A total of 80 luxury properties which were seized in Singapore's largest money laundering case to date will be progressively put up for sale, alongside designer handbags, watches and jewellery forfeited to the state.This was confirmed in a statement by Deloitte to AsiaOne on Saturday (Aug 29).The firm was appointed by the Singapore Police Force in July 2025 to manage and realise the forfeited non-cash assets.It stated that luxury items such as branded handbags, watches and jewellery seized by authorities in Singapore in the landmark case, will be sold through a series of timed, online-only auctions from September this year till mid-2027.The authorities had seized over 200 properties across prime locations such as Orchard Road and Sentosa in connection to the $3 billion money laundering case, according to Bloomberg.Hotlotz, the local auction house appointed to handle the sales, said it plans to hold 15 auctions featuring more than 1,000 items.A Hotlotz spokesperson told AsiaOne that two auctions — one for fine jewellery and another for handbags — will be held on Sept 7 as part of the first phase of the sales process.

The Government plans to do more to build a society where everyone is respected, valued and given the chance to contribute, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at Singapore's inaugural Paralympic Day on Saturday (Aug 29).Speaking at the launch event at East Coast Park, Wong urged Singaporeans to «see ability before disability» and said inclusion goes beyond government policies.«Ultimately, inclusion is not achieved by policies alone. It is built through the choices we make every day, whether we see ability before disability, recognise what every person can contribute, and give everyone a fair chance to do so,» he said.

NEW DELHI - Singapore state investor Temasek, the majority shareholder of Singapore Airlines, on Saturday backed the airline's investment in Air India, as scrutiny grows over its stake in the loss-making Indian carrier.Air India's request for about US$1.5 billion (S$1.9 billion) in fresh equity from owners Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines was first reported by Reuters this week. Singapore Airlines owns 25.1 per cent of India's second-largest airline, with the rest owned by Tata.News of the funding request prompted Kenneth Tiong, a lawmaker from Singapore's opposition Workers' Party, to urge that Temasek's funds not to be used to shore up the Indian carrier.Singapore's Business Times also ran a commentary arguing that Singapore Airlines could not realistically exit its Air India stake, with Tata the only plausible buyer. It questioned what its 25.1 per cent holding offered beyond a board seat and a share of the losses, while saying the strategic logic of the investment still held.

The wife of Geoffrey Kitchen, a 73-year-old British man who died after severe turbulence on board Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 in May 2024, is suing the airline.The BBC reported on Friday (Aug 28) that Linda Kitchen, 74, from Thornbury near Bristol, has begun High Court proceedings in the United Kingdom.She was on board the flight from London to Singapore with Geoffrey and is seeking damages to access specialist support for her back, which was injured in the same event.The flight encountered severe turbulence over Myanmar and diverted to Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand.«There had been some turbulence over Europe, and it had been shaky over the water, but it was around 10 hours into the flight when we encountered the main turbulence,» Linda told the BBC. «It was so severe; it felt like the aircraft was dropping. I noticed my Kindle and Geoff's phone had fallen to the floor, and I thought the plane was going down.»

A keeper at Singapore Zoo is recovering in hospital after being bitten by an adult Malayan tapir.The incident took place on the evening of Aug 26 during routine end-of-day activities, when the keeper was guiding the animal back to its off-exhibit den, Mandai Wildlife Group said in a statement to AsiaOne.A second keeper who was also in the exhibit stepped in to assist, and the tapir was secured in its den shortly after.«The keeper is currently in hospital and on the way to recovery under close medical supervision,» a Mandai Wildlife Group spokesperson said.«We're in close touch with our staff and the family to provide support.»The tapir involved is a 23-year-old female. Malayan tapirs are the only tapir species native to Asia and are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.Mandai Wildlife Group pointed out that tapirs are generally shy and non-confrontational animals, making such incidents rare.

SINGAPORE — A woman's application for protection against her husband was dismissed by the court, which ruled the man's text messages, where he shared fantasies of wanting to hurt and kill her, did not constitute emotional or psychological abuse.Magistrate Yvette Tay noted in grounds of decision issued on Aug 19 that even though the wife had claimed she was afraid of him, her immediate replies to his messages were that she missed him.Tay said the woman did not appear to display signs of emotional or mental distress or harm. In various text messages, the woman told her husband that she expected him to provide for her and to turn up for family events.She even suggested they take a holiday together.The magistrate added: «The applicant still wanted physical intimacy with the respondent and even sent him intimate photographs of herself.»To make such a request would suggest that the applicant was not fearful of the respondent."The couple, whose ages were not stated in court documents, were married in December 2023 but started living apart less than a year later in October 2024.

A total of 18 people were taken to two hospitals after two lorries collided in Taman Jurong on Friday (Aug 28) morning.The incident happened at about 6.55am at the junction of Jalan Tukang and Tukang Innovation Drive. A video of the incident seen by AsiaOne shows a white lorry flipped on its right side, while another lorry is seen stopped at an angle on the leftmost lane behind it.At least 20 workers are seen at the roadside and pedestrian walkway.The Singapore Civil Defence Force told AsiaOne that a male lorry driver was found trapped in his seat and was rescued by firefighters using hydraulic rescue tools.Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the police said both lorry drivers, aged 30 and 35, and 16 male passengers, aged between 24 and 55, were taken conscious to the National University Hospital and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.The police added that a 35-year-old male lorry driver is assisting with ongoing police investigations.[[nid:743702]]editor@asiaone.com 

A 90-year-old man found unfit to stand trial for killing his wife in their Bukit Panjang flat in 2024 was given a five-year notional imprisonment period by the High Court judge on Aug 28.Under Singapore’s criminal procedure, the court must now report Ridawi Morsudin to the Law Minister, who will decide if he is to be confined in a psychiatric institution or another place of safe custody, or be given a conditional release.Ridawi was found unfit to stand trial for his actions due to severe cognitive impairment. Medical reports stated that he is unlikely to regain fitness to stand trial due to the progressive nature of his condition.In reporting the case to the minister, the judge has to specify the notional imprisonment period that the accused would have been required to undergo if convicted of the offence. This serves as the upper limit of the period of confinement subsequently ordered by the minister.In specifying a period of five years, Justice Hoo Sheau Peng considered the case of Kong Peng Yee, who fatally slashed his wife at their Sengkang home in 2016 during a psychotic episode. 

Motorists travelling to Malaysia on Saturday (Aug 29) are advised to expect delays at Woodlands Checkpoint due to heavy departure traffic.In a traffic update posted on its social media at 10am, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said delays are expected and advised travellers to check traffic conditions before embarking on their journey.Checks by AsiaOne on the Land Transport Authority's traffic cameras at 10.40am indicate that traffic conditions at Woodlands Crossing and Bukit Timah Expressway — leading to Woodlands Checkpoint — remain smooth.

A 32-year-old Indonesian man will be charged in court on Saturday (Aug 29) for allegedly carrying an offensive weapon at Changi Airport.Police said on Friday night that he was allegedly found concealing a knife in his high-cut shoe at the centralised screening area of Terminal 4's departure hall at about 1.10pm on Aug 27.Preliminary investigations revealed that he had concealed a knife measuring 19.5cm in length, with a 12cm blade, inside his sock.According to the police, the knife was wrapped in layers of plastic bags and sealed with tape. An aviation security officer operating an X-ray machine detected a suspicious sharp object in the right shoe, and instructed the man to remove his shoe before passing through the X-ray screening lane.He was later escorted to a search room, where a knife and a sheath were found concealed in his shoe.He will be charged with the offence of carrying an offensive weapon in a public place.If found guilty of the said offence, he could be jailed for up to three years and receive at least six strokes of the cane.

The daughters of a Singaporean couple, Sumit Rawla, 53, and his wife, Shubakshu Rawla, 49, missing after deadly floods tore through areas including Rasuwa district near the Nepal-Chinese border on Wednesday (Aug 26), are appealing for information on their parents.'We haven't had contact with them for almost 48 hours,« the 20-year-old and 16-year-old said in a video. They also appealed for governments to work with tech companies such as Apple and Hume to trace their parents' location, saying their parents were using these smart devices when the floods struck.»Our parents were wearing Hume smartwatches, so maybe their locations can be traced so that rescue teams can get to our parents faster and help them, and other people who are stranded get the help they need,« said one of the daughters.»We really miss them. We really want to meet our parents soon," they said.According to the video post, the two Singaporeans and other Kailash pilgrims from India were staying in Timure, Rasuwa. 

A video of a man throwing bags of rubbish outside his neighbour's corridor has gone viral on TikTok, but both parties say the incident is the latest chapter in a months-long dispute marked by complaints, police reports and failed mediation efforts.The video, posted by user Kelly Lee @softhearted_kelly on Sunday (Aug 23), shows a man walking across the corridor and tossing bags of rubbish outside her unit before returning to his unit. Lee, 36, has also posted several CCTV clips that she says show her neighbour and his sister allegedly leaving rubbish outside her door.Some of the videos also capture confrontations between the neighbours, during which vulgarities were exchanged.Her TikTok videos have gone viral. One video showing her neighbour throwing rubbish outside her unit received nearly 500,000 views, while another video showing her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend being scolded amassed more than 433,000 views.

The flight from Barcelona to Singapore was just about to take off from the runway when SIA chief stewardess Serene Koh was alerted to a passenger who had suddenly become unconscious and was slumped in his seat.Koh immediately checked on the 71-year-old passenger and found he had no breath or pulse and was unresponsive.With help from leading steward Idris Abu, Koh got the man on the floor of the plane and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).She then signalled to inflight manager Kueh Joo Tong to fetch medical equipment, including an automated external defibrillator.Their actions saved the man’s life.The three members of the cabin crew were among 29 individuals and teams lauded for their extraordinary service at the annual Singapore Airlines CEO Service Excellence Awards ceremony on Aug 28, held at the Singapore Edition hotel.Koh, when asked how she felt at the time, said: “I was shocked, and the first thing that came to my mind was to quickly get a response from him, to check if he had a spontaneous pulse and breathing.”

Bus captains must be able to do their jobs «with dignity and without fear», National Transport Workers' Union (NTWU) executive secretary Yeo Wan Ling said in a Facebook post on Friday (Aug 28).Yeo, who is also National Trades Union Congress assistant secretary-general, shared that she is «deeply concerned» by an alleged assault of a bus captain on Aug 16.«This is particularly troubling as it is the second such incident involving a Go-Ahead bus captain in the span of three months.» «Abuse and violence against public transport workers must never be normalised or accepted as simply part of the job.»Bus captains ply the roads for long hours and service thousands of commuters a day, shouldering «a tremendous responsibility» for the safety of their passengers, Yeo, MP for Punggol GRC, wrote.«Their safety matters, too,» she added.She said a police report was made on the Aug 16 incident.An NTWU representative then accompanied the bus captain to Changi General Hospital where he received treatment.

The Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) on Friday (Aug 28) launched a set of guidelines for animal shelters — establishing benchmarks and examples of best operational practices — to safeguard animal welfare.Sharing this on Friday at Paws in the City — AVS' first adoption drive held in the city — the agency said the guidelines were developed with inputs from animal groups, veterinarians, trainers and members of the public.More than 600 responses were received during the public consultation, AVS added.Acknowledging that animal groups and shelters have established themselves as key stakeholders in the pet sector, AVS said the 15 animal groups operating shelters in Singapore — known to AVS — play an important role in the care and rehoming of pets. However, while they have developed their respective welfare practices over the years for the housing, care and rehoming of animals, there are no benchmarks for shelter operational practices in Singapore, AVS noted.

The Singapore Government has pledged US$100,000 (S$127,000) to the Singapore Red Cross' public fundraising efforts in the Nepal-Tibet floods, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Friday (Aug 28).The amount is expected to support humanitarian relief efforts and address urgent needs among those affected, MFA stated.The ministry explained that this contribution was made in response to the severe floods along the Nepal-China border — the natural disaster has resulted in the confirmed deaths of 469 people as at Friday evening, The Guardian reported.More than 1,500 have also been reported missing, including nine Singaporeans, the Nepal Tourism Board said.Footage of the incident on Wednesday showed a tsunami of mud and debris engulfing the area as many were seen attempting to flee on foot.A resulting lake formed by the landslide overflowed on Friday, forcing rescue efforts to come to a temporary standstill due to the increased risks, Reuters reported.