According to CNA, a 55-year-old licensed Singaporean real estate agent has been sentenced to three months’ jail after her company promoted an Australian property investment scheme, causing 347 investors to lose a total of S$16.21 million.

Out of those affected, 344 were local investors who lost a combined S$16.09 million.

Wendy Kwek Siang Ling pleaded guilty on Jun. 24 to one charge under the Securities and Futures Act for consenting to her company dealing in securities without a Capital Markets Services licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

Kwek also fully managed and controlled Global Property Network Inc (GPNI), a company with no employees incorporated in Seychelles in 2011, alongside her then-husband, to facilitate overseas property deals.

It was agreed that all funds in GPNI's bank account belonged solely to Kwek.

Through her introduction services, GPNI received S$2.735 million in commissions.

Ran property investment courses

In court documents seen by Mothership, Kwek was a licensed real estate agent between January and August 2015, the period during which the offences occurred.

She was the sole director and trainer of WK Events, a Singapore company that ran paid property investment courses.

Kwek drew an annual salary of around S$260,000 from this company.

Upon completing the course, participants would become part of WK Events' investment network and be notified of "property investment opportunities".

The investment scheme

Kwek was first introduced to Desiree Veronica Macpherson and learnt about the Macro investment scheme in August 2014.

Macpherson managed the Macro Group, a network of about 250 companies purportedly in the business of acquiring, managing, and developing real estate in Australia.

One of these companies was Macro Realty Development (Macro SG), a Singapore-incorporated company.

Between 2013 and 2016, the Macro group solicited funds for the purported development of dual-key houses in Newman, Australia.

The scheme raised approximately S$122 million from 1,800 investors worldwide.

Locally, around S$54.7 million was raised from around 643 investors.

The scheme was played out in several iterations, involving the development of different parts of land within Pilbara, a region in Western Australia, and was marketed in various countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.

In December 2014, Kwek signed an agreement for GPNI to act as an "introducer" for Macro SG.

Introducers usually signed agreements stipulating that they were to provide introduction services of the scheme to local investors.

As a result, they would get paid commission ranging from 10 per cent to 15 per cent of the total amount raised from investors who enter into a binding loan or agreement with Macro SG.

To get investors, WK Events sent out email invitations to past course participants and Kwek’s property network, inviting them to investment seminars held at their Shenton Way office.

The emails promised a "short-term and low-entry" 12-month fixed investment with "multiple layers of protection".

It stated that WK Events had arranged for a developer to share about a potential funding opportunity in Australia, which related to the provision of housing for miners with "assured 14 per cent to 16 per cent per annum" with an assured exit in one year.

The seminars drew crowds of over 100 attendees each.

Kwek would speak first before handing the floor to Macpherson.

The presentation included representations that the Australian government had invested S$1.7 billion in the region and that "there (was) exceptional capital growth".

The minimum investment was set at S$10,000.

Investors were promised a 14 per cent annual return for amounts up to S$49,000, and 16 per cent for investments of S$50,000 and above.

Using personal influence

During at least one seminar, Kwek told attendees that she had personally visited Newman, Australia, describing it as "the largest estate in the whole of the Pilbara segment for the mining industry".

She also claimed that the government wanted to create more housing for miners, and that she had met up with an Australian member of parliament who had championed the renewal of several cities, including Newman, and that she had seen "very good result".

Kwek ended the seminar saying that investors would have three levels of securities, two levels of guarantors by Macro Developments companies, and one, which is a security deed.

She explained that this was "the reason why this return is considered fantastic already".

She also said that this scheme had higher returns, unlike other projects, which were of "higher risk", and that those who invested S$100,000 would be referred to a Macro Developments representative who would take them on a site inspection trip in Australia.

At least one investor invested in the scheme because he felt assured after Kwek claimed she had personally flown to Australia to inspect the site and had even invested her own money into the scheme.

No MAS license

The Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) revealed that Macro SG ultimately entered into 411 finance agreements with 347 investors through WK Events, raising S$18.45 million.

Under these agreements, investors were framed as "lenders" and Macro SG as the "borrower."

The court said that these agreements constituted "debentures," which are classified as securities under the Securities and Futures Act.

By organising seminars and actively soliciting clients, WK Events was "dealing in securities" which is a regulated activity that requires a Capital Markets Services licence from MAS.

WK Events did not hold this licence, and Kwek did not seek legal advice on whether one was required.

According to CNA, Kwek's defence lawyers argued for a fine of S$150,000 instead of jail time, highlighting that Kwek herself had lost S$100,000 by investing in the scheme.

For consenting to her company conducting a regulated activity without the required MAS licence, Kwek could have faced a maximum penalty of up to three years in prison, a fine of up to S$150,000, or both.

A 51-year-old man with disabilities has been charged in Taiwan for allegedly spiking his 78-year-old mother's drink with sleeping pills and sexually assaulting her while she was unconscious, leading to her death.

According to Sin Chew Daily News, the incident occurred on Mar. 8, 2025 at the home that the man shared with his mother in New Taipei City.

How it came to light

Police received a report at around 7am that morning after an elderly woman was found lying in a pool of blood at the corridor of her home.

The man told the police he had heard a loud crashing sound at around 4am.

He went out of his room to find his mother lying in the corridor, still breathing.

Sin Chew reported that he then found her face cold and her breathing faint when he went to feed her milk at 6am, and immediately ran to a nearby convenience store to ask a staff member to call for help.

Paramedics arrived and confirmed the woman had already died.

Investigators later found signs suggesting she had been sexually assaulted before her death.

What investigations revealed

Prosecutors there have launched an investigation and ordered the man's arrest on Feb. 25, 2026, per Sin Chew.

He has since been remanded in custody at Taipei Detention Centre and was taken for a psychiatric evaluation in March 2026.

According to China Press, prosecutors found that the man had allegedly administered Zolpidem, a sedative, to his mother before 6am, rendering her unconscious before sexually assaulting her.

She died as a result of drug poisoning and brain injury.

Investigators believe the man's actions were related to his unstable mental state at the time.

He has been indicted on charges of causing death through sexual assault by means of drugs, per China Press.

The police have arrested a 32-year-old woman on Jun. 25, 2026 for her suspected involvement in a case of theft of motorcycle.

On Jun. 23, at about 6pm, the police were alerted to the theft, where a motorcycle parked along Woodlands Drive 52 was reported missing.

Through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from police cameras, officers from Woodlands Police Division established the identity of the woman and arrested her.

Preliminary investigations revealed that on Jun. 22, the woman had spotted the unattended motorcycle with the ignition key on it.

She managed to start the motorcycle and rode it away. The stolen motorcycle was subsequently recovered.

The woman is also believed to be involved in a separate theft of a motorcycle that was reported stolen from the car park of Jurong West Street 81.

The woman will be charged in court on Jun. 26 with the offence of theft of motor vehicle under Section 379A of the Penal Code 1871.

The offence carries an imprisonment term of up to seven years and a fine.

Police investigations are also ongoing against the 32-year-old woman for an additional offence of riding the motorcycle without a valid driving licence.

Migrant workers from a third firm in Singapore are joining those from two previous firms in seeking authorities' help over unpaid wages.

All three firms, VVR Plant Engineering, SK Industries and KPA Engineering, are found to share the same director, a Singapore permanent resident who has reportedly left the country, according to The Straits Times (ST).

Workers from the latter two firms had previously approached the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) Services Centre in Bendemeer on Jun. 22 regarding their outstanding salary payments and housing arrangements.

They were primarily from India and Bangladesh.

Missing director

The director of the three firms is Indian national Ramu Palani Velu.

According to ST, he is a director of seven companies in Singapore, providing services such as air-conditioning, plumbing and building.

His registered address at a private estate in Hillview was found to have been rented out to foreigners for the past two years, and is currently rented to a doctor.

The condominium's security guard also stated that creditors had been turning up with claims of unpaid loans and payment defaults, though they were refused access.

At Ramu's previous registered address at Marine Crescent, a lawyer's letter was also placed at the front door, ST found.

He has remained uncontactable to date.

Bought company for 'not a lot of money'

The family that had previously owned the third firm, VVR Plant Engineering, said they sold the company to Ramu in 2025 after facing a "family crisis".

However, they were unsure who Ramu was as he was introduced by a third party.

According to the family, Ramu had said he did not need the 15 to 20 workers the company employed at the time.

The sale was also allegedly made "not for a lot of money", they said.

The family had initially thought that Ramu was interested in buying the business for its value in having access to work permits for the specialised process sector, which is difficult to obtain for new companies.

They have not been in contact with Ramu since, they said.

According to ST, Ramu started KPA Engineering, which was last recorded as having S$1 million in capital, in 2014.

Ramu was known to workers as the big boss, while daily operations were run by an Indian national named Moorthy.

The latter has also been uncontactable.

MOM investigating

About 400 migrant workers filed claims over the alleged unpaid wages.

In a visit to the Tuas View Dormitory on the morning of Jun. 24, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and NTUC are working to help the migrant workers recover their salaries.

Ng said MOM and NTUC are working to help the migrant workers recover their salaries while the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) and its partners are working to contact the employers.

KPA Engineering and SK Industries are also under investigation for possible breaches, reported ST.

Meanwhile, S$100 in cash and S$100 in NTUC vouchers have been extended to migrant workers affected by unpaid wages, who are members of the Migrant Workers' Centre (MWC). 

Affected workers can join as an MWC member to receive the cash and vouchers.

150 job vacancies from 40 construction firms are being offered to the affected workers and lodging, transport, and food for them are also being arranged.

A 40-year-old Malaysian man was arrested at Woodlands Checkpoint after allegedly attempting to smuggle duty-unpaid cigarettes via a bus.

ICA officers had to use an electric circular saw to cut open the vehicle’s chassis to locate the hidden contraband.

The incident occurred on Jun. 15.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) posted about the incident on Facebook on Jun. 25.

The suspect was driving into Singapore via a Malaysia-registered bus.

Officers profiled the bus and directed it for enhanced checks.

More than 880 cartons and 110 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were retrieved from the modified engine compartment of the vehicle.

The exhibits and suspect were referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation, ICA added.

A 25-year-old male motorcyclist and his 21-year-old female pillion are dead following an accident where their motorcycle reportedly self-skidded along Yio Chu Kang road in the wee hours of Jun. 25, 2026.

According to a Xiaohongshu post, two police tents could be seen on the left lane of a two-lane road.

The video, which appeared to be taken from a bus, showed a police motorcycle a short distance behind the tents, with two police vehicles lined up behind it.

A number of officers could be seen surrounding the tents, and the lane was cordoned off by traffic cones.

2 dead

In response to Mothership's queries, the police said they were alerted at about 3:35am on Jun. 25 to an accident involving a motorcycle, which was believed to have self-skidded along Yio Chu Kang Road towards Upper Thomson Road.

Responding to Mothership's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted at about 3:30am on Jun. 25 to a road traffic accident along Yio Chu Kang Road.

A 25-year-old male motorcyclist and his 21-year-old female pillion were pronounced dead at the scene by an SCDF paramedic.

Police investigations are ongoing.

A seriously ill child under the age of 12 has been euthanised in the Netherlands.

This is the first time the procedure has been carried out on a patient in this age group.

The euthanasia took place at the end of 2025, according to a parliamentary letter by Dutch Health Minister Sophie Hermans, The Telegraph reported.

The letter, first released by Dutch media, did not include any information about the child's age, identity, or medical details.

Euthanasia has been legal in the Netherlands since 2002 for newborns under the age of one, as well as for patients aged 12 and above.

In 2024, the law was expanded to bridge the gap, legalising the procedure for children under the age of 12.

It is strictly limited to children suffering from incurable terminal illnesses who face extreme, unalleviated pain with no prospect of recovery.

Parental or legal guardian consent is mandatory for minors.

A review committee has examined the case and spoken to the attending doctor, Hermans stated in her letter.

The committee has since submitted its findings to public prosecutors, who will decide whether the doctor fully acted in accordance with the law, Hermans said.

She added that the committee’s official report is expected to be released to the public shortly.

A 45-year-old man in Singapore was arrested on Jun. 23 for his suspected involvement in a loanshark harassment case.

In a police news release, the police said they were alerted to the incident at around 6pm on Jun. 20, at a residential unit along Tampines Street 12.

A debtor's note had been pasted on the door of the unit.

Parts of the note read:

"Owe money pay money!!

This time for warning. Inform this house unit.

Don't sabo u all!

Second time I come will be ugly!!!!"

Officers from the Bedok Police Division subsequently identified the suspect through ground enquiries and footage from police cameras, leading to his arrest.

The note, as well as a mobile phone, were seized as case exhibits.

The man is expected to be charged in court on Jun. 25 under the Moneylenders Act 2008.

First-time offenders convicted of loanshark harassment face a fine between S$5,000 and S$50,000, a jail term of up to five years, and up to six strokes of the cane.

The police reiterated that they have zero tolerance for loanshark harassment, warning that anyone who vandalises property, causes public alarm, or disrupts public peace and safety will be dealt with severely under the law.

Members of the public were also urged to steer clear of loansharks and to avoid working with, or assisting them in any way.

Anyone with information about suspected loanshark activity is encouraged to call the police at 999.

A fire broke out on a floating fish farm near Pulau Ubin and Pulau Ketam.

The incident off Pasir Ris occurred on the evening of Jun. 24.

In a photo sent to Mothership, the farm could be seen ablaze.

Emergency response vessels were also present.

In response to queries from Mothership, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to the fire at about 8:10pm on the day of the incident.

The fire, which involved a section of the floating fish farm, was extinguished by marine vessels from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and Airport Emergency Service.

Members of the public from neighbouring fish farms had also rendered assistance to contain the fire, SCDF said.

No injuries were reported.

Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.

Limp Bizkit will be playing a show in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Dec. 9, 2026.

It will be the band's only Asia stop.

The concert will be at National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

Tickets are priced from RM398 (S$124.90) to RM786 (S$246.60), on sale from Jun. 30, 12pm (Malaysia time).

“We are proud to make Malaysia the destination for fans across Asia to come together and witness a truly iconic band live on stage,” said Keeran D, head of special projects at Hitman Solutions, a concert promoter and event management company.

Teasers

Hitman Solutions teased the band's upcoming performance on social media earlier in the week.

The company's founder Rohit Rampal also posted online a video of him presenting the band's frontman Fred Durst with a miniature Royal Selangor keris.

Limp Bizkit formed in 1994 in Jacksonville, Florida.

They are one of the late 90s/ early 2000s nu metal pioneers.

They made a surprise comeback in 2021 with the release of "Still Sucks", a new album in more than a decade.