SINGAPORE - In the days leading up to her move to Macau in 2024 to work as an aerialist, Ms Megan Lau grappled with doubt.As a philosophy, politics and economics graduate from the National University of Singapore (NUS), the 24-year-old could not help but wonder if she was trading a secure future for a fleeting dream.In her last year of university, she had applied on a whim to join the House Of Dancing Water, touted as the world's largest water-based show, after seeing a casting advertisement online.She was taken by surprise when she received a callback for auditions, and later an offer to join the cast.«Am I making the right decision? Am I throwing my degree away?» she remembers asking herself on the morning of her departure in October 2024.The dream of performing professionally had been a seed planted long ago, when she started ballet at the age of five.She believes everything she did - years of dance training and aerial practice - had prepared her for this moment.Still, she had to weigh the pros and cons of taking up the offer.

At least 30 lucky draw and 13 e-commerce scams have been reported in Singapore since August 2025.According to the police in a statement on Saturday (Oct 18), the losses have amounted to at least $160,000 in total.In the lucky draw scams, the victims encountered Facebook live streams promoting scratch cards offering the chance to win cash prizes.After they had purchased the cards, the scammers would ask them to transfer more money to «upgrade» their chances of winning or increase the amount of the cash prizes, with some allowing deferred payment.Once the victims won, they would be asked to transfer money again for various reasons, such as for administrative fees, to receive their winnings.In e-commerce scams, the victims would come across Facebook live streams selling «gold mine bags», said to potentially contain gold.If the victims did not win, the scammers would ask them to purchase more bags, or to purchase «upgraded» bags which purportedly had a higher chance of containing gold.

A Palestinian baby girl has been named Singapore as an expression of gratitude to the country that had provided her family with aid and support, according to the newborn's father. In an Instagram post uploaded on Saturday (Oct 18) by Love Aid Singapore — a humanitarian organisation led by Singaporean activist Gilbert Goh — the baby's father explained the reason behind his daughter's name.«Amidst the famine, her pregnant mother was eating from the Singapore kitchen,» said Hamdan, who has worked as a cook with the group for two years.«I am happy and I really want to name her Singapore because I really love them.»According to Love Aid, Hamdan's daughter, born on Oct 16, is the first Palestinian child in Gaza to be named Singapore. The girl's birth certificate, which was shared on social media also showed that she weighed 2.7kg at birth.

Commuters who tap in at the six stations between Punggol Coast and Kovan as well as those along the Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT) during morning off-peak timings will enjoy free rides come Dec 27.This was announced by Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow on Saturday (Oct 18), on the sidelines of the official opening of Punggol Coast Bus Interchange.Those who wish to enjoy the free rides will have to tap in at the abovementioned stations before 7.30am or between 9am and 9.45am on weekdays, excluding public holidays, said Siow.According to a statement by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on the same day, no registration is required to enjoy the free rides, but the same fare card or payment mode must be used for entry and exit.Guest of honour for the opening ceremony and Punggol GRC MP, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong told the media that he had received feedback from residents about the crowd on the the North-East Line (NEL), as the northeast region becomes more densely populated.He then suggested bringing back the free off-peak morning rides.

Twenty one people were injured in a lorry collision on Wednesday night (Oct 15) and one driver was arrested for dangerous driving causing grievous hurt.The police said in a statement on Friday evening (Oct 17) that the 24-year-old driver was ferrying nine passengers when he allegedly ran a red light at the traffic junction of Choa Chu Kang Way by Sungei Kadut Avenue and Sungei Kadut Loop.The lorry collided with another lorry, which had 11 passengers, as the latter vehicle was proceeding through the junction on a green light.Apart from the driver who ran the red light, the remaining 21 people from both vehicles were taken to hospitals.The injuries they sustained include fractures, lacerations and bodily pains.

Twelve persons aged between 25 and 35 have been arrested for their suspected involvement in the possession and distribution of e-vaporisers on Oct 16. The 12 were arrested at a carpark in the vicinity of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 when they were allegedly gathering and distributing the e-vaporisers.“They are believed to be part of an e-vaporiser syndicate that orchestrated the importation and distribution of e-vaporisers from Malaysia into Singapore, and has been supplying to residents,” the police said in a joint statement with the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on Saturday (Oct 18).Following the arrests, raids were conducted at Upper Jurong Road, Canberra Drive and Jalan Sendudok, which included two storage locations allegedly used by the syndicate.Police said they coordinated with HSA to seize more than 64,000 e-vaporisers and its related components during the raids. The seized vapes have an estimated street value of $560,000.Eight cars, electronic devices such as mobile phones and SIM cards, and cash amounting to more than $16,000 were also seized during the operation. 

A happy holiday in Singapore took a sour turn when this tourist's $3,000 was allegedly stolen by a hotel housekeeper.A Taiwanese tourist, known as Yang, said his cash was taken by a housekeeper at Village Hotel Sentosa on Friday (Oct 17).In his post on Threads, Yang said he checked into the hotel on Thursday evening (Oct 16) and went to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Singapore.Before leaving, Yang said he placed around $3,000 worth of cash in a plastic bag from Marina Bay Sands. He then left the bag on a white counter in his hotel room.According to Yang's post, the plastic bag with cash was stolen on Friday.«When this happened, I felt so helpless,» Yang wrote in Chinese. «The hotel manager said he really trusts his staff and there was no way such an incident would happen.»Rummaged through hotel's garbageYang said he rummaged through the hotel's garbage collection to no avail until the police arrived.After searching the housekeeper and her storage locker, the police found the same Marina Bay Sands plastic bag Yang used for his money, he wrote.

The 23-year-old on duty full-time police national serviceman (NSF), who was found with a gunshot wound to his neck, is now in «a stable condition», the police said in response to AsiaOne's query on Friday (Oct 17).He was found by his teammates in a toilet at 328 Pasir Panjang Road, which is listed online as a Shell petrol kiosk, at about 9pm on Wednesday (Oct 15).The officer was subsequently taken conscious to hospital. His service revolver and remaining ammunition were accounted for and seized at the scene. Following preliminary investigations, police said then that they believe the gunshot wound was self-inflicted.In 2021, a full-time police NSF was found dead with a gunshot wound to his head in a toilet at the Special Operations Command. The 21-year-old's death was later ruled a suicide. [[nid:724003]]editor@asiaone.com

An 18-year-old male was charged on Friday (Oct 17) for allegedly trafficking e-vaporiser pods suspected to contain etomidate, a potent sedative-hypnotic drug.In a statement released on Friday, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said that on Oct 16, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officers detected suspected etomidate-laced e-vaporiser pods in a vehicle belonging to the alleged offender, Kwek Rui An Rayern.Authorities seized two e-vaporisers and 127 suspected etomidate pods from the vehicle, while another five pods were later recovered from his residence in Bedok.The seized items are currently undergoing laboratory testing for etomidate and investigations by HSA are ongoing.According to HSA, the case has been adjourned to Oct 24. 

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong will visit Argentina and the United Kingdom from Oct 20 to 28.The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement on Friday (Oct 17) that SM Lee will visit Buenos Aires from Oct 20 to 24, followed by London from Oct 25 to 28.In Buenos Aires, SM Lee will meet with senior Argentinian political figures, key congressional personalities and prominent businessmen. He will also attend a meeting of the JP Morgan International Council, which he has been a member of since March 2025.The council is an advisory group of global leaders from business, government and public service that convenes annually to discuss economic, political, and geopolitical issues.SM Lee will meet with senior British political figures and business leaders from the technology and corporate sectors in London. He will also speak at the Royal Institute of International Affairs' Chatham House on shifting geopolitical and economic trends in an era of heightened uncertainty. 

Seventy-four persons were arrested for suspected drug offenders during a five-day island-wide anti-drug operation from Oct 13 to 17.Areas such as Ang Mo Kio, Balestier, Clementi, Punggol, Woodlands and Yishun were covered during the operation, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said on Friday (Oct 17).A total of about 2.5kg of cannabis, 158g of ketamine, 76g of heroin, 73g of ‘Ice’, 12g of ‘Ecstasy’, 40 Erimin-5 tablets and numerous vape related products including 42 e-vaporiser pods believed to contain etomidate were seized.The drugs seized are estimated to be worth more than $68,000, said CNB, adding that the heroin, ‘Ice’ and cannabis seized could potentially feed the addiction of 436 abusers for a week.Over 2.3kg of cannabis seized at YishunOn Oct 13, CNB officers arrested a 36-year-old Singaporean in Yishun for suspected drug trafficking offences.He was travelling along along Yishun Avenue 1 when he was arrested, and a search of his motorcycle yielded about 2.3kg of cannabis, 156g of ketamine, 11g of ‘Ice’, 11g of ‘Ecstasy’, 40 Erimin-5 tablets, and drug paraphernalia. 

A cat was found dead at a stairwell in Ayer Rajah on Tuesday (Oct 14), with its body allegedly severed in half.Speaking to AsiaOne on Friday (Oct 17), a witness, who wished to be known only as Bob, said he was leaving office in the JTC Launchpad building at 81 Ayer Rajah Crescent at around 12pm when he spotted the carcass. «I was heading out for lunch and took the stairwell from the third floor down when I noticed an unfamiliar object. As I got closer, I realised it was a severed top half of a cat,» said the 36-year-old engineer. «There wasn't any blood and it looked like a cleanly sliced carcass. It was quite shocking and scary.» Bob added that he called the police, and officers arrived about 20 minutes later.He noted that the particular stairwell he accessed was less frequented, as it was located at the far end of the building and typically used only by his office and neighbouring units.«On most days, I would use the stairwell during lunch hours as it is easier to exit. But since that incident, I don't use that stairwell anymore,» said Bob.

The fiery orange glow seen in Singapore sky on Wednesday (Oct 15) was due to an unplanned shutdown by a chemical plant across the border, the National Environment Agency (NEA) has said.In a Facebook post on Friday (Oct 17), the agency said that the power outage at one of Lotte Chemical Titan’s chemical plants in Pasir Gudang near Johor Bahru, led the company to activate recovery work.Known as flaring, this common safety measure in petrochemical plants removes excess gas which then releases harmless water and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.In a separate statement, Lotte Chemical Titan said that the power outage began at 4.13pm. Recovery work began at 6pm and was completed at about 9.30pm.Taking to the CloudSpotting and SkySpotting Facebook group on Oct 15, a Yishun resident said that she was startled by the bright flaming sky in front of her door.Netizens also shared photos of where they could see the glow from their window — from Marina Bay Sands to up on a plane.While the flares are harmless from afar, several residents were concerned about pollution.

It is «not for foreign entities or individuals to tell Singaporeans how to vote», said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday (Oct 17), in response to a statement by Malaysian political party Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS).“Least of all along racial and religious lines. That is divisive and acceptable,” said MHA. “It may be how politics and political parties are organised in other countries, but it is not in multi-racial, multi-religious Singapore.”In a statement shared on social media on Wednesday, PAS said that it “firmly rejects” to be cast as a “convenient boogeyman” to advance domestic political agendas in Singapore.It was responding to Coordinating Minister and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam’s ministerial statement in parliament on the politicisation of race and religion.In his speech on Oct 14, Shanmugam said several members from PAS had urged Singaporeans on social media to vote along racial and religious lines at the General Election.

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 8,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes into Singapore via Tuas Checkpoint on Sept 27. In a Facebook post on Thursday (Oct 16), ICA said that anomalies were detected in the vehicle’s scanned images and directed it for additional checks. Aided by ICA’s Integrated Targeting Centre, officers found more than 8,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes concealed within the consignment declared as clothes hangars and car rims. A 38-year-old male Malaysian driver was detained and the case referred to the Singapore Customs for further investigation. Buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are considered serious offences under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax Act. If found guilty, offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded and/or jailed for up to six years.

In the six weeks since changes to anti-vaping laws saw stiffer penalties for vaping kicked in, 1,339 persons were caught for related offences, said the Ministry of Health and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on Thursday (Oct 16). Of the 1,339, 102 were in possession of e-vaporisers laced with etomidate, also known as Kpods. «Among them, 67 have been placed on rehabilitation programmes at Institute of Mental Health, Health Promotion Board and social service agencies,» said the authorities, adding that two offenders have failed to attend their first rehabilitation appointments.«HSA is investigating and will prosecute individuals for their e-vaporiser or etomidate-related offences should they fail to attend their rehabilitation appointments,» they said.1,968 cases of vaping-related activities reported to HSAOver the six-week period, HSA said it received 1,968 reports of vaping-related activities through its online reporting form and hotlines.

A 56-year-old woman died after an incident at Jewel Changi Airport on Thursday (Oct 16) afternoon.She is believed to have fallen from a height.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that they received a call for assistance at about 1.55pm from 78 Airport Boulevard.The woman was subsequently taken to Changi General Hospital.The police said that the woman was unconscious when she was taken to the hospital where she subsequently died.Investigations are ongoing. 'We are deeply saddened'In a TikTok uploaded by sgseewhatsee, a woman can be seen administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to a person lying on the ground of Jewel.A few people dressed in black, likely staff members from the mall, are also seen barricading the area.In response to queries from AsiaOne, Lee Ching Wern, chief executive officer of Jewel Changi Airport Development, said that Jewel is working closely with the authorities to provide their full support for investigations.

An additional 31,000 students from lower- and middle-income families will receive financial support and schooling subsidies from the academic year 2026.The Ministry of Education (MOE) will raise the income eligibility criteria for several financial aid schemes at the primary, secondary and post-secondary levels, it announced on Thursday (Oct 16).For example, students in government schools, government-aided schools and specialised schools currently can apply for the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) if their gross household income (GHI) is $3,000 or less, or if their per capita income (PCI) is $750 or less.When the higher income eligibility ceilings come into effect, students with a GHI of up to $4,000 and PCI of up to $1,000 will be eligible for FAS.The GHI cap for the highest income tier of Government bursaries for students enrolled in publicly-funded Post-Secondary Education Institutions (PSEIs) will similarly be increased to $12,000 from the current $10,000.

Thundery showers are expected in the second fortnight of October, due to the prevailing inter-monsoon conditions over Singapore and the surrounding region.Short-duration thundery showers are expected over parts of the island in the afternoon on most days, said the Meteorological Service Singapore on Thursday (Oct 16).Winds are forecast to be mostly light and variable in direction.In addition, Sumatra squalls may bring widespread thundery showers and gusty winds during the predawn hours and morning on some days.Sumatra squalls are lines of thunderstorms that develop over Indonesia's Sumatra island or the Strait of Malacca and move eastward across the strait, bringing heavy rain and gusty winds to Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia.According to the Met Service, the total rainfall for the second half of October is forecast to be above average.

Finding a place to rest during a layover can often prove difficult.To combat this, some tourists in Singapore have started finding quiet areas in Changi Airport to catch some shut eye — including one which has been dubbed the «sleeper village».A woman from the US posted a video to TikTok on Oct 5, showing how she and her husband rested at that area.She explained that they opted to do this before their morning flight as their visit coincided with the Singapore Grand Prix and hotel prices were «astronomical» as a result.Hotels near the airport were charging US$400 (S$518) a night at that time, while the average is usually less than US$200, she said.While the couple had «a rough time» finding a place to rest initially, they discovered the Terminal 1 Arrival Garden, where they saw «at least 30 other people» sleeping.The woman referred to this area as the «sleeper village».The pair had come prepared with blankets and inflatable neck cushions, which they placed on the garden floor so they would lie down.

A breeding pair of Philippine cockatoos at Bird Paradise hatched a chick for the first time in 10 years since being rescued in Palawan and brought to Singapore.The critically endangered species, also known as the red-vented cockatoo, was once common throughout the Philippines but only exists primarily on the Palawan islands now due to illegal trapping wildlife trade and habitat loss, said the Mandai Wildlife Group and Mandai Nature in a statement on Oct 16.Fewer than 750 of these mature cockatoos remain there, they added.«These birds are notoriously difficult to breed in human care, so having this little one is both exciting and encouraging,» said Anais Tritto, assistant vice-president of animal care (operations) at Mandai Wildlife Group.She added that the fledgling is a reminder of how zoos can support species recovery by preserving genetic diversity and maintaining a safety-net population.With the new chick, knowledge gaps can be filled in terms of pair bonding and parental behaviour, which can be useful to enhance breeding efforts.

A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officer and his wife were charged in court on Thursday (Oct 16) for cheating the SCDF and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of over $130,000.The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said in a statement that Muhammad Zahid Rosli, 41, was a SCDF officer posted to the Civil Defence Academy at the time of the offences.Nuraifa Ahmad, 38, was the owner of Grundy Wellness Network and the director of Clutch Esports at the time. Business records showed that both companies were registered to run training courses for sports and games.Zahid faces a total of 28 charges, while Nuraifa faces 19.CPIB said that between 2017 and 2023, Zahid allegedly cheated the SCDF of about $52,000 by “dishonestly concealing his personal interest” in Grundy and Clutch when he submitted quotations from both companies on separate occasions for paintball and e-sports events.His wife allegedly aided him by uploading invoices from Grundy and Clutch in the Government Electronic Business Portal, so that both companies would receive payment for organising the events.

A fiery orange glow lit up the skyline on Wednesday (Oct 15) night, which left several residents wondering where it was from. Taking to Facebook on the CloudSpotting and SkySpotting Singapore group, a Yishun resident said that she was startled by the bright flaming sky in front of her door.“It’s still burning now after more than an hour,” she said.The social media post has since garnered over 280 comments and 1,100 reactions.Some netizens also shared photos of where they could see the mysterious glow from their window — from Marina Bay Sands to up on a plane.Among the more imaginative responses, a netizen quipped that The Eye of Sauron — the ominous presence from The Lord of The Rings — had appeared to cast its watchful gaze over northern Singapore .Another netizen believed that the mysterious glow is not a serious matter.“I saw this too while on my nightly hike, but there were no fire alarms or fire trucks,” he said.The more likely source, some netizens said, is flares from one of the petrochemical plants in Pasir Gudang near Johor Bahru.

A 23-year-old on duty full-time police national serviceman was found with a gunshot wound to his neck at about 9pm on Wednesday (Oct 15).In a late night statement the same night, police said the officer was found by his team mates in a toilet at 328 Pasir Panjang Road. Checks online by AsiaOne show the address is listed as a Shell petrol kiosk. “The officer was subsequently conveyed conscious to the hospital.“His service revolver and remaining ammunition were accounted for and seized at the scene. No other person was injured,” the police said. Based on preliminary investigations, police believe the gunshot wound was self-inflicted. The police also said they do not suspect foul play. Police investigations are ongoing. [[nid:723792]]editor@asiaone.com

A male pedestrian died after being hit by a van in Bedok on Wednesday (Oct 15).In a video posted to Facebook, several police officers can be seen at the accident site, with a red van parked along the side of the road. Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed that they were alerted to a road traffic accident along Bedok North Street 3 towards Bedok North Avenue 2 at about 5.15pm. A 62-year-old male pedestrian was conveyed unconscious to Changi General Hospital where he subsequently died. A 69-year-old male van driver was arrested for careless driving. Police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:723860]]xingying.koh@asiaone.com

Ten drivers were caught for providing illegal cross-border ride-hailing services at Singapore's land checkpoints on Wednesday (Oct 15).In a Facebook post on the same day, Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling said that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) conducted joint enforcement operations.According to LTA, officers at the borders acted on tip-offs from the National Private Hire Vehicles Association and National Taxi Association.All 10 vehicles were impounded, said LTA.'Crucial to protect commuter safety': SunToday's enforcement operation comes amid enhanced crackdowns by both Singapore and Malaysian authorities on illegal ride-hailing services between Singapore and Johor Bahru.According to Sun, the total number of vehicles impounded for providing such illegal services since July is now 117.«These operations are crucial to protect commuter safety,» she said, emphasising the safety risks involved when commuters engage with unlicensed vehicles that lack the necessary insurance.

SINGAPORE — A maid accused of causing grievous hurt by performing a rash act that led to the death of a four-year-old girl will now be contesting a reduced charge.Lilyana Eva, 33, an Indonesian national, had claimed trial over the charge relating to a fatal road accident at Institution Hill, near River Valley Road, on Jan 23, 2024.Lilyana was the child's maid, and the girl had run across an unsignalised junction and was hit by a car.The Indonesian was facing up to four years' jail and a fine of up to $10,000 after originally being charged with causing grievous hurt by performing a rash act.Lilyana now faces a reduced charge of endangering the child's life by a negligent act.If convicted, she faces a jail term of up to three months, a fine of up to $1,500, or both.Lilyana is accused of failing to ensure the safety of the child by not holding onto her while jaywalking at an unsignalised junction at Institution Hill.The first day of her trial had been slated to start on Oct 15 at 9.30am.But the prosecution and Lilyana's lawyers met in the chambers of District Judge Ong Luan Tze, and it was adjourned to 2.30pm.

SINGAPORE — To keep premiums for national long-term care insurance in check, older individuals with mild and moderate disabilities will no longer be able to opt in to the scheme from 2026.Some seniors will even enjoy lower premiums than what they are paying now, said Senior Minister of State for Health Koh Poh Koon in Parliament.The aim is to safeguard sustainability and affordability of the scheme, he said during the debate of the CareShield Life and Long-Term Care (Amendment) Bill, which was passed unanimously on Oct 15.«By restoring the underwriting criteria for the scheme, we will lower premiums for older Optional Cohort policyholders, who today pay higher annual premiums than Mandatory Cohort policyholders, who joined the scheme at a younger age.»From 2026, those born in 1979 or earlier who have mild and moderate disabilities will no longer be allowed to opt-in to CareShield Life, but those who do not have pre-existing disabilities can still do so.

A new Bill was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday (Oct 15) which will give the Government powers to order social media platforms and app providers to take down harmful content.The Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Bill will also establish an Online Safety Commission (OSC) for victims of 13 online harms — including stalking and online harassment — to seek timely relief and obtain redress by the end of the first half of 2026.The Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) and the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) said in a statement that victims will be required to first report the harm they have experienced to the online platform before submitting a report to the OSC.Victims of online harms that «warrant urgent relief», such as when their intimate photos are leaked without their consent, can approach the OSC directly.The proposed government agency will be empowered to include directions to take down the harmful content, restrict the perpetrator's online account, or to allow the victim to post a reply.

More than 9,100 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats have been launched by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in the October sales exercise, including the first flats in the Mount Pleasant and Berlayar estates.A total of 10 projects across Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Bishan, Bukit Merah, Jurong East, Sengkang, Toa Payoh and Yishun are available during the sales exercise, which began on Wednesday (Oct 15), said HDB in a press release on the same day.Berlayar's first project, Berlayar Residences, has a subsidy clawback of 14 per cent — the highest seen for BTO flats to date.A subsidy clawback means that upon the sale of their flats, owners have to pay HDB a percentage of the resale or valuation price, whichever is higher.These clawbacks correspond to the extent of the extra subsidies offered for these flats, said HDB, adding that there is also a 10-year minimum occupation period (MOP) for them.In comparison, the rates for other Prime flats in the July sales exercise were between 11 and 12 per cent.

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers foiled an attempt to smuggle almost 5,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes at Tuas Checkpoint on Oct 9.In a Facebook post on Oct 15, ICA said that the cigarettes were hidden in a Malaysia-registered lorry carrying cargo declared as «oats».The cigarettes were discovered when ICA Search & Examination officers carried out enhanced checks.The 45-year-old male Malaysian driver was arrested.The exhibits and the suspect were referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation.Buying, selling, conveying, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are considered serious offences under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax Act.If convicted, offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both.Vehicles used in these offences and proceeds of sales of duty-unpaid goods are also liable to be forfeited.[[nid:723782]]dana.leong@asiaone.com

SINGAPORE — A former UOB employee was convicted on Oct 14 of multiple charges following the disclosure of information on more than 1,000 customers to a scammer.Cao Wenqing, 30, was convicted of 14 charges under the Computer Misuse Act and 13 charges under the Banking Act.The Chinese national had contested the charges and was represented in court by lawyer Kalidass Murugaiyan from Kalidass Law Corp.Court documents showed Cao was a junior officer working in the bank's mortgage department at the time of the offences. She had access to the customer database for her work, which involved selling mortgages to new customers and servicing existing customers with mortgages.The database contained information on customers' names, nationalities, account numbers, addresses, identification numbers and bank balances.In March 2021, two unknown individuals known as «Xiang Ying Dong» and «Captain Lu» contacted Cao, claiming to be police officers from China. Court documents did not specify what they told her.Cao later agreed to act as a person assisting the «Chinese police» on a voluntary basis.

Two people were taken to the hospital after a fire broke out in a HDB flat kitchen in Jurong West on Tuesday (Oct 14).Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to a fire at Block 675A, Jurong West Street 64, at about 5.40pm.Upon arrival, SCDF found the kitchen of a 13th-floor unit on fire and extinguished the blaze using a water jet.Two people were taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.SCDF reminded the public not to leave any cooking or heating activities unattended and to switch off all gas and electrical appliances when not in use.According to SCDF's annual statistics report released on Feb 13, the number of residential fires in 2024 remained largely unchanged, with a total of 968 cases. Unattended cooking and electrical faults continued to be the two leading causes of fires in residential premises.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has warned the public against hanging on traffic lights and signposts as part of a social media trend.In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Oct 14), the authority stated that it is aware of the trend where people film themselves hanging from traffic lights, road signs and other road infrastructure.«Fun's fun, but our road infrastructure isn't a playground. It helps facilitate travel and keeps everyone safe. Please don't use them as props for social media. Let's keep our roads safe (and your content risk-free),» said LTA. The post also had images depicting the challenge which were generated by artificial intelligence. 

Sales staff of a beauty chain in Singapore have been accused of misleading and hard selling packages or products, amounting to nearly $1 million, to customers.Fifty-three complaints against DNA Brands Co were made to the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) from August 2024 to Oct 14, 2025, with at least 20 elderly consumers submitting complaints to the watchdog.Case said in a statement on Wednesday (Oct 15) that the complaints involved a total value of over $980,000 and pertain to two beauty brands run by DNA Brands Co. The businesses involved are beauty salons operating under the Beautique name and wellness retail outlets under The Mineral Boutique label. High-pressure sales tactics Complainants alleged that they had been misled or pressured by sales assistants into purchasing excessive beauty packages or products.25 cases were lodged in the last five months of 2024, and 28 in 2025.Half of the complaints involved purchases exceeding $10,000, according to Case. One consumer was charged at least $370,000 for products and packages.