SINGAPORE - The impact of the Iran war has so far been relatively contained in Singapore, with no emergency measures or work-from-home orders, unlike in many countries around the world.The Government has yet to dip into its energy stockpiles of liquified natural gas and diesel, which are enough to last for months, although it has warned of a “bumpier ride ahead”.But the conflict, which has driven up energy costs, has seeped into daily life here, prompting the authorities to take action to ease the burden.

With just about four years to go before the first phase of Singapore’s eighth MRT line — the Cross Island Line (CRL) — commences service in 2030, Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow has given the public a preview of the CR151 trains to be used on the line. He posted the photos of the trains on his Facebook yesterday (April 2).Siow, who is also Senior Minister of State for Finance, was in China for the annual Singapore-Shandong Business Council meeting, which he co-chaired with Shandong Governor Zhou Naixiang.A total of 10 agreements covering areas of mutual interest such as trade and connectivity, green economy, and modern services, were inked between Singapore and Shandong companies during the meeting.The acting minister also met up with Singaporean businesses based in Jinan to understand their current business priorities. Visit to Qingdao rail depotHe also took time to visit Qingdao rail depot on Thursday (April 2), to understand their latest rail technologies. 

Long queues were reported at Woodlands Checkpoint on Good Friday (April 3) morning as thousands of Malaysians who work here made their way home ahead of the long weekend, which coincides with Qing Ming Festival.The traditional Chinese festival, also known as tomb sweeping day, falls on Sunday (April 5) this year, and is dedicated to honouring and remembering ancestors and loved ones who have died.From around midnight, social media was abuzz with commuters sharing scenes of huge crowds waiting for buses to cross the Causeway after they have cleared Singapore's immigration.Some Malaysians reported taking four hours to complete their journeys from Queen Street bus terminal to across the Causeway. Others showed screenshots of their WhatsApp chats with family members spanning more than an hour as they waited in the bus queues.'Endless night'Several posts also show hundreds of people standing nearly shoulder-to-shoulder as they wait for buses. Tee Han Long, who shared a short video of the situation at the bus waiting area wrote: «This too shall pass.» 

A 46-year-old male driver was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol in a case of hit-and-run on Good Friday (April 3) morning.The incident happened at about 12.40am at the junction of Serangoon North Avenue 1 and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3. Map showing where the accident happened. INFOGRAPHIC: AsiaOne (Map and street view from Google Maps) Ground checks by AsiaOne show that road diversions are in place along the busy stretch of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 due to the ongoing Cross Island Line construction. Videos of the incident sent to AsiaOne show a motorcycle fallen on its side at the rightmost lane of the road, with a motorcyclist seen sitting up against a safety barricade.

There was no reprieve for motorists and commercial diesel vehicle owners here as pump prices continued to rise a second consecutive day on Good Friday (April 3).In the wake of three fuel companies — Caltex, Shell and SPC — raising their respective diesel and petrol prices on Thursday, China-headquartered oil and chemical company Sinopec mirrored their moves on Friday.It raised petrol prices by 5 cents across its petrol offerings, while raising its posted price for diesel by 30 cents.But that's not all. Caltex also doubled-down on its diesel hike — raising its posted price by a further 20 cents, barely a day after posting a 10-cent increase.This means that Caltex has raised its diesel price by 30 cents a litre in just two calendar days.As of 1pm on April 3, Esso is the only major fuel company here which has yet to join the petrol price hike.

The man suspected of murdering a 70-year-old man in Geylang on March 9 was taken back to the crime scene by the police on Friday (April 3) morning.Ong Hou Cheong, 48, arrived at Lorong 16 Geylang at about 9.15am in an unmarked police van, dressed in a red polo shirt, navy blue shorts and clear slippers.The Singaporean, who was restrained around his ankles and wrists, was escorted by four police investigators.They were met by other investigators and crime scene specialists at the scene. Ong, who appeared stoic, spent about 20 minutes answering questions from police investigators. 

A teen in Singapore has been arrested for licking a straw from an iJooz machine and placing it back.iJooz is a popular smart vending machine that provides freshly squeezed orange juice in locations across Singapore.The 18-year-old, who is said to be studying in Essec Business School, filmed himself committing the act and posted the video on what appears to be Snapchat.The clip went viral on Instagram last month and he was arrested yesterday (April 2).In response to AsiaOne’s queries, police confirmed that a report was lodged and the teen has been arrested for public nuisance. Police investigations are ongoing.iJooz said that they've launched an investigation into the incident and have filed a police report, according to Lianhe Zaobao. The company said it has implemented additional internal checks, inspections, straw replacements, and machine sanitation protocols, reported CNA.[[nid:729504]]syarifahsn@asiaone.comNo part of this article can be reproduced without AsiaOne’s permission.

SINGAPORE - Rides on Tada and Gojek will soon cost more as the two ride-hailing operators announced an increase in a surcharge to defray fuel expenses for their drivers.This follows a similar move by Grab on March 31, when the platform announced an increase of its current 50-cent fee to 90 cents effective from April 7, spurred by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.Fuel prices across the world have been surging due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas.In e-mails sent to users on April 3, both Tada and Gojek announced their temporary fare increases from 50 cents to at least 90 cents for all trips, with both clarifying that the full fee goes to drivers to help them cope with the rising cost of fuel. The new fees will kick in from April 10 to May 31.Tada’s fees, however, will see a further increase to $1.20 for trips costing $18.10 or more. Tada also said that it has provided a one-time support payout of $40 on March 20 to selected drivers.

A 16-year-old teenager is among 82 people under police investigations for their alleged involvement in unlicensed moneylending activities.Police said in a news release on Thursday (April 2) night that they conducted an enforcement operation against unlicensed moneylending activities from March 25 to 31.The operation saw officers from the Criminal Investigation Department and the seven police land divisions conduct raids across Singapore.Preliminary investigations revealed that eight persons had allegedly harassed debtors at their residences.Also under investigation are 14 individuals believed to have acted as runners, assisting in unlicensed moneylending activities by carrying out Automated Teller Machine (ATM) transfers.The remaining 60 people allegedly opened bank accounts, provided ATM cards and personal identification numbers, as well as internet banking tokens to illegal moneylenders to facilitate their unlicensed activities.Police investigations against all 82 individuals are ongoing.

Petrol prices in Singapore returned to their recent record high on Thursday (April 2) as Caltex, Shell and SPC became the first fuel companies here to raise petrol prices again.Both Caltex and SPC raised petrol prices by 5 cents — across their respective petrol offerings — while increasing their diesel price by 10 cents and 20 cents respectively. Meanwhile, Shell raised its posted prices for petrol by 6 cents. It also raised diesel price by another 20 cents.Their moves continued the recent trend of diesel price hikes, but also reversed a respite for petrol customers — lasting a grand total of nine days. In comparison, pump prices have been on the rise since March 4.

A social media post by the Singapore Police Force's Hougang Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) on April Fool's Day is going viral, racking up over 270,000 views in just over a day.The video features Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Benjamin Cheah, a ground response force team leader at the NPC, literally «scamming» viewers thrice-in-a-row to send home the message that encounters online may not be what they appear to be.ASP Cheah, 35, who appeared to be holding a mug at the start of the video, showed that it was actually another person doing so. He went on to demonstrate that even a seemingly real voice talking to another person, may again turn out otherwise.Finally, ASP Cheah revealed that the «person» seen in the video since the start was actually his reflection in the mirror.But these mirrors the anatomy of a love scam where scammers look to befriend individuals who are seeking genuine relationships via dating websites or social media.

With the resumption of crow shooting operations since late-March, the National Parks Board (NParks) has introduced safety measures to ensure public safety.In a statement on Thursday (April 2), it said that these include cordoned-off zones with signages, as well as working with stakeholders to inform the public on the location and timing of the operations.The shooters, who are wildlife management contractors engaged by NParks, are also required to ensure that the trajectory of the shotgun pellets is always directed upwards. Signages put up by NParks during a crow shooting operation on April 2.PHOTO: AsiaOne/Shafiq Apandi A 25-minute shooting operation was witnessed by reporters at a heavy vehicle carpark in Jurong on Thursday.

Mediacorp on Thursday (April 2) unveiled its subscription plans for the 2026 World Cup — keeping rates unchanged from 2022 — despite airing 40 more matches as the participating teams go up from 32 to 48.It will be co-hosted across Canada, Mexico and the US from June 12 to July 20.Those who sign up between Thursday and April 30 can enjoy an early bird price of $98. Thereafter, the standard rate of $118 applies.Explaining its rationale for the price freeze, Angeline Poh, chief customer officer at Mediacorp, said that this is the «right thing to do» for Singapore football fans.The 2026 World Cup is the most expansive edition to date, featuring a record 48 teams and 104 matches.Mediacorp's mewatch subscribers will be able to start watching immediately once they sign up, and stream on their existing preferred devices such as smart televisions, tablets and smartphones.

Petrol prices in Singapore returned to their recent record high on Thursday (April 2) as Caltex and SPC became the first fuel companies here to raise petrol prices again.They raised petrol prices by 5 cents — across their respective petrol offerings — while increasing their diesel price by 10 cents and 20 cents respectively.Their moves continued the recent trend of diesel price hikes, but also reversed a respite for petrol customers — lasting a grand total of nine days. In comparison, pump prices have been on the rise since March 4.Petrol prices in Singapore fell between March 22 and 24, with fuel companies here taking turns to drop prices by 5 cents; except for Shell which adjusted its posted prices for petrol downwards by a total of 7 cents — over two adjustments.

Fourteen people aged between 27 and 67 are under police investigation for their alleged involvement in illegal activities in Geylang.The police said in a statement on Thursday (April 2) that the 10 men and four women were arrested during a series of enforcement operations conducted from March 1 to 7 to clamp down on the likes of illegal gambling, the sale of unregistered health products and drug-related activities.Led by Bedok Police Division, the agencies involved are: Criminal Investigation Department, Central Narcotics Bureau, Health Sciences Authority, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Singapore Customs, Land Transport Authority and Singapore Food Agency.On March 1, four men aged between 33 and 61 were arrested for alleged illegal online gambling activities. Cash amounting to $1,700 and various gambling-related items were seized.

SBS Transit has filed a police report after a man was seen allegedly abusing a bus driver verbally on Sunday evening (March 29). In a statement to AsiaOne, SBS Transit spokesperson Grace Wu said the incident occurred while service 88 bus was travelling along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3. «As the bus approached a kerbside bus stop, the bus captain alerted the vehicles ahead not to stop within the designated bus stop zone to ensure passengers could board and alight safely,» said Wu. She added that this unfortunately led to a dispute, during which a lorry driver repeatedly directed verbal abuse at the bus captain. The incident lasted approximately two minutes before the bus was able to resume its journey.«We do not tolerate any form of abuse against our bus captains. A police report has since been lodged,» the spokesperson said.A video of the incident, shared on TikTok on March 30, shows a man allegedly shouting at the bus driver from the front of the bus while gesturing at him with his hands.

SINGAPORE – A DHL unit in Singapore has laid off its workers, but it remains unclear how many workers were retrenched and what roles were affected, as the company and its union declined to provide details.Online chatter on retrenchments in DHL Global Forwarding Singapore first surfaced two months ago, and on March 30, a Reddit user posted details of the company’s latest retrenchment exercise in a forum that discusses workplace culture.A spokesman for the freight transport company on March 31 confirmed the retrenchment exercise in response to queries from The Straits Times.“We are aware of the online discussions regarding retrenchment matters in Singapore. We remain committed to treating all employees with fairness and respect, in full compliance with local regulations and our internal policies,” said the spokesman in an e-mail.“Any workforce-related decisions we make are guided by current business needs and based on merit,” the spokesman said, adding that the company would not be providing further details.

SINGAPORE – A male teacher allegedly committed sexual acts on a female student multiple times in 2023 when she was a minor below 16 years old.On April 2, the man was handed nine charges – six counts of committing indecent acts on a minor and three counts of sexually penetrating her.Details about the man and the locations of his alleged offences cannot be disclosed due to a gag order to protect the girl’s identity.Responding to queries from The Straits Times, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said that the man was suspended from duty in January 2024 and has since been dismissed from service.An MOE spokesperson added: “(We take) a serious view of staff misconduct and will not hesitate to take disciplinary action against those who fail to adhere to our standards of conduct and discipline.”According to court documents, the man and the girl allegedly kissed and hugged each other in public at a shopping mall on around Feb 16, 2023.He is accused of kissing her chest area in a handicapped toilet between March and June that year.

FairPrice Group (FPG) has partnered with beverages company Pokka to pilot Singapore's first autonomous vehicle (AV) route between a retailer and supplier, they announced on Thursday (April 2).The 6km round-trip route plies between FairPrice Group's distribution centre and Pokka's warehouse in Benoi, within the Jurong Industrial Estate.FairPrice said it is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen supply chain operations, which will in turn allow customers to peruse more efficiently and consistently stocked shelves in supermarkets.FPG already uses these driverless vehicles to transport goods between distribution centres, with over 100 trips made each week.Up to 1.5 tonnes of ambient produce, packaged products and other essentials are transported each trip, it added.FairPrice received approval from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to fully remotely operate AVs on public roads in October last year.It began trials for the route on Feb 25, 2026, and will transition to sole reliance on AVs for transportation along the route once it is approved for fully remote operations by the LTA.

SINGAPORE - Singapore prosecutors charged one more person with fraud on Thursday (Apr 1) for making false representations to US server supplier Dell Technologies, linking her to two other individuals charged with similar offences in February last year.Jenny Lim was charged with conspiring with Alan Wei Zhaolun and Aaron Woon Guo Jie in 2024 to commit fraud by misleading Dell that Aperia International would be the end-user of the servers bought from Dell, police said in the charge sheets.Singapore Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said in March last year that authorities ascertained that servers involved in the case may contain Nvidia chips.The servers were supplied by Dell and artificial intelligence server maker Super Micro Computer to Singapore-based companies, and were then sent on to Malaysia, although it was not clear if Malaysia was their final destination, he said.The United States banned the export of high-end chips from Nvidia to China in 2022 amid concerns that they could be used for military purposes. The United States later approved the sale of Nvidia's second-most powerful H200 chips in January this year, with some conditions.

A 30-year-old man who was caught vaping on an MRT train in a viral video has been identified by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and is assisting with investigations.In a post shared on Instagram on Wednesday (April 1), the HSA said a search of the man's home found one vaporiser and one pod.The viral video, posted to Facebook last Friday (March 27), shows the man in a black jacket discreetly vaping in a train cabin while using his jacket to cover his actions.On March 6, Parliament passed a new law aimed at clamping down on vaping and etomidate abuse, which imposes stiffer fines on users, sellers, and smugglers.Under amendments to the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, vape users can be fined up to $10,000 from May 1 — five times the current amount. It was also reported on March 6 that more than 5,100 people were caught for vape-related offences in the past six months, including 593 who used K-pods.

Singapore residents will soon be able to enjoy pig's blood again after local authorities approved the import of such products from an accredited slaughterhouse in Thailand.In an online circular on Wednesday (April 1), the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said it has granted approval for heat-treated pork blood products from Bangkhla Pig Slaughterhouse after conducting food safety assessments.Each consignment of pig's blood products from the accredited slaughterhouse must have an official health certificate issued by Thai authorities, which certifies that the import complies with Singapore's animal health and food safety requirements.«Traders are reminded that pork and pork products can only be imported from SFA-approved sources,» the circular stated.Expected in Singapore stores within 1 to 2 monthsCP Foods Singapore will be the importer of pig's blood from Thailand, reported Lianhe Zaobao on Wednesday.The food distribution firm reportedly told the Chinese publication that it has been selling pre-packaged pasteurised pig's blood curd from Bangkhla Pig Slaughterhouse in Thailand for years.

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has safely disposed of a World War II-era unexploded ordnance (UXO) at a construction worksite along Tanah Merah Coast Road on April 2 (Tuesday).The UXO, assessed to be a 250kg World War II Japanese aerial bomb, was discovered during construction works on March 31.It was was then disposed of through a controlled operation after the situation was assessed by the SAF’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosives team.The operation involved the setting of protective works including an overhead cover constructed using compacted sandbags.

A 64-year-old male motorcyclist died following an accident involving a car and a motorcycle along the Central Expressway (CTE) towards the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) on Wednesday (April 1).The accident took place at about 2.15pm near the Orchard Road exit along the CTE.Videos of the aftermath show a silver Toyota Prius car stopped on the rightmost lane of the three-lane road.The motorcycle was seen lying on its side, across two lanes, ahead of the car.At least two Traffic Police (TP) expressway patrol cars, one TP motorcycle, and a crime scene investigation police van were seen at the scene.Yellow evidence markers were seen placed at various parts of the road, including beside the fallen motorcycle.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said a 64-year-old male motorcyclist was taken unconscious to the hospital where he subsequently died.His 41-year-old female pillion was taken conscious to the hospital.Police added that the 68-year-old male car driver was arrested for dangerous driving causing death, with investigations ongoing.[[nid:732800]]editor@asiaone.com

A 63-year-old Australian will be charged in court on Thursday (April 2) for his alleged involvement in a case of disorderly conduct on board a plane, causing the aircraft to return to Changi Airport.Police said in a statement on Wednesday evening that the alleged incident took place at about 6.40pm on March 19.The man, who was believed to be drunk, was behaving unruly on board a flight. He is said to have shouted profanities and thrown his shoes about 20 minutes after the aircraft departed.Attempts by the cabin crew to calm him down were futile as he purportedly continued to behave in a disorderly manner towards a crew member and had to be placed under restraint.This led to the pilot deciding to return to the airport for the man to be offloaded.He was arrested by officers from the Airport Police Division upon arrival.If found guilty of behaving in a disorderly manner towards a crew member or aircraft, he may be jailed for up to five years, fined up to $100,000, or both.Police reminded all passengers that they treat all acts of violence, threats and disruptive behaviour onboard aircraft seriously.

Ten people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in fraudulent work pass applications, the Ministry of Manpower said on Wednesday (April 1).Among those who nabbed in an island-wide enforcement operation on Tuesday were directors and employees from five construction companies.Another 41 people are assisting in investigations for their involvement in such illegal arrangements.The ministry is also probing into the Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions of more than 40 people in relation to the five companies.The firms had allegedly made CPF contributions to Singaporeans and permanent residents to “phantom workers” — or those not under their employment — to inflate their quota to hire foreigners.«These companies then used the inflated quota to make work pass applications to hire more foreigners,» MOM said.Under the ministry guidelines, the quota, also known as dependency ratio ceiling (DRC), is the maximum ratio of foreign workers to the total workforce that a company can employ.Depending on the sector like construction or services, the DRC ranges between 35 per cent and 83.3 per cent.

Following a coroner's inquiry into the death of Indian singer Zubeen Garg, whose death was ruled an accidental drowning, the police said on Wednesday (April 1) that their investigations into the death have also concluded.«There is no evidence of foul play,» they said.They added that investigations were conducted in accordance with the Singapore Coroners Act, with investigators examining all available evidence and recording statements from all witnesses deemed to be relevant to the case.Investigations established that Garg was on a yacht trip in the waters off Lazarus Island.The 52-year-old was found to be initially wearing a life jacket while swimming, but later removed it and returned to the yacht without the life jacket on him.

Singaporeans can expect wetter weather during the first two weeks of April, according to the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) on Wednesday (April 1) .Thundery showers have been forecast over parts of Singapore in the afternoon on most days, and they may extend into the afternoon on most days.The total rainfall for the first fortnight is forecast to be near average of 164.3mm over most parts of the island.Daily maximum temperatures may still range between 33 deg C and 35 deg C most days while it might exceed 35 deg C on days when there is less cloud.There were several fair days in the last two weeks of March with short-duration thundery showers over parts of the island in the afternoon on a few days.The daily total rainfall of 58.4mm recorded at Tuas South on March 17 and at Lim Chu Kang on March 18 was the highest recorded for the second fortnight.The northeast monsoon conditions prevailing over the region are forecast to gradually weaken and end, with inter-monsoon conditions setting in during the first week of April.

Punggol is keeping up the heat on active mobility offences to keep its young population safe.In a Facebook post on Monday (March 30), Punggol Neighbourhood Police Centre said it conducted a joint enforcement operation against active mobility offences with the Land Transport Authority.A total of 11 offences under the Active Mobility Act were detected during the four-day operation, including riding non-compliant personal mobility devices and power-assisted bicycles, riding bicycles without mandatory handbrake and registration-related violations.Five non-compliant active mobility devices were also impounded during the operation.The «targeted operation» across Punggol, conducted between March 16 and 19, included hotspots such as Punggol Town Square and Lor Halus Red Bridge.«You have been warned previously and we are serious about keeping our streets safe!» the police said in the post.

Punggol's first self-driving shuttles made their public debut on Wednesday (April 1), said service operator Grab.The shuttles — called Autonomously Intelligent Ride (Ai.R) — ply two of three planned routes around the neighbourhood: Route 1 connects Punggol West and East, while route 3 links Punggol West and North.Online reservations for both shuttle routes opened on March 25, and the rides are free of charge until Grab begins commercial service in the middle of 2026.«Grab is delighted to be bringing the first autonomous vehicle service in a residential area in Singapore to the public,» the super app said on Wednesday.«This service...is about building a future where technology and the community move forward together.»The fleet of 11 autonomous shuttles operated by Grab are developed by Chinese autonomous vehicle company WeRide. 10 of the vehicles are five-seaters, while one can accommodate up to eight passengers.The shuttles underwent months of testing and collectively travelled more than 30,000km without incident before service officially opened to the public, Grab added.

A 61-year-old woman was found dead at the foot of an HDB block in Yishun on Tuesday (March 31) morning.The incident happened at about 9.05am at Block 136 Yishun Ring Road.When AsiaOne reached the scene at about 12pm, there were at least three police fast response cars present. A police cordon was set up at the ground floor next to a lift lobby built during the block's Lift Upgrading Programme.The body was already removed by then, but a police investigation officer was still conducting checks at the scene.Responding to media queries, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force said the woman was found lying motionless at the foot of the block and was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic.The police confirmed that the woman had fallen from height, adding that preliminary investigations do not suggest foul play and that investigations are ongoing.

SINGAPORE — A former pre-school principal, who agreed to reformat a CCTV system after a cook was caught on video molesting a two-year-old girl, was sentenced to 10 days' jail on April 1.The 62-year-old woman had pleaded guilty to one count of intentionally omitting information on sexual assault committed by Teo Guan Huat.Before handing down the sentence, District Judge Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz said that the former principal was in a position of trust, but failed to honour that trust.In November 2025, Teo, then 61, was sentenced to nine years, four months and seven weeks in jail.The prosecution said it was one of the most horrendous acts of sexual abuse committed in a pre-school.Teo pleaded guilty to three molestation charges in October 2025. The Malaysian had molested three girls, aged one to two, while the victims were in a nap room at the facility.In December 2025, the former principal was one of three women convicted in offences linked to the reformatted CCTV footage.One of them was the vice-principal, then 49, who was sentenced to three months and two weeks' jail in January. 

There may not be quite as many bins in other countries compared to Singapore - but that doesn't mean littering is allowed.A Singapore resident has been sentenced to RM1,000 (S$322) and four hours of community service in Johor Bahru's Magistrates' Court on Wednesday (April 1) after he was caught for littering.He was among the four in court on Wednesday facing charges relating to littering. Sinha Vaibhav, 40, pleaded guilty but asked for a reduction in community service due to a knee injury, providing the judge with a doctor's memo.He will serve his four hours of community service over the course of six months, spending an hour each day he conducts his service.'I shouldn't have done that'Speaking with AsiaOne, Vaibhav shared that he threw a can of coke into a pile of trash outside a KKMart in front of KSL City Mall while waiting for his car to finish servicing on Jan 14 this year.The Singapore resident - who is here on an employment pass - told AsiaOne that he was unable to find a bin nearby, and believed it was okay to toss his trash there because someone else had already done the same.

Denise Wong has been appointed commissioner of the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC), the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) announced on Wednesday (April 1).Wong, who is presently assistant chief executive (ACE) at IMDA's innovation and protection group, and concurrently PDPC's deputy commissioner, will continue to serve as ACE — where she oversees Singapore's data and artificial intelligence governance policies and ecosystem development.In a joint media release by the authority and the commission, they said that Wong will lead the development and execution of PDPC's strategic direction in her new role.The agencies added that apart from regulatory and enforcement decisions, she will also advise the Government on data protection matters and lead the commission to represent the Government internationally on matters relating to data protection."(In her previous role as deputy commissioner) she was instrumental in the formulation and implementation of policies that advance the responsible use of data. 

A 53-year-old woman was allegedly locked inside a private hire vehicle over a payment dispute with the driver.The woman, who wished to be known only as Wang, told Shin Min Daily News that the incident occurred on Saturday (March 28), when she booked a ride via the ride-hailing platform Ryde from Fajar Shopping Centre in Bukit Panjang to her workplace in Chinatown.«The journey, which usually takes about 30 minutes, took an hour to get to my destination,» she said, adding that the driver, whom she believed to be in his sixties, was also seen driving with one hand throughout the ride.Upon arrival, Wang said the driver stopped at Amoy Street instead of her stated destination at Club Street and informed her that they had reached.As she was in a hurry, Wang told Shin Min that she had asked the driver to let her alight and intended to pay the fare — about $24 — via PayNow.