Some nine in ten parents polled by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) in its inaugural Preschool Experience Survey have indicated their satisfaction with preschool safety standards and education quality.The findings of the survey, commissioned in November 2025 and involving nearly 1,800 parents, were shared at the Start Small Dream Big Walkathon on Saturday (May 9) .Organised by educational consultancy Preschool Market and supported by ECDA, the event brought together about 5,000 preschoolers, their families and early childhood educators to foster greater awareness of values-in-action and community involvement in children's development. In a news release the same day, ECDA said its survey was conducted to understand parents' experiences and satisfaction across key aspects of their children's preschool journey.This includes: quality of education, safety of the preschool environment, and confidence in the professionalism and expertise of early childhood educators.

Singapore's broad priorities when it assumes chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in 2027 will reflect continuity from previous years' chairmanship, even if the specific measures and focus will differ, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Saturday (May 9).He was speaking to the media as he wrapped up a three-day visit to Cebu, Philippines to attend the 48th Asean Summit.Asked about Singapore's priorities as incoming Asean chair next year, PM Wong said these are still being worked out, but the key issues and focus will revolve around similar themes.He listed strengthening Asean's collective resilience, advancing the 11-member bloc's integration efforts, and advancing its community building agenda as Singapore's possible broad priorities.But PM Wong also pointed out these broad priorities — which were also reflected in previous years' chairmanship — are a continuity, adding that the specific measures and focus, which are being worked on, will differ from chair to chair.

A 23-year-old male motorcyclist was taken to hospital on Thursday (May 7) night after the motorcycle he was riding was involved in an accident with a car in Jurong.The accident happened at about 9.55pm at the junction of Jurong East Avenue 1 and Jurong Canal Drive.  Map showing where the accident involving a motorcycle and car took place on Thursday (May 7) night. GRAPHIC: Google Maps Photos of the accident shared on a motoring chat group show the badly damaged motorcycle lying on its side. Debris, including parts of the motorcycle's bodywork, are seen strewn across the junction.A white Mazda saloon car, with its front bumper partially dislodged, was stopped in the middle of the junction. 

The recent cyberattack on global learning management platform Canvas has not compromised any sensitive information from students at the National University of Singapore (NUS).In a statement addressing the matter, a spokesperson for the university told AsiaOne on Saturday (May 9) that it is aware of the data breach.NUS was among multiple educational institutions affected by the cyberattack on May 7, which blocked access to the platform. Access was restored on May 8. Cyberextortion group ShinyHunters claimed to be behind the incident.Other local universities in the list of affected institutions include the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) and the Singapore Institute of Management.Assuring that data protection and security are its priority, the NUS spokesperson said the university is in touch with US-based company Instructure, which owns Canvas, to assess the impact. 

Four wet markets in Housing and Development Board (HDB) heartlands — at Fajar Shopping Centre, Yew Tee Square, Bukit Batok West Shopping Centre, and Woodlands North Plaza — will undergo upgrading works when their respective 30-year leases end between now and end-2027, said Senior Minister of State for National Development Sun Xueling.Sun, who is also Senior Minister of State for Transport, made the announcement in a Facebook post on Saturday (May 9), after she visited the newly upgraded wet market at Serangoon Central Village a day earlier.The wet market was returned to HDB in 2024 after its lease expired. It later underwent upgrading works and now has a new layout with more stalls.«The stallholders I spoke to welcomed the bright, airy layout. Residents had also shared with me that they found the rejuvenated market to be a more pleasant experience for them. They were also glad to have more food options than before with a new eating house,» Sun wrote.

A woman who lost an eight-year-long battle with cancer shared her final words through a posthumous post on LinkedIn.Assistant human resources manager Grace Seah died aged 41 on Thursday (May 7) and her last letter to her loved ones went up the next day.«Thank you for your friendship, love, and kindness — I feel incredibly blessed to have had you in my life,» she wrote.Seah also invited those who saw her post to her wake, which was held from Friday to Saturday.«I hope it becomes a time of reconnection, with more flowing conversations than tears — and a reminder to live fully in the present,» she said.«I believe death ends life, not love or relationships. When you miss me, just think of me — the silly things I said or did, the moments we shared.»Thank you for loving me, and for grieving me," she added.Seah assured those who were unable to come that it was alright for them not to attend.

Singapore has to become better in defending itself against artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled threats, while becoming experts at using the technology for its own purposes, said Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam on Saturday (May 9).Speaking to the media after a community event in Yishun, Shanmugam, who is also Minister for Home Affairs, set out Singapore's approach to securing itself against AI-enabled threats following recent developments on frontier AI models.This comes as financial institutions across the globe scramble to assess cybersecurity risks brought about by Anthropic's frontier AI model Mythos.Anthropic earlier this month debuted Mythos, its most advanced AI model to date and designed for defensive cybersecurity tasks.But concerns intensified after Anthropic said a preview of Mythos uncovered «thousands» of major vulnerabilities across every major operating system and web browser, raising fears about the resilience of traditional software security. 

Following a three-week long islandwide enforcement operation which ended on Friday (May 8), the police have arrested seven people and are investigating 65 others for their alleged involvement in registering SIM cards for illicit purposes.The police said in a news release on Saturday that the operation, which began on April 20, involved officers from its Anti-Scam Command and its seven land divisions.The operation targeted errant subscribers who registered postpaid SIM cards that were subsequently linked to criminal activities. A total of five men and two women, aged between 18 and 35, were arrested for their suspected involvement in providing registered postpaid SIM cards for monetary gains.Another 62 men and three women, aged between 16 and 56, are also being investigated, said the police.Preliminary investigations revealed that these errant subscribers were offered cash rewards of between $10 and $20 per registered SIM card.These subscribers were purportedly instructed to register and buy SIM cards in bulk from different retailers, and handed over between 30 and 64 registered SIM cards to be the syndicate's courier.

A four-night Disney Adventure voyage scheduled to set sail from Singapore on Thursday (May 7) was cancelled a day later because of «mechanical issues».Passengers on board the cruise took to social media to share the disappointing news on Friday afternoon.According to posts made on a Reddit community centred around the Disney Cruise Line, the vessel had purportedly suffered an engine issue and was being repaired.«After embarking the cruise yesterday, we were informed by the captain that the cruise is having some technical issues and engineers are working and that we will set sail soon,» one Redditor wrote on Friday.«Today at approximately 2pm Singapore time, the captain announced that they are cancelling the adventure... It's really disappointing especially if vacationing with kids.»The vessel remained docked overnight at its homeport, the Marina Bay Cruise Centre, reported Lianhe Zaobao.A passenger from Hong Kong, surnamed Huang, told the Chinese publication she had flown in specially for the cruise.She said facilities were open, except for the Disney merchandise shops. 

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) can do more with countries like its Plus Three partners — China, Japan and Korea — and Australia and New Zealand to enhance the 11-member bloc's resilience, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday (May 8).«The conflict has shown that Asean does not exist in isolation. So even as we think strengthen our intra-Asean trade, supply chain, and integration, we have to think creatively about how we can work with external partners to enhance our resilience,» PM Wong said at the retreat session of the 48th Asean Summit being held in Cebu, Philippines.Beyond the Plus Three partners, which Asean member states have close links with, he suggested that the bloc can do more with countries like Australia and New Zealand. He noted that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had visited a number of Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia and Singapore.

A brawl in the Boat Quay area has resulted in the arrest of two men.The suspects, aged 25 and 31, had allegedly fought with another man at about 3.20am on May 3, the police said in a statement on Friday (May 8).A video of the scuffle uploaded online shows a large group of people gathering on a road, with several people lunging at each other.Two people are seen throwing punches at one another.The police said the two men had left the scene after the altercation. A police report over the fight was lodged at about 2pm that same day.They were subsequently identified by officers and arrested on May 7 and 8.They will be charged in court for affray on May 9. If found guilty, they could be jailed for up to one year, fined up to $5,000, or both.«The police have zero tolerance towards acts of violence with blatant disregard of the law,» the statement said, adding that offenders will be dealt with sternly.[[nid:735186]]lim.kewei@asiaone.com

A video of a woman seen cycling with a leashed dog running behind her on a busy road has sparked outrage from netizens. The footage of the Shiba Inu along Serangoon Road near Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital was posted in the Facebook group Shiba Inu Club Singapore on Wednesday (May 6).«It has come to our attention that one Shiba owner tie the poor Shiba and cycle along the busy road. If anyone happens to know this lady, please let us know,» captioned the post by Evan Lim.Lim told AsiaOne that the video was recorded at 6.18pm on the same day.He said that he was shocked and worried for the dog, which was forced to keep up with the cyclist's pace.«In the first place, the owner should not be doing this on a busy road. This is exposing the dog to unnecessary danger,» said Lim.«Why would a pet owner or any human expose their beloved pet or animal to this?»He and his friends reported the incident to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and the National Parks Board (NParks).In the comments section, netizens expressed anger over the dog owner's actions.

A Guillemard Road food stall holder was arrested for allegedly peddling duty-unpaid cigarettes from his shop following enforcement operations by Singapore Customs. In a Facebook post on Friday (May 8), Singapore Customs said it conducted two separate operations, at Circuit Road on April 23 and Guillemard Road on April 29, against peddlers of duty-unpaid cigarettes. A 62-year-old Singaporean man, a food stall owner, and his 48-year-old female accomplice were arrested during the Guillemard Road operation for allegedly peddling such cigarettes from his shop.During the Circuit Road operation, two Singaporean men aged 68 and 70 were arrested for allegedly peddling duty-unpaid cigarettes at a void deck. Over 97 cartons and 498 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes, as well as $875 cash suspected to be proceeds from sales were seized.The total duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded amounted to about $19,000. One man has been charged in the State Courts while the other three are under investigation. 

SINGAPORE — A young woman and a young man met in church, and they became acquainted with each other over their common interest in military-related items.That interest landed both of them in jail, after she bought a live round from him. The 5.56mm-calibre round is similar to those used by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).On May 8, the woman, Jermaine Lim, 23, was sentenced to four months' jail and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to possessing a live round without a licence.Another charge for 3D-printing a gun was taken into consideration during her sentencing.The man, Javier Tan, also 23, was jailed for three months and fined $1,000 in January 2025 for abetting Lim.Lim was arrested in a drug raid in December 2024 when the police seized the live round and various 3D-printed items, including the gun.She told the police she had obtained the live round from Tan, which led to him also being arrested.The court heard that Tan had obtained the live round from a Republic Polytechnic schoolmate sometime in late 2021 or early 2022.

More than 20 people, including several residents and students, banded together to move a seven-storey-tall tree in Serangoon after it fell and blocked a pedestrian path and a road on Thursday (May 7). Hong (transliteration) told Shin Min Daily News that he witnessed the incident at Block 326 Serangoon Avenue 3 at around 5pm while on the way to pick his child up from school. Shu Pili (transliteration), a nearby resident, told the Chinese daily that the tree had been planted in front of the HDB flats more than 16 years ago. The 53-year-old building consultant was on his way home from work when he suddenly heard a loud crash. He then saw the fallen tree and rushed to help. Shu added that many nearby residents came to help, with some bringing saws to cut the trunk and make it easier to move, while others helped to direct traffic. He said that some students from Zhong Hua Secondary School, who were waiting at the bus stop after school, also joined in to help. The fallen tree was eventually moved, thanks to the Good Samaritans.  

A 30-year-old fishery worker died after being struck by lightning on Tuesday (May 5). In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said they received an alert regarding a workplace incident at around 4pm that day. The fishery worker was struck by lightning at a fish farm in the waters off Lim Chu Kang coast, said an MOM spokesperson, who added that the employer of the incident site is F20W.The police also said they were alerted to the incident at 691 Lim Chu Kang Road.The man was conveyed unconscious to Woodlands Hospital. Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not suspect foul play. Both MOM and the police are investigating the incident, the authorities said. «As a general safety measure, workers should immediately seek shelter when alerted of any potential thundery shower. Workers should wait for at least 30 minutes after thunder is last heard before resuming outdoor activities,» said MOM.[[nid:735017]]dana.leong@asiaone.com 

A 53-year-old male tipper truck driver is assisting with ongoing police investigations after the tipper truck he was driving self-skidded and landed on its side in Jurong on Thursday (May 7).The accident happened at the junction of Jurong Town Hall Road and Teban Garden Road at about 4.50pm. Map showing where the tipper truck overturned. GRAPHIC: Google Maps, Social media A photo of the accident shows two tipper trucks in the direction of Teban Gardens Road, with one truck lying on its side.A recovery vehicle is seen along Jurong Town Hall Road, closing off the left-turning lane towards Teban Gardens Road.Both lanes of the two-lane road towards Teban Market Place were also closed off to traffic.Police investigations are ongoing. [[nid:734992]]

A man in Yishun has apparently turned his car into a makeshift two-storey home for his cats. The dark grey car was seen at the second floor of a multi-storey parking lot at Block 347, Yishun Avenue 11 with makeshift cat beds and feeding utensils placed beside it, reported Shin Min Daily News. When AsiaOne went down to the scene on Friday (May 8), two cats were resting in cardboard cat beds under the car. A calico cat was seated below the hood of the vehicle while an orange cat was under the boot. The car owner was not present.There were also several pet care items and a plastic bowl filled with drinking water. He, a 50-year-old engineer, told Shin Min that he owns the car and two cats. He said he took in the two injured strays — a calico cat named Patches and an orange tabby named Tiger — over a decade ago. The cats used to be kept at home but He let Tiger, who didn't like being indoors for long periods, roam downstairs and soon Patches followed. He said that he bought his car about 10 years ago for around $100,000 but he drove much less this past year. 

Faced with a different world — where there will be more disruptions and shocks, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) must do more to strengthen its collective resilience, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday (May 8).He was speaking at the plenary session of the 48th Asean Summit being held in Cebu, Philippines.In 2024, the 11-member bloc, which has a combined population of about 684 million, achieved a total trade in goods and services value of about US$5.1 trillion (S$6.51 trillion).But like the rest of its Asian neighbours, Asean member states are also among the hardest hit amid the Middle East crisis due to their high dependence on energy and other critical supplies from the Gulf.Then, there is also the issue of trade disruptions arising from the US' Liberation Day tariffs, which PM Wong noted has «not completely gone away». «The realities of the global economy going forward are that there will be more disruptions, more shocks, more volatility. That will be the new normal in our economic landscape.»He urged fellow Asean leaders to do more to strengthen the bloc's collective resilience.

SINGAPORE — A former Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) regular was sentenced to six years and 10 months’ jail on May 8 after he broke into a man’s home, accessed the latter’s cryptocurrency wallet and stole 1.7 million USDT.According to court documents, the amount of USDT Teo Rong Xuan, 35, had stolen in 2023 was worth the same amount in US dollars — US$1.7 million (S$2.15 million).The former captain with the Naval Diving Unit, who left the SAF in 2023, pleaded guilty in October 2025 to one count each of housebreaking and misusing a computer system.He also pleaded guilty to multiple counts of dealing with the ill-gotten gains.In earlier proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Jonathan Tan told the court that Teo, also known as Rex, joined the diving unit in 2010.In June 2022, he met the victim, a 30-year-old Chinese national, through a mutual friend identified as “Zee” in court documents.The victim had a “cold wallet” — a cryptocurrency wallet that was not connected to the internet.The DPP said the man’s cold wallet was a “Ledger Nano X” hardware device that physically resembled a thumb drive or security token.

First-time home buyers applying for an executive condominium (EC) may stand a higher chance of securing their dream home as 90 per cent of new EC units will be reserved for them, up from the current 70 per cent.The priority period — the time developers must reserve EC units for such buyers before they can sell to all eligible buyers — will also be raised from the current one month to two years. These are among changes to the EC scheme announced by Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat on Friday (May 8) to better support first-time home buyers.But new EC owners will have to wait 10 years before they can sell their units on the open market, up from the current five-year minimum occupation period (MOP).And they will have to make progressive payments based on construction milestones, and will no longer be able to defer payment till the development gets its temporary occupation permit (TOP).Currently, EC buyers can pay 20 per cent of the purchase price upfront while the remaining payment is deferred until the project obtains its TOP.

SINGAPORE — Louis Vuitton was awarded more than half a million dollars in damages from a Singapore Instagram seller accused of repeatedly peddling counterfeit luxury goods, after the nation’s highest court clarified how to calculate the trademark damages.In a judgment issued on May 6, the Court of Appeal more than doubled the damages payable to French luxury house Louis Vuitton Malletier (LVM) from $200,000 to $510,000, finding that the seller had blatantly infringed its logos through the online sale and promotion of counterfeit products.The seller was Mr Ng Hoe Seng, who operated online stores under the Instagram handles “emcase_sg” and later “emcrafts_sg”.Court documents showed that the accounts advertised products such as phone cases, watch straps, passport covers, pouches and cigarette cases bearing signs identical to well-known Louis Vuitton logos without the company’s consent. There were nine categories of offending goods in total.LVM made trap purchases of the products in 2022 and 2023 before suing Mr Ng for trademark infringement.In November 2023, the High Court ruled in favour of LVM. 

SINGAPORE — Amazon is cutting roles in Singapore as it ramps up expanding its international store selection in the city-state, it said in a post on its website on Thursday (May 7).The Business Times understands that less than 10 per cent of its workforce in Singapore will be affected.Amazon will help affected staff find new roles within the company. For those unable to be redeployed, transition support will include severance payments and career transition services.“Amazon remains deeply committed to Singapore and our investments across our retail, global selling, entertainment, devices and Amazon Web Services business lines, employing 2,500 people in the country,” said the company in the post.Andy Lim, secretary-general of the Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers’ Union (SMMWU), said that the union was informed of the layoffs a day in advance.He added that the union “encourages all companies to provide a longer advance notice for the union to be able to provide better support to their workers”.

A feud between two online personalities has resulted in claims of criminal intimidation and the arrest of an online influencer.The Straits Times understands that Mr Mohammad Hussin Said, who is also known by his online moniker MangoBossKu, was arrested on May 4 at a car wash he operates in Yishun.Several witnesses said Mr Hussin, who is well known in the Malay/Muslim community for the food stalls he runs at various bazaars, was interviewed by plain-clothes police officers.This comes after a 56-second-long video clip was widely shared in WhatsApp chat groups and discussed on social media. The video shows the owner of a popular restaurant being threatened and made to strip.The victim, who is also well known online, is accused of being “too close” to the wife of the person recording the video.Mr Hussin was allegedly arrested after the victim made a police report at Bedok Police Division Headquarters. Police confirmed that a report had been lodged and that investigations are ongoing.The victim told ST that the video was shot around November 2025, but it was not shared online then.

A total of 19 motorists were caught for various traffic offences during stepped up enforcement operations at Woodlands Checkpoint during the Labour Day long weekend.The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a statement on Thursday (May 7) evening that the operations are intended to deter and detect motorists who commit traffic offences, engage in queue cutting, and display other dangerous road behaviour.At the departure lanes, motorists were found to have committed traffic offences such as crossing double white lines, making illegal right turns, stopping in positions likely to cause danger, obstruction and undue inconvenience, as well as queue cutting.Of these, 14 were directed to make a U-turn and re-queue, while the drivers of four foreign-registered vehicles were banned from entering Singapore for offences including crossing double white lines and queue cutting.All 18 have been referred to the Traffic Police for further action.ICA added that one motorist was caught at the arrival lanes for crossing double white lines and was also referred to the Traffic Police.

The crocodile seen in the waters off Sentosa Cove on Wednesday (May 6) evening has been trapped and removed by the National Parks Board (NParks).It was then sedated and humanely put down, NParks group director of wildlife management How Choon Beng was quoted by The Straits Times as saying.Water activities at Siloso, Palawan, and Tanjong Beach could resume on Thursday, the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) said in a Facebook post the same day. How reportedly explained on Thursday that the reptile could not be relocated to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve as it was not a suitable release site for it.

A total of 225 people are being investigated by the police for their alleged involvement in scams as scammers or money mules, following a two-week operation between April 23 and May 6.The operation involved officers from the police's Commercial Affairs Department and the seven police land divisions.Police said in a news release on Thursday (May 7) night that the 225 people comprises 166 men and 89 women, and are aged between 16 and 75.They are believed to be involved in more than 564 scam cases, comprising mostly e-commerce, friend impersonation, job, government official impersonation, investment and rental scams, which have resulted in losses of more than $4.8 million, the police said.They are now being investigated for various alleged offences including cheating, money laundering, or providing payment services without a licence.If found guilty of cheating, an individual may face a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine, while those convicted of money laundering may be jailed for up to 10 years and fined up to $500,000.

The police are appealing for information on the whereabouts of a 14-year-old boy, Quintus Lim Zhi Jun. In a news release on Thursday (May 7) evening, the police said he was last seen in the vicinity of Block 299B Tampines Street 2 at about 9.40pm on Tuesday.The said address is part of a HDB precinct near Tampines East Community Club.According to the police, the boy was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black shorts and carrying a black bag.Those with information are urged to contact the police hotline at 999 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness.All information will be kept strictly confidential, the police said.[[nid:735166]]editor@asiaone.com 

A 29-year-old man will be charged in court on Friday (May 8) for his alleged involvement in a case of loan shark harassment in Pasir Ris.Police said in a news release on Thursday night that they were alerted to such a case at about 8.10pm on Monday. The alleged incident took place at a residential unit along Pasir Ris Street 72.A photograph of the alleged crime scene provided by the police shows loan shark-related graffiti scribbled on the wall beside the victim's unit.The graffiti reads: «O$P$!! Last warning!! Don't make me paint house!!» Officers from Bedok Police Division and the Police Operations Command Centre established the identity of the man through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from police cameras, arresting him on Thursday.A red marker and mobile phone were seized from him as case exhibits.The offence of loan shark harassment carries a fine of between $5,000 and $50,000, imprisonment of up to five years, and up to six strokes of the cane.Members of the public are advised to stay away from loan sharks and not work with or assist them in any way. [[nid:735240]]

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) removed 959 online listings of illegal health products and warned 152 sellers in a joint operation led by Interpol from March 10 to 23.Eighty-nine other countries joined the clampdown, dubbed Operation Pangea, which targeted products such as unregistered medicines and medical devices and as well as pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment.HSA said on Thursday (May 7) that over 82 per cent of the listings taken down in Singapore were selling unregistered contact lenses that have not been certified to have met the required safety, performance and quality standards.Other illegal listings were selling products such as prescription-only skin creams for acne and eczema, sexual enhancement medicines, nasal aspirators and nasal sprays, and oxygen concentrators.At Singapore's checkpoints, 6,641 units of illegal health products were seized, with most items brought in through international mail.Prescription medicines such as painkillers or sedatives made up 36 per cent of the confiscated products, with anti-parasitic medicines such as ivermectin coming second at 30 per cent.

A Singaporean and a Singapore Permanent Resident, who were passengers on the cruise ship MV Hondius which is currently at the centre of a deadly hantavirus outbreak, are currently isolated at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).The Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said on Thursday (May 7) that it is awaiting test results for the rare disease.«One has a runny nose but is otherwise well, and the other is asymptomatic. The risk to the general public in Singapore is currently low,» the public health authority said in a media release.According to the CDA, the two Singapore residents were on board the cruise ship at its point of departure from Argentina on April 1.Both men had left the ship at St Helena after a Dutch passenger died.They had taken the same flight as a confirmed hantavirus case, the Dutch passenger's wife, from St Helena to Johannesburg on April 25.The confirmed case died in Johannesburg.

Stay in the know with a recap of our top stories today.1. Wildlife feeders, including those who feed birds, to face stiffer penalties under proposed amendmentsThose found illegally feeding wildlife, including those who feed birds, will face increased fines and potential imprisonment under proposed amendments to the Wildlife Act... » READ MORE2. Huang Yiliang seen getting into argument with neighbouring hawker

Australia's Chief of the Defence Force Admiral (ADML) David Johnston has been conferred Singapore's highest military award — the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera), or Distinguished Service Order (Military) — by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.ADML Johnston, 64, was presented the award at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) on Thursday (May 7) morning.It was given for his «significant contributions» in strengthening defence ties between the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), said Mindef in a statement.The statement added that the frequent bilateral exercises and professional exchanges have deepened cooperation, strengthened interoperability and fostered closer people-to-people ties between the two armed forces.He is also credited with being a trusted partner in enhancing regional security cooperation through multilateral platforms such as the Five Power Defence Arrangements and the Asean Defence-Ministers Meeting Plus.

Those found illegally feeding wildlife, including those who feed birds, will face increased fines and potential imprisonment under proposed amendments to the Wildlife Act.The stiffer penalties come amid increased incidents of illegal wildlife feeding and aim to strengthen deterrence, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for National Development Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi while speaking in Parliament on Thursday (May 7).According to data from the National Parks Board (NParks), the number of cases where enforcement action was taken against illegal wildlife feeding has almost doubled — from close to 150 cases in 2021 to over 380 cases in 2025, with the majority involving pigeon feeding.Additionally, repeat offenders accounted for about 42 per cent of the cases in 2025.Up to a year in jailPersistent wildlife feeding in Singapore particularly involves invasive pest bird species like rock pigeons and house crows, which results in public disamenities and risks to public hygiene.As such, the maximum fines for both first-time and repeat wildlife feeding offences are set to double, said Dr Syed Harun.

The Government is not intending to expand the use of CDC vouchers to e-commerce or online transactions so as not to deviate from the intention of supporting hawkers and heartland merchants whilst helping Singaporeans cope with daily expenses, said Minister for Law Edwin Tong on Thursday (May 7).He was responding to a parliamentary question by MP Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik (Sengkang GRC), who noted that the vouchers currently cannot be used for e-commerce or online transactions.The first-term Workers' Party MP then asked if the Government will consider expanding the scheme to allow residents to use their vouchers for delivery orders from participating hawkers and heartland merchants.Abdul Muhaimin said this could benefit elderly, homebound, and less mobile residents who may face difficulties visiting physical outlets.In his written reply as Deputy Chairman of the People's Association, the minister reiterated that the CDC Vouchers Scheme, introduced in June 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, is intended to help Singaporean households cope with daily expenses.