The Ministry of Health (MOH) has taken enforcement actions against 10 doctors between January and October 2025 for making non-compliant MediShield Life claims.In a statement on Thursday (Nov 13), MOH said that these claims involved several improper practices. These included inappropriate multi-coding — submitting multiple unnecessary procedure codes — and upcoding, where a code is assigned for a more complex procedure than what was actually performed.MOH added that some cases also involved inappropriate treatments and the submission of cosmetic procedures as medical claims.Under the Escalation and Enforcement Framework, the ministry said that these doctors will be required to undergo mandatory training on proper claiming practices and adherence to clinical guidelines.

Grab and WeRide will be stepping up their autonomous vehicle (AV) testing programme in Punggol after receiving approval from the Land Transport Authority (LTA).WeRide, an autonomous driving technology company headquartered in China, partnered with local superapp Grab and began AV testing in mid-October.The latest approval from LTA allows them to conduct testing on the entire Ai.R (Autonomously Intelligent Ride) fleet which comprises 11 AVs, according to a joint statement on Thursday (Nov 13).They said they plan to increase the total number of AV test runs on shuttle service routes in Punggol by up to four times by the end of the year.According to the statement, Ai.R will serve two dedicated shuttle service routes  in Punggol and is expected to take its first batch of passengers by early 2026.With Ai.R, Punggol residents will have greater access to key amenities like Punggol Coast MRT station, Punggol Coast Mall bus interchange, malls, and clinics.

There was no time to hesitate for SBS Transit bus captains Hu Jinshuai and Jamaludin Bin Mohamad Taib, who kicked into action immediately after spotting a car blaze along their bus route.In a Facebook post on Sunday (Nov 9), SBS Transit commended the two bus captains for their quick thinking and initiative.The fire occurred on Oct 3 near the junction of Circuit Road and Circuit Link at around 3.25pm, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in response to AsiaOne's queries.The fire involved the engine compartment of a car, SCDF added.Describing the events that unfolded, SBS Transit stated that bus captain Hu had spotted the car ablaze while driving his usual route on Service 135. He immediately pulled his bus to the side and used a fire extinguisher onboard to contain the car fire. «I was worried there were still people in the car and knew I had to help,» he said.Jamaludin, who was driving the same route but in the opposite direction, also noticed the fire and stopped his bus to help Hu.

Two Singaporean men have been arrested following their deportation from Thailand and Cambodia, after they were believed to be involved in transnational scam operations and money mule offences.  In a statement on Thursday (Nov 13), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said that both men, aged 44, were arrested on Nov 11 upon their arrival in Singapore. Ong Kwang Wee, was arrested by the Royal Thai Police during a raid in Bangkok, Thailand, for his alleged involvement in a transnational scam syndicate believed to be operating a scam centre in Myanmar. The syndicate had purportedly carried out government official impersonation scams targeting Singaporeans.«Preliminary investigations revealed that the (Ong) had travelled to Myanmar and was involved in administrative functions at the scam centre before fleeing to Thailand after the scam centre was raided by Myanmar authorities,» said the police. 

SINGAPORE — Singapore's central bank will hold trials to issue tokenised MAS bills next year and bring in laws to regulate stablecoins as it presses forward with plans to build a scalable and secure tokenised financial ecosystem, the bank's top official said on Thursday (Nov 13).«Tokenisation has lifted off the ground. But have asset-backed tokens achieved escape velocity? Not yet,» said Chia Der Jiun, Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), a keynote address at the Singapore FinTech Festival.He said MAS has been working on the details of its stablecoin regulatory regime and will prepare draft legislation, with the emphasis on «sound reserve backing and redemption reliability.»MAS is also supporting trials under the Blue Initiative, which explores the use of tokenised bank liabilities and regulated stablecoins for settlement, he added.«In the CBDC space, I am pleased to announce that the three Singapore banks, DBS, OCBC, and UOB, have successfully conducted interbank overnight lending transactions using the first live trial issuance of Singapore dollar wholesale CBDC,» he said.

The Cold Moon will illuminate Singapore's night skies on Dec 4.It is the third and last in a series of consecutive super full moons and comes after November's Beaver Moon, the second super full moon of this year. The first super full moon of the year, the Harvest Moon, appeared in October.The Cold Moon will reach full illumination at 7.14am on Dec 5, according to astronomy website timeanddate.com.A full illumination refers to the exact moment when the moon, earth and sun are aligned, with the moon appearing completely lit by the sun's rays. Although this happens in the morning, the moon will look full throughout the night of Dec 4.The Cold Moon was named by the Mohawk people of North America, and it rises during the year's longest nights, near the Northern Hemisphere's year-end winter solstice.It is expected to glow longer over the horizon than most full moons, says The Old Farmer's Almanac, a North American periodical on astronomy and meteorology.

Singaporeans and visitors can look forward to a spread of celebrations and fireworks displays to usher in the New Year, said the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) on Wednesday (Nov 12).Themed ONE Countdown 2026, live performances and family-friendly activities have been lined up at seven heartland sites, and in Clarke Quay, Marina Bay, Sentosa and Singapore Sports Hub.The seven heartland sites, organised by the People's Association, are: Boon Lay, Keat Hong, Marsiling, Nee Soon, Punggol, Tampines and Woodlands.The five migrant worker recreation centres at Kranji, Penjuru, Soon Lee, Terusan and Tuas South, and more than 10 dormitories across Singapore will also host countdown celebrations.Countdown 2026 with Super Junior at Singapore Sports HubTwo of the highlights for the countdown at Singapore Sports Hub are the Countdown 2026 concert and a 35-minute long fireworks display — the longest countdown fireworks in Singapore.

The police have warned of a new method that scammers are deploying to fraudulently open accounts with payment service providers (PSPs) — using digitally modified copies of Singapore identity cards (IC).Scammers would use a softcopy of a IC and use digital tools to replace the original facial image on that copy with another facial image.They would then submit the doctored copy online to PSPs to set up payment service account. When PSPs conduct mandatory facial liveness checks, the scammers would then instruct an accomplice who resembles the doctored image to undergo the checks.The police said some of the misused ICs belonged to victims of scams who had previously furnished softcopies to the scammers. The Monetary Authority of Singapore has since alerted all financial institutions of this new modus operandi, and the affected PSPs have tightened measures.It is an offence to forge a document or electronic record, including by making alterations to such record, with the intent to use it for the purpose of cheating.

Over $486,000 was seized and 147 individuals are under investigation following a three-week islandwide enforcement operation by the police and local banks, during which over 180 bank accounts were also frozen. The operation took place between Sept 29 and Oct 24, and was carried out by officers from the Anti-Scam Command (ASCom) and across seven police land divisions, said the Singapore Police Force in a statement issued on Wednesday (Nov 12).The operation was conducted against persons for their suspected involvement in government official impersonation scams, investment scams, and job scams — which were among the top five scams in terms of amount lost for the first half of 2025.By working closely with major industry stakeholders, such as social media companies, phone application messaging platforms and telecommunication companies, the police disrupted over 920 online enablers and terminated more than 1,140 phone lines that were linked to scams.147 individuals under investigationOf the 147 people under investigation, 52 are women and 95 are men, aged between 16 and 76.

Singapore Customs seized more than 1,540 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes and arrested three male Chinese nationals in two enforcement operations on Nov 4 at Joo Koon Circle and Bendeemer Road. The total duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounted to about $167,125, Singapore Customs said on Wednesday (Nov 12). During the first operation at Joo Koon Circle, officers observed a man transferring a black rubbish bag from an industrial unit to a van. Checks uncovered 768 cartons and 12 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes inside the unit and vehicle. The cigarettes and van were seized and two men, aged 38 and 44, were arrested. In a follow-up operation at Bendeemer Road, officers stopped a 41-year-old man alighting from a truck, and a search of the vehicle revealed more than 768 cartons and 10 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes. Checks at his residence at Moulmein Rise uncovered another four cartons and five packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes. The truck and all cigarettes were seized. 

SINGAPORE — The guardians of a teenager who in 2021 died after a basketball backboard structure fell on him have settled a civil suit filed against East Coast Town Council (ECTC) and EM Services, a real estate services company.The Straits Times learnt that the guardians of 17-year-old Mohd Ridwan had filed claims in July 2024 seeking $150,000 from the two parties.ST understands that the matter was settled in April 2025 for an undisclosed sum, with the parties signing a non-disclosure agreement.Lawyers K. Anparasan and Grace Tan from WhiteFern, who were acting for ECTC, said: «We wish to state that the civil proceedings have been amicably resolved on a confidential basis.»In response to queries from ST, a spokesperson for the town said: «We have extended our deepest sympathies and support to his family. Our thoughts remain with his loved ones.»The guardians were represented by Thirumurthy Ayernaar Pambayan of Murthy & Co, while CIVIC Legal represented EM Services.The teenager died on July 26, 2021, after sustaining serious injuries while playing basketball at a court near Block 18 Bedok South Road.

Singapore must be better prepared for future pandemics, and the new Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) will play a key role in strengthening the nation's response readiness, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday (Nov 12).Officially launching the statutory board, which falls under the Ministry of Health's purview, PM Wong said the Covid-19 pandemic required an integrated response from various sectors and pushed the nation to improve processes and systems.«But we also know that we cannot simply copy the same playbook and end up fighting the last war because with every new emerging disease, there will be new challenges,» he stated.By marrying public health functions previously under various agencies, CDA will enhance collaboration and ensure pandemic preparedness plans are quickly refined and implementable.PM Wong, who is also Minister for Finance, said the statutory board must firstly focus on strengthening international co-operation, as support for multilateralism in global health is weakening.

The police have warned members of the public to be wary of a new scam variant that targets access to victims' WhatsApp accounts.In an advisory issued on Wednesday (Nov 12), the police said that such scams begin with SMSes containing phishing links, informing victims that there are issues with their WhatsApp accounts due to the prolonged lack of verification.Victims would be prompted to verify their accounts through the phishing links that lead to a fake WhatsApp webpage.Entering their mobile number and a verification code on the fake WhatsApp webpage would then grant scammers access to their WhatsApp accounts, allowing scammers to send fraudulent loan requests to the victims' contacts.Victims would only realise that they had been scammed when they were logged out of their WhatsApp accounts, discovered unknown devices linked to their accounts, or when they were notified by their contacts about the fraudulent loan requests.Users who suspect that their WhatsApp account has been compromised should contact WhatsApp to recover their accounts, said the police.

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers foiled an attempt to smuggle over 250 cartons and over 1,500 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes at Woodlands Checkpoint on Nov 1.In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Nov 11), ICA said the cigarettes were hidden in various compartments of a Malaysia-registered car including the boot and the glove compartment.The car was driven by a 38-year-old Malaysian man. The cigarettes were discovered after ICA officers directed the vehicle for enhanced checks.The man has been arrested and the case referred to the Singapore Customs for further investigation. Buying, selling, conveying, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are considered serious offences under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax Act.If convicted, offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both.Vehicles used in these offences and proceeds of sales of duty-unpaid goods are also liable to be forfeited.[[nid:724835]]editor@asiaone.com 

One of the men charged with murder following a fatal fight at a Chin Swee Road HDB block was taken back to the scene on Wednesday (Nov 12) morning.Poh Choon Kiat, 59, arrived at Block 51 Chin Swee Road at about 9.40am and was escorted by police officers to the 15th, 17th and 19th floors of the building.Poh and another man, 58-year-old Tan Boon Hui, are accused of killing Jaganthan Arunasalam between 1am and 3am on Nov 8.The three men, and another 36-year-old man who is a friend of the deceased, were allegedly involved in a fight that led to Jaganthan being stabbed. The 56-year-old man was found lying outside his unit and later died in hospital.Poh, who was wearing a foot brace, showed no emotion as he was brought to the crime scene. The murder suspect was first brought to the 17th storey, where Jaganthan lived, and answered questions posed by investigators. He was then taken to the 15th and 19th floors, where the fight is believed to have spanned.

One person was taken to hospital after a fire broke out in the kitchen of a second-floor HDB flat in Yishun on Wednesday morning (Nov 12).The incident took place at about 10.10am at Block 839 Yishun St 81.In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said the fire was extinguished with a water jet, and that one person from the affected unit felt unwell and was taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. It added that preliminary findings indicate that the fire likely originated from cooking left unattended. Speaking to AsiaOne, a female resident in her 30s, who wished to be known only as Ng, said that the occupier is an elderly Indian lady who lives alone.

Sixteen men and six women are being investigated for various offences following a 10-day multi-agency enforcement operation in Geylang.The operations, conducted from Sept 18 to 28, involved officers from Bedok Police Division and the Criminal Investigation Department; Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB); Health Sciences Authority (HSA); Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA); Land Transport Authority (LTA); Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF); Singapore Food Agency; and the Singapore Customs.In a statement to the media on Tuesday (Nov 11), the police said that the operations are part of ongoing efforts to clamp down on illegal and criminal activities in Geylang.The alleged offences the 22 persons are being investigated for include: breach of fire safety regulations, drugs-related activities, illegal gambling, illegal hawking, illegal sales of health products, and vice activities.Illegal online gambling in residential unitSix men and one woman, aged between 49 and 64, were arrested for suspected illegal online gambling activities on Sept 18.

A 27-year-old motorcyclist died following an accident on the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) on Monday (Nov 10).In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that they were alerted to an accident along the PIE towards Changi Airport after the Lorong 6 Toa Payoh exit at around 10.25am.The motorcyclist was conveyed to Tan Tong Seng Hospital, SCDF added.The police also said that the motorcyclist was unconscious when taken to the hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries and died.The 31-year-old car driver involved in the accident was arrested for driving without reasonable consideration and causing death, the police added.Police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:725162]]dana.leong@asiaone.com

For over a year, a domestic helper secretly used her elderly employer's debit cards to make cash withdrawals totalling almost $70,000.Indonesian national Selvi Moede, 37, was sentenced to 14 months' jail on Monday (Nov 10). She pleaded guilty to two charges of theft, with three charges relating to unauthorised access to computer material under the Computer Misuse Act taken into consideration for sentencing.According to court documents seen by AsiaOne, Moede stole $69,600 from her employer's OCBC and DBS accounts between Dec 6, 2023, and April 14, 2025. She and the 82-year-old victim lived together in a flat, reported Shin Min Daily News.Her employer kept two debit cards in her wallet and had written down her PIN numbers on a piece of paper, which she stuck on the cards.Without her employer's knowledge and consent, Moede would take a debit card from the wallet and withdraw cash from an ATM in Bishan.She did so on 86 occasions, according to the Chinese daily.Her sentence was backdated to the date of her arrest on Oct 23. No restitution has been made to the victim, reported Shin Min.[[nid:725175]]

BELEM, Brazil — Singapore was among 185 of the world's cities that pledged on Nov 11, the second day of the COP30 UN climate talks held in Brazil, to do more to curb unsustainable cooling practices that are fuelling rising temperatures across the globe.Cooling can be unsustainable when it relies heavily on electricity generated from fossil fuels, which contribute to planet-warming emissions. Certain cooling devices also rely on refrigerants, some of which are powerful greenhouse gases.A UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report released on Nov 11 showed that planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from the rapidly growing demand for cooling could more than triple by 2050, resulting in more extreme heat events.At current rates, emissions from cooling could overwhelm power grids and lead to an estimated 7.2 billion tonnes of planet-warming carbon emissions by 2050, despite existing efforts to improve energy efficiency and phase away pollutive refrigerants, the report found.