Behind every ordinary day in Singapore is the extraordinary dedication of servicemen and women from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), who work quietly and tirelessly to protect the city state's lifelines and livelihoods, said Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing.But he also pointed out that Singapore's success ultimately rests on the collective resolve of all Singaporeans to safeguard what previous generations have built, and to ensure that future generations can inherit a safe and secure Singapore.In his SAF Day 2026 message published on social media on Wednesday (July 1), the defence minister pointed to the SAF's work across all levels, emphasising the need to always get it right.«Each action signals our determination to get it right, first time, all the time. For our adversaries, they are looking to get it right one time, any time,» he explained.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will make a two-day official visit to Timor-Leste from July 2 to 3 — the first by a Singapore head of government to the Southeast Asian country.The trip also marks PM Wong's first visit to Timor-Leste as prime minister and reciprocates Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao's official visit to Singapore in July 2025, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said on Wednesday (July 1).While there, PM Wong will attend an official welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace and call on Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta.He will also meet with PM Gusmao, witness the signing of an agreement to establish bilateral consultations, and hold a joint press conference.During the visit, PM Gusmao will host Wong to a state banquet lunch, while President Ramos-Horta will confer on him the Order of Timor-Leste (Grand Collar).The award recognises Singapore's contributions to Timor-Leste's national development and support for the country's membership in the Association of Southeast Nations (Asean).

Singapore's newest statutory board, the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA), officially began operations on Wednesday (July 1), bringing together skills and workforce development, as well as employment functions under one roof.The new agency, formed through a merger of SkillsFuture Singapore and Workforce Singapore, falls under the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and is jointly overseen by the Ministry of Education.In a news release on Wednesday, SWDA said it aims to enable Singaporeans to learn for life and gain access to good jobs, while enabling employers to design good jobs and develop a skilled workforce.Setting out its priorities for the first time, the agency said it will focus on three key areas: enabling Singaporeans to own their learning and career journeys and access opportunities at every stage of work; equipping employers to design good jobs and invest in workforce development to build a future-ready workforce; and establishing a more integrated and responsive training, career and employment services ecosystem.

A 46-year-old woman was taken to hospital and subsequently arrested after a fire broke out at an HDB flat in Sembawang on Monday (June 30).Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they received a call for assistance at Block 512 Wellington Circle at about 5.15pm.SCDF said the fire, which involved a bedroom in a unit on the 10th floor, was extinguished by firefighters using a water jet.A 46-year-old woman was taken conscious to Singapore General Hospital for smoke inhalation and was subsequently arrested for mischief by fire.Videos of the incident circulating on social media show flames and thick black smoke billowing from the window of a residential unit, with several SCDF emergency vehicles at the scene.A crowd of onlookers was also seen gathered at the void deck as firefighters responded to the blaze.The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) will terminate its non-emergency ambulance hotline as lesser patients call in to seek private ambulance or medical transport services.The 1777 hotline will cease on Jan 1, 2027, after nearly 30 years in operation, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a joint statement on Wednesday (July 1).SCDF's 995 emergency services will not be affected.According to the authorities, the 24 participating Private Ambulance Operators (PAOs) receive only about six per cent of their total bookings through the 1777 hotline today.This comes as the public has more options for non-emergency medical conditions, including nearby general practitioner clinics and teleconsultation services.For non-emergency hospital visits, taxis and ride-hailing services are also readily available and commonly used, the ministries noted.«In view of these developments, the MHA, MOH and SCDF have assessed that the 1777 centralised referral platform for non-emergency medical transport services can be phased out,» it said.

What began as a normal morning ride turned into an opportunity to be good Samaritans as two bikers accompanied an elderly woman riding her personal mobility aid (PMA) off the Tampines Expressway (TPE) on Sunday (June 28).Motorcyclist CK Keong said he was riding towards Punggol at around 10.36am when he spotted another motorcyclist escorting an elderly woman riding her PMA along the expressway exit.The delivery rider told AsiaOne that he «instinctively» worked together with the other motorcyclist, accompanying him and the elderly woman from behind to divert any oncoming traffic away from them.«We coordinated our movements without any communication,» said Keong. «Our only priority was to ensure that the elderly lady reached the pedestrian walkway safely.»Together, they shielded her from traffic and stayed with her until she reached the nearby pedestrian walkway.[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@lc.zai/video/7656297146303483152?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc[/embed]

A 42-year-old man was found dead on Monday (June 29) after allegedly falling from height and breaking through a covered walkway roof in Yishun.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted at about 5.30am to the incident at Block 107 Yishun Ring Road that day.The 42-year-old man was taken unconscious to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.A photo of the incident circulating online shows the area next to the lift lobby on the ground floor of the HDB block cordoned off. A large hole was visible in the roof and one of the beams was bent. Yamin (transliteration), 35, told Shin Min Daily News that she heard a loud bang at around 5am and had thought it was from a nearby construction site. Her friend, she said, later saw police passing by and learned that the lift was temporarily out of service. A male resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Chinese publication that the deceased was of imposing build and that an ambulance later arrived and took him away. Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not suspect foul play. 

SINGAPORE — As a young Royal Australian Air Force pilot in 1974, Ronald Haack got a first taste of the “best Chinese food” he had eaten, at Wing Seong Fatty’s first location in Albert Street.For the next five decades, the Australian returned to the restaurant whenever he was in Singapore.Haack, 74, who went on to become a Boeing 747 pilot with Australian airline Qantas and is now retired, did not find the restaurant by chance.Patronising the restaurant was a longstanding practice begun and sustained by his fellow air force servicemen.The Cantonese restaurant was famed among pilots of the Royal Australian Air Force and Qantas, as the founder Au Yuen and his son Au Chan Seng — endearingly nicknamed “Fatty” — had secretly given food to prisoners of war during World War II.It also became a haunt for crew from other carriers such as British Airways and Emirates.The restaurant announced on Facebook in April that it would be shutting down on June 28 after 100 years, as it was unable to find a successor to continue the business.

Two men, aged 18 and 39, will be charged in court on Wednesday (July 1) for their alleged involvement in a case of loanshark harassment in Bukit Panjang.The police said in a news release on Tuesday night that they were alerted to the case at about 8.19am on Sunday.The alleged incident took place at a residential unit along Senja Road in Bukit Panjang, where the unit's gate was secured with a bicycle lock and a debtor's note was affixed to the door.A photograph of the alleged crime scene provided by the police shows a debtor's note which reads: «Like to play right? No problem! Will play with you. This time just dessert, next time splash you and your neighbour. WhatsApp to settle (sic).»Officers from Jurong Police Division identified the men via follow-up investigations and with images from police cameras, and arrested them on Monday.According to the police, the duo are also believed to be involved in other similar cases of loanshark harassment islandwide.

A 40-year-old male Chinese national was arrested on June 22 for allegedly dealing in duty-unpaid liquor.Singapore Customs said in a media release on Wednesday (July 1) that it had acted on a tip-off and conducted an operation in vicinity of Kaki Bukit Crescent that day.During the operations, Singapore Customs officers observed the man unloading brown boxes from a Singapore-registered lorry onto a trolley and transporting them into a storage room in a self-storage facility, where officers found 792 bottles of duty-unpaid liquor in the room.Another 396 bottles of duty-unpaid liquor were found in the lorry. The total duty and Goods and Services Tax evaded amounted to about $75,835.The duty-unpaid liquor and lorry were seized, while the man was arrested.

The police are appealing for information on the whereabouts of two boys — 12-year-old Muhammad Aydrian Ruhazeeq Bin Muhammad Basil Hafidin, and 13-year-old Muhammad Ayden Ruhazeeq Bin Muhammad Basil Hafidin.In a news release on Wednesday (July 1) morning, the police said Aydrian and Ayden were last seen at about 7pm on Monday at Block 492E Tampines Street 45.Aydrian was wearing a black t-shirt, while Ayden was wearing a yellow t-shirt. The said address is in the vicinity of Dunman Secondary School.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:732620]]editor@asiaone.com 

The Paragon mall outlet of French bakery Paul has been suspended for two weeks following a cockroach infestation.The licensee, Paul Singapore, accumulated 12 demerit points within a 12-month period for failing to keep the premises free from cockroach infestation, said the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) in response to AsiaOne's queries.The suspension began on June 23 and will be in place until July 6.According to SFA, a business that accumulates 12 or more demerit points during a 12-month period may have its licence suspended for a period of either two or four weeks.Alternatively, the business may have its licence cancelled.During the suspension, the business is required to take necessary measures to improve food safety and cleanliness at its premises.SFA also said that all food handlers working in the suspended premises must re-attend and pass the Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) Food Safety Course Level 1 before they can resume work as food handlers.

Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) inked an agreement with Indonesia's Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten) on nuclear regulatory cooperation on June 30, including in the areas of radiation protection and nuclear safety, security and safeguards.The agreement was signed in Jakarta by NEA chief Benjamin Koh and Bapeten's acting chairman Zainal Arifin. Under the agreement, the two agencies will carry out these collaborations through activities such as joint training, personnel exchanges, research partnerships, and technical meetings.“This collaboration builds on our longstanding bilateral partnership to strengthen cooperation in nuclear safety, regulatory oversight and emergency preparedness, as Singapore studies the potential role of nuclear energy in its future energy mix," Dr Koh said.He added that it also reflects NEA's commitment to working with its Southeast Asian neighbours to strengthen regional cooperation, build trust, and enhance collective preparedness for radiological emergencies.

The 2026 National Day Parade (NDP) pack will come in six designs, featuring artworks by 36 artists with disabilities.These works, created by artists aged six to 65, reflect their interpretation of this year's NDP theme «Majulah Singapura, Go Beyond!» and their well-wishes for Singapore.The artists come from 21 special education schools, nine social service agencies and two early intervention centres.AsiaOne was among the media to be given a preview of these packs at the National Stadium on June 30, where President Tharman Shanmugaratnam met the artists.Thanking them for their work, he said that each artist has taken pride in contributing to the design of the NDP packs.