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

Bus captains have been in the news lately for going out of their way to help commuters, or in some cases putting out car fire.Mohd Rizal bin Omar, Tower Transit bus captain of service 969, was recently awarded Tower Transit's Super Star Award for helping an elderly man who had fallen while crossing the junction along Woodlands Avenue 7 and Woodlands Street 83.The incident happened at about 11.15pm on May 1, 2025, but came to light only recently when a member of the public wrote in to commend his actions.Speaking to AsiaOne on Thursday (Feb 5), Rizal, 44, who has been with the public transport operator for two years, said he became worried when he noticed the elderly man fall."I honestly didn't have much time to think. My first instinct was that the elderly man was in danger because it was at night and the passing vehicles may not notice him.

Singapore and China are looking to deepen cooperation in the fight against scams and drug trafficking, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).In a media release on Thursday (Feb 5), the ministry said that Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam visited China from Jan 31 to Feb 3.During the visit, Shanmugam, who is also the Minister for Home Affairs, met with China's Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission Chen Wenqing.Chen oversees national security and intelligence and is a member of the Chinese Communist Party's political bureau. The two leaders reaffirmed the good working relationship between Chinese and Singapore agencies and discussed ways to deepen law enforcement cooperation in the areas of combatting scams and countering drug trafficking.They also agreed to step up regular exchanges to further strengthen relations, MHA said.Shanmugam also met with his MHA counterpart, Chinese State Councillor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong.

Eighty people aged between 14 and 72 are under investigation for their alleged involvement in unlicensed moneylending activities, the police said on Thursday (Feb 5).They were arrested during a five-day operation from Jan 26 to 30, when officers from the Criminal Investigation Department and seven police land divisions carried out raids island-wide.The police said that preliminary investigations found that seven people had allegedly harassed debtors at their homes, while another 32 were believed to be runners who carried out ATM transfers as part of unlicensed moneylending activities.The remaining 41 people allegedly opened bank accounts and provided their ATM cards, personal identification numbers or internet banking tokens to unlicensed moneylenders.Investigations against them are ongoing, said the police.If found guilty, first-time offenders face a jail term of up to four years, fined between $30,000 and $300,000, and up to six strokes of the cane.

Since the start of the year, there have been at least seven reported cases and at least $51,600 lost to job scams involving the performance of online tasks related to digital Pokemon trading cards, said the police. In a statement on Thursday (Feb 5), the police said that victims would receive unsolicited calls from Malaysian phone numbers about a job opportunity involving online tasks.The job would require victims to register for an account and initiate a cryptocurrency deposit on a fraudulent website.Victims would then be able to select digital Pokemon trading cards on the site and «earn» a commission based on the card value, which would be «deposited» into their registered account. Subsequently, they would encounter «exclusive» high-value cards which required them to make larger cryptocurrency deposits to the website before they could «earn» their commission. In some cases, victims would have negative account balances and had to make additional deposits to restore their accounts. 

A woman was left baffled after a pair of kingfishers were seen flying into the windows of her home.In a TikTok video shared on Monday (Feb 2) the Bedok resident said: «We need help. Even bird spikes don't stop them.»The clip shows the kingfishers crashing into the window, but they recover quickly and fly to a nearby tree, before flying into the windows again.