NewsLite

DUBAI/WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said on Thursday (June 11) the United States would hit Iran "very hard tonight" and wanted at some point to take Iran's oil infrastructure hub Kharg Island, after tit-for-tat strikes in the Gulf undermined a shaky ceasefire.

Iranian sources and Western officials said indirect US-Iranian talks on a preliminary peace deal had intensified. But a worsening of hostilities this week has undermined prospects for a swift end to more than three months of war.

Trump threatened new strikes on Iran after the two sides traded air attacks on Thursday for the second successive day.

"The United States will be hitting Iran (Whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, Anti Aircraft, and all other forms of Defence, together with most its offensive capability, are gone!), very hard tonight," Trump said in a social media post.

A 65-year-old female taxi passenger was taken to hospital on Wednesday (June 10), after a ComfortDelGro taxi allegedly ran over her leg in Chinatown.

The incident happened at about 10.05am along Keong Saik Road in front of Block 334 Kreta Ayer Road.

A video of the incident posted by eyewitness Steven Ling shows Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) firefighters working at the rear of the taxi.

One firefighter is seen sprawled on the ground as he directs other officers on the placement of hydraulic rescue equipment.

SEOUL - US and South Korean officials discussed strengthening nuclear deterrence and readiness against North Korea's growing weapons programme on Thursday (June 11), South Korea's defence ministry said, at talks in Seoul under their Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG).

The meeting follows growing concern that North Korea is expanding its capacity to produce weapons-grade nuclear material, after state media showed leader Kim Jong Un inspecting a newly operating nuclear-material production plant and calling for an "exponential" expansion of the country's nuclear forces.

The sixth meeting of the group was co-chaired by Kim Hong-cheol, Seoul's defence policy chief, and Robert Soofer, a senior US defence official handling nuclear deterrence and weapons of mass destruction policy.

Officials from defence, foreign ministry and intelligence agencies also attended.

SINGAPORE – Singaporean singer-actor Benjamin Kheng recently revealed that a severe health scare prompted him to take up intensive long-distance running, a lifestyle change that subsequently led to his noticeable weight loss.

The 35-year-old detailed his physical transformation in a June 8 TikTok video, which was created in response to netizens asking if his weight loss was the result of taking diet drugs like Ozempic and peptides.

“I’m only going to say this once,” he says in the video. “I’m not on any weight loss drug. I don’t have the time or the money.”

He advised viewers against relying on such medications, encouraging them instead to “just go and work out, be happy, healthy”.

Those living in the north and north-eastern parts of Singapore may have seen an orange-yellow smoke plume across the Johor Strait from about 8.40am on Thursday (June 11) morning.

It was caused by a chemical leak at a waste management facility in Pasir Gudang.

In a statement at about 5.25pm, Johor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) said spent nitric acid had leaked from a 100-litre intermediate bulk container.

Hazardous materials specialists from JBPM moved the leaking tank to an adjacent building and put it through a scrubber system to neutralise the harmful gases.

The bizarre way in which the driver of a silver Singapore-registered car was seen pumping petrol in Malaysia had netizens talking.

The six-second video, uploaded to Facebook group Sgmustwatchla on Tuesday (June 9), shows the driver standing on the back of his car then pressing down on its trunk using his hands and even legs, causing it to shake up and down as the pump attendant fills it with fuel.

He tries to apply more force and shaking his car harder in an attempt to get it filled with more fuel by placing his leg one at a time on the rear bumper.

"His fuel sensor will fall soon, then realised the replacement cost will be much higher than the (cost of) fuel saved," said one commenter.

An online post has alleged that snakes were handled poorly during a photography-focused night walk in Mandai.

In a Facebook post late last month, a participant, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed that a snake was removed from a branch approximately three to four metres above the ground and handled for a photography session.

The poster alleged that the individual who removed the snake spent around 10–15 minutes repeatedly repositioning the reptile to get a good photo, and at one point commented on its position before moving it again.

The snake was also reportedly in the process of shedding during the incident.

For a second consecutive day on Wednesday (June 10), there was a reported case of an overturned car allegedly involving drink-driving.

The accident, involving two cars, happened along Ubi Avenue 1 at about 9.45pm.

Videos of the accident posted on social media show a black-coloured car overturned along Ubi Avenue 1, just after the slip road from Ubi Road 3.

Another dark-coloured car is stopped further ahead — across one lane on each side of the road.

China supermarket brand Scarlett opened its newest Scarlett Bite and Go food court concept at Kovan's Heartland Mall, offering a variety of Chinese fare such as grilled fish, braised dishes, chicken feet and mala, the supermarket chain announced on social media on Saturday (June 6).

The opening quickly caught the attention of netizens after user poppy.nation shared a TikTok video introducing the new food court on Monday.

"Finally," said a commenter. Added another: "At last an air-conditioned food court at Heartland Mall. And I love that it's selling a different kind of food from the hawker centre [outside]."

While some netizens welcomed the opening, a few expressed disappointment that it had replaced Suki-Ya, a Japanese shabu shabu restaurant which had been a long-standing fixture at the mall.

South Korean singer-actress Bae Suzy will be in Singapore next month.

The 31-year-old star will be making a special appearance at Tsubaki's pop-up at Plaza Singapura Main Atrium on level one on July 17 at 3pm to mark the Japanese haircare brand's 20th anniversary

This will be Suzy's only Southeast Asian stop as their ambassador.

One lucky fan will also win a special opportunity with Suzy and here's how.