Five persons were taken to hospital after a horror crash on the Seletar Expressway (SLE) on Saturday (March 14) morning.The five-vehicle pile-up — involving two trucks, two lorries and a motorcycle — happened at about 10am along SLE towards Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE), after the Upper Thomson Road exit.Dashcam footage seen by AsiaOne shows a tipper truck on the leftmost lane driving into two lorries ahead of it, crushing them. The impact sent the two lorries crashing into the rear of a waste collection truck, before they «flew» across two lanes to hit an oncoming motorcycle.Another video of the aftermath shows the two lorries with their cabins badly crushed. Debris such as fastening lashes used for lifting and transportation of cargo are strewn across the road.

For Madam Lina (not her real name), plans for Hari Raya is about making sure her children experience the joy of celebration.«I want my children to be able to experience Hari Raya. Even though two of them are autistic, they can still understand and feel the joy and atmosphere,» she said.The 49-year-old stay-home mum takes care of the two sons, aged 10 and nine, both of whom have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and are non-verbal.For her husband, 45-year-old Ahmad (not his real name), preparing for Hari Raya has also not been easy as he is the sole breadwinner in a household of seven, and the mover brings home less than $2,000 a month.Lina recalled how difficult the festive season had been in the past.«There was a time when we didn't even have enough to cook for Hari Raya,» she said.But on Saturday (March 14), preparations for the festive season became a little easier for the family when volunteers arrived at their Yishun home with a bag filled with festive treats and Ramadan essentials.

A 36-year-old motorcyclist died after colliding with a taxi on the Seletar Expressway (SLE) in the early hours of Thursday (March 12).A video posted on Facebook by SG Road Vigilante on Friday (March 13) initially shows dashcam footage of a Comfort DelGro taxi stationary on the third lane of the expressway, with its hazard lights on and passenger side door open.The motorcycle seems to have crashed into the same taxi.Stills from the same video show the aftermath of the incident, with the back of the taxi crumpled and the motorcycle severely damaged with debris strewn across the road. Blood can be seen on the back window of the taxi and on the road.Another dashcam clip shows motorists standing around the wreckage with their phone torches on, alerting others of the road accident.

When Tiong Jia En's mother lost her sense of smell due to Covid-19 in 2021, she was none the wiser.Her mother, who enjoys cooking, began to ask her for help with little things, from taste-testing food to smelling if milk was going bad.«She subtly gave me hints,» the 19-year-old told AsiaOne on Thursday (March 12). «But I never picked up on it immediately that there was something wrong.»I just thought like it was normal, maybe… she just wanted to include me in the cooking experience.«It was only two years later in 2023 when Tiong brought something to her mother to smell that she started to realise something was amiss.»I kept repeatedly asking her over different [occasions] to smell different things. And then that's when it occurred to me that there might be an issue there that she's not willing to say out loud.«When I persisted, that was when she actually admitted to me that she hasn't been able to smell since Covid-19 happened.»While she does enjoy helping out her mother in the kitchen, it came as a bittersweet experience for her.

Amid US President Donald Trump’s new unfair trade practices probe into excess industrial capacity in 16 major trading partners, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has launched a second investigation on 60 economies, including Singapore.The latest investigation relates to acts, policies, and practices associated with the importation of goods produced with forced labour.USTR Jamieson Greer said on Thursday (March 12) that he wanted countries to enforce ban on goods produced with forced labour, similar to those enshrined in a nearly century-old trade law.Responding to the investigations on forced labour, Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said on Friday night that it will engage the USTR on the investigations.The 60 economies under investigations include Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.These also include the 16 economies which are the subject of investigations relating to structural excess capacity and production in manufacturing sectors.

A batch of processed food from China is being recalled after Singapore Food Agency (SFA) detected the presence of sulphur dioxide — an allergen — in them. The food additive was not declared in the packaging label.Y K Pte Ltd, the importer of the affected product — Longan Pulp (500g) — has been directed to recall them, the agency said on Friday (March 13) night.One batch of the product, with a production date of January 2026, is being recalled.SFA said that while sulphite does not pose a food safety issue to consumers at large, those who are intolerant of, or allergic to, sulphites may either develop or experience hives, itchiness, stomach ache, diarrhoea, or vomiting.Those who have purchased the affected product, and are intolerant of or allergic to sulphites, should not consume them. They may contact their point of purchase for enquiries.Persons who have consumed the implicated product should seek medical advice if they have concerns about their health. Under Singapore's food regulations, food products containing ingredients which are known to cause hypersensitivity must be declared on food packaging labels.

A truck with a trailer tipped over after making an ill-fated turn on Thursday (Feb 12), dropping a large metal cylinder on the road.As seen in car dashcam footage posted to Facebook by SG Road Vigilante on Friday, the truck pulls out of a construction site and attempts to make a sharp left turn to get onto Sengkang East Road.However, a large metal cylinder slides and tips the vehicle onto its right and rolls onto the road before coming to a stop on the median.Some netizens were bemused, wondering if the driver was qualified for carrying the load, while others joked about the incident.«Luckily that thing didn't roll back to Buangkok,» a comment read.Another commenter said: «Wrong trailer used. Should use a lowbed trailer for this load.»  

The police are appealing for information on the whereabouts of a 15-year-old girl, Lilyana Lim. In a news release on Friday (March 13) night, the police said she was last seen in the vicinity of Block 12 Eunos Crescent at about 9pm on March 10. The said address is part of a HDB precinct located next to Eunos Crescent Market and Food Centre.Those with information are urged to contact the police hotline at 999 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness.All information will be kept strictly confidential, the police said.[[nid:730528]]editor@asiaone.com 

A 38-year-old Singaporean man will be charged in court on Saturday (March 14) for his alleged involvement in a case of government official impersonation scam involving losses of over $920,000.He is believed to have abetted by conspiracy to possess or use property from criminal conduct, police said on Friday (March 13).Police said they received a report from a female victim on Feb 10 who had received a call from an unknown person claiming to be from HSBC bank. The person informed her of a credit card under her name.When the victim denied having a credit card issued by the bank, the call was transferred to a person claiming to be from the Ministry of Law, and later to another person claiming to be from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.She was then told that she was involved in a case of money laundering and that her valuables were to be handed over for safekeeping purposes during the investigation.The victim ended up handing over valuables consisting gold and luxury watches worth more than $920,000 over two occasions to different individuals. A report was lodged after the victim realised that she was scammed.

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.