A young nursing assistant was killed while providing medical assistance to a few teenagers who were injured in a clash between two rival groups in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Kanokrat Yottiwong, who worked in the observation ward at a Chiang Mai hospital, was off duty at the time.

This was shared in a tribute post on Facebook by the Faculty of Medicine at Chiang Mai University, where she had studied.

The clash

The incident happened along a highway at about 12:05am on Nov. 1, after the teenagers got into a motorcycle accident.

The local police later found that the two rival groups had had a dispute on social media, then decided to meet and fight it out, Thaiger reported.

Patrol officers broke up the fight, but the teenagers continued to chase one another along Chiang Mai's Highway 11, also known as the Superhighway.

They attacked one another in their vehicles, and several gunshots and explosions were heard, Khaosod reported.

Stopped to help

Yottiwong was riding past the scene on her own motorbike when she noticed that some people were injured and stopped to help them.

While she was providing assistance, a pick-up truck knocked her down.

She was critically injured and later passed away.

According to local media, the truck was driven by a member of one of the rival groups.

The driver told police he did not see Yottiwong because he was driving with his head lowered to avoid getting shot at by the other group, Khaosod reported.

But the police questioned his account and suspected he might have been speeding at the time.

Police investigations are ongoing to identify the people involved.

"Although she was not on duty at the time, her inherent kindness and generous spirit led her to step forward to help those in need — an act that ultimately resulted in her passing," the Chiang Mai University's Faculty of Medicine wrote in their post.

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Singaporean actor Chew Chor Meng is leaving Mediacorp after 36 years.

In an Instagram post on Nov. 3, the 57-year-old reflected on his 36-year acting career, thanking those who supported him over the years.

The Celebrity Agency, which managed him, also shared in an Instagram post on Nov. 3, thanking the actor for his years of dedication.

Chew began his career with Mediacorp after winning the talent competition Star Search in 1990.

His notable roles include Ah Bee in the long-running sitcom Don’t Worry, Be Happy, and You Yongfu in Wok of Life.

Gratitude

The actor also shared a compilation video of moments from his acting career, saying he has no regrets and only gratitude.

He thanked those who had given him opportunities, support and encouragement throughout his career, as well as audiences who had accompanied him over the years.

“My time on stage is over, but the wonderful life goes on,” Chew shared.

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A post shared by Rafael 周初明 (@chewchormeng)

In 2008, Chew revealed that he had been diagnosed with Kennedy's disease and has been open about the challenges of living with the condition.

Outside of showbiz, Chew has also made a name in the F&B business, having co-founded Tam Chiak Kopitiam and 888 Mookata.

The U.S. has hit Iran again, according to US officials speaking to CBS.

The BBC reported that American strikes were launched at Qeshm Island, an island in the Strait of Hormuz, with Iranian media reporting explosions on the island on Nov. 2.

U.S. officials called the strikes "limited", saying that they were in response to Iran firing on a U.S. aircraft.

Just a few hours before reports of the strikes, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that a deal with Tehran "could happen".

"Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible."

He also told Axios that he was "in no rush" to decide whether or not to resume strikes on Iran.

Talks between Iran and the U.S. were underway, but beset by friction on both sides.

On Oct. 31, Al Jazeera reported Trump as saying that there were still nuclear sites in Iran that the U.S. wanted to deal with, while Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly met with senior military leaders to prepare for "maximum deterrence".

Midterms

The strike comes just before the conclusion of the U.S. midterm elections, which determine control of the legislative branch of the U.S. government.

Polling shows that the Democratic Party is the favourite to win back the House of Representatives, and possibly the U.S. Senate.

The BBC reported that Trump has been facing falling polling numbers and internal pressure from his party to put an end to the war in Iran.

If the Republican Party loses control of both houses of the U.S. legislative branch, Trump will no longer be able to pass legislation with the same ease.

This affects domestic policy, forcing him to reconsider controversial bills.

The Associated Press previously reported that sources said Trump was planning to strike Iran again after the conclusion of the midterms, with Trump making promises during campaign efforts that the war would soon come to an end.

He made a speech on one campaign stop, saying: “Somebody asked me before, when will the war in Iran end? I said, ‘Whenever I want it to end.’ It’ll be very quick, but we have to have it end properly, with total and complete – a total statement, they will never have a nuclear weapon.”

On another occasion, Trump also mooted the idea of attacking Iran's Pickaxe Mountain, which is believed to be linked to Iran's nuclear programme.

As the haze situation in Singapore improves, almost 30 per cent of eligible Singaporeans have collected free N95 masks as part of the government's mask distribution exercise as of Oct. 29.

According to environment minister Grace Fu, nearly one-third of Singapore's population are now eligible to collect the masks after the eligibility age was lowered from 67 to 60 on Oct. 23, during the second round of distribution.

She was speaking in parliament on Nov. 3 in response to questions from Members of Parliament about Singapore's response to the haze crisis, including the take up rate of the free N95 masks.

Vulnerable individuals prioritised

In response to a question on whether her ministry will consider extending distribution to all residents if the haze persists, Fu said the government will continue prioritising Singaporeans who are more vulnerable to the health effects of the haze, or who may have limited means.

This includes senior citizens, pregnant woman, children, individuals with specific medical conditions, or holders of Chas orange and blue cards.

As haze does not involve the risk of people-to-people transmission, it does not require all Singaporeans to wear a mask.

The government will therefore consider the severity and predicted duration of the haze, prevailing health risks and the needs of vulnerable groups when deciding on the activation of mask distribution, said Fu.

She also expressed her gratitude towards those who have been involved in the distribution of masks, including People's Association's (PA) staff, grassroots volunteers, contractors and retailers.

No plans to change air quality readings

Fu also responded to queries on whether her ministry would consider including more granular air quality readings by increasing the number of PM2.5 forecasts.

The National Environment Agency's (NEA) current system of using daily forecasted 24-hour PSI readings and hourly PM2.5 readings have worked well, she said, pointing out that they can be used to plan for next-day outdoor activities.

She explained there is no need to include 12-hour, 24-hour, or 48-hour PM2.5 forecasts, as having too many indicators may "complicate our public messages".

"NEA will continue to review how its forecasting and public information services can be enhanced to provide more useful guidance."

Using climate vouchers

Lastly, Fu responded to concerns about ensuring good indoor air quality during periods of haze, particularly in centres serving vulnerable groups.

Indoor air quality is managed through standards, guidelines and advisories, as well as sector-specific measures implemented by premise owners, she said.

In spaces like schools, healthcare institutions and community care providers, response measures can include closing windows, deploying air purifiers and adjusting outdoor activities.

In larger air-conditioned buildings, the Singapore Standard's Code of Practice has recommendations for indoor air quality parameters and measures, including enhanced air filtration.

On that note, Fu highlighted that households can use climate vouchers to purchase eligible DC fans with air purifying functions.

These products can help improve air circulation and filtration, she said.

A proposed Certificate of Entitlement (COE) scheme to introduce rebates and surcharges on mass-market and luxury cars, respectively, has been supported by the majority of respondents, said Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance, Jeffrey Siow, on Nov. 3.

Siow, speaking in Parliament, noted that the new "feebate" scheme aims to restore a permanent price distinction in COE premiums.

The questions asked by Members of Parliament (MPs) concerned the proposed changes, such as whether prices for mass-market cars would remain within reach, and whether it would influence electric vehicle (EV) adoption.

The scheme proposed by Holland-Bukit Timah MP Edward Chia uses rebates and surcharges where a lower-value car receives a rebate on its COE price while a higher-value car gets a surcharge.

"Feebate" with five bands to reduce cliff effects preferred

Siow said that LTA concluded public consultation on COE categorisation on Nov. 2 and is studying the submissions and has not decided on the outcomes. 

He added that "Most people preferred a 'feebate' with five bands, to reduce cliff effects."

LTA proposed either a three-band or five-band system. The biggest rebate and surcharge are S$15,000 in both systems.

Depending on the structuring of the bands, the difference could be as large as S$30,000.

This comes as the gap between Category A and B COE premiums has diminished with the growing popularity of EVs.

EV power outputs can be adjusted using software by manufacturers and workshops, allowing the same car to qualify for different COE categories, stated Siow.

Hence, Category A premiums for smaller and less powerful car models exceeded Category B premiums for larger cars multiple times in 2026.

Existing Category A and B COEs will be merged into a single category for cars under LTA's proposal.

EV adoption support to remain separate and govt studying transport grant option

MP for Chua Chu Kang, Choo Pei Ling, asked how the government would prevent the system from disincentivising the adoption of high-performance EVs, which often carry a higher Open Market Value (OMV) and ensure that mass-market car buyers are not financially crowded out by luxury car buyers.

Siow responded, saying that a separate "feebate" structure for EVs was proposed but would make the system too complicated.

EV adoption will be supported through the Vehicle Emissions Scheme rather than through COE policies, added Siow.

MP for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights Tin Pei Ling questioned if the proposed "feebate" scheme in the latest LTA public consultation on proposed changes to the COE system will drive up demand for lower-valued vehicles and bolster the prices of mass market cars.

Tin also asked about support for large Singaporean families with car needs.

Siow said he acknowledged that larger families with young children may find it difficult to travel together on public transport, but any support would also have to consider families that choose not to buy a car.

The government is studying a transport grant option, with more details to be given later.

LTA to finish review by end-2026

Siow said: "The reality is that we cannot even grow the car population much further."

Siow stated that there are 660,000 passenger cars today and roads occupy more than 12 per cent of Singapore's total land area.

LTA expects to finish its review by the end of 2026 and reveal its findings and recommendations in the first half of 2027.

To follow a "trend", a man in Singapore made a TikTok where he was seen taping a phone to the back of an SBS Transit bus while it was stationary along Jalan Besar.

The rest of the video, supposedly filmed from the taped phone, showed him on a motorbike apparently following behind the bus.

There were several other vehicles on the road beside him.

"When public transport becomes your film crew," the video caption read.

SBS Transit has since lodged a police report on the incident.

In response to Mothership's queries, SBS Transit spokesperson Grace Wu said, "We take a very serious view of this incident, which we do not condone, as it may put the safety of the individual and other road users at risk."

Reactions

The video, posted on Nov. 1, was filmed at 7am, according to the caption.

It added that "no law was broken", and asked viewers to follow the account and stay tune for the second part of the story where the man would explain how he got his phone back.

Several commenters questioned why the man filmed the video, believing he would likely get fined.

Some pointed out that he was riding in the bus lane, to which the man replied that the video was filmed at 7am.

The restricted hours for travelling in the bus lane starts at 7:30am.

A stunt?

In a subsequent video, the TikTok user posted an update in response to "very negative comments" left on his first video.

He shared that there was a "plot twist": he did not leave the phone taped on the bus, but had someone else film him on the road using a DJI camera mounted on another motorbike.

"We filmed the entire video at 7am, so nothing was illegal," the man said in the video.

He added in the caption that he would share the full behind-the-scenes process next.

Mothership has reached out to the man for more details.

A new bill was introduced in parliament on Nov. 3, 2026, requiring courts to consider reformative training or imprisonment as punishments for convicted young scam offenders.

In its first parliament reading, introduced by Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming on behalf of Senior Minister and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam, the bill would make these punishments the default sentencing options for youths aged 21 and below who commit scam-related offences.

Exceptions would only be allowed in exceptional circumstances.

High court ruling

The bill's proposal comes after a High Court ruling on Sep. 10, in the case of Mohamed Erzan Taib Zohri v Public Prosecutor, where the court ruled that reformative training or imprisonment should not be the default sentence for young offenders who commit scam-enabling offences.

Some offenders in that case, who were aged between 16 and 20 at the time of committing the scam-related offences, had their sentences substituted with probation instead after appeal.

In response, SM Shanmugam said in parliament on Oct. 6 that greater weight should be given to deterrence in such cases, instead of treating rehabilitation as the primary consideration because of their age.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Parliament's intent has always been that swift and decisive deterrence of scams and scam-enabling offences is needed, and that the court should consider reformative training or imprisonment as the primary and default sentencing options, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

The Bill's introduction thus sets out and reiterates this intent, it said.

If passed, the legislation will apply to the sentencing of scam and scam-enabling offences committed before, on or after the Act's commencement date.

The ministry added, "If a deterrent approach is not taken, Singapore’s scam and youth offending situation could deteriorate."

Scams most prevalent crime type in Singapore

According to MHA, scams remain the most prevalent crime type in Singapore.

The Singapore police received an average of 90 scam reports in the first half of 2026, amounting to S$2 million in losses per day.

Elderly victims aged 65 and above remain the age group suffering the highest average losses from scams.

In 2025, the police also investigated more than 1,000 youths in connection with scam reports.

The number of youths who committed cheating and related offences increased by 37 per cent, from 814 in 2024 to 1,114 in 2025.

Most youths involved in these offences were involved in scam cases as mules, said MHA.

As scammers,  often use bank account, local SIM cards and Singpass accounts to perpetuate scams, disrupting the supply of these enablers is therefore key, said MHA.

Since 2023, the ministry has passed five Bills to deter scam mules, including creating new offences to penalise mules.

Caning for scam and scam-enabling offences was also introduced.

The nine-and-a-half-hour public healthcare service disruption on Oct. 13, 2026 was caused by a "preventable lapse", said Senior Minister of State for Health Tan Kiat How said in parliament on Nov. 3.

Tan said "we apologise" and added that a required security update by a contracted service provider caused the lapse, not a cyber attack.

"The cause was a required safety update to a shared domain name system or DNS service that was not completed before a scheduled global change."

Services affected by the outage include appointment bookings, visitor registration, medication dispensing and billing, noted Tan.

The incident led to the rescheduling of around 4,000 outpatient appointments, with patients experiencing delays of up to two hours.

Mothership had previously reported that all three public healthcare clusters, NHG Health, National University Health System and SingHealth, were affected.

Synapxe reviewing provider's contractual obligations

Synapxe, Singapore's HealthTech agency, had contracted a service provider to manage the update, but it was not carried out, stated Tan.

Tan said Synapxe, which "remains accountable for the resilience of its critical systems", is reviewing the provider's contractual obligations and will take appropriate action.

"Synapxe is strengthening monitoring and fault diagnosis to enable faster recovery."

Public healthcare systems have backup infrastructure, including two data centres; however, both depended on the same DNS service and security configuration, stated Tan.

Healthcare institutions activated downtime procedures

Downtime procedures were activated in the healthcare institutions, with additional staff supporting operations using selected read-only patient records and manual workflows, added Tan.

"No adverse patient safety incidents were attributed to the disruption."

The government is strengthening resilience in three areas to prevent, contain and ensure the continuity of care in full and partial outages:

1. Prevention by improving tracking and verification of critical technical changes
2. Containment by addressing shared dependency and improving recovery arrangements
3. Ensuring continuity of care by improving downtime systems, staff readiness and regular exercises

An expert panel has also been appointed by Synapxe to review the investigation findings and proposed remediation measures and identify further improvements.

Tan concluded: "We must make our technology more reliable while ensuring healthcare workers can continue caring for patients safely, even when technology fails."

Alex Lo Chun Ming was charged with the murder of his then-23-year-old ex-girlfriend.

Her body was found in a bathtub at a five-star hotel in Hong Kong in 2022.

He has pleaded not guilty to murder.

Charged

The victim, also known as Aqua Chow, was found dead at The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui between Jun. 29, 2022, and Jun. 30, 2022.

His trial took place on Nov. 2 at Hong Kong’s High Court, as reported by HK01.

Prosecution argued that he had planned the murder, and it was not something done out of impulse, reported the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

Rocky relationship

The court heard that Lo and Chow started dating in February 2021, and moved in together two months later.

However, they had a rocky relationship and broke up in February 2022.

Chow soon started dating another man in June 2022.

On Jun. 28, 2022, Lo checked into The Ritz Carlton and paid HK$2,000 (S$330) for a room. This was the room where Chow was eventually found, the prosecutors said.

He extended his stay by another day the next morning and purchased a knife from a kitchenware shop.

The prosecution said Lo also visited luxury stores like Delvaux and Hermès.

Chow met up with a friend on Jun. 29, who noticed her messaging someone called Alex Lo on Telegram.

There were pictures of a brown Delvaux handbag and Hermès scarves in the chat.

Chow told her friend that he wanted to give her a handbag, and that she planned to ask him for a scarf as well.

At about 4:34pm on the same day, Lo allegedly picked Chow up from her home and brought her to the hotel.

Did not board flight

Chow was scheduled to fly to the U.S. on Jun. 29 to attend a yoga course.

She was supposed to have dinner with her boyfriend before he took her to the airport.

He lost contact with her around 5pm that day, but headed to the airport, hoping to find her there.

However, Chow never turned up.

Chow’s mother reported her missing to the police on Jun. 30, 2022.

Police searched Lo’s home that day, and he said he did not know where Chow was, the prosecution said.

That night, Lo went to the Police Station with his lawyer.

The lawyer handed the police a Ritz-Carlton cardholder and two key cards.

When officers entered the hotel room, they found bloodstains on the carpet outside the bathroom, on the pillows and bedding, and inside two wardrobes, the prosecution said.

Chow was found lying facedown in the half-filled bathtub, clothed, with visible cuts on her left arm and back. Her body was already stiff.

A bloody towel was found in the bathtub as well, covering some parts of her body.

Officers found a Victorinox knife in the bathtub, about 22cm in length.

Prosecutors alleged that this knife was the murder weapon.

More than 40 knife wounds

A forensic report presented in court showed that Chow suffered more than 40 knife wounds to her face, neck, torso and limbs.

Forensic experts believe that Chow was attacked from behind.

She then fell to the ground and curled into a fetal position, as reported by HK01.

There is no evidence of her drowning.

Her cause of death was severe blood loss from her wounds.

According to the prosecution, the shoeprints at the scene matched a pair of Gucci shoes that belonged to Lo.

The trial is still ongoing.

Indonesia's Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia stated that the country could continue exporting electricity to Singapore, provided the transaction price is advantageous for Indonesia.

According to Kompas, Bahlil emphasised that the export price must align with the rates determined by the Indonesian government.

Otherwise, domestic electricity needs will take priority.

"As long as the price is right. As long as the price is suitable and follows our rate, it is certainly possible. But if the price isn't right, we will prioritise domestic needs," Bahlil said at the Jakarta Presidential Palace Complex on Nov. 2.

Bahlil reiterated that bilateral trade between Indonesia and Singapore must remain mutually beneficial.

The minister’s latest comments come after recent tensions between Singapore and Indonesia over cross-border haze and natural gas exports.

It was previously announced that Indonesia will begin cutting natural gas exports to Singapore by 31 billion British thermal units per day (BBTUD) from Oct. 24.

Warning against lobbying

Bahlil also cautioned sovereign investment agency Danantara against yielding to lobbying to lower electricity export prices, stressing that the statutory authority to issue export permits rests solely with his ministry.

"If the price is still unsuitable, we can't proceed. That's why I ask Danantara not to be lobbied to follow suit so that prices can be lowered," Bahlil stated.

Bahlil, who also serves as Coordinating Minister for Downstreaming and Energy Transition, said his ministry has already calculated the proposed export tariff in its submission, though he did not disclose specific figures.

At the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat in July 2026, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto appointed Danantara to implement cross-border electricity trade with Singapore.

During the summit, Prabowo and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong exchanged agreements on economic cooperation on electricity trade, amongst others.

Routing exports directly

On Nov. 2, Bahlil also spoke at the Minerba Convex 2026 forum, saying that Indonesia should stop routing its natural resource exports through third countries before they reach their final destinations.

"Our natural resources must no longer be routed through other countries. If we are sending goods to China, they should go directly from Jakarta to China, not stop over in that 'particular' country," the Jakarta Globe quoted Bahlil as saying.

"They just put a stamp on the goods and then claim that they are exports from their country. Where did you get those goods?" he added.

Bahlil said the practice had been going on for years and instructed his director generals to ensure that Indonesian commodities were no longer unnecessarily routed through intermediary countries.

Although he did not name Singapore, his remarks came after he accused the country in late October of reselling some of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) it imported from Indonesia to other countries, rather than using it for domestic consumption.

In response to Mothership's queries, a spokesperson for Singapore's Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry (METI) subsequently clarified on Oct. 30 that "piped natural gas imported from Indonesia is for domestic use, and not for export".