Latest news with #Sembawang
Malay Mail
4 days ago
- Malay Mail
Woman charged with keeping 79 dogs in Singapore home, faces 82 offences
SINGAPORE, July 26 — A 50-year-old Singaporean woman has been charged with multiple animal-related offences after she allegedly kept 79 dogs — mostly miniature poodles — in a private Sembawang property without the necessary licences and failed to microchip them. According to The New Paper, Julia Moss is facing 82 charges in total, most of which are for owning unlicensed dogs. She is accused of housing the dogs at a property along Wak Hassan Drive on August 28, 2024 — far exceeding Singapore's legal cap of three dogs per private premises. Moss also allegedly did not comply with a requirement issued by the Director-General of Animal Health and Welfare on May 29, 2023, which gave her until August 27 last year to microchip the animals. One day after the deadline, she was found to still be in breach of the directive. In addition, The New Paper reported that Moss failed to inform authorities of her plans to move the dogs on January 25 this year. The address listed in the charge was for another house along the same street. She is also accused of not providing the new address to the director-general, which violates the Animals and Birds Act. The case has been adjourned to give Moss time to engage legal representation. She is due to return to court on August 20. Animal welfare group Voices For Animals told The New Paper that 37 of the 79 dogs have since been rehomed. Under Singapore law, keeping more than three dogs in a private property without a licence carries a fine of up to S$5,000 (RM16,500). Failing to microchip the animals, as directed, is punishable by a fine of up to S$10,000, imprisonment for up to a year, or both. Each count of owning an unlicensed dog also comes with a potential fine of up to S$5,000. Not informing the authorities before relocating animals may result in a jail term of up to six months, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.
CNA
23-07-2025
- Business
- CNA
HDB launches 10,200 new flats for sale, with 4 Prime projects
SINGAPORE: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) launched 10,209 flats for sale in July's Build-to-Order (BTO) sales exercise, it said on Wednesday (Jul 23). This includes 5,547 BTO flats and 4,662 Sale of Balance (SBF) flats, it said in a press release. Seven out of 10 BTO flats up for sale have waiting times of four years or lower, including 1,396 units with less than three years' waiting time at Clementi Emerald and Bangkit Breeze. Sembawang Beacon, the first BTO project in the new Sembawang North neighbourhood, will comprise 775 units and has a wait time of three years. HDB noted that flat buyers looking to move into their homes sooner can consider applying in the SBF exercise, where 1,733 - or more than a third of SBF flats - have been completed. BTO FLATS, SUBSIDY CLAWBACK There are four standard and four prime BTO projects offered in the latest sales exercise, comprising flats ranging from two-room flexi to 3Gen flats. The standard projects on offer are in Bukit Panjang, Sembawang, Tampines and Woodlands, while the prime projects include two in Bukit Merah and one each in Clementi and Toa Payoh. "To ensure affordability, all new flats are priced with significant market discounts," HDB said. On top of the market discounts, Prime flats - which command higher market values due to their more favourable locational attributes - get additional subsidies to ensure affordability and accessibility. The selling prices for these new flats are substantially lower than the transacted prices of comparable resale flats, said HDB. Correspondingly, one of the additional restrictions that come with Prime flats is the subsidy clawback upon resale, which is derived as a percentage of the flat's resale or valuation price, whichever is higher. Alexandra Peaks, Alexandra Vista and Toa Payoh Ascent will have subsidy clawback rates of 11 per cent, while Clementi Emerald will have a 12 per cent subsidy recovery rate. "They are commensurate with the extent of the additional subsidies provided for the respective projects," HDB said. Eligible first-timer families stand to benefit from the enhanced CPF housing grant of up to S$120,000 (US$94,000). With the grant, homebuyers can purchase a 3-room standard flat starting from S$162,000 or a 4-room standard flat starting from S$248,000, said the Housing Board. CHANGES FROM JULY HDB also outlined some changes that will take effect from the current sales exercise, including improvements to the Family Care Scheme, which will provide priority access to parents and their children, when applying for a new flat to live with or near each other. First announced in March, the allocation quota for three-room and larger BTO flats for second-timer families has also been raised by 5 percentage points. The deferred income assessment rules have been expanded, such that only one party in a couple needs to be a recent or current full-time student or National Serviceman. Previously, both parties needed to meet the requirement. The Fresh Start Housing Grant, provided to support second-timer public rental families to buy a new standard two-room Flexi or standard three-room flat on a shorter lease, was also enhanced to S$75,000 from S$50,000. SBF FLATS The 4,662 SBF flats offered in the current exercise are more than the 3,000 units HDB previously committed to, it noted. Together with the 5,590 such flats offered in February, the total SBF supply this year has exceeded 10,200 flats. This is the largest annual supply of SBF flats since 2016, HDB said. Like BTO flats, SBF flats are subsidised and priced lower than comparable resale flats. Eligible first-timer singles can apply for any of the two-room flexi SBF flats across the island in this sales exercise, HDB said.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
1 in 3 vapes here laced with etomidate; MOH working with MHA to list it as illegal drug: Ong Ye Kung
SINGAPORE - As an interim measure to tackle the vaping scourge in Singapore, the Health Ministry is working with the Ministry of Home Affairs to list etomidate - a drug used in vapes - under the Misuse of Drugs Act, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on July 20. He added that vapes seized by the authorities have shown that one in three vapes contain etomidate, a psychoactive substance that can cause hallucinations and organ damage. Listing etomidate under the Misuse of Drugs Act means those who possess, abuse or sell vapes with etomidate may soon be treated the same way as those found with drugs like cannabis. This will pave the way for harsher penalties for abusers, including mandatory rehabilitation, and jail time for repeat offenders. Etomidate's use is currently regulated under the Poisons Act, which carries lighter penalties for users. Speaking on the sidelines of the grand opening of a dog run in Sembawang on July 20, Mr Ong said the Ministry of Health is working with the Ministry of Home Affairs to do this in the coming weeks. The Health Sciences Authority will also be extending the hours for its reporting hotline. ST launched its anti-vaping campaign, Vaping: The Invisible Crisis, on July 13. Mr Ong praised the initiative, saying it was a useful campaign to raise awareness. When ST launched the campaign, Vaping: The Invisible Crisis, several Telegram channels selling vapes became significantly less active. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the vape scourge. Of particular concern is the rise of etomidate-laced vapes, also known as Kpods. Etomidate is a medicinal ingredient used in clinical practice as an anaesthetic agent and is classified as a poison under the Poisons Act. It was designed to be injected directly into the veins under clinical supervision and was never meant to be inhaled directly into the lungs. When vaped, it can trigger spasms, breathing difficulties, seizures and psychosis. Kpods have reportedly been pushed in Singapore by organised crime groups, with local authorities now intensifying crackdowns. Public healthcare institutions have also been told to record all Kpod cases. Possessing, using or buying vapes carries a maximum fine of $2,000. Anyone who distributes, imports or sells vapes and their components can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $10,000. Those found in possession of or using pods containing etomidate can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $10,000. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
Independent Singapore
18-07-2025
- Independent Singapore
GrabFood rider helps lost 6-year-old twins wandering Sembawang alone at 1am
SINGAPORE: A GrabFood rider who stopped at a red light in the early hours of Wednesday morning in Sembawang was surprised to spot two young children wandering alone by the roadside. Muhammad Harris, 33, was waiting on his motorcycle along Admiralty Drive at around 1 a.m. on July 17 when he noticed two children picking up sticks and dried leaves near the traffic light. 'I looked around to see if there were any adults with them, but it seemed like only the two of them,' he told Stomp, 'When the green man started flashing, they crossed the road on their own, but what touched my heart was that even at that age, the brother held his sister's hand tightly as they crossed together.' Concerned for their safety, Mr Harris made a U-turn and cautiously approached the children on his motorcycle, taking care not to frighten them. 'I didn't want to scare them, so I stopped at the side and asked in Malay, 'Adik nak pergi mana malam-malam?' which means, 'Where are you going so late at night?'' The boy and girl told him they were six-year-old twins and that they had left their grandmother's home and were on their way to their mother's house. When Mr Harris asked if they knew where she lived, the boy confidently replied, 'Go straight, turn right,' but when pressed for more details, like the block or unit number, or even a phone number, the children couldn't answer. Realising they might be lost, Mr Harris parked his bike and offered to walk with them in hopes of figuring out where they were headed. 'I asked their names, ages, and what school they go to,' he said. 'But halfway through the walk, they said we might be going the wrong way.' Still unsure where they were supposed to go and with the children's safety in mind, Mr Harris called the police and stayed with them until officers arrived on the scene. 'The police took down my particulars and said I was good to go and that they would take care of the kids,' he said. Thankfully, the story ended on a reassuring note. Mr Harris posted about the situation on Facebook, and later that same day, a friend of the children's mother reached out and let him know she had seen his post and would try to contact the children's mum. 'She updated me a few minutes later that the kids were safely back with their mother,' Mr Harris said. Mr Harris, who downplayed his actions, said he did what any concerned adult would have done. 'Seeing them by themselves made me worried. They're still just kids, and crossing the road without an adult is dangerous. Luckily, it was so late at night that there weren't many vehicles,' he said.
CNA
06-07-2025
- Business
- CNA
775 BTO flats to go on sale this month in new Sembawang North neighbourhood
Some 775 Build-To-Order flats in Sembawang North will go on sale this month. They are the first of some 8,000 public housing flats to be developed in the new neighbourhood. Sembawang Beacon is also the first BTO project to be launched in Sembawang in five years. An analyst says Sembawang Beacon may be attractive to buyers due to its shorter waiting time of three years. It also offers a wider range of unit sizes. Another says transport accessibility could be one factor for buyers to consider during this month's sales exercise. In total, some 5,500 new homes go on sale this month, across eight projects. Analysts expect estates in Bukit Merah, Clementi, and Toa Payoh to be popular. Natalie Ong with the reporting.
