Good evening! Catch up on some of the main headlines on Tuesday, Dec 31.
Singapore has to stay open, resist temptation to turn inwards: PM Lee Hsien Loong
"A Singapore turned inwards cannot survive," said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his New Year Message.
Lucky Plaza accident: Woman who died was sole breadwinner; family at a loss
Ms Abigail Danao Leste was one of two women who died after a car careened into the sidewalk where she and five of her close friends were having a picnic.
6,000 warnings given in December to those riding e-scooters on footpaths, almost double November's number
From Wednesday, those caught riding on footpaths can be fined up to $2,000, jailed for up to three months or both.
Ignore scam message on tax refunds circulating via WhatsApp, warns taxman
The image of the scam shows an e-mail with Iras' logo and title, informing victims of a tax refund of "236.51 $" they can receive.
Lucky Plaza accident: Ministry explains why victims were not taken to Mt Elizabeth Hospital, just 200m away from scene
Mount Elizabeth Hospital has a 24-hour walk-in Emergency department, but it is "not equipped or staffed to manage all forms of emergency cases", said the Ministry of Health.
Thousands trapped on Australia beach encircled by fire, with some taking to the sea
Thousands of holidaymakers and locals were trapped on a beach in fire-ravaged southeast Australia, as blazes ringed a popular tourist area leaving no escape by land.
Hong Kong New Year protests start with calls to 'persist in 2020'
Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters began staging New Year's Eve rallies around the city, as police prepared to deploy more than 6,000 officers, according to local media.
Singapore Government officials rebut Bloomberg, South China Morning Post articles on Pofma
Government officials have rebutted articles by Bloomberg and the South China Morning Post on Singapore's fake news law, the latest in a series of such responses to media outlets.
Scammers turning to bitcoin machines to avoid police detection
Last month, police officers prevented at least two victims from buying bitcoins under the instructions of scammers in separate cases.
Top 10 podcasts in 2019 by The Straits Times and The Business Times
#PopVultures, Money Hacks and Health Check are the top three series.
