Those who have plans to travel to Malaysia over the coming weekend can expect heavy traffic at both Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints. Both the Good Friday (April 3) long weekend and Qing Ming day (April 5) take place over this weekend. Qing Ming is also known as Tomb Sweeping Day or Chinese All Souls' Day. In an advisory issued on Monday (March 30), the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) told motorists that it has stepped up security checks on arriving travellers, cargo and conveyances at all land checkpoints. This is due to the heightened global security situation, including recent developments in the Middle East.«Travellers are to expect longer waiting times to clear immigration and are advised to check the traffic situation at the land checkpoints before embarking on their journey,» ICA said. They can also use the QR code clearance for more convenience.Those who need to travel during the peak periods can also consider taking the cross-border bus services to avoid congestion.

An SBS Transit bus caught fire while travelling along the Tampines Expressway (TPE) on Monday (March 30). A video of the incident shared on TikTok showed the rear of the bus engulfed in flames, with a man seen using a fire extinguisher. Thick black smoke could also be seen billowing into the air.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to a fire along TPE towards Seletar Expressway (SLE) after the Tampines Avenue 10 exit at about 6.50am. SCDF added that the fire involved the engine compartment of the bus and was extinguished using a water jet.No one was injured, and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation. 

A man swiped $1,000 worth of necklaces from a jewellery stall in Woodlands when the stall owner went for a quick toilet break. In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said they were alerted to a case of theft at Block 303 Woodlands Street 31 on March 24 at 11.30am.A shop assistant at a nearby hardware store, identified as Ding, told Shin Min Daily News that the jewellery stall owner had gone to the restroom and covered the goods with a cloth.  When the owner returned some five minutes later and checked the inventory, the owner found that five silver necklaces, amounting to about $1,000, were missing, reported the Chinese daily. The owner then called the police and asked Ding for CCTV footage. In a video posted by Instagram account @sgfollowsall on March 27, CCTV footage shows a man dressed in a white shirt and black trousers loitering near a temporarily unmanned stall. He can be seen hovering around the table, covered in a blue sheet of plastic, before lifting the sheet and grabbing a handful of what appears to be the stolen necklaces. 

It's official — diesel now costs nearly as much as premium petrol — at least at Shell. In a price board update published at 2pm on Saturday (March 28), British multinational oil and gas company Shell announced a 20-cent increase in its posted price for diesel, raising it from $3.93 to $4.13.The price is just one cent lower than its premium V-Power petrol, priced at $4.14.In hiking diesel prices, Shell, which led the first downward adjustment of pump charges in nearly three weeks on March 25, now reverses the trend it started.It has also become the first to push diesel prices here past both the $3 and $4 mark.On March 10, Shell took its diesel price past the $3 mark with a 26-cent increase — from $2.98 on March 9, to $3.24.

A 33-year-old man has been arrested for careless driving causing death after a 74-year-old woman died following a traffic accident in Ang Mo Kio on Saturday (March 28) evening.The Singapore Police Force told AsiaOne they were alerted to an accident involving a car and a pedestrian on March 28 at about 7.05pm, along Ang Mo Kio Street 31 towards Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6.The pedestrian was conveyed unconscious to the hospital, where she later died.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force said it conveyed one person to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.Police investigations are ongoing.A photo of the aftermath of the accident circulating online shows an ambulance at the scene, with a person lying in the middle of the road.A similar incident occurred less than two weeks ago on March 17, where a 66-year-old pedestrian died after a car hit her before mounting a road verge along Bencoolen Street.The 55-year-old male car driver was arrested for careless driving causing death.[[nid:728432]]

Four years after his nose cancer diagnosis, Minister of State for Transport Baey Yam Keng says he is grateful that he is in good health, especially after a recent scare. In a Facebook post on Saturday (March 28), Baey shared that he has been undergoing annual scans since completing radiation therapy to monitor his health.However, late last December, the minister said his CT scan had shown a small abnormality on the right side of his nose. «My oncologist thought it might be linked to a flu I caught during a recent trip, but referred me to an ear and nose specialist just to be safe,» said Baey, who is also Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth. He added that a follow-up scope in February showed nothing concerning, but to be certain, he underwent another magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan in March. 

It's official — diesel now costs nearly as much as premium petrol — at least at Shell. In a price board update published at 2pm on Saturday (March 28), British multinational oil and gas company Shell announced a 20-cent increase in its posted price for diesel, raising it from $3.93 to $4.13.The price is just one-cent lower than its premium V-Power petrol, priced at $4.14In hiking diesel prices, Shell, which led the first downward adjustment of pump charges in nearly three weeks on March 25, now reverses the trend it started.It has also become the first to push diesel prices here past both the $3 and $4 mark.On March 10, Shell took its diesel price past the $3 mark with a 26-cent increase — from $2.98 on March 9, to $3.24.

Three hours into the night flight, air force transport pilot Gerald Goh saw a single projectile in the distance.«The initial reaction was a sense of shock,» the 31-year-old pilot told AsiaOne in an interview on Friday (March 27). «But we assessed, as a crew, that it was from a distance… and we determined it was safe to continue with the mission.»The mission — on March 10 — was to bring home 218 stranded Singaporeans and their dependents on board the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF) first military evacuation flight from Saudi Arabia.While the projectile — fired within Middle Eastern airspace during an ongoing war — was assessed not to have targetted his A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), Captain Goh said the incident underscored the real risks faced by the flight crew.

The Government will act decisively when it comes across instances of foreigners inciting Singaporeans to break the law and use violence, said Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam on Saturday (March 28).Shanmugam, who is also Minister for Home Affairs, also reiterated that the Government will not tolerate interference by foreigners in Singapore's politics — a position which it has consistently upheld since independence. «It is an absolute no. That position has not changed — and it will be firmly enforced,» he added.He was commenting on his Facebook about the case of Malaysian activist Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, who was banned from Singapore. In his post, Shanmugam pointed out that Fadiah had encouraged local activists in Singapore to adopt her brand of radical advocacy. «When people attempt to interfere in this manner, we will act decisively. »It does not matter whether the instigator is Singaporean, Malaysian, or any other foreign national," the minister wrote.