The supply of Certificates of Entitlement (COE) for the August to October period will increase by 0.17 per cent as compared to the previous quarter, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Friday (July 24).As compared to the 19,052 COEs issued in the May to July period — which increased by about 1 per cent — the number of COEs will rise by 33, or 0.17 per cent.Across the vehicle categories, Categories B and C will increase by around 6 per cent and 5.4 per cent respectively, while the quota for Categories A, D and E will fall by 4 per cent, 2.5 per cent, and 0.2 per cent respectively.

Salary and wrongful dismissal claims went up in 2025 compared to the year before, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) said on Friday (July 24).Wrongful dismissals increased from 0.46 per 1,000 employees in 2024 to 0.57 in 2025. The follows their Employment Standards Report 2025, which indicated that the number of incidents involving salary claims increased from 2.63 per 1,000 employees in 2024 to 2.84 in 2025.Salary claims lodged by local employees were primarily from the administrative and support service sector, followed by the professional, scientific and technical sector.For foreign employees, the construction sector made up 46 per cent of salary claims lodged, consistent with the trend from 2024.About 88 per cent of salary claims were resolved through TADM's mediation process, while the remaining 12 per cent were referred to the employment claims tribunal (ECT).In total, 92 per cent of claimants were able to fully recover their salaries and payments via TADM and the ECT, the report said.

A woman who was caught placing a baby on an HDB staircase ledge has been sentenced to two months and two weeks' jail.Lihsna Ayu Indahsari, 24, was sentenced on Thursday (July 23) after being convicted of ill-treating a child under her care.According to court documents, the Indonesian national was found to have placed the one-year-old child on the parapet ledge of a staircase landing between the fifth and sixth floors of Block 468C Admiralty Drive on May 18. The offence was committed while she was responsible for the child's care, and the act was likely to cause him unnecessary injury, according to the charge under the Children and Young Persons Act.The case drew public attention after a photo of the incident was shared online, sparking concerns over the child's safety.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said on Friday (July 24) that it will continue engaging its US counterparts over the new 12.5 per cent tariffs imposed on imported goods «produced with forced labour».Singapore is among the 60 territories hit with the new levies as US President Donald Trump's temporary 10 per cent worldwide tariffs expired on Friday midnight US Eastern time (12pm, Singapore time).An MTI spokesperson said on Friday that about one-third of the Republic's domestic exports to the US will be subjected to 12.5 per cent tariff.«Singapore does not condone the use of forced labour and has a comprehensive enforcement framework and good track record against such illegal practices within our borders,» the spokesperson said.MTI will engage the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to explore options: «Further details on how the tariff will be implemented will also be shared when ready.»

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers cut open the tyres of a Singapore-registered rental car during an enhanced check at Woodlands Checkpoint on July 16.In a video posted on its social media accounts, ICA officers are seen using a cutter to slice open the tyres of a car.Once the tyres were cut open, yellow packets were visible inside the tyre walls. The packets were later found with cigarettes concealed within.ICA said its search and examination officers had directed the vehicle for enhanced checks, and noticed a punctured rear tyre with masking tape and styrofoam inside the tyre rim.More than 1,200 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found concealed within four punctured tyres and a spare tyre.A 47-year-old Singaporean man was arrested. The cigarettes and the suspect were referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation.Buying, selling, conveying, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax Act. Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both. 

A woman confronted a man after she noticed him allegedly taking pictures of her and other girls' skirts near Haji Lane.The incident was documented by TikTok user jokaaqi, who filmed part of the confrontation. In a video uploaded on Thursday (July 23), she is heard asking the man to show her his photo gallery outside a 7-Eleven store. A woman, whom jokaaqi identifies as the man's wife, is seen standing next to him. According to jokaaqi, the man had allegedly taken pictures of other girls' skirts before proceeding to take pictures of her.«He started taking pics of me and I just avoided eye contact but bro continued on for so long and pointed the camera right at me,» she wrote. The man complied with her request and showed his photo gallery, after allegedly deleting half of the pictures.

Both the US and China have continued to approach the Asean nations in a «careful, deliberate and constructive way», and neither of them are forcing the member states to choose sides, said Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.«They know Asean's priorities,» added Dr Balakrishnan in an interview with the media on Thursday (July 23), as he wrapped up a five-day visit to Manila for the 59th Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings.Dr Balakrishnan responded candidly when asked how Singapore navigates its relationships with Asean's major dialogue partners — including the US, China and Russia — while preserving Asean's neutrality and centrality.«Let's deal with the elephant in the room — the US and China contestation. I think to their credit, both of them are trying to approach this in a careful, deliberate, and constructive way.»In particular, I would say I'm glad that at least at this point in time, neither of them are forcing us to choose sides."

Singapore Pools will hold this year's Toto National Day draw on August 7, with an estimated jackpot of $5 million. The draw will take place at 9.30pm at its Middle Road headquarters. On the draw date, all Singapore Pools branches and retailers will operate from 8am to 9pm, with sales closing at the end of operating hours. As operating hours may vary across outlets, Singapore Pools has advised its customers to check the operating hours of their nearby outlets from its website.Punters can purchase $10 and $20 National Day Draw packs at all outlets from 6.10pm on Monday, Aug 3.Each $10 pack will contain one board of Quick Pick System 7 and one board of Singapore Sweep for the upcoming draw, while each $20 pack will contain two boards of Quick Pick System 7, three boards of Quick Pick Toto Ordinary and one board of Singapore Sweep for the upcoming draw.Last year's Toto National Day draw saw a $1 Quick Pick Ordinary share purchased at the Holland Drive Betting Centre at Block 47 Holland Drive win the $5.5 million jackpot.

One diner got more than they bargained for when they ordered fried rice from a restaurant in Kampung Admiralty.The customer was left shocked after allegedly finding a small cockroach in the dish.The 11-second clip was uploaded to TikTok by user Mantaro CoconutKelapa earlier this month. In the clip, what appeared to be a small cockroach was seen inside a container of half-eaten fried rice, with its head and several legs visible.The post has since been viewed over 63,000 times as of Friday (July 24).In the caption, the diner claimed the food was purchased from Yassin restaurant.The restaurant told 8days it had spoken with the diner and resolved the matter, and declined to comment further.AsiaOne's calls to the restaurant went unanswered. Earlier this year, the same restaurant made headlines over an alleged rat infestation, after a netizen uploaded a video showing a rodent scurrying around the eatery.  AsiaOne has also reached out to the Singapore Food Agency and the National Environment Agency for comment.[[nid:738584]]helmy.saat@asiaone.com

A 21-year-old Australian woman, who allegedly stole from a shop in Changi Airport in June, was arrested upon her return to Singapore last week.She will be charged in court on Friday (July 24). Police said in a news release on Thursday evening that the incident happened at about 11.30pm on June 11, at The Shilla Duty Free outlet located in the transit area of Terminal 1.According to the police, an employee at the outlet noticed a box of perfume, valued at $312.80, missing from the display shelf.Checks on closed circuit television (CCTV) footage show the woman taking the item from the display shelf and leaving without making payment. Her identity was established and she was arrested upon her return on July 18.If found guilty of the offence of theft in dwelling, she could be jailed for up to seven years, fined, or both.The police also warned would-be perpetrators that they take a serious view of shop theft cases, adding that retailers are increasingly leveraging CCTV footages to lodge police reports against shoplifters, even when immediate apprehension is not possible.

SINGAPORE - Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC plans to deploy an additional $30 billion (S$38.8 billion) into hedge funds and is spreading its bets across AI, top executives said, while reporting its weakest long-run returns since 2020.Group Chief Investment Officer Bryan Yeo said the money would be allocated over three years and that the fund's top executives see opportunities in global macro, quantitative and multi-strategy funds, which span multiple assets and can adjust quickly when conditions change.«These are three that we believe the go-forward environment is highly conducive on, and these are also the three types of managers that can actively and dynamically manage their risk and pivot ... as the investment landscape continues to evolve with all the uncertainties,» Yeo said, adding that GIC had tripled its hedge fund investments globally over the past decade.GIC on Friday (July 24) posted an annualised 20-year real rate of return of 3.4 per cent for the period ended March 31, 2026, down from 3.8 per cent a year earlier. That was its weakest performance since the 2.7 per cent reported in 2020, according to its annual report.

HSBC said on Friday (July 24) it will sell its Singapore life and health insurance business to Germany's Allianz, in a deal valuing the unit at S$2.7 billion.The disposal is expected to generate a pre-tax gain of US$1.8 billion and an estimated up to 15 basis-point increase to CET1 for the HSBC Group, the bank said.A sale will mark another step in HSBC CEO Georges Elhedery's drive to simplify Europe's largest bank, redeploying capital into businesses and markets where it sees stronger returns, while preserving Singapore as a key wealth and wholesale banking hub.For insurers, the HSBC asset offers a rare chance to gain scale in Singapore, a wealthy, tightly regulated market where distribution and bancassurance relationships are prized.Earlier in May, HSBC had disclosed that a review of HSBC Life Singapore's insurance manufacturing business was ongoing.Bloomberg first reported on the news in the middle of June.[[nid:712561]]

Phase 2B of the registration exercise for children entering Primary 1 in 2027, which closed on Tuesday (July 21), will see 31 out of 33 oversubscribed schools conduct balloting.According to the latest vacancies and balloting status posted on the Ministry of Education's (MOE) website, Nanyang Primary School in Bukit Timah was most subscribed, with 52 pupils applying for 20 spots.The four other most subscribed schools are: 

A green Lamborghini was seen ablaze along East Coast Parkway (ECP) on Thursday afternoon (July 23), according to a Facebook post on SGRV Front Man the same day.In the post, two photographs of the burning vehicle can be seen, showing the rear of the vehicle in flames as the fire spreads to the front of the car.A separate video uploaded to Instagram by user Jeremysee.official showed dashcam footage of the vehicle burning as a driver goes past.Many users identified the vehicle as a Lamborghini Gallardo, also noting the green decals emblazoned on the side of the luxury car.In particular, users highlighted the cost of the vehicle, with many indicating how expensive it could be.While a comment described the incident as «serious», another user sarcastically quipped that it caught fire because it was a «cheap» car.According to SgCarMart, a used Lamborghini Gallardo goes for anywhere between $160,000 and $320,000. On Reddit, a separate post by user GlowQueen140 shared that the fire was «pretty large» when they drove by.

A total of 14 people have been arrested by Ministry of Manpower (MOM) enforcement officers for alleged employment-related offences.The ministry said in a news release on Thursday (July 23) that the enforcement operation was conducted across multiple locations on Tuesday.Among the 14 arrested are nine foreign workers, four company directors and one key appointment holder from an employment agency.According to MOM, they are suspected to have made false declarations, collected employment-related kickbacks, and carried out employment agency activities without a valid licence.Its ongoing investigations revealed that the four directors allegedly brought in migrant workers through inflated foreign worker quotas.They are also believed to have made fraudulent Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions to 139 locals who are not under their companies' employment.These «phantom workers» were allegedly recruited to inflate the companies' foreign worker quotas. The number of work permit holders an employer can hire is limited by a quota known as the dependency ratio ceiling (DRC).

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) have successfully completed their eighth annual search and rescue exercise (Sarex), Singapore's Ministry of Defence (Mindef) announced on Thursday (July 23).Held from July 17 to 23 at Kuantan Air Base in Malaysia, Sarex saw the RSAF's H225M helicopters and the RMAF's EC725 helicopters co-operate with each other alongside ground crew and medical teams.Mindef said that the exercise involves participants working together, responding to an aerial mishap scenario off Pulau Tioman, Malaysia.This year, a new component was introduced where search and rescue medical teams from both RSAF ad RMAF were trained regarding the end-to-end care for simulated casualties, from in-flight treatment to patients transfers.Speaking at the closing ceremony at the air base on Thursday, RSAF's head of air operations, Brigadier-General (BG) Phua Jia Kai said that the exercise is a testament of the «close and enduring relationship» between the two countries.

A former teacher's habit of making advances on his female students, including getting one of them to sit on his lap and call him «daddy», was exposed when two of his charges alerted the school principal.The 41-year-old man, who was married at the time of his offences, was on July 23 sentenced to two years' jail after he was found guilty by Deputy Principal District Judge Ong Chin Rhu of three counts of performing an indecent act with a child, and one count of sexual grooming.Details about the offender and the school cannot be disclosed owing to a gag order to protect the student's identity.The man, who became a fully trained teacher in 2014, taught design and technology (D&T) classes at the school.Deputy Public Prosecutors Darren Sim and Ariel Tan told the court in earlier proceedings that he got to know one of the students in 2022 when she was between 13 and 14 years old.They initially met at the school's D&T studio for discussions over the subject, but he also helped her with mathematics, even though he did not teach the subject.

A physical education (PE) teacher at a secondary school who romantically pursued one of his students admitted on July 23 that he committed sexual offences against her when she was between 14 and 15 years old.The 45-year-old man pleaded guilty in the High Court to three counts of sexual penetration of a minor.Two incidents took place in a room at a hotel in Bugis in 2022, while the third incident took place in school in 2023.Another 12 charges will be considered when he is sentenced on Sept 16.The man cannot be named due to a gag order to protect identity of the victim, who is now 18 years old.When asked if he admitted to the statement of facts that was read out in court by the prosecution, he took an extended pause and heaved a sigh before replying that he admitted to the statement.At the time of the offences, he had 18 years' experience as a teacher. He taught the victim in 2022, and they followed each other on Instagram.He started chatting with her on the platform about books and writing, which she was passionate about.

Singapore relies on the sea for much of its need, including energy, food and trade, and hence it is a «fundamental national priority» for the city state to keep its maritime approaches open and secure, said Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam.«It is a matter of survival,» he added, while speaking at the launch of the second Victory-class multi-role combat vessel (MRCV) named Valour at ST Engineering Marine's Benoi shipyard on Thursday (July 23).Turning to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, Shanmugam, who is also Minister for Home Affairs and will assume the additional role of Senior Minister on July 27, pointed out that the conflict's impact has resulted in rising energy costs worldwide.He noted that Singapore has not been spared, with electricity tariffs and petrol prices having gone up, resulting in impact on businesses and households.

A 54-year-old woman lost more than $410,000 worth of gold bars after falling victim to a scam and handing them over to a man posing as a plain-clothes police officer.The Malaysian man, identified as Turah Raju Subramaniam, 39, pleading guilty on Tuesday (July 21) and was sentenced to three years and two months' jail, Shin Min Daily News reported.According to court documents, she was contacted by someone claiming to be from a bank's anti-fraud department, who told her she was linked to a fraudulent $5,400 transaction.She was then transferred to another scammer posing as a senior investigator from the Ministry of Law, who falsely claimed she was under investigation for money laundering. The scammer sent her fake documents stating that she was wanted by the authorities and that her assets would be frozen.The woman was then instructed to transfer $1 million into her credit card account before purchasing gold bars.Following the scammers' instructions, she went to Mustafa Centre and bought 1,600 pieces of 24K gold bars worth more than $412,000.

What was meant to be a five-minute journey turned into a trip to the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department for the husband of content creator Sarah Cheng-De Winne.In a social media post, Cheng-De Winne recounted how her husband, Mark De Winne, was flung from his kick scooter and landed several metres away on «hard concrete».«On impact, he couldn't move his limbs or body for more than a minute,» she wrote. Cheng-De Winne said the incident took place earlier this week, when her husband was on his way home after dropping their son off at preschool. The 24-second video shows clips from the past few days, including De Winne being taken to hospital in an ambulance and his subsequent stay there. According to Cheng-De Winne, doctors initially ruled out a brain injury, cervical issue and fractures through scans and X-rays. However, De Winne continued to experience severe pain in his left forearm and fingers despite suffering the worst abrasions on his right arm, which likely bore the brunt of the fall. «He can't close his left hand, grip or carry anything,» she wrote.

A man in Singapore was fined $2,000 on July 10 after he made false declarations when applying for his wife's visa.Tan Kim Lam, 65, was arrested along with his wife, Lin Qiaoming, by Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers on May 8 following an investigation into the offence.He is the first person to be prosecuted under section 57(1)(ka) of the Immigration Act 1959, which came into effect on Dec 31, 2024.Tan first met Lin, now 49, in 2002 through mutual friends in Singapore. Lin was a social visitor at the time.Lin, a Chinese national, then left Singapore illegally to avoid detection as she had failed to regularise her stay after her social visit pass had expired, ICA said.After returning to China, Tan and Lin still kept in touch.Lin purportedly entered Singapore multiple times between 2009 and 2015 under an assumed identity to avoid being identified for her previous offences.Despite lacking proficiency in English, Tan acted as her sponsor for her visa applications under the assumed identity.

LTA has caught 16 drivers providing illegal cross-border ride-hailing services, following regular tip-offs from the National Private Hire Vehicles Association and the National Taxi Association, the authority said in a Facebook post on July 21.The latest enforcement actions were carried out at Singapore's land checkpoints and in the downtown area, LTA added. All 16 vehicles were impounded. Drivers caught providing illegal ride-hailing services may be fined up to $3,000 and/or jailed for up to six months. Their vehicles may also be seized upon conviction. The LTA also reminded travellers to book only licensed cross-border ride-hailing service on Grab or have a Singapore-registered cross-border taxis. These services can pick passengers up from anywhere in Singapore and drop them off in Johor Bahru, Iskandar Puteri, Forest City, Kulai and Senai.Members of the public can also report illegal ride-hailing activities via LTA's website.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan on Wednesday (July 22) highlighted Singapore's expanded support for Palestinian officials through scholarships and training programmes, alongside more than US$19 million (S$24.5 million) in humanitarian aid provided to Gaza.Speaking at the 5th Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD V) in Manila, Dr Balakrishnan reaffirmed Singapore's commitment to supporting the Palestinian people in their journey towards eventual statehood.The conference, initiated by Japan in 2013, is a platform for regional countries to discuss capacity-building assistance for the Palestinians. In his intervention, Dr Balakrishnan noted that more than 800 Palestinian Authority officials have participated in customised courses and study visits since the commencement of Singapore's enhanced technical assistance package in 2013.Singapore has also awarded 15 postgraduate scholarships to Palestinian Authority officials to date.

If you've ever stopped by Yishun MRT station, you may have noticed a bicycle parking lot near exit B. For years, it sat as an underutilised facility.The area has been given a new lease of life, now functioning as a vibrant multi-purpose community space designed to host and support resident-led activities and youth-focused programmes.The Outdoor Youth Space was officially launched on July 18 at the Vibes @ Central festival, organised by PA Nee Soon Central Grassroots Organisations (GROs) Youth Network. The event had brought together some 500 youths from all over Singapore in a celebration featuring music, games and food.

A Malaysian man will be charged in court on Thursday (July 23) after he allegedly scammed an elderly woman in Singapore of $20,000.The police received a report regarding the fake friend scam on July 3 from a 69-year-old victim who claimed that she had received a call for help from an «acquaintance».The «acquaintance» had purportedly been detained by Singapore Immigration after landing at Changi Airport Terminal 4 for failing to declare funds in his bank account.He claimed he needed $20,000 to post bail, the police said.Believing the man to be her friend, the victim went to Changi Airport T4 the next morning, and delivered $20,000 in cash to an unknown individual.She realised she had been scammed when she was asked to make additional bank transfers.Officers from the Airport Police Division quickly identified the 23-year-old man who had taken the victim's cash, intercepting and arresting him on Wednesday (July 22) at the T4 departure hall before he could flee the country.Preliminary investigations revealed that the man was recruited by individuals believed to be part of a transnational scam syndicate.

After a passenger accidentally left her bag containing $32,000 worth of cash and jewellery on a bus, an SBS Transit staff member went the extra mile by paying for her taxi fare so she could retrieve it.A Facebook post by SBS Transit Ltd on Wednesday (July 22) recounted the incident where the passenger, identified only as Mrs K, had accidentally left her bag on bus service 853 earlier this month after alighting at a bus stop. She then approached the staff at Ang Mo Kio Interchange for help after realising what had happened.According to the post, the bag contained, among other things, the passenger's passport, $2,000 cash and $30,000 worth of gold jewellery meant for her daughter's wedding. As bus service 853 is operated by Tower Transit Singapore, senior assistant interchange supervisor Nithyananthan Palne (Nathan) immediately contacted the operator to locate the missing bag.About 20 minutes later, the bus operator confirmed that a fellow passenger had found the bag and handed it in. 

A property agent was left stunned after discovering that a condo unit he had rented out in Geylang had become the subject of a police warning over alleged vice-related activities.Speaking to AsiaOne on Wednesday (July 22), property agent Veroy Chua said this is the first time he had encountered such a case in his 13 years in the real estate industry.«The homeowner first informed us that they had received a letter from the police. We then decided to take over the matter and were informed that vice activities were believed to have been carried out at the premises,» said Chua. «It was really shocking and the homeowners did not know how to deal with it themselves, so they asked us to take over the matter and clear the unit as soon as possible.»Chua said the homeowner forwarded him the police letter in the first week of July. In the letter seen by AsiaOne, the police informed the homeowner that vice activities were believed to have taken place at the premises.The letter did not specify the type of vice activities involved.

The Istana will open to the public on July 26 (Sunday) to celebrate National Day, with a first-ever open-air evening concert among the programme line-up.«This year’s National Day IOH celebrates Singapore’s past, present, and future through shared experiences across sport, heritage and community activities, and music and cultural performances, for all ages and abilities,» the President's Office said in a news release on Wednesday (July 22).The event, which will be held from 9.30am to 8pm, will feature an open-air concert with performances by local artistes and bands Amsden Huang, Shazza, Fourteen Aces and Soft Boiled Eggs from Project #JalanJalan.Visitors can bring their own mats or field chairs and enjoy the performances on the Istana lawns.There will also a vibrant lineup of music, dance and cultural performances by students from Lasalle College of the Arts, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore Polytechnic, Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah, Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah and Madrasah Wak Tanjong Al-Islamiah.

Among political office holders taking up a higher appointment is Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam, who will take on the additional role of Senior Minister on July 27.The 67-year-old, who entered politics 38 years ago in 1988, became a minister in 2008. You would be forgiven for wondering if there was an editorial error in saying that the coordinating minister is taking on an additional role. After all, the senior minister role in Singapore has historically been occupied by former prime ministers or deputy prime ministers.In addition, the appointee typically does not carry a ministerial portfolio as senior ministers are generally seen as elder statesmen who advice younger cabinet colleagues, and may also be asked to oversee councils. But the constant thread among the seven who have held the role, since it was created in 1985, is that they have all held the role of prime minister or deputy prime minister.The role was first held by S. Rajaratnam, who was Singapore's first post-independence foreign affairs minister and later deputy prime minister. 

Newly-appointed Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau said on Wednesday (July 22) that it is the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) responsibility to help workers and companies navigate changes brought about by technology such as artificial intelligence.«Jobs are on everyone's mind right now, and rightly so. Technology is changing how we work, and I know many workers and companies are trying their best to navigate this change,» the 43-year-old said at a press conference to announce changes to the Cabinet. She added that it is the ministry's responsibility to help them through this change.«This will mean looking at how we uplift our workers in the most vulnerable segments, helping Singaporeans cope with more frequent career transitions, and also ensuring that lifelong learning is genuinely accessible and relevant.»

Two first-term People's Action Party (PAP) backbenchers — Shawn Loh (Jalan Besar GRC) and Foo Cexiang (Tanjong Pagar GRC) — will be promoted to the frontbench. Their upcoming appointments, effective Sept 1 this year and Jan 1, 2027, respectively, were announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday (July 22) at a press conference on the changes to the Cabinet and other appointments. Foo, 41, will be appointed Minister of State for Manpower and Trade and Industry, while Loh, 39, will be Minister of State at the Education and Health ministries.PM Wong noted that while the two had only entered politics at the last General Election, they have both made a good start as MPs.«I am bringing them into Government now, so that they can gain experience and develop further, while we continue to build the next generation of leaders,» he said, as he explained his approach towards leadership renewal.

«What happened in Faishal's case?»That question has been on many Singaporeans' minds after former Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim resigned from politics on Monday (July 20) over his conduct when interacting with a woman online.Assoc Prof Faishal and the female member of the public had accused each other of harassment over their «interactions», and the woman later wrote to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) about the matter.Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam shed further light on the said interactions — which included messages and pictures — in a Facebook post on Wednesday (July 22).According to Shanmugam, Assoc Prof Faishal had continued responding to the woman because he was concerned she «might react negatively if he abruptly cut her off».«Nevertheless, his responses were, objectively, inappropriate and questionable. They come across as engaging with her,» said Shanmugam, who is also the Coordinating Minister for National Security.

A 49-year-old woman was apprehended after a two-hour standoff with police at her Bukit Panjang HDB flat on Tuesday (July 21).In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said they received a call for assistance at about 3.15pm at Block 207 Petir Road.Upon arrival, officers found that the woman had locked herself in her residential unit and might pose a danger to herself.The police's Special Operations Command (SOC) and Crisis Negotiation Unit, along with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), were deployed to the scene.Officers managed to gain entry into the unit at about 5.30pm.The woman was subsequently apprehended under the Mental Health Act and taken to Woodlands Hospital.SCDF told AsiaOne it deployed two life safety air packs as a precautionary measure. Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team officers also descended by rope from a unit above.Neighbour says woman visited night before incidentAccording to Shin Min Daily News, more than 20 police officers gathered along the second-floor corridor during the operation. 

A 30-year-old man has died after an accident involving a lorry in Changi Village on Monday (July 20) night. Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force said they were alerted to an accident at the junction of Telok Paku Road and Changi Village Road at about 10.55pm. A 30-year-old male pedestrian was taken unconscious to Changi General Hospital, where he subsequently died.A 37-year-old male driver is assisting with investigations. The police said that investigations are ongoing.A video of the aftermath of the accident showed police vehicles at the scene, with at least two lorries parked at the side of the road.Traffic accidents resulting in injuries and deaths in Singapore increased by 4.3 per cent in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024.In its mid-year traffic report, the police said that 4,860 people were injured and 79 people were killed in road accidents between January and June 2025.[[nid:740477]]