Fourteen suspects, aged between 17 and 28, will be charged in court between May 4 (Monday) and May 8 for allegedly providing fraudulently registered SIM cards in return for cash.The nine men and five women purportedly received between $10 and $20 per registered SIM card.Police said the suspects handed over between 29 and 80 SIM cards, registered under their names, to a criminal syndicate.They were allegedly instructed to buy SIM cards in bulk across different retailers before handing them over to couriers.Those convicted of knowingly providing a registered SIM card to another person to facilitate a crime for any gain will face a fine of up to $10,000 and/or a jail term of up to three years.Scam mules will face discretionary caningScammers and members or recruiters of scam syndicates also face mandatory caning of at least six strokes if convicted. Those who enable scammers by laundering scam proceeds face discretionary caning.Those involved in mule-related offences may also face restrictions on banking services and mobile line subscriptions.

The ongoing energy disruptions from the Middle East crisis do not just serve as a reminder that such shocks are becoming part of the new normal, but also, the need for businesses and markets to diversify, de-risk, and build resilience with trusted partners, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.He was speaking at the New Zealand-Singapore Leadership Forum, organised by Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), on Monday (May 4) morning.The forum seeks to foster dialogue and collaboration between both governments with business leaders, to find ways to improve the business environment, and support investments both ways. On the issue of supply chain resilience, which affects both businesses and consumers, PM Wong said episodes such as the Middle East crisis serve as reminders that such shocks are not one-offs, but «becoming part of the new normal».

Amidst the intensifying effects of climate change being increasingly felt, Singapore has designated 2026 as the Year of Climate Adaptation — to raise awareness on the importance of the issue and strengthen the resilience of business and communities.In line with these efforts, the fourth edition of the Go Green SG movement, which runs from May 11 to June 28, will see some 500 partners from across the people, private and public sectors organising more than 1,000 initiatives.These «new and behind-the-scenes exclusive» activities are designed to rally Singaporeans to take climate action, said the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) on Monday (May 4).«Go Green SG is our whole-of-nation movement to rally citizens, businesses and the community to take collective action towards a more environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient Singapore,» the ministry added.

A 29-year-old Malaysian man will be charged in court on Monday (May 4) over his alleged role in a scam involving impersonation of government officials.Following his arrest on Saturday, the number of Malaysians caught in Singapore for allegedly helping scam syndicates to collect cash and valuables since March this year now stands at 22.The police said they received a report on April 30 from a female victim who had received a call from an unknown person claiming to be from Singtel. This woman was told her information may have been used to purchase an iPhone with a contract and that she would be liable for charges.She was then directed to contact an «investigation officer» who accused her of money laundering involving a syndicate in Cambodia, according to a news release on Sunday.Believing that she could prove her innocence if she followed their instructions, the female victim purchased a Rolex watch at Far East Plaza, worth over $108,000, and handed it over to the 29-year-old to prove her innocence.

A 33-year-old Malaysian Chinese man was arrested on Sunday (May 3) for allegedly slapping several people at Singapore Life Church the same morning.Police said in a news release on Sunday evening that they received a call for assistance at about 9.10am.Officers later established that he had slapped several people and left prior to the police's arrival. A 66-year-old woman was taken conscious to hospital after she was found bleeding. She was allegedly slapped near the eye area by the man.Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is known to the church and had caused nuisance there «a few times».He was arrested for public nuisance. Police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:734936]]editor@asiaone.com 

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong will visit Pahang and Terengganu from Monday (May 4) to Thursday.In a statement on Sunday, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said SM Lee's visit builds on the strong momentum of bilateral exchanges, deepening Singapore's longstanding and multifaceted ties with Malaysia's states and their leaders.The visit to Pahang is at the invitation of the Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and his wife, the Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.SM Lee will also make a 170km trip, further north, to Terengganu on Thursday.While in Pahang, he will have an audience with Sultan Abdullah and hosted to lunch. He will also meet with Pahang Chief Minister Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail and other state leaders.During SM Lee's one-day visit to Terengganu, he will meet with Chief Minister Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar and other state leaders.

Two fires broke out in the same Punggol HDB block on the evening of May 1, forcing about 30 residents to be evacuated. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told AsiaOne it was alerted to the fires at about 6.50pm and 7.40pm respectively at Block 223A Sumang Lane.The fires occurred at the ninth floor, involving discarded items along the ninth-floor common corridor, and a bedroom in a fourth-floor unit. Both fires were extinguished using hose reels with no injuries reported from the first blaze, said SCDF.The cause of both fires is under investigation. Four people were assessed for smoke inhalation with three of them taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital, while the other person was taken to Singapore General Hospital.Two firefighters who felt unwell during the operation were taken to Singapore General Hospital as a precautionary measure and have both been discharged, added SCDF. 

A metal beam fell and crashed through the roof of a four-storey HDB block in Yishun during dismantling works at the adjacent Chong Pang Integrated Development (CPID) worksite on Saturday (May 2) night.In a social media post on Sunday, Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam, who is also MP for Nee Soon GRC, said a metal beam «slipped in an unexpected way» during dismantling works at an upper floor of the integrated development.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is on a three-day official visit to Singapore from Sunday (May 3) to May 5.Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement on Sunday that the visit builds on the New Zealand-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) launched in October 2025.The bilateral relations between both countries were elevated from an enhanced partnership in 2019, to a CSP during PM Wong's first official visit to New Zealand last year.Under the CSP, Singapore and New Zealand will broaden and strengthen existing partnerships across six pillars: trade and economics; security and defence; science, technology and innovation; people-to-people links; climate change and green economy; and supply chains and connectivity.

[UPDATE: 10.48am on May 3] SMRT said in a Facebook post that train services between Caldecott and Orchard stations have resumed, but at a slower speed.Train services on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) have resumed after a three-hour long disruption on Sunday (May 3) morning due to a signalling fault.The disruption began at about 6.55am with a minor delay affecting train services between Stevens and Caldecott stations.By 7.35am, SMRT said the minor delay had grown to affect the entire stretch of TEL. About 10 minutes later, train services between Caldecott and Orchard stations were disrupted.The entire TEL became disrupted at 8.48am and took about 30 minutes to be progressively restored.Between 8.48am and 10.48am, train services remained unavailable between Caldecott and Orchard stations.Lam Sheau Kai, president of SMRT Trains said the disruption was due to a signalling fault.“This followed signalling tests carried out by our original equipment manufacturer Alstom, the night before.

SINGAPORE - Patrick Pereira remembers beeping monitors in National University Hospital’s (NUH) intensive care unit (ICU), where he stayed for 10 days after a road accident.He was riding his motorbike home from a family dinner when he was involved in a collision with a lorry along Jurong East Avenue 1 on Sept 10, 2017.He broke both arms and suffered an open book pelvic fracture, where the pubic bones at the front of the pelvis separate, causing the two halves of the pelvis to splay outward like the pages of a book.Traffic deaths hit a 10-year high in 2025, with 149 killed, compared with 141 in 2016. There were 142 deaths in 2024. The number of injured people also increased, from 9,342 in 2024 to 9,955 in 2025.Given the dire situation on our roads, The Straits Times has been running a series of stories to call on all road users to be more careful.In their annual statistics for 2025, released in February 2026, the Traffic Police said motorcycles made up about 15 per cent of Singapore’s total vehicle population in 2025.