A 49-year-old male motorcyclist died after an accident involving his motorcycle, a bus and a lorry on the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) towards Woodlands on the afternoon of Nov. 4.

He was an off-duty SMRT bus captain, The Straits Times reported.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police said that a 50-year-old bus driver was arrested for driving without due care and attention causing death.

Accident scene

A Facebook video showed the aftermath of the accident on the second lane from the left.

One blue motorcycle was flipped over on its side, with debris strewn across the road.

An individual was lying down near it, and blood stains were also visible on one of the lanes.

A man wearing a Land Transport Authority (LTA) vest was at the scene, and a few other individuals were on the same lane with their motorcycles stopped a short distance ahead.

Vehicles continued to pass by the scene in other lanes on the four-lane road.

Motorcyclist died

At about 3:30pm on Nov. 4, the police were alerted to an accident involving a motorcycle, a bus and a lorry, along BKE towards Woodlands.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the road traffic accident along BKE towards Woodlands Checkpoint after Mandai Road exit.

SCDF conveyed the motorcyclist unconscious to Woodlands Hospital, where he later died.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Deeply saddened

SMRT Buses deputy managing director Vincent Gay expressed his condolences, noting that the off-duty bus captain was riding his motorcycle home after his shift at the time of the accident.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of our colleague, a bus captain. He was off duty and riding his motorcycle home after work when he was involved in an accident on the Bukit Timah Expressway.

Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. We are in touch with his family and will provide the support they need."

If you were among those mourning when The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf took its dark chocolate and vanilla powders off the shelves, we’ve got some good news: they’re back.

And they’re back with a twist: the powders now come in a new Nutri-Grade formula.

That means you can recreate your favourite café-style drinks at home, whether you’re in the mood for something rich and chocolatey or smooth and vanilla-infused.

Comfort in a cup

For days where you want to wrap yourself in some cosy vibes, whip up a rich, comforting drink with this easy recipe:

• Add 30g of dark chocolate/vanilla powder to a 500ml mug
• Pour in 355ml of steamed milk or hot water
• Stir well and enjoy

Creamy and refreshing

Or you’re feeling more of a little pick-me-up with a frosty twist? Blend up this indulgent treat and let every sip hit the spot:

• Fill a cup with 355ml of ice
• Add 90ml of milk or coffee extract and 30g of dark chocolate/vanilla powder
• Transfer the mixture to a blender, add another ¼ cup of dark chocolate/vanilla powder, and blend until smooth
• Top with whipped cream and enjoy

Beyond drinks, indulge your inner baker with the dark chocolate and vanilla powders.

Fold them into muffins, cupcakes, cakes, and other irresistible baked treats for a deliciously rich, decadent twist.

Out in stores Nov. 6

Get your hands on the Nutri-Grade dark chocolate and vanilla powders at all The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf stores from Nov. 6.

This branded article by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf made this writer very thirsty.

A 26-year-old Brazilian woman fell to her death from the seventh floor of a hotel after leaning on a window frame, which suddenly gave way.

According to Brazilian news portal g1, Renata Rebeca Negrão Saldanha dos Santos had accompanied her boyfriend, Leonardo Augusto Pinto França, to São Luís, a city in northeastern Brazil, for a poker championship.

g1 reported that the fall occurred on Nov. 3 at around 1:30am local time at the Rio Poty Hotel.

CCTV footage showed her boyfriend looking stunned before scrambling to the floor and looking through the window for her.

Saldanha dos Santos' mother lamented her daughter's death and demanded justice for the accident.

Fall caught on camera

In video footage, they were seen walking down a hotel hallway unsteadily, with Brazilian authorities noting that the couple was intoxicated at the time of the incident.

Pinto França bumped into the top window and accidentally opened it before closing it.

Shortly after, Saldanha dos Santos slumped down on the bottom window, seemingly sitting on it as it gave way.

She tumbled out of the window backside-first as her boyfriend watched.

Shocked, he remained still for around 10 seconds before reaching down and sticking his head out of the bottom window, staring out.

A hotel employee was later seen approaching Pinto França, who explained the situation.

Boyfriend not considered suspect

Brazilian authorities said they will continue to investigate the circumstances of the fall, including analysing the window from which Saldanha dos Santos fell.

Pinto França was taken to the police station for questioning but was not considered a suspect at the time, according to an earlier g1 article.

He said the couple had been dating since July 2026 and that he was unable to remember the accident as he had been drinking throughout the night.

The hotel published a statement expressing its condolences and said it would fully cooperate with authorities.

A man who moved into a rental flat with other housemates pursued a female housemate, confessing that he liked her.

He repeatedly asked her to be in a relationship with him but was rejected.

Keivan Motallebi, 34, an Iranian national, then went to her room naked and forced her to his room to rape her.

Motallebi was sentenced to 10 years’ jail and six strokes of the cane on Nov. 4, reported The Straits Times (ST).

A gag order is placed on the identity of the victim, who was 26 years old at the time of the offence.

Raped in her own home

Prosecutors highlighted that Motallebi sexually assaulted the victim in a place she had regarded as her home for over a year and which should otherwise have been a safe sanctuary for her.

In court, Motallebi, who did not have a lawyer, responded that he also lived there, ST reported.

High Court Judge Mavis Chionh noted that this was beside the point, as a sexual assault committed in a victim’s own home is considered aggravating because the home is where a person is entitled to feel the most secure.

Motallebi later reportedly pleaded for leniency, saying: “I’m very sorry. I wish I could change the past, but I cannot do that.”

What happened

The victim, a foreigner, had moved into one room of the three-bedroom unit in 2021, after coming to Singapore to work.

In January 2023, Motallebi moved in and stayed in the master bedroom with the female landlord, according to court documents seen by Mothership.

Motallebi and the victim's first interaction occurred sometime in January 2023 when they briefly encountered each other in the kitchen.

The next encounter was on Jan. 30, 2023, at about 7pm, when the victim came home after work.

Motallebi knocked on the victim’s door and invited her to chat in the living room.

They exchanged personal information, including the fact that the victim was single.

Motallebi then pressed the victim to be in a relationship with him because he "liked" her.

To this, she replied that she needed time to consider this and returned to her bedroom.

The sexual assault

The next day, Motallebi approached the victim twice when she came back home and asked her to be in a relationship with him.

The victim rejected him.

Some time later, the victim heard a knock on the door of her bedroom and opened it slightly to find Motallebi standing outside naked.

Shocked, the victim immediately tried to close the door, but he pushed his way into the room, prosecutors said.

Motallebi then brought the victim to the master bedroom against her will and raped her there.

This was despite the victim struggling and repeatedly telling him no.

After the act, Motallebi apologised and asked her to forgive him.

She made a police report the next day, and he was arrested.

Officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) arrested a 64-year-old Singaporean man in an anti-drug operation on the morning of Nov. 3 for suspected drug trafficking offences.

A Nov. 5 CNB news release stated that this saw over S$55,000 worth of drugs being seized.

Arrest

The officers acted on information received to arrest him in a residential unit in the vicinity of Marsiling Road, during which he struggled violently and attacked an officer.

He bit the officer's thigh through his jeans and spat on two other officers, the release stated.

It added that all three officers received prompt medical attention, including medical assessment for potential infectious diseases.

Drugs

A search of the unit led to the seizure of about 1,554g of cannabis, 166g of "Ice", 25g of "Ecstasy", cash amounting to S$356, and drug paraphernalia.

The cannabis and "Ice" seized could potentially feed the addiction of 320 abusers for a week, the release stated.

Investigations into the drug activities of the arrested suspect are ongoing.

The man was also referred to the police for further investigations into offences of voluntarily causing hurt and using criminal force to deter public servants from their duties.

Penalties

The release noted that under Section 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1973, it is an offence for a person, on his or her own behalf, or on behalf of any other person, whether or not that other person is in Singapore, to traffic in a controlled drug, offer to traffic in a controlled drug; or to do or offer to do any act preparatory to or for the purpose of trafficking in a controlled drug.

If a person is found guilty of trafficking more than 500g of cannabis, he or she may face the mandatory death penalty.

The timing of the proposed Transboundary Haze Pollution (Amendment) Bill has been questioned by several Members of Parliament (MPs) and Workers' Party (WP) Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Eileen Chong.

Chong, who was among the WP members who spoke in the debate on Nov. 4, posed her question fully in Mandarin.

Chong said she supported the amendment bill but questioned its timing, particularly why it took the government 10 years to propose these amendments.

She also asked if the problem was with the law or with issues pertaining to cross-border law enforcement.

Other MPs who raised similar questions included the People's Action Party (PAP) MP for Nee Soon, Lee Hui Ying, and PAP MP for Sembawang West, Poh Li San.

10 years to propose amendments

Chong noted that investigations into four of the six companies investigated in 2015 remain unresolved.

"More than 10 years have passed, there has not been a single prosecution, a single conviction, a single dollar in fines."

She said there were 10 notices issued by the National Environment Agency, highlighting that three of the companies had also received notices in 2015. In the intervening years, MPs in Parliament have asked about these cases.

Chong added that in 2019, then-Minister for Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli gave a reply that the government had no plans to amend the act.

However, Chong stated that it was already evident then that some of the companies had not replied and would not cooperate with the government investigations.

"Singaporeans do have the right to know: why did we have to wait 10 years?

Is the problem with the law or the ability of the relevant agencies to investigate complex cross-border cases?"

Chong also noted that since the proposed new heavier penalties cannot be applied retroactively, she asked when and in what manner the unresolved four cases from 2015 would be concluded.

Similar questions

In the same session, Lee Hui Ying questioned if the effectiveness of the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act had been reviewed since it was passed in 2014.

Her fellow PAP MP, Poh, asked if the proposed amendments would apply retroactively to the six Indonesian companies that were issued legal notices in 2015.

Poh also asked, "How can they (the six Indonesian companies) be brought to justice, as the case has been ongoing for more than a decade?"

Grace Fu response

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu that the amendments do not retrospectively create new offences.

Any offences pre-dating the refreshed THPA will be liable for the existing penalties.

Fu addressed why the THPA was to be amended now, on an urgent basis.

"I believe Members remember the various concerns raised by our counterparts in the region after the passing of the THPA in 2014.

And as we tried to progress on investigations related to the 2015 haze episodes, over the years we pursued bilateral and regional cooperation to address the underlying causes of transboundary haze, while gaining practical experience of the challenges involved in enforcing the existing THPA levels.

The 2026 episode highlighted the complexities and persistent challenges of addressing transboundary haze, notwithstanding the national, bilateral, and regional efforts of the past decade.

It reinforced the need to strengthen our domestic legal framework alongside these cooperative efforts."

On the four outstanding cases, Fu said investigations remain open, but time has lapsed because of procedural issues.

"We don't have a lot to work with, but we will continue to explore available avenues to obtain the evidence. Three of the four entities investigated have also been identified in our investigations in the current haze episode," Fu said.

Their past actions will be considered, as investigations proceed into the current case.

A meteor was spotted from Choa Chu Kang in Singapore on Nov. 4, 2026.

Videos of a fireball with a long tail were put up on social media on Wednesday night in the CloudSpotting & SkySpotting Singapore Facebook group.

The person who witnessed the celestial phenomenon said it occurred at around 8:40pm.

The same meteor was also apparently spotted by some over in Malaysia.

Photos of it were also shared on social media.

Meteors

Previously, in May 2024, a meteor was also spotted from Singapore.

It appeared in the sky as a "bright burning flash" and was reportedly sighted in east Singapore at around 11:47pm.

Meteors are basically rocks that fall into the Earth's atmosphere.

Sometimes, due to friction, pressure, and chemical reactions with atmospheric gases, the rocks heat up and radiate energy, leading to the pretty light displays seen from the ground.

While fireballs usually do not survive passage into the atmosphere intact, fragments are sometimes recovered on the ground, according to NASA.

These are called meteorites.

The police are investigating after a man used shell companies to rent three landed homes in Singapore for him and his family, but did not pay rent.

Authorities looking into possible offences

Senior Minister of State for Law Murali Pillai said in Parliament on Nov. 4 that a penalty of up to 10 years' jail, and a fine or caning, or both, could be meted out for the offence of cheating.

He said he could not say more due to ongoing investigations, but the authorities are looking into "possible fraudulent trading and wrongful trading offences", as well as "potential breaches of the Companies Act".

Using companies to rent property

Mothership reported on Oct. 9, 2026 the case of Anthony Thomas Price, an American and a director and shareholder of Noranth Ventures, who had used the company and a wholly owned subsidiary to a semi-detached house in Lengkong Dua in Kembangan.

He had used Noranth Ventures, a company with S$200 in paid-up capital, to rent the home.

The owners of the property are an elderly couple in their 80s.

Did not pay rent

The rent was S$7,500 per month.

Price stopped paying rent after moving in.

He had paid half the deposit and only one month’s rent in May 2026.

Murali was asked in parliament about tenants who stop paying rent and refuse to move out, as well as stronger protection for landlords.

Used legal processes to avoid moving out

Price had rented homes from different landlords between 2019 and 2026.

He then used legal processes to avoid moving out and filed a court application to stop the landlords from repossessing the property.

District Judge Chiah Kok Khun dismissed the application.

In a written judgment on Oct. 7, the judge ruled that Price's actions were a “plain abuse of process of the court”.

The landlords’ counterclaims were allowed.

They were for the recovery of the property, unpaid rent with interest and other outstanding sums.

The district judge noted two previous tenancy disputes over landed homes involving Price and his companies.

A 52-year-old British man will be charged in court on Nov. 5, 2026 with voyeurism and obstructing the course of justice on board an aircraft bound for Singapore.

On Oct. 7 at about 5:35pm, officers from the Airport Police Division were alerted to a case of voyeurism onboard a flight from Japan to Singapore.

Concealed camera in plane toilet

Preliminary investigations revealed that a man had concealed a camera in one of the toilets on the flight.

He then activated the camera’s recording function remotely through a mobile application on his phone after leaving the toilet.

A cabin crew member who subsequently used the toilet discovered the hidden camera, removed it, and immediately alerted her colleague.

Found out his camera was discovered

The man subsequently attempted to retrieve the camera but found that it had already been removed.

He then deleted the application and all related photographs on his phone in an attempt to avoid detection.

Upon the flight’s arrival at Changi Airport, the man was detained for investigations.

His mobile phone and camera were seized as case exhibits.

Penalties

The man will be charged in court with one count of voyeurism.

The offence carries a jail term of up to two years, a fine, caning, or any combination of these punishments.

He will be charged with one count of obstructing the course of justice.

The offence carries a jail term of up to seven years, a fine, or both.

The police said they have zero tolerance towards sexual offenders who threaten the personal safety of the community, and offenders will be dealt with sternly in accordance with the law.

Reporting cases of voyeurism early is crucial in helping the police identify and arrest the perpetrators, the police added.

A traffic police officer on a motorcycle was caught on camera rear-ending a car on the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) towards Tuas.

A video showed the officer on the right-most lane apparently with his head turned towards the car to his left.

The officer then rode into the back of a white car as traffic on the lane had come to a standstill.

The ensuing crash caused debris to be scattered on the road.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police said they were alerted to the incident on Nov. 4 at about 7:10am.

The accident involved two cars and two motorcycles, one of which is a traffic police (TP) motorcycle, the police added.

A 26-year-old male traffic police outrider, a 28-year-old female motorcyclist and a 20-year-old male car passenger were conveyed conscious to the hospital.

Police investigations are ongoing.