NS defaulter Ben Davis returns to spotlight in Singapore; Man buys gift for wife at Mustafa Jewellery and becomes millionaire: Singapore live news

Malaysian business heavyweight Ananda Krishnan has died at the age of 86.

The billionaire was responsible for founding some of Malaysia’s most iconic brands such as telecoms operator Maxis as well as broadcasting and media company Astro. He also owned a substantial stake in oilfield services provider Bumi Armada.

Krishnan passed away peacefully yesterday (27 November), according to a statement from his private investment firm Usaha Tegas.

“He has made significant contributions to nation building and the corporate world; and his philanthropic initiatives have touched many lives," the company said in a statement.

"We humbly ask that the family's wishes to mourn in private be respected."

Krishnan ranked sixth on Malaysia's 50 Richest list for 2024 by Forbes with a net worth of US$4.8b back in April.

His current net worth is thought to be US$5.1b.

Ryan Lian has hit out against the ‘sick’ people who mocked the actor online after he was slashed in a knife attack outside Nex mall in Serangoon.

The slashing incident happened last Friday on 22 November but was only reported this week by local media after he was discharged from hospital.

When the 39-year-old read comments and social media reactions for articles about the shocking news, he became upset to see a number of netizens mocking him for his misfortune.

“Some people even left laughing emojis," he wrote on Instagram.

"Usually when I head home from work, I don't interact with anyone. I won't even kill a single ant and neither have I ever jeopardised anyone's livelihood for my own benefit," he added.

Lian, who has spoken about his battles with depression, also said: "I thought I was mentally ill and felt bad about it. Now I realise, it's the society that is sick."

A 21-year-old man has been charged in relation to the knife attack on Lian.

The overall gambling participation rate among Singaporeans has been decreasing, according to findings from the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) on 28 November.

The NCPG’s 2023 survey states the participation rate among Singapore residents was 40%. This figure was 44% in the 2020 study and even higher at 52% in the 2017 report.

However, there was a slight increase in those who gambled illegally online which rose from 0.3% of respondents in the 2020 survey to 1% in the 2023 survey.

The probable pathological and problem gambling (PPG) rate among Singaporeans remains low at around 1.1%.

Overall, the NCPG concluded the gambling and problem gambling situation has remained 'stable and under control.'

“It is heartening that our efforts have contributed towards maintaining Singapore’s low problem gambling rate,” said Sim Gim Guan, Chairman of the NCPG.

Other key findings from the 2023 survey include:

• 4D was the most popular gambling activity (30% of respondents), followed by TOTO (29% of respondents).

• 69% of gamblers bet less than once a week (38% less than once a month and 31% less than once a week), while the remaining 31% bet once or more than once a week.

• 92% of gamblers bet via Singapore Pools.

Individuals or families who need help can call the NCPG Helpline at 1800-6-668-668 or use the Webchat service at www.ncpg.org.sg.

The huge popularity in Singapore of Popmart’s collectible Labubu was reflected in data recently released by online secondhand marketplace Carousell.

Labubu dethroned Taylor Swift to rise to fifth place among Carousell’s top searches for the year, according to the company’s Year-in-Secondhand insights report on 26 November.

The five most common searches by Carousell’s Singapore users this year were “Rolex”, “chair”, “iPhone”, “free” and “Labubu”.

“Our leadership across key markets gives us unparalleled insights into how and what people are buying and selling every day, helping us develop features and programmes that drive demand for secondhand goods,” said Jing Zhi Peh, Regional Head of Goods, Carousell.

The furry plushie with a toothy-grin has taken Asia by storm.

Retail analysts largely attribute the Labubu craze to when Blackpink’s Lisa posted the Labubu doll on her Instagram in April.

Recently, a Malaysian woman was scammed out of $6,000 (almost RM20,000) when she tried to buy Labubu dolls from an online seller on IG.

A Singapore Airlines (SIA) plane rolled backwards after it was parked at Delhi Airport as the pilots reportedly forgot to apply the parking brake.

The incident happened on Monday (25 November) and caused a stewardess to suffer a bruise on her thigh. No other injuries were reported on the flight which had a total of 459 passengers and 25 crew on board.

In a statement published by the Times of India, SIA said: "A Singapore Airlines (SIA) Airbus A380, operating flight SQ406 from Singapore to New Delhi experienced a rollback after parking at IGIA on Nov 25, 2024. The pilot immediately applied the brakes to halt the aircraft."

The statement added: "Once the aircraft was stationary, the pilots informed air traffic control, and ground staff safely towed the aircraft back to its designated parking bay."

According to the Times of India, the parking bay is designed with a slight slope to ensure water flows out towards the apron when it rains.

A $6,000 purchase at a jewellery store turned out to be a million-dollar investment for one lucky Mustafa Jewellery customer.

Balasubramanian Chithambaram spent $6,000 on gold chains for his wife around three months ago. He found out on Sunday (24 November) that he was selected as the main winner for the company’s annual lucky draw which would see him pocket a cool US$1million (S$1.3m).

The draw for the annual event was held at the Civil Service Club @ Tessensohn. And in a brilliant move by the organisers, they managed to get Chithambaram on a video call to break the news to him in front of the live audience.

During his interview, the teary-eyed man revealed that it was father's fourth death anniversary. “It's a blessing,” he said.

Chithambaram also said that he is employed as a project engineer and has been working in Singapore for 21 years. He then informed the host that he wants to give some of the money back to the community as a token of appreciation for the years he worked in Singapore.