The Singapore outlet of wedding photography studio Korea Artiz Studio appears to have ceased operations, according to couples who spoke to Mothership.

A notice pasted outside its studio along Bras Basah Road explained that the company had experienced internal operational issues, and that employees had not received their outstanding salaries or a proper response from management.

This comes after the sudden closure of its Taiwan outlet on Aug. 10.

According to the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), it has received over 66 complaints against the studio from Aug. 14 to Aug. 18, involving more than S$271,000 in prepayment losses.

Couples left stranded

Couples who spoke to Mothership said many had paid for their packages in full but were told not to turn up for their photography sessions until further notice.

One groom-to-be, Jake (not his real name), said he and his partner signed a S$3,269 package with the studio on Feb. 21, 2026, and had a fitting session on Aug. 8.

However, on the night of Aug. 14, a day before their scheduled photoshoot, they were informed not to turn up for the shoot.

An employee informed them via WhatsApp that there had been some operational issues and that the management team was not responding.

They were also told that employees had not been paid and were asked to wait for further updates from management.

"I immediately tried calling and emailing the company but received no response," Jake said.

Another couple confirmed that other customers received the same written message from the studio's staff over the weekend.

The bride-to-be said they had paid S$3,923 in full in May 2026 for a package with a shoot scheduled for Aug. 23, but were told not to turn up for the shoot.

She also shared that a Telegram group set up by another affected customer had at least 52 members, including customers with shoots or wedding dates in the coming weeks.

Notice at studio

According to its Google listing, the studio is listed as temporarily closed.

Reviews shared that a notice, which appeared to have been written by an employee, had been pasted at the door of the studio at Carlton Hotel apologising to customers for the "unexpected situation".

"Due to recent internal operational issues within the company, all employees have currently not received their outstanding salaries. At the same time, we have been unable to obtain any clear or formal response, update, or further arrangements from the company's management," the notice read.

The notice further stated that the studio was unable to confirm or guarantee whether any scheduled services could proceed as planned at this time, adding that customers should avoid making a trip down to the studio until further notice.

"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, difficulties, and uncertainty that this situation may cause you.

As the company's management has not yet provided us with any formal or clear response, until we receive further confirmation from the company, we are unable to provide customers with any unverified information, answers, or commitments."

The notice also included the contact details of one Shi Qian, whom they identified as a "company representative".

Checks by Mothership on the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) business profile showed that Shi Qian has been listed as a director of the company since Oct. 5, 2017.

Third-party vendor

Another couple who spoke to Mothership said they had already had their photos taken for a S$5,000 package and were in contact with the employees up until last week.

They are now waiting for their photo edits and album, which are apparently being handled by a third-party vendor.

According to a Google review, the vendor had put up a notice at the studio saying she was arranging with couples to return photographs that were in her possession.

Mothership understands that the vendor had also not been paid more than S$10,000 and had no communication with the "boss", whom she said was from China.

She said she had filed a police report on Aug. 16.

As of Aug. 19, she was in communication with about 150 people who had contacted her asking about their photos.

Over S$271,000 in pre-payment losses

In response to queries from Mothership, CASE president Melvin Yong said on Aug. 19 that CASE received 66 complaints against the studio from Aug. 14 to Aug. 18.

The complaints involved more than S$271,000 in prepayment losses.

Consumers reported that the business had abruptly ceased operations, Yong said.

The complainants also reported that they had reached out to the studio for fulfilment of contracted services or refunds of their prepayments, but the business was not responsive, he added.

CASE has reached out to the studio to understand whether scheduled photography sessions and services would proceed as planned.

The consumer watchdog has also sought clarification on the remedies that will be offered to affected consumers if the services cannot be fulfilled.

Yong advised consumers to "carefully review bridal and wedding photography packages" before committing to a purchase.

They should also obtain written confirmation of key terms and deliverables, and retain all relevant documentation, including contracts and proof of payment, he added.

Where appropriate, consumers should negotiate to split the contractual amount into smaller progressive payments to be paid at various stages of service delivery, he said.

Affected consumers can approach CASE for assistance through its hotline on 6277-5100 or via its website.

Korea Artiz Studio

The studio, which was founded in Busan, Korea, in 2008, first expanded to Singapore in 2017.

According to the ACRA profile seen by Mothership on Aug. 19, the company's status is still live.

The bridal studio recently made news in Taiwan after it reportedly went bankrupt and closed down abruptly.

Some customers also reportedly received notices from the studio stating that it had undergone operational adjustments and separation from the head office, and would no longer be able to operate.

Attempts by Mothership to reach Korea Artiz Studio went unanswered.

The 59-year-old suspect who allegedly doused and set a 62-year-old woman in Malaysia on fire at a lottery outlet in Taman Pusat Kepong on Aug. 9 did so due to a lottery ticket dispute.

According to New Straits Times, the victim, who worked as a counter attendant at the outlet, was allegedly approached by an unidentified man.

Set on fire

He then doused her with liquid believed to be petrol before setting her alight.

An earlier report mentioned that she reportedly suffered burns to about 50 per cent of her body.

Her daughter had previously appealed for information about the incident on Facebook.

Sin Chew Daily reported that the suspect had since been arrested by the police on Aug. 18.

Unclear if long-term troublemaker

The suspect and victim were reportedly unrelated but knew each other, The Star reported a Kuala Lumpur police chief as saying.

A lottery shop employee pointed out, however, that it is unclear whether the suspect arrested was the same long-term troublemaker the store encountered last year.

Sin Chew Daily reported that the troublemaker had allegedly been harassing the shop for several months in 2025.

The troublemaker was said to have mainly appeared on Wednesdays, and harassed the shop as frequently as once a week or once every two weeks.

Lottery ticket dispute

Each time he came to the store, he accused the victim of cheating him out of his jackpot winnings, and claimed the victim and another employee split the winnings, an employee said.

She added that though he kept insisting he had won the jackpot, he could not produce the winning ticket, Sin Chew Daily reported.

The employee also noted that each lottery outlet has a limited amount of prize money they can collect.

Should an individual win a large amount involving more than RM10,000 (S$3,150), the lottery outlet generally cannot pay it out directly.

The customer has to present the winning ticket stub at the head office to collect the money.

Caused trouble for several months

According to Sin Chew Daily, the troublemaker had left a deep impression on other employees after causing trouble for several months.

He had also allegedly verbally abused another female employee in addition to the injured employee.

While the troublemaker did not physically assault anyone or throw objects, he verbally harassed the store employees with accusations.

After the injured party finally spoke up to the troublemaker, he stopped causing trouble in the outlet.

He also did not reappear for a long time, which made them think the matter was over.

The arson incident then occurred after some time.

However, the employees were relieved that the suspect was arrested, Sin Chew Daily reported.

Putri Andriani Juficha, the runner-up of Miss Grand Indonesia 2025, has died on her 26th birthday.

She died on Aug. 14, 2026, the same date she was born in 2000, according to Kompas and Detik.

The Miss Grand Indonesia Organization announced her death in an Instagram post, alongside a photo of her.

"You were more than a titleholder"

The organisation wrote:

"With deepest sorrow, the Miss Grand Indonesia Organization mourns the passing of Putri Andriani Juficha, Runner-Up Miss Grand Indonesia 2025. You were more than a titleholder. You were part of our Grand family, a beautiful soul whose grace, strength, and spirit touched so many hearts."

It added:

"Although your journey with us has come to an end far too soon, the memories, love, and light you shared will forever remain in our hearts. May you rest peacefully in the embrace of the Almighty, and may your beautiful soul find eternal peace."

The organisation also extended its condolences to her family and loved ones.

From Manado to Manila

Putri was born in Manado, North Sulawesi, and was known publicly by the nickname Pijey, according to Inilah.

She took part in Miss Grand Indonesia 2025, representing North Sulawesi, where she finished as runner-up.

She was later selected by the Putri Nusantara Organisation to represent Indonesia at Miss Earth 2025 in Manila, Philippines. She won a special award for Best Social Project for her environmental advocacy.

Environmental work & music

Putri is committed to environmental issues. She took part in campaigns on waste reduction, river conservation and public education on protecting the environment.

She also dabbled in music, having released a song titled "Mati Saja”.

Her cause of death has not been made public.

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A post shared by Miss Earth (@missearth)

A 25-year-old man has died after a traffic incident at Seletar West Link in the evening of Aug. 18.

In response to Mothership's queries, the Singapore Police Force confirmed that they had been alerted to an incident involving a car and a motorcycle at around 6:45pm.

The motorcyclist was taken unconscious to hospital, where he later died.

A 57-year old female car driver was arrested on suspicion of careless driving causing death and is assisting with police investigations.

Received CPR and AED

Photos of the incident submitted by a Mothership reader showed a man providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation and applying an AED to the victim.

The latter was visibly unconscious and covered in blood.

The Straits Times also reported that paramedics were observed at the scene, while passers-by directed traffic away from the two outer lines.

MAS has announced three measures aimed at keeping Singapore competitive as an asset management hub, amid growing international competition.

The measures were announced on Aug. 19, and comprise a tax exemption on profit-related returns, a new hedge fund investment programme, and a new track under the Overseas Networks & Expertise (ONE) Pass to attract top leaders and senior investment professionals.

Why it matters

Asset management accounts for about 15 per cent of the financial sector's output and 13 per cent of its employment.

Over the past five years, the industry grew by an average of 7.5 per cent a year on average to almost S$7 trillion.

It employs close to 25,000 people, around 80 per cent of whom are locals, in roles spanning portfolio management, investment research, client servicing and risk management.

MAS Deputy Chairman Chee Hong Tat said the package was meant to attract leading asset managers, global capital and world-class investment talent to Singapore.

He said at a doorstop:

"The measures that we are announcing today reflect our continued commitment to strengthen Singapore's value proposition and ensure we remain a trusted, vibrant, and globally competitive financial hub."

The tax exemption

Under the first measure, MAS and the Ministry of Finance plan to introduce a tax exemption on profit-related returns fund managers earn from managing qualifying funds.

What that means in practice: when a fund manager delivers strong returns for investors, the cut they take from those profits will not be taxed. Ordinary salaries, bonuses and other forms of staff pay are not covered.

The exemption is expected to take effect from the Year of Assessment 2027, with further details at Budget 2027.

Funds that qualify are already required to meet economic substance requirements, including minimum headcount.

The hedge fund programme

MAS will also set up a Hedge Fund Investment Programme to invest alongside hedge fund managers who commit to establishing or growing their presence here.

Beyond anchoring the managers and investment talent, MAS said the programme is meant to build up the hedge fund ecosystem, including ancillary service providers and prime brokerages.

More details will be shared later, MAS shared.

The ONE Pass track

Lastly, MAS and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) intend to introduce an Investment Management Track under the ONE Pass framework, aimed at senior investment professionals and global leaders in the industry.

The track may refine how salaries are assessed, recognising that a significant part of pay in the industry comes from returns tied to investment performance rather than a fixed monthly salary.

On Hong Kong

At the doorstop, Chee was asked on the timing of the announcement and whether the announcement was a response to increased competition from Hong Kong, including whether it addressed fears that highly paid fund managers might leave Singapore.

He said:

"We don't see the competition with Hong Kong as zero sum. We believe that the region is big enough. There's enough scope for both cities to grow as financial centres."

However, he acknowledged that Singapore needs to take a look at "what is happening in the global landscape in reviewing and adjusting our own policies".

He said competitiveness was not anchored on any single factor such as tax, and that MAS also has to weigh trust and stability, the regulatory framework and access to talent.

Chee noted that it requires a "whole-of-government" approach to uphold the competitiveness of the industry.

He said: "My colleagues and I, we will do what it takes to maintain and uphold the competitiveness of our financial services industry."

Why announce now if the details come at Budget

When asked why the announcement was being made roughly six months before Budget 2027, Chee said tax changes have always been finalised at Budget.

However, he said MAS felt it was important to signal its plans early after speaking to the industry.

He said:

"We thought it's important after speaking to the industry that we share with the industry what are some of our plans, so that they can take this into account in deciding where they want to locate their business, where they want to grow their business."

A woman was seen causing a commotion at Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), where she demanded the "surrender" of Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.

According to clips of the incident that circulated on social media on Aug. 18, the incident occurred at the boarding gates of the airport's Terminal 1.

Made death threats

The woman, clad in a black T-shirt and jeans, could be seen walking around barefoot in the video.

She was said to be from Mainland China, according to the original poster.

According to the video's caption, the woman was initially conducting a livestream on her mobile phone before a man, supposedly an acquaintance, snatched it away.

"Is Singapore going to surrender? Is Japan going to surrender?" she was heard yelling in the video.

She had reportedly also asked the same of Malaysia prior to this.

The woman then asked the crowd if they were Chinese nationals before yelling: "If I die in Malaysia, everyone will die together!"

She also allegedly began counting down, the caption wrote.

Removed after 15 minutes

After her public tirade, the woman approached a bystander nearby to ask if "they would surrender".

She was removed from the scene by airport officials after 15 minutes, the post said.

The airport then fell silent.

According to Sinchew, the woman's identity and the cause of the incident are currently under investigation.

An individual who allegedly accused a braised duck stall in Singapore of having fly eggs in its food was reportedly exposed for lying.

Lianhe Zaobao reported that the individual claimed to have visited the stall at 3pm when it closed at 1pm, and apparently could not name the food she bought.

Claimed food had fly eggs

Speaking to Zaobao, the 38-year-old hawker of Ah Xiao Braised Duck, Bai Ruihai (transliterated), received a text message and photo via WhatsApp on Aug. 16.

The text message from the supposed customer claimed there was a white object in the food suspected to be fly eggs.

In addition, the message demanded compensation from Bai, or a bad review would be posted online, and a complaint would be made to the authorities.

Bai did not check the message as he was busy at the time, he told Zaobao.

Shortly after, a woman calling with a Malaysia-registered phone number asked him to check the messages.

She reportedly spoke with a Chinese accent.

Stall closes at 1pm

He then pressed the woman for details about what she bought, the specific location and price of the food as he wanted to verify the incident's authenticity.

Zaobao reported that the woman supposedly could only name the eatery's location but not the stall name or specific food items.

Noting that his stall has CCTV cameras, Bai asked the woman to provide the time she visited his stall.

He said: "She said she visited around 3pm, but my stall only stays open until around 1pm. I close long before 3pm, so how could I possibly sell a food item with insect eggs?"

Woman reportedly blocked owner

Following this, the woman hung up and apparently blocked Bai.

Pointing out that he is relatively young and wary of scammers, he cautioned that some older vendors may be intimidated by complaints and extorted as a result.

A Facebook post in the "Hawkers United - Dabao 2020" group also warned other hawkers of the scam.

It stated that many hawkers list their contact numbers on social media, so it is not difficult to contact them.

The post added that the scammer would send a photo to the hawker's WhatsApp number, accusing them that their food is dirty and unhygienic.

The scammer would also allegedly claim to find flies or fly eggs on the food.

They would then demand compensation from the hawkers, or threaten to post reviews or complain to the authorities.

The post read: "Hawker friends please be vigilant. Do not be afraid if you did nothing wrong!"

The elderly man who was shoved to the ground at a coffee shop along East Coast Road after patting a young girl on the head has suffered a fractured back, according to his family.

Fractured back

Earlier, in an Instagram Story posted on Aug. 17 by Bei-Ing Wanton Noodle, 73-year-old Yeo Song Khoon was shown seated in a wheelchair and wearing a hospital gown.

The post said Yeo, who has been selling wanton noodles at the stall for more than 40 years, had finally agreed to seek medical attention following the incident.

However, he returned to work that same day.

Speaking to 8days, Yeo's family said he was advised to remain in hospital for observation after undergoing a medical check-up on Aug. 16, but declined to stay.

He was required to sign a form acknowledging the risks of leaving the hospital, the family said.

According to his family, Yeo's doctor has advised that spinal surgery would be the best option for his condition.

If Yeo decides against surgery, he will instead require physiotherapy and medication, they added.

The store's Roxy Square outlet was closed on Aug. 18 and 19, and is scheduled to reopen on Aug. 20.

Yeo is expected to return to work on Aug. 21.

What happened

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

In CCTV footage, Yeo can be seen walking past a family's table and patting a young girl on the head.

The girl's mother then reached out her hand in an apparent attempt to stop Yeo.

The girl's father, who was wearing a cyan T-shirt, was seen rushing back to the table after noticing the commotion.

He subsequently grabbed Yeo by the arm and swung him around, causing the elderly man to fall to the ground.

Others later helped Yeo up at the coffee shop.

The girl’s father subsequently apologised and offered to buy Yeo a drink, but he declined.

"I don't want to cause any trouble": Yeo

In an interview with 8world, Yeo said he had patted the girl on the head as he found her "very adorable".

"Old people like to pat young children's heads," he said.

Despite the incident, Yeo said he did not want to make a fuss over what happened.

"I don’t really mind, just let him off. It’s okay to just leave it, it’s all right. I don’t want to cause any trouble," he said.

His family has since made a police report.

Yeo, who was already experiencing an injured leg and difficulty walking, said he began experiencing back pain about two to three hours after the fall.

However, the pain was eased by painkillers, allowing him to return to work.

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After 57 years, Canteen 398 at Piccadilly Road will reportedly be closing permanently on Sep. 19.

According to a sign captured in a diner's TikTok video, the last day of operation will be Sep. 18.

The sign did not explain the reason for the closure.

The couple who runs the canteen apparently told an Instagram user that they planned to take a break and retire.

The canteen's history

Also known as Boh Geh Uncle Canteen, the coffee shop is believed to be Singapore's oldest surviving coffee shop, dating back to 1969.

It was originally a Corporal Mess for the British, then served National Servicemen at the nearby Seletar Camp.

After decades, the canteen has retained its rustic, old-school style with an outdoor dining area set up among overgrown greenery.

Its three stalls — two for food and one for drinks — offer simple meals at relatively affordable prices, making the place popular with workers in the area.

In 2012, the canteen was slated for closure to make way for Seletar Aerospace Park, which was supposed to be built over much of the space.

However, it survived the development plans.

Singaporean pop queen Stefanie Sun was recently spotted at a Bukit Timah coffee shop having breakfast with her parents.

Photos of her out and about in public in Singapore were posted on Xiaohongshu.

They drew praise from online commenters, who said the 48-year-old blended in perfectly in her casual attire and appeared to have no airs with no minders around.

Sun was spotted in a baggy t-shirt, shorts, slippers, and black-rimmed spectacles.

Online responses

Online commenters responded to the photos by praising Sun.

They said she appeared youthful and relaxed while out and about in public.

One commenter wrote: "She looks like a female college student. She looks great."

Another added: "Is the diva eating at an affordable restaurant?"

"Being a singer is just a job. She goes to work and goes home. It's fine," another commenter wrote.

One commenter also noted: "Singaporean artistes are more relaxed. They don't usually have many people watching them in private."

Sun has completed part of her "Aut Nihilo" tour, which ran in 2025 and early 2026.

She performed at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in April 2025.

She will be performing in China from September 2026.