«Disgusting» was how some Bedok residents described the sight of blood-stained sanitary pads and used tissues strewn around the foot of their HDB block. Residents told Lianhe Zaobao that this issue has persisted for months, adding that the soiled materials are believed to have been thrown from a flat at Block 636 Bedok Reservoir Road. Acting on a tip-off, a Lianhe Zaobao reporter visited the HDB estate on Monday (July 13) evening and found a discarded sanitary napkin in one of the drains, and several used tissues scattered nearby. Litter was also seen on the service ledges of several floors.Resident Chen Xianzhang, 67, said he has repeatedly come across blood-stained sanitary pads and used tissues downstairs in recent months. «If it were a tissue, it could have accidentally been blown away by the wind. But sanitary napkins are personal items, so it's obvious that they were thrown there deliberately,» added Chen. He condemned the behaviour as «disgusting» and said it was damaging the estate's environment. 

A video showing four men using long-handled nets in an attempt to catch wild chickens has sparked debate online.While some residents welcomed the efforts to address what they see as a growing nuisance, others questioned if the attempted capture was carried out humanely.The video, posted in Facebook group Complaint Singapore on Wednesday (July 15), is believed to have been filmed at public housing estate Yishun Boardwalk.Captioned, «I was just on the bus... then I saw the whole neighbourhood chasing a chicken», the short clip shows four men attempting to surround a wild chicken.A man in an orange shirt first approached the bird from one side of a grassy patch, while two men in white shirts swung their nets in its direction. Another man in an orange shirt was also seen running over to assist the others.AsiaOne understands that the wild chickens were eventually caught.Netizens left dividedThe footage has since drawn mixed reactions from netizens.Some questioned whether it was necessary to capture the chicken and whether the methods used were humane. 

A cleaning contractor and a manager responsible for issuing confined space entry permits were on Thursday (July 16) charged over alleged workplace safety offences after two workers died while carrying out tank cleaning works at Choa Chu Kang Waterworks in May 2024.The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a news release on Thursday that cleaning and maintenance contractor, Stargroup, was engaged by the national water agency to carry out tank cleaning operations at the plant.On May 23, 2024, a team of four workers from Stargroup and its subcontractor carried out cleaning works at a water treatment process tank.Three of them later collapsed after entering an enclosed passage beneath the tank to close hand valves that had been opened earlier to drain water from the tank.They were taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital where two workers later died on May 24 and 28, with the third worker discharged after receiving medical treatment.MOM said its investigations revealed that the workers had been exposed to hydrogen sulphide gas, a toxic gas that is typically emitted when sludge is drained from water treatment tanks.

«I am sorry.» That was the message from Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) chairman Chng Kai Fong to all affected staff in the agency's retrenchment exercise. «I am sorry for the disruption to you and your families. Thank you for what you have given GovTech and Singapore,» he said.GovTech announced on Wednesday (July 15) that it will be reducing its headcount by up to nine per cent over the next two years, as it shifts to build and manage its own digital products.In a note to GovTech officers, which was seen by AsiaOne, Chng acknowledged that this was «difficult news» and thanked the affected staff.«The systems you built are running in production today and serving Singaporeans. That contribution endures and it will remain part of GovTech's story,» he said. He also addressed the officers who remain, saying: «To colleagues who are staying: we owe it to those leaving to make this transformation real, not another reorganisation on paper.» A total of 305 staff from GovTech headquarters and in project and vendor management roles are affected by the first of three planned waves of job cuts.

Police have warned of more phishing scams involving impersonation of courier companies, after at least 43 cases were reported, with losses exceeding $259,000.In an advisory issued on Wednesday (July 15), the police said they have received reports of the scam since June 24, with at least 20 reports lodged on July 13 alone.In this variant of the scam, victims would receive text messages from numbers bearing Morocco's country code +212, or emails from random alphanumeric addresses purporting to be from courier companies such as Ninja Van and J&T Express.The messages would claim that a parcel could not be delivered due to an «invalid» address and urge recipients to update their delivery details within 24 hours via a link resembling the courier company's official website, said the police. 

As ties between Singapore and Malaysia deepen, some Singapore businesses may lose out from close links with Johor, but both countries stand to benefit overall, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam said on Wednesday (July 15).He was speaking to reporters after a breakfast roundtable with business leaders on the final day of his state visit to Malaysia from July 12 to 15.Addressing questions from the media, President Tharman shared that both sides are investing in bilateral ties and «strengthening complementarity» between the two countries.«It is no secret that, in linking up more with Johor for instance – through the Special Economic Zone and the RTS (Rapid Transit System) Link – there will be some businesses in Singapore who lose out – some service industries will lose out.»However, he noted that while some businesses and service industries may be affected, others stand to gain from closer Johor-Singapore links.«Both countries will be winners,» he said.The President added that the overall gains for Singapore and Malaysia would outweigh any smaller losses, describing this as a mature way of approaching the bilateral relationship.

One person was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation after a fire broke out in a flat in Bukit Batok in the early hours of Wednesday (July 15).Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to a fire at Block 412 Bukit Batok West Avenue 4 at about 3.15am.SCDF said the fire involved a bedroom in a unit on the 16th floor and was extinguished using a water jet.The cause of the fire is under investigation.In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC MP Lee Hong Chuang said he was informed of the fire after returning home from a community event at Hong Kah North Community Club.«I immediately headed to the scene and activated the relevant agencies, together with our grassroots leaders, to provide assistance to the affected residents,» said Lee.Images shared on his social media show the charred interiors of the affected flat, with the ceiling blackened by the blaze.

SINGAPORE - Anti-vaccine group founder Iris Koh and her husband appeared in the High Court on July 15, after the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) sought to have them declared as vexatious litigants.A vexatious litigant is someone who habitually and persistently, without reasonable grounds, initiates legal proceedings, typically to harass opponents or abuse the court process.The AGC had filed an application to require 50-year-old Koh, founder of Healing the Divide, and her husband Raymond Ng, 53, to seek the court's permission before commencing new civil proceedings or continuing existing civil suits.Addressing Justice Hoo Sheau Peng on July 15, State Counsel Vincent Leow said it was clear the couple viewed commencing civil litigation against others as an instant recourse.«The moment they feel aggrieved, their instinct is to sue,» Leow said.He added that the couple had a habit of filing multiple lawsuits against various individuals and entities and raising funds through crowdfunding to pay for legal fees.

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 woman was injured after falling into a 3m-deep drain in Hougang following an alleged dispute with her daughter on Tuesday (July 14). Videos taken by passers-by show a woman lying in the drain while a man — reportedly a food delivery rider in a long-sleeved shirt and helmet — shields her with an umbrella.Other clips shows several emergency personnel assisting and strapping her into a stretcher before lifting her out of the drain using a ladder. At least nine Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel went into the drain to assist with the rescue, reported Shin Min Daily News. In response to AsiaOne's queries, the SCDF said they received a call for assistance at around 11.50am that day near Block 698B Hougang Street 61. Upon arrival, the woman was found lying in a drain and SCDF personnel used a ladder to gain access into the drain to bring her out to safety.The woman was subsequently taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. The police told AsiaOne that they received a call for assistance at about 11.45am that day. 

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.