NewsLite

A peregrine falcon chick — which took its first fight out of a recess in OCBC Centre earlier in April — was found dead on April 16.

It is also the second of a full clutch of four which hatched on Feb 20 and 22 to have died this month, following the death of another chick on April 4 .

Dr Malcom Soh, principal researcher at the National Parks Board's wildlife management research branch, said the chick was found dead on the ground in the Central Business District (CBD).

The cause of death in both instances has not been established.

Even before the dust has settled on the now-viral videos showing a Chinese woman scolding an AirAsia crew member for not speaking Mandarin , a letter of guarantee purportedly written by her has surfaced.

Letters of Guarantee are not legally binding in China, but they are often used by public security agencies there to offer offenders of non-serious infractions an opportunity for reflection and repentance.

Should offenders recommit similar offences, the agencies may then choose to take appropriate action.

In a one-page letter purportedly written by the passenger, surnamed Lee, she detailed key moments of the incident that led to her outburst.

An American with a deep appreciation for Singapore's food scene has turned his admiration into miniature art — recreating iconic hawker stalls using custom lego builds.

Images of his creations, shared on Reddit on Monday (April 21), showcase detailed miniature versions of well-known local food stalls, drawing praise from netizens for their craftsmanship and nostalgic appeal.

The creator, who goes by the name Matthew Hine on Instagram, said he took care to ensure the builds were as accurate as possible, working from a combination of photos sourced online as well as pictures he took during his visits to Singapore.

Having visited the Republic multiple times over the last 25 years, Hine, 48, said in his Reddit post that one of his favourite aspects of the country is its vibrant hawker culture.

The Singapore Government has pledged US$100,000 (S$128,000) towards Jordan's Humanitarian Assistance Initiative for Lebanon as part of international efforts to address the situation there.

The contribution will go towards the provision of medical supplies, food assistance, shelter and the hygiene needs of civilians in Lebanon, said Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a statement on Thursday (April 23).

It also urged the involved parties to adhere to the existing ceasefire and engage in negotiations for lasting resolution in the conflict, calling for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Since the war began, more than one million people have been displaced, with at least 2,300 people killed in Israeli strikes, according to an update by Lebanon's Health Ministry on April 14.

The police have warned members of the public to be vigilant against impersonation scams involving officials from the Ministry of Law (MinLaw).

In a joint statement issued on Thursday (April 23), the police and MinLaw said that at least 98 cases have been reported since February, with total losses amounting to at least $8.5 million.

In this scam variant, victims would receive unsolicited calls, messages, or emails from unknown individuals impersonating staff from telecommunications companies or banks.

The scammers then claim that there are unauthorised applications for bank accounts or telecommunications services.

BEIRUT — Lebanon and Israel were set to begin a second session of direct talks in Washington on Thursday (April 23) to discuss the possibility of extending a truce between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group and plans for future negotiations between the two neighbours with a long history of hostile relations.

The meeting between Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad and her Israeli counterpart Yechiel Leiter is the second between the two diplomats, days after they held the first such direct talks between the two countries in three decades.

Lebanon President Joseph Aoun said Wednesday that contacts are ongoing to extend the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that went into effect Friday.

Hamadeh will put forward an extension of the ceasefire during the meeting and ask for an end to ongoing Israeli home demolitions in villages and towns occupied by Israel after the latest war broke out on March 2, Aoun said in comments released by his office.

BEIJING — China's foreign ministry on Thursday (April 23) said it firmly opposes Washington's criticism of Chinese pressure on some African countries to revoke overflight clearances for Taiwan's president.

Taiwan this week said the Seychelles, Mauritius and ​Madagascar unilaterally revoked flight permits for its presidential aircraft to cross airspace they manage on a planned trip to Eswatini, one of Taiwan's diplomatic allies.

It is the first instance of a Taiwanese president having to cancel a whole foreign trip due to a denial of airspace access , representing a new Chinese strategy as it steps up efforts to stifle the island's attempts to engage internationally.

Speaking at a daily press conference, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Washington should stop interfering in China's internal affairs using the Taiwan issue.

An off-duty frontliner has earned plaudits from netizens after a video of her endangering herself to help the driver of a car that fell into a ravine in Malaysia went viral.

The video uploaded by TikTok user Zulmizilinda on Tuesday (April 21) shows the frontliner, Haslinda Mansor, grabbing on to a swaying branch of foliage as she steps towards a battered black car at the bottom of a ravine along Pasir Gudang Highway.

Despite the heavy rain and nearly losing her balance multiple times, Haslinda continues deeper into the ravine, until she's able to bend down and look inside the driver's window.

She spoke to the victim and confirmed that he wasn't seriously injured before stepping back to safety.

Stay in the know with a recap of our top stories today.

1. ICA officers find over 30 cartons of contraband cigarettes hidden within metal frames and plywood

Singapore Customs is investigating a parcel containing contraband cigarettes that were flown into Singapore through airmail.

In a Facebook reel shared on Thursday (April 23), the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said that its officers detected anomalies in a scanned image of a postal article at Airmail Transit Centre in the Changi Airfreight Centre... » READ MORE

AMSTERDAM — Judges at the International Criminal Court on Thursday (April 23) confirmed all three counts of murder as crimes against humanity against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and committed him to trial.

The judges said there were "substantial grounds" to believe Duterte, 81, played a key role in the murders of 76 people and the attempted murder of two others as part of his so-called "war on drugs", which prosecutors say killed thousands of civilians in the Philippines.

"The available evidentiary material shows the existence of a common plan between Duterte and his co-perpetrators to kill alleged criminals in the Philippines, including those perceived or alleged to be associated with drug use, sale or production, through violent crimes including murder," the court said.

Prosecutors have said Duterte created, funded and armed death squads to target and kill suspected ​narcotics peddlers and ​users when he ⁠was in power between 2016 and 2022.