As the World Cup 2026 opener on Jun. 11 drew closer, one coffee shop owner in Hangzhou had his hands full putting together a big bash.

Zhao Chong had begun preparations to host the screening two weeks before Mexico and South Africa faced off.

Thinking that a large crowd would grace his humble store near the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, he racked up a bill worth thousands of yuan for snacks and beer.

Rallying the crowd

Zhao's plans were broadcast on social media, with daily reminders and calls to “bring like-minded people together”, said South China Morning Post.

The evening before the match, he messaged 4,000 contacts and dozens of friends, urging them to join the party.

Nobody turned up.

As the festivities of the match kicked off at 3am on the big screen, food and drinks remained the sole occupants of his tables.

Zhao eventually settled back to enjoy the show himself.

You'll never walk alone

“Since I announced I would host a World Cup screening, I couldn’t just close early because nobody showed up,” he said.

He told local media that if even a single person showed up, he would give them free-flow beer and all-you-can-eat snacks, reported SCMP.

The man found some consolation in a lottery ticket he’d bought, betting 40 yuan (S$7.59) on a draw and a South Africa win, according to reports.

As dawn broke, Zhao witnessed Mexico clinch a 2-0 victory with just his beer for company.

"Although my shop’s location is a bit remote, I thought that as long as I established this service, people would eventually come," he added.

However, he noted that "even though [he] didn't make any money or gain any popularity, watching the game and sunrise is a reward in and of itself".

Jun. 12 saw a marginally more successful turnout, with two customers showing up for the viewing party.

According to Sinchew, Zhao's place usually sees 200 to 300 customers on the weekends.

He remains confident about more customers turning up over the weekend, stating: "No customers today doesn't mean no customers tomorrow. I will persevere."

A Singaporean tycoon has reportedly bought a HK$563 million (S$92.3 million) property in the exclusive Hong Kong enclave of Shek O.

Singaporean buyers

Bloomberg reported that a Hong Kong Land Registry filing showed that the mansion at 14 Shek O Road was sold to Jennifer Tzelee Teo.

Teo is believed to be married to China-born billionaire Zhang Lei, founder of investment firm Hillhouse Capital.

Both Zhang and Teo are naturalised Singaporean citizens, and Bloomberg reported that Teo changed her legal name from Zhao Li after becoming a Singaporean citizen.

Zhang also owns a condominium near Orchard Road.

1930s-era mansion

The property purchased in Hong Kong is a 1930s-era mansion at 14 Shek O Road, also known as The Round House, on the Hong Kong Island’s southeastern coast.

Shek O is described as a "tightly held luxury residential district" by the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The mansion was previously home to John Marden, the former chairman of Wheelock & Co.

It was previously held by Marden's widow, the philanthropist Anne Marden, until she died in 2022.

The mansion is on land surrounding the Shek O Country Club and covers around 6,163 sqft, or about 573 sqm.

Exclusive mansions

Due to the unique ownership structure of the residences surrounding the Shek O Country Club, prospective buyers need approval to become members of the community before a transaction can proceed, reported SCMP.

Existing members are also given the opportunity to object to applications.

This means that purchases there are affected by more than financial means alone.

Teo will join a number of prominent tycoons who hold property in this area, such as Pony Ma, co-founder and CEO of Tencent, and Richard Li, head of the Pacific Century Group Investment Company.

Bloomberg notes that Hong Kong has seen several luxury home sales in the past year, as property prices rebound due to demand from mainland buyers.

Warning: This article contains descriptions of rape and sexual assault on a minor. Reader discretion is advised.

A 67-year-old Malaysian man was arrested on Jun. 10, 2026 after he admitted on video to raping his 13-year-old granddaughter.

The Star reported that the girl was living with her paternal grandparents in Batu Pahat after her parents had divorced, while her mother lived in a northern state.

The girl initially stayed with the grandparents, after which she moved in with her mother.

The alleged assault was discovered by the girl’s mother when she noticed messages her daughter sent to an acquaintance.

The girl was initially reluctant to speak on the matter, but then revealed to her mother that her grandfather had raped her.

Video online

A video on social media showed the 67-year-old man being confronted by family members in his living room.

According to the New Straits Times (NST), the man confesses in the video, saying "Yes I did it," while the mother cried in anguish in the background.

He then told his family members to lodge a police report against him.

The mother made a report on Jun. 8, 2026.

Preliminary investigations found that the alleged abuse occurred throughout 2025, with the final alleged incident occurring in December 2025, NST reported.

Malaysia's Berita Harian reported that the police are investigating and that the man was remanded for six days.

A 32-year-old Thai national was fined S$15,000 on Jun. 12, 2026, after he flew a drone without the required permits and recorded footage of military areas in the west of Singapore.

Charge sheets and court documents seen by Mothership stated that Prayut Rittichaipornkul pleaded guilty to two offences under the Air Navigation Act and Air Navigation (101 - Unmanned Aircraft Operations) Regulations.

Five other charges of similar nature were taken into consideration during sentencing.

He is based in Bangkok, Thailand, and works as a freelance photographer for various companies, CNA reported.

Bought drone

Court documents stated that some time in 2025, Prayut, who was in Thailand, bought a DJI Mavic 4 Pro drone for his photography work and recreation purposes.

CNA reported that before March 2026, the Thailand office of C&R Interiors engaged Prayut's photography services.

A Singapore-registered company, its office is located at 20 Joo Koon Crescent, near Pasir Laba Camp and SAFTI Military Institute, both of which are listed as protected areas.

It also has offices in Thailand and Malaysia.

Sometime in March 2026, he was invited by an employee of C&R Interiors to attend the opening ceremony of a subsidiary company in Malaysia.

Deployed drone

CNA reported that Prayut decided to visit Singapore before going to Kuala Lumpur, and arrived here on Apr. 20.

At the employee's invitation, he visited the Singapore office the next day.

Prayut was asked to take photographs and videos of the Singapore office to be used in marketing materials in Thailand.

He initially used a handheld camera. However, being dissatisfied with the quality of footage and photographs, he decided to deploy his drone.

Did not have permit

Court documents stated that at about 8:20am on Apr. 21, 2026, Prayut began to operate the drone at the Singapore office, where he intended to take aerial videos of the exterior building.

The drone, which he operated for about 26 minutes at a maximum altitude of 459m above mean sea level, flew over protected areas comprising SAFTI Military Institute and Pasir Laba Camp.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force then detected an unidentified drone flying into the protected areas at about 8:23am, according to CNA.

After alerting the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), CAAS traced the drone to Prayut's location at the Singapore office of C&R Interiors, CNA reported.

AETOS Auxiliary police officers were then dispatched to the location.

Drone seized, penalties

Prayut had not been requested by C&R Interiors to operate an unmanned aircraft (UA) in Singapore

He also did not check official sources if he was permitted to operate a UA here, which requires a Class 1 activity permit, according to court documents.

CNA reported that the drone was found to contain at least 18 video recordings, three of which had captured parts of the protected areas.

The deputy public prosecutor sought a fine of S$15,000, which was imposed by court.

For operating an unmanned aircraft for business without a permit, a person may be fined up to S$50,000, or jailed for up to two years, or both.

A person who operates an unmanned aircraft over a protected area without a permit may face the same maximum penalty.

Siranudh “Psi” Bhirombhakdi Scott, 29, the Singha beer heir who recently accused his older brother of sexual abuse, tore up in front of cameras a contract that reportedly bought his silence for five million baht per year (S$195,500), Thai PBS World reported.

Siranudh was in court for a hearing in a case filed by his mother over the inheritance left to him by Siranudh's late grandfather, Thai Enquirer wrote.

'You cannot buy my voice'

According to Thai PBS World, Siranudh described the case brought against him by his mother as a "case of an ungrateful child".

Siranudh's mother had filed a lawsuit against him over the inheritance left to him by his late grandfather, the former chairman of the Singha business group.

Thai media reports showed Siranudh being greeted by a warm crowd in court.

Siranudh's older brother, Sunit "Pi" Scott, also appeared in court for the case's hearing as a witness.

Speaking to the media after the hearing, Siranudh revealed that he had signed an agreement with his family about three years ago that bought his silence for five million baht a year (S$195,500).

The agreement reportedly came to be after Siranudh told his family about being sexually assaulted by a nanny, Thai Enquirer reported.

In front of the cameras, the 29-year-old tore up that agreement and commented:

"You cannot buy my voice, buy humanity. If you use money and power, use it elsewhere. I won't get involved in something like this."

A statement by Thai courts stated that the mediation between the family members are underway.

They are due back in court on Jun. 16, Thai PBS World wrote.

Background

Siranudh “Psi” Scott is a fourth-generation member of the Bhirombhakdi family, who founded the Singha beer brewery, and a conservation activist.

In May 2026, he claimed in an emotional social media video that his older brother, Sunit, had sexually abused him during their teen years.

He alleged that their mother knew but had asked him to keep mum.

Siranudh also claimed that his nanny also sexually assaulted him, but the matter was similarly swept under the rug after the nanny threatened his mother with his brother's "secret".

Siranudh was eventually kicked out of their home in Hua Hin and moved to southern Thailand in 2020.

He later released audio recordings related to the allegations.

The 29-year-old explained that he was speaking up now as he felt that his family had lost the values his late grandfather, the former chairman of the family business, had held.

The allegations also come amid a bitter inheritance dispute after Siranudh's mother sued him over inheritance assets left to him by his late grandfather, reported The Bangkok Post.

Sunit has thus far denied the allegations.

A total of 120 people were evacuated from Block 125 Rivervale Street after a fire broke out in a third floor unit bedroom on Jun. 12, 2026, with six people sent to the hospital.

There was no one in the unit when the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived.

Footage of smoke was captured by a Mothership reader.

At about 4:12pm on Jun. 12, large black plumes of smoke were observed rising from a building visible from the reader's 14th floor bedroom window at Rivervale Drive.

The reader said they also heard sirens heading towards the affected building at about 4:15pm.

They told Mothership that the higher vantage point made it difficult to see the incident as it appeared to have taken place on a lower floor.

Prior to this, the reader had been studying when she noticed and could smell the smoke.

6 sent to hospital for smoke inhalation

Responding to Mothership's queries, SCDF said they were alerted at about 4:10pm on Jun. 12 to a fire at Block 125 Rivervale Street.

The fire involved a bedroom in a unit on the third floor, SCDF said, adding that there was no one in the unit when SCDF arrived.

SCDF extinguished the fire with a water jet and about 120 persons were evacuated from the affected block by the police as a precautionary measure.

SCDF conveyed six persons to Singapore General Hospital for smoke inhalation.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Three people died after a supply boat sank off Pasir Panjang Terminal at about 9:30am on Jun. 12, 2026, after colliding with a landing craft.

According to a Jun. 12 Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) media release, the MPA, Police Coast Guard (PCG), and SCDF Marine Division immediately activated their crafts to the incident site and commenced search and rescue operations.

The release stated that the landing craft is stable with no reported injury to the crew on board.

3 bodies recovered

It added that PCG has recovered three bodies from the waters, believed to be deceased crew members of the sunken supply boat.

Search and rescue operations, including diving operations, are ongoing to determine if there are other crew members from the supply boat missing.

Noting that port operations have not been affected, the release added that navigational broadcasts have been issued advising vessels to keep clear of the incident area.

Investigations into the incident are ongoing.

After hurting her ankle at work, a security officer was offered a work injury compensation worth more than six months of her salary, but chose to reject it and sue her employer for negligence instead.

She ended up losing the suit as she was unable to prove that her employer breached its duty of care, according to a judgment dated May 25.

The District Judge Evans Ng called her case "wholly meritless".

In a separate judgment dated Jun. 9, he ordered the woman to pay a total of about S$11,577 in legal costs to her employer.

The accident

The injury happened on Aug. 4, 2021, when Nirmala Thangavellu was deployed by her employer, Acestes, to a condo in Sengkang.

Stationed at an entrance of the condo, she encountered a delivery rider who refused to stop and provide his particulars to her, she testified in an affidavit.

She claimed that while trying to "chase" the rider, she lost her footing on the uneven ground and injured her right ankle.

CCTV footage showed that Nirmala fell, but after appearing to walk smoothly. No deliveryman was seen in the video, which was played several times at the trial.

Nirmala's lawyers argued that the video shown at court was cut too short, and the preceding portion of the CCTV footage would have shown the delivery rider's actions.

The work injury claim

A claim was made under the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA), and it was assessed by the Commissioner for Labour at a sum that was more than six months' salary for her at the time.

But Nirmala submitted a notice of objection, and seemed to have withdrawn her claim later, according to the May 25 judgement.

More than a year later, she engaged lawyers to file a suit against Acestes for negligence.

The reason given for the objection was that the "settlement under WICA is insufficient".

Lacking support for her allegations

Ng pointed out in the judgment that Nirmala was the only witness for her case.

He said her evidence of any negligence was limited to saying that "proper safeguards and support were not put in place to prevent such accidents", without giving specifics on what could be implemented and whether they were feasible or reasonable.

Nirmala's lawyers also did not attempt to prove that her employer breached its duty of care, Ng added.

Their closing submissions did not make such an allegation, but argued that Nirmala's employer "owed her a duty of care", and that she was "entitled to full compensation for the losses suffered".

Unable to find any material supporting the negligence allegation, Ng dismissed the case.

Costs

Acestes' lawyers sought, among other things, S$20,000 or S$25,000 in party-and-party costs, according to the Jun. 9 judgement.

Nirmala's lawyers, however, proposed during the cost negotiations that Nirmala should not have to bear costs because she is not well-off financially.

Ng asserted that this was "rarely a sufficient reason for departing from the general rule".

He also questioned this claim about her financial state, highlighting that she has been able to pay her own disbursements for court fees, which were around S$1,400, and can afford to engage four senior lawyers from two different firms.

Ng gave a 25 per cent discount on the minimum for pre-trial work costs in negligence cases, as suggested by the State Courts, lowering it from S$9,000 to S$6,750.

Adding that on top of S$2,500 for trial work, S$1,000 for post-trial work, and S$1,327.70 as disbursement to Acestes, the total fees Nirmala was instructed to pay were S$11,577.70.

Singaporean actor Christopher Lee, 54, will star in Crooks, Singapore's first AI-hybrid drama, which has begun production, according to The Straits Times (ST).

The nine-episode series uses AI-assisted technology in post-production to build environments that cannot be constructed physically. This includes background creation, virtual set design, relighting, and spatial expansion.

According to Zaobao, the production leaned more heavily on AI after some investors pulled out, leading to a reduction of 40 per cent in funding.

This would be the catalyst in turning the production into an AI-hybrid.

ST reported that actors first perform on live-action sets, where their expressions, timing, and emotional intent are captured before AI workflows are applied.

Inspired by a real story

Crooks is inspired by the life of Benny Se Teo, a Singaporean ex-convict who founded restaurant Eighteen Chefs in 2007 to give troubled youths and ex-offenders a second chance at reintegration into society.

Lee plays Ah Cheng, a former convict who takes over a struggling restaurant and attempts to piece his life back together through cooking.

According to ST, Lee said of the movie:

"Crooks is a story about second chances, but also about how difficult it is to accept one when you do not feel you deserve it."

Lee told Zaobao that while he is not averse to working with AI, he has set clear boundaries on what he would not do. This includes not letting AI use his likeness to act for him, stating that actors must have their own ideas and interpretations of the scene.

"AI cannot replace the tremble in an actor's voice"

The series is produced by local filmmaker Boi Kwong, founder of Singapore-based film production company B-01 Films.

He said in a statement, reported by ST:

"AI cannot replace the tremble in an actor's voice, the silence between two people, or the truth of a performance. What it can do is give Singapore film-makers more room to build the world around those moments."

He added:

"The technology is there to support the story, not to take over it. It allows us to imagine with greater scale while keeping the emotion close."

According to ST, the production is also reskilling more than 50 crew members across production, technical, and editing roles to work in AI-enabled environments.

A 20-year-old male Chinese national was fined S$4,000 after he sexually assaulted a female schoolmate at an international school in Singapore, while pretending to be late for class.

Both individuals did not know each other.

The accused pleaded guilty to one count of outrage of modesty, Shin Min Daily News reported.

A gag order was imposed to protect the victim.

“Accidental”

On Oct. 6, 2025, at about 8:34am, the victim was on the first floor of the school building and was about to take the stairs to the second floor.

The 20-year-old, who was behind the victim, stared at her back and apparently felt an impulse to touch her.

He then pulled down his backpack on his shoulder and clutched it tightly in his hand, pretending to be late for class.

He then briskly walked past the victim and reached out his right hand, touching the victim’s buttocks.

The victim, who was wearing shorts, felt the accused fingers touch her.

She then confronted him on the spot.

The accused immediately pointed to his school bag and claimed it was an “accidental” touch.

The victim did not accept his explanation and lodged a police report on the same day at about 1:28pm, alleging that the accused sexually harassed her.

Investigation

Using surveillance footage from the school, police found evidence of the offence.

The accused was arrested on Feb. 5, 2026.

His lawyers stated that the accused has been expelled from the international school as a result of the incident.

They cited that the time and effort he had invested in studying locally were rendered “meaningless”.

He pleaded leniency, and his lawyers urged the judge to impose a fine not exceeding S$3,000.

The prosecution argued that the accused's actions did not meet the threshold for imprisonment and explained that he did not touch the victim’s private parts and there was no direct skin contact.

The had prosecution urged the judge to sentence the accused to a S$5,000 fine.