A Malaysian couple's ambition to secure a better future for their children resulted in losses of over $80,000 when they fell victim to a scam that promised them permanent residency in Singapore.The couple, originally from Johor Bahru, had been working in Singapore for several years and told Shin Min Daily News they wanted to obtain Permanent Resident (PR) status.Tan, the 28-year-old-wife, said that she had come across a Facebook listing that claimed to help with Singapore PR applications last April.The advertisement used phrases like «career planning» and «stable path», which drew Tan's attention and caused her to contact the advertiser.Tan and her husband were initially asked to provide their work permits and identification cards to verify their eligibility for the application.After receiving confirmation, they were given an «Application Process and Fee List», which required them to pay an application fee of $100, a deposit of $200, and a «document verification fee» of $1,200 each.

SINGAPORE —A man who promised to marry a Singaporean woman, only to make her perform sex work in Dubai later, has been convicted of human trafficking.The woman contracted an undisclosed sexually transmitted disease and flew back to Singapore.On April 22, District Judge Eugene Teo found Italian citizen Achraf Arjaouy, 31, guilty of the offence following a trial.In convicting Achraf, the judge said that the woman’s evidence was “backed up by incriminating WhatsApp messages”, some of which were from the offender.Judge Teo also noted that Achraf had denied trafficking the victim, identified as V1 in court documents.Achraf had earlier said that the evidence she gave was “incredible”, given her physical appearance, and that it was simply not believable that she would have successfully become a sex worker.In response to this, Judge Teo said that the nature of this argument was “objectionable”, adding: “It is objectively an argument that draws its strength from standing on top of the proposition that only particular physical properties are capable of being attractive.”

A 25-year-old Portuguese man was arrested at Changi Airport Terminal 2 for attempting to smuggle approximately 36.3kg of cannabis into Singapore.In a press release on Wednesday (April 22), the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said the man had arrived on April 14 and was scheduled to depart the following day.On the evening of his arrival, the man was directed for further checks by K-9 officers from the Singapore Police Force, who were conducting operations at Changi Airport Terminal 2's baggage screening channels.During the checks, ICA officers found multiple packets believed to contain controlled drugs in his luggage. Officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau were immediately alerted and carried out further checks.A total of 68 packets of drugs were subsequently found and these packets were later determined to contain approximately 36.3kg of cannabis, said ICA. Investigations are ongoing. Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, those who import or export more than 500g of cannabis into or from Singapore may face the death penalty.[[nid:733974]]xingying.koh@asiaone.com

A 54-year-old Singapore permanent resident was fined after being convicted on one count of carrying out unauthorised works to a conserved shophouse at 32 Desker Road.The man, Manickam Nagarajan, was fined $250,000 according to a press release by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on Wednesday (April 22).Layan Management, the owner of the shophouse, was also fined $150,000 for allowing Nagarajan to carry out the unauthorised works.Layan was also handed an additional charge for failing to appoint a qualified person to supervise works on-site, and is required to reinstate and restore the building at its own cost.According to URA, Nagarajan had purchased the shophouse through Layan in October 2022.The shophouse is located in Little India, which is one of four historic districts in Singapore where the strictest form of building conservation is practised. At the time of purchase, the shophouse was in its original form with key architectural features intact.

The BJP lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge for calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a «terrorist.» Union Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that such language is unprecedented and demanded strict action and an apology from Kharge and the Congress party.

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan criticized Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's «terrorist» remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, suggesting Kharge struggles to differentiate between concepts. This follows Kharge's controversial statement during the Tamil Nadu election campaign. A BJP delegation has urged the Election Commission to take strict action against Kharge, demanding an apology.

“Yes, this is quite remarkable,” says Gunnar Björnsson, executive director of the Icelandic Chess Federation, in an interview with mbl.is, referring to the fact that scoresheets from the so-called “Match of the Century” in chess, played by Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky in Laugardalur in the summer of 1972, recently sold for around 20 million Icelandic krónur at an auction held by Sotheby’s.

The controversial project would see waste burned to create energy in Fiji to reduce the country's reliance on fossil fuels, but locals and environmentalists are not happy.

Keir Starmer will brave PMQs amid signs support is ebbing away, with Cabinet dissent surfacing publicly following damning testimony from a Foreign Office mandarin.

A motorcyclist was rear-ended by a Toyota Sienta on the expressway after it veered between lanes and nicked the multi-purpose vehicle with its rear wheel. According to a Facebook post by SGRV Admin on Monday (April 20), the accident occurred along the PIE at 1.45pm that day. Dashcam footage from a vehicle on the second lane showed the motorcyclist initially riding on the second lane with his right signal light on, before filtering left to the third lane. The rider then swerves from the third lane to the first lane. The dashcam driver immediately brakes to avoid a collision but the Toyota Sienta on the first lane was unable to do so in time.  

The number of dengue infections in Singapore has continued to fall, with a 29.2 per cent drop in the opening quarter of the year.There were 410 cases reported from January to March, down from 579 cases from October to December last year, according to figures by the National Environment Agency (NEA) on Tuesday (April 21).Dengue cases fell by about 66 per cent from 1,222 in the same period last year.One death was reported in the last three months, the agency said.It also identified 24 clusters from January to March, a decrease of about 56 per cent from the previous quarter.Among the 24 clusters, 22 were closed in the same period.The number of mosquito breeding habitats fell by about 36 per cent in the first quarter of 2026.NEA had announced in March that Project Wolbachia — an effort to prevent the spread of dengue by controlling the mosquito population — will expand to five more areas in Singapore.The programme, which will see the release of male mosquitoes carrying the Wolbachia bacteria, will be rolled out to Bukit Panjang, Little India, Pioneer, Toa Payoh and Ang Mo Kio between April and October.

A netizen was amused when he spotted one little feline dressed and ready for duty early in the morning at a Shell petrol station in Malaysia. Photos of the cat made its way onto a Threads post on Sunday (April 19) with the caption: «At six in the morning, when I was refuelling on the way to work, I saw this Shell staff ready to serve customers.» The post has since garnered over 270,000 views and nearly 38,000 likes as of Wednesday afternoon. Netizens were amused by the feline employee, with many praising its good work ethic. «He's good, he knows his job scope,» wrote one user.«I want to show my cat. Tell her to be a little proactive and find a job to buy kibbles and wet food, don't just expect it  from me,» wrote another. «Omg he has a uniform eh. Hahaha. Only no name tag. The economy is so bad, even the boss is forced to work to support their human,» teased one netizen. Others shared photos of cats dressed in similar outfits, including an orange cat named Jit Jit, who previously went viral for being the official mascot of a petrol station in Johor Bahru. 

Hiva Oa, Ua Pou, Ua Huka, Maupiti, quatre îles entrent dans un nouveau cadre réglementaire pour le mouillage des navires. Le Pays vient d'adopter des arrêtés qui organisent le stationnement des voiliers dans leurs baies, face à la pression croissante de la plaisance. Objectif : protéger les écosystèmes et éviter les conflits d'usage.

À la veille des vacances de Noël, des élèves de Mahina ont envoyé des lettres au roi Charles III, en Angleterre. Quelques mois plus tard, à leur grande surprise, ils ont reçu une réponse officielle du palais de Buckingham. Le roi s’est dit « extrêmement ému » par leurs messages. Une initiative pédagogique qui a suscité à la fois fierté et émotion chez les élèves.

Malawi’s fuel crisis has taken a dramatic turn after government spokesperson Shadreck Namalomba confirmed, on Tuesday, that national fuel reserves have completely run dry—raising fresh alarm over the country’s already fragile energy security and exposing deep divisions over procurement policy. The admission comes as long queues return to fuel stations across the country, with supply […] The post Fuel Crisis Deepens as Government Confirms Dry Reserves, Mumba Questions Rejection of G2G Deal appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Aspiring MISA Malawi chairperson candidate Felix Washon has strongly defended his suitability for the position, dismissing claims circulating among rivals that his current role outside mainstream newsroom journalism disqualifies him from leading the media body. Washon, who currently serves as Media and Communications Manager for the Malawi Red Cross Society, says the argument against his […] The post Washon Defends Credentials, Says He Is Fit to Lead MISA Malawi Amid Election Contest appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Pregnant girls who are survivors of sexual assault are still facing serious barriers in accessing sexual and reproductive health services—including safe and legal abortion care—despite a court ruling intended to guarantee their rights, stakeholders have revealed. Legal and health rights advocates say the failure to fully implement the court order is leaving some of the […] The post Court Order Ignored? Pregnant Rape Survivors Still Blocked From Safe Abortion Services Despite Landmark Ruling appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

The Duchess of Sussex was criticised after her $2,000 'look' when she met survivors of the massacre was posted on a website where she is paid a percentage from sales.

The family is offering a salary of £60,000 to the successful applicant, as well as accommodation in a cottage on the family's private estate.

[allAfrica]

Footage shows Maestro Matthew Halls enthusiastically directing his orchestra before whacking the violin, worth £1million, out of the player's grip with his swinging arms and baton.

A review of 19 studies concludes that tea bags, whether made of plastic, paper or biodegradable materials, are the largest source of cancer-causing contamination.

Russia now has the capacity to supply Orlan drones to foreign countries