Regional cities agree Singapore's death penalty deters drug trafficking; 11 men linked to Toa Payoh brawl face charges of rioting with deadly weapon: Singapore live news

Live10 updates

• Regional cities agree Singapore's death penalty deters drug trafficking: MHA survey

  

  More than 80 per cent of those in the region who were surveyed felt safe to come to Singapore. (Photo: Getty)

  More than 8 in 10 residents surveyed in cities across the region, by the Ministry of Home Affairs, feel that the death penalty deters people from trafficking drugs into Singapore.

  MHA conducted a survey of 12,000 residents in six major regional cities which found 84 per cent of respondents believing Singapore's death penalty was a deterrent for drug trafficking, according to Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs, K Shanmugam.

  Shanmugam made the comments in a speech during the opening ceremony for the 46th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Drug Matters (ASOD). He also said more than 80 per cent of those in the region who were surveyed felt safe to come to Singapore.

  MHA would not disclose the names of the specific cities surveyed when approached by CNA.

  "There are groups going around who seek to romanticise and play up the stories of traffickers – many of them come from the region," Shanmugam said. "But our surveys also show that many people around the region know and understand that Singapore’s laws are tough, and therefore they shouldn’t traffic in Singapore. And that curtails the flow of drugs in Singapore."

  Last year, CNB seized about nearly $16 million worth of drugs.

  You can read K Shanmugam's speech in full, here.

• 11 men linked to Toa Payoh brawl face charges of rioting with deadly weapon

  

  A cleaver, believed to be a weapon used in the fight, was seized by police. (Photo: ST)

  A violent altercation at a Toa Payoh coffee shop on 24 August has resulted in the arrests of 13 suspects aged between 21 and 34.

  Social media footage of the brawl at Block 10B Lorong 7 Toa Payoh showed tables and chairs being thrown. Police said some of the suspects were also armed with weapons – including a cleaver which was seized by authorities.

  ST reports that 11 men who were allegedly involved in the brawl are facing charges of rioting with a deadly weapon. A 22-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man are understood to be helping with investigations.

  Two victims – a 21-year-old and a 30-year-old – sustained stab wounds. Both of them received outpatient treatment at a hospital.

  If found guilty, the suspects can face a jail term of up to 10 years and caning.

• 

  Tue, 26 August 2025 at 1:23 am GMT-4

  Are you living pay cheque-to-pay cheque in Singapore?

  A recent Yahoo poll asked readers if living pay cheque-to-pay cheque had become a new normal in Singapore?

  Around 56 per cent of 750 respondents (at press time) appeared to disagree with experts who had said younger Singaporeans were choosing to spend now rather than save for retirement.

  Recent findings by ADP Research found that 60 per cent of Singaporeans now live pay cheque to cheque. This was a sentiment shared by 37 per cent of readers who took the Yahoo po

  The poll remains open so feel free to let your voice be heard if you have not already voted

• 

  Tue, 26 August 2025 at 1:05 am GMT-4

  FairPrice says 'worm' found in salmon at Bedok North outlet is fish tissue

  

  A customer had complained to FairPrice she found what looked like a worm in a salmon she bought from its Bedok North outlet. (Photo: ST)

  FairPrice Group said they have "thoroughly investigated" an incident where a woman said she found a worm in in a discounted packet of salmon – and concluded the strand-like object was natural connective tissue.

  The woman, who wanted to be known only as Liz, previously revealed she had bought the salmon with bones on 12 August from a FairPrice outlet at Bedok North. She also claimed to experience bloating after the meal but did not consult a doctor as she felt fine otherwise.

  "Evaluation of the customer’s remaining salmon sample and analysis of customer’s photographs by an aquamedicine professional and parasitologist confirm that the object found was not a parasitic worm but natural connective tissue," FairPrice said in a statement on 26 August.

  FairPrice added that "food safety and quality remain our highest priority."

• 

  Tue, 26 August 2025 at 12:03 am GMT-4

  Israeli 'double-tap' attack on Gaza hospital kills journalists, medics

  

  Five journalists were killed in an Israeli attack on a Gaza hospital. (Photo AFP via Getty Images)

  A pair of Israeli strikes on Nasser Hospital in the south of the Gaza Strip has killed at least 21 people – including journalists, medics, and rescue workers.

  Journalists who worked for Al Jazeera, Reuters and Associated Press (AP) news agencies, and others were killed in the 'double-tap' attack – a tactic used to draw a crowd with an initial strike to create a target for a second strike to hit.

  AP confirmed that among the five dead journalists was 33-year-old Mariam Dagga, a visual journalist who worked for them. Hours before her death, her name had appeared on the front page of a leading Israeli newspaper for a haunting photo she had taken of an emaciated child.

  Israel is facing fierce condemnation from journalist organisations and international bodies for Monday's attack.

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later conceded that journalists and first responders killed in the strikes were a “tragic mishap.”

• 

  Mon, 25 August 2025 at 11:06 pm GMT-4

  'Ukraine values this friendship': Zelensky thanks President Tharman

  I thank President @Tharman_S for the warm congratulations on Ukraine’s Independence Day and for the solidarity of Singapore with our people. Ukraine values this friendship and looks forward to further deepening our bilateral relations. pic.twitter.com/0xiPwxB2m7

  — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 25, 2025

  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam for a recent note to mark Ukraine's Independence Day. "I wish to extend, on behalf of the people of Singapore, our warmest congratulations and heartfelt wishes for the continued peace, progress and prosperity of your country and people," a portion of the note read.

  Zelensky, in a post on X, expressed his gratefulness to Singapore for the show of solidarity, adding that "Ukraine values this friendship and looks forward to further deepening our bilateral relations."

• 

  Mon, 25 August 2025 at 10:47 pm GMT-4

  PHOTOS: Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun

  

  Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba presents the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun to Singapore's Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong on 25 August in Tokyo. (Photo by STR/JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images)

  Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong was conferred the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun from Japan for contributions to the bilateral partnership on 25 August.

  SM Lee shared a close-up snap of his award in a Facebook post which you can view below:

  

  Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke about how the close partnership between Singapore and Japan has been nurtured and sustained by generations of people and leaders from both countries. (MDDI Photo by Betty Chua via Lee Hsien Loong/FB)

  "With the world entering uncharted waters, it is more important than ever for us to strengthen this enduring partnership, and work together to foster regional peace and prosperity and a rules-based multilateral order," Lee said in his speech.

  You can watch SM Lee's full speech, here.

• 

  Mon, 25 August 2025 at 10:25 pm GMT-4

  Alleged Singaporean hacker arrested after deportation from Thailand

  

  The unnamed hacker is expected to be charged in court today. (Photo: ST)

  A 34-year-old Singaporean man, who was deported from Thailand, is set to face charges for allegedly hacking into multiple e-commerce accounts to make fraudulent purchases.

  The police said they received multiple reports of FairPrice and Zalora customer accounts being used for fraudulent purchases amounting to at least $25,000 between July and November 2022.

  The unnamed hacker allegedly worked with at least six other people.

  ST reports he was first charged in court on 8 October 2021 with a separate offence but absconded while out on court bail. In September 2022, the State Courts issued a warrant of arrest against him after he failed to attend subsequent court hearings.

  He was in Thailand for drug-related and immigration offences before being deported back to Singapore.

• 

  Mon, 25 August 2025 at 9:44 pm GMT-4

  Michael Jordan-Kobe Bryant card sells for world-record US$12.9 million

  

  The card features the gold logo patch worn by Michael Jordan during the 1996-97 season, in which he won his penultimate NBA Championship. (Photo: Heritage Auctions/HA.com)

  A card featuring legendary basketball players Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant has sold for US$12.932 million.

  Heritage Auctions, which handled the sale, claims it is the most expensive sports card ever sold. "The Dual Logoman card offered in this auction is the only example created that includes only Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant – making it the most sought-after example of the incredible Upper Deck Logoman series, and because of Kobe Bryant’s tragic death in 2020, it always will be the only one," Chris Ivy, Heritage’s Director of Sports Auctions, said.

  The card features images of both Jordan and Bryant, their signatures, as well as NBA logo patches from their jerseys.

  The buyer’s identity was not revealed but Kevin O'Leary of 'Shark Tank' has since told CNBC he and two other partners bought the 2007-08 MJ-Kobe Logoman card. "Yes, we did, and I'm very proud to own it. I've been looking at this asset class now for three years. It's an extraordinary return," O'Leary said.

• 

  Mon, 25 August 2025 at 8:57 pm GMT-4

  Toto jackpot snowballs to $10 million for 28 Aug draw

  

  There were no Group 1 winners in the last three draws. (Screenshot: Toto live draw)

  The Toto draw for Thursday (28 August) will feature an estimated jackpot of $10 million, according to Singapore Pools.

  The prize money snowballed to $10m after three successive draws (18, 21, and 25 August) failed to produce a Group 1 winner. The winning numbers from the latest Toto draw on Monday were 2, 3, 4, 16, 22, and 39 while the additional number was 48. There were 5 winning shares for the Group 2 prize of $119,475.

  Toto's next draw will be a cascade draw, held at 9.30pm, and the jackpot will be paid out and not be snowballed into the next draw. As recently as 31 July, a single ticket won a Toto jackpot of $12.8m after three previous draws saw no winners.

  If you are facing stress due to gambling problems, the National Problem Gambling Helpline & Webchat are available daily from 8am to 11pm. Call 1800-6-668-668 or visit ncpg.org.sg for support.