If you were thinking of saving on power bills in the second half of March, you might want to think again.Remaining days of the month are expected to be warm, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) said on Monday (March 16).Prevailing northeast monsoon conditions are expected to continue, with winds blowing mainly from the northwest or northeast, MSS said.Short-duration thundery showers can be expected in the afternoons over some parts of the island, with dry and warm days towards the end of the month.The second half of March is projected to be less wet than the first, with total rainfall below average across most of Singapore.Overall, there will be more warm days in the second half of the month.Daily maximum temperatures are set to range between 34 deg C and 35 deg C on most days, while less cloudy days may see temperatures exceed 35 deg C.

A total of 11 Nepalese nationals, aged between 21 and 43, were arrested on March 10 for overstaying after the expiry of their visit passes.The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a joint statement on Monday (March 16) that they conducted a joint enforcement operation at various locations, targeting food and beverage establishments suspected of employing immigration offenders.Two male Singaporeans who allegedly employed two of the 11 immigration offenders are now under investigation.The agencies said that further investigations are ongoing to identify other individuals who may have harboured or employed these immigration offenders.

Train service between Tanah Merah and Expo MRT stations on the East-West Line (EWL) will resume on Tuesday (March 17), a day ahead of schedule.In a statement posted on its Facebook on Monday evening, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced that planned works, which were scheduled to end on Tuesday, were completed ahead of schedule due to the teams' effective coordination and good weather.It added that Changi Depot has been successfully disconnected from the EWL, as part of the final track works for the East Coast Integrated Depot (ECID).The authority also assured commuters that comprehensive tests to ensure safe operations, including safety and ultrasonic checks on tracks, power supply and signalling systems, were carried out prior to the announcement.Shuttle bus service S8, which plied the route between the two stations during the period of, will also cease operations from Tuesday afternoon.

From Monday (March 16) to May 3, commuters will be greeted by Hari Raya-themed decorations on selected buses, trains and 10 MRT stations across the public transport network.This is a collaboration between the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the Malay Heritage Centre, as well as public transport operators SBS Transit, SMRT, Go-Ahead Singapore and Tower Transit Singapore. Hari Raya-themed decorations on a MRT train. PHOTO: AsiaOne/Shafiq Apandi Commuters can catch the decorations on selected trains on all six rail lines — Circle Line, Downtown Line, East-West Line, North-East Line, North-South Line and Thomson-East Coast Line — as well as bus services 30, 51, 67, 147, 190, 960 and 963.

SINGAPORE — When logistics executive Azree Aslan was told he had been retrenched in April 2025, he had about 30 minutes left in the working day.«You don't have time to let it sink in,» said the 37-year-old, recalling the eventful day.With a young family to support, he learnt about the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme only a few days later and applied for it, which provided financial relief.His experience reflects a wider debate now unfolding over whether companies should be required to notify the authorities and unions before retrenching workers, rather than after layoffs have already been announced.The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is pushing for advance notice, but the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) warned that the proposal carries «significant implementation challenges and uncertain benefits».The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said it will review NTUC's proposal as part of a broader relook of the Employment Act.Under current MOM rules, employers with at least 10 employees must notify the ministry within five days after retrenching workers, regardless of the number affected. 

Two women were arrested at their HDB flat in North Bridge Road after allegedly attacking their neighbour on March 13 and are being investigated for drug-related offences.An argument had broken out between the two women and their male neighbour on the 11th floor, reported Lianhe Zaobao.Replying to AsiaOne's queries, the police confirmed the incident and said they received a call for assistance at Block 7 North Bridge Road at around 4.05pm that day.Upon arrival, the police found that a 57-year-old woman had locked herself in her home after she allegedly got into an altercation with a 56-year-old man. Officers from the Special Operations Command, Crisis Negotiation Unit and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) were also activated after it was assessed that the woman posed a danger to herself. According to the SCDF, one safety life air pack was deployed as a precautionary measure.Police officers subsequently managed to gain entry into the unit and found two female occupants at around 5.05pm.

Educators under several teaching schemes will receive salary hike from Oct 1, said the

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will visit Japan from March 17 (Tuesday) to March 19 for an official visit as part of his introductory visits to key partners in the region. This will be his first visit to the country as head of government. PM Wong, who is also Finance Minister, has visited neighbouring Southeast Asian countries and key partners in Asia, such as China and South Korea, since taking over the premiership from Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong in May 2024.«The upcoming visit coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Japan,» the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement on Monday.

Singapore's consumer watchdog has urged fuel companies in Singapore to «exercise greater transparency and restraint» in pump price adjustments after they raised prices for five consecutive days last week. The comments were made by Consumer Association of Singapore (Case) president Melvin Yong at the association's 55th anniversary and partners' appreciation dinner on Sunday (March 15). In his speech, Yong noted that consumers today face new and evolving concerns, such as those faced by motorists given the sharp rise in petrol prices. «Within just a few days, several petrol operators raised pump prices multiple times. However, when international oil prices fell as reported in local news last week, local oil companies continued raising the price of 95-octane gasoline,» Yong said.He added that consumers are aware that global events and geopolitical tensions can affect oil markets: «When oil prices go up, pump prices move up quickly. But when global prices fall, consumers expect those savings to be reflected just as quickly.»

SINGAPORE — PropertyLimBrothers (PLB) is tightening governance after a leadership controversy that triggered widespread online speculation about the company's senior executives.The real estate agency will introduce a formal code of conduct, which could include rules on workplace relationships, professional behaviour and dress codes.The aim is to strengthen accountability and create a safer working environment, said PLB co-founder Adrian Lim in an exclusive interview with The Straits Times on March 9.The agency has also launched a whistle-blowing channel for property agents and other employees to raise their concerns anonymously. Serious breaches could result in disciplinary action, including termination, Mr Lim said.PLB was thrust into the spotlight in late January following allegations about an extramarital affair between the firm's second co-founder and former chief executive Melvin Lim and Ms Grayce Tan, who was then vice-president of strategy.

A person was seen on video tossing a fistful of soil in the direction of two workers at a construction site at an HDB estate, allegedly because of noise.The act was filmed by the culprit, and the video was subsequently uploaded to the Sgfollowsall Instagram page on Sunday (March 15).In the clip, the errant individual grabs some loose soil from a potted plant on their balcony and flings the soil over the railing.A construction worker downstairs immediately stands up and looks in the direction of the camera. The worker, who is believed to have been hit by the soil, touches the top of his helmet.«Make so much noise right now,» reads the in-video text.According to Sgfollowsall, the clip had been submitted by an anonymous user, who claimed that a boy had thrown the soil. It is not clear when and where the incident occurred.The Instagram Reel has garnered 285,000 views in a day and sparked outrage online.«Hospitals, USS, Zoo, every building in this country is built by foreign workers. In fact, the place you call home is built by them and this is how you treat them,» chastised a netizen.

Following a series of recalls involving infant milk formulas in January this year over the presence of cereulide toxin, two additional formula milk products are being recalled over the same issue. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on Sunday (March 15) ordered the recall of Nestle's NAN HA2 and Nature One Dairy's Premium Toddler Milk Formula Stage 3. Cereulide is a toxin produced by some strains of the Bacillus cereus bacterium, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea. Both SFA and the Communicable Diseases Agency said in a joint statement that the detection follows the expansion of testing of infant formula milk products to include those intended for children above one year old. SFA added that the recall for Nestle's NAN HA2 follows its ongoing market surveillance after it earlier completed testing of all infant formula products sold at major retail outlets in Singapore. The affected Nestle and Nature One Dairy products originated from Switzerland and Australia respectively. 

A recycling truck caught fire at a HDB block in Tampines on Saturday (March 14). The incident happened at about 6.40pm near Block 319 Tampines Street 33. Videos of the incident posted on social media showed flames burning through the roof of the collection tank — mounted at the rear of the truck — belonging to waste management company 800 Super. Firefighters from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) were seen using a water jet to cool the tank. As the fire smouldered, the truck driver was seen unloading the contents of the tank onto the driveway as officers sieved through the recyclable waste to put out the flames. Firefighting operations appeared to have extended past sunset with another video showing officers still conducting dampening down after the skies turned dark.Responding to AsiaOne's queries, SCDF said the fire involved the rear compartment of a recycling truck and officers extinguished the fire using a water jet. There were no reported injuries and investigations are ongoing. [[nid:731455]]editor@asiaone.com

A 53-year-old male driver was arrested on Sunday (March 15) for suspected drink driving after the lorry he was driving got into an accident with a taxi. The incident happened at about 1.55pm along Bendemeer Road towards Jalan Besar. Pictures of the aftermath seen by AsiaOne show the lorry with damages to its bumper and headlamp on the right side.The man, who was initially questioned by a traffic police outrider, was later arrested by officers who arrived in an expressway patrol car. AsiaOne understands that the man is an Indian national employed by a local construction firm in Geylang.

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.