Woman robbed in lift

A woman was robbed in the lift of Block 282 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 3 on Wednesday afternoon. The woman, who is in her 60s, had entered the lift with the suspect who stood behind her. Once the lift doors closed, he snatched a gold chain from around her neck. As the doors opened, he also managed to grab a pouch that she was holding in her hand, before fleeing down the stairs. She lost her chain worth $550 and some personal items. The thief is described to be slim-built and in his mid-30s. He was wearing a T-shirt, blue jeans and a grey cap.

War on rats in market

Rats were munching on pieces of cardboard laid out between stalls at the Geylang Serai Temporary Market when pest controllers got there on Thursday morning. Rows of them were stuck in the green glue, part of traps laid out the night before. By noon, pest controllers had cleared away 61 rats. Whether the rats have a role in the food poisoning that has affected at least 144 victims since last Friday and caused two deaths is uncertain.

Serial thief nabbed

A serial burglar who is believed to have committed least 20 break-ins at various low-rise apartments across the island has been caught. Stolen items amounting to about $50,000 were recovered from his house. The suspect had also overstayed in Singapore for more than 90 days without valid approval. Between October 2008 and April 2009, there was a series of break-ins committed at low-rise apartments in Hougang, Serangoon and Telok Kurau private residential estates. He is believed to have stolen cash, jewellery, laptops, expensive branded watches and other valuables total amounting to about $150,000 in total.

Babysitters abuse

Setting up a spycam could be the best way for parents to keep watch on their maids and the children under their care. Security experts said that some surveillance systems with cams - some smaller than a thumb - allow parents to log on to a website and monitor what goes on in their homes while they are at work. A video clip, posted on citizen-journalism site Stomp, showing what appears to be a maid brutally kicking, trampling and flinging around a young girl.
Police said they will be contacting the Stomper to obtain more information on the video. The clip was put up on Stomp on Thursday.

Nurse killed 5 patients

A nurse has been charged with injecting 10 patients with bleach at a dialysis clinic last year, killing five of them. The clinic had temporaily shut down last year due to unexplained deaths. The nurse was charged with injecting bleach into patients. She faces 5 counts of murder and assualt.

6.1 earthquake hits Indonesia

A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake shook Indonesia's Sumatran province of Bengkulu on Wednesday. The quake hit at 2.29pm Singapore time and was centred 227 kilometres southwest of Bintuhan in Sumatra island, at a depth of 30 km under the sea. Sumatra is sitting on the places that plates meet, resulting in frequent quakes.

Boy, 9, dies after caning

A Nine-year-old Malaysian pupil was caned in the hands by his teacher at the school on Tuesday, died on Wednesday. The boy had complained about feeling dizzy after the caning session. The school authorities contacted his parents before sending him to the hospital for treatment. The boy had central nervous system problems' and the caning had caused his death. The boy died at home at 3.30am on Wednesday. The principal advised parents to inform school authorities if their children were suffering any ailment. This way the schools will have proper records on the health condition and teachers will be extra cautious when taking any disciplinary action against them.