This year's Hungry Ghost Festival begins on Thursday (Aug 13) and ends on Sept 10, with the 15th day — also known as Ghost Day — occurring on Aug 27.The festival is rooted in folklore that the gates of hell open during the seventh lunar month, allowing spirits to return to the living world to look for food. It is with this belief that many Chinese make offerings of food, joss sticks, candles, paper money and other paper effigies such as houses, cars and clothes to the dead. These offerings are not only made to ancestors but also to wandering spirits in the hope that they will be appeased and hence refrain from disturbing the living. Do hell gates really open?In a 2023 interview, Lee Chee Tong, a 27-year-old ordained Taoist priest, told AsiaOne that the festival is not as scary as many believe it to be.According to Taoist beliefs, the 15th day of the seventh month is the birthday of Di Guan Da Di, also known as the 'earth official'. 

A man spotted a foreign worker cycling on the Seletar Expressway (SLE) last Thursday (Aug 6), and decided to make a «special bike delivery» — giving him and his bicycle a lift and a quick lesson on using Google Maps.  Facebook user Foong WeiSheng shared two videos of the encounter on the platform that day. In the videos, Foong is seen mounting the man's bicycle onto a bike rack at the back of his car, which already had another bicycle secured to it.He then gives the worker a lift away from the expressway.The post captioned: «Did a special bike delivery today. Saw an Indian foreign worker cycling along SLE. I stopped and asked him where he (was) going.»Foong explained in the caption that the man had cycled from North Star towards North Link and that his Google Maps had been set to two-wheeler, which is for motorcycles, and he had just followed the app's directions. «As I am going toward Mandai Zoo, I sent him to Mandai road and guided him (on) how to set his Google maps settings so in future, he will not enter expressway again.»

In a bid to get a better vantage point, some people were seen allegedly scaling a bus stop just to shoot pictures.A photo shared in Facebook group Complaint Singapore by user Mark Tan on Monday (Aug 10) shows at least three individuals standing on top of a bus stop shelter.One person is seen perched on another person's shoulder while taking a photo. «Careful ah,» the post captioned. As the photo was uploaded a day after National Day, netizens speculated that they would have been taking pictures of the fireworks.In response to AsiaOne's queries, Tan said that the photo was shared by his friend, who saw it in a TikTok story by user rcistiredd. The photo was stitched in another TikTok video posted on Monday by user geotalkstoomuch, who alleged that those in the video were taking photos of the National Day fireworks. The post captioned: «NDP fireworks got Singaporeans doing side quests. Would you climb up for the perfect view?»

Lim Tean has been arrested by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) upon his return on Tuesday (Aug 11), the police said.The 61-year-old was arrested by the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) in Johor Bahru on Aug 6, after an arrest warrant was issued for him on Aug 3 for failing to surrender to the State Courts to begin his jail term the same day.

A customer was left feeling uneasy after allegedly finding a cockroach in sushi bought from Don Don Donki's Orchard Central outlet.Sharing the incident on social media on Thursday (Aug 6), the customer said she felt nauseous after noticing it.A photo accompanying the post also shows what appears to be a baby cockroach in the sushi.In a screenshot of a response from Don Don Donki shared by the customer, the chain apologised for the incident and said a detailed investigation with its professional pest control supplier was ongoing.Immediate inspection and thorough cleaning of equipment in the food preparation area, including deep cleaning of relevant sushi-making equipment, were conducted, the firm said.«Furthermore, we have enhanced our inspection procedures before food preparation and reminded the team to be more vigilant when preparing food,» the message read. As an apology, the chain offered the customer a full refund for the meal and a $50 voucher, which could be collected from its Orchard Central outlet by contacting the duty manager. 

Tickets for the first leg of the Lions' Asean Championship semi-final against Thailand at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday (Aug 15) will go on sale from 11am on Aug 12, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) said.They can be purchased online via Tickethotline, with prices starting at $35 for Category 2 and $49 for Category 1.Fans are reminded that tickets are available exclusively through the online sales channel. There will be no box office or on-site ticket sales.All away tickets have been purchased in full by the Football Association of Thailand (FA Thailand) and are directly managed by the association. Away fans seeking tickets should contact FA Thailand directly, FAS said on Tuesday.The away leg will be held on Aug 18 in Bangkok.Those who manage to secure tickets to the match are reminded that home zones are designated for Singapore fans and supporters only, while away zones are for away supporters.

A 25-year-old male British traveller will be charged in court on Wednesday (Aug 12) for alleged multiple offences at a boarding gate at Changi Airport, including causing injury to the staff.Police said in a news release on Tuesday that they received a call regarding a passenger causing nuisance at a boarding gate in Changi Airport Terminal 1 at about 4.05pm on July 20.The traveller, who was believed to be drunk, was talking and shouting loudly while at the boarding gate for a flight to Kuala Lumpur.As his actions caused annoyance to other passengers, two airline staff approached him, but he allegedly reacted angrily and directed vulgarities at one of the staff.The airline then decided to offload him from the flight.After being informed of the decision, he allegedly started behaving aggressively and pushed past the staff in an attempt to board the aircraft.This caused the staff, who was trying to stop him, to fall to the ground, thereby suffering injuries to her left arm and wrist.His actions also constituted an unauthorised entry to a protected area of the airport.

While having dinner and drinks with colleagues at a coffee shop in Ang Mo Kio, a man was jokingly called a «freeloader».Johnson Ang Wai Ping grew angry and fetched two swords from his flat to challenge them to a fight on May 22, 2025, reported Shin Min Daily News.Two days later, the Singaporean got into a brawl at another coffee shop in the neighbourhood, throwing chairs and punches at his victims.Ang, 47, was sentenced to eight months and three weeks' jail on Aug 4 after pleading guilty to five charges, including possessing an offensive weapon, attempting to voluntarily cause hurt with a weapon, causing hurt by rash act and using insulting words to a public servant.Ten other charges were taken into consideration during the sentencing.According to Shin Min, Ang had downed 10 beers at a coffee shop at Block 530 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 on May 22, 2025, when his two colleagues made the joke.His colleagues asked Ang to return to the coffee shop, but Ang said he was already home and suggested they meet him below his block.At about 9.45 pm, he saw his two colleagues drive their respective vehicles towards the car park.

SINGAPORE — They were recruited through friends or over drinks, and within a few years the Singaporeans found themselves flying on private planes and driving luxury cars as they ran favours for their bosses.From 2017, Alfred Law Hon Kit, Ryan Lee Chee Keong, Jason Teo Jing Shen and Alex Lim Zhongliang ended up working for companies and individuals linked to Cambodian national Chen Zhi.Chen Zhi is the chairman of Prince Holding Group, a conglomerate that was involved in everything from real estate to banking. According to the US Treasury, the company was a front for a multibillion-dollar global criminal syndicate.The Singaporeans claimed they had unknowingly stumbled into a murky world of scam compounds and money laundering.Law, Lee and Teo spoke with The Straits Times, denying knowledge of criminal activities. They said they had cut links to anything associated with Chen Zhi when the US slapped sanctions and criminal indictments against him, his associates, Prince Group and several companies linked to the conglomerate.Lim has been uncontactable.

A woman who had been sleeping at a lift landing for the past four years of a Clementi block can finally return to a clean and safer home, after more than 30 volunteers came together on National Day to clear her heavily cluttered flat.In a Facebook post on Sunday (Aug 9), ground-up community initiative Ang Mo Kio Secondary School Social Move (AMKSS) said the woman had been sleeping outside her home as her unit was packed with hoarded items that had piled up to the ceiling.AMKSS added that the clutter had become so extensive that there was barely enough space for the main door to open, and that the harsh living conditions from years of rough sleeping had taken a toll on the woman's health.«But, today, more than 30 amazing volunteers came together on this special National Day to give their time, energy and love to help clear her home,» it said.Volunteers uncover woman's long-forgotten belongingsThroughout the day, the charity said one highlight was witnessing the woman's reaction when volunteers uncovered some of her long-forgotten belongings.