Shell says up to 40 metric tonnes of ‘slop’ leaked in Singapore waters; $13.2m Toto prize split between 2 winners: Singapore live news

We feature a curated selection of some of the biggest, most important, and fascinating news that’s making waves online

Oil sheens were detected at the water channel between the Bukom Besar and Kechil islands. (Photo: Shell)
Oil sheens were detected at the water channel between the Bukom Besar and Kechil islands. (Photo: Shell)

And that's a wrap. Thanks for tuning in. We'll catch y'all again tomorrow.


Hello to all our readers! Yahoo Singapore will be bringing you live news updates today.

Shell has revealed approximately 30-40 metric tonnes of slop – a mixture of oil and water – has leaked into Singapore waters. The announcement follows an oil leak at one of Shell's land-based pipeline at 5.30am on Sunday (20 October). Singapore's government agencies have since rallied to detect and contain any slick. More in the story.

Two winners from Monday's (21 October) Toto draw each won more than $6.6m after sharing the Group 1 prize which had snowballed to $13,214,250. The winning tickets were sold at Tong Aik Huat (Block 685 Hougang Street 61) and online.

Hotels in Johor Baru are expressing concern at the continued exodus of well-trained staff to neighbouring Singapore. The growing issue is not helping with plans for Visit Johor Year 2026.

Legendary singer Stefanie Sun will perform in Singapore next year at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The dates from 5-6 April are part of her upcoming tour titled Aut Nihilo: Sun Yanzi In Concert. Sun's last full-concert in Singapore was over a decade ago in 2014.

Lee Hsien Yang has claimed on Tuesday (22 October) that he is now a political refugee in the United Kingdom after seeking asylum protection in 2022. The youngest son of Lee Kuan Yew made the claim in a post on Facebook where he accused the government of "attacks" against him and his family. The Singapore government has said there is "no basis” to Lee's allegations.

Pritam Singh's trial was stood down today (22 October) and set to resume tomorrow afternoon after his lawyer Andre Jumabhoy fell sick. The trial of the Workers’ Party (WP) chief and Leader of the Opposition will continue with the defence cross-examining Yudhishthra Nathan.

Almost RM88 million ($26.7m) in Road Charges (RC) has been collected from Singapore-registered vehicles crossing into Johor in the first nine months of 2024, revealed Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke. The Minister also said that from over 10,000 vehicles inspected for the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) in October, less than 600 were found to have not yet applied for it.

The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) has seized drugs with a street value of over $321,000. The large haul of various drugs – from two operations – could "feed the addiction of about 1,310 drug abusers for a week” according to CNB. Four suspected drug offenders aged between 24 to 36 were arrested.

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER8 updates
  • Featured

    $321,000 worth of drugs seized in CNB operations

    Drugs seized in CNB operation on 19 October 2024, including about 6.2kg of cannabis. (Photo: CNB)
    Drugs seized in CNB operation on 19 October 2024, including about 6.2kg of cannabis. (Photo: CNB)

    Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) has seized drugs with a street value of over $321,000 in two operations over two days.

    Four suspected drug offenders aged between 24 to 36 were arrested.

    The large haul of various drugs, which included 6.2kg of cannabis, could "feed the addiction of about 1,310 drug abusers for a week” according to CNB.

    On 18 October, CNB officers intercepted a vehicle at the junction of Bedok North Avenue 3 and Bedok North Road.

    A search of the car recovered about 531g of ‘Ice’, 126g of ketamine, 107g of cannabis, 100g of ‘Ecstasy’, 370 Erimin-5 tablets and 139g of cannabis-laced gummies.

    The driver – a 36-year-old man – and the passenger – a 26-year-old woman – were both arrested. They are Singaporeans.

    Drugs seized in CNB operation on 18 October 2024. (Photo: CNB)
    Drugs seized in CNB operation on 18 October 2024. (Photo: CNB)

    The following day (19 October), CNB officers arrested a 32-year-old Malaysian man in his residential unit in the vicinity of Fernvale Street. A small amount of ketamine was found on him.

    A 24-year-old Singaporean man was then arrested below a residential block near Fernvale Link.

    When CNB officers escorted the man to his unit, they found the 6.2kg of cannabis along with 472g of ‘Ecstasy’, 238g of ‘Ice’, 3,081 Erimin-5 tablets, as well as 42 vaping devices containing cannabis and six packets of cannabis-laced gummies.

    Any person found guilty of trafficking more than 250g of methamphetamine or more than 500g of cannabis, may face the mandatory death penalty.

    CNB says investigations are ongoing.

  • Featured

    Lee Hsien Yang says he's a political refugee, Singapore says 'no basis' to allegations

    Lee Hsien Yang has claimed on Tuesday (22 October) that he is now a political refugee in the United Kingdom after seeking asylum protection in 2022.

    “I am a political refugee from Singapore under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention,” Lee said on Facebook.

    Lee claims “attacks” by the Singapore government on him and his family also meant he was unable to attend his late sister Lee Wei Ling's funeral earlier this month.

    “I sought asylum protection as a last resort. I remain a Singapore citizen and hope that some day it will become safe to return home,” Lee Hsien Yang said.

    The Singapore government, in response to queries from The Guardian, said there is "no basis” to Lee's allegations.

    You can read the government's full response below.

  • $26.7m collected in road charges from Singapore vehicles crossing into Johor in 2024

    Cars crossing the border from Singapore to Johor via the crossway bridge. (Photo: Getty)
    Cars crossing the border from Singapore to Johor via the crossway bridge. (Photo: Getty)

    Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke has revealed almost RM88 million ($26.7m) in Road Charges (RC) has been collected from Singapore-registered vehicles crossing into Johor in the first nine months of 2024.

    According to Loke, there are also over 16,000 vehicles entering Malaysia from Singapore daily on average.

    The road charge is a RM20 ($6) fee imposed on all foreign-registered private vehicles crossing the border to enter Malaysia. Motorcycles are excluded.

    “As of September 2024, a total of 4,397,229 vehicles have entered both entry points of Johor and Singapore, resulting in Road Charge collections of RM87,944,580,” Loke said in Dewan Rakyat.

    Loke also revealed that from the over 10,000 vehicles inspected for the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) in October, less than 600 were found to have not yet applied for the VEP.

    “This shows a relatively high compliance rate,” he said.

    Traffic flow between Johor and Singapore returned to normal after an initial dip following the introduction of the VEP on 1 October.

  • Pritam Singh trial to resume 23 Oct after defence lawyer falls sick

    Pritam Singh's trial will resume in the afternoon on 23 October. (PHOTO: Yahoo Southeast Asia)
    Pritam Singh's trial will resume in the afternoon on 23 October. (PHOTO: Yahoo Southeast Asia)

    Pritam Singh's trial was stood down for today (22 October) after his lawyer Andre Jumabhoy fell sick.

    The trial of the Workers’ Party (WP) chief and Leader of the Opposition is expected to resume tomorrow afternoon.

    This morning’s proceedings were delayed for an extended period before Singh’s other lawyer, Aristotle Emmanuel Eng Zhen Yang, informed the court Jumabhoy was ill and given a two-day medical certificate (MC).

    Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan approved the defence’s application for the trial to be stood down until tomorrow (23 October) afternoon.

    The defence are currently cross-examining Yudhishthra Nathan.

    Former WP secretary-general Low Thia Khiang will be the next witness called.

  • Stefanie Sun to rise again with Singapore concerts in April 2025

    Stefanie Sun performs during her World Tour 2009 concert in Singapore. (Photo: REUTERS/Tim Chong)
    Stefanie Sun performs during her World Tour 2009 concert in Singapore. (Photo: REUTERS/Tim Chong)

    Stefanie Sun will perform again in Singapore.

    The Singapore legend will hit the stage at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on 5-6 April next year.

    Sun’s last concert on home shores was more than a decade ago in 2014 for her Kepler tour.

    Sun was set to perform in Singapore in 2020 but the tour was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    But recently, the 46-year-old confirmed the Singapore dates in April next year as part of an upcoming tour titled Aut Nihilo: Sun Yanzi In Concert. The phrase “Aut Nihilo” means “or out of nothing” in Latin.

    Sun posted on social media in Mandarin: "We couldn't get together before sunset, so we'll celebrate after sunset!

    "Every sunset in your life, the brilliance before sunset, the courage after sunset, it’s all worth starting from scratch. I hope to create good memories with you again this time,” she said.

    General sales open to the public on 30 October at 10am but UOB card members can buy presale tickets a day earlier (more details here).

    Other locations for Sun's tour include Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, Nanjing, Chongqing, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia but details have yet to be disclosed.

    More stops are expected to be announced at a later date.

  • JB hotels frustrated as staff flock to Singapore ahead of 'Visit Johor' campaign

    Singapore skyline at dawn, showing the Marina Bay Sands and the Flyer. (Photo: Getty)
    Singapore skyline at dawn, showing the Marina Bay Sands and the Flyer. (Photo: Getty)

    Hotels in Johor Baru have spoken of their struggles to keep staff from leaving for better paid jobs in neighbouring Singapore.

    According to a report, staff shortages in Johor’s hospitality sector have been an ongoing issue since COVID-19 but frustrations and concerns have been amplified recently with the upcoming Visit Johor Year 2026 approaching.

    “At present, this has grown to a problem where it seems that Johor hotels are just training our hospitality staff for the Singapore market,” said Salamon Muzafa Das, the marketing communications manager for Amari Hotel Johor Baru.

    Salamon believes the issue is a particular worry for five-star hotels who have to train staff to deliver a certain high level of guest experience.

    “These staff are highly valued by Singapore hotels as they are already highly trained and have a specific skill set,” he said.

    In Johor, pay for newly-trained staff is generally RM1,500 a month which is currently Malaysia’s minimum wage, reports the Malay Mail.

    Malaysia will increase its minimum wage to RM1,700 next year as announced in Budget 2025 but given Singapore’s far superior exchange rate (3.2876 as of 22 October) it may still prove difficult to retain talent.

    Yvonne Loh, the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Johor Chapter secretary, has said the problem mostly affects Johor Baru or south Johor hotels due to the closer proximity to Singapore

  • $13.2m Toto prize split between 2 winners, tickets sold at Tong Aik Huat and online

    Two winners walked away with around $6.6m each following Monday's Toto draw. (Photo: Getty)
    Two winners walked away with around $6.6m each following Monday's Toto draw. (Photo: Getty)

    Dreams of instant retirement may have come true for two lucky Toto winners on Monday (21 October) in Singapore.

    The Group 1 prize had snowballed to $13,214,250 which meant the two winners from yesterday’s draw pocketed around $6.6m each.

    The winning numbers were 4, 13, 19, 44, 46 and 49, with 31 as the additional number.

    According to Singapore Pools, the winning tickets for Group 1 were sold at Tong Aik Huat (Block 685 Hougang Street 61) and the other was sold via the company’s online service.

    There were also 22 winning shares in Group 2 which returned a very cool $72,422 to each winner.

  • Shell says 30-40 metric tonnes of ‘slop’ leaked in Singapore waters

    Oil sheens were detected at the water channel between the Bukom Besar and Kechil islands. (Photo: Shell)
    Oil sheens were detected at the water channel between the Bukom Besar and Kechil islands. (Photo: Shell)

    Shell says 30-40 metric tonnes of ‘slop’ has leaked into Singapore waters following an oil leak at a land-based pipeline.

    The slop – a mixture of oil and water – started leaking into the sea between Bukom Island and Bukom Kecil at 5.30am on Sunday (20 October) – the leak was stopped at 3pm that same day.

    Shell are using containment booms, anti-pollution crafts, and spraying of dispersant to contain and break up the oil as part of on-going clean-up effort.

    Government agencies are working to detect and contain any slick.

    The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has deployed a current buster system off Changi at the entrance to the East Johor Strait. This is to collect any oil slick and prevent ‘potential spread’ beyond port waters.

    Singapore Salvage Engineers’ Current Buster system stationed off Changi as a precautionary measure. (Photo: MPA)
    Singapore Salvage Engineers’ Current Buster system stationed off Changi as a precautionary measure. (Photo: MPA)

    Oil absorbent booms are also being used to protect the beaches and coastlines on Sentosa, the lagoons at Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, Berlayer Creek and the Rocky Shore at Labrador Nature Reserve, as well as the mangroves and other key areas at the Marsh Garden at West Coast Park, as well as key areas at East Coast Park, according to a statement by MPA.

    As of yesterday (21 October) no signs of oil have been detected at any of Sentosa’s beaches which currently remain open for all water activities.

    Absorbent booms deployed at Sentosa Cove. (Photo: Sentosa)
    Absorbent booms deployed at Sentosa Cove. (Photo: Sentosa)

    However, the National Environment Agency has issued an advisory against swimming and other water activities at the beaches at East Coast Park, Kusu, St John's and Lazarus island.

    Singapore’s national water agency PUB has been ‘closely monitoring the seawater intakes’ at desalination plants near Jurong Island and Marina East. No oil has been detected, as of Monday.

    “As a precautionary measure, PUB has also deployed oil containment booms across the Marina Barrage, which separates the sea from Marina Reservoir,” said PUB.

    Oil containment booms deployed across Marina Barrage. (Photo: Grace Fu/FB)
    Oil containment booms deployed across Marina Barrage. (Photo: Grace Fu/FB)

    Shell has advised any businesses which have claims-related queries arising from the oil leak to contact them directly.