SINGAPORE – Hours spent playing computer games as a boy fuelled his curiosity about technology that eventually led Chew Shou Zi to become TikTok chief executive.In a speech to Nanyang Technological University (NTU) PhD graduates on Aug 1, the Singaporean said he built his career on this curiosity, and the belief that impact often means doing things differently from what everyone expects.Chew, 43, who was born in Singapore in 1983, said these ideas started early in life, with countless hours spent on a computer his father bought when he was a child.He was speaking at the first of two ceremonies at which 575 graduates received doctorates. They are part of the largest batch of graduates in NTU’s history numbering over 14,000 who will graduate in 29 ceremonies this year.Said Chew: “I would love to tell you that I was using the computer to code some brilliant software and building the future, but the reality is I was playing computer games. A lot of them.”

At its peak, an online chat group of marine foragers in Singapore had nearly 900 members.Conversations in the group revolved around the best coastal locations to catch marine life here, and the showing off of fresh hauls.The group is now no more, having been disbanded by its administrator on July 26 after a viral Douyin video of marine foragers sparked public backlash in Singapore, reported Lianhe Zaobao.Known as gan hai (chasing the sea), the Chinese trend involves catching shellfish or sea animals such as crabs at beaches or coastal areas.According to Zaobao, a man who created social media content of him participating in the activity had started the chat group to allow fellow foragers to connect.A reporter from the Chinese publication joined the group in early July, when there was about 180 members. The number quickly swelled to almost 900 people within the month.The chat group reportedly arranged at least three foraging trips each week at locations including Changi, Sembawang, Punggol and Pasir Ris.

Singapore is celebrating its 61st birthday at the National Stadium on Aug 9, and the National Day Parade (NDP) has been declared as an enhanced security special event.This means that the police will impose strict security measures to ensure public safety and security around the venue.In a statement on Saturday (Aug 1), the police said they have designated a special event area around the National Stadium, with a special zone demarcated within it where enhanced security checks will be carried out.The police said they will conduct checks on people within this area, and those found in possession of any prohibited items will be dealt with in accordance with the law.Unmanned aircraft, including drones, are prohibited within the special event area. It is also an offence if such drones, flown outside the area, disrupts, interferes with, delays or obstructs the conduct of the NDP.

A Singaporean man who became uncontactable in Vietnam was reportedly arrested after Ho Chi Minh police launched an operation against a syndicate producing and trafficking etomidate-laced vapes.Oh Jiang Fong was nabbed alongside Singaporean Melvin Tan Junjie and Malaysian Hoo Jia How on July 17, reported the Voice of Vietnam on Friday (July 31).Tan and Hoo are accused of leading the drug syndicate, and Oh is alleged to have supplied an etomidate liquid used to fill empty vape pods.In videos posted by various Vietnam news outlets, Oh is seen standing next to the pink-haired Hoo and turning his head away from cameras.Ho Chi Minh police said they have questioned a total of 76 people and charged 65 suspects over the alleged drug ring. This includes four Singaporeans, according to media outlet Dan Tri.Earlier on July 23, Oh's family and friends had made online appeals for information on his whereabouts, saying that he had gone missing after travelling to Vietnam.The posts said Oh left Singapore on July 16, and that he was supposed to return two days later. The Singapore Embassy in Ho Chi Minh City said Oh had an entry record on July 17.

A woman allegedly found a dead cockroach in soy milk she bought from a Taiwanese street food eatery in Tampines.Riley Rhonda Tay took to Facebook on July 25 to share about the incident as she felt that the response she got from the store was unsatisfactory.She had bought three cups of soy milk at Alley Wei's Tampines Mall branch on July 20 at around 2.40pm before heading off for an appointment at a nearby traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinic with her parents.There, Tay discovered a cockroach at the bottom of her cup and was disgusted. After the TCM appointment, she headed back to the Alley Wei at around 5.50pm to inform them about her drink.«[The] cashier apologised and offered a refund with replacement of the same soybean milk!» Tay claimed in her post. «The chef standing at the kitchen said, 'All we can do is refund you money and replace you [with] another [of the] same soybean milk',» which she repeatedly rejected.

Three people, including two firefighters, were taken to hospital after a fire broke out in a Clementi flat on Friday (July 31).According to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), they were alerted to a fire at Block 309 Clementi Ave 4 at around 11.10pm.When SCDF arrived on scene, they found the living room of an eight-floor unit on fire. Firefighters forcibly entered the living room and extinguished the fire, which involved items in the room, with two water jets.They also found a person trapped in the kitchen.The resident was later taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, while the two firefighters who sustained burn injuries were conveyed to Singapore General Hospital.About 40 residents from the block were evacuated by the police and SCDF as a precaution.Member of Parliament (MP) for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Sim Ann shared an update about the fire on Saturday (Aug 1) morning.«While putting out the fire, SCDF personnel found an unconscious person trapped inside the unit,» she wrote in a Facebook post. "The person was conveyed to hospital, and unfortunately passed away.

SINGAPORE - Two members of Massive Attack were issued with stern warnings and barred from re-entering Singapore after the British band ended their performance on Wednesday (July 29) with a display of the Palestinian flag, according to local media reports.Authorities said the band were investigated for their «actions of support for a political cause and unfurling of a foreign flag», during the band's concert, reports said.The Infocomm Media Development Authority also said it is investigating the possible breach of a number of licence conditions and will take «necessary action» when investigations are completed, reports added.Singapore does not allow the public display of foreign national emblems without a permit or exemption, and the Palestinian flag is especially sensitive given the war in Gaza and Singapore's Muslim population.In 2023, the home affairs ministry said: «The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict is an emotive issue. We would like to advise against the public display and wearing of articles in relation to the conflict, given the heightened sensitivities.»

A 55-year-old man was arrested on Friday (July 31) for his suspected involvement in a case of housebreaking and theft in Bedok. The police said in a statement that they were alerted to a case of housebreaking at about 4.06am on Friday. The incident took place at a temple along Bedok North Avenue 3, where cash of $390 was stolen from the donation boxes.Officers from Bedok Police Division established the man’s identity through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from closed-circuit television (CCTV) and police cameras.According to the police, the suspect was arrested within three hours of the report being lodged, and cash amounting to $290 was recovered.Preliminary investigations revealed that the man was believed to be linked to two unreported cases of housebreaking and theft at the same temple where $1,965 in cash was stolen.The 55-year-old will be charged with the offence of housebreaking and theft on Saturday. If found guilty, he could be jailed for up to ten years, and with caning or fine. [[nid:741666]]editor@asiaone.com 

Three people, including two firefighters, were taken to hospital after a fire broke out in a Clementi flat on Friday (July 31).According to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), they were alerted to a fire at Block 309 Clementi Ave 4 at around 11.10pm.When SCDF arrived on scene, they found the living room of an eight-floor unit on fire. Firefighters forcibly entered the living room and extinguished the fire, which involved items in the room, with two water jets.They also found a person trapped in the kitchen.The resident was later taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, while the two firefighters who sustained burn injuries were conveyed to Singapore General Hospital.About 40 residents from the block were evacuated by the police and SCDF as a precaution.The cause of the fire is under investigation.

«I think people with cancer suffer a lot, and I would like to make them happy again.» This was what Faith, a nine-year-old girl who shaved her head at a Hair for Hope event in support of other children battling cancer, replied when she was asked about her decision to do so.Her story was shared on Facebook on July 5, in which the organisers thanked her for her courage and kindness.According to Hair for Hope, Faith had signed up for the fundraising event after seeing a promotional post, saying that she wanted cancer patients to be «less alone».«Thank you, Faith, for reminding us that courage has no age, and that even the smallest acts of kindness can make the biggest difference,» the post said.In a video accompanying the post, she was asked if she was worried about going back to school bald.«No,» was her simple reply — she instead said she wanted to tell her friends about the charity event and the reason behind her decision.

Even as technology becomes an increasingly important partner in healthcare — with artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools playing a role in patient care — what patients need from nurses will never change even as their role evolve, said Senior Minister of State for Health Tan Kiat How.«That is the heart of nursing,» he said at NHG Health's Nurses' Day celebrations on Wednesday (July 29).He grew up watching his mother who worked as a nurse for over 50 years. The senior minister of state said that he had initially thought that she was «simply looking after patients».«Only later did I realise she was also giving countless families hope and confidence during some of the most difficult moments in their lives,» he said, adding that he also grew to understand that nursing was not just a job for his mother.«It was part of who she was. She spoke about her patients with warmth and compassion. She celebrated their recoveries. She worried about those who were struggling. »Even after a difficult day, she carried with her a deep sense of responsibility for the people she cared for," Tan recounted.

A car driver and his family were shocked when their vehicle came face-to-face with a bus driving against traffic after allegedly making an illegal U-turn.The near miss occurred at the junction of Woodlands Avenue 2 and Avenue 5 at about 8.25pm on Thursday (July 30).Sameem, 45, told AsiaOne that he was turning right into Avenue 5 when bus service 901 suddenly appeared in his lane.Fortunately, he reacted in time by slowing down, preventing a collision.«Had I not been alert, I believe I will not be here now,» the private-hire driver said, revealing that his three children and brother-in-law were in the car.Dashcam footage posted by Sameem on TikTok shows that service 901 had turned into Avenue 5 instead of keeping straight on Avenue 2 to reach its next stop.The bus then makes a U-turn and goes against the flow of traffic on Avenue 5 to turn back into Avenue 2.[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@love1111011/video/7668316947041520916[/embed]Sameem claimed that the bus captain did not sound the horn to warn oncoming vehicles.

Firms in the services sector here are upbeat about business conditions over the next six months due to upcoming major events such as the F1 Singapore Grand Prix in October and artificial intelligence (AI)-related demand, a survey has found.The Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat) polled a total of 1,600 businesses which accounted for about 70 per cent of the operating revenue in their respective industry.The poll was conducted between June and July.They were asked to indicate their expectations of the business situation and other indicators such as operating revenue and employment.The Business Expectations survey for the services sector released on Friday (July 31), found that a weighted 19 per cent of firms were upbeat about business conditions, while 6 per cent anticipated weaker conditions.Among them, companies in accommodation and wholesale trade were most positive, followed by those in recreational, community and personal services, and in administrative and support services.

In the first seven months of 2026, at least $983,000 have been lost to a scam which tricked victims into believing that they had won online «lucky draws».In a statement on Friday (July 31), police warned against the scam, saying that at least 254 cases have been reported so far.Victims were told they had to pay for various «fees» to claim their winnings from participating in quizzes, livestream scratch card or lottery promotions.One modus operandi involved the impersonation of a popular Malaysian influencer, said police.Scammers created Facebook posts or short-form videos that appeared to originate from the influencer, which promoted a quiz with a cash prize.Victims were asked to contact the influencer via WhatsApp or to provide their contact details. Once engaged, victims were told they had won, and asked to pay «processing fees», «admin fees», or other fabricated charges.In some cases, a second scammer claiming to be from Maybank would ask the victim for additional transfers, saying that the money was «stuck» or an «activation fee» was required.

A 21-year-old man will be charged in court on Saturday (August 1) after he allegedly brandished a knife at three individuals, with whom he purportedly had a dispute with. Police said in a news release on Friday evening that they were alerted to a case of dispute along Selegie Road at about 4.48am on Monday (July 27), where a man was seen holding a rod-like object.It was later established that the man had hidden a 40cm-long knife beneath the back of his shirt. He subsequently confronted three other individuals over a dispute, during which police said he allegedly retrieved the knife and brandished it at them before leaving the scene.No injuries were reported in the incident.Officers from Central Police Division identified and arrested the man through extensive ground investigations and with the aid of police cameras.The knife, which had been disposed by the man, was later recovered along Middle Road.He will be charged in court on Saturday with the offence of carrying offensive weapons in public places.

A 34-year-old man was arrested on Friday (July 31) morning for his alleged involvement in a case of snatch theft in Chinatown.Police said in a news release on the same day that they received a report of snatch theft along Chin Swee Road at about 10.45pm on Thursday.The 59-year-old victim told police that an unknown man had snatched away his gold chain valued at $1,685.Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was in a supermarket along Chin Swee Road when the man pulled the gold chain from his neck and fled the scene.Officers from Central and Ang Mo Kio Police Division identified and arrested the man within three hours of the report being made through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from police cameras and closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the supermarket.The gold chain was subsequently recovered and seized as a case exhibit.If found guilty of using criminal force in committing theft of property, the man could be jailed for up to seven years and caned. 

There are four cute additions at Mandai's River Wonders.Four capybara pups were born to mother Luna on July 10, which was also Capybara Appreciation Day, according to a Facebook post by Mandai Wildlife Reserve on Thursday (July 30).«It's quadruple the joy as things just got a whole lot cuter at Amazonia Encounters, River Wonders!» the caption said.The post featured a video of the pups roaming around their new habitat and munching on grass alongside their mother.  Luna also gave birth to two other pups on Jan 4, the first to be born at Mandai in a decade, reported The Straits Times.