Singapore is taking a «fresh look» at issues relating to marriage and parenthood to help families lighten the load as family life comes under greater strain, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Saturday (Aug 8).Ultimately, economic growth and technological progress must translate into better lives for all Singaporeans, he said in his National Day Message on the eve of the nation's 61st birthday.

A 38-year-old driver died after his car was believed to have crashed into a traffic light and road divider in Hougang, causing it to flip onto its side on Friday (Aug 7).The incident occurred at around 4.20am that morning at Hougang Avenue 6 towards Hougang Avenue 10.Photos of the aftermath shared on Facebook by user Eng Seng Teo show a black car lying on its side with its bonnet crushed, next to a broken road railing and surrounded by debris. At least two police cars can be seen at the scene.Long (transliterated), a 29-year-old passerby, told Shin Min Daily News that he had seen the overturned car and the unconscious driver.He added that about 10 Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel were at the scene to rescue the trapped driver.Lin (transliterated), a 60-year-old renovation contractor, told the Chinese daily that she had heard a loud bang and went to take a look. She added that passersby knocked on the car window but received no response and had to wait for SCDF to arrive.

Two persons, aged 23 and 29, were arrested for their alleged involvement in a case of motor vehicle theft.Police said in a news release on Aug 7 that they were alerted to a case of car theft at a multi-storey carpark along Kranji Loop at about 7.45pm on July 24.According to the victim, he had parked his rental car at the carpark on July 21.Officers from Woodlands Police Division established the identity of a 29-year-old man through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from police cameras.He was arrested on Aug 6 and the stolen vehicle was also recovered.Preliminary investigations revealed that the keys to the rental car had been left unattended overnight on one of the car tyres.Investigations against the 23-year-old woman are ongoing.The man will be charged in court on Aug 8 with the offence of theft of motor vehicle. If found guilty, he could be jailed for up to seven years and fined.[[nid:742094]]editor@asiaone.com 

Three people, aged between 25 and 38, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in a coordinated scheme that compromised the Singpass accounts of work permit holders.Police said in a news release on Friday (Aug 7) night that since early August, at least 23 work permit holders have reported that their Singpass accounts were locked after being approached and offered an $80 cash incentive in exchange for access to their accounts. Some of the victims were purportedly told that their Singpass accounts would be used to purchase National Day Parade (NDP) tickets at a discounted price of $500.After they agreed to participate in the scheme, the work permit holders were allegedly instructed to meet the perpetrators at locations such as MRT stations, Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates and construction sites.Subsequently, the victims' work permits were scanned and their Singpass passwords obtained from them.The compromised accounts were then used to apply for telco or financial accounts, the police said.

SINGAPORE – A number of investors in Singapore have made police reports over an alleged Ponzi scheme involving Fun Coffee, a food business that originated in Vietnam.It comes just days after the authorities in Hong Kong and Macau arrested eight people in total linked to a scheme that has seen 200 people lose nearly HK$100 million (S$16.3 million).Based in Phu Quoc, Vietnam, Fun Coffee claimed to have assets of more than US$1 billion (S$1.28 billion) and a team of more than 5,000.Investors were encouraged to pour money into the firm's coffee-based ventures using cryptocurrency.It claimed to employ sophisticated technology including brewing machinery and intelligent irrigation and fertilisation systems, reported Asia News Network.

Next stop, IS7 Cayden? A new MRT station has just been announced, but you probably won't find it on Singapore's official rail map.The station, IS7 Cayden, was created specially for a seven-year-old train enthusiast's birthday celebration.Megan Chew, Cayden's cousin, posted a TikTok video on Sunday (Aug 2) of the little train enthusiast's birthday celebration.Chew told AsiaOne that she was excited to see the little boy's reaction to the MRT-themed cake. The 23-year-old said that Cayden had developed an interest in trains and MRT lines since the start of the year.«Every time I meet him, he'll share about his favourite MRT lines and stations. Sometimes, [he] even tests me on my train knowledge like: 'Name five stations on the North-East line',» shared Chew.In the clip, the birthday boy can be seen giggling with joy as he admires his birthday cake, which is decorated with the Singapore MRT map.Cayden bashfully smiles and covers his face before dashing away from the spotlight, as a birthday song is sung for him. The White Ombre shared on Facebook on Tuesday that it had customised the cake for Cayden.

Ilhan Fandi handed Singapore an early birthday present as his second-half equaliser secured a 1-1 draw against Indonesia, sending the Lions into the Asean Championship semi-finals on Friday (Aug 7).Roared on by a sell-out crowd of 5,113 at Jalan Besar Stadium, the world No. 148 hosts recovered after falling behind early in the second half. The final whistle sparked celebrations among the home supporters, who had packed the stadium just two days before National Day.Playing in their new Adidas home kit for the first time, Singapore secured second place in Group A and a berth in the last four.Ilhan capitalised on a costly goalkeeping error in the 66th minute to cancel out Ragnar Oratmangoen’s goal and deny the world No. 118 visitors the victory they needed to progress.With only a point needed to qualify, Singapore finished second in Group A behind Vietnam, whose 3-1 win over Cambodia sealed top spot.Indonesia, who entered the match knowing only a win would keep their campaign alive, were eliminated.

A Singapore TikToker was offered the chance to live and farm on a piece of New Zealand land, which she compared to the size of Toa Payoh, free of charge.The unexpected offer to place a tiny house on the property came after TikToker Esther, known on social media as risewithaster, said she spent time helping a farming couple she first met through an Airbnb stay.Esther said that she eventually became part of a community focused on self-sufficient living, according to her post that has been viewed more than 25,000 times since it was uploaded on July 24.'I was interested in permaculture'In her video, Esther shared that she initially planned to spend six months in New Zealand but ended up staying for over a year as she travelled, explored permaculture and considered her next steps after leaving her teaching job.According to her website, Esther had previously taught English and Literature for 14 years.Recounting her experience in a TikTok video, Esther said one Airbnb listing in New Zealand had caught her attention: a farm owned by a couple named James and Sarah.

A 22-year-old man will be charged in court on Saturday (Aug 8) for allegedly driving a deregistered vehicle without a valid driving licence and causing the death of a pump attendant at an Esso petrol station in Upper Changi Road North.Police said in a news release on Friday night that the man drove a car to the petrol station at about 3.55am on Thursday.As a 69-year-old male pump attendant was about to refuel the car he was driving, the man allegedly returned to the driver's seat and reversed abruptly.This caused the open driver's-side door to strike the elderly man, causing him to fall and hit his head. He was taken unconscious to the hospital, where he later died of his injuries on Friday.According to the police, the male driver abandoned his vehicle after the incident and fled the scene with a female passenger.Officers from the Traffic Police (TP) established the identities of the duo through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from police cameras and closed-circuit television (CCTV), and arrested them on the same day of the incident.

A man was handed a $3,000 fine after refusing to pay for a bowl of porridge while intoxicated and later verbally abusing police officers at Orchard Plaza.Wu Guojie (transliterated), 36, faced one charge each under the Protection from Harassment Act and the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act, reported Chinese publication Shin Min Daily News.Wu pleaded guilty to one of the charges, while the other was taken into consideration during sentencing.The incident occurred on Dec 9, 2025 at around 7am, when Wu refused to pay a female stallholder for a bowl of porridge he had ordered.The stallholder subsequently reported him to police officers. When officers asked Wu to produce identification documents to verify his identity, he refused to cooperate.Despite repeated attempts by an officer to engage him, Wu, who was intoxicated, continued shouting, behaved aggressively and even challenged the officers to arrest him, Shin Min reported.He was subsequently arrested and taken to Woodlands Police Division Headquarters.

Four people were taken to the hospital after a chain collision involving three vehicles on Bedok North Road.The incident was shared on Friday (Aug 7) via Facebook in a group for private-hire drivers. The post claimed the accident occurred at about 2.15pm.Photos of the incident showed multiple vehicles stopped in the outermost lane. One of the photos showed a green GrabCab sandwiched between two other cars.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they were alerted to the traffic accident involving two cars and a taxi on Bedok North Road towards Bartley Road East at 2.10pm.A 43-year-old male driver and his two passengers, aged 10 and 42, were taken to the hospital conscious.A 25-year-old female passenger from another vehicle was also taken to the hospital conscious, while two other drivers, aged 48 and 65, sustained minor injuries but declined to be taken to the hospital.According to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), two people were taken to Changi General Hospital, while another two were taken to Sengkang General Hospital.

Ilhan Fandi handed Singapore an early birthday present as his second-half equaliser secured a 1-1 draw against Indonesia, sending the Lions into the ASEAN Championship semi-finals on Friday (Aug 7).Roared on by a sell-out crowd of 5,113 at Jalan Besar Stadium, the world No. 148 hosts recovered after falling behind early in the second half. The final whistle sparked celebrations among the home supporters, who had packed the stadium just two days before National Day.Playing in their new Adidas home kit for the first time, Singapore secured second place in Group A and a berth in the last four.Ilhan capitalised on a costly goalkeeping error in the 66th minute to cancel out Ragnar Oratmangoen’s goal and deny the world No. 118 visitors the victory they needed to progress.With only a point needed to qualify, Singapore finished second in Group A behind Vietnam, whose 3-1 win over Cambodia sealed top spot.Indonesia, who entered the match knowing only a win would keep their campaign alive, were eliminated.

Just in time for National Day long weekend, the Mandai Wildlife Reserve is introducing a new red panda.Visitors can watch Yaffa at the reserve's new purpose-built exhibit in Yangtze River zone, Mandai Wildlife Group announced on Friday (Aug 7). Originally from Taipei Zoo, the 11-year-old was brought to Singapore as part of an animal exchange programme, and is the first red panda to join River Wonders (formerly River Safari) in 12 years.At present, River Wonders also houses Karma, a different red panda which lives in the zoo's Giant Panda Forest.The red panda is native to Asia and also considered endangered, with fewer than 10,000 estimated to be left in the wild.Although Mandai Wildlife Group is only announcing this now, Yaffa has been in Singapore since June 11, 2026.He was subsequently quarantined for a month and his health assessed through various tests, including weight checks, ultrasounds and X-ray.As he is considered relatively older, he will also undergo regular health and mobility checks.

All Leonard Teo wanted was to answer nature's call in peace. Instead, he claims he repeatedly found himself dealing with alleged voyeurs in a Serangoon mall toilet.The 33-year-old videographer took to TikTok to warn others about this particular toilet in a shopping centre in Serangoon, where he claimed to have encountered six voyeurism cases during the two years where he worked nearby.Of these, he has called the police thrice – however, two of the cases were dropped due to a lack of evidence.Teo re-enacted the first of the six incidents in a video uploaded on July 20.Recounting his first alleged encounter, Teo said he was in a cubicle when he noticed someone peering at him through holes in the cubicle door, which he says had been left behind after an old lock was removed.«My mind went blank instantly. I have never been faced with such a situation,» he said. «But just as quickly as the eye was there, it disappeared.»Shocked at what had happened, and needing to clean himself up, Teo said he took a while to leave the cubicle. By the time he emerged, the alleged voyeur had disappeared.

More than 8kg of cocaine was seized from a foreign-registered commercial vessel following a joint operation by the Police Coast Guard (PCG) and the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB). The police said in a statement on Friday (Aug 7) that the operation was conducted on Wednesday, at the Raffles Reserved Anchorage — located between Pulau Senang and Pulau Semakau. Map showing where Raffles Reserved Anchorage is located at. CHART: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore The operation was launched after they were alerted to suspicious packages found on board a foreign-registered commercial vessel.

Ahead of the National Day on Sunday (Aug 9), various Government agencies, including the President's Office, Ministry of Defence (Mindef) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) held their national day observance ceremonies on Friday morning.President Tharman Shanmugaratnam was joined by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong at the Istana, where they sang the national anthem and recited the national pledge.They also watched a Malay choral singing (dikir barat) performance by the Attorney-General's Chambers.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has charged a 23-year-old man for his alleged involvement in trafficking etomidate vaporiser pods, also known as Kpods.Dean Daniel Ong was arrested on July 30 after HSA officers, acting on a tip-off, raided Ong's residence in Hougang, where officers seized two vaporisers and 55 pods.In a news release on Friday (Aug 7), HSA said that laboratory testing has since confirmed that the pods contained etomidate.Investigations are ongoing and the case, which was mentioned again in court on Friday, has been adjourned to Sept 16.HSA said that it takes a serious view of e-vaporiser and etomidate trafficking offences.Importers, sellers and distributors of etomidate e-vaporisers now face stiffer penalties. If convicted, importers can be jailed for three to 20 years and receive five to 15 strokes of the cane, while sellers and distributors can be jailed for two to 10 years and receive two to five strokes of the cane. Need support around vaping or addiction?

Lim Tean was arrested by the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) in Johor Bahru on Thursday (Aug 6), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Friday.Lim, who is the secretary-general of the People's Alliance of Reform, was issued an arrest warrant on Aug 3 to begin his jail term for practising law without a certificate.«As Lim Tean has an outstanding court warrant for arrest in Singapore for failing to surrender to court, the SPF is working closely with the RMP to secure his return to Singapore,» the police said.«The SPF expresses appreciation to the Malaysian authorities for their prompt assistance.»[[nid:741894]]daoen.wong@asiaone.com