A former Thai MP has surrendered to police after allegedly shooting the president of a provincial administrative organisation and his driver on the morning of Aug. 10.

Chalong Riaowrang, a former Nonthaburi MP, allegedly shot Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) president Pol. Col. Thongchai Yenprasert at around 10:20am, according to Khaosod English.

How it happened

Thongchai was preparing to leave the Nonthaburi PAO office at the Nonthaburi Provincial Government Complex when the shooting took place.

Police said in their initial findings that Chalong had been waiting for Thongchai, then walked up to his car and knocked on the window. Thongchai lowered it to speak to him, and Chalong allegedly drew a firearm and started shooting.

Thongchai was shot four times, including in vital areas. His driver was also hit.

Both men were given emergency treatment at the scene by rescue workers from the Nonthaburi City Municipality before they were taken to Phra Nang Klao Hospital.

Thongchai later passed away.

Walked away, then surrendered

Staff at the nearby Nonthaburi Provincial Public Health Office reportedly filmed Chalong with a firearm in hand, which he then tucked into his waistband before leaving the scene.

He later surrendered at a police station.

Reported 11 million baht dispute

A possible motive surfaced after the shooting, when Chalong reportedly called media personality Anjalee while she was hosting a programme.

She said Chalong admitted to her that he had shot the PAO president, and that he had let off four or five rounds before leaving the area.

His grievance, according to her account, was that he had backed the other side and requested 11 million Baht (S$426,837), only to be told there was nothing for him.

He felt he had been badly treated, decided to shoot Thongchai, and told her he intended to surrender.

Khaosod English noted that these claims have not been independently verified, and that police have not confirmed a motive.

Investigation ongoing

Nonthaburi Governor Chettha Mosikarat inspected the scene alongside the deputy governor, the deputy commander of the Nonthaburi Provincial Police, and officers from Rattanathibet Police Station.

The area has been sealed off, with police gathering evidence and speaking to witnesses. Investigations are ongoing.

A 50-year-old customer who complained that her S$9 cai fan meal at a Punggol hawker centre was "too expensive" was reportedly told by the stall's staff that the meal was a "two-person serving".

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, the woman, Liang (transliterated), said the incident occurred on Jul. 30.

4 dishes, 1 porridge

She was visiting the hawker centre with her daughter, and ordered a bowl of white porridge, accompanied by four dishes — glass noodles with tofu, egg tofu, scrambled eggs and broccoli.

Liang also asked for an empty extra bowl to share the food with her daughter as she was worried about not being able to finish it.

She was then charged S$9, which comprised of S$8 for the dishes and S$1 for the porridge.

"The price list at the stall clearly states that each ordinary dish costs S$1 or S$1.50, and each bowl of congee costs S$1," she said.

"Even if you calculate based on four ordinary dishes, the total amount is only S$5 to S$7."

Serving for 2 people

Upon questioning the staff, they explained that they charged S$2 per dish since they saw her eating with her daughter.

The portions were also supposedly larger, Shin Min reported.

Liang said, however, that she did not request an increase in the amount of food and had only asked for an extra bowl.

She also claimed that another customer was only charged S$5.80 for two dishes and one meat dish, and this made her feel that the staff's explanation was unreasonable.

As such, she reportedly filed a complaint with the hawker centre management.

Price list

Upon visiting the stall, Shin Min found a price list.

It stated that vegetables, eggs and tofu were priced between S$1 and S$1.50, ordinary meats were priced between S$1 and S$2.50.

The most expensive steamed fish tail was priced between S$6 and S$10.

According to Shin Min, a stall employee initially said that he would give "two portions" on his own initiative.

However, he reportedly said later that he heard the food was for two people to eat.

Employee remembered customers

A female employee told Shin Min that she still remembered the mother and daughter.

She had reportedly given them a double portion of food as per their usual practice after seeing that there were two of them.

At the time, the kitchen was noisy, she said, adding that she thought she heard a customer say that she wanted two servings.

“Trace Project”, an AI-generated sci-fi feature film, premiered on Aug. 9, 2026.

It was the 64-minute movie's only scheduled public screening in Singapore.

In the lead-up to its release, it received backlash online, with some referring to it as “AI slop” and criticising it as an “insult” to the local film industry.

The movie is about Lin Jiajun, an ordinary young man from Singapore, who overcomes social stigma, his humble background, and his father's disapproval to become the nation's first astronaut picked for a historic Mars exploration programme.

I went to watch the AI-generated movie

While others spent the National Day weekend celebrating the festivities or travelling overseas, I decided to watch “Trace Project” in theatres out of curiosity.

I paid a total of S$21.50 for the movie tickets, S$19 for the actual tickets and S$2.50 for online booking convenience fees.

Begged friends

Since it was a public holiday, I also decided to ask a few of my friends, who were aware of the movie's release, if they were willing to watch "Trace Project" with me.

These were their responses:

While most of my friends responded with resounding rejection, only one of my friends, Matthew, was interested in watching “Trace Project”.

After much discussion, he also paid S$21.50 to secure a ticket to the movie.

Attendance

Checks by Mothership revealed that more than 80 per cent of seats for the movie were occupied.

This puzzled me, given the negative sentiments online.

Why would people pay to watch it?

Were they all like me?

Invited guests

Upon arrival on the day of screening, we observed the team at FizzDragon, the production company behind “Trace Project”, handing out tickets to invited audiences.

Those audiences comprised content creators, contributors to the movie and their friends and family.

When I spoke to Pax Chen, the founder and CEO of FizzDragon, she claimed that “around 50 per cent bought the tickets" and "another 50 per cent" were invited.

We also observed a significant number of middle-aged individuals entering the cinema hall.

After purchasing some snacks, we decided to head in.

Addressed the crowd

Before the movie screened, the FizzDragon team greeted the crowd and expressed their gratitude to the audience.

Former People's Action Party (PAP) Member of Parliament Teo Ho Pin also made an appearance and addressed the crowd.

He shared about Singapore’s aspirations “to be a smart nation and a city of dreams”, and he hoped this movie could be a way to “inspire our people to be creative and dream” to achieve this.

The movie commenced soon after.

Review

“Trace Project” felt lacklustre and was genuinely underwhelming.

While the plot of the movie aimed to be inspiring, the movie’s AI-generated visuals and directorial approach severely undermined the story.

The pacing of the movie felt quick, with too many disruptive jump cuts and inadequate exposition.

The movie lacked any notable narrative structure, leaving a lot of plot holes to fill.

This was detrimental in establishing its protagonist, Lin Jia Jun.

Noticeable errors and visual defects due to the AI models used were also present throughout the movie.

At some points, Lin would bear the Singapore flag on his sleeves when he was on Mars.

The flag would frequently show mistakes.

Such examples include the flag featuring six to eight stars instead of five, and it would occasionally morph into a foreign flag.

The portrayal of the characters also felt unnatural.

On some occasions, the voice “actors” would mispronounce words such as “kilometre” and “acknowledged”.

The AI model used felt outdated too.

Sentiments

I was not alone in these sentiments either.

One of those moviegoers whom I spoke to, a 15-year-old who chose to remain anonymous, told me he paid to watch “Trace Project” as he was curious.

When asked about his views on the movie, he said it was “horrible as there were so many mistakes”.

“I am never watching anything AI-generated ever again,” he added.

Matthew, who sat beside me during the screening, expressed disappointment with the movie's creativity when I asked him about the movie.

He criticised the movie’s pace and the depictions of the characters.

“They act so unnatural, so non-human-like that it's distracting all the way through. From start to finish, you are constantly told, this is AI-generated, this is AI-generated,” he said.

Matthew also said he regretted watching the movie.

He felt he could have done something else, he said: “Instead, I decided, hey, why not torture ourselves for today?”

Reviews online also revealed similar reactions.

Unintentionally funny

However, some felt that its lacklustre quality made it “comedic”.

Brian, a 25-year-old who also paid to watch “Trace Project”, told me that if audiences were to “approach this more as a comedy than an actual drama”, it made the movie “quite entertaining”.

“The movie has a lot of plot holes and unresolved storylines. But if you just forget about all that and just think about what goofy lines the characters are saying, you'll have quite a good time,” he said.

Proof of concept

After the screening concluded, FizzDragon held a question-and-answer session.

While moviegoers asked questions, such as the production timelines and the cost and profit made from producing the movie, others also queried the team on the visual defects and errors in the movie.

FizzDragon claimed that while most of the visuals were AI-generated, the script was mainly human-written.

They also acknowledged the mistakes and said the movie took about two to three months to produce.

The team also admitted that they “rushed” it so that the movie could be premiered on National Day.

“We see a lot of things need to be improved,” Chen said.

However, FizzDragon assured that it would make adequate rectifications for the movie.

Some of the movie's audiences also viewed the premiere as a proof of concept rather than a final product.

Juan, a film producer in his 50s who attended the movie via an invite, said this movie is a “work in progress”.

“While it is quite lauded that AI can take us so far. I think generally certain storytelling nuances and context still fall a bit short, but I'm also very aware that perhaps the team also understands that,” he said.

“I think the spirit behind the company and the creators is actually good because I think they know that everything is a work in progress and they are willing to continue to improve what they have,” Juan added.

Juan also said he supported FizzDragon, claiming its moves were “rather progressive”.

When asked if the movie was indeed a proof of concept, Chen assured it was a “finalised project” that “can be improved along the way”.

“This is the magic of AIGC (AI-generated content). You can always improve along the way,” she added.

Art

Ultimately, the backlash to this movie was warranted to a certain extent.

As someone who has been involved in the production of short films and videos, I did initially share similar sentiments.

While FizzDragon pushed the use of generative AI as a way of minimising production costs, I feel that the art of creating a film should be based on human ingenuity and passion.

Matthew felt the same.

“Art is not labour in the same way that construction, automation, and manufacturing are laborious. People make art because they love it. The labour of love is why artists create, every detail, every design, made with intention.” he said.

“I can't help but flinch throughout the film. I really despise AI-generated imagery,” he added.

What is good?

While the negative aspects mainly revolved around the use of AI for the movie, the only good part was its storyline of showcasing a lofty Singaporean ambition.

However, as FizzDragon said, the script was mainly produced by humans.

If a production team were to make a full-fledged feature film with adequate pacing and exposition combined with creative cinematography while using the plot of “Trace Project”, I believe the movie would have potentially performed well.

However, this kind of creativity requires human ingenuity and does not necessarily rely on trained data.

After all, cinematic flourishes such as the transitions in Park Chan-Wook films, the step-printing effects in movies directed by Wong Kar-wai, or the Singaporean-tailored narratives in Jack Neo’s films were all made through human ingenuity.

There is a chance that AI-generated movies will feel generic and soulless without those flourishes.

Until then, the best part of “Trace Project” was that it made me feel something so strongly.

Which is human.

Chinese actress Liu Xiaoqing is being sued for 5.04 million Yuan (S$950,000) by her former assistant, who alleges the two were romantically involved and lived together for six years.

Gu Ke, who is 38 years younger than the 75-year-old actress, filed the suit at Beijing's Chaoyang District People's Court, according to Lianhe Zaobao.

What he alleges

Gu says the two began a relationship after they started working together in 2015, and that he moved into her home the following year. He claims their cohabitation lasted six years, and that Liu called him "baby" during that time.

He says he took on multiple roles beyond photography, working as her driver, housekeeper and social media manager, and describes the arrangement as both a romantic relationship and a business partnership.

Gu maintains he was not a kept man, and argues that his salary of 10,000 Yuan a month (S$1,900) was not reasonable given the scope of the work. He is seeking the shortfall in wages, along with overtime pay and interest.

He also claims that the relationship broke down in 2021, after he was refused when he sought to borrow money to start a business. He claims he was then blocked and told to move out of the property.

Her response

Liu has denied his account.

She says there was no relationship and no cohabitation, and that theirs was strictly an employer and employee arrangement.

She maintains that his wages were settled in full with nothing outstanding.

She has accused Gu of demanding a large sum without evidence, and said she would not give him "a single cent."

The case is currently in court mediation, Zaobao reported.

A seafood restaurant in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, was raided by the Johor Immigration Department on Aug. 7 after it was suspected of illegal employment and allegedly harboring unlicensed foreign workers.

Shin Min Daily News reported that the operation was launched at about 12pm that day based on public reports and intelligence.

It saw 37 foreign workers and a Malaysian man, believed to be the restaurant manager, being detained on the spot.

37 foreign workers

Preliminary investigations revealed that the 37 foreign employees arrested are aged between 19 and 49 and worked as restaurant servers and chefs, Oriental Daily News reported the agency's director as saying.

The workers arrested included six Burmese men, one Vietnamese man, one Bangladeshi man, and 29 Burmese women.

China Press reported that enforcement officers on site checked the employees' identity documents, work permits and terms of service.

They then further expanded the search to a staff dormitory in an area behind the restaurant.

A Malaysian man who was reportedly the restaurant's manager was also detained on the spot to assist in the investigation.

Suspected of violating Immigration Act

The agency's director said all the arrested foreign nationals were suspected of violating the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Immigration Regulations 1963 and have been transferred to a detention camp for further investigation.

Law enforcement officers also issued three witness summonses during the operation, he added.

Oriental Daily News reported that the Johor Immigration Department thanked the public for providing information regarding this incident.

A well-known Chinese influencer who went missing in the Philippines three years ago has been confirmed dead, in what is alleged to have been a kidnapping arranged by her close friend.

The woman, known online as Athena Liya and whose real name was Kong Limei, was second runner-up at the 2021 Miss World Macau pageant, according to Sin Chew Daily.

How she was lured there

In June 2023, her close friend Li Yifei reportedly invited her to Manila, saying she was heartbroken over a breakup and wanted company.

Li promised to arrange a stay at a luxury hotel and a beachside photoshoot.

After Athena set off, Li allegedly cancelled her own flight ticket and handed the flight details to kidnappers in the Philippines.

Athena was allegedly taken by a transnational crime syndicate as soon as she landed. Li immediately wiped all her social media accounts and unfollowed mutual friends.

The syndicate posed as her online

As Athena's family searched for her, Li made no contact and fled abroad.

The syndicate took control of Athena's social media accounts and posted a series of misleading updates, including suggestions that she had run up enormous gambling debts.

The aim was to deceive her family into paying a ransom of US$800,000 (S$1.02 million).

To throw off the police investigation, the group also spread false information online, including claims that Athena had been sold to a brothel in Cambodia and was being kept as a sex slave for wealthy men in Southeast Asia.

The case breaks

A second woman involved in the deception, who went by Li Na and whose real name was given as Chen Yuxuan (both transliterated), was arrested in South Korea in Sep. 2024.

The case broke on Jul. 20 this year, when the syndicate's main suspect, Liu Hanwen (transliterated), was deported from the US to China.

According to local media, the police recently confirmed that Athena had been killed and her body disposed of.

Li Yifei has not been caught. Sin Chew reported that her role remains subject to further investigation by judicial authorities.

The lead teacher for Physics at Yusof Ishak Secondary School (YISS) died at the age of 55.

Lau Chu Beng's passing was announced on Aug. 7 via the school's Facebook page.

'Left lasting mark'

Calling Lau a "steady, guiding presence" through many chapters of the school's journey, the post noted that he was instrumental in establishing the school's Centre for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE).

According to its website, the CTLE is where "teacher learning occurs within the context of the classroom, through masterclasses and demonstration classes".

In sharing the news with "deep sadness", the post noted that Lau had joined the school in 2009.

He then spent his career "doing what he loved most, teaching Physics and making a difference in the lives of those around him".

Lau, who was known for his positive spirit and willingness to go the extra mile, touched the lives of countless students, colleagues, and parents over the years, the post added.

The school thanked Lau for his dedication, warmth, and the "lasting mark" he left on the YISS family.

The post read: "You will not be forgotten.

"Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time."

Never gave up on 'problem students'

One of Lau's former students, now 26, told Lianhe Zaobao that Lau taught him when he attended the school 10 years ago.

Data engineer Chen Minghui (transliterated) said that many students in his class, including himself, did not like Physics at the time, even being regarded as "problem students".

He noted, however, that Lau never gave up on them, treating them as friends and doing his best to tutor them.

Chen said: "[He] is very friendly. If there is not enough time in class, he will take the time to call us to explain difficult problems, or even arrive at school early or stay afterwards to give us extra lessons."

He added that he felt pressured as the O-Level exams were approaching and sought help, after which Lau gave him advice and guidance.

Zaobao reported that instead of traditional teaching methods, Lau used jokes and social media elements to make his classes "fun and diverse".

Under Lau's guidance, Chen achieved excellent results in the O-Level exams after previously failing the subject.

Most students in his class also made significant progress in their studies.

Stayed though school moved locations

Chen said: "[He] made us believe that physics can be very interesting as long as we put in the effort."

Another of Lau's former students, now 26, told Zaobao that his teacher's life was "incredibly fulfilling and meaningful".

Lau had devoted his entire life to illuminating the future of countless students, he added.

The former student, Huang (transliterated), said that after the school moved from Bukit Batok to Punggol, some teachers applied to transfer schools due to the long distance.

Despite staying in the west, Lau remained in the school and endured daily traffic jams to continue teaching in Punggol.

Just held birthday party last month

Lau's death came as a shock as the school had just held a birthday party for him last month, Huang added.

He had been in good spirits at the time, and everyone was saddened at his passing, Zaobao reported.

Many students came to the funeral hall to pay their respects after learning about his passing, which Huang said was the best proof that he was deeply loved by everyone.

Following news of Lau's passing, students, parents and colleagues alike have taken to the school's Facebook page to offer their condolences and share their memories of him.

One student remembers Lau for his "kind and loving teaching".

A parent pointed out that Lau was her son's favourite teacher in the school, adding that she always remembered Lau's "kindness and encouragement" when her son faced difficulties in science during his lower secondary years.

One parent said she appreciated Lau's guidance during her daughter's O-Level exams last year.

Another parent who visited the school's orientation was struck by how much he must have cared for the students that she saw their "utmost respect and adoration" for him.

Member of Parliament (MP) for Bukit Panjang SMC Liang Eng Hwa commented on the post that he was "deeply saddened" by the news.

"He has been such a decent and jolly person; always caring and dedicated to people around him," he said.

"We will miss him dearly. Chu Beng, rest in peace…"

To curb food wastage, an organisation called Food Rescue Sengkang (FRSK) has organised a Sunset Bread Rescue, where volunteers rescue unsold baked goods to share with the community.

FRSK shared in a Facebook post that every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, their volunteers would collect unsold bread, cakes and pastries that would be discarded.

They would then share the food with the community, as seen by the queues of people waiting to collect the bread.

"Every loaf rescued represents one less item sent to the landfill and one more family able to stretch their grocery budget a little further," said FRSK.

Rescuing food

FRSK started in 2019, and it aims to help reduce food wastage by rescuing food.

This means saving food that would otherwise be wasted by recovering surplus food before it becomes waste.

The organisation also runs an Ugly Fruits and Vegetables Pasar, giving fruits and vegetables that are not "perfect" a second chance.

According to their website, the group sorts out the food and passes it to whoever needs it.

They added that they hardly have any leftovers, as they work closely with elderly homes, shelters, soup kitchens, and welfare organisations to ensure food is channelled to the right places.

Each person/household is allowed to collect one bag or trolley worth of food during the distribution.

The website also has a disclaimer where customers are to exercise their own judgement when consuming the food.

In 2024, FRSK rescued 956,000kg worth of food and served more than 309,000 families.

An SBS bus captain helped stop a Lamborghini engine fire with the bus’s fire extinguisher along Holland Road on Aug. 8.

Rear engine fire along Holland Road

A video shared on TikTok showed 51-year-old bus captain Zhang Zhipeng looking at the black Lamborghini Aventador’s rear engine compartment with a fire extinguisher in hand.

He and the car driver looked to be peering deep into the compartment, which appears already covered in a fine white dust.

The rear engine cover of the vehicle appears to be blackened, and smoke continues to drift from the engine area.

The bus captain carefully sets a large fire extinguisher onto the car’s rear, and directs a stream of dry powder into the car’s engine compartment, while an onlooker urges the men to be careful.

Job done, the bus captain lugs his fire extinguisher back to his bus parked at a safe distance away from the car.

Bus captain commended by SBS Transit for lending help

A spokesperson from SBS Transit, Grace Wu, told Mothership that Zhang saw smoke coming from the car as he approached the bus stop.

Stopping his Service 123 bus at a safe distance, he informed the bus’s passengers of the situation and took a fire extinguisher from the bus to assist the car driver.

Upon approaching the car, Zhang realised that the car driver’s own fire extinguisher had already been depleted, but that the fire in the car was still burning.

SBS Transit added that all its bus captains received basic firefighting training as part of their skills training and that Zhang had been able to draw on that training during the incident.

The company credited the bus captain with responding calmly and decisively while ensuring the safety of his passengers.

“He was in the right place and at the right time, and we commend him for stepping forward to help a fellow motorist when it mattered.”

The police have closed the following areas due to high traffic:

• Stadium Riverside Walk (Areas A, B and C),
• Water Sports Centre, and
• Tanjong Rhu Lookout Tower.

The updates were from Crowd@National Stadium which provides live updates on crowd levels in the vicinity of the National Stadium.

Other areas which have been listed as "Very Crowded", the second highest alert level are:

• Tanjong Rhu Promenade Area E,
• Marina Promenade (Viewing Deck & Jetty), and
• Marina Promenade near to Nicoll Highway MRT (Area B).