A 28-year-old man was arrested on Saturday (March 7) for his alleged involvement in a case of loanshark harassment in Yishun.The incident happened at a residential unit along Yishun Street 22.A photograph of the alleged crime scene provided by the police shows the main gate and door of the said unit splashed with red paint. Another photograph shows a debtor's note which reads: «Own (Owe) money. Pay money. Call me back for payment (sic).»The man was arrested by officers from Woodlands Police Division through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from police cameras. He was arrested within four hours of the report made. A plastic bag containing a can of paint, white tape, black permanent marker and one debtor's note were seized as case exhibits.The man will be charged in court on Monday. If found guilty of loanshark harassment, he could be jailed for up to five years, fined up to $50,000, and receive up to six strokes of the cane.

The police have noticed an increase in scam cases that involve cryptocurrency transfers and have advised members of the public on areas to note.In an advisory issued on Sunday (March 8), police said the uptick in cryptocurrency transfers-related scams were primarily due to investment, jobs, and government officials impersonation scams, adding that victims lost about $182.2 million in cryptocurrency in 2025.Victims of such scams would typically chance upon advertisements relating to purported cryptocurrency-related «investments» or «job opportunities» on social media platforms.They would be directed by scammers to create cryptocurrency accounts and purchase cryptocurrencies, either for «investment purposes» or to earn a «commission» in return for helping to boost the values of cryptocurrencies.Scammers would subsequently ask the victims to transfer the cryptocurrencies to designated cryptocurrency wallets or share their account login credentials and seed phrases. This allowed scammers to gain control and withdraw the victims' cryptocurrencies.

Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam on Sunday (March 8) said the video showing a man stepping on the Quran in a public bus is «deeply offensive».Shanmugam, who is also the Minister for Home Affairs, spoke to the media at the sidelines of a breaking of fast event in Yishun.«Anyone who has seen the video will know it is deeply offensive, let alone during Ramadan. The police have taken action,» he said.The minister also revealed that police have identified the suspect —  a person who has uploaded similar videos before.The said person was charged and convicted in court last July for a similar offence and was released from prison in December the same year.«There was some evidence that he was mentally unwell. He is now overseas, and police will interview him when he returns,» Shanmugam added.Providing an update on Meta's follow-up, the minister said that Meta has complied with the disabling directions and has taken the video down.

A 4-year-old boy was allegedly slapped twice by a man outside a preschool in Woodlands on Friday (March 6).According to the boy's mother, the incident took place at about 12pm at Block 875 Woodlands Street 82. Checks by AsiaOne indicate that there is a PCF Sparkletots Preschool at the said address. This also corresponds with the uniform seen in a picture accompanying the Instagram post made by the boy's mother.According to the boy's mother, he was playing catching with his classmates when he showed his middle finger after being caught. The alleged assailant, the father of another child, was said to have grabbed the boy by his collar and slapped him across the face.In a follow-up post on her Instagram story, the boy's mother claimed that the man also pointed his finger at his face and threatened to break his fingers.«To a child at this age, it is not discipline but intimidation. Moments like this can stay in a child's mind and cause rear fear and emotional drama,» she wrote, adding that her child is now afraid to return to school even though he had tried to be brave and said there was «no pain» while holding back his tears.

Singapore believes it would be positive for the region should Japan deepen cooperation with more Asian partners, if it is able to sensitively handle «difficult historical issues», said Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sim Ann. These issues refer to «the damage and suffering caused during the Second World War», she added.Sim, who is also Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs, was speaking at the Special Speakers Series organised by Business China on Friday (March 6). Referring to the erosion of a rules-based international order, Sim said the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (Asean) and its key partners — China, the Republic of Korea, and Japan — will remain the «cornerstone of Singapore's foreign policy amid the sharpening of strategic rivalry and erosion of trust between countries. »In a more multipolar world, countries are diversifying partnerships, strengthening resilience, and hedging against uncertainty.«Singapore must do the same. As global coordination becomes more difficult, we must invest more in regional and plurilateral networks that promote stability, openness and cooperation,» she explained.

«Relieved.» That was the simple yet emotional word Swiss travellers Jeremie Berard, 36, and Joana Goncalves, 31, used to describe their feelings after checking in for Singapore Airlines flight SQ8002 on Sunday (March 8) morning.The special flight was arranged by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) for non-resident travellers, whose travel arrangements between Feb 28 to March 8 were cancelled by an airline due to the closure of airspace in the Middle East.The two were originally scheduled to depart Singapore on Feb 28 via Qatar Airways. It was also the day that the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran. «Qatar Airways cancelled our flights. We bought more flights and they were also cancelled. All the other direct flights were sold out and we couldn't find other opportunities to go home,» said the couple as they described to AsiaOne their exasperating experience over the past week.

A 23-year-old Malaysian woman fell victim to a Singapore rental scam, in which the other party tried to extort more money by accusing her of money laundering, sending fake lawyer letters, and even threatening to set fire to her home in Malaysia.Kota Tinggi native Huang Xiaohan (transliterated), who works in retail, told Sin Chew Daily News that she had already been working in Singapore for a few years, and had previously rented a room under a friend's recommendation.When the lease expired, she went on Facebook to find a new place at the end of February, where she stumbled upon an advertisement about a flat for rent in Serangoon.She then contacted a woman on WhatsApp, who according to Shin Min Daily News, went by the name «Christina» (transliterated), who claimed to be the owner of the house.Speaking in a press conference, Huang said that Christina claimed that the room was in high demand, and was told to pay a deposit of $1,250.Two days later, the other party told her of another potential tenant who could pay for a month's deposit and rent, and told Huang that she will be the tenant if she could pay for the full amount. 

SINGAPORE – The number of crows in Singapore grew by more than 20 times over less than a decade, The Straits Times has learnt.On Feb 23, the authorities announced that they planned to resume the shooting of crows in March after a six-year hiatus, as alternative population control methods were deemed inadequate amid a rise in reports about crow attacks.Shooting had been discontinued in 2020 after instances of pellets striking residences.This is more than 20 times the figure cited in an earlier population study in 2016, when shooting operations still took place, with the birds on mainland Singapore numbering about 7,295 then.How said the use of firearms adds to the existing suite of measures to control the country’s crow population, which includes removing nests, deploying traps and pruning trees to reduce the number of birds that roost there.This approach was chosen as crows are an invasive species that pose a threat to native biodiversity and can attack humans, especially when they are perceived as threats to their young.Droppings from the birds also create unsanitary conditions where they gather and roost.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has issued Disabling Directions (DD) under the Online Criminal Harms Act 2023 (OCHA) to Meta over a video of a man stepping on a Quran in Singapore, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a statement published on Sunday (March 8). This act was believed to have taken place on a public bus.While the original video is no longer available, it had been reposted and shared multiple times across other social media platforms.The MHA and SPF had assessed that the video constitutes an offence of insulting the religion of another person under Section 17F(4) of the Maintenance Religious Act 1990.Five DDs were issued to Meta to disable access to the content, while posts containing the video are no longer accessible to end-users in Singapore.«While some individuals may have reposted the video to condemn the actions of the original poster, doing so perpetuates the offensive content online,» MHA said in the statement.«Members of the public who come across such content are advised to inform the authorities instead.»

Quiet anticipation turned into cheers and tears at Changi Airport Terminal 3 on Saturday (March 7) night as some 152 Singaporeans and their dependents returned home on Singapore Airlines flight SQ8001.Family members, friends and relatives of those onboard starting streaming in to the waiting area of the arrival hall near belt 47 just after 8pm. Several were seen checking flight tracking applications on their mobile phones with eager anticipation. Afterall, it has been almost a week of uncertainty and worry for some, after the United States and Israel struck Iran on Feb 28. 

A staff member of Ji Xiang Ang Ku Kueh has shared how the founder had helped her as she paid tribute to him at his funeral, she shared in a TikTok video uploaded by Shin Min Daily News on Friday (March 6).The founder, Toh Poh Seek, died at age 81, according to a Facebook post by Ji Xiang ang ku kueh a day prior.«I'm truly so grateful,» the staff member, Zheng Mulan, told Shin Min. «During my most difficult period, he helped me.»«I lived at his home for half a year - I ate at his home, even as I lived in it,» she revealed.The 47-year-old explained that she came to Singapore from China to earn a living, and worked with Ji Xiang for about 14 years.In 2016, Zheng was involved in a car accident and racked up a medical bill between $30,000 and $40,000, according to Shin Min.«Boss Toh called my son, who was in secondary school at the time, sharing that he would help pay my medical expenses and that my son shouldn't worry about it,» she recalled.«I never expected to receive such care while living in a foreign country,» she stated. «I consider them my godparents.»