The engine compartment of a Toyota Prius hybrid car caught fire at a Housing and Development Board (HDB) carpark in Yishun on Monday (March 9). The incident happened at about 11.05am at the sixth-floor of Block 512 Yishun Street 41 — a multistorey carpark. Eyewitnesses told AsiaOne that there were no other cars parked near the vehicle when it caught fire. Photos of the aftermath show heat and smoke damage on the ceiling and walls near the burnt car.  Heat and smoke damage were seen on the walls and ceiling near where the Toyota Prius car was parked. PHOTO: AsiaOne reader At least three Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) vehicles were seen responding to the incident. 

For a second night running, scenes of tearful but joyful reunion played out at Changi Airport Terminal 3, as some 167 Singaporeans and their dependents landed safely in Singapore from Muscat, Oman on Sunday (March 8) night.Along with the 152 persons who returned home on Saturday, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has reunited 319 Singaporeans and their dependents with their families, for now — with plans underway to dispatch a third repatriation flight from Saudi Arabia later this week.

A motorcyclist had a close shave with death after colliding with a car and narrowly avoiding a passing minibus in Sengkang on Friday (March 6).Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force said they were alerted to an accident involving a car, a minibus and a motorcycle along Sengkang East Road towards Punggol Way at about 7.05pm.A 56-year-old male motorcyclist was taken conscious to Sengkang General Hospital and is assisting with investigations. Police investigations are ongoing.In a video shared on a Facebook page for Grab delivery riders, a motorcyclist is seen riding along a road before turning right.As he approaches a red light, he appears to slow down but fails to brake in time and crashes into a car stopped in front of him, before falling sideways onto the road.At the same time, a white minibus passes on his left, coming dangerously close to the fallen motorcyclist and narrowly missing him before stopping.

Planning a trip to Malaysia for the March school holidays or to celebrate Hari Raya Puasa?You may want to reconsider, as the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has warned of very heavy traffic at Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints from March 13 to 22 in a travel advisory issued on March 9.Travellers might also experience longer queues at immigration as the authority continues its stepped-up security checks at arrival points at all checkpoints due to the heightened global security situation, including the recent Middle East crisis.Travellers are advised to check the traffic situation at the checkpoints before embarking on their journey and can also use QR code clearance for more convenience.«Those who need to travel during this peak period can also consider taking the cross-border bus services to avoid congestion,» the authority added.Over the Chinese New Year festive period, more than three million travellers used Singapore's land checkpoints from Feb 13 to 19. Almost 565,000 travellers crossed on Feb 13, said ICA.

An infant is among four who have been taken to a hospital following an accident involving two buses and a car in Ang Mo Kio on Sunday (March 8), according to a video uploaded to TikTok by user Biker6074 that same day.In the video, a green SBS Transit bus can be seen parked along the road of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8, blocking two lanes of traffic.A police vehicle is also parked up ahead, with officers taking photographs of a car further in front and of the bus.The video then cuts to a second bus - this vehicle is visibly damaged, with its windscreen cracked and bumper crumpled from the impact of a collision.Separately, photographs of the incident were posted to Facebook group Singapura Channel, showing multiple SBS Transit workers on the scene.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police stated that they were alerted to an accident involving two buses and a car along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 towards Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 just before noon on Sunday.A 60-year-old male car driver and three bus passengers aged between seven months and 77 years of age were subsequently conveyed conscious to the hospital.

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.