SINGAPORE — Japanese restaurant chain Itacho Sushi appears to have shuttered all its outlets in Singapore, following a spate of closures here in the past year.As at March 15, the four remaining Itacho Sushi outlets were listed on Google Maps as permanently closed. These outlets were located at Ion Orchard, Bugis Junction, The Star Vista and Novena Square 2.They had been listed on Itacho Sushi's website — which is down — according to a Nov 12, 2025, archived snapshot. This follows closures of the chain's other outlets at Tampines Mall and Bedok Mall within a year.Checks on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook on March 15 showed that the company's Singapore accounts had been taken down too. The Itacho Sushi mobile app was also not available on the Google Play Store and App Store.According to the Government's Bizfile portal, Itacho BM, which operates the Singapore chain of restaurants, is listed as being «gazetted to be struck off» the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority's Register of Companies. The notice was first published in the Government Gazette on Feb 13.

SINGAPORE — Between 2023 and 2025, more than 20 doctors and dentists here were caught practising without a valid registration or after their practising certificates had expired.No patient was harmed in the cases reported and investigated, the Ministry of Health (MOH) told The Straits Times.MOH said these errant practitioners were formally trained practitioners who did not have the necessary or valid credentials, mainly due to issues that were «administrative in nature and not related to professional competency».In several instances, the practitioners had unintentionally continued practising after their practising certificates had expired, it said.But in the light of the cases, MOH sent a circular on Feb 6 to remind all licensees under the Healthcare Services Act and its Regulations, including general practitioners and dental clinics, to have proper credential verification processes in place.

An elderly man was spotted screaming and physically abusing a woman on a public bus recently.In an Instagram post by Sgfollowsall on Friday (March 13), a contributor shared that he was travelling onboard service bus number 36B when he witnessed the man shouting at the woman after she told him to put his bags on the floor instead of the seat beside him.From the video posted, he was seen hurling insults at the woman seated opposite him: «Oh shut up, sh*t face.»At one point, he also shouted at the woman that while she has a «master's degree, lots of money and a big family», she had «no face».The woman replied calmly that she doesn't have a master's degree and he mocked her.When the man realised she was recording him with her mobile phone, he got physical, using his phone to hit her while screaming: «Don't you dare use your phone.»The contributor intervened to stop his behaviour, but he continued to strike her, and at this point, the woman also raised her voice.

The Housing Development Board (HDB) has released a statement after a woman took to TikTok to share that she had failed to secure a Build-To-Order (BTO) flat after '13 applications'. In a Facebook post on March 14, HDB said that the woman had applied 11 times for a four-room flat in BTO and Sales of Balance Flats (SBF) exercises between November 2020 and May 2023.«As all her applications were for flats in popular locations such as Kallang Whampoa and Bukit Merah where demand significantly exceeded supply, she was unsuccessful in securing a chance to book a flat in her first 10 applications,» said HDB. «In her last application under the May 2023 SBF exercise, Ms Chua was invited to select a flat but decided not to do so. She eventually bought a resale flat with CPF Housing Grants.» 

A man purchased a set of 'love talismans' hoping to improve his love life, but was later almost 'tricked' to spend even more money.In a report by Shin Min Daily News on Saturday (March 14), the man, who wished to remain anonymous, shared that he has a habit of purchasing fengshui accessories to improve his luck.At the beginning of this year, he saw an advertisement on Shopee about the sales of love talismans to help the owner improve their romantic luck and find their destined partner.The talismans were priced between $7 and $34. The man purchased a set at $34.

The longstanding and close working relationship between Singapore and Malaysia law enforcement agencies received a boost on March 10 when the Police Coast Guard (PCG) met with its Johor counterparts to break fast (iftar) together at sea.In a video posted on its social media, three Johor Marine Police patrol craft are seen coming alongside each other off what appears to be Johor's coastline. As the sun sets in the distance, two PCG patrol craft approach the Malaysian patrol craft and come alongside them.Moments later, PCG commander's Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SAC) Ang Eng Seng is seen boarding one of the Malaysian craft.He was received by deputy commander of Bukit Aman Marine Police, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Zulkifli Mahmood and commander of the Johor Marine Police (Region Two) ACP Noor Azman Jamal. Law enforcement officers from both sides then broke fast together and exchanged mementos before the Singaporean officers left in their craft.

An upset laundromat customer filed a police report after an elderly man allegedly stole their clothes from a Sparklewash laundromat. The incident happened on March 12 at about 1.40am at 324 Serangoon Avenue 3. In CCTV footage shared on Instagram page sgfollowsall on Friday (March 13), the elderly man is seen wheeling an empty trolley over to four washing machines. He looks around before opening one of the machines and slowly pulling out all the clothes, piling them onto his trolley. [embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/DVz7pubDPt5/[/embed]He then quickly wheels his loot away, leaving the washing machine door ajar. The customer whose clothes were 'stolen' said that this is not the first time the man has done so. «Seems that he is always loitering [near the laundromat] between 1am and 3am to see if there is anyone or any laundry there,» they shared. «If anyone knows this man, could you ask them to contact me? Thank you so much.»The customer added that they had filed a police report. 

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.»