A taxi driver was spotted opening their car door while driving along Bartley Road East, raising safety concerns.The incident occurred on Feb 19 around 6pm, according to a Facebook post shared by SG Road Vigilante on Feb 20. In the video, the driver of a yellow Toyota Prius taxi can be seen opening the door while the vehicle was in motion. He was reportedly alone in the car when the incident happened. A voice in the clip can be heard saying: «He's driving very fast.» Witnesses shared that the car almost crashed into the road divider a couple of times. At the end of the video, the driver can be seen closing the vehicle door. Speaking to ComfortDelGro, a spokesperson told Lianhe Zaobao that the company is aware of the incident and is conducting investigations. «The safety of our taxi drivers is our top priority,» they added. AsiaOne has reached out to ComfortDelGro for more details. [[nid:729886]]melissateo@asiaone.com

SINGAPORE – When Charmaine Tan turned 16, she was eager to follow in her parents' footsteps and be a regular blood donor.She also wanted to spread the word, and began volunteering with the Singapore Red Cross' youth donor recruitment initiative YouthInspire.Now 18, and having donated blood three times, the soon-to-be university student hopes to inspire her peers to do the same.Her role is an important one, as new figures show the proportion of youth blood donors  aged 16 to 25 – continuing on its downward trend.In 2025, there were more than 9,600 youth donors, making up about 12 per cent of the donor pool, according to Health Sciences Authority (HSA) figures released in January 2026. This is down from 28 per cent in 2015.Blood donors made up 1.3 per cent of Singapore's population in 2025. On the whole, the total number of blood donors grew nearly nine per cent – from 71,277 in 2015, to 77,567 in 2025.In the same period, total blood donations rose almost 12 per cent, from 122,048 units to 136,172 units.

A two-room HDB resale flat at SkyParc @ Dawson has been sold for $695,000, setting the highest price ever for this type of unit.The 505 sq ft unit - which has recently completed its minimum occupation period - is located at Block 95 Dawson Road between the 34th and 36th storeys, according to data from HDB's website.It has a remaining lease of 94 years and nine months. This sale makes it the most expensive two-room HDB resale transaction in Singapore that has officially been recorded, according to 99.coThe last two-room resale flat from that same block was sold at $540,000 last December, based on HDB's data. That unit is located between the 7th and 9th storeys. Before the recent $695,000 sale, the national record for a two-room resale flat was $585,000, set by a unit at Ghim Moh in August 2023 that held the top spot for nearly three years, reported 99.coSkyParc @ Dawson, which was completed in December 2020, is located near Queenstown and Commonwealth MRT stations. 

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong visited his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur on Friday (Feb 20).In a Facebook post, PM Wong shared that Anwar had invited him to buka puasa (break fast) at the historic Carcosa Seri Negara.«I deeply appreciate the warm hospitality, and the opportunity for a candid exchange on a wide range of issues,» he added. «Wishing you and all Malaysians a blessed Ramadan. I look forward to our next meeting.» Friday marked the second day of Ramadan 2026.

A person was rescued from a HDB flat in Tampines after a fire broke out late at night on Feb 19. In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the incident at Block 267 Tampines Street 21 at about 11.25pm. The fire involved the contents of a bedroom of an 11th floor unit and was extinguished with a water jet. SCDF conducted forcible entry and rescued a person from the unit, who was taken to Singapore General Hospital for smoke inhalation.About 40 residents from the affected block were evacuated by the police and SCDF as a precautionary measure.The cause of the fire is under investigation.A resident living in the affected building told Shin Min Daily News that she only learned of the fire after hearing the sirens of fire trucks. She shared that there were at least five fire trucks, three police cars, and one ambulance on site. Firefighters were also seen rushing upstairs carrying water hoses. «I saw a large fire in the bedroom of that unit, with thick smoke billowing out,» she recounted. 

SINGAPORE – A 53-year-old man who sexually assaulted his girlfriend's daughter, who was then 10 to 11 years old, was sentenced to 24 years' jail on Feb 20.The girl's mother was in court with other family members and broke down in tears on hearing his sentence.He cannot be named under a gag order imposed to protect the victim's identity.The sexual acts, which were committed between February 2021 and February 2022, took place at home and in a van parked at cemeteries.The girl told her mother about the abuse in December 2021, but the woman chose to believe the man when he denied that he had assaulted the girl.In sentencing, Justice Aidan Xu considered the harm caused to a very young victim and that the man had taken advantage of his relationship with the girl's mother.However, the judge added that it was not necessary to impose additional jail time in lieu of caning.The man cannot be caned as he is more than 50 years old.Deputy Public Prosecutor Tay Jia En had sought 22 to 24 years' jail, and 12 months' jail in lieu of the maximum 24 strokes of the cane.

A total of 59 motorists were caught for various traffic violations or engaging in dangerous road behaviour during a five-day stepped-up traffic enforcement operations at Woodlands Checkpoint, said the police and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in a joint statement on Friday (Feb 20) night.On Feb 12, the agencies had warned motorists that they will be conducting enforcement operations from Feb 13 to the first day of the Chinese New Year on Feb 17.The law enforcement agencies said that the operations at Woodlands Checkpoint were aimed at deterring and detecting motorists who commit traffic violations and engage in queue cutting at the checkpoint.«The 59 motorists were detected for committing traffic offences such as driving against the flow of traffic, crossing double white lines, and leaving vehicles in positions likely to cause danger, obstruction or undue inconvenience. Some of these drivers were also found to have cut queues,» the agencies added.

If you find yourself receiving unsolicited calls from scammers claiming that you have outstanding insurance premiums or had performed bank card transactions, do not hand over your valuables for purported «investigation purposes».In this scam variant, victims who deny the claims would be transferred to other scammers impersonating as government officials from the Monetary Authority (MAS) of Singapore or Ministry of Law, said the Singapore Police Force in an advisory on Feb 20.These victims would then be accused of being involved in criminal activities such as money laundering, and provided with fake documents such as a «warrant of arrest» or «financial inspection order». The victims were then instructed to hand over their valuables to unknown subjects, purportedly for «investigation purposes».These items were either newly purchased by the victims, acting on the scammers' instructions, or owned by them.They would only realise that they have been scammed when the scammers become uncontactable, or when they sought verification with the relevant agencies.

A 30-year-old male motorcyclist was taken to hospital on Friday (Feb 20) afternoon after an accident with a car in Tampines.The accident happened at about 1.45pm along Tampines Central 7, outside the entrance of The Premiere @ Tampines — a Design-Build and Sell Scheme project.A picture of the aftermath seen by AsiaOne showed paramedics treating the motorcyclist on the road. Beside them, a man was seen directing traffic as a woman stood beside the paramedics. Meanwhile, a blue multi-purpose vehicle was seen stopped on the leftmost lane of the road.Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force said that the 30-year-old male motorcyclist was conveyed conscious to Changi General Hospital.Police investigations are ongoing. [[nid:730207]]editor@asiaone.com 

The police are appealing for information on the whereabouts of a 16-year-old male teenager, Boey Xiang Le.In a news release on Friday (Feb 20) night, the police said Boey Xiang Le was last seen at about 11.33am on Thursday, in the vicinity of Block 10 Buangkok View.Checks by AsiaOne indicate that this is the address of the Institute of Mental Health.Anyone with information is urged to contact 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, said the police.[[nid:729516]]editor@asiaone.com  

Hours after a fire broke out onboard the Liberia-flagged cruise ship World Legacy on Friday (Feb 20) morning, which resulted in the death of an Indonesian crew member, several members —who are not part of the core crew left behind for essential duties — disembarked in Singapore.Two members, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AsiaOne that while they did not know the dead crew member, the experience was a stressful one.One member, who has been working onboard World Legacy for only a few months, said this was the first incident he encountered onboard.«I panicked for a moment,» he admitted, citing the short time he had spent onboard.The crew member, a Southeast Asian, said the non-core crew will be going to a hotel provided for them, but was unsure of the plans for them in the coming days.Another crew member, also a Southeast Asian, told AsiaOne that he was «very stressed» when the fire broke out at the lounge on deck nine at about 4am as he was on duty.He claimed that he was not aware that a fellow crew member had died, until he found out from others while they were being ferried to HarbourFront Terminal on Friday evening.

Singapore will be progressively easing some Nipah virus public health measures from Monday (Feb 23) as no cases have been reported in the country in connection to the two reported in the Indian state of West Bengal or the case in Bangladesh.In a statement on Friday (Feb 20), the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said that it will remain vigilant against the virus even as the country returns to baseline surveillance levels.The agency said: «The Nipah virus situation in West Bengal has stabilised, with no new cases reported. No human to human Nipah virus transmission has been detected in Bangladesh.»Hence, CDA will cease temperature screening at the airport and seaports for flights and ships arriving from affected areas in India and also stop disseminating Nipah virus health advisories for travellers at Singapore's points of entry.To maintain surveillance levels, Nipah virus will continue to be covered by the SG Arrival health declarations and Maritime Declaration of Health.Incoming travellers will still have to declare if they are arriving from affected areas in their arrival cards, the agency said.

Over 10,500 recipients will benefit from a $4.3 million Ramadan support package that was announced by Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Associate Professor Faishal Ibrahim on Friday (Feb 20) evening.The announcement was made during a break fast (buka puasa) session with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at Al-Mawaddah mosque in Sengkang.  President Tharman Shanmugaratnam interacting with Muslim community leaders at Al-Mawaddah mosque on Friday (Feb 20). PHOTO: AsiaOne/Ong Chin Wee According to the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), the Ramadan support package comprises $3.5 million from zakat funds and $800,000 from fidyah contributions.

Train services along the East-West Line (EWL) and Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT) will be adjusted to facilitate essential upgrading works in the coming months, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA), SMRT and SBS Transit in a joint statement on Friday (Feb 20).From March 14 to 17, there will be no train services between Tanah Merah and Expo on the EWL, so that works to disconnect train tracks linking the EWL to Changi Depot can take place.The service adjustment follows the successful operationalisation of the East Coast Integrated Depot (ECID) in December 2025.This will be the last planned suspension to link the EWL to the new East Coast Integrated Depot.During the affected period, a shuttle bus service will run at a frequency of five to eight minutes between the two stations, said the statement.Train services between Expo and Changi Airport will run at seven-minute intervals during peak hours, while services between Tuas Link and Pasir Ris will continue to operate as per normal. 

A hood of a BMW car caught fire along Woodlands Avenue 5 on Friday (Feb 20). In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SDCF) said it was alerted to the incident at about 9am. The fire, which involved the engine compartment of a car, was extinguished using a water jet, SCDF added.No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.In a Facebook post by SGRV Front Man, photos of the incident show a black BMW parked on the left side of the road with its bonnet in flames. Cloud of smoke can also be seen.At least five firefighters are seen attempting to douse the flames.  [[nid:729871]]

A car driver evaded a police check in Paya Lebar before abandoning the vehicle near Edgedale Plains estate in Punggol in the wee hours of Tuesday (Feb 17), the first day of Chinese New Year (CNY).Efforts to trace the driver are underway, police said in response to AsiaOne's queries.The car had been travelling along Airport Road towards the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway at about 2.20am when it encountered a roadblock set up by the traffic police.When signalled to stop, the driver sped off and led the police on a chase to Punggol. The car was subsequently found in the vicinity of Edgedale Plains.Users in a Telegram group said on Tuesday that they had sighted the pursuit of a Malaysia-registered car at Hougang Street 12 and Rivervale Drive.Videos uploaded later showed multiple police vehicles near Block 122A Edgedale Plains, with their warning lights flashing.An employee of a nearby minimart told Shin Min Daily News that six or seven police cars had chased a red BMW around the estate. The shop's CCTV camera did not capture the driver's appearance and escape path.Police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:729639]]

Police are looking for an unlicensed driver after an hit-and-run accident at Simei on Friday (Feb 20) early morning.Videos shared on social media show thick plumes of smoke emerging from a grey SsangYong car mounted on the curb outside Changkat Primary School.Separate videos also show a police car and ambulance parked nearby.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they were alerted to the incident at around 1am, where a car is believed to have self-skidded along Simei Street 3.A 21-vear-old man was arrested at the scene for permitting another person to drive without a valid driving licence. The driver of the car had fled the scene before the police arrived, and efforts to locate him are underway, the police said.The Singapore Civil Defence Force told AsiaOne that one person was assessed for minor injuries and that they declined to be sent to the hospital.Police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:730159]]dana.leong@asiaone.com 

Some 22,000 eligible civil servants will be receiving salary adjustments of between 2 per cent and 9 per cent come Aug 1, said the Public Service Division (PSD).The salary revisions were announced by PSD in a media release on Friday (Feb 20).It said that salary levels in the market have increased since the last revisions to the affected schemes were made in 2022, adding that the adjustments are to keep pace with market standards and enable the public service to continue to attract and retain talent to deliver well for Singaporeans.The 22,000 eligible officers are on the following schemes: management executive scheme (MXS), technical support scheme (TSS), management support scheme (MSS), corporate support scheme (CSS), operations support scheme (OSS), and their related schemes.«Officers in the above schemes perform a range of roles, such as policy and planning, administration and operations,» PSD said.Those on the MSS will receive salary adjustments of 2 per cent to 9 per cent, with higher adjustments for grades that have larger gaps with market benchmarks. There will be no adjustments for MXS officers whose salaries are already competitive.