A violent altercation broke out between two women and a man at a Chinatown massage parlour on Thursday (July 2) afternoon.A video of the incident posted to Reddit shows a woman in a red blouse holding a man to the ground in a chokehold, while another woman in a black cardigan pushes his head down.He is also kicked repeatedly afterwards.Two other women can be seen trying to intervene, but one of them — identified as 8World to be the owner's wife — gets pushed and attacked as well. Another man can be seen dragging the woman in red away from the man being attacked.Eventually the man breaks free and attacks back, kicking and punching the woman in red.A crowd can be seen gathered outside later, including paramedics and police officers.Fighting in Chinatown massage parlorby u/TimidBear in asksg

A couple who recently collected the keys to their resale HDB flat discovered they had inherited some feathered tenants after finding a pigeon nest with eggs on their air-con ledge. In a video posted to social media on June 25, Sandra Lee reflected on the lessons she learned and the mistakes she made during her house-hunting journey. Among the lessons shared was the importance of checking the unit's exterior, especially the air-con ledge, which the live commerce host had assumed was not a major concern — a lesson she learned the hard way.Responding to AsiaOne's queries, Lee said the discovery came while she and her fiance were trying to switch off the main power to the air-con compressor, which is located on the ledge.When they opened the window to do so, they found the compressor stained with bird droppings and the entire area littered with twigs, feathers and houseflies.«We opened the window and got the shock of our lives,» she recalled in the video, adding that the air-con «smelled like we were in a bird park» when they turned it on.

An SBS Transit staff, who stayed by the side of an elderly woman seen lying on the road outside Boon Lay Bus Interchange in March, eventually helping her to safety, has been presented with the Singapore Civil Defence Force's (SCDF) Community First Responder award.Wong Chee Chuon, an assistant interchange supervisor, was presented with the award earlier this week, the bus and rail operator said in a social media post on Friday (July 3) evening.On March 25, Wong received a report about a congestion along Jurong West Central 3 and proceeded to check on the situation.«When I saw her lying in the middle of the road, I didn't think further — my priority was her safety,» he recounted in a commendation post by SBS Transit on March 27.According to Wong, the woman kept her eyes shut and remained silent, but did not appear to be in pain or have any breathing difficulties. 

A child was taken to hospital after a fire broke out in the living room of an Yishun HDB flat on Friday (July 3).In a Facebook post the same day, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the blaze at Block 381C Yishun Ring Road at around 5.15pm.Firefighters arrived to find the living room of a 12th floor flat on fire.They entered the smoke-filled unit and extinguished the blaze with a water jet.While in the unit, firefighters also found a child inside a bedroom. The child was assessed for smoke inhalation and conveyed to KK Women's and Children's Hospital.The cause of the fire is under investigation, said SCDF. [[nid:739313]]dana.leong@asiaone.com 

A 31-year-old man was arrested on Thursday (July 2) for allegedly stealing a motorcycle from a car park in Bedok.Police said in a news release on Friday night that they were alerted to the case, which took place at a multi-storey car park along Bedok South Road, at about 2.20pm on June 28.Officers from Bedok Police Division and the Police Operations Command Centre identified and arrested the man through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from police cameras.The stolen motorcycle has since been recovered.The 31-year-old will be charged in court on Saturday with theft of a motor vehicle.If found guilty, the man can be jailed for up to seven years and also fined.Police reminded motorcycle owners to always remove their ignition keys and lock their motorcycles when unattended.Motorists should also not leave spare keys or transponders inside any storage compartments of their motorcycles.[[nid:739576]]editor@asiaone.com 

Singapore and Timor-Leste can expand their cooperation and build on existing partnerships, with Singapore poised to provide additional support to the newest Asean member, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.Speaking to the media on Friday (July 3) at the end of his two-day official visit to Timor-Leste, PM Wong said the two nations are «opening a new chapter in our bilateral partnership».«We are adding substance to our relationship, and I'm sure that will continue to grow over time, and so the cooperation is stronger than ever,» he said, adding that healthcare and education are just two areas in which partnership has been deepened.Timor-Leste's participation in Asean will also create more opportunities for cooperation, said PM Wong.Singapore's relationship with Timor-Leste «goes back a long way», he said, explaining that the city-state has supported Timor-Leste's nation-building journey since 1999.

A victim who was involved in an Orchard Road brawl in the early hours of Thursday (July 2) was repeatedly slashed with a kitchen knife on his neck and the back of his head, a court heard.At the State Courts on Friday, three alleged assailants were charged with causing hurt with a deadly weapon with common intention.The trio, Jason Li Zhijie, 33, Clapton Goh Jun Siong, 27, and Badril Fitri Khasnuri, 25, are accused of committing the offence at about 2.55am along Buyong Road at the junction of Orchard Road.The location is near the Concorde Hotel Singapore.The three men will return to court in two weeks' time on July 17.If found guilty, they each face a jail term of up to seven years, a fine, caning, or any combination of such punishments.Under the law, when a crime is committed jointly by several persons, each person is liable for it as if it was committed by just one of them.The fight reportedly broke out when two groups of people clashed.The Singapore Civil Defence Force said five people were taken conscious to hospital.

Queenstown Sport Centre — Singapore's first sports complex which opened in 1970 — has reopened after being hit by renovation delays.As part of its soft launch, members of the public can use the gym and swimming pool for free until July 6.In a post on its Facebook page ActiveSG Circle Wednesday (July 1), Sport Singapore said: «As we progressively ramp up operations over the coming weeks ahead of our official opening, we'd love for you to drop by, explore the refreshed facilities and be part of this exciting new chapter with us.»The statutory board added: «Thank you for your patience and support as we continue to fine-tune and settle in.»Queenstown Sport Centre closed on May 14, 2023, for upgrading works, with completion initially scheduled for the end of 2025.AsiaOne has reached out to Sport Singapore for more information.

Workers' Party (WP) leader Kenneth Foo was one of 20 NSmen who were presented with the NSman of the Year award on Singapore Armed Forces Day (SAF) on Wednesday (July 1), according to the party's chief Pritam Singh.In posts on social media on Thursday, Singh said Foo was recognised for his «excellent national service performance and contributions», adding that he «richly deserved» the title.«Thank you for serving as a role model for so many of us, and anyone in uniform. Well done and congratulations! Majulah Singapura!»Foo, who is WP's deputy organising secretary, contested in the newly established Tampines Changkat SMC at the 2025 General Election, garnering 43.83 per cent of valid votes and losing to the People Action Party's Desmond Choo.

SINGAPORE — A 32-year-old man who tried to rape a former flatmate failed in his appeal for a retrial, and instead had his jail term increased by just over a year for the «troubling» way he had argued his appeal.Gao Xiong, who was a PhD student at the time of his offences, was originally sentenced on Dec 1, 2025, by the High Court to six years, six months and six weeks' jail, as well as three strokes of the cane.He was represented by a lawyer when he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted rape and three counts of criminal trespass.At his appeal hearing on May 12, the Chinese national, who did not have a lawyer, claimed that he was «confused» when he pleaded guilty and that he was not given the opportunity to address the court.Gao also blamed the victim for causing him to perpetuate the crime. He even tried to blame her flatmate, who had dragged him away from the woman, claiming that the intervention prevented him from apologising to the victim.On July 3, the Court of Appeal increased Gao's jail term to seven years, seven months and six weeks.

The personal information and property addresses of an estimated 70,000 people have been affected by a data security incident at the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), following unauthorised access to an IBM-managed cloud environment.In a statement on Friday (July 3) afternoon, SLA said the unauthorised access involved a data set created for the purpose of vendor development and testing.The data set, which was created in 1998 and updated periodically over the years, was intended to only contain mock and anonymised testing data based on property ownership and lodgement records.However, it has since been found to contain the names, NRIC numbers, and property addresses of an estimated 70,000 people. According to SLA, this information should have been anonymised, but was not, with investigations underway to determine how this occurred. IBM has since revoked access associated with the affected development and testing environment to prevent any other unauthorised access.

Two Singaporeans and two Malaysians have been charged in court over alleged workplace corruption involving more than $530,000 in bribes, as well as offences including money laundering, forgery and giving false information to a public officer.According to a Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) press release, those charged are: Singaporean company directors Panneerselvam s/o Arunasalam from H&A Engineering Pte Ltd and Tan Swee Soon from San Hoe Hardware Pte Ltd, as well as Malaysian nationals Logeswaran Bandiyya, a former shift engineer, and Lim Siew Teng, a former manager.The various offences allegedly occurred in 2021 and 2022, and primarily involved 45-year-old Logeswaran from REC Solar Pte Ltd.Sought another $310k after receiving $220k in bribesThe CPIB alleged that between July and December 2021, Lim and Tan conspired to give Logeswaran gratification totalling $220,000 in the form of cash cheques and bank transfers, as an inducement for him to render assistance to their company, San Hoe, and further its business interests with REC.

Timor-Leste conferred its highest honour, the Order of Timor-Leste (Grand Collar), on Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday (July 3). In an earlier statement issued on July 1, the Prime Minister's Office said that the award recognises Singapore's contributions to Timor-Leste's national development, and support for its membership in the Association of Southeast Asian nations (Asean).The country became the bloc's 11th member in October 2025.PM Wong received the Order of Timor-Leste (Grand Collar) from President Jose Ramos-Horta a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Dili.In his remarks at the conferment ceremony, PM Wong said he is receiving the award on behalf of Singapore and the many Singaporeans who have contributed to the friendship between the two countries. «The award belongs to those who have served here over the years – conducting training, sharing professional knowledge, building capabilities, and living and working alongside our Timorese friends in support of nation-building,» the prime minister added.

A 70-year-old man died after reportedly falling into the sea while unloading cargo off Pulau Ubin on Wednesday (July 1). The deceased, identified as Huang Laiming (transliteration), was a boatman and had been transporting construction supplies to Pulau Ubin on behalf of a contractor, according to Chinese publication 8world. He had reportedly finished unloading the cargo and was standing at the front of a boat when he lost his balance and fell into the sea. He then struck his head on a rock in the water and later died from his injuries.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted at about 2pm to the incident at 91 Loyang Way, which is the address of both the Police Coast Guard's Loyang Base and the Loyang Marine Fire Post.The deceased was retrieved from the waters and taken unconscious to Changi General Hospital, where he later died, the authorities said. Boatman for over 10 yearsOne of the deceased's younger brothers, Huang, told the Chinese news outlet that he learned of the accident after receiving a call from workers at the scene. 

Pek Kio resident Uncle Thien, famed for using twigs to create portraits on walkways, has died at 83.The retiree was a familiar face around the neighbourhood, often choosing to work on his art in the vicinity of Block 44 Owen Road.MP Alvin Tan, who oversees the Moulmein-Cairnhill division of Tanjong Pagar GRC, paid tribute to the talented twig artist on social media on Thursday (July 2).Uncle Thien was «happiest» when he assembled figures out of twigs in a quiet public spot, said Tan, who first met the elderly man in 2020.«Uncle Thien is dear to us in Pek Kio. He was unwell recently and passed on yesterday (July 1)...Attended his wake today and met his family who told us how he felt so at home here with us,» he added.«We will miss him.» 

Singapore will open up selected sectors and occupations to Timor-Leste workers next year, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced on Friday (July 3), during his two-day official visit to the country.Describing it as a «win-win initiative», PM Wong said at the joint press conference with his Timor-Leste counterpart Xanana Gusmao that this will be a valuable partnership for both sides. «(It will allow) Timorese people to gain skills and work experience, and then come back eventually to contribute to Timor-Leste. At the same time, it helps to meet the manpower needs of Singapore in selected sectors,» he explained.The prime minister also pointed out that the move goes beyond being an economic initiative, and could build closer people-to-people ties and business-to-business exchanges, thereby facilitating further cooperation in future.Echoing the point, Timor-Leste PM Gusmao highlighted that human resources is one of the «greatest challenges» faced by the developing country.

Shell on Thursday (July 2) posted fuel prices adjustments twice as Caltex and Sinopec caught up with price changes.In a second price board update at 6pm, Shell announced a 7-cent reduction to its diesel price, following an earlier 5-cent drop across its petrol offerings at 9am.Caltex's subsequent 5-cent reduction across its petrol offerings and 7-cent drop on its diesel offering was followed by Sinopec's 5-cent reduction across its petrol  offerings.But Sinopec kept its diesel price unchanged.Following the latest round of adjustments, the price of the more popular 95-octane petrol now ranges from $2.59 at Cnergy to $3.42 at Esso and SPC.Meanwhile, the price of diesel ranges from $2.58 at Smart Energy to $4.12 at Esso. 

SINGAPORE — A police officer who unlawfully accessed his workplace computer systems and shared his findings with a friend was sentenced to a year and four months' jail on July 2.Shivasuria Maniam Kesaval, 29, was a Traffic Police (TP) investigation officer at the time of the offences, and his friend, Brayden Ong Ying Shan, 25, was the subject of a police report.Ong later made a death threat against the woman who had reported him to the authorities.After a trial, Shivasuria was convicted of four counts of misusing a computer system and one count of an offence under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).District Judge Lim Tse Haw also found Ong guilty of criminal intimidation and an offence under the OSA.On July 2, Deputy Public Prosecutor Jeremy Bin told the court that Ong had fled the country by boat on June 2 following his conviction. There is now a warrant of arrest against him.A review on the matter will take place on July 14.In an earlier statement, the police said that Shivasuria was suspended in August 2022.

A total of 230 suspects believed to have been involved in scams as scammers or money mules were rounded up in a police dragnet between June 18 and July 1.The suspects — 159 men and 71 women — are aged between 16 and 77.They are believed to have been involved in more than 713 scam cases, with victims losing around $9 million.The cases comprised mainly e-commerce scams, friend impersonation scams, job scams, government official impersonation scams, investment scams and rental scams, said the police in a media release on Tuesday (July 2).The suspects are being investigated for the offences of cheating, money laundering or providing payment services without a licence.The two-week police operation was conducted by the police's Commercial Affairs Department and all seven land divisions.The offence of cheating is punishable by up to 10 years' jail and a fine.Money laundering carries a penalty of up to 10 years' imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $500,000.Carrying on a business to provide any type of payment service without a license is punishable by a fine of up to $125,000 and/or up to three years' jail.

Worried about taking the wrong train when the Circle Line (CCL) finally becomes a completed circle on July 12?Finding your way is «easier than you think», the Land Transport Authority (LTA) assured commuters on Thursday (July 2), as it has improved the digital displays at stations based on public feedback.By using a bigger font and removing service icons, the wayfinding display systems will show more prominently the next interchange or terminal station of a train.The interchange stations — there are 12 in total — and terminal stations act as markers to indicate the direction the train goes, and are key to having a smooth journey on the CCL.

All four public healthcare apps will be consolidated under an enhanced HealthHub app by November this year.The consolidated app — which brings together the current HealthHub, NHG Health, NUHS, and SingHealth Health Buddy apps — will offer a seamless way to access public healthcare services digitally, said Senior Minister of State for Health Tan Kiat How on Thursday (July 2).«Today, many Singaporeans still navigate different healthcare applications, different logins, and different ways of accessing care. We can do better,» Tan said.He added that bringing all four apps together makes healthcare «easier to understand, easier to navigate, and easier to participate in».Tan was speaking at NHG Health's 10th Centre for Healthcare Innovation Innovate Conference 2026.In a joint press release the same day, national healthtech agency Synapxe along with the three public healthcare clusters — NHG Health, SingHealth and NUHS — said the consolidated HealthHub app will create a simplified pathway for accessing public healthcare services and allow residents to manage their healthcare needs conveniently in one app instead of navigating multiple platforms.

Singapore will reduce the maximum period that timber scaffolds can remain in use from the current 9 months to 3 months, starting Jan 1 next year, Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng announced on Thursday (July 2).The move is part of an ongoing scaffold fire safety review by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), including fire performance requirements for scaffold nettings.In a separate statement on Thursday, the ministry said the reduced duration will mitigate fire risks arising from the prolonged presence of combustible timber materials, particularly in environments involving hot works.It added that this will also address safety concerns associated with the deterioration of timber over time due to weather exposure, wear and tear, and mechanical damage, which could compromise structural integrity.«Shortening the permissible duration promotes regular renewal and replacement of scaffold materials, reduces the likelihood of undetected defects, and encourages the adoption of more durable, non-combustible scaffold systems such as steel, aluminium and metal modular scaffold systems,» MOM explained.

A 13-year-old white Bengal tiger named Pasha was euthanised on Wednesday (July 1) following a long-standing battle with cancer. In posts on social media on Thursday, Mandai Wildlife Reserve wrote: «We are deeply saddened to share that Night Safari said goodbye to Pasha, our white Bengal tiger.»In response to AsiaOne's queries, Mandai Wildlife Group veterinarian Trent Van Zanten said that despite receiving palliative care in recent months, Pasha's condition had continued to decline and he subsequently stopped responding to treatment.Pasha had been under long-term care for several age-related issues, including severe osteoarthritis, which affected his mobility and caused pain. He was also diagnosed with lymphoma, a progressive form of blood cancer, earlier this year.«Following a comprehensive veterinary assessment, our teams made the difficult decision to humanely euthanise him to prevent further suffering,» said Van Zanten.

A $2 plate of nasi lemak is almost unheard of in Singapore today. But at a Yishun food stall, that's exactly what customers are getting. Reban Kasran, 57 and his wife, Sakdiah Abdul Latiff, 53, sell nasi lemak for $2 despite paying nearly $10,000 in monthly rent for their stall at Block 101, Yishun Avenue 5, reported Berita Harian (BH) on Tuesday (June 30).They introduced $2 nasi lemak at Indonesian Selera Corner after hearing that customers, particularly senior citizens, wanted a simple and affordable meal.The couple sells two types of nasi lemak, chicken and fish. Each comes with coconut rice, sambal, egg, anchovies, peanuts and cucumber slices.«We want to ensure that vulnerable groups, such as senior citizens and low-income families, can still afford a meal without having to worry about the price,» Sakdiah told BH.Affordability was a key consideration when pricing their food, as customers range from students to workers stopping by for breakfast before heading to school or work.

Chinese movie Dear You will receive an additional 70 screenings from in its original Teochew-language version from July 3 to 12 following overwhelming public demand.Golden Village (GV) and local movie distributor Clover Films will screen the Teochew-language versions across nine cinemas across the country: GV VivoCity, GV Yishun, GV Bishan, GV Tampines, GV Jurong Point, GV Bugis+, GV Cineleisure, Shaw Lido and Shaw Jem, reported The Straits Times on Wednesday (July 1).This comes a few days after 14,000 tickets were snapped up in under three hours for an additional 40 screenings of the Teochew-language version on Monday.Tickets went on sale at 12pm on Thursday (July 2) at all GV and Shaw box offices and their respective websites.When AsiaOne visited the GV website on 12.49pm then, the estimated wait time was indicated to be more than three hours.

A brawl outside a nightclub along Kramat Lane during the early hours of Thursday (July 2) morning saw five people taken to the hospital and two others arrested.The incident occurred at around 2.45am along Buyong Road outside the Candy Lounge nightclub.According to Lianhe Zaobao, two groups of people had clashed outside the nightclub, with one person stabbed in the neck. They were reportedly customers of the nightclub.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted at about 3am to the incident near the junction of Orchard Road and Buyong Road.When police arrived, officers found four injured men, all aged 38, at the scene. Three suffered lacerations while one had minor injuries. Five people were taken conscious to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, added the SCDF. Following investigations, two men, aged 25 and 27, were arrested for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means and a knife was seized as a case exhibit, said the police. The 27-year-old man was subsequently taken conscious to the hospital. Police investigations are ongoing. 

Singapore's housing market continued to cool at a measured pace in the second quarter of 2026. Private home prices still edged higher, although growth slowed to its weakest pace in seven quarters, while HDB resale prices declined for a second consecutive quarter.The latest URA and HDB flash estimates suggest the market is shifting towards a more balanced phase, with buyers remaining active but increasingly price-conscious amid a wider range of housing options.Private home prices continue to rise, but momentum slows PHOTO: 99.co Private residential property prices rose by 0.5 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) flash estimates released on July 1.

A woman was disgusted after allegedly finding a lizard in her fried rice from Wok Hey — but the F&B business said its investigations indicate that the pest did not originate from their shop.The diner had ordered from Wok Hey's Tampines One outlet on June 28, and had taken three bites of the meal before she discovered the lizard, according to Mothership.Photographs showed a brown lizard measuring about the same length as the bowl of the spoon head laying among rice grains.The woman discarded the meal upon seeing the animal, and contacted Wok Hey's customer service where she was offered two complimentary meals.However, she declined the offer, stating that she had instead asked for a $7.30 refund because she «will not want to eat there again».The woman also said that she contacted Singapore Food Agency (SFA) about the incident.'No sign of lizard activity' at outlet: Wok HeyA spokesperson for Wok Hey told AsiaOne that the customer had reported the incident on the following day, to which the company «immediately commenced an internal review».

A 56-year-old man was arrested for public nuisance after repeatedly hitting a van while attempting to direct traffic in Serangoon on Wednesday (July 1). A video on TikTok shows a man in a white singlet standing in the middle of the traffic junction at 261 Serangoon Central Drive, waving vehicles forward and signalling for them to stop.[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@exclusiveshopper/video/7657376429570657543?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc[/embed]The man — dubbed as a «civilian traffic police» in the caption — could be heard yelling «stop» at various pedestrians to prevent them from crossing, even when the traffic light had turned green for them.When several vehicles began honking at him for obstructing the flow of traffic, he could be heard shouting expletives at the drivers.In a separate video posted to Instagram, he could be seen holding his arms out to prevent vehicles from driving ahead.As a van attempted to drive past him, he could be seen repeatedly hitting the front of the van.

What began as an employer-helper relationship for one Singapore household has grown into a close bond over the years, with the family travelling to their helper's hometown in Indonesia to attend her wedding and extend support to the local community.Speaking to AsiaOne, Richard Kwok, 49, shared how the family's four-year relationship with his helper, Anisa, 27, had grown into a close, family-like friendship that extended far beyond work.«It is hard to find a good helper, and we have had our fair share of bad experiences. So when Anisa first came to us, she was very hardworking, and over time, we developed a close bond,» said the father of two.Kwok added that the family has also travelled overseas with Anisa, including a trip to New Zealand last year.However, it was only after spending a week in Anisa's hometown of Indramayu from June 21 to attend her wedding that Kwok felt compelled to support the local community.

Singapore has received approval from the US for the potential acquisition of additional Hellfire missiles, used on the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF) AH-64D Apache helicopter, in a deal estimated to be worth US$22.3 million (S$28.9 million).The US Department of State said in a press statement on June 30 that Singapore had requested to purchase an additional 24 AGM-114R Hellfire missiles, bringing its total potential procurement to 67 missiles.This will also include spare parts, technical and logistic support services.«This proposed sale will improve Singapore’s capability to meet current and future threats by enhancing and extending the Singapore Air Force’s ability to conduct operations and enable effective training,» the statement read, noting that Singapore will «have no difficulty» absorbing this training into its armed forces.The Hellfire AGM-114R missile is an air-to-ground precision weapon that is capable of defeating a broad target set, according to its manufacturer Lockheed Martin.Apart from attack helicopters such as the Apache, it can also be equipped on unmanned aerial vehicles, warships and military vehicles. 

SINGAPORE — After being jolted awake by a slamming door, a man living in a one-room rental flat in Redhill felt he could no longer tolerate his flatmate, with whom he had been having disputes.Ng Boon Hong poured boiling oil on 61-year-old Ang Cheng Kek to inflict pain before he stabbed the victim to death with a knife.On July 1, Ng, who is now 63 years old, was sentenced to life imprisonment after he was convicted of murdering Ang between the night of March 15, 2023, and the early hours of March 16, 2023.The victim bled to death from multiple stab wounds to the abdomen.An autopsy found a total of 35 injuries, of which 24 were caused by a sharp cutting weapon, while the rest included burns, bruises and abrasions.Ng did not contest the murder charge, which carries the death sentence or life imprisonment. The prosecution did not object to the life sentence sought by Ng's lawyers.High Court Judge Dedar Singh Gill agreed that the imposition of the death penalty was not warranted.The judge said it was clear that Ng did not want the victim to «die easily».

Some 25 active Singaporean Chinese community leaders on Wednesday (July 1) embarked on a four-month leadership programme, aimed at systematically nurturing the next generation of community leaders.This follows Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's announcement of a Chinese Community Leadership Programme (CCLP) at last year's National Day Rally.Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat, in his capacity as chairman of the Chinese Community Liaison Group (CCLG), later provided further details, saying the programme will expose participants to strategic issues facing Singapore.The minister added that this will help them to deepen their understanding of the Singaporean Chinese identity and culture.Speaking at the launch of the inaugural CCLP at NTU@One-North on Wednesday, Chee highlighted that Singapore's achievements today are the result of the collective efforts of the pioneering generation. 

A contractor that illegally cleared saplings planted under the OneMillionTrees movement at the Central Catchment Nature Reserve was handed a 24-month conditional warning by the National Parks Board (NParks).The warning comes after investigations discovered that the illegal clearance at Lower Peirce Reservoir on May 29 was due to an error by a project supervisor, NParks said in response to media queries.Jessica Kwok, NParks' group director for enforcement and investigation, said that the contractor involved had been doing works for the cyclical replacement of the boardwalk at the park and needed a location near the trail entrance to store materials.Kwok added that NParks had communicated to the site supervisor that the area proposed by the contractor was not suitable for their storage space, and that NParks had identified a suitable location for storage, on the condition that no trees or plants would be affected.The project supervisor had reportedly misunderstood the instructions left by the site supervisor, she said in a statement to the media.

A 51-year-old man who damaged a crow cage on Havelock Road in March and let four birds escape was on Monday (June 29) handed a 24-day jail term.Mohd Yusrin Mohd Yusof pleaded guilty to one charge of mischief for disrupting a public agency's duty and function.At the time of the offence, Yusrin was out on bail, having been earlier charged with theft of a beer bottle.The court heard that on March 2, at about 12.30am, Yusrin used a rock to break the lock of an NParks crow cage outside Havelock View Coffeeshop, which had been installed to control the bird population. As a result, three birds escaped.Later that day, at about 11pm, Yusrin returned to the same spot at Block 51 Havelock Road. This time, he lifted and toppled the bird trap with his hands, causing $3,150 in damages and letting another bird free.The prosecutor pointed out that Yusrin's actions obstructed the work of a government agency, reported Lianhe Zaobao.In mitigation, Yusrin pleaded for leniency, saying he empathised with the birds and felt sorry for them.