A child was taken to the hospital after their footwear became trapped in an escalator at Bugis Junction on Wednesday (April 22) afternoon.In a video shared on Xiaohongshu on Wednesday (April 22), a group of people can be seen gathered around an escalator, with some using torchlights, while security personnel appeared to be rendering assistance.According to the video, the injured child is believed to be Caucasian.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call for assistance from 20, Victoria Street at about 12.30pm. Upon arrival, a child's right foot was seen trapped at the side of an escalator.Using rescue equipment, SCDF freed the foot and send the child to KK Women's and Children's Hospital. In a statement on Wednesday, a Bugis Junction spokesperson confirmed the incident, saying that a shopper’s footwear was caught while riding one of the mall's escalators. 

A couple in Bukit Batok had a surprising encounter with nature when they spotted a baby owl sitting atop a car and took care of it until NParks officers arrived to collect the little bird on April 18. The incident took place at a carpark near Block 213 Bukit Batok Street 21. Dyah, a marketing manager, told AsiaOne that her husband Fazrin first spotted the owlet from a distance perched atop a car at around 11.55am. He quickly contacted Dyah and asked her to report the incident to NParks. Dyah, who was home at the time, hurried downstairs to check on the owlet as she was «worried it might get injured or dehydrated». She carefully approached the bird and contacted NParks through their hotline. An officer asked if she could send photos of the owlet and place the raptor in a box or safe container. Dyah, who said she would go dumpster diving to «save the fluffy cute baby owl», saw a blue recycling bin nearby and searched for a suitable cardboard box. 

A 51-year-old man will be charged in court on Thursday (April 23) for his alleged involvement in deceiving an insurance company of more than $12,000 by submitting fake medical invoices.Police said in a news release on Wednesday that he was employed as a principal consultant with a local company between 2023 and 2025.He had allegedly submitted 48 forged medical invoices to an insurance company to make fraudulent claims on reimbursements, including for his dependents who were covered by his employer's group insurance policy.Using original invoices from medical institutions as templates, he is said to have forged subsequent invoices using his office laptop.According to the police, he successfully defrauded the insurance company of over $12,000 in claims over the three-year period of his employment.Last year, he attempted to make additional fraudulent claims of more than $2,500 through nine forged invoices but were unsuccessful.

A Malaysian couple's ambition to secure a better future for their children resulted in losses of over $80,000 when they fell victim to a scam that promised them permanent residency in Singapore.The couple, originally from Johor Bahru, had been working in Singapore for several years and told Shin Min Daily News they wanted to obtain Permanent Resident (PR) status.Tan, the 28-year-old-wife, said that she had come across a Facebook listing that claimed to help with Singapore PR applications last April.The advertisement used phrases like «career planning» and «stable path», which drew Tan's attention and caused her to contact the advertiser.Tan and her husband were initially asked to provide their work permits and identification cards to verify their eligibility for the application.After receiving confirmation, they were given an «Application Process and Fee List», which required them to pay an application fee of $100, a deposit of $200, and a «document verification fee» of $1,200 each.

SINGAPORE —A man who promised to marry a Singaporean woman, only to make her perform sex work in Dubai later, has been convicted of human trafficking.The woman contracted an undisclosed sexually transmitted disease and flew back to Singapore.On April 22, District Judge Eugene Teo found Italian citizen Achraf Arjaouy, 31, guilty of the offence following a trial.In convicting Achraf, the judge said that the woman’s evidence was “backed up by incriminating WhatsApp messages”, some of which were from the offender.Judge Teo also noted that Achraf had denied trafficking the victim, identified as V1 in court documents.Achraf had earlier said that the evidence she gave was “incredible”, given her physical appearance, and that it was simply not believable that she would have successfully become a sex worker.In response to this, Judge Teo said that the nature of this argument was “objectionable”, adding: “It is objectively an argument that draws its strength from standing on top of the proposition that only particular physical properties are capable of being attractive.”

A 25-year-old Portuguese man was arrested at Changi Airport Terminal 2 for attempting to smuggle approximately 36.3kg of cannabis into Singapore.In a press release on Wednesday (April 22), the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said the man had arrived on April 14 and was scheduled to depart the following day.On the evening of his arrival, the man was directed for further checks by K-9 officers from the Singapore Police Force, who were conducting operations at Changi Airport Terminal 2's baggage screening channels.During the checks, ICA officers found multiple packets believed to contain controlled drugs in his luggage. Officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau were immediately alerted and carried out further checks.A total of 68 packets of drugs were subsequently found and these packets were later determined to contain approximately 36.3kg of cannabis, said ICA. Investigations are ongoing. Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, those who import or export more than 500g of cannabis into or from Singapore may face the death penalty.[[nid:733974]]xingying.koh@asiaone.com

A 54-year-old Singapore permanent resident was fined after being convicted on one count of carrying out unauthorised works to a conserved shophouse at 32 Desker Road.The man, Manickam Nagarajan, was fined $250,000 according to a press release by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on Wednesday (April 22).Layan Management, the owner of the shophouse, was also fined $150,000 for allowing Nagarajan to carry out the unauthorised works.Layan was also handed an additional charge for failing to appoint a qualified person to supervise works on-site, and is required to reinstate and restore the building at its own cost.According to URA, Nagarajan had purchased the shophouse through Layan in October 2022.The shophouse is located in Little India, which is one of four historic districts in Singapore where the strictest form of building conservation is practised. At the time of purchase, the shophouse was in its original form with key architectural features intact.

A motorcyclist was rear-ended by a Toyota Sienta on the expressway after it veered between lanes and nicked the multi-purpose vehicle with its rear wheel. According to a Facebook post by SGRV Admin on Monday (April 20), the accident occurred along the PIE at 1.45pm that day. Dashcam footage from a vehicle on the second lane showed the motorcyclist initially riding on the second lane with his right signal light on, before filtering left to the third lane. The rider then swerves from the third lane to the first lane. The dashcam driver immediately brakes to avoid a collision but the Toyota Sienta on the first lane was unable to do so in time.  

The number of dengue infections in Singapore has continued to fall, with a 29.2 per cent drop in the opening quarter of the year.There were 410 cases reported from January to March, down from 579 cases from October to December last year, according to figures by the National Environment Agency (NEA) on Tuesday (April 21).Dengue cases fell by about 66 per cent from 1,222 in the same period last year.One death was reported in the last three months, the agency said.It also identified 24 clusters from January to March, a decrease of about 56 per cent from the previous quarter.Among the 24 clusters, 22 were closed in the same period.The number of mosquito breeding habitats fell by about 36 per cent in the first quarter of 2026.NEA had announced in March that Project Wolbachia — an effort to prevent the spread of dengue by controlling the mosquito population — will expand to five more areas in Singapore.The programme, which will see the release of male mosquitoes carrying the Wolbachia bacteria, will be rolled out to Bukit Panjang, Little India, Pioneer, Toa Payoh and Ang Mo Kio between April and October.

A netizen was amused when he spotted one little feline dressed and ready for duty early in the morning at a Shell petrol station in Malaysia. Photos of the cat made its way onto a Threads post on Sunday (April 19) with the caption: «At six in the morning, when I was refuelling on the way to work, I saw this Shell staff ready to serve customers.» The post has since garnered over 270,000 views and nearly 38,000 likes as of Wednesday afternoon. Netizens were amused by the feline employee, with many praising its good work ethic. «He's good, he knows his job scope,» wrote one user.«I want to show my cat. Tell her to be a little proactive and find a job to buy kibbles and wet food, don't just expect it  from me,» wrote another. «Omg he has a uniform eh. Hahaha. Only no name tag. The economy is so bad, even the boss is forced to work to support their human,» teased one netizen. Others shared photos of cats dressed in similar outfits, including an orange cat named Jit Jit, who previously went viral for being the official mascot of a petrol station in Johor Bahru. 

The police have alerted the public on a scam variant involving fraudulent advertisements and posts on social media which allegedly claim to be able to assist with applications for Singapore permanent residency (PR). There have been about 24 such cases reported since January this year with losses amounting to about $397,000.In an advisory issued on Wednesday (April 22), the police said that victims would encounter such advertisements or posts on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. These advertisements/posts would offer services to obtain PR in Singapore. Victims would be misled by scammers into paying application fees and additional charges under the pretext of improving their chances of success through investment in companies, purchases of academic certifications and donations.Scammers may also provide forged shareholder certificates purportedly issued by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, school certificates and donation receipts to enhance their deception.They would then instruct the victims to make bank transfers or physically meet up with unknown persons to hand over cash.

SINGAPORE — Azalea, a unit of Singapore-based asset manager Seviora Holdings and indirectly owned by state investor Temasek, plans to launch an evergreen private equity fund later this year depending on market conditions, its top executive told Reuters.CEO and Chief Investment Officer Chue En Yaw said in a recent interview that the plan is part of the asset manager's mission to broaden access to private equity. Evergreen private equity funds are open-ended vehicles without a fixed end date, unlike traditional private equity funds that typically have a set lifespan.Under current Singapore regulations, only institutional and accredited investors, meaning investors who meet specified income, net worth or asset thresholds, can invest in private assets, according to Chue.Azalea was set up in 2015 to make private equity available to a wider pool of investors.Chue said Azalea is developing the product amid possible regulatory changes in Singapore that could eventually allow wider retail participation in long-term private market products.Retail access in Singapore would depend on future regulatory developments, he added.

A man from Singapore who accepted a video phone call from «Cid Police» was asked to present his bank card for «verification».Having realised that it was a con, the man deftly evaded the request and strung the fake cop along for another minute before the call was eventually cut.Facebook user Sunny Toh said last Saturday (April 18) that the scam call had come in as he was filming a separate, personal content for his TikTok account.A clip he shared online begins with him showing an incoming Google Meet call from an account with the email «cidpolice859@gmail.com», using the Singapore Police Force logo as their display picture.Toh answers the call, and the fraudster subsequently toggles on his camera to show himself in a police uniform and police cap against a blue backdrop.The caller introduces himself as «Michael from Singapore CID police» and claims that «some people» have used the man's bank account and are attempting to transfer out $1,000.«Your Singapore bank account is not safe, that's why we are calling to you,» the fake cop says.

The police are appealing for information on the whereabouts of 16-year-old Siti Nur Fatin Binte Abdullah. In a news release on Wednesday (April 22) morning, the police said she was last seen in the vicinity of Upper Thomson Road at about 8am on April 14.Siti was wearing a white T-shirt, black shorts, white shoes and carrying a black backpack. 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.[[nid:733763]]editor@asiaone.com

Durian lovers in Singapore and Malaysia can get ready to tuck into their king of fruits with the durian season now underway in Malaysia following prolonged hot weather and dry spells earlier this year.According to Malaysian media reports, the varieties which have hit the streets are the D604, Lipan and the Musang King. The D604 is a popular hybrid durian, also known to be one of the earliest to drop. For the uninitiated, the D604 is a fairly young variant originating from Balik Pulau in Penang. It purportedly hit the market in 1987 and often weighs more than 2kg. 

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and PSA Singapore are calling for proposals to develop and test autonomous inter-gateway feeder vessel operations within the Port of Singapore.In a joint press release on Wednesday (April 22), Singapore's port developer and operator said they have launched an expression of interest as part of efforts to explore autonomous technologies and assess their technological readiness, operational feasibility, and safety for use in port operations. These vessels will be used to move containers between terminals within the Port of Singapore, such as between Tuas and Pasir Panjang terminals.

A single phone call was all it took for a woman to lose $16,000 from her savings account.The 37-year-old, Yan (transliterated), had received a call on Feb 27 from someone claiming to be an employee at HSBC Bank, she told Shin Min Daily News.The employee told her that her account had been flagged for suspicious transactions on a new credit card, though Yan insisted that she had not applied for any new credit cards.The employee subsequently claimed that Yan's Singpass information must have been stolen and that the authorities would contact her for a follow-up investigation.Yan also told Shin Min that the supposed HSBC employee spoke fluent English with a local accent, and was even able to recall her full name and identification number, which made her more inclined to believe him.She later received another call from a man purporting to be a police officer, who told her that she was involved in a $2 million money laundering case.The man claimed the case was «highly confidential», and told Yan that she would be arrested if she released any information.