SINGAPORE — The High Court has upheld the decision made by the State Courts to refuse bail to an Indonesian businessman allegedly involved in a high-profile corruption case in his country.Paulus Tannos, 70, was arrested in Singapore on Jan 17 after being on Indonesia's fugitive list since October 2021.Tannos was said to be implicated in a major graft scandal involving the Indonesian government's electronic ID card or e-KTP project, which allegedly caused state losses of about 2.3 trillion rupiah (S$178 million).In a hearing on Oct 2 presided by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Tannos had his appeal for bail denied.The defence, led by Suang Wijaya of law firm Eugene Thuraisingam, argued that Tannos had medical conditions which justified him being allowed bail.These conditions included chest discomfort, the narrowing of heart valves and diabetes.CJ Menon said if bail were to be granted to Tannos, this would mean other accused individuals under the Extradition Act can seek this exception and be released from bail due to some minor illness, only to have the bail revoked a few days later after having recovered from it.

Manufacturing conglomerate BYD Singapore is one of three companies that have been awarded the contract for the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Ministry of Transport's (MOT) autonomous public bus pilot.The contract has been awarded to a consortium of MKX Technologies (Singapore), Zhidao Network Technology (Beijing) and BYD (Singapore) for about $8.14 million, said LTA and MOT in a joint statement on Thursday (Oct 2).A consortium refers to an association comprising of multiple companies.This is part of the plans to trial the use of Autonomous Vehicle (AV) technology, said the statement.The autonomous buses will be piloted on public bus services 400 (Marina Bay) and 191 (one-north) for an initial period of three years.Initially, LTA will procure six such buses from the consortium, which will have similar features to existing public buses such as designated spaces and boarding/alighting ramps for wheelchair and personal mobility aid users as well as strollers. 

A 24-year-old man was caught on campus during vape enforcement operations conducted by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) across six Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs).He was found in possession of two e-vaporisers, 10 related components and was issued a notice of composition and fined on the spot.The e-vaporisers and components were seized.In a joint statement on Thursday (Oct 2), MOE said that HSA enforcement officers and IHL campus security personnel carried out the operation from Sept 8 to Sept 29.Separately, five individuals aged between 20 and 25 were also found in possession of duty-unpaid cigarettes and have been referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation.In addition to the penalties imposed by HSA for vaping offences, the statement noted that IHLs will enforce disciplinary actions under their respective frameworks, which have been strengthened to align with the national stance against vaping.

More than 3,100 drivers of Singapore vehicles have been caught entering Johor without a Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) tag since Malaysia stepped up enforcement on July 1.Johor's Road Transport Department (JPJ) has issued 3,148 summonses amounting to RM944,400 (S$290,000), reported New Straits Times (NST).Each summons amounted to RM300, which must be settled before the vehicle is allowed to exit the country, JPJ director-general Aedy Fadly Ramli told local media on Oct 1.He continued that Singapore motorists must comply with VEP requirements as they are vital for road safety and preventing the misuse of foreign vehicles. «It allows authorities to monitor vehicles, enforce traffic laws and manage summonses during [Singapore motorists'] stay here. Enforcement will continue to be strengthened,» he said.Aedy added that the VEP scheme also prevents vehicles with invalid road tax and insurance from entering Malaysia.This scheme is not intended to burden drivers, but to ensure transparency, safety and accountability, he explained.

While making small talk with a cleaner in Singapore, an Australian tourist was surprised to learn that the man is 91 years old.Fitness influencer Jaden Laing said in an Instagram Reel on Monday (Sept 29) that he came across a «legend» in Singapore, who was «working hard in the bathroom».In the clip, Laing washes his hands in a toilet as he asks the elderly janitor — dressed in uniform with an ION Orchard nameplate pinned to his top — how his day is going.«My age?» the cleaner mishears. «91.»An astounded Laing reconfirms the elderly worker's age and initiates a fist bump.The two continue conversing, and the janitor reveals that he clocks out at 7pm and works a 12-hour shift.«How do you look so healthy...What's your diet?» Laing asks.The senior responds that he works and eats like «normal».«Never exercise. Work, go back [home to] sleep,» he says of his daily routine.To that, Laing compliments the cleaner that he is «the man» before passing him cash as a tip, estimated to be at least $200.

The Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise in October will divert demand away from the resale market, several property analysts said on Wednesday (Oct 1).They added that prospective homeowners are likely to be attracted to the new housing precincts, which are part of the 9,100 flats offered in the final BTO launch of the year.This comes after HDB resale flat prices rose 0.4 per cent in the third quarter of 2025, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of slowing price growth.HDB flash estimates released on Oct 1 showed that the resale price index grew to 203.7 in the third quarter, up from 202.9 in previous quarter. «This marks the fourth consecutive quarter of slowing resale price growth and the lowest quarter-on-quarter increase since Q2 2020,» said HDB.Resale flat prices have been rising for 22 straight quarters since the second quarter of 2020.Christine Sun, chief researcher and strategist at Realion (OrangeTee Group & ETC) Group, noted that on a yearly basis, resale prices rose by 5.6 per cent. She expects resale prices to either remain stable or experience a slight decline for the fourth quarter of 2025.

Three blocks of the former Kandang Kerbau Hospital (KKH) on Hampshire Road were gazetted as Singapore’s 76th national monument on Wednesday (Oct 1).Established a free maternity hospital on Oct 1, 1924 but with history dating back to 1858, the National Heritage Board (NHB) said in a media statement that over 1.2 million babies were born there before its relocation in March 1997.The hospital, now named as KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, is located across the road from its previous location.The Land Transport Authority currently uses the old hospital premises as its headquarters.Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo, who officiated the gazette at the former hospital on Wednesday, said that the hospital embodies the values of selfless care.Neo, who also launched The Architecture of Care exhibition to commemorate the occasion, said: «Generations of our healthcare professionals served here with dedication and professionalism.»The former KKH was the site of several medical milestones, said NHB.

Thundery showers in the late morning and afternoon on most days, higher lightning activity, as well as light and variable winds are expected in the first fortnight of October, said the Meteorological Service Singapore on Wednesday (Oct 1). According to the Met Service, these conditions are due to the south-west monsoon coming to an end, and the inter-monsoon season setting in during the first week of October. The total rainfall for the first fortnight of October is expected to be near average over most parts of the island, with daily maximum temperatures ranging between 32 and 34 deg C on most days. In the second half of September, the daily maximum temperatures were above 33 deg C — with localised short-duration thundery showers over parts of the island on several days. What is inter-monsoon season?The inter-monsoon season is a transition period between the two major monsoon seasons — the south-west monsoon and the north-east monsoon. 

The State Courts will see a leadership change with Justice Christopher Tan succeeding Justice Vincent Hoong as Presiding Judge of the State Courts from Jan 1, 2026. According to the judiciary's website, the Presiding Judge has overall responsibility for the leadership and management of the State Courts which consist of the coroners', district and magistrates' courts, and the tribunals for community disputes resolution, employment claims and small claims. Justice Tan was one of three new Supreme Court judges appointed on Aug 1. Prior to his appointment as Judicial Commissioner in 2023, he concurrently held the positions of registrar of the State Courts and deputy presiding judge of the State Courts. A career legal service officer, he has served in various agencies including the Attorney-General's Chambers, Competition Commission of Singapore and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.Justice Tan's areas of focus include criminal trials, defamation and professional negligence. 

A woman from Singapore who appeared in a street interview video has impressed netizens, with some calling her the «perfect ambassador».In the one-minute-long video, which was filmed along London's Carnaby Street, the unnamed woman was asked various questions about Singapore.Some of these questions were: «How many official languages does Singapore have? Name them», «What unites Singaporeans» and «True or false, Singapore has the world's tallest indoor waterfall».To netizens' delight, she answered them eloquently and without hesitation. The woman, named all four official languages, said the annual National Day Parade (NDP) was what united Singaporeans and that the world's tallest indoor waterfall was indeed located in Jewel Changi Airport.She also mentioned some things that were uniquely Singaporean such as Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats as well as the «durian-shaped» Esplanade.

Upset that a macaque had allegedly stolen his child's food during a visit to the Singapore Zoo, a man swung his bag at the animal.In a video posted to TikTok on Sunday (Sept 28), a monkey is seen crawling along a railing while a child looks on. Moments later, a man dressed in a blue jersey approaches the monkey and swings his bag at it.During the attempt, the child beside him — believed to be his son — was accidentally struck by the bag.Towards the end of the video, a woman can be heard saying, «You don't do that,» as others nearby voiced their agreement.According to 8world, the video was recorded by a visitor who said that the incident took place around noon on Sept 27, along the trail leading to the elephant exhibit area.The visitor, who wished to be known only as Paul, told 8world that prior to the incident, visitors had been laughing and taking photos of the monkeys when one of the animals unexpectedly jumped on a boy and snatched food from his hand.

Eight drivers were caught for providing illegal ride-hailing services in Singapore for trips to and from Malaysia. In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Sept 30), the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that the drivers were caught at land checkpoints following tip-offs from the National Private Hire Vehicles Association and National Taxi Association. All eight foreign-registered vehicles have been impounded by LTA.  Drivers caught providing illegal ride-hailing services may be fined up to $3,000, jailed up to six months, or both. PHOTO: LTA Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling also shared on Facebook on Sept 30 that enforcement efforts on illegal cross-border and point-to-point hail trips are continuing.

Police are investigating a video posted online which showed a woman allegedly catching sharks at Sentosa.The video on Xiaohongshu, which has since been taken down, showed a woman holding a fishing rod against the backdrop of a marina.One and later two, sharks resembling blacktip reef shark pups are seen placed on the wooden floorboards of the marina. The clip ends with the woman walking along the pier, fishing rod in hand.It is not clear what happened to the sharks.According to 8world, the incident is believed to have occurred at Sentosa on Sept 21 or 22.A Sentosa Development Council told 8world that they have lodged a police report, and emphasised that fishing, poaching, or any act that would hurt wildlife are strictly prohibited.The guidelines are also clearly stated on the island attraction's website.Police confirmed to AsiaOne that a police report has been made and investigations are ongoing.AsiaOne has reached out to Sentosa Development Council for more information.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 390 vapes into Singapore via a Malaysia-registered car at Woodlands Checkpoint. In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Sept 30), ICA said that its officers had detected 398 vapes concealed in the modified dashboard of the car after directing it for enhanced checks.The 41-year-old female driver and her 43-year-old male passenger, both Malaysians, were arrested, and the case referred to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for further investigation.“Border security is a crucial aspect of the enforcement strategy against e-vaporisers,” said ICA.“As guardians of the nation’s borders, ICA remains committed to safeguarding Singapore by ensuring our borders remain safe and secure.”