Two Singaporeans were arrested in the Philippines for smuggling 76.1 million pesos (S$1.83 million) worth of cocaine into the country. Local authorities and Philippine media identified the mother-daughter duo as Siti Aishah Binte Wang, 63, a restaurant waitress, and Nur Alaviyah Binti Hanaffe, 39, a make-up artist, reported The Manila Times.  The Bureau of Customs told the Manila Times that the two Singaporean women were profiled when they arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport via a Qatar Airlines flight from Doha on Thursday (Sept 28).  They were caught for allegedly smuggling 14.36kg of «white powdered substance suspected to be cocaine», hidden in various types of containers packed under their luggage, said the airport inter-agency drug interdiction group. 

SINGAPORE - A jobless Singaporean who became nominee director of 186 companies here was on Wednesday (Sept 27) fined for failing to exercise reasonable diligence in his duty as director, the second person in three days to be taken to task for the offence. Singaporean Er Beng Hwa got to know a Chinese national in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, who offered him $50 a year for each firm incorporated here in which he was named as nominee director. The 49-year-old was promised another $50 each time he opened a bank account for the firms, and if he had to turn up to sign papers. One of the firms was later used by scammers to launder a total of US$2.36 million (S$3.23 million) from victims overseas. Er, also known as Adrian, was fined $4,000 after he pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to exercise reasonable diligence in his duty as a director. He was also disqualified from being a company director for three years. Another similar charge involving a separate company was taken into consideration during sentencing.

No beansprouts please! Such is a request commonly heard at coffee shops and hawker centres, but what if it comes with an extra charge of 50 cents?  Diner Steven Wong told AsiaOne on Tuesday (Sept 26) that he was «amused» to spot the sign at a stall selling fried char kway teow, carrot cake and oyster omelettes at Wu Fu coffee shop located in Fajar Shopping Centre. The sign is written in Mandarin, and lists out extra charges payable for certain requests, including additional seafood for $2, an additional egg for $1 and additional beansprouts for 50 cents. However, what stood out was the last point indicating that they will charge an additional 50 cents if the customer doesn't want bean sprouts in their dish.  «This is ridiculous,» Wong commented. «I might as well pick out the bean sprouts myself after frying.» He said that he didn't patronise the stall that day but pointed out that «every stall at hawker centres will gladly not put bean sprouts if requested without additional charge».

He expected to tuck into a hearty plate of oyster omelette, but the $8 dish left him wanting instead.  The vexed diner, Jing Pai Tan, took to Facebook to air his grievances in a post on Wednesday (Sept 28).  Tan said he ordered the dish from a KPT coffee shop located along Hougang Ave 10.  «All I had was a plate with little beaten egg, five small oysters and full of cornstarch,» he lamented. «All the chunky pieces you see are all cornstarch.»  «It's a scam,» Tan wrote in a separate comment.  He also included a picture of the offending dish in the same post, which had barely any oysters. In less than a day, Tan's post generated a fair bit of buzz among netizens, who agreed that the dish was not worth the money.  «These hawkers are getting ridiculous,» one remarked. 

Flouting traffic rules, an e-bike rider was caught crashing into a child who was crossing the road, causing the boy to fall over.  Dashcam footage of the accident was posted on SG Road Vigilante's Facebook page on Wednesday (Sept 27). The incident allegedly happened at the traffic junction of Coleman Street and Hill Street on Sept 19 at around 7.30pm. In the video, the green man at the pedestrian crossing is flashing as the young boy crosses the road alongside two adults. He appears to drop something and turns to pick the item up, only to be rammed by the e-bike rider within seconds. The impact of the collision causes the boy to fall and roll over backwards. A woman and a man immediately turn to check on the child, as the woman starts hitting the rider. She agitatedly points to the green man signal, appearing to berate the rider for not giving way to pedestrians. Fortunately, the child did not appear to suffer any serious injury following the collision.

SINGAPORE — Some 2.5 million adult Singaporeans will receive an additional cash payout of up to $200 in December, and every Singaporean household will receive $200 in Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers in 2024 to help cope with the rising cost of living. These support measures, among others, are part of a $1.1 billion Cost-of-Living Support Package to provide relief for all Singaporean households, with more support for lower- to middle-income families. They build on the measures announced at Budget 2023. The measures also include a $0.8 billion enhancement to the Assurance Package (AP) that will bring the AP to over $10 billion. Announcing the support package on Thursday (Sept 28), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong acknowledged that many Singaporeans are anxious about the overall economic outlook, price increases and the impact on their cost of living. «The Government is committed to supporting Singaporeans through these uncertain times,» said Mr Wong, adding that the Government will not be dipping into the past reserves for this package.

Bernard Tan was appointed as president of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) for the remainder of the 2022-25 term at the organisation's annual congress at Sheraton Towers last Saturday (Sept 23). On The Straits Times' podcast series Hard Tackle, Tan spoke to Deepanraj Ganesan in his first interview as the new football chief and shared why he decided to step up, what the scene needs to do to measure up to others in the region and what changes local football fans can look forward to. This is an excerpt from the discussion. Q: Why have you taken the step forward to be president? Tan: I was actually listening to some people describe it as a poisoned chalice... I've had many friends who have always asked me why do you take this job up? But if somebody doesn't do it, then... Singapore really has no hope.

For the Singapore Women's football team, when it rains, it pours. Three days after a 7-0 drubbing in their Asian Games opener, the Lionesses faced North Korea again. They lost 10-0 this time in the rematch on Wednesday (Sept 27), with a North Korean player — striker Kim Kyongyong — grabbing five goals. The lopsided double-digit result meant that Singapore were sent packing from the tournament. At the end of the match, several commenters on the Football Association of Singapore's Facebook page lamented the «normal result». «What's this, badminton?» asked one netizen, while another commented on the «improved result». One commenter described the final outcome as a «nightmare».

SINGAPORE - Two types of mooncakes - Joymom's Musang King Snowskin Mooncake and Fragrance's Single Yolk Lotus Paste Baked Mooncake - were recalled by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) after they were found to contain high levels of bacteria that causes food poisoning. In a statement on Wednesday (Sept 27), the SFA said that it detected Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in Joymom's Musang King Snowskin Mooncake. The agency also found aflatoxins, a type of toxin produced by fungus, in Fragrance's Single Yolk Lotus Paste Baked Mooncake. Both substances were present at levels exceeding the maximum limits stated in Singapore's food regulations, said the SFA. The importers of the products, Taste Right and Fragrance Foodstuff, were directed by the agency on Wednesday to recall the mooncakes. The recall process is currently ongoing. S. aureus is commonly found in the environment, and on human skin or in noses, and can cause food poisoning when it is introduced into food during the production process, particularly when good hand hygiene is not practised, said SFA.

SINGAPORE – A former religious teacher was sentenced to 11 months and two weeks’ jail on Tuesday (Sept 26) after he misappropriated nearly $61,000 from multiple victims. Rasman Saridin, 56, is a repeat offender with a history of drug abuse and was earlier sent to jail for other crimes, including theft. His latest victims included people who handed him cash totalling nearly $33,000 for items such as tour packages for umrah – an Islamic religious pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The Singaporean misappropriated another $27,900 from five other people who paid for a three-year PhD programme in Islamic studies at an Indonesian university. Separately, he also received $79,500 in total by committing offences under the Travel Agents Act. He had unlawfully carried out the business of a travel agent even though he was not licensed to do so.

SINGAPORE – A part-time bakery worker lost over US$81,000 (S$110,960) to scammers who siphoned money from her two DBS bank accounts after infecting her Android phone with malware. Ms Lie, 52, had on Sept 10 chanced upon a Facebook advertisement for a $28 durian day-tour ticket to Kulai, Malaysia, from a tour agency called “GD Travel & Tour”. She was attracted by the offer as she had enjoyed a durian tour in 2022 and contacted the seller on Facebook. The seller texted Ms Lie on WhatsApp and instructed her through voice messages to download a third-party app called EG Store on her phone to browse the tour offers. “I wasn’t suspicious of him. He had a strong Malaysian accent and sounded very sincere. He was patient and helpful with my questions about the tour so I believed him,” she told The Straits Times. Ms Lie eventually did not buy the tour ticket as her friends did not want to go. She did not provide him with her banking details or address.

Are Singaporeans the world's worst drivers? This woman seemed to think so. In a TikTok video shared last Sunday (Sept 24), beauty entrepreneur Wendi Chan said Singaporeans displaying inconsiderate behaviour on the road because they are kiasu (scared to lose).  She said: «Whenever a person puts a signal to say, 'Hey, I need to turn into your lane because there's a car that stopped in front of me'. »No. What they will do if they are behind is speed up and close up the gap so you can't get in. So literally whenever you put a signal out, people will horn at you. 'You can't come into my lane'.« To emphasise her point, Chan said there was an occasion when another driver gave her a rude hand gesture for trying to change lanes. »I just don't get it. What's the five seconds you can lose from me coming in and probably going out again,« she added. »It's just frustrating". https://www.tiktok.com/@pinkkittywendi/video/7281917984933793025?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7252157227077830162 Her TikTok video has since garnered 61,000 views and close to 1,000 comments.

They first met on Instagram five years ago, when one was completing his military training in the United States and the other was flying through the skies as an Singapore Airlines stewardess. Love blossomed between the pair after they met each other in person for the first time while she was working on a San Francisco-bound flight, and they eventually tied the knot in 2021, Lianhe Zaobao reported. Fast forward to today, Captain Chua Kang Yi from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and his wife Vivian Chua now live in Idaho. According to the Chinese daily, the 32-year-old was posted to the Peace Carvin V detachment to serve as a F-15SG weapon systems officer and was joined by his wife last August. For her, life in the US involves looking after their seven-month-old son Maverick and doing household chores — a far cry from her former lifestyle as an air stewardess. Fortunately, the Singaporean community there is close-knit and supportive of each other, the 31-year-old shared. 

She's got a place to call home, but she can't go back to it. Over the past 20 years, an elderly hoarder has accumulated so many items in her Woodlands Drive flat, she can no longer enter it, Shin Min Daily News reported on Wednesday (Sept 27). The items the 60-year-old woman has collected have now overflowed from her home, sealing her wooden door shut and preventing her front gate from closing. Now, she sleeps on pieces of carboard placed along the corridor outside her flat — and has purportedly done so for over a decade, Shin Min reported. Speaking with reporters who visited her outside her home, the woman shared that she picks up objects from around the block, with the intention of selling them. She has collected a variety of things, such as clothes, disposable cutlery, plastic bottles, suitcases, and many more. There were even fresh oranges left in some of the boxes that lined the exterior of her home, the Chinese evening daily reported.

SINGAPORE — Singapore's central bank said on Tuesday (Sept 26) it was looking into whether banks involved in a S$2.4 billion money laundering scandal in the global wealth hub had taken all reasonable steps to mitigate risks. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) will take action if its findings reveal shortcomings in the banks' controls, a spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Singapore police last month arrested and charged 10 foreigners including from China, in one of the biggest anti-money laundering swoops. Assets worth S$2.4 billion were seized, including luxury real estate, cryptocurrencies and cars. The scandal has raised questions on whether the banks are strictly following the city-state's stringent anti-money laundering rules. «Supervisory engagements with these (financial institutions) are ongoing to assess whether they had taken all reasonable steps to mitigate against money laundering/terrorism financing risks,» the MAS spokesperson said. «We will take action where the FIs' controls have fallen short, as we have done in past cases.»

SINGAPORE – Following the detonation of a 100kg World War II bomb on Tuesday, Mr Wong Kwet Phin went straight home to inspect his fish tank, a gift from his late brother, and was relieved to find it was intact, with the fish inside all safe. The 70-year-old former interpreter, who lives in Block 154 Gangsa Road, had earlier told The Straits Times that the tank was a memory of his brother and he had been concerned about its safety during the detonation. More than 4,000 residents within a 200m radius of the construction site where the unexploded bomb had been found were evacuated before the detonation by the Singapore Armed Forces Explosive Ordnance Disposal team. Residents were told it was safe to go home at about 5pm on Tuesday, some nine hours after they had evacuated. Some went back to find slight damage, despite the fact that a protective wall had been built around the bomb using sandbags and concrete blocks to minimise the impact of the blast.

When he first felt a strange pain in his right leg after returning from his vacation in India last month, Amjath Khan thought it was a simple case of gout.  However, the 42-year-old operations manager soon discovered it was something more sinister when his entire body swelled up and he couldn't breathe. Amjath, who has been working in Singapore for the past 13 years, had just returned back to Singapore when he discovered that he had contracted the flesh-eating germ through a cut in his skin, said Gary Haris, a grassroots leader at the Federation Of Indian Muslims (FIM) in an interview with AsiaOne on Tuesday (Sept 26). Haris was alerted to Amjath's case by the migrant workers he works with.  Amjath had initially gone to a doctor for his leg pain where he was diagnosed with gout, according to Haris.  The doctor then gave him some medication to treat his symptoms. However, this father-of-two did not see any improvement despite finishing the course of medication. 

When he first felt a strange pain in his right leg after returning from his vacation in India last month, Amjath Khan thought it was a simple case of gout.  However, the 42-year-old operations manager soon discovered it was something more sinister when his entire body swelled up and he couldn't breathe. Amjath, who has been working in Singapore for the past 13 years, had just returned back to Singapore when he discovered that he had contracted the flesh-eating germ through a cut in his skin, said Gary Haris, a grassroots leader at the Federation Of Indian Muslims (FIM) in an interview with AsiaOne on Tuesday (Sept 26). Haris was alerted to Amjath's case by the migrant workers he works with.  Amjath had initially gone to a doctor for his leg pain where he was diagnosed with gout, according to Haris.  The doctor then gave him some medication to treat his symptoms. However, this father-of-two did not see any improvement despite finishing the course of medication. 

An appeal has been launched after a man was allegedly punched in the face. The alleged attack happened along Telok Blangah Road near HarbourFront Centre, said an eyewitness in a Facebook post shared last Sunday (Sept 24). CK Chan said: «With no provocation, this Indian guy driving rained punches on the old man just because of a honking issue. »The old man fell and was bleeding. I hope he's okay. Can't stop to help as I've a customer in my vehicle. If the old man needs a witness I'm willing.« A Facebook video showed the driver of a red Mazda walking towards the man, who staggered back in discomfort. Several pedestrians were seen trying to keep the two apart. The video has since garnered over 20,000 views. In the comments, several netizens urged Chan to lodge a police report. Other netizens described the driver as a »road bully«. »Hope he gets caught,« one of them said. »This is a serious case of road rage," said another netizen.

SINGAPORE – A 100kg World War II bomb found at a construction site in Upper Bukit Timah was detonated for the second time on Tuesday (Sept 26) at around 1.45pm, after more than 4,000 nearby residents were evacuated in the morning. The aerial bomb, believed to be one of the largest wartime munitions unearthed in Singapore, is being disposed of by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Explosive Ordnance Disposal team in a series of controlled explosions.

A frantic bid to capture a stray monitor lizard escalated into a wild chase after the animal escaped twice. The action-packed scene was filmed and uploaded to TikTok by user Svkorr, who goes by Sukor, yesterday (Sept 25) night. The incident occurred at a block of HDB flats located in Taman Jurong.  In the 55-second-long video, Sukor can be heard giggling while chasing the reptile down a corridor and into a stairwell sometime during the day. The video then cuts to another clip showing someone positioned at the bottom flight of stairs brandishing a broom towards the cornered animal. https://www.tiktok.com/@svkorr/video/7282748804925852936 Staff from NParks arrived later at night to capture the lizard, only for another chase to ensue after it slipped away and bolted down the stairs. The two staff were filmed lunging after the escaped lizard which had made its way to the ground floor of the HDB block, before they eventually caught up to the animal near a bicycle rack.

A 29-year-old woman was found hanging outside the kitchen window of a flat in Bukit Batok on Monday (Sept 25). A video circulating on social media showed SCDF officers trying to bring the motionless body down from the third floor of Block 104 Bukit Batok Central. Several netizens speculated that the woman was a foreign domestic helper. Responding to AsiaOne's queries on Tuesday (Sept 26), the SCDF said that they received a call for assistance at around 6.20am. «SCDF used safety ropes to secure the person and lowered her to the second floor,» said SCDF. «The person was then brought into the second floor unit through its kitchen window». SCDF added that the person was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic. The police told AsiaOne that they were alerted to the case of unnatural death. «Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not suspect foul play. Police investigations are ongoing.»

It's 'place basket here' and not 'place child here'. One customer at a FairPrice outlet in Singapore, however, did not appear to get the memo, based on a clip taken by TikTok user Tlbangela and posted on Monday (Sept 25). The short eight-second clip showed the woman, clad in a blue T-shirt and shorts, with a toddler at the store's self checkout counter. The toddler was standing on the grocery platform as the woman scanned her items. Speaking to AsiaOne, Tlbangela shared that the incident had occurred on Monday (Sept 25) at about 11.50am. She was queueing behind the woman at the FairPrice outlet located at Block 476 Upper Serangoon View. In a caption written in Chinese, Tlbangela noted: «In our society today, I wonder if people study too much or there's something wrong with their brains. It says to put your basket but she placed her child on top». She added that a FairPrice employee had «told her nicely» to bring her child down from the platform, but shared that the woman «looked unhappy». 

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is looking into an incident where a woman found a cockroach in her bento box meal bought from Ichiban Boshi at Marina Bay Link Mall. Stomp contributor Sean informed Stomp that his wife had bought the bento box for her lunch on Sept 18 and paid $18.20 for it. She was about three-quarters through her meal when she found the insect. «The branch offered to exchange the bento and give a refund but my wife did not accept,» he said. He added that she reported the matter to SFA on the same day. In response to a Stomp query, an SFA spokesperson said: «SFA is looking into the matter. »Food safety is a joint responsibility. «While SFA puts in place and enforces the regulatory measures, food operators must play their part by adhering to good food hygiene and preparation practices. »Food operators should also ensure that their premises are clean and well-maintained. Members of the public who come across any potentially errant food operator should report to SFA via the online feedback form.

SINGAPORE — A former student leader at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) who was embroiled in an «alcohol-related incident» in 2022 has apologised, saying there was a «lack of judgment» in his actions. This follows NTU's recent conclusion of its probe into the matter involving Ethan Ong, who has since been counselled by the university. The incident had resurfaced in recent days because the fourth-year Nanyang Business School student was a candidate in the student union's council elections on Sunday (Sept 24). The polls were held to elect the union's executive committee for the 2023-2024 academic year. However, Ong, who had also served as an office-holder in the NTU Students' Union (NTUSU) in the previous academic year, failed to secure a sufficient number of votes to win a seat on the new executive committee. The 24-year-old then withdrew from the contest. He had previously been suspended from his role by the student union for five weeks because of the incident. In response to queries from The Straits Times, NTU said on Monday it takes all allegations of misconduct «very seriously».

SINGAPORE - A policeman was alone in an office with a female colleague to conduct training on first aid and police defensive tactics (PDT) in November 2020 when he molested her. Abdul Gaffor Jainul Hussain, 48, who was then holding the rank of an inspector, conducted these sessions with the policewoman even though he was not certified to train others on these two topics at the time. He was fined $10,000 on Monday (Sept 25) after he pleaded guilty to two counts of outraging the victim's modesty. Two other molestation charges involving the same policewoman were considered during sentencing. In a statement in January 2023, the Singapore Police Force said Abdul Gaffor's offences surfaced in a report which the victim made on May 11, 2021. A spokesperson added: «Following the report, SPF swiftly initiated investigations and removed Abdul Gaffor from front-line duties. Victim care support was offered to the victim.» Details such as the location of the offences and the woman's age have been redacted from court documents. She also cannot be named due to a gag order to protect her identity.

He thought he found love, but all he uncovered was distress after becoming a victim of sextortion. Andrew (not his real name) met a woman through dating application OkCupid but ended up being scammed of his money. «We chatted for a bit and developed intimacy, which led her to extort me for money and she even threatened to spread our videos to my friends and family through social media,» Andrew recalled. «When it happened, I was in distress and I had very bad anxiety attacks, and she was constantly sending threats to me.» He described how being at that moment, «it made me feel like my life was ruined», and the only way to escape it «was to end it». This Singaporean shared his experience in an audio recording at the Online Harms Symposium today (Sept 25), a three-day event where lawyers, educators and other industry players discuss topics including harassment, cyberbullying and cancel culture. This event, held at the Singapore Management University, is from Sept 25 to 27.

If finding litter at your window is not bad enough, what about a used diaper? Taking to Singapore Incidents Facebook page last Saturday(Sept 23), Lam Hong Tu shared her gross discovery of a used diaper stuck outside her unit's window. The Bukit Batok resident wrote: «This is the second time my house kena this. Super disgusting. Used diaper thrown down and stuck at our window.» Lam shared in her post that she first spotted a sanitary pad at her kitchen window ledge in January this year.  In the photo shared by Lam, a sanitary pad can be seen stuck at her kitchen window ledge with another hanging from the drying rack of the unit below hers. «All units have dustbin inside their houses. Why throw down like this?» Lam wrote in her post.  AsiaOne has reached out to Lam and the National Environmental Agency for comment. 

The topic of whether Singapore or Malaysia has better food is a sensitive one that has led to plenty of debates.  But it seems like one tourist has made up his mind as he thinks Singapore takes the cake.  Yad Sharef, a travel YouTuber from the United Kingdom, recently compared different aspects of Singapore and Malaysia - from the people, cost, food and scenery - in a video on Sunday (Sept 24).  When it comes to Malaysian food, Yad praised the diversity in cuisines.  «They literally had absolutely everything. If you wanted Malay food, they had it. If you wanted Middle Eastern food, Indian food, Chinese, literally, they have everything,» said Yad, adding that his favourite dish was nasi lemak.  For Singapore, he called our hawker centres «one of the most legendary things» and enjoyed how the food is not only affordable but tasty too. 

SINGAPORE — The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) announced on Monday (Sept 25) the appointment of former president Halimah Yacob as its new chancellor, from Oct 1. She takes over from Stephen Lee, who has held the position since 2018. «I am honoured to be appointed as the new Chancellor of SUSS,» said Madam Halimah. «This university has a unique place in Singapore, with its mission to inspire learning for life... I look forward to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure SUSS' continued success in impacting society through applied social sciences.» A leader of several firsts, Madam Halimah was elected as the ninth Speaker of Parliament in 2013, the first woman to hold the position. She was also the country's first female president and served a six-year term between 2017 and 2023. She was succeeded by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Lee, the outgoing chancellor, had previously served as the Singapore Airlines chairman and was a member of the Council of Presidential Advisers, among other appointments.

A mother's visit to Great World shopping mall almost ended in disaster after a hoarding board collapsed at the mall's basement.  The woman took to TikTok on Sunday (Sept 24) to document the incident after witnessing the hoarding board collapse on an unwitting shopper.  Shaken by the sight, the woman, who goes by the username Theeagertraveller, wrote in her post: «It could have been me with my toddler if this happened a minute later.» The woman said she asked the shopper if he was okay. «He just brushed it off, including the debris on his hair,» she added.  In the video, she urged the mall's management to review CCTV footage of the incident and contact the man for a medical check-up. «And ensure this doesn't happen again!» she added.  https://www.tiktok.com/@theeagertraveller/video/7282330090866822402 The aftermath of the incident was also captured by another shopper, who sent the footage to SGfollowsall. 

The Singapore women's football team succumbed to a dreadful 7-0 drubbing at the hands of North Korea at the 19th Asian Games on Sunday (Sept 24). The North Koreans had put two goals past the Lioness by half time, before running riot with five goals in the second-half. The Lioness are 130th in the FIFA rankings, while North Korea are unranked. https://www.facebook.com/singaporefootball/posts/pfbid0jYwM9VTu9BXFhMVC8Q7C9sgA9CKkiVCXkiacgstrUyH9rYEoKynPS2WKZoJa515kl By the end of 7-0 dubbing, several netizens lamented the state of Singapore football. «At least we're consistent. At losing,» quipped a netizen on a HardwareZone Forum thread.

SINGAPORE — Singapore's key consumer price gauge rose 3.4 per cent in August, almost matching economists' forecasts, and easing compared with July's figures due to lower inflation for services, food, retail and other goods, official data showed on Monday (Sept 25). The core inflation rate — which excludes private road transport and accommodation costs — climbed 3.4 per cent year-on-year in August, almost in line with a forecast in a Reuters poll of economists of 3.5 per cent, and lower than the 3.8 per cent seen in July. «Global supply chain frictions have largely eased, and food commodity prices remain below year-ago levels,» said a joint statement by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the trade ministry. Headline inflation in August was up four per cent from the same month last year, as forecast in the poll. «Consumer price inflation in Singapore's major trading partners has also been on a gradual moderating trend,» the authorities added.

When he saw an elderly woman stumble and fall to the ground, a SBS Transit staff immediately rushed over to help her up and treat her wound.  The incident happened at Saint Michael's Bus Terminal in Whampoa at around 1pm last Wednesday (Sept 20), Shin Min Daily News reported. Speaking to the Chinese evening daily, food centre manager Zhang Huoxing said that he was on his way to have lunch at a nearby coffee shop when he saw a elderly woman with a walking stick fall. A SBS Transit staff who also witnessed the scene ran out of the interchange office to check on the situation, before helping the woman to stand up and move to a seat near the boarding berths, Zhang said. When he approached the pair to help, the unnamed staff returned to the office to retrieve a first aid kit to disinfect her wounds. Two other bus captains also assisted in looking after the 77-year-old woman who was on her way to buy lunch at the nearby coffee shop, according to Zhang. «She said she didn't see the kerb and fell, scraping her skin,» he explained.

SINGAPORE — Residents in parts of Bukit Panjang and Upper Bukit Timah will be required to leave their homes on Tuesday (Sept 26) when a specialist team conducts a controlled detonation of a 100kg World War II aerial bomb. Students and teachers from the nearby Greenridge Secondary School will continue their lessons with home-based learning when the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team conducts the detonation between 8am and 7pm, said the police in a statement on Sunday. The bomb was discovered at a construction site in Upper Bukit Timah Road last Wednesday at 11.57am during excavation works, and the police were informed, the statement said. It added that the war relic will be disposed at the site itself because the SAF EOD team deems it unsafe to be moved. The site is the location of the upcoming The Myst condominium. The statement said the police will put up a 200m cordon around the war relic, and roads in the area will be closed from 11am. «The public will be alerted when roads are reopened and it is safe to resume normal activities in the area.»