Fallen tree branch damages two Yishun flats, showering one homeowner with shattered glass
On July 31, workers from Golden Landscaping were removing a tree next to Block 259, Yishun Street 22, when the incident happened.
SINGAPORE - Recovering from the flu, Mr Irfan was resting on the couch in his living room when a tree branch smashed through the windows , showering him with glass.
Even though the sofa was next to the windows and glass landed on his face, Mr Irfan, a workplace safety and health trainer, was uninjured.
On July 31, at around 9.30am, workers from Golden Landscaping were removing a tree next to Block 259, Yishun Street 22 when the incident happened.
MP for Nee Soon East, Mr Jackson Lam, said two units were damaged.
The homeowner of the affected unit on the second floor, who only wanted to be known as Mr Irfan, 43, said: ' It was very loud, and it felt like the whole structure was going to collapse.'
His wife, who only wanted to be known as Madam Salfarina, 41, and who was working in the next room, was also not injured.
Madam Salfarina, an executive at a healthcare insurance company, said she heard a loud bang and the home shook .
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore No entry: ICA to bar high-risk, undesirable travellers from boarding S'pore-bound ships, flights
Singapore 5 foreign women suspected of trafficking 27kg of cocaine nabbed in Changi Airport
Singapore Over half of job applications by retrenched Jetstar Asia staff led to offers or interviews: CEO
Singapore 17-member committee to drive roll-out of autonomous vehicles in Singapore
Business Singapore gold investment soars 37% to 2.2 tonnes in Q2 while jewellery demand wanes
Singapore Underground pipe leak likely reason for water supply issues during Toa Payoh fire: Town council
Multimedia 60 years, 60 items: A National Day game challenge
Singapore 'Switching careers just as I became a dad was risky, but I had to do it for my family'
Mr Irfan said he could not hear temporarily after the impact.
He said: 'I had to call my son to check my face (to see if I was bleeding).'
When The Straits Times arrived at 2pm, cracks were on their living room walls, and the window grilles were bent out of shape.
The couple said they were grateful their two younger children, aged eight and one, were not home when the incident happened.
Their eldest child, a 22-year-old son, was sleeping in his room at the time.
Mr Lam, visited the family at around 2pm. He assured them the landscaping company would pay for the damages, and the town council would facilitate the process.
Mr Irfan said he could not hear temporarily after the impact.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF SALFARINA
He said in a statement the tree had spot decay, weakening its structure.
And the ongoing works to remove it aggravated the condition, leading to a tree branch falling and damaging two HDB units. No one was hurt.
He said the town council was activated to clear the debris, and assess the impact of the damages. Another team was working on the removal of the tree for safety reasons.
Mr Lam said: 'I spoke with the (Nee Soon) Town Council's Horticulture team and understand that necessary safety precaution was taken before the removal of the tree.
'Notices were put up, the area was cordoned off, nearby structures were removed where needed, and visual checks were done before work began.'
He said they were helping the affected families.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
31 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Alleged Argentine serial killer caught with ‘bones, blood' at home
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox BUENO AIRES, Argentina - Argentine police have arrested an alleged serial killer who preyed on homeless people he brought to his home where he murdered and dismembered them, officials said on Aug 5. The murders – at least five are known to investigators – always took place on Fridays. A 37-year-old man was arrested after a raid on his home last week yielded human 'bones, blood, pieces of skin and even a nose', Attorney General Sergio Lello Sanchez of the Jujuy province told AFP by telephone on Aug 5. The raid was the result of clues gathered from analysing security camera footage. At the house where they arrested the man, police also encountered a 16-year-old boy who appeared scared and said he was the owner's nephew, said Mr Lello Sanchez. He told police: 'I want to talk,' and then recounted that his uncle would go out on Friday afternoons and return at night with different people. He apparently lured them with offers of a job or a drink. The boy said his uncle would 'beat them, kill them, cut their bodies, burn them, and take them out in garbage bags', case prosecutor Guillermo Beller told the A24 news channel. The victims were homeless and mostly elderly people, added Mr Lello Sanchez. The investigation started after evidence emerged that five missing people had last been seen alive in the same place, near an old bus terminal in the city of San Salvador de Jujuy. Security footage showed two of them getting into taxis with the same person at different times. A taxi driver took police to the house where he had dropped his clients. The man, who insists he is innocent, was charged on Aug 4 with aggravated homicide and placed in pre-trial detention for four months pending the investigation that Mr Lello Sanchez said was at an 'early stage'. Investigators were still in the process of analysing the remains and extracting DNA samples from relatives of missing persons to try and identify the dead. AFP
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
A look inside Jeffrey Epstein's Manhattan lair
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A view of a building where Jeffrey Epstein used to live on the Upper East Side in New York. NEW YORK – As a gift for Jeffrey Epstein's 63rd birthday, friends sent letters in tribute to the wealthy financier and convicted sex offender. Several shared a common theme: recounting the dinner gatherings that Epstein regularly hosted at his palatial town house on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Mr Ehud Barak, former prime minister of Israel, and his wife noted the great diversity of guests. 'There is no limit to your curiosity,' they wrote in their message, which was compiled with others in January 2016. 'You are like a closed book to many of them, but you know everything about everyone.' Media mogul Mortimer Zuckerman suggested ingredients for a meal that would reflect the culture of the mansion: a simple salad and whatever else 'would enhance Jeffrey's sexual performance'. And director Woody Allen described how the dinners reminded him of Dracula's castle, 'where Lugosi has three young female vampires who service the place'. But Epstein's prized property was no gloomy Transylvanian fortress. He had spent years turning the seven-story, 21,000-square-foot town house into a place where he could flaunt – and deepen – his connections to the rich and powerful, even as hints of his dark side lurked within, according to previously undisclosed photos and documents showing how he lived in his later years. Since Epstein's death in federal custody in 2019, which was ruled a suicide , many mysteries about him have yet to be solved. How did he amass a nine-figure fortune? And why did so many powerful men continue to fraternise with him long after he became a registered sex offender? Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 25-minute delay on East-West MRT Line between Boon Lay and Buona Vista due to track point fault Singapore Finding hidden vapes: Inside ICA's mission to uncover contraband at land checkpoints Singapore Sorting recyclables by material could boost low domestic recycling rate: Observers Singapore SM Lee receives Australia's highest civilian honour for advancing bilateral ties Asia Trump's sharp India criticism on tariffs, Russia oil corner Modi as rift deepens Singapore More train rides taken in first half-year, but overall public transport use stays below 2019 levels Singapore BlueSG needs time to develop software, refresh fleet, say ex-insiders after winding-down news Asia Cambodia-Thailand border clash a setback for Asean: Vivian Balakrishnan The White House had pledged to release details about the federal investigations into Epstein and his associates. But this summer the Trump administration backpedalled. The ensuing right-wing outrage has threatened to splinter the Make America Great Again (Maga) movement – for whom Epstein is a central figure in conspiracy theories – and has put Mr Trump on the defensive like few other issues. Seeking to quell the backlash, the Justice Department sent a top official to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's longtime associate who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking. On Aug 1, Maxwell was moved to a lower-security facility . That fuelled speculation that Mr Trump might commute her sentence or even pardon her in return for her cooperation. For years, Maxwell was a fixture in Epstein's New York town house, where she had an office. But she and Epstein had split by the mid-2010s. A framed photo in the town house showing Epstein with Mr Trump and his then-girlfriend, Ms Melania Knauss, was cropped to exclude Maxwell. At least one other Maga luminary also visited the town house: Mr Steve Bannon, a former adviser to Mr Trump and an online media personality, who has said he videotaped hours of interviews in the mansion with Epstein in 2019. Framed photos of Mr Bannon – including a mirror selfie snapped by Epstein – were kept in at least two rooms in the mansion. The town house was one of five properties around the world owned by Epstein. After his release in 2009 from a Florida jail, where he served 13 months for soliciting prostitution from a teenager, the mansion served as both a personal hideaway and a salon where he could hold court with accomplished intellectuals, scientists and financiers, according to legal records and interviews with people who frequented the home. The visitors considered Epstein fun, smart and curious. Another perk: getting to mingle with the young, attractive women who roamed the property and worked as his assistants. In the ground-floor dining room, Epstein entertained a rotating cast of celebrities, academics, politicians and businesspeople. The food could be mundane – sometimes nothing more than a buffet of Chinese takeout, Mr Allen's letter noted – but the events were anything but. Photos show that guests sat in leopard-print chairs around a large rectangular table. Occasionally, attendees said in interviews, a magician performed. Sometimes, a chalkboard was wheeled out so a guest could sketch a diagram or write a mathematical formula. Epstein preserved a map of Israel drawn on a chalkboard with Mr Barak's signature, according to a photo reviewed by The New York Times. Several of Epstein's victims have said the mansion was outfitted with a network of hidden video cameras. In the massage room were paintings of naked women, a large silver ball and chain, and shelves stocked with lubricant, according to photos reviewed by the Times. Epstein regularly directed teenage girls – some recruited from middle schools in Queens – to massage him while he was naked. Sometimes he masturbated in front of them, according to court records and interviews with victims. He sometimes raped or assaulted them. No surveillance cameras were visible in the photos of the massage room. An earlier collection of letters, presented to Epstein in a leather-bound album for his 50th birthday in 2003, reflected an era of his life before his first arrest. That book included contributions from Mr Trump and former President Bill Clinton , among dozens of others, The Wall Street Journal reported. Trump has denied a report in the Journal that he contributed a sexually suggestive note and drawing. He has sued the news organisation for defamation. Mr Clinton's spokesperson has said the former president was unaware of Epstein's crimes. But by 2016, as Epstein's reputation as a sexual predator became increasingly hard to ignore, his social network was shrinking. Three years later, he would die in a Manhattan jail while awaiting prosecution on federal sex-trafficking charges. The Times reviewed seven birthday messages given to Epstein in 2016. In addition to those from Mr Zuckerman, Mr Allen and Mr Barak, there were letters from linguist Noam Chomsky and his wife; Ms Joichi Ito, an entrepreneur who years later would resign from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the board of The New York Times because of his ties to Epstein; and Mr Lawrence M. Krauss, a prominent physicist. Mr Martin Nowak, a Harvard University biologist, contributed a science-themed poem. Mr Zuckerman, Mr Allen, Ms Ito, Mr Nowak and Mr Bannon did not respond to requests for comment. Mr Barak declined to comment. Mr Chomsky's wife responded on his behalf and declined to comment. Mr Krauss said he did not recall the letter but attended 'several lunches with very interesting discussions' with scientists, authors and others at Epstein's home. In their typed letter, Mr Barak and his wife, Ms Nili Priel, hailed Epstein as 'a collector of people'. The letter concluded, 'May you enjoy long and healthy life and may all of us, your friends, enjoy your table for many more years to come.' NYTIMES
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Brazil's Supreme Court caught off guard by order to arrest Bolsonaro, sources say
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro take part in a motorcade to protest, after Brazil's Supreme Court issued a house arrest order for him, in Brasilia, Brazil, August 4, 2025. REUTERS/Adriano Machado TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY SAO PAULO - Brazil's Supreme Court was caught off-guard by Justice Alexandre de Moraes' decision late on Monday to place former President Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest, two sources at the court told Reuters on Tuesday. The order underscores Moraes' readiness to act on his own despite both polarization among Brazilians on the issue and rising tensions with the White House. It came just days ahead of the introduction of 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods entering the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump imposed the levies as a reaction to what he has characterized as a "witch hunt" led by Moraes against Bolsonaro, who is standing trial under charges of plotting a coup to overturn his 2022 electoral defeat. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing and described Moraes as a "dictator." Moraes' ruling has sparked concern within the Brazilian government that Trump could retaliate by inflicting further damage to Brazil's economy, two sources close to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's inner circle told Reuters. But Brazilian officials are not planning to push back against Moraes. The two court sources, one of whom is a justice, told Reuters that the other Supreme Court justices were supportive of Moraes, while those close to Lula said the president has neither the willingness nor the ability to influence the Supreme Court. "It doesn't change our approach in the slightest," said the justice, who asked not to be named to discuss the matter candidly. The Lula administration is instead planning policies to support those industries likely to be hardest hit by Trump's tariffs and to keep diplomatic channels open with Washington, said the political sources. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Finding hidden vapes: Inside ICA's mission to uncover contraband at land checkpoints Singapore Delays on East-West MRT Line between Boon Lay and Buona Vista due to track point fault Singapore Sorting recyclables by material could boost low domestic recycling rate: Observers Asia Trump's sharp India criticism on tariffs, Russia oil corner Modi as rift deepens Singapore More train rides taken in first half-year, but overall public transport use stays below 2019 levels Singapore BlueSG needs time to develop software, refresh fleet, say ex-insiders after winding-down news Asia Cambodia-Thailand border clash a setback for Asean: Vivian Balakrishnan Singapore Doctor hounded ex-girlfriend, threatened to share her intimate photos, abducted her off street But the Moraes move could create obstacles for the Brazilian negotiators, said Fabio Medina Osorio, Brazil's former attorney general. "This decision can certainly make things difficult," he said. A POLARIZED COUNTRY The Supreme Court is expected to hand down a verdict within weeks on the charges that Bolsonaro and his allies plotted to overthrow democracy. It is widely expected to convict the former president. Moraes' house arrest order cited a failure to comply with restraining orders he had imposed on Bolsonaro for allegedly courting Trump's interference in the case. While domestically Moraes has received praise by some for defending Brazil's judicial independence, others have accused him of overreach. The latest order drew mixed reactions, according to a Quaest poll based on social media posts, with 53% in favor and 47% against the arrest. Newspapers that had written scathing editorials about the alliance between Bolsonaro and Trump also questioned Moraes' decisions. "Moraes was wrong to order the arrest of the former president for communicating with supporters in a rally organized by the right," an editorial by Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo said. "Brazil must acknowledge that Jair Bolsonaro has broad freedom to defend himself in court and to express himself wherever he chooses, including on social media." Former Supreme Court justices, too, offered differing views regarding the decision. "Alexandre de Moraes, in his ruling, not only upholds the country's sovereignty and independence but also the autonomy of Brazil's judiciary," said Carlos Ayres Britto, who left the Supreme Court bench in 2012. But former Justice Marco Aurelio Mello disagreed. "My perspective would be different given the constitutional principle of presumed innocence," he said. REUTERS
