A 31-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday (June 24) for allegedly molesting an 11-year-old girl in Woodlands.In a news release on Thursday afternoon, the police said the alleged offence happened at about 8.30pm on June 23 in the vicinity of Woodlands Drive 50.Checks by AsiaOne show that the stretch of road runs through several HDB precincts, including Woodlands Primary School.The man was identified and arrested by officers from Woodlands Police Division and the Criminal Investigation Department through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from police cameras.He was arrested within a day of the report being made.If found guilty of outage of modesty, he faces a jail term of up to 10 years, along with mandatory caning. The police advised victims of molestation to move away from perpetrators and call the police immediately when it is safe to do so. Where possible and safe, victims should try to note key details such as the perpetrator's physical appearance, clothing, the time and location of the incident. [[nid:737395]]editor@asiaone.com 

A Singaporean photographer got off a flight and was greeted with «disbelief» after he was informed that Cristiano Ronaldo had reposted his pictures on Instagram.Freelance sports photographer Edmund Wong was in Houston to shoot the Portugal vs Uzbekistan match at the 2026 World Cup, when he managed to snap a couple of candid shots of the Portuguese superstar on the field.Much to Wong's «disbelief», the photos were later shared by Ronaldo, 41, to his 668 million Instagram followers, but without crediting Wong.The match, which saw Portugal win 4-0, also featured the football star's first two goals of the tournament.An emotional moment ensued on the field where Ronaldo's teammates hugged him after his first goal — that was immortalised by Wong in one of his photos, which he managed to capture with a bird's-eye view.This photo was reposted by Ronaldo on his account, which has since garnered eight million likes.However, Wong, a Fifa-accredited photographer, was not credited or tagged anywhere in the caption.

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Wednesday (June 24) conveyed Singapore's condolences to Timor-Leste after the passing of its former president Francisco Guterres. The 71-year-old served as Timor-Leste's president from 2017 to 2022, following decades of political and armed struggle that led to the nation's independence from Indonesia in May 2002.He won the 2017 presidential election to become the nation's sixth president, but was defeated in a run-off by Nobel laureate Ramos-Horta, when he ran for re-election in 2022.In his letter on behalf of Singaporeans, President Tharman said Guterres devoted his life to Timor-Leste.«In the struggle for independence and later as president, he played a crucial role in strengthening Timor-Leste's democratic institutions and fostering national unity,» President Tharman wrote.He added that Guterres' commitment and contributions towards the building of a sovereign and independent Timor-Leste will long be remembered.

For one former domestic helper, the bond she formed with a Singapore family endured long after her years of service.Five years after Marilou Serrano Galindo, 54, returned home to the Philippines, she reunited with her former employer Tan Teck Lee, who had taken his wife, three daughters and son-in-law to Maddela, Quirino province to visit her.Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, the 63-year-old Tan said Marilou remained in close contact with his family throughout the years.Their trip to her hometown, which lasted from June 8 to 16, began with about 11 hours of travel, including a flight to Manila, a domestic flight and a two-hour car ride.«We went boating, enjoyed the scenery, ate local food, celebrated Marilou's birthday together and took many photos, creating happy memories,» said Tan, adding that the trip felt like a large family gathering.In a Facebook post shared on Wednesday (June 17), Marilou's family recounted her difficult early years working in Singapore. 

Two Singaporean men were charged by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Thursday (June 25) for harbouring and employing immigration offenders.In a news release on the same day, ICA listed 62-year-old Kamarulzaman Yahaya and 27-year-old Mohamad Elfie Hakim Bin Lokman as the two charged.Kamarulzaman is accused of harbouring a 54-year-old Filipina who had remained unlawfully in Singapore after her visit pass expired on April 28, 2003.The woman, Leonardo Federigan Leonora, was subsequently found guilty, sentenced to six months' imprisonment and fined $2,000. She has since completed her sentence, deported and barred from re-entering Singapore.Investigations revealed that Kamarulzaman had allowed Leonara to live in his Bedok unit for 22 years — from March 2004 to March 20206 — despite knowing that she had overstayed in Singapore.In the second case, Elfie was charged for employing a 26-year-old Indian national who had remained unlawfully in Singapore after his visit pass expired on June 17, 2025.Kakadiya Avanit Rajubhai was later fined $4,000. He has since been deported and barred from re-entering Singapore.

A 25-year-old male motorcyclist and a 21-year-old woman riding pillon died in the wee hours of Thursday (June 25) after their bike skidded in Yio Chu Kang.Responding to media queries, the police said they were alerted to the accident along Yio Chu Kang Road at about 3.35am.The motorcycle is believed to have skidded, the police said.Paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force pronounced the duo dead at the scene.A video posted on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu show two blue police tents on the left-most lane, which had been cordoned off.A toppled motorcycle is seen slightly ahead.At least three police vehicles and about 10 officers are seen at the accident site.The deceased were believed to be a couple, reported Shin Min Daily News.Police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:738811]]lim.kewei@asiaone.com

The police are appealing for information on the whereabouts of a 12-year-old teenage girl, Koon Hui Lin, who was last seen in Ang Mo Kio.Police said in a news release on Thursday (June 25) that Hui Lin was last seen at about 10am on Wednesday at Block 131 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, wearing a black t-shirt and grey pants.The address is in the vicinity of Ang Mo Kio Town Garden and the popular Ang Mo Kio Park McDonald's. Anyone with information is urged to contact the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness.All information will be kept strictly confidential.[[nid:735166]]editor@asiaone.com 

Having recently fallen victim to a scam, a Singaporean mother nearly dismissed a call she thought was another fraud attempt — only to discover she had won $10,000 prize in a Sheng Siong-Foodpanda launch campaign.To mark their partnership, the two companies launched a campaign from June 22 to July 19 offering customers who order Sheng Siong via Foodpanda a chance to win $10,000 in cash, with one winner announced daily. Nabeelah was named the campaign's first winner on Tuesday (June 23). The 31-year-old told AsiaOne that she had just woken up when the call came through on Tuesday. Believing it might be a hoax, she remained cautious and said it took a while for the reality of her win to sink in.«Once I realised it was genuine, I was shocked and excited… it honestly felt like a dream,» she described, adding that it was a big surprise for her and her husband.

A floating fish farm along the waterways near Pulau Ubin caught fire on Wednesday (June 24) night.The fire started after lightning struck moored fishing boats in the area, engulfing them in flames, reported 8world.It then spread to at least two neighbouring floating fish farms in the vicinity, with operators estimating huge financial losses due to the incident.The fire reportedly went on for two hours, with four police boats, two SCDF vessels and a tugboat spotted at the scene attempting to extinguish the blaze.Nobody was in the affected farm when the fire occurred, 8world reported, adding that other workers in the neighbouring fish farms had assisted in containing the fire.The Fish Farmers Association of Singapore (FFAS) stated that at least two fish farms were damaged in the fire, and estimated that the financial losses were rather substantial.FFAS chairman Daniel Tay said that the association had met with the owners of the affected fish farms, who were all «frustrated» at the incident.«We usually farm sea bass, snappers and groupers in this area, and these are all high-value fishes,» he said.

Two individuals, including a 17-year-old, were caught for vaping and underage smoking during enforcement operations carried out by the Health Sciences Authority's (HSA) last week.In a media statement on Thursday (June 25), HSA said the duo were caught during operations conducted at Bugis, Somerset and Yishun between June 18 and 20.During its operations, HSA officers detected a 44-year-old man vaping, and seized his vaporiser. He was issued a fine on the spot.Meanwhile, a 17-year-old male teen was caught for underage smoking and referred to the Health Promotion Board for cessation counselling.HSA stated that such operations are part of its ongoing enforcement patrols to detect vape-related offences.

Singapore's port has been named best globally at the Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain (AFLAS) Awards 2026 on Wednesday (June 24).The annual awards are organised by Asia Cargo News, a fortnightly logistics and supply chains publication to recognise leading logistics and supply chain service providers.In a media release on Thursday, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said this is the fifth time the Port of Singapore has been named «Best Global Seaport».It was also awarded the same accolade in 2025.MPA chief executive Ang Wee Keong said the award reflects the collective efforts of the entire maritime community in strengthening Singapore's position as a leading global hub port.«As supply chains evolve and new challenges emerge, we will continue to invest in innovation, infrastructure, and talent to keep Singapore resilient, connected, and future-ready,» he added.According to AFLAS, winners are determined from over 15,000 readers who nominate and vote across 49 award categories

SINGAPORE — There is a high risk of severe haze blanketing the region in the second half of the year, due to the return of El Nino, as well as increased deforestation spurred by biofuel demand.The warming El Nino climate phenomenon is expected to create a longer and stronger dry season at a time when fire readiness could be compromised by economic uncertainty and budget pressures, said the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) in its annual haze outlook report.This is the second time since its annual outlooks began in 2019 that the think-tank has put out a red alert. The first was in 2023, also an El Nino year when Singapore experienced haze over a weekend in October.El Nino refers to the warming of the sea surface over the eastern Pacific, leading to hotter and drier weather over the region. Scientists predict that this cycle could be a super El Nino, putting 2026 and 2027 on track for exceptionally sizzling years.At the same time, another climate phenomenon called the positive Indian Ocean Dipole is expected to develop in July or August.