NewsLite

Injuries and deaths from traffic accidents in Singapore grew in the first half of 2025, increasing by 4.3 per cent from the same period in 2024.

In its mid-year report on the traffic situation in Singapore, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Friday (Aug 29) that there were 4,860 hurt and 79 killed on the roads from January to June this year.

In comparison, there were 4,665 injuries and 72 deaths from January to June last year.

"[The] increase in the number of road traffic accidents and casualties in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 — continuing the upward trend observed over the past three years," said SPF.

The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has said US comedian Sammy Obeid's show was cancelled over late submission, not Gaza censorship.

In a statement on Thursday (Aug 28), the authority refuted Obeid's Instagram post alleging the reasons behind the cancellation and said it was "inaccurate".

On Aug 27, he announced that his show on Aug 31 has been cancelled.

He told his Instagram followers that he had toned down his script — originally focused on the ongoing war in Gaza — and only referenced Palestine and Israel a few times.

A motorcyclist was spotted convulsing on the ground after a crash along the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) on Thursday (Aug 28).

A video posted on the same day by the Singapore Road Accidents.com Facebook page captured the aftermath of the accident.

In the video, the motorcyclist is being tended to by two men , presumably from the car involved in the incident.

There appears to be blood splattered on the road around the motorcyclist, who is seen convulsing while two other men assist to lift the motorcycle away from the motorcyclist.

JAKARTA — Indonesian students said they will protest at Jakarta's police headquarters on Friday (Aug 29) after a motorcycle rider died when he was hit by a police vehicle during violent clashes following a demonstration outside the parliament the day before.

Muzammil Ihsan, head of Indonesia's largest student union, told Reuters that students will protest against police violence on Friday afternoon, and he expected other student groups to attend.

On Thursday, demonstrators were protesting a number of issues including lawmakers' pay, education funding and the government's school meals programme. As the protest persisted into the night, local media reported that riot police fired tear gas and used water cannons to try to disperse people.

The capital's police chief, Asep Edi Suheri, said that during the clashes an armoured police vehicle hit and killed a motorcycle rideshare driver. A motorcycle drivers' association said the dead man was not involved in the protests.

Amy Adams has joined the cast of Star Wars: Starfighter.

The 51-year-old actress is set to star alongside the likes of Aaron Pierre, Flynn Gray, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman and Daniel Ings in the next Star Wars movie.

The much-anticipated film is being directed by Shawn Levy — who helmed 2024's Deadpool and Wolverine — while Ryan Gosling has already been announced as a cast member.

The director has revealed that he feels honoured to be overseeing the project.

The anti-vaping measures in Singapore may result in more tourism for Batam, according to Batam Tourism Agency head Ardiwinata, The Jakarta Post reported on Wednesday (Aug 27).

Batam, an hour's journey from Singapore by ferry, could be an "alternative" for vape users, he pointed out.

"If there are strict regulations from the Singaporean government, the public will have alternatives to enjoy them, with Batam being one of those alternatives," he said.

"As long as it does not violate our regulations, they can choose Batam."

Emma Heming Willis made the "hardest decision" by moving her husband Bruce Willis into a separate home.

The model, 47, has been caring for the 70-year-old Die Hard star since he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, and she has now revealed he has had to be moved to get professional care. Speaking on the ABC special Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey with Diane Sawyer, Emma said the decision was made to protect the wellbeing of their daughters, Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11.

She also explained Bruce now lives in a one-storey house with a full-time care team.

Emma said: "When we go over, either we're outside, or we're watching a movie… it's just really about being able to be there, and connect with Bruce.

NAIROBI — At least four African countries will run out of specialised life-saving food for severely malnourished children in the next three months due to shortages caused by aid cuts, Save the Children said on Thursday (Aug 28).

Supplies were getting dangerously low in Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan of high-energy biscuits, peanut-based Plumpy'Nut paste and other treatments known as Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), the British-based aid group said.

"At a time when global hunger is sky-rocketing, the funding that could save children's lives has been cut because of recent aid cuts," Yvonne Arunga, the charity's regional director for East and Southern Africa, said.

Save the Children did not name specific donors or funding reductions in its statement. Under President Donald Trump, the US has slashed humanitarian assistance this year, and other Western powers have also been cutting funding as part of longer-term reductions.

LAGOS — A staple of Nigerian cuisine, egusi soup, could one day be consumed on the Moon or on Mars after melon seeds from which the thick, fragrant dish is made orbited the Earth for seven days and returned to be studied by space scientists.

The egusi seeds were transported to the International Space Station by a capsule that launched from Nasa's Kennedy Space Center in Florida this month, as part of a project to study how they react to conditions in space.

"The goal is that in the next couple of decades, when people are living on the Moon, on Mars, and they're looking at growing food... foods that are native to Africa would be part of that," said Temidayo Oniosun, who selected the seeds for the mission.

"So even in 50 years' time, if Africans are living on the Moon, we want them to be growing and planting egusi," said the Nigerian entrepreneur, founder of intelligence company Space in Africa.

WARSAW — A Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed during a rehearsal for an airshow in Radom, central Poland, and the pilot died, the army said on Thursday (Aug 28).

"A Polish Army pilot died in the crash of an F-16 aircraft — an officer who always served his country with dedication and great courage. I pay tribute to his memory," Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on X after arriving at the crash scene.

The General Command of the Armed Forces said that the accident involved an aircraft from the 31st Tactical Air Base near Poznan and that there were no injuries to any bystanders.

"Rescue operations were immediately initiated at the scene," it said in a statement.