About a week after a 19-year-old worker in Japan died after falling from a 40 metre-tall transmission tower, his family said that he had left behind a suicide note.

The police of the local prefecture said that on Sep. 9, Kazuki Matsuoka had been on the tower to check for damage to cables following an early-morning lightning strike, Japan Today reported.

Three colleagues from his company, Shikoku Electric Power Transmission & Distribution Co, were also there with him.

Matsuoka was descending the tower when he fell.

He had been wearing safety equipment while working, but they were found detached from his body afterwards.

Alleged workplace bullying

The alleged suicide note was discovered among Matsuoka's belongings, and given to his family the day after the incident.

It was shared with local media on Sep. 15.

In the note, Matsuoka talked about experiencing verbal abuse and bullying by his co-workers.

One of them told him to "just die", he claimed.

During a work-related dinner, he was allegedly forced to eat something he was allergic to, which made his mouth itch.

He also apologised to his parents in the note, saying, "I'm really sorry that I let you down, that I died so early and that I was weak-hearted."

Investigation

His parents have called on the company to investigate what happened to their son and not "brush it under the rug".

Matsuoka had joined the company in April, and after a four-month training period, he was assigned to the field.

The branch of the company where he worked at said that executives had received a copy of the alleged suicide note from the family.

The company said it is "considering an investigation that includes an external probe by experts, and will respond sincerely".

A limited-edition Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama bag sold for S$87,000 after 81 bids at the first auction of seized handbags and accessories from the S$3 billion money laundering case in Singapore.

The auction was held on the night of Sep. 20; the 30-minute competition for the piece was intense, with 42 last-minute bids, according to CNA.

All 337 lots were sold, with the total sale amount recorded as over S$1.1 million.

According to Lianhe Zaobao, if all the highest bidders complete payment, the total sale amount would be 54 per cent higher than the highest estimate.

Pumpkin bag

The yellow-and-black monogram leather pumpkin bag, made in collaboration with the Japanese artist who died at age 97 in August, exceeded auction house Hotlotz's initial estimate of S$12,000 to S$16,000.

According to a Christie's press release, the same pumpkin bag sold for US$151,200 (S$192,870) in September 2024.

This set a world auction record and made the pumpkin bag the most expensive Louis Vuitton handbag to sell at auction.

Chrome Hearts jewellery, Chanel bags

296 lots exceeded their highest estimates, 25 sold within their estimate range, and only three lots sold for less than their lowest estimate, reported Zaobao.

Items from Chrome Hearts were also hotly contested, with most lots scoring over 30 bids.

A Chrome Hearts diamond double cross pendant necklace sold for S$11,000 after 37 bids. The piece's estimate was between S$1,000 and S$1,500.

The majority of the lots were Chanel, with 219 pieces being auctioned.

A Chanel mini flap bag in light beige goatskin with rhinestone embellishments from 2020 was sold for S$15,000 after 28 bids despite an initial estimate of between S$4,000 and S$5,000.

These bids do not include Hotlotz's additional buyer's premium of 20 per cent, which includes Singapore's goods and services tax.

Auctions

The auction house operates online-only public auctions open to global buyers.

According to Hotlotz's website, if a bid is entered in the last five minutes before an auction lot closes, the bidding period extends another five minutes.

A previous luxury real estate auction linked to the same money-laundering network, where all properties were left unsold or withdrawn after failing to meet reserve prices.

Hotlotz will be holding another auction for 286 pieces of fine jewellery till Sep. 27.

According to CNA, the two Hotlotz auctions were estimated to earn between S$2.9 million and S$3.9 million in total.

From September 2026 to May 2027, 15 online auctions will be held for the seized items from the S$3 billion money laundering case.

The seized items were handed over to the accounting firm Deloitte for disposal by the police, with all sale proceeds deposited into the Government's consolidated fund.

Two women, aged 39 and 54, were arrested for their suspected involvement in the sale of counterfeit goods.

On Sep. 16, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) conducted simultaneous raids at two retail shops in a shopping mall along Scotts Road.

During the operation, officers seized more than 900 trademark-infringing goods, including luxury bags, watches, apparel, footwear, and accessories.

The estimated street value of the seized items exceeded S$180,000.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Under the Trade Marks Act 1998, the offence of possession of goods with falsely applied trademarks for the purpose of trade carries a fine up to S$100,000, a jail term of up to five years, or both.

The police said they take a serious view of intellectual property rights infringement and reminded members of the public that the distribution and sale of counterfeit goods are serious offences.

A man who fell in love with a domestic worker became unhappy when she proposed breaking up as she wanted to return to her home country after her contract expired.

He ended up breaking into her bedroom and assaulting her.

Cai Guopei (transliteration from Mandarin) pleaded guilty to five charges, including breaking and entering, intentional assault and theft, Shin Min Daily News reported.

During his assault, the 65-year-old pulled her hair, slammed her head against the ground and stripped her half-naked, while sitting on top of her.

At the time of the incident, Cai had been working as a plumber at a private residence in Telok Kurau, while the victim was the domestic worker of the family who lived at this residence.

Assault took place in March 2026

According to charge sheets, both Cai and the victim had developed romantic feelings after meeting each other.

However, the victim planned to return to her home country once her contract expired and decided to break up with Cai.

Cai refused to comply and so between 10pm on Mar. 21 and 5am on Mar. 22, he scaled the wall of the residence and entered the bedroom of the domestic worker.

After she was awakened by the sound of him breaking into her bedroom, Cai assaulted her.

Following the assault, the domestic worker found bruises on her scalp after a hospital examination.

Cai: Victim had accepted marriage proposal

While in court, Cai revealed that the victim had accepted his marriage proposal and that he had also spent a lot of money on her.

During his mitigation plea, Cai's lawyer highlighted how his client had no prior criminal record, had fully cooperated during the investigation and had also returned all items to the victim.

The lawyer stated that Cai had committed the crime in a desperate bid to save the relationship.

The case has been adjourned to Oct. 1 for sentencing, with the judge noting that Cai had also expressed his willingness to compensate the victim for her medical costs.

Cai is currently out on bail for S$20,000.

The Singaporean diver who went missing during a diving expedition in Palau on Sep. 7 was said to be a prominent figure in the local diving community.

The search for Robert Tan Soon Liang, 62, ended inconclusively days after he went missing alongside his dive buddy, a 43-year-old Chinese national called Xiaoxi Wu, also known as Helen.

Tributes have since poured in, remembering the man who was a respected figure and friend to all.

Search called off

Local Palau media Island Times reported that the pair were diving at Palau's Peleliu Wall, an advanced dive site and vertical wall running along the western side of the island.

Palau is an archipelago of over 500 islands, part of the Micronesia region in the western Pacific Ocean.

Both divers were part of a diving expedition aboard the M/Y Black Pearl.

According to Island Times, the pair were described as highly experienced divers.

Tan held an SSI Instructor Certifier qualification with more than 5,100 logged dives, while Wu was a certified Advanced Open Water diver with 243 logged dives.

Tan reportedly used his own diving equipment, and both divers chose to use personal GPS devices instead of those provided on board.

The five-day search involved local marine authorities, including the Peleliu State rangers and the U.S. Coast Guard Joint Rescue Sub-Center in Guam.

It ended on Sep. 11 without successfully recovering either diver.

What may have happened

Days after the conclusion of the search, Tan's family said they have accepted his death.

His children issued a statement and laid out details of what may have happened on that day, according to a document shared with Mothership by Tan's daughter Melissa.

"Thank you for your overwhelming love, condolences, and support following the tragic loss of our beloved husband and father, Robert, during a dive in Palau on 7 Sep 2026."

In describing that fateful day, the statement shared that towards the end of the dive, while going for a safety stop, the dive guide noticed that Tan and Wu were no longer ascending but were descending rapidly.

Safety stops are pauses taken during an ascension to the surface to ensure divers are sufficiently acclimatised to prevent decompression sickness.

The guide apparently attempted to reach the pair, but was forced to abort the attempt at a 40-metre depth as it exceeded safe diving depth limits, the statement read.

Accepted his death

"Sadly, given the circumstances and the time that has passed, our family has accepted that Dad could not have survived."

The family laid out the rationale behind this, explaining that Tan's air supply would have likely emptied out in one to two minutes at a 40-metre depth considering this was the end of the dive, and that the location where he went missing extends to depths of 300 to 500 metres.

His body would also not have floated to the surface due to the weight of diving equipment, which can go up to 40kg, they said.

The family chose not to undertake a deep-water recovery expedition after the search ended, considering the hazards and near-zero chance of recovering the body.

"Instead, we have chosen to let Dad rest peacefully in the ocean he loved," they said.

A life in the sea

According to them, Tan began diving in 1994 and dedicated decades of his life to the sea.

In his lifetime, he instructed generations of divers.

"He held immense reverence for the ocean and had always expressed that, when his time came, he wished to return to the sea.

Although we wish deeply that he could come home to us, we find comfort in knowing that he now rests in the place he loved so dearly."

The family also found comfort in knowing that Tan's final moments were likely peaceful.

Nitrogen narcosis would have kicked in below 30 to 40 metres, they said, which would have behaved "like a clinical anaesthetic" and removed fear.

He also would have likely lost consciousness within seconds at that depth without physical pain or trauma.

More importantly, "he was doing what brought him immense meaning and joy throughout his life", the statement wrote.

According to another document detailing Tan's memorial details, he was also a pilot with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF).

The memorial service will be held from Sep. 25 to 27 at Youngberg Terrace, near Woodleigh MRT Station.

Friend to all

The local dive community has since taken to social media to express their condolences to Tan's family.

Serene Pek, founder of local dive company Cuddlefish Divers, said in a Facebook post that when she first explored Pulau Hantu during a dive expedition nine years ago, Tan was the person she reached out to.

"He was a regular face every weekend, rain or shine, first one on Dolphin Explorer!" she said, referring to the company's yacht.

"Robert was more than just a familiar name in the local dive community," she added.

"He was a passionate advocate for Singapore diving, a respected figure whose enthusiasm inspired countless divers to venture into our waters and appreciate the beauty beneath the surface.

A Japanese woman in her 50s was left unable to breathe after a surgeon removed healthy tissue from her brain by mistake, instead of a benign tumour.

According to Japanese media TV Asahi, the error was committed by surgeons at Kyoto University Hospital in July 2026.

The woman is now unable to breathe on her own, and requires management with a ventilator, Sankei reported.

What happened?

Prior to the surgery, the woman had been experiencing dizziness and unsteadiness, although she was able to go about her life as per normal.

To prevent these symptoms from worsening, she decided to undergo a craniotomy, which took about 10 hours.

Three doctors were present during the surgery, with the lead surgeon being a man with over 20 years of experience in neurosurgery, as well as around a hundred such surgeries under his belt.

TV Asahi reported that this doctor performed tests twice during the surgery to determine if the removed tissue was a tumour.

Despite the results failing to confirm that the removed tissue belonged to the tumour, he continued with the surgery.

Following the surgery, the woman did not gain consciousness or resume breathing on her own.

An MRI scan subsequently revealed that the tumour remained while the woman had sustained damage to the area where the respiratory centre is located, Sankei further reported.

She is currently able to respond to question to questions by opening and closing her eyes, but is unable to breathe spontaneously. Treatment will continue to assess the possibility of her recovery.

The hospital's neurosurgery department later stated that it believed there had been an error in judgement.

When asked if the incident was due to overconfidence stemming from experience, Yoshiteru Ara, the Chief of Neurosurgery at Kyoto University Hospital replied, "I think so."

At a press conference, the hospital director, Akifumi Takaori, apologised, saying they would provide the woman with the best possible treatment, as well as investigate this incident to prevent reoccurrences.

A video of the immediate aftermath of a drink driving accident at Raffles Avenue on Sep. 16 has surfaced, showing the driver initially denying his involvement.

The 42-year-old man, who was arrested after he hit a Chinese tourist with his car, had initially claimed to be a passerby when confronted by the victim's colleagues.

He also admitted to drink driving at first, then backtracked just moments later.

Admitted to, then denied drink driving

According to Shin Min Daily News, the video was taken by a female colleague of the victim immediately after she was hit.

It began with the driver stepping out of the Mercedes-Benz sedan that had veered onto the side of the road.

He then allegedly ran towards some bushes.

When the woman asked him in Mandarin if he had called for an ambulance,  he replied in English, "No, I called my wife. Don't worry, I'm fine."

The woman then asked in English if he had been drinking, to which he answered "yes".

When asked again in Mandarin if he was hurt or if anyone else was in the car, he repeated that he was fine and there was no one else inside.

He then made a phone call, pausing to ask the woman filming for the address of the location.

After he hung up, the woman continued asking how much he had drank, to which he suddenly denied drinking.

She retorted that that was "impossible" as he smelt strongly of alcohol.

Claimed to be passerby

The man also asked the woman if he had hit anyone.

She confirmed this and asked him to check on the victim, who was lying on the ground.

"Oh really?" the man allegedly responded, before repeatedly denying the accident, reported Shin Min.

When he eventually walked over to the victim, he claimed that he "didn't hit her".

When questioned further, the man said: "I didn't drive, I'm a passerby."

He then attempted to leave the scene, claiming he had to go to the restroom.

However, the woman and other onlookers stopped him, asking to exchange contact information.

The police soon arrived at the scene and the man was arrested for drink driving.

A witness previously said he attempted to shake hands with a police officer when officers arrived, but the officer did not respond.

Victim suffered spine fracture

The victim, a Chinese national travelling with a group of colleagues, reportedly suffered a spinal fracture and required surgery after the accident.

She appeared to be conscious but was occasionally touching her lower back, a witness said, adding that several passers-by stepped forward to help her and called for an ambulance.

One of the woman's colleagues, surnamed Zhou, was also injured in the incident.

Zhou told Shin Min that the group had been walking to catch a bus when the accident happened.

According to him, his colleague, who was walking ahead, was struck by the car.

She then collided with him as a result of the impact, causing him to hit a concrete bollard by the roadside.

He also suffered an abrasion to his arm.

He was later admitted to the hospital due to chest tightness and dizziness, but was discharged the following day.

A two-year-old toddler in Chongqing, China died after falling from the 18th floor window of an apartment.

He had reportedly been left alone at home for 12 minutes by his father, who was walking the family dog.

Alone at home

According to chinese media The Paper, the incident occurred on Sep. 13.

The toddler's mother, surnamed Liu, had left for a work event at a hotel, leaving her husband and child at home.

At about 3:26pm, the father, surnamed Cui, placed the boy on the living room sofa to watch cartoons on the television.

He then left the house to walk the dog.

When he returned 12 minutes later, he discovered that the child was missing from the apartment.

As he searched the unit, he heard a shout from outside the balcony that a child had fallen from the building.

He then saw his son lying on the ground below.

Child likely climbed out of window

Cui told the media that the balcony railing was over a metre high, Sina News reported.

He added that a screen had been installed over the balcony previously, but had been removed.

The window was also not closed at the time of the incident.

Surveillance cameras inside the unit were not plugged in at the time, making it difficult to reconstruct the incident.

According to forensics examiners, the boy is believed to have stepped on the edge of a bathtub on the balcony and climbed out of the window.

He was holding his blanket in one hand at the time.

During the fall, he also reportedly hit a tree branch, causing severe internal bleeding that led to his death.

There were no other external injuries.

"I am willing to take responsibility"

Cui was taken in by police for questioning, but released after it was found that no abuse had occurred.

In preparing for his son's wake, Cui said that while the incident was unintentional, he was willing to take full responsibility for it.

He also felt very guilty, he added, stating that he simply wanted to finish handling funeral arrangements before he comforts his wife.

However, according to The Paper, Liu accused her husband of not being adequately involved in their child's caregiving. The couple had reportedly argued about household chores and child-rearing responsibilities just days before.

Her biggest request was for her husband to admit to his mistakes, she told the media.

A 43-year-old Taiwanese man who was allegedly unhappy that his Thai girlfriend broke up with him is suspected of strangling her to death, putting her body in a suitcase, then hiding it in a freezer at his office.

When asked by his colleagues about the appearance of the freezer at the office, the man replied that he had bought ingredients to prepare for the Mid-Autumn festival.

The man, surnamed Wu, was arrested on Sep. 19 by Taiwanese authorities.

The alleged murder supposedly took place on Sep. 12 at a hotel in Ximending, Taiwanese media SETNews reported.

Had dated each other for more than a year

Taiwanese media EBC reported that the couple had known and dated each other for more than a year, and that they would often fly to each other's countries to meet.

SETNews further wrote that the woman had planned to break up with Wu in early August.

At the time of the murder, the woman had flown in to Taiwan on Sep. 2, and was scheduled to return to Thailand on Sep. 14.

From Sep. 2 to Sep. 11, the pair also met almost every day.

On Sep. 12, Wu showed up at her hotel with a 30-inch suitcase.

During this time, they had an argument as the woman brought up the topic of breaking up. Wu allegedly lost control of his emotions during the argument, strangled her then stuffed her body into the suitcase.

He then drove south to Taichung.

On Sep. 14, when the woman's family could not contact her, they immediately alerted the police through a friend in Taiwan.

Wu was eventually arrested on the morning of Sep. 19, following a manhunt. He was then taken to his office, where the woman's body was also discovered.

During questioning, Wu admitted that he was unhappy with her decision to breakup with him and that he had killed her as he saw there was no hope of reconciliation.

A 22-year-old man was arrested at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) for voyeurism.

According to an NTU Reddit thread, other gym users said they saw a man being patted down by five security guards at "NH gym", which is presumed to refer to NTU's North Hill gym.

Users said the guards were spotted at the scene since about 7:30pm, and the police later arrived and spoke to other students until at least 8:40pm.

An NTU spokesperson told Mothership in a statement that NTU’s Campus Security responded to a call for assistance on a campus gym on the evening of Sep. 19.

"Security officers subsequently contacted the Singapore Police Force. The police arrested a 22-year-old male student for voyeurism.

NTU wellbeing staff are in touch with affected parties to provide support and assistance. Police investigations are ongoing."

In response to Mothership's queries, the police confirmed they received a call for assistance at 66 Nanyang Crescent on Sep. 19 at about 7:30pm.

The address corresponds to NTU's Banyan Hall.

North Hill gym is located at Binjai Hall, part of the North Hill Halls which also includes Banyan Hall.

Police investigations are ongoing.