Work to install a solar generation system at Marina South Pier has been completed.Announcing the sustainability milestone in a media release on Thursday (July 30), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said this also coincides with the 20th anniversary of the pier.«The solarisation project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from MPA’s shore-based operations and supports the public sector’s solarisation efforts under the GreenGov.SG sustainability movement,» the authority added.The system can generate up to 780,000 kWh of electricity annually, or the equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of about 180 four-room HDB flats. It consists of 1,092 solar photovoltaic panels installed across 3,200 sq m of rooftop and canopy space at Marina South Pier.To ensure future-proofing, the system is designed to be able to support the current and future needs of electric harbour craft operating at the pier.According to MPA, it can meet a «significant portion» of the pier's electricity requirement.

We've all read news reports about scam calls impersonating public figures, such as former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, in attempts to extort money from unsuspecting citizens.Lee, who is now Senior Minister, took to Facebook to simulate one such scam call by impersonating himself, in a bid to prevent others from falling victim to such predatory calls.In a video uploaded on Thursday (July 30), SM Lee acted out a scenario in which he picked up a phone call, only to hear a scammer impersonating him on the other end of the line.«Your bank account has been compromised. Please transfer your funds out immediately,» the mysterious caller said.After hanging up, SM Lee looked into the camera to raise awareness about such scams.«No Government official will ever ask you to transfer money or handle valuables over a phone call. Not the police, and certainly not me!» SM Lee said.

A 20-year-old man was injured after he was hit by a motorcycle while jaywalking against a red light in Bukit Batok on Wednesday (July 29), dashcam footage showed.Dashcam footage of the incident, shared on the Facebook group SGRV Admin on Wednesday, shows a man jaywalking across the road against a red light as the recording car travels along the road.The dashcam car slows to a stop as the jaywalker dashes across the road and is struck by a passing motorcycle. The two are thrown to the ground. One passer-by helps the jaywalker to the pavement, while another assists the motorcyclist, who is seen holding his side. The first passer-by later returns to help the motorcyclist too.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the accident at about 10.20am that day at the junction of Bukit Batok Avenue 1 and Bukit Batok West Avenue 6. A 20-year-old male pedestrian and a 36-year-old male motorcyclist were taken conscious to the hospital.One person was taken to National University Hospital and the other person to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

A 24-year-old motorcyclist died in an accident with a trailer on the Seletar Expressway (SLE) on Wednesday (July 29).A video posted by Facebook user Farizatul Firdaus on Wednesday shows a navy blue police tent on the expressway.Debris and an overturned motorcycle lay on the road further down.The two left-most lanes of the expressway are cordoned off with traffic cones as a group of police officers converge along the road shoulder. The video caption claims that the accident took place near Woodlands Avenue 12.The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and police told AsiaOne they were alerted to the accident along SLE towards CTE and TPE at about 9.50am. An SCDF paramedic pronounced the motorcyclist dead at the scene.Police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:740923]]laili.abdeen@asiaone.com 

SINGAPORE — Sheng Siong may review its prices and product range to retain shoppers ahead of the opening of the cross-border rail link with Johor Bahru in January 2027, which could intensify competition in Singapore’s grocery sector.“The retail grocery industry remains competitive, and with the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link set to open in 2027, we stand ready to adapt our pricing, promotions and product mix as necessary to remain competitive,” Sheng Siong chief executive Lim Hock Chee said on July 29.The RTS Link may intensify price competition, particularly for selected packaged groceries and household products, Sheng Siong said as it announced its financial results for the first half of 2026, filed with the local exchange after markets closed.It said the actual impact on the supermarket chain will depend on factors such as fares, travel time, exchange rates, relative pricing, and consumer behaviour after operations commence.

A former Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) captain was sentenced to 21 months and two weeks in jail for cheating almost $87,000 from five colleagues and vaping.Benjamin Song Yong Pang was also fined $6,000. The 38-year-old pleaded guilty to five counts of cheating and four vape-related charges on Wednesday (July 29), including the possession of vaping devices.Song began using e-vaporisers in late 2021 and openly vaped in his office at Nee Soon Camp, reported The Straits Times.Investigations found that his conduct normalised vaping among his subordinates. He even introduced vaping to a female colleague by giving her a vaping device and supplying vape pods to her. According to court documents, the former SAF captain incurred significant credit card debt between 2011 and 2018 from patronising Thai clubs and KTVs, although the exact amount was not disclosed.Between May 2021 and March 2024, Song deceived his five colleagues into handing over $86,750 over a total of 39 occasions.He lied to them, claiming that he would either invest their money or use it to pay his mother's medical bills. 

The Public Service Division (PSD) has announced that Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, who has served over four decades in public service, will retire on Sept 1.This is among two other announcements relating to permanent secretary appointments announced on Thursday (July 30).Prof Tan, 67, is currently Permanent Secretary of National Research and Development (NRD), and Public Sector Science and Technology and Plans Office (S&TPPO) in the Prime Minister's Office.He graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 1983 and began his medical career as a renal physician, later taking on concurrent hospital and academic roles at NUS and the National University Hospital (NUH).Between 1997 to 1998, Prof Tan led the Department of Medicine at both NUS and NUH.In 2000, he was appointed as director of medical services at the Ministry of Health, playing an instrumental role in leading Singapore's public health response to the 2003 Sars epidemic. He was later appointed deputy chairman at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) from 2004 to 2017, and as NUS's president between 2008 and 2017.

Singapore's Keppel posted a 25 per cent rise in half-year profit on Thursday (July 30) on the back of stronger contributions from asset management and operating segment that include its infrastructure business.The asset manager's net profit, excluding the non-core portfolio for divestment, rose to $530 million for the six months ended June, compared with $431 million reported a year earlier.The infrastructure arm, Keppel's biggest contributor to earnings, recorded a 55 per cent increase in profit to $339 million, driven by robust performance in the integrated power business, outweighing softer spark spreads and the impact of the Middle East conflict on costs.Profit rose 54 per cent at the connectivity division, which operates Keppel's data centre business, cashing in on rising demand for AI and digital infrastructure. The segment commercialised all five of its Bifrost Cable System fibre pairs.Meanwhile, its real estate segment posted a net loss of $19 million, extending a decline from last quarter due to the absence of gains from a partial disposal of Saigon Centre last year.

Singapore's Keppel posted a 25 per cent rise in half-year profit on Thursday (July 30) on the back of stronger contributions from asset management and operating segment that include its infrastructure business.The asset manager's net profit, excluding the non-core portfolio for divestment, rose to $530 million for the six months ended June, compared with $431 million reported a year earlier.The infrastructure arm, Keppel's biggest contributor to earnings, recorded a 55 per cent increase in profit to $339 million, driven by robust performance in the integrated power business, outweighing softer spark spreads and the impact of the Middle East conflict on costs.Profit rose 54 per cent at the connectivity division, which operates Keppel's data centre business, cashing in on rising demand for AI and digital infrastructure. The segment commercialised all five of its Bifrost Cable System fibre pairs.Meanwhile, its real estate segment posted a net loss of $19 million, extending a decline from last quarter due to the absence of gains from a partial disposal of Saigon Centre last year.

A 19-year-old French national, who posted a video of himself licking a straw and returning it to an iJooz vending machine, was fined $600 for public nuisance on Thursday (July 30).Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien pleaded guilty to one count of public nuisance, while a second charge of mischief was taken into consideration.The French teenager was charged over an incident at Goldhill Centre along Thomson Road at around 2pm on March 12.After attending a boxing session there, he went to an iJooz vending machine and bought a drink.While filming the act, he took a straw from the machine, licked about half of it and placed the contaminated straw back on the straw dispenser.Maximilien then collected the drink, took the contaminated straw and left.He later edited the footage and uploaded it to Instagram, according to the statement of facts.

Former permanent secretary for home affairs development Chew Hock Yong will take over as chairman of National Parks Board (NParks) from August 1, the Ministry of National Development (MND) announced on Thursday (July 30).He takes over from Loh Khum Yean, who became NParks's board chairman in October 2023.Chew, 58, has over three decades of public service experience and leadership roles across multiple ministries, including serving as permanent secretary in the Ministry of Social and Family Development and Ministry of Home Affairs.After retiring from the civil service in 2022, the 58-year-old was appointed as chairman of the former Workforce Singapore (WSG), until June 30, when the agency merged with SkillsFuture to from the new Skills and Workforce Development Agency.

The conversation over the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) «First to Board, First to Use» trial has evolved beyond strollers and prams, with wheelchair users and disability advocates weighing in their concerns on accessibility needs and wants. The Disabled People's Association (DPA) said in an Instagram post on Sunday (July 26): «A wheelchair doesn't fold. A stroller usually does.» «For wheelchair users, that bay isn't a preference — it's often the only way to travel accessibly and affordably. »Better bus designs can serve wheelchair users and parents with strollers. Removing an access need shouldn't be the trade-off,« it added. The »First to Board, First to Use" trial is part of an initiative to make public transport more inclusive for commuters.

Two Malaysian men, aged 30 and 40, were arrested on Wednesday (July 29) for their alleged involvement in at least two separate cases of government official impersonation scam.In a news release on Wednesday night, the police said the duo were arrested at Woodlands Checkpoint.According to the police, the cases, which took place on July 24 and 28 respectively, had similar modus operandi.In both cases, the female victims were told by a person claiming to be a Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) official that they were implicated in money laundering involving their bank accounts.The first victim, acting on the scammer's instructions, proceeded to hand over $9,000 in cash to an unknown man for the purposes of «investigations», while the second victim was deceived to hand over gold bars worth over $20,000 and an assortment of valuables worth approximately $10,000.Both victims believed that they had handed over their valuables to an «officer» from the authority.

Just 10 years old, Emilio Cerda is already doing what most Singaporeans can only dream of doing — representing the country on the global stage.The Singaporean has set his sights on the upcoming 2026 Pokemon World Championships in San Francisco from Aug 28 to 30.Emilio will be taking part in the trading card game (TCG) competition's junior division, which will see him test his mettle against players under 12 years of age from all over the world. «If he goes and he wins, it's fantastic because there's like $2 million (S$2.5 million) in the prize pool, so he'll basically be paying for university with a first place placing,» said Emilio's father, Jose Cerda, 40.Cerda, an American on a spousal visa, is married to a Singaporean who grew up in Hong Kong. They also have a daughter, six, who has just started on her Pokemon journey.«But if he goes and he just has the best time and wins a couple of games — or even if he doesn't — it just ends the weekend with a positive experience,» Cerda told AsiaOne on Tuesday (July 28).«That to me, as far as his Pokemon journey goes, is the best gift I can give my son.»

A total of 147 people are under police investigation for allegedly allowing scammers to use their bank accounts to facilitate money-laundering.The suspects were identified during an islandwide enforcement operation targeting individuals suspected of perpetrating government officials scams, impersonation scams, investment scams and job scams.From June 17 to 30, the Cyber Command's Anti-Scam Centre (ASC) partnered with local banks to detect and freeze 158 bank accounts linked to scam activities.More than $150,000 in suspected scam proceeds were seized, said the police on Wednesday (July 29).The police said they also collaborated with social media platforms, messaging-application providers and telecommunications companies to take down 1,123 online enablers and disable 370 phone lines that had been used to support scam operations.For assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct in certain circumstances, offenders can be jailed for up to three years, or fined up to $50,000, or both.

Though they may be small, their hearts are big enough to care for an entire forest.Four young residents of East Coast GRC approached MP Edwin Tong to appeal for the preservation of Clementi Forest, the minister shared in a Facebook post on Tuesday (July 28).Tong said the issue was raised during a Meet-the-People Session on Monday night, when the children came to him with «something close to their hearts».«They came prepared to make their case: with a very well written script, conveyed articulately, along with drawings to depict the issue clearly to me,» Minister Tong said, adding that he found the materials «very persuasive».The children told him they regularly take part in activities with Forest School, where they learn about nature, biodiversity and the importance of protecting the environment.«It was heartening to see how passionately they spoke about the forest and respectfully put forward their views,» he said. «Every resident deserves to be heard, regardless of age.»Tong added that he promised to support their appeal and ensure their views are conveyed to the relevant agencies for proper consideration.

A commuter's power bank stored in a backpack reportedly emitted smoke on a MRT train, prompting the evacuation of passengers at Buangkok station on Wednesday (July 29).Pictures of the incident circulating on social media platforms Xiaohongshu and Reddit show a bag and personal items covered in white powder on the platform floor.Officers from the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) are also seen at the MRT station.A Xiaohongshu user said in a post at 5.20pm that they had noticed a burning smell onboard a train travelling from Hougang to Buangkok station.«At the next stop, Buangkok, everyone exited the train. A power bank inside someone's bag was releasing smoke,» the user claimed.One commuter, Chen Yongwen (transliteration), told Lianhe Zaobao that a TransCom officer had sprayed a dry powder fire extinguisher and smoke from the backpack stopped shortly after.Chen claimed that a man, who appeared to be in his 30s, said he owned the bag.«The officers asked if there was a power bank in the backpack, but I didn't hear his answer clearly,» he said.

A fire broke out at the basement carpark of a condominium in Yishun on Wednesday (July 29) night.The incident, involving a car, happened at about 8.20pm at Orchard Park Condominium. A resident, who declined to be named, told AsiaOne she heard what sounded like an explosion, adding that the smell of smoke was very strong.Pictures seen by AsiaOne show flames from a vehicle parked at the carpark, and thick black smoke could be seen coming out from an opening.  Flames and thick smoke could be seen from the first floor of Tower 7. PHOTO: AsiaOne reader AsiaOne understands that the vehicle involved is not an electric vehicle. 

The owner of a matchmaking agency in Singapore is retiring after nearly four decades and has put his business up for sale for $99,000.In a TikTok video posted on Monday (July 27), the owner of True Love Vietnam Bride Matchmaker, Mark Lin, said he had decided to retire due to his age and is looking for someone to take over the business. He is 64 this year. Lin said the agency, located at Orchard Plaza has been operating for 37 years and specialises in matchmaking services between Singaporean men and Vietnamese women.«We have connections and resources in Vietnam, Singapore, the United States and Taiwan. With the sale, I am passing on all my contacts and resources to my buyer,» he said, adding that the business offers significant opportunities for its future owner.In the video, Lin said he will remain involved for up to a year after the sale to facilitate the handover process and ensure a smooth transition. The business is being offered for sale at an asking price of $99,000.

A total of 15 bus services will skip a bus stop along Raffles Avenue over the coming weeks due to works for the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2026 (F1 Singapore GP).The upcoming race, to be held from Oct 9 to 11, will be the 17th edition of the F1 Singapore GP.In a temporary route diversion notice issued by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Wednesday (July 29), the authority said that bus services 36, 56, 70M, 77, 97, 97e, 106, 111, 133, 195, 647, 857, 960, 960e, and 961M will skip bus stop 02051 outside The Float @ Marina Bay from Aug 4 to Oct 12.The next bus stop — located outside The Esplanade — also along Raffles Avenue, is not affected.Commuters are advised to plan their journeys early and note the change. 

Pasir Ris-Changi GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Valerie Lee has weighed in on the controversy surrounding a group seen foraging marine life at Changi Beach and cooking their haul, calling the behaviour «deplorable».In a Facebook post on Sunday (July 26), Lee said she was «extremely disappointed» after watching videos of people collecting «huge amounts of clams, crabs and other marine life» from the beach before taking them to a restaurant to cook.«I felt extremely disappointed watching the recent video of people collecting huge amounts of clams, crabs and other marine life from Changi Beach, taking everything to a restaurant to cook, and proudly showing it off like a trophy,» she said.«It's not just about whether something is legal or not. It feels like a complete lack of respect – for the animals, for these fragile ecosystems, and even for the traditions of ancient foragers, who understood that you take only what you need so the shore can continue to provide.»

Former People's Action Party (PAP) MP Lim Soo Peng has died on Monday (July 27), aged 98.He represented Havelock constituency between 1967 to 1970, after winning a by-election held on March 7, 1967, to fill the vacancy in Parliament caused by the resignation of Barisan Sosialis MP Loh Miaw Gong.Lim later resigned in 1970, along with four other PAP MPs, in a move which then-PAP secretary-general Lee Kuan Yew said was to provide for continuity in the political leadership.«They have agreed to stand down so that the party can bring new talent and experience into Parliament,» Lee was reported as saying, adding that Lim had asked to be relieved of his responsibilities because he wished to devote more time to his commitments in the industry, reported The Straits Times in 1970.Lim was succeeded by Hon Sui Sen, who later served as Minister for Finance between 1970 and 1983.Then 42 years old, Lim then focused on the company he founded, Chemical Industries (Far East) Pte Ltd, eventually listing it on 1973.  

A car sales manager spent 45 minutes following a customer who allegedly refused to pay for damage to a rental car.Darren Ang, a sales manager from MV Auto Sales, posted a TikTok video titled 'Scammer runs for his life all over Singapore to avoid paying fee', on Monday (July 27), claiming that he had followed the man for 45 minutes before the encounter escalated into a chase.In the same video, Ang also called the police, detailing his actions in tailing the alleged «scammer».Ang said he followed the man because he did not want to sign the repayment plan, claiming that he did not have the money to pay for the damages.

SINGAPORE — A woman has won the maximum $30,000 compensation that the Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT) could award after the magistrate found that she had been dismissed in a “sudden and unjustified” manner at the end of her six-month probation.The magistrate said the employer had failed to justify its decision that the woman, an audit manager, had not passed probation.However, the tribunal also rejected the dismissed employee’s claims that she had been discriminated against because she did not speak Korean and her employer had retaliated against her for whistle-blowing.In a judgment released on July 28, tribunal magistrate Joel Tan said the employee should have received three months’ gross salary, or $34,500, for her loss of income.He added that, were it not for the $30,000 statutory cap on ECT claims, he would also have awarded a further two months’ salary for the distress caused by her dismissal.The woman had earned $11,500 a month, meaning she could otherwise have recovered $57,500, or five months’ salary.

More than 5.5kg of cannabis, over 11 times Singapore's 500g threshold for the mandatory death penalty for trafficking, was seized in a series of Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) operations on July 27. Three Singaporeans aged between 27 and 34 were arrested for suspected drug-related offences, while drugs worth more than $142,000 were recovered.The bureau said in a news release on Wednesday (July 29) morning that the operations were conducted in the vicinities of Ang Mo Kio, Bukit Merah and Pasir Ris.About 5.52kg of cannabis, 132g of 'Ice', 145kg of ketamine and four lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) stamps were seized. CNB said the haul could potentially feed the addiction of 860 abusers for a week.CNB officers arrested a 34-year-old man at a void deck of a residential block in the vicinity of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 for suspected drug trafficking offences on July 27.He was escorted to a residential unit in a neighbouring block, where a search yielded four LSD stamps, about 879g of cannabis and about 123g of 'Ice'.

A total of eight men, aged between 36 and 70, will be charged in court on Wednesday (July 29) for their alleged involvement in separate cases of molest.The cases took place between June 2025 and June 2026, the police said in a news release on Tuesday night.Among the cases, the youngest victim was a 16-year-old girl who was molested by a 33-year-old man along Farrer Park Station Road on Feb 8.Police said the matter was promptly reported to them and they established the man's identity and later arrested him.He will be charged with two counts of outrage of modesty and two counts of uttering words and exhibiting an object intended to insult the modesty of any person.  Another case involved a 70-year-old man who allegedly molested a 54-year-old woman in the vicinity of Marina Boulevard on June 22, 2025.According to the police, he was identified through follow-up investigations and will be charged with three counts of outage of modesty, and one count of exhibiting an object intended to insult the modesty of any person.

Six men will be charged in court on Wednesday (July 29) with the offence of rioting after an alleged fight in Yishun which left a man unconscious.A total of seven men, aged between 18 and 33, were arrested for their alleged involvement.The incident happened at about 8pm last Friday at Block 243 Yishun Ring Road, and the men were arrested between July 25 and 28.Police said in an earlier statement that they found a 48-year-old man at the carpark near the block with head and body injuries. He was taken unconscious to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. In an updated statement on Tuesday evening, police said that officers from Woodlands Police Division, Criminal Investigation Department and Police Intelligence Department established the identities of the seven persons through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from police cameras.If found guilty of the said offence, the six could be jailed for up to seven years and caned.Police investigations into the remaining 33-year-old man is ongoing.

A video of two construction workers lending a helping hand to a personal mobility aid (PMA) user stranded at a grass patch has warmed hearts online.The moment was shared by Facebook user Kance Kai Hua Liong on Monday (July 27), who commended the workers for their «great spirit».The 54-second clip shows the male PMA user on a grass patch lining a pedestrian footpath. He appears to have accidentally rolled onto the patch and got stuck there.It is not known where and when the incident occurred.The video, which was filmed from across the road, zooms in to two migrant workers approaching the PMA user.Positioning themselves on both sides of the PMA, they slowly heave the device and the man backwards.In the span of about 20 seconds, the workers manage to move the PMA and its user back onto the footpath.The rescued man appears to talk briefly to the workers before riding away.Kai's video has since attained over 15,000 views and 400 likes.Netizens applauded the construction workers for rendering assistance.«Thanks to our daily heroes,» a Facebook user remarked.

A woman surprised her domestic helper with a movie experience under the guise of going grocery shopping.TikTok user fateyma_khan_ shared in a video on Monday (July 27) about how she pulled off the act, explaining that it was «just a small way to express my gratitude to (my helper)».The clip starts with Fateyma and her helper discussing a grocery list to purchase at a FairPrice further away from their house.Seated in what appears to be an LRT carriage, the helper leans forward to ask whether the supermarket outlet at Choa Chu Kang is larger.Fateyma subsequently films them walking into Lot One Shoppers' Mall, which has a FairPrice outlet as well as a movie theatre.In another clip, the helper, Fateyma and Fateyma's grandmother are seen approaching the cinema. «Aunty, do you know why we are here?» Fateyma asks as she holds out three movie tickets.«This is your ticket to see Vijay's last movie.» Visibly overjoyed, the helper hugs both women while thanking them for the surprise. 

Singapore's defence, foreign affairs, and trade and industry (energy and industry) ministers are continuing with their respective working visits in Australia following the completion of the Singapore-Australia joint ministerial committee (SAJC) meeting on Monday (July 27).During the meeting, the two countries announced the signing of a legally-binding protocol on economic resilience and essential supplies, and a defence cooperation arrangement. Under the agreement, Singapore and Australia have committed to endeavour not to adopt or maintain export restrictions on agreed essential items, including petroleum products such as diesel and liquefied natural gas.Meanwhile, the arrangement will see the two countries explore opportunities for cooperation in sustainment, production and supply chain risk management.

Two men who drove without a valid driving licence will be charged in court on Wednesday (July 29), the police said. One case involves a 22-year-old man who was caught driving two unregistered cars just four days apart.Police said the man was stopped for the first time by the traffic police along Bedok Reservoir Road at about 12.50am on June 14.He was found to be driving a deregistered car without a valid driving licence.On June 18, at about 10.20pm, he was caught again, this time driving another deregistered car along Edgedale Plains in Punggol.He will face charges of driving without a valid driving licence, using a motor vehicle without insurance coverage, and using a deregistered vehicle.In another case, a 50-year-old motorist was stopped by a traffic police officer along Jurong West Street 73 at about 5.20am on April 14.He did not have a valid driving licence, said police.The man will be charged with driving without a valid driving licence and using a motor vehicle without insurance coverage.

Singaporeans are living longer and healthier lives, but Singapore's population is also ageing rapidly, with 20.7 per cent of Singaporeans aged 65 and older as of 2025.Against this backdrop and a falling labour force participation rate, there have been efforts to bring seniors back into the workforce.One such example is Schneider Electric which specialises in digital transformation of energy management and automation solutions. Located in Kallang, the French multinational company has over 1,300 employees from 44 nationalities.Of these, about 70 per cent, or over 900 workers are locals.Recognising Singapore's ageing population, with about 20 per cent of its workforce aged 51 and above, the company started its «Experience Forward Programme» — an initiative aimed at supporting its experienced workers.Under the programme, employees are empowered to learn, grow and contribute meaningfully at every stage of their careers. 

Two men, aged 18 and 28, will be charged in court on Wednesday (July 29) for their alleged involvement in several cases of loanshark harassment.The police said on Tuesday night that they were alerted to one such case at a residential unit along Sembawang Drive at about 8.55am on Sunday, in which a wall beside the lift lobby was scribbled with loanshark-related graffiti.A photograph of the alleged crime scene reads: «O$P$. Next is sure your neighbours face big problem. Confirm do until you settle me. My name is [redacted](sic).»Officers from Woodlands, Central and Clementi Police Divisions identified the man through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from police cameras.He was arrested on Monday, with preliminary investigations indicating that he is possibly involved in at least four other similar cases islandwide.The penalty for loanshark harassment for first-time offenders is a jail term of up to five years, along with a fine of between $5,000 and $10,000, and mandatory caning of up to six strokes.The police reiterated that they have zero tolerance for loanshark harassment.

A 70-year-old man fell unconscious when a fire broke out in a Circuit Road HDB flat early on Tuesday (July 28) morning and later died in hospital.The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a Facebook post that it was alerted to the blaze at a ninth-floor unit of Block 39 Circuit Road at about 2.05am.The fire involved items in the living room and black smoke was seen spreading outside the house.Firefighters forcefully entered the flat and rescued the man who was unresponsive.Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed on him before he was taken to Changi General Hospital, said SCDF.Meanwhile, about 80 residents from the block were evacuated as a precaution.According to Lianhe Zaobao, police and SCDF officers were seen conducting investigations inside the affected flat at about 9.30am.A neighbour living on the ninth floor said she had met the man two or three times and thought he was a friendly person.One resident alleged that the man's flat was cluttered, reported Zaobao.The cause of the fire is under investigation.[[nid:741198]]lim.kewei@asiaone.com

A suspicious item was found on the upper deck of the multi-storey car park in Eunos on Monday morning (July 27), prompting a response from the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).Marine Parade-Braddell Heights MP for the Geylang Serai division, Diana Pang, shared details of the incident in a Facebook post later that day.She said that an empty fuel tank was discovered at the multi-storey car park at Block 39 Eunos Crescent.Although the tank contained no liquid fuel, residual fuel vapours remained inside and could have posed a potential fire or explosion risk if it were exposed to an ignition source and not reported earlier, Pang said.«Investigations are ongoing, and the relevant agencies are looking into the incident,» she added.«Preliminary findings suggest that it may be related to the illegal storage or distribution of diesel or petrol.»Thanking the police and SCDF for their swift response and ongoing investigations, Pang also took the opportunity to remind residents to remain vigilant.