A slipper, an umbrella, a nerf gun bullet, and an electronics charging case have been found disposed at the Return Right machines meant to collect drink bottles and cans for recycling.

Such "inappropriate items" can cause disruptions and inconvenience others who are waiting to recycle, said a spokesperson for BCRS Ltd on Aug. 7.

Other litter found and highlighted by the operator of the Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) include plastic capsule balls, a plastic wrapper, plastic cup, and paper cup.

Under the scheme that launched in April, over 1,000 Return Right machines have been placed across Singapore.

They are designed to ensure the recovery of a clean stream of high-quality materials that can be recycled, the spokesperson said.

"To keep Return Right machines running smoothly for everyone, we encourage the public to use them only for their intended purpose."

The spokesperson also reminded the public that recycling is a shared responsibility, and caring for the machines helps keep them accessible and reliable for the community.

BCRS Ltd told The Straits Times that inappropriate items are removed during routine maintenance, and the operator does not keep an exact count of them.

Since the launch of the BCRS, the machines have made more than one million successful transactions, with 5.5 million beverage containers returned, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary said in Parliament on Aug. 5.

The government is also on track to increase the number of machines to around 2,000 by April 2027.

Related stories

A 38-year-old man died after the car he was driving hit a traffic light, mounted a divider and overturned along Hougang Avenue 6 in the early hours of Aug. 7.

The driver was left trapped and unconscious inside the vehicle.

He was freed and taken to hospital, where he later died.

The accident happened at around 4:20am, along the stretch of Hougang Avenue 6 towards Hougang Avenue 10, according to Shin Min Daily News.

Roof cut open to free driver

A member of the public, Long (transliterated), 29, was passing by when he came across the overturned car with the driver unconscious inside.

He said he believed the car had first hit a traffic light before crashing into the divider.

Long said around 10 SCDF officers had to saw open the roof of the car: “After the man was rescued, he was lifted onto a stretcher, and paramedics then began emergency treatment.”

Video footage he provided showed several fire engines and police cars at the scene, with paramedics performing CPR on the driver.

Residents heard a loud crash

Residents living nearby told Shin Min they heard a loud noise at the time of the accident.

Lim (transliterated), 60, a renovation contractor, said she went to check.

She told Shin Min: "There were a lot of onlookers at the time, and the driver was inside the car. I heard his head was bleeding. Someone tried to knock on the window, but he did not respond, so we could only wait for the SCDF to rescue him."

She said the car was only towed away at around 8am.

She added that the car only came to a stop after crashing through railings and hitting a tree.

Debris was scattered up to 100m away.

A traffic light about 150m from the crash site was snapped in two.

The accident caused a jam and motorists had to make a detour.

Police and SCDF respond

In response to Mothership's queries, the police said the car was believed to have self-skidded, and that the driver was conveyed unconscious to hospital, where he later died.

Investigations are ongoing.

SCDF said its officers found a person trapped in the car on arrival, and freed him using hydraulic rescue equipment before taking him to Sengkang General Hospital.

The National Parks Board (NParks) has investigated a case of suspected abuse involving a community cat in the Marsiling industrial estate, and found no evidence to suggest an act of cruelty.

Around Jul. 26, the 10-year-old white cat, nicknamed "Bai Bai" (Mandarin for "white"), was discovered by cat feeders in what they initially believed to be black oil.

The residue was inside its ears and on its eyes as well, preventing the cat from opening its eyes, the feeders told Shin Min Daily News.

They added that Bai Bai was crying and looked very afraid at the time.

Concerned that it might have been abused, they reported the incident to the authorities.

In a statement provided on Aug. 7, NParks' Group Director of Enforcement and Investigation Jessica Kwok described the cat to be found with "black residue" on its body.

A veterinarian who treated the cat observed that it was in a dirty condition, she said.

"The residue is unlikely to be oil as it washed off from the cat’s body with water during a shower at the clinic. The cat was otherwise found to be well.

We have looked into the matter and found no evidence to suggest an act of cruelty."

She added that as community cats live in the open and move about freely, their living conditions may not be optimal compared to pet cats.

The family of a 43-year-old car spray painter found dead and naked in a drain in Johor Bahru, Malaysia are disputing the police's preliminary findings that he fell in while drunk.

His older brother said he suspects that his sibling may have been killed.

Peng Qingfu (transliterated) was found at around 6pm on Jul. 28 in a back alley behind a busy hawker centre in Taman Johor Jaya, according to Sin Chew Daily.

Members of the public went to investigate a stench coming from the drain in the back alley and found his body wedged in the narrow drain opening, with only his head and hands visible.

Police estimated he had been dead for three to four days by the time he was found.

Why family is suspicious

Peng’s brother, 48, said he claimed the body on Aug. 1.

He then returned to the back alley with a religious practitioner to perform prayers at the site.

While there, he examined the drain opening and the clutter around it, comparing what he saw against photographs taken when the body was found.

He then concluded Peng’s death was not a simple case of falling into a drain while drunk, Sin Chew Daily reported.

He also checked CCTV footage from the back alleys of nearby factories himself, but the spot where the body was found was not covered by any camera.

The distance problem

Peng’s brother told China Press that the deceased had no fixed address and had spent the past two months mainly around the Jalan Dedap commercial area in Taman Johor Jaya.

Peng also had no means of transport, and the back alley where the body was found is at least a 30 to 40-minute walk from Jalan Dedap.

Peng’s brother told China Press:

"My brother had no means of transport, and the back alley where the body was found is far from the Dedap commercial area, at least a 30 to 40 minute walk. The family suspects his death was not simply a case of falling into a drain while drunk. There may be more to it.”

Appeal for witness

He also told China Press that a friend had seen Peng at around 7pm on Jul. 18, near a lok lok (fried snack) van outside a coffee shop along Jalan Dedap.

Peng’s brother said the back alley sits directly behind a busy food centre, and believes someone may have seen Peng in the area around Jul. 24.

He has appealed for nearby businesses and the hawker centre to provide any CCTV footage or leads to the police.

Who he was

According to Sin Chew Daily, Peng was divorced.

His two children are cared for by his ex-wife's family.

Peng had no fixed address and moved around depending on where he was working.

The brothers were not in frequent contact, but met a few times a year, last seeing each other in February.

The brother told China Press that he last spoke to Peng in March, and only learned of his death when police contacted the family.

The brother acknowledged to Sin Chew Daily that Peng liked to drink, and would cause trouble when drunk.

What the family could not fathom was why the body was found completely unclothed, he told China Press, adding that police had not offered an explanation.

What the family wants

According to Sin Chew Daily, the death certificate lists the cause of death as falling into a drain, without specifying what killed him.

The full autopsy report will take two to three months.

The brother has sought help from the Johor Jaya assemblyman, hoping police will investigate Peng’s death more thoroughly.

There are many reasons why I love visiting The Kallang.

Not just because it's conveniently located near my office, but because the precinct seems to be equipped with everything that suits my interests – sports facilities, a climbing gym, restaurants.

In a single visit, I can both satisfy my cravings and move my limbs.

But one thing I’ve learnt over the years is that keeping up with hobbies is generally an expensive affair, no matter how essential they are to one’s wellbeing.

Now that I'm in my first full-time job, I've become more mindful of my spending, so I've been on a mission to maximise my spending by rewardsmaxxing my life.

The Kallang App

The Kallang has recently launched The Kallang Kaki, a new loyalty programme that comes with a bunch of benefits, allowing users to earn loyalty points and access exclusive features at The Kallang.

Members like me, or "The Kallang Kaki", can register in-app for events at The Kallang and check-in online, as well as book facilities through the app.

I’ll admit that when I first heard of this programme, I was skeptical that the benefits it had to offer would keep me hooked for long.

But I would soon be proven wrong.

I discovered that with each event I joined, I earned a badge and leveled up on my membership.

This in turn meant better voucher benefits each time – like a gift that keeps giving.

For me, of course, the most eye-catching features were the savings I generated when I accumulated points through my purchases.

As a member, I could also access member-exclusive items like early bird discounts, ticket presales and merchandise drops.

Together with some friends, I set out on an experiment to test out these perks.

Dining

We headed to the mall for dinner on a casual Friday night.

The app’s built-in store directory and reservations function made choosing and booking a restaurant seamless.

We settled on Korean food.

Off to a good start.

Activities for the weekend

As we dined, I browsed through the app, keen to find something my friends and I could plan for the weekend.

The interface is simple enough to use, even for a digital noob like me.

The homepage highlights upcoming events at The Kallang, ranging from sports to entertainment, community and lifestyle.

There was even a tab dedicated to community stories from the precinct, like a handy guide to the Singapore Tennis Open and spotlights on local athletes.

As an athlete myself, these were heartwarming to read.

But what caught my eye were the active vouchers listed under the “My Rewards” tab, where I could invite a friend for free across a number of activities – basically half the cost for each of us.

There was The Kallang Gym, the OCBC Aquatic Centre, and my personal favourite, a two-hour kayak rental at the Water Sports Centre.

Perfect for groups like mine looking to have fun together.

We settled on the kayaking activity. All I had to do next was redeem the voucher on the day of the activity and verify it with a staff member within two minutes.

But because each Kallang Kaki could only bring one extra friend, I made sure at least three of us in my group of six were equipped with the app (and voucher) so that we could all snag the half-price discount.

After all, good deals are meant to be shared, right?

Even those who were initially apprehensive about the heat and fatigue couldn’t resist the steal.

I think these smiles say it all:

Something to look forward to

The excitement from the weekend got me looking for my next activity.

A major sporting event coming up in September is the Singapore Tennis Open, which will be held at the OCBC Arena at The Kallang.

On the spur of the moment, I decided to snap up early tickets for my brother and me, as my brother had recently gotten into tennis.

But if you’re familiar with premier sporting tournaments, you may know that such tickets can cost a bomb.

Thankfully, because of how early it was, The Kallang was offering a 10 per cent early bird discount on tickets for a limited time period.

Plus, there was an additional 10 per cent off for registered Kallang Kakis on The Kallang app, which meant a total of 20 per cent off for me.

Safe to say, I am now my brother’s favourite sister.

All that there’s left to do is wait for September to arrive.

More than the deals

The older I get, the more I’m finding it important to proactively keep at maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Plus, friendships and relationships are important to me – I consider spending time and money on those I love worth every penny.

But let’s be honest, having an active life can be painful to the wallet, so I’ll take any rewards I can snag along the way.

Now that I’m equipped with The Kallang App and the perks that come with it, a future goal I have in mind is to attend my very first concert.

At the ripe age of 26, I think it’s about time.

This branded article by The Kallang made this writer want to plan her next activity ASAP.

Edenstone, a Singapore-based studio developing scalable media intellectual property (IP), is set to release an AI-assisted short film that it acknowledges will likely polarise audiences.

Titled Bersama Majulah (translated as Together Onwards), the National Day-themed AI short film imagines a country similar to Singapore under siege by a lethal spore pathogen outbreak.

Edenstone said in a media release:

"The characters' struggle against an oncoming crisis in the form of a deadly pathogenic spore outbreak mirrors the qualities that have defined Singapore's 61 year journey—adaptability, collective strength, and the determination to overcome obstacles, united as one people; one Singapore."

The project is led by 2025 Golden Horse Award–winning producer Chan Gin Kai, who served as its Executive Producer, said the studio.

The film is adapted from the studio's flagship IP, Spore Fall, which it describes as Southeast Asia's "first human-written, AI-realised transmedia franchise".

The short film's release on sporefall.com will coincide with National Day on Aug. 9, The Straits Times reported.

The teaser trailer

The four-minute teaser trailer for Bersama Majulah opens with a fictional depiction of Singapore's 2026 National Day Parade.

The outbreak first takes hold there, turning people into what appears to be zombies.

"Some have asked why we would show a dystopian Singapore on National Day," said Joel Boh, creator and showrunner of Spore Fall.

He added:

"We believe this is the ultimate act of faith. We have faith that the Singapore identity is not fragile—it is strong enough to be reimagined and reinvented. In the face of existential threat, the singular Singapore narrative is about choosing unity over fear. This is our story.”

Expecting online discourse

The studio acknowledged that its "creative choices", such as transforming Singapore into the fictional city of "Lionara", were likely to polarise viewers.

They are also aware that the film’s teaser video has started to ignite public debate, viewing it "as a sign of cultural impact".

The studio said:

"This National Day, Singaporeans will see their skyline like never before—and the conversation may be just as striking as the visuals."

Conversations online

The Bersama Majulah trailer has sparked some conversation.

Some comments focused on the production process and use of AI.

Others drew negative comparisons between existing works like "The Last of Us".

The studio also shared that its production model aims to use AI to help, not govern:

"Human authorship governs the narrative while AI scales the imagination. Scripts, characters, emotional arcs, and world-building are conceived and written by human creators; AI tools are deployed under strict creative direction to accelerate visual asset production."

"Technology should serve the story, not the other way around," said Boh, adding, "We want audiences immersed in the narrative, not the technology."

A 40-year-old man was charged with allegedly physically abusing his eight-year-old daughter and telling his 10-year-old son to strip naked and go down to the foot of a block of flats.

The accused was charged with two counts of ill-treating children on Aug. 6, The Strait Times reported.

The man cannot be identified as a gag order was imposed to protect the victims.

On Sep. 8, 2025, at about 8:40am, the man was in a public housing flat located on the eighth floor.

He allegedly told his son to strip naked and take the lift to the ground floor.

It remains unclear whether the boy complied.

On Oct. 3, 2025, at Changi Airport Terminal 3 before 6pm, the man allegedly slapped, punched and pushed his daughter.

His daughter apparently sustained injuries to her face and neck.

The reasons for the man’s alleged actions were undisclosed.

His case was adjourned to Aug. 13.

A man has posted a public apology and clarification for not paying the taxi fare while travelling in Vietnam, after dashcam footage of the incident circulated online.

The footage was uploaded on TikTok on Aug. 3 by the taxi driver who brought the tourist to his destination.

In this video, the tourist took his belongings, said "thank you", and made to leave the taxi.

When the driver made a hand gesture to ask for the fare, the tourist looked at him apologetically and said, "I don't have money. Only a 'thank you'."

The driver looked away with an expression of slight annoyance, but said nothing and gave him a restrained smile.

After thanking the driver again, the tourist got out of the car.

Many commenters, in Vietnamese, slammed the tourist's behaviour, and wondered how the driver could be so calm.

@quan2632000 Oát thấy Ấn cái đ ái m ế luôn I have no money (tôi không có tiền) #taxixanhsmdanang#moingaymotcauchuyen#x ♬ âm thanh gốc - không phải quân

Apology video

About two days after the dashcam footage was uploaded, the tourist posted his own video to explain his side of the story.

He said that there had been an "misunderstanding" over what happened.

He did not have cash in Vietnamese dong (VND) with him that day in Danang, Vietnam, he claimed. That was because he would usually hail a ride using an app and pay with his credit card.

However, as he was in a rush to collect a parcel at the time, he decided to save time by getting a ride from taxi drivers waiting outside the airport.

When the first driver he approached said he only accepted cash, the tourist declined the ride. He then met the driver from the TikTok video.

He asked the driver if he could "help" him, and the driver did not answer nor talk about money, according to the tourist.

"It was totally a mistake, a misunderstanding," the tourist said in his video. "I thought he was helping me... but he charged."

He emphasised that he had no intention to "scam" the driver, and said he considered Vietnam his second home.

Tried to pay him back

The tourist also claimed that he later offered to pay the taxi driver, but was declined.

The taxi driver had contacted him through Instagram, he explained, and told him that the incident that the ride had cost VND 33,000 (S$1.60).

He apparently offered to pay this amount and an additional VND 200,000 (S$10) as an apology.

According to him, the driver turned down his repeated offers and did not provide any details for him to make a payment transfer.

Instead, the driver allegedly told the tourist he understood his difficulties at that time and promised to delete the TikTok video.

"But later on, I came to know that he didn't delete the post yet, and everyone is trolling me for nothing," the tourist said.

He admitted that it was a "mistake" and that he should have paid, but reiterated that it was a misunderstanding.

He appealed for the public to accept his video as an apology, and hoped that they will not criticise the Indian community over this incident.

More details have emerged regarding Lim Tean's arrest in Johor Bahru, Malaysia on Aug. 6.

According to Shin Min Daily News, information about Lim's arrest in Malaysia was provided by a source who tipped the Chinese media off.

Another person allegedly assisted Lim in booking a place

Another person had reportedly helped Lim, 61, book a rental apartment in JB.

Lim apparently arrived at the apartment in JB on Tuesday, Aug. 4.

The man who booked the apartment on behalf of Lim arrived a day earlier on Aug. 3 afternoon to pick up the key.

Aug. 3 was the day Lim was supposed to surrender and serve his jail term.

Lim was apparently supposed to stay till Aug. 7 and check out, but got arrested a day before that could happen.

Did not open door to police

Malaysian police arrived at Lim's rented apartment at about 2pm on Thursday, Aug. 6.

Lim did not open the door for the next two hours.

The apartment's owner was called to get him to open the door.

The door was opened and Lim was asked to produce his passport, but he reportedly could not produce one.

Shin Min reported that Lim was wearing a red shirt and black trousers at the time of his arrest at about 5pm.

His hair was dishevelled, and he looked haggard.

Only went out to pick up food

The source that tipped Shin Min off further claimed that Lim only went out twice a day to pick up meals ordered via takeout delivery.

However, he was still recognised as the area in JB is frequented by Singaporeans.

It is understood that the apartment is very popular with Singaporeans, it was reported.

Background

Lim is the secretary-general of the People’s Alliance for Reform.

He has been a lawyer for more than 35 years.

He was sentenced to six weeks’ jail and a S$1,000 fine in February 2025 after being convicted in July 2024 of three charges under the Legal Profession Act.

Even though he did not have a valid practising certificate, he had attended court hearings and submitted documents on 32 occasions between April and June 2021.

In February 2026, the High Court judge increased Lim’s jail sentence to three months and a week.

This was after he appealed in the High Court against his conviction and sentence.

Prosecutors filed an appeal to increase his jail term to five to eight months.

Separately, in April 2026, Lim was fined S$30,000 in a disciplinary case over his handling of a S$30,000 cheque meant for his client.

The Law Society of Singapore wanted Lim struck off the rolls.

Lim argued before the Court of Three Judges for “a very small fine”.

The court decided on a "heavier fine", citing his cavalier attitude towards lawyers’ obligations in handling clients’ money and his more than 25 years of experience as a senior practitioner at the time.

The Singapore courts told Mothership previously that Lim was to surrender at 12pm on Jul. 20 to start his jail term.

On Jul. 17, the Court of Appeal approved a request from Lim to defer his sentence.

He was ordered to surrender at 12pm on Aug. 3 instead.

But when he did not turn up and was uncontactable, a warrant of arrest was issued.

A Thai food stall is offering a complimentary buffet to affected diners after a fire broke out at the Yishun coffee shop it is operating in.

In an Instagram post following the incident, Moon Thai Kitchen Express announced that buffet customers who dined in from 6pm onwards on Aug. 6 are entitled to a complimentary buffet on their next visit.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by 🌕🐘 Moon Thai Kitchen 🍽️🇹🇭 (@moonthai.sg)

To redeem the buffet, affected customers can send Moon Thai Kitchen Express a direct message and present their original receipt.

The stall made this move “as a gesture” of its “sincere apology”

“Due to an unexpected operational issue, your dining experience may not have met the standard we strive to provide,” the post read.

“We are truly sorry for the inconvenience caused,” it added.

Fire at coffee shop

A fire broke out at the coffee shop at Block 732 Yishun Avenue 5 on the evening of Aug. 6.

In photos circulating online, white smoke engulfed the coffee shop.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to a fire at about 6:55pm.

The fire involved the contents of a stall at the ground-floor coffee shop.

The fire was extinguished by activating the automatic suppression system before firefighters arrived.

One person was assessed for minor injuries but declined to be taken to hospital.

Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.