A man, 36, was arrested in Toa Payoh for committing an obscene act and punching a police officer in the face on the morning of Jun. 28.

The police told Mothership that they received a call for assistance at Block 184 Toa Payoh Central at about 9.45am on Sunday.

The man was apparently creating a disturbance in a coffee shop.

As he was being arrested, he punched an officer in the face, the police said.

A TikTok of the incident showed two police officers holding a barefooted man to the ground.

A third police officer was subsequently seen at the scene.

The man was handcuffed and taken away.

The police said the man was arrested for committing an obscene act and voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty.

A 19-year-old police officer suffered minor injuries and was conveyed to hospital.

Police investigations are ongoing.

If you still think ShopeePay is only for online shopping, you are probably missing a big part of the picture.

ShopeePay — yes, the same one you use to check out on Shopee — also works offline at over 50,000 merchants islandwide and allows you to earn Shopee coins while you are at it.

What’s more, ShopeePay has just launched an All-Day Cashback promotion to make everyday offline spending even more rewarding, and if you're under 25, the deal is pretty hard to ignore.

Here's what you get

If you are under 25, every offline payment at a ShopeePay-accepted merchant earns you five per cent coins cashback, capped at 500 Shopee coins (S$5) per transaction.

That's your kopi, your bubble tea, your lunch at the hawker centre — all quietly stacking up coins for your next Shopee haul.

25 and above? You're not left out. You still get one per cent coins cashback, capped at 300 Coins (S$3) per transaction.

Every 100 Coins is worth S$1, and can be used to offset spending for both online Shopee purchases and offline ShopeePay payments.

Basically, the more you spend offline with ShopeePay, the more you save later.

Just note: you'll need a verified ShopeePay Plus account to be eligible for the promotion.

Where can you use it?

ShopeePay is accepted at over 50,000+ offline merchants islandwide – so chances are, it’s already available in places you frequent.

This includes your favourite F&B spots such as LiHo Tea, IJOOZ, and Old Chang Kee, daily essentials and lifestyle brands like Sheng Siong, Courts, Challenger, Mustafa, BHG, and over 12,000 hawker stalls islandwide — yes, including your regular cai png uncle.

How to use ShopeePay offline

It’s easy. Spot the NETS QR or ShopeePay logo on a SGQR code. Scan the merchant's QR code or show them yours. Done. Coins cashback gets credited automatically, no extra steps needed, and you can use them for your next Shopee order or ShopeePay spend.

How to find ShopeePay on the Shopee app

There are two ways to get to ShopeePay. You can tap on the ShopeePay icon directly on the Shopee homepage, or head to the "Me" tab on the bottom navigation bar and find it there.

If your account isn't verified yet, you'll see a prompt at the top once you're in — just follow the steps to verify and set up your ShopeePay Plus account, and you're good to go.

Scan, pay, earn. Start earning Coins cashback now — find out more here.

This sponsored article made the author wish she was still under 25 so she could earn that five per cent cashback.

This branded article is brought to you by ShopeePay.

Two Singaporean men, both 32, who were arrested for allegedly being involved in the supply of etomidate vaporiser pods (Kpods) as part of a transnational syndicate, were taken back to the crime scene in Sengkang on Jun. 30 at about 2:30pm.

Willy Poh Wei Li and Kong Qi Cong are two of four Singaporean men arrested as part of an enforcement operation conducted by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on Jun. 23.

The two accused were seen wearing white polo tees, black shorts and transparent slippers, with their hands and feet restrained as they were led to Block 226D Compassvale Walk, a multi-storey car park.

The accused were guided through the crime scene separately.

They were flanked by HSA officers and auxiliary police.

Willy Poh Wei Li

The first accused, Poh, arrived at the scene in a van at about 2:39pm.

The van stopped for approximately four minutes before Poh, and the accompanying officers alighted from the vehicle at about 2:43pm.

Poh walked through the crime scene located on the fifth storey of the car park, before heading down and leaving the area at about 2:48pm.

His scene visit took less than five minutes.

Poh was arrested at a residential unit located in Tampines.

A total of 111 vaporiser pods were seized.

Kong Qi Cong

The second accused, Kong, arrived at the scene in a separate van at about 2:54pm.

Kong and the investigating officers walked through the crime scene located on the fourth storey of the car park.

He was seen nodding and investigation officers were seen taking notes.

Kong was also seen pointing in various directions.

He then left the premises at about 3:01pm.

His walkthrough took less than eight minutes.

He was arrested at a residential unit located in Teck Whye.

A total of 1,000 etomidate vaporiser pods and cash amounting to more than S$6,000 were seized from there.

Two vehicles believed to have been used in the local distribution of the etomidate vaporiser pods were impounded.

Laboratory testing confirmed that the seized pods contained etomidate.

The 1,111 etomidate vaporiser pods seized from both men had an estimated street value of more than S$83,000.

Background

On Jun. 23, HSA conducted an enforcement operation and arrested four Singaporean men allegedly involved in the supply of etomidate vaporiser pods as part of a transnational syndicate.

This is the first suspected transnational etomidate vaporiser pod supply syndicate investigated under the Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act (TVCA).

The other two men, Tobias Tan Wei An, 27, and Michael Jordan Tan Wei Hui, 31, were arrested separately and are suspected of being involved in conspiracies with other persons to supply etomidate vaporiser pods.

The four men were charged on Jun. 24 and were remanded for one week to assist with further investigations.

The case was adjourned to Jul. 1.

Their arrests follow investigations on an importation case in May 2026, where more than S$800,000 worth of etomidate vaporiser pods were seized from two Malaysian nationals at Woodlands Checkpoint.

Under TVCA, etomidate and its analogues are listed as Specified Psychoactive Substances in the Schedule.

Suppliers can face a jail term of two to 10 years, and two to five strokes of the cane.

Importers can face a jail term of three to 20 years, and five to 15 strokes of the cane.

Further investigations are ongoing.

A video recently circulating on social media showed two boys forcefully opening a cabin partition door at the back of an MRT train.

One boy was then seen repeatedly pressing a control button located inside, causing an alert to sound.

Another can be heard shouting something before closing the door.

Checks by Mothership found that the videos have since been taken down.

Triggered onboard alarm

In response to Mothership's queries, Lam Sheau Kai, president of SMRT Trains, said the incident happened earlier this year on Feb. 21.

The incident, which took place on a train along the North-South line, was confirmed through CCTV review, Lam said.

"Their action triggered an onboard alarm," Lam said, adding that the train captain at the front train cabin immediately informed the operations control centre.

Station staff at the next station were alerted to investigate the matter, and the boys later alighted at the next station.

A police report was made on the same day, Lam said.

In response to Mothership's queries, the Singapore Police Force said they administered conditional warnings to the two boys, aged 11 and 12, for offences under the Rapid Transit System Regulations.

This was after completion of investigations and careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case in consultation with the Attorney-General's Chambers, they said.

Safety risks

Lam said that they take a "serious view" of such incidents.

Unauthorised access to restricted areas of the trains poses "significant safety and security risks", Lam explained.

"Such reckless actions endanger those involved and may also disrupt train operations, affecting our commuters," he added.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) will be revoking the licence of a nursing home in Siglap from Nov. 23 due to "serious and systemic" lapses in the safety and care of its residents.

LC Nursing Home currently has 78 residents, who will be taken care of by an interim team deployed there until they are transferred to other homes.

MOH announced this on Jun. 29, less than two weeks after saying it would be revoking the licence of Windsor Convalescent Home over similar concerns.

These actions followed a series of audits by MOH at selected nursing homes to gauge compliance with infection and prevention control practices, and basic custodial and nursing care.

Persistent non-compliances

The ministry conducted multiple audits at LC Nursing Home.

Initially, in November and December 2025, MOH informed the home that they found serious and systemic non-compliance with requirements under the Healthcare Services Act.

It gave the home an opportunity to make improvements while MOH enforced stricter and closer monitoring.

When it conducted a further audit in April 2026, MOH found that LC Nursing Home did not fully implement certain rectifications or sustain rectification of the identified lapses.

There were also new and repeated non-compliances with HCSA requirements.

The lapses

Lapses found at the home include inadequate clinical and nursing care, inadequate infection prevention and control practices, and not ensuring a safe environment for the residents.

The following are some examples provided by MOH:

• Failure to conduct appropriate reviews or monitoring for residents in multiple aspects including falls, restraint practices and pressure injuries
• Failure to adhere to wound care protocols
• Poor medication management such as presence of poorly maintained medication stock, medication errors, and administration of medication by care staff without suitable credentials
• Failure to adhere to food hygiene practices and implement safe food processes with regard to meal preparation for residents
• Failure to implement infection prevention and control measures
• Failure to ensure environmental hygiene, and suboptimal pest control
• Poorly maintained infrastructure and environment, with multiple hazards posing injury risks to both residents and staff

Acknowledged the findings

After MOH sent a notice to LC Nursing Home about the intention to revoke its licence on Jun. 2, the home submitted representations.

They acknowledged MOH’s findings, and did not provide any explanations to refute the non-compliances.

The home assured the ministry they would take remedial actions, but the plan provided was "very brief, without clear milestones set, and did not provide sufficient assurance", MOH said.

Thus, the ministry assessed the home was not able to continue providing nursing home services safely.

Founder's past misconduct

According to LC Nursing Home's website, the home was established in 1994 by Chia Yang Pong and his wife.

The website said that Chia has 30 years of experience in the nursing home and eldercare industry.

Also listed as the home's CEO, he had his name struck off the Singapore medical register in 2004 after being convicted on 80 charges of professional misconduct.

According to the judgement on that case, he used to be the sole licensee of a chain of seven medical clinics known as Grace Polyclinic.

MOH conducted investigations at all branches of Grace Polyclinic in November 2002, which revealed that benzodiazepines had been improperly prescribed for a number of patients.

There was also no proper record of these patients' symptoms and conditions.

The Disciplinary Committee of the Singapore Medical Council accused Chia of "freely dispensing the hypnotic drugs...without any regard to their medical conditions, health, interest or the harm that might come to them", as quoted by The Straits Times.

Though he pleaded guilty, he appealed for the fine imposed on him to be reduced from S$65,000 to $10,000, which the council granted.

According to Zaobao, Chia was once the director at 11 different companies that were in the nursing home and medical industry. Of these 11 companies, six have since been shut down.

414 student-athletes from 119 schools across 41 sports in Singapore have been awarded a total of S$1.115 million in cash scholarships by the Singapore Olympic Foundation - Peter Lim Scholarship on Jun. 30.

Held at the Tay Eng Soon Convention Centre at ITE Headquarters and College Central, the ceremony was attended by Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister of State for Education, David Neo.

Other attendees included SOF's chairman Ng Ser Miang and Singapore's sprint queen Shanti Pereira, who was a recipient in 2014 and 2015.

The scholarships were awarded to 414 student-athletes, including 75 High Performance Under-18 (HPU18) athletes.

Three new sports were also introduced to the scholarship roster: esports (Tertiary category), cricket, and water ski (HPU18).

The scholarship was established in 2010, with entrepreneur and philanthropist Peter Lim donating S$10 million to the Singapore Olympic Foundation.

In 2019, Lim donated an additional S$10 million, extending the scholarship through to 2030.

The release noted that they have awarded more than 5,000 scholarships since their inception in 2011.

KF Seetoh's Urban Hawker, a Singapore-style food hall in New York, will close on Jul. 17.

The food hall opened in September 2022 and sells popular hawker fare from Singapore.

It is the first of its kind in New York.

In a Jun. 30 Facebook post, Seetoh said the building owners had sold the property for redevelopment.

They had first been alerted to the potential sale a year ago, he added.

"It has been a great four-year run on West 50th St, Manhattan, and it was an exciting step into the NYC market. We are truly grateful for your support all this while," he said.

Future plans

He added that while it may be "curtains down" for Urban Hawker, it is not the end of the road for Singapore fare in New York.

"We are also looking for a spot to house a few more dynamic hawkers in perhaps a kopitiam concept space... NYC and the U.S. is a dynamic and meaningful market for us."

Seetoh's Hainan Jones chicken rice outlet at the DeKalb Market in Brooklyn remains open for business.

The Makansutra founder noted that a few Singapore hawkers have already opened other outlets in New York, with plans to expand further.

Singapore hawkers

At its launch, Urban Hawker had 200 seats and 17 stalls, 11 of which were from Singapore.

Notable names included White Restaurant and Kopifellas.

It made headlines for high prices, including a bowl of prawn noodles priced at US$18 (S$26 at the time).

Former Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Maliki Osman also visited the food hall in 2023 and praised the "incredible" Singaporean cuisine.

A Ferrari supercar worth 3.6 million Yuan (S$686,000) was left with multiple scratches and damage after four children were caught on CCTV using it as a slide in Kunming, China.

According to Sin Chew Daily News, the children climbed onto the roof and bonnet of the car while no adults were watching, with some sliding down the bonnet and others repeatedly stepping on the roof to play.

Owner was away when it happened

The car owner was out of town on a business trip when the incident occurred. His car had been parked in its usual spot, and he discovered the damage upon returning home.

After inspecting the vehicle and finding clear scratches and damage across multiple areas, he made a police report. Citing the high cost of repainting and repairing Ferrari parts, he is seeking compensation from the children's parents based on the actual repair costs.

Compensation dispute

According to Sin Chew, local police have arranged two rounds of mediation between both parties, but no agreement on compensation has been reached.

The parents initially offered only a few hundred yuan, later raising it to CN¥5,000 (S$953), but say this remains below the professionally estimated repair cost of around CN¥29,000 (S$5,527).

The owner maintained that he was not deliberately seeking an inflated payout, but wanted the car restored to its original condition through official or professional repair assessment.

He also said that even though the children are young, parents are still responsible for supervising and guiding them, so that their playfulness doesn't end up damaging other people's property or putting themselves at risk while climbing on vehicles.

He added that parents should be responsible for supervising and guiding young children, since their playfulness can end up damaging another person's property, or put themselves at risk while climbing on vehicles.

A Ferrari worth 3.6 million yuan (US$500K) in Kunming was allegedly used as a slide by four children, leaving scratches and a cracked bumper. Their parents first offered a few hundred yuan, then raised it to 5,000 yuan (US$700). pic.twitter.com/AqRXNrOdfm

— VOC (@VoiceOfChina_) June 30, 2026

Netizens weigh in

The incident sparked discussion online after the CCTV footage went viral, with some calling the scene exaggerated.

Others said parents should not use "the kids didn't know better" as an excuse to avoid responsibility, and should instead address the issue of financial loss and parenting responsibility directly.

The Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) has declared two websites linked to local independent media platform The Online Citizen (TOC) as Declared Online Locations (DOLs) under Section 32 of the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act 2019 (POFMA).

The two websites are TOC's alternate website and Heidoh's website, MDDI said in a statement on Jun. 30.

Existing DOL declaration

TOC’s primary website, alongside its Facebook, Instagram and X pages, were declared as DOLs in June 2025 for repeatedly communicating falsehoods.

It marked the second time TOC's website, Facebook and X pages had been designated as DOLs.

The declaration took effect on Jul. 22, 2025, and remains in force for two years till Jul. 21, 2027.

During this period, each of TOC’s DOLs must display a notice informing platform users that the platform:

• Has been declared as a DOL;
• Has communicated multiple falsehoods; and
• Should be approached with caution when used as a source of information.

The operator of the declared online locations is also prohibited from receiving financial or other material benefits from operating the platforms.

Set up alternate websites

According to MDDI, following the initial declaration of TOC's primary website as a DOL in 2025, the platform's operator set up alternative online locations to publish content.

As the new websites use different Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), they are not automatically subject to the existing DOL declaration.

According to the ministry, this has enabled the operator to continue receiving financial benefits from the sites through paid content, including online advertisements.

TOC's alternate website

MDDI said TOC's alternate website is hosted on the same domain as its primary website and closely mirrors its branding and appearance.

Since May this year, visitors to TOC's primary website have also been redirected to the alternate website through links on its homepage.

Heidoh's website

Heidoh is an alternative news site set up by TOC’s operator in 2025, which republished content carried on TOC's websites for a period in 2026.

MDDI added that TOC's operator continues to communicate falsehoods to readers in Singapore through both websites.

In March 2026, both websites were issued two POFMA Correction Directions each over falsehoods relating to:

• The re-appointment of Attorney-General Lucien Wong; and
• The reply by the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs to Parliamentary Questions on Singaporeans allegedly serving in the Israeli Defense Forces.

One was issued on Mar. 23 after TOC published an article on Wong's reappointment.

According to MDDI, the article falsely alleged that:

1. Wong has not recused himself from matters pertaining to the compulsory acquisition of 38 Oxley Road, the home of Singapore's founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.
2. Workers' Party chair Sylvia Lim was not allowed to ask follow-up questions during a parliamentary debate on the attorney-general's reappointment process
3. The Constitution provides for the Attorney-General to retire at age 60 without any qualification or proviso, but has appointed Wong until he is 75.

The second Correction Direction was issued after TOC published an article about Shanmugam's parliamentary reply on Singaporeans allegedly serving in the Israeli Defense Forces.

According to MDDI, the article falsely alleged that Shanmugam had deliberately provided incomplete answers and suggested that the government possessed sufficient information to take action.

Alternate sites declared as DOLs

MDDI said it has decided to declare both websites as DOLs as TOC had continued communicating falsehoods through the alternate platforms while attempting to circumvent the requirements imposed on its existing DOLs.

"This ensures that Singaporeans visiting these sites are alerted to their record of communicating falsehoods, and prevents TOC’s operator from continuing to profit from the harmful act of spreading online falsehoods in Singapore," said the ministry.

The declaration will take effect on Jul. 1, 2026, and will remain in force for two years, till Jun. 30, 2028 at noon.

The conditions of the new declaration are the same as those applying to TOC's existing declared online locations.

According to the ministry, the declaration does not require the websites to cease operations.

However, digital advertising agencies and other service providers must take reasonable steps to ensure that paid content placed on the two websites is not communicated in Singapore.

Individuals and companies are also not allowed to provide financial support to the declared online locations to avoid promoting the communication of falsehoods in Singapore.

The Japanese national football team and their fans were left in tears after the country's World Cup exit in the 2-1 defeat to Brazil on Jun. 29.

Japan was just one step away from progressing past the knockout stage, only for Brazil to steal the win with a goal in stoppage time.

This is Japan's third consecutive time Japan has had the lead in the knockout round and lost, ESPN reported.

This also marks the fifth time Japan has been eliminated in the first round of the World Cup knockout rounds, 8world wrote.

Japan's dream dashed

After the final whistle, Brazil narrowly advanced to the Round of 16, with the stadium celebrating in cheers and hollers.

On the other end, several Japanese players were spotted immediately crying, collapsing on the grass, visibly unable to get up.

In the stands, Japanese fans were equally grief-stricken.

One 55-year-old fan said, "There was still a chance, so to have that chance snuffed out is frustrating," reported France 24.

One fan was caught on broadcast shouting and venting his emotions as he watched his team's elimination.

Despite their win, several Brazilian fans around him tried to comfort him, which many netizens called "true sportsmanship".

Brazilian striker Matheus Cunha was also seen breaking away from his teammates' celebrations to comfort the heartbroken Japanese midfielder Ao Tanaka.

Despite another painful exit, ESPN reported that Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu remained optimistic about the team's progress against the football powerhouse.

"The gap between us is closing now."