A car crashed into a landed home and knocked down a portion of its outer perimeter wall in Katong on Oct. 18.

The home was also the premises of Liu Fu Si Fang Cai, a home-based dining business.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police said that they were alerted to the incident at 11:25am that day.

They stated that the car was believed to have self-skidded along Tembeling Road and crashed into the wall, though no injuries were reported.

The 37-year-old driver is assisting with ongoing investigations.

Business not affected

Speaking to Mothership, homeowner and chef Henry Lau said that no one was at home when the incident occurred.

Lau received a call from his neighbour at 11:28am that day informing him of the accident, and subsequently contacted his younger brother to help him settle the matter as he was overseas.

In a video shared by Lau, a car can be seen ramming through the wall at a high speed, hitting some trees in the process.

The video was sent to him by his neighbour.

He was also contacted by the car's insurer. Lau stated that part of the wall, the landscaping, and a swing was damaged.

More pressing, however, was his discovery that the electrical meter had been destroyed by the crash, leading him to worry that his freezer and chiller would be affected.

As such, he initially put a customer's booking for Oct. 20 on hold, fearing the worst.

Thankfully, checks revealed that most of his electrical equipment was functioning, and he will be able to proceed with business as usual.

Lau added that does not expect further disruption to his business unless further issues are discovered.

According to Lau, Liu Fu Si Fang Cai has been in business since 2018.

They operate on a monthly-reservation balloting system, serving Chinese zichar-style dishes.

Ukraine's ambassador to Singapore, Kateryna Zelenko, has expressed her gratitude to Singapore for standing by Ukraine during some of its most difficult years, as she prepares to leave her post.

In a farewell video shared on Facebook by the Embassy of Ukraine in Singapore, Zelenko reflected on her time in Singapore since arriving in 2020.

She described the years as a period of friendship and discovery, but also some of the most difficult in Ukraine's modern history.

"And throughout this journey, Singapore was there showing that even a small country can make a very big difference if it stands by its principles," she said.

"For this, we Ukrainians will always be grateful."

Thanked Singaporeans for their support

Zelenko expressed her gratitude to the Singapore government, her fellow ambassadors, the Ukrainian community and Singaporeans who had supported the embassy's initiatives.

She thanked Singaporeans for attending embassy events and offering assistance during difficult times.

"Thank you for believing that friendship matters — especially when times are difficult," she said.

Looking ahead, Zelenko expressed hope that she would one day be able to welcome Singaporeans to a peaceful Ukraine.

She spoke of a future in which Ukrainian cities would be rebuilt, families reunited and children could grow up without fear.

Zelenko also thanked her embassy team: "I may be leaving my post, but I am not leaving the friendship that we have built together."

She concluded her message by wishing Singaporeans peace and prosperity.

"Thank you, Singapore!"

Singapore's support for Ukraine

In February 2022, Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Sergiy Kyslytsya, hugged Singapore's UN ambassador Burhan Gafoor after the latter spoke out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Gafoor condemned the invasion, stressing Singapore's support for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries.

Indonesia has yet to take up neighbouring countries' offers of assistance to tackle the forest fires that have spread thick haze across the region because it believes it is still capable of managing the situation.

That is why it has not declared the forest and land fires a national disaster, which would require accepting foreign assistance, said Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Dudung Abdurachman on Oct. 19.

"For now, we are still capable. Our country is still able," he underscored after a ministerial-level meeting, as quoted by Kompas.

Just a few days earlier, on Oct. 15, Indonesian Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir shared that President Prabowo Subianto had approved foreign assistance, and the technical arrangements were being processed.

Singapore and Malaysia have both made offers to help combat the blazes.

At a press conference on the haze on Oct. 16, Singapore's Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu reiterated that Singapore is "prepared to provide assistance that Indonesia thinks is suitable".

That includes civilian firefighting assistance and cloud-seeding support.

At that point in time, she had yet to hear back from Indonesia's environment minister about these offers.

Constraints to consider

Dudung also explained that accepting foreign assistance would involve several challenges on the ground.

He said the government must consider technical constraints in the field, including fuel distribution.

"It is not simply about having equipment, personnel, and assistance, but for now, we are still able," he said.

Welcomes assistance

Also speaking after another meeting on Oct. 19, Dudung said that the Indonesian government welcomes help from neighbouring countries, Kompas reported.

He acknowledged Malaysia's proposal to send three aircraft and 52 personnel to support firefighting efforts, adding that they are "welcome to do so".

He also went on to say that support from Singapore was currently being coordinated through the head of Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency.

On Indonesia's own part, the government has deployed 47 aircraft and 60,000 personnel, and ordered a boost in aerial operational capabilities to tackle the fires.

On Oct. 19, Singapore's Senior Minister K Shanmugam praised the efforts taken by Prabowo and his administration to tackle the haze problem.

Speaking at a media doorstop, SM Shanmugam expressed appreciation for the Indonesian president's commitment, including to prioritise fire prevention as a long-term solution.

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Singapore and Qatar plan to upgrade their bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in an Oct. 19 statement.

It added that both countries agreed to work towards elevating relations in a meeting on the same day with both countries' ministers and senior officials in attendance.

Co-chaired meeting

This comes amid Singapore's Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong's official visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Oct. 18 to 22.

On Oct. 19 in Doha, PM Wong and Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar and its head of state, co-chaired the High-Level Joint Committee's (HLJC) ninth meeting.

This marked the first time that the HLJC was co-chaired by the leaders of both countries in its 20-year history, with both leaders reaffirming the warm and longstanding relations between Singapore and Qatar, the MFA statement added.

At the meeting, the leaders of both countries welcomed the continued growth of bilateral cooperation in areas including trade and investment, energy, and defence, both nations' HLJC said in a joint post-meeting statement.

The statement added that Qatar will become Singapore's second Strategic Partner in the Middle East, with the other being Saudi Arabia.

AI, defence

At the meeting, the leaders welcomed the growing cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI), digitalisation, and emerging technologies.

They also encouraged cooperation among government agencies, research institutions, academia, and the private sector in AI, digital government, cybersecurity, data, innovation, research and development, and emerging technologies.

LNG

According to the joint statement, the leaders welcomed the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between QatarEnergy and the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry of Singapore on Cooperation in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Low-Carbon Technology.

"The MOU underscores both sides' commitment to facilitating stable LNG procurement supply chains and energy security, especially in light of recent market developments," the statement read.

Concern over Middle East situation

At the meeting, the leaders also expressed serious concern over the situation in the Middle East, the HLJC statement noted.

They commended Qatar's sustained diplomatic efforts to facilitate dialogue and de-escalation in the region, emphasising the importance of upholding navigational rights and freedoms in accordance with international law, in particular the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

It ensures that international shipping, including in the Strait of Hormuz, remains open, safe and secure.

Small states

After arriving in Doha on Oct. 18, PM Wong met Qatar's Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, who hosted him to an official dinner.

On Oct. 19, Emir Sheikh Tamim received PM Wong at Doha's Royal Court, welcoming him with a ceremony and hosting him to lunch.

PM Wong had visited the Qatar Foundation that morning, where he met Vice Chairperson Sheikha Hind Bint Hamad Al Thani and exchanged views on education, research and innovation.

In an Oct. 19 Facebook post, PM Wong said that as "Singapore prepares to chair the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2027, we look forward to deepening ASEAN–Qatar ties, as well as strengthening cooperation between ASEAN and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)".

He noted that "Singapore and Qatar are both small states navigating an increasingly troubled world".

"We share a strong interest in keeping our economies open, strengthening our resilience, and building a more secure and prosperous future for our peoples," he said.

"His Highness last visited Singapore in 2017, and I look forward to welcoming him back soon!"

The leaders had agreed to convene the 10th HLJC meeting in Singapore at a mutually convenient time, which the joint statement said was to be determined through diplomatic channels.

PM Wong will depart Qatar for the UAE on Oct. 20 for the second leg of his official visits.

A 42-year-old man has been charged for allegedly using an electronic device to illegally obtain customers’ bank card information at a retail establishment along Syed Alwi Road.

Liu Xi, a Chinese national, was detained by security guards after he was seen moving suspiciously.

Used electronic device

In a press release, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said they were alerted to the incident on Oct. 18 after security officers detained the man for his suspicious behaviour.

Investigations revealed that the man had been moving around the shop suspiciously while carrying a bag containing an electronic device.

He was allegedly seen standing close to other customers and holding his bag near customers' pockets containing their wallets.

Security officers subsequently detained him, and he was taken by officers from the Central Police Division.

An electronic device, two power banks, a mobile phone and several bank cards were found in his possession and seized as case exhibits.

If found guilty, Liu faces up to three years’ jail, a fine of up to S$10,000, or both.

The police reminded members of the public to remain vigilant and safeguard their personal information, including bank card details, against unauthorised access or collection.

A kindergarten operator in China has been sentenced to life imprisonment for violating national food safety regulations.

Li Huifang instructed kitchen staff to add inedible paint to food to enhance its colour and entice children to eat it, Lianhe Zaobao reported.

In July 2025, 233 children at the kindergarten were found to have lead poisoning, prompting an investigation into the incident at Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui, Gansu Province.

Lead poisoning

Food samples from the kindergarten were found to contain lead at levels up to 2,000 times higher than China’s national food safety limit, according to the BBC.

Investigators found that the red date cakes and corn sausage rolls contained 1,052mg/kg and 1,340mg/kg of lead, respectively, far exceeding the national food safety limit of 0.5mg/kg, BBC reported.

It was also found that dozens of provincial officials and hospital staff had attempted to cover up the incident by tampering with blood test results and accepting bribes from a nursery investor.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), young children are particularly vulnerable to lead’s toxic effects, which can cause lasting health problems, especially to the development of the central nervous system.

Sentenced

On Oct. 16, Li was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined 500,000 yuan (S$95,700).

Kindergarten principal Zhu Jinglin was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined 30,000 yuan (S$5,700).

Four kitchen workers were also sentenced to prison terms ranging from six to eight years.

An assistant store manager at the Uniqlo outlet in Waterway Point earned praise for memorising the facial features and physical attributes of suspected shoplifters.

This allowed her to alert the authorities when the same suspected individuals returned to the store in Punggol.

The actions of the staff, identified as ​Ms Catherine, were lauded by Punggol Neighbourhood Police Centre in a Facebook post on Oct. 20.

The police said Catherine "demonstrated exceptional vigilance, courage, and keen memory".

Two suspects

There were two repeated shop theft suspects.

Catherine had carefully reviewed earlier CCTV footage of a shop theft incident, the police added.

The same suspects returned to the store weeks later and she instantly identified them.

She then "took proactive action to detain them, successfully preventing further offences".

"​Her sharp observation, brave initiative, and strong commitment to crime prevention reflect the highest standards of store security," the police said.

Uniqlo said it utilises strategic CCTV coverage and continuous staff vigilance, to ensure a a safe and secure shopping environment.

The United States midterm elections are less than three weeks away, with the Nov. 3 election date looking to become a reckoning for President Donald Trump.

In 2024, Trump won his presidential re-election contest, with his Republican Party securing majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, known as a trifecta.

The party’s control of several state legislatures and judicial support for their efforts to redraw electoral districts looked like it would cement the Republican majority in the House, a process known as "gerrymandering."

But by October 2026, a scant two years later, outlets like Politico report that Republican leaders have all but ceded the House to the opposition Democrats and are turning their efforts to defending the Senate and holding on to what seats they can in the House.

Did Republican efforts to gerrymander themselves a majority fail, and if so, why?

RE: Districting

The U.S. House of Representatives consists of 435 seats, apportioned to its 50 states by population (with each state receiving one seat no matter how small its population is), with its members re-elected every two years.

Each state then draws its own electoral boundaries as it sees fit, usually controlled by its local state legislature.

At a local level, it is one of the most significant contributions of state legislatures to national elections, as redistricting efforts can, in theory, produce significantly different results depending on how they were drawn.

Majority parties often attempt to split their opponent’s voters into as many seats as possible, diluting their vote, or concentrating them into a few seats, thereby ensuring that both parties have unassailable seats, but the opposition has fewer.

These redistricting efforts are usually held after nationally mandated censuses, usually held at the beginning of each decade, and in the past both parties have attempted to gerrymander their states and win the state before going to the ballot.

What is unique about 2026 is that at least nine states, most of them Republican, will see new electoral districts enacted off-cycle, while several other states, such as Missouri, saw their attempts rejected judicially, at least for the moment.

States such as Texas redrew their maps extensively, and in Texas’s case, with the explicit encouragement of Trump.

But due to factors arguably within the control of Republican leaders, many of these attempts appear to have failed or backfired.

Deep in the heart of Texas

Texas last had a majority of Democratic Congressmen over two decades ago, in 2002.

But according to the Pew Research Center, ever since a 2004 redistricting, Texas Congressional Republicans have held the state.

After Trump’s 2024 victory, he encouraged Texas Republicans, as well as those of other states, to carry out a mid-cycle revamp, and the resultant map looked to give them 30 out of 38 seats, up from 25, according to the Texas Tribune.

For context, Republicans now hold 218 seats in the House of Representatives, with Democrats holding 214 seats, which is a razor-thin majority.

Five seats in Texas alone would double their majority; this is before considering other affected states.

Democratic states were so concerned about this that one, California, threatened to enact its own partisan mid-cycle redistricting effort to effectively cancel out the gains made in Texas, and then did it when Texas passed its new maps.

Coalition politics

But the districts were drawn up based on the results of the 2024 general election, which saw Trump assemble a new electoral coalition made up of voters not traditionally Republican, such as young men and Latinos, adding to groups like white working-class men.

Republicans assumed that the coalition was essentially set in stone, or at least would last them for some time, as Reuters reports.

But events since Trump has taken back the White House have changed the complexion of 2026’s election.

As a previous article explained, between Trump’s trade tariffs and his war of choice in Iran that has spiked energy prices, he not only broke his promise to ease the cost of living; he’s all but blown those promises up.

ICE

Worse yet is the Justice Department’s actions against illegal immigration.

Latino voters are not, as a rule, naturally against immigration enforcement, largely because they are not a homogeneous group.

So their stance on immigration varies, as is explained in a commentary by the Los Angeles Times, and many not only support ICE, but are members of it.

Trump’s return to power has seen a notable enforcement of immigration policy and deportations.

However, many Latinos have come to criticise those efforts as overzealous, and feel that they have become the unwarranted target of those efforts due to their race.

They have been subject to arrests, and even deportation, often without due process, and to vulnerable individuals including babies.

This has fractured support for Trump and his Republican Party, especially in border states such as Texas.

Dummymandering

The seats that were specifically drawn up to rely on their support now face a situation where not only is their vote share decreased, but in some cases it makes them especially vulnerable to electoral collapse, as is described by polling analyst Nate Silver in the Silver Bulletin.

This is a process that is known as “Dummymandering”, and Silver points out that efforts to redistrict are designed for ordinary, competitive elections.

But Trump and the Republicans are facing a unique set of circumstances: Trump’s approval ratings are especially low, and the economy is performing especially poorly, at least for most run-of-the-mill individuals, for reasons that can be directly attributed to Trump's policies.

Furthermore, Trump isn’t personally involved in a election this November, so even his personal charisma and popularity amongst never-say-die supporters are of limited value, as it does not always transfer to other Republican candidates.

Silver points out that Democrats are doing especially well not just in Texas, but in other traditionally Republican states such as Kansas and Alaska, signifying that the Republicans are not just facing a loss, but an electoral wave.

These effects are pronounced in Texas, but are affecting races all across the country, and Republican efforts to secure their majority look to have crippled their ability to hold it.

A dryer allegedly overheated and caught fire, prompting four residents in a Tampines flat to flee.

The fire severely damaged the kitchen and living room of the unit, reported Shin Min Daily News.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed with Mothership that they were alerted to a fire at Block 714 Tampines Street 71 on Oct. 18 at about 4:45pm.

SCDF added that the fire involved the contents of a kitchen and service yard in a unit on the 13th floor.

Four persons evacuated from the unit before SCDF's arrival.

SCDF extinguished the fire using a water jet.

There were no reported injuries, and the cause of the fire is under investigation, SCDF said.

Dryer started to smoke

The owner of the unit, Zhuo (transliteration), told Shin Min on Oct. 19 that he lived there with four tenants, but he was not home at the time.

He learned of the fire after receiving a call from one of his tenants, who told him that there was smoke from the dryer and the clothes inside were on fire.

"I told her to open the dryer and try to put it out with water, but the flames grew too fast, and it was too late, so they had to run for safety," he said.

Zhuo explained that the dryer was purchased about six or seven years ago.

It had been running for about two hours at the time of the incident.

Residents evacauted

Zhuo also told Shin Min that the tenants knocked on doors to notify their neighbours to evacuate while they were fleeing.

A male resident living below the apartment told Shin Min that he noticed white smoke coming from upstairs, followed by a burning smell.

Shortly afterwards, rescue personnel told them to evacuate.

They were allowed to return home about an hour later.

Other residents downstairs said they heard a loud explosion when it happened.

According to Shin Min, the SCDF investigation lasted until around 9pm that night before the cordon was lifted.

Advisory

SCDF said the top three causes of fires in residential premises are unattended cooking, electrical fires and unattended lighted materials.

"Residents are strongly advised not to leave cooking unattended, and to keep stove-tops, cooker hoods and ovens clean and free of grease," they said.

"They should also avoid overloading power sockets or charging devices overnight without supervision. Lighted materials such as incense sticks or cigarettes should never be left unattended and must be fully extinguished before disposal," SCDF added.

An elderly man in Singapore was scammed out of more than S$21,000 he had saved for his retirement after falling for a lottery scam on Facebook.

The 71-year-old, known as Yang (transliteration), came across an advertisement in late August that promised lottery wins, reported Shin Min Daily News.

The scam

Yang first placed a call to the number in the Facebook advertisement, but it didn’t go through.

However, the scammer returned his call in early September.

The other party then told Yang that they knew people in Singapore Pools who could provide the winning numbers ahead of each draw, reported Shin Min.

But Yang would have to pay for it: numbers for the first prize cost S$1,988, second prize S$1,688, and third prize S$1,388.

He reportedly told the scammers that he could not afford those, and they instead asked for S$500 to set up his account, and another S$500 for five sets of 4D numbers.

On Sep. 5, Yang was given the five sets of numbers and promised S$300,000 if he won.

However, none of the numbers matched, and he questioned the scammer.

The scammer then claimed that the numbers were "sold out" due to their popularity and hence couldn't be drawn, but promised to get his insider to alter the tickets for Yang to strike the lottery.

Yang then received a text the next day informing him that he had won the first prize, accompanied by a photo of a cheque for S$300,000.

Asked to transfer more

Yang was asked to transfer the scammer another S$1,488, the remainder of the first prize fee, which he obliged.

On Sep. 9, the scammer said that transferring the prize money, which was a large sum, may raise suspicions of money laundering, and asked for S$5,850 in “handling fees”.

Two days later, he was asked to transfer another S$7,840 for the same reason.

By Sep. 16, Yang had yet to receive the promised prize money and made a police report.

However, he still transferred the scammers another S$3,500 in hopes of receiving the prize money at the beginning of October and on Oct. 16.

Yang finally realised he had been scammed when they asked him for more money, and read reports of such cases in the Chinese newspapers a few days ago.

The man said that he is now penniless and unemployed as his contract for cleaning work had expired, and can only survive on instant noodles and bread daily, according to Shin Min.

Through this ordeal, Yang said he lost a total of S$21,688.

Police investigations are ongoing.