SINGAPORE - In the days leading up to her move to Macau in 2024 to work as an aerialist, Ms Megan Lau grappled with doubt.As a philosophy, politics and economics graduate from the National University of Singapore (NUS), the 24-year-old could not help but wonder if she was trading a secure future for a fleeting dream.In her last year of university, she had applied on a whim to join the House Of Dancing Water, touted as the world's largest water-based show, after seeing a casting advertisement online.She was taken by surprise when she received a callback for auditions, and later an offer to join the cast.«Am I making the right decision? Am I throwing my degree away?» she remembers asking herself on the morning of her departure in October 2024.The dream of performing professionally had been a seed planted long ago, when she started ballet at the age of five.She believes everything she did - years of dance training and aerial practice - had prepared her for this moment.Still, she had to weigh the pros and cons of taking up the offer.

A Palestinian baby girl has been named Singapore as an expression of gratitude to the country that had provided her family with aid and support, according to the newborn's father. In an Instagram post uploaded on Saturday (Oct 18) by Love Aid Singapore — a humanitarian organisation led by Singaporean activist Gilbert Goh — the baby's father explained the reason behind his daughter's name.«Amidst the famine, her pregnant mother was eating from the Singapore kitchen,» said Hamdan, who has worked as a cook with the group for two years.«I am happy and I really want to name her Singapore because I really love them.»According to Love Aid, Hamdan's daughter, born on Oct 16, is the first Palestinian child in Gaza to be named Singapore. The girl's birth certificate, which was shared on social media also showed that she weighed 2.7kg at birth.

Commuters who tap in at the six stations between Punggol Coast and Kovan as well as those along the Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT) during morning off-peak timings will enjoy free rides come Dec 27.This was announced by Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow on Saturday (Oct 18), on the sidelines of the official opening of Punggol Coast Bus Interchange.Those who wish to enjoy the free rides will have to tap in at the abovementioned stations before 7.30am or between 9am and 9.45am on weekdays, excluding public holidays, said Siow.According to a statement by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on the same day, no registration is required to enjoy the free rides, but the same fare card or payment mode must be used for entry and exit.Guest of honour for the opening ceremony and Punggol GRC MP, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong told the media that he had received feedback from residents about the crowd on the the North-East Line (NEL), as the northeast region becomes more densely populated.He then suggested bringing back the free off-peak morning rides.

Twenty one people were injured in a lorry collision on Wednesday night (Oct 15) and one driver was arrested for dangerous driving causing grievous hurt.The police said in a statement on Friday evening (Oct 17) that the 24-year-old driver was ferrying nine passengers when he allegedly ran a red light at the traffic junction of Choa Chu Kang Way by Sungei Kadut Avenue and Sungei Kadut Loop.The lorry collided with another lorry, which had 11 passengers, as the latter vehicle was proceeding through the junction on a green light.Apart from the driver who ran the red light, the remaining 21 people from both vehicles were taken to hospitals.The injuries they sustained include fractures, lacerations and bodily pains.

Twelve persons aged between 25 and 35 have been arrested for their suspected involvement in the possession and distribution of e-vaporisers on Oct 16. The 12 were arrested at a carpark in the vicinity of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 when they were allegedly gathering and distributing the e-vaporisers.“They are believed to be part of an e-vaporiser syndicate that orchestrated the importation and distribution of e-vaporisers from Malaysia into Singapore, and has been supplying to residents,” the police said in a joint statement with the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on Saturday (Oct 18).Following the arrests, raids were conducted at Upper Jurong Road, Canberra Drive and Jalan Sendudok, which included two storage locations allegedly used by the syndicate.Police said they coordinated with HSA to seize more than 64,000 e-vaporisers and its related components during the raids. The seized vapes have an estimated street value of $560,000.Eight cars, electronic devices such as mobile phones and SIM cards, and cash amounting to more than $16,000 were also seized during the operation. 

A happy holiday in Singapore took a sour turn when this tourist's $3,000 was allegedly stolen by a hotel housekeeper.A Taiwanese tourist, known as Yang, said his cash was taken by a housekeeper at Village Hotel Sentosa on Friday (Oct 17).In his post on Threads, Yang said he checked into the hotel on Thursday evening (Oct 16) and went to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Singapore.Before leaving, Yang said he placed around $3,000 worth of cash in a plastic bag from Marina Bay Sands. He then left the bag on a white counter in his hotel room.According to Yang's post, the plastic bag with cash was stolen on Friday.«When this happened, I felt so helpless,» Yang wrote in Chinese. «The hotel manager said he really trusts his staff and there was no way such an incident would happen.»Rummaged through hotel's garbageYang said he rummaged through the hotel's garbage collection to no avail until the police arrived.After searching the housekeeper and her storage locker, the police found the same Marina Bay Sands plastic bag Yang used for his money, he wrote.

The 23-year-old on duty full-time police national serviceman (NSF), who was found with a gunshot wound to his neck, is now in «a stable condition», the police said in response to AsiaOne's query on Friday (Oct 17).He was found by his teammates in a toilet at 328 Pasir Panjang Road, which is listed online as a Shell petrol kiosk, at about 9pm on Wednesday (Oct 15).The officer was subsequently taken conscious to hospital. His service revolver and remaining ammunition were accounted for and seized at the scene. Following preliminary investigations, police said then that they believe the gunshot wound was self-inflicted.In 2021, a full-time police NSF was found dead with a gunshot wound to his head in a toilet at the Special Operations Command. The 21-year-old's death was later ruled a suicide. [[nid:724003]]editor@asiaone.com

An 18-year-old male was charged on Friday (Oct 17) for allegedly trafficking e-vaporiser pods suspected to contain etomidate, a potent sedative-hypnotic drug.In a statement released on Friday, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said that on Oct 16, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officers detected suspected etomidate-laced e-vaporiser pods in a vehicle belonging to the alleged offender, Kwek Rui An Rayern.Authorities seized two e-vaporisers and 127 suspected etomidate pods from the vehicle, while another five pods were later recovered from his residence in Bedok.The seized items are currently undergoing laboratory testing for etomidate and investigations by HSA are ongoing.According to HSA, the case has been adjourned to Oct 24. 

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong will visit Argentina and the United Kingdom from Oct 20 to 28.The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement on Friday (Oct 17) that SM Lee will visit Buenos Aires from Oct 20 to 24, followed by London from Oct 25 to 28.In Buenos Aires, SM Lee will meet with senior Argentinian political figures, key congressional personalities and prominent businessmen. He will also attend a meeting of the JP Morgan International Council, which he has been a member of since March 2025.The council is an advisory group of global leaders from business, government and public service that convenes annually to discuss economic, political, and geopolitical issues.SM Lee will meet with senior British political figures and business leaders from the technology and corporate sectors in London. He will also speak at the Royal Institute of International Affairs' Chatham House on shifting geopolitical and economic trends in an era of heightened uncertainty. 

Seventy-four persons were arrested for suspected drug offenders during a five-day island-wide anti-drug operation from Oct 13 to 17.Areas such as Ang Mo Kio, Balestier, Clementi, Punggol, Woodlands and Yishun were covered during the operation, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said on Friday (Oct 17).A total of about 2.5kg of cannabis, 158g of ketamine, 76g of heroin, 73g of ‘Ice’, 12g of ‘Ecstasy’, 40 Erimin-5 tablets and numerous vape related products including 42 e-vaporiser pods believed to contain etomidate were seized.The drugs seized are estimated to be worth more than $68,000, said CNB, adding that the heroin, ‘Ice’ and cannabis seized could potentially feed the addiction of 436 abusers for a week.Over 2.3kg of cannabis seized at YishunOn Oct 13, CNB officers arrested a 36-year-old Singaporean in Yishun for suspected drug trafficking offences.He was travelling along along Yishun Avenue 1 when he was arrested, and a search of his motorcycle yielded about 2.3kg of cannabis, 156g of ketamine, 11g of ‘Ice’, 11g of ‘Ecstasy’, 40 Erimin-5 tablets, and drug paraphernalia. 

A cat was found dead at a stairwell in Ayer Rajah on Tuesday (Oct 14), with its body allegedly severed in half.Speaking to AsiaOne on Friday (Oct 17), a witness, who wished to be known only as Bob, said he was leaving office in the JTC Launchpad building at 81 Ayer Rajah Crescent at around 12pm when he spotted the carcass. «I was heading out for lunch and took the stairwell from the third floor down when I noticed an unfamiliar object. As I got closer, I realised it was a severed top half of a cat,» said the 36-year-old engineer. «There wasn't any blood and it looked like a cleanly sliced carcass. It was quite shocking and scary.» Bob added that he called the police, and officers arrived about 20 minutes later.He noted that the particular stairwell he accessed was less frequented, as it was located at the far end of the building and typically used only by his office and neighbouring units.«On most days, I would use the stairwell during lunch hours as it is easier to exit. But since that incident, I don't use that stairwell anymore,» said Bob.