A former teacher's habit of making advances on his female students, including getting one of them to sit on his lap and call him «daddy», was exposed when two of his charges alerted the school principal.The 41-year-old man, who was married at the time of his offences, was on July 23 sentenced to two years' jail after he was found guilty by Deputy Principal District Judge Ong Chin Rhu of three counts of performing an indecent act with a child, and one count of sexual grooming.Details about the offender and the school cannot be disclosed owing to a gag order to protect the student's identity.The man, who became a fully trained teacher in 2014, taught design and technology (D&T) classes at the school.Deputy Public Prosecutors Darren Sim and Ariel Tan told the court in earlier proceedings that he got to know one of the students in 2022 when she was between 13 and 14 years old.They initially met at the school's D&T studio for discussions over the subject, but he also helped her with mathematics, even though he did not teach the subject.

A physical education (PE) teacher at a secondary school who romantically pursued one of his students admitted on July 23 that he committed sexual offences against her when she was between 14 and 15 years old.The 45-year-old man pleaded guilty in the High Court to three counts of sexual penetration of a minor.Two incidents took place in a room at a hotel in Bugis in 2022, while the third incident took place in school in 2023.Another 12 charges will be considered when he is sentenced on Sept 16.The man cannot be named due to a gag order to protect identity of the victim, who is now 18 years old.When asked if he admitted to the statement of facts that was read out in court by the prosecution, he took an extended pause and heaved a sigh before replying that he admitted to the statement.At the time of the offences, he had 18 years' experience as a teacher. He taught the victim in 2022, and they followed each other on Instagram.He started chatting with her on the platform about books and writing, which she was passionate about.

A 54-year-old woman lost more than $410,000 worth of gold bars after falling victim to a scam and handing them over to a man posing as a plain-clothes police officer.The Malaysian man, identified as Turah Raju Subramaniam, 39, pleading guilty on Tuesday (July 21) and was sentenced to three years and two months' jail, Shin Min Daily News reported.According to court documents, she was contacted by someone claiming to be from a bank's anti-fraud department, who told her she was linked to a fraudulent $5,400 transaction.She was then transferred to another scammer posing as a senior investigator from the Ministry of Law, who falsely claimed she was under investigation for money laundering. The scammer sent her fake documents stating that she was wanted by the authorities and that her assets would be frozen.The woman was then instructed to transfer $1 million into her credit card account before purchasing gold bars.Following the scammers' instructions, she went to Mustafa Centre and bought 1,600 pieces of 24K gold bars worth more than $412,000.

What was meant to be a five-minute journey turned into a trip to the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department for the husband of content creator Sarah Cheng-De Winne.In a social media post, Cheng-De Winne recounted how her husband, Mark De Winne, was flung from his kick scooter and landed several metres away on «hard concrete».«On impact, he couldn't move his limbs or body for more than a minute,» she wrote. Cheng-De Winne said the incident took place earlier this week, when her husband was on his way home after dropping their son off at preschool. The 24-second video shows clips from the past few days, including De Winne being taken to hospital in an ambulance and his subsequent stay there. According to Cheng-De Winne, doctors initially ruled out a brain injury, cervical issue and fractures through scans and X-rays. However, De Winne continued to experience severe pain in his left forearm and fingers despite suffering the worst abrasions on his right arm, which likely bore the brunt of the fall. «He can't close his left hand, grip or carry anything,» she wrote.

A man in Singapore was fined $2,000 on July 10 after he made false declarations when applying for his wife's visa.Tan Kim Lam, 65, was arrested along with his wife, Lin Qiaoming, by Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers on May 8 following an investigation into the offence.He is the first person to be prosecuted under section 57(1)(ka) of the Immigration Act 1959, which came into effect on Dec 31, 2024.Tan first met Lin, now 49, in 2002 through mutual friends in Singapore. Lin was a social visitor at the time.Lin, a Chinese national, then left Singapore illegally to avoid detection as she had failed to regularise her stay after her social visit pass had expired, ICA said.After returning to China, Tan and Lin still kept in touch.Lin purportedly entered Singapore multiple times between 2009 and 2015 under an assumed identity to avoid being identified for her previous offences.Despite lacking proficiency in English, Tan acted as her sponsor for her visa applications under the assumed identity.

LTA has caught 16 drivers providing illegal cross-border ride-hailing services, following regular tip-offs from the National Private Hire Vehicles Association and the National Taxi Association, the authority said in a Facebook post on July 21.The latest enforcement actions were carried out at Singapore's land checkpoints and in the downtown area, LTA added. All 16 vehicles were impounded. Drivers caught providing illegal ride-hailing services may be fined up to $3,000 and/or jailed for up to six months. Their vehicles may also be seized upon conviction. The LTA also reminded travellers to book only licensed cross-border ride-hailing service on Grab or have a Singapore-registered cross-border taxis. These services can pick passengers up from anywhere in Singapore and drop them off in Johor Bahru, Iskandar Puteri, Forest City, Kulai and Senai.Members of the public can also report illegal ride-hailing activities via LTA's website.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan on Wednesday (July 22) highlighted Singapore's expanded support for Palestinian officials through scholarships and training programmes, alongside more than US$19 million (S$24.5 million) in humanitarian aid provided to Gaza.Speaking at the 5th Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD V) in Manila, Dr Balakrishnan reaffirmed Singapore's commitment to supporting the Palestinian people in their journey towards eventual statehood.The conference, initiated by Japan in 2013, is a platform for regional countries to discuss capacity-building assistance for the Palestinians. In his intervention, Dr Balakrishnan noted that more than 800 Palestinian Authority officials have participated in customised courses and study visits since the commencement of Singapore's enhanced technical assistance package in 2013.Singapore has also awarded 15 postgraduate scholarships to Palestinian Authority officials to date.

If you've ever stopped by Yishun MRT station, you may have noticed a bicycle parking lot near exit B. For years, it sat as an underutilised facility.The area has been given a new lease of life, now functioning as a vibrant multi-purpose community space designed to host and support resident-led activities and youth-focused programmes.The Outdoor Youth Space was officially launched on July 18 at the Vibes @ Central festival, organised by PA Nee Soon Central Grassroots Organisations (GROs) Youth Network. The event had brought together some 500 youths from all over Singapore in a celebration featuring music, games and food.

A Malaysian man will be charged in court on Thursday (July 23) after he allegedly scammed an elderly woman in Singapore of $20,000.The police received a report regarding the fake friend scam on July 3 from a 69-year-old victim who claimed that she had received a call for help from an «acquaintance».The «acquaintance» had purportedly been detained by Singapore Immigration after landing at Changi Airport Terminal 4 for failing to declare funds in his bank account.He claimed he needed $20,000 to post bail, the police said.Believing the man to be her friend, the victim went to Changi Airport T4 the next morning, and delivered $20,000 in cash to an unknown individual.She realised she had been scammed when she was asked to make additional bank transfers.Officers from the Airport Police Division quickly identified the 23-year-old man who had taken the victim's cash, intercepting and arresting him on Wednesday (July 22) at the T4 departure hall before he could flee the country.Preliminary investigations revealed that the man was recruited by individuals believed to be part of a transnational scam syndicate.

After a passenger accidentally left her bag containing $32,000 worth of cash and jewellery on a bus, an SBS Transit staff member went the extra mile by paying for her taxi fare so she could retrieve it.A Facebook post by SBS Transit Ltd on Wednesday (July 22) recounted the incident where the passenger, identified only as Mrs K, had accidentally left her bag on bus service 853 earlier this month after alighting at a bus stop. She then approached the staff at Ang Mo Kio Interchange for help after realising what had happened.According to the post, the bag contained, among other things, the passenger's passport, $2,000 cash and $30,000 worth of gold jewellery meant for her daughter's wedding. As bus service 853 is operated by Tower Transit Singapore, senior assistant interchange supervisor Nithyananthan Palne (Nathan) immediately contacted the operator to locate the missing bag.About 20 minutes later, the bus operator confirmed that a fellow passenger had found the bag and handed it in. 

A property agent was left stunned after discovering that a condo unit he had rented out in Geylang had become the subject of a police warning over alleged vice-related activities.Speaking to AsiaOne on Wednesday (July 22), property agent Veroy Chua said this is the first time he had encountered such a case in his 13 years in the real estate industry.«The homeowner first informed us that they had received a letter from the police. We then decided to take over the matter and were informed that vice activities were believed to have been carried out at the premises,» said Chua. «It was really shocking and the homeowners did not know how to deal with it themselves, so they asked us to take over the matter and clear the unit as soon as possible.»Chua said the homeowner forwarded him the police letter in the first week of July. In the letter seen by AsiaOne, the police informed the homeowner that vice activities were believed to have taken place at the premises.The letter did not specify the type of vice activities involved.

The Istana will open to the public on July 26 (Sunday) to celebrate National Day, with a first-ever open-air evening concert among the programme line-up.«This year’s National Day IOH celebrates Singapore’s past, present, and future through shared experiences across sport, heritage and community activities, and music and cultural performances, for all ages and abilities,» the President's Office said in a news release on Wednesday (July 22).The event, which will be held from 9.30am to 8pm, will feature an open-air concert with performances by local artistes and bands Amsden Huang, Shazza, Fourteen Aces and Soft Boiled Eggs from Project #JalanJalan.Visitors can bring their own mats or field chairs and enjoy the performances on the Istana lawns.There will also a vibrant lineup of music, dance and cultural performances by students from Lasalle College of the Arts, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore Polytechnic, Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah, Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah and Madrasah Wak Tanjong Al-Islamiah.

Among political office holders taking up a higher appointment is Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam, who will take on the additional role of Senior Minister on July 27.The 67-year-old, who entered politics 38 years ago in 1988, became a minister in 2008. You would be forgiven for wondering if there was an editorial error in saying that the coordinating minister is taking on an additional role. After all, the senior minister role in Singapore has historically been occupied by former prime ministers or deputy prime ministers.In addition, the appointee typically does not carry a ministerial portfolio as senior ministers are generally seen as elder statesmen who advice younger cabinet colleagues, and may also be asked to oversee councils. But the constant thread among the seven who have held the role, since it was created in 1985, is that they have all held the role of prime minister or deputy prime minister.The role was first held by S. Rajaratnam, who was Singapore's first post-independence foreign affairs minister and later deputy prime minister. 

Newly-appointed Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau said on Wednesday (July 22) that it is the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) responsibility to help workers and companies navigate changes brought about by technology such as artificial intelligence.«Jobs are on everyone's mind right now, and rightly so. Technology is changing how we work, and I know many workers and companies are trying their best to navigate this change,» the 43-year-old said at a press conference to announce changes to the Cabinet. She added that it is the ministry's responsibility to help them through this change.«This will mean looking at how we uplift our workers in the most vulnerable segments, helping Singaporeans cope with more frequent career transitions, and also ensuring that lifelong learning is genuinely accessible and relevant.»

Two first-term People's Action Party (PAP) backbenchers — Shawn Loh (Jalan Besar GRC) and Foo Cexiang (Tanjong Pagar GRC) — will be promoted to the frontbench. Their upcoming appointments, effective Sept 1 this year and Jan 1, 2027, respectively, were announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday (July 22) at a press conference on the changes to the Cabinet and other appointments. Foo, 41, will be appointed Minister of State for Manpower and Trade and Industry, while Loh, 39, will be Minister of State at the Education and Health ministries.PM Wong noted that while the two had only entered politics at the last General Election, they have both made a good start as MPs.«I am bringing them into Government now, so that they can gain experience and develop further, while we continue to build the next generation of leaders,» he said, as he explained his approach towards leadership renewal.

«What happened in Faishal's case?»That question has been on many Singaporeans' minds after former Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim resigned from politics on Monday (July 20) over his conduct when interacting with a woman online.Assoc Prof Faishal and the female member of the public had accused each other of harassment over their «interactions», and the woman later wrote to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) about the matter.Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam shed further light on the said interactions — which included messages and pictures — in a Facebook post on Wednesday (July 22).According to Shanmugam, Assoc Prof Faishal had continued responding to the woman because he was concerned she «might react negatively if he abruptly cut her off».«Nevertheless, his responses were, objectively, inappropriate and questionable. They come across as engaging with her,» said Shanmugam, who is also the Coordinating Minister for National Security.

A 49-year-old woman was apprehended after a two-hour standoff with police at her Bukit Panjang HDB flat on Tuesday (July 21).In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said they received a call for assistance at about 3.15pm at Block 207 Petir Road.Upon arrival, officers found that the woman had locked herself in her residential unit and might pose a danger to herself.The police's Special Operations Command (SOC) and Crisis Negotiation Unit, along with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), were deployed to the scene.Officers managed to gain entry into the unit at about 5.30pm.The woman was subsequently apprehended under the Mental Health Act and taken to Woodlands Hospital.SCDF told AsiaOne it deployed two life safety air packs as a precautionary measure. Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team officers also descended by rope from a unit above.Neighbour says woman visited night before incidentAccording to Shin Min Daily News, more than 20 police officers gathered along the second-floor corridor during the operation. 

A 30-year-old man has died after an accident involving a lorry in Changi Village on Monday (July 20) night. Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force said they were alerted to an accident at the junction of Telok Paku Road and Changi Village Road at about 10.55pm. A 30-year-old male pedestrian was taken unconscious to Changi General Hospital, where he subsequently died.A 37-year-old male driver is assisting with investigations. The police said that investigations are ongoing.A video of the aftermath of the accident showed police vehicles at the scene, with at least two lorries parked at the side of the road.Traffic accidents resulting in injuries and deaths in Singapore increased by 4.3 per cent in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024.In its mid-year traffic report, the police said that 4,860 people were injured and 79 people were killed in road accidents between January and June 2025.[[nid:740477]]

What started as a National Day decoration has turned into a reminder of why AI-generated content needs a second look. A banner that drew criticism online for appearing to feature an Indonesian flag instead of the Singapore flag has since been replaced.Kampong Chai Chee Community Club (CC) said on Wednesday (July 22) that it had received feedback about an AI-generated banner that was recently displayed as part of the estate's National Day decorations, according to a Facebook (FB) post on Kampong Chai Chee CC's official FB page.The community club explained that the banner had been «created and paid for by residents» hoping to celebrate Singapore's National Day. It was meant to bring «festive cheer» to the community. Many of the volunteers involved were seniors who had generously contributed their time and effort and were unaware that the AI-generated banner contained inaccuracies, it added. 

A shophouse fire in Farrer Park forced the evacuation of 40 people on Wednesday (July 22) morning.The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the blaze on the fourth storey of 562C Serangoon Road at about 9.30am.The fire was extinguished within an hour using two water jets. An aerial water jet from a combined platform ladder was also deployed to prevent the fire from spreading,Damping-down operations are ongoing.When AsiaOne reached the scene at about 11.10am, multiple fire and police vehicles were seen along the road.A small cloud of smoke was seen wafting from the shophouse.The owner of a nearby dog care centre, who gave his name as Yee Jun, said a colleague had heard popping noises and saw smoke emerging from the fourth-storey shophouse unit at about 9.20am.Flames engulfed the unit shortly afterwards. He then called SCDF.

The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) unveiled new tech initiatives on Wednesday (July 22) that incorporate artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality and automation to guard against evolving drug threats in Singapore.Speaking at the biennial CNB Workplan Seminar held at the Singapore Expo, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Sim Ann highlighted the growing global drug issue and the threat it poses to Singapore.She said: «The world drug problem is not a distant one. Our strategic position as an international air and maritime hub exposes us to the full force of this global threat.»Against this backdrop, Sim unveiled CNB 2030, a transformation effort that will see the agency adopt new technologies across operations, from drug detection to officer training and the rehabilitation of drug supervisees. These are meant to strengthen capabilities against evolving drug threats.In particular, Sim highlighted the use of virtual reality technology to complement classroom learning for CNB officers.