Grab Singapore has launched a new initiative aimed at helping smaller food and beverage (F&B) merchants in Singapore attract more customers, improve their digital capabilities, and grow both online and offline.

The initiative, called Grab Full House Mission, was launched on Jun. 9 at Tanjong Pagar Community Club.

It is being rolled out in partnership with Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), and will include consumer promotions, merchant outreach, training programmes, industry insights and onboarding support for new merchants.

Helping merchants get discovered

The initiative comes as smaller F&B operators continue to face pressure across dine-in and delivery channels, amid rising operating costs and more competitive consumer spending, according to Grab, .

Grab said consumer behaviour has also shifted, with more users turning to delivery platforms not only to order food, but also to discover where to dine.

Citing its consumer insights, Grab said 84 per cent of surveyed users had used the Grab app to discover new restaurants or stores, while 61 per cent said they often browse without a specific merchant in mind.

Alejandro Osorio, Managing Director of Grab Singapore, said at the launch that many people now open an app before deciding what to eat, adding that this gives smaller merchants an opportunity to be discovered at the “moment” when customers are still making up their minds.

He added:

“That's why we believe that supporting merchants today requires more than simply helping them to generate orders. It means helping them to build the visibility, the skills, and the resilience to grow sustainably over the long term."

Workshops, roundtables and onboarding support

Grab Full House Mission also focuses on helping merchants build capabilities and strengthen business resilience.

These include workshops and masterclasses run by GrabAcademy in partnership with EnterpriseSG and SkillsFuture Singapore, with four sessions to be held annually over the next three years for merchants nationwide.

The sessions will cover topics such as business productivity, menu and promotional strategies, talent management, and the use of digital and artificial intelligence tools.

Grab will also conduct monthly on-the-ground sessions across Singapore neighbourhoods to provide operational and digital support to merchants, as well as organising "roundtables" where F&B owners and operators can discuss industry challenges and exchange practical insights.

Grab and EnterpriseSG will publish free bi-annual industry insight reports as well, which aim to translate Grab’s data into practical guidance for F&B businesses.

Lastly, a new onboarding initiative will help new F&B operators get started with Grab — the company will fully sponsor the S$388 onboarding package for up to 70 merchants through December 2026.

Speaking at the launch, Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth and Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling highlighted how Singapore’s F&B sector plays an important role not only in the economy, but also in everyday life and Singapore’s identity.

“When the small kitchens in the neighbourhood are kept busy, the neighbourhood becomes even more vibrant. The partnership announced today really reflects EnterpriseSG and the government's continued commitment to the F&B sector.”

Sherman Khoo, 37, Regional Director of Operations and Business Development at Two Men Bagel House in Singapore, however said that while the initiative appears to largely target demand generation, which is something “every food business” needs, he noted that smaller businesses still face supply-side and delivery-related pressures.

Tanjong Pagar Dine Out discounts of up to 15 per cent

A part of the initiative also includes Dine Out precinct campaigns to increase footfall and visibility for participating independent F&B outlets in selected areas.

The first precinct campaign is being held in Tanjong Pagar from May 26 to Jul. 25.

Consumers are able to find participating restaurants through the Dine Out tile on the Grab app and redeem discounts of up to 15 per cent on their bill when dining in.

Grab said additional precinct campaigns are planned later this year in Holland Village and Jalan Besar.

Grab is starting with Tanjong Pagar as it wants to refine its “playbook”, according to Osorio, and learn from initial engagements with merchants before applying the model to other areas.

Beyond precinct campaigns, Grab will also run nationwide GrabFood delivery deals for smaller and independent merchants, with Grab-funded promotions of up to 15 per cent off menu-wide via the Food tile on the app.

These nationwide delivery deals are capped at S$6, subject to minimum order requirements, and valid until Dec. 31, 2026.

A 28-year-old Singaporean man was sentenced to eight years and nine months’ jail and six strokes of the cane for raping a 13-year-old girl he met online.

Kevin Tan Jia Hut pleaded guilty to one charge of rape on Jun. 9, The Straits Times reported.

Three other similar charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

A gag order was imposed to protect the girl’s identity.

Met online

In court documents seen by Mothership, Tan and the girl met in May 2023 on Omegle, a discontinued online video-conferencing platform where users were anonymously matched with others for one-on-one video or text exchanges.

Tan was 25 at that time.

The exchanges between him and her became sexual, and they switched communications to Telegram.

They spoke about meeting up to have sex.

Sexual acts

In June 2023, Tan and the girl met at a staircase of a public housing block near the girl’s home at night.

She performed a sexual act on him and left soon after, informing him that she had to leave as she snuck out of her house.

On the night of Jul. 7 2023, the pair was communicating on Telegram when the girl said she wanted to have sex.

As his mother and sister were overseas at the time, Tan booked a private-hire car to take her to his home.

The girl arrived at Tan’s home on Jul. 8, 2023, at about 2:22am.

They proceeded to have intercourse with a condom in his room.

Tan then booked her another private-hire car to return home.

Report

Two days after the incident on Jul. 10, 2023, the girl’s mother lodged a police report stating that her daughter claimed that she was raped.

What made the girl tell her mother was not disclosed.

The girl later told police that she had engaged in sexual acts with multiple men.

Investigations revealed that Tan was one of those men.

He was arrested on Aug. 10, 2023.

Prosecution

The prosecution sought a jail term of nine to nine-and-a-half years and six strokes of the cane.

They noted that what Tan did was “no youthful folly”.

“The sentence imposed must give proper expression to the foremost sentencing consideration of deterrence,” the prosecution said.

Those who have sex with a minor below the age of 14, with or without consent, can be liable to a jail term of up to 20 years, fine or caning.

A man driving a van in Singapore was speeding between 62km/h and 75km/h just before he collided into a pedestrian along a road with a speed limit of 60km/h.

The 54-year-old victim had crossed the road with his earphones on, when the light was still red.

The incident happened on Nov. 15, 2024, at around 7pm, and he passed away eight days later from his injuries despite going through several surgeries.

The van driver, 69-year-old Tan Kwee Teck, pleaded guilty on Jun. 8, 2026, to one charge of dangerous driving causing death.

Driving dangerously

Tan was driving his van home after work when the accident occurred, according to court documents seen by Mothership.

Driving along Woodlands Road towards Upper Bukit Timah Road, which is a three-lane carriageway, he made several dangerous manoeuvres, captured by the dashcam footage in his own van.

He weaved in and out of traffic by performing abrupt lane changes, including overtaking two vehicles.

He was also splitting lanes and not observing lane discipline.

As he approached a pedestrian crossing, the victim was crossing the road despite the red light for pedestrians, and was not aware that Tan was driving towards him at high speed.

According to the prosecutor, the victim was visible from a distance, but Tan only noticed him when he drove closer to the pedestrian crossing.

Although he tried to brake and sound his horn, he was "unable to take evasive action in time".

When his van collided into the victim, the impact caused the victim’s body to be flung some distance.

Tan stopped his vehicle and got someone's help to call for the police and the ambulance.

He remained at the scene until the police arrived.

Victim's injuries

The victim was conscious when sent to the hospital, where he was assessed to have multiple injuries.

They included severe traumatic brain injury, rib fractures, tibia fractures, and blunt abdominal trauma with splenic, pancreatic, and liver laceration.

He also had rhabdomyolysis, a damage to skeletal muscles said to be life-threatening.

Despite undergoing several surgical procedures, the victim passed away on Nov. 23, 2024.

According to an associate consultant forensic pathologist, the cause of death was multi-organ failure arising from the injuries from the road incident.

Sped up to 109km/h

Following Tan's arrest on the day of the incident, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) conducted a speed estimation analysis of his van at the time.

Focusing on his speed over a distance of about 202m leading up to the collision, HSA found that Tan was travelling between 102km/h and 109km/h at his fastest.

At the segment just before the collision, he was travelling between 62km/h and 75km/h.

As the speed limit of Woodlands Road is 60km/h, the prosecutor said Tan was speeding for at least 200m leading up to the collision, and at a speed dangerous to the public.

Sentencing

The prosecutor sought a sentence of two-and-a-half years to three-and-a-half years in prison, and a driving disqualification for 10 years.

He said Tan was driving in a "clearly dangerous and reckless manner" at the time of the offence.

"Although the victim was jaywalking and the accused had the right of way, the accused was driving at a speed that simply gave him no chance to react to the victim being on the road," the prosecutor argued.

"The accused’s cavalier disregard for road safety led to an entirely avoidable traffic incident and the loss of a life," it was added.

The prosecutor added that this incident was not Tan's first driving offence.

He had paid a S$380 fine in 2022 for failing to conform to a red-light signal, and a S$200 fine in 2023 for speeding.

The defence

At court, Tan's lawyer requested for a more lenient sentence of two years in prison along with a driving disqualification, Shin Min Daily News reported.

The lawyer added that Tan has been "angry with himself" for committing the offence, as quoted by The Straits Times.

In January 2026, Tan's wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and a doctor said she only had six months to live.

This meant that Tan might not be able to see his wife to the end of her life before going to prison, the lawyer said.

He also emphasised that the victim was jaywalking, and argued that Tan was speeding only up to 75km/h just before the collision.

It was unfair for the prosecutor to judge his speed over the entire distance of Woodlands Road, he said.

Tan will be sentenced on Jun. 30.

Relations between the U.S. and China could be seen as "mutually assured disruption", a dynamic similar to the U.S. and USSR's "mutually assured destruction" during the Cold War, said Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong.

PM Wong made these remarks during a dialogue session on Jun. 8 at the Singapore Press Club Eminent Speaker Series 2026.

He said that in the U.S.-China relationship, "any attempt by one side to impose restrictions on the other will trigger a response from the other side, and in the end, both parties will be worse off."

PM Wong added: "So, we hope that provides a stabilising factor in bilateral ties and an incentive for both sides to manage their differences well."

'Does not mean that all the problems are resolved'

PM Wong said that while it was good that U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for the summit, "it does not mean that all the problems are resolved".

The two met during U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit to Beijing, China, from May 14 to 15, 2026.

PM Wong said, "But increasingly, both sides, I feel, will have to recognise that they have to coexist with one another. The two economies are just too deeply intertwined."

PM Wong added that there will be competition, but hopefully it will not escalate into outright confrontation or conflict.

"It is in the interest of both America and China to maintain this strategic framework, and to have that stability in their relationship. It is also in the interest of countries everywhere in the world."

Southeast Asian nations want both powers engaged

PM Wong said that Southeast Asian nations prefer an arrangement that is more open and inclusive, engaging all the major players, whether "it is America, or China, or Europe".

He said that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) "has always wanted a region that is open, that is inclusive, where we engage all the major partners, whether it is the U.S., China, or, for that matter, other major powers like Europe and others, or even emerging groups like GCC."

He noted, "From Asia's point of view, we also do not want to see a world that is divided into competing spheres of influence".

He said that such an arrangement and configuration will be unstable and lead to more competition, rivalry and may lead to conflict.

PM Wong said, "We are in the midst of perhaps the most important transition in the global order since the end of the Cold War".

'Not all poles are the same'

PM Wong said that geopolitical power will continue to become more distributed as the world moves to become more multipolar in nature, but noted that "not all poles are the same".

He noted, "The U.S. remains a dominant power for the foreseeable future. China has risen to be a peer competitor to America."

PM Wong added that Europe remains a major force, India is rising rapidly, and middle powers are becoming more active both individually and in groups.

He addressed comments that America is on the decline and said the prediction has resurfaced multiple times, but that America has defied the odds.

"There are some who think that America is on the decline and it is going to withdraw, and it will just pull back into its own hemisphere. We do not think that is happening."

PM Wong said, "I was a student in America when all they said was, Japan is going to take over the world. It has not happened. And time and again, America has defied the odds, and it continues to be a dynamic and very innovative economy."

PM Wong added that China is "also a very important player and very key partner to all countries in Southeast Asia".

Singapore will be the Asean Chair next year, coinciding with the 11-member bloc's 60th anniversary.

'We want to be friends with everyone'

PM Wong was asked about Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan’s recent visit to North Korea and said it was due to a standing invitation as part of an anniversary milestone.

Singapore and North Korea celebrated their 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2025.

PM Wong said, "Our approach is quite simple. We want to be friends with everyone. We do not need to have enemies."

"Does not mean we agree with everything they do. We do not, but that should not stop us from having open lines of engagement and continuing to have friendship and continuing to have engagement with them."

He noted that North Korea views Singapore as a trusted country and that they appreciate the relationship and engagement between both sides.

PM Wong added, "That is one major reason why they agreed to have the summit here in Singapore between America and the DPRK."

PM Wong was referring to the historic 2018 Trump-Kim summit held in Singapore.

PM Wong said: "That's our approach in foreign policy: We have a position, we articulate our national interests, but we continue to be friends with as many countries as possible. It's always better to have more friends than fewer, right?"

An elderly man and a 59-year-old woman, both from Singapore, were reportedly found dead four days apart in an apartment complex in Batam, Indonesia.

Both of their bodies were found at Pollux Habibie, which houses thousands of residents.

Unresponsive

The woman, identified by the initial “L”, was found on the night of Jun. 8 on the 38th floor of an apartment, Kepri Post reported.

After apartment security personnel conducted a check, they found her unresponsive and already deceased.

Local police then arrived at the scene.

Preliminary investigations suggested that the woman may have passed away due to an illness.

No signs of violence or external injuries were found on her body.

Local police are awaiting the post-mortem report

Not the first incident

Four days ago, on the Jun. 4 afternoon, an elderly man also from Singapore was found dead at the same apartment complex, Shin Min Daily News reported.

The man had apparently not been seen leaving his unit for an extended period.

This prompted concerned neighbours to alert the building management, who then contacted the police.

After entering the unit, officers discovered that the man had passed away.

Local police cordoned off the area for investigation and confirmed the man's nationality.

Preliminary investigations suggested that the deceased may have died due to health issues or an existing medical condition.

No signs of violence or external injuries or any indication of criminal activity were found.

Local police have reportedly coordinated with immigration authorities and representatives from Singapore.

The man's family have arrived in Batam and is making arrangements to claim the body.

A Singaporean man who lost S$500,000 on a single basketball bet has shared how gambling nearly destroyed every aspect of his life, from his relationship to his freedom, before he finally sought help.

The man, along with another former addict, shared their stories with Lianhe Zaobao as part of a feature on recovering from gambling addiction.

Started during NS, spiralled later on

The man, who declined to be named, told Zaobao he first got into football betting during his national service.

Early wins kept him hooked. His gambling then expanded to betting websites and casinos.

He told Zaobao:

"All I could think about was placing the next bet, enjoying the thrill of winning, and trying to win back what I had lost."

Owed money to many people

To fund his habit, he borrowed from everyone around him, including friends and family.

He stole money from those around him, and eventually ended up out of the house. His girlfriend eventually broke up with him.

By 2020, he had accumulated over S$1 million in debt.

At his lowest point, he turned to Blessed Grace Social Services for help, per Zaobao.

The S$500,000 basketball bet

The first eight months of counselling went well. But, he soon relapsed.

This time, he struck it big, winning nearly S$600,000 through free credits on a gambling website. Instead of stopping, he used S$100,000 to purchase insurance and bet the remaining S$500,000 on a single basketball game.

He recalled that the team he had bet on led for most of the game, only to be overtaken in the final 30 seconds, wiping out his S$500,000 in an instant.

He admitted to falling back into the cycle of losing, borrowing, and gambling again.

Second session

Despite knowing his past, his current girlfriend gave their relationship a chance.

In 2025, he borrowed money from her family under false pretences.

She brought him back to Blessed Grace Social Services in July 2025 for a second round of counselling. His debts have since been cleared.

He said:

"Gambling turned my life upside down and hurt the people closest to me. I deeply regret it."

Hotpot restaurant COCA will be closing its Takashimaya outlet soon, with its last day of operations on Jun. 14.

The restaurant has been there for three decades.

Diners can quote “Taka Farewell” to enjoy the promotion.

COCA's remaining outlet is located at Suntec City.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has conducted checks in the past week after the new personal mobility aid (PMA) regulations kicked in on Jun. 1, 2026.

A Jun. 9 Facebook post by LTA said its active mobility enforcement officers have engaged 25 PMA users to remind them of the approved usage and devices.

The enforcement officers were seen speaking to PMA users in Yishun.

Errant retailer caught

An errant personal mobility device (PMD) retailer was caught after three offences were spotted and three devices were impounded.

Non-compliant devices impounded in May 2026

Earlier in May 2026, LTA spotted 236 offences and impounded 77 non-compliant active mobility devices.

LTA said members of the public are reminded that keeping non-UL2272-certified PMDs is an offence.

First-time offenders may be liable to a three-month jail term, a fine of up to S$2,000, or both.

The public can also find out more on active mobility rules at go.gov.sg/amrules.

PAS has ended its six-year partnership with Bersatu over which parties should be allowed to join Perikatan Nasional (PN) and over “broken promises”.

Special meeting

The decision was announced on the evening of Jun. 9 by PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang after a special meeting of the PAS central working committee.

He was quoted by The Star as saying that PAS had decided to “terminate all political cooperation with Bersatu, and to review the position and future direction of PAS-Bersatu relations”.

Relations between the two parties have been poor since Bersatu led a political manoeuvre to oust PAS from the Menteri Besar (Chief minister) position in the northern state of Perlis in late 2025.

Criticism of this move eventually led to Bersatu President and former Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin resigning as chairman of the PN coalition.

Muhyiddin was replaced as PN chairman by PAS Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, the PAS MB of Terengganu.

Despite this, issues between the two parties were not fully resolved, with Abdul Hadi announcing that PAS will “review its cooperation with Bersatu” in May and now deciding to dissolve the partnership.

Unilateral actions

The New Straits Times (NST) quoted PAS Secretary-General Takiyuddin Hassan as saying that the root of the problems between the two parties was due to “the unilateral actions of certain Bersatu leaders.”

Denying it was the responsibility of Abdul Hadi and PAS leaders, Takiyuddin said that PAS had chosen to “remain silent to safeguard PN’s unity” in the face of “outright insults” by some in Bersatu, including being portrayed as “incompetent”.

The main splitting point appears to be around whether Bersatu has been blocking other political parties from joining the PN coalition.

PAS Information Chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said that his party’s priority “had always been Muslim unity”, as reported by NST, and he described the split with Bersatu as a necessary "bitter pill" for PAS' Muslim unity agenda.

Ahmad Fadhli said that Bersatu’s previous rejection of proposals to include other parties, such as Pejuang, led by the son of former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Pejuang Chairman Mukhriz Mahathir, had made further cooperation difficult.

Despite the ending of the partnership with Bersatu, PAS remains a member of the PN coalition “for now”, Ahmad Fadhli said.

When asked about the status of the coalition on Jun. 8, Ahmad Fadhli said that “as of tonight” PAS remains in PN.

Six years of partnership

PN was formed in 2020, in the aftermath of the “Sheraton move”, which saw the Pakatan Harapan government led by Mahathir ousted in favour of a new government led by the defecting Bersatu MPs.

Those Bersatu MPs then formed an alliance with PAS, and together with the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional, would govern for a year before being ousted by a governing partner in the form of UMNO, although both PAS and Bersatu would remain in government until the 2022 general election.

PN consists of four parties, PAS by far being the largest with 43 seats in Malaysia’s parliament, Bersatu with 19, having lost six to defection and six to expulsion, and GERAKAN and the MIPP holding no seats.

Tensions between the current government’s various factions have led to speculation that a fresh general election might be called sooner rather than later.

The PAS-Bersatu split adds more intrigue to an already fragmented political situation in Malaysia.

Former Miss Hong Kong, Natalie Ng, has died of breast cancer at age 51.

She revealed that she had a recurrence of breast cancer in 2024. This progressed to stage 4 cancer in 2025, as the cancer spread to her bones and liver.

Ng had also shared in her autobiography that she had divorced her husband.

Despite battling cancer, Ng was praised for always keeping a positive mindset.

Her family shared the news of her passing on social media, saying that in her final days, she was surrounded by family and friends.

Her two daughters also said their goodbyes to Ng.

They will be taken care of by her their father.

She passed away peacefully in her sleep on Jun. 9.