Punggol Container Park will be closing, with several tenants being asked to vacate over the next few months.

The landlord City Sprouts, also a tenant at the space, shared in a statement with Mothership that they had to commence the process of informing tenants about the need to vacate after the landowner, Singapore Land Authority (SLA), confirmed that they will have to return the land back to SLA.

The park, which launched around 2017, is home to a cluster of food and drink establishments operating out of repurposed shipping containers in an open-air setting.

SLA replied to Mothership's queries that the lease to City Sprouts cannot be extended as the site is required for future residential redevelopment.

The state property at 50 Punggol East Road will have to be returned to the agency by Dec. 31 upon lease expiry, SLA wrote in their statement.

Tenants' reactions

Some tenants expressed surprise when they learnt the news.

According to chat screenshots seen by Mothership, The Smok Hous found out in early August that it needs to move out by Oct. 31.

The halal smokehouse, which started as a home-based business, set up shop in Punggol Container Park in November 2025.

Owner Isrudy Shaik told Mothership they signed an annual contract to rent the space for about one year.

They were told to operate until Nov. 1 and were given another five days after that to clear all equipment and furniture.

As for what's next, Isrudy is still searching for a new location.

Filipino restaurant Tara Na only opened in Punggol Container Park four months before.

Similar to The Smoke Hous, they were informed that they need to vacate by the end of October despite signing a rental agreement until December 2026, Tara Na's owner Nurnisa Jonson told Berita Harian.

In a video with Isrudy, Nurnisa said, "It's really sad because the people just started to come here, and suddenly [with] one news, they'll all be gone."

The owner of ChickyFish, a longtime restaurant in the park since its establishment 10 years ago, shared in the same video that he was sad about the closure.

He hopes that more people will visit the area and make some memories while it's still around.

Uncertainty about the future

Several tenants were given a later deadline of December to move out.

Details about the last day of operations and future plans remain uncertain to some.

Fitness gym Ark Bloc, which has been around in the park since 2022, wrote on their social media that they have been given "limited information" about the move.

"Our current timeline extends until December 2026, although we have not yet been provided with a confirmed final date of operations."

Its neighbours Hai Bin Prawning and Punggol Billiard both told Mothership they will be closing by December.

An employee at Punggol Billiard who has worked there for five years said they will be sad to leave. They do not know where the billiard hall might move to next.

Hoping to get an extension to operate during year-end festive period

One of the long-time tenants, Whisk and Paddle, told Mothership that hey have always been aware that their tenancy at Tebing Lane would end on Dec. 31, as it was stated in their contract.

However, the cafe had understood that they could operate until that day, but in late August they were asked to fully vacate the premises by Dec. 31.

"This means we have to cease operations much earlier to carry out reinstatement works, with very short notice," the team said.

December is also a festive season where F&B businesses like Whisk and Paddle expects more demand.

They have been seeking assistance from their Member of Parliament (MP) to negotiate with their landlord for some flexibility to operate through December.

They believe it would also allow more time for a smoother transition for their fellow tenants in the area.

Recognise the disruption caused and will help tenants through this transition where possible: City Sprouts

City Sprouts told Mothership they sought to communicate the situation to the affected tenants as early as reasonably possible as they recognise that any closure or relocation can be disruptive to businesses, "especially for F&B operators who have invested significant time and resources into their operations."

To give tenants more time for the transition, they commenced this communication process with their tenants ahead of the require timeline and provided tenants with "substantially more" notice than the typical 60-day notice period, City Sprouts said.

They clarified that City Sprouts has not formally contacted any F&B tenants directly as they have a main sub-tenant that manages the F&B tenants. This sub-tenant was expected to communicate with them about the requirements to cease operations.

Having said that, City Sprouts has remained available to address queries and facilitate the transition where possible, the company said.

"We will continue to work constructively with affected parties during the transition and will provide reasonable assistance and clarification where possible within the constraints of the land return timeline."

A "deeply difficult" outcome

City Sprouts added that the outcome is "deeply difficult" for them, and that they understand the disappointment and uncertainty it creates for their tenants because they share that disappointment.

"We are genuinely heartbroken to have to leave a place that we have spent so much time and energy building together with everyone who has been part of it."

The decision to cease operations was not made by City Sprouts voluntarily but because they have to comply with the landowner's requirements, they emphasised.

Satay by the Bay will close down on Oct. 1, 2026.

It opened in 2013.

The 1,000-seat open-air food court at Gardens by the Bay will make way for the upcoming Wetlands by the Bay development, Gardens by the Bay said in a social media post on Sep. 1.

The Satay by the Bay team thanked customers in an Instagram post on Aug. 28.

The last day of operations will be on Sep. 30.

Background

Wetlands by the Bay, measuring seven football fields, would open in stages from end-2028, Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan previously said in parliament on Mar. 4.

Satay by the Bay, a car park and a nursery will be absorbed along with the existing Kingfisher Wetlands, which is one-third the size of the to-be-completed Wetlands by the Bay.

A new two-storey dining block, slated to open in 2028, will replace Satay by the Bay.

Satay by the Bay began as Satay Club off Beach Road in the late 1940s, according to the National Library Board website.

It moved to the Esplanade area in the 1970s.

The stalls then moved again in 1994 to make way for the development of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay and the Nicoll Highway extension.

Eight of the 28 stalls moved to Clarke Quay Satay Club, which shut in 2005.

Satay by the Bay had eight stalls serving satay.

One person has reportedly died after a fire broke out at a flat at Lorong Lew Lian estate in Upper Serangoon on Sep. 1.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they had found an unconscious person in the living room during the firefighting operation.

The occupant's death was confirmed by Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Seah Kian Peng, who shared the update on his Facebook page.

SCDF said another person was assessed for smoke inhalation and two others for breathlessness.

All three were taken to the hospital.

About 30 people were evacuated as a precaution by the police and SCDF.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Unconscious person found in living room

SCDF said in a Facebook post that it was alerted to the fire at Block 8 Lorong Lew Lian at around 2:45pm.

Upon their arrival, black smoke was emitting from a unit on the third floor.

During the firefighting operation, an unconscious person was found in the living room.

Firefighters took the person out of the unit and started cardiopulmonary resuscitation, before taking him to the hospital.

The fire, which involved contents of the living room, was extinguished using one water jet, SCDF said.

Occupant did not survive fire

In a Facebook post on Sep. 1, Seah shared that the occupant of the unit did not survive the fire.

“Very unfortunate and sad that the occupant did not survive the fire. I have known him for many years now and, in fact, last saw him not so long ago,” he wrote.

Describing the resident as "friendly", Seah said he had resided there for many years and will be missed.

Seah also shared that they are working with agencies to help those affected and inconvenienced by the fire.

He also thanked SCDF for their fast response, as well as the neighbours who helped those impacted.

Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong will visit Bangkok on Sep. 2 for the first Singapore-Thailand Leaders Retreat in over a decade.

PM Wong will be hosted by his Thai counterpart Anutin Charnvirakul, who is also Thailand’s Minister of Interior.

Long-standing ties

During the retreat, both leaders will review Singapore and Thailand’s long-standing defence and economic cooperation.

Singapore and Thailand’s militaries regularly interact at regional multilateral platforms such as the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting, as well as participating in exercises, professional exchanges, and high-level visits.

Thailand is Singapore’s ninth-largest trading partner, and trade between the two states increased 17.8 per cent to S$52.4 billion. Singapore is Thailand’s largest source of Foreign Direct Investment.

The leaders will also explore new opportunities for collaboration in the green and digital economies, as well as on energy resilience, food security, and combating transnational crime.

PM Wong will be accompanied on the visit by his wife, Loo Tze Lui, as well as five ministers:

• Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing
• Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan
• Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister in Charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu
• Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli
• Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo

Previous visit

PM Wong’s visit reciprocates Anutin’s November 2025 visit, shortly after Anutin became Thailand’s PM.

On that occasion, both leaders affirmed their commitment to a mutually beneficial rice trade, as well as agreeing to enhance cooperation in healthcare leadership programs.

"While Singapore-Thailand relations are already mature and multi-faceted, there remains tremendous potential for us to do even more together," PM Wong said at the time.

Over the weekend, Singapore’s Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo spoke to the press about Singapore’s plans to introduce stronger social media safeguards for children and young teens.

During the 2026 National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong highlighted the need to help parents and children with social media safety.

He also stated that self-declaration by the platforms is just not good enough.

Other countries have attempted stringent social media bans; most famously, Australia was the first in the world when it banned teens under the age of 16 from social media in December 2025.

Malaysia is attempting to introduce similar laws, as is Indonesia, with their bans coming into force in the first half of 2026.

Rather than a blanket age ban, Teo indicated that Singapore’s response was looking to be more targeted, aiming at specific design elements of the platforms, rather than simply attempting to keep minors off the platforms altogether.

Experiences around the world

The Australian ban has been in place since December 2025, with Malaysia's ban coming into place in June 2026.

The UK's Online Safety Act has been in place since 2023, and while it is not a social media ban, some of its concerns overlap with other social media bans, resulting in similar enforcement measures.

But what these three laws and others like them have in common, and what they will have in common with Singapore's experience, is that they all required robust identification measures taken either on the part of the social media platforms or the government.

Australia

Australia, having the longest experience with such control measures, is probably the most informative, and for advocates of such principles, perhaps the most disappointing.

Simply put, it does not appear to be working about nine months in.

In a Bloomberg report published on August 25, children between the ages of 10 and 12, as well as between 13 and 15, were all using the social media platform TikTok in higher numbers now than before the ban was introduced.

An online safety expert Bloomberg spoke to, Yasmin London, said that there was an immediate drop in social media usage right after the ban was implemented, but a slow return to the previous usage number, and then an increase.

London said that young children wanted access to social media because they wanted to be connected just like the rest of us.

ABC News reports that one of the failures of the law appears to be the inability to correctly identify the age of a user.

Users have been able to get around age restrictions by using virtual private networks or what is described as a range of basic disguises, such as a latex mask of an old man's face.

The UK Online Safety Act had a similar problem when it was discovered that users could submit screenshots of a popular video game, Death Stranding 2, to circumvent online verification measures required by the UK government.

Another expert that ABC spoke to suggested that while age verification measures might work initially, if children had enough time, they would eventually find a way around them.

Malaysia

Malaysia, perhaps, might have thought it would be able to circumvent such verification issues, as it, like Singapore, had a robust digital ID system tied to government identification documents.

But a report published by The New York Times on Aug. 10 said that the ban has yet to fully come into force, even as concerns over social media influencing teen behavior boost the proposed ban's popularity with parents.

But implementing such changes in a relatively short time frame has proven difficult, forcing a deadline for major social media platforms to comply set at January 2027.

However, both international and local privacy advocates have warned that Malaysia's social media ban will end up impacting the privacy of both adults and children.

These echo concerns raised by similar advocates in Australia, the UK, and the European Union.

Thus far, the experience of these other states seems to imply that the downsides of such security checks will not be met with the upsides of reduced social media use from young children.

Stakeholder engagement

Perhaps then it is unsurprising that Teo and MDDI appear to be approaching similar concerns with some differences.

The full details of how Singapore aims to work with social media platforms in order to make them safer for minors can be read in the following two articles.

But there are particular aspects worth taking note of, for instance, Targeting platform features rather than taking particular aim at just age verification.

Teo Said that one of the stakeholder groups that the government had spoken to was teenagers who would be most impacted by any changes.

They, tellingly, spoke about their own concerns for the safety of social media users even younger than themselves.

These teens were spoken to and highlighted that social media spaces were where they met their friends and would like to continue doing so, although they acknowledged the safety concerns.

Understanding the concerns of the teens and how they use social media under the best of circumstances will allow for an approach that is less likely to be circumvented by such teens, rather than fruitlessly attempting to design a system that will contain them indefinitely.

Meta analysis

Another thing of note is the reference that Teo made to the recent settlement between Meta and several states in the United States.

Meta had been faced with a US$1.2 trillion (S$1.5 trillion) lawsuit, which was settled in late August, as reported by the BBC.

The settlement agreement was for $18 billion over ten years, but more important than the money, I would argue, were the safety measures that Meta agreed to implement in order to better protect young users.

These measures included daily time limits, hidden lights, muting notifications during school hours, Usage notifications, such as when teens use the platform for more than 15 minutes, and the ability to choose a feed not driven by an algorithm (author’s note: can this adult have this too?).

One feature that was explicitly spoken about was auto-play for videos and content.

Meta had agreed to allow that feature to be turned off with parental consent, whereas Teo noted that Singapore would prefer the alternative implementation that it would only be allowed with parental approval.

Buy in

The opening salvo of social media restrictions taken by other countries appears to have been unsuccessful in this initial phase and all countries attempting such a thing will now likely try to learn from it and implement more workable solutions.

While there are some advocates who would prefer an end to social media use for young children and teenagers altogether, Singapore's authorities appear to have accepted that doing so is extremely difficult and ultimately unlikely to succeed.

It is instead attempting to work more closely with platform owners on the understanding that any curbs that they wish to implement must have the buy-in of the platform users, as well as parents and even teenagers.

Eight current tenants at The Animal Lodge — a facility for animal shelters, pet breeders and pet boarders — will not have their leases renewed when they end, as they did not meet the minimum requirements of the latest tender exercise.

The exercise, completed recently by the National Parks Board (NParks), was conducted for the 35 existing commercial tenants at the facility, the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) said on Sep. 1.

The leases of these tenants, which comprise pet breeders, boarders, and a pet crematorium, will expire on Dec. 5, 2026.

Of those unsuccessful in meeting the tender requirements, seven are dog breeders, and one is a pet boarding operator. AVS did not name these tenants.

The 27 tenants that successfully met the tender requirements will continue to operate at The Animal Lodge at 59 Sungei Tengah Rd, with tenancies that can be renewed for up to three terms till Dec. 5, 2035.

The exercise also comes after AVS decided not to renew the tenancy of Singapore's largest no-kill shelter Animal Lovers League (ALL) at its space at The Animal Lodge following reports of neglect and mismanagement.

Why this exercise?

AVS decided to conduct a targeted tender rather than an open one, to allow existing tenants to bid for their current units before considering new entrants.

They took this approach to minimise disruption and displacement of these animals, so that their health and welfare can be protected with the continuity of services.

The outcomes of the tender are final with no room for appeal, AVS said.

How were they assessed?

Since November 2025, AVS regularly engaged tenants on the tender exercise to guide them on licensing requirements, tender specifications, evaluation criteria, and best practices.

Then, tenants were required to submit proposals for the exercise to demonstrate how they would enhance the living environments, health, and welfare practices for their animals beyond baseline regulatory requirements.

These proposals were assessed holistically against both price and quality criteria.

The quality criteria cover three main areas: animal health and welfare standards, husbandry practices (to maintain the housing and design of their space), and the business' regulatory track record.

According to AVS, all of the tenants met the baseline requirements, but only those who went "above and beyond" these requirements succeeded in getting their lease renewed.

For instance, organising a health check-up for the animals once a year would just meet the baseline requirement, while doing two or more annually would be surpassing it.

Other examples of proposed plans that exceeded requirements are renovations to improve the animals' living environment, and anti-slip coating to make it more comfortable for animals to move around.

Two successful tenants, cat breeder ChubbyBuddy and dog breeder Wellfond Pets, told reporters that they included plans for renovations and frequent health check-ups in their proposals.

"All proposals were evaluated against the same criteria to ensure a fair and consistent assessment," AVS said.

Supporting the transition

For the eight unsuccessful tenderers, AVS will work with them to facilitate a smooth transition to relocate and/or rehome the animals properly under their care.

The agency will also monitor those who were successful throughout their tenancy, to ensure that what they proposed on paper will translate to actions.

"This holds tenants accountable for maintaining the standards they committed to," AVS stated in a press release.

Tenants who fail to meet the standards may face consequences, such as the possibility of non-renewal at the next tenancy review.

Following the completion of the exercise, AVS will also review the future use of The Animal Lodge, taking into account industry needs and operational considerations.

Subsequently, AVS may make units available through future tender exercises, including opportunities for new businesses to participate.

Authorities in Thailand's resort city of Pattaya have stepped up vice raids ahead of the arrival of nearly 5,000 U.S. sailors and marines from the USS Abraham Lincoln and two other naval vessels.

The sailors have been deployed at sea in the Middle East for more than 270 days.

It was previously reported that the sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln had attempted to jump overboard amidst deteriorating conditions involving food shortages and plumbing woes.

Gruelling deployment

According to Reuters, the aircraft carrier is scheduled to dock in Pattaya on Sep. 2.

It will continue its journey home on Sunday (Sep. 6).

The aircraft carrier originally left California in November 2025 for the South China Sea, before being re-routed to the Middle East ahead of the U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran in February.

Since then, it has been out at sea on a record-setting deployment.

Its deployment was supposed to end in May, but has been repeatedly extended, BBC wrote.

Families of the sailors aboard eventually raised concerns about the mental health of those on board.

The sailors reportedly faced declining living conditions, with shortages of basic supplies, water contamination and plumbing issues.

Some of the sailors considered jumping overboard, families said.

Respite in Pattaya

Now, the over 5,000 sailors on board will finally get some respite in Pattaya.

Preparing for their arrival, a Thai provincial governor told AFP that about 600 officials will be providing security, The Guardian reported.

Pattaya's mayor said that 40 buses will transport the sailors to the beach resort city and back.

Apart from logistical arrangements, local authorities have also taken steps to curb vices.

Renowned streets known for bars and revelry, like Soi 6, have been designated by local authorities as "off-limits" to the U.S. sailors, Khaosod wrote.

The sailors have also been barred from cannabis shops and water-based activities.

Over the weekend, local authorities detained 40 to 50 people for suspected prostitution amidst stepped-up crackdowns, Reuters wrote.

Prostitution is illegal in Thailand.

"We are doing our best, but it is difficult," Pattaya's police chief was quoted as saying.

A 31-year-old Singaporean man was sentenced to six weeks’ jail and fined S$1,000 after he was drunk in a cinema and kicked a police officer.

Daryl Tang Jun Wen faced five charges consisting of using criminal force, being drunk in public, trespassing, public nuisance, and possession of a weapon.

He pleaded guilty to two charges and was sentenced on Aug. 31.

The remaining charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

Cinema

In court documents seen by Mothership, on Jun. 28, 2025, at about 11:48pm, Tang went to watch a movie at the Shaw Theatres cinema at Waterway Point.

He hid a 750ml bottle of Dewar’s whiskey in his backpack and drank it alone while watching the movie.

After the movie ended, he remained in the cinema and continued drinking.

On Jun. 29, 2025, between about 12:48am and 3:17am, while intoxicated, Tang repeatedly kicked the cinema seats and became hostile towards cinema staff when he was asked to leave.

He also slammed doors and trespassed into the box office area.

Despite multiple requests from cinema staff to leave the premises, Tang refused to comply and continued his disruptive behaviour.

At about 3:17am, cinema staff called the police for assistance.

At about 3:19am, two police officers were dispatched to the cinema and found Tang seated.

When approached, Tang refused to cooperate.

He declined to explain what had occurred, and did not provide any identification or particulars.

The police officers then requested additional support.

While awaiting additional officers, Tang moved around inside the cinema and displayed aggressive behaviour by standing in front of the police officers and clenching his fists when they attempted to question him.

After additional support arrived, the police officers arrested him.

They found the whiskey bottle, but Tang refused to answer whether it belonged to him.

He also reeked of alcohol and verbally admitted that he had been drinking.

Kick

Tang was then placed on a medical stretcher for transport to the police vehicle.

Tang kept placing his feet on the ground to obstruct movement and kicked around along the way.

Some police officers walked alongside the stretcher to lift his legs to prevent him from doing so.

They also issued him verbal warnings multiple times.

Tang proceeded to kick one of the police officers once on his left elbow with his right leg.

The police officer moved away while his partner applied appropriate force to restrain him and issued a verbal warning.

Tang apologised.

After placing him inside the vehicle, Tang continued shouting and moving around, despite numerous verbal warnings to sit properly.

The police officers then escorted him to the Regional Lock-Up at Woodlands Police Headquarters.

Investigations revealed that Tang’s blood alcohol level was 153 mg/100ml.

He was arrested at about 5:20am and held in police custody until he was released on bail on the same day at about 8:51pm.

The police officer sought medical attention at Woodlands Hospital at about 7.18am.

He was diagnosed with a left elbow contusion.

The police officer declined analgesia or a medical certificate, and was discharged on the same day.

Weapon

In a separate incident, on Jun. 1, 2024, the police received a call from Tang about a fight.

During the call, he used several vulgarities while speaking with the operator and refused to provide his name when asked.

Investigations revealed that, sometime on or before Jun. 1, 2024, Tang was drinking at an unknown bar located in the Cuppage area.

At about 8:16am, police officers arrived at the scene to respond to Tang.

They entered a restaurant at Cuppage Road and found him seated, appearing to be drinking with an unknown Chinese male.

Tang then started hurling various vulgarities at the unknown Chinese male and accused him of wanting to hack him.

He then alleged that a “bunch” of individuals wanted to attack him.

Tang then told the police officers to take a walk with him, and also repeatedly used vulgarities when speaking with the police officer.

Police officers noticed he was intoxicated.

Tang then started speaking incoherently and slurred his speech, and approached various passers-by.

He then told police officers he had tried to enter the restaurant kitchen to get a chopper, but a staff member stopped him.

The unknown male staff on duty at the restaurant also informed police that Tang was displaying incoherent and belligerent behaviour and he refused to sell him more alcohol.

During questioning, Tang walked in and out of the restaurant and confronted other patrons and an unknown male staff member, causing some patrons to leave.

Police officers later retrieved a black Leatherman tool from Tang’s pocket.

He incoherently explained that the tool was used for work, but admitted that he felt threatened and would have wielded the weapon to “stab”.

He was arrested at about 9:10am, held in police custody at Central Division Regional Lock Up, and released the following day on Jun. 2, 2024, at about 12:59pm.

During investigations, the accused admitted that there was in fact no fight.

Violent tendencies

The prosecution sought six to seven weeks’ jail and a S$1,000 fine for Tang.

They noted that Tang was intoxicated during the offences.

The prosecution also argued that Tang “displayed violent tendencies by attempting to enter the kitchen” to take a chopper.

A driverless vehicle seemingly belonging to FairPrice Group was spotted along the roads of Singapore, months after the supermarket operator announced plans to trial autonomous vehicles (AVs) to transport goods between its facilities and suppliers.

In a TikTok video posted on Aug. 31, a blue AV bearing the FairPrice Group logo was seen travelling on the road.

Trial announced back in April 2026

In April 2026, FairPrice Group announced that it was trialling the use of an AV to transport goods from beverage supplier Pokka’s warehouse in Benoi to its distribution centre — a roughly 6km round trip distance.

This came a few months after the Land Transport Authority (LTA) approved its use of AVs on designated routes between its distribution centres back in October 2025.

The group said the trial was part of its efforts to strengthen its supply chain operations and improve the efficiency and consistency of restocking its supermarkets.

It said that if the trial was successful, it would explore rolling out similar AV routes with its other suppliers in Singapore.

"FPG’s supply chain is the foundation of our entire organisation, and fundamental in helping us keep daily essentials within reach for all in Singapore," said FairPrice Group's Group CEO Vipul Chawla.

"This pilot represents an important next step on our journey to embed innovation beyond our business, across our value chain to drive greater operational and sustainability outcomes for ourselves and our partners."

Total of 7 AVs

According to The Straits Times, the AV used in the trial with Pokka is owned by FairPrice Group.

The company said it also has six other similar vehicles, which are used to transport goods within its distribution centres.

It added that the AVs make more than 100 trips a week, carrying ambient (non-refrigerated) produce, packaged products, and other essentials.

The AV used in the trial is about the size of a typical family car and can carry up to three pallets, with a total load of up to 1.5 tonnes.

This is more than the 800kg to 1 tonne typically carried by smaller electric vans, but less than the 22 pallets that can be transported by a conventional diesel-powered container truck.

It travels at speeds between 30km/h and 40km/h on the designated route and is instructed by a warehouse operator using a smartphone application.

During the trial, the AV travels on public roads and encounters different driving conditions, including filtering across lanes and navigating traffic junctions, FairPrice Group said.

Upon reaching Pokka’s facility, the vehicle is designed to park itself in an open area near a loading bay, where a forklift operator loads up the pallets.

As the AV does not have a steering wheel or cabin for a human driver, a safety operator follows it in a van and can intervene remotely if necessary.

The operator also monitors how the vehicle interacts with other road users and responds to potential hazards, such as road works.

The data collected is shared with the AV's developer to help refine the vehicle's software, and is also provided to LTA.

When the trial was announced, FairPrice Group said the safety vehicle would be removed after the trial, subject to LTA's approval.

A 17-year-old Singaporean boy was sentenced to a minimum of one year of reformative training for attempting to extort a girl and assaulting multiple boys in separate cases.

The boy faced four charges, including extortion and voluntarily causing hurt.

He pleaded guilty to three of the charges and was sentenced on Aug. 28.

One other charge was taken into consideration during sentencing.

As the accused was under the age of 18 at the time of the offences, his identity cannot be disclosed as a gag order was imposed under the Children and Young Persons Act.

Extortion

In court documents seen by Mothership, the accused and the girl became acquainted on Telegram sometime on Jun. 1, 2023.

The girl was 12 years old, while the accused was 14 years old at the time of the offence.

After a few days, the accused asked the girl to send him explicit photos of herself.

The girl complied with his demands and sent him a video of herself performing a sexual act.

The accused replied to her by sending her an image of his genitals.

A few days later, the accused asked for more explicit images from the girl.

She agreed and sent the accused two explicit photographs of herself.

The accused also asked the girl if she was interested in engaging in sexual intercourse, which she turned down.

On Jun. 14, 2023, the accused asked the girl to send more explicit photographs of herself, and she refused.

She also asked the accused to delete the photographs and video she had sent him earlier as she was worried he would disseminate them.

The accused proceeded to threaten the girl by stating that he would disseminate her explicit photographs and videos if she did not pay him S$50.

He then increased the amount to S$60 shortly after.

The girl felt alarmed.

However, she decided not to pay the accused.

She informed her parents and lodged a police report.

Group chat

On May 20, 2024, the accused’s classmate, identified as "Danish" in court documents, was unhappy that a boy, the victim, was sending his own nude photos to others.

The victim was 14 years old, and the accused was 15 years old, at the time of the offence.

The classmate told the accused and two other individuals about it.

One of them created a WhatsApp group chat and added two other classmates.

The victim’s nudes were circulated in the group chat without his consent.

The accused and a classmate discussed beating the victim up in the group chat.

Toilet

On May 23, 2024, the accused and the classmate posted in the group chat that they would confront the victim at a toilet on the third level of their school during recess.

After seeing the post, one of them went to the toilet to look for the accused, the classmate, and the victim.

The accused told him to close the toilet door and keep watch.

While they were in the toilet, the accused and the classmate confronted the victim and challenged him to a fight.

They took turns beating him up by punching and kicking him multiple times.

The victim attempted to fight back, but he did not use much strength.

At some point, they forced the victim against the wall and rained multiple blows on him.

The incident was also filmed.

The video of the assault lasted more than three minutes.

The victim was then asked to strip naked, kneel and apologise, which he complied with.

The classmate then placed a rubbish bin over his head and kicked the bin while it was over his head.

Other individuals also joined the assault.

At one point, a teacher had entered the toilet, and the accused signalled them to stop.

They then shifted the victim to another toilet located on the fourth floor and continued beating him up.

At one point, one of them hit the back of the victim’s neck with a foldable floor signboard stand.

The victim fainted and convulsed as a result of being choked.

At about 2pm, after school ended, the accused and the involved persons told the victim to follow them.

They led him to a multi-storey car park.

They then took turns to beat up the victim.

The accused asked the victim to kneel and apologise, and kicked him in the abdomen as he apologised.

At one point, the victim was asked to drink one of the involved persons’ urine, which he did before vomiting.

One of the involved persons recorded the assault and posted the video on his Instagram account, allowing only a group of close friends to view the video.

The Head of Department of Student Management of the school came across the video, which led to the discovery of the offences.

Injuries

The victim went to the hospital the following day, on May 24, 2024, and was discharged on May 25, 2024.

He sustained abrasions and bruising on his body, facial swelling, dental injuries and mild acute kidney injury likely due to dehydration.

A police report was lodged on May 24, 2024.

Other assault

In a separate case, a 14-year-old boy at the time of the offence, who was another victim, showed a photograph of their female friend to the accused and another person involved in the previous assault.

The accused knew that their female friend was unhappy with the victim.

Either the accused or one of the persons involved in the previous assault asked another person involved to contact the victim to meet at a void deck.

On Aug. 26, 2024, at about 3pm, the accused met up with persons involved from the previous assault and other friends, including the female friend.

When the victim arrived and saw the group, he attempted to flee, but the accused chased after him and forced him to return.

They brought him to another location and beat him up.

The accused forced the victim to kneel and apologise to the female friend before he could leave.

Before he left, one of them threatened the victim not to tell the police or his parents about the assault.

The victim went to the hospital the following day on Aug. 27, 2024, and was discharged with five days of medical leave.

He sustained tenderness to his chest, back, thigh and arms with bruising on his right knee.

The accused was arrested on Nov. 19, 2025.

Blatant disregard

The prosecution sought a reformative training report to be called for the accused.

They argued that the accused “demonstrated blatant disregard for the law”.

They stated that he committed a “further violence-related offence shortly after the rioting offence” while he was still under police investigation and breached a 12-month conditional warning issued for the attempted extortion offence.

Reformative training

Reformative training is a rehabilitative sentencing option.

According to Singapore Prison Services, young offenders may undergo psychology-based correctional programmes, family and education programmes, employability skills training and personal development programmes, based on their rehabilitation needs.

They are also subjected to a strict regime that can include counselling sessions and foot drills.