Pioneer Generation (PG) seniors will get MediSave top-ups of S$300 to S$1,200 in mid-July 2026.

More than S$145 million will be disbursed.

Since the launch of the PG Package in 2014, more than 450,000 seniors have benefitted from these top-ups.

Pay for premiums

MediSave can be used to pay the premiums for MediShield Life, CareShield Life, ElderShield and other MediSave-approved insurance plans, as well as medical expenses such as hospitalisation, day surgeries, and selected outpatient treatments.

The annual PG MediSave top-ups are provided in addition to the annual GST Voucher – MediSave top-ups for eligible Singaporeans aged 65 and above.

Top-up amounts

Born before or in 1934 (92 and above): S$1,200

Born in 1935 – 1939 (87–91): S$700

Born in 1940 – 1944 (82–86): S$500

Born in 1945 – 1949 (77–81): S$300

Those born earlier receive larger MediSave top-up amounts as they typically have lesser savings than those who are younger, and may need more help with their annual MediShield Life premiums.

The top-up is automatically credited to the CPF MediSave Accounts.

No further action is required by those who are eligible.

These annual MediSave top-ups will continue to keep MediShield Life premiums affordable.

Those born before or in 1934 will continue to see their MediShield Life premiums fully covered.

Those born between 1935 and 1949 will have about two-thirds of their MediShield Life premiums covered.

Info on top-ups

Those eligible who have registered their mobile numbers with Singpass before Jun. 1 will receive an SMS by Jun. 15, notifying them of the amount of top-up they will get.

The rest will receive the notification letters by end-June 2026.

More information can be found online.

A 26-year-old Thai woman with over 200,000 TikTok followers was allegedly shot dead by her ex-boyfriend in Saraburi province in Thailand on Jun. 8, while she was on a video call with her current partner.

According to Thaiger, the victim, known as Pon, worked at a petrol station in the area. Her body was found beside her white Honda Jazz on Phahon Yothin Road, with gunshot wounds to the back and neck. Her two-year-old child was discovered inside the vehicle, uninjured.

Met under offer of fuel

According to Guang Ming Daily, Pon had been driving when she apparently ran low on fuel. Her ex-boyfriend, Beer, aged 42, had previously worked as an oil tanker driver and allegedly arranged to meet her, offering to bring a fuel canister.

While refuelling, Pon was on a video call with her current partner, Kla. He told police he heard an argument break out, followed by gunshots, before her phone dropped and the line went dead.

Beer allegedly fled the scene in a truck after the shooting. Nine-millimetre shell casings were found at the scene.

A complicated relationship

Police believe the killing was driven by a combination of personal and professional grievances. According to Thaiger, Pon had previously been in a relationship with Kla, with whom she had a child. The two separated, after which she dated Beer for a period before breaking up with him and reconciling with Kla.

Beer was reportedly deeply unhappy about being dumped, and the situation worsened when Pon informed her workplace supervisor about alleged misconduct by Beer, resulting in his dismissal several days before the incident. Police believed this was an additional motive.

Suspect found dead after chase

Police tracked Beer's vehicle to the Friendship Highway in Nakhon Ratchasima, where a high-speed chase ensued. The pursuit ended when his tyre gave out. When officers approached the vehicle, they found him dead inside, believed to have taken his own life.

Prior to the incident, Beer had reportedly contacted a friend to borrow money, allegedly to fund an escape. He allegedly denied that the killing was driven by jealousy or a relationship dispute, per Thaiger.

Singaporean shuttler Loh Kean Yew has achieved a personal milestone: Becoming a homeowner after years of renting.

In an Instagram post on Jun. 8, Loh shared a glimpse of his new home and said: "Since young, I’ve always dreamed of owning a home that I could truly call my own".

Loh, who was born in Penang, said: "Coming from Malaysia to Singapore at 13, home was mostly rented rooms".

The two-time Olympian and former men's singles world champion added: "My brother and I moved every few years, sometimes because the lease ended, sometimes because we found a place that fit our budget better."

"We met many good landlords, but it just wasn’t our own home if you get what I mean."

'Huge goal'

Loh said: "Owning a home in Singapore always felt like a huge goal. It wasn’t something I took for granted, and honestly, there were times when it felt very far away".

"Fast forward today, I’m 29 with a family of my own, and a place that we can call home."

The shuttler married his wife in February 2023 and became a father in July 2024.

He said the home he shares with his wife feels special because they got to plan and design it together, making it their own space.

According to the interior design studio, Starry Homestead's Instagram post, Loh's home was inspired by the "Light French style", creating a "clean, serene space where you can simply unwind and relax".

The interior design studio added that the home was located in Punggol.

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After 15 years of developing Greendot from a school canteen stall to Singapore's largest plant-based restaurant chain, co-founder and chief executive Fu Yong Hong has stepped down.

He announced the move on his social media on Apr. 20, saying that "it wasn't an easy decision" and that he will continue to be the company's "greatest supporter".

"I’m taking time to reflect and spend more time with my two little ones, while exploring the next phase — where I hope to continue building and scaling meaningful businesses," he wrote.

Greendot currently has 11 outlets across the country, while the franchise also operates Lotus Vegetarian Restaurant and a catering arm.

A mutual decision

The 37-year-old established Greendot Group with his secondary school friend Justin Chou, who had the idea to offer affordable vegetarian options in schools.

After Fu announced his resignation, there were rumours that it was due to a disagreement between the two co-founders, according to Shin Min Daily News.

Chou recently cleared the air and explained that it was a mutual decision.

He told Shin Min that Fu had left the company at the end of March after careful discussion between the pair.

"The restaurant industry is very competitive right now," he said. "When there are too many people running a business, it's easy to face situations where they do not align in terms of strategic direction or vision. We agreed that it would be more suitable for one person to manage operations, and began discussing since last year who would be more suitable to manage daily operations."

He added that in the restaurant industry, it is common for founders to take on different positions or step down from theirs.

Gratitude and respect

In a LinkedIn post in May, Chou thanked Fu for his dedication and hard work and talked about pursuing different paths.

"Building a business is never a straight path, and as with any long journeys or mountain hikes, there are moments when dynamics and macro environment evolve," he wrote.

"While our paths are now diverging, there is deep respect for what has been built together and for the effort it has taken to get here."

Chou told Shin Min he will continue in his position as managing director, and said the team will appoint a new CEO internally.

Those of a certain vintage will remember how huge the Korean show "Winter Sonata" was.

The lead actor from that megahit was Bae Yong Joon.

Bae might have quit showbiz for a while now, but he is still well recognised by folks.

A Lianhe Zaobao reader managed to catch a glimpse of Bae and his wife, actress and singer Park Soo Jin at Changi Airport.

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They were with another South Korean celebrity couple Park Shin Hye and Choi Tae Joon.

Zaobao noted that Bae had acquired more shares in Blitzway Entertainment, which is the company Choi is under.

Zaobao also reported that Bae made a visit to Singapore 22 years ago.

In March 2004, he came to Singapore to promote his first film.

Starting Jun. 6, names on PayNow were partially masked with "Xs" by default as nicknames were phased out in a bid to stop scammers.

For most, the change would be uneventful. Just a few letters of their names being swapped for an "X".

For some users, however, the change resulted in something much more creative.

One user, Sek Qin Rui, told Mothership, "Due to the recent masking of the usernames, my name has been changed to an obscene word."

His name on PayNow? "SEX QIX RUX".

Sek expressed the concern that the format of his PayNow display name will affect his business as a swimming coach whose students are mainly kids.

"If you were a parent who sees this when paying for your trial class with a coach, you would definitely be quite concerned, especially if they don’t know about how names are now masked," Sek shared.

On Facebook, another user claimed, "Nowadays bank [masks] name till like that. My name [became] so erotic."

This user's PayNow username is apparently now displayed as "FOX SEX POX".

One user, whose surname is See, remarked in a post, "My entire family's surname just became NSFW (not safe for work)."

It also has a visual resemblance to a cross-out mark.

The name display format was tested through industry and consumer studies.

When ordering from Korean eatery Mi Bibimbap off foodpanda, a user was charged a S$1.50 Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) deposit for an order which did not include drinks.

The eatery has since clarified in response to a Google Maps review that the fee was not imposed by them.

Instead, it arose due to "an error in the platform's product data processing."

Mi Bibimbap also left a representative's contact number and said that it will verify and arrange refunds for affected customers who reach out.

Charged S$1.50 for BCRS deposit but did not order drinks

The foodpanda user, Ben (not his real name), shared a screenshot of his receipt with Mothership.

The order was placed with Mi Bibimbap's Pasir Ris Mall outlet at 2:49pm on Jun. 5, 2026.

Part of the line item in the receipt for the order was a S$1.50 fee for a BCRS deposit.

The BCRS deposit fee is 10 cents per beverage container.

Ben's order did not include beverages.

Ben shared that he noticed the fee prior to ordering, but decided to go ahead with the order and seek a refund later as he had missed lunch due to a work event and was hungry at the time.

On Google Maps, a review posted on Jun. 6 about Mi Bibimbap's Nex outlet briefly detailed a similar experience.

In a screenshot shared along with the review, a S$0.50 BCRS deposit appeared to be included in the user's order.

The order looked to be made on foodpanda.

Miscategorisation by platform

Mi Bibimbap responded to the Google Maps review on Jun. 8.

It said that it has received feedback from customers regarding BCRS-related charged on certain foodpanda orders.

"After investigation, we found that the issue was caused by an error in the platform’s product data processing, which resulted in certain items being incorrectly categorised and charged accordingly," the eatery explained.

It added that the charge was not set or imposed by Mi Bibimbap.

In the Google Maps reply, Mi Bibimbap left its store representative's contact number and informed the reviewer to reach out to process a refund.

Ben said he has also reached out to the eatery to request a refund.

The eatery refunded Ben S$5 as a gesture of goodwill and apology.

When Mothership checked on foodpanda on Jun. 8 evening, the BCRS deposit fee no longer appears as part of the charges on an order without beverages during checkout.

Error in merchant configuration of BCRS deposit: foodpanda

Responding to Mothership's queries, a foodpanda spokesperson said it was aware of the reports regarding the incorrect BCRS deposit charges on the platform and had investigated the matter.

"To facilitate the deposit charges on the foodpanda platform, a BCRS deposit field was set up to support merchants in collecting the required BCRS deposits, in accordance with the scheme," the spokesperson said, adding that deposits collected are not subject to GST or any fees to its merchant partners

"Based on our investigation, the S$0.50 charge was incorrectly applied due to an error in how the merchant configured the BCRS deposit within their integrated POS system," the spokesperson explained.

The spokesperson also said foodpanda is working closely with the merchant partner to ensure the necessary corrections are made and to prevent additional charges on items that should not carry a BCRS deposit charge.

"As the BCRS is a newly implemented scheme, we are supporting our merchant partners and customers during this transition period to ensure a smooth experience," the spokesperson assured.

Foodpanda also regularly reviews listings across the platform and works with its partners to ensure BCRS deposits are accurately reflected and collected in accordance with the scheme's requirements.

"Customers who believe they have been incorrectly charged with a BCRS deposit on a non-BCRS item are encouraged to contact our customer support team so that the matter can be reviewed to facilitate the appropriate refunds," the spokesperson advised.

A seven-year-old girl was suffocated to death in a fight with her 13-year-old stepsister over the use of a mobile phone in Kanchanaburi, Thailand.

The incident took place on the afternoon of May 30 at their house in the Sangkhla Buri district, Bangkok Post and Thai PBS reported.

Quarreled

According to local police, the deceased, identified as Nong Agnoon, and the 13-year-old, identified as Kanda, had the same biological mother but different fathers.

Their mother claimed that the girls quarrelled frequently and often fought over the use of the mobile phone.

Confessed

Kanda and her 17-year-old uncle, identified as Pae, reportedly confessed to their involvement in Nong’s death.

The pair told investigators that they were at home with Nong and were apparently playing together.

The police said the uncle was at the scene, but did not take part in the murder.

Kanda allegedly placed a fertiliser sack over her head and pretended to strangle her.

However, Nong became unresponsive when the sack was removed, and they eventually found that she had already died.

The pair panicked and placed the lifeless Nong in a wardrobe.

At about 3pm, Pae took Nong’s body to a rubber plantation about 600 metres from the house and left her there.

Nong was reported missing on the same day.

Found

A latex collector subsequently discovered Nong’s body on Jun. 1 in a bamboo grove in the rubber plantation.

A sack used to carry her body was burnt nearby.

According to local police, there were bruises on the girl's neck, indicating strangulation.

Signs of physical assault on the body were present, including two wounds to her chin.

Her face appeared to have been hit with a hard object.

The Post reported that there were initial signs of sexual assault.

Three monks and a driver at a temple 700 metres from where Nong was found were questioned as part of the investigation.

The girls’ mother was also left in shock by the investigators’ revelations, and mental healthcare staff would counsel her.

The police told Matichon that they would question the two suspects further, as they do not believe they acted alone, and suspect someone might have assisted them in moving the body.

A man in Singapore realised his AirPods Pro case had gone missing and decided to track its live location from Jurong to Toa Payoh.

He successfully found the case after a three-hour journey.

He detailed his journey in a series of TikTok videos on Jun. 7, one of which has since hit over 339,000 views.

Lost AirPods Pro case

Speaking to Mothership, Ethan, 22, recounted that he lost the case on Jun. 5, either at Beauty World or at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

The National Serviceman had bought it with his NS allowance and had been using it for only a month.

A replacement would set him back S$139, he said, so he decided to try recovering it instead.

From Jurong to Toa Payoh

When he used Apple's Find My location-tracking app on Jun. 6 to look for the case, he was shocked to see that it was first located at Jurong Point.

The location history showed that the case had travelled from Jurong Point towards Toa Payoh.

He then used Google's Gemini AI assistant to help deduce that the route matched that of bus service 157, he said.

He managed to track it down to Toa Payoh Bus Interchange, where he spent more than 30 minutes searching the area.

Took bus back to Jurong

However, Ethan saw that the case's location was moving again.

Suspecting that the person carrying it was heading back towards Jurong on 157, he decided to take the MRT to "intercept the bus" as it would go past King Albert Park.

However, he couldn't reach in time and took a TADA ride to get one step ahead of the bus, according to the location given by the Find My app.

He managed to board the bus and then used the sound alert on the Find My app to locate the device.

It was eventually found near a passenger, but Ethan said that he wasn't fully sure if the passenger had taken it.

"I suspected he tossed it aside after hearing the pinging as I rang the AirPods multiple times," he said.

Rather than confronting the individual or filing a police report, Ethan said he ultimately decided to drop the matter as he managed to get his case back in the end.

A Chinese student was cheated out of HK$8.21 million (S$1.35 million) after a scammer accused him of being connected to a fraud case.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Hong Kong police said on Jun. 7 that there were 42 cases of Chinese students studying in Hong Kong who had been cheated by scammers impersonating law enforcement officials from China in the first quarter of 2026.

Hong Kong police said Chinese students accounted for a quarter of the 164 reports involving scammers impersonating Chinese authorities, with total losses amounting to HK$289 million (S$47.6 million).

Largest case involved S$1.35 million

The largest case involving a student saw a 22-year-old male handing HK$8.21 million (S$1.35 million) over to a scammer posing as a Chinese police officer.

According to SCMP, the scammer accused the student of being associated with a fraud case and demanded that he hand over funds as proof of his innocence.

The student deposited the funds into six bank accounts before the scammer cut contact with him.

Another student staged own kidnapping based on syndicate's instructions

In another case, a female university student known by her surname, Wang, was rescued by Thai authorities after scammers impersonating Chinese police officers persuaded her to fly to Thailand.

According to SCMP, this was despite her having attended anti-scam courses at her university.

According to a Facebook post by Royal Thai Police, the scammers convinced the 21-year-old student to stage her own kidnapping to extort "ransom" money from her family in a virtual kidnapping scam.

The scammers approached the victim while she was studying in Hong Kong and accused her of being involved in money laundering.

Wang told the media that the scammers wore police uniforms when they video-called her and demanded she sign a non-disclosure agreement.

The scammers placed her under real-time surveillance.

Lied to parents

Following the scammer's directions, the victim lied to her family and asked for a remittance of HK$1.4 million (S$230,370), claiming that the funds were for her postgraduate studies.

Upon receiving the funds, the scammers told the student to travel to Thailand and provided her with flight tickets and accommodation.

The victim said she felt threatened and decided to go to Thailand.

She explained that if she did not go to Thailand, her parents would have gone to Hong Kong to look for her, and as a result, she may accidentally leak "confidential" information, breaking the "non-disclosure agreement".

She added: "Not only would I have faced criminal penalties, but my parents would also be implicated."

Filmed ransom video

On May 31, after arriving in Bangkok, fraudsters instructed the student to film a ransom video and to send photos of staged "injuries" to her family.

According to SCMP, Thai authorities shared a video showing the victim dressed in a ripped blue shirt with bruises on her knees, crying that she had been abducted by six strangers.

In the video posted to Facebook by Thai police, the victim asked her parents to send the scammers HK$3 million (S$493,550) and claimed that her "kidnappers" were hitting her.

Thai police said surveillance footage showed the victim checking into a Bangkok hotel alone, using a passport photo provided by the scammers.

The victim also took a taxi to buy ropes, a knife, body paint and red lipstick to create the illusion of assault and kidnapping.

She sent videos to the scam syndicate, which was used to pressure her family to pay a ransom.

Syndicate isolated victim

According to Thai police, the syndicate manipulated Wang and told her to cut off contact with her family, isolating her.

Hong Kong police said the victim only realised that she was being scammed when her father travelled to Thailand to look for her, reported SCMP.

The police said the victim was not abducted and had merely followed the scammers' directions at the hotel.

The victim's father made a police report upon losing contact with her and receiving the video.

She was rescued by Thai authorities and returned to Hong Kong on Jun. 2.

According to SCMP, Chinese students are required to complete an anti-scam questionnaire before arriving in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong police commissioner also sends a letter at the start of the academic year, urging students and parents to be aware of common scam tactics.