Homegrown supermarket chain Sheng Siong broke ground on Monday, Jul. 13, on a new integrated headquarters and distribution centre in Sungei Kadut.

The group says this is its largest investment to date, at approximately S$520 million.

The seven-storey facility will span more than 61,000 square metres, about 2.5 times the size of its current warehouse at Mandai Link, and is expected to be completed in 2029.

When it opens, it will be able to support more than 120 stores across Singapore. Sheng Siong currently runs 90 outlets islandwide.

Robots and automation, but no job cuts

The new facility will be kitted out with automated storage and retrieval systems, robotics, intelligent warehouse management technology and multi-temperature storage zones.

Sheng Siong CEO Lim Hock Chee told The Business Times (BT) that the group had studied warehousing and automation solutions in Europe, China and Australia before designing the facility.

"When completed, it will be one of the most advanced automated grocery distribution centres in Southeast Asia," Lim said.

But he was quick to add that the technology isn't meant to replace anyone.

"Machines can help us improve efficiency, but people will always remain at the heart of our company," Lim told BT.

Instead, Sheng Siong plans to retrain workers in manual and warehouse roles to move into higher-value positions like system operators and maintenance technicians.

Beyond its own workforce, Sheng Siong said in its press release that it hopes the facility will serve as a platform for shared learning, allowing suppliers, industry peers and other organisations to gain practical insights into warehouse automation and the business practices that have supported the group's growth.

Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, who attended the ground-breaking ceremony, said automation would "free manpower from repetitive and manual tasks", allowing staff to be redeployed where they add more value, per BT.

Why this matters for your grocery bill

Gan noted that keeping food prices affordable has become harder amid geopolitical tensions, climate change, higher energy costs and global supply chain disruptions.

According to BT, Singapore imports about 90 per cent of its food, making it particularly exposed to these pressures.

The bigger warehouse will let Sheng Siong procure goods at greater scale and plan inventory further ahead, which the company says could support more stable product availability and value for customers.

Gan told BT: “This forward-looking approach is what keeps businesses competitive and keeps Singapore vibrant and resilient. Together, we can ensure Singaporeans continue to enjoy a wide variety of food at affordable prices."

A 19-year-old student in Shanghai has drawn widespread attention online after setting up a notarised will leaving his entire personal estate, worth 20 million yuan (S$3.8 million), to his childhood friend rather than his parents.

According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), the teenager, surnamed Li, owns a flat and savings worth millions of yuan, both given to him by his parents following their divorce and remarriage.

Why he chose his friend over his parents

Li said that his parents are both remarried and have not spent much time with him, leaving him feeling distant from them.

He is also an extreme sports enthusiast who regularly puts himself at risk, and said he did not want his parents' new spouses, whom he regards as strangers, to potentially inherit his property if something were to happen to him.

He chose his childhood friend, someone he trusts and grew up with, as his beneficiary instead.

How the will works

Li notarised his will at the China Will Registration Centre's office in Shanghai.

According to office manager Huang Haibo, Li's childhood friend has 60 days to legally accept the will. Failing to do so would be considered a forfeiture of the right to inherit.

Under China's Law of Succession, a person's spouse, children, and parents are the first in line to inherit.

However, the law also allows individuals to bequeath their personal property to people outside this group through a will.

A growing trend among young people

Huang told SCMP that making wills is becoming increasingly common among younger generations in China.

He said: "An increasing number of people born in the 1980s, 90s and after 2000 have set up wills with us. Making wills is no longer a taboo, or just for the elderly."

According to the centre's most recent annual report, over 400,000 wills have been registered with them.

The police are looking for a man to assist with investigations into an incident in Sengkang.

The incident was reported at Compass One Shopping Centre on May 28, 2026, at about 3:32pm, Sengkang Neighbourhood Police Centre said in a Facebook post on Jul. 13.

The nature of the incident was not disclosed.

Anyone with information is requested to call the police hotline at 1800-2550000 or submit the information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.

All information will be kept strictly confidential, the police said.

A woman said she confronted a man taking photos of her at Caldecott MRT station, but was subsequently informed that no crime had been committed.

She has decided to speak about the incident as she believes that the man had photographed other women before.

The woman, who only wanted to be identified as Lianne, told Mothership that the incident took place on Jun. 23 at around 5:20pm on the Circle Line platform at Caldecott MRT station.

She noticed a man there and he appeared to have taken photos of her body without her consent.

She confronted him before he could leave.

He denied it, until the photos were found

When confronted initially, the man apparently denied taking any photos of her.

It was only after SMRT staff intervened and asked to check his phone that multiple photos of Lianne were found inside a photo album on his device.

She said: "I saw approximately six to seven photos of other women in his photo album. They were located just above the photos he had taken of me. From what I saw, they all appeared to be full-body shots of women who seemed completely unaware that their pictures had been taken."

After the photos were discovered, the man apparently changed his explanation, claiming that the photos were "accidental" and insisting he had done nothing wrong since they were not explicit in nature.

He allegedly asked SMRT staff whether he would be "blacklisted”, and also said he was "in a rush to go home”, and asked to settle the matter privately with Lianne instead.

SMRT staff detained him

Lianne said she approached the passenger service centre at the MRT station to report the matter.

The station staff contacted the police.

The staff stayed with the woman and the man until officers arrived.

Lianne: "The SMRT staff were extremely helpful and immediately detained him. They brought him into a room while waiting for the TransCom police to arrive and take both his statement and mine."

She later learnt that he was released and allowed to go home using public transport.

Not an offence

Lianne lodged a police report and was given a case card with the investigating officer's details.

However, TransCom officers at the scene apparently informed her that there was apparently no case.

In response, Lianne said: "I struggled to understand how, despite CCTV footage and multiple full-body photos of me being found on his phone, the situation could still be viewed as 'no offence' as of now due to a lack of evidence."

"My concern is that when this kind of behaviour is brushed aside, it can send the message that such conduct is acceptable and discourage others from speaking up," she added.

Why she's speaking up

Lianne added that she hopes that by sharing her experience, other women who may have noticed that they were photographed by the same man will come forward.

She said: "Today, it was 'just some photos'. But just because a photo isn't explicit doesn't mean it was welcome. No one should have to minimise their discomfort just because others don't see it as a big deal."

She added: "If someone is secretly taking photos of you and it makes you uncomfortable, trust that feeling. You don't owe anyone an explanation for protecting your boundaries. Even if nothing immediate comes from it, coming forward could help protect someone else and let others know that they are not alone."

What lawyers say

It is typically not against the law in Singapore to take videos or photographs of another person in public without their consent, CNA reported in September 2023, citing lawyers' opinions on the matter.

But it crosses the line when the footage is taken in a private place, such as in a bathroom or a changing room, or when they are engaged in a private act, such as showering, changing, using the toilet or breastfeeding.

The lawyers also advised that there is the option to file a Magistrate's Complaint if a case is not taken further for investigation or prosecution after a police report was made.

However, the person feeling aggrieved does not have the right to demand personal identification documents from the other party, or prevent them from leaving the scene.

A Housing and Development Board (HDB) block at Telok Blangah Crescent has been affected by a persistent foul odour for nearly a year, prompting some residents to install fans and burn incense outside their homes in an attempt to mask the smell.

A woman, surnamed Wang (transliteration), told Shin Min Daily News that she has lived at the block for over a decade and has always gotten along well with her neighbours.

However, about a year ago, after an elderly woman and her two adult sons moved into a unit on the 11th floor, Wang said she began to notice a strong smell of urine and faeces coming from the flat.

Persistent smell

Speaking to Shin Min, Wang said the elderly woman is frail and remains at home most of the time, while her sons take turns caring for her, working different shifts.

She said she believes the elderly woman suffers from incontinence, resulting in the persistent urine smell.

"Even when they keep the doors and windows closed on weekdays, we can still smell it," she said. "On weekends, when the doors and windows are open, the smell becomes even stronger."

Wang added that she is unable to communicate directly with the neighbours as she does not speak English.

As such, she resorted to placing a fan outside her home to blow the smell away and has recently begun burning incense in the corridor.

"Sometimes I have to switch on the fan as early as 5am, otherwise the smell drifts over. The fan runs almost all day, so my electricity bill has also increased as a result," she said.

She said she had previously reported the matter to the authorities and that volunteers had visited the unit to assess the situation, but no solution had been reached.

While acknowledging that the elderly woman’s sons were trying to care for their mother, Wang said she hoped they would consider placing her in a nursing home where she could receive professional care.

Another neighbour also told Shin Min that her family had also been affected by the odour.

"To avoid the smell, we have to keep our doors and windows shut every day," she said.

She added that whenever the neighbouring unit opened its doors or windows, the smell would spread into the corridor.

Even closing her own doors and windows did little to keep it out, she added.

At times, she said, she had to resort to wearing a face mask to sleep.

Assistance had been arranged

Speaking to Shin Min, one of the elderly woman’s sons said they had been contacted by several organisations and that assistance had been arranged to help clean the unit in the coming days.

He added that he was aware that neighbours had lodged complaints, but noted that none had approached him directly.

He said he hoped that residents would speak to him in person should similar issues arise in the future.

He added that since he and his brother were still able to care for their mother, they had not considered placing her in a nursing home.

Situation had improved recently

When Shin Min visited the block, it noted that the foul odour was still noticeable along the corridor outside, though an air freshener was placed near the window of the unit.

Residents living on the 12th and 13th floors told Shin Min that while they had previously noticed the smell, they believed it had eased significantly in recent weeks.

One resident on the 13th floor said he first noticed the smell about two months ago.

Initially, he said he thought the smell was coming from his own toilet, but later realised it was coming from a unit downstairs.

"The smell isn’t constant. Sometimes they switch on the air-conditioning, and you can’t smell it," he said. "But once the doors and windows are opened, the smell spreads."

Another resident said that officers from relevant agencies had previously visited the unit to help with cleaning and that the odour had improved noticeably in recent weeks.

"We’re all neighbours. The smell isn’t so severe that it disrupts our daily lives. We should all be understanding of one another," he said.

The police will be charging a 67-year-old man in court on Jul. 13, 2026, for his suspected involvement in criminal breach of trust by an employee.

The police received a report from the man on Dec. 10, 2025, in which he admitted to misappropriating company funds from his employer over a two-year period.

Over S$600,000 in cash

Officers from Bedok Police Division then established through investigations that the man had allegedly misappropriated over S$600,000 in cash from bank deposit bags entrusted to him in the course of his employment.

The offence was uncovered after company staff discovered the discrepancies during an audit.

He will be charged in court on Jul. 13 with the offence of criminal breach of trust by an employee under Section 408 of the Penal Code 1871.

The offence carries a jail term of up to 15 years, and is also liable to a fine.

At least 27 people have died after a fire broke out at a pub in Chatuchat district, Bangkok on the morning of Jul. 13.

63 others were injured, with 22 people in critical condition, AP News reported.

The dead victims comprised nine men and 18 women, according to the Bangkok Post.

The fire broke out at the Na Ladprao pub around 12:02am (Bangkok time) when many patrons were still inside.

Videos of the fire showed a huge blaze raging and smoke billowing out of the front door as people were seen fleeing the scene.

BREAKING: At least 27 people killed in Bangkok restaurant fire, local media says pic.twitter.com/I1w8nfox6y

— BNO News Live (@BNODesk) July 12, 2026

Some people were seen using fire extinguishers to put out the fire.

According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), firefighters brought the blaze under control in about half an hour, reported Bangkok Post.

Most fatalities from smoke inhalation

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who came down to the scene after the fire, said that most fatalities resulted from smoke inhalation.

He said the cause of the fire is under investigation, but quoted a musician performing at the pub, who told him that he saw smoke coming out of a circuit breaker near the stage.

The power then went out, and an explosion was heard, and thick smoke quickly filled the place, the musician apparently told Anutin.

Flames reportedly spread rapidly through decorations on the ceiling.

Many victims had apparently also rushed to toilets at the back of the pub, where rescuers had difficulty reaching them.

The hawker who ran Chef Hainanese Western Food has died at the age of 82.

Wee Liang Kan is affectionately known as Uncle Wee or Oh Kee.

The stall, which was established in 1969, operated at Tanglin Halt Food Centre before reopening at Margaret Drive Hawker Centre on Aug. 28, 2022.

Wee's wake is being held from Jul. 12 to 15, 2026, in Commonwealth Drive.

Passed away peacefully

According to his obituary, which was posted to the stall's Facebook page, Wee passed away peacefully on Jul. 11.

Wee's stall, which he largely ran alone, was known for its long queues and short operating hours.

The store was open for two hours a day, from 7pm to 9pm, except on Wednesdays and Thursdays, totalling just 10 hours per week.

He served dishes such as sirloin steak, chicken chop, and fish and chips.

In a Facebook post, the administrator of the Facebook group, Hawkers United, Melvin Chew, paid his condolences, saying: "Rip to Uncle Wee of Chef Hainanese Western Food. A hawker legend."

Since the announcement, many customers have come forward to give their condolences, saying that they will miss his food.

A 13-year-old boy was playing at the void deck of an HDB block when he accidentally stepped on a protruding object, which pierced his foot and resulted in a hospital visit.

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, the boy's mother, Tan, said that her son was playing with a ball at the void deck of Block 172B Sengkang East Drive.

He then stepped on a screw-like object.

In the photo Tan showed Shin Min, the object was about three centimetres long and embedded in the concrete floor.

Deep cut

Other family members immediately took the boy to a nearby clinic.

However, the doctor was unable to properly assess the injury as the wound was deep.

Tan then called an ambulance and sent her son to KK Women's and Children's Hospital for further examination.

While an X-ray showed no fractures, the teenager has been put on antibiotics to prevent a potential infection.

Tan told Shin Min that she was heartbroken over the whole incident and sent in her feedback to her Town Council that very night.

Other residents apparently also informed her that similar objects were spotted in other parts of the estate.

"I don't want the same thing to happen to other children. If a child accidentally trips and hits their eye on it, the consequences would be unthinkable," Tan said.

The next day, Tan noted that the object her son had stepped on had been removed by noon, adding that the Town Council had visited in the morning.

When Shin Min visited the area, the object was gone and the ground had been patched with cement.

Nozzle used for waterproofing works

A spokesperson for Sengkang Town Council told Mothership that the object the boy stepped on was a grouting nozzle.

They are also aware of the incident and have been in touch with the family to offer assistance.

The Town Council added that upon receiving the report, they immediately inspected the site and surrounding areas, where they discovered a similar nozzle at a nearby block.

The affected area was cordoned off as a precaution.

These nozzles were used for waterproofing works, but the spokesperson said that they had reviewed their records and confirmed they had not carried out such work at the location.

They have since reported the matter to HDB, and are working with the main contractor to remove the remaining nozzles and patch up affected areas.

When Shin Min reached out to HDB, it said that no protruding nozzles were found during the estate's inspection and handover process.

After the estate's completion in August 2023, HDB said that it had progressively handed over the project's common areas to Sengkang Town Council for management and maintenance.

The specific spot where the incident occurred was handed over in early 2024.

During the handover inspection, no nozzles were found, and HDB added that it has not carried out any further works in the area since.

A woman in China has been reunited with her birth family 35 years after going missing as a toddler, only to discover that she had spent her entire life living just across the street from where she disappeared.

Her father spent decades searching for her without ever finding her.

According to ETtoday, Cui Ning, now 37, went missing in 1991 at the age of two in a market in Nanning, Guangxi, after her father allowed her to go to a nearby stall to buy a bun.

How she disappeared

Cui had been at the market with her father, who was busy managing his vegetable stall.

When she grew restless, he handed her some money and told her to buy buns from a nearby stall. However, she wandered off and crossed the road into a bustling wholesale market on the other side of the street.

A woman selling clothes at the market noticed the lost toddler and made an announcement hoping to find her parents.

Nobody came forward.

Not bearing to leave the little girl behind, the woman brought her home as a temporary measure.

However, she eventually ended up raising Cui as her own daughter.

Cui told ETtoday that her adoptive mother had initially thought she was mute, and later assumed from her accent that she was from Yulin, another city in Guangxi.

A lifetime of searching

Wracked by guilt, Cui's birth father never stopped searching for her.

According to ETtoday, he spent the rest of his life trying to locate his daughter, but died without ever finding her or knowing that she had just been across the street the entire time.

The reunion

Cui told ETtoday that her adoptive parents and brother had treated her well throughout her childhood.

However, with the advent of technology, stories of people reuniting with their biological families have been popular on social media, which prompted her to wonder about her own roots and register her details on a reunion platform.

On Jul. 7 this year, Cui registered her details on a family reunion platform. Within hours, her biological sister had reached out.

The two completed a DNA test, which confirmed their relationship. Cui has since met her birth mother and sister, with all three in tears when they were finally reunited.