Air India is seeking US$1.5 billion (S$1.9 billion) in fresh equity from owners Singapore Airlines and Tata just months after recording a loss of more than US$2 billion (S$2.5 billion) for the 2025 to 2026 fiscal year, Reuters reported.

The carrier's record loss weighed down on SIA's own profits, with Singapore's national carrier posting nearly S$1 billion in losses less than two years after its 25 per cent investment in the airline.

No decision made on request: Reuters

"Air India wants the funds immediately, though the infusion is likely to happen in tranches. Singapore Airline's would need to contribute to its share of the proposed infusion to go through," one source told Reuters.

Discussions are ongoing and there has been no decision on the request.

An unnamed SIA executive has called it an "annus horribilis (a horrible year)" for Air India, the Financial Times previously reported.

They added: "Air India is trying to undergo a major transformation — the likes of which have probably never been seen in the airline industry — while also dealing with all these other issues."

Reports also surfaced in April about Air India's request for capital injection from its major shareholders.

Background

SIA was first enlisted by India's largest conglomerate Tata Sons, who hold the other 75 per cent in Air India, as an unofficial adviser when the latter began exploring taking over Air India in 2021.

SIA jumped onboard, eventually owning 25 per cent of the Indian carrier.

SIA's management reportedly contributed S$822 million of capital to Air India in the early days, then another S$167 million in March 2025.

Multiple incidents have since affected the carrier, contributing to an overall loss of S$945 million from March 2025 to March 2026.

In June 2025, an Air India flight bound for London crashed after take-off, killing 242 people.

SIA has since stepped up its operational involvement in India's national carrier.

Convicted sex offender, 27-year-old Amos Yee, was given four new charges in court on Aug. 26 for offences related to online contents he allegedly published.

An earlier report mentioned that an Aug. 25 police news release stated that the contents were found to be "alarming and racially divisive".

Several reports were made to the police between April and July 2026, and police investigations were subsequently conducted.

Yee previously said in an Aug. 25 TikTok video that his bail could be revoked as he had committed new crimes on top of his existing charges.

Yee's current bail was revoked, but was offered a S$15,000 bail.

His mother posted the bail, and Yee left the State Courts at about 11am.

When asked by media whether he was concerned about getting separated from his family, he replied that he think they are used to it as he has been arrested seven to eight times, Yee said.

Racially divisive posts

On Apr. 7 and Apr. 11, Yee was found to have made two posts on his blog in which he stated that the Malay-Muslim and Indian communities in Singapore were heavily discriminated against by the Chinese majority.

He also made statements about the Singapore government's treatment of these communities and incited protests against the government.

Yee repeated these sentiments in a video on May. 27.

Indecent comments

In another post published on his blog on Jun. 30, Yee posited that children were capable of consenting to sexual acts.

He also advocated for the abolition of laws governing the age at which children can consent to such acts.

Previously in 2021, he had made three other videos in which he advocated sexual relationships involving children and the abolition of laws prohibiting child sexual abuse material.

Posts taken down

The police added that they have issued an OCHA Disabling Direction (DD) to take down the video on X on Aug. 18, which the platform has complied with.

For the remaining offensive content, Yee has been issued a Stop Communication Directions to remove the existing posts on his personal blog.

Yee is also set to plead guilty on Sep. 7 to NS enlistment offences.

He was previously charged in March with three offences related to his NS obligations.

Speaking to Mothership outside the State Courts on Apr. 23, Yee said he would "just treat it like a business trip" if sentenced to jail, describing it as "something [he] has to do to ignite a political movement".

A 33-year-old Singaporean man was sentenced to two years and 10 months’ jail and three strokes of the cane after he discreetly filmed couples engaging in sexual acts in public areas and attempted to extort one of them.

Mohammad Sharulnaim Miswan pleaded guilty to three charges, including extortion, obstructing justice and wrongful confinement, and was sentenced on Aug. 25.

Two other charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

The identities of the victims and incident locations cannot be disclosed as a gag order was imposed to protect the victims.

Rooftop garden

In court documents seen by Mothership, on Jan. 15, 2024, at about 1am, Sharulnaim passed by a 39-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman at an empty rooftop garden of a multi-storey carpark.

As he saw the man touching the woman, Sharulnaim proceeded to hide behind some plants as he suspected that they might engage in sexual acts.

The pair proceeded to engage in sexual intercourse and oral sex, and he took five videos of the occurrences.

Their faces were captured in some of the videos, and at one point Sharulnaim shifted to another position for a better view.

Clinic

On May 6, 2024, Sharulnaim approached the woman at a clinic.

She was there to take her son to the clinic and was waiting to see a doctor.

Sharulnaim introduced himself and asked if she was married.

He also asked if the boy was her son.

Since it was the woman’s turn at the clinic, she took her son to see the doctor.

While waiting to collect medication, Sharulnaim approached her again and said he possessed footage of her engaging in sexual intercourse on the rooftop.

He also showed her a screenshot of the video.

Sharulnaim got her to agree to meet him in his car, where he told her that he intended to post the video.

The woman pleaded with him not to post it and claimed her son had autism.

Sharulnaim dropped the woman and her son off and exchanged numbers with her.

They continued to communicate on settling the issue.

Sharulnaim claimed he intended to report the video to the police or make it go viral.

The woman offered S$300.

However, he refused, as the proposed amount was apparently too low.

Sharulnaim then told her that if she was charged with the offence shown in the video, she could face months in jail and a fine of up to S$5,000.

He then asked the woman to pay him S$2,000.

She replied that S$2,000 was too high and that she only had S$300.

Sharulnaim then asked her to pay S$1,500, but she replied that she did not have that amount and needed to borrow from others.

Aroused

Sharulnaim then told her that he was sexually aroused by watching her have sex.

He then repeatedly asked her to pay him S$1,000 and have sex with him.

She repeatedly refused his requests, despite him saying he would fetch her so they could have sex at a car park, and if she complied, he would delete the video immediately

Sharulnaim then told the woman to transfer him S$1,300 by May 7, 2024, or else he would report the video to the police or make it viral if she failed to do so.

On May 7, 2024, at about 8am, the woman informed the 39-year-old man that Sharulnaim had recorded the video of them having sex and asked him what to do.

He advised her to lodge a police report.

At about 12pm, the pair attempted to call Sharulnaim, but he did not answer.

At about 6:01pm, the woman lodged a police report.

On May 8, 2024, Sharulnaim texted the woman and asked if they could talk.

She did not reply him.

At about 12pm, Sharulnaim called the man and asked him how he wished to settle the matter.

He also informed the man that he had intended to report the video to the police on May 7, 2024, but did not do so as he wanted to speak to him first.

The man felt threatened.

He then told Sharulnaim he would pay S$1,000, as the woman only had S$300, and pleaded with him to leave her alone thereafter, as she had a young son and a mother to take care of.

The man also told Sharulnaim he would pay S$500 at the end of May and the remaining S$500 in June.

Sharulnaim rejected this and demanded that the pair pay him S$1,300 by the end of May.

He also told the man he would delete the video and not disturb them anymore once payment was made.

The man then told Sharulnaim that he and the woman would pay him by the end of May.

Later the same day, at about 8pm, Sharulnaim was arrested.

No payment was made to Sharulnaim.

Sharulnaim was later released on bail on May 10, 2024.

Supermarket

On Sep. 12, 2024, Sharulnaim approached the woman’s sister at a supermarket.

Her sister asked who he was, and Sharulnaim said the woman had reported him to the police and added that he possessed an explicit video of her.

The woman then saw Sharulnaim, but did not want to speak to him until he approached her.

He then asked her to inform the investigating officer that she no longer wished to pursue the matter so the police would stop investigating him.

To placate him, the woman told Sharulnaim that she would consider his request.

She had no intention of dropping the matter.

Sharulnaim also repeatedly asked when she would let him know whether she agreed to drop the case.

He also wanted to give the woman his new handphone number, but she did not want to take it down.

Sharulnaim then told her not to inform the investigating officer about this conversation.

She then asked him to leave, and he complied.

The woman’s sister then advised her to inform the officer about what had happened, and she did so.

Harass

On Oct. 9, 2024, at about 11am, the woman's sister was at the supermarket with her son when Sharulnaim approached her.

She told him that she was not interested in speaking to him.

Sharulnaim then asked her what the woman had told her about him and whether she had mentioned that he had asked her for money.

The woman's sister ignored him and left the supermarket.

Sharulnaim approached the woman's sister again when she, her son and the woman were waiting for the lift near the supermarket.

Sharulnaim said he learned that the case had not been dropped when he reported for bail, and he begged the woman to inform the investigating officer that she no longer wished to pursue the matter.

He asked for her forgiveness and to drop the case as his parents and wife knew about it, and he was the sole breadwinner.

Sharulnaim also claimed he wanted to commit suicide.

To placate him, the woman said she would think about it.

Sharulnaim also asked the woman and her sister to tell the investigating officer they were family, even though they were not, as his friend told him it might help drop the case.

Sharulnaim then told them that he had gifts for the woman and would help her financially, such as by paying for her household necessities, and he would stop approaching them if she agreed to drop the case.

He also asked the woman's sister to persuade the woman to drop the case.

The woman's sister replied that it was for her sister to decide, and they both left the area.

At about 4:14pm, the woman's sister lodged a police report as both she and her sister felt harassed by Sharulnaim.

Other couple

On Feb. 5. 2025, at about 9:30pm, Sharulnaim spotted another couple, a 27-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman, engaging in sexual intercourse in a parked rental car at a multi-storey carpark.

At about 10:35pm, Sharulnaim took a picture of the couple having sex in the car’s rear seats.

He then knocked on the car’s window and gestured to them to step out of the car.

The man stepped out of the car.

Sharulnaim asked what they were doing and lied that he was a former police officer.

He then asked for their names, ages, addresses, and schools.

The man complied and answered him.

Sharulnaim then informed him that he had recorded a video of him and the woman engaging in sexual acts in the car and that the woman's face could be seen.

He then said he would lodge a police report and inform the car rental company, and that the man could be charged for his actions and that his parents would be disappointed in him.

The man was scared, given Sharulnaim’s claim that he was a former police officer.

The woman then stepped out of the car upon Sharulnaim’s request.

The pair then told Sharulnaim they had to leave, and they walked away.

He got into his car, drove it to the ground floor of the car park and cornered them with his car.

Sharulnaim then rolled down his window, insisted the man leave first, and said he would send the woman home.

The man complied, still in shock, and walked to the woman’s block to wait for her.

The woman repeatedly refused to enter Sharulnaim’s car, but eventually did so unwillingly.

He then locked the car’s doors and told her that he wanted to wait a while to make sure the man did not return.

After about five minutes, Sharulnaim started driving.

Sharulnaim then saw the woman’s WhatsApp profile picture and asked if that was her.

He complimented her, saying she was “f*cking pretty” and “f*cking hot” and then asked her why she was in a relationship with the man.

When Sharulnaim reached the woman’s block, he saw the man waiting for her.

He then rolled down his window and told the man that the woman would not be allowed to leave his car until he left the area.

He complied and left the premises.

However, Sharulnaim still did not let the woman leave his car, saying they should wait a while to make sure the man did not return.

He then drove the woman to the back of her block and told her not to be with the man because she was too pretty for him.

The woman attempted to open the car door but could not, as it was locked.

Sharulnaim eventually unlocked the car’s doors and allowed her to leave.

He also deleted the picture.

On Feb. 6, 2025, at about 5:45pm, the woman lodged a police report, and Sharulnaim was subsequently arrested on Feb. 17, 2025.

Prior convictions

The prosecution sought two years and 11 to 13 months’ jail and three strokes of the cane for Sharulnaim.

According to CNA, Sharulnaim also had prior convictions of theft and desertion from the civil defence.

Sharulnaim’s lawyers reportedly said Sharulnaim had a daughter and a month-old baby, and he was also financially supporting his aged parents, who had medical conditions.

His lawyers also said Sharulnaim apologised to the victims and reportedly assured them that he would be "more responsible" in future.

The judge allowed Sharulnaim's wife to stay in the courtroom to hear sentencing remarks.

He reportedly told Sharulnaim that his actions were premeditated.

Sharulnaim's wife reportedly broke down.

"Because of what you did, your children are going to grow up for a short period of time without their father," the judge reportedly said.

For putting a person in fear of harm to commit extortion, Sharulnaim could have been liable to a jail term of two to five years and caning.

For obstruction of justice, he could have been liable to a jail term of seven years and a fine.

For wrongful confinement, he could have been liable to a jail term of three years and a fine.

Four dead bodies have been found on Jeju, the largest island of South Korea, in three days, Korea JoongAng Daily reported.

A man, likely in his 70s, was found dead in waters near Sinheung-ri in Jocheon-eup, Jeju City, at around 3pm on Sunday, Aug. 23.

A person fishing discovered the body and reported it.

It was the second dead body found after the first body was discovered on Aug. 22.

The Jeju Coast Guard confirmed that the man had been reported missing to the Jeju Dongbu Police precinct a day before he was found.

The Coast Guard is investigating the exact cause and circumstances of his death.

Third and fourth bodies found

A third person, who had been reported missing to police, was found dead near a valley in Aewol-eup, Jeju City, at around 9:35am on Monday, Aug. 24.

Subsequently, a body believed to be that of 37-year-old woman, who went missing in May, was found at around 10:46am on Monday as well, 104 days after she apparently disappeared.

The body was discovered at a palm farm near the accommodation she stayed at.

She was found in a hanging position, Chosun Daily reported.

Rogue police officer closed case

The police officer handling the 37-year-old's disappearance case is suspected of falsely closing it when the initial missing person report was filed.

The family filed another report in July and the police resumed their search.

First body discovered on Saturday

A man in his 60s who had been reported missing was the first person to be found dead recently in Songdang-ri, Gujwa-eup, Jeju City, on Saturday, Aug. 22.

This was the first body discovered on the weekend, reported Korea JoongAng Daily.

The missing-person report for the man was filed on Jul. 2, some 51 days earlier.

Investigators then found that the police officer handling the 37-year-old missing person's case had falsely closed this case.

After the missing woman was found, the man's family refiled a missing person report on Friday, Aug. 21, which prompted the police to launch a new search.

Police officer falsely closed missing persons reports

The rogue police officer had apparently falsely closed 200 missing persons cases during 17 months while working on the island, Korea JoongAng Daily reported.

He has been identified as Sergeant Boo, Chosun Daily reported.

The family of the deceased man in his 60s reported that the elderly man had left on Jun. 28 and became uncontactable.

The man had apparently told his child: “I’ve failed in business and have a lot of debt. Take care.”

However, Sergeant Boo is accused of falsely responding: “The husband has been contacted.”

The police officer also responded: “He is safe but does not wish to disclose his location to the family.”

He then closed the case.

The elderly man's son said in a press conference: "We believed the police when they said my father was safe and waited, but after 51 days, what returned was his body... The police only suggested that the family investigate privately."

Distrust in police deepening

Korea media The Korea Times reported that a distrust of the police is deepening over the premature closure of multiple missing person cases on Jeju.

South Korea police said on Tuesday, Aug. 25 that they have removed four officers in the chain of command at Jeju Seobu Police Station from their duties pending an investigation.

The police are conducting a full investigation into 298 cases closed by Sergeant Boo since March 2025.

A rollercoaster accident that left 10 injured in Subang Jaya, Malaysia, has been confirmed by Malaysian amusement park Sunway Lagoon.

This comes after the location of the incident was initially left undisclosed by Malaysian media.

Initial reports did not disclose location

According to initial reports, 10 people sustained minor injuries after an incident took place at about 9pm on Aug. 22.

The district's police chief said that 22 people, comprising locals and foreigners aged between 11 and 44, were on the ride.

Clips of the aftermath of the incident circulating online showed injured people being carried down on stretchers.

No fatalities were reported.

A police report was made the next morning on Aug. 23, according to the police chief.

He reportedly did not mention the name of the theme park in question in his statement, but advised the public not to speculate as investigations were underway.

Sunway Group confirmed incident

However, Sunway Group's founder Jeffrey Cheah confirmed on Aug. 25 that the accident occurred at the Malaysian conglomerate's amusement park.

Speaking to New Straits Times, he said that it is an incident "that all of us regret very much".

"We are lucky that there were no fatalities."

Without detailing what had occurred, Cheah attributed the accident to metal fatigue and added that the police had ruled out foul play.

He also disclosed that the ride had been temporarily closed for comprehensive inspection and maintenance work about two to three weeks before the incident.

The theme park's operator has been asked by the Subang division of political coalition Barisan Nasional and its principal member party Umno to give an official explanation of what transpired that night.

"The safety of visitors cannot be compromised for any reason, especially when it involves children, families and tourists from within and outside the country," its leader Armand Azha Abu Hanifah said, according to Free Malaysia Today.

Armand also called for a comprehensive investigation into the ride's safety records.

Addressing supposed rumours of a cover-up, he called for such claims to be investigated in order to be confirmed or dispelled.

After over two decades of living next door to each other, two neighbours, Siti and Lee (not their real names), shared an emotional goodbye.

Siti was moving away after selling her family home of 23 years.

The moment was captured in a TikTok video by Siti’s property agent, Gina Khazali, who was present for the home's handover.

Both women are in their 50s.

@gina_khazaliSeeing them hug their neighbours, the tears, the final look around the house… even Agent G also emo a bit. 🥹 Head to my profile to see their story

♬ original sound - Agent Gina Khazali

More than just neighbours

While the two women started as neighbours, living next door meant they interacted almost every day, Siti's daughter, Aifa, told Mothership.

"[Lee] would walk past our unit daily, and they would even hang their laundry side by side along the corridor," the 35-year-old said.

Over time, Siti and Lee naturally grew closer.

They confided in each other, particularly as they navigated the challenges of raising their own children during their teenage years.

"They were always ready to lend a helping hand and eventually became more like sisters than neighbours," Aifa recalled.

Day-to-day life

Their friendship also extended to the little, everyday things.

Aifa shared that they would exchange cooking ingredients such as onions and pandan leaves whenever one of them ran out, and share household items including trolleys and printers.

Lee was also there for the family's milestones, such as witnessing their weddings and the arrival of Aifa's children.

"When we were younger, she also helped to look after us whenever our parents were not at home," she added.

Difficult goodbye

When it came time for Siti to leave, saying goodbye to Lee was particularly difficult.

"After looking out for each other for so many years, moving away meant they would no longer be physically present in each other’s everyday lives," Aifa said.

In the video, the neighbours could be seen crying and hugging each other.

A 48-year-old woman who drove at speeds of up to 125km/h while intoxicated before crashing into the rear of a motorcycle was sentenced to one year and four months in jail on Aug. 25.

As a result of the impact, the motorcyclist was flung into the air and suffered severe head injuries and multiple fractures.

The woman also fled the scene after the crash.

According to Shin Min Daily News, the woman, Xie Lijun (transliteration), faced five charges, including drink driving, driving without due care and attention, and hit-and-run.

She pleaded guilty to four charges, with the remaining charge taken into consideration during sentencing.

Xie was also fined S$6,000 and disqualified from driving for seven years.

What happened

The incident took place at 1:03am on Sep. 17, 2023, along the Central Expressway (CTE) towards the Seletar Expressway (SLE), Shin Min reported.

The day before the accident, Xie had gathered with some friends at a restaurant along Amoy Street at about 6pm.

After drinking several glasses of red wine, the group went to a nearby bar to continue drinking.

Xie left the bar in the early hours of the following day.

She drove a friend home before continuing towards her own home.

According to the Chinese-language newspaper, Xie was initially travelling in the first lane of the CTE before changing lanes across two lanes.

After travelling in the third lane for about eight seconds, she crashed into the rear of a motorcycle.

Investigations found that Xie was travelling at between 116km/h and 125km/h at the time.

The speed limit along that stretch of road was 90km/h.

The impact threw the motorcyclist into the air, and he landed heavily on Xie’s car before rolling onto the road.

After the collision, Xie’s car continued to move forward, dragging the motorcycle along with it.

She later got out of the car to check on the rider, but returned to her vehicle and drove away.

Victim received 588 days of sick leave

According to Shin Min, the injured 39-year-old motorcyclist, a food delivery driver, was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for emergency treatment.

He suffered severe brain injuries and multiple fractures to his skull, face, eight ribs, sternum, two parts of his spine, pelvis, left wrist, and right foot.

He also suffered bruising to both lungs, and also suffered a left-sided hemopneumothorax, a condition in which both blood and air accumulate in the pleural space surrounding the lung, requiring intubation.

He was given a total of 588 days of medical leave and continued to require treatment.

As of May 30, 2025, he experienced partial loss of sensation in his right foot, as well as weakness when lifting and lowering his right ankle.

He also suffered intermittent chronic headaches and mild cognitive impairment affecting his language expression and abstract thinking abilities.

Woman fled the scene

Xie did not call the police or provide assistance to the rider after the accident.

Instead, she called a female friend while fleeing the scene, telling her that she might have killed someone, Shin Min reported.

The friend advised Xie to call the police, but she only made the call after returning to the car park at her home.

By then, police had already identified her and subsequently arrested her at the car park.

An alcohol test found that Xie had 77mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

Investigations estimated that her blood alcohol concentration at the time of the accident was between 86mg and 218mg per 100ml, exceeding the then-legal limit of 80mg per 100ml.

Under new legislation proposed on Jul. 7, 2026, the legal blood alcohol limit will be lowered to 30mg per 100ml.

The prosecution pointed out that Xie was not only driving while intoxicated and speeding, but also had about eight seconds after changing lanes to observe the road ahead.

Despite this, she did not see the motorcyclist before crashing into him.

Highlighting the severity of the rider’s injuries, the prosecution sought a sentence of 16 to 17 months' jail, a S$6,000 fine, a seven- to eight-year driving disqualification.

The court heard that Xie had paid the rider S$30,000 in compensation on May 25, 2024.

Her insurer also paid him a further S$30,000.

The rider’s total medical expenses amounted to S$41,341.

These were mainly covered by MediShield Life, MediSave, and other social assistance schemes.

He personally paid S$1,689 out of pocket.

The government will be conducting technical studies to inform the development plans for the reclamation and merging of the Western islands, which could include the areas around Pulau Semakau, Sudong and Bukom.

The potential land reclamation project was announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during the 2026 National Day Rally, who said that these are long-term plans.

The announcement has elicited reactions from the local marine community, with some noting that the reclamation will lead to the immitigable loss of marine habitats dating back millennia, that provide vital ecosystem functions.

Biodiversity value of Western islands and surrounding waters recognised: MND spokesperson

Responding to Mothership's queries, a Ministry of National Development (MND) spokesperson said on Aug. 25 that the government "recognises the biodiversity value of the Western islands and its surrounding waters".

"We are carefully studying the plans as there is a need to plan ahead and create options for the future," the MND spokesperson continued.

According to the National Parks Board's Southern Islands Biodiversity Survey, the combined intertidal area in the possible land reclamation area — which could comprise the areas around Semakau, Sudong, Bukom and neighbouring Hantu and Jong — measures roughly 476.4 hectares.

The reefs around Hantu and Semakau date back as far as 8,000 years ago, Huang Danwei, Director at the National University of Singapore's National Institute for Marine and Ocean Sciences, said.

These reefs have been serving ecological functions for the communities in Singapore and the surrounding region "when this was a known fishing village", according to Huang.

Some of these functions include providing a source of food and coastal erosion prevention.

The reefs in the reclamation area also serve as a "transition habitat" between reefs in Southeast Asia.

"Larvae of various species stopover in the ecosystems here, which thus support biodiversity and fisheries at the regional scale," Huang said.

There is "no mitigation" for the loss of these reefs. Transplanted corals "will not come close" to the ecosystem functions and services of the existing reefs, Huang explained.

Studies will provide understanding of development possibilities and environmental impact

During his speech, PM Wong shared that the merged, larger island could be used for advanced manufacturing industries or power generation infrastructure.

"As part of the planning process, the government will be conducting technical studies to inform the development plans, including the reclamation profile," the MND spokesperson said.

These studies include feasibility studies, site investigations and surveys, as well as engineering and environmental studies.

They will provide a better understanding of the various development possibilities and their preliminary impact on areas like biodiversity and hydrodynamics, the MND spokesperson shared.

Will engage stakeholders early: MND spokesperson

The spokesperson also said:

"We will engage stakeholders early to listen to their inputs before studies and work commence, and their feedback will be carefully considered.

Their knowledge and expertise will help inform the studies, assess potential biodiversity impact and identify measures to avoid, minimise and mitigate impacts where possible."

Mothership understands that an engagement session between Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan and volunteers from Friends of Marine Park took place on Aug. 24 evening.

The number of young people who were investigated for shop theft has increased.

More than 350 youths were investigated for shop theft in Singapore in the first half of 2026, nearly 30 per cent more than in the same period last year, CNA reported.

Shop theft, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in their Mid-Year Crime Brief, remains one of the top offences committed by youths.

Shop theft, which accounted for about 20.4 per cent of all physical crime cases in the first half of this year, is also increasing.

There were 2,095 cases reported, up 2.2 per cent from 2,050 in the same period last year.

Where it happens & what gets taken

Items that were typically stolen included food and drinks, personal care products, alcoholic drinks, and clothing and accessories.

Most shop theft cases involving youths took place at supermarkets, convenience stores, minimarts, and personal care and health and wellness shops.

It is not always about money

Why do youths commit shop theft offences?

Experts who spoke to CNA pointed to peer pressure, bullying, and emotional distress—issues that can be exacerbated by social media.

Narasimman Tivasiha Mani, executive director of Impart, an organisation that supports youths, told CNA:

"It is an external expression of adversity, trauma, or structural gaps that they are facing. Youths steal to gain social capital among their peers. Sometimes, they cope with their internal emotional distress or to cover basic needs when there is instability at home."

Catching offenders only goes so far

Retailers turn to technology such as facial recognition cameras and AI-enabled detection systems to deter thieves, but teaching youths why it is wrong might be a better way.

Hana Alhadad, a council member of the National Crime Prevention Council, told CNA:

"Technology may help detect the crime after it has happened, but education helps prevent the behaviour before it starts. Ultimately, we want young people to make the right decision because they understand why it is wrong, not simply because they are just afraid of being caught."

Alhadad also warned that the act of stealing has to be addressed or else it might "blur the young person's understanding of boundaries" and put them on a path towards further offending.

Narasimman suggested creating third spaces for young people in the community where they can build social connections and meaningfully participate in activities.

Teaching it in schools

SPF said it is working with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to educate students on various crimes, including shop theft, through school talks and joint advisories.

A crime prevention module has been launched on the Singapore Student Learning Space for Primary 3 to 6 pupils, covering the legal consequences of shop theft.

SPF said it is working with MOE to expand the range of modules.

Convicted sex offender Amos Yee, 27, will be charged in court on Aug. 26 for offences related to online contents he allegedly published. 

According to a police news release on Aug. 25, the contents were found to be "alarming and racially divisive".

Several reports were made to the police between April and July 2026, and police investigations were subsequently conducted.

Racially divisive posts

On Apr. 7 and Apr. 11, Yee was found to have made two posts on his blog in which he stated that the Malay-Muslim and Indian communities in Singapore were heavily discriminated against by the Chinese majority.

He also made statements about the Singapore government's treatment of these communities and incited protests against the government.

Yee repeated these sentiments in a video on May. 27.

Indecent comments

In another post published on his blog on Jun. 30, Yee posited that children were capable of consenting to sexual acts.

He also advocated for the abolition of laws governing the age at which children can consent to such acts.

Previously in 2021, he had made three other videos in which he advocated sexual relationships involving children and the abolition of laws prohibiting child sexual abuse material.

For his actions, Yee will be charged for knowingly attempting to promote feelings of disharmony between different racial groups, as well as for making indecent communications likely to cause alarm.

If found guilty for the former, he may face up to three years' jail, a fine, or both.

For making indecent communications, he may face a fine of up to S$5,000.

Posts taken down

The police added that they have issued an OCHA Disabling Direction (DD) to take down the video on X on Aug. 18, which the platform has complied with.

For the remaining offensive content, Yee has been issued a Stop Communication Directions to remove the existing posts on his personal blog.

Yee is also set to plead guilty on Sep. 7 to NS enlistment offences.

He was previously charged in March with three offences related to his NS obligations.