Victims have lost at least $38,000 so far after falling prey to scams that involve fraudulent requests for tuition or school fees.At least 16 of such cases have been reported since August 2025, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Saturday (Aug 23).Scammers would approach victims by using compromised school email accounts to ask them for urgent and prompt payment of school or tuition fees.They would be asked to make payment to a bank account listed in the email and warned that failure to do so would lead to legal consequences.“Victims would subsequently realise that they had been scammed after checking or receiving notifications from the schools,” said SPF.In a separate statement on Friday, the Ministry of Education (MOE) had also warned of scam emails targeting students from institutes of higher learning and their parents, asking them to make payment for school fees, reported CNA.“Those who have transferred money or provided personal information are advised to file a police report and notify their bank immediately,” the ministry was quoted as saying.

An Italian national is on trial after allegedly luring a Singaporean woman into sex work in Dubai under pretenses that they could get married in Qatar once she raised US$10,000 (S$12,800) as proof of funds.Achraf Arjaouy, 31, faces one count of recruiting a person by deception for sexual exploitation under the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act, for which he has pleaded not guilty, reported Shin Min Daily News.According to CNA, the court heard on Friday (Aug 22) that Arjaouy came to Singapore in March 2021 and met the victim, who cannot be identified due to a gag order, the following month on Tinder. He claimed to the woman that he was from a wealthy Qatari family, a pilot for Qatar Airways and that he wanted to get married.The woman was swept up by his words and, within a few days, travelled to Dubai with him with the intention to marry him in Qatar, Shin Min Daily News reported.However, the prosecution alleged that Arjaouy deceived her, saying she had to show US$10,000 as a proof of funds to enter the latter country. 

Fostering a child may not always be easy, but for this couple, it was something they always wanted to do.Shanmugan Paricana, 78, and Letcheme Packirisamy, 75, has fostered three children before, and now fosters Sam, who has been diagnosed with Global Development Delay, a condition when a child takes longer to reach certain development milestones than other children their age. Speaking to AsiaOne at their home in Yishun, the couple recounted the first time they welcomed a foster child into their lives.«I have always wanted to foster children. Even before taking in my first (foster) child in 2019, I had spent nearly a decade reading up on the role,» said Letcheme. «I remembered taking in our first foster child, it was a rewarding feeling to provide them with a place they could call home.» This couple was among the 30 foster families who attended the Ministry of Social and Family Development's (MSF) Fostering Open House at the Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday (Aug 23).

SINGAPORE - Some 10.4ha of forest in Woodlands is slated for clearance from 2026 to build industrial and mixed-use developments for an upcoming precinct highlighted during the recent National Day Rally.The vegetation, about the size of 15 football fields, will be cleared to support new industrial developments that tap the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, which is expected to start operations in end-2026.This was revealed in an environmental impact assessment published online on Aug 20 by site developer JTC Corporation (JTC).It told The Straits Times that the works for Woodlands Gateway will ensure that the land is suitable for construction, with essential infrastructure such as roads, drains and utilities. JTC also said the project will become an employment, commercial and manufacturing hub, which will support manufacturing companies with operations in both Singapore and Johor.JTC said site preparation, such as soil investigation and surveys, are planned to commence in 2025, ahead of any works. Works at the site are scheduled to be completed by 2035, according to the report.

More than 850 vape products were intercepted by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in the last five days, as it stepped up checks at the various air, land and sea checkpoints between Aug 18 and 22.These checks were part of the ongoing effort against vapes, which saw the ICA take up a multi-pronged approach to detect and deter attempts to smuggle vapes into the country, said the agency on Friday (Aug 22).As part of the checks, ICA conducts pre-arrival risk assessments at its Integrated Targeting Centre (ITC) unit which uses data analytics to identify high-risk travellers before they arrive in Singapore.These Individuals flagged by the ITC are checked upon arrival prior to entering Singapore.A total of 184 cases were detected during the time, which also saw smuggling attempts involving duty-unpaid cigarettes and chewing tobacco across checkpoints.Over 53,000 cartons and 3,900 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes as well as more than 2,400 packets of chewing tobacco were intercepted by ICA officers.

Six people were injured in a chain traffic collision between five heavy-goods vehicles along the Tampines Expressway (TPE) on Friday (Aug 22) morning.A video posted on the same day by the Singapore Road Accidents.com Facebook page shows a prime mover and a large lorry that had crashed into each other, a smaller white lorry in the middle, and another large lorry and tipper truck in front.Paramedics are shown attending to an injured person lying on the ground, and police motorcycles and a fire engine can be seen at the accident site.In other clips, rescuers can be seen reaching into the cab of the prime mover, presumably to extricate someone inside. At least three ambulances were present, and paramedics can be seen preparing a stretcher. 

SINGAPORE — Between 2019 and 2023, a man repeatedly engaged in sexual activities with his older daughter, now 23, in their Bedok North Housing Board flat.She had given in to the acts despite her initial reluctance.On at least six separate occasions in January 2024, he secretly recorded the victim and his younger daughter, now 15, when they were showering at home.The court heard that he also recorded a 35-year-old Indonesian domestic helper who did not work for his family performing a sexual act during a video call without her consent.The 46-year-old man, who cannot be named due to a gag order to protect his daughters' identities, was sentenced to three years and three months' jail on Aug 22.He had pleaded guilty to three counts of voyeurism and one count of incest.Seven other charges, including two more counts of incest, were considered during his sentencing.Deputy Public Prosecutor Jordy Kay told the court that the man had repeatedly approached his older daughter as he wanted to engage in sexual activities with her.

The Government will be introducing a traineeship programme to equip fresh graduates with relevant skills and prepare them for full-time employment, said Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng.Speaking on the sidelines of OCBC's Grow Your Way Festival on Friday (Aug 22), Dr Tan introduced the Graduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) and GRIT@Gov programmes that will apply to ITE, polytechnic and university graduates.More details on both programmes will be available from October 2025 on the MyCareersFuture portal when applications will begin.First announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during his National Day Rally speech on Aug 17, GRIT will initially offer up to 800 structured traineeships for a period of three to six months across various sectors, said Dr Tan, who is also a member of the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce (SERT).

SINGAPORE — Stargazers can look forward to a celestial treat in September when Singapore's first total lunar eclipse in three years unfolds in the skies above.During the eclipse — expected to take place on Sept 7 — the moon will take on a reddish hue, a phenomenon known as a blood moon.In Singapore, total lunar eclipses are visible about once every three to four years, said the Science Centre Singapore observatory in response to queries. When a total lunar eclipse does occur, it is not unusual for a few to follow in close succession.The last total lunar eclipse visible in Singapore was on Nov 8, 2022. After the one in 2025, the next will be on March 3, 2026. Like the 2022 eclipse, the one in 2026 is expected to be difficult to see.On Sept 7, the lunar eclipse will begin at 11.28pm in Singapore, reach its maximum at 2.11am on Sept 8, and end at 4.55am, according to the latest data on the global astronomy website timeanddate.com.

Three people, including one who suffered minor burn injuries, were taken to hospital after a fire broke out in a Toa Payoh flat in the wee hours of Friday (Aug 22).The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said on social media that it was alerted to the fire in a 12th-floor flat at Block 63 Lorong 5 Toa Payoh at about 2.30am.Firefighters forcibly entered the unit and extinguished the fire, which was confined to the living room, with a water jet.A flat occupant was rescued from the flat's kitchen and assessed for smoke inhalation and minor burn injuries. The occupant was conscious when taken to the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).Another two people from the neighbouring units were also taken to hospitals. One was taken to SGH for breathlessness and the other to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for an injured ankle.About 50 people staying in the affected block were evacuated by the police and SCDF as a precautionary measure.SCDF said its preliminary findings indicate that the fire involved a Personal Mobility Aid (PMA) placed in the living room.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) enforcement officers raided two residences on July 22, uncovering drugs and e-vaporisers with etomidate. The raids followed an alert from a courier company after its staff discovered that the parcel he was transporting contained e-vaporiser pods. The incident came to light when the recipient accidentally exposed the items inside it. The sender had falsely declared the parcel to contain food items such as chocolates and chilli sauce.  E-vaporiser pods concealed in food packaging. PHOTO: Health Sciences Authority When HSA officers raided the residence along Grange Road, a 25-year-old woman, identified as the seller, was found in an unresponsive state.There, 43 e-vaporiser pods, 13 e-vaporisers and related components were found, along with drug paraphernalia. 

He may be more comfortable holding a paintbrush in his hand, but when duty called, he answered.Special Constable Corporal Muhamad Irfan Bin Muhamad Rapid, 20, had just graduated with a diploma in the visual arts from the School of the Arts (Sota), when he entered National Service in February 2024, he told AsiaOne in an interview on Thursday (Aug 21).He was assigned to the Special Operations Command (SOC) which came as a surprise to both him and his family, he said during the Annual Police Dinner 2025 at Resorts World Sentosa Convention Centre, an event to recognise individuals and community partners who have contributed or collaborated with the Singapore Police Force (SPF).The SOC is the strategic force of the SPF, providing the highest level of tactical options to prevent, deter and detect crime.The event also commemorated the 50th anniversary of Police National Service (PNS) and the 100th anniversary of the SPF Band.Being an art student, Irfan admitted that he wasn't suited to the more physical aspects of the SOC.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will be adding a dedicated tab on its website for members of the public to report illegal delivery riders.The tab will make it easier for the public to alert the ministry when they see foreign workers doing delivery work, said Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower Koh Poh Koon in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Aug 20).This comes after recent islandwide enforcement operations by MOM — during which three foreigners were arrested for working in food delivery illegally.In his post, Dr Koh also thanked local delivery riders for their support during the operations.«In the middle of their own busy shifts, 372 riders took the time — about 10 minutes each — to assist our officers. For food delivery riders, every minute counts,» he said. «Their willingness to pause and help was no small sacrifice, and we are deeply grateful for their co-operation and sense of responsibility.»Dr Koh explained that while such checks may cause inconvenience to various parties, they are crucial. 

More Singaporeans view religion as a very important part of their lives and overall sense of identity, a survey has found, with a growing number saying their religious beliefs have considerable influence over their views in other areas.Researchers from the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) at the National University of Singapore polled 4,000 people from April to August last year about their views on identity, religion, daily experiences in a multiracial society and various policy issues.The report, released on Wednesday (Aug 20), also compared the findings with prior surveys from 2013 and 2018.  According to the 2024 survey, researchers found that over three-quarters of people agree that their ideas about religion or spirituality are one of the most important parts of their lives, which in turn have a considerable influence over their views in other areas.The study also found that 73.9 per cent of people agree that their spiritual beliefs give meaning to their lives’ joys and sorrows, while 68.3 per cent turn to God or religion to find out their best course of action when faced with life choices.

The seating plan for the 15th term of Parliament, set to convene on Sept 5, has been revealed.As per tradition, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong takes the middle spot of the first row on the right side of the Speaker.He will be flanked by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam.In the previous term of Parliament, PM Wong was seated between Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and then-Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat.Meanwhile, the remaining 14 Cabinet ministers fill out the rest of the row.Leader of the House Indranee Rajah, who is the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, takes up her usual spot next to the Speaker.Behind the Cabinet ministers are the senior ministers of state, followed by the ministers of state and senior parliamentary secretaries.The remaining seats on the right side of the Speaker will be filled up by several first-term MPs.

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.