The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 12,800 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes at Tuas Checkpoint on July 22.In a Facebook post on Thursday (July 30), ICA said its officers had directed a Malaysia-registered lorry for enhanced checks after detecting anomalies in the scanned image of the vehicle. The cigarettes were hidden in wooden crates enclosed in metal cases in the lorry.A video accompanying the post shows officers using a variety of tools to crack open the metal cases and discovering the contraband.«Thought we 'Wooden' know,» quipped the border agency. The Malaysian lorry driver, 31, was arrested in connection with the case.The exhibits and suspect have been referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation.It is an offence to buy, sell, convey, possess or deal with duty-unpaid goods.Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both. Vehicles used to commit such offences, as well as proceeds from the sale of duty-unpaid goods, may also be forfeited.

Work to install a solar generation system at Marina South Pier has been completed.Announcing the sustainability milestone in a media release on Thursday (July 30), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said this also coincides with the 20th anniversary of the pier.«The solarisation project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from MPA’s shore-based operations and supports the public sector’s solarisation efforts under the GreenGov.SG sustainability movement,» the authority added.The system can generate up to 780,000 kWh of electricity annually, or the equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of about 180 four-room HDB flats. It consists of 1,092 solar photovoltaic panels installed across 3,200 sq m of rooftop and canopy space at Marina South Pier.To ensure future-proofing, the system is designed to be able to support the current and future needs of electric harbour craft operating at the pier.According to MPA, it can meet a «significant portion» of the pier's electricity requirement.

We've all read news reports about scam calls impersonating public figures, such as former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, in attempts to extort money from unsuspecting citizens.Lee, who is now Senior Minister, took to Facebook to simulate one such scam call by impersonating himself, in a bid to prevent others from falling victim to such predatory calls.In a video uploaded on Thursday (July 30), SM Lee acted out a scenario in which he picked up a phone call, only to hear a scammer impersonating him on the other end of the line.«Your bank account has been compromised. Please transfer your funds out immediately,» the mysterious caller said.After hanging up, SM Lee looked into the camera to raise awareness about such scams.«No Government official will ever ask you to transfer money or handle valuables over a phone call. Not the police, and certainly not me!» SM Lee said.

A 20-year-old man was injured after he was hit by a motorcycle while jaywalking against a red light in Bukit Batok on Wednesday (July 29), dashcam footage showed.Dashcam footage of the incident, shared on the Facebook group SGRV Admin on Wednesday, shows a man jaywalking across the road against a red light as the recording car travels along the road.The dashcam car slows to a stop as the jaywalker dashes across the road and is struck by a passing motorcycle. The two are thrown to the ground. One passer-by helps the jaywalker to the pavement, while another assists the motorcyclist, who is seen holding his side. The first passer-by later returns to help the motorcyclist too.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the accident at about 10.20am that day at the junction of Bukit Batok Avenue 1 and Bukit Batok West Avenue 6. A 20-year-old male pedestrian and a 36-year-old male motorcyclist were taken conscious to the hospital.One person was taken to National University Hospital and the other person to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

A 24-year-old motorcyclist died in an accident with a trailer on the Seletar Expressway (SLE) on Wednesday (July 29).A video posted by Facebook user Farizatul Firdaus on Wednesday shows a navy blue police tent on the expressway.Debris and an overturned motorcycle lay on the road further down.The two left-most lanes of the expressway are cordoned off with traffic cones as a group of police officers converge along the road shoulder. The video caption claims that the accident took place near Woodlands Avenue 12.The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and police told AsiaOne they were alerted to the accident along SLE towards CTE and TPE at about 9.50am. An SCDF paramedic pronounced the motorcyclist dead at the scene.Police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:740923]]laili.abdeen@asiaone.com 

SINGAPORE — Sheng Siong may review its prices and product range to retain shoppers ahead of the opening of the cross-border rail link with Johor Bahru in January 2027, which could intensify competition in Singapore’s grocery sector.“The retail grocery industry remains competitive, and with the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link set to open in 2027, we stand ready to adapt our pricing, promotions and product mix as necessary to remain competitive,” Sheng Siong chief executive Lim Hock Chee said on July 29.The RTS Link may intensify price competition, particularly for selected packaged groceries and household products, Sheng Siong said as it announced its financial results for the first half of 2026, filed with the local exchange after markets closed.It said the actual impact on the supermarket chain will depend on factors such as fares, travel time, exchange rates, relative pricing, and consumer behaviour after operations commence.

A former Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) captain was sentenced to 21 months and two weeks in jail for cheating almost $87,000 from five colleagues and vaping.Benjamin Song Yong Pang was also fined $6,000. The 38-year-old pleaded guilty to five counts of cheating and four vape-related charges on Wednesday (July 29), including the possession of vaping devices.Song began using e-vaporisers in late 2021 and openly vaped in his office at Nee Soon Camp, reported The Straits Times.Investigations found that his conduct normalised vaping among his subordinates. He even introduced vaping to a female colleague by giving her a vaping device and supplying vape pods to her. According to court documents, the former SAF captain incurred significant credit card debt between 2011 and 2018 from patronising Thai clubs and KTVs, although the exact amount was not disclosed.Between May 2021 and March 2024, Song deceived his five colleagues into handing over $86,750 over a total of 39 occasions.He lied to them, claiming that he would either invest their money or use it to pay his mother's medical bills. 

The Public Service Division (PSD) has announced that Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, who has served over four decades in public service, will retire on Sept 1.This is among two other announcements relating to permanent secretary appointments announced on Thursday (July 30).Prof Tan, 67, is currently Permanent Secretary of National Research and Development (NRD), and Public Sector Science and Technology and Plans Office (S&TPPO) in the Prime Minister's Office.He graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 1983 and began his medical career as a renal physician, later taking on concurrent hospital and academic roles at NUS and the National University Hospital (NUH).Between 1997 to 1998, Prof Tan led the Department of Medicine at both NUS and NUH.In 2000, he was appointed as director of medical services at the Ministry of Health, playing an instrumental role in leading Singapore's public health response to the 2003 Sars epidemic. He was later appointed deputy chairman at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) from 2004 to 2017, and as NUS's president between 2008 and 2017.

Singapore's Keppel posted a 25 per cent rise in half-year profit on Thursday (July 30) on the back of stronger contributions from asset management and operating segment that include its infrastructure business.The asset manager's net profit, excluding the non-core portfolio for divestment, rose to $530 million for the six months ended June, compared with $431 million reported a year earlier.The infrastructure arm, Keppel's biggest contributor to earnings, recorded a 55 per cent increase in profit to $339 million, driven by robust performance in the integrated power business, outweighing softer spark spreads and the impact of the Middle East conflict on costs.Profit rose 54 per cent at the connectivity division, which operates Keppel's data centre business, cashing in on rising demand for AI and digital infrastructure. The segment commercialised all five of its Bifrost Cable System fibre pairs.Meanwhile, its real estate segment posted a net loss of $19 million, extending a decline from last quarter due to the absence of gains from a partial disposal of Saigon Centre last year.

Singapore's Keppel posted a 25 per cent rise in half-year profit on Thursday (July 30) on the back of stronger contributions from asset management and operating segment that include its infrastructure business.The asset manager's net profit, excluding the non-core portfolio for divestment, rose to $530 million for the six months ended June, compared with $431 million reported a year earlier.The infrastructure arm, Keppel's biggest contributor to earnings, recorded a 55 per cent increase in profit to $339 million, driven by robust performance in the integrated power business, outweighing softer spark spreads and the impact of the Middle East conflict on costs.Profit rose 54 per cent at the connectivity division, which operates Keppel's data centre business, cashing in on rising demand for AI and digital infrastructure. The segment commercialised all five of its Bifrost Cable System fibre pairs.Meanwhile, its real estate segment posted a net loss of $19 million, extending a decline from last quarter due to the absence of gains from a partial disposal of Saigon Centre last year.

A 19-year-old French national, who posted a video of himself licking a straw and returning it to an iJooz vending machine, was fined $600 for public nuisance on Thursday (July 30).Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien pleaded guilty to one count of public nuisance, while a second charge of mischief was taken into consideration.The French teenager was charged over an incident at Goldhill Centre along Thomson Road at around 2pm on March 12.After attending a boxing session there, he went to an iJooz vending machine and bought a drink.While filming the act, he took a straw from the machine, licked about half of it and placed the contaminated straw back on the straw dispenser.Maximilien then collected the drink, took the contaminated straw and left.He later edited the footage and uploaded it to Instagram, according to the statement of facts.

Former permanent secretary for home affairs development Chew Hock Yong will take over as chairman of National Parks Board (NParks) from August 1, the Ministry of National Development (MND) announced on Thursday (July 30).He takes over from Loh Khum Yean, who became NParks's board chairman in October 2023.Chew, 58, has over three decades of public service experience and leadership roles across multiple ministries, including serving as permanent secretary in the Ministry of Social and Family Development and Ministry of Home Affairs.After retiring from the civil service in 2022, the 58-year-old was appointed as chairman of the former Workforce Singapore (WSG), until June 30, when the agency merged with SkillsFuture to from the new Skills and Workforce Development Agency.

The conversation over the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) «First to Board, First to Use» trial has evolved beyond strollers and prams, with wheelchair users and disability advocates weighing in their concerns on accessibility needs and wants. The Disabled People's Association (DPA) said in an Instagram post on Sunday (July 26): «A wheelchair doesn't fold. A stroller usually does.» «For wheelchair users, that bay isn't a preference — it's often the only way to travel accessibly and affordably. »Better bus designs can serve wheelchair users and parents with strollers. Removing an access need shouldn't be the trade-off,« it added. The »First to Board, First to Use" trial is part of an initiative to make public transport more inclusive for commuters.

Two Malaysian men, aged 30 and 40, were arrested on Wednesday (July 29) for their alleged involvement in at least two separate cases of government official impersonation scam.In a news release on Wednesday night, the police said the duo were arrested at Woodlands Checkpoint.According to the police, the cases, which took place on July 24 and 28 respectively, had similar modus operandi.In both cases, the female victims were told by a person claiming to be a Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) official that they were implicated in money laundering involving their bank accounts.The first victim, acting on the scammer's instructions, proceeded to hand over $9,000 in cash to an unknown man for the purposes of «investigations», while the second victim was deceived to hand over gold bars worth over $20,000 and an assortment of valuables worth approximately $10,000.Both victims believed that they had handed over their valuables to an «officer» from the authority.

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.»

A total of 147 people are under police investigation for allegedly allowing scammers to use their bank accounts to facilitate money-laundering.The suspects were identified during an islandwide enforcement operation targeting individuals suspected of perpetrating government officials scams, impersonation scams, investment scams and job scams.From June 17 to 30, the Cyber Command's Anti-Scam Centre (ASC) partnered with local banks to detect and freeze 158 bank accounts linked to scam activities.More than $150,000 in suspected scam proceeds were seized, said the police on Wednesday (July 29).The police said they also collaborated with social media platforms, messaging-application providers and telecommunications companies to take down 1,123 online enablers and disable 370 phone lines that had been used to support scam operations.For assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct in certain circumstances, offenders can be jailed for up to three years, or fined up to $50,000, or both.