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SINGAPORE - A man, 21, has been arrested after allegedly attacking his father with what police say was a sharp object in Commonwealth Avenue West on Monday night (May 10).

The father, 41, suffered multiple injuries. He was conscious when taken to the hospital, the police said.

The police were alerted to the incident at about 11.20pm but the son had left the scene before they arrived.

Preliminary investigations by the police revealed that the two men may have had a dispute earlier.

Within four hours of the reported crime, officers from the Clementi and Jurong police divisions tracked down the suspect using ground inquiries and images from police cameras.

He is being charged in court on Wednesday with voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means.

If he is found guilty, he can be jailed for up to seven years, fined and caned.

SINGAPORE - Two men have been charged under the Official Secrets Act with sharing information relating to checks to be done by the Housing Board.

Kalayarasan Karuppaya, 54, who was a higher estate executive with HDB, was slapped with three charges under the Act on Wednesday (May 12). He was alleged to have wrongfully shared information of impending HDB inspections of a unit at Block 121 Kim Tian Road with Damandeep Singh, a 22-year-old Indian national.

Damandeep, a registered tenant of the unit, was also slapped with three charges under the Act for receiving the information, while allegedly having reasonable grounds to believe that the communication of the information to him was in contravention of the Act.

Kalayarasan allegedly shared the information with Damandeep on three occasions in May, August and September 2019.

In a press release, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said Singapore takes a strict zero-tolerance approach towards corruption and other criminal activities.

If convicted, both men may be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $2,000, on each charge.

Damandeep has been offered bail of $10,000, while Kalayarasan has been offered bail of $5,000.

They are both expected to be back in court for a pre-trial conference on June 8.

Those wishing to report a corruption case can call CPIB on 1800-376-0000, go to CPIB's website, or e-mail report@cpib.gov.sg

They can also visit or write to CPIB headquarters at 2 Lengkok Bahru.

SINGAPORE - As at Monday (May 10), close to 12,500 people have been tested as part of a special testing operations carried out to detect any cases linked to the Tan Tock Seng Hopsital (TTSH) cluster.

Additionally, 12,000 TTSH staff, 1,000 patients as well as close to 2,500 individuals who have been quarantined have also been tested, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said in Parliament on Tuesday (May 11).

Giving an update on the cluster, Mr Gan stressed that though the first detected case of the cluster was a staff nurse who developed symptoms on April 28 and dutifully reported them, this does not mean that she was the first confirmed case and had brought Covid-19 into the wards.

"Her responsible act enabled us to pick up the cluster at TTSH," said Mr Gan, adding that investigations are still ongoing.

Of the 43 cases in the TTSH cluster, seven staff and two patients had received full doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, said Mr Gan, who is co-chair of the multi-ministry task force tackling Covid-19.

"They were all either asymptomatic, or only exhibited mild symptoms, and none of them required oxygen support," he noted. Of the remaining 34 who were not fully vaccinated, six required oxygen, two are in intensive care and one has died from Covid-19 complications.

"While the numbers are too small to draw firm conclusions, the findings do indicate that vaccination provides critical protection even against Covid-19 variants," said Mr Gan, urging everyone to get vaccinated when the jab is offered to them, as well as to continue to comply with safe management measures even when they have been vaccinated.

"We know while vaccination does not eliminate the risks of infection totally, it does provide significant protection against infections, and helps to reduce the severity of the disease. It is also likely to reduce onward transmission," he added.

Mr Gan also outlined how efforts had been made to contain and isolate the infections at TTSH, so that they do not spread to the larger community. First, close contacts around the first detected case were quarantined, while others who could have been in contact with her were tested, including all staff and patients of the affected Ward 9D.

Testing and quarantine were also extended to all staff who worked in Ward 9D from April 20, as well as discharged and current inpatients and visitors to Ward 9D from April 20. This was after the detection of a patient who had entered the ward on April 20 and started to display Covid-19 pneumonia symptoms around April 20.

Testing was also expanded to include all inpatients and all staff working in the main ward block.

Subsequently, all other TTSH staff were also screened, and as an additional precaution, patients and staff from the main ward block were retested.

Another additional layer of defence was also added, with discharged patients and visitors who were in the hospital during the affected period also invited to be tested.

"They are not close contacts and hence have a lower risk of infection, but we offered to test them for abundance of caution and to give them peace of mind," said Mr Gan.

For every case detected, those around them were also tested and isolated, and all wards that had exposure to infectious cases were locked down, including wards in levels eight and nine, and wards 7D and 10B.

"We will continue to monitor these individuals who have been exposed, and retest them where necessary as some of them may be incubating the infection," said the minister.

He added that TTSH has implemented a series of measures to prevent further spread within the hospital.

It has stopped all new admissions to the hospital, restricted visitors, and reinforced the need for all staff to comply with infection control, hand hygiene, and personal protective equipment regimes.

SINGAPORE - The tighter Covid-19 safety measures are necessary to save the lives of Singaporeans, said President Halimah Yacob, as she called on everyone here to do his part to overcome the pandemic.

In her Hari Raya Aidilfitri message on Tuesday (May 11), Madam Halimah said it is unfortunate that Muslims will have to again celebrate the festival, which falls on Thursday, under the shadow of Covid-19.

"Some of us are understandably disappointed by the recent tightening of safe management measures, as Hari Raya has always been the time for us to enjoy the company of family and friends. I, too, was looking forward to hosting my children and their families," she said.

"But I hope that we also understand that these measures are necessary to protect all Singaporeans, given the emergence of new virus variants and the increase in the number of local community cases."

Singapore has tightened its rules on social gatherings since last Saturday (May 8) as it takes steps to stop the spread of Covid-19 in the community.

Until May 30, people can gather in groups of only up to five, down from eight previously. These restrictions also apply to households, which can receive only five distinct visitors a day.

​They also mean that for the second year in a row, Muslims here will have to make adjustments to how they celebrate the holiday. Last year's Hari Raya Aidilfitri fell on May 25, seven weeks into Singapore's circuit breaker, and visiting was forbidden.

Madam Halimah said that during the fasting month of Ramadan, which precedes Hari Raya Aidilfitri, she met different groups of Singaporeans.

These included workers in the healthcare and security sectors, who work tirelessly to keep Singapore safe and secure, as well as those in social service agencies, who bring aid and cheer to the vulnerable in the community, she noted.

"I was heartened to see everyone in high spirits and exemplifying the values of Ramadan, of compassion, empathy and sacrifice," she said.

Madam Halimah wishes all Muslims Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

SINGAPORE - Younger people will be invited to receive Covid-19 vaccinations from the later half of this month (May), but they will be doled out progressively given the limited supply of the jabs, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong on Tuesday (May 11).

In a ministerial statement on Singapore's response to the pandemic, Mr Gan also revealed that as of May 9, about 1.8 million individuals had received at least one dose of the vaccine. Of this, about 1.2 million individuals have received their second dose and completed the full vaccination regimen.

He also said that about two-thirds of eligible people aged 45 and above have received the Covid-19 vaccination, or booked their vaccination appointments. But he added that this is not enough, and called for more people to encourage seniors to get jabbed.

​"Take-up has been encouraging...However, we need to continue to encourage seniors to be vaccinated as, given their age, they are the most vulnerable. I urge all of us to encourage our elderly family members too," said Mr Gan.

He was responding to questions from MPs including Ms Foo Mee Har (West Coast GRC) and Ms Ng Ling Ling (Ang Mo Kio GRC) who had asked about Singapore's vaccination programme, which has been underway since last year.

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SINGAPORE - Applications for travel on compassionate grounds between Singapore and Malaysia are now open, a week before the formal system of allowing such movement launches.

From Monday (May 10), people from either country can apply for cross-border travel to visit family members for emergency reasons such as death or critical illness.

Only two visitors per case are allowed, said the Department of Immigration of Malaysia and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) of Singapore.

Approved travellers to Singapore will be required to abide by the stipulated health measures for entry, including stay-home notice and Covid-19 tests.

"Our officers will facilitate arrangements for the travellers to make short and safe visits to the medical facility and/or funeral, subject to the prevailing health policies governing such visits," said the ICA on its website.

Applications can be made on the website through an online inquiry form.

All applicants will need to provide documents such as proof of death of the immediate family member, a doctor's letter to support critically ill cases, documents to prove familial connection and a copy of their passport biodata page.

Similarly, those here who want to visit family members in Malaysia will have to apply online on the Department of Immigration of Malaysia's website and provide such documents.

They will also have to go through swab tests and may proceed with their travel arrangements if the test result is negative for Covid-19.

Earlier this month, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and his Malaysian counterpart Hishammuddin Hussein announced that travel on compassionate grounds between Singapore and Malaysia will be allowed from May 17.

Dr Balakrishnan had said then that the move was necessary due to the "extensive ties" that the two countries share.

Both countries are currently experiencing an increase in Covid-19 cases, and have stepped up measures to curtail the spread of the virus in their communities.

From last Saturday, Singapore tightened restrictions on social gatherings and events till June.

Malaysia on Monday banned all interstate and inter-district movement without permission from the police for four weeks till June 6.

SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Education (MOE) have confirmed that hostel residents are being offered Covid-19 vaccinations as they live in a communal setting and are at higher risk.

Last week, reporters reported that some students from Nanyang Technological University and the National University of Singapore received SMS text messages from MOH offering them Covid-19 vaccination shots. Those offered jabs were living on campus.

The agencies said on Monday (May 10) that they have been working together on the possibility of prioritising hostel residents for vaccination, as the communal setting in hostels has the potential for rapid transmission and outbreaks of the virus.

Students and staff living in university hostels have been alerted via SMS that they will be offered the Covid-19 vaccination. They can book a slot at community vaccination centres islandwide.

"Individuals who are medically eligible to take up the vaccination are strongly encouraged to do so when offered, to safeguard their health and that of the wider community," the ministries said.

MOH and MOE said they will continue to work closely to expand the vaccination programme for the rest of the staff and students in the education sector.

SINGAPORE - The police are investigating a case of a man who allegedly kicked a 55-year-old woman in her chest and shouted a racial slur at her for not wearing her mask while brisk walking.

The woman, private tutor Hindocha Nita Vishnubhai, was brisk walking on Friday (May 7) when she had a run-in with the man.

Madam Nita, who is an Indian Singaporean, was walking from Choa Chu Kang MRT station towards the stadium at about 8.30am on Friday when the alleged assault took place.

The mother of two adult children said she lowered her mask below her nose to prevent breathlessness as she was walking fast, dressed in a sleeveless top and track pants.

She turned around when she suddenly heard a man, whom she described as wearing a light-coloured T-shirt with dark shorts and sports shoes, shouting at her from behind. He was accompanied by a woman.

"He shouted at me to put my mask above my nose. I patiently told him that I was exercising which is why I had the mask below my nose," she said.

The man, believed to be in his late 20s, once again shouted at her to put her mask up, even though it was clear she had worked up a sweat from her walk. She tried to explain again that she was exercising.

"He then started to abuse me and even used a racial slur, I was absolutely shocked. I do not like confrontation and I wanted to avoid an argument with him, so I said 'God bless you' and decided to walk away," she added.

Madam Nita said this further frustrated the man, who was several metres away from her. He ran towards her and landed what she described as a "flying kick".

"It was a very forceful kick which caused me to fall to the ground. I kept saying 'he kicked me, he kicked me'. I was in complete disbelief," said Madam Nita, who is about 1.6m tall and weighs 60kg.

She sustained scratches on her arms and hands from the fall.

The woman with the man did not intervene during the incident and the couple ran away after she fell to the ground, Madam Nita added.

A bystander who had witnessed the incident from a nearby bus stop rushed to her aid, helping her get up and offering plasters to stem the bleeding from the scratches.

"I know I should have taken down the kind woman's number, but in that moment, all I could do was escape from the situation. I was in a state of shock and I did not know how to react. I could not even get a photograph of my attacker," Madam Nita said.

After narrating the incident to her husband and two children, aged 26 and 27, Madam Nita filed a police report regarding the incident on Friday night. On Monday, she said she would be going to a polyclinic after work to have her injuries checked by a doctor.

In response to queries from reporters, the police confirmed a report has been filed regarding the incident and they are investigating the case.

Reporters understands the man is being investigated for voluntarily causing hurt and harassment.

According to current regulations, individuals can remove their mask when engaging in strenuous exercise but must put the mask back on once this is completed.

Sport Singapore defines "strenuous exercise" as running, jogging, cycling, static exercises and drills for warm-ups, brisk walking and walking on hilly terrain like Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

Madam Nita said the incident has left her afraid of taking the route, which she has frequented for more than a year now.

"I made up my mind to walk only on the opposite side of the street, even though it does not have a rain shelter. I could not understand why the man would act so violently towards me," she said.

A similar incident reportedly took place at Pasir Ris on May 2, when a man was caught on camera shouting at a family of Indian expatriates and accusing them of spreading Covid-19.

The online video shows that the man, believed to be Singaporean, used derogatory terms against the family of four and asked them to "go back" and said they were "spreading the virus here".

Reporters has contacted the police for more information about that incident.

SAN FRANCISCO - Twitter on Thursday (May 6) confirmed that it pulled the plug on several accounts trying to skirt its ban on former president Donald Trump by promoting his blog posts.

The ex-president launched a page on his website earlier this week promising comment "straight from the desk of Donald J Trump." The page was made public just before Facebook's independent oversight board on Wednesday upheld the platform's ban on Trump.

Twitter accounts with names playing on Trump themes and seeking to amplify the Trump website posts were taken offline, according to the platform.

"As stated in our ban evasion policy, we'll take enforcement action on accounts whose apparent intent is to replace or promote content affiliated with a suspended account," a Twitter spokesperson told reporters.

Twitter said it permanently suspended Trump's account after the deadly Jan 6 Capitol riot because there was a risk he would further incite violence, following months of tweets disputing Joe Biden's presidential election victory.

False and misleading claims about American politics have plummeted, a trend for which Twitter and Facebook are keen to take credit.

With Trump muted, Biden less engaged on social media, and no election cycle underway, Americans are now living in a different media eco-system.

"The single most important thing was de-platforming Donald Trump," said Russell Muirhead, a Dartmouth University professor and co-author of "A Lot of People Are Saying," a book whose title plays on one of Trump's most popular sayings, used when promoting unproven theories.

"It has removed a daily blizzard of misinformation from the ecosystem," Muirhead told reporters. "Not being bombarded is helping people's misinformation immune systems to reset themselves and recover." Social media was long Trump's weapon of choice, letting him fire off comments without having to explain or back claims.