While they may consist of just two colours - black and white - these animals have been key in bringing vibrancy into the lives of residents in one HDB estate.Residents and netizens alike are gushing over the cute panda murals on the facades of some HDB blocks in Teck Whye, as seen in a post on Reddit by user Spoonfulofsoul last Saturday (April 25).The post, which has since garnered over 1,700 likes as of Wednesday (April 29) morning, introduced netizens to the HDB block design at Block 7 Teck Whye Lane.A photograph of the block in the post shows multiple depictions of the furry bear species along the block's facade, together with paw prints, clouds and star shapes.The cutesy design of the block drew much endearment from netizens, with many comparing this Teck Whye block to others in Singapore.Said one: «So jealous of people living in cute kawaii (cute in Japanese) HDB blocks, mine is an eyesore. Can't wait for the next repaint!»«Love the non-standard paintings on the older HDBs, compared to the uniform paint schemes on the newer estates nowadays,» another opined.

Ground-handling company Sats has apologised after one of its employees was seen throwing luggage onto a baggage belt at Changi Airport.«The behaviour seen in the video does not reflect our service standards or the care with which we expect baggage to be handled,» said Sats in a statement on Tuesday (Apr 28).«We are sorry that this occurred.»An Instagram video shared by user Eric Yoong showed a Sats service crew member tossing baggage onto a conveyor belt at Changi Airport Terminal 2 on April 23 at around 5.15pm.  «I don’t think that’s the correct way for a baggage officer to handle those unclaimed luggage by throwing it back to the luggage belt instead of placing it back nicely or leave it at a side,» he wrote in the captions.

Some hawkers have begun raising prices due to rising operating costs, including increases in plastic, fuel and supplier expenses, while others remain cautious amid concerns over customer demand.Speaking to AsiaOne, Ashton Ng, 36, said his third-generation family-run hawker business has had to make price adjustments across parts of its menu due to rising costs amid the Middle East conflict.«The ongoing crisis has definitely indirectly affected us. Most of my a la carte items have increased by 10 cents, while set meals have increased by 20 cents,» said Ng, who runs Sin Hoe Huat Cafe.«This applies to both dine-in and takeaway orders, as the increase in supplier costs affects our overall business costs,» he added.Ng shared that rising plastic costs have had a wider impact than many might expect and adjustments are often unavoidable.«It does not affect just one area. It affects many things we use every day, such as cups, bowls, plates, lids and other packaging items,» he explained. 

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers have foiled yet another attempt to smuggle vapes and related components into Singapore.In a social media post on Tuesday (April 28), ICA said a 44-year-old Singaporean man was arrested on April 19 at Tuas Checkpoint after officers found more than 20 vapes and related components.The contraband was hidden among his personal belongings and the car's spare tyre compartment. ICA search and examination officers had directed the vehicle for further checks based on information received from ICA's Integrated Targeting Centre.The case has been referred to the Health Sciences Authority for further investigation. Parliament on March 6 passed new anti-vaping laws, which will come into force on Friday (May 1).Vape users will be liable to a fine of up to $10,000, or five times the current maximum penalty, while sellers will face fines of up to $200,000. Smugglers will fines of up to $300,000 — 30 times the current maximum penalty.

A 51-year-old man riding a Power-Assisted Bicycle (PAB) was injured after getting into an accident with a car at a traffic junction near Clementi MRT on Tuesday (April 28). The police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the accident at the junction of Commonwealth Avenue West and Clementi Avenue 6 at about 3.40pm.The 51-year-old male PAB rider was taken by SCDF to National University Hospital.The 62-year-old male car driver is assisting with police investigations.[[nid:734591]]esther.lam@asiaone.com 

A 27-year-old Malaysian man and a 34-year-old Malaysian woman will be charged in court on Wednesday (April 29) over their suspected roles in a scam involving the impersonation of government officials.Following their arrests on Monday, the number of Malaysians nabbed in Singapore for allegedly helping scam syndicates to collect cash and valuables since March this year now stands at 19.In a news release on Tuesday, the police said they received information the 27-year-old man had entered Singapore on an assignment arranged by scam syndicates — to collect around $100,000 worth of gold bars from an elderly male victim.Acting on fresh leads arising from the arrest, investigators then identified the 34-year-old woman, who is believed to be linked to the same syndicate. The woman was arrested on the same day, and investigators found $24,000 worth of cash and valuables handed over by another victim — a 54-year-old woman. 

A 51-year-old man riding a Power-Assisted Bicycle (PAB) was injured after getting into an accident with a car at a traffic junction near Clementi MRT on Tuesday (April 28). The police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the accident at the junction of Commonwealth Avenue West and Clementi Avenue 6 at about 3.40pm.The 51-year-old male PAB rider was taken by SCDF to National University Hospital.The 62-year-old male car driver is assisting with police investigations.[[nid:734591]]esther.lam@asiaone.com 

Crow traps were recently set across neighbourhoods in Punggol after the authorities received feedback on the birds, said Punggol GRC MP Yeo Wan Ling.The cage-type traps, deployed in targeted areas, are known as Larson traps and «designed to be humane», she assured residents in a Facebook post on Monday (April 27).Captured birds have access to food and water placed inside, she said, and are «safely contained without harm or distress».«All handling is carried out in accordance with established guidelines. We take this seriously, and our approach is always to manage the situation responsibly, while ensuring that the crows are treated with care,» she added.In her post, Yeo said the town council and National Parks Board are carefully monitoring the crow situation.She explained that during nesting periods, crows can become more protective. «Our teams have been keeping a careful lookout for these locations so we can respond appropriately and keep everyone safe.»

Train services along the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) and Downtown line will be adjusted on weekends to facilitate rail expansion works for the opening of TEL Stage 5 and DTL extension.The Land Transport Authority, SMRT and SBS Transit said in a joint statement on Tuesday (April 28) that services on the TEL will end earlier at 11.30pm on Friday and commence later at 8.30am on Saturday from May 22 to July 4.To maintain connectivity, three shuttle bus services will be provided for commuters affected by the late opening on Saturday mornings.

Maintaining freedom of transit passage in international waterways is a right and not a privilege, said Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim on Tuesday (April 28).Speaking at a United Nations Security Council open debate on maritime safety and security in New York, Zhulkarnain said: «As a small island developing state whose lifeline runs through the Straits of Malacca and Singapore... Singapore takes a clear and categorical position: transit passage in Straits Used for International Navigation is a right under international law and not a discretionary privilege that can be paid for or negotiated.»He added that any erosion of international law in one region of the world inevitably sets a dangerous precedent for all others. «The stakes are not theoretical. The Straits of Malacca and Singapore carries about 23.2 million barrels of oil per day, exceeding the 20.9 million barrels per day that used to flow through the Strait of Hormuz,» he said.

Tunnel sprinklers were activated after a vehicular fire broke out in the MCE tunnel on Monday (April 27) morning. The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it was alerted at about 6.55am to the incident along the MCE towards the AYE near the Marina Coastal Drive exit.The fire involved the rear tyre of a lorry and was extinguished with a water jet, added SCDF. In a TikTok video of the incident posted on Monday, water from the tunnel's sprinkler system is seen showering passing vehicles. A few emergency vehicles are also seen parked on the left side of the tunnel. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation, said SCDF. @jeremysee.sgFree car wash in the KPE MCE tunnel

More than $400,000 of ill-gotten cash found in the boot of a car at Tuas Checkpoint has been forfeited to the State after the driver's criminal conviction.In a press release on Tuesday (April 28), the police said the prosecution's application for the money to be forfeited was granted by the court on April 16.The driver, 57-year-old Malaysian Diong Gin Ing, was convicted on March 26 on one count each of possession of benefits from criminal conduct and making an inaccurate declaration on cross-border movement of cash, having pleaded guilty to his charges. He was sentenced on the same day of his conviction to a jail term of 10 months and three days, the police added.A sum of $398,775 and RM1,621 (S$522) was found in the boot of Diong's car when he tried to enter Singapore via Tuas Checkpoint on May 23, 2025 during a Cross-Border Cash Reporting Regime multi-agency joint operation.The operation involved officers from the Specialised Fraud Investigation Branch of the police's Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.