A Singapore Airlines (SIA) Boeing 777-300ER flight from Melbourne to Singapore encountered a technical issue shortly after take-off and returned to Melbourne on Wednesday (Oct 29).According to flight tracking platform FlightAware, SQ228 took off at around 4.52pm local time (1.52pm, Singapore time). The almost eight-hour flight, which operates daily, would usually make a right turn after taking off, in the vicinity of Melton — a suburb on the outskirts of Melbourne — before climbing and proceeding in a north-westerly direction towards Singapore. This time, data from FlightAware showed the 10-year-old aircraft circling Melbourne before returning to the airport at 5.47pm.

ROCKHAMPTON, Australia — Being able to have realistic training for airdrop operations helps the crew on board the C-130 military transport aircraft get familiar with safety protocol. Speaking to members of the media at Rockhampton Airport, Loadmaster First Sergeant (1SG) M Magenthiran stated that the operations conducted during the overseas exercise allow the crew to practise processes they are not able to do in Singapore due to land and airspace constraints.«In Exercise Wallaby, we get to drop multiple complex loads...(which) helps us to be comfortable (in real-life operations),» he said.Exercise Wallaby is conducted annually at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, which spans a distance over five times the size of Singapore.1SG Magenthiran also said that the «realistic training» he receives can be transferred into real life airdrop operations.His duties involve working with officers from the 3rd Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Transport Battalion, who pack the load into a container delivery system and attach the parachute before rigging it to the aircraft. 

A migrant worker was recently spotted having a playful moment while at the construction site of a playground in Tampines.The 12-second video posted by TikTok user Qdotsg on Saturday (Oct 25) shows the man sitting on the ground as he plays a tune on the percussion wall with a mallet.The worker appears to be holding a phone as well, seemingly recording the impromptu jamming session.The TikTok user lamented in his post that the audio wasn't clear, but that it was «a fun li'l moment to capture». He added: «Between this and the singing painter, Tampines seems to have lots of musical talent among our foreign worker friends.»

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's wife Loo Tze Lui joined the wives of other  leaders for a spouses programme on Monday (Oct 27) during the 47th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur. In a Facebook post by the Malaysian Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development on Oct 27, it highlighted the initiative to promote family values, social welfare, and the role of women in community development.The ministry added that, aside from being a social gathering, this initiative serves as an important platform for informal diplomacy that strengthens human connections among the 11-member bloc.Hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the luncheon was also featured on her social media, where she highlighted its significance.

Police are looking for a man to assist with investigations into a case of shop theft.The alleged theft took place on Aug 15 at Suntec City. Based on the photograph provided by the police, the bespectacled man was last seen wearing a black roundneck tee-shirt and black-coloured cap. Anyone with information can contact the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at police.gov.sg/i-witness.All information would be kept strictly confidential, said the police.[[nid:714657]]editor@asiaone.com 

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.