A man was rescued from a HDB flat in Yishun on Tuesday (Oct 28) evening after a fire broke out in the living room.The incident took place just after 7pm at Block 269B Yishun Street 22.Checks conducted by AsiaOne show that the block consists of rental flats.A resident told AsiaOne that an elderly male was rescued by Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) firefighters from a 1-room rental flat at the corner of the 15th floor.«They had to cut open the metal gate and door of the unit,» the resident, who did not want to be named, said.  The wooden door of the affected unit showed signs of forcible entry. PHOTO: AsiaOne reader AsiaOne observed that the rental flat was sparsely furnished and did not appear to have suffered extensive damage.

Three men have been fined after they taunted and mocked a policeman who did not let them pass through a police cordon at a murder scene.On Oct 28, Alex Kumar Gnanasekaran, 38, was fined $4,000, while Md Dino Marciano Abdul Wahab, 45, and Mohamed Eusof Mohamed Yahiya, 33, were each handed a $5,000 fine.All three pleaded guilty to using insulting words towards a police officer who was executing his duty as a public servant.Dino and Eusof had previously also committed offences against public servants.Dino was handed a charge under the Protection from Harassment Act for saying vulgarities to a police officer in January 2025, while Eusof had previously been convicted for causing hurt to a public servant in 2022.Mohanan V. Balakrishnan, 39, who recorded a video of Alex, Dino and Eusof taunting the policeman, had been convicted in September and was fined $3,500.On Sept 22, at around 5am, after a night of drinking and clubbing, the four men were walking along the back lane of Sam Leong Road, near Kitchener Road, when they saw a police cordon.The area had been cordoned off by the police to preserve a murder crime scene.

A five-room Housing Board flat in Boon Keng has changed hands for an eye-watering $1.55 million, making it a new record in the area.The price of the unit at Block 8 Boon Keng Road — in a Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) project called City View @ Boon Keng — is more than the previous high of $1.54 million logged in September for a five-room flat in the same project.The unit, which is located between the 31st and 33rd floor, is now the most expensive flat in the Kallang/Whampoa area, according to checks by AsiaOne on the HDB's resale flat price records.At 117sq m, the flat has around 84 years remaining on its lease.It is within a six-minute walking distance to Boon Keng MRT station, with food courts and schools in the vicinity.The most expensive five-room flat resold was $1.65 million for a unit on Dawson Road in June.According to figures released by HDB on Oct 1, the price of resale flats rose by 0.4 per cent in the third quarter of 2025.

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers arrested a 37-year-old Malaysian motorcyclist at Tuas Checkpoint on Oct 14 for attempting to smuggle a bottle of liquid, believed to be kratom, which contains drugs.In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Oct 28), ICA said he was directed to undergo further checks and was asked if he had anything to declare.The man said he had nothing to declare.«A thorough check uncovered (a) bottle containing suspected kratom liquid in the man's bag,» ICA said. The case has been referred to the Central Narcotics Bureau for further investigations.

The Singapore Red Cross (SRC) launched its fourth round of fundraising for humanitarian aid in Gaza on Tuesday (Oct 28).The latest round of funding comes after the first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on Oct 10, which has allowed humanitarian partners to gradually resume operations in areas of Gaza that were previously inaccessible, said SRC in a statement.Funds collected during this round will be channelled to the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) and Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS).«The ceasefire has given us a critical window to move from emergency relief to rebuilding lives. The road to recovery will be long, but every act of compassion counts,» said Benjamin William, secretary general and CEO of SRC. According to SRC, ERC has sent over 400 shipments containing around 5,700 tonnes of food, 1,400 tonnes of medical supplies and 2,500 tonnes of petrol to Gaza since the ceasefire.PRCS also serves as «a lifeline for the people of Gaza», providing ambulance operations, medical evacuations, essential healthcare, mental health, psychosocial support, and emergency relief.

Two men were charged on Tuesday (Oct 28) when their alleged high speed race on the Central Expressway caused the death of a motorcyclist.Cassidy Tan Tung Hwee, 33, and Rayson Loo Sian Hao, 35, were charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.According to court documents, the men were racing and overtaking each other along the Central Expressway towards Seletar Expressway on Jan 14 last year at about 2am.Tan allegedly drove at up to 192kmh, while Loo drove at 170kmh — far exceeding the speed limit of 90kmh for that stretch of road.Tan swerved from lane four to lane two and collided with Mohammad Oszaimi Osman’s motorcycle, causing him to be flung onto the road.Loo then allegedly killed the 31-year-old by running over him.In a statement on Monday (Oct 27), the police said that both men were arrested and their licences were immediately suspended.If convicted, the men may be jailed up to 15 years, fined or caned, or a combination of these penalties.Their cases will be heard again on Dec 2.

A 37-year-old man will be charged in court on Tuesday (Oct 28) after he allegedly became hostile and aggressive towards police officers, swinging a karambit knife at one of them on Oct 27. A karambit knife has a short curved blade with a finger grip. In a statement on Oct 27, the police said officers were patrolling the vicinity of Block 12 Bedok South Avenue 2 at about 2.30am when they spotted a car parked at the passenger drop-off point of the block.The male driver became hostile and aggressive when officers made a check on him.He also swung a karambit knife at one of the officers before holding it against his own neck.Despite police officers' repeated warnings to drop the weapon, the man refused to comply.«In order to de-escalate and contain the situation, the officers deployed a Taser to stop the man, who was then placed under arrest,» police said, adding that they take a serious view against persons who obstruct public servants from carrying out their duties, and do not tolerate acts of violence towards public servants who are carrying out their duties.

A man has been detained under the Mental Health Act after he was caught standing in the middle of a road in Yishun on Sunday (Oct 26).In a video posted to the Facebook group SG Road Vigilante on Oct 26, a man dressed in a black shirt can be seen standing in the middle of the road as several cars slow down to avoid him.The man appears to use hand signals to beckon drivers toward him before walking away and swinging his arm dismissively. A passerby standing by the roadside can also be heard shouting and urging the man to leave the road, according to a report by 8world.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, police said they received a call for assistance along Yishun Avenue 2 at about 1.20pm.A 53-year-old man was subsequently apprehended under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act 2008, said the police. No injuries were reported.[[nid:722630]]xingying.koh@asiaone.com

Immigrants are necessary and welcomed in Singapore but need to be cognisant of the norms that govern society locally, said Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday (Oct 27).Speaking at Chatham House in London during a working trip to the UK, SM Lee was asked a question about the immigration policy in Singapore and how the Government is able to mitigate associated risks while doing it in a non-discriminatory manner.He spoke about 'How Singapore is surviving and thriving between China and the United States' at the dialogue. «It is not an easy balance to strike,» he said, adding that there will always be trade-offs.Immigrants are key to Singapore's workforce and are «desperately-needed people to man our whole system», said SM Lee, adding that they make up one-third of the workforce, in jobs ranging from CEOs of banks and MNCs to construction workers.With such a large proportion of the population comprising foreigners, there are bound to be security risks, for instance espionage and disinformation, and even social issues that may arise, he pointed out.

A man who raped his 11-year-old daughter after being goaded by his girlfriend was sentenced to 24 years’ jail on Monday (Oct 27).His lover, 33-year-old Filipino domestic helper Albao Shiela Marie Ibales, was given 22 years’ jail.The victim’s parents have been separated since 2019. She lived with her mother and relatives on weekdays, and stayed with her father on weekends.The court heard that the 54-year-old man, who is American and cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, met Albao through dating application Tinder in 2022, and developed a sexual relationship.They often exchanged “sexually charged and deviant messages” such as  indecent acts with their future child as well as a pet dog.On March 17, 2023, while his daughter was staying with him, the man and Albao exchanged sexualised messages about the girl.Albao then said she wanted a photo of the victim performing a sex act on the man.The father then came up with an idea of a “bet” which involved his daughter doing a series of acts to get a reward.The man filmed the sex acts and sent to Albao, who congratulated the girl for winning $400.

A woman who falsely accused a man of raping her after he refused to pay her $1,200 for consensual sex when she was 19 years old was sentenced to probation on Monday (Oct 27).Claris Ling Min Rui, now aged 20, must remain indoors from 10pm to 6am for a year, and perform 60 hours of community service as part of her sentence.On Sept 1, Ling pleaded guilty to one count each of harassment and giving false information to a public servant.She met the 43-year-old man on Sugarbook, a sugar dating app, and agreed to go on a date with him in March this year.The man had agreed to pay her $200 for her «time».After going for drinks at a bar, the pair went to a Cavenagh Road hotel where they engaged in consensual sex. Things soured when Ling asked the man for $1,200 and he refused. The Straits Times reported in September that the man offered Ling $500 after she scolded him. Angered, she called the police and claimed that she was raped by the man while intoxicated.Police officers who attended to the case reviewed the hotel's closed-circuit television footage and found that it was inconsistent with Ling's account.

The male driver who allegedly collided with a cyclist along Nicoll Highway and killing him in 2023 has now been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Tan Yong Ren, 35, was alleged to have driven against the flow of traffic along Nicoll Highway towards the direction of Guillemard Road at about 5am on Dec 19 of that year when he collided into 45-year-old British national, Rajan Singh Basra.Singh was conveyed unconscious to hospital where he later died of his injuries.The police said in a news release then that traffic police officers arrested Tan within 16 hours of the accident after ground inquiries, with the aid of a witness and video footage from the police and the Land Transport Authority.Previously, Tan was handed seven charges, including dangerous driving causing death; fleeing the scene without rendering assistance; and consuming alcohol before driving. On Monday (Oct 27), the police said in a news release that the charge of dangerous driving causing death will be revised to an offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, after a review and with the concurrence of the Attorney-General's Chambers.

A motorcyclist escaping from a traffic police check hit a pedestrian on a sidewalk in Hougang, subsequently abandoning the bike and fleeing on foot.The incident occurred near Block 137 Lorong Ah Soo at about 1.15pm on Oct 21, reported Shin Min Daily News.A resident told the Chinese daily that she saw an overturned motorcycle lying on the pavement connecting the Tai Keng Gardens estate to the Lorong Ah Soo flats.«I saw at least 20 police officers, some of whom were armed. The atmosphere was very tense,» she described.Another resident surnamed Ye said he had to take a detour from his usual jogging route as the area was cordoned off by police.According to Stomp, at least eight police vehicles and an ambulance were seen at the open car park near Block 137 Lorong Ah Soo.The police said in response to media queries that a traffic police officer patrolling along Upper Paya Lebar Road had stopped the motorist for a check.Instead of complying, the motorcyclist sped off, leading to a chase that saw the motorcyclist colliding into a male pedestrian at a footpath along Tai Keng Gardens.

A Singapore-registered container vessel collided with a Chinese-registered vessel off Guangzhou, China, on Saturday (Oct 25).The Chinese vessel sank and two of the 15 crew members are missing.In a statement issued on Sunday (Oct 26), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said the collision occurred at around 8 pm, and it involved the Singapore-registered container vessel WAN HAI A17 and the Chinese-registered vessel HAI LI 5.According to Wan Hai Lines, the Singapore-registered vessel remains in stable condition with all 23 crew members safe, and no pollution reported, MPA said.Chinese authorities are conducting search and rescue operation for the missing crew, the authority said. The Singapore-registered vessel is currently being held in port to assist Chinese authorities with investigations.

Lawyer Darren Tan recently visited the site of his first arrest which set him on the arduous road to recovery from drug abuse and a successful careerIn a Facebook video shared by the Central Narcotics Bureau on Monday (Oct 27), the 46-year-old, who is now deputy managing director at Invictus Law Corporation, shared his inspirational story.He said he joined a gang at age 14, and started taking drugs around the same time — something he said gave him self-confidence.The law first caught up with him some 30 years ago during a gang “settlement talk” at a coffee shop in Block 212 Hougang Street 21.«Suddenly we were surrounded by police officers. Weapons and drugs were found in the cars,» said Tan, adding that he later tested positive for drugs.Even before his arrest, his appearance already had the telltale signs of addiction.«I was on drugs 24/7. When I was heavily hooked on meth, my body essentially degenerated,» he said."I was very, very thin because I didn’t have to eat. When I stood up, my eyes were open but I couldn’t see anything.