The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has begun a four-year upgrading programme to install new tactile tiles with improved durability and skid resistance at pedestrian crossings, the agency said in response to media queries.

The upgrading programme will take place islandwide progressively over the next four years and is estimated to be completed by 2030.

The new tiles will have better durability and are more resistant to skidding and slipping.

In June, a former Singapore Airlines (SIA) air stewardess fractured her ankle after slipping on yellow tactile tiles near Thomson Medical.

Following ankle surgery, she collapsed and died two weeks later.

Alternative tile material study began in 2024

LTA said that tactile paving was installed at pedestrian crossings since 2010 to guide visually impaired pedestrians.

These tiles comply with international standards for skid resistance, including in wet conditions, LTA said.

In a media reply in August 2024, LTA said that it was studying an alternative tile material with improved skid resistance and durability.

In that same reply, LTA also said that since April that year, it had started implementing an improved tactile tile layout in collaboration with social service agencies, including the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped and the Guide Dogs Association.

The new design featured a 300mm gap between tactile tiles to reduce the risk of slips in wet weather, while still ensuring sufficient guidance for the visually impaired.

Recent incident

On Jun. 22, 40-year-old Venecia Ng slipped and fell on yellow tactile paving tiles which had become slippery after rain.

She had worked as a SIA stewardess for 10 years before moving on to a role at Thomson Medical.

Ng was crossing the road from a shophouse office to the hospital building when she fell.

She fractured her ankle and underwent surgery on Jun. 30.

While things went well initially, Ng complained of breathlessness and collapsed afterwards in the wee hours of Jul. 2.

Ng subsequently passed away.

Her death certificate, seen by Mothership, states her cause of death as multi-organ failure following pulmonary thromboembolism, a condition where blood clots block the arteries in the lungs.

LTA said that the tactile tiles at the spot where Ng fell were installed in June 2025.

"LTA has inspected the tiles at the location and they are unimpaired," it said.

"We are saddened to learn of Ms Ng’s passing and express our heartfelt condolences to her family," it added.

Two teenagers in Singapore, a girl and a boy, died after using methamphetamine, also known as "Ice", in early 2025.

The state coroner found that they had lethal amounts of the drug in their systems after they inhaled it and made meth pills, according to The Straits Times.

State Coroner Adam Nakhoda had provided his findings in court on Jul. 15.

Identifying details, such as their ages, names, and addresses cannot be reported due to a gag order.

Had been in contact about drugs

Two days before their deaths, on Jan. 29, 2025, the two teens talked about illegal substances on Telegram.

It was not known if they were dating or how they got acquainted, the state coroner said.

What boy and girl told each other

The boy admitted to smoking and vaping before, and told the girl he tried Kpods.

The girl said she had tried Ecstasy.

They planned to smoke weed and the boy said he would buy it from a friend.

However, the boy could not get weed in the end.

Consumed meth

On Jan. 30, 2025, the boy went for a Chinese New Year gathering at his friend's place and left for home around 10pm to 11pm.

On Jan. 31, 2025, at around 3am, he texted the girl to say that he lost a lot of money gambling.

He then wrote: “Let’s do some meth lol”.

The girl responded that she would read more about meth online.

They then discussed how to consume meth.

The boy filled four pill capsules with meth.

The girl waited for her parents to sleep before leaving the house.

At about 4:40am, the boy booked a private-hire vehicle for the girl when she said she could leave home.

She reached the boy's house at about 5:15am and they went to his bedroom.

At about 5:30am, the boy's domestic helper heard chairs dragged around the boy's bedroom directly above her room.

Discovered something amiss

The boy's brother returned home at about 2pm and saw women’s shoes outside the home.

He looked into his the bedroom occupied by the teen boy and girl and saw women’s undergarments on the floor.

He closed the bedroom door to give the teen brother privacy and left the house only to return at about 3:30pm.

The women's shoes were still there.

Body found

The brother went to the teen brother's room at 4:45pm.

The body of his brother, who was on the floor in his underwear, was cold and darkened.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force were alerted.

The domestic worker alerted the boy's other brother.

The other brother performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

A crying sound coming from the toilet alerted them to the girl who was undressed and seated on the toilet floor.

But she was unresponsive.

Paramedics arrived at about 5pm.

The boy was pronounced dead at 5:01pm.

The police were alerted.

The paramedic examined the girl and found her blood pressure was low and she had bruises.

The girl was intubated and given medication at Changi General Hospital.

She died at 10:45pm.

Drugs found

Two small bags of white substance on a poker table and a blister pack of pills were found in the boy's room.

Four pills had been removed from the blister pack.

A digital weighing scale and a handbag, believed to belong to the girl, were also found.

Coroner extended condolences

A video from the boy’s phone recovered via forensics showed him and the girl inhaling methamphetamine and acting manic.

Blunt force injuries on the boy could have been caused by hitting furniture in his bedroom due to his uncoordinated movements from taking meth.

The state coroner did not find evidence that they took the drugs to commit suicide and accepted the police's conclusion that there was no foul play.

He said it was a case of drug experimentation gone wrong and extended his condolences to the teens' families at the hearing.

A 26-year-old Singaporean man has been arrested in Bali after allegedly strangling his girlfriend to death in their rented house, according to CNN Indonesia.

The suspect, identified by the initials MZ, was arrested on the night of Jul. 15 at around 10pm along Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai, approximately three hours after the body of his girlfriend, identified as AS, 26, was discovered at a rental house at Jalan Mekar II in South Denpasar.

How the body was found

The victim's younger sibling, identified as RA, went to check on AS after her phone went unanswered.

The two siblings both worked at a billiards hall on Jalan Nakula, Kuta, and RA had last seen AS about a week earlier.

Upon arriving at the rental house, RA detected a strong foul smell near the gate.

Inside the room, RA noticed hair and part of a body covered with stuffed toys and became suspicious.

As RA was at the scene, MZ emerged from an adjacent room.

When asked about AS's whereabouts, he did not respond.

RA struck him with a helmet before MZ fled on a motorcycle.

Authorities later arrived on the evening of Jul. 15 and found AS's body on the floor, covered with stuffed toys and a neatly folded carpet.

According to Denpasar police chief commissioner Leonardo D Simatupang, MZ allegedly strangled AS for around 15 minutes before attempting to flee toward Sanur.

Simatupang told CNN Indonesia: "The suspect was arrested at Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai within approximately three hours. The victim was a woman from Tegal, Central Java."

@balitv_official WNA SINGAPURA TEGA HABISI NYAWA KEKASIHNYA DI DENPASAR, PELAKU TERNYATA OVERSTAY SETAHUN Kasus pembunuhan melibatkan warga negara asing (WNA) kembali terjadi di Bali. Kali ini, seorang warga negara Singapura, berinisial MZ (25) ditangkap tim gabungan Ditreskrimum Polda Bali, Polresta Denpasar dan Polsek Denpasar Selatan (Densel) pada Rabu (15/7) malam. Korbannya, perempuan asal Tegal, Jawa Tengah, berinsial AS (26) ditemukan tak bernyawa pada Rabu malam di Jalan Mekar 2, Desa Pedungan, Densel. Menurut Kapolresta Denpasar Kombes Pol. Leonardo D. Simatupang, Kamis (16/7), dari hasil interogasi awal terungkap bahwa MZ sudah melewati izin tinggalnya di Indonesia (overstay) selama setahun. Sumber : (Kerta Negara/balipost) Video : Polresta Denpasar #KriminalBali #WNASingapura #InfoDenpasar #PoldaBali #PolrestaDenpasar #OverstayWNA ♬ suara asli - Bali TV

Heartbreak in relationship

The couple had been together for about a year.

Simatupang said initial interrogation pointed to a romantic dispute as the motive of the offence.

He said: “The preliminary motive, based on interrogation, points to a dispute in their romantic relationship.”

According to CNN Indonesia, the victim's sibling said AS and MZ had previously quarrelled twice after MZ was caught cheating.

A separate witness, identified as DP, told police she had been dating MZ for only three days after meeting him at a billiards hall in West Denpasar.

She said MZ had invited her to stay at the same rental house on Jul. 11, where she noticed a foul smell but did not ask about it. When she raised the issue with MZ on Jul. 14, he became angry and punched the wall.

Overstayed visa by a year

Simatupang also revealed that MZ had been in Bali on an overstayed visa since 2025, having originally arrived as a tourist.

The victim's body was transported to Prof Ngoerah Sanglah Hospital in Denpasar for an autopsy.

The body showed signs of decomposition, swelling and skin peeling, with no visible external wounds.

The suspect was arrested by a joint team from the Bali Regional Police Criminal Investigation Directorate, Denpasar Police Criminal Investigation Unit and South Denpasar Police Criminal Investigation Unit.

What was supposed to be an exciting few months before their wedding turned into a scramble to save the ceremony for one Singapore couple after discovering that several vendors had not been paid.

This was despite the fact that the couple had paid over S$26,000 to their wedding planner.

“We were left scrambling to save our wedding while dealing with financial loss, stress and uncertainty,” said the bride, 27-year-old Shazwani.

Speaking to Mothership, Shazwani said the couple's wedding was held on Jun. 27.

However, about five to six months before the ceremony, several vendors contacted them directly, saying that they had yet to receive payment.

"Some informed us that they had not received any payment despite us having paid our wedding package in full," she said. "As more vendors reached out, we realised the issue was much bigger than we initially thought."

Package was paid in full

Shazwani shared that they had hired a wedding planner from Venice Ballroom, which was owned by a man named Athari when they first signed up.

The couple came across the company's services on TikTok in May 2025.

"My husband and I discussed the wedding package, which suited our budget, and contacted them regarding the promotion that was being advertised at the time," she said. "We subsequently arranged an in-person meeting."

The couple paid the company S$26,140 in total, which covered the full wedding package as well as add-ons.

"It was not just a deposit — we had already paid the package in full," Shazwani said.

However, about six to seven months before the wedding, the company changed its name to Aurelia Events.

Shazwani said the couple was informed of the change via WhatsApp and was asked to sign a Deed of Novation.

Following the change, their main point of contact became the company's owner, Mohamed.

At the time, the couple did not view the change as a cause for concern and believed preparations were proceeding as planned.

A check by Mothership on the company's Facebook page showed that they had announced their rebranding as Aurelia Events on May 6.

Multiple vendors were not paid

The problem only became apparent when vendors began contacting the couple directly regarding the lack of payments.

According to Shazwani, the affected vendors included the venue, bridal services, décor provider, photographer and videographer, wedding cake vendor, as well as the kompang and DJ services.

"Instead of preparing to celebrate our special day, we spent our time contacting vendors, negotiating with them and trying to find solutions," she said.

Additional out-of-pocket payments

To ensure their wedding could still take place, the couple said they had to make additional payments totalling S$16,000 to vendors, despite having already paid their wedding planner in full.

Shazwani said they confronted the planner several times after learning that vendors had not been paid.

"After discovering that several vendors had not been paid, we contacted Mohamed multiple times through WhatsApp, phone calls and in-person meetings. We also met him together with some of the affected vendors."

He repeatedly assured us that payments would be made and provided various explanations for the delays, she said.

However, the payments were ultimately not made as promised.

She added that the last time they heard from Mohamed was about a week before their wedding.

The couple has since lodged a police report and is cooperating with the authorities.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police confirmed that a report had been lodged and that investigations are ongoing.

Emotional and financial toll

Reflecting on the experience, Shazwani said the situation had taken a significant emotional and financial toll on both her and her husband.

"The week before our wedding, instead of feeling excited, we were overwhelmed with fear, anxiety and uncertainty. We genuinely did not know whether our wedding would even take place," she said.

"During this difficult time, both of our parents stepped in to support us emotionally and financially. They stood by us every step of the way, helping us make urgent arrangements and ensuring that our wedding could still go ahead."

She added that their wedding decorators, Kak Fauziah and Kamal also stepped in to help them.

"They assisted in securing a last-minute wedding ballroom and helped coordinate many of the essential arrangements needed to ensure our wedding could still take place."

Although the wedding eventually went ahead, Shazwani said the experience came at a cost that no couple or family should have to bear.

Remains committed providing full cooperation with authorities: Owner

According to Berita Harian, at least another three couples had also encountered the same issue with the company.

In response to their queries, the owner of Aurelia Events, Mohamed Hafeez, said he renamed Venice Ballroom to Aurelia Events after taking over.

According to Mohamed, the affected customers had purchased packages from Venice Ballroom between January 2024 and November 2025.

He said customers had paid 60 to 70 per cent of the package fees to Venice Ballroom before he took over the business, with his company receiving only the remaining balance.

Despite this, Mohamed said Aurelia Events had continued fulfilling weddings booked through Venice Ballroom from December 2025 onwards.

He added that the company had incurred losses in doing so and that he had used his own funds to cover operating costs.

Addressing claims that he was uncontactable, Mohamed said he was hospitalised in June 2026 due to a lung infection, which prevented him from managing the business and overseeing wedding services.

He also claimed that he did not receive the necessary cooperation from the former owner of Venice Ballroom in resolving issues involving affected customers, and that he has since sought legal advice.

He sincerely apologised to all the customers who were affected, adding that he remains committed to cooperating fully with the authorities and resolving the matter according to the law.

Mothership's calls and messages to the contact numbers listed on Aurelia Events' website went unanswered at the time of writing.

A Singaporean man said was left stranded during the wee hours at a rest stop in Malaysia along the way to Kuala Lumpur after the coach he was on drove off without him.

He ended up having to take a Grab ride to complete the rest of his journey.

This was but one of many hiccups he experienced while taking the trip up north from Singapore with Billion Stars Express in Jul. 19.

Delay at pick-up point

The man, Ernz, first posted about his experience on Instagram.

On Jul. 19 at 8pm, the traveller booked a "last-minute" trip to Kuala Lumpur with Billion Stars Express.

The coach was scheduled to depart from Tai Seng MRT at 11pm.

After making the booking, the coach liner "called [him] right away" to inform him that the departure timing had changed to 10pm.

"So, I have to rush over in a cab because it changed to 10pm suddenly," Ernz said in his video.

However, when he arrived at the pick-up point, the coach had yet to arrive.

According to Ernz, there were other travellers who were also waiting for the coach, with one of them having waited since 8pm that night.

Later, they travellers received a notification for a live location tracker, showing that the coach was still in Johor Bahru.

Bus drove off without him

Ernz shared in his video that one of his friends was also coincidentally on the same coach.

"And thank God he did," Ernz expressed.

At around 4:15am, Ernz alighted for a restroom break during one of the stops along the way to Kuala Lumpur.

"When I came back, I saw the coach bus just zoom away in the far distance," he recounted.

Ernz told Mothership that he felt "panicked", while also trying to remain calm and get back to the coach.

In a screenshot of the conversation between Ernz and his friend on the bus, Ernz could be seen asking his friend to inform the driver that he had been left behind.

The friend replied that he had done so, but "they don't care".

The friend also suggested that the stop might not have been a break stop.

All of Ernz's belongings, including his passport, were on the coach.

Extra Grab rides

He eventually had to get a Grab ride to complete his journey.

He also had to spend on transport to meet his friend in order to retrieve his belongings.

In total, he spent about S$70 extra, including the Grab ride he had to take to rush to the pick-up point.

In his Instagram video, he also noted that he had paid S$1.20 for "insurance", which he advised his followers not to bother with.

The traveller tried to reach out to the coach liner, but has not heard back.

Mothership has reached out to Billion Stars Express for comment.

Every June, the porch of a semi-detached house in Pasir Ris fills up with crates of thorny fruit.

For property agent Alex Chua, 35, this is when his second job kicks into gear.

By day, Chua is a realtor with PropNex.

But for around four to five months a year, he moonlights as the man behind Bao Jiak Durian, a home-based business at 19 Riverina View that sees him sell anywhere between 100kg and 200kg of durians daily, and rakes in between S$50,000 and S$100,000 in revenue per year.

Yes, he sells them out of his parents' home.

But talk to Chua long enough, and there's more to Bao Jiak Durian than just the price tag and his parents' porch.

Feeling cheated by durian sellers

Long before Bao Jiak Durian existed, Chua was just a durian lover doing the rounds of stalls across Singapore.

However, he frequently came away unimpressed.

"The durian handlers would claim that the durian they are selling are Mao Shan Wang (MSW), Black Gold, old tree mountain top durians, but in actual fact, they usually give you a different variant and you just have to eat it."

He wasn't alone in feeling this way, either.

Chua told Mothership that he'd heard the same complaint from friends and clients time and again — that buying durians in Singapore often felt like a gamble, with an added side of intimidation.

That was when Chua decided to set out and build something different: a space where buyers could ask questions and walk away with a durian they actually wanted, no hard-selling involved.

"No misselling, no misrepresentation" is how Chua put it.

Underpinning it all, of course, is a fairly simple motivation.

"I live and breathe durians," he said.

Chua personally cuts and serves the durians at his stall.

From an Ang Mo Kio stall to the front porch

Bao Jiak Durian did not start off as a home-based business.

Chua first launched it as a brick-and-mortar stall in Ang Mo Kio in 2019.

That, unfortunately, came to an abrupt end when Covid-19 hit and Chua’s stall was forced to shutter.

Rather than fold the business entirely, Chua pivoted.

He successfully applied to the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) to register his home as a business address, and relocated Bao Jiak Durian to his parents' semi-detached house at Riverina View.

Setting up shop at his parents' place wasn't a given. Chua said his parents were initially bewildered by the idea.

He told Mothership: "They all gave me the same look, they were dumbfounded and bewildered as to why I made that decision."

"Nevertheless, they did what all parents do, support me in whichever ways that they could."

Asked whether he recognises the privilege of being able to run a business out of his parents' landed property, Chua didn't dodge the question:

"Running the business from my parents' house has plenty of benefits. I get to see my aging parents on a daily basis, which is something that I truly appreciate and cherish."

He's also quick to point out that a home-based set-up isn't a free pass, business-wise: without active marketing, walk-in traffic is close to zero, and a fruit with a notoriously short shelf life doesn't leave much room for error.

The not-so-sweet side of the business

None of this came cheap, either.

Chua estimates he ploughed in around S$10,000 to S$15,000 in capital when he first started the business seven years ago.

The bigger risk, though, is time.

"Durians have a very short shelf life, the timer starts when the fruit dropped in Malaysia," he said, describing the journey from harvest to sorting at a factory, and finally, transport to Singapore.

Singapore's heat only shrinks that already-tight window further.

"Every day I am racing against time to clear the durians as fast as I can," he added.

Then there are the customers. Chua said managing expectations, more than the durians themselves, has been the toughest part of the job.

"There are some people out there that are really tough to please, but I can understand where they are coming from," he said, rattling off a list of the sort of questions he regularly fields: Is this durian from Malaysia? Is it from Pahang? Are the seeds small? Flat? Is it bitter? Wet? Soft?

His answer, invariably, is the same — durians are “fruits of nature”, and no seller can guarantee specifics.

If a customer's preferences don't match what he has in stock, Chua said he'd rather turn them away than have them "waste their money and calories".

The moments that make it worth it

Despite the risks, the business has grown into a fairly lucrative one.

Bao Jiak Durian now sells between 100kg and 200kg of durians a day during peak season.

All told, the business pulls in between S$50,000 and S$100,000 in revenue per year, Chua told Mothership, while overheads come up to less than S$5,000 a month, largely because he doesn't have to pay rent.

The split in revenue between his two jobs is roughly even as well.

"Revenue has been okay for this short mid-year season. I would say that it's half and half between both professions," he said.

And when it comes to customer interactions, not everything is about managing complaints.

Chua recalled one memorable encounter with a customer in his 80s, whom he served a fresh durian to.

"He ate it and froze in silence when he savoured the entire fruit,” Chua recounted, saying that the elderly customer then thanked him for evoking memories from the past as it had been difficult for him to find this particular flavour.

As for his own favourite? Chua isn't picky.

"Any durians that are fresh, I will devour it," he said, before later jokingly adding:

"I eat durians for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My blood sugar is good even though I eat [it] everyday for three meals."

After the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link (RTS Link) opens, Singapore visitors are projected to spend S$1.05 billion more a year in Johor Bahru (JB).

That is about 39 per cent more than the S$756 million increase in spending expected from JB visitors in Singapore at the same time.

By these estimates, Singapore would have an S$290 million net increase in outbound spend each year — equivalent to 0.4 per cent of the country's total retail and food and beverage sales in 2025.

The study

These findings were published on Jul. 16 in a study jointly commissioned by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS), and Singapore Retailers Association (SRA).

The study looks at the potential impact of the RTS Link on consumer spending, tourism flows, and business competitiveness in Singapore’s retail and food and beverage sectors.

The three parties surveyed 1,700 respondents in Singapore and 400 respondents in Johor in March, and drew on various other data such as historical credit card transactions and official government statistics.

More visitors expected

The RTS Link is scheduled to launch in January 2027.

Using current transport modes, there have been about 19.4 million round trips annually from Singapore to JB, and 5.9 million from JB to Singapore, according to the study.

It projects that the RTS Link will increase Singapore outbound trips by 51 per cent, adding 11.2 million round trips to JB each year.

The study added that groceries will account for the largest share of Singapore consumers' spending in JB, followed by dining and drug store and beauty items, as they "seek better value across the border".

In the other direction, RTS Link is also expected to bring an additional 3.3 million trips from JB to Singapore annually.

Many of these visitors would travel to Singapore especially for premium retail, entertainment, and major lifestyle events.

According to the study, 34 per cent of JB respondents intend to visit Singapore for events after the launch of the RTS Link, up from 24 per cent today.

Seize new opportunities

The RTS Link "creates opportunities for Singapore businesses to attract more visitors, but it also raises competitive pressure, especially for our retail and F&B sectors", the CEO of SBF Kok Ping Soon said.

The three organisations behind the study called for the government to help retail and food and beverage businesses adapt and seize the new opportunities, by addressing structural cost pressures and supporting new operating and business models.

Related stories

A TikTok user posted a video of himself confronting a bus driver in Singapore for allegedly driving too slowly.

However, many netizens sided with the bus driver instead, criticising the passenger for harassing him while he was on duty.

Both the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Tower Transit Singapore later also commended the driver for remaining calm and professional throughout the incident.

What happened

On Jul. 6, a TikTok user, @mohamed.mirrah, uploaded a video showing himself confronting a Tower Transit bus driver over what he claimed was the bus's slow speed.

"Driving at your own pace? You following your own timing or what? We have our timing [to meet]," the passenger can be heard saying in the video.

In response, the bus driver said he was following the standard operating procedure (SOP). However, the passenger disputed it.

The driver then proceeded to explain that he was scheduled to arrive at the next bus stop at 8:50am, and was already about five minutes ahead of schedule.

The passenger, however, insisted that the driver was not operating the bus properly.

"You are doing the wrong thing, and I have to attend a class. I have a specific time to attend," he said.

The driver then told the passenger that he could have taken an earlier bus if he needed to arrive by a certain time.

He later also pointed out that he did not consent to being filmed.

In a follow-up TikTok post, the user wrote:

"Bus Driver says he follow SOP and at a very slow speed.. what do you all think of the SOP of Bus.

Rush when they are late can cause accidents, slow down or stop for a long time at a bus stop can cause obstruction for other vehicles."

In the comments section, many defended the driver, noting that bus captains are required to follow scheduled arrival times rather than simply drive as fast as possible.

@mohamed.mirrah♬ original sound - GadgetLah

Tower Transit: Driver followed schedule

In a Facebook post on Jul. 15, Tower Transit Singapore said it was aware of the video and confirmed that the incident took place on Service 984.

The operator said it had reviewed the trip details and found that the driver had been operating the service in accordance with the planned schedule.

"Many people assume that a bus captain's job is to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible," it said. "In reality, bus captains are to maintain even spacing between buses so that waiting times remain as consistent and predictable as possible for commuters. This is why a bus may sometimes travel below the speed limit even when the road ahead is clear."

Tower Transit also described the passenger's actions as a "serious safety concern", saying they could have distracted the driver from remaining fully focused on the road, putting passengers, pedestrians and other road users at risk.

"Despite the provocation, our bus captain remained calm, professional and focused on driving safely. We commend him for his professionalism and commitment to keeping everyone safe."

Stand against harassment of public transport workers

The operator also reminded commuters that it, together with LTA and the National Transport Workers' Union, stands firmly against the harassment and doxxing of public transport workers.

"Our bus captains deserve to carry out their duties without fear of intimidation or online abuse," it said.

Tower Transit added that under the Conditions of Carriage for public buses, commuters who behave disruptively, including those who abuse public transport workers, may be required to leave the bus or be referred to the police.

It also encouraged commuters with feedback about its services to use its official feedback channels, allowing the operator to investigate concerns while protecting public transport workers and their families from unnecessary online harassment.

Separately, LTA also issued a statement on the incident on their Facebook page, commending the bus driver for his handling of the incident.

The authority said Singapore's public transport workers work hard every day to keep the country moving and deserve to be treated with courtesy and respect.

"We urge all commuters to refrain from behaviour that may distract, harass, or intimidate public transport staff while they are carrying out their duties."

A 20-year-old college student was found dead and naked in a park in Hokkaido, Japan, in 2024.

He was discovered to have been beaten to death.

According to The Japan Times, Tomoya Hase was attacked due to problems between him and his girlfriend, Ama Yagihara, who was also 20 at the time.

ETtoday reported that a friend of Yagihara, who knew about the dispute, then gathered several others to "vent their anger" on Hase.

In total, four men between the ages of 16 and 18, Yagihara, and another female, aged 20, were involved in the attack.

Hase was lured to the park by the group, where they brutally assaulted him, stripped him naked, and burned his hair.

Sentences

According to Asahi, on Jun. 25, 2026, Yoto Kawamura, the other woman involved in the assault, was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

She reportedly appealed against her sentence on Jul. 9 and is scheduled to appear as a witness in court on Jul. 14.

Two of the male assailants, both minors at the time of the attack, were sentenced to jail for 20 years and nine to 13 years, respectively.

The proceedings involving the remaining assailants are in process.

A formal verdict is expected for two more of the males on Aug. 7.

On Jul. 13, 2026, one of the assailants, Yuto Kawaguchi, pleaded guilty to all charges brought against him and apologised, adding that the group had done something "truly horrible" to then-college student Hase.

Brutally assaulted

ETtoday reported that Hase had reportedly been hit multiple times in the head and also suffered a fractured lumbar vertebra.

Apart from stripping him naked and burning his hair with a lighter, they also forced him to "apologise".

In addition, they took his credit card to steal money and buy cigarettes, while Hase was left seriously injured and alone in the park.

His body was only discovered by passers-by the next morning.

Prosecution submits video of assault

The group's actions were shown to the court in a video submitted by the prosecution.

They had apparently recorded the assault on their mobile phones,

The main suspect was reportedly seen kicking Hase in the abdomen, causing blood to splatter.

On top of that, Kawaguchi continued to kick the victim in the back when Hase's bones could apparently be heard cracking during the assault.

The Sapporo District Court will conduct the trial in batches, with the final defendant being Asahi Yagihara.

Brazilian BBQ buffet restaurant Carnivore Brazilian Churrascaria is closing its doors after 20 years.

The restaurant announced in a social media post on Jul. 14 that it will be closing at the end of September this year.

"After 20 incredible years of serving you Singapore's finest churrasco experience, the time has come for us to carve our final slice. Carnivore Brazilian Churrascaria will be closing its doors," the restaurant wrote.

The restaurant, which first opened in VivoCity in 2005, is located at The Riverwalk in Robertson Quay.

Carnivore also thanked customers who have supported them over the years and encouraged them to come down for "one final feast".

Carnivore Brazilian Churrascaria

Known for their thick rotisserie-grilled meats, which are carved right in front of diners, the restaurant's buffet is priced at S$89++ per adult and S$20++ per child.

Their selection of meats include smoked duck breast, beef rump cap (Picanha), beef rump (Alcatra), beef hump (Cupim), beef short ribs (Costela de Boi) and roast pork belly.

Those who want to dine at the restaurant for the final time are recommended to make a reservation via 6334 9332 or by emailing carnivore@starworth.com.sg.