On hot afternoons, especially after walking home or finishing a workout, I always find myself craving an ice-cold cup of Milo from a Milo van – the same one I’d look forward to after sweating it out during Sports Day at school.

So when I heard the Milo Van Sachets were back, my ears perked up immediately.

To make things even better, Milo is also rolling out a limited-time promotional pack that comes with an exclusive pair of free-sized Milo Sports Day Socks – the perfect throwback for anyone who still has a soft spot for those school-day memories.

Six collectible socks designs

The collection features six different sock designs, each inspired by a familiar part of the Milo van experience during Sports Day.

Whether you were the competitive athlete, or the friend who was only there for the free drink, there’s definitely a pair you’ll relate to.

Milo MVP

A classic design featuring the iconic Milo logo in its signature green, white, and brown colour palette, complete with the slogan "Run for Glory, Sprint for Milo".

Milo NAPFA Gold

No, we’re not settling for Silver or Bronze here.

Inspired by the five National Physical Fitness Award (NAPFA) stations, this particular design is all about gunning for Gold, and pays tribute to the five stations with an embroidered five-pointed star and the tagline "Going for GOLD".

Milo Cheerleader

This playful design splits a familiar chant across both socks.

One reads "I say MILO", while the other completes it with "You say VAN".

Milo Repeat queuers

I’m sure we all know someone who just has to join the Milo van queue more than once.

This design gives a nod to those determined enough to brave the long queue and go back for seconds, with one sock featuring a miniature embroidered Milo cup and the other sporting tally marks alongside the words "Round 2?".

Milo Fan

For those who were really just there for the Milo van, this pair is covered in adorable mini Milo vans and cups just for you.

Milo Hunters

The last design features map coordinates (which pinpoint the geographic location of Singapore) on one sock, and an embroidered Milo van on the other.

A grid-inspired pattern ties the design together, while the bottom of the socks read "Milo Hunters" and "Locked In".

How to prepare

As for the Milo Van Sachets themselves, they’re easy to prepare at home.

Simply empty a sachet into a cup, add enough cold water to cover the powder. Stir until dissolved, then top up with cold water to adjust to taste.

If you’re a person of precision, try this more detailed preparation instead. Pour the sachet into a shaker or bottle instead, dissolve it with a little cold water, add crushed ice, and shake it 76 times before straining into a cup.

Yes, you read that right. 76 times.

Curious, I actually tried the second method of preparation myself, and I can confirm that it tastes just like the Milo from the Milo van I know and love.

There’s just something so satisfying about sipping on an ice-cold cup of Milo after being out in the heat.

And to make things even better, for a limited time, every promotional pack comes with an exclusive pair of free-sized Milo Sports Day socks, featuring one of the six designs.

Each pack is priced at only S$8.95 and will be available progressively at all major supermarkets and e-retailers from Aug. 18.

As for me, I’m already planning on heading down to the nearest supermarket and collecting all six sock designs.

This branded article by Nestlé has this writer remembering how much she loves Milo.

The 46-year-old Singaporean man who fought with Malaysian police on the way to Woodlands Checkpoint was identified as the owner of a well-known chicken rice restaurant in Braddell Road.

Earlier reports mentioned that Gary Lim Kian Liang was charged with obstructing a police officer in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, as well as attacking a 30-year-old Malaysian woman.

Lim, who did not claim trial, faces three charges.

This includes the possession of a dangerous weapon, voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon, and obstructing a public servant, Malay Mail reported.

He did not indicate a plea.

Shop owner

During the bail application, Lim's lawyers reportedly said Lim was a restaurant owner in Singapore and suffered from mental health issues that required ongoing treatment.

Lim was apparently married and supported his elderly mother.

Shin Min Daily News reported that Lim previously operated the chicken rice store as well as a massage parlor and other establishments.

At one point, he reportedly held positions in eight companies at once.

Upon visiting the chicken rice store in Braddell Road on Aug. 20, Shin Min observed that there were no customers present.

Other shop owners nearby told Shin Min that the restaurant had been operating at that location for over 30 years, being passed down from mother to son.

The 65-year-old owner of a nearby tire shop said he seldom saw Lim at the restaurant and had not seen him for about half a year.

He added, however, that Lim's mother is said to be frequently at the store.

Road rage

On Aug. 15, Lim allegedly attacked a woman at about 11:58pm.

He apparently then got into a physical altercation with police officers shortly after on Aug. 16 at about 12:15am at Jalan Lingkaran Dalam, heading towards the Sultan Iskandar Building near the Causeway.

The altercation apparently stemmed from a road rage incident.

Local police arrested four men in that incident.

According to New Straits Times, preliminary investigations revealed that the incident purportedly stemmed from a dispute between three Malaysian men and a Singaporean man.

Lim allegedly possessed an 8.5cm knife without a valid permit, and the weapon was apparently used in the altercation.

Threw money at taxi driver

Prior to this, in 2017, Lim allegedly insulted a taxi driver while holding cash, blocking the vehicle door and said: "You can't do anything great, that's why you're a taxi driver."

Shin Min reported that Lim later explained that he had behaved inappropriately while drunk and apologised to the taxi driver.

He was also said to have prepared 200 packets of chicken rice for the taxi drivers.

In the following year, he reportedly said he had quit drinking.

Bail, case adjourned

Following his road rage incident, Lim was granted bail of RM20,000 (S$6,301).

His case was adjourned to Sep. 25.

A woman has reportedly drawn backlash after she apparently filmed herself picking up fruit by the road offered during the Hungry Ghost Festival in Singapore.

During the Hungry Ghost Festival, Taoists and Buddhists traditionally offer food and burn joss paper.

"Fruit is so expensive in Singapore"

According to Shin Min Daily News, a woman who claimed to be from Sichuan, China, and works as a bus driver in Singapore, attracted attention after allegedly filming herself picking up fruit that had been left as offerings by the roadside.

In the now-deleted video, the woman was seen squatting by the roadside and picking up apples and oranges.

She reportedly smiled at the camera and said: "It’s not easy to work abroad. We have to save every penny. Fruit is so expensive in Singapore!"

In another part of the video, she picked up an orange and said: "I picked up the fruit that I offered to the Bodhisattva today, so this doesn’t count as stealing. I also thanked the Bodhisattva."

The video was subsequently circulated online, sparking heated discussion among members of the public.

Some expressed concern that taking the offerings could offend entities during the Hungry Ghost Festival, while others raised concerns about the safety of consuming food that had been left outdoors.

Some also said that if the offerings had been abandoned, giving the food to people who needed it would be preferable to letting it go to waste.

The video did not show the woman eating the fruit at the end.

Offerings should not be disturbed or consumed

Speaking to Shin Min, a folklore expert said roadside offerings made during the Hungry Ghost Festival should not be disturbed or consumed, and that doing so is considered a major taboo.

Unlike offerings made to a specific deity or one’s ancestors, roadside offerings are traditionally believed to be meant for wandering spirits.

She also said it was inappropriate to deliberately challenge such customs to attract attention, adding that even non-believers should respect traditional practices.

To make amends, she suggested that the woman return to the original location, accompanied by someone familiar with the customs, and make additional offerings while sincerely apologising.

A Sri Lankan man on a transit flight from Singapore to Toronto, Canada, was caught using a fraudulent Canadian passport while transiting through Taiwan's Taoyuan International Airport in mid-August 2026.

According to a press release by Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior National Immigration Agency, EVA Air ground staff noticed discrepancies in the man's passport and other points of suspicion.

The ground staff reported the man to immigration officers, who discovered that the man's passport was fake through professional document authentication and identity verification.

The man was eventually deported to Singapore in accordance with international practice, according to Taiwan's CNA.

In response to Mothership's queries, Singapore's Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) confirmed on Aug. 21 that a Sri Lankan national was deported from Taiwan to Singapore.

ICA added that the man presented his Sri Lankan passport when clearing Singapore immigration.

Questioned by Taiwanese authorities

Taiwanese authorities prevented the man from boarding the plane, but he allegedly feigned ignorance and questioned officers, saying: "Is there something wrong with my documents?"

When questioned, the man allegedly tried to conceal his use of a forged passport and denied that the documents were fake.

The immigration officer examined the passport's security features and compared them with the man's identification information.

Moreover, the man was reportedly unaware of Canada's capital, his own address, and was unable to sing the Canadian national anthem.

Confessed to being a Sri Lankan citizen

Eventually, the man broke down and confessed to being a Sri Lankan citizen.

He retrieved his Sri Lankan passport and admitted to paying US$10,000 (S$12,762) to a smuggling ring to purchase a forged Canadian passport.

According to the press release, the ring also arranged his travel itinerary and flight.

The ring arranged international transit so that he could conceal his true identity and enter Canada illegally for work.

Upon being exposed, the man pleaded with the immigration officer to allow him to board the plane.

He claimed that the funds for his passage to Canada were borrowed from relatives and friends.

He added that he urgently needed to find work to repay the loans.

However, the man was deported to his previous stop, Singapore, following international laws.

Man presented Sri Lankan passport in Singapore

ICA said the Sri Lankan national arrived in Singapore on Aug. 11, 2026 and departed on Aug. 13, 2026.

"On both occasions, he presented his Sri Lankan passport for immigration clearance. He did not present the forged Canadian passport for immigration clearance."

ICA added that following his deportation from Taiwan to Singapore on Aug. 14, "he was deported to Colombo, Sri Lanka on the same day and has been barred from re-entering Singapore".

For the first time, the Israeli military has acknowledged that its troops fired on the car carrying five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, who was killed along with six family members in Gaza in 2024.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it has ordered a criminal investigation into the killings, according to BBC and The Guardian.

According to The Guardian, the IDF had repeatedly denied its troops were in the area at the time.

The phone call

On Jan. 29, 2024, Hind spent three hours on the phone with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, begging to be rescued. She did not survive.

The family's car had been hit as they tried to flee into Gaza City. Everyone else in the car was also killed.

Hind initially survived and answered the phone. In the recording, she described seeing tanks in front of the car, moving towards her.

Operators told her to hide under the seats to prevent anyone from seeing her.

Operator Rana Faqih stayed on the line for hours while the Red Crescent appealed to the Israeli military for permission to send an ambulance.

Faqih told BBC in February 2024 that the girl asked her again and again for someone to come.

She said: "At one point, she told me it was getting dark. She was scared. She asked me how far away my house was. I felt paralysed and helpless."

The ambulance

Three hours into the call, an ambulance was cleared to rescue Hind.

The paramedics, Yusuf al-Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun, told operators they were close to the location and were about to be checked for entry by Israeli forces.

Nothing more was heard from them, or from Hind. Both lines went dead.

The PRCS later confirmed both paramedics were killed when the ambulance came under fire.

The Guardian reported that the IDF also acknowledged its troops fired on the ambulance.

PRCS told BBC in a statement: "The [Israeli] occupation deliberately targeted the Red Crescent crew despite obtaining prior coordination to allow the ambulance to arrive at the scene to rescue the child Hind."

The bodies were only retrieved 12 days later, after Israeli troops withdrew.

What the IDF said

The IDF said its findings "indicate that IDF troops fired at a vehicle" that was "travelling contrary to the advanced notice that had been published in an announcement by the IDF Spokesperson to residents of the area.”

On its decision to investigate, it said:

"Following review of the findings and due to alleged failures in the coordination of the movement of the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance, it has been decided to initiate a criminal investigation of the incident by military police criminal investigation division."

The IDF also said it had been engaged in intensive combat on multiple fronts for more than a thousand days, carrying out a wide range of military missions in what it described as an exceptionally complex operational environment.

Israel's military maintains that it does not deliberately target civilians in Gaza, and has accused Hamas of using civilians as cover for its fighters.

"No confidence" in the investigation

The Hind Rajab Foundation, a Brussels-based group that seeks to address alleged Israeli violations in Gaza, admitted that it had “no confidence” in the process, per BBC.

The foundation said in a statement that even if the investigations do take place, they should not be mistaken for a “genuine step towards justice.” It described Israel's internal investigations as “fundamentally flawed,” and said they could not be “regarded as credible mechanisms of accountability.”

The Guardian noted that such criminal misconduct investigations into Israeli troops seldom end in convictions.

A second criminal investigation

The IDF also said it would open a criminal investigation into the killing of 15 Palestinian medics and humanitarian workers near Rafah in March 2025.

According to phone footage and the sole survivor, troops lying in ambush first fired on an ambulance retrieving casualties, then on a series of emergency vehicles that approached their position.

The bodies and vehicles were then bulldozed into a mass grave. UN and rescue teams reached the site a week later.

Jonathan Whittall, a UN official who helped recover the bodies, said:

"They were killed in their uniforms. Driving their clearly marked vehicles. Wearing their gloves. On their way to save lives. This should never have happened."

The military's first account was that the vehicles had been approaching in a suspicious manner with no headlights or emergency signals switched on. It later abandoned that version, after footage surfaced of the convoy travelling slowly with emergency lights on and its markings clearly in view.

Munther Abed, a paramedic who survived the incident, said he hoped those who killed his colleagues would face "real justice.”

He said: "I want to say to the whole world, ambulances 101 is not a target and they must be protected."

The 101 refers to the speed dial number for the Red Crescent service in Gaza.

No investigations in other cases

The IDF decided against criminal investigations in other incidents.

One was the April 2024 airstrikes on a World Central Kitchen convoy, which killed seven aid workers.

The IDF said it had mistaken several people in the vehicles for armed Hamas operatives and that the convoy had deviated from a coordinated route, but concluded that "the decisions of the commanders did not raise reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct."

World Central Kitchen said it strongly disagreed.

The organisation said in a statement that there had never been any excuse or justification for the attacks, and that nothing in the IDF's account provided one. It described the decision as "inconsistent with the full truth and deeply offensive.”

The IDF also decided against action over the killings of four Doctors Without Borders workers in two separate incidents in Nov. 2023 and Feb. 2024.

A man allegedly fled from the police on a motorcycle and got into an accident with a car in Farrer Road on Aug. 18.

The 37-year-old man was arrested.

He was found with a vaporiser and pod.

A 26-year-old pillion rider was found to be in possession of substances believed to be controlled drugs.

What eyewitnesses saw

A Shin Min Daily News reader took photos in the aftermath of the accident.

An eyewitness told Shin Min that a motorcycle was wedged under a car and two men were lying on the ground.

She said the motorcycle knocked down two small trees before colliding with a car.

A substance, believed to be blood, as well as debris, were seen on the road.

At least two traffic police motorcycles were at the scene.

Stopped during police patrol

A traffic police officer on patrol had signalled for the motorcyclist to stop for a check at about 5pm on Aug. 18 along Adam Road.

The man sped off instead and officers gave chase.

The motorcycle skidded during pursuit and got into an accident with a car.

The motorcyclist and his pillion rider were conscious when taken to the National University Hospital, the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force said.

The motorcyclist was arrested for dangerous driving and driving without a valid licence, the police said.

He is being investigated for failing to stop when ordered by an officer and riding without insurance coverage.

The vaporiser-related offence has been referred to the Health Sciences Authority.

The suspected drug-related offence will be dealt with by the Central Narcotics Bureau, police said.

A teenage boy allegedly sustained injuries on his leg after being bullied by a group of boys in public.

A woman who witnessed the ordeal said he also appeared weak and dizzy, even struggling to stand up.

Despite this, he left the scene with the others when she attempted to intervene.

Boy was surrounded

The passerby highlighted her concerns for the boy's safety in a Facebook post dated Aug. 19.

According to her, the incident occurred at 462A Yishun Avenue 6 at about 6:10pm on the same day.

The alleged victim, whom she described as a secondary school boy, was seen with bruises on his leg.

His slippers were also broken, she said.

The woman told Lianhe Zaobao that she noticed others watching the group of teenagers.

She initially thought they were playing around, she explained, until she witnessed one of the boys slapping the victim's face.

Realising that the boy was being taunted, the woman then took pictures on her phone, which she later shared in her post.

She also confronted them and stopped the assault, which prompted the boys to flee on their bicycles and on foot immediately.

"He tried to stand up and fell down," she said in the post. "He looks very weak!"

She added that the boy told her he had been hit.

"I strongly believe he needs medical attention as he has signs of giddiness," she wrote.

Victim ran away with alleged bullies

Speaking to the media, the woman added that she initially advised the boy to stay at the scene while she called for the police and an ambulance.

However, the other boys urged him to flee instead, which he complied with.

Neither the police nor an ambulance was eventually called.

In her post, the woman called for the police to look into the matter and review CCTV footage.

"This is atrocious. So many against one boy!"

The elderly man who injured his back after being shoved to the ground at Roxy Square coffee shop for patting a young girl on the head is back at work.

According to a Bei-Ing Wanton Noodle Instagram Story, 73-year-old Yeo Song Khoon was working at the stall on Aug. 20 tending to customers’ orders.

When Mothership visited the store on Aug. 21 at around lunch time, Yeo was seated at the stall and taking orders.

Among the customers were well-wishers who had visited Yeo to check on him and offer their support.

Customer brings daughter to encourage Yeo

Jo Ng, 40, told Mothership that he has frequented the coffee shop since his secondary school days and knows Yeo for his habit of loudly calling out order numbers.

He brought his one-year-old daughter to the stall, hoping to encourage Yeo to interact with young children as per usual and to check in on him.

Ng said he hoped that allowing Yeo to interact with his child would be "therapeutic" for him.

When Ng approached Yeo and asked if he would pat his daughter’s head, Yeo jokingly declined, then patted her and took photos with them.

Ng said that Yeo told him his back was still painful, but that he was doing okay.

He also offered to connect Yeo with a physiotherapist he knows, but Yeo declined.

Yeo told him that he would leave the matter in the police’s hands and let them conduct their investigation.

Ng said he was thankful to see that Yeo had not been traumatised by the incident and was still comfortable patting another child on the head.

During the time when Mothership was at the stall, two mothers also brought their young daughter to visit the elderly man.

One even brought a "Get Well Soon" balloon for him.

Background

The incident was first shared on Aug. 15 on the Facebook and Instagram pages of Bei-Ing Wanton Noodle.

CCTV footage shows Yeo patting a young girl on the head before her mother appeared to stop him.

The girl's father, a 40-year-old man, then rushed over, grabbed Yeo by the arm and swung him around, causing him to fall to the ground.

Yeo, who has been selling wanton noodles at the stall for more than 40 years, had suffered a fracture on his back after the incident, according to his family.

When asked if Yeo will be going for a surgery, his family said that it's up to him.

Yeo told Mothership on Aug. 21 that he is currently taking painkillers for his back.

An employee at a town council management agency has been charged for allegedly taking bribes from the directors of three engineering and construction firms.

Phua Gim Chuan, 63, had allegedly received a total of S$220,000 from three other men as a payment to advance their business interests.

At the time of the offences, Phua was a Senior Project Manager of EM Services Private Limited, a managing agent of Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council, Sembawang Town Council and Sengkang Town Council.

The other three men involved in the corruption were also charged in court on Aug. 21.

Corruption

The alleged crimes occurred over nearly three years between March 2020 and January 2023.

According to a press release by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), Phua allegedly obtained bribes from 66-year-old Yap Hwee Kang, a director at Paragon Engineering Pte Ltd (PEPL) in March 2020.

The alleged bribes totalled S$30,000 and acted as an inducement for a proposed contract between PEPL and Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council.

Sometime between September and October 2022, Phua allegedly obtained bribes from 62-year-old Ng Lee Peng, a director at MCE Contract Services Pte Ltd (MCEPL) and J&M Construction Pte Ltd (JMCPL).

The alleged bribes totalled S$40,000 and acted as an inducement for a proposed contract between MCEPL and Sembawang Town Council.

In December 2022, Phua allegedly obtained bribes from 64-year-old Lim Kian Koon, a director at Seah & Lim Construction Pte Ltd (SLCPL).

The alleged bribes totalled S$100,000 and acted as an inducement for a proposed contract between SLCPL and Sengkang Town Council.

Phua also allegedly instructed his wife to deposit the pocketed S$90,000 in cash into her personal bank account, thereby concealing his corruption offences.

In December 2022, Phua allegedly again obtained another S$50,000 in bribes from Ng.

This time, the funds acted as an inducement for a proposed contract between JMCPL and Sengkang Town Council.

In the same month, Phua used about S$105,000 of his illegal funds to pay for a Mercedes-Benz.

Charges

For his actions, Phua faced four charges for corruption, as well as two charges for concealing the illegal funds and using them to buy the car.

Yap and Lim also faced one charge each for corruption, while Ng faced two charges.

If convicted, the men can be fined up to S$100,000, jailed up to five years, or both.

If the crimes are in relation to a matter or contract or sub-contract with the government or public body, the maximum imprisonment term for each offence of corruption can be increased to seven years.

Singaporean actor Elvin Ng’s pet dog has passed away at the age of 17.

In an Instagram post on Aug. 18, the 45-year-old shared that he made the decision to euthanise his dog, Bagel.

“Bagle's eyes were still bright and alert even though her body was frail and weak, when I made the call to euthanise her (with the vet's advice) as she was probably in pain and suffering, and it was likely to be a matter of days,” Ng wrote.

The post also included images of Bagel and Ng, who appeared to be crying.

Ng said the decision to euthanise his dog was “a very difficult action to take” and he felt “guilty”.

“I felt I could have done better for her in her later years as she couldn't be in the room so much due to her recurring skin issues and condition,” he wrote.

Ng also shared that Bagel was his first dog and it was “an old shelter dog adopted into the family" nine years ago.

Bagel was about eight years old when Ng adopted her from Voices for Animals (VFA).

“Life was not always easy for her, but she was a real tough Beagle who never grimaced to any pain or yelped to any injection,” he wrote.

“I wish for Bagel to be happy and free now wherever she is, and continue to be the unassuming and happy-go-lucky character that she was even in the face of adversity and challenges. Or a much better and easier next life, if there is one. I've learnt so much from you and your tenacious and indomitable spirit, Bagel,” he concluded.

He also expressed gratitude towards VFA, Spring Veterinary Centre and June’s Pet House for “taking care of Bagel in her life”.

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