Current Affairs in August 2024 (PDF)

August: 32 cyclists were fined for flouting group size rules over two Sundays in Singapore ○ Groups must be no more than 5 cyclists if they are riding in single file ○ 10 cyclists if riding two side-by-side on roads with two or more lanes Japan warns that th...

August: 32 cyclists were fined for flouting group size rules over two Sundays in Singapore ○ Groups must be no more than 5 cyclists if they are riding in single file ○ 10 cyclists if riding two side-by-side on roads with two or more lanes Japan warns that the risk of a “megaquake” has increased, after Thursday’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake ○ Prompted thousands of hotel cancellations in high-risk areas Team Singapore’s olympians are setting of on their bus parade Hong Kong director and action choreographer Corey Yuen was revealed to have died in 2022 from Covid-19 Toxic substances found in Shein and Temu products – sometimes amounts many times above acceptable levels, according to the latest round of inspections by Seoul authorities ○ Formaldehyde was found in Shein’s caps at double the permissible limit After a night of drinking to celebrate the last day of reservist training, a man drive his uncle’s Mercedes and ended up falling asleep and mounting a kerb near Sixth Avenue MRT station ○ He was given a jail, a fine and a drinking ban Thailand’s constitutional court has removed Srettha Thavisin as prime minister after less than a year in office for breaching ethical rules over a Cabinet appointment 40 NUS students will be paid to lead guided tours and educate tourists on visitor guidelines and etiquettes ○ This comes after complaints online about badly behaved tourists who crowd out students on shuttle buses, the library and the food courts Bicycles and PMDs will be banned from pedestrian-only footpaths from 1st July 2025 Yew Tee CC deputy constituency director helped himself to more than $12 000 from National Day ticket sales to feed his online gambling addiction  HDB lease buyback scheme: 12 600 homeowners sell part of their flat leases back to HDB since 2009, gets 100 000-300 000 back in return Billion-dollar money laundering case: 3 more people will be charged ○ 2 former bank relationship managers whose clients included convicted criminals Su Baolin, Vang Shuiming and Lin Baoying ○ The former personal driver of Su Binghai who is still at large Mpox: declared a global public health emergency ○ Outbreak of the viral infection in Congo that has spread to neighbouring countries Wally Amos, creator of Famous Amos cookies, has died at the age of 88 Chateraise’s 90 year old founder Hiroshi Saito has died Billion-dollar money laundering case: former bank employees, driver charged with helping culprits ○ Two former bank relationship managers and a driver were charged with helping some of the money launderers in the billion-dollar case in Singapore ○ Identified as Wang Qiming, Liu Kai (former bank employee) and Liew Yik Kit (personal driver) “Magic Carpet” ride in China ○ Location: Guangxi tourist spot ○ 1 person dead, 60 people injured Heat related deaths ○ 21 died in South Korea, Seoul ○ North Korea has issued a warning over fierce heat with temperatures up to 37 degrees Cat themed purrsa malam coming to Geylang Serai on Aug 17-18 Former teacher was jailed for possessing child porn and for obstructing justice ○ He admitted to watching videos in chat groups involving babies ○ Refused to provide the police with the passwords to his devices (phone, macbook)  Construction firms feeling the effects of Bangladesh’s recent unrest ○ More workers are asking to return home to be with their families ○ Companies are facing difficulty in recruiting new staff 7 year old girl has died after being hit by a school bus ○ Location: Topiary condominium in Sengkang Japan has lifted the megaquake warning ○ But also cautions that the “possibility of a major earthquake has not been eliminated” BTS Jungkook – releasing his first solo documentary titled Jungkook: I Am Still on Sep 18 CNA explains: Mpox ○ WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency – second such declaration in 2 years ○ Virus that causes mpox: transmitted from human to human through large respiratory droplets or body fluids ○ No vaccines are available yet Stage 0 breast cancer ○ DCIS = stage 0 breast cancer, accounts for 25-30% of breast cancer in all Singapore women ○ Disease tends to be asymptomatic and the best way to detect it is through a mammogram ○ Mainstay treatment is surgery to remove the tumour, followed by radiation Typhoon Ampil (Japan) – 6 Singapore Airlines flights going between Singapore and Japan were retimed in view of adverse weather conditions UN human rights chief called the 40 000 Palestinians reported killed in Israel’s 10 month assault on Gaza a “grim milestone” Five people who allegedly supplied ketamine to Friends star Matthew Perry have been charged in relation to his death by overdose  ○ They knew what they were doing but they did it anyway Mustafa Centre in Little India will resume 24h operation from September Singapore police officer from Secret Societies Branch was sentenced to 6.5 years’ jail for corruption and obstructing justice ○ Poo Tze Chiang received more than $30 000 in bribes and loans in exchange for shielding 2 gang members from investigations Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of Thaksin, gets the required number of parliamentary votes to become Thailand’s next prime minister Commuters at 7 bus interchanges around Singapore can look forward to facilities such as priority queue zones, more seating, baby care and family washrooms ○ Ang Mo Kio, Clementi, Sengkang MaNaDr – ordered to suspend telemedicine services after MOH uncovered that they have been issuing multiple MCs over a short period of time PropertyGuru (in SIngapore headquarters) will be acquired for US $1.1 billion by Asian investment firm EQT Private Capital Asia Android users in Singapore tried to install high-risk apps nearly 900 000 times in the past 6 months ○ But the system has blocked the attempts as part of a trial to better protect users against malware scams Users are unhappy over the switch of to the new platform MyActiveSG+ ○ More confusing and troublesome Recent spate of housebreaking cases near Bukit Timah is linked to foreign syndicates ○ 14 Chinese nationals are currently on the wanted list Working parents will have additional 10 weeks of paid leave they can share once a new parental leave scheme is fully rolled out  ○ Parents of newborns to get extra 10 weeks of shared leave; total paid leave to increase to 7.5 months ○ Business associations are supportive of more parental leave but warn that companies may face operational challenges as a result High-ability students will no longer need to leave their primary schools to go to those with GEP ○ All schools can identify and develop programmes for them ○ Students who are P1 in 2024 will be the first batch to benefit from the revamped programme, which will be expanded to 10% of the cohort Kallang Alive masterplan ○ New indoor arena with capacity of 18 000 – bigger than the current indoor stadium ○ Main road through Sports HUb will become a pedestrianised community boulevard with sports facilities and programmes for the public ○ New sports science and sports medicine facilities ○ Singapore Sports School will be moved from Kallang to Woodlands ○ National training centres for several key sports will be integrated SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme ○ Temporary financial support of up to $6000 for up to 6 months for the involuntarily unemployed Changes in housing grants, priority access for singles ○ Lower-income couples to get increased CPF housing grant ○ Singles to get priority access for buying BTO flats near parents Reducing regulatory burden for companies ○ Rules and processes will be “pruned” where possible to help businesses, especially SMEs Singapore goalkeeper Hassan Sunny announced his retirement from international football ○ Been active for 20 years and 115 caps  Philippines has detected a new case of Mpox, first since December last year ○ 33 year old Filipino man who has had no travel history outside of the country Snaking queues formed outside the VEP office in Woodlands after CNA reported on its opening and location Business seems to be booming at companies that help students prepare for the Secondary DSA process First supermoon of the year – 1am on Tuesday Eligible first-time HDB home buyers will have their enhanced CPF housing grant increased to a maxim of $120 000 for families, $60 000 for singles Record $10 158 for a hawker stall at Marine Parade British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his 18 year old daughter are among the 6 people missing after a luxury yacht was struck by a violent storm and sank off Sicily, Italy Tesla’s cybertruck in Singapore – see it up close from 22 Aug to 1 Sep A driver has been charged after allegedly posting photos and videos online of an immigration officer he was unhappy with at the Woodlands checkpoint Nintendo museum is opening in Japan in October Australia has approved US$13.5 billion - project to send solar energy to Singapore through a 4300 km undersea cable ○ Electricity supply is expected to begin in the early 2030s Jennifer Lopez has filed for divorce from Ben Affleck after 2 years of marriage Google Cloud director was drunk when he drove into a sign and a pole next to a zebra crossing outside the Supreme Court ○ Name: Jonathan David Rees Singapore is investigating a Bangladeshi preacher who gave an illegal and “extremist” sermon in Singapore on 9 August ○ He entered the country using a passport with a different name  Former NTU researcher stalked a PhD student she had developed feelings for, sending him 116 emails within 2 months despite a protection order A property agent let an unregistered agent he was mentoring handle a $900 000 condo unit purchase A man will be charged with voluntarily causing grievous hurt after another man died of his injuries following a fight on Geylang road NUS tourist crowds: by next year, tour buses will have to register before entering the campus ○ University has already barred tour buses from entering UTown ○ Tourists are not allowed on NUS shuttle buses Philippines: investigating how Alice Guo, a former town mayor accused of having ties with Chinese criminal syndicates, managed to flee the country Telegram scams are on the platform are up 137.5% in Singapore Singapore magician Jeremy Pei dies at 41 following a decade-long battle with brain cancer ○ Death comes 5 months after birth of second child Thailand has confirmed Asia’s first case of the new, deadlier mpox strain RSAF-15 jets training in Australia – could be the reason why there was a loud boom heard and felt in Perth 7 killed and 12 injured in a South Korea hotel fire Singaporean man applied for work permits for 21 foreign women to “work” as performing artistes at his pub or karaoke business ○ But once they came in the women moonlighted their jobs ○ The man still continued to collect profit by collecting monthly payments from the women Shein found 2 cases of its suppliers employing children under 16 last year Toxic cough syrup in Indonesia ○ 2 companies were ordered to pay $3850 to each family whose children died or were injured after they took the medicine  ○ More than 200 children died from acute kidney injury and about 120 survived – with some living with disabilities 9 people, including 2 children are missing and believed to be dead after a plane crashed in a jungle southeast of Bangkok, Thailand 67 year old man was found with $1.4 million worth of drugs, including 9.5 kg of heroin and 2.6 kg of Ice ○ He was caught in a 12 day drug operation that saw a 15 year old boy arrested too Golfer Shannon Tan has made history as the first Singaporean woman to make the cut at a Major ○ She will compete in the final 2 rounds of the Women’s Open at St Andrews Telegram’s billionaire founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France for an investigation into the app’s lack of moderators, according to the French media Tourist still missing after falling into the KL sinkhole Israel and Hezbollah launched hundreds of missiles in a major clash on Sunday Australians can now ignore work emails and calls after work hours without punishment from their bosses as the “right to disconnect” law comes into force Opposition leader Pritam Singh accused of lying to a Committee of Privileges, has applied for his case to be transferred to the High Court South Korean drivers scramble to get rid of electric vehicles, citing safety concerns following fires ○ A recent Mercedes EV fire in Incheon took over 8 hours to extinguish and damaged over 100 cars ○ Over 20 people hospitalised for smoke inhalation ○ Experts say the massive damage caused by the fire has changed perspectives on EVs Founder of Wake Up Singapore and the woman who made up an account of miscarriage at KKH were both fined by the court ○ Reason for making up the story: was bored and wanted drama  TouchSkin by DermaCare contains a potent steroid that should only be used under medical supervision Food delivery rider won damages after he was injured in a car accident – but court hearing also revealed that he had not declared his income or paid tax Telegram’s billionaire founder Pavel Durov was arrested in France as part of an investigation into child porn, drug trafficking and scams that can be found on the chat app Dutch national who masterminded a multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme disguised as crypto investments has been jailed and fined ○ Yang Bin, 61, left 12 victims with $1.1 million losses collectively Domestic helper from Myanmmar who was allegedly abusing a poodle in videos circulated online was charged with 4 counts of animal cruelty ○ Poodle reportedly died later that day Minimart at Parklane Shopping Mall had its tobacco retail licence revoked for selling vape products – first such case in Singapore 2nd sinkhole found in KL Jobseeker support scheme to have tiered payouts, open to those who earned up to $5000 a month Death of 2 month old baby turned up with more questions than answers in court, with parents giving conflicting accounts of what happened and then retracting some statements Dolphin bites increased at beaches in Japan ○ Child needed 20-30 stitches after a recent incident Singapore cancelling 4 flights between Singapore and Osaka as Typhoon ShanShan approaches Japan Amazon Singapore is increasing its Prime membership price A person was found dead after a fire outside a flat at Potong Pasir Avenue 1 this morning 54 year old man has admitted to cycling in the nude on Lazarus Island, and flashing multiple female students at NUS and NTU  Digital media outlet TODAY will be merged with CNA’s digital newsroom from 1 October, and will not result in any staff cuts Singapore Airlines: first international airline to fly in and out of Sydney’s second airport when it opens in late 2026 ○ Western Sydney International Airport will also operate round the clock A Malaysian navy diver died during salvage operations on the wrecked navy vessel KD Pendekar, which sank off the Johor coast Malaysia Airlines’ air operator certificate duration has been cut to 1 year, down from 3 years A woman was arrested at Woodlands checkpoint for trying to grab an ICA officer’s revolver Typhoon ShanShan slammed into Kyushu, Japan, this morning , with authorities issuing the highest warning level for wind and storm surges Kpop singer Taeil (NCT) has left band because of being accused in a criminal case related to a sexual crime 2 elderly people injured after a sinkhole swallowed up their car on a road in Seoul Man who wanted to divorce his estranged wife planted weed in her car so she would face the death penalty – it backfired 35 CHS students and 2 staff members fell ill with gastroenteritis after a school camp Yip Pin Xiu wins the 100m backstroke S2 at the Paris Paralympics (wins gold!) SGD hit a 10 year high against USD with US$1=SGD$1.30 Singapore Turf Club will be letting go of 90 workers in its first round of retrenchments, ahead of its planned closure From 1 Oct, Singapore drivers can avoid the $10 admin fee currently included in a missed ERP charge if they repay it within a 5 day grace period Sterra has apologised for misleading claims that Singapore’s tap water was unsafe ○ Falsely claimed their air purifiers were made in Singapore ○ Falsely labelled their water purifiers as “korean”  ○ Given false discounts, as their pre-discounted prices were not genuine A woman allegedly picked up a knife from a table at Han’s restaurant at Novena Square and tried to rob a man: she has been charged Veteran gynaecologist mistook a red arrow for a green one while drunk driving, colliding with 2 other vehicles and leaving 4 people injured ○ Jailed and given a 3 year driving ban Fire breaks out at Golden Mile Tower, more than a dozen vehicles engulfed in flames in car park on upper floor KL sinkhole: Malaysia halts rescue efforts for the victim as it is too dangerous due to structural integrity of area Two women locked a toddler into a plane’s bathroom and scolded her when the child wouldn't stop crying September Singapore Yip Pin Xiu claims gold in the 50m backstroke S2, her third straight win in the event Enrichment centres say changes in education policies in recent years have made parents “anxious” to try to beat the system ○ Parents are enrolling their children as young as the age of 5 to enrichment centres There is a 12 storey Daiso in Seoul that sells things like ○ $5 BTS dolls ○ Combat rations ○ Cheap beauty products ○ Fake CCTV cameras Scoot will launch Singapore-Melaka flights from 23 Oct but it appears environmentally unfriendly for a 20 minute flight ERP rates will go up at 3 expressway locations from 9 September, including an increase to $4 at KPE gantry in the morning Pope Francis about to embark on Asia-Pacific visit covering Singapore, in what would be his longest trip since assuming leadership of the Catholic Church Singapore’s Jeralyn Tan wins boccia silver medal at Paris paralympics – 4th Paralympian ever to achieve a podium finish Cathay Pacific has cancelled 24 flights while it inspects Airbus A350 fleet, after one of its engines experienced a mid-flight part failure 123 people died of heatstroke in July in Japan due to them experiencing the hottest summer Park inspired by Winnie the Pooh’s Hundred Acre Wood is now open in the Bidadari estate ○ More than 18 football fields in size ○ Has a treehouse playground with climbing nets  25 year old man and 21 year old woman have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the death of their 8 month old son ○ Mother of 8 month old Trevor Neo has been named and charged over son’s death ○ Husband also charged with failing to protect him New Zealand tripling its tourist levy to NZ$100 from 1 October Singapore drivers will soon be able to collect their VEP tags in Woodlands, a new option for pick-up now offered by Malaysian authorities ○ Malaysia to open 2 more locations in Johor for Singapore vehicle owners to install their VEP tags ○ Malaysia is delaying VEP enforcement – Singapore vehicles without their VEP tag that enter the country from 1 Oct will get a reminder Drivers will get a warning notice when they leave Malaysia if they have not installed their RFID tag ○ Malaysia is looking to open more VEP centres including in JB malls Friendly Beluga whale named Hvaldimir who was suspected for spying for Russia has been found dead near Norway for unknown reasons ○ First found 5 years ago wearing a harness with an apparent camera mount stamped with “Equipment St Petersburg” China is investigating the production of goji berries after a report revealed that harmful chemicals – toxic industrial sulphur – were being used to enhance the berries bright red colour ○ : tests on dried goji berries in Singapore are “satisfactory”, Singapore Food Agency says, amid reports of excessive chemical use on fruits in China School bus ploughed into a crowd outside a school in Eastern China, killing at least 11 – including 5 students Suspected Indonesian terrorist who plotted a terror attack on the Singapore Exchange Building in 2014 has been arrested in Sulawesi  A Tiktoker’s salad recipe has cause cucumber shortages in Iceland Nvidia suffered a US$279 billion loss in market value overnight after it gave a quarterly forecast that failed to meet investors’ expectations Sterra customers CNA spoke to are angry over the company’s misleading marketing and product claims, but still aren’t planning to seek refunds Singapore will offer Mpox vaccine for free to healthcare workers at the highest risk of exposure, as well as close contacts of confirmed cases American pizza chain Little Caesars is closing its last Singapore outlet in Funan mall “sometime in September” A baby trafficking syndicate in Indonesia was found to have bought babies from parents on Facebook for 10-15 million rupiah and resold them at much higher prices in Bali ○ 8 people have been arrested so far Singapore collected $80.3 billion in tax revenue in the past financial year – a 17% increase from the year before ○ Biggest driver of the growth: corporate income tax 2 TCM retailers said they’ll continue selling goji berries from China despite reports of investigations into toxic chemicals added to them since SFA said they were “satisfactory” 1 crew member dead and another is missing after a tugboat sank in Singapore waters. Search and rescue operations are ongoing A 14 year old student shot and killed 2 fellow students and 2 teachers at a US high school, wounding 9 others as well Leader of a gambling syndicate who earned $1.28 million from illegal 4D, TOTO and football bets over 5 years has pleaded guilty ○ Shunmugam Morgan had also recruited his friends, son-in-law and girlfriend into the illegal enterprise Teen tried to buy crypto in person using $32 000 in cash but was assaulted and nearly robbed  ○ Man who allegedly arranged the attack has been charged French woman was drugged and raped around 200 times over 10 years, including by strangers her husband recruited ○ She will testify against her husband and 50 other men in a trial that will run to December Dozens of viruses have been detected in animals at China fur farms, raising concerns about their potential to spill over to humans ○ Global fur farming industry is “one of the most likely ways by which a new pandemic will start” Singapore undertaker Roland Tay, known for providing pro-bono services for murder victims has been handed a fine and a $529 000 penalty for several tax offences While in transit at Changi Airport, a woman went on a theft spree over 1h 40 minutes, filching more than $600 in cosmetics, neck pillows and other items Georgia high school shooting: father of the 14 year old suspect was charged with 2nd degree murder for “l knowingly allowing his son Colt to possess a weapon” ○ Colt was questioned last year after he was connected to school shooting threats on Discord, but investigators couldn’t confirm that it was his account Library @ Orchard will be closing for 2 years for a revamp from 28 October While out on bail for theft, a 16 year old teen raped his 14 year old schoolmate while her boyfriend held her down, on the boyfriend’s invitation 7 people injured after Scoot flight TR100 from Singapore to Guangzhou, China hits turbulence, 1 passenger hospitalised 41 year old man will be charged with murder, following the death of a woman at Maxwell Food Centre A new licensing scheme allows HDB residents to keep cats in their flats (took effect on 1 September) Chinese and Japanese gardens in Singapore have reopened with new attractions  ○ Features: An edible garden, waterfall and “breathing gallery” Kimchi in South Korea is under threat from climate change World’s largest indoor ski resort has opened in Shanghai, even as China faced its hottest August in 60 years Philippines have arrested Apollo Quiboloy, a celebrity pastor accused of sex trafficking and sexual abuse ○ He later on pleaded not guilty to a sex trafficking charge ○ Eventually was charged with sex trafficking and child abuse 40 people who allegedly allowed criminals to sue their Singpass details or bank accounts will be the first to be charged under new anti-scam laws MOE has terminated its contract with Mobile Guardian after the device management company suffered 2 major cybersecurity breaches earlier this year ○ MOE has taken legal action against the “relevant contractors” which affected 13 000 users from 26 secondary schools in August School canteen operators are shuttering their stalls because of rising costs and limited opening hours ○ Schools are switching to careers and vending machines to feed their students Japanese cookie brand Sugar Butter Tree is coming to Singapore ○ Brought in by the same company as Tokyo Banana Bus and MRT fares for adult commuters are set to go up by 10 cents per journey from 28 December Blackpink Jennie has signed with Columbia Records as a solo artiste James Earl Jones dies at the age of 93 ○ Voice of Darth Vader and The Lion King’s Mufasa Singaporean high roller was ordered to pay his debt of more than A$38 million to an Australian casino after losing at a baccarat in 2018  Huawei racked up 3 million pre orders for its Mate XT phone, hours before Apple’s Iphone 16 launch event Typhoon Yagi in Vietnam: 30 year old bridge collapsed while vehicles were still passing over it, leaving 8 missing ○ In total, the typhoon has left 63 people dead, and 40 others missing Hit and run driver went at 141 km/h and caused the death of a 22 year old motorcyclist ○ Fled to JB and was arrested when he returned the next day Raids on “malicious cyber ops”: 6 men arrested in simultaneous raids at residential locations across Singapore, with laptops, mobile phones, cash and $850 000 in crypto seized Fire involving lithium-ion batteries broke out at Digital Realty’s data centre in Loyang Former actor Huang Yiliang has been charged with driving a van into a cyclist who had the right of way Taylor Swift endorses US Vice President Kamala Harris to be the country’s next leader 2 businesses under nail salon chain Nail Palace have been fined ($15 000) and their managing director was sentenced to 4 months jail, for contempt of court ○ They were required to tell customers they had engaged in unfair practices, but missed the deadline and then published notices in extremely small font A party in Bali serving dog meat was raided by the police, who are questioning 15 people for dog abuse More than 400 boys and girls were rescued from 20 welfare homes in 2 Malaysian states, after they were allegedly abused, some sexually ○ 171 caregivers, religious teachers and management at these homes were arrested ○ Residents near one home have reported that the children kept to themselves, had some some “peculiar religious practices”, and were engaged in various works, such as helping out at a stable that offers paid rides with animals and selling goat milk  ○ GISB, a malaysian firm, which police say is linked to the 20 homes, has denied involvement and wrongdoing Turns out that they have 10 000 followers across the country and the followers are still practising the teachings of a sect that was declared deviant in 1994 ○ 22 people, including GISB’s chairman and CEO and his wife, have been charged with being members of an organised crime group Consumers in Singapore will likely have to pay more for their rides and deliveries after a landmark Bill giving platform workers better labour protection was passed A fugitive penguin in japan has been found safe 2 weeks after running away from an event and escaping into the sea E-commerce platform Qoo10 is being investigated by police in Singapore after businesses were hit by payment delays A man had beat his girlfriend’s daughter with special needs on multiple occasions, including once with a belt that caused bruises on her face, arms and legs Driving schools in Singapore are taking action against students using paid bots to book practical lesson slots 50 000 people attended mass with Pope Francis at the National Stadium – the first papal mass in Singapore since 1986 A woman failed in her court bid to get $600 in monthly maintenance from her husband amid divorce proceedings DSTA manager has been charged under the Official Secrets Act for leaking info to another man, including on a 3 million dollar renovation project Singapore motorists can now collect VEP tags from the information centre in Woodlands A cyclist was fatally attacked by a swarm of hornets after part of their nest broke and fell from a tree along Sembawang Park Connector  There are now young $1 lawyers who want to make a career in giving free legal advice and representation and provide justice for all Malaysia Airlines lost just 12 engineers to SIA Engineering Company. Group managing director said “not in great numbers” in response to rumours of staff being poached Attempted assisination of Trump at International Golf Course All flights at Shanghai’s 2 main airports were cancelled on Sunday ahead of Typhoon Bebinca making landfall ○ 11 flights to Shanghai between Sunday and Monday are affected US Federal Reserve is likely to announce its first interest rate cut since 2020 ○ Cut its key lending rates by 50 basis points for the first time in 4 years Unfriendly relations between North and South Korea: a North Korean trash balloon caused a fire after it landed on a building in Seoul Police report has been lodged by the parents of the Bukit View Secondary School student who was allegedly bullied by his schoolmates in a video that went viral, the school’s principal said A man bit a police officer while trying to evade capture after he was caught speeding on the KPE ○ Charged with multiple offences, including dangerous driving, driving without a licence and for selling his Singpass Times Bookstore is closing its very last outlet Amazon employees will have to WFO 5 days a week from 2025, after its CEO scrapped its WFH policy Tupperware Brands plans to file for bankruptcy Malaysia has reported its first Mpox case New scam alert – fake emails from “One Motoring” claiming that road tax was expiring have been reported Free genetic screening for expectant parents and couples planning for children will be offered at KK Hospital between this year and 2027  Train service faults: ○ Circle line disrupted due to power fault ○ East West line disruptions between Boon Lay and Queenstown due to smoking trains ○ East West line disruptions between Jurong East and Buona Vista ○ East West line delays from Queenstown to Bugis and Outram Park to Queenstown due to a train fault ○ Bukit Panjang LRT services disrupted More than 1000 people in Lebanon, including Hezbollah fighters and medics were wounded when the pagers they use to communicate exploded across the country ○ At least 9 dead and 3000 injured ○ Found out that Israel’s spy agency planted the explosives in 5000 pagers imported by Hezbollah – exploded when a coded message was sent to them ○ Hand-held radios used by Hezbollah reportedly detonated across Lebanon in a new wave of explosions Heavy rain and strong winds battered Singapore on Tuesday evening, felling trees in many locations across the island 30 year old malaysian doctor found dead in her home ○ Cause of death: workplace bullying Banks in Singapore will require SIngpass face verification for customers setting up digital tokens, in an effort to prevent scams A man accused of molesting multiple people by grinding against their butts cried while asking for bail ○ But then he did it again while on bail earlier Teachers should not be expected to respond to work-related messages outside of school hours, except in emergencies  From December 2024, visa-exempt travellers will ended to apply for a mandatory electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to Thailand US Justice Department is seeking more than US$100 million from the Singapore owner of a cargo ship that destroyed a Baltimore bridge ○ Singapore flagged ship crashed into the Francis Scott Bridge on March 26, killing 6 and closing of the busy shipping channel for more than 2 months 10 year old Japanese boy died after he was stabbed while walking to school in Shenzhen, China on Wednesday morning ○ 44 year old man was arrested Man who was caught in a viral video defecating on the floor at MBS has been fined $4000 A group of Malaysian immigration officers were allegedly bribed between RM200 and RM2500 for each foreigner they let in illegally, and a senior officer is believed to be the mastermind Singaporean man who’s wanted for drug trafficking has been arrested after Thai authorities tracked him down and deported him ○ At risk of facing the death penalty if convicted A 20 year old Singaporean has been charged in the US with conspiring to steal and launder US$230 million in cryptocurrency A mother and son have been charged with lying to IRAS over a “99-to-1” property purchase agreement, in the first such case to be prosecuted in Singapore Rockets are being fired into Israel from Lebanon ○ Retaliation for the pager and handheld radio explosions 25 year old man has died following a fight at a coffee shop near Kitchener Road ○ 6 people will be charged, suspects are around 20-24 years old ○ This 22 year old has been charged with the murder of the 25 year old guy More than 270 people, including 21 children have been killed in Israeli air strikes  Police are investigating a case of a Qihua primary school student being attacked repeatedly by a taller boy, after a video of the incident emerged online ○ 5 teens have been arrested One person has died after a fire broke out in a CCK flat, scorching the living room and bedroom ○ 150 others evacuated from the block Former minister S Iswaran pleads guilty to charges of obstructing justice and obtaining valuables as a public servant ○ Sentenced to 12 months jail for obtaining gifts as a public servant and obstructing justice ○ Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng is expected to be charged tomorrow in connection with the case ○ Put in a single-man cell due to the “higher safety and security risk” of being housed with other inmates Singaporean woman killed in Spain ○ Suspect’s ex girlfriend said that the suspect (he) was “aggressive” and “threw tantrums” while they were together Singapore’s population has exceeded 6 million for the first time ○ Cause: growth in non-resident population 12 SAF servicemen at Exercise Wallaby in Australia taken to hospital with minor injuries after collision between two Hunter armoured fighting vehicles 64 year old American woman ended her life using a controversial suicide pod in a forest in Switzerland 5m - wide sinkhole has opened up in front of KL Airport’s VIP complex in Malaysia An illegal weed plantation was discovered by Indonesian law enforcement in East Java ○ About 38 000 marijuana plants were seized and 4 suspects detained Finland is returning 2 giant pandas to China years ahead of time as the zoo can’t afford their costly upkeep  ○ Takes about 1.5 million euros annually Iris Koh and husband Ng Kai Hoe were ordered to pay $12 000 to the Health Sciences Authority, after failing to get a judicial review against the agency Paedophile will be jailed and caned for gripping an 8 year old girl’s hand while performing an obscene act in public Domestic violence: there were about 2011 cases of parents inflicting severe injuries (eg: burns and fractures) on their child last year, a figure higher than pre-COVID years NUS will restrict access to its UTown food courts and internal shuttle buses for a week from 1 Oct to 7 Oct ○ Reason: expecting an influx of tourists that week, which coincides with China’s upcoming Golden week holiday Former SAF regular was sentenced to jail and caning for raping a 13 year old girl whom he had befriended on telegram Religious teacher in Malaysia was sentenced to 10 years jail for inflicting physical injuries to 3 children under his care, including kneeing a 10 year old in his chest and caning him 88 year old Iwao Hakamada: world’s longest serving death row prisoner has been acquitted more than 50 years after his murder conviction ○ Investigators had tampered with clothes by getting blood on them which they then hid in a tank of miso, according to the court ruling Drunk 61 year old woman drove into a motorcycle, injuring the rider and his passenger ○ Drove off and only returned to the scene half an hour later after her husband told her to ○ Fined, jailed and given a 7 year driving ban 88 year old founding member of JUMBO group and been fined $14 000 and banned from driving for 8 years, for being at the wheel in an accident that killed one passenger and injured another Woman from China was initially allowed to remain in Singapore as a prosecution witness, but ended up overstaying for more than 18 years  Maggie Smith, the actress who played Professor McGonagall in Harry potter has died at the age of 89 Full time national serviceman was found unconscious next to a bed at Pasir Laba Camp and was subsequently pronounced dead in the hospital There is a new 24 hour anti-scam hotline you can call if you suspect you have been scammed, or want to know if something is a scam Hezbollah chief hassan Nasrallah has been killed in an air strike on the group’s central headquarters in Beirut, the Israeli army says 76 year old Singaporean is missing in a mountain pass in the Everest area ○ Identified as Harry Tan, retired Singaporean teacher, found Worker died on Sunday, following an accident at Resorts World Sentosa, where the maritime experiential museum used to be 21 year old man was given 6 years jail for slashing his abusive father to death ○ He said he was worried his father would kill him first Healthcare subsidies will go up from 1 Oct and it will benefit as many as 1.1 million Singapore residents ○ Singaporeans and PRs will have to pay more for health insurance from April 2025 as government expands the MediShield life income October Japan’s iconic high-speed bullet train network turns 60 years old Car-sharing and rental firms in Singapore are left frustrated by Malaysia’s VEP process as the 1 Oct deadline arrives ○ One sales manager of a car rental firm whose fleet of 50 cars has yet to receive a single tag, fears losing business over cancellations in the coming weeks MyRepublic broadband users have been facing issues for more than 17 hours, some say connectivity is still down Mr LHY has paid more than $600 000 to ministers K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan for defaming them over their rental of state properties at Ridout Road Taiwan is bracing for the approach of Typhoon Krathon Devastating fire tore through a bus carrying 44 students and teachers in Thailand ○ Up to 25 are feared dead ○ Driver panicked and ran away, has been arrested Dyson has laid off a number of employees from its Singapore office in a “surprise” retrenchment exercise today ○ Employees retrenched from the Singapore office are believed to have received the usual one month’s pay per year of service Singapore is setting up a new government agency to combat online harms such as cyberbullying and the sharing of intimate pictures without consent Iran has launched a barrage of missiles towards Israel ○ Israel said they will retaliate, and Iran warned that any retaliation would be met with further destruction, raising fears of a wider war ○ Isran said the assault was in retaliation for Israeli killings of militant leaders, including Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah  ○ Israel’s air defences were activated and most missiles were intercepted. No injuries were reported Meta has launched its Orion AR glasses, touted as the world’s “most advanced” glasses BTS Suga fined for drink-driving an e-scooter An airport in Japan was closed after an American WWII-era bomb exploded near its runway, triggering almost 90 flight cancellations At least 9 vehicles were involved in a pile-up on the East Coast parkway, with 4 people taken to the hospital 47 tigers, 3 lions and a panther have died in zoos in South Vietnam rom the H5N1 bird flu virus in the past 2 months HDB will launch more than 2000 BTO flats in Bukit Batok and Sengkang with wait times of under 3 years Singapore’s Pan Pacific Orchard hotel has been crowned the world’s best new skyscraper 2 elephants from a sanctuary in Chiang Mai died after they were swept away in flash floods, one of them was blind An American citizen was sentenced to 9 weeks in jail in Singapore for defaulting on his NS obligations 2 shophouses have partially collapsed at Syed Alwi Road, leaving 6 injured and 1 needing rescue from the second floor ○ 2 units house a vegetarian restaurant and a mart ○ Cause: suspected gas explosion A man in Indonesia allegedly sold his 11 month baby on Facebook while his wife was at work, so he could feed his online gambling addict ○ The 2 buyers were also arrested for human trafficking From Jan 1 2025, Johor’s weekend days off will be changed to Saturday and Sunday instead of Friday and Saturday, which was to allow Muslims to perform their prayers  Two men were fined for “lewd and indecent” behaviour at an unsanctioned fun run in Johor ○ One wore a traditional garment which allegedly showed his bottom while he was running the race Landlines are down for some Singtel customers, affecting calls to public service hotlines, KK hospital, banks, and other businesses ○ 999 and 995 calls to the police and SCDF are also affected Dr Lee Wei Ling, the daughter of LKY has died at the age of 69 ○ LHY not returning to Singapore for his sister’s funeral and wake ○ LHY says he is applying to demolish the house at 38 Oxley Road OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT is opening an office in Singapore later this year Singapore PRs can now travel to Bintan, Batam and Karimun islands in Indonesia, and stay up to 4 days without requiring a visa Turkish Airlines pilot died when he collapsed mid-flight after taking off from Seattle, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in New York Train: North-East line getting longer, Punggol Coast MRT station will open on 10 Dec 2024 National Wages council is recommending a 5.5% to 7.5% pay increase for lower-wage workers in Singapore 420 000 discounted Singapore Airlines and Scoot tickets will be an offer at an online and offline travel fair from 25 October Nobuyo Oyama, the voice actress of Doraemon, has died at the age of 90 Core inflation is expected to decline to around 2% by the end of the year, according to Singapore’s Central Bank ○ It’s holding its monetary policy for the 6th time in a row Pritam Singh’s case ○ Former worker’s party chief Low Thia Khiang will testify as a prosecution witness in Pritam Singh’s trial over allegedly lying to a parliamentary committee  ○ Raeesah Khan testified about how WP told her that her lie was something they all had to “take to the grave”, and says he shared details of her sexual assault without her permission ○ Andre Jumabhoy (PS’s defence lawyer) attacks Raeesah Khan over her statements ○ Raeesah Khan’s former assistant Loh Pei Ying testified of a fear that her phone might be “bugged” and voiced her unhappiness at how Ms Khan’s case was handled by the WP leaders ○ LPY then admits she had lied, under grilling by defence lawyer Jumabhoy Stamford Catering suspended after 51 people who ate their food came down with stomach flu CPF special accounts for those 55 and above will be closed from January 2025 For over 2 years, a man visited AMK to abuse cats there by kicking them, sealing them up in waterproof bags and throwing them down from a high floor Singapore scrambles F-15 jets after a bomb threat on an Air India Express flight ○ Plane landed safely at Changi Airport ○ 10 Indian flights received bomb threats in the span of 2 days including the Air India Express flight Caterer has been fined $1200 after more than 100 children and staff members at MindChamps preschools fell ill One Direction Liam Payne has died after a fall from a balcony in Argentina Homegrown fashion retailer Love Bonito has laid off 14 employees in Singapore, among 29 globally Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza. He is said to be behind the 7 October 2023 attacks that triggered the war in Gaza ○ Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says war is not over until hostages are returned Teen who issued bomb threats affecting 3 flights has been arrested in India  33 year old man believed to be a key figure in a vape syndicate has been arrested and charged in Singapore ○ He allegedly orchestrated the import and distribution of vapes from Malaysia into Singapore A 17 year old self-radicalised Singaporean was arrested less than a month before he planned to attack non-Muslim males in Tampines A 25 year old woman is assisting with police investigations after a 3 year old boy was seen standing on the ledge of a 3rd storey HDB flat ○ Member of the public brought him to safety 29 year old Thai woman has pleaded guilty to 30 charges linked to a luxury goods scam that cheated 122 victims of more than $12 million A man has been arrested over the death of a 41 year old man who was found lying unconscious at a Clementi HDB void deck ○ Man identified to be 50 LHY now a political refugee in the UK after seeking asylum protection in 2022 36 year old surfer died after being impaled by a swordfish off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia Singapore has blocked 10 websites set up by foreign actors that authorities said could be used to mount hostile information campaigns 4 wild birds have died after they were found trapped to glue at GBTB Pizzeria in Germany was busted for selling cocaine on its menu River Valley high school death: teen lost his appeal to reduce his 16 year jail term Abercrombie and Fitch CEO Mike Jefferies, 80, has been charged in the US with sex trafficking and prostitution of dozens of men Construction worker died on Monday after he was hit by a steel gate frame at a work site at Yishun Ring Road  More than 700 students were caught vaping in the 3rd quarter of the year National Heritage Board will be assessing the possibility of preserving the Oxley Road site as a national monument Singapore residents can now clear immigration without showing their passports at all 4 Changi Airport terminals Grab is mandating a 5 day work from office policy starting 2 December 2024 Singhealth is rolling out a pilot course for domestic workers to learn basic medical skills ○ This comes after a study that showed that less than 50% of the hired helpers in Singapore are equipped to support seniors’ healthcare needs Big Sister’s Island has reopened after 3 years ○ New features: floating boardwalk, a coastal forest trial and a lagoon tidal pool where visitors can swim or snorkel Singapore Airlines flight bound for Tokyo was diverted to Taipei earlier because of a cracked windshield Man filmed his wife’s niece by taping cameras in her toilet and bedroom, editing her face into pornographic videos Oil spills – while a ship was refuelling off Changi More than 20 years ago, a woman in China sold her son and went on to abduct 17 other children over a decade ○ Now faces the death penalty Starbucks requires employees to return to the office 3 days a week else they risk being fired Tram in central Oslo derailed and crashed into a store injuring 4 people