A 26-year-old woman is assisting with police investigations after she was involved in an altercation with a 17-year-old teenager at *Scape on Saturday (July 18). A Reddit post on Sunday claimed that two women got into a fight at a makeshift football court the day before, after one allegedly scratched the other's face.The post added that the police were called to the scene, and that officers were seen speaking to *Scape staff and a security guard. In response to media queries, a spokesperson for the youth hub said that an altercation occurred between two players during a small-sided football match at the venue on July 18, reported The Straits Times (ST). «Staff and event officials responded immediately to contain the situation and protect the safety of other participants and spectators,» the spokesperson reportedly said, adding that on-site medics administered first aid to the injured person.The remaining matches resumed as scheduled, the spokesperson told ST, who added that the hub was assisting the police in ongoing investigations and was unable to provide further details.It is not known what sparked the fight.

A 61-year-old man who lived alone was found dead in his Ang Mo Kio flat after a neighbour alerted the police upon noticing a strong foul smell coming from the unit.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said they received a call for assistance at Block 510 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 at around 9am on Friday (July 17). The police said the man was found lying motionless and was pronounced dead at scene.A neighbour, who identified herself only as Suliana (transliteration), told Shin Min Daily News the deceased had lived in the estate for 30 to 40 years and was a familiar face.He was often seen riding his mobility scooter to a nearby coffee shop in the early mornings for breakfast.However, she had not seen the man for about a week and also noticed that the incense he typically burned in his flat had not been lit for several days.A social worker would leave two meal boxes outside the man's unit every evening, but Suliana did not immediately suspect anything amiss as the man had occasionally failed to collect the meals.After detecting a strong stench on Friday morning, she decided to call the police.

Fans were spotted cleaning up Kallang Wave Mall after watching the World Cup final on Monday (July 20) morning.In videos taken by AsiaOne, fans can be seen carrying chairs and returning them to their original places after the match ended, while the floors and tables looked visibly clean.The mall hosted a live screening of the match, bringing many football enthusiasts into the premises to catch defending champions Argentina take on 2010 winners Spain on the field.The match – which kicked off at 3am – went into extra time and concluded with a single goal from Spain's Ferran Torres in the 106th minute, giving the Spanish their second World Cup title.Meanwhile, Japan fans gained the hearts of many online after they were spotted using blue bags to clean the stands at the World Cup, following a tradition that dates back to the country's first appearance at the World Cup in 1998.

A total of thirteen people, aged between 19 and 31, will be charged in court between July 20 (Monday) and July 24 for allegedly providing fraudulently registered SIM cards in return for money.The 11 men and 2 women purportedly received between $10 and $30 per registered SIM card.Police said in a news release on Sunday that the suspects had handed over multiple SIM cards, registered under their names, to a criminal syndicate.They were allegedly instructed to purchase SIM cards in bulk across different retailers before handing them over to their 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.

A 64-year-old man was arrested on Saturday (July 18) for his alleged involvement in a case of snatch theft in Balestier.The incident, involving a 72-year-old female victim, happened at a bus stop along Balestier Road at about 8.40pm on July 16.Police said in a news release on Sunday that the man did not succeed and left the scene empty-handed.Officers from Tanglin Police Division established the man's identity through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from closed-circuit television (CCTV) and police cameras.He was arrested on Saturday and will be charged in court on Monday for the offence of snatch theft.If found guilty, he could be jailed for up to seven years and be liable to caning.Members of the public who encounter such cases are advised by the police to remain calm.They should take note of the physical appearance and distinctive features of the perpetrator and call for police assistance as soon as it is safe to do so.[[nid:740611]]editor@asiaone.com 

A 34-year-old Singaporean man has been arrested in Indonesia after authorities raided a house in north Jakarta that was allegedly being used as an etomidate vape factory.The man, identified by the initials LHM and also known as Hayden, was arrested on Friday (July 17) during a joint operation by Soekarno-Hatta International Airport police and customs officials.Etomidate-laced vape cartridges are commonly referred to as Kpods in Singapore.Indonesian state news agency Antara reported that police seized thousands of vape cartridges believed to be ready for distribution, along with mini laboratory equipment used to produce the drug.According to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport police chief Senior Commissioner Wisnu Wardana, officers found the suspect mixing or producing etomidate when they raided the house, reported local news outlet IDN Times.The head of the airport police narcotics unit told IDN Times that the house had allegedly been rented by another Singaporean, who recruited the suspect and assigned him a daily production target of 500 etomidate vape cartridges.The suspect was reported to have entered Indonesia on July 13.

Fifteen passengers were left stranded mid-ride on a roller coaster at Universal Studios Singapore after the attraction came to a stop due to a technical malfunction on Thursday (July 16).A video shared on Xiaohongshu shows passengers waiting on the ride, which is at a 45-degree incline, while two persons appear to be attending to the stalled ride.Under the comments section of the Xiaohongshu post, some netizens claimed that other attractions had also experienced breakdowns that day, while others called for compensation. «When I was there, the Minions roller coaster had a series of breakdowns, and it took all day to complete just four rides,» added another.  In response to media queries, a spokesperson for Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) said the Enchanted Airways roller coaster ride experienced a brief technical malfunction at about 1pm on Thursday and stopped at a safe location on the track.The spokesperson said that staff quickly assisted all 15 passengers in evacuating safely, and no one was injured.

It is just about three weeks away from Singapore's 61st birthday, and weekends at the Kallang area have been a hive of activities with participants being put through their paces at the now-concluded combined rehearsals and National Education (NE) shows.Ahead of the preview shows beginning next week, AsiaOne was among the media to join the Presidential Gun Salute (PGS) crew during the second NE show on Saturday (July 18).The PGS is the highest military honour conferred and reserved exclusively for the President. It is timed to coincide with the President’s inspection of the parade. AsiaOne observed five Mobility 3rd Generation (M3G) amphibious vehicles operated by the 35th Battalion, Singapore Combat Engineers, had earlier sailed out into the basin, linking up to form a raft, before the combined raft returned to shore. There, four 25-pounder Howitzer guns were loaded up in preparation for the PGS. 

SINGAPORE - A gambling website based overseas has been collecting illegal bets on Fifa World Cup matches from punters in Singapore who make transactions via PayNow with local firms.GemBet, which is based in the Caribbean island of Curacao, has website addresses (URLs) for different countries including Singapore.The Straits Times learnt that deposits for bets, and payouts for wins, are being funnelled through three local companies registered in 2026 - a manpower contracting service incorporated on March 3, a cleaning services company registered on April 29, and a wholesale trading firm incorporated on May 29.Punters who access local URLs of GemBet are directed to its main website.After registering, punters have to create a digital wallet where they place deposits using payment methods including cryptocurrencies and PayNow.Those who opt for PayNow are directed to transfer money via one of the three Singapore companies.The bets are taken out of the wallets.Checks against Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority records show that the three companies are registered to Housing Board residential units.

After leaving Singapore Airlines as a cabin crew for a retail role at Marina Bay Sands in 2025, Teresa Hon, who turns 32 in October, began experiencing headaches. At first they came and went but instead of easing, the headaches grew more frequent and intense, until they built up to a «hammering» intensity, Hon told AsiaOne in an interview on Friday (July 17). Despite being prescribed painkillers, the headaches persisted. She repeatedly vomited, experienced seizures and even pulled at her hair in agony because of the excruciating pain. It eventually got to the point where she could no longer keep food down, vomiting after nearly every meal.Her husband, 41-year-old Bjorn Chua, told AsiaOne that Hon, who was usually bubbly and energetic, had become «reclusive», isolating herself in her room.Tumour the size of tennis ballIn November 2025, Hon finally decided to go for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan after consulting a neurologist. The findings? A huge tumour about the size of a tennis ball, recalled Chua. 

When completed in the second half of 2030, the new community club at Joo Chiat will be a space for all residents following a six-year-long conversation, said Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong as he presented the community's vision for their new community club on Saturday (July 18). Spanning a gross floor area of approximately 14,000 sqm, the new community club will be a home for performing arts, sports, and a wide range of future-ready amenities. This includes food and beverage outlets, indoor basketball and tennis courts, a rooftop gym, and a multipurpose hall which can support badminton, pickleball and community events.

Approved cat fosterers will be able to keep up to six cats in their HDB flats or up to 10 in private homes come Aug 3, the Animal Veterinary Service (AVS) announced on Saturday (July 18).Minister of State for National Development and Trade and Industry Alvin Tan shared these updates during a speech at the Cats' Day Out event at Wisma Geylang Serai Community Club the same day.This comes as the AVS — a cluster of the National Parks Board — will be rolling out a two-year pilot scheme from Aug 3, 2026 to July 31, 2028 to support cat fosterers and the role they play in managing community cats across Singapore.Fosterers are key in reducing the number of free-roaming cats, thus decreasing the negative impacts they might have on communities, AVS said in a statement.Under the pilot, approved fosterers will be able to license and keep up to six cats in three-room or larger HDB flats and up to 10 cats in private premises, inclusive of all pet and foster cats within the household.These cats must be sterilised to prevent unintended breeding, which may result in overpopulation and a decline in cat welfare, AVS warned. 

It's barely been half a year since he got the car, but now he must pay a tidy sum to get it repaired after it quite literally got beaned.A retiree has been slapped with a $3,000 bill after his vehicle was struck by canned food allegedly thrown from height in Bedok, Shin Min Daily News reported on Friday (July 17).The 69-year-old man surnamed Tang (transliteration) told Shin Min that he had parked his seven-month-old car in a parking lot under Block 127 Bedok North Street 2.When he returned on Wednesday morning, however, he was distraught to find two significant indentations on the left side of his Toyota Corolla's hood.«I didn't want to believe it at first, but I realised [it was my car] when I saw my license plate,» Tang said.Upon reviewing dashcam footage, he saw two objects fall from the air, hitting his vehicle around 1.20am that morning.Sure enough, he found two cans on the ground near his vehicle — mushrooms and beans, respectively.Neither of the cans were opened or expired, Tang told the Chinese language paper.He then placed the canned food in a plastic bag and went to a police station to report the incident.

When completed in the second half of 2030, the new Joo Chiat Community Club will be a space for all residents following a six-year-long conversation, said Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong as he presented the community's vision for their new community club on Saturday (July 18). Spanning a gross floor area of approximately 14,000 sqm, the new community club will be a home for performing arts, sports, and a wide range of future-ready amenities. This includes food and beverage outlets, indoor basketball and tennis courts, a rooftop gym, and a multipurpose hall which can support badminton, pickleball and community events.

A mother has taken to TikTok to share her concerns about a Grab Taxi driver she had ridden with alongside her baby, accusing him of driving erratically while checking his phone. User Runnyeqqs posted a short clip of the taxi ride she took with her «newborn» on Thursday (July 16), accusing the taxi driver of being visibly distracted and «repeatedly checking stock market updates and switching between apps on his phone».«He failed to maintain his lane and braked inconsistently, including two instances of emergency braking that nearly caused a collision with the car in front of us,» she added.She wrote further that, after contacting Grab Singapore about the incident, they responded that the man had received a warning and a strike to his account, and she received $5 in GrabPay credit «as a 'service recovery' gesture, effectively a full refund of the fare».However, Runnyeqqs does not feel that Grab's response was proportionate to the severity of the situation.«This was a road safety incident involving reckless, distracted driving with an infant in the vehicle — not a minor service issue,» she concluded.

Is she being a mama bear or a Karen? Some netizens say the latter.A woman was recorded having a confrontation with a skateboarder at Skatepark @ Lakeside Garden last Sunday (July 12), seemingly accusing him of nearly crashing into her child.In a video uploaded to Instagram by IamAhden_snaps, she can be heard screaming and pointing her finger repeatedly at the man.It is unclear what she is saying, but she can be heard yelling at one point for him to leave her kids alone.Another man comes in between them, gently pushing the skateboarder back to talk to the woman and seemingly try and resolve the situation, but the first man and the woman get into an argument again.She also points and yells at the second man, while others also step in to defuse the situation.According to the Instagram user, who goes by Jayden Sim, the skateboarder was doing tricks on the railing when his board accidentally slipped and he let it go.«Not terribly, it did not hit her kids, it's just that she thinks that the stunts that the skater is doing is dangerous to her,» he added.

A  taxi driver and his passenger were taken to hospital after an accident in Woodlands that led to the arrest of a 30-year-old male lorry driver for dangerous driving causing hurt.The accident happened at about 6.25am on Thursday (July 16) morning at the junction of Woodlands Avenues 6 and 9.  Map showing where the accident between a lorry and a taxi happened on Wednesday (July 16). GRAPHIC: Google Maps, Xiaohongshu A video of the accident posted on Xiaohongshu shows a maroon Strides Premier taxi and a lorry stopped at an angle to each other at the said junction.The taxi, with visible damages to its front bumper and bonnet, is seen obstructing at least one of the two-lane road.

A British man will be charged in court on Saturday (July 18) after he was arrested for allegedly stealing from retail shops in Changi Airport.Police said in a news release on Friday night that they were alerted to a case of shop theft at The Shilla Cosmetics & Perfumes outlet, located in the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 3, on Wednesday night.The 56-year-old's alleged offence came to light when a retail staff discovered a missing item from the Chanel display shelf and went on to review closed circuit television (CCTV) footage.He was seen taking the item and leaving the shop without paying.Officers from the Airport Police Division established the identity of the man through ground enquiries and with the aid of CCTV footage. The British national was detained in the transit area before his departure flight within an hour of the report being lodged.Subsequent investigations revealed that the man had also allegedly committed shop theft at five other retail shops in Changi Airport Terminals 2 and 3.He is believed to have taken various items including keychains, perfumes, and a bracelet without paying.

SINGAPORE - Eric Cheong, a pioneer union leader and 20-year Toa Payoh MP who helped set up NTUC's first supermarket in the town, died on July 15 at the age of 96.He died of complications from dysphagia, or difficulty in swallowing.Cheong represented Toa Payoh from 1968 to 1988 and sat on the NTUC's central committee - the labour movement's top leadership body. He also led the Singapore Manual and Mercantile Workers' Union (SMMWU), first as secretary-general and later as president.His lifelong campaign for workers' rights began when he was working in his first job, said his son Peter Cheong, 67.Speaking to The Straits Times at his father's wake at St Joseph's Church in Upper Bukit Timah, he said: «[My father] was a clerk, but he felt there was no representation. He didn't feel the equality there, so he wanted to step up.»This led the elder Cheong to join many of his peers in Singapore's pre-independence labour movement, said Peter Cheong.He rose up the ranks to lead unions by his early 30s. But he was not always on the side of the ruling party - despite becoming a PAP MP and an ardent supporter later in life, Peter Cheong said.

What could have been a 16-minute car ride turned into a spontaneous 2.5-hour trek to Changi Airport for a group of three young women.The trio's journey was documented on TikTok by user Angie, and was posted on Thursday (July 16).Captioned «peak unemployment activity», the video has garnered over 180,000 views in one day.According to a Google Maps screenshot shared in the video, the three's journey from Tanah Merah would take two hours and seven minutes.They set off at 2.42am, hoping to make it in time for their 7am flight - with luggages and handbags in tow. The video includes clips of the trio strolling down empty streets which are void of people and vehicles. The women also appear to walk through a dark underpass, using their phones as a source of light.They eventually made it to Changi Airport at 5.04am, in time for their flight.Their journey lasted two-and-a-half hours, and a total of 9.37km.

A man has been charged with criminal intimidation after he allegedly threw a glass mug onto the floor in front of a teenage girl at a Woodlands coffeeshop. According to the charge sheet, the 56-year-old allegedly shattered the glass mug with the intent of causing the victim to feel alarmed.The girl's parents had posted online their account of the July 15, 7pm incident.According to them, the incident happened when they briefly stepped away from their table to order food, leaving their 14-year-old daughter alone.They added that she was not injured in the incident.If guilty of criminal intimidation, the man may be jailed up to two years, or fined, or both.[[nid:738836]]helmy.saat@asiaone.com

A Malaysian working in Singapore was shocked when she was mistaken for a domestic helper at a laundromat - a passer-by had repeatedly asked her if she was doing laundry for her «boss».Speaking to Stomp, Shikin said the incident occurred on May 19, at a laundromat in Bedok.The 34-year-old senior account specialist had shared about the incident in an Instagram post on July 11, recounting what she described as a «very Singaporean behaviour» of «profiling, judging, and downgrading».In the video, she recalls being approached by a passer-by who looked «friendly» while doing her laundry. However, during their conversation, the passer-by seemingly assumed that the load belonged to her «boss».Despite multiple attempts to clarify that the clothes were hers, Shikin says the woman insisted: «What boss now? It's your boss laundry.»«I was like what the f*ck is this. Then I get it, she thinks that I'm a domestic helper,» Shikin recounts.Panning the camera to her attire, she acknowledges that she «looks like a domestic helper», but points out that the woman might not have made the assumption if she was «Chinese» or «white».

One hundred suspected drug offenders were arrested in an islandwide anti-drug operation conducted by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), with drugs worth more than $34,000 seized.In a statement on Friday (July 17), CNB said the operation, which was carried out from July 12 to 17, covered areas including Boon Lay, Ghim Moh, Jurong, Kallang, Tampines, Tengah, Toa Payoh and Woodlands.

A youth is assisting police with investigations into suspected arson after two fires broke out at a Bukit Panjang HDB block on Wednesday (July 15).In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they were alerted to the fire at Block 501 Jelapang Road at around 8.10pm that day.A video shared on social media also showed the fire raging inside a unit while thick black smoke billowed out.Multiple fire engines and an ambulance were also seen at the HDB carpark while residents watched the scene unfold in a second clip. A male youth was identified for suspected mischief by fire and investigations are ongoing, said the police.The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that two fires had taken place at the same block that day, in response to media queries.

A viral TikTok by Singaporean chef and F&B operator Jason Chua has sparked online debate about public healthcare.In his video on July 7, Chua described his father's experience at Changi General Hospital's (CGH) Accident and Emergency (A&E) department. He had taken his father to the A&E at 7am, after the latter experienced shortness of breath and cold sweats. At around 9pm that same day, some 14 hours later, his father was still waiting for a ward bed in the emergency department.Chua said he suggested bringing his father home and returning the next morning, but claimed that hospital staff did not allow this.«Is there any nurse or who can tell me why does it take so long?» Chua said in the video.He updated later that night that his father was warded at 11.36pm.Not the only oneSince posting his video, netizens have shared similar experiences of waiting at the A&E departments of various hospitals.

A 40-year-old woman was arrested for public nuisance on Wednesday (July 15) after getting into a fight with a masseuse at People's Park Complex.Just two weeks ago, the same woman had fought with a male masseur from another massage parlour at the third floor of same building, reported Shin Min Daily News.The recent scuffle between the two women occurred outside a row of massage shops on the second storey, according to the news report.In videos seen by AsiaOne, a woman in a black dress is seen arguing with the masseuse in a pink mini dress, who repeatedly asks in Mandarin why she is being attacked.As their exchange escalates, the masseuse grabs hold of the other woman's clothing and tugs at her. The woman in black retaliates with a forceful kick, and the pair begin trading blows.As the struggle intensifies, shoes and other personal belongings are sent scattering across the corridor. The woman in black does not let up. She grabs the masseuse's head and strikes her repeatedly. 

A woman who quarrelled with a security officer at Eastpoint Mall and threatened to make him lose his job is facing public backlash.The dispute appears to have occurred because the woman was prevented from entering the mall's nursing room to fill her daughter’s water bottle until she showed her baby to him through the intercom camera.A viral video, initially posted by Instagram user joseph_twj on Monday (July 13), begins in the Fire Control Centre where a security guard is seen refusing to give a woman filming him his name.He said: «You're not a police officer or something to ask for my name. I'm a security officer.»In their argument, the woman accuses him of speaking rudely while the officer retorts that she is no better, describing her as «yaya», or colloquial for arrogant.Incensed, she proceeds to threaten him: «I make sure you don't have your job.»In a complaint letter to the mall, the woman wrote that she had made a passing comment to a family member about the situation being «stupid», to which the security guard allegedly replied «you then stupid» over the intercom, reported Stomp.

A Singaporean man has been arrested in Bali for the alleged murder of his girlfriend at a boarding house on Wednesday (July 15).The 25-year-old suspect, identified by the initials MZ, is accused of strangling his girlfriend, AS, a 26-year-old woman from Tegal, Central Java, following a dispute in their relationship, reported Indonesian news outlet NusaBali.The victim was later found by her brother, who reportedly discovered her body under a pile of dolls in the suspect's room, according to another news outlet Detik.com.It was also reported that the suspect's new girlfriend had raised concerns about an unusual odour at the premises, but her concerns were dismissed.Denpasar police chief Leonardo D. Simatupang said police were dispatched to a boarding house along Jalan Mekar II in Pedungan Village, South Denpasar, after receiving a report at around 7pm on Wednesday about the discovery of the body.Leonardo said officers gathered several clues from the scene, including the suspect's characteristics, identity and vehicle details.

As part of efforts to transform the built environment (BE) sector and improve its productivity, Singapore is accelerating the momentum of remote site supervision (RSS) adoption, said National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat.«I believe this can be a game changer for improving industry productivity,» he said at the Association of Consulting Engineers' (ACES) 55th anniversary dinner held at Shangri-La Singapore hotel on Wednesday (July 15) evening.RSS leverages digital tools such as 360-degree cameras, smart drones and artificial intelligence-powered data tracking to allow professional engineers or qualified persons (QPs) to supervise multiple project sites virtually, including from their offices.Its adoption is expected to help QPs save the time spent travelling between project sites to conduct routine inspections.In doing so, the time saved can improve their productivity and optimise manpower deployment, while enhancing workplace safety, Chee explained.He cited the example of CapitaLand Development's ongoing mixed development J-den project at Jurong East, which has reduced its supervision man-hours during structural works by 40 per cent.

A 67-year-old man died after the car he was driving crashed into the rear of an SBS Transit bus in Ang Mo Kio on Thursday (July 16) morning.The police told AsiaOne that they were alerted to the accident involving a car and a bus along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 towards Upper Thomson Road at about 8.35am.The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said two people were taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.The man was taken unconscious to the hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.A 61-year-old woman who was travelling in the car was taken to the same hospital while conscious.Video of the aftermath posted on TikTok showed a red car with its front badly crumpled after it collided with the rear of an SBS Transit bus that had stopped at a bus stop.The footage also showed SCDF officers performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a person. Two ambulances, two SCDF pump ladders, and a Traffic Police car were also present at the scene.In response to AsiaOne's queries, SBS Transit spokesperson Grace Wu said that «a Service 165 bus was rear-ended by a car while at a bus stop along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1».

Police have issued an advisory on the resurgence of a scam campaign which utilises the GST Voucher (GSTV) scheme to take over Telegram accounts.In a statement on Thursday (July 16), the police said victims received Telegram messages containing infographics and a fake link, which encouraged them to check their eligibility for the upcoming GSTV disbursements in August.Upon clicking the links, victims would be asked to disclose personal information such as mobile numbers, names and NRIC numbers.They may also be prompted to provide Telegram verification codes which would allow scammers to take over their accounts.Using the victims' Telegram accounts, the scammers would disseminate phishing links to the victims' contacts or add them into chat groups promoting fraudulent investment schemes.Members of the public are reminded that they will never be asked to disclose personal credentials or bank log-in details to claim their GST Vouchers.

The upcoming Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link is expected to intensify cross-border competition, and local businesses will need to sharpen their value propositions instead of competing primarily on price.A study commissioned by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS) and Singapore Retailers Association (SRA) projects that Singaporeans will spend an additional $1.05 billion annually on retail and F&B purchases in Johor Bahru (JB) once the RTS Link opens.At the same time, local businesses stand to gain an estimated $756 million annually from JB visitors, resulting in an additional net annual spending outflow of about $290 million — 0.4 per cent of Singapore's total retail and F&B sales in 2025.Released on Thursday (July 16), the study was conducted in March 2026 and surveyed around 1,700 people in Singapore and 400 in Johor. It also drew on Mastercard historical transaction data, government statistics and a case study of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen high-speed rail network.

A total of 579 suspected scammers and money mules are being investigated by the police.This follows a two-week operation conducted by officers from the Commercial Affairs Department and seven Police Land Divisions between July 2 and 15.Police said in a news release on Thursday (July 16) that the 359 men and 220 women, aged between 15 and 83, are being probed for their alleged involvement in scams.They are believed to be linked to more than 1,469 scam cases, mainly involving e-commerce, friend impersonation, job, government official impersonation, investment and rental scams.Victims reportedly lost about $18 million, the police said.The investigations cover 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.Meanwhile, carrying on a business to provide any type of payment service without a licence may result in a fine of up to $125,000, a jail term of up to three years, or both.

Students at St. Joseph's Institution (SJI) hoping to stay up for the FIFA World Cup final can breathe easy, as the school will begin lessons later on Monday (July 20) to allow students more time to rest after the early morning match.In a statement to AsiaOne, SJI confirmed that an email had been sent to parents and students regarding the adjustment to school hours.«Schools play an important role not only in academic learning but also in helping young people engage meaningfully with significant moments beyond the classroom,» said SJI. It added that the FIFA World Cup final was a rare global sporting event that many students and families may wish to experience together.