SINGAPORE — Ten former employees of renovation firm Interior Times (Kings') have alleged that they have been owed over $118,000 in commissions since August, and have since lodged employment dispute reports with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM).Nine of the employees are interior designers who said they'd left the firm, a branch of Interior Times, in July and August. They claimed they were each owed between $2,600 and $30,700 for at least 10 projects.The firm's director, Jason Wang, disputed the commission amounts and said he has been attending mediation sessions with TADM.He claimed the amounts said to be owed to the IDs were for projects that his firm is still finalising payments for.In response to queries, a TADM spokesman confirmed it is assisting 10 people in their claims for unpaid salaries or commissions from Interior Times (Kings').One former employee has received payment following mediation, while the remaining nine cases are awaiting mediation, the spokesman said on Sept 4.

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong has shared how he regularly looks out for ways to improve the interface of the websites of various government services.Speaking to 800 students and academics during the Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum on Tuesday (Sept 9), SM Lee said that he becomes a “mystery shopper on behalf of the government” when “getting things done”.“I need to go to MOM (Ministry of Manpower) to do something on their website [and] CPF to check my account,” he said at the University Cultural Centre in the National University of Singapore. “And I look at the interface and say, ‘Surely we can do better’.””So I send them a suggestion and tell them, ‘This is just a suggestion. Please take it seriously, but think about the best way to make things better’.”SM Lee said government services will improve when Singapore has a more involved and engaged population who would feel that “if they think something can be better, they can do something about it”.“The most Singaporean thing about you SM,” quipped the forum’s moderator, NUS Associate Professor Leong Ching, “is that you complain to the different agencies.”

Israel's recent airstrikes on Doha are a «blatant violation of the sovereignty of Qatar», said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Sept 10. The ministry deemed the airstrikes on Sept 9 an «egregious and dangerous action» that poses a threat to ongoing negotiations on a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza.Israel had attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an airstrike on Qatari capital Doha on Tuesday (Sept 9), Reuters reported. Qatar has been acting as a mediator alongside Egypt in talks between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire in Gaza. MFA said that Singapore stands in solidarity with Qatar.Separately, the Singapore Embassy in Doha issued a notice on Wednesday, advising Singaporeans in Doha to «to exercise caution, avoid unnecessary travel and crowded areas, and follow the instructions of the local authorities».They also encouraged Singaporeans to e-register with MFA so that they can be contacted in event of an emergency. 

MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho - With the shift of a joystick, a Neros Archer drone whirs to life, kicking up a cloud of sand as it lifts off.It quickly cuts through the clear blue sky, soaring over a mini 'city' made of container blocks. At a distance, a ground station control device displays a first-person view of the drone.The Neros Archer is one of three types of micro unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) employed by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) at this year's Exercise Forging Sabre in the US.Over 800 troops are involved in the exercise held in Idaho, US, from Sept 6 to 21, and sees more drones being used alongside manned platforms for integrated strike operations.At Saylor Creek Range in Mountain Home, members of the RSAF's newly established Drone Rapid Operationalisation, Integration and Deployment (DROID) unit demonstrated to the media the capabilities of the Neros Archer and Skydio X10 micro drones.Drones commercially availableThe drone unit was inaugurated in July 2025 and is participating in Exercise Forging Sabre for the first time.

A macaque has been found dead, entangled in a fishing net while hanging from a tree in Pulau Ubin.In a post shared to Facebook group Singapore Wildlife Sightings, on Sunday (Sept 7), photos of the monkey's carcass showed it entangled in a fishing net, as it hung from a tree. A user who uploaded the photos to the group commented that a foul smell was present, with flies buzzing around. 

The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) will be acquiring four new Boeing P-8A maritime patrol aircraft to replace its ageing Fokker 50s which have been in service since 1993. Singapore acquired nine Fokker 50s in 1993. Four of the nine were designated utility transport aircraft, while the remaining five were assigned as maritime patrol aircraft (seen in picture). PHOTO: AsiaOne/Darren Wong This was announced by Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing during his meeting with United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon on Wednesday (Sept 10). Chan, who is also Coordinating Minister for Public Services, is in the US for his introductory visit as Defence Minister from Sept 9 to 13. 

Families with three or more children aged between one and six years of age will receive $1,000 LifeSG Credits (LFLC) from Thursday (Sept 10), according to the Ministry of Social and Family Development.These credits are part of the Large Families Scheme announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at Budget 2025, which will see eligible parents receive a $5,000 increase in Child Development Account First Step Grant (CDA FSG) for each third and subsequent child born on or after Feb 18.They will also receive $5,000 Large Family MediSave Grant (LFMG) and $1,000 each year in Large Family LifeSG Credits per third and subsequent child.Subsequent disbursements every AprilLarge families will receive the $1,000 in LFLC from Sept 10, while subsequent disbursements will be made in April annually beginning in April 2026 for children born between 2020 to 2025, the ministry said. The CDA trustee of each eligible child will receive the credits automatically and trustees will be notified via SMS after the amount has been credited to their digital wallet. No application is needed.

The police are appealing for information on the whereabouts of a 13-year-old boy, Riril Firdaus, who was last seen on Monday (Sept 8) at around 5pm in the vicinity of Lorong Napiri.Lorong Napiri is a street in Hougang.Checks online show that Bowen Secondary School, Gravehaven Children's Home, Bright Vision Hospital and AWWA School are the only properties located at the nearly 350m long street.Anyone with information is urged to contact the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness. All information will be kept strictly confidential, said the police.[[nid:722339]]editor@asiaone.com

SINGAPORE — The National Environment Agency (NEA) overpaid a project partner by $0.53 million for the operation of a waste-to-energy plant from December 2021 to January 2025.This occurred as NEA did not check with the partner on an update of the project's financial model, which would have included necessary adjustments to costs. It only did so when the Auditor-General's Office (AGO) asked about it in August 2024.This was noted in the AGO's annual report released on Sept 9 that highlighted key lapses by various ministries and public agencies for the 2024 to 2025 financial year.NEA's project partner was required to provide waste incineration services to NEA for a period of 25 years from 2021 to 2046. It had to submit a financial model incorporating the cost, funding, operating and technical assumptions, and update it within 30 days when it found out certain costs like the land lease premium and grid connection costs — which AGO found the partner had known since 2018.With the eventual update of the financial model, NEA estimated that it would pay $1.73 million less for the remaining contract period from February 2025 onward.

A 29-year-old man was arrested at Woodlands after being caught with over 1,400 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes.The Indian national was arrested on Aug 27 during an enforcement operation at Woodlands Terrace, said Singapore Customs in a press statement on Tuesday (Sept 9).During the operation at the back lane of the industrial estate, Singapore Customs officers noticed the man transferring a black trash bag between two Singapore-registered trucks. The officers then conducted checks and found 122 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes in the first truck.Some 1,323 cartons and 16 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were also found in the second truck.In total, Singapore Customs seized 1,445 cartons and 16 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes, in addition to the two trucks involved. The total duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounted to around $156,693. Investigations revealed that the man had been allegedly instructed to transfer part of the duty-unpaid cigarettes from the second truck to the first truck for delivery. Court proceedings are ongoing against the man, said Singapore Customs.

MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho — The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)'s digital innovation startup Agile Innovation Digital (RAiD) have, for the first time, joined the ranks of Exercise Forging Sabre held in the US.A team from RAiD will form part of the over 800 personnel from the Singapore Army, RSAF, Digital and Intelligence Service and the defence technology community partaking in this year's drill.RAiD is a startup team that provides digital solutions to RSAF personnel. Over in the US, they will be working with the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) to harness digital solutions and data analytics to help the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).The unilateral exercise is currently ongoing at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho from Sept 6 to 21, and is the tenth edition in a series that started in 2005. At this biennial integrated sense and strike exercise, the SAF will be sharpening its digital prowess through new technologies including upgraded mission software and an expanded drone line-up.

SINGAPORE — Within a year of consuming extremist content, a 14-year-old boy supported ISIS, far-right and far-left extremism, communism, hated women and Jews, and idolised Osama bin Laden, Hitler and Kim Jung-il.He was in contact with several foreign extremists, one of whom offered to help the boy plan an attack in Singapore and even sent him bomb manuals.His picking and choosing of ideologies were so varied the Internal Security Department (ISD) said on Sept 9 his was the first self-radicalisation case involving a «salad bar» of ideologies.The teen is one of two male Singaporeans recently issued with restriction orders (ROs) under the Internal Security Act (ISA).The other is a 30-year-old self-employed business owner.ISD said the boy, who was issued an RO in September, became exposed to extremist ideologies online in mid-2024. He had chanced upon foreign extremist personalities who posted far-right extremist and true crime content.True crime refers to a genre of media that focuses on real-life criminal cases, often involving violent offences like murder, assault or serial killings.

Marking a world first, a generative AI tool has been launched to help simplify complex trade rules and provide clear guidance on free trade agreements (FTA) for businesses here. This comes amid a global changing order and uncertainty surrounding the US tariffs, said the Centre for the Future of Trade and Investment (CFOTI) which unveiled the tool — Trade AI Advisor (TAIA) — at a Singapore Business Federation (SBF) seminar on Tuesday (Sept 9). Powered by SBF's extensive FTA database and other sources, this tool will deliver «actionable answers that help businesses unlock opportunities, ensure compliance, and stay competitive», said the federation. «Our aim is to equip companies with the tools and intelligence they need to interpret developments, assess implications and plan ahead with confidence,» said the chairman of CFOTI Gan Seow Kee.CFOTI - a public-private partnership established by SBF last year - aims to help local and regional businesses strengthen their capabilities in global cross-border trade.

If you missed the blood moon that took place on Monday (Sept 8), fret not — there are three supermoons lined up at the end of the year to feast your eyes on.These supermoons will take place on Oct 7, Nov 5 and Dec 4, according to a Straits Times (ST) report citing the Observatory at Science Centre Singapore.Supermoons occur when the moon is closest to the Earth — at its perigee — which happens several times a year, and will be visible to the naked eye so long as the skies remain clear.They are also larger than an average-sized moon by up to eight per cent, and can shine brighter than other moons by about 15 per cent.The first supermoon on Oct 7, called the Harvest Moon, will be visible in the sky from around 8pm onwards in Singapore.In the past, the Harvest Moon gave farmers in the Northern Hemisphere extra hours to gather crops with its evening glow, according to ST.The Beaver Moon on Nov 5 is named after the North American beaver.Beavers prepare for winter during this period, and fur trappers used to set their traps before waterways froze over.

Some 600 additional acute beds and an expanded emergency department will be added to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) by year 2030 to meet the needs of the residents in the region, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Tuesday (Sept 9). Other infrastructure upgrades will include more additional operating theatres, procedural suites, specialist outpatient clinics, and shorter transfers between care services - from acute hospital to step down care to discharge, added Ong at the unveiling of the second phase of the Health City Novena Master Plan. “The centrepiece of the phase 2 Master Plan is the proposed TTSH Medical Tower…This proposed Medical Tower will expand acute care capacity at a critical time when demand for secondary care is growing.“It is envisioned to add around 600 acute beds and additional specialist outpatient clinics to TTSH,” said Ong. Supporting older resident populationFor the more than 1.5 million residents of central and north Singapore, the expanded TTSH also means improved access and clinical care outcomes, said NHG Health in a media statement.

A fire broke out at the staff access areas at the National Gallery Singapore on Tuesday (Sept 9) morning.In a Facebook post at 11.40am, National Gallery Singapore said that the “situation was quickly brought under control”. No injuries and damage to any artworks were reported. “Following thorough checks by the Singapore Civil Defence Force, the City Hall Wing and Padang Atrium of the Gallery have been declared safe and will reopen to the public at 12pm today,” it said. The former Supreme Court Wing will remain closed until further notice to facilitate investigations, added the gallery. Members of the public can call the gallery’s hotline at 6271 7000, refer to its website or social media platforms for more updates.

SINGAPORE — The reduction in rebates for electric vehicles (EVs) from January 2026 is expected to nudge some buyers to purchase cars before that deadline, which in turn would drive up certificate of entitlement (COE) premiums, said motor dealers.On Sept 8, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and National Environment Agency announced that the combined rebates for the EV Early Adoption Incentive (EEAI) and Vehicular Emissions Scheme (VES) will be reduced from $40,000 now to $30,000 in 2026.From Jan 1, 2026, petrol hybrid cars will also no longer get the $2,500 rebates under the VES, which is meant to encourage drivers to switch to cleaner-energy vehicles.Both the EEAI and VES were previously due to expire on Dec 31, 2025. The schemes provide rebates when a new car is registered to help offset the upfront cost.In a joint statement, the authorities said: «We expect a short-term increase in COE prices. Potential car buyers are strongly encouraged to be prudent in bidding on COEs.»

A 35-year-old man was arrested for allegedly molesting a woman at Kranji MRT station on Sunday (Sept 7).The police said in a statement on Monday (Sept 8) that they were alerted to the case at about 11.30pm.The man was detained by a staff member of Kranji MRT station prior to the police’s arrival.“Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim, a 38-year-old woman, had sought the assistance of station staff after she was allegedly molested in the vicinity of Kranji MRT station,” added the police.The man will be charged in court on Tuesday.If found guilty of outrage of modesty, he may be jailed up to three years, fined and caned. Molestation cases upThere were a total of 807 outrage of modesty cases reported from January to June in 2025, according to the Singapore Police Force’s mid-year crime brief for 2025.This is up from the 666 cases in the same period in 2024. The number of molestation cases on Singapore’s public transport network rose in the first half of 2025, climbing to 90 from 64 in the same period last year.

SINGAPORE — The authorities have redrawn development plans for Kampong Bugis, where an estimated 4,000 waterfront homes will be built.The precinct is among several upcoming neighbourhoods along the Kallang River that are being showcased at the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) Draft Master Plan 2025 exhibition, which runs until Nov 29 at The URA Centre.In total, land set aside for housing along the river is expected to yield thousands of new homes in areas such as Kallang Distripark, Kallang Industrial Estate and Tanjong Rhu.These homes will build on recent efforts to have more Singaporeans live closer to the city centre, and also renew older Housing Board estates such as Geylang Bahru and North Bridge Road, which date back to the 1970s.The adjusted plans for Kampong Bugis are notable as an 8.2ha portion of the 17ha site was previously put on sale in 2019, but later removed from the list of Government Land Sales sites in 2022 due to delays in soil treatment works at the site which previously housed Kallang Gasworks.

In the first week after changes to anti-vaping laws saw stiffer penalties for vaping kick in, 232 people were caught for related offences, said the Ministry of Health and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on Monday (Sept 8).Of the 232, 14 were in possession of e-vaporisers laced with etomidate, also known as Kpods. Test results for the vapes in possession by another 11 individuals are pending.«The 232 individuals caught for vaping offences have been issued with Notices of Composition on the spot,» said the authorities, adding that three of the 14 Kpod abusers have been served notices to attend rehabilitation for up to six months, in lieu of prosecution.According to the authorities, the trio will undergo programmes that focus on education, counselling and support to help individuals overcome their addiction.Meanwhile, HSA charged a Kpod trafficker on Sept 8 with trafficking after about 50 e-vaporisers were seized from him during a vehicle search on Saturday (Sept 6).

Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has reportedly left Singapore as of Monday (Sept 8) afternoon.This comes a day before Thailand's Supreme Court is due to rule on his hospital detention.Thaksin's private jet departed Singapore's Seletar Airport at 1.46pm, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24.The aircraft landed in Bangkok at 2.55pm local time (3.55pm Singapore time).Shortly after the aircraft landed, a black-and-silver Mercedes sedan — frequently used by Thaksin — entered the private jet terminal, which had been cordoned off by airport authorities with barricades and uniformed guards, Reuters reported.Thaksin had told Thai Enquirer on Monday that he had landed in Singapore and will be returning to Bangkok that same evening, as planned.Departure delayedThe 76-year-old billionaire left Thailand on Sept 5, just hours before a Parliament vote confirmed tycoon Anutin Charnvirakul as the replacement for Thaksin's daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra as the country's Prime Minister.

SINGAPORE — While visiting his bedridden friend who was in hospital and unable to speak, a man used her mobile phone to unlawfully access her Central Provident Fund (CPF) account and transferred $54,000 to her bank account.Yu Mingyan then transferred the 62-year-old woman's money to his own bank account.Yu, 34, who committed the offences after correctly guessing her passwords, was sentenced to 18 months and two weeks' jail, and a fine of $30,000 on Sept 8.He will spend an additional month behind bars if he fails to pay the fine.The Singaporean pleaded guilty to two counts of misusing a computer system.Yu also admitted to two other unrelated charges — one count each of helping to carry on the business of an unlicensed moneylender and misappropriating $197 from his then workplace.When caught, he told police investigators that he had misappropriated the money «out of habit».On Sept 8, Deputy Public Prosecutor Jeremy Bin told the court that the authorities had looked into Yu's financial records and found out that he has no means to make any restitution.

A 16-year-old girl missing for over two months has been located.The teen, Jermaine Lim Xinyi, was last seen on July 2 at around 6.55am near 11 Rivervale Link, where North Vista Secondary School is located, according to a police statement on Friday (Sept 5).In an update on Monday morning, the police said that Lim has been found.The police had, on Sept 5, made an earlier appeal to the public requesting that anyone with information about the teen to call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 or contact them via online submission at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness/All information will be kept strictly confidential, the police stated.[[nid:722001]]dana.leong@asiaone.com

Four foreigners have been arrested for working illegally as delivery riders here, after islandwide operations conducted by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) over the past few months.Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon said in a Facebook post on Monday (Sept 8) that enforcement checks were carried out in over 30 potential hotspots following complaints from the National Delivery Champions Association (NDCA).In recent MOM operations, 269 delivery workers were checked. A foreigner was arrested and is under investigation for allegedly working illegally without a valid work pass.“In total, we have checked 644 delivery workers in the past few months, leading to the arrest of four foreigners for working illegally without valid work passes,” said Koh.Work group formed to address illegal platform work In July, a trilateral work group was formed to address the issue of foreigners working illegally as delivery riders, and how it affects the earnings of local platform workers.

SINGAPORE — Those with outstanding library fines can have their fees waived by the National Library Board (NLB) under a one-time initiative ending on Dec 31.This is the first time the library is offering a waiver of fines, with the aim of encouraging more people to access its services, said Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo on Sept 6.NLB will also offer one free book delivery for patrons till the end of the year, Teo said, speaking at the library's 30th-anniversary celebration held at the National Library Singapore in Bugis.The delivery service, typically worth $8.72, will be complimentary for 300 patrons every week until the end of 2025.The one-time waiver will apply to fines incurred before Sept 6. Currently, patrons with outstanding fines are unable to borrow items. But with the waiver, they can borrow items again until Dec 31.To have their fines waived, patrons must borrow either a physical or digital item from NLB by Dec 31. Loan renewals do not count.

SINGAPORE - From 2026, all upper secondary students can opt to do computing as an elective subject, in a bid to equip students with increasingly important digital and computational thinking skills.Previously offered only to G3 students, or those in the Express course, it will now include G2 students as well.Students now take subjects at G1, G2 or G3 levels, which are broadly mapped from the Normal (Technical), Normal (Academic) and Express standards, respectively.Mr Ong Kong Hong, the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) divisional director of curriculum planning and development division 1, said: “The syllabuses seek to develop students’ appreciation of computing as a creative field while raising their awareness of cyber security, emerging technology and the impact of computing.”Other life skills, such as inventive thinking, communication, as well as striving for accuracy and thoroughness, will also be honed through the subject, he added.The content covered increases in complexity and depth across the three levels.

If you have tried accessing the Singapore Police Force's (SPF) e-services via its website on Monday (Sept 8) morning and found it looking different, do not worry - it's not a phishing site. In a statement on Sunday (Sept 7), police said it it is changing the access methods for its e-services and refreshing its corporate website. «This is part of our ongoing efforts to enhance data protection, as well as provide a more user-friendly online experience for the public,» police added.The change and refresh began on Sunday evening and were effected after midnight on Monday. Following the change, Singpass and Corppass are now the means of access to police's e-services. [[nid:722208]]Two e-services that do not require Singpass or Corppass are the use of foreign identification number (FIN) when paying for, and checking the status of a Certificate of Clearance, and the use of a foreign vehicle number to check outstanding traffic offences and paying traffic fines. 

A 61-year-old man’s decomposing body was found in his Housing Board flat in Sembawang after neighbours noticed a foul smell from the unit.The man, a security guard who lived alone, had only moved in a few months ago, residents told Shin Min Daily News.They added that he was very friendly and got along well with the neighbourhood children.The police told AsiaOne that they received a call for assistance at Block 363C Sembawang Crescent on Thursday (Sept 4) at around 2.10pm.The man was found unresponsive and was pronounced dead in the unit by a Singapore Civil Defence Force paramedic, they added.A 53-year-old resident, who wanted to be known only as Bai, said that he had noticed a putrid smell and the lights in the unit were turned on for several days.He called the police after consulting with the neighbours.Another resident, 29-year-old Wu, said that the door of the unit was locked when the police arrived.The housewife added that the cops peered through the window and saw the man had collapsed inside.The police said that they do not suspect foul play. Investigations are ongoing.[[nid:713727]]

SINGAPORE – A TikTok user who has racked up multiple correction notices over the years was issued another one on Sept 7.This time, it was over false claims about a government-funded initiative to groom future leaders of the Chinese community.The Pofma Office, which administers the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, has been instructed by Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo to issue the correction direction under Singapore’s fake news law.In a since-deleted post that had originally been put up on Aug 26, Mr Jay Ish’haq Rajoo claimed that National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat had announced that the Government would provide money and resources to attract mainland Chinese to Singapore and nurture them for leadership roles.[[nid:721530]]Mr Jay also claimed the Government is using its money and resources to nurture only leaders who are Chinese.

A fire broke out at Chai Chee Avenue on Friday (Sept 5) night, and 50 residents were evacuated. Four of them were taken to the hospital.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to a fire at Block 31 Chai Chee Avenue at about 11.05pm.«Upon arrival, the living room of an eighth-floor unit was on fire. The fire was extinguished by firefighters with a water jet. There was no one inside the unit when SCDF arrived,» the spokesperson said.SCDF added that four persons, including a firefighter, were assessed for smoke inhalation and sent to the hospital. Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.The Singapore Police Force said a 58-year-old man was arrested for «causing or contributing to risk of dangerous fire», adding that investigations are underway.According to a report by Lianhe Zaobao yesterday, residents said they heard arguments and the smell of gasoline from the flat before the accident.

Two Chinese nationals have been arrested for their suspected involvement in a case of cheating. The 31-year-old man and 30-year-old woman had scammed the victim of $800, shared a news release from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Friday (Sept 5). On Sept 4 at around 2.25pm, SPF received a report from the victim who was allegedly cheated by the duo.Preliminary investigations revealed that on Sept 3, the man and woman had approached the victim at the main entrance of a supermarket located along Joo Koon Circle. They had presented themselves as tourists from Hong Kong who were facing financial difficulties due to a malfunctioning bank card.To fulfil an «urgent hotel payment», the man asked the victim for $800 in cash and showed the victim a fabricated bank transfer receipt as purported proof of payment. The victim was also presented with a counterfeit gold ring and told that it was worth RM11,980 (S$3,656). Believing the duo, the victim withdrew $800 and gave it to them. 

SINGAPORE - Teenager Ryan Lim slipped into depression after a series of post-transplant infections in 2023.The Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School student received a liver transplant on Sept 7, 2023 - 10 years after he was first diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).It is a rare condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the liver, causing chronic inflammation and, in severe cases, liver failure. There are about two to five cases of AIH per 100,000 children worldwide.Because of his infections, Ryan had to spend more time in the hospital to ensure that his body did not reject his new liver.The teenager, who was looking forward to returning to school, felt that life had dealt him a harsh blow.«I thought I could go back to a normal life after the surgery, like any teenager my age. Instead, I had to be in the hospital longer while doctors battled my infections,» said Ryan, who is now 17 years old.He was five when his mother noticed a yellow hue in his skin and the whites of his eyes, and bloating in his abdomen.

We are oftentimes told that wisdom and street smarts come with age.However, Caleb Chua did not let his age stop him from making a difference in the community when he founded the Homewarmers initiative in April this year alongside some friends he met at a youth leaders programme.Speaking to AsiaOne on Saturday (Sept 6), the 18-year-old, who is pursuing a diploma in Human Resources, said that the ground-up initiative aims to provide seniors living alone with a sense of companionship and belonging through home visits and community events.He continued: «We just want to make sure that there are no seniors left behind in this very busy world, you know?»Chua said that in view of the large number of lonely deaths among seniors and social isolation among youths, he and his team believe connecting with the elderly through in-depth conversations would benefit both parties.When asked if a particular instance stuck with him in his journey, Chua said that visiting an elderly woman surnamed Khoo was one such experience.

Everyone had to leave by 6pm. A thoughtful nod to work-life balance? Or was it to conceal something spookier when this rule was enforced at 35 Hendon Road?The two restored colonial bungalows, which were the training campus for a large European bank, were a stone's throw from the old, disused Changi Hospital. Closed since 1997, it had gained the reputation of being the most haunted place in Singapore.One evening, a member of the staff lingered slightly past 6pm, freshening up in the bathroom for a dinner date. She heard a toilet flush and out of the corner of her eye saw the reflection of a colleague in the mirror, stepping out of a cubicle and moving towards the washbasin.«Oh, you are still here. I thought you had already left,» she said, making casual conversation.After a while, she felt something was not right; her colleague was not responding. When she turned around, the toilet was empty.But when she looked into the mirror again, the reflection of her colleague remained - smiling at her.

«Stunning, traditional, authentic» - that is how some visitors describe the bread at Le Fournil de Saint-Robert, a small bakery in a south-western French village.Local residents and travellers alike are reportedly drawn to the bakery, whose aroma of wood-fired sourdough wafts into the cobbled streets and whose products and services have garnered it an average of 4.7 stars over 67 reviews on Google. The man behind it all is 51-year-old Singaporean Ewan Irwan.Originally from Tampines, he worked in the engineering sector before meeting his then wife, Sophie, a Frenchwoman, in Singapore. In 2003, they moved to France, hoping to build a life together. Engineering jobs proved elusive, but a new calling soon emerged: bread-making.«Baking here is on another level. Most bakers are so dedicated to their craft,» he told The Straits Times on Sept 5.Determined to master the art, Mr Ewan enrolled in a one-year diploma course in Lyon and spent two years in professional bakeries, learning the traditions and techniques of French baking. Yet the hustle and bustle of city life never suited him.