A two-week long enforcement operation which ended on Friday (March 13) resulted in the arrest of 45 people for their suspected involvement in registering SIM cards for illicit purposes. The islandwide operation, which began on March 2, was carried out by officers from the police's Anti-Scam Command and the seven police land divisions, said the police in a statement on Friday. A total of 37 men and eight women, aged between 17 and 59, were arrested for their suspected involvement in providing registered postpaid SIM cards for money. Another 27 people, aged between 16 and 54, are also being investigated, said the police. Based on preliminary investigations, the police found that errant subscribers were offered cash rewards between $10 and $20 per registered SIM card. These subscribers were purportedly instructed to sign up and purchase SIM cards in bulk from different retailers, and they handed over between 30 and 83 registered SIM cards to the syndicate's courier. 

A 20-year-old man will be charged in court on Saturday (March 14) for allegedly setting three properties on fire between Tuesday and Thursday. AsiaOne reported on Thursday that preliminary investigations by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) into the fires on March 10 and March 11 indicated that they were «deliberately started». The police also told AsiaOne that they commenced investigations into the fire cases. But amid ongoing investigations, the man struck again on Thursday, at 8 Sungei Kadut Crescent — approximately 300m to the south of the first fire.In response to AsiaOne's queries, SCDF said the blaze was extinguished by members of the public before firefighters arrived, adding that there were no reported injuries. The fire involved discarded items at the corner of a staircase area within the affected premises.

Foreign ministers from Southeast Asia met virtually on Friday (March 13) to discuss the widening conflict in the Middle East and its impact. The Philippines, this year's Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) chair, hosted the meeting as officials weigh impacts and responses to surging oil prices as well as disruptions to shipping, logistics, and trade flows across the region's export-reliant economies. In a statement to the media the same evening, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said Dr Balakrishnan expressed support for the Philippines' efforts to forge a regional response. The ministry added that Singapore expressed its concern over the situation in the Middle East which has impacted the lives and safety of civilians, including many Asean nationals. "Minister Balakrishnan highlighted that a protracted conflict would have serious consequences for the world, including Asean. 

Planning to get your driver's licence?Take note that the traffic police has increased fees for all driving tests beginning Friday (March 13).In a media release on Friday, the police said driving test fees will be progressively raised over the next few years due to rising operating costs.The Basic Driving Theory Test, Final Driving Theory Test and Motorcycle Riding Theory Test will now cost $7.20, up from $6.50.And from March 13, 2027, the fee for these theory tests will be raised to $8.Meanwhile, the cost of the Practical Riding Test, Practical Driving Test and Proficiency Driving Test has increased to $40 from $33.It will further increase to $45 from March 13, 2027, and subsequently to $50 from March 13, 2028.Applicants who have booked their tests before the respective effective dates will not be affected by the new fees.Road assessment for Class 3C / 3CA licence holdersThe police will soon begin road assessments for motorists with Class 3C / 3CA driving licence, who wish to enroll in Class 4 / 4P driving lessons.

A 78-year-old male car passenger was taken to hospital unconscious after an accident involving a trailer and a car along the Tampines Expressway (TPE) towards the Seletar Expressway (SLE) on Wednesday (March 11).Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the accident before the Tampines Avenue 12 exit, at about 3.20pm.Meanwhile, a 44-year-old female passenger was taken to hospital conscious.AsiaOne understands that the man's 68-year-old wife accompanied him to hospital. Police investigations are ongoing.A dashcam video of the accident, uploaded on SG Road Vigilante Facebook page on Thursday, shows a red car colliding with the rear of a trailer before veering right and hitting the road barrier.It then turns back and hits the trailer again before coming to a stop. Debris can also be seen scattered across the road.According to the post's caption, five SCDF vehicles were at the scene, with two lanes on the expressway affected until 8.30pm on Wednesday.[[nid:731393]]xingying.koh@asiaone.com

«Welcome home.» Those two words carried a weight I had never felt before. They were spoken by a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) serviceman as my family boarded the evacuation aircraft in Riyadh that would take us safely back to Singapore. We had not even taken off yet. But in that moment, something shifted inside the cabin. Passengers looked around quietly. Some smiled. Others wiped away tears. 

SINGAPORE — A woman who together with her husband ill-treated her two stepchildren, including starving them, was sentenced to six years and three months' jail on March 13.The children were so undernourished that they were found to be below the third percentile of their age group, which meant that 97 per cent of the other children in their age group were bigger and heavier than them.In sentencing the woman, District Judge Eugene Teo said: «This case involves the ill-treatment of the especially vulnerable, which stretched from hours, to days, to weeks, to months.»It is painfully ironic now to seek mercy when so little was shown to those two children."The woman's husband had earlier received an unprecedented sentence of 34.5 years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane on April 30, 2024, over the death of his daughter, Ayeesha.His sentence was increased to life imprisonment in July 2025, after his appeal for a reduced term failed.Ayeesha was five years old when she died in 2017 of a head injury inflicted by her father. Her brother, who survived the abuse, was about four years old then.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) made adjustments to the deployment of its officers as part of efforts to support the safe return of Singaporeans from the Middle East.In a video posted on social media on Friday (March 13), ICA explained that the adjustments were to ensure efficient immigration clearance for returning Singaporeans. 

A fire broke out at ibis Singapore hotel on Bencoolen Street on Friday (March 13) at about 9.55am.Pictures posted on social media showed at least two Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) ambulances and one fire engine behind the hotel at Bencoolen Link. One SCDF fire engine was at the scene when AsiaOne reached at around 1pm. PHOTO: AsiaOne/Dennis Palit A police cordon was also seen around the two-lane road.Meanwhile, paramedics were seen checking on hotel guests who were evacuated and sitting at an open area in between Sri Krishnan Temple and the Stamford Arts Centre.

A total of 136 men and 85 women are under investigation following a two-week police operation between Feb 26 and March 11, the police said on Thursday (March 12).The operation, involving officers from the police's commercial affairs department and seven police land divisions, resulted in investigations into 221 individuals aged between 17 and 81 for their suspected involvement in scams as scammers or money mules.They are believed to be involved in over 1,080 scam cases comprising mostly e-commerce scams, friend impersonation scams, job scams, government official impersonation scams, investment scams and rental scams.These cases have resulted in losses of over $5.3 million, the police said.The alleged offences of the individuals involved include cheating, money laundering, and providing payment services without a licence.If found guilty of cheating, an individual may face a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine, while those convicted of money laundering may be jailed for up to 10 years and fined up to $500,000.

A woman seen opening and swapping strawberries in packed boxes at a FairPrice outlet has raised concerns over food hygiene.In a video shared on Facebook on Wednesday (March 11), a woman in a white tank top and yellow cap can be seen handling a prepacked box of strawberries.Another woman in a blue shirt stands beside her, assisting the former as she picks and swaps strawberries between boxes using her bare hands. According to the post, the incident occurred at the FairPrice Finest outlet in Bedok Mall on Wednesday at around 5.30 pm.In the comments section, several netizens expressed concern about hygiene, while others criticised the woman's behaviour.«Really terrible manner of buyers. I hate people doing such things. Touching those strawberries with bare hands— they will rot easily,» said one user. Another added, 'This happens often at supermarkets. They should seal the packages to prevent incidents like this."Responding to queries from AsiaOne, a spokesperson for FairPrice Group said the company is aware of the incident and is investigating.

Eighty-one Singaporeans and their dependants, including 42 students studying in Jordan, arrived in Singapore just before 6am on Friday (March 13), on the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF) A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT).This is the second RSAF aircraft deployed to Saudi Arabia to evacuate citizens and their dependants stranded in the Middle East. The first evacuation flight on Tuesday (March 10) brought home 218 people.  

The Law Society of Singapore has initiated disciplinary proceedings against Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh.Singh, 49, was called to the bar in 2011. According to the hearing list on the Singapore Court's website, a case management conference was scheduled to be heard by Assistant Registrar James Low on Thursday (March 12).The nature of the case was described as «disciplinary proceedings for advocates and solicitors of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Singapore».Based on the listing, the Law Society is represented by a team from Drew & Napier led by Senior Counsel Cavinder Bull, while Singh is self-represented.A case management conference is a court-mandated meeting which takes place in private and is intended to enhance efficiency, such as by narrowing issues.Under the Legal Profession Act 1996, the Law Society of Singapore may apply for a disciplinary tribunal to be convened.It then hears and investigates the matter and decides whether disciplinary action is warranted.

Passengers travelling by ferry between Singapore and Batam in Indonesia will have to pay an additional fuel surcharge from Thursday (March 12) due to higher oil prices. Conflict in the Middle East has led to volatile oil prices, and ferry operators like Horizon Fast Ferry, Batamfast and Majestic Fast Ferry have implemented such fuel surcharges to combat higher operational costs.All passengers on trips from Singapore to Batam will have to fork out a $6 surcharge per ticket, regardless if their tickets were purchased prior to March 12 or from the effective date onward. Meanwhile, trips from Batam to Singapore will be subject to a surcharge of IDR65,000 (S$4.92). Additionally, Batamfast will also be charging passengers travelling to Desaru Coast and Pengelih, locations in Malaysia, $12 and $6 respectively. 

A 34-year-old man was charged in court on Thursday (March 12) for allegedly trafficking etomidate vaporiser pods in Geylang. Ng Ee Keong, Ben, was arrested along Geylang Lorong 35 on Tuesday morning during a Health Sciences Authority (HSA) enforcement operation. A total of six vaporiser pods, four bottles of cough syrup and prescription medicines including more than 900 tablets were seized from Ng's car. Subsequent laboratory testing confirmed that the pods contained etomidate. Charges for the alleged supply of cough syrup and prescription medicines are pending further investigation. Ng will return to court on April 9. Tougher laws on vapes, heavier penalties from May 1Parliament on March 6 passed new anti-vaping laws, which are expected to come into force on May 1. 

A 40-year-old Chinese man is set to be charged in Johor after amended anti-littering laws came into effect on New Year's Day this year. He will be the first of five Singaporeans — nabbed in Johor for littering — to be charged in court there. They were caught between Jan 1 and 12. Earlier in January, AsiaOne reported that the first Singaporean to be booked for littering was caught on Jan 1, while another two male Singaporeans were caught on Jan 3. The fourth and fifth cases involved a 30-year-old male Singaporean and 40-year-old male Singaporean. They were booked on Jan 12 and 14 respectively.