A 42-year-old employee of a mosque will be charged for allegedly misappropriating more than S$14,000 from donation boxes.

In a press release on Aug. 11, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said they received a report on May 16, 2026, alleging that the man had misappropriated the funds.

Preliminary investigations revealed that between February 2026 to May 2026, the man was believed to have misappropriated the mosque’s money amounting to more than S$14,000.

The money had been entrusted to him in the course of his employment, police said.

The man will be charged in court on Aug. 12, 2026, with the offence of criminal breach of trust as an employee.

The offence carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail and a fine.

"The police take a serious view of any person who engages in fraudulent or dishonest conduct. Offenders will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law," SPF said.

More than 30 volunteers cleaned out the home of a woman who had been rough sleeping at her lift landing because of the amount of clutter in her house.

In a Facebook post, community initiative Ang Mo Kio Secondary School Social Move (AMKSS) said the woman, whom they called "Aunty", had been doing so for the past four years.

Her home was filled with hoarded items piled all the way to the ceiling, leaving barely enough space for the main door to open, the organisation said.

Volunteers cleared her home

More than 30 volunteers came together on Aug. 9 to help clear the woman's home and make it possible for her to sleep safely inside.

After years of rough sleeping, the harsh living conditions had taken a toll on her health, AMKSS explained.

The most meaningful moment of the day was seeing her smile when volunteers uncovered and retrieved some of her "treasured belongings" which she had long forgotten.

"Sometimes, decluttering is not just about clearing things away. It is about giving someone back their dignity, safety, memories and a place they can truly call home," AMKSS wrote.

AMKSS thanked the volunteers for their "dedication, energy and hard work", saying they came together to make a difference in someone’s life, while creating a safer and healthier home and reducing potential fire and health hazards.

They also thanked the Ministry of National Development's New Environment Action Team, the Housing and Development Board and the Jurong-Clementi-Bukit Batok Town Council for their support in making their mission possible.

The People's Action Party's (PAP) Member of Parliament (MP) Tin Pei Ling uploaded a selfie with the Workers' Party's secretary-general Pritam Singh and chairwoman Sylvia Lim in an Aug. 9 Facebook post.

They were attending the National Day Parade (NDP) at the National Stadium, and were seen holding Singapore flags and appeared to be in good spirits.

Tin's post also included photos with other party members.

Cross-party interaction

Captioned "some shots with other colleagues too", the post drew praise for the bipartisan display of patriotism.

One comment read: "Yes! That's how it should be, embrace all different voices to build a stronger nation!"

Others wished her a "Happy National Day".

On the same day, Tin also shared another Facebook post "from our Marine Parade Braddell Heights GRC team before the NDP starts".

2026 NDP

An earlier report mentioned that the 2026 NDP returned to the National Stadium for the first time in 10 years.

The last time the NDP was held at the new National Stadium was in 2016.

With a seating capacity of about 42,000 at the venue, the parade and ceremony segment featured the largest civilian participation in over a decade.

A 26-year-old Malaysian man was arrested at Woodlands Checkpoint on Aug. 4 for attempting to smuggle duty-unpaid cigarettes into Singapore.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) posted about the incident on Aug. 11.

The man was entering Singapore via a Malaysia-registered car.

ICA officers directed the vehicle for enhanced checks.

More than 600 cartons and over 900 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found concealed in the floorboard of the vehicle.

This is equivalent to about 138,000 sticks of cigarettes.

The man was arrested in connection with the case.

The exhibits and the accused were referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation.

A 62-year-old woman in Malaysia was allegedly doused with petrol and set on fire at a lottery outlet in Taman Pusat Kepong on Aug. 9.

She reportedly suffered burns to about 50 per cent of her body, reported the New Straits Times.

Local police said they were alerted to the incident around 8am that day and the victim was rushed to Kuala Lumpur Hospital for treatment.

Her condition is reported to be critical but stable.

The attack was reportedly unprovoked and the motive was unknown.

The victim reportedly had no known enemies and had not received any threats previously.

The search for the unidentified man is ongoing.

Family appealing for information

The woman's daughter later took to Facebook to appeal for information on the incident.

In a video attached, a man wearing a hoodie with his face covered could be seen walking towards the store with an object in his hand.

He was later seen walking away empty-handed with a blaze behind him.

The family also spoke to Lim Lip Eng, Member of Parliament (MP) for Kepong, saying they were confused when they received a call saying their mother was "on fire".

They only understood what had happened after they rushed down to the outlet.

While her condition has stabilised, doctors have told them to prepare for the worst due to her serious injuries.

Reward

Lim also took to Facebook to offer a reward of RM5,000 (S$1,563) for information on the suspect.

"I am sickened and outraged by the brutal attack at Taman Pusat Kepong," he said.

"Pouring fuel on a woman and setting her on fire is an act of shocking cruelty. The person responsible must be found, arrested and made to face the full force of the law," he added.

Lim asked those with information on the incident to contact the police and not approach the suspect themselves.

Restaurant operator Soup Holdings, which owns and operates Soup Restaurant, said its revenue for the financial period ended Jun. 30 dipped slightly by S$0.1 million to S$19.5 million.

The group, however, swung into a loss of S$673,000, compared with a profit of S$224,000 a year earlier, amid higher operating costs.

Closure of two outlets

According to the group, revenue from its restaurant operations was affected by both outlet openings and closures during the financial period.

Though sales from existing outlets rose by S$0.6 million and the opening of two new outlets contributed to a further S$1.4 million in revenue, the gains were offset by the closure of two outlets due to relocation and lease expiry.

Purchases and other consumables increased by 0.9 percentage points to account for 21.1 per cent of revenue, mainly due to higher raw material costs during the seasonal period.

Employee benefits expense also increased by S$0.3 million.

This was mainly due to a net increase of S$0.2 million arising from the opening and closure of outlets and a central kitchen, as well as S$0.1 million in higher staff benefits at existing outlets.

Its other expenses also rose by S$0.4 million, mainly due to a one-off termination fee payable to a landlord after the group decided not to proceed with the lease for a proposed outlet.

The company said that move was part of its ongoing efforts to "optimise its business operations and align its resources with its strategic priorities, including rationalising its outlet portfolio and enhancing overall operational efficiency".

F&B industry remains competitive

The group said Singapore’s food and beverage (F&B) industry remains highly competitive, with the continued entry of local and foreign operators, rising operating costs, manpower constraints and changing consumer preferences adding to the challenges facing the sector.

Regional retail dynamics are also evolving amid cross-border infrastructure developments.

Citing recent surveys, the group highlighted the upcoming completion of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, saying it could possibly affect cross-border travel patterns and spending on retail and F&B services in both markets.

Against this backdrop, Soup Holdings said it has restructured its leadership team to sharpen its strategic focus and improve operational efficiency.

The group also plans to refresh its brand positioning and refine its concepts to better cater to its target customer segments and changing consumer preferences.

Additionally, the group said it is stepping up efforts to manage costs, streamline procurement, optimise manpower deployment, improve quality standards and strengthen customer engagement.

Over the next 12 months, Soup Holdings said it will focus on maintaining cost discipline, refreshing its brands and improving operational efficiency, barring unforeseen circumstances.

These efforts are aimed at stabilising its performance and strengthening its competitiveness amid a challenging market environment.

Former Singapore actor Edmund Chen has posted a video believed to be dashcam footage of the incident that led to his recent jail sentence.

During the incident on Mar. 4, 2025, Chen collided with a motorcycle that was overtaking his car, causing the rider to suffer multiple right-hand fractures.

In court in January 2026, Chen pleaded guilty to careless driving during this incident.

He was initially sentenced to five days in jail, but it was reduced to one day on Jul. 20 following an appeal.

He was also disqualified from driving for five years.

What the video shows

The video, uploaded as an Instagram reel on Aug. 10, was a reply to a user's comment saying, "Disgraceful to have you in Singapore".

This comment, which now appears to have been deleted, was originally made under Chen's Aug. 9 video about celebrating National Day, according to Stomp.

Taken from the rear dashcam of Chen's car, the video shows him filtering between lanes on the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) towards the Central Expressway (CTE) that day.

A motorcyclist came from his left and collided with Chen's car.

Footage of the incident from the rear of the car was played in court.

The former actor was heard cursing in shock after the collision happened, The Straits Times reported. This cursing appears to be bleeped out in the video Chen shared on his Instagram.

In sentencing, the judge brought up his abrupt switching of lanes as a demonstration of carelessness.

A reminder of road safety

Chen commented on Stomp's video addressing his supporters, saying that he believes their "concerns come from a place of kindness".

"Now that things have settled, I hope my experience can serve as a reminder for all of us to stay alert and safe on the road."

The comments under Chen's own Instagram video were divided on defending the former actor and agreeing with the court verdict.

Several users said the motorcyclist was speeding and failing to maintain a safe distance.

Others, however, said Chen was at fault for changing lanes slowly and asked him to share the dashcam footage from the front of his car as well to get the fuller picture of the incident.

A 26-year-old Singaporean man was charged for allegedly robbing a man on National Day.

Noor Najat Bin Alwi was charged with one count of robbery on Aug. 11.

In charge sheets seen by Mothership, on Aug. 9 at about 11:55am at an office building at Paya Lebar Quarter, three men — Najat and two other individuals, Mohamed Rashin Shaalam Mohamed Yasin, and Muhammad Dzoulfarhan Bin Jazali — allegedly robbed a man.

They allegedly robbed cash amounting to S$140,000, AirPods valued at about S$180, and one black-and-white striped shirt valued at about S$40.

The trio also allegedly kicked the man.

If convicted of robbery, Najat could face a jail term of five to 20 years and caning with not less than 12 strokes.

Najat also faces three other charges under the Road Traffic Act for driving a vehicle with a licence not in force in a separate case.

A Mario Kart game came to life for an American couple, who apparently used the Singapore Speedway racecourse to plan their trip to Singapore.

A video of their travel hack, posted on the couple’s TikTok account (@chase_kayla) on Aug. 10, has since amassed over 85,000 views.

Speaking to Mothership, Kayla said that she and her husband, Chase, were in Singapore from Jun. 12 to 16 this year.

The 25-year-old said they loved playing the Singapore Speedway racecourse in Mario Kart, so much so that they planned their trip around it.

"We love playing the course, so it was really fun to visit the places featured in the game in real life. Now that we’ve actually seen those landmarks, playing the course is even more special to us," she said.

Loved their time in Singapore

Kayla shared that the couple "absolutely loved" Singapore and have since been telling their friends and family that they need to visit.

Some of the couple’s favourite places included Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, Merlion Park, Chinatown, Haji Lane, and Sultan Mosque.

"We loved how clean and futuristic the city felt, especially with all of the incredible architecture. We also felt incredibly safe the entire time we were there," she said.

One thing that surprised the couple, though, was seeing the difference between the landmarks and locations in Mario Kart and their real-life counterparts.

"It was so cool to recognise places from the game, but then see how much more there is to them in person," she said.

The couple was also surprised by how hot and humid Singapore was — though that probably won’t come as a surprise to many here.

A 58-year-old Singaporean man, who entered and left Singapore illegally after absconding in 2002, was sentenced on Aug. 11, 2026 to 14 months and three weeks' jail.

An Aug. 11 joint news release by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) stated that Tan Khi Wie was convicted of six charges under the Immigration Act and Penal Code.

Charges

They included two counts of failure to present valid passport punishable, one count of making false statement in arrival disembarkation card, one count of knowingly producing false passport, one count of illegal departure, and one count of failure to attend court.

The release noted that 16 other charges under the Immigration Act were taken into consideration for the purposes of sentencing.

Absconded, arrested

On Aug. 6, 2002, Tan had previously been convicted and sentenced to 18 months' jail for one count of cheating.

He had cheated the then-Singapore Productivity and Standards Board into disbursing a grant of S$195,800 under the Local Enterprise Technical Assistance Scheme.

In the same month, he filed a notice of appeal against his conviction and sentence.

According to the release, Tan absconded from Singapore to avoid serving his sentence.

He subsequently failed to show up at a court mention on Jan. 21, 2003, for the appeal.

On Feb. 20, 2003, a warrant of arrest was issued against him.

Entered, departed country illegally

Investigations by ICA revealed that Tan had departed Singapore illegally via a fishing boat sometime between August 2002 and January 2003.

He first travelled to Pasir Gudang in Johor, Malaysia, the release stated.

Tan then continued to Thailand, and eventually Jakarta, Indonesia, where he resided.

Between 2011 and 2016, he had used Indonesian passports under the false identity of "Ken Srona" to enter and depart Singapore on multiple occasions.

In his disembarkation forms, Tan also falsely declared that he had never used a passport under a different name to enter Singapore.

On Mar. 7, 2026, Tan attempted to clear immigration at Changi Airport using an Indonesian passport under the false identity of "Ken Srona".

As he was unable to complete immigration clearance at the automated lanes, ICA officers conducted further checks that established his actual identity and revealed that he was wanted by the police.

Tan was then detained and handed over to the police.

Strengthened immigration clearance processes

The release stated that ICA has strengthened its immigration clearance processes and systems by leveraging biometrics and data analytics.

It has put in place multi-modal biometric systems at the checkpoints since July 2020 to better detect persons using multiple or assumed identities.

All automated lanes at Singapore's land, sea and air checkpoints are equipped with iris and facial scanners.

The concurrent use of these biometric identifiers provides a highly accurate means of authenticating travellers' identities, according to the release.