGAPORE — Unhappy with a six-year-old stranger who had caused his daughter to fall, a man slapped the boy's face once, bruising it.For about a week following his ordeal, the boy was observed to be noticeably quieter, and he also experienced occasional nightmares.The bruise he sustained subsided several days after his assault and his behaviour has since returned to normal, the court heard.On Aug 20, his assailant pleaded guilty to an assault charge.The 39-year-old Singaporean man cannot be named to protect the identity of his daughter, who was around three years old at the time of the incident and referred to in court documents as X1.Individuals below 18 years old are protected under the Children and Young Persons Act.The court heard that the man, his wife and their three daughters had gone to an indoor playground at Westgate shopping mall in Gateway Drive, near Boon Lay Way, on Dec 22, 2024.At around 2.30pm, he saw the boy kick a wall made of multicoloured styrofoam building blocks while at least one of his daughters was standing near to it.

SINGAPORE – A staff member at the MindChamps PreSchool in East Coast has been diagnosed with active tuberculosis (TB) after a screening of children and staff there, as well as at MapleBear Toa Payoh.None of the children at either pre-school has tested positive so far, and there is “currently no evidence of spread within the pre-schools”, said the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) in a statement on Aug 20.The agency conducted screenings at the MindChamps and MapleBear pre-schools on Aug 13 and Aug 15 respectively, after a pre-school teacher who had taught at both schools tested positive for the disease.The staff member who was newly diagnosed on Aug 18 from the screenings is a household contact of the pre-school teacher, whom CDA was informed about on July 15.“The individual is currently asymptomatic and is on medical leave. She has commenced TB treatment and will be non-infectious after completing two weeks of treatment,” CDA said.

SMRT bus captain Yau Minddin Bin Muhamad had a moment of deliberation when he saw a car on fire near KK Women's and Children's Hospital, but concern for the vehicle occupants spurred him into action.The 48-year-old had been driving bus service 960e back to Woodlands Depot when he passed by the burning BMW along Bukit Timah Road on Sunday (Aug 17) evening.In an interview with AsiaOne on Wednesday, Yau said he stopped his vehicle at a bus stop ahead and thought for «a couple seconds» if he should lend a helping hand.«Then, I saw the driver waving but no one helping,» he recounted.«If my family or our colleague was trapped there, I cannot just ignore and leave it...if something happened [like an] explosion, I cannot forgive myself.»The bus captain of almost 10 years grabbed a portable fire extinguisher on board the bus and ran across the road.«No matter who they are, strangers or [someone] close, it's not important. That's why when I reached, the first thing I asked was whether any person was trapped in there.»

SINGAPORE — Ahead of a meeting with creditors set for Aug 29, the firm behind Singapore indie cinema The Projector has revealed that it owes them more than $1.2 million.In an e-mail sent out to creditors on Aug 19 and seen by The Straits Times, Pocket Cinema listed 33 different creditors comprising individuals and organisations.The highest amount — $382,888.03 — is owed to Overseas Movie (Private), while others named in the list include the firm's director, Karen Tan, as well as other shareholders, including one of The Projector's founders, Blaise Camille Trigg-Smith.Tan, who is also one of The Projector's founders, is owed more than $120,000, while Trigg-Smith is owed slightly above $100,000.ST has contacted Tan for more information.Other creditors include those who held memberships with The Projector that have yet to expire. These comprise 2,295 people who are owed a total of more than $89,000.The majority of them, or 1,566, held memberships with The Projector Fan Club.

SINGAPORE — FairPrice Group has apologised after a woman said she found a worm in a piece of salmon she bought from one of its Bedok North outlets and later cooked at home.In a statement on Aug 19, the supermarket chain said it was investigating the matter with its supplier.The incident has also been reported to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), which is carrying out its own investigation.The woman, who wanted to be known only as Liz, told The Straits Times that she had bought a discounted packet of salmon with bones on Aug 12.According to a receipt seen by ST, she bought four items at about 11.25pm on Aug 12, including three packets of xiao bai cai — a type of Chinese cabbage — and the salmon. The bill came up to $5.47.Her mother cooked the salmon on Aug 15, and Liz ate it later that night. She realised something was wrong only while eating.«I think my folks didn't eat the fried salmon bones, I ate 2½ pieces. The last half was the part with the worm,» she said, adding that the worm appeared to be white and «very long». She later measured it at 6.5cm with a ruler.

A leadership development programme designed to train the next generation of leaders for Chinese community groups, including clan associations, will receive funding support from the government. This follows Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's announcement of a new training programme to «systematically nurture the next generation of community leaders».PM Wong made the announcement at the National Day Rally on Sunday (Aug 17).During his Mandarin speech, PM Wong paid tribute to the Chinese community for playing a «crucial role» — through their philanthropy, nurturing bilingual and bicultural talent for Singapore - in championing and fostering a strong Singaporean identity.Providing further details on the programme on Wednesday (Aug 20), National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat said that participants of the programme will be nominated by Chinese community groups and selected by the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA). The programme targets to develop about 100 active Chinese community leaders, in theirs 30s and 40s, over the next five years. 

Local ride-hailing platform Grab has cited a «temporary system issue» that led to «abnormally high prices» being wrongly displayed on the app on Wednesday (Aug 20).At around noon, many users noticed unusually high fares for rides within the country.In a post on Complaint Singapore Facebook page today, a user shared a screenshot of how a 20-minute trip from Changi Airport T2 to Punggol would cost him $1,516.A quick check by AsiaOne showed that a short 10-minute drive from Boon Keng to Middle Road would have cost over $1,500.The outage on Grab's app lasted for a total of 17 minutes.In response to AsiaOne's queries, a spokesperson from Grab said that the issue has been resolved and that the app is now functioning as usual.«We deeply regret the inconvenience caused,» the spokesperson said.Grab's system is designed to detect bookings with such abnormally high fees and typically blocks them. Grab is conducting checks to see if any rides went through, where affected users will be compensated.[[nid:716510]]dana.leong@asiaone.com

Three people, including a 14-year-old girl, were taken to hospitals after the minibus they were in smashed through railings and fell into a canal in Bukit Panjang, according to a post uploaded to the Singapore Roads Accident Facebook page on Tuesday (Aug 19).In photographs of the incident, a green minibus can be seen stationary inside the canal, perpendicular to the water's flow.The green railing separating the canal from the pedestrian pathway above is also visibly damaged.A separate post of the incident shows video footage of Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel escorting a man, woman and a girl out of the canal via a ladder.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the SCDF said that they were alerted to a road traffic accident near the junction of Bukit Panjang Road and Bukit Panjang Ring Road at about 1.10pm on Tuesday.When they arrived, the SCDF noted the van in the drain and officers used a ladder to gain access to the stranded civilians within.Three persons were brought out to safety, with two being taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, while another was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital.

SINGAPORE — What are acceptable pathways of success in Singapore? For Clarice Song, 37, there is no fixed route.It should be shaped through exploration and fun, said Song, co-founder of the youth organisation Bold At Work, adding: «There are not enough conversations about how one can pursue alternate pathways in Singapore.»Hoping to encourage more of such conversations, Song and her team created That's How We Roll!, a tactile game which encourages players to explore their own narratives of success and what it means to them.Inspired by the principles of design thinking and the storytelling elements of the game Dungeon & Dragons, the game encourages players to take charge of their life's narratives.The game is one of many youth-centred resources that will be showcased at the SG Youth Forum 2025 on Sept 6, where 30 organisations will be setting up booths.

A Gov.sg microsite has been launched to educate and deter the public from vaping.The page, titled Stop Vaping, went live the day after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced that Singapore will crack down on vaping and treat it «as a drug issue» during his National Day Rally (NDR) speech on Aug 17.Referring to vaping as a «public health threat», the microsite consists of information on how it is harmful as well as resources, avenues for reporting and helplines.It also highlights the government's zero-tolerance stance on vaping, urging users to bin their devices and quit immediately.New anti-vaping posters assuring the public that there will be no penalties for those who dispose of their vapes can also be seen on the microsite.These posters have also been spotted around void decks and lift landings.Vaping has been banned in Singapore since 2018 and those found possessing, using or buying vapes can be fined up to $2,000.

Nine individuals have been arrested on Tuesday (Aug 19) for alleged fixing matches in the 2025 K Star National Basketball League Division 1.The arrested individuals are aged between 19 and 35 years old, of whom eight are Singaporean while one is a Permanent Resident, said the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) in a statement the same day.According to CPIB, some of the individuals arrested are players in the basketball teams taking part in the competition.One of the alleged fixed matches was a match between Tagawa and Tong Whye which took place on Aug 1. Tagawa won the match with a score of 66 against Tong Whye's 43 points. The individuals are currently being investigated for suspected offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, said CPIB.«Singapore adopts a strict zero-tolerance approach towards corruption, and match-fixing of any form is not condoned in Singapore,» the agency said, adding that it will take firm enforcement action against any parties involved, if they have given, received, or offered bribes to fix a match.[[nid:721106]]dana.leong@asiaone.com

Malaysia's transport ministry is prepared to discuss the implementation of cross-border e-hailing with Singapore, according to transport minister Anthony Loke.Loke told the Malaysian Parliament on Monday (Aug 18) that Singapore was not ready to discuss the proposal when it was previously raised with former Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat.«This matter cannot be implemented by one party alone, both sides must agree before it can be implemented,» Loke was quoted by Bernama as saying.He explained that any proposal to allow cross-border e-hailing requires in-depth discussions at the government-to-government level.«We hope to continue these discussions and hope that Singapore will respond positively so that this idea can become a reality,» NST quoted him as saying.The Land Transport Authority (LTA) had clarified on Aug 3 that there are no plans to «fully liberalise» ride-hailing services between Singapore and Johor Bahru.

A Singaporean man who brutally killed his wife and stepson in Melaka was sentenced by a Malaysian court to 72 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane on Monday (Aug 18).Shahrul Nizam Zuraimy, 36, had murdered and dismembered his wife Norfazera Bidin, 27, and his 11-year-old stepson Muhammad Iman Ashraf between 6pm on Oct 6 and 7.30am on Oct 7, 2019, at a house in Taman Merdeka Jaya in the Melaka Tengah district.He hid their severed heads, dumped some body parts in a bush, and cleaned the house before fleeing to the Republic. He was later arrested in Singapore and handed over to Malaysian police, according to the New Straits Times (NST).In court on Monday, the prosecution and victim's family asked for Shahrul Nizam to be given the death penalty.But he was spared the gallows by Judge Datuk Anselm Charles Fernandis, who sentenced him to 36 years in prison and 12 strokes of the cane for each of the two murder charges.His jail sentence will run consecutively and is backdated to the date of his arrest on Oct 11, 2019, reported Bernama.[[nid:464361]]

Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad visited personnel from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and a non-governmental organisation (NGO) at the King Abdullah II Air Base in Jordan on Monday (Aug 18). SMS Zaqy, who was in Jordan for a working visit from Aug 17 to 18, also met with Major-General Yousef Huneiti, chairman of the Jordan Armed Forces' Joint Chiefs of Staff on Sunday (Aug 17). Personnel from the Singapore Army, Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), as well as from NGO Humanity Matters, along with a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, were deployed to deliver Singapore's ninth tranche of humanitarian aid for Gaza last Tuesday (Aug 12). The aid comprised medical supplies from the Ministry of Health and food supplies from various NGOs. The relief effort was coordinated through the Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre.