Just 10 years old, Emilio Cerda is already doing what most Singaporeans can only dream of doing — representing the country on the global stage.The Singaporean has set his sights on the upcoming 2026 Pokemon World Championships in San Francisco from Aug 28 to 30.Emilio will be taking part in the trading card game (TCG) competition's junior division, which will see him test his mettle against players under 12 years of age from all over the world. «If he goes and he wins, it's fantastic because there's like $2 million (S$2.5 million) in the prize pool, so he'll basically be paying for university with a first place placing,» said Emilio's father, Jose Cerda, 40.Cerda, an American on a spousal visa, is married to a Singaporean who grew up in Hong Kong. They also have a daughter, six, who has just started on her Pokemon journey.«But if he goes and he just has the best time and wins a couple of games — or even if he doesn't — it just ends the weekend with a positive experience,» Cerda told AsiaOne on Tuesday (July 28).«That to me, as far as his Pokemon journey goes, is the best gift I can give my son.»

Though they may be small, their hearts are big enough to care for an entire forest.Four young residents of East Coast GRC approached MP Edwin Tong to appeal for the preservation of Clementi Forest, the minister shared in a Facebook post on Tuesday (July 28).Tong said the issue was raised during a Meet-the-People Session on Monday night, when the children came to him with «something close to their hearts».«They came prepared to make their case: with a very well written script, conveyed articulately, along with drawings to depict the issue clearly to me,» Minister Tong said, adding that he found the materials «very persuasive».The children told him they regularly take part in activities with Forest School, where they learn about nature, biodiversity and the importance of protecting the environment.«It was heartening to see how passionately they spoke about the forest and respectfully put forward their views,» he said. «Every resident deserves to be heard, regardless of age.»Tong added that he promised to support their appeal and ensure their views are conveyed to the relevant agencies for proper consideration.

A commuter's power bank stored in a backpack reportedly emitted smoke on a MRT train, prompting the evacuation of passengers at Buangkok station on Wednesday (July 29).Pictures of the incident circulating on social media platforms Xiaohongshu and Reddit show a bag and personal items covered in white powder on the platform floor.Officers from the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) are also seen at the MRT station.A Xiaohongshu user said in a post at 5.20pm that they had noticed a burning smell onboard a train travelling from Hougang to Buangkok station.«At the next stop, Buangkok, everyone exited the train. A power bank inside someone's bag was releasing smoke,» the user claimed.One commuter, Chen Yongwen (transliteration), told Lianhe Zaobao that a TransCom officer had sprayed a dry powder fire extinguisher and smoke from the backpack stopped shortly after.Chen claimed that a man, who appeared to be in his 30s, said he owned the bag.«The officers asked if there was a power bank in the backpack, but I didn't hear his answer clearly,» he said.

A fire broke out at the basement carpark of a condominium in Yishun on Wednesday (July 29) night.The incident, involving a car, happened at about 8.20pm at Orchard Park Condominium. A resident, who declined to be named, told AsiaOne she heard what sounded like an explosion, adding that the smell of smoke was very strong.Pictures seen by AsiaOne show flames from a vehicle parked at the carpark, and thick black smoke could be seen coming out from an opening.  Flames and thick smoke could be seen from the first floor of Tower 7. PHOTO: AsiaOne reader AsiaOne understands that the vehicle involved is not an electric vehicle. 

The owner of a matchmaking agency in Singapore is retiring after nearly four decades and has put his business up for sale for $99,000.In a TikTok video posted on Monday (July 27), the owner of True Love Vietnam Bride Matchmaker, Mark Lin, said he had decided to retire due to his age and is looking for someone to take over the business. He is 64 this year. Lin said the agency, located at Orchard Plaza has been operating for 37 years and specialises in matchmaking services between Singaporean men and Vietnamese women.«We have connections and resources in Vietnam, Singapore, the United States and Taiwan. With the sale, I am passing on all my contacts and resources to my buyer,» he said, adding that the business offers significant opportunities for its future owner.In the video, Lin said he will remain involved for up to a year after the sale to facilitate the handover process and ensure a smooth transition. The business is being offered for sale at an asking price of $99,000.

A total of 15 bus services will skip a bus stop along Raffles Avenue over the coming weeks due to works for the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2026 (F1 Singapore GP).The upcoming race, to be held from Oct 9 to 11, will be the 17th edition of the F1 Singapore GP.In a temporary route diversion notice issued by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Wednesday (July 29), the authority said that bus services 36, 56, 70M, 77, 97, 97e, 106, 111, 133, 195, 647, 857, 960, 960e, and 961M will skip bus stop 02051 outside The Float @ Marina Bay from Aug 4 to Oct 12.The next bus stop — located outside The Esplanade — also along Raffles Avenue, is not affected.Commuters are advised to plan their journeys early and note the change. 

Pasir Ris-Changi GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Valerie Lee has weighed in on the controversy surrounding a group seen foraging marine life at Changi Beach and cooking their haul, calling the behaviour «deplorable».In a Facebook post on Sunday (July 26), Lee said she was «extremely disappointed» after watching videos of people collecting «huge amounts of clams, crabs and other marine life» from the beach before taking them to a restaurant to cook.«I felt extremely disappointed watching the recent video of people collecting huge amounts of clams, crabs and other marine life from Changi Beach, taking everything to a restaurant to cook, and proudly showing it off like a trophy,» she said.«It's not just about whether something is legal or not. It feels like a complete lack of respect – for the animals, for these fragile ecosystems, and even for the traditions of ancient foragers, who understood that you take only what you need so the shore can continue to provide.»

Former People's Action Party (PAP) MP Lim Soo Peng has died on Monday (July 27), aged 98.He represented Havelock constituency between 1967 to 1970, after winning a by-election held on March 7, 1967, to fill the vacancy in Parliament caused by the resignation of Barisan Sosialis MP Loh Miaw Gong.Lim later resigned in 1970, along with four other PAP MPs, in a move which then-PAP secretary-general Lee Kuan Yew said was to provide for continuity in the political leadership.«They have agreed to stand down so that the party can bring new talent and experience into Parliament,» Lee was reported as saying, adding that Lim had asked to be relieved of his responsibilities because he wished to devote more time to his commitments in the industry, reported The Straits Times in 1970.Lim was succeeded by Hon Sui Sen, who later served as Minister for Finance between 1970 and 1983.Then 42 years old, Lim then focused on the company he founded, Chemical Industries (Far East) Pte Ltd, eventually listing it on 1973.  

A car sales manager spent 45 minutes following a customer who allegedly refused to pay for damage to a rental car.Darren Ang, a sales manager from MV Auto Sales, posted a TikTok video titled 'Scammer runs for his life all over Singapore to avoid paying fee', on Monday (July 27), claiming that he had followed the man for 45 minutes before the encounter escalated into a chase.In the same video, Ang also called the police, detailing his actions in tailing the alleged «scammer».Ang said he followed the man because he did not want to sign the repayment plan, claiming that he did not have the money to pay for the damages.

SINGAPORE — A woman has won the maximum $30,000 compensation that the Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT) could award after the magistrate found that she had been dismissed in a “sudden and unjustified” manner at the end of her six-month probation.The magistrate said the employer had failed to justify its decision that the woman, an audit manager, had not passed probation.However, the tribunal also rejected the dismissed employee’s claims that she had been discriminated against because she did not speak Korean and her employer had retaliated against her for whistle-blowing.In a judgment released on July 28, tribunal magistrate Joel Tan said the employee should have received three months’ gross salary, or $34,500, for her loss of income.He added that, were it not for the $30,000 statutory cap on ECT claims, he would also have awarded a further two months’ salary for the distress caused by her dismissal.The woman had earned $11,500 a month, meaning she could otherwise have recovered $57,500, or five months’ salary.

More than 5.5kg of cannabis, over 11 times Singapore's 500g threshold for the mandatory death penalty for trafficking, was seized in a series of Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) operations on July 27. Three Singaporeans aged between 27 and 34 were arrested for suspected drug-related offences, while drugs worth more than $142,000 were recovered.The bureau said in a news release on Wednesday (July 29) morning that the operations were conducted in the vicinities of Ang Mo Kio, Bukit Merah and Pasir Ris.About 5.52kg of cannabis, 132g of 'Ice', 145kg of ketamine and four lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) stamps were seized. CNB said the haul could potentially feed the addiction of 860 abusers for a week.CNB officers arrested a 34-year-old man at a void deck of a residential block in the vicinity of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 for suspected drug trafficking offences on July 27.He was escorted to a residential unit in a neighbouring block, where a search yielded four LSD stamps, about 879g of cannabis and about 123g of 'Ice'.