Singapore football is shaking things up again, this time at its top official level.In a media statement on Monday (Sept 1), the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) said that Chew Chun-Liang has stepped down from his role as general secretary with immediate effect. Chew, 48, was announced as general secretary barely a year ago on Sept 13. He was formerly Sailors CEO from December 2020 to 2022.«The FAS extends its deepest gratitude to Chun-Liang for his dedicated service and contributions to Singapore football during his tenure, and wishes him the very best in his future endeavours.»In light of this development, FAS is pleased to appoint Badri Ghent as the new general secretary," FAS said. The general secretary post is the top official seat at the FAS secretariat, overseeing day-to-day operations, implementation of strategies and policies, and the hiring of department heads. 

Mediacorp will be retrenching 93 staff members as part of its efforts to adapt to the rapidly evolving media landscape.This number accounts for slightly over 3 per cent of the company’s total workforce.Mediacorp announced on Monday (Sept 1) that the retrenchments are «to better align its operations amid ongoing economic and commercial uncertainty».While the company did not specify which departments are affected, they said that the retrenchment is part of an organisation-wide exercise.Affected employees, meanwhile, have been given until the end of September to apply for alternative roles within the company. Those who are unsuccessful in securing alternative placement by the end of this period will ceased to be employed after Sept 30.

A total of 195 individuals were nabbed for e-vaporiser related offences during islandwide enforcement operations at public entertainment outlets, with six found in possession of etomidate-laced pods.Some 16 multi-agency operations were conducted over a two-week period from Aug 15 to Aug 23, said the police and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in a joint statement on Aug 31.The operations involved more than 270 officers from the Singapore Police Force, Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and HSA, who conducted checks on over 1,600 people across 151 public entertainment outlets, including pubs, bars and KTV lounges.«The enforcement operations are part of the Home Team’s ongoing efforts to support the Whole-of-Government’s efforts to crack down on vaping,» said the agencies.More than 340 e-vaporisers and related components were seized from the 195 people, aged between 17 and 61, during the raids.Six out of the 195 were also found in possession of pods containing etomidate.All persons were issued fines for possessing e-vaporisers, while the six with etomidate-laced vapes will be investigated for possession of etomidate. 

A train fault on the Circle Line resulted in no train services between Marina Bay and Promenade for about 35 minutes on Monday (Sept 1) morning.Rail operator SMRT announced the disruption on social media at 8.41am.It said then that free regular bus services was available between Marina Bay and Promenade MRT stations.In an update at 9.18am, SMRT said train services resumed its scheduled operations at about 9.10am.President of SMRT Trains Lam Sheau Kai said the train fault occurred at about 8.35am, and staff were immediately deployed to rectify the fault.He said the affected train was moved towards the overrun tracks to clear the line, and train services are resuming.«We apologise for the disruption during the morning peak commute and sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding,» Lam said.Previous disruptionsThis is the latest incident in a recent series of train disruptions across Singapore's MRT and LRT networks.Most recently, a signalling fault on the Downtown Line, which is managed by SBS Transit, delayed train services between Bukit Panjang and Beauty World MRT stations on Aug 28.

Cathay Cineplexes, a fixture in Singapore's film scene since 1939, is preparing to close a significant chapter in its history.The cinema chain will be undergoing voluntary liquidation, operator mm2 Asia announced on Monday (Sep 1) in a filing on Singapore Exchange.«Cathay Cineplexes had attempted to negotiate amicable resolutions with the various creditors, but (it) was unable to arrive at mutually agreeable restructuring outcomes of its payment obligations owed to these creditors,» the entertainment company said. Going forward, the board of Cathay Cineplexes will voluntarily liquidate their cinema chain to repay creditors, mm2 Asia explained, adding that the board determined operation to be «no longer feasible».The cinema chain faced multiple payment demands from landlords of its outlets over arrears and other monies owed over recent months, according to The Business Times.$122.4m net lossLast week, financial results of Cathay Cineplexes saw a net loss of $122.4 million in the 2025 fiscal year, up from $1.9 million in 2024, CNA reported last Friday (Aug 29).

SINGAPORE - Rental rates have more than doubled for privately held HDB shop units, particularly over the past year, while rents for shops directly leased out by HDB have mostly held steady.Median rentals for heartland shops held by private landlords rose from $3.51 per sq ft (psf) in the second quarter of 2024 to $7.34 psf in the second quarter of 2025.This is the highest ever rental rate for privately held HDB shops, according to the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Realis data that dates back to 1999.Meanwhile, shops directly rented out by HDB have seen rents rise at a more gradual rate.HDB said rents for nine in 10 of such shops have remained largely unchanged over the past five years.Property analysts and agents attributed the rise in rental rates for privately held HDB shops to increased demand for such units after consumer sentiment improved post-pandemic, even though there are signs that this demand is now moderating.

The body of a boy was recovered from the waters near East Coast Park on Saturday (Aug 30).Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they received a call for assistance at 9.55pm and spotted the boy's body floating in the water upon arrival.Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers brought the boy ashore and subsequently pronounced him dead onsite.According to the police, preliminary investigations do not suspect foul play.The deceased was subsequently identified by his next-of-kin to be 11-year-old Muhammad Hairil Bin Muhammad Effendi who was reported missing on Friday (Aug 29).[[nid:721994]]Hairil, who had special needs, was last seen near Block 29 Marine Crescent at around 11.05am then, having left home barefoot and shirtless, said the police in a statement on Friday.«Out of respect for the family, members of the public are advised not to share any videos or images of the deceased,» said the police on Sunday.

A driver and his passenger were taken to the hospital after a car accident along MacPherson Road.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they were alerted to a traffic accident at the junction of MacPherson Road towards Airport Road at around 8.15pm on Saturday (Aug 30).In a video uploaded to the Singapore Road Accidents.com Facebook page, two cars are seen in the middle of a traffic junction, with a white car overturned on its side and a silver car with damage to its front.Several Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) vehicles are also seen onsite with officers surveying the vehicles involved.A 54-year-old male car driver and his 49-year-old female passenger were taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, said the police. According to the SCDF, one other person was assessed for minor injuries but declined to be sent to the hospital.The police also said that investigations are ongoing and that a 47-year-old male car driver is assisting with the investigations. [[nid:721948]]dana.leong@asiaone.com

It was definitely a sweet celebration between two borders.In honour of Malaysia's 68th birthday, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) commanders from Woodlands and Tuas Checkpoints presented a cake to their counterparts from the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) and Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) CIQ last week.The gift comprised a centrepiece cake along with 68 cupcakes surrounding it, symbolising the milestone.Malaysia's National Day — known as Merdeka Day — falls on Sunday (August 31).Marking the occasion, a Facebook post by the ICA on Aug 30 expressed gratitude for the close ties between the two nations.«We are thankful for the strong partnership as we work together to keep our borders secure. We look forward to continued collaboration and ensuring smooth trade and safe travels between our land borders! Happy 68th Birthday, Malaysia!»[embed]https://www.facebook.com/Immigration.Checkpoints.Authority/posts/pfbid02jtt9HTmR8YMCbJ4hsYFTy81gUQEzXcZvYqvdUHxY7gTFJ1GDyPve5mWaRuv6eXjcl[/embed]

Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam has slammed arguments that Singapore's decision to treat vaping like drug offences undermines harm reduction approaches on tobacco.He was talking to the media at a community event in Yishun on Saturday (Aug 30).Harm reduction promotes a substance user's right to continue using a harmful substance and assumes a low probability of recovery. According to a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) study, it is based on the addicted individual's ability, even under impairment, to make choices. Singapore's approach to harm is based on eradication.In the wake of Singapore rolling out sterner measures against vaping, the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) executive coordinator Nancy Loucas had claimed  that «prohibition will only fuel underground markets while denying smokers access to safer alternatives».Loucas' comment was reported by Tobacco Reporter, which describes itself as «the leading trade journal around the world». 

What began as an overseas call which she would normally ignore turned into a elaborate and manipulative scam — one that cost her $250,000, nearly wiping out her life savings. Speaking to the media at Police Cantonment Complex on Aug 18, the woman, who wished to be known only as Tan, recounted how a scammer impersonating an Air China officer first reached out to her in April this year. «I am usually cautious about calls from China. Most of the scam calls come from there,» said the mother of one, who is in her 40s. «But this one didn't ask for money upfront. They were just verifying my identity at first.»Tan, a Singaporean, shared that the caller claimed there were irregularities involving flight cancellations and insurance claims under her name.When she denied any involvement, the caller suggested that her identity might have been stolen and advised her to file a report with the Chinese police.

Scam victims in Singapore lost less money in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year, with the number of cases declining for the first time since 2021.Releasing the mid-year scam and cybercrime statistics on Saturday (Aug 30), the police said the total amount that victims were cheated off in 2025 — $456.4 million — dropped by 12.6 per cent from $522.4 million in 2024.The overall number of scam cases also fell, from 26,563 to 19,665 in the same period. While the dip in cases and money lost from scammers had buckled an upward trend observed over the past four years, the police said that the scam situation “remains of concern”.