A 30-year-old man was apprehended after he locked himself in a room in his Woodlands flat.Police officers were prompted to break into the unit after he was assessed to pose a danger to himself.The incident happened in an eight-floor unit of Block 537 Woodlands Drive 16 at about 3.55pm on Aug 23.Videos, which show rescuers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force's (SCDF) Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) rappelling from a 10th-floor unit, started surfacing on social media on Thursday morning.As a rescuer throws down a safety net from the 10th-floor unit, two officers started rappelling down. They are then seen securing the net over the windows of the man's unit.SCDF firefighters are also seen dismantling a safety life air pack as officers from the Special Operations Command (SOC) arrive with cutting tools.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has cautioned Singaporeans in areas affected by the flood along the Nepal-China border to stay vigilant, a spokesperson said on Thursday evening (Aug 27).This warning comes as Nepali authorities highlighted that a blockage remains upstream on the Nepal-China border river, potentially creating the risk of a second flood. «We strongly encourage Singaporeans in the affected areas to remain vigilant, monitor local news, and follow the instructions of local authorities. »Singaporeans should also avoid flood-affected areas, rivers, riverbanks, and low-lying areas,« the MFA spokesperson said, advising Singaporeans to eRegister with MFA to be contacted on the latest developments.The spokesperson also stated that the Singapore Government is »deeply saddened" by the loss of lives, extending condolences to the loved ones of those who have died.As at Thursday evening, the death toll has risen to more than 350 with more than 1,500 missing, BBC reported.Nine Singaporeans are also among the missing, according to the latest update by the Nepal Tourism Board.

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers foiled an attempt to smuggle duty-unpaid cigarettes into Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint on Aug 16.Photographs posted by ICA on its Facebook page on Thursday (Aug 27) show several cartons of cigarettes stashed away in a Malaysia-registered car's engine compartment.Black trash bags are also seen taped over the compartment.ICA said its search and examination officers had directed the vehicle for enhanced checks.There, over 100 cartons and 400 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found concealed within the bonnet.The 28-year-old male Malaysian car driver was arrested and the case referred to the Singapore Customs for further investigation.Buying, selling, conveying, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax Act. 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.[[nid:743491]]

The police are looking for the driver of a blue Toyota saloon car after a hit-and-run in Sengkang on Thursday (Aug 27) morning.The incident happened at about 6.20am on Sengkang East Road towards Buangkok Road, just opposite Sengkang Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) and Sengkang General Hospital. Map showing where the incident happened on Thursday (Aug 27). GRAPHIC: Google Maps, Social media Photographs and a video of the incident circulating on social media show the car stopped on the traffic island at the junction of Sengkang East Way and Sengkang East Road.A traffic light was knocked over, possibly from the impact of the accident.

SINGAPORE — Young people in Singapore who want a listening ear but are reluctant to step into a counsellor’s office can turn to a new initiative.Called Chat Circles, the programme matches them with a trained volunteer to have an hour-long conversation about things weighing on their minds.Social enterprise Empact, which launched the initiative on Aug 26, promises a space “free from clinical assessments, unsolicited advice or expectations”.Up to 20 young people can join each session, which will run monthly from August through to July 2027. Empact plans to work with tertiary institutions to hold sessions on campus, as well as other community partners such as charities serving underprivileged youth.Chat Circles is part of a new series of mental well-being and resilience programmes aimed at supporting youth through life transitions, under the five-year SG Youth Plan launched by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the National Youth Council (NYC).

The Singapore Red Cross (SRC) on Thursday (Aug 27) pledged $50,000 in humanitarian aid to its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners following deadly floods that struck near the Nepal-China border a day earlier.More than 270 people have been killed and about 1,500 are still unaccounted for as search efforts continue.At least 700 foreign tourists, including nine Singaporeans, are reportedly missing.Rescuers are using helicopters in search operations, dropping tents, food and other emergency supplies to thousands cut off in towns and valleys.The flooding is said to have been possibly triggered by a glacier collapse, experts say. 

Services sector turnover in the second quarter of 2026 rose 25.5 per cent from a year earlier, data from the Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat) showed.Compared to the previous quarter, non-seasonally adjusted business receipts grew by 16.9 per cent, the department reported on Thursday (Aug 27).The data, which excludes accommodation, finance and insurance and real estate developers, showed that receipts in the second quarter stood at about $1.58 trillion.The quarterly indicator released by SingStat tracks the income earned by firms across Singapore's services sector.It is intended to provide insights on the short-term performances of the services industries, helping to guide business decisions and policy choices, SingStat said.Business receipts stood at about $283 billion, if wholesale trade, which reported a 27.8 per cent growth — mainly attributed to wholesale trade of electronic components, petroleum, and petroleum products — is excluded.With the exception of recreation and personal services and food and beverage, all other industries recorded year-on-year growth in the second quarter.

SINGAPORE — When senior citizen Goh Kim Inn hit his father’s head with an umbrella while crossing a road, Jimmy Yar Hock Long, 37, turned around and shoved the 78-year-old assailant to the ground.Goh hit his head on the ground and died two days later at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.On Aug 27, Yar was sentenced to nine months’ jail after he pleaded guilty to an assault charge.His 70-year-old father and Goh had a history of altercations over reasons that were not disclosed in court documents.Goh had previously assaulted Yar’s father in January and March 2024, which saw Goh receiving police warnings on Aug 20 that year.Yar’s father was also issued a warning for fighting with Goh in a public place on March 21, 2024.The fatal incident happened just before 9am on May 25, 2025.Yar and his father were at a pedestrian crossing at the junction of Upper Serangoon Road and Wolskel Road when Goh approached them from behind and used an umbrella to hit Yar’s father on the head.Deputy Public Prosecutor Timotheus Koh said that Yar then rushed towards Goh and pushed him. Goh fell, hit his head on the ground and stopped moving.

A total of 18 bus services will be affected by the Adidas Orchard Ignition event taking place in Orchard over the coming weekend, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on Thursday (Aug 27). On Sunday, the affected bus services will skip three bus stops along Orchard Road and Paterson Road from 10am to 8.30pm, LTA said.Bus services 36, 77, 124, 143, 167, 174, 190, 518, and 972/972M will skip bus stop 0947 outside Orchard MRT station and Tang Plaza, while services 7, 14, 16, 65, 106, 111, 123, 175 and 502 will skip bus stop 09048 outside Orchard MRT station and Lucky Plaza.Meanwhile, bus services 14, 16, 65 and 175 will skip bus stop 13191 opposite Orchard MRT station's Exit 12. The bus stop is located along Paterson Road.Adidas Orchard IgnitionA collaboration between Adidas and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 team, Adidas Orchard Ignition will feature a garage display at the Adidas Brand Centre Orchard on Aug 29.

Three individuals, all Indian nationals, were charged by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Thursday (Aug 27) for harbouring immigration offenders in separate cases.The trio — Patil Shubham Bhagwan, 27; Laddi, 31; and, Chumber Dheeraj Kumar, 37 — were accused of harbouring immigration offenders, in three separate cases, with reckless disregard as to whether the offenders' respective stay in Singapore was valid.Patil allegedly harboured 19-year-old Indian national Sharma Kartik in his Chai Chee Road residential unit from September 2025 till April this year.This was despite Sharma's visit pass having expired on September 8 last year.Laddi committed the same offence by allegedly harbouring 31-year-old Indian national Gulshan in a unit in Yishun Ring Road from December 2025 until May this year.The 31-year-old had remained unlawfully in Singapore after the expiry of his visit pass in April 2023.Meanwhile, Chumber, is accused of harbouring 36-year-old Sidhu Harpreet Singh in a unit in Jalan Rumah Tinggu from May to August this year.Sidhu's visit pass expired on April 30 this year.

Senior Minister (SM) Lee Hsien Loong took a break from his official engagements in Kazakhstan to experience a few local activities, including holding an eagle and trying his hand at archery.He also donned traditional Kazakh attire during his time in Almaty which is the largest city in Kazakhstan, as seen in a video shared on his Instagram (IG) on Wednesday (August 26).In the video, he can be seen holding the eagle while asking, «How many kilos is the eagle?», to which the handler replied that it weighed five kilogrammes.SM Lee, smiling broadly, exclaimed, «Wow!» as the eagle perched on his right arm.In his IG post, SM Lee also shared glimpses of his time in Almaty, including the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains, as he took some time to explore the city.The lighter moments came alongside a packed schedule of meetings, including one with Almaty Mayor Darkhan Satybaldy.SM Lee is on an official visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan from August 24 to 31, his first visit to Central Asia. 

A total of 231 people, including a 15-year-old, are being investigated by the police for their alleged involvement in scams as scammers or money mules, following a two-week operation between Aug 13 and Aug 26.The latest operation comes immediately after an earlier two-week operation from July 30 to Aug 12.The August operation involved officers from the police's Cyber Command and the seven police land divisions.Police said in a news release on Thursday (Aug 27) that the 149 men and 82 women being investigated are aged between 15 and 76.They are believed to be involved in more than 721 scam cases comprising mainly e-commerce scams, phishing scams, job scams, government official impersonation scams, investment scams and lucky draw scams, where victims reportedly lost about $4.1 million.They are now being investigated for various alleged offences including cheating, money laundering, or providing payment services without a licence.

The police have raided iron ore trader Radiant World's premises in Singapore amid ongoing investigations.Its corporate address is at 6 Battery Road.Radiant World has come under scrutiny from counterparties in recent weeks over invoices provided to its banks.The US Justice Department is also probing transactions around Radiant World, with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission said to be examining trades involving the company and its creditors, Bloomberg reported. Meanwhile Deutsche Bank and KBC Group NV have frozen some of Radiant's Singapore bank accounts, while other lenders have suspended credit lines.Both banks declined to comment at the time of earlier reports on Aug 20.Earlier on Aug 20, the police had said in response to media queries that they received reports about Radiant World.In an updated statement to AsiaOne on Aug 27, the police confirmed that investigations are ongoing.

A man called several Neighbourhood Police Centres (NPC) over 1,000 times in the span of one week and stayed silent when officers picked up the phone.Foo Jia Hong, a 37-year-old Singaporean, was handed a jail sentence of 23 days on Wednesday (Aug 26) after he pleaded guilty to one charge of obstructing police officers at Yishun NPC from carrying out their duties by making silent calls.Three other charges for similarly making silent calls to Bedok NPC, Geylang NPC and Ang Mo Kio North NPC were taken into consideration during sentencing.The court heard that Foo had dialled the NPCs between April 21 and 29 for «fun and enjoyment», reported The Straits Times.He reportedly used a SIM card which he found in a second-hand mobile phone cover he bought earlier this year. He then used the card to make calls to the NPCs, but remained silent when officers answered.425 calls to Yishun NPCA total of 1,035 silent calls were made, of which 425 were to Yishun NPC, according to court documents.

Two Singaporeans travelling with a tour group are missing in Nepal following flooding near the country's border with Tibet, according to their tour company, reported AFP. The 47-member group also included 15 Australians, 10 Canadians, nine Nepalese, eight Americans, two Britons and one Russian-American dual citizen.Among the 15 Australians missing are two teenage boys.The group, which was travelling with tour company Himalayan Glacier, was reported missing after flooding hit the area, the company's managing director Sanket Pandey told AFP on Thursday (Aug 27).«At this time they are still missing. Our team is checking hospitals where victims are coming in,» he said.Pandey added that most of the group were staying in the Rasuwagadhi area, which was hit by the flooding, with several others travelling into the town. AsiaOne has reached out to Himalayan Glacier and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for further information.

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong was conferred the Order of Dostyk of the First Class by Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Wednesday (Aug 26) for his significant contributions to the development of comprehensive cooperation between the two states. The Order, one of Kazakhstan's highest state awards, is awarded to individuals for the promotion of peace, friendship and cooperation between peoples. SM Lee is on an official visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan from Aug 24 to Aug 31, his first visit to Central Asia.President Tokayev pointed out in a statement by his office that the dynamic development of bilateral relations has been underpinned by regular political dialogue, growing trade and increasing Singaporean investment into Kazakhstan. «Kazakhstan and Singapore remain largest trading partners for each other in their respective regions of Central and Southeast Asia. The number of companies with Singaporean capital is growing, reaching almost 500,» President Tokayev noted in his remarks at a bilateral meeting with SM Lee and the Singapore delegation.

A 21-year-old man has been arrested for his alleged involvement in a scheme to buy e-wallets from work permit holders to use in scams, the police said on Wednesday (Aug 26).He allegedly bought work permit holders' Singpass accounts for $50 each and then used them to apply for e-wallets.Scam proceeds of at least $9,792 were found to have been transacted through these e-wallets, the police stated.Officers from the Clementi Police Division conducted an operation between Aug 25 and 26 to determine the identity of the man and the work permit holders to take enforcement action against them.The man was subsequently arrested and will be charged in court on Thursday for cheating.If found guilty, he will be fined and jailed for up to three years.Work permit holders who sold him their Singpass accounts for e-wallets may be slapped with the offence of abetment of cheating, which may also come with a jail term of up to three years and a fine.The police also urged the public not to accept offers of quick money in exchange for their bank accounts, e-wallets, Singpass accounts or credentials.

Two men, aged 25 and 47, were arrested on Tuesday (Aug 25) for their their allegedly involvement in fraudulently obtaining the Singpass login credentials of Singapore citizens and work permit holders. Police said in a news release on Wednesday that the two male Chinese Malaysians were arrested following an operation conducted between Aug 21 and 25.The operation — to identify the syndicate members — involved officers from the police's Cyber Command, supported by the Singpass Trust & Safety team at the Government Technology Agency of Singapore.The two arrested Malaysian men were employees of a mobile phone shop in Singapore, the police said, adding that they allegedly exploited opportunities arising from their work to access customers' Singpass accounts.In one instance, one of the two men offered a customer, who was purchasing a new SIM card, to update the mobile number linked to the customer's Singpass account.He however used the opportunity to create a LiquidPay account without the customer's knowledge.

An youngster was seen performing risky scooter stunts near Tanjong Pagar MRT station, drawing mixed reactions from netizens, according to a post shared on Sgfollowsall Instagram page on Tuesday (Aug 25).The video has since garnered over 2,800 likes and more than 250 comments as of Wednesday evening.In the video, he can be seen riding a kick-scooter as he takes a two-metre-high hop off the roof of a structure beneath a multi-storey car park.He lands hard, but bends his knees to cushion the fall.A separate clip also shows the youth scooting down the metal divider between escalators outside Tanjong Pagar MRT station before riding his scooter towards the station.AsiaOne understands that the escalator is not considered MRT premises under SMRT, which operates Tanjong Pagar MRT station.Other clips show him leaping off stairs, riding on roads, grinding on roadside pavements and zipping down various structures.Some users felt that the stunts he performed were too dangerous and posed a risk to others that might be around, with one commenting: «A danger to pedestrians using pedestrain facilities.»

The Ministry of National Development (MND) will continue to «build more and build faster» to ensure an adequate supply of new flats to meet the expected increase in demand for BTO flats and executive condominiums.This comes after income ceilings were revised to a higher limit of $16,000 and $18,000 respectively, said Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat. Raising the income ceiling, and giving more balloting chances for first-time families who are expecting, or who have children, are possible only when Singapore has an adequate supply of new flats, Chee told CNA's Singapore Tonight on Tuesday (Aug 25).He was responding to comments from property experts, who felt that higher income ceilings could drive up demand, making it harder to secure choice flats. Explaining how the Government was able to do so, Chee said MND had taken the approach of building more and building faster when Desmond Lee was National Development Minister between 2020 and 2025.

A mother and daughter earned praise from netizens after they rescued a chick stuck in a drain under a Marine Terrace HDB block.A video of the heartwarming rescue was uploaded to by Facebook user Connie Tay to the Singapore Wildlife Sightings group on Sunday (Aug 23).In the post, Tay recalls: «Heard a chick's desperate call when we walked out to buy food (and again when we came) back, must have been a good 30 minutes.»Searching around the drain, they found a tiny chick chirping out from behind the grills and felt inclined to help it.In the video, Tay and her daughter can be seen stamping their feet on the drain's grills as they guide the chick down the channel before capturing it in an empty rice bag.Cooing at the chick, Tay says: «Hello baby, we go find your mummy!»They later find a hen, which they named Bella, walking around under the block with a flock of chicks in tow, comparing the chick's colours with her.Deciding that the chick belongs to that hen, they slowly approach the flock to ensure that they don't scare them off.

Car lanes at Tuas Checkpoint will be temporarily closed in phases from Sep 1 as construction begins to make way for the Automated Passenger Clearance System (APCS) for vehicles.In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Aug 26), the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said the work is expected to be completed in late 2027. «The works will involve the progressive removal of existing car counters manned by ICA officers and replacing them with APCS lanes,» said the authority.«To facilitate the works, parts of the departure car zones will be temporarily closed in phases during the construction works.»Once operational, the APCS will allow drivers and passengers travelling in cars to complete immigration clearance without leaving their vehicles.The system will also use QR codes together with biometric verification to facilitate automated clearance.ICA said it has put in place road signage, road safety markers and hoardings to guide travellers safely around the affected lanes and zones during the construction period.

The National Cadet Corps (NCC) on Wednesday (Aug 26) unveiled an updated roadmap for its next chapter as it marks its 125th anniversary.Founded in 1901, with its first cadet corps unit at Raffles Institution to train youths for the Singapore Volunteer Corps, the present-day NCC was established on Jan 1, 1969.It comprises three services — land, sea and air — mirroring the army, navy and air force of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), and has more than 10,000 members in 135 units across 119 schools today.In his speech at the Corps' 125th anniversary celebrations held at the Central Manpower Base, Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing said that the NCC has taught young Singaporeans what classrooms alone cannot.

If you're planning to drive across the Causeway this weekend, or during the upcoming September school holidays in Singapore — Sept 5 to 13 — do look out for the latest traffic information pertaining to Malaysia's highways and plan your journeys carefully.PLUS Malaysia, the country's largest highway operator, said in a statement on Wednesday (Aug 26) that traffic is expected to be heavier from Aug 28 to 31, and again from Sept 4 to 7, as travel demand increases over the holiday period.Malaysia's Merdeka Day (National Day) falls on Monday (Aug 31), creating a three-day long weekend starting on Saturday.The operator estimates that about 2.2 million vehicles would ply its highways daily during the said periods.It advised highway users to plan ahead by referring to the MyPLUS-TTA (travel time advisory) digital schedule available on the PLUS app.«Highway users are advised to follow the recommended travel schedule, as the suggested travel times are based on expected traffic patterns from previous festive seasons and peak travel periods.»

SINGAPORE — Can technology companies use copyrighted works to train artificial intelligence models? How can copyrights be protected when this happens?Ways to foster greater accountability and certainty regarding copyrights when training AI are some of the issues the Government is seeking feedback on with the Aug 26 launch of a public consultation on AI’s impact on copyrights and patents, and how they should evolve in the wake of the technology.It comes amid a global flurry of lawsuits filed by rights holders alleging that many technology companies have infringed their copyrights. This includes using copyrighted books, news articles, images and music to train AI models without permission from or payment to the rights holders.The public consultation by the Ministry of Law and Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) was announced by Minister for Law Edwin Tong at the Global Forum on Intellectual Property held at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre during Singapore IP Week.

Singapore recorded fewer scam cases in the first half of 2026 compared to last year, continuing a new downward trend since 2025.While the scam situation has improved, the police said scams remain the most prevalent crime type in Singapore and continue to be a national priority.In the latest mid-year scam and cybercrime brief published Wednesday (Aug 25), the Singapore Police Force said the 16,821 total scam cases in the first six months of this year is a 14.4 per cent decrease from the 19,644 cases in the same period last year.Less money was lost to scams this year — losses fell 17.9 per cent to about $410.6 million from about $500.2 million in the previous year.Cases involving losses of $100,000 or more also dipped by 24.5 per cent compared to the first half of 2025.

An elderly man who hoped to grow his nest egg put about $40,000 into an «AI Robot» product over the course of November 2025.While James (pseudonym) saw his projected investment returns surge, he experienced just as quickly various difficulties in managing and withdrawing his funds.Pressured to continue investing, the 68-year-old man attempted to loan money from his son, who flagged the scam.Undeterred, James continued putting money into the bogus website. It was only in mid-December that he realised he had been conned, by which point he had lost around $70,000 — part of his life savings.His son said a police report was lodged but it was too late.Investment scams remain the third highest scam type reported to the police in the first half of 2026, according to the mid-year scam and cybercrime brief released by the Singapore Police Force on Wednesday (Aug 26).

Warm embrace and tears.That was the emotional scene in a Jurong neighbourhood on Aug 16 when a Malay woman in her 50s handed over her family home after 23 years — and said goodbye to her Chinese neighbours who had become part of her life.Property agent Gina Khazali, who was handling the sale of the family home, witnessed the tearful farewell and uploaded the scenes in a TikTok video.The video, posted on Monday (Aug 24), has been viewed more than 1.3 million times and garnered over 94,000 likes as at Tuesday evening.Story of friendship and communityIn the video, the women are seen in a tight embrace, as the tearing Malay woman says goodbye.Gina said she felt it was a story of friendship and community worth sharing.«As agents, we're usually focused on the transaction, paperwork and getting everything completed smoothly,» she told AsiaOne.«Seeing my clients and their neighbours getting emotional knowing they would no longer be living next to each other really touched me,» she said.