More than 111,000 pet cats have been licensed in Singapore, Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan said in a Facebook post on Monday (Aug 31). Tan was marking the end of the two-year transition period under the Cat Management Framework, which began on Sept 1, 2024. He wrote: «Big thanks to all cat owners who stepped forward to microchip and license your pet cats during this period!» In July, Tan said around 66,000 pet cats, or about seven in 10 cats, had been licensed in Singapore. Since then, the number has risen to more than 111,000, said Tan. «Microchipping and licensing our pet cats enhance traceability and owner accountability, and make it easier to identify and reunite lost cats with their owners,» he wrote. 

A 50-year-old driver is assisting with investigations after a lorry flipped onto its side in an accident along Ubi Avenue 2 on Monday (Aug 31). Photos shared with AsiaOne by passers-by show a large white truck lying on its left side in the third lane, with part of the vehicle extending onto the pavement.At least two Traffic Police officers were seen at the scene.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police were alerted at about 5pm to an accident involving a lorry that was believed to have self-skidded while travelling along Ubi Avenue 2 towards Kaki Bukit Avenue 1. The driver is assisting with ongoing police investigations. AsiaOne has reached out to the Singapore Civil Defence Force for more information.[[nid:743839]]esther.lam@asiaone.com 

Singaporeans can now drive a GetGo car across the Causeway and into West Malaysia, with the car-sharing company launching a new cross-border feature on Tuesday (Sept 1).Called Drive to Malaysia, the feature allows eligible GetGo users to pick up a Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP)-registered vehicle from a nearby location in Singapore and drive anywhere in West Malaysia, including Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur.Unlike cross-border taxis and ride-hailing services, which typically transport passengers between fixed pick-up and drop-off points, users are not restricted to specific drop-off points and can drive around West Malaysia for the duration of their booking.GetGo said the feature is aimed at Singaporeans looking for a more flexible alternative to traditional cross-border car rentals, which can involve placing a deposit, as well as collecting and returning vehicles at rental outlets.Bookings must be at least 12 hours long and can last up to five days. They can be made up to 30 days in advance.Users can cross into Malaysia through either the Woodlands Causeway or Tuas Second Link and are allowed to drive anywhere in West Malaysia.

A 68-year-old man is assisting with ongoing police investigations after he allegedly knocked down a sambar deer along the Kranji Expressway (KJE) on Sunday (Aug 30) night.The incident happened at about 8.20pm along the expressway towards the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE).A four-second video of the aftermath, taken by a passing motorist, shows the injured deer crouched on the leftmost lane of the expressway. It is seen with its mouth open and appearing to breathe heavily, possibly indicating distress or shock.A trail of an unidentified substance, possibly from the mammal, is seen in front of it.Some debris, which appears to be broken glass, is also scattered across the lane.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police confirmed that they were alerted to a traffic accident involving a van and a sambar deer, adding that police investigations are ongoing.AsiaOne has reached out to the National Parks Board for an update on the sambar deer's condition.

Two people were taken to hospital after they were spotted sitting on a ledge of a multi-storey carpark in Toa Payoh on Monday (Aug 31). Photos of the incident shared by an AsiaOne reader today showed two youths seated on a ledge on the sixth floor of a multi-storey carpark at Block 130 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh.At least one fire engine and one emergency ambulance were seen at the scene. In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they received a call for assistance at about 3.15pm at the aforementioned location.  Two female teenagers aged 17 and 18, were taken conscious to the hospital. They were subsequently apprehended under Section 7 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act 2008, the police added. Under the Act, the police have the power to arrest anyone believed to be a danger to themselves or others.AsiaOne has reached out to the Singapore Civil Defence Force for more information.

A total of 10 men, aged between 28 and 77, will be charged in court on Tuesday (Sept 1) for their alleged involvement in separate molestation cases.The cases took place between July 2025 and June this year, the police said in a news release on Monday night.Among the 10 cases, the youngest victim was a 16-year-old girl with severe intellectual disability. She was allegedly molested by a 76-year-old man at a sheltered walkway along Clementi Avenue 3 last October.Police said the matter was immediately reported to them by two bystanders, and they arrested the man, who was found to be a friend of a family member. He will be charged with one count of outrage of modesty of a vulnerable person.The second case involving a 21-year-old woman with intellectual disability happened on Sept 25, 2025. According to the police, a 40-year-old man allegedly molested his 21-year-old then-colleague at a garbage disposal room of a nursery along Jalan Lekar in Choa Chu Kang.The matter was reported to the police on the same day, and he was arrested within two hours.

Singapore's eastern region will be home to a new private not-for-profit acute hospital, with consistently high hospital bed occupancy rates in the east and central areas cited as a key reason for its location.In response to queries from AsiaOne, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that the decision was made after considering various factors, with hospital bed occupancy rates in the central and eastern regions being one of the key considerations.The spokesperson added that the new not-for-profit private acute hospital is also intended to provide more lower-cost private healthcare options for Singaporeans.According to MOH data, Singapore had 12,767 acute hospital beds in 2025, including 10,784 in public hospitals, 334 in not-for-profit hospitals and 1,649 in private hospitals.The new hospital, which was first announced in 2024, is expected to have between 300 and 400 beds.

The 42-year-old Singaporean man with cerebral palsy, who was carried up Malaysia's Batu Caves by his brother during Thaipusam, has died.News of his death was shared by his brother, Suresh Vanaz, in an Instagram (IG) post on Sunday (August 30).Suresh shared a notice of his brother Gunaseelan's wake in the post. The notice featured a Manchester United logo in the background and stated that Gunaseelan died on Saturday.«With a very heavy heart that I share the heartbreaking news that my beloved brother, Gunaseelan, has passed away peacefully,» Suresh wrote.Describing his brother's death as a «sudden loss», he said Gunaseelan would «always hold a special place» in his heart.The post drew numerous messages of condolence from Suresh's IG followers.One wrote that Suresh should be «truly proud» of himself for caring for Gunaseelan «while protecting his dignity and keeping his respect intact», describing it as «one of the greatest acts of love anyone can give».

Singapore is deploying a specialist Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team from the police to assist in the identification of dead bodies in Nepal after deadly floods tore through the Nepal-China border on Aug 26.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement on Monday (Aug 31) afternoon that the deployment is in line with the Nepal government's request.Speaking to the media on Saturday, Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said Kathmandu needs foreign help in technical areas such as rescuing people stuck in tunnels, identification of dead bodies and DNA testing.Singapore's deployment of personnel was conveyed by Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan when he spoke with his Nepali counterpart.

A 25-year-old man was arrested on Sunday (Aug 30) for his alleged involvement in several cases of loanshark harassment.Police said in a news release on Monday afternoon that they were alerted to an incident at a residential unit along Jalan Bukit Merah just after midnight on Saturday.Officers attending to the case found the main gate and door of the victim's unit splashed with red paint.A wall near the unit was also defaced with loanshark-related graffiti, the police said.The man was identified by officers from Central Police Division and Ang Mo Kio Police Division through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from police cameras.He was arrested on Sunday and preliminary investigations indicate that he is believed to be linked to other similar cases of loanshark harassment.The man will be charged with the offence of loanshark harassment on Tuesday.If found guilty of the said offence, he could be jailed for up to five years, fined up to $50,000, and receive up to six strokes of the cane.The police warned would-be perpetrators that they have zero tolerance for loanshark harassment activities. 

Homegrown transport giant ComfortDelGro (CDG), through a joint venture with Paris-headquartered RATP Dev, has won the contract to operate and maintain Denmark's Copenhagen Metro.Announcing this on Monday (Aug 31),CDG said the consortium, KBH Metro Partner, was selected following a competitive international tender.The contract covers the operation and maintenance of the fully automated 43km network, and will run for 12 years until 2039, with an option for a three-year extension, CDG added.It is valued at about DKK 17 billion (S$3.4 billion), with contract signing expected in September, following completion of the statutory standstill period.Copenhagen Metro is a light rapid transit system in Denmark's capital with four lines and 44 stations, including 30 underground. Last year, the system carried a record 135 million passengers, and is one of three rapid transit systems worldwide — alongwith New York City Subway and Chicago «L» — to operate 24/7 throughout their respective city limits.

Two women in Sengkang confronted a man who allegedly followed them through an HDB estate, with him eventually running into a multi-storey carpark after one of the women chased him.A TikTok video uploaded by user muahchee on Saturday (Aug 29) shows the two women attempting to locate the man, who is standing some distance away and seemingly watching them.At one point, the man can be seen standing behind a pillar, which one of the women also points out in the video. According to the woman in a white shirt, he had allegedly been following them since they were at another HDB block.The woman in a black shirt eventually spotted him and began recording him.After being caught, the man raised his hands, turned away and walked off.The woman in black then followed him, prompting the man to start running away.He could also be heard screaming as she chased after him.The man eventually ran towards a multi-storey carpark, where he apologised to the women.In the video, one of the women said: «He messed with the wrong person.»The women later said that they did not manage to catch up with the man.

All unsecured loans from licensed moneylenders will be subject to a mandatory cooling-off period of three business days from Sept 15, announced the Ministry of Law (MinLaw).Moneylenders will only be allowed to retain a portion of the loan approval fee, up to the stipulated limits, said the ministry on Monday (Aug 31).If the principle amount of the unsecured loan is $5,000 or less, licensed moneylenders will only be allowed to retain a maximum of $50.If the unsecured loan is worth more than $5,000, moneylenders can retain a maximum of 3.5 per cent of the principal, not exceeding the loan approval fee.As such, there will not be any interest charged, and the total amount to be repaid by the borrower cannot exceed the principal amount of the loan, said MinLaw.Prior to the ministry's announcement of the cooling-off period, licensed moneylenders were allowed to keep the full loan approval fee, as well as any interest accrued, if a borrower cancels a loan.

SINGAPORE - Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC MP Alex Yam has called out comments questioning if the nine Singaporeans reported missing in the Nepal-Tibet disaster were «really Singaporean».In a Facebook post on Aug 31, he called the floods that struck the Himalayan border of Nepal and China's Tibet a «terrible tragedy» and listed the names of the Singaporeans who are still unaccounted for.They are: Estee Loeh, Ghosh Aditi, Ng Kit Kuen, Rajesvaran Ayyavoo, Rengarajan Prabu, Shalinny Deavy Elan Sozan, Shubakshi Rawla, Subramaniam Diraviam and Sumit Rawla.Yam said that scrolling through the comments, he found something else equally difficult to stomach.«While families wait desperately for news of their loved ones, a loud minority of people apparently looked at the names and faces of those missing and decided that this was the moment to ask whether they were really Singaporean,» he said.He added that some have said they hope that people remain stranded or die, while others have also questioned why the authorities should help these Singapore citizens.

Singapore-based taxi operator ComfortDelGro said on Monday (Aug 31) its joint venture with Paris-headquartered RATP Group had been selected to operate and maintain the Copenhagen Metro under a contract valued at about $3.4 billion.Here are some further details.The contract covers the operation and maintenance of the fully automated network, including four lines, 44 stations and 43 kilometres of track, among others, ComfortDelGro said in a statement.The contract will run for 12 years until 2039, with an option to extend by a further three years.Signing of the contract is expected in September, with operations expected to commence in September 2027.«The selection marks ComfortDelGro's second rail operation in Scandinavia, following the group's earlier contract to operate and maintain the Stockholm Metro,» the Singaporean firm said.KBH Metro Partner is the joint venture between ComfortDelGro and a unit of RATP Group.[[nid:742491]]

Heavy traffic is expected at Woodlands and Tuas Checkpoints during the upcoming September school holidays, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in an advisory on Monday (Aug 31).The September school holidays start on Sept 4 and end on Sept 14.In its advisory, ICA highlighted that security checks have been stepped up at all checkpoints since Feb 28 — when US and Israel struck Iran — due to the heightened global security environment.«Travellers should therefore expect longer waiting time during peak travel periods,» ICA said.Tips for faster immigration clearanceThose intending to travel through the checkpoints should plan their journey in advance and consider travelling during non-peak hours such as early mornings and late evenings.They can also check the Land Transport Authority’s One Motoring website and ICA’s social media pages for the latest traffic conditions.Travellers are also encouraged to use QR codes generated via the MyICA mobile app to enjoy «faster and more seamless» immigration clearance.

Former permanent secretary for home affairs Pang Kin Keong will take over as chairman of the Land Transport Authority (LTA) board from Sept 1, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) announced on Monday (Aug 31).He takes over from Alan Chan, who became LTA's board chairman in April 2016.Pang, 59, spent 35 years in the public sector, and retired from administrative service on June 1.Since joining the public service in 1993, he has served in various roles, including as principal private secretary to then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, director of the Internal Security Department (ISD), and director in the Ministry of Trade and Industry.Pang was also Permanent Secretary for Transport between 2012 and 2017 and is credited for leading several major initiatives to position Singapore's transport infrastructure for the future, including the planning of Changi Airport Terminal 5 and Tuas Port.

SINGAPORE – They each drove Lamborghinis, wore expensive watches and ran schemes where they promised investors high returns for money put into their property deals and other businesses.But just three years after self-styled wealth gurus Lim Jian Bin, 36, and Jason Fong Wai Hong, 46, separately told dozens of investors that they could earn them high dividends, the duo went silent.Now, more than 50 investors are worried about the $5 million they have locked up in various investments.Lim, who is also known by his online moniker Takeshi Lim, and Fong, were well-known figures on social media and at wealth seminars, where they promised followers guaranteed returns of up to 15 per cent each year.Both men have since been declared bankrupt – Fong in April, and Lim in July. The Straits Times understands Fong travelled to Kuala Lumpur on a flight on June 21, 2026, and has not left Malaysia.Worried investors have filed multiple police reports, with some wondering if they had been duped into a ponzi scheme.

SINGAPORE – Residents of Canberra Residences in Sembawang are heading to court over claims that defects at the condominium remain unresolved more than a decade after the development was completed.The management corporation (MCST) is suing main contractor MCC Engineering (Singapore), formerly known as China Jingye Construction Engineering (Singapore), over an alleged breach of a 2020 settlement agreement.The dispute dates back to June 2019, when the MCST commenced its legal proceedings for the first time against condo developer MCC Land (Singapore) and 17 other parties over alleged defects at the project.The lawsuit ended after the MCST, main contractor and developer signed a settlement agreement on Sept 1, 2020. The agreement was intended to settle all claims, demands and liabilities arising from the development and the earlier lawsuit.It required the contractor to carry out rectification, upgrading and drainage works at the development.

A total of eight hawker centres across Singapore will close for between one and three days between Aug 30 and Sept 6 for cleaning.Cleaning at hawker centres owned by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment is conducted by National Environment Agency (NEA), while town councils are responsible for cleaning HDB hawker centres.Such cleaning is conducted regularly so that Singaporeans can enjoy affordable food in a clean and hygienic environment, NEA said on its website.This round of cleaning covers hawker centres across most regions, including Dunman Food Centre in Joo Chiat, Senja Hawker Centre in Bukit Panjang, Kampung Admiralty Hawker Centre in Woodlands and Chinatown Complex Market.