A 15-year-old girl was arrested after allegedly stabbing another 15-year-old girl in a school in Banting, Malaysia.

According to local police, the incident occurred between 9:30am and 10am on Jul. 6, The New Straits Times reported.

In a video circulating online, students were seen running away from the alleged assailant.

The attacker, who wore a black shirt, a black cap and red-checkered pants, was seen holding a knife in her right hand.

Witnesses claimed that she apparently entered the school compound through the main gate.

According to The Star, a teacher reportedly managed to calm her down near the school's prayer room.

The 15-year-old was subsequently arrested.

The victim was conveyed to the hospital and was reported to be in a stable condition.

The Selangor State Education Department is cooperating with authorities and has deployed counsellors to provide psychological support to affected school staff and students.

14 stab wounds

According to The New Straits Times, the father of the victim, 43-year-old Mohd Firuz Ibrahim, was at work sorting goods when he noticed several missed calls on his mobile phone.

He returned the call after realising that his daughter's teacher was trying to reach him.

"At first, I thought my daughter might have fallen ill or had a fever. I was shocked when I found out she had been stabbed," he said.

Firuz arrived at the hospital to find his daughter “was in quite a bad condition”.

The doctors informed him that his daughter had suffered multiple injuries, including to her left lung, and were working to remove blood from it.

His daughter reportedly sustained 14 stab wounds, mostly to her back, with other injuries to her face and head.

"She is conscious and able to speak," Firuz said.

Classmates

Firuz added that his daughter knew the alleged attacker as they were classmates in 2025.

He does not believe his daughter was the intended target; "maybe she wanted to target someone else, but my daughter happened to be the closest to her," he theorised.

His daughter, the second of his three children, had apparently been studying at the school for the past three years.

She had never complained about being harassed or having problems with the other girl.

The New Straits Times reported that the alleged attacker had reportedly been absent from school for several months and was undergoing medical treatment before the incident.

The motive for the incident remains unclear, and police are expected to issue an official statement on the matter.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong met with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on Jul. 6 for the annual Singapore-Indonesia Leaders' Retreat.

Arrival

PM Wong landed in Indonesia on the evening of Jul. 5, where he was met on the tarmac by Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and Foreign Minister Sugiono, as he disembarked from a Republic of Singapore Air Force Multirole Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft.

He was met by Prabowo on Jul. 6 at the Istana Negara, where the pair engaged in a one-on-one meeting, then a bilateral meeting with accompanying ministers, and then a working lunch hosted by Prabowo.

On this visit, PM Wong was accompanied by several cabinet ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng, and Minister for Social and Family Development, Masagos Zulkifli.

The pair oversaw the exchange of several agreements and Memorandums of Understanding, before speaking to the press.

Special relationship

PM Wong emphasised the role the Leaders' Retreat played in the Singapore-Indonesia relationship, seeing that it reflected a special relationship between the two countries, which is also characterised by close ties, mutual trust, respect, and understanding.

Singapore and Indonesia were closely linked, and PM Wong emphasised that Singapore wanted Indonesia to succeed.

He said that Singapore's confidence in Indonesia was reflected in its actions, noting that Singapore had invested consistently in Indonesia over many years and would continue to do so.

Such investment created businesses, downstream industries, digital infrastructure opportunities, and good jobs for Indonesians.

Singaporean companies, meanwhile, continue to see many opportunities in Indonesia, such as the “flagship collaboration” in the Batam, Bintan, and Karimun (BKK) region.

PM Wong emphasised that by working together, Singapore and Indonesia could create many more opportunities, strengthen the two countries' resilience, and make the region, through Asean, more competitive.

Three areas

He highlighted three areas of Singapore-Indonesian cooperation: first, in energy security and diversification; second, in people-to-people ties; and third, in improved institutional links.

Energy

PM Wong said that developments in the Middle East had reminded both countries of the importance of energy security and diversification, and noted Indonesia's tremendous potential in renewable energy.

Singapore was investing in renewable energy projects in Indonesia, as well as signing an MOU to pave the way for cross-border electricity projects.

People-to-people ties

Second, PM Wong spoke about the people-to-people ties between Singapore and Indonesia, giving examples such as student exchanges as well as expanded transport connectivity links.

He gave the example of national carriers launching direct flights between an ever-increasing number of Indonesian cities, such as between Singapore and Pontianak, that launched in the past week.

He said that he hoped more flight connections would enable tourists and, particularly, Singaporeans to “experience the beauty of Indonesia, as well as to support business travel and facilitate more interactions between our people.”

Institutional links

Finally, he highlighted a strong institutional link between the two countries, noting the particularly good relations between the Singapore Armed Forces and the TNI.

He highlighted the contributions that Prabowo had made in fostering strong ties between the two countries' militaries when he was Defence Minister.

Under the Defence Cooperation Agreement, both militaries were exploring the development of training facilities in West Kalimantan, which would provide more opportunities to train together and deepen defence relations.

Engage and consult

PM Wong said that in light of Singapore becoming Asean Chair in 2027, it will “engage and consult closely” with Indonesia over its chairmanship agenda.

He also said that Singapore and Indonesia were “strategically aligned" when it came to the Straits of Malacca.

“We both share (an) interest in upholding navigational rights and freedoms, and keeping sea lines of communication open to all, including unimpeded right of transit passage of vessels in accordance with UNCLOS, which is also customary international law.”

In conclusion, he lauded the close and deep partnership between Singapore and Indonesia, and looked forward to taking relations to “even greater heights” while celebrating 60 years of diplomatic ties in 2027.

Ken-chan – the black cat who has persisted in trying to enter a museum in Hiroshima, Japan, for a decade — has finally made it inside.

Or at least, his likeness has.

The late feline, who became famous for his attempts to slip past the security guard at the Onomichi City Museum of Art, has been immortalised as a wood-carved statue.

The statue is being displayed at the museum as part of sculptor Mio Hashimoto’s woodcarving exhibition.

Finally entered museum

Since 2016, Ken-chan had been seen at the museum's entrance.

Each time he tried to enter the museum, he would be stopped by a security guard, leading to a long-running “battle” that won the hearts of internet users.

The cat’s attempts were well-documented by the museum, with clips showing him approaching the entrance before being gently turned away.

In some videos, Ken-chan could be seen flopping onto the ground upon the arrival of a security guard, possibly at the revelation that his game was up.

Legacy lives on

Ken-chan passed away peacefully on Sep. 20, 2025; he had been receiving treatment.

The museum announced his passing on Nov. 11, 2025, which it said marked the anniversary of Ken-chan becoming part of the family.

Ken-chan was previously accompanied by an orange cat, Go-chan before the latter was adopted in 2019.

Ken-chan had become something of an unofficial mascot for the museum.

His antics inspired merchandise, calendars, and even a manga titled Mr. Security Guard and the Cat.

Now, with the new statue, Ken-chan has finally achieved what he spent years trying to do.

Related stories

An SBS Transit employee who helped an elderly woman lying in the middle of a road in Jurong West was awarded the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Community First Responder Award.

In addition to receiving SCDF's recognition of his outstanding act of compassion and public-spiritedness, Wong Chee Chuon was commended in a Facebook post on Jul. 3 by SBS Transit.

The incident took place in March 2026.

Woman lying on the road

On Mar. 25, Wong, who is an Assistant Interchange Supervisor, spotted an elderly woman lying across a two-lane road along Jurong West Avenue 3, just outside Boon Lay Bus Interchange.

In footage circulated on social media, she remained in the same position as the traffic light turned from green to red.

The clips also captured a man standing on the road directing traffic away from her; he was later identified as Wong.

According to Lianhe Zaobao, Wong rushed to the scene immediately after being alerted by the interchange's control centre.

Refusal to move

Though the elderly woman was emotionally distressed and initially refused to move, Wong, along with another individual, managed to help her to the side of the road.

Responding to Mothership's queries, the SCDF confirmed they received a call for assistance at around 3:50pm.

According to SBS Transit's post, while waiting for the ambulance to arrive, Wong stayed by the elderly woman's side, patiently comforting her and supporting her back with his hand.

Photo from SBS Transit Ltd/Facebook

Though the woman grew increasingly agitated and shouted at Wong and his colleagues to leave her alone, he remained calm.

Wong explained that they were only there to help and continued to soothe her until SCDF personnel arrived to take over.

Helping is a 'natural thing'

Reflecting on the incident, Wong said, "Helping those in need is a natural thing for me. I'm glad I was able to help at the time."

SBS Transit congratulated Wong on his award, adding that his actions demonstrated how one person's willingness to step forward can make a meaningful difference.

Have you noticed new grey plastic bags at a FairPrice store recently?

Checks by Mothership found that some outlets in Dawson, Toa Payoh, Chinatown Point and Jurong East started providing these grey bags about two weeks back.

Sustainability effort

Mothership understands these new carrier bags incorporate 30 per cent recycled plastics.

The bags will be rolled out gradually across all FairPrice stores to replace the current white plastic bags as part of an islandwide trial.

As part of its sustainability efforts, FairPrice Group also started a "No Plastic Bag" initiative in September 2019 to encourage consumers to bring their own reusable bags by charging for plastic bags.

In 2022, the initiative was implemented across all 178 Cheers and FairPrice Xpress convenience stores and 11 FairPrice supermarkets.

This was before it became compulsory under the National Environmental Agency (NEA)’s Resource Sustainability Act for major supermarket operators to charge at least 5 cents per disposable carrier bag.

The man, who allegedly spat at a police officer who was attending to a fire in Yishun, has been charged in court.

On Jul. 6, he was handed one count of using criminal force towards a public servant, intending to deter him from discharging his duties.

According to charge sheets, Mohamad Yazid bin Junaineh, 43, was under a remission order at the time.

He was previously in prison and placed under a remission order when released from Apr. 15, 2024, to Oct. 12, 2026.

During this time, he must not commit any offence as part of the remission order.

For breaching it, he could get an enhanced sentence of imprisonment for up to 102 days, which is the remaining duration of his order.

The charge sheets did not give details on his previous offence.

What happened

The police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) were attending to a fire that broke out at Block 381 Yishun Ring Road around 5:10pm on Jul. 3.

In videos that circulated on social media, Yazid, wearing a red vest and red shoes, could be seen taunting the police officers.

He appeared to challenge an officer by saying, "I cannot hear, I cannot hear," then walked away shouting, "Don't talk to me!"

The police said he scolded vulgarities at the officers, continuously shouted, and created a disturbance, the police said.

Upon being engaged by officers, the man refused to cease his behaviour and spat on an officer.

This happened sometime between 7:30pm to 7:50pm, according to charge sheets.

He was arrested at the scene.

On Jul. 6, the court ordered for him to be remanded at the Institute of Mental Health for a medical examination.

His case was adjourned to Jul. 20 for a further mention.

People’s Power Party (PPP) secretary-general Goh Meng Seng has stepped down from his role.

The party made the announcement in a Jul. 6 Facebook post.

This is part of the opposition party's leadership renewal, it added.

William Lim Lian Chin will replace Goh after he was elected as PPP's new secretary-general.

He had contested Ang Mo Kio GRC for the party during GE2025.

The party has completed its central executive committee renewal plan, PPP said in a Facebook post.

Derrick Sim, who was part of the PPP's GE2025 Tampines GRC team, also stepped down as party chairman and from the central executive committee.

“The party thank them for their past contributions and leadership with great gratitude,” the PPP announced.

It added: "The Party under the new leadership will continue to strive on in providing Singaporeans a Real Voice of Truthful Concerns and contribute towards the robust development of Democracy for Singapore."

A 24-year-old Singaporean man died following a suspected lightning strike off Pasir Ris Beach on Jul. 5.

He has been identified as Mikhail Benyamin, a freelance sea sports instructor.

Tributes and condolences for the deceased remembered him as a dependable "big brother" figure who was deeply passionate about water sports.

What happened

Mikhail was having a picnic at Pasir Ris Park with his family and friends before the group went out to sea to paddle, it was previously reported.

As a freelance instructor with Outdoor Adventures and Kokomo Beach Club, he borrowed five kayaks and several paddles from the club, whose staff are permitted to use them outside of work hours.

Although it was an informal event, Mikhail had conducted a standard safety briefing for the group before heading out.

Mikhail and seven others aged between 13 and 54 were kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding within the designated area and were returning to shore when the lightning struck.

Police confirmed they were alerted to the incident at 131 Pasir Ris Road at about 4:50pm.

Mikhail was taken unconscious to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Five others were taken to Sengkang General Hospital and two were conveyed to KK Women's and Children's Hospital.

Skies had been clear, no warning sirens

Outdoor Adventures Chief Operating Officer Berwin Tan told CNA on Jul. 6 that standard safety protocols dictate customers must return to shore immediately if a lightning alert is activated.

In severe weather, the company also deploys sirens, whistles, and direct calls to recall instructors.

However, staff and witnesses on-site reported that the skies were perfectly clear prior to the strike, and no lightning warning sirens had been triggered.

The rain only began after the lightning had already struck, prompting nearby fishermen to rush to the group's aid.

The area where the equipment was kept has since been cordoned off with police tape.

'A beacon of light'

Mikhail had reportedly studied Outdoor Education at Republic Polytechnic and was deeply passionate about water sports, reported 8world.

He was also a qualified water sports instructor and regularly conducted professional kayaking and coaching sessions.

Tan described Mikhail as a highly experienced, reliable instructor, and a "beacon of light" to his peers.

"He has always been like the big brother to many people and was a very reliable instructor," Tan said, adding that the sea sports community has been profoundly affected by the loss.

He added: "It is with a really heavy heart for a lot of us because Mikhail was a very nice person."

Out of respect for Mikhail and his family, Kokomo Beach Club has suspended all operations for two weeks.

Tan added that the company will review and step up its instructor training, focusing on weather awareness and navigating rapidly changing conditions at sea.

The company also extended its deepest condolences to Mikhail's family and committed to offering them full support.

A Singaporean chief executive officer (CEO) was charged with laundering S$38 million by purchasing a S$55 million Good Class Bungalow (GCB) on Jul. 6, 2026.

Aperia Group CEO Alan Wei Zhaolun, 50, pleaded not guilty to all 11 charges, the majority of which relate to an alleged conspiracy to commit fraud involving computer server purchases.

Wei's bail, set at S$1.25 million, was also revoked.

The charges are linked to an ongoing probe into the Aperia Group's alleged Nvidia chip fraud, in which U.S. officials are investigating whether Chinese AI company DeepSeek used intermediaries in Singapore to purchase Nvidia chips.

Bought GCB for S$55 million

According to charge sheets, Wei bought a bungalow at 12 Chee Hoon Avenue between Jul. 16 and Oct. 3, 2024, for S$55 million, of which around S$38 million was from alleged criminal conduct proceeds.

A prohibition of disposal order against the GCB was issued by the police on Jul. 1, 2026.

This means the GCB cannot be sold or transferred while the order is in force.

Allegedly acquired S$5.8 million in personal bank account

Wei also faces two new charges relating to money allegedly received in his bank account.

The first charge relates to approximately S$5.1 million allegedly credited to his bank account between Jul. 25 and Aug. 7, 2024, of which around S$2.6 million allegedly represented benefits from criminal conduct.

The second charge relates to S$698,712 allegedly credited to his bank account on Oct. 3, 2024, of which S$584,192 allegedly represented benefits from criminal conduct.

Accused of conspiring to commit fraud

It was previously reported that three companies under the Aperia Group — A-Speed Infotech, Aperia International and Aperia Cloud Services (II) — have also been charged with related fraud offences.

Wei's alleged co-conspirators are Aperia Group chief financial officer Jenny Lim, 51, and head of sales Aaron Woon Guo Jie, 41, both Singaporeans, reported CNA.

When the trio was first charged with fraud, Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam said investigations revealed that the servers involved may contain Nvidia chips.

Alleged Nvidia chip fraud

The U.S. banned the export of high-end Nvidia chips to China due to concerns that they could be used for military purposes, according to a Bloomberg report on Jan. 31, 2025.

According to a Mar. 3 CNA report, the chips were embedded in servers supplied by Dell and Supermicro to the Singapore-based companies before it was sent to Malaysia.

At the time, Shanmugam said: "The question is whether Malaysia was a final destination or from Malaysia, it went to somewhere else, which we do not know for certain at this point."

“But we assessed that there may have been false representation on the final destination of the servers.”

In January 2025, DeepSeek launched a free AI chatbot that wiped out US$1 trillion (S$1.35 trillion at the time) from tech stocks in a single day.

The company purportedly spent less than US$6 million on the chatbot and supposedly did not use Nvidia's most advanced chips.

Lawyer says charges 'misconceived'

Wei is represented by lawyers from WongPartnership including Melanie Ho, Tang Shangwei, Rachel Ong and Neo Yi Ling.

CNA reported that Ho told the court that Wei denies any wrongdoing and the charges are "misconceived".

Ho said that Wei and the three Aperia group companies have been cooperative and "running to the best of their ability despite these turbulent times".

A spokesperson for the Aperia Group told CNA: "It is unfortunate that despite their best efforts, the companies face these allegations of wrongdoing, which they deny."

Penalties

Those convicted of converting benefits from criminal conduct face up to 10 years' jail, a fine of up to S$500,000, or both.

An individual can face up to 20 years' jail and a fine for engaging in a conspiracy to commit fraud through false representation.

If convicted, the companies could be fined.

The ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition has launched its manifesto for the Jul. 11 Johor state election, centred on transforming the southern state into the "Shenzhen of Southeast Asia."

The reference draws on Shenzhen's transformation from a small city into one of China's largest technology and manufacturing hubs, according to Free Malaysia Today.

PH is fielding 56 candidates for all 56 seats in the state election, which comes after some notable defections from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government.

The election could be taken as an upcoming gauge of support for PH, some years after Anwar took power following the general election in 2022.

Bringing Johoreans back from Singapore

PH is targeting 20,000 professionals based in Singapore to return to Johor by 2031, with job opportunities and entrepreneurship incentives as the draw.

PH also plans to link up Johor's transport network with the JB-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link and ETS, while rolling out a network of RTS feeder buses across Skudai, Kulai, Kempas and Pasir Gudang.

The goal is to cut border crossing wait times by half.

The initiatives are targeted at benefitting more than 300,000 Johoreans who work in Singapore and endure long commutes.

Housing, healthcare & families

Young families would receive RM8,000 (S$2,536) to help with their first home downpayment, with 50,000 households set to benefit. PH also plans to build 80,000 affordable homes over five years, backed by easier financing and rent-to-own options.

On healthcare, the coalition plans to provide 500,000 Johoreans, particularly those in the B40 and M40 income groups as well as the disabled, with up to RM100,000 (S$31,699) in public health insurance coverage.

For families, PH plans to offer a RM1,000 (S$316.94) birth bonus for each child born in Johor.

The coalition also plans to open 250 Madani childcare centres to help women return to the workforce, and roll out a RM50 monthly public transport pass covering students, senior citizens and the disabled.

Youth, SMEs & jobs

Under a proposed RM500 million (approximately S$158 million) youth package, PH plans to fund technical and vocational education, AI training, entrepreneurship programmes and free tuition for B40 students.

Around 200,000 young Johoreans are expected to benefit, with English proficiency and digital skills among the areas targeted.

A separate RM1 billion (approximately S$317 million) fund is earmarked for small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurs, covering new ventures, business digitalisation and boosting Johor's exports to the Asean market.

The coalition is targeting 250,000 new high-paying jobs and a roughly 30 per cent rise in Johor's median income over the next five years. This is set to be achieved by AI-based upskilling, automation and smart logistics.

"Johor for all"

PH's Puteri Wangsa candidate Maszlee Malik said at the launch that the manifesto was a realistic and achievable plan for all Johoreans, from those in Felda settlements to daily commuters crossing into Singapore.

He said: "The manifesto's theme is Johor for all. Because Johor is not for cronies alone. This manifesto is about shared prosperity and safeguarding Johor's future."