Good relations between the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the Indonesia National Armed Forces (TNI) can foster trust between the two countries, and in turn, promote peace in the broader region, said Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing.Together with his Indonesian counterpart Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, the two defence ministers on Tuesday (July 14) launched the Indonesia-Singapore Defence Alumni Initiative, known as Persahabatan Alumni Pertahanan, or PERSAHAN during a ceremony in Jakarta. The name combines two Indonesian words — persahabatan and alumni pertahanan — which means friendship and defence alumni. In a statement the same day, Singapore's Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said the initiative will provide a platform to strengthen the enduring people-to-people ties between the two armed forces, thereby allowing relationships to continue growing across generations. The alumni’s membership will comprise SAF and TNI officers who have graduated from courses in Singapore and Indonesia respectively, as well as current and former defence attaches and assistant defence attaches to Singapore and Indonesia.

«No time to watch movies» has been a trending phrase in Singapore recently, and the Workers' Party is now leaning into it. Acting Minister of Culture, Community and Youth David Neo's quip that ministers have no time to watch movies in Parliament earlier this month quickly gained traction online, spawning memes, jokes and commentary across social media.  In social media posts uploaded on Wednesday (July 15), the opposition party shared a video of their Member of Parliament (MP) Jamus Lim introducing the party's new National Day campaign.WP's #MakeTimeFor campaign aims to encourage Singaporeans to show what they «make time for», whether it be hobbies and interests or spending time with families and friends.«No time, no time, no time.. We've all heard that before,» Lim told the camera in the video.«No time for movies? No time for singing? Even no time for football? Look, if we are honest to ourselves, if we really want to make the time, we will find the time,» he added.

a { text-decoration: none; color: #464feb; } tr th, tr td { border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; } tr th { background-color: #f5f5f5; } a { text-decoration: none; color: #464feb; } tr th, tr td { border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; } tr th { background-color: #f5f5f5; } Think twice before sending payroll records or employee details to someone claiming to be from the CPF Board. Scammers have been posing as CPF Board officers under the guise of conducting investigations, compliance checks or CPF-related verification exercises. In an email addressed to employers seen by AsiaOne, the board advised employers to ignore such requests. Sharing details of the scam modus operandi, the CPF Board said that fraudsters may ask for information such as proof of salary payments, employees' personal particulars, or documents related to CPF contributions, employment records or payroll matters.

A mother has sparked debate among netizens online after she was seen on an MRT train with her two children, who were eating and drinking while seated in a stroller wagon.A photo shared in Facebook group Complaint Singapore on Wednesday (July 15) shows a woman wearing a green shirt with her two children in a black stroller wagon. One child, dressed in a school uniform, is standing while eating what appears to be a biscuit, while the other child, who is wearing a black top, is seated and drinking from a juice box. The post captioned: «Increasingly common to see children eating inside MRT trains these days. Shame on the parent.» The incident took place at around 8.10am on the East-West Line towards Outram Park MRT station, according to the caption. However, it is unclear which exact day this took place. 'Not easy to handle two kids'Many netizens acknowledged that while eating or drinking on public transport is not allowed in Singapore, they still empathised with the woman. 

Bicycle sharing company Anywheel is urging users to ride responsibly after a video showing a rider weaving in and out of traffic on what appeared to be one of its bicycles sparked criticism online.The video, which have been posted on social media page, sgfollowsall, on Sunday (July 13), show two riders travelling along a busy road while shouting to each other, seemingly chasing one another through moving traffic.One clip appears to have been filmed by a person sitting in the bicycle's front basket, with the camera capturing only a pair of bare feet as the bicycle sped alongside buses, lorries and other vehicles.Another rider, dressed in a black top, can be seen weaving between lanes and overtaking multiple vehicles before riding alongside the other bicycle.The bicycles in the videos appear to be Anywheel bicycles.'Extremely dangerous'The bicycle sharing company told 8world said that «such behaviour is unacceptable and extremely dangerous».

Cross-border travel between Singapore and Malaysia is once again making headlines after Malaysian authorities intensified enforcement against Singapore-registered vehicles illegally purchasing subsidised RON95 petrol. The latest case, which resulted in a substantial fine for a Singapore-registered vehicle owner, has renewed attention on Malaysia's long-standing fuel subsidy policy and the responsibilities of motorists travelling across the Causeway.For drivers who regularly commute between Singapore and Johor, or travel into Malaysia for business or leisure, understanding the country's fuel regulations is more important than ever. Increased enforcement sends a clear message that authorities are taking a stricter approach to protecting public subsidies, while also ensuring that fuel intended for Malaysian citizens is not misused by foreign vehicles.

Acting Culture, Community and Youth Minister David Neo recently watched the Chinese hit film Dear You with seniors in Tampines, a week after his quip in Parliament that «ministers have no time to watch movies».In a Facebook post on Tuesday (July 14), Neo shared pictures of the event that was held at the Festive Arts Theatre in Our Tampines Hub.The event was also attended by Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth Baey Yam Keng, who is also an MP for Tampines GRC along with Neo.Reflecting on the film, Neo said: «There was laughter, there were touching moments, and perhaps most importantly, the film brought everyone together and sparked conversations about family and memories.»Neo also said that the film served as a simple reminder «to cherish the people and relationships that shape our lives».Watching it with the seniors of Tampines also reminded him of the hard work put in by the earlier generation, and their contributions to Singapore's culture and heritage.

A heated argument broke out between two passengers on an MRT train after one man accused the other's bag of touching him. A video reposted by Facebook group Roads.sg on Monday (July 13) shows the two men already engaged in an argument. The man recording, dressed in a black shirt, is heard telling the other man, who is wearing a grey jacket to «stop touching me». In the five-minute-long video, the man in the grey jacket points to his own back and claims that he had already told the man in the black shirt that he was carrying his backpack «like this» on his back, suggesting that this was why it kept brushing against him.The man in the black shirt argues: «You squeezed in then you come and argue with me. What's your problem?»«You are the problem — your bag,» the other man replies. «You are the problem from the beginning.»The post captioned: «Something wrong with him, simply trying to find (a) quarrel with people.»When the man recording the video challenged the other passenger to look for an MRT staff member to settle the matter, the latter refused, saying there was «no need» and that he «don't have time for you». 

A man who caused $1.4 million in damage to the Central Expressway (CTE) tunnel and triggered a 10-hour road closure in 2024 was sentenced to 13 months' jail and fined $1,000 on July 13.On Nov 8, 2024, Lai Daohong drove his lorry into the CTE tunnel unaware that its crane boom was raised, causing damage to electrical and mechanical equipment on the tunnel ceiling, according to the Land Transport Authority.As a result, the slip road had to be closed for 10 hours to remove debris and loose cables, causing severe traffic congestion. The road was also closed for another four nights to carry out repairs. The 56-year-old pleaded guilty to one charge of driving a heavy motor vehicle that collided with government property and another charge of driving a vehicle taller than 4.5m without the required police or auxiliary police escort.The Chinese national was also disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles for 24 months after his release from prison.

A bus passenger expressed frustration over the driver's speed after claiming that the journey took longer than expected, causing him to be late for class.Sharing his experience in a TikTok video on July 6, the man films and questions the driver about the pace of the journey.«Driving at your own pace? We have our timing to meet,» says the passenger. The bus driver replies that he was following his standard operating procedure (SOP), which the passenger challenges. «This is not SOP. How long are you taking?» the latter asks.The driver, who is wearing a green uniform similar to Tower Transit's, says he was scheduled to arrive at the next bus stop at 8.50am and was already five minutes ahead of schedule.The passenger, however, maintains that the driver's approach was not the proper way of driving.

A drive back to Singapore ended on a distressing note for a family of four after a Causeway Link bus allegedly collided with their car near the Johor-Singapore Causeway.According to the father, who shared his account with Stomp, the incident occurred on May 3 at about 11.36am as the family was returning to Singapore after a long weekend in Desaru.The father, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was travelling with his wife and two children, aged two and six, when he entered a lane designated for buses while using the Eastern Dispersal Link Expressway for the first time.«By the time there were signs to show which was the car lane, the queue was already bumper to bumper,» he said, noting that the vehicle lanes were not clearly marked in advance.«I had no way to signal and slot myself into the queue. I had to wait to be let in once the car lane traffic moved forward.»

While the relationship between Singapore and Malaysia since independence has had its complications, the main story between the two neighbours remains one of cooperation across many fields, said President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Monday (July 13).He was speaking to some 150 Singaporeans living and working in Malaysia at a reception held at Singapore's High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.President Tharman, noting that there are about 120,000 Singaporeans living and working there, said each one of them plays an important role towards bilateral relations.Turning to the sense of «ease and familiarity» with being in Malaysia, the President suggested this comes from the two countries being immediate neighbours, and their common history – going back to before British colonial rule, and extending to the tumultuous 1960s and eventual separation.«The relationship since independence has had its complications at times. »But the main story of Singapore-Malaysia relations has been one of cooperation across many fields – cooperation underpinned by the belief that we are each better when we work together, and grow together," he explained.

SINGAPORE - The High Court on July 14 awarded Cabinet ministers K. Shanmugam and Tan See Leng each $230,000 in damages after ruling in their favour in the defamation suit they brought against news provider Bloomberg and its journalist.The case arose from a Bloomberg article published on Dec 12, 2024, titled “Singapore mansion deals are increasingly shrouded in secrecy”, which mentioned transactions involving Good Class Bungalows (GCBs) in Singapore.The article included the ministers’ property deals in 2023 – the sale of Mr Shanmugam’s former home in the Queen Astrid Park area to UBS Trustees for $88 million and Dr Tan’s non-caveated purchase of a bungalow in Brizay Park for nearly $27.3 million.In a written judgment on July 14, Justice Audrey Lim found the natural and ordinary meaning of the article is that the ministers took advantage of the absence of checks and balances or disclosure requirements to conduct their property transactions in a non-transparent manner, and that they did so in order to hide their transactions and avoid scrutiny that might extend to the possibility of money laundering.

Small in stature but big on spin, six-year-old Ahmad Yusuf Ahmad Bahrain has become Southeast Asia's Beyblade champion.Not only did Yusuf emerge champion in the Regular category at the Singapore G1 Beyblade Championship, he also clinched the G1 Southeast Asia (SEA) Cup Regular title on Sunday (July 12), reported Berita Harian (BH). As the Singapore G1 champion, the primary one pupil from Pioneer Primary School represented Singapore at the SEA Cup, which brings together G1 champions from several Southeast Asian countries.The G1 Championship is Beyblade's highest-tier official tournament in the region, above G2 and G3 competitions, with stricter entry requirements and equipment inspections.Yusuf defeated more than 100 participants in the Singapore G1 Regular qualifying tournament at Marina Square on Saturday.He then beat representatives from Indonesia and Thailand on Sunday, before being crowned the regional champion in the Regular category for competitors aged six to 12.According to Yusuf's father, Ahmad Bahrain Hassan, 34, his son has yet to fully grasp what he has achieved.

Fraudsters are once again taking advantage of the upcoming Government cash payouts to hijack Telegram accounts and perpetuate scams, several TikTokers warned.Content creator Nicole Chen, also known as Nicole Liel, shared a scam message purportedly sent via a «gov.sg» Telegram channel, encouraging recipients to check their eligibility for the GST Voucher (GSTV) cash and Medisave schemes.«If someone sends you this link, don't go and press this thing, like legit automatically (sic) you will get hacked,» she said in a video posted on Monday (July 13).AsiaOne observed that the Telegram channel from which the scam message originated has the same name and display picture as the official «gov.sg» broadcast channel.However, the infographic in the scam message incorrectly claimed that recipients would receive a GSTV cash payment amount of $1,000, and a MediSave top-up sum of $850 in the August disbursement.

A family in Woodlands recently found themselves playing host to some unexpected — and adorable — neighbours.After a pair of olive-backed sunbirds built a nest in a potted plant outside their HDB flat in June, the family spent over a month watching the birds raise two chicks, which eventually became so comfortable around humans that they were seen perching on residents' fingers.In a Facebook post shared in the group Singapore Wildlife Sightings on Sunday (July 12), the homeowner, Qiu Fen Deng (transliterated), 55, wrote that the chicks had «officially fledged their nest and are exploring the neighbourhood».«It's been such a joy watching this little family build nest from June 4, [with the] first sighting of babies on July 4 [before they finally] fledged off on July 12,» he wrote.The 55-year-old aviation propulsion engineering supervisor told Lianhe Zaobao that the sunbird parents began building their nest on June 4 among the branches of a potted plant outside his flat.

The police are looking for a man to assist with investigations in relation to an incident at Compass One Shopping Centre.In a Facebook post on Sunday (July 13), the Sengkang Neighbourhood Police Centre said the incident took place at about 3.32pm on May 28.Police did not provide further details on the incident, to avoid compromising ongoing police investigations. Based on the photograph provided by the police, the bespectacled man was wearing a brown t-shirt, kaki-coloured cargo pants, and a pair of grey shoes. can contact the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at police.gov.sg/i-witness.All information would be kept strictly confidential, said the police.[[nid:737282]]editor@asiaone.com 

A woman said she was «impressed» when Singapore Airlines cabin crew launched a full-scale rescue mission to retrieve her ring after it fell into a gap in her plane seat.A video shared on social media on Monday (July 13) by user @cforcassan shows a male crew member lying on the ground as he searches beneath the passenger's seat for the lost ring. «Your ring falls into the depths of your plant seat and the entire cabin crew launches a rescue mission,» the video captioned. The woman, whose account handle is Cassandra Tan, said that she had gotten the ring in Shanghai from a Chinese brand called Hefang. Checks by AsiaOne show that the rings can cost up to US$240 (S$310) on the brand's website. «They constructed an entire tool with whatever they had on the plane. This is now a core memory for me,» said Tan.The makeshift tool consisted of two chopsticks and a DIY hook made from a bobby pin, taped together with what looked like plasters. Tan added that she was supposed to wait for the engineers to come on board after the plane landed.