A 30-year-old Singaporean man accepted S$1,000 from a secret society "boss" to assault a stranger.

The accused has been jailed for about 21 months.

According to court documents, Lu Zhong Cheng was convicted of four charges on Sep. 2, with another three taken into consideration during sentencing.

The accused carried out the assault when he was 29 years old.

Took S$1,000 to assault stranger

Lu's secret society "boss" approached him in September 2025 with the offer.

The "boss" had reportedly struck a deal with another secret society member to find someone to beat up an "enemy”, Shin Min Daily News reported.

Lu was short of cash and took up the task without knowing the reason for the grudge.

On Sep. 2, 2025, the "boss" sent Lu the 51-year-old victim's photo, car plate number, and home and work addresses.

The next day, the "boss" and Lu met in person, and Lu was told to beat the victim until he bled and to photograph the injuries as proof.

Two days of waiting

Lu waited outside the victim's home on Sep. 3 from 4pm until 9pm, but the man did not come home, according to Shin Min.

He returned the following day and started watching the block from 2pm.

At about 5:30pm, the victim came back from work.

Lu got into the lift with him at Block 130B Lorong 1 Toa Payoh.

Once the doors shut, Lu punched him twice in the face.

The victim fought back. In the scuffle, Lu pushed him to the ground and fell on top of him, fracturing his right ankle.

Lu photographed the injuries, left, and later collected his S$1,000.

The victim went to the police and was treated at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He was given 14 days of medical leave.

The assault was caught on the lift's CCTV, which prosecutors played in court on Sep. 2.

Lu was sentenced to seven months' jail and a S$1,000 fine for the assault, per court documents.

Let bank account be used for criminal proceeds

He also let his bank account be used for criminal proceeds.

In September 2025, Lu allowed his DBS account to be used to transfer and withdraw proceeds of crime, knowing the person using it was involved in criminal activity.

He was sentenced to 12 months' jail.

Caught driving without a licence while on remission

On Nov. 27, 2023, Lu ran a red light at the junction of Corporation Road and Jurong West Avenue 1, per Shin Min.

During investigations, Lu admitted he had been driving a borrowed car without a valid licence, having been convicted of a similar offence in 2018.

Both traffic charges were committed while he was on remission, from Nov. 15, 2023 to Mar. 4, 2024, which added extra jail time to his overall sentence, per court documents.

The total

Lu was given about 21 months' jail in total, plus an enhanced 20 days for offending during his remission period.

He was also fined S$1,000, and given a 36-month driving ban from the date of his release.

The sentences took effect from Sep. 5, 2025.

A woman who sued Prudential after she had her S$100,000 brain surgery claim denied has lost her suit.

District Judge Teo Guan Kee ruled that it was unfair to say that Prudential had "buried" its clause regarding exclusions to brain aneurysm surgery.

In response to Mothership's queries, the woman, Cai Yanhong, said she plans to appeal the verdict.

The stroke

In 2023, Cai suffered a stroke from a ruptured brain aneurysm.

She collapsed on the bus and was conveyed to the National University Hospital (NUH) by ambulance, where she underwent an emergency operation performed by the head of neurosurgery.

The surgery was an endovascular repair, a minimally-invasive procedure. Cai subsequently recovered.

But when she tried to make a claim under her early critical illness policy from Prudential — the Prulife Multiplier, which she purchased in 2016 — her claim was denied.

This is because according to the policy contract, endovascular repair is not covered by insurance.

Brain aneurysm surgery is only covered if it is done in the form of a surgical craniotomy, an open-skull procedure.

The suit

In March this year, Cai commenced her lawsuit for the full claim amount of S$108,500 against the insurer.

The woman, who was self-represented, argued that she was not given a choice of what surgery would be performed, being "unconscious, in the ICU, fighting for [her] life".

She also pointed out that the surgery Prudential covered was riskier, more invasive, and had higher mortality rates than the minimally-invasive one.

Furthermore, Cai argued that the exclusions to the medical conditions, apart from exclusions for pre-existing conditions, were not explained to her during the sales process.

While she did see the policy summary, as a layperson then without the condition, she "would not understand the terminology" of the exclusion, she said.

In its defence, Prudential countered that the contract had "made it very clear" that the surgery Cai underwent was not covered in the policy.

An email sent to Cai about the policy at the time of purchase set out the definitions of critical illnesses that would entitle her to payment.

This included the definition of brain aneurysm surgery, which was defined only as surgical craniotomy, and not endovascular repair.

Said a lawyer for the insurer:

"In essence, Ms Cai’s case is that the terms of the contract between the parties ought to somehow be what she likes them to be, as opposed to what had been expressly agreed in writing between the parties.

This position is without any legal or factual basis whatsoever."

The judgment

In a written judgment published Sep. 3, the judge dismissed Cai's claim.

To Cai's argument that she was not fairly informed of the terms of the policy, particularly the exclusion of endovascular repair, the judge said he was unable to accept this.

He also disagreed that there was any "secret or hidden redefining of the term 'brain aneurysm surgery'".

Cai had been provided with a copy of the product summary, and she also initialled it, acknowledging receipt of all pages of the product summary, the judge said.

Through this, she confirmed that the contents of the summary "had been explained to her satisfaction".

Upon receipt of the policy documents, Cai had also been told that she had a 14-day period to review the documents and ask for the policy to be cancelled, if she was dissatisfied with it.

But Cai did not cancel the policy.

"The effect of [Cai's] argument is that policyholders should not be bound by a term of their insurance policy, if they independently form a belief that it is not necessary for them to read all the provisions of their policy," he said.

"I am not aware of any authority which supports such a principle."

The response

Following the judgment, Cai said she will "most likely" appeal, and intends to seek help from the legal community.

"I know my way around contracts, but I do lack professional medical knowledge. If I can't make out the exclusions, most people outside the medical profession probably won't," she said.

"It doesn't matter how closely you look at the contracts. You don't know what you don't know."

In response to Mothership's comments, a Prudential spokesperson said that they are thankful for the favourable conclusion of the case.

"Ms Cai’s claim was assessed in accordance with the policy she purchased 10 years ago, and it was determined that the surgical procedure she underwent was not covered under the terms of that policy... The court has affirmed that the claim was assessed in line with the policy contract," the spokesperson said.

They added that they will look into waiving any court-ordered costs payable to Prudential "as a gesture of goodwill".

The spokesperson also said that the case underscores the importance of greater awareness of critical illness insurance.

Prudential will continue to strengthen its financial literacy efforts to help the public make more informed financial decisions, they said.

Related stories

A total of 52 Singaporeans have been arrested and detained in Guangxi, China, following a law enforcement operation against suspected pyramid scheme activities and related offences, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Sep. 4, 2026.

MFA said it was informed of the arrests by the Chinese authorities.

Investigations by the Chinese authorities are ongoing.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has contacted its Chinese counterparts to seek more information.

Consular visits

MFA added that it has been engaging the Chinese authorities through the Singapore Embassy in Beijing and the Singapore Consulate-General in Guangzhou.

MFA has conducted consular visits to all 52 Singaporeans to check on their well-being and provide consular assistance.

MFA is also in contact with their next-of-kin.

MFA said: "The Singapore government does not intervene in foreign judicial systems, just as we expect foreign governments to respect our laws and legal process."

"MFA will continue to engage the Chinese authorities and provide consular assistance to the Singaporeans and their families. We will stress that due process should be accorded to the Singaporeans in accordance with Chinese law," the ministry added.

Singaporeans travelling or residing overseas are subject to the laws of the countries they are in, MFA said.

MFA added: "Singaporeans are reminded to exercise caution when invited to take part in schemes involving the recruitment of participants or the upfront payment of substantial sums of money, whether overseas or locally."

Sim Ann, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Second Minister for Home Affairs, told media on Friday:

"In Singapore, MFA officers are in touch with their next of kin, and I have met the family members of most of the detainees. We're doing all we can to help them through an understandably difficult time."

"MFA and the Singapore Police Force are engaging the Chinese authorities to obtain further information on the cases."

"Even as we provide consular assistance to the affected Singaporeans. I would like to emphasise that the Singapore government does not interfere in the judicial process and investigations of other countries, just as we expect foreign governments to respect our laws and legal process."

Background

It was previously reported over a decade ago in July 2017 that pyramid scheme activities have existed in China and the authorities were clamping down on them by making large-scale arrests.

CGTN reported at the time that pyramid schemes were infamous for deceptive fund-raising and relentless pressure on recruited members.

They are run on an outlawed multi-level business model in China that makes illegal profits by entrapping others into the scheme, rather than making investments or selling products, it was also reported.

One scheme in Guangxi has been ongoing since at least 1998, according to an online account of such scams.

To be part of the scheme, the mandatory entry fee for people who join was 69,800 yuan (S$13,171), with a promise of achieving returns that could reach 10.4 million yuan (S$1.96 million) who reach the highest level of the organisation structure.

MFA and SPF did not name the scheme the arrested Singaporeans were allegedly involved in.

However, Guangxi is where the notorious “1040 Sunshine Project” originated from.

It has been referred to as the “Beibu Gulf Development Project” and “Nanning investment scam”.

The scam has even spread to Southeast Asia.

One tactic involves telling participants they are part of a secret and lucrative investment to drum up its exclusivity.

Participants are then isolated from friends and family and brainwashed and lectured on getting rich.

China investigated more than 200,000 cases of pyramid schemes and direct selling violations between 2021 and 2025, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation.

It is an offence to organise or lead pyramid scheme activities in China.

In June 2025, China revised its public security laws so that police can issue fines and short detentions against rank-and-file participants of pyramid schemes.

These participants usually escaped prosecution.

The revisions were effective in January 2026.

An 84-year-old woman from Pontian, Johor, was awarded a black belt in taekwondo on Jun. 6 2026.

Sin Chew reported that the woman, named Lim Sek Eng, had practiced taekwondo for 16 years, finally achieving her dream of reaching a black belt rank.

She was awarded the honorary rank of black belt, 1st dan from the Kukkiwon (also known as the World Taekwondo Headquarters), the highest and most central authority for Taekwondo worldwide.

Her martial arts journey

Lim hails from the small town of Pekan Nanas, which means "pineapple town" in Malay and is known for its pineapple production.

She told Sin Chew that she embarked on her training at the age of 58 with her youngest son, who is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioner.

No slouch himself, the 42-year-old obtained a black belt at the mere age of 16 and started teaching since.

Lim would initially help to take care of the students at the dojo but as time passed, she began to learn alongside them.

Despite suffering from ailments and pain in her legs, she persisted in her training.

A hard life

In her younger days, Lim worked in a pineapple factory, earning only RM0.25 (S$0.078) an hour. Eventually, she opened a fruit stall with her husband, selling cut fruit, agar jelly, and herbal jelly to support her family.

Because she would often go around selling fruit on a tricycle, she began developing various problems in her legs, reported Sin Chew.

Due to her deteriorating health, she was forced to give up taekwondo at age 74.

In 2019, she also fractured her femur for a second time, and since then, has been bound to a wheelchair and is only able to walk short distances.

Achievement

Nevertheless, her story eventually reached the higher-ups at the Kukkiwon, who decided to award her with the honorary black belt certificate.

Lim admitted that she never participated in Taekwondo promotion exams. She pointed to the difficulty of finding a suitable sparring partner at her age, a necessary component of taking the exam.

However, her youngest son believes that she had gained competency in multiple aspects of Taekwondo, such as kicking and stances, and estimates that her skill level hovered around the black belt, 3rd dan rank.

Lim now lives with her son and takes care of her three grandchildren. She also helps dispense medicine and takes care of patients at her son's TCM clinic.

Well-loved Singaporean rapper, actor, and businessman Sheikh Haikel has revealed he has stage 4 colon cancer and has been battling it for over a year.

CNA reported that he kept the diagnosis secret over the past year, only going public with his condition on Sep. 4.

He said that while his family did not want to announce it and make others worry, the cancer had "spread aggressively" to his liver and he now felt it was appropriate for people to know.

Sheikh also talked about his condition in an emotional video he posted on Instagram.

He gave thanks to his wife, family, and supporters. He wrote in the caption, "If I meet you and we say hi, let me give you the FINAL APPLAUSE to say thank you".

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He ended off his video saying he was going to give it his "best shot", emphasising that he isn't going "nowhere anytime soon".

He also expressed his love for his wife and children:

"Thank you for everything, everyone. Thank you."

Sheikh is best known for winning the Asia Bagus singing contest in 1991 and starring in the Singapore classic Army Daze in 1996.

He was also a DJ for the radio station 987 FM and owns a halal beef noodle restaurant, Ge Ji Beef Noodles, with his wife Anna Belle Francis.

The couple have three children.

The eldest son of the Malaysian king is potentially facing a S$2 billion tax bill over the proposed sale of his land in Singapore, but said he was "more than happy" to pay taxes in both countries.

Ismail Ibrahim said in a Sep. 3 post on X that "this is normal" as a regular taxpayer.

"No complication and more than happy to contribute to both countries. Should make it double."

Sale of land

The crown prince and regent of Johor was responding to another X user claiming that Malaysians did not need to pay taxes in Malaysia but had to do so in other countries.

This was in reference to the proposed sale of his land in the Tyersall Park area, Malaysiakini reported.

According to The Business Times, Ismail is seeking to sell the 16.6 hectares of land, which includes a plot he obtained in a land swap with the city-state's government in 2025.

That would enable properties being built on the land to be further from the Unesco World Heritage Site Botanic Gardens.

The S$2 billion tax estimated by three local property analysts is imposed when the government grants planning permission or other approvals increasing the land's value, BT reported.

Malaysiakini reported that the Singapore Land Authority, who administers the tax, said it does not comment on market speculation regarding the intentions of landowners or potential private transactions.

Residential use

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) had previously said in March 2026 that Ismail applied to develop the land for residential use.

He reportedly planned to develop his land parcels at Holland Road for residential uses, if approved, for low-rise, low-density housing and Good Class Bungalows.

In a press release on Mar. 17, URA said it received a development application from the ROJ.

The URA has reviewed the application with technical agencies and is proposing to rezone the ROJ's land parcels to "residential" status.

A representative for Ismail declined to comment.

Singapore’s 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) entered the "Unhealthy" range in the morning of Sep. 4, as hazy conditions affected the country.

The PSI first crossed 100 at 7am, and reached 105 at 10am, according to the National Environment Agency's (NEA) website.

Air quality is classified as "Unhealthy" when the 24-hour PSI exceeds 100.

The Meteorological Service Singapore said earlier this week that hazy conditions are expected in the first half of September, with dry weather causing an increase in hotspot activity and smoke haze in the region.

In a joint media release issued on behalf of agencies in the Haze Task Force (HTF) on Friday, NEA said it will begin issuing daily haze advisories from Friday evening.

This is the first time the PSI has entered the "Unhealthy" range due to haze since Oct. 8, 2023, the agency said.

Daily haze advisories

Agencies under the HTF have implemented their respective action plans and advisories to protect the health and well-being of the public, NEA said.

The agency’s daily haze advisories will include a 24-hour PSI forecast, which members of the public can use to plan activities and events for the following day.

It added that the health impact of the haze is dependent on each individual’s health status, the PSI level, and the duration and intensity of outdoor activities.

Reducing outdoor activities and physical exertion can help minimise the effects of haze exposure, NEA said.

The public is also advised to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

People with chronic heart and lung conditions should also ensure that their medication is on hand and readily accessible.

Vulnerable persons, especially the elderly, pregnant women, children, and those with chronic heart and lung conditions should seek medical attention promptly if they develop symptoms or feel unwell, said the agency.

Current air quality readings and advisories are available on www.haze.gov.sg, www.nea.gov.sg, as well as the myENV app.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has also worked with healthcare institutions and long-term care providers to put haze preparedness measures in place.

These include the use of air purifiers and fans, as well as portable air coolers, where appropriate, to reduce ambient temperatures.

The public healthcare institutions are also monitoring patients closely for possible health effects of the haze and will provide appropriate medical intervention where necessary, NEA affirmed.

A 57-year-old man in China ended up stranded on a mountain after asking an AI for directions, and had to be rescued by firefighters.

The man, surnamed Yang, got lost on the afternoon of Aug. 30 while hiking in Yinzhou district in Ningbo, Zhejiang, according to NetEase.

He went off the trail

Yang, originally from Hunan, has worked in Ningbo for years.

He exercises regularly and had gone up the mountainous area that weekend to hike.

Upon reaching the summit, he decided to try a different route down. He followed a stream, but realised the path got noticeably harder.

Unsure what to do next, he turned to an AI app for directions.

It told him that going down along the stream was the wrong way. Instead, he should move away from the streambed and head for higher ground.

Yang followed the advice and started climbing. But it did not get any easier, with thick bushes and steep, slippery slopes.

After several rounds of going up and down the hillside, he was exhausted and completely lost. He eventually called for help.

Firefighters found him by shouting

Firefighters reached the foot of the mountain and began searching based on the location he had sent.

However, they had trouble making contact with him as his phone line was constantly engaged. When the team got to the spot he had marked, he was not there.

They eventually reached him again after several tries, and got him to turn on live location sharing.

As they combed through the area, they shouted as they went. Yang heard them and called back, and they followed the sound to him before bringing him safely down.

The AI's reply

The next day, Yang went back to the AI to complain that it had led him the wrong way, and said he should have just used a navigation app, Sin Chew Daily reported.

The AI replied: "Haha, true! Looking back, if you'd just used navigation and followed a proper trail yesterday, you wouldn't have ended up going down that 45-degree slope and having such a rough time."

The National Stadium will be hosting four international football friendlies in November 2026, featuring Singapore, Brazil, Japan, and Paraguay.

The Singapore Lions will play Paraguay on Nov. 13, 8pm, followed by a match between Japan and Brazil on Nov. 14, 6:15pm.

Nov. 17 will feature a double-header, starting with Singapore taking on Brazil at 6pm, followed by Japan facing Paraguay at 9:10pm.

The four matches are part of the inaugural Mizuho Blue Challenge – The Kallang Football Series Singapore, The Kallang Group and Dentsu Sports International (DSI) announced in a joint press release on Sep. 3.

In the FIFA world rankings as of Sep. 2, Brazil is fifth, Japan are 17th and Paraguay are 34th.

Tickets

Tickets to all four matches go on sale on Sep. 4 at 12pm via The Kallang's website.

For the opening match between Singapore and Paraguay, ticket prices start from S$28 for Category 4 seats "to encourage more people to support the Lions on home ground", according to the press release.

Fans who wish to get a VIP seat to that game can grab it at S$188.

As for the other three friendlies, prices start from S$98 for a Category 4 seat, and go up to S$888 for a VIP seat.

Here are the various ticket categories and prices:

There will also be a S$6 booking fee per ticket for tickets S$50 and above, and S$3 per ticket for those under S$50.

Singapore head coach Gavin Lee said the team is "excited for any opportunity to play against strong opposition".

"These kinds of matches are invaluable to us because they test us and show us where we are and, more importantly, where we still need to improve.

We’ve made good progress, but there’s still a lot of work ahead of us, and every game we play now is about helping us prepare for the Asian Cup."

Tommy Koh, former ambassador-at-large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), announced his retirement earlier in August, bringing an end to 55 years of service.

He was also conferred the Minister for Foreign Affairs Lifetime Distinguished Service Award by Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan on Aug. 7.

Throughout his life, said Koh, he was never interested in pursuing wealth. Instead, he wanted to pursue justice.

"I wanted to use the law to defend the poor against the rich, and the weak against the strong," the 88-year-old said in a video posted on the MFA's Instagram page on Sep. 1.

Young ambassador to the United Nations

At the age of 30, Koh was appointed Singapore's permanent representative to the United Nations.

He recalled hesitating when then-Foreign Minister S Rajaratnam first asked him to take on the role, as he felt he was not qualified for it.

"I was too young... No experience," he said, but there was no one else to take on the position.

According to him, most of the ambassadors at the UN were much older and more senior than him.

In that sense, he considered himself to be "very lucky", as it meant that he was able to learn from senior diplomats who took him under their wing, and helped him understand the workings of international diplomacy.

Spent a decade on the Law of the Sea

Beyond his role at the UN, Koh also served as Singapore’s ambassador to Canada and Mexico.

He was also Singapore’s contact person with China and led the Singapore delegation to the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Being a country close to the sea, said Koh, Singapore was a "transshipment point" and a hub for navigation and trade.

"The sea is very important to us, and the old laws governing the seas were breaking down," he recalled.

As such, when the UN decided to convene a conference to negotiate a new international law governing the seas, Koh told the Singapore government that the country had to participate to protect its interests as a trading nation, shipping nation and port state.

He eventually spent 10 years working on UNCLOS.

Life was harder for his wife

Behind Koh's long diplomatic career was his wife, Poh Siew Aing, who he said had to make a "dramatic" transition.

Koh described his wife as a pessimist who would often warn him that things could go wrong.

"I’m always telling her, don’t worry, everything will be okay," he said.

"Most of the time I’m right," he added with a quip.

For his wife, the journey was far more challenging, he said.

Poh went from being a medical student who had never travelled abroad to becoming the wife of a UN ambassador.

"I was happy in the UN, but for her, she had to look after the two children," Koh said.

She also had to learn how to cook and host guests, as she had to take care of the diplomats and VIPs visiting New York.

"Life was harder for her than for me", he said. "The transition was too dramatic for her."

But despite the challenges, Poh stood firmly by her husband throughout his diplomatic career.

Lessons from his parents

Koh also reflected on the influence of his parents, whom he described as very different people.

His mother was Shanghainese while his father was Hokkien.

His father was a businessman and a "frustrated linguist", while his mother had been an actress and dancer when she was young.

Koh said he learnt different lessons from each of them.

"From my mother, I would say I learned to love the arts. From my father, I learned something else, which is courage."

That courage, he said, included having the conviction to stand up to bullies and defend Singapore even when the odds were against it.

"From very young, I sort of championed the underdog, wanted everyone to be able to lead a life of dignity."

Koh also joked that he was never particularly interested in making money for himself — a trait his mother did not appreciate.

Singapore's success is "nothing short of a miracle"

Looking back at Singapore’s development, Koh described the country’s success over the past 61 years as "nothing short of a miracle".

He said he was proud of the racial and religious harmony Singapore has achieved.

"I'm particularly proud of the harmony between people of different races and religions," he said.

He pointed to the fact that Singapore’s President and Chief Justice are both from minority communities as an example of the country’s progress.

Koh also said Singapore had done well in educating its young people and preparing them for a rapidly changing world.

With developments in digital technology, robotics, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology, he urged young Singaporeans not to be afraid of change.

"We are well-positioned to do well in the new world," he affirmed. "I'm confident that we will continue to thrive and prosper."

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