A Singaporean dog obedience trainer and her border collie won fifth place at the FCI Agility World Championship (AWC) 2026 held in Turku, Finland, in September 2026.

Elsa Soo, who is also a dog agility judge, bested nearly 100 competitors alongside her nine-and-a-half-year-old dog partner Venus.

In a Facebook post, Soo said: "This has probably been the most emotional AWC of my agility journey."

"I think my biggest fear wasn’t that Venus would fail me. I was afraid I would fail Venus."

The 60-year-old told Mothership that she felt the pressure, even if this was their fifth AWC together.

"I am 60 years old, I have bad legs, and I cannot suddenly make myself run like a 25-year-old handler. So I had to find another way."

Soo said she knew "Venus was ready" and that "one wrong movement" could take away an opportunity they had worked so hard for.

Started with the Singapore Prison Service Dogs Unit

Soo had worked with dogs for a large part of her life, starting with the Singapore Prison Service Dog Unit.

She was the first woman to undergo narcotics dog training and was also seconded to the Police Dog Unit for a year, where she was trained in protection work.

Her first dog agility competition was in 2010 with a Schnauzer.

Following this was Soo's border collie Sirius, who started training in agility in 2015 and became Soo's first dog to compete overseas in 2016.

She trained another border collie, Aries, prior to her work with Venus.

Soo eventually applied for early retirement from the Singapore Prison Service to pursue her interest in dog training and agility, citing the limitations that came when applying for leave and travelling overseas.

"I wanted more freedom to compete internationally, learn more, train more and see how far I could go in the sport."

She started Starrelito K9 Training, a dog training academy in March 2019.

The underdog

The picture Soo painted of Venus was very different from the impression a reader would get from the confident canine on Soo's social media.

She said: "Venus arrived in Singapore from the UK as a very shy little puppy. She was tiny and quite worried about her new environment."

"She wasn't particularly playful, and honestly she wasn't a fast learner either. My cousin even labelled her 'stupid'."

The pup was also at the bottom of the pecking order, and Soo's older border collies "didn't really like this little newcomer and would correct her if she came too close".

However, Venus was patient and earned her place in due time, eventually sitting near the food preparation table, "a very privileged position in my house where previously only Sirius was allowed to stay."

"She might not have been a fast learner, but she had patience, she observed, and she had the brain to work things out in her own way."

Blood, sweat and tears

Soo had trained Venus since she was a puppy, stating that their partnership had been more than nine years in the making.

"There is no shortcut to that kind of relationship. Sometimes I joke that agility is built with sweat and blood — except in my case, there really has been some blood."

From a torn knee ligament to hairline cracks in her ribcage, Soo detailed the struggles she faced during training.

She added, with good humour, of course: “Anyone who trains high-drive dogs will probably understand those enthusiastic reward sessions when the dog aims for the toy and occasionally your arm becomes part of the deal.”

Significance of a Singaporean team succeeding on a global stage

It was hard for Soo to pinpoint the feelings she had regarding winning fifth place.

"Singapore is such a small country, and our agility community is even smaller, but I never believed that being small means we cannot be good", Soo said.

Citing her goal of raising the standard of Singapore dog agility, Soo said she centred a big part of her life around the goal.

She volunteered in the Singapore Kennel Club and worked alongside other enthusiasts to bring in training equipment, overseas judges and trainers.

"In the beginning, we got eliminated very often. Then slowly came some clean runs, then more clean runs, and eventually we started getting results overseas."

The duo finished ninth at the European open in 2025.

Cheeky outside of competition

When asked what Venus was like outside of the competition, Soo described her canine partner as "sweet and calm" for the most part but also a "cheeky, demanding and even a naughty mother".

"Venus is actually a mother of six beautiful puppies, and many of them have turned out to be just as crazy about agility as their mother."

But underneath it all, Soo said Venus was an "incredibly understanding dog".

A woman took a Grab ride after midnight in Singapore and was supposed to reach her destination in Yishun in about 26 minutes.

However, the driver allegedly drove her to Yio Chu Kang and Mandai in a journey that lasted about an hour, asked her to pay more, and even suggested she alight at a bus stop.

The incident was first recounted by the passenger, Rose, in a TikTok on Oct. 28, 2026

Took the ride at 12:50am

Rose wrote in the video that her friend had helped her to hail a ride on the Grab app on Saturday from Circuit Road to Yishun.

The driver arrived at 12:50am.

At the start of the ride, Rose, a preschool teacher, said the driver was friendly and offered to let her smoke in the car.

She told Mothership that he asked her if she smoked, and when she said she did not, he allegedly kept insisting she could and wound down the window.

They then engaged in conversation and Rose said she is from the Philippines.

"The uncle was friendly, cool, and very talkative," her in-video caption read.

Rose also said he revealed he was 75 years old.

He even shared that he had a Filipina girlfriend when he was 20.

She wrote in the in-video caption that she was filming because the stories he told "were so funny".

Roads closed

Rose said they were laughing and "everything seemed okay" until the driver said Lentor Avenue was closed.

The driver apparently claimed he tried to send a passenger using the route on another night but could not pass, so he decided to take another route.

Rose said "true enough" the "Yishun exit at Lentor" was closed and so he went towards Upper Thomson Road.

And to her surprise, the road was closed too.

Rose said the journey at this point lasted about 40 minutes and it was already 1:30am.

The night was hazy, cold, and eerily quiet, she added.

"We ended up near SBS Transit around Yio Chu Kang, and he told me there was no other way to get to Yishun," she wrote.

He then asked her if she had friends who lived nearby so she could sleep over with them instead.

Rose wrote: "Sleep over?! Uncle, I just want to go home!"

Friend noticed vehicle not travelling to destination

Her friend then noticed the vehicle that Rose was in was not moving towards its destination.

The app sent a prompt to the friend who booked the ride.

The friend called Rose.

Rose told the driver he needed to take her home, and he apparently agreed.

But she realised he was heading in the same direction as before and questioned him about it.

He then apparently headed towards Mandai.

The driver then said he was going to drop Rose off somewhere.

He allegedly suggested she alight at a "dark, quiet, empty bus stop".

She told him he cannot leave her there as she did not know how to get home.

But he kept saying there was no other way.

Rose wrote: "I was shaking."

"Everything was so creepy," she added.

Rose's friend stayed on the phone with her the whole time and said he would contact Grab's safety team.

At that point, the driver allegedly offered to take her to her destination, but said she had to pay extra.

Rose's friend overheard the conversation and contacted Grab's safety team.

Grab's safety team apparently tried to reach the driver over a call, but he did not pick up and appeared "tense", according to Rose.

"Lady, you don't talk to your friend. You listen to me because you're making the situation worse. It's very confusing," he allegedly told Rose.

Rose stayed on the phone with her friend.

All this while Grab apparently tried to reach the driver via calls, but he allegedly ignored them.

Finally reached Yishun

The driver then agreed to take Rose to her home.

She said she prayed the whole way back.

Rose was relieved when she saw Northpoint City.

When she reached her destination, she said she ran.

Rose's friend was still on the line and reported the matter to Grab's support team.

Grab reached out to passenger

Rose said she was sharing her experience as "passenger safety matters".

She told Mothership that she was travelling in the vehicle for as long as an hour.

She added that a personnel from Grab had reached out to her.

Rose said: "They apologised for what I had experienced, asked me to provide more details about the incident, and assured me that they would support me regarding this experience. I appreciate their response, and I hope they will investigate the incident seriously and take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of passengers."

Grab's response

A Grab spokesperson told Mothership: "We are committed to providing safe and reliable rides for all passengers, and we are currently looking into this matter."

Hong Kong's Secretary for Housing, Winnie Ho, has resigned to take political responsibility for a fire at the Wang Fuk Court residential estate in Tai Po that killed 168 people in November 2025.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee announced Ho's resignation on Oct. 29, during a press conference on the findings of an independent investigation into the Wang Fuk Court fire, according to HK01.

Lee and several other senior government officials also bowed in apology during the press conference.

The fire, which broke out on Nov. 26, 2025, killed 168 people, including a firefighter, and affected 1,984 families, according to Sing Tao Daily.

Lee expressed his sorrow over the deaths and apologised to the victims and Hong Kong residents on behalf of the government.

"As the Chief Executive and head of the government, I feel deeply saddened," Lee said, according to TVB News.

"On behalf of the Hong Kong government, I apologise to those affected by the disaster and the wider public.”

Housing secretary resigns to take political responsibility

Ho submitted her resignation to Lee during a meeting on Oct. 28, a day before the investigation report was made public.

Lee accepted her resignation, which took effect on Oct. 29.

Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong was appointed acting Secretary for Housing.

Lee explained that although Ho was not personally at fault for the fire, she should take political responsibility as the incident fell under the jurisdiction of the Independent Checking Unit (ICU) within the Housing Department.

In a statement, Ho expressed hope that those who died could rest in peace and that their families would eventually recover from their grief, according to TVB News.

Investigation finds lapses in four government departments

The independent committee's report identified lapses in the supervision of renovation works and fire safety measures at Wang Fuk Court.

According to TVB News, contributing factors included workers smoking, combustible materials surrounding the buildings, non-fire-resistant scaffolding netting and tarpaulins, and fire alarms that were not functioning.

The report also identified regulatory lapses involving four government departments or units: the Housing Department's Independent Checking Unit (ICU), Buildings Department, Fire Services Department and Labour Department.

The ICU bore the greatest responsibility for the oversight failures, including failing to follow up on concerns over the fire resistance of scaffolding netting, according to ST Headline.

Further investigations into government failures

The Hong Kong government has launched an investigation into possible administrative failures involving four government departments or units, with findings expected within three months.

Asked why Ho was the only minister to resign, Lee said he had considered the officials' respective responsibilities before making the decision, according to ST Headline.

Hong Kong government proposes building maintenance reforms

The Hong Kong government also announced plans to tighten oversight of building renovation works, including proposed legislation to criminalise bid-rigging in maintenance contracts.

According to Sing Tao Daily, the government plans to establish an interdepartmental task force to tackle bid-rigging in building maintenance projects, as well as a new Building Maintenance Support and Services Bureau to provide residents with reliable information and professional advice on building maintenance.

The Independent Checking Unit (ICU) will also be replaced by a new Public Housing Buildings Control Unit in November 2026.

The parents of a 31-year-old woman have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT caused their daughter's death by convincing her to gradually cut her epilepsy medication dosage.

The chatbot had "coached" her off the medication that had kept her alive for years, and "designed a day-by-day schedule tapering her stable 400-milligram dose to zero" within weeks, the lawsuit argued.

On Feb. 14, 2026, she was found dead alone in her apartment in Seattle, United States, with pills of her anti-seizure medication strewn across the floor.

The cause of death was later determined to be a sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.

Needed to keep her green card

Bowen Wan, who grew up in Jiangsu, China, was living in the United States on a green card before her death.

She started asking the chatbot for medical advice in Chinese after her epilepsy medication suddenly stopped working in 2021, The New York Times reported.

Her seizures grew so severe that it impacted her work, and she had to take disability leave from her software engineer job at Amazon.

When she lost her job in late 2025 as part of Amazon's mass layoffs, she reportedly needed a new job to keep her green card that was expiring in months.

But she was concerned that the side effects from her epilepsy medication had been hurting her language abilities.

In January 2026, she suggested to ChatGPT that cutting her dose from 400 to 300 milligrams a day might help her recover her language ability for job interviews.

The bot told her that doing so would make recovery not just possible but highly likely, as quoted in the lawsuit.

Three days later, it advised her that cutting the dose further to 150 milligrams would be "more advantageous" on her immigration medical examination.

A companion

Though Wan used to confide in her parents about many things in her life, she found a companion in ChatGPT.

She started to call her parents less and communicate with the chatbot more.

"Once she had ChatGPT, she didn’t talk to us as much," her father told The New York Times.

In 2025, she would send it more than 1,500 messages per week.

ChatGPT initially suggested that she consult her doctor about switching to a medication with fewer cognitive side effects instead.

Her doctor agreed, but told her that the low dose she had requested was unlikely to be helpful, The New York Times reported.

When Wan later asked the chatbot if she should cut the dose herself after getting the medication,  without informing the doctor, it told her she could, adding that such "self-initiated dosage adjustment" method was common and permitted by some doctors.

'I feel a little scared'

Wan did not take ChatGPT's advice to taper her dose completely without question.

According to The New York Times, she expressed concerns about doing so at least 158 times, especially after she had episodes akin to seizures days into the tapering.

"I feel a little scared," she wrote after one episode, and asked the chatbot if she should be concerned about cutting her dose.

But it allegedly assured her that she had "absolutely no need to worry".

At one point, she told the chatbot her brain felt exhausted, then asked if she should take the medicine again to "slow things down".

Still, ChatGPT instructed her to "maintain 0 mg tomorrow".

"Even if today feels tough, and your speech is slow, your sleep is poor, you must persevere."

On Feb. 14, 2026, Wan's parents called friends who were living in Seattle to check in on their daughter after not hearing from her for two days.

According to the lawsuit, they watched over a video call as Wan was found lying in bed in her pyjamas, with reddish-brown blood stains on her pillow and sheets.

Practised medicine without a licence

In the lawsuit, the lawyers representing Wan's parents argued that ChatGPT had given Wan false information that tapering her dose was safe and would give her back her mind.

"Had ChatGPT told her the truth, that stopping the drug could kill her, she would have stopped...

Had ChatGPT told her it was not qualified to provide medical advice, and that she should consult her doctors, she would still be alive."

The lawyers also pointed out that the chatbot "practised medicine without a licence".

This complaint by Wan's parents "asks where generative AI stops and medicine begins, and who answers when a product crosses that line", they added.

In a statement quoted by People, a spokesperson for OpenAI called Wan's death "an incredibly heartbreaking situation".

"Working closely with clinicians and other experts, we have continued to strengthen how ChatGPT responds in sensitive and acute situations, while also continually improving how our latest models engage with users more broadly.

While ChatGPT is not a substitute for medical care, we believe AI can play a role in helping people make sense of health information, navigate insurance and complex healthcare systems, and prepare for appointments with medical professionals."

Wan had been chatting with the GPT-4o model, which was removed from the app on Feb. 13, 2026.

The world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, suffered a hack on Oct. 30.

Approximately US$6.3 billion (S$8.05 billion) was impacted in what is possibly the biggest single financial hack in history.

The exact number is not yet known, with Binance still providing updates as the situation unfolds.

Binance has suspended user withdrawals and is in the midst of tracing the funds.

At 5:15am on Oct. 30, Binance founder and ex-CEO Zhao Changpeng, better known as CZ, claimed "It does look like a hack on Binance," in response to customer concerns raised online.

He said "User funds are safe!"

User funds are safe!

It does look like a hack on Binance. Appreciate the quick freeze from Tether (~$971m) and Circle (~$823m).

I don't manage Binance (.com) anymore, but as a shareholder, I expect all user funds will be fully covered.

— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) October 29, 2026

The hack sent cryptocurrencies tumbling, with bitcoin falling about 5 per cent, Ethereum 6 per cent, and Binance's token BNB dropping 10 per cent.

What was lost

According to crypto news site Watcher.Guru, US$1.45 billion (S$1.85 billion) of bitcoin, US$875 million (S$1.11 billion) of Ethereum, and more than US$2 billion (S$2.55 billion) of stablecoins were affected, amongst other cryptocurrencies.

Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies that are pegged to the U.S. dollar.

Tether and Circle, two companies behind the USDT and USDC stablecoins respectively, have frozen the affected stablecoins in response.

However, most other cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and Ethereum do not have a centralised authority behind them, and cannot be frozen.

The hacker therefore cannot be prevented from transacting those other cryptocurrencies.

According to crypto security firm Blockaid, the hacker targeted a Binance hot wallet, an account that an exchange uses to store funds to pay out user withdrawals.

The hacker gained access to the funds through the wallet's private key, which resembles a password needed to authorise transactions.

It is not known how they got access to the private key.

An official statement from Binance says that the hack may have originated from a compromised DevOps (development operations) engineer's laptop, denying that any private key was leaked.

Binance's initial investigation suggests that the security incident may involve a compromised DevOps engineer’s laptop, which allowed an attacker to gain access to a service container and submit unauthorized withdrawal transactions. We have found no evidence of any wallet private key leak. We will share a detailed technical post-mortem once the investigation is complete and the facts are fully verified.

The estimated total impact sits at around $6.3B. We have worked with blockchain partners to freeze affected assets, with ~$3 billion frozen on-chain so far.

Binance will cover all losses from the SAFU fund and the company’s funds. User funds are safe. We will also publish an updated Proof of Reserves once the remediation is complete.

As an immediate precaution, Binance has:

- temporarily suspended deposits and withdrawals while security checks are completed;

- revoked the affected address authorisation;

- engaged law enforcement and blockchain intelligence partners to trace and recover funds.

Our teams are working around the clock to resolve this issue safely and thoroughly. We are working closely with our law enforcement partners to confirm the identity of these criminals and bring them to justice.

Please rely only on official Binance channels for updates. Please feel free to contact Binance Customer Support if you have any further questions.

https://t.co/ywB2mKFy0p

— Binance (@binance) October 30, 2026

'Funds are safe': Binance leadership

Binance co-CEO Richard Teng said at 8:22am that the company was investigating a "potential security issue".

He stressed that user funds "remain safe", though he did not elaborate further.

One user claimed that his account had been compromised, with about US$3 million (S$3.83 million) being withdrawn without his authorisation.

Binance co-founder Yi He announced that it will cover all losses.

Zhao added: "It hurts, but we will survive."

A woman on an AirAsia flight in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia insisted on sitting beside her husband, even though she did not pay extra for seat selection.

When told to move, the group she was travelling with raised their voices and insisted on their right to choose seats.

The incident, which occurred on Oct. 25, resulted in all plane passengers having to disembark, Sin Chew Daily reported.

The flight could not take off on time as a result.

Empty seat next to husband

When the couple boarded the plane, the seat next to the husband was supposedly empty at the time, it was reported.

The wife then took the empty seat even though she was not assigned to it, China Press reported.

Cabin crew then asked the woman to return to her original assigned seat or pay the additional fees.

Caused ruckus

However, the couple apparently refused to cooperate and caused a ruckus in the plane.

According to a video posted on Sin Chew Daily, the woman argued that she only sat next to her husband as it was empty.

She also questioned if her actions were violating the rules.

The other people travelling with the couple then claimed it was normal for the six of them to sit together.

They questioned why they had to pay additional fees to sit together.

At one point, one person in the group said to the other passengers within earshot: "Are you even Chinese? Do you even know what happened?"

Security personnel

China Press reported that cabin crew then got security personnel to intervene.

The flight could not take off on time as all passengers eventually had to disembark after the situation escalated.

According to AirAsia's website, passengers have to pay a fee if they choose their seat when purchasing their ticket, during online check-in, or at the airport counter.

Passengers may pre-book their seats through the AirAsia MOVE app or website up to two hours before the scheduled departure time.

They may also visit the airport counter or Airport Sales Office where they must purchase their seats at least four hours before the scheduled departure time.

How good are we against the best?

That’s what the upcoming Mizuho Blue Challenge - The Kallang Football Series Singapore will let us find out.

With world-class Brazilian, Japanese & Paraguayan stars on show, we’ll be able to see just how far Gavin Lee’s boys have come against some of the very best in the world.

Here’s who you should keep an eye on during the tournament.

Vinicius Jr.

The Brazilian winger has been considered one of the very best players in the world for a few years now.

In 2024, he finished 2nd in the Ballon D’or — a trophy awarded to the world’s best player — behind Spain’s Rodri. Though many (including 5-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo) felt that Vinicius should have been the rightful recipient.

With lightning pace and a bag of tricks, Rhyhan Stewart & co will face an enormous task against the Real Madrid star, who is certainly one of the most exciting talents that local fans will hope to see up close at The Kallang this November.

Takefusa Kubo

It’s easy to see why Kubo was once dubbed the “Japanese Messi”.

With a wand of a left-foot, close control & low centre of gravity, Kubo certainly has the familiar characteristic qualities befitting of such a venerated comparison.

Coming through the ranks of Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth academy, great things have been expected of the 25-year-old for most of his career.

While a move to Real Madrid in 2019 did not represent the breakthrough to superstardom that many Japanese fans hoped for, Kubo has gone on to impress in Spain’s top-flight for various teams, and is currently plying his trade at Real Sociedad, as one of their most important players.

Even amongst a nation with technically-outstanding players, Kubo’s talent will surely catch the eye if he graces the grass of The Kallang.

Julio Enciso

If you are a fan of Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester City, the name Julio Enciso might trigger some traumatic memories.

“La Joya” — as he is known back home in his native Paraguay — has a penchant for producing incredible long-range strikes, especially against big name opposition.

Having featured in the Premier League first for Brighton & Hove Albion and now for Ipswich Town, Enciso is undoubtedly one of Paraguay’s leading lights.

Here’s hoping that Singapore fans will get to witness one of his signature screamers at The Kallang.

Nathan Mao

Do you remember the 2008 financial crisis? Nathan Mao doesn’t, he was just born.

What were you doing at 15? Nathan Mao was stepping onto the field for Lion City Sailors to become the youngest-ever debutant in Singapore Premier League history.

Having your first beer at 18? Not Nathan Mao, the only liquid he was involved with was probably his father’s tears when he pulled on the National Team shirt for the first time against Bangladesh in March.

Aside from making this writer feel very very old, the teenage attacker has also shown a keen eye for goal and tactical maturity beyond his years, despite the little time he has experienced in professional football.

Currently a full-time National Serviceman, this writer’s hopes are high that he’ll also be serving the nation in the form of goals and assists for the National Team.

One to watch, for sure.

Make The Kallang Roar great again

The Mizuho Blue Challenge is the opportunity to witness some of the world’s best footballers in the flesh, a privilege that fans should not take for granted.

As the last chance to see the Lions at home before their Asian Cup campaign kicks off in December in Saudi Arabia, come give your support and help rekindle the famous Kallang Roar.

Short on time? Two matches are playing out back-to-back on the third matchday, which means you can catch all four teams and their stars in action with just one ticket on Tuesday, 17 November.

13 Nov: 8pm - Singapore vs Paraguay

14 Nov: 6:15pm - Japan vs Brazil

17 Nov: 6pm - Singapore vs Brazil | Japan vs Paraguay

Tickets are on sale now, with prices starting at S$28.

Note that player line-ups are to be confirmed & subject to change.

This branded article made this writer try to pull on some boots last weekend and now he is injured for six months

A man and a woman died following an accident involving two cars and a motorcycle on Oct. 29 night at Tampines Avenue 12.

A male motorcyclist and his female pillion rider, both aged 24, died of their injuries after they were conveyed unconscious to the hospital, the police told Mothership in response to media queries.

Police looking for two others

The authorities are searching for a male driver and a female passenger who fled the scene before police officers arrived.

"Preliminary investigations revealed that they had left the scene after the accident. Efforts to establish their whereabouts are underway," the police added.

The police said a 25-year-old female driver of one of the cars in the accident was taken conscious to the hospital.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said two people were taken to Changi General Hospital and two others were taken to Sengkang General Hospital.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Aftermath of accident

Photos and videos of the aftermath of the accident showed three vehicles that were badly damaged.

A black car on the grass patch had its rear bumper dislodged.

Another dark-coloured car was on its side in the bushes.

A tree and a pole appeared to have been knocked over.

A motorcycle was left mangled on the road.

The road was covered in debris and vegetation.

An American man in California allegedly killed his wife's lover after he found the lover clothed only in underwear in bed alongside his wife and two young children.

34-year-old Ismael Pinedalopez purportedly stabbed Nicholas Garcia, 28, repeatedly with a pocketknife in the bedroom of Pinedalopez's Anaheim home on Oct. 24.

Garcia died from his injuries at the scene while Pinedalopez's wife and children were unharmed.

According to the New York Post, prosecutors said Pinedalopez's children, a two-year-old daughter and four-year-old son, were in the bed during the attack.

Charged with murder

Pinedalopez has been charged with one felony count of murder and one felony enhancement of personal use of a weapon.

He faces a maximum sentence of 26 years to life if convicted on all counts and was scheduled to appear in a California court on Oct. 27.

The Orange County District Attorney's Office's press statement added that Anaheim police received a call regarding a stabbing at the home and found a bloodied Pinedalopez.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said: "Violence is never the answer, and it is truly heartbreaking that these young children had to witness their father commit such a horrific act of brutality in their own home."

The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) have announced the appointments to the Panel of Assessors.

The panel will carry out assessments on the 10 Singapore-based companies served legal notices regarding the haze.

The seven firms on the panel are investigations firms Control Risks Group (S) Pte Ltd., FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Kroll Singapore Pte. Ltd., as well as law firms or legal advisors Dentons Rodyk & Davidson LLP, Toby Landau KC of Duxton Hill Chambers, TSMP Law Corporation and WongPartnership LLP.

According to the release, they bring expertise in forensic investigations, financial analysis, corporate intelligence, risk advisory, and legal services.

As mentioned in an earlier announcement, the government has appointed Davinder Singh Chambers (DSC LLC) as advisor.

DSC LLC will also coordinate the work done by the panel firms to ensure that their evaluation reports effectively address the issues and contain the information and evidence needed by the NEA for its assessment.

Companies identified by the government have been asked to engage a team selected by NEA, comprising an investigations firm and a law firm or legal advisor from the panel.

NEA will ask the assessors to evaluate the companies’ operations, corporate relationships and supply chains.

Companies are expected to cooperate fully.

The assessment will be conducted at the companies’ own expenses.

The assessors will submit an evaluation report to NEA, which will take the findings into account in determining whether further action is warranted.

The government intends to table amendments to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014 at the next parliamentary sitting to give legal force to this framework.

On Oct. 28, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, and Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu met with senior leaders of the 10 companies.

SM Shanmugam, who is also Chairman of the Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee, outlined how the companies would be assessed.

Assessment process

Each company is expected to engage a team of assessors from the panel, comprising an investigations firm and a law firm that advises the investigations firm.

Companies are expected to give assessors full access to information, documents, premises and people on their operations, corporate relationships, and supply chains.

They will also have to bear the costs of engaging these firms.

Assessors may engage third parties, such as remote sensing and geospatial analysts who study satellite hotspot data.

Assessors will submit a report to NEA through law firm DSC LLC, the government’s appointed adviser, which coordinates the panel’s work.

NEA will consider the report when assessing further steps.

Background

On Oct. 23, NEA announced that it had served legal notices under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) to the 10 firms.

The 10 firms are:

• ⁠Asia Pulp & Paper Company Limited
• Asia Pulp & Paper Company (China) Limited
• Bumitama Agri Ltd
• Golden Agri International Pte Ltd
• ⁠First Resources Ltd
• Indofood Agri Resources Ltd
• Kencana Agri Ltd
• TSH Global Plantation Pte Ltd
• TSH Oversea Pte Ltd
• Wilmar International Ltd

All the firms were represented at Wednesday's meeting.