Early morning MRT train services will run from 2:30am to 4:30am for this year's 2026 BYD Singapore International Marathon presented by adidas.

The train rides will be complimentary for all runners and their supporters.

This was announced by SG International Marathon Pte Ltd (SGIMPL) in a press release on Jul. 31.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) had been established between SGIMPL and Stellar Ace, a business arm of SMRT Corporation Ltd.

The early MRT service will run from 2:30am to 4:30am on Dec. 6, on the North South Line, East West Line and Circle Line at 15-minute intervals.

The last complimentary train ride will depart from Bukit Batok, Jurong East, Tanah Merah and Serangoon at 4:30am.

Lam Sheau Kai, president of SMRT Trains, said SMRT is “pleased” to support the event by “helping runners, volunteers and supporters get to the race safely and conveniently before dawn”.

“Our teams will be preparing well in advance to ensure a smooth and reliable start to race day, and we look forward to getting participants from Singapore and around the world to the starting line,” Lam said.

Paid shuttle buses will also run during the race weekend for participants without direct MRT access.

More information will be announced closer to the event.

Enhanced safety

The event will also introduce "medic runners" for the adidas Half Marathon and the BYD Marathon.

Up to 200 medic runners with first-aid training will be out on the race course, adding to the overall safety and welfare programme.

It has drawn over 1,200 applicants, with approximately 20 per cent of them being healthcare professionals volunteering their time and expertise.

Medic runners will have specialised bibs and provide timely life-saving medical assistance when required, before SGIM's professional medical teams reach the affected runners on course.

Interested runners who would like to be a part of the programme can submit their applications on the "Medic Runners" page at singaporeinternationalmarathon.com.

Applicants must be experienced half-marathon or full-marathon runners and certified in CPR, AED and basic first aid.

Selected medic runners must attend two training runs and refresher first-aid sessions before the race weekend.

Recruitment for medic runners is open till mid-August 2026.

Kallang area finish line

In partnership with The Kallang Group, the Race Expo and the finish line will be located in the Kallang area.

Race pack collection takes place at Arena Park, while the Race Expo and the finish line for each race event, except for the Kids Dash, are held at the iconic National Stadium.

Entry is free for the Race Expo.

Perks

Every participant of the race will be automatically entered into a lucky draw and stand a chance to win a brand-new BYD Sealion 7, courtesy of title sponsor BYD.

Registered runners across all categories, including the Kids Dash, will receive one entry, while BYD Marathon and Crew Challenge entrants receive two entries, doubling their chances.

The winner will be announced by Dec. 7.

From Jul. 1 to Dec. 31, registered SGIM runners can enjoy exclusive discounts and promotions across a curated range of F&B, fitness and recovery partners, including Sarnies, Nylon Coffee Roasters, Project Acai, Shelter, Forged by RF and more.

Part of the newly introduced Friends of SGIM programme, a growing network of homegrown and local SMEs across F&B, wellness and recovery, registered runners can enjoy exclusive perks.

Runners can keep a lookout for the “Friends of #SGIM” decals at participating outlets, present their race ticket from their registration account and receive or redeem their exclusive perks.

The full list of Friends of #SGIM is available at singaporeinternationalmarathon.com/friends-of-sgim/.

Runners who sign up for this year's marathon will also receive a race pack with entitlements valued at up to S$175.

The race pack includes items including nasal strips, kinesiology tape, a reusable foldable cup, an adidas participant tee, a tote bag, and other race essentials.

Event schedule

The full marathon event will flag off at 4:30am on Dec. 6.

The half-marathon event will flag off at 4:30am on Dec. 5.

The 5km and 10km events will flag off at 9:30pm and 8:30pm respectively on Dec. 4.

The above-mentioned events will begin at the starting line at the F1 Pit Building and conclude at the finishing line at the National Stadium.

The 1.6km and 600m events for children will flag off on the morning of Dec. 4.

Both events will start and end at the Great Eastern Promenade.

Registration

Interested participants can register for the BYD Singapore International Marathon at https://register.singaporeinternationalmarathon.com/.

Registration ends on Sep. 30 or when race entries are fully taken up.

The 20-year-old Singaporean student who went missing in Cambodia has been found safe by local police, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) confirmed on Jul. 31.

In response to a Mothership query, SPF expressed its appreciation to the Cambodian authorities for their prompt assistance.

The police added that it has reached out to the Cambodian National Police to obtain more information and to render further assistance as appropriate.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Singapore Embassy in Phnom Penh are also providing consular support to the woman's family.

Reportedly told her family she was going to school

The young woman, Siti Aishah Siregar Sahat Siregar, was first reported missing when her father posted a notice on social media, appealing to the authorities in Singapore and Cambodia to find her.

According to him, Aishah was last known to have travelled from Singapore to Phnom Penh on Jul. 28.

A police report was made, the post noted.

It was later reported that Aishah had informed her mother that she was going to school at Nanyang Polytechnic as usual at around 11am the morning she went missing.

According to Berita Mediacorp, her brother said that the family was on their way to pick her up from school at about 5pm when they found that her phone number was no longer contactable and her WhatsApp account was no longer active.

They also found that Aishah's passport was not at home. The police subsequently confirmed that Aishah had already left Singapore via a flight.

When they tried to log into her email, they reportedly found a flight ticket booking to Cambodia and believed that she had flown off to Phnom Penh.

Transferred hundreds of dollars to an unknown person days before

According to CNA, other emails showed that Aishah had transferred hundreds of dollars to an unknown person days before she went missing.

The family had never seen or spoken to the person, but Aishah's brother said their name matched that of an online friend his sister had been gaming with every day for over a year.

Aishah had also been heard calling out this name previously, he said.

The revelation led to fears that she had been lured to Cambodia by a scammer.

According to Aishah's family, her sudden departure was uncharacteristic of her, as she was known to be obedient and not rebellious.

The Law Society of Singapore (LawSoc) will be asking for Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh to be struck off the rolls of advocates and solicitors during his disciplinary case hearing on Aug. 13.

This follows his conviction on two charges of "wilfully making false answers to questions material to the subject of inquiry put during examination before the Committee of Privileges", according to a summary of upcoming court fixtures.

Singh, who is a lawyer by profession, was previously convicted in February 2025 on two counts of lying under oath to the Committee of Privileges in the Raeesah Khan case.

Singh later lost his appeal in December 2025 and eventually paid a S$14,000 fine.

Court of Three Judges

According to the court fixtures, the case will be presided over by the Court of Three Judges comprising Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, alongside Justice Kannan Ramesh and Justice See Kee Oon.

The Court of Three Judges is the legal profession's highest disciplinary tribunal. It has the power to suspend lawyers from practice or have them struck off the rolls of advocates and solicitors.

LawSoc is represented by lawyers from Drew & Napier, including its chief executive officer, Senior Counsel Cavinder Bull.

Singh is represented by lawyers from Peter Low Chambers, including Peter Cuthbert Low and Senior Counsel Chelva Retnam Rajah as the instructed counsel.

What the law says

LawSoc said in March 2026 that it initiated disciplinary proceedings against Singh as required under the Legal Profession Act, following his court conviction, CNA reported.

It said it had done so based on information received from the Attorney-General's Chambers that Singh had been convicted of offences involving "fraud or dishonesty", according to The Straits Times.

Section 94A of the Legal Profession Act stipulates that LawSoc must, without further direction, initiate disciplinary proceedings where a regulated legal practitioner has been convicted of an offence involving fraud or dishonesty.

The legal practitioner may be struck off the rolls.

They may also be suspended from practice for up to five years, fined up to S$100,000 or be censured.

A lawyer in Singapore was recently struck off the rolls on Jul. 9, 2026, for lying to the police after a drink-driving accident in 2024.

The 20-year-old woman from Singapore who apparently went missing in Cambodia had reportedly informed her mother that she was going to school at Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) as usual at around 11am on Jul. 28.

Berita Mediacorp reported that this was according to the teenager's eldest brother, Syafiq Siregar.

Reportedly left on flight

BM added that while on their way to NYP to fetch Aishah from school at about 5pm, the family found out that her phone number was no longer contactable and her WhatsApp account was no longer active.

They also found that Aishah's passport was not at home. The police confirmed that Aishah had already left Singapore via a flight.

When they tried to log into her email, they reportedly found a flight ticket booking to Cambodia and believed that she had flown off to Phnom Penh.

Appeal

An earlier report mentioned that an appeal to look for her was put up on Facebook by the woman's father, who was appealing to the authorities in Singapore and Cambodia to find her.

She is believed to be in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, her father Sahat Siregar wrote in his Jul. 30 post, which also called on the authorities and public to "bring Aishah back home".

He also asked the authorities to "please help us find my daughter as soon as possible".

Made police report

The family made a police report in Singapore and are working closely with the authorities, the post noted.

It also thanked everyone who has helped the family so far.

"We are afraid that every hour we lose could make it harder to bring her home safely," the post added.

"As a father, I am begging for your help. I just want my daughter to come home safe," the post also said.

The father also asked those who read the post to help the family by sharing it as "someone may have seen something or know something that could help".

"If you have any information, no matter how small, please contact me or the Singapore police immediately," he wrote. "Please keep my daughter in your prayers. Please help bring my daughter home safely."

A 29-year-old Singaporean man was sentenced to four weeks’ jail after modifying a bag with a hole at the bottom and using it to film upskirt videos.

Ye Yixu Samuel pleaded guilty to one charge of voyeurism and was sentenced on Jul. 23.

According to CNA, Ye was a former lawyer.

Woodleigh

In court documents seen by Mothership, in April 2024 at Woodleigh MRT station, Ye set his mobile phone to enable video recording and placed it at the bottom of a black bag he obtained from a wine store.

The bag had a hole at its base.

He positioned the phone such that its camera faced outwards.

Ye kept a lookout for women with knee-length or short skirts so he could take upskirt videos of them.

He then spotted an unknown woman wearing a short skirt and tailed her while he was holding the bag with the phone in it.

When she stepped onto an escalator travelling upwards, Ye followed suit and stood behind her.

Ye held the bag in a way that allowed him to capture an upskirt video of the woman.

When both of them reached the upper floor, he stopped the video recording.

Ye then viewed the footage before deleting it.

Modus operandi

From April 2024 to early May 2024, Ye adopted a similar modus operandi in taking upskirt videos of multiple women at the MRT station at least once a week.

He would purchase wine from a wine store to obtain the black bag.

Ye would then puncture a hole in the bag to conceal his phone and facilitate his actions.

He would then keep a lookout for women wearing short skirts passing by the area before following them if he deemed them suitable targets.

The phone would be in video-recording mode beforehand and placed in the bag with its camera facing upwards.

Ye would then follow the unknown females up the escalator while taking upskirt videos of them.

After taking a sufficiently long recording, he would stop the recording and return to the same area to wait for his next victim.

After being satisfied that there were no further potential victims, Ye would leave for work.

Occasionally, when Ye arrived at Raffles Place MRT station for work, he would repeat the same process of identifying, tailing and taking upskirt videos of unknown victims while standing behind them on the ascending escalator, before heading to the office.

After viewing the upskirt videos, Ye would then delete them.

He would also dispose of the black bag he used.

Arrest

On Jun. 7, 2024, the police received an anonymous i-Witness report that Ye used his phone to take upskirt videos at an MRT station in April 2024.

Ye was subsequently arrested on Jun. 14 and was remanded.

He was released on bail on Jun. 15.

Disorder

The prosecution sought a two to three months’ jail sentence for Ye.

They argued that “there was some degree of premeditation to his offending” and he “was clearly goal-oriented” in targeting his victims.

The prosecution cited his modus operandi and alleged he was “plainly lingering around for no conceivable reason other than finding victims”.

The prosecution also said he had taken upskirt videos on multiple occasions and “had a predilection for committing acts of voyeurism”.

Ye’s lawyers reportedly called the prosecution's sentence “harsh”, and they sought a short detention order with a community service order, or two weeks' jail in the alternative.

They said Ye was remorseful and apparently suffered from mixed depressive and anxiety disorder, as well as voyeuristic disorder, at the time of the offence, inhibiting his ability to exercise self-control.

Ye's lawyers claimed he voluntarily sought treatment in August 2023 and regularly attended psychotherapy sessions.

He apparently felt disgusted and ashamed of himself.

They also cited Ye’s break-up with his girlfriend in April 2024, which resulted in a "spree of voyeuristic behaviour".

In December 2025, Ye was assessed as presenting with paraphilic disorder and excessive pornography consumption.

His lawyers said Ye admitted to his offences when he was arrested and has not relapsed since August 2024.

For voyeurism, he could have faced a jail term of up to two years, a fine, caning, or any combination of such punishments.

The fundraiser that was launched to help nine-month-old baby Matthias with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) receive urgent gene therapy has closed after reaching its goal.

Checks by Mothership on Jul. 31 showed that the campaign, which started on Jul. 24, was 100 per cent completed.

A campaign update stated that thanks to the community’s generous support through the crowdfunding campaign, together with the funds secured by the family, the full amount needed for Matthias to receive gene therapy Zolgensma has been met.

A rare genetic disease, SMA destroys motor neurons and weakens muscles.

"We have therefore stopped accepting any further donations, and the campaign closed at S$1,780,569.02 instead of the original goal of S$2,440,451.40," it read.

Baby Matthias is the third child of nurses Yun Hann, 34, and Benjamin, 36, who never thought their baby could have a genetic disorder.

Their two other children aged four and six are completely healthy.

As of Jul. 28, they raised over S$904,000.

Having previously donated to Ginny and Faziq's fundraisers previously, they knew the amount would be "astronomical".

Whole new meaning of community: Couple

Expressing their gratitude in a Jul. 31 Instagram post, the couple said the past three weeks had opened their eyes to a whole new meaning of community.

It's hard to find the words, the post read.

"All we know is this: without every prayer, every dollar, every share, every encouraging message, every act of kindness, and every cheerful comment, we truly don't know how we would have made it to today," it added.

The couple said: "With hearts full of gratitude, we want to share that, together, we have raised the remaining funds needed for Matthias' gene therapy."

They added that they are deeply humbled by the love that has surrounded the family.

"From friends and family, to colleagues, classmates and teachers, strangers who became friends, and even little children who gave from their pocket money—you have carried us through the hardest season of our lives," the post read.

It added: "Thank you for believing in our little boy, for carrying us when we didn’t have the strength to carry ourselves, and for standing with our family every step of the way."

"From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. We will never forget your kindness."

Type 2 SMA

Speaking to Mothership, the couple previously said that at seven months, Matthias' legs started to get increasingly "floppy" when they carried him in a standing position.

At first, they dismissed it as an effect of his size and personality.

Yun Hann is a nurse in the National Centre for Infectious Disease and Benjamin works in Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

However, they realised something was not right when he began to regress even further the next month.

At seven months, Matthias struggled to prop himself up on his elbows while lying on his stomach — a move he could do easily just a month before.

By the eighth month, he could not do it at all.

"That was the biggest red flag," Yun Hann said.

Needs treatment quickly

After reading Mothership's previous reports on babies Ginny and Faziq, both of whom were diagnosed with SMA, they thought these two babies' symptoms matched what they were seeing in Matthias.

When they brought Matthias to get tested at a hospital on Jul. 13, their worst fears were confirmed. He was diagnosed with Type 2 SMA.

As in the cases of Ginny and Faziq, the doctors told the couple that their son urgently needed Zolgensma.

The one-time gene therapy that replaces the faulty gene with a new, working copy, has been shown to stop the disease progression with just one dose.

However, it is priced at S$2.4 million and is unsubsidised by the government.

The doctors recommended that Matthias receive the treatment before he turns 12 months old.

The longer the delay, the greater the damage to their son's neurons — an effect that is likely irreversible.

Their hope is for Matthias to get Zolgensma as soon as possible so he can grow well and have a good future.

'Takes a village to raise a child'

Benjamin also highlighted to Mothership the support he and Yun Hann have been "very blessed" to receive.

Both of them have continued to work full-time, taking leave only on days they need to bring Matthias to the hospital for therapy.

Their parents help out with Matthias's physiotherapy in the daytime, and also help ferry them to medical appointments.

Yun Hann choked up when she previously talked about the compassion their bosses, friends, and family members have shown.

"Like the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child," Benjamin added.

A video about the simple lifestyle of a 55-year-old man in Singapore, who retired at age 35, has blown up online.

Colin Lau shared about his life and his unorthodox approach to his finances in a Jul. 24, 2026 video by CNA Insider.

The video has been viewed 1.7 million times in under a week.

His story

Lau said he was traumatised as a child after seeing his aunt cry about being retrenched.

His aunt informed him then that it was normal for people to get retrenched at around age 45.

He then pledged to save as much money as he humanly could to avoid the same fate.

Lo and behold, he got retrenched at 35 instead of 45.

The language learning centre he worked for shut down after the building was demolished.

It was a massive blow.

He "cried and cried", he wrote on Facebook.

Buying a house to generate cash flow

However, he learned from a property agent about a way to generate cash flow.

As a single man who had hit 35 years old, he was able to buy the cheapest flat he could afford to pay in full and rent out a room.

He ended up purchasing a S$87,000 three-room flat in 2007 that had about 64 years left on its lease.

He did not take a loan as you "lose a lot of money by paying mortgages", he wrote.

The flat was built in 1971, the year Lau was born — he could live there till he turns 99.

Renting out room paid for flat

He also revealed that he recouped the cost of his flat after renting out a room for eight years.

This works out to about S$900 a month in rent that he still collects to this day from a tenant.

He explained his financial thinking: "I bought a cheap flat. Eight years later, the cheap flat is free of charge for me. And then the price of the flat went up."

Gets S$2,500 cash flow per month

Besides asset appreciation, Lau's life, as shared, revolved around saving aggressively, spending very little, and setting the rest of his money aside to be invested or used for another day.

He said of his approach: "Everybody was spending money like water, I was spending like a test tube."

He also estimated that he saved the bulk of what he earned: "I don't know, maybe, 80 per cent? I think it's pretty high, right? Sometimes it was 90 per cent."

These days, he receives payouts from insurance plans that he purchased when he was younger.

His cash flow is about S$2,500 a month, inclusive of the money he makes as a landlord.

He said he spends less than S$150 a month these days.

He continues to save the remainder of this S$2,500 monthly payout for the day he needs a helper to take care of him or check into a nursing home when he grows old as a bachelor.

He urged people not to save on the small things, but focus on the big ticket items, such as housing: "The real saving is when you save on the expensive stuff."

He admitted that he does not eat much as he wants to manage his blood glucose level.

He wrote that he was fat before and he is now thin and he chooses to be thin so that he would not have gut issues.

What he has been doing with his life

Lau writes in a self-deprecating tone.

This is evident from his Facebook post where he called himself "an extreme cheapskate".

He also revealed in his interview that he enjoys music, reading, and listening to podcasts — activities that are free and stimulate him mentally.

Trade-offs

But some of the trade-offs he has had to make included not being able to buy a bigger home or have children of his own.

He keeps a dog though.

Health issues have also cropped up.

In June 2025, his feet became swollen and he fainted.

He was found by his neighbours.

He underwent 15 surgeries and had a 62-day hospital stay.

His hospital bill came up to S$146,000.

But he paid nothing out of pocket as he chose the lowest ward class and had insurance coverage.

Helping the underprivileged in the Philippines

With all his free time on hand, Lau spends it helping others too.

He wrote that he has a "weird" hobby: Dumpster diving.

He will find items that are too good to be thrown away and have them shipped to Manila in the Philippines.

He was able to liaise with a cargo ship boss who would pack the cargo ship with loose items to make use of any free space on board.

Lau wrote: "Yes, very poor people in Manila slums will fight for the stuff that people in Singapore throw away in perfect condition."

"I never get upset with my Singapore people for throwing away stuff that look brand new."

Lau runs a Facebook page that collects usable items from people in Singapore.

It's official: Marmite — the dark, sticky and savoury British yeast extract spread — has been delisted by its distributor, Unilever International, in Singapore.

A Marmite spokesperson confirmed the move to Mothership, saying the company understands that consumers may be disappointed when their favourite products are no longer available.

"Marmite has a loyal following of lovers (and haters!) around the world and we understand that consumers are disappointed when their favourite products are delisted," the spokesperson said.

They added that the company continually reviews product availability across different markets and will continue working with its partners to ensure that as many Marmite lovers in Singapore as possible can continue to enjoy the iconic British condiment.

Delisted in Singapore and Malaysia

Mothership understands the Marmite brand has been delisted both in Singapore and Malaysia.

Marmite continues to be manufactured in Burton upon Trent in the United Kingdom (UK) and is available across UK retailers and other export markets.

Meanwhile, supermarkets in Singapore said they are looking for alternative stocks of Marmite amid its disappearance from local shelves.

About Marmite

First created by the Marmite Food Company in 1902, Marmite is produced from a by-product of beer brewing.

It is a vegan source of B vitamins and is traditionally spread thinly on buttered toast.

Marmite is now manufactured by the British company Unilever.

It was distributed to Singapore via Unilever Singapore.

Reuters reported that between late 2025 and early 2026, Unilever considered selling Marmite and Bovril, as well as other British brands to trim the portfolio of the company.

Bovril is a beef extract paste similar to Marmite.

Three women, aged between 32 and 38, were arrested for affray on Jul. 26 and given warnings on Jul. 27.

Videos of the fight that took place at Paya Lebar circulated online, with many speculating that the women were foreign domestic workers.

The police confirmed with Mothership that they were alerted to a fight at 10 Paya Lebar Road at about 11:45am on Jul. 26.

The three women sustained minor injuries but refused conveyance to the hospital, police said.

Given warnings

The police said that they administered warnings to the three women on Jul. 27 for the offence of affray under Section 267B of the Penal Code 1871.

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

What happened

Videos of the altercation showed a woman in a black shirt pulling the hair of a woman in red.

Several other women attempted to intervene, but were unable to stop the fight.

The women appeared to have been having picnics on a grassy patch by the roadside before the incident.

At one point, the woman in black was seen on top of the woman in red, pressing down on her head.

The struggle continued until the woman in black was pulled away by others.

The woman in red then got to her feet and confronted a woman in brown standing beside the woman in black, who had walked away by that point.

The two women exchanged heated words before grabbing at each other.

A cyclist then attempted to break up the fight, saying that she would call the police.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is studying the possibility of introducing a new form of public transport, the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System in Tuas South, in a bid to improve the area's connectivity.

With a medium capacity that is higher than a regular bus and greater flexibility than the MRT or LRT, the BRT will be used to provide workers with faster connections to and from existing and future MRT stations.

Improving connectivity

The plan was announced by Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow at the launch of Phase Three of the Cross Island Line's (CRL) construction on Jul. 31.

The connectivity of the Tuas area currently depends mainly on the existing East-West Line, he said.

While the situation has been improved with the extension of the EWL, as well as the upcoming CRL and Jurong Region Line, Siow said that it is not uncommon for candidates applying for jobs in Tuas Port to miss their job interviews out of inconvenience of getting there.

"As technology improves, I think more options will open up."

What's the BRT System?

The BRT System, currently already implemented in a number of cities like Shanghai, Seoul and Istanbul, is a cost-effective option being explored to solve this problem.

They can be articulated high-capacity buses or track-less trams that travel on dedicated lanes with priority at traffic junctions.

BRT stations are optimised for quick boarding and alighting through off-board fare collection at stations and platform-level boarding.

Traditionally, systems in this capacity require dedicated infrastructure involving rails, power and signalling, though many major cities are now able to do without them, Siow pointed out.

Conventional BRTs, such as those in Shanghai and Seoul, utilise buses of varying lengths.

These can be single, or two or three-sectioned.

Tram-like BRTs, on the other hand, are an evolved concept that use longer, tram-like vehicles with driver's cabins at both ends.

They also use auto-assisted driving via virtual guidance and have wider, multiple doors to enable faster boarding and alighting than a conventional articulated bus design.

LTA is evaluating the range of BRT options for Tuas South, the statutory board said.