Daily roundup: Over 17,900 people caught for use and possession of vapes since January 2024 — and other top stories today, Singapore News
Stay in the know with a recap of our top stories today.
1. Over 17,900 people caught for use and possession of vapes since January 2024
More than 17,900 people were caught for possession and use of e-vaporisers between January 2024 and March 2025, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said in a joint statement on Friday (May 16)... » READ MORE
2. 'His criticism has no effect on me': Quan Yi Fong responds to Addy Lee's accusations
Local TV host Quan Yi Fong has responded to Addy Lee's recent expose about their fallout years ago, saying his criticism has "no effect" on her... » READ MORE
3. Fluff Stack, popular souffle pancake chain, to close all outlets in Singapore due to 'challenging F&B climate'
After six years of dishing out fluffy, Instagram-worthy pancakes, Fluff Stack is shuttering all their outlets for good... » READ MORE
4. Gillman Barracks restaurant fined $850 for food safety breaches after 40 gastroenteritis cases reported
The Blackbird SG, a live music bar and restaurant in Gillman Barracks, was fined $850 in court on Wednesday (May 14) for lapses in food safety and hygiene regulations, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said... » READ MORE
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CNA
a day ago
- CNA
About 56% of affected Cordlife customers accept refund offer over mishandling of cord blood units
SINGAPORE: About 56 per cent of affected Cordlife customers have accepted the refund offers made by the company after its mishandling of cord blood units. In a regulatory update on Friday (Jun 6), the private cord blood bank gave an update on the number of clients who have accepted its offers that were made in February and April 2024. The offers comprised a refund of the annual fees paid by affected clients from the onset of the "temperature excursion". For those affected, Cordlife had also offered to continue storing the cord blood units until their child reaches the age of 21 and to waive all future fees. When previously contacted by CNA in May last year, Cordlife declined to give the exact figure for the number of clients who had accepted the refunds. Its mishandling of cord blood units was first made public on Nov 30, 2023, when the Ministry of Health (MOH) revealed that investigations were ongoing. Seven tanks storing cord blood units were exposed to temperatures above acceptable limits. About 2,200 cord blood units were found damaged in one of the tanks, affecting at least 2,150 clients. In April last year, it was announced that another 5,300 cord blood units in a second tank and dry shipper were deemed "non-viable". Some customers are, however, continuing their legal action against the company. In a bourse update on the matter on Apr 1, the company said it had received on Mar 28 two letters of demand from lawyers acting for two groups of affected clients. One group is claiming for damages for breach of contract and negligence, while the other group is requesting for compensation for costs, among other warranties and undertakings from Cordlife. The company received its first letter of demand in May last year, while two other announcements were made in Aug 15, 2024 and Mar 1 on the same matter. In January, MOH renewed Cordlife's cord blood and human tissue banking service licences for a year, more than four months after it was allowed to resume its cord blood banking services in a limited manner. The company said on Friday it intends to host a series of townhall sessions - both in-person and online - to continue engaging customers to address their concerns. In a media invite last September, Cordlife talked up its new laboratory monitoring system to keep track of storage tank temperatures remotely and how it had hired more experienced laboratory staff and technicians to "elevate standards further". ACCREDITATION Cordlife added on Friday that it is also working closely with the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB) and the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) to restore both accreditations for its Singapore operations. In December 2023, it lost its cellular therapy accreditation with FACT. The suspension will last indefinitely, "at a minimum until FACT's investigations are completed and issues are resolved", Cordlife then said. AABB followed suit in August last year, with the international blood bank body withdrawing Cordlife's accreditation for the collection, processing, storage and distribution of cord blood. The company also provided an update on its Singapore operations, which were given the go-ahead by authorities to fully resume in January. "While collection rates remain below the company's pre-incident average, the full resumption of its Singapore operations represents an encouraging step forward in restoring client confidence and rebuilding operational momentum," it said. "The company has also strengthened and renewed its relationships with the medical community, particularly in Singapore. It has been proactively engaging hospitals, doctors, nurses and other stakeholders within the medical community to ensure they are fully informed on the company's rectification efforts and improved procedures," Cordlife added. Cordlife said it would continue to expand its outreach initiatives with the aim of returning to "pre-incident levels of performance" and would continue to update shareholders when there are material developments. For the financial year ending Dec 31, 2024, the group's revenue fell 50.4 per cent to S$27.6 million (US$21.4 million), with Cordlife primarily attributing the decline to the suspension of its Singapore operations. Its FY2024 revenue in Singapore was minus S$2 million, a steep reverse from S$24.7 million in 2023. NEW GROUP CEO In a separate bourse filing, Cordlife said it had appointed current group executive director Chen Xiaoling as its group CEO and Singapore CEO with effect from Thursday. The board said that it had considered Ms Chen's "proven track record" within the group as well as her qualifications, working experience, leadership capabilities and contributions. She will continue to serve as group executive director alongside her new roles, it added. Ms Chen was among nine people arrested earlier in connection with the mishandling of cord blood units. Non-independent non-executive directors, Mr Zhai Lingyun, Mr Yiu Ming Yiu and Mr Chow Wai Leong, Cordlife's chief financial officer Ms Thet Hnin Yi, the company's former Group CEO Tan Poh Lan, acting chairman Ho Choon Hou as well as independent directors Yeo Hwee Tiong and Titus Jim Cheong Tuck Yan were previously arrested and released on bail. In relation to a separate police report that was lodged by Cordlife's board of directors in April last year over "potential wrongdoings" of former employees amid an internal probe into why the cord blood units in one of the tanks were damaged, the company said it had not received any update regarding that case. "The company will continue to provide its full cooperation to the relevant authorities, as and when needed, for any subsequent investigations in connection with the police report," it said in a separate bourse filing on Friday.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
Shopee responds after pet owner says deliveryman slammed window on senior dog
A Singapore pet owner shared her distress after a delivery incident allegedly caused injury to her senior dog. Instagram user @graceey.t shared a post on May 30 detailing a distressing incident involving her senior dog and a deliveryman. She claimed that the delivery worker, while delivering a Shopee parcel to her unit, slammed the sliding window on her dog, Bobby, after it barked at him. She said this act resulted in bleeding in her dog's mouth, and that even a week later, she was still finding traces of blood. She expressed frustration that Shopee had repeatedly assigned the same delivery personnel to her unit despite her complaints and said she wasn't asking for the delivery personnel to be fired, but simply wanted him reassigned to ensure her dog's safety. Stomp understands the incident involved a Jack Russell Terrier - a highly active breed known for its energy. When the delivery personnel approached the unit, the dog lunged forward and barked at him. The courier, who is in his 50s and has over a year of delivery experience, instinctively closed the window to prevent the dog from jumping at him. While this reaction might have been meant to protect himself, it may have unintentionally caused the injury. In response to a Stomp query, a Shopee spokesperson said they have reached out to the buyer to acknowledge the seriousness of the concern raised. "Our logistics partner has taken steps to ensure the matter is addressed constructively, including making arrangements for the reassignment of the delivery partner involved," a spokesperson said. "We are taking this as an opportunity to review our customer support and service partner training to better manage sensitive situations. "Shopee is committed to providing a safe and respectful experience for all users, and we appreciate the feedback that helps us continue to improve." In an update, the Instagram user thanked netizens for reading and reposting her story and confirmed that Shopee has reviewed the case and addressed the issues. "I'm grateful that necessary actions have been taken and they're finally making things right after the most frustrating two months of 2025 for my family and I." Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
Plane about to take off recalled for cops to arrest passenger who posted: 'No one knows I'm going to blow the plane up'
Plane about to take off recalled for cops to arrest passenger who posted: 'No one knows I'm going to blow the plane up' A 22-year-old man was charged on June 5 with communicating false information of harmful thing while onboard an aircraft on Valentine's Day. The police said they were alerted to a social media post containing a threat to blow up an aircraft on Feb 14 at about 7.20pm. Through follow-up investigations, officers from the Airport Police Division established the identity of the man, Azim Shah Abubakar Shah, within an hour of the post and confirmed that he was onboard a flight bound for Abu Dhabi. The aircraft was already taxiing on the runway and about to take off, but was recalled to Changi Airport Terminal 2, where the man was subsequently arrested. Investigations revealed that he allegedly posted "No one here knows I'm going to blow the plane up" on his social media account after he had boarded the aircraft. According to court documents, the Singaporean was on board the Etihad Airways plane when he allegedly posted the threat on his Instagram account under the username "fruitloops_19", reported The Straits Times. The post was viewed by 16 people. PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES Azim was found to have no means to carry out his threat as no threat items were discovered in his possession, said the police. The offence of communicating false information of harmful thing carries an imprisonment term of up to seven years, a fine of up to $50,000 or both. Commander of Airport Police Division, Assistant Commissioner of Police M. Malathi said: "Beyond fear and inconvenience caused, the making of false threats, especially relating to airport and airline operations, involves significant public resources that have to be deployed to deal with the incident. "All security threats will be thoroughly investigated and those responsible will be tracked down and prosecuted." Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
