A 76-year-old hawker, who is facing financial problems, was left disappointed when all of her Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers were allegedly claimed by a stranger.The woman, surnamed Shen, told Shin Min Daily News that all $800 in CDC vouchers were also used up without her knowledge.Shen, who runs an economical rice stall at People’s Park Food Center in Chinatown, first received a reminder in July to collect her SG60 vouchers.After redeeming her SG60 vouchers, staff at Hougang Community Club then asked her if she had collected her CDC vouchers.The Government had disbursed $300 and $500 in vouchers in January and May respectively to all Singaporean households to help with daily expenses.«I was shocked to find out that they had been sent twice this year,» said Shen. «When I asked the staff to help me print them, they told me that the vouchers had been claimed a while ago.»Shen said that the staff at the community club told her that the vouchers were claimed on Jan 12 and May 18, both in the afternoon.

SINGAPORE — An average of 420 employers were hauled up each year from 2021 to 2024 for hiring foreign workers without valid work passes in Singapore.About 200 of them were prosecuted or fined annually, while the rest — mainly cases involving first-time offenders or illegal employment over a short period — were given a warning, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Oct 13 in response to queries.An MOM spokesman said: «In general, foreigners must possess valid work passes to work in Singapore.»Businesses and individuals engaging foreigners to work in Singapore must ensure that they hold valid passes before starting work in the specified job. This is not a new requirement."He added that MOM also takes into account a host of factors in deciding the penalty, including the duration of the offence and how many illegal workers were involved.On Sept 11, MOM — in a joint statement with the Visual, Audio, Creative Content Professionals Association (Singapore) — said foreigners on tourist or student visas are not allowed to provide creative services in Singapore.

An owner of a Malaysian-registered car was accused of allegedly providing illegal cross-border service in Singapore.In dashcam footage shared on the SG Road Vigilante Facebook group on Sunday (Oct 12), a man was seen helping a family load several pieces of luggage into the vehicle in Gardens by the Bay.A man was heard asking the car owner if they are his relatives, to which the latter ignored.The video has since garnered over 500 comments, 620 shares and 230,000 views. In the comments, several netizens were shocked that a Malaysian private-hire vehicle driver was providing an illegal cross-border service in broad daylight.“The fine is too light. They are not scared,” said user Kym Wong.“Just report online. No point confronting them,” added Tan Chow Hong.

Five people, aged between 15 and 37, were caught for possessing e-vaporisers and other related components during joint enforcement operations  by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) from Oct 8 to 10.A total of six e-vaporisers and related components were seized, including one e-vaporiser suspected to contain etomidate, a sedative-hypnotic drug. The seized pod has been sent for further testing, said HSA.The operations targeted areas including Khatib, Yishun, and Punggol.In a statement released on Monday (Oct 13), HSA said that all five individuals were fined the maximum of $2,000 on the spot. «Following public feedback received from our reporting platforms, we identified vaping hotspots and conducted enforcement operations in these areas,» said HSA.

Those travelling to Malaysia during the Deepavali long weekend — from Oct 17 to Oct 20 — can expect longer waiting time to clear immigration at both Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a statement on Monday (Oct 13).It also sought travellers' understanding to cooperate with its officers, observe traffic rules and maintain lane discipline.Travellers can check the Land Transport Authority's One Motoring website or ICA's Facebook and X (former Twitter) account for the traffic situation at the land checkpoints before embarking on their journey.Those who are travelling during peak periods can also consider taking the cross-border bus services to avoid congestion.Meanwhile, more than 5.8 million travellers crossed Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints during the September school holidays from Sept 5 to 15.The peak was on Sept 5 with over 575,000 travellers clearing immigration at the land checkpoints in a single day, the ICA said on Monday.

A 30-year-old motorcyclist died after colliding with an SBS Transit bus along the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) on Thursday (Oct 9).Dashcam footage of the accident, posted by Facebook page SG Road Vigilante shows an SBS bus and a van travelling along the expressway when they suddenly come to a stop.Moments later, an orange scooter is seen lying on the road.Frontal video footage also revealed a man, believed to be the bus driver, and another driver checking the situation after the collision.In another video posted on TikTok, police cars can be seen at the accident site, conducting investigations.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force confirmed that they were alerted to a road traffic accident involving a bus and a motorcycle along PIE towards the airport at about 5pm.A 30-year-old female motorcyclist was taken unconscious to Changi General Hospital where she subsequently died.Police investigations are ongoing.

When Jiya Sharma, 15, went to Starbucks at Downtown East two months ago to study, she could not buy a drink as the outlet has stopped accepting cash.The Secondary 3 student, who had visited the outlet weekly over the past two years, left empty-handed that day.She also recalled having a similar experience about a year ago while trying to buy food from Wok Hey at White Sands mall, after the store stopped accepting cash.Indeed, “cashless-only” signs have been popping up across stores in Singapore as shop owners get used to the convenience of not having to handle notes and coins, after making the switch for hygiene reasons during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.This is a sharp contrast from store encounters before the pandemic hit, when many shops insisted on “cash-only” payments.Associate professor of finance Fu Fangjian of SMU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business attributed this to the success of the Government’s go-digital campaign.Said Prof Fu: “Singapore’s Government has been very deliberate in driving the Smart Nation agenda... Grants under the SMEs Go Digital programme have made it easier and cheaper for merchants to go cashless.”

Almost 3,300 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats with wait times of less than three years will be offered in the upcoming October sales exercise.In a press release on Sunday (Oct 12), HDB announced that the Shorter Waiting Time (SWT) flats will be offered across four BTO projects in Bedok, Sengkang and Yishun. Among the SWT flats, a variety of flat types will be offered, including 2-room Flexi units, 3Gen flats for multi-generation families and Community Care Apartments (CCAs) for seniors.A total of 9,100 BTO flats will offered during the exercise, with other projects located in Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Bukit Merah, Jurong East, and Toa Payoh.With the upcoming October exercise factored in, the total number of SWT flats launched in 2025 will reach 4,690, exceeding HDB's earlier commitment of 4,500 for the year.«Over the next two years, we will launch another 4,000 SWT flats per year as part of our continued efforts to reduce waiting times and expand housing options for home buyers with more pressing housing needs,» said HDB.

A Vietnam Airlines flight bound for Hanoi from Singapore scheduled to depart on Friday (Oct 10) afternoon only ended up departing the next day, leaving passengers stranded at Changi Airport for nearly 14 hours. According to global travel data provider OAG, flight VNN660 was scheduled to depart Terminal 3 at 1.05pm on Oct 10 and land in Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport at 3.35pm the same day. However, the flight only took off on Oct 11 at 2.54am and landed in Hanoi at 5.05am. Over 100 passengers were affected and the departure time was repeatedly delayed throughout the day, reported Shin Min Daily News on Oct 11. A civil servant surnamed Wei told the Chinese daily that his wife and two relatives were supposed to go to Hanoi for a five-day trip till Oct 14. They had spent $400 on round-trip tickets, with return flights booked on Singapore Airlines. They first learned that their flight had been delayed while waiting at the boarding gate around 12pm on Friday and the staff did not share the reason why. 

Rescue personnel from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) had to be called in after a female drinks stall employee had her hand caught in a sugarcane juicer at a Clementi hawker centre.The incident occurred on Friday (Oct 10) at Block 448 Clementi Avenue 3, according to Shin Min Daily News.In a statement to AsiaOne, a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) spokesperson stated that officers had received a call for assistance at 6.50pm.A person's right hand was found trapped in a sugarcane machine at a stall.«Firefighters and rescue specialists from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) carried out the rescue together with an SCDF paramedic, who administered pain-relief medication and monitored the person's vital signs throughout the operation,» said the spokesperson.An emergency medical team from Ng Teng Fong General Hospital was also deployed on site to provide medical support.The person's hand was subsequently released, and SCDF conveyed the person to National University Hospital, the statement added. 

SINGAPORE - She was close to her only child, a 27-year-old son, but his addiction to etomidate-laced vaporisers, or Kpods, damaged the relationship.It got to a point where her son physically hurt her once when he was high and struggled with withdrawal.Rose (not her real name), 56, then applied for a personal protection order against Ben (not his real name) because as a single parent with little family support, she was fearful that he would hurt her badly.At the height of his addiction, Ben was using up to three pods a day.In November 2024, he attempted to harm himself by climbing out of the window in the living room of their HDB flat, which is on a high floor. When his mother tried to stop him, he yelled at her, choked her and slammed her head against a wall.Rose had to call the police on him for this and another incident.After his second arrest, Ben was admitted to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for suicide ideation, and stayed there for two weeks.It was then that he decided to undergo rehabilitation.He was discharged on Sept 3, 2025.

The sight of workers on gondolas or abseiling down facades to clean high-rise ledges at HDB blocks may soon be a thing of the past if an ongoing trial is successful and adopted.The Ministry of National Development (MND) is trialling the use of drones to do the cleaning.In a Facebook post on Saturday (Oct 11), Senior Minister of State for National Development Sun Xueling said that she has been studying the use of technology for higher-risk activities in the built environment sector. «Traditional methods involve (the) use of workers on gondolas and ‘spidermen’ which unfortunately have risk for workers.»This morning, we are testing out using drones to wash high-rise ledges. This involves various steps involving use of water pressure and dissolvents."The trial was conducted at Block 271D Punggol Walk.Following the trial, Sun said that MND will be studying the results of the cleaning, residents’ feedback and also the cost of deploying such technology before proceeding further.

To Azlinah Amin, the day started like any other, amid customers flocking to the United Overseas Bank's (UOB) main branch at Raffles Place because of good gold prices in April this year, a peculiar interaction with one stood out to her.«A male retiree came into the bank to enquire about buying 5kg worth of gold,» shared the branch service manager.But what set off red flags were his next moves, and thanks to the quick action of Azlinah and her colleagues they managed to stop a transaction of almost $700,000 being lost to a gold scam.Speaking to AsiaOne at the National Crime Prevention Centre (NCPC) Appreciation Dinner and Crime Prevention Awards Ceremony on Tuesday (Oct 7), Azlinah shares how empathy helped eased a customer and stopped him from becoming a victim of a crime.

SINGAPORE — A recent study has found that 68 per cent of youth in Singapore are open, actively or passively, to new job opportunities.Financial gain and job stability ranked as their top two priorities, while flexible work arrangements and work-life balance were also important, according to the study by the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS).Results from the study on youth employment were released on Oct 10 during a media briefing held at A Good Place, a community hub at One Holland Village.The study’s principal investigator is Associate Professor Justina Tan, vice-president of strategic partnership and engagement at SUSS.

Eight men were arrested for their alleged involvement in an illegal transaction of marine gas oil.The arrests were made on Friday (Oct 10), when officers from the Police Coast Guard (PCG) discovered the alleged illegal transaction during a routine check on a Singapore-registered tugboat in the waters off Tuas.Preliminary investigations revealed that the crew members of the Singapore-registered allegedly misappropriated the marine gas oil, which was valued at about $6,920.They then allegedly sold it to crew members of a foreign-registered tugboat.Three crew members on the Singapore-registered tugboat were arrested.PCG officers also intercepted the foreign-registered tugboat in the vicinity, where five crew members on board were arrested and the tugboat was subsequently seized as a case exhibit.Ninety-two sticks of duty-unpaid cigarettes were also found in the Singapore-registered tugboat, and were handed over to Singapore Customs.

Malaysian ride hailing company Kummute has begun offering online bookings for licensed taxis from Malaysia to Singapore through its app.  Known as CB Taxi, the option allows travellers to book a ride from anywhere in Malaysia to Ban San Street Terminal in Singapore.There is also a «SG cross-border taxi» option, where users can book 30 minutes in advance, with distance-based fares shown upfront on the Kummute app.But the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it has not approved any ride-hailing platform to provide cross-border services, in response to media queries.«We are working with Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency to clarify the business model of Kummute’s e-hailing platform,» a spokesperson said.Checks by AsiaOne found that users with a Singapore phone number can register for an account on the app.A trip from Larkin Terminal in Johor Bahru (JB) to AsiaOne’s office in Bendemeer costs RM$289 (S$88).When this AsiaOne reporter tried booking a ride from anywhere in Singapore to Malaysia, the app prompted that «this feature is currently under development».

Ever witnessed an arrest and wondered why multiple police officers are seen responding to what seems like a straightforward incident?The Singapore Police Force (SPF) explained the reason in a light-hearted myth buster video on social media on Wednesday (Oct 8).  In a dramatic re-enactment, four officers are seen approaching a man believed to be drunk and causing public nuisance. He is also seen holding a screwdriver in his right hand. Meanwhile, a fifth officer faces the man and issues instructions to him, while maintaining a distance between them.

The reliability of the MRT network dipped in August, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Friday (Oct 10) in its first monthly report of Singapore’s rail performance.Previously published on a quarterly basis, it said that the monthly updates are part of its efforts to improve transparency and accountability.LTA sets a one million train-km target for its MRT network. Rail reliability in Singapore is measured using 12-month mean kilometres between failure (MKBF) metric, which tracks the average distance a train travels before experiencing a delay of more than five minutes.The MKBF as at the end of August was 1,740,000 train-km, according to the report, a drop from the 1,818,000 train-km as of the end of July, but an improvement from 1,598,000 train-km as of the end June.The North-South Line and Circle Line both saw increases in their MKBF since end-July, from 1,413,000 to 1,648,000 train-km, and 1,067,000 train-km to 1,245,000 train-km respectively.The Downtown Line’s reliability fell from 4,131,000 train-km to 2,760,000 train-km, while the North-East Line dipped to 2,142,000 train-km.