Six Indonesian men, aged between 23 and 29, have been arrested by the police for illegal entry into Singapore. The Police Coast Guard (PCG) detected their wooden craft in the waters off Tanah Merah at about 12.35am on Sunday (Dec 21). «PCG immediately intercepted the craft and arrested the six Indonesian men for unlawful entry into Singapore,» said the police in a media release. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects wanted to find work in Singapore. The six will be charged in court on Monday. If found guilty of illegal entry into Singapore, they each face up to six months' jail, along with mandatory caning of at least three strokes. [[nid:725700]]editor@asiaone.com 

The police have arrested a 26-year-old church volunteer in connection with the case of a suspicious item found at St Joseph's Church in Bukit Timah on Sunday (Dec 22) morning. In their final update on the case at about 5.20pm, the police said the male volunteer claimed to have discovered a suspicious item in a drain within the church premises. He then immobilised himself and held on to it. «Following thorough checks, the item, which resembled an improvised explosive device, was assessed at about 10.40am to be three cardboard rolls and wires taped with black tape, with no explosive element present,» said the police. The item was subsequently removed from the scene. The man was arrested for making a false threat of a terrorist act. AsiaOne understands from regular churchgoers that he is a Singaporean. 

The police are appealing for information on the whereabouts of a 14-year-old missing girl. In a news release on Sunday (Dec 21), the police said Lau Jia En Shannel was last seen on Dec 20 at around 3pm in the vicinity of Block 773 Bedok Reservoir View. The police urged anyone with information to contact their hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness. All information will be kept strictly confidential, said the police. [[nid:725603]]editor@asiaone.com 

Having misplaced his passport in Singapore, a Malaysian man ended up spending the night at a McDonald's outlet as he could not return home. Seeking help at Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange at daybreak, the man in his twenties broke down in tears when he told senior assistant interchange supervisor Nithyananthan Palne (Nathan) about his predicament. «He was crying, saying he couldn't return to Malaysia without his passport and didn't know what to do,» the SBS Transit staff recounted. In a Facebook post on Saturday (Dec 20), the public transport operator shared that the distressed man had approached the passenger service office for help as believed that he may have left his passport on a bus. Nathan immediately contacted several bus interchanges and Seletar Bus Depot where he learnt that a bus captain had found a passport under a seat on a bus service 24. After verifying the man's identity, Nathan made a trip to the depot to retrieve the passport and handed it back to the man at the interchange. 

A video of a woman bringing her baby to greet her garbage collector father as a show of support has touched the hearts of netizens. In the clip, posted on Dec 11, TikTok user and content creator Humancatt showed herself holding up her seven-month-old girl as her dad on a garbage truck passes by. In the caption to the video, she wrote: «Today, husband is around our area, so I ran down to show Qaseh how hard baba is working! »I make sure Qaseh grows up being proud of her baba.« Speaking to AsiaOne on Sunday (Dec 21), Humancatt, whose real name is Nora, said her husband will text her whenever he is around the area. »We will try to come down to show our support and to let him know we are here for him," said Nora, 33, who works as a minder in child protection services. Her short clip has evidently struck a chord with netizens, having been viewed over 280,000 times and amassing over 320 comments. Many commended Nora for how she is raising her daughter and for sharing her husband's occupation with pride. 

An inmate and an escorting officer were rescued by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) after they were tapped in a prison vehicle following a chain collision along the Central Expressway (CTE) on Friday (Dec 19). The inmate had attended a medical appointment at Tan Tock Seng Hospital and was being transported to Selarang Park Complex in Upper Changi Road. Two escorting officers were with him in the prison vehicle, said the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) on Saturday. A private vehicle rear-ended the prison vehicle while it was on the CTE towards Seletar Expressway, after Jalan Bahagia. The prison vehicle then hit another private vehicle in front of it. As a result of the accident, the inmate and one of the escorting officers were trapped at the rear of the prison vehicle. SCDF officers used hydraulic rescue equipment to free them. The inmate and both escorting offices sustained minor injuries. The inmate was sent to Changi General Hospital and was discharged after medical treatment. SPS said it is assisting with police investigations.[[nid:727042]]lim.kewei@asiaone.com

Some holidaymakers were left frustrated after their trips on new cruise line World Legacy — operated by World Cruises — were cancelled just days before setting sail. According to Shin Min Daily News, passengers who had booked the vessel's maiden cruise from Friday (Dec 19) were notified via email on Dec 17 that their bookings were cancelled. However, promotional materials sent to the press on Nov 18 stated that «preview voyages» were supposed to have commenced from Dec 18. A photo taken by a passenger showed a sign at the Singapore Cruise Centre stating that the launch was postponed. One affected customer who had booked a cruise on Dec 21 told Shin Min that she had received the email informing her of the cancellation on Dec 17. The email stated that customers will be given a full refund within five to 10 working days, along with a cruise voucher. The customer, surnamed Lin, 33, told Shin Min that she had made reservations earlier this month for a two-day, one-night trip with her family of eight. 

A suspicious item found at St Joseph's Church in Bukit Timah on Sunday (Dec 21) morning forced churchgoers and staff to evacuate the premises while the authorities investigated the matter, before concluding that the item was harmless.The police first got a call for assistance at the church about 7.10am. «The police have secured the area and the church has been evacuated while police operations are ongoing,» they said in a Facebook post at about 9.15am.About an hour later, the police said they had activated the Singapore Armed Forces' Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive Defence Group (CBRE). «They have arrived at scene to support ongoing operations,» said the police in a Facebook post at about 10.05am.In a subsequent post at 11.08am, the police said the suspicious item was found to be harmless.«The situation is under control and police operations are still ongoing,» they added.Members of the public are advised to avoid the vicinity and comply with officers' instructions.

A man was taken to the hospital after the motorcycle he was riding crashed into the rear of a moving car along the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) on Friday (Dec 19).The accident happened at about 6.05pm along a stretch of road on the PIE towards Changi, before the Bukit Timah Expressway exit. In a video posted on Facebook page SG Road Vigilante, a motorcycle is seen travelling along the rightmost lane of the expressway when he crashes into the rear of a moving car.From the video, the motorcycle appears to be travelling at a speed higher than the vehicles ahead.The impact flings the motorcyclist onto the second lane, in front of an oncoming car which manages to stop in time.His motorcycle skids across three lanes to land on the first lane.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force said that a 24-year-old male motorcyclist was taken conscious to the hospital and is assisting with investigations. Police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:726726]]editor@asiaone.com  

A 36-year-old man who allegedly drove his van under the influence of alcohol was taken into custody by Traffic Police (TP) officers on Saturday (Dec 20) morning.The incident happened at around 12.25am along Paya Lebar Road, about 450m away from the TP headquarters along Ubi Avenue 3.When AsiaOne passed by the scene at 1.40am, at least two police fast response cars, two TP outriders and a TP expressway patrol car were seen in the area.AsiaOne understands that a member of the public had called the police after noticing the van stopped just before the junction of Ubi Avenue 2, on the second leftmost lane.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they were alerted to a call for assistance involving a stationary van along Paya Lebar Road.«A 36-year-old male van driver was arrested for drink driving. No injuries were reported,» added the police.Police investigations are ongoing.Those found guilty of leaving their vehicles in a manner that causes undue inconvenience to others may be fined up to $2,000, jailed for up to three months, or both.

A suspicious item found at St Joseph's Church in Bukit Timah on Sunday (Dec 21) morning forced churchgoers and staff to evacuate the premises. The police said they got a call for assistance at the church about 7.10am. «The police have secured the area and the church has been evacuated while police operations are ongoing,» said the police in a Facebook post at about 9.15am. Members of the public are advised to avoid the vicinity and comply with officers' instructions. The church announced in a separate Facebook post at about 9am that the church has been temporarily closed and mass cancelled. «Please proceed to other churches for mass. We apologise for all the inconvenience caused,» read the message by Catholic priest Christopher Lee. 

Hundreds of Bangladeshis in Singapore gathered near Robert Lane in Serangoon on Friday (Dec 19) were dispersed by police with no injures or law and order issues reported, said the police.They were said to have made their way there for 'prayers' for wounded youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi who died in Singapore on Thursday (Dec 18).[[nid:726965]]In several videos posted to social media by Bangladeshis working in Singapore, a large crowd of at least a hundred people are seen gathering around Robert Lane, in vicinity of Angullia Mosque.At least two police cars are seen along the road. Nearby, uniformed and plain clothes police officers wearing their police lanyards are seen observing the situation, while a man in white is seen explaining to those gathered that there would be not be a funeral prayer held at the mosque. He requested for them to disperse and leave the area.Checks online by AsiaOne show at least three Bangladeshi news sites claiming that funeral prayers will be held at the mosque, citing a post on Inqilab Moncho's - a socio-cultural platform - account.Inqilab Moncho was founded by the late youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.

The police arrested a 17-year-old male teenager on Friday (Dec 19) for his suspected involvement in a case of armed robbery.In a news release on the same day, the police said the alleged crime took place at about 10.35pm on Thursday, along Jurong West Street 93.«Preliminary investigations revealed that the teenager had allegedly swung a karambit towards the victim and demanded for him to hand over his mobile phone and gold ring,» the police said. A karambit knife has a short curved blade with a finger grip.He was identified through follow-up investigations and with the aid of police cameras. A mobile phone, gold ring, and a karambit were also recovered and seized as case exhibits.The teenager will be charged in court on Saturday.The offence of armed robbery with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt carries a jail term of up to 20 years and at least 12 strokes of the cane.«The police 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,» the police added.[[nid:724509]]

Maintaining peace and upholding the ceasefire in Gaza, while working towards the next phase of reconstruction is crucial, said Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong at a fundraising event supporting relief efforts for affected civilians on Saturday (Dec 20).Speaking to the media at the Armenian Church during Humanity Matters’ (HM) relief event, Gan said that relief work and fundraising efforts for conflict-stricken civilians in Gaza remain vital.He noted that in previous years, many Singaporeans from different races and religions have come together with local charities to find ways to help people in Gaza.«Singapore government is doing its part by contributing $1 million as seed money to support the fundraising efforts of the Singapore Red Cross as well as other charitable organisations,» said Gan. 

A Singaporean was arrested for his alleged involvement in a Cambodian scam syndicate on Dec 11.The police on Thursday (Dec 18) confirmed to Bloomberg News that Nigel Tang Wan Bao Nabil, 32, was taken into custody. The publication added that Tang is currently out on bail.Tang is one of three Singaporeans sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control in October 2025 in relation to Chinese-born Cambodian national Chen Zhi, an alleged crime kingpin who is the founder and chairman of Prince Holding Group.Tang was the captain of Chen's superyacht Nonni II. According to Bloomberg, he is also director and head of operations at Warpcapital Yacht Management, a Singapore-registered company, and operations head at Capital Zone Warehousing, which is accused of being Chen-controlled Singapore company running a tax-exempt warehouse for imported alcohol and tobacco.Chen, 38, has been indicted by US authorities of running a 'pig-butchering scam' online with compounds of trafficked workers. He has been accused of defrauding victims from the US and abroad, and laundering illicit sums in the billions.

It's not often that you see bigwigs mingling with the masses.But Sheng Siong CEO Lim Hock Chee seems different.The 64-year-old was spotted handing out red packets during the opening of a new outlet at Leisure Park Kallang.According to a video shared on Instagram by Sgmustwatchla on Friday (Dec 19), Lim was distributing 100 hong baos to a large crowd.[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/DSb5BbiEX8r/[/embed]Some netizens were impressed, calling him the «best boss», while others wondered if there was real money in the packet — and if so, how much?A few hoped he'd do the same again at Blk 503 Jurong West Avenue 1, where a new Sheng Siong supermarket is set to open.Meanwhile, Sheng Siong is running a 15-day promotional period at Leisure Park Kallang until Jan 2, 2026 with deals on grocery and household items.Shoppers who meet minimum spending requirements on a single receipt can also redeem select freebies.[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/DSbiqP7FWBI/[/embed]drimac@asiaone.com

SINGAPORE - The Most Valuable Party (MVP) is Singapore's newest political party, having received approval from the authorities eight months after its application was filed.This brings the total number of registered political parties here to 21.A notice published in the Government Gazette on the evening of Dec 18 said the party was registered under the Registry of Societies on that same day.The party was founded by restaurant owner Chia Yun Kai, 32, who joined the political fray earlier in 2025 in the lead-up to the May general election.Mr Chia told The Straits Times that he had sent in the application in April. Although the party's official status took some time to materialise, he said he welcomed the move, which would give his party legitimacy.«The intention all along was to create something official... and now that things are, we welcome more people to join us.»Mr Chia had made public his intentions to contest East Coast GRC with his own party in the 2025 General Election, but wound up contesting Pasir Ris-Changi GRC under the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) banner.

SINGAPORE - Japanese retail chain Don Don Donki has pulled helium canisters marketed as voice-changers off its shelves here amid a safety review, said Singapore's consumer watchdog on Dec 19.In response to queries from The Straits Times, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) said the chain has voluntarily stopped selling the product and is reviewing its compliance with applicable safety standards.The canisters, which were on sale for $19.90 each, were advertised as being able to make users' voices more high-pitched when inhaled.Each canister contains an 11.6-litre gas mixture, most of which is helium.Photos of the product show that it is recommended for use only by consumers above 16 years old. There are also labels warning that rapid inhalation of the gas could result in serious injury, asphyxiation or death.CCS said that to date, its Consumer Product Safety Office (CPSO) has not received any reports of people feeling unwell after inhaling gas from the canisters.However, if products are found not to have met applicable safety standards, the CPSO can direct suppliers to stop selling them, the watchdog said.

Her line manager excluded her from team lunches, planned birthday celebrations for everyone on the team except her, and even bought snacks from Bangkok for everyone but her.These are the claims being made by a medical social worker, as her TikTok post about alleged workplace bullying went viral, with many commenters offering support and advice.User steaks.andbones shared her experiences in a Dec 15 TikTok post titled «bullying by isolation in a healthcare setting». In the caption, she said that these incidents occurred after she sharedthat she did not feel supported by her supervisor.She alleged that the team lead, following a trip to Bangkok, bought snacks for everyone on the team except her. In another instance, the supervisor personally called other colleagues out for lunch, excluding the TikToker even though she was seated at her desk at the time.