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SINGAPORE – No traces of asbestos were detected in Johnson & Johnson talcum powders sold in Singapore, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said on Tuesday (Oct 29).

On Oct 18, the healthcare giant said it would be recalling 33,000 bottles of baby powder in the US, after a bottle in the batch was found by the US Food and Drug Administration to contain traces of asbestos.

The recall was limited to one batch that was produced and shipped in the United States in 2018. It marked the first time the company has recalled baby powder for possible asbestos contamination and the first time US regulators announced finding asbestos in the product, the US media reported.

On Tuesday, HSA said in response to The Straits Times’ queries that the affected batch had not been imported into Singapore and was only sold in the US.

The use of asbestos in cosmetic products like baby powder is prohibited in Singapore under the cosmetics product regulation, HSA said.

Asbestos is linked to health problems such as lung cancer.

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Every year, about 250 cats fall from high-rise buildings here, and about half of them perish, says the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

And it is not just felines that fall victim to the phenomenon known as high-rise syndrome.

Among other animals that have plummeted from height are snakes, tortoises, turtles and iguanas, said the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres).

Many of them were illegally imported and kept as pets, which have led to some owners being prosecuted, added Acres.

The SPCA told The New Paper that it sees more than five injured cats from high-rise falls every week.

Its executive director, Dr Jaipal Singh Gill, said: “More than 80 per cent of Singaporeans live in high-rise buildings and more are adopting cats as pets.

“These are just the cases that are reported to us. So we can say with confidence there are many more such cases.”

Cats are not allowed to be kept in Housing Board flats, as they are generally difficult to contain in the unit and make caterwauling sounds that can inconvenience neighbours.

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SINGAPORE – The police are investigating those who discharged fireworks in Jurong West on Sunday night (Oct 27).

Although no injuries were reported during the incident that happened at Jurong West Street 73, those found guilty could be jailed up to two years, fined between $2,000 and $10,000, or both, the police said on Monday.

In a 23-second video posted on alternative news site All Singapore Stuff’s Facebook page on Monday morning, fireworks are seen to be launched between two HDB blocks, as residents in a nearby block of flats watch from the corridor.

The fireworks reach as high as the 12th storey of a nearby flat, even ricocheting off the walls of the building.

Another 15-second video posted on the same Facebook page shows fireworks launched from an open space in front of some buildings, although it is not clear if this is of the same incident depicted in the other video.

In its statement, the police warned members of the public that it is an offence to possess, sell, transport, send, deliver, distribute or import any dangerous fireworks.

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SINGAPORE – A Facebook post by a 72-year-old man on how he had to resort to being a Grab driver after getting only $575 of Central Provident Fund (CPF) payouts a month has gone viral, prompting the CPF Board to rebut his claims in a Facebook post on Sunday (Oct 27).

The Board said the man, Mr Clifford Theseira, had failed to present a full reflection of his circumstances.

“Mr Theseira had withdrawn a total of about $140,000 from his CPF since turning 55. If Mr Theseira had not done so, his monthly payout could be more than $1,000 per month,” the Board said.

“In addition, Mr Theseira co-owns a 5-room HDB flat which is fully paid up,” it added.

Mr Theseira had said, in his post on Sept 24, that despite having around $60,000 in his Medisave, his monthly CPF payouts amounted to only $575.

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SINGAPORE – A 54-year-old woman was charged in court on Monday (Oct 28) for the murder of a 63-year-old man believed to be her husband.

The incident happened in the early morning of Deepavali (Oct 27) and was the first out of two murder cases that happened on Sunday.

Appearing handcuffed and in a red polo shirt and dark shorts at the State Courts, Chinese national Wang Shuzhen was accused of killing Mr Teh Hock Pine on Sunday sometime between 5am and 6.02am.

Police said they had responded to a case of unnatural death at Block 633 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 at 5.46am that day.

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SINGAPORE – A 22-year-old man was arrested on Sunday evening over the murder of two women, aged 56 and 90, who are related to him.

He is expected to be charged in court on Monday (Oct 28).

The police said they were alerted to a case of two unnatural deaths at Block 7A in Commonwealth Avenue at 7.24pm.

Both women were found lying motionless and were pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene.

The police have classified the case as murder. Investigations have revealed that both the deceased and the suspect were related.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said two other persons were taken to the National University Hospital in ambulances.

Neighbours said they heard a commotion on the ground floor of the Housing Board block at about 7pm, with a group of people shouting and screaming.

Passers-by told The Straits Times that they called the police after the suspect started attacking other members of the public on the ground floor of the block.

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SINGAPORE – E-commerce website Qoo10 is looking into Halloween costumes depicting Taoist deities sold on its site, following concerns raised by devotees.

Qoo10 said on Friday (Oct 25) that the company’s relevant teams “have already been notified to urgently review the items in question”.

Taoist devotees recently voiced concerns about the costumes’ listings, saying that they are disrespectful and inappropriate.

The costumes are based on two Chinese deities, called heibai wuchang in Chinese which are worshipped by Taoists as guards of the underworld.

There are a few listings of the costumes for adults as well as for children on Qoo10’s Singapore online site. They feature long-sleeved robes in black or white and another version which includes a long red strip that resembles a tongue.

Master Lee Zhiwang, president of Singapore’s Taoist Mission told The Straits Times that the Halloween costumes was a serious matter to devotees, and several had complained to the organisation in the past few days.

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