Elderly woman allegedly punched at City Hall MRT station; Family stuck on Changi Airport T4 aerobridge after arrival gate locked: Singapore live news

An elderly woman was allegedly punched in the lift at City Hall MRT station. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
An elderly woman was allegedly punched in the lift at City Hall MRT station. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

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An elderly woman was allegedly punched while taking the lift at City Hall MRT station on New Year's Eve. Saniah Ma’arop, 68, was on the lift with another elderly man who was carrying bags of items. One of the bags touched her leg and he turned around and allegedly punched her without warning. An 88-year-old man is assisting with investigations for voluntarily causing hurt. For more on the alleged attack, read on.

A family, including an elderly woman in a wheelchair, was stuck on the aerobridge at Changi Airport's Terminal 4 after disembarking from a Cathay Pacific plane. In a video shared by the passenger, Michele Yap, the family can be seen stuck behind locked doors. A woman, whom Yap identified as an airport staff member, was with the group and tried contacting airport police but couldn't get through due to the "high call volume". Read on to find out more about the incident.

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  • Featured

    Budget 2025 to help more Singaporeans: PM Lawrence Wong

    Prime Minister Lawrence Wong says more help will be provided for Singaporeans in Budget 2025. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
    Prime Minister Lawrence Wong says more help will be provided for Singaporeans in Budget 2025. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

    Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will deliver the full Budget statement on 18 Feb, but he revealed ahead of time that more help will provided for Singaporeans in Budget 2025.

    During a visit to Jalan Besar GRC on 4 Jan, PM Wong said that the Government is aware that many Singaporeans are worried about the cost of living and they are dealing with that head-on.

    On 3 Jan, every Singaporean household has been issued $300 worth of CDC vouchers.

    PM Wong said, "I hope this will be a good start for you, and it will help you as you prepare for the year ahead. We will continue to provide more help for Singaporeans. The Budget is coming next month."

    He added: "So we will continue to look at schemes and programmes and ways in which we can provide more help for Singaporeans, for cost of living, for your daily concerns and, importantly, to help all of us realise our dreams and aspirations together."

    2025 will also mark Singapore's diamond jubilee, or SG60, and PM Wong said it is a time to both reflect and celebrate.

    "It’s a time for us to reflect on how far we have come as a country, on who we are as a people, and importantly, on what kind of Singapore we would like to see going forward for the next generation."

  • Featured

    ICA blames foreigners for surge in sham marriages

    Sham marriages rose eightfold in 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, with 32 cases reported. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
    Sham marriages rose eightfold in 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, with 32 cases reported. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

    Sham marriages have risen sharply in 2024, with 32 cases reported between January and September, compared to four cases within the same period in 2023.

    According to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), the rise in sham marriages is due to the increasing number of foreigners wanting to extend their visit passes to continue staying and working here.

    Inspector Mark Chai, deputy officer-in-charge of ICA’s intelligence division, explained to The Straits Times that sham marriages in Singapore often involve a foreign woman paying a Singaporean man money to marry so they can stay or work here.

    "The idea of such marriages is often spread through word of mouth. And to some Singaporean men, it can be seen as easy money," said Chai.

    Superintendent Goh Wee Kiat, a senior assistant director at ICA’s intelligence division, said most marriage of convenience cases were reported through public tip-offs. While couples can try to hide it, he pointed out that there are "telltale signs that out officers are able to spot".

    A marriage of convenience is illegal and those involved can be jailed for up to 10 years, fined up to $10,000, or both.

    For more on sham marriages, including a recent case that was uncovered during a December raid, read here.

  • Manager-turned-hawker now sells $2 laksa at Chinatown

    A former manager, who was retrenched at 50, now runs a shop at Chinatown Complex Food Centre selling homecooked food, including laksa priced at $2. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
    A former manager, who was retrenched at 50, now runs a shop at Chinatown Complex Food Centre selling homecooked food, including laksa priced at $2. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

    He was 50 when he was retrenched as his company closed down.

    Bobby Lee, 74, was working as a quality assurance manager then. He thought he could survive on his CPF savings but as he wasn't 55, he had to borrow money to survive.

    Lee also tried searching for other jobs before becoming a hawker. He told 8days, "I went for so many interviews, over 100, but it was hard for a person my age to find a job. Some companies would tell me their job position was taken up, but a while later, the same post came up again!"

    Lee and his wife, 70-year-old Wendy Wang, now run The Asian Makanstall at Chinatown Complex Food Centre. They serve homecooked food like laksa, mee goreng, and a variety of kueh from a supplier.

    Lee's laksa is priced at $4, which comes with poached chicken or char siew. But, he also offers a $2 version which comes in a smaller portion served with laksa gravy, noodles, fish cake and tau pok.

    The hawker explained to 8days that the $2 laksa was only possible because a customer liked it and donated $2,000 in hopes that he could reduce the price for the elderly to enjoy.

    The couple eventually removed the senior-citizen restriction due to logistical constraints. They also do not have a cap on the purchase quantity as they are not faced with overwhelming demand.

    Lee said, "Not many people know about our laksa. We don’t get consistent customers."

    The donation has been used up, but Lee shared with 8days that another customer donated $1,500 which has allowed him to extend the promotion.

    "I have to be careful about exhausting the funds. If there are no more donors and I can still afford to keep my price [low], I will continue to sell," he said.

  • Joe Alwyn has moved on from Taylor Swift relationship and says others should too

    Joe Alwyn has moved on from his romantic past with Taylor Swift and says everyone else should do the same. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
    Joe Alwyn has moved on from his romantic past with Taylor Swift and says everyone else should do the same. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

    English actor Joe Alwyn has moved on from his relationship with Taylor Swift, and he thinks it's time everyone else does the same.

    During an interview with The Guardian, the 33-year-old responded to a suggestion by the outlet that he "must want to move on" from the six-year relationship by saying he has done so.

    He said, "That’s something for other people to do. We’re talking about something that’s a while ago now in my life. So that’s for other people. That’s what I feel."

    The Brutalist star also reflected on how life changed after the 2016 film Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk. While he didn't explicitly make the connection, the outlet noted that he started a relationship with Swift shortly after the release of the film.

    When asked if he was afraid the relationship would overshadow his career, the actor said, "I have tried just to focus on controlling what I can control."

    "And, right from the beginning, tried to focus on the things that are meaningful for me: friends, family, work, of course," he added.

    For more on Alwyn's thoughts about his romantic past with Swift, read here.

  • 3 new stations to connect Downtown Line to North-South Line

    An artist impression of one of the new stations that will connect the Downtown Line to the North-South Line. (PHOTO: LTA)
    An artist impression of one of the new stations that will connect the Downtown Line to the North-South Line. (PHOTO: LTA)

    The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on Monday (6 Jan) that three new stations will connect the Downtown Line (DTL) from Bukit Panjang MRT station to the North-South Line (NSL).

    The first station after Bukit Panjang station will be an underground station located along Sungei Kadut Avenue.

    The second station will be a new terminal station for the DTL and is an underground interchange station. It will be connected to the third station, a new aboveground NSL station that will be built between Yew Tee and Kranji stations.

    This extension to the DTL spans about 4km and will enhance rail connectivity in the north-western region, said LTA in a press release.

    It will also shorten travel times for commuters travelling to and from the north and north-western parts of Singapore. For example, commuters travelling from Yew Tee Village to Chinatown will have their travel time cut from one hour to 40 minutes.

    The new stations will also improve rail network resilience in the north-western region by providing commuters with alternative travel and transfer options for their journeys.

    The new stations are expected to open in 2035.

    For more on the DTL extension, read here.

  • Demi Moore snags first Golden Globes win in decades-long career

    Demi Moore won her first Golden Globe for her role in The Substance. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
    Demi Moore won her first Golden Globe for her role in The Substance. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

    Demi Moore has finally won a Golden Globe for her role in body horror film The Substance.

    Moore, 62, was nominated for best performance by an actress in a motion picture – musical or comedy, alongside Amy Adams (Nightbitch), Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez), Mikey Madison (Anora) and Zendaya (The Challengers).

    This marked her third nomination and first win.

    During her acceptance speech on 6 Jan (local time), she said, "I’ve been doing this a long, like over 45 years and this is the first time I’ve ever won anything as an actor."

    Moore also reflected on her past and how a producer told her 30 years ago that she was a "popcorn actress" and it "corroded me over time". She admitted to being at "a low point" in her career before she was cast in The Substance.

    “The universe told me that you’re not done,” she said.

    Moore also shared a piece of advice she once received with women who have ever felt they weren’t "smart enough, pretty enough" or "just not enough".

    "I had a woman say to me, ‘Just know you will never be enough but you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.'"

    Moore's win echoed a similar sentiment to Michelle Yeoh's victorious run during the awards season for Everything Everywhere All At Once and has pundits naming her as a forerunner for the Oscars.

    Separately, Shogun continued its winning streak after the Emmys by sweeping the drama categories, and winning Best TV Drama at the Golden Globes 2025.

    For more on Moore's first Golden Globe win, read here.

  • SIA flight diverted twice in UK as snow causes mayhem

    An SQ flight to Manchester was diverted twice due to the snow. It was supposed to continue on to Houston from Manchester. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
    An SQ flight to Manchester was diverted twice due to the snow. It was supposed to continue on to Houston from Manchester. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

    A Singapore Airlines flight to Manchester was diverted twice because of snow.

    SQ 52 left Changi Airport on Sunday (5 Jan) and was due to arrive in Manchester at 9.25am on the same day. However, the runways were shut due to the snow and only reopened shortly after 9.30am.

    The flight was re-routed to London and landed at Gatwick Airport at 9.48am. It then took off again at 10.48am, but reportedly circled in the air for 45 minutes above Peak District before turning back. It landed in London Gatwick at around 1.55pm.

    Manchester isn't its final destination, though, as the flight was due to fly to Houston, Texas after a 90-minute layove

    For more on the diverted Manchester SQ flight, read here.

  • Family stuck on Changi Airport T4 aerobridge after arrival gate locked

    A family, including an elderly woman in a wheelchair, was stuck on the aerobridge at Changi Airport's Terminal 4 after disembarking from a Cathay Pacific plane. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
    A family, including an elderly woman in a wheelchair, was stuck on the aerobridge at Changi Airport's Terminal 4 after disembarking from a Cathay Pacific plane. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

    A family was stuck on the aerobridge at Changi Airport's Terminal 4 after disembarking from a Cathay Pacific plane.

    According to a video uploaded by the passenger, Michele Yap, on Instagram on Monday (30 Dec), the family – comprising Yap, her elderly mum in a wheelchair, and domestic helper – can be seen trapped behind locked doors. In the video, Yap herself tried opening the doors to no avail.

    Yap wrote, "My 81-year-old mother was so traumatised! We couldn’t get through to airport police, the medical emergency line said it wasn’t an emergency... Unbelievable oversight and lack of proper protocol!"

    In the video, a woman, whom Yap identified as an airport staff member, was with the group. She can be seen trying to contact the airport police but was unable to get through due to the "high call volume"

    She added that it took the staff member 30 minutes "to finally reach her boss to get someone to let us out".

    In the comments, Yap clarified that they were not the last ones to disembark. She was also able to walk back onto the plane to "find just anybody who could help".

    Cathay Pacific responded to Yap's post on the same day and apologised. They wrote, "We understand how frustrating this must have been, especially for your mother. We are currently investigating the matter and will follow up with you shortly."

    In response to AsiaOne's queries, a spokesperson for the airline acknowledged and confirmed the incident.

    They revealed, "Based on our initial investigation, a staff member from our ground handling agent did not conduct a thorough check prior to closing the doors of the arrival gate."

    The airline is also reviewing procedures with their ground handling agent to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.

    The spokesperson said, "We are in touch with the passenger to address her concerns. We deeply regret this oversight and apologise for the inconvenience caused to the passengers."

  • Elderly woman allegedly punched at City Hall MRT station

    An elderly woman was allegedly punched while taking the lift at City Hall MRT station. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
    An elderly woman was allegedly punched while taking the lift at City Hall MRT station. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

    A woman was allegedly punched at City Hall MRT station on New Year's Eve.

    Saniah Ma’arop, 68, was on the lift heading towards the platform at about 4.30pm on 31 Dec, 2024. There was an elderly man, who was carrying bags of items, on the lift as well.

    According to The Straits Times, one of the bags touched Sainah's leg and the man allegedly turned towards her and punched her in the head without warning. She kicked his bag as he exited and quickly took a photo of him.

    Saniah was on her way home from the Supreme Court where she works as a cleaner.

    It was reported by Shin Min Daily News that Sainah felt pain in her head and neck, and her vision became blurry after the alleged attack.

    The police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force said they received a call for assistance at 150 North Bridge Road at about 5.30pm that day. An 88-year-old man is assisting with investigations for voluntarily causing hurt.

    Her son, Eddie Khairul, shared that Saniah was taken to Raffles Hospital where she underwent an MRI scan and was hospitalised for two days.

    Saniah told Shin Min that her headache has subsided but she still experiences discomfort in her body.

    "After this incident I don't dare to take the lift anymore, I'll choose to take the escalator instead," she said.