The changed nature of economic and security challenges today presents opportunities for Malaysia and Singapore to work together to overcome them. In turn, working together will allow both countries — as close neighbours — to plant the seeds of trust and mutual confidence to tackle crises, and when the need arises, said Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing. He was speaking at Malaysia's National Centre for Defence Studies in Putrajaya on Tuesday (Aug 26), addressing an audience of about 200 students during the second day of his two-day introductory visit. Noting that both Malaysia and Singapore are smaller states in an increasingly uncertain world. Chan said that the real competition is never between the two countries with longstanding historical ties.«Our real competition is how Singapore and Malaysia can work together to overcome the challenges of an increasingly uncertain world.» 

SINGAPORE — From 2026, CareShield Life will offer higher monthly cash payouts to help Singapore residents with severe disabilities cushion the fast-rising cost of long-term care.The payout growth rate will rise from the current two per cent a year to four per cent a year from 2026 to 2030. Consequently, those who make a claim in 2030, for instance, will get $806 a month instead of $731.Premiums for the national long-term care insurance scheme will need to rise, but the Government said it will provide an additional $570 million in premium support over the next five years to help policyholders offset the increases.These were among the key changes recommended by an independent CareShield Life Council led by Jeanette Wong, former group executive of DBS Bank. In conducting the review, the council consulted nearly 300 individuals, including caregivers, healthcare professionals, union leaders and community partners.«These enhancements to CareShield Life complement the broader suite of long-term care support measures announced at Budget 2025,» said a Ministry of Health (MOH) spokesperson at a media briefing on the review.

Home Team agencies such as the Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), as well as the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have stepped up enforcement checks at their respective premises as part of whole-of-government anti-vaping efforts.In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Aug 27), police said that enhanced checks have been carried out at the Home Team and Civil Defence academies, when trainees report for their stay-in training.  "SCDF and SPF take a serious stance against the possession and use of e-vaporisers and will not hesitate to take officers who are found to be in possession of e-vaporiser to task.

After her 28-year-old son was retrenched from his job as a technician in June last year, he became addicted to using «Kpods», a drug-laced vape. He'd also twice threatened to jump from their HDB block with his five-year-old son, said his mum.Wong (not her real name), 58, told Shin Min Daily News that her son had been struggling with financial issues and started using vapes after being told by friends that it would help him to sleep better. Due to monetary issues, her son also became estranged with his wife and are now in the midst of a divorce, according to Wong. Wong said that her son found work sometime in August last year, but this only fuelled her son's addiction as he had to work the night shift and could not fall asleep in the day.«He could smoke up to five Kpods a day at home, and each costs about $85,» Wong told Shin Min.She added that after using (Kpods), he would walk unsteadily and easily lose control of his emotions. He had even hit his head against the wall several times, said Wong. 

The National Environment Agency (NEA) has launched an investigation into a canal at Yishun Close after the water inside turned green.In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Aug 26), Nee Soon GRC MP Jackson Lam said that some residents have noticed the discolouration of the canal at Yishun Close and that he has checked with NEA «who is tirelessly looking into the matter».While investigations are ongoing, they have identified a potential source of the discolouration through surveillance and inspections, he added.In his post, he also attached several images of the canal, showing the discoloured water. PHOTO: Facebook/Yvonne Lim In the comments, Facebook user Yvonne Lim shared a photo of the canal taken on Aug 16, showing the water to be a bright blue colour.

The recent Johor earthquake has not affected buildings in Singapore, according to a Facebook post by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) on Tuesday (Aug 26).An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.1 struck Johor on Sunday (Aug 24) at around 6.10am, originating 5km west of Segamat in Johor at a depth of 10km, the Malaysian Meteorological Department stated. This location is about 180km from Singapore, BCA said, adding that it — along with other agencies — have been monitoring real-time data and assessing the impact of seismic activities on buildings in Singapore.«None of our tremor sensors (accelerometers) installed on buildings across Singapore were triggered by this earthquake,» the authority stated.BCA explained that all buildings in Singapore are designed based on internationally recognised codes that have been adapted for our local context.«Our buildings are designed to be sufficiently robust and capable of withstanding lateral forces, including those due to tremors from distant earthquakes.»

A concerned Yishun resident has claimed that a man has been patrolling the corridor outside his HDB unit, allegedly looking for items to steal.Speaking to AsiaOne, the resident, who wished to be known only as Ken, said his suspicions were first raised in April this year, when he noticed that a jersey he had hung on his balcony had gone missing.«I first lost my jersey in April. I've always hung my clothes on the balcony to dry and secured them with clips, so it was unlikely that my items had been blown away,» said the 29-year-old assistant engineer. Initially, Ken decided to brush it off until he started losing his items regularly.It wasn't until August that he decided to take action and install a CCTV camera to capture the theft and upload the footage to his social media. 

The number of outrage of modesty or molestation cases on Singapore's public transport network rose in the first half of 2025, climbing to 90 from 64 in the same period last year — a 40.6 per cent increase.In their mid-year crime brief for 2025, released on Tuesday (Aug 26), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said that the rise in these cases was part of a broader increase in physical crimes reported from January to June this year.Physical crimes rose 5.4 per cent, with 10,341 cases, up from 9,809 in the same period last year.This is the third consecutive year that the total physical crime cases have increased in the first six months of the year.Crimes of concern, according to the SPF, included shop theft, outrage of modesty, voyeurism, and theft in dwelling.Increase in outrage of modesty casesA total of 807 outrage of modesty cases were reported from January to June in 2025, compared to 666 within the same time frame last year, accounting for 7.8 per cent of the total number of physical crime. The culprits were known to the victim in more than half of the cases, said police.

Acres and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) are calling for enhanced animal welfare education and stricter legislation against animal cruelty in a joint White Paper released on Tuesday (Aug 26).Amid the increase in animal cruelty cases reported annually, the two non-profit organisations have set out 15 recommendations across four areas of focus to strengthen protections for animal welfare.According to SPCA's Animal Cruelty & Welfare Report, animal cruelty cases hit a 12-year high in 2024, with 961 confirmed incidents, up from 915 in 2023 and 511 in 2022.The White Paper, uploaded to both SPCA and Acres' respective websites, features recommendations «informed by an extensive and comprehensive study of the animal welfare landscape» that were guided by public feedback through various platforms in 2024.Kalai Vanan, CEO of Acres, said: "Progress must go hand in hand with compassion, and this responsibility lies with all of us — from government agencies to NGOs, and every member of the community.”

FairPrice has clarified that a supposed worm found in a piece of salmon, which a woman had purchased from its Bedok North outlet, is actually fish connective tissue.In a statement on Tuesday (Aug 26) to AsiaOne, FairPrice Group said it had thoroughly investigated the case involving a packet of salmon with bones sold at its FairPrice Bedok North Block 212 store.«Evaluation of the customer's remaining salmon sample and analysis of the customer’s photographs by an aquamedicine professional and parasitologist confirmed that the object found was not a parasitic worm, but natural connective tissue,» said a FairPrice Group spokesperson.Fish connective tissue is made up of thin layers of collagen and can appear as shiny, white membranes and strands, according to sources online.

A duo found themselves in a difficult spot when the car they were driving suddenly broke down in Pasir Ris.Migrant workers from the construction site nearby noticed their situation and stepped in to quite literally lend a helping hand.TikTok user Celestecysl expressed her thanks to the workers in a video last Sunday (Aug 24), writing that they had offered to help push the vehicle to the front of the road.In the clip, at least five foreign workers are seen collectively pushing a grey car from behind. It cuts to show a group of workers carrying traffic cones to place them behind the stalled vehicle.«So heartwarming to receive so much help,» the in-video text read.A worker is pictured standing beside the cones, holding a stop-go sign in one hand and a traffic baton in the other.«[They] helped us direct traffic for an hour, until our tow truck came,» Celeste wrote.According to AsiaOne's checks, the incident is believed to have occurred near Pasir Ris Drive 8, with part of the Coco Palms condominium visible in the background of the video.[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@celestecysl/video/7541778542787382535[/embed]

A large majority of people in the region are aware of Singapore's laws against serious crimes, with most believing that these strict laws have helped deter criminal activity.In a report released on Monday (Aug 25), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said it conducted an online survey in 2024 to better understand how people in the region perceived Singapore's crime situation and legal system. The survey gathered responses from 12,000 individuals aged 20 to 64 across six regional cities.These cities were selected based on the significant number of visitors they have contributed to Singapore in recent years.According to MHA, findings revealed that 82.3 per cent of respondents felt safe when travelling in Singapore, while 87.3 per cent said they trusted Singapore's law enforcement officers to keep them safe during their visit.

A 34-year-old Singaporean man has been charged with hacking into multiple e-commerce accounts to make fraudulent online purchases.He was arrested on Monday (Aug 25) after being deported from Thailand.Ong Jian Zhen was initially charged with cheating in October 2021 and skipped bail, failing to attend subsequent court hearings. A warrant of arrest was issued against him in September 2022 as a result.The police had received multiple reports of NTUC FairPrice and Zalora customer accounts being compromised between July and November 2022, they said in a media release on Monday.The compromised accounts were used to make fraudulent purchases amounting to at least $25,000. Ong had allegedly worked with at least six other individuals to do this, the police added.The Singapore Police Force (SPF) worked with its foreign law enforcement counterparts to trace Ong's whereabouts. He was eventually arrested by Thai authorities in October 2022 and jailed for drug-related and immigration offences.

SINGAPORE — In Singapore's first ever conviction linked to Kpods, a man was sentenced to 16 months' jail and a fine of $400 on Aug 26 after he produced the etomidate-laced pods for sale to e-vaporiser users.In December 2024, Mohammed Akil Abdul Rahim, 41 was caught in his Yishun flat with 26.4g of a white powder that contained enough etomidate to produce over 70 Kpods.The Singaporean had pleaded guilty on Aug 13 to multiple charges, and most of them involved vaping-related products. He also admitted that he had made a false statement to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).On Aug 26, Deputy Principal District Judge Ong Chin Rhu said that deterrence is paramount in offences linked to etomidate.She stressed that the potentially devastating effects of etomidate abuse is apparent, and the substance had been detected in multiple unnatural death cases, including a fatal traffic accident.

Bertrand Lim’s daughter was just seven years old when she came home from school one day distraught and in tears.Horrified, the 51-year-old realtor probed further, and found out his only child was bullied by four male classmates throughout her entire first year in primary school.“She was punched in the stomach on the bus. In the second week of school someone used a sharp object to cut her arm,” said Lim in an interview with AsiaOne on Aug 23 (Saturday), adding that he lodged a complaint to the principal, who had his daughter transferred to another class.Lim said that his daughter, now 11, had since taken up taekwondo as “she realised that she does not want to be bullied”.But four years on, her mental scars have not healed.“Just two weeks ago, we were sitting in a Grab ride… and she related her experiences (of being bullied),” he said. “It goes to show a child carries them growing up.”Lim was one of several concerned parents who spoke to AsiaOne in the wake of the bullying incident at Sengkang Green Primary School.Three students were suspended over death threats made to a classmate, and one of them was caned.

Singapore must pay attention to those segments of the population who are at a greater risk of being left behind, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Monday (Aug 25).These include professionals, managers and executives roles that may be displaced by artificial intelligence (AI), and rank-and-file workers in sectors that are undergoing restructuring in response to heightened uncertainties in the global economy, he told participants at the Ministry of Trade and Industry's (MTI) Economic Dialogue 2025.The dialogue, which started in 2008, is a platform for students to gain insights into pertinent economic issues and challenges facing Singapore, and the role of economics in policymaking. Speaking on «navigating economic uncertainty in a polarised world», DPM Gan cautioned that «significant uncertainties» remain despite the US making deals with its key trading partners such as the European Union, Japan and South Korea.

Inflation eased in July, with core inflation falling marginally to 0.5 per cent year-on-year, said the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI).Core inflation, which excludes private transport and accommodation, declined from 0.6 per cent in June, according to a press release on Monday (Aug 25). MAS and MTI said that the change was driven by a fall in the prices of retail and other goods, as well as lower electricity and gas inflation.Headline inflation eased to 0.6 per cent year-on-year in July from 0.8 per cent in June due to lower accommodation inflation in addition to lower core inflation.MAS and MTI maintained their 2025 full-year inflation forecast for core and headline inflation at 0.5 to 1.5 per cent, adding that «both upside and downside risks» remain.Inflation can also be negatively impacted in event of geopolitical shocks causing imported energy and shipping costs to spike, they said.At the same time, «should global and domestic growth be more hesitant and weaker than anticipated, core inflation could stay low for longer», they added.

SINGAPORE — Flying instructors have emerged as Singapore's top earners — at least by median gross monthly salary, which stands at an impressive $20,000.Following closely behind are foreign exchange brokers, who pull in a median pay of $19,750, and in-house legal counsel, who earn $17,972.The salary data is revealed in the latest Occupational Wage Survey released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in August.Conducted from July to December 2024, the survey covers a representative sample of 407,800 full-time resident employees from private sector companies with at least 25 employees each.Public sector employees are excluded from the survey, so the salaries of roles such as air force flying instructor and in-house lawyer in the judiciary and ministries are not reflected.Bus attendants, civil engineering and building construction labourers, and laundry and dry cleaning workers are among those earning the lowest median salaries, ranging from $1,400 to $1,560.The MOM data also shows the pay for each occupation at the 25th and 75th percentiles — unless the sample size for certain niche roles is too small.

A Land Transport Authority (LTA) engineer was seen shouting at two foreign workers at the Changi East Depot worksite, even hitting one of them on the helmet.A video posted to Facebook group Complaint Singapore on Sunday (Aug 24) shows the man standing across from two LTA contractor employees, loudly asking one of them if it was his first day on the job. He also demands to see the worker's driving licence.In the 57-second-long clip, the man continues to question the worker about where and when he got his licence as well as what he learned at driving school.The engineer is seen holding a card, seemingly the worker's driving licence, and hitting the latter on the helmet with it before throwing it onto the ground.In a statement posted to its Facebook page, LTA said that it is aware of the incident.«While the engineer was addressing safety lapses at the worksite, the manner in which he did so was inappropriate. We do not condone such behaviour,» read the statement.The engineer has since been counselled and reminded of the standards of conduct expected of all staff.

A good Samaritan has won praise online for clearing a road obstruction caused by a storm on Sunday (Aug 24).The scene was filmed by TikTok user jerries__, who asked in the video uploaded on Sunday morning: «Who is this good person?»Two barricades are seen lying in the middle of a traffic junction, appearing to obstruct a lane. Two more barricades near the crossing island are seen blown away and are blocking another lane on the opposite side of the road.The clip then cuts to show a pedestrian — dressed in an orange shirt and holding a black umbrella — crossing the road and pulling one of the barricades back to the crossing island.