A 25-year-old man has been arrested by the police for his alleged involvement in a series of e-commerce scams involving Pokemon trading cards.In a media release on Friday (Feb 6) evening, the police said they received 35 reports from victims since October 2025, with losses amounting over $135,000.The victims were allegedly cheated by the man who advertised the pre-order sales of limited edition Pokemon trading cards on Carousell.He was identified by officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division through follow-up investigations and arrested on Thursday.He will be charged in court for cheating on Saturday.If found guilty of the said offence, the man may be jailed for up to ten years and fined.The police added that since Oct 1, 2025, there have been at least 609 cases of e-commerce scams involving the sale of Pokemon trading cards reported, with total losses amounting to at least $1.1 million.

Five persons, aged between 29 and 49, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in vice-related activities, said the Singapore Police Force on Friday (Feb 6) night.The five persons, comprising three women and two men, were arrested between Feb 5 and 6, following raids by officers from the Criminal Investigation Department in the vicinity of Depot Road and Joo Chiat Road.Police said they seized mobile phones, automated teller machine (ATM) receipts and vice-related paraphernalia during the raids.One of the two men, aged 40, will be charged in court on Saturday for allegedly facilitating the operation of the an online vice syndicate.If found guilty of facilitating the provision of sexual services in return for payment or reward, he may be jailed for up to five years, fined up to $100,000, or both.Police investigations into the other four persons are ongoing.The police also warned that they will continue to take tough enforcement action against those involved in syndicated vice activities and will not hesitate to take firm action against offenders in accordance with the law.[[nid:729344]]

SINGAPORE – No case of Nipah virus infection associated with the cases in West Bengal and Bangladesh has been reported in Singapore, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said on Feb 7.In a statement, CDA said that it is aware of a case of Nipah virus infection reported in Naogaon District, Rajshahi Division in northern Bangladesh and is closely monitoring the situation.“Nipah virus is endemic in Bangladesh, with recurring seasonal outbreaks linked to the consumption of raw date palm sap contaminated by fruit bats,” it said.The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Feb 6 that a woman had died in northern Bangladesh in January after contracting Nipah virus infection.“According to the WHO, the case in Bangladesh involved an adult who had a history of drinking raw date palm sap, a known risk factor for Nipah virus infection.”There is currently no evidence that the case in Bangladesh is related to the cases in West Bengal, India, or of any human to human transmission in Bangladesh, CDA added.There is also no active community spread in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India.

Ninety-nine suspected drug offenders were arrested in Central Narcotics Bureau's (CNB) nationwide anti-drug operation from Feb 2 to 6.CNB said in a press release today (Feb 7) that the drugs seized are estimated to be worth more than $38,000.A total of about 210g of cannabis, 146g of heroin, 80g of Ice, 7g of ketamine, 100 Tapentadol tablets, 11 Ecstasy tablets, a small amount of New Psychoactive Substances, a lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) stamp, a bottle of methadone, numerous vape-related products including 75 e-vaporiser pods believed to contain etomidate, as well as cash amounting to $7,075.35 were seized.The areas covered during the operation included Ang Mo Kio, Chua Chu Kang, Jurong, Marine Parade, Marsiling, and Sembawang.On Feb 3, CNB officers forced-entered and raided a residential unit in Tengah, after the occupants refused to comply with lawful orders to grant officers access to the unit. Two Singaporeans, a 31-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman, were arrested for suspected drug-related offences. A small amount of Ice and drug paraphernalia were seized.

About once or twice every month, residents of Block 173 Bishan Street 13 would experience «snow» falling at the void deck.It is not a bizarre weather phenomenon, but soap bubbles flowing out from a pipe at the ground floor of the block, leaving residents concerned about safety and environmental cleanliness, Shin Min Daily News reported yesterday (Feb 6).A resident surnamed Lu (transliteration) shared that he was passing by the block on Jan 29 and didn't notice the soapy water on the floor at first.«Bubbles floated towards my face all of a sudden and as I looked up, I realised there were a lot of white bubbles in the air, which looked like snow falling,» the 40-year-old engineer said.He observed foam coming out from a pipe near the ceiling in the void deck and were floating around because of the strong winds. There was also a large amount of soapy water on the floor, flowing towards the drain.

Police have issued an appeal for information on Feb 7 regarding the whereabouts of Yoey Lam, a 13-year-old girl who has gone missing in Punggol.She was last seen at Block 419B Northshore Drive on Friday (Feb 6) at about 3pm.Anyone with information is requested to call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness. All information will be kept strictly confidential.drimac@asiaone.com

An accident occurred in Chinatown on Friday (Feb 6), resulting in the death of a six-year-old girl and injuries to her mother, 31.Videos posted online by Facebook user Nguyen Thi Hanh show the location to be a carpark next to Buddha's Tooth Relic Temple.A man, presumably the girl's father, is clutching the  child in his arms and crying while a trail of blood can be spotted nearby. A woman lies conscious on the ground next to them.A car can be seen stationary next to the family as well, with what appears to be its female driver looking frantic.Passers-by, including an apparent medical professional in scrubs, can also be seen attempting to lend assistance or call for help.In another video, paramedics are on the scene, doing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the girl.Claiming to have witnessed the whole accident unfold, Nguyen wrote: "A woman was driving out of the car park. She didn't look at the pedestrians on her right; she only looked to her left when she turned right. 

Almost 350 fresh graduates have successfully landed roles under the Graduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) and GRIT@Gov, the government-funded traineeship scheme launched in October 2025.In its first update on GRIT on Friday (Feb 6), the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Workforce Singapore (WSG) said that over 50 companies such as Thales Solutions Asia and DBS Bank have come on board as GRIT host organisations. MOM and WSG also said that the traineeships encompass both niche technical roles and wider, cross-functional roles, reflecting the wide spectrum of skills in demand. At the same time, 60 public sector agencies have joined the GRIT@Gov initiative.Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng had said that the programme would initially offer up to 800 structured traineeships when he introduced the programme targeted at ITE, polytechnic and university graduates in August last year.

While money must never be the incentive for Singaporeans to join politics, «any rational individual» will have to consider the «financial opportunity cost» of being a minister, said Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong on Friday (Feb 6). He was speaking at the launch of Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam's book titled Policy, Fairness and Compassion, which comprises a collection of speeches and interviews throughout the latter's 38-year political career. ESM Goh's remarks come as the Government announced last month that a committee is reviewing the salaries of political office holders. ESM Goh recalled how Shanmugam was fielded in the 1988 General Election — then a 29-year-old lawyer in private practice —  as the People’s Action Party’s youngest candidate.Shanmugam was part of a three-member PAP slate that contested and won in Sembawang GRC. He is now the anchor minister for Nee Soon GRC. 

After Amos Yee, another Singaporean — Lim Seok Pheng — was on Friday (Feb 6), added to the US Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) list of «worst of the worst» criminal aliens. Lim, 47, was arrested in May 2018 on suspicion of money laundering. She was reportedly a New York-based member of a money laundering ring, who became a cooperating witness for the US government. Lim was alleged to have collected vast sums of cash — of between US$150,000 and US$1 million (S$1.28 million) — from contacts in the drug cartels in New York and Chicago using burner phones. She would then work with US-based Chinese merchants to convert the money to yuan in banks in China. Following her arrest at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, Lim agreed to wear a recording device to gather evidence against a Chinese businessman named Gan Xianbing, who was suspected of money laundering and unlicenced money-transfer offences. 

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) detected a total of 391 active mobility offences across Singapore just last month alone and also impounded 57 non-compliant devices. In a Facebook post on Friday (Feb 6), LTA said its active mobility enforcement officers conducted operations at multiple active mobility hotspots including pedestrian overhead bridges. Photos included in the post showed the enforcement officers in plainclothes with body-worn cameras. «We will continue to take firm action against errant active mobility users to ensure path safety,» LTA said.The authority added that it is working with volunteers from the active mobility community ambassador programme to remind path users to dismount and push bicycles across overhead bridges. «Good cycling culture requires every cyclist to consider others' safety,» said LTA. The authority also urged the public to report errant active mobility users online at go.gov.sg/report-am. 

Whether you're a driver or a passenger, it may be prudent to take note of these new point-to-point stops in the central business district (CBD). Nine taxi stops in the CBD have been converted into point-to-point stops for both taxis and private-hire cars, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Thursday (Feb 5). Unlike taxi stands, which allow cabbies to queue and wait for passengers, taxi stops only allow cabbies to pick up and alight passengers. The nine stops are spread across the CBD and will allow drivers and commuters to have «greater convenience and more options» for pick-up and drop-off points in the area, said the authority.The nine stops are located at Shenton Way outside OUE Downtown; Battery Road at Straits Trading Building; Temple Street beside Lucky Chinatown; Raffles Quay at Lau Pa Sat; Collyer Quay at Income@Raffles; Cecil Street outside Keck Seng Tower; Shenton Way outside SGX Centre; Cavenagh Road at Holiday Inn SG Orchard City Centre; and Coleman Street at The Adelphi.

People's Park Centre in Chinatown has raised their weekday daytime parking fees by 75 per cent as a Chinese New Year surcharge. Parking rates have risen to $4.20 per hour on weekdays — from 7am to 4.59pm — reported Shin Min Daily News. Evening per-entry fees — from 5pm to 6.59am the next day — have also risen to $5.80 on weekdays, and $6.80 on Fridays and weekends. Normally, it would cost $2.40 per hour from Monday to Saturday, and $3 per entry on Sundays and public holidays. Wilson Parking, the car park's management company, said that the new fees were imposed on Jan 22 and will be in effect till Feb 23, reported the Chinese evening daily.  An elderly man, who wished to beknown as Terry, told Mothership that he had incurred a $10 parking fee for a 30-minute period. He had parked his car at People's Park Centre from 4.48pm to 5.18pm last Monday (Jan 26), thus incurring a fee of $4.20 for the period before 5pm, and and $5.80 per entry after 5pm. Many businesses at People's Park Centre were unaware of the updated carpark rates, reported Shin Min. 

SINGAPORE — A woman, who was fined $4,000 in 2022 after harassing her neighbour — a nurse — amid the Covid-19 outbreak, now faces 12 charges for unrelated offences including multiple counts of assault.Lim Sok Lay, 53, who was fined another $4,000 in 2025 after she caused a ruckus at her son's lion dance competition, is accused of committing her latest offences in 2024 and 2025.She allegedly committed some of her offences with Jolene Cheang Wan Ling, 29, but court documents did not disclose how the pair were related to each other.The cases involving both women were heard in court on Feb 5, and Cheang now faces 11 charges in all.According to court documents, the two women were at One Punggol community hub in Punggol Drive between 9.30am and 10.15am on Sept 24, 2024 when they allegedly punched a person in the head and chased after another individual.They are also accused of causing annoyance to others in the area that morning by shouting and gesticulating at a third person.Lim was at the community hub on April 6, 2025 when she allegedly committed harassment by pointing her fingers and shouting at a fourth person — a woman.

The vehicle entry permit (VEP) fee for foreign vehicles to enter Singapore is slated to increase at the start of 2027, according to a press release by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Friday (Feb 6).VEP fees for foreign-registered cars and motorcycles entering Singapore will be raised to $50 per day and $7 per day respectively, up from $35 and $4.The VEP fee will apply on all days, except on weekends and Singapore public holidays from Jan 1, 2027.The current annual 10 free VEP days and free weekday VEP hours will also be removed.Additionally, the goods vehicle permit (GVP) will also see a raise from $40 to $70 per calendar month come January next year.Owners of foreign-registered goods vehicles can still purchase their GVPs at the present price before the revised fee comes into effect.LTA explained that it periodically reviews fees for foreign-registered vehicles in Singapore to account for changes in ownership and usage costs of Singapore-registered ones.«This is to ensure that the cost of owning and using a foreign-registered vehicle in Singapore is commensurate with that of a Singapore-registered vehicle,» LTA said.

A car caught fire at Orchard Towers on Thursday (Feb 5) evening, causing damage in the car park, according to multiple video posts on Reddit that night.In one video uploaded by user DoraEnzo, thick black smoke can be seen billowing out from the second floor of the car park.The second floor also glowed a visible orange hue as the fire raged on.The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told AsiaOne that it was alerted to a fire at 1 Claymore Drive at around 10.40pm that night.A car was involved in the fire, and the SCDF subsequently extinguished the flame with a water jet and fire blanket.No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.Porsche on fireSpeaking with AsiaOne at the scene, a man claiming to be the owner of the vehicle shared that it was an olive green Porsche Panamera that had just come out from a workshop after he noticed issues with the car's throttle body.The alleged owner, who declined to be named, shared that he had spent nearly $30,000 over several months while the vehicle was repeatedly sent to that workshop.

A 36-year-old Malaysian driver was arrested after the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) foiled an attempt to smuggle chewing tobacco into Singapore on Jan 28. In a Facebook post on Thursday (Feb 5), the authority said that ICA officers directed a Malaysia-registered car for further checks, and uncovered more than 6,000 sachets of chewing tobacco concealed within various compartments of the vehicle.The 36-year-old male was arrested in connection with the case, which has been referred to the Health Sciences Authority for further investigation, said ICA.  Chewing tobacco is prohibited by law in Singapore.[[nid:729307]]esther.lam@asiaone.com 

Travellers should anticipate heavy traffic at Singapore's land checkpoints during the upcoming Lunar New Year, said the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA).In a travel advisory on Friday (Feb 6), ICA said that «very heavy traffic» is expected at both Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints leading up to the festive season from Feb 13 to Feb 23.With reference to the recent year-end school holidays, ICA said that over 22 million people travelled across Singapore's land checkpoints between Nov 21, 2025 and Jan 1, 2026.In particular, traveller volume peaked on Dec 19 with a record number of more than 588,000 travellers clearing immigration through the land checkpoints in a single day — the highest in the year. Car travellers who departed during the peak hours had to wait up to three hours for immigration clearance due to traffic tailbacks from Malaysia, ICA said.ICA also said that it will be conducting intensified checks against the smuggling of contraband, such as e-vaporisers, firecrackers and bak kwa during the festive period.

A 28-year-old man was arrested on Feb 4 for fleeing an accident on Paya Lebar Road while driving under the influence of drugs.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force said that they were alerted to an accident involving two cars along Upper Paya Lebar Road towards Paya Lebar Road at about 3.40pm on Feb 4. The male driver fled the vehicle on foot but was subsequently arrested by officers for driving under the influence of drugs and carrying offensive weapons, said the police. The man was assessed by SCDF for minor injuries but declined to be taken to the hospital.A 37-year-old female driver involved in the accident was taken conscious to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.A video of the accident aftermath posted on TikTok shows a black sedan toppled on its side, with several police cars present at the scene.@the.irta