A man was rescued by Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and taken to hospital after he got his entire left arm stuck in a kitchen drain pipe in a Jurong West HDB flat.The incident occurred at about 1.35pm on Thursday (Nov 27) at Block 338A Tah Ching Road, said SCDF in a Facebook post.Firefighters from Jurong Fire Station and rescuers from the SCDF's elite Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team who attended to the case found the man lying conscious below the kitchen sink, with his arm trapped in the drain pipe.To create sufficient space for the rescue operation, a team of first responders removed the kitchen sink and dismantled the cabinet containing the pipe.Another team proceeded to the unit directly below and cut a segment of the pipe to allow rescuers to see the trapped arm and decide how to carefully manoeuvre the limb to free it.About two hours after SCDF arrived at the flat, the man's arm was eased out of the drain pipe with the help of a lubricant.

A 78-year-old woman was killed in a car accident in Jurong West on Thursday (Nov 27) morning.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force said it was alerted to an accident along Jurong West Street 92 at 8.30am and one person was subsequently taken to National University Hospital.The police said in response to queries that the elderly female pedestrian subsequently died at the hospital.Photos on Facebook page SGRV Front Man show the victim lying along the road with a trolley some distance away. A red car had stopped facing the opposite direction at the side of the road.The police have arrested a 47-year-old male car driver for careless driving causing death.Police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:725941]]lim.kewei@asiaone.com

Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has deployed an additional crisis response team to Hat Yai to support officers from the Singapore Embassy in Bangkok, which is reaching out to Singaporeans affected by the floods, said Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.The embassy had earlier arranged for airport transfer for Singaporeans from Fort Senanarong in Central Hat Yai to Hat Yai International Airport as ground conditions improved on Thursday (Nov 27). In a Facebook post on the same day, Dr Balakrishnan acknowledged the assistance of Thai authorities.«Conditions have begun to improve in some parts of Hat Yai. With the help of the Thai authorities and our team on the ground, some Singaporeans have already been able to move to safety or make their way to the airport,» he said.He added that MFA will continue «to do everything» to ensure that affected Singaporeans will receive the assistance they need.

A 57-year-old man was arrested on Thursday (Nov 27) for his suspected involvement in a case of snatch theft in Bedok.In a statement on the same day, the police said that they received a report of a case of snatch theft along Bedok North Street 2 at about 1.20 am.«An unknown man had purportedly snatched a sling bag from a female victim.»The man subsequently ran away and the victim sustained minor injuries," the police said.Through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from police cameras, police identified the man and arrested him — within 11 hours of the report being made.Cash amounting to $137 and the sling bag were recovered from the man, who will be charged in court on Nov 28 with the offence of snatch theft.If found guilty of the offence, he may be jailed for up to seven years and shall also be liable to caning.In a stern warning to would-be perpetrators, the police said they will not tolerate such brazen acts of crime and will spare no effort to apprehend such offenders and deal with them in accordance with the law.

A Singaporean was arrested in Myanmar for his alleged connection to an international scam syndicate.He was among the 156 foreign nationals nabbed in a raid on gambling and fraud hub Shwe Kokko, according to the government-owned newspaper The Global New Light of Myanmar.He was allegedly part of an online scam and gambling syndicate operating there, and was in hiding after committing offences in neighbouring countries, including Thailand.Responding to AsiaOne’s queries, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said that they are aware of the media report, and are in contact with the Myanmar authorities to render assistance.The others arrested included 65 Chinese nationals, 20 Indians, 13 Kenyans, eight Vietnamese, eight Burundians, seven Filipinos, six Ugandans, five Thais, four Ethiopians, three Nigerians, two Rwandans, a Nepali, a Zimbabwean, a Kazakh, an Uzbek, a Beninese, a Togolese and a Malaysian.Located on the Thai-Myanmar border, Shwe Kokko has been under the spotlight as a fertile ground for scam hubs which are staffed by thousands of willing workers and people trafficked from abroad.

Four people were taken to hospital following a collision involving a car, motorcycle, and taxi along the Seletar Expressway (SLE) on Wednesday (Nov 26).The police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told AsiaOne they were alerted to an accident at about 1.20pm along SLE towards Bukit Timah Expressway before Lentor Avenue exit.A 70-year-old male taxi driver, a 43-year-old male motorcyclist, a 36-year-old male car passenger, and a 17-year-old male taxi passenger were conscious when taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.Videos of the aftermath of the accident were shared online, showing severe damage to the rear of a car. Its rear wheel had been dislodged and debris scattered across the road.Two SCDF ambulances were also present at the scene, with another blue taxi seen ahead. AsiaOne has reached out to ComfortDelGro for comment. Police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:725747]]xingying.koh@asiaone.com

More companies in Singapore are set to freeze wages over the next year amid growing pessimism about the economy, according to a Singapore Business Federation (SBF) survey released on Thursday (Nov 27).The 2025 National Business Survey, which drew responses from 553 businesses across key sectors, found that just over half of them — 55 per cent — indicated that salaries will stay the same over the next 12 months.It is a dip from the 48 per cent of the firms which said that they have frozen wages over the past 12 months.This comes as only 4 per cent of businesses saw an increase in profitability over the past year, according to SBF — down from 7 per cent in 2024.Just under two-thirds of businesses — 62 per cent — saw no change in profitability, a 12 per cent hike from the previous year.SBF said it suggests a degree of resilience in managing margins amid cost pressures.The survey also found that more businesses — from 35 per cent in the second quarter of 2025 to 37 per cent in next quarter of the year — are expecting the economy to worsen over the next 12 months. 

Singapore Customs seized 3,100 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes and arrested four Malaysian men, aged between 20 and 39, during an enforcement operation at Pasir Laba Heavy Vehicle Park in Jurong West on Nov 13.The total duty and Goods and Services Tax evaded amounted to about $335,785, Singapore Customs said on Thursday (Nov 27). During the operation, officers conducted checks on a parked tanker and a nearby forested area, where duty-unpaid cigarettes were allegedly being packed into cartons.Checks uncovered 3,100 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes found concealed within the tanker and in the forested area. The duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized.Investigations revealed that a 30-year-old Malaysian man was allegedly hired to drive a prime mover with the tank attached from Malaysia to Singapore, while a 39-year-old Malaysian man was hired to deliver the contraband using a truck.The remaining two men, aged 20 and 21, were allegedly hired by the 39 year-old to act as lookouts, including using a motorcycle to «scout the area» to ensure that it was safe for unloading the contraband.

Five boys have apologised to a Mookata eatery for causing disruption during dinnertime — a day after its owner issued an ultimatum to come forward. In a Facebook post on Monday (Nov 23), Family Mookata said the culprits had ruined food at one of their outlets in Yishun at around 6pm. Besides stealing a tray of eggs and ice pops to throw at each other, the boys also burned wooden chopsticks. «We have captured your faces clearly on our CCTV and we know exactly who you are,» said Family Mookata. «Your behaviour was completely unacceptable. We expect you to come speak with us by tomorrow.»The eatery said that the purpose of the meeting was for the boys to apologise to the staff and compensate for the items that they damaged. «If you choose not to come forward, we will have no choice but to proceed with a police report and address the incident appropriately,» the post said. «The choice is yours.»

SINGAPORE — A full-time national serviceman (NSF) with the Singapore Police Force (SPF) offered cash to two 16-year-old boys and asked if he could perform sexual acts on them.Both boys, identified in court documents as A1 and A2, turned down Muhammad Shafirul Danish Muhammad Shaffie's offers, and he was arrested in July.While out on bail, he made a similar offer to a 15-year-old boy identified as A5, who also turned him down.On Nov 26, Shafirul, 19, pleaded guilty to two counts of communicating with a young person below 18 years old to try and obtain sexual services from him.The offender also admitted to a harassment charge. The Straits Times has contacted SPF to find out if he is still with the force.Deputy Public Prosecutor Lewis Tan told the court that Shafirul befriended A1 on Instagram in November 2024.A1 told him his age, and during a face-to-face meeting in March, Shafirul borrowed $45 from the boy.But instead of repaying the victim the following month, Shafirul repeatedly offered to perform a sexual act on him.He even offered $200 to A1, who turned him down.

A car and a lorry were involved in an accident at the junction of Jalan Besar and Rowell Road on Tuesday (Nov 25), next to Berseh Food Centre — known for its oyster cakes.In a video of the accident posted on TikTok, the badly damaged lorry is seen on the pedestrian walkway outside a traditional Chinese medicine wellness centre at 159 Jalan Besar. Its windscreen and a probationary driving plate are seen on the ground.A few metres away, on the first of the four-lane road, a white Honda Freed multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) is seen with its front bumper dislodged on the left side. The police said they were alerted to the accident at 4.20pm, adding that investigations are ongoing.The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it took one person to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and another person to Raffles Hospital.[[nid:725801]]editor@asiaone.com 

Five boys have apologised to a Mookata eatery for causing disruption during dinnertime — a day after its owner issued an ultimatum to come forward. In a Facebook post on Monday (Nov 23), Family Mookata said the culprits had ruined food at one of their outlets in Yishun at around 6pm. Besides stealing a tray of eggs and ice pops to throw at each other, the boys also burned wooden chopsticks. «We have captured your faces clearly on our CCTV and we know exactly who you are,» said Family Mookata. «Your behaviour was completely unacceptable. We expect you to come speak with us by tomorrow.»The eatery said that the purpose of the meeting was for the boys to apologise to the staff and compensate for the items that they damaged. «If you choose not to come forward, we will have no choice but to proceed with a police report and address the incident appropriately,» the post said. «The choice is yours.»

Singapore’s manufacturing output jumped by 29.1 per cent year-on-year in October as pharmaceuticals saw a surge in production.Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output in October increased by 15.8 per cent, according to data released by the Economic Development Board (EDB) on Wednesday (Nov 26).On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, manufacturing output increased by 11.5 per cent, while output excluding biomedical manufacturing increased by 11.7 per cent.The strongest performance in October came from biomedical manufacturing, which saw a 89.6 per cent hike, fuelled by a 122.9 per cent increase in the pharmaceutical segment.This is due to the higher production of active pharmaceutical ingredients and biological products, said EDB.Meanwhile, the medical technology segment grew 7.3 per cent due to the sustained export demand for medical devices.Transport engineering is the next best performing cluster, which grew by 29.5 per cent year on year.

New requirements for Integrated Shield Plan (IP) riders will be introduced to address rising insurance premiums and private healthcare costs, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Wednesday (Nov 26). From April 1, 2026, IP riders sold will no longer be able to cover the minimum deductibles set by MOH. Additionally, the minimum co-payment for riders will be raised to $6,000 per year, up from the $3,000 miminum cap set in 2018, to keep pace with the increase in bill sizes over time. The new cap applies to co-payments excluding the minimum IP deductible. Both the deductible and co-payments can be paid using MediSave, and the minimum 5 per cent co-payment requirement remains unchanged. An Integrated Shield Plan (IP) is an optional private medical insurance plan that supplements the mandatory MediShield Life coverage. 

Cord blood banking services Cordlife Group will no longer be allowed to collect, test, process and store new cord blood from Wednesday (Nov 26), said the Ministry of Health (MOH).Cordlife will only be permitted to maintain the storage of existing cord blood units (CBUs), according to the Notice of Regulatory Action issued by the ministry.Cordlife will be allowed to perform limited actions in relation to such existing units, such as facilitating the transfer of these existing CBUs to other cord blood banks and disposal of existing CBUs in accordance with its clients' instructions.This follows MOH's Notice of Intent issued on Sept 29 on the intended suspension of Cordlife's licence and its subsequent written representations to the ministry.[[nid:723305]]Cordlife had not adequately addressed the concerns raised during the ministry's mid-point audit this July to continue providing the service in a safe, clinically and ethically appropriate manner.