A woman in Singapore, whose flat was undergoing the Housing and Development Board's (HDB) Home Improvement Programme (HIP), said she discovered holes in the wall of a temporary bathroom while showering, prompting her to file a police report over safety concerns.

Two holes found

According to Shin Min Daily News, the incident took place at Block 536 Serangoon North Avenue 4.

The woman said she noticed two holes in the bathroom wall at about chest height while showering one evening.

Upon closer inspection, she realised she could see through them.

She said she tried to plug one of the holes with wet toilet paper when, suddenly, someone allegedly inserted a stone-like object through the other hole from outside the cubicle.

Startled, she said she banged on the partition and shouted for the person to stop, after which the other hole was also plugged from the outside.

Concerned for her safety, the woman said she did not dare to continue showering.

She quickly rinsed off before leaving the cubicle to inspect the area behind it and call the police.

When Shin Min visited the site, they found that the holes had been sealed.

One resident in the same block said she had chosen not to use the temporary bathroom as she found it inconvenient, and opted to stay with her parents instead while her home was undergoing renovations.

Another resident said she saw workers inspecting the temporary bathroom cubicles on Jun. 20 and overheard them saying they were checking for holes.

HDB's response

In response to queries from Shin Min, HDB said it had received feedback that two holes had been found in the wall of a temporary bathroom cubicle.

Investigations found that the holes had originally been drilled to install a soap holder.

The contractor had relocated the soap holder following feedback from residents, but the holes left behind were not sealed immediately as required.

HDB said it received feedback about the holes on Jun. 19 and the contractor sealed them the following morning.

It added that the area behind the temporary bathroom facilities is fenced off and kept locked, with access restricted to authorised personnel.

Security officers also conduct regular patrols throughout the day.

HDB said contractors are required to seal any holes immediately after replacing fixtures such as clothes racks, shower heads or handrails in temporary bathroom facilities.

The board said the contractor responsible for the HIP has since contacted affected residents to explain the investigation findings and follow-up measures.

These include adopting residents' suggestions to install CCTV cameras at the entrances and exits of the fenced-off area.

HDB stressed that residents' safety is its top priority, and that contractors who fail to comply with operating procedures may face penalties such as fines.

Contractors have also been reminded that any holes created during construction must be sealed immediately and that temporary bathroom facilities should be inspected daily.

A man, who was sentenced to life imprisonment and permanent deprivation of political rights for suffocating his five-year-old son to death while drunk, sent his ex-wife a letter threatening to kill her entire family from a detention centre in Keelung, Taiwan.

The incident occurred on Jun. 1, about a year after the man, surnamed Jian, killed his son in May 2025, Taiwan media reported.

Letter

The contents of the letter, which was written in Chinese, contained threats directed at Jian’s ex-wife, who is the mother of the child who died, and her family.

He alleged that her siblings “talked nonsense” during his hearing.

Jian also apparently knew that the prosecution had appealed for the death penalty.

This was after Jian was sentenced to life imprisonment, but had been ready to be executed.

“You'd better pray to your ancestors that it succeeds,” he wrote in the letter.

Jian added that the judge did not let his family “hold a funeral”.

“After I get out, I know exactly where every one of your family members lives. I will definitely exterminate your family. If you don't believe me, just wait and see. Ha ha ha,” he concluded.

The letter bore Jian’s signature.

Criticised

When Jian’s ex-wife received the threatening letter, it reportedly alarmed her family.

They also criticised the detention centre for allowing the letter to be sent.

The detention centre issued a statement expressing condolences to the family and condemning Jian’s action.

It explained that its correspondence inspection procedures are strictly carried out in accordance with detention laws in Taiwan.

To protect detainees' right to confidential communication, detention centre personnel inspect detainees' letters for concealed prohibited items unless they meet specific statutory conditions, which Jian had not previously met.

The content of their letters may not be read word-for-word by law.

The detention centre claimed that when the letter was sent, it appeared completely normal, and it contained no prohibited items.

There was apparently no way to know its content in advance.

Jian has been transferred to another detention facility under tightened supervision.

Suffocation

In May 2025, Jian was reportedly unhappy that his ex-wife wanted to file for divorce and was seeking custody over their children.

When the pair argued, he reportedly pushed her, causing her to fall onto the ground.

She later lodged a police report and applied for a personal protection order.

While waiting for the protection order to be issued, she wanted to take their son back to her parents' home.

However, Jian had already picked him up from school and dropped him off at his ex-wife's parents' home.

While his five-year-old son was taking a nap, he was reportedly drinking alcohol.

He then suffocated the boy with a pillow before fleeing the scene and driving off while still under the influence.

Sentencing

Jian was sentenced to life imprisonment and permanent deprivation of political rights in April 2026 for the offence.

According to Jian’s ex-wife's brother, Jian told the judge that he wanted to be sentenced to death and “will not appeal”.

He purportedly showed remorse during sentencing.

However, Jian's attitude apparently changed after the victim's family and the prosecution appealed against the sentencing.

At least eight Buddhist monks were killed, with about 10 injured, seven of them critically, after a pickup truck crashed into a religious procession on Jul. 2, reported Thairath Online.

The latest figures were provided by Thai police.

The incident occurred at around 12pm on a roadside in the Mueang district, according to Khaosod English.

Thairath Online reported that the victims were among 35 monks on a walking pilgrimage in Thailand's Mukdahan province.

Allegedly drove without permission

Local police said that an 11-year-old boy allegedly took his parents' pickup truck without permission before losing control of the vehicle, ploughing into the procession.

Breaking: A car has crashed into a group of 30 Buddhist monks while they were on a pilgrimage walk.

The incident occurred on Na Si Nuan Road in Don Tan District.

Preliminary reports indicate:

Five monks have died.

Two monks are in critical condition.

Several others were… pic.twitter.com/9z2d0MpyCD

— Pure Guava (@pureguava10300) July 2, 2026

Monks were seen lying across the road and roadside.

According to Khaosod English, five monks were pronounced dead at the scene, while three others later died in the hospital.

Emergency personnel transported the other injured monks to nearby hospitals for urgent medical treatment.

Police have since detained the boy to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision.

Investigations are currently ongoing.

A man who claims to be Singaporean has drawn backlash after he posted a video of himself pumping RON95 fuel in Malaysia while flashing a red passport.

The clip was posted by Threads user @theblackspice on Jun. 30, with the caption:

"How to piss off Malaysians as a Singaporean. Step one. Steal their petrol."

In the video, the individual holds up what appears to be a Singaporean passport while he fills up the tank with gas.

The camera then pans to the fuel dispenser, which reads "Premium 95".

RON95 is a government-subsidised fuel in Malaysia generally reserved for Malaysia-registered vehicles.

Drivers of foreign-registered vehicles are required to use unsubsidised fuels such as RON97 or RON100 instead.

Backlash from both sides of the Causeway

The post quickly drew criticism from Malaysians and Singaporeans alike.

One user said: “How to know a poor Singaporean. Step one. Can't afford to buy gas petrol at their own country.”

Another user said they would report the matter to the relevant authorities.

Some users were sceptical about the stunt, with one suggesting the person had simply rented a car in Johor Bahru to pump RON95, and was flashing a Singaporean passport for attention.

Related stories

A 31-year-old Thai man pretended to be a wealthy tycoon in Singapore to scam victims of nearly S$400,000.

When the victims tried to recover the money, Daichi Khamkrasin claimed to have more than S$1 million in savings, even though he only had S$32.23 in his bank account.

Daichi faced a total of five charges, including criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery of documents, and forgery with intent to cheat, Shin Min Daily News reported.

He pleaded guilty to three of the charges, with the remaining charges taken into consideration by the judge during sentencing.

'U.S. investment opportunity'

According to court documents seen by Mothership, a Japanese national was looking to open a new Japanese restaurant in April 2023.

He had gotten to know Daichi, a customer who patronised his existing restaurant.

Knowing that Daichi had experience in the industry, the two began discussing a potential joint venture to open a new restaurant together.

In May 2023, during these discussions, Daichi brought up an "exclusive investment opportunity" to trade shares in the United States, claiming it was an insider deal that could only be executed through him.

Daichi told the man that an investment of S$70,000 to S$100,000 would yield a 30 per cent return.

He added that the profits could cover the man's family expenses for a few months or be channelled into their new restaurant venture.

Believing these claims, the man and his wife met Daichi for lunch on May 18, 2023, and agreed to invest S$88,000.

Under the agreement, the principal sum and the 30 per cent return were due by Jun. 30, 2023.

Forgery

The couple requested an electronic loan contract signed by a guarantor.

Daichi claimed that his godmother, Ho, would act as the guarantor.

Trusting this, the man's wife signed the electronic document on her husband's behalf.

Daichi also signed, promising to obtain Ho's signature later.

Instead, Daichi used his iPad to crop, copy, and paste Ho’s name, NRIC number, electronic signature, and company stamp from an old document onto the new contract.

He knowingly forged the agreement to deceive the Japanese man without Ho's knowledge or consent.

Daichi knew at all times that his representations were false.

Deadline not met

Later that afternoon, the Japanese man withdrew S$88,000 in cash and handed it to a man to purchase an equivalent value of Tether (USDT).

The cryptocurrency was then deposited into a digital wallet provided by Daichi.

This wallet belonged to Daichi.

By Jun. 30, 2023, the couple had not received their capital or the promised returns.

They pressed Daichi for payment, but he repeatedly stalled them with various excuses.

On Sep. 25, 2023, the couple managed to secure a meeting with Daichi, who assured them he had the funds to repay them.

To prove his financial standing, he showed them a forged OCBC statement dated Sep. 25, 2023, which falsely displayed a balance of S$1,025,151.25 in his purported Global Wealth Account.

In truth, no such statement existed.

His account was not a Global Wealth Account, and his actual OCBC account only contained S$32.23 as of Sep. 30, 2023.

'Repayment agreement'

During the same meeting, Daichi presented a repayment agreement to return the principal sum of S$88,000.

Deceived by his forged bank statement, the Japanese man's wife signed the document.

Daichi subsequently repaid S$52,000 to the couple by November 2023.

The man's wife filed a police report on Jan. 21, 2024.

Daichi made full restitution of the remaining balance two years later on Feb. 11, 2026.

Richard Mille watch

In a prior incident, on Aug. 26, 2020, Daichi informed a woman that he was the CEO of "Lu Vn'C Pte Ltd", a company he claimed dealt in jewellery and restaurant businesses.

Following several discussions, the woman agreed to invest in a Richard Mille watch valued at US$241,000 (S$312,066).

On Oct. 12 and 20, 2020, she transferred the full amount to Daichi across two transactions so he could secure the watch on her behalf.

Part of the sum was sent to an OCBC bank account belonging to his company, while the remainder was transferred to Daichi’s personal OCBC account.

However, Daichi did not purchase the luxury watch.

Instead, he transferred US$50,000 (S$64,744) from that personal account into another of his personal OCBC bank accounts and dishonestly used the funds for his own expenses.

Bankrupt

The court heard that Daichi had declared bankruptcy and admitted he had only returned a portion of the money to the woman.

During his plea for leniency, his lawyer highlighted that Daichi was a first-time offender, the offences occurred several years ago, and he is currently bankrupt, Shin Min reported.

The prosecution is seeking a jail term of between 25.5 and 31 months and a compensation order of S$67,000 for the woman.

The case has been adjourned to Jul. 29 for sentencing.

A white Bengal tiger at Night Safari was humanely euthanised by the staff on Jul. 1 following a battle with cancer.

In an Instagram post on Jul. 2, Mandai Wildlife Group shared that they made "the difficult decision to let him go peacefully" after exhausting all available treatment options, and following careful consideration of his welfare.

Health challenges

A senior tiger at 13, Pasha had been under long-term veterinary care for several age-related health challenges, including severe osteoarthritis.

It affected his mobility and caused him pain, said Trent Van Zanten, a vet at Mandai Wildlife Group, in a statement.

He was then diagnosed with lymphoma, a progressive form of cancer, earlier in 2026.

Despite receiving palliative care and treatment, Pasha's condition declined in his final days.

"It became clear that his welfare was compromised," Van Zanten said. "He was no longer responding to treatment or able to enjoy a good quality of life."

"Following a comprehensive veterinary assessment, our teams made the difficult decision to humanely euthanise him to prevent further suffering."

In his final moments, Pasha was surrounded by the team who cared for him, offering him comfort and saying their goodbyes.

"Pasha was a much-loved member of our Mandai family and will be deeply missed by all of us," the company said in their post.

A special tiger

Born in human care, Pasha arrived in Singapore from Indonesia’s Batu Secret Zoo together with his sister, Keysa, in 2015.

He did not have any offspring.

The Mandai team will continue to monitor Keysa closely as she adjusts to life without her brother, said Mandai Wildilfe Group curator Anand Kumar in a statement.

He added that the tiger siblings had a strong bond, and were often seen playing together, resting side by side, or rubbing their heads together.

Kumar shared that Pasha was a special tiger who was "quiet and introverted by nature, but with his own unique way of showing affection".

"He would greet us with soft chuffs in the morning, just like a cat’s purr, or rub against the mesh whenever we approached his den...

Pasha also had a great love for his enrichment toys, especially his boomer balls, which he would guard closely."

The Mandai team thanked Pasha for the "unforgettable memories" he brought to many.

A fight reportedly broke out along Buyong Road in Orchard in the early hours of the morning on Jul. 2.

Four men, all aged 38, were found injured at the scene. Two others, aged 25 and 27, were arrested later on by police.

A total of five people were injured in the incident, including the 27-year-old.

One man was also allegedly stabbed in the neck during the fight, according to a report by Lianhe Zaobao.

Patrons of nightclub

The incident took place at around 2:45am, and involved two groups.

Both groups appeared to have been patrons of a nearby nightclub where the dispute is believed to have started before escalating into a fight outside.

During the altercation, one individual reportedly brandished a knife.

Witnesses interviewed by Zaobao said they saw several ambulances arrive at the scene.

Speaking to The Straits Times, two shop owners said they were unaware of the incident and had opened their shops as usual this morning.

Two men arrested

In response to Mothership's queries, the police confirmed that they had received a call for assistance along Buyong Road at about 2:55am.

When officers arrived, four men, all aged 38, were found injured at the scene.

Three of them had suffered lacerations, while one man was observed to have minor injuries.

All four were subsequently conveyed conscious to the hospital.

Following investigations, police arrested two men, aged 25 and 27, on suspicion of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means.

The 27-year-old was also taken conscious to hospital.

A knife was seized as a case exhibit and police investigations are ongoing.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force separately confirmed that it had conveyed five persons to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Two young civets were rescued near Petir Road on Jul. 1 after being found on the ground near a drain.

A Facebook user shared that her neighbour had found the pair in the early morning while walking his dog.

He temporarily placed them in a box while he reached out to the authorities for help.

They had initially believed the creatures to be kittens.

The user's husband then stepped in briefly to help look after the civet babies.

The neighbour subsequently returned to monitor the animals, and according to the user, had also put up a sign telling people not to touch them.

He remained with the civets until they were picked up by officers, she said.

She added:

"He did a good deed, as the mother was no where in sight, and the kittens were in a dangerous place (near drain and his dog almost got to it). He kept them in a box safe in case of predators or people coming to take it."

In response to queries from Mothership, the National Parks Board's (NParks) Group Director of Wildlife Management How Choon Beng confirmed they were alerted to the incident.

NParks' wildlife contractor retrieved the civets, and placed them in a box on a nearby tree close to where they were found "for reunification with the parent".

Civet encounters

While civets may resemble cats, they are entirely different species.

They are characterised by long, sleek bodies, short limbs, a long tail, a pointed muzzle, and small ears.

As omnivores, these free-roaming creatures are usually found in forests, parks, mangroves, and our urban environment.

They are typically attracted to areas with food sources and nesting spots, but are generally shy creatures and will stay out of sight.

Should members of the public encounter a civet, NParks advises them to:

• Stay calm and observe from a safe distance,
• Do not corner or chase the animal, and
• Keep food covered or stored away to prevent attracting civets to their homes.

If assistance is required for wildlife-related issues, members of the public may contact NParks’ 24-hour Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600.

More information on civets can be found on NParks’ website.

A man in New Zealand died while waiting in the emergency department of a local hospital.

He was found unconscious on the toilet floor and had allegedly been waiting for nine hours.

Crowded emergency department

According to local media reports, the incident took place in the wee hours of Tuesday (Jun. 30).

An eyewitness, Samantha Browne told Radio New Zealand that she arrived at the hospital, Waikato Hospital in Hamilton, New Zealand, at about 4:30pm on Monday (Jun. 29).

She recounted that "every single chair was filled" by the time she was placed in the waiting room.

She described the emergency department as "chaotic" and "stressful", with the nurses trying their best with the number of people on staff.

Man found unconscious

Between 1:30am and 2am, a woman rushed out of the toilet near the waiting room and to the front desk, informing the staff that a man was unconscious on the floor, RNZ reported.

A nurse went to check and later pressed the emergency buzzer. About 20 staff rushed to assist afterwards.

About five minutes later, the man was wheeled away on a gurney, with six people running alongside while "holding bottles and whatnot".

A nurse was seen on top of the man performing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.

Browne described the man as "blue".

Browne herself only got treated and left the hospital at 4am.

Understaffing

New Zealand's healthcare agency, HealthNZ, has opened a clinical review into the incident.

Stuff, citing NZ Herald, reported that the man had been waiting for nine hours.

An official of HealthNZ told the local paper that the target time to get people through the emergency department was six hours and said that the man had been "waiting longer than we wanted him to be waiting".

She declined to quote the exact time, RNZ reported.

The head of a New Zealand nurses' union has called for an independent inquiry into the incident, claiming that staff had told the union they were understaffed.

Taiwanese-American singer and actor Vanness Wu's wife has been revealed to be Japanese singer Emi Aramaki.

This comes after Wu, 47, announced his second marriage in an Instagram post on Jun. 29.

The picture showed him holding hands with his wife, both wearing wedding bands.

Her identity was reported by ETtoday on Jun. 30, with the outlet stating that Wu's record label, B'in Music, confirmed Aramaki's identity.

The couple registered their marriage in Las Vegas, U.S., in early May.

Who is Emi Aramaki?

Based on her profile on entertainment company Hillstone Enterprise, Aramaki hails from Fukuoka Prefecture.

She spent her childhood in Fukuoka before moving to the UK at the age of nine.

She majored in history at University College London (UCL) and started her entertainment career after graduating, commuting between Tokyo, London and Los Angeles.

In July 2021, she released a city-pop-style single, "Lonely Night", and put out another single, "Night Ride", afterward.

Her latest release in December 2025 is the song "Scarlet Night".

Previously married

Wu was previously married to Singaporean socialite Arissa Cheo in 2013.

The couple divorced in 2018.

Wu is currently on tour with his F4 bandmates for their F*Forever 1st World Tour.

The Singapore leg of the tour will take place across three shows from Aug. 14 to 16, 2026.

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