Andrew Chow, renowned Singaporean DJ and turntablist, has passed away at the age of 63.

According to an obituary posted on his Facebook page, Chow died on Aug. 3.

Speaking to The Straits Times, Chow's elder daughter, Abby Chow, 27, said her father had been battling stomach cancer and had been unwell for the past few years.

He is also survived by his younger daughter, Ashley Chow, 25. Both daughters are from a previous marriage.

According to Abby, Chow died peacefully in hospital with both daughters by his side.

Who was Chow?

A pioneer of Singapore's home-grown hip-hop, R&B and turntablism scene, Chow performed at numerous clubs across the country.

He was best known as the resident DJ at the former Zouk nightclub in Jiak Kim Street, where he performed from the mid-1990s to the early 2010s.

Also known as DJ Wiz, Chow won several accolades in the 1990s and early 2000s.

He was a three-time winner of the DJ and turntablist competition DMC Singapore, and he also won the Singapore leg of the 1998 Technics World DJ Championships.

Chow served as a judge and performer at the DMC Warm-Up Battle held at local club Kossa on May 24.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by @kossa.sg

Chow's wake is being held at Block 406 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10.

The cortege will depart on Aug. 8 at 4:15pm for Mandai Crematorium Hall 4, where the cremation will take place at 5pm.

In a Facebook post on Aug. 3, Abby invited family, friends and fans attending the wake to dress in "colourful and stylish" attire, "just like how Andrew would dress".

She also thanked those who had paid tribute to her father.

"I am glad to see all the sweet and touching messages and tributes to him. He passed on peacefully and he would be so happy to know that you guys appreciate him so deeply."

Many also took to the comments section to remember Chow and offer their condolences.

One commenter described him as "a legendary DJ who helped shape Singapore's club scene, yet remained humble, warm, and approachable".

Another wrote: "You are a true legend and your name, Andrew Chow, will forever be remembered as the greatest DJ in Singapore, undoubtedly."

A woman in Singapore who lived through the Japanese occupation has died at the age of 110.

She leaves behind six children, six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

One of her great-grandchildren, Cheryl Ong, spoke to Mothership about her cherished memories of her "Ah Chor" (great-grandmother in Hokkien).

Born in China

Chiang Ah Swang passed away peacefully on the morning of Jul. 31, her great-granddaughter shared.

Born in 1916 in Tong’an, Fujian, China, Chiang was adopted and later moved to Singapore with her adoptive family.

Although she returned to China at the age of nine, she moved to Singapore permanently at around 19 and later became a Singapore citizen, Ong shared.

Survived Japanese Occupation

One of the most defining periods of Chiang's life was the Japanese Occupation (WWII).

At that time, she already had two young children — a three-year-old daughter and a baby son, Ong shared.

Chiang often had to carry her baby as the three fled to hide during the war.

Ong recalls her great-grandmother recounting that she would hide in drains (longkang) and feed her children peanuts to keep them quiet so they wouldn’t be discovered.

She also told Ong that the family built their own “underground bomb shelter” by digging deep into the soil and covering the top with leaves.

Following that ordeal, Chiang would later work in a factory where a workplace accident left her partially blind in one eye.

She then spent 23 years working in a school canteen before retiring at the age of 68, Ong shared.

Different generations remember her differently

Every generation remembers a different version of the centenarian, according to Ong.

"Her children remember a mother who raised six children through difficult times. Her grandchildren remember an incredibly energetic grandmother," she said.

One of Ong's uncles still remembers fondly how Chiang, in her 80s, chased him around the corridor because he had been pulling his sister’s hair.

As for Ong, she said her generation knew a "quieter" version of the woman, given that she was already over 100 years old by the time they were old enough to remember.

"We remember visiting her at her Redhill home, celebrating her birthdays together every year, watching her pray every evening at exactly 6pm, and hearing her tell stories from her younger days," she said.

Chiang also had her own quirks — she would drink a glass of VSOP or DOM cognac, mixed with hot water, after dinner every day, well into her 90s, Ong shared.

Ong said her aunt would always joke that perhaps the cognac was the "secret to her strength/activeness and longevity".

Pillar of family

Ong shared that Chiang was the centre of their family across multiple generations.

After the government redeveloped the Hong Lim area in 1969, Chiang moved into a two-room flat in Redhill, where she lived for almost the next 60 years.

This small flat became home to multiple generations of their family, Ong shared.

"It was always lively, full of neighbours, relatives and friends, and that’s how many of us remember it," she said.

Ong said she was fortunate to have had Chiang live with her family for several years in her later life.

Although dementia affected her memory, she remained a "familiar and comforting presence", Ong said.

"Looking back, I feel very fortunate to have grown up knowing my great-grandmother, even if my memories of her are different from those of my mum’s generation," she added.

Ong said that she had always hoped to share her great-grandmother's story while she was still alive.

"I kept thinking there would always be another birthday to do so. After she passed away, I realised this was my last opportunity to share her story and preserve her legacy."

A man, 23, died after scaffolding collapsed onto a lorry he was in at a construction site in Jurong Port Road on Aug. 3, 2026.

Photos circulated on Telegram showed the aftermath of the incident.

Fell from fifth storey

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said the man was struck by a formwork structure that fell from the fifth storey of a building under construction, according to The Straits Times.

The structure was being repositioned at the time.

A person was found trapped in the driver's seat of a lorry, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

They were alerted to the incident at 30 Jurong Port Road at about 9:50am, according to CNA.

Scaffolding removed from lorry

The scaffolding was removed from the top of the lorry by rescuers and employees.

The person was freed using hydraulic rescue equipment and pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic, SCDF added.

Jurong Port told CNA and ST that the man was a worker and the incident happened at its upcoming Integrated Construction and Prefabrication Hub, slated for completion in 2027.

MOM said the occupier of the site, HPC Builders, which is the main contractor, has been instructed to stop all formwork activities at the site, ST and CNA reported.

Jurong Port added that it was working with contractors to provide support and assistance to the family of the victim, ST reported.

Jurong Port and MOM said investigations are ongoing.

The Singapore police have arrested a 39-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a case of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means.

The police received a call for assistance at Yishun Ring Road on Aug. 2, 2026 at about 7pm.

Officers established that the man had a prior dispute with the 14-year-old teenager earlier that day.

The incident involved the man’s power-assisted bicycle and the teenager’s e-scooter, which resulted in damage to the man’s personal property.

During the dispute, the man used a pair of pliers on the teenager, causing superficial injuries.

The pliers were seized as a case exhibit.

The man will be charged in court on Aug. 4 with the offence of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means, which carries a jail term of up to seven years, with caning or fine or both.

The police said that they take a serious view of such acts of violence in the community and will not hesitate to take action against those who blatantly disregard the law.

The traffic police conducted a three-day islandwide enforcement operation against errant commercial vehicle drivers from Jul. 20 to 22, 2026.

A total of 276 commercial vehicles were stopped for checks and 154 summonses were issued.

The traffic offences included speeding, failing to wear seatbelt, and failing to keep left.

In addition, 99 Land Transport Authority (LTA)-related violations were detected, which included the offence of displaying improper licence plates.

The LTA-related violations have been referred to LTA.

Three persons, aged between 34 and 47, were caught for driving without a valid driving licence and using a motor vehicle without insurance coverage.

Offenders may be jailed and/or fined.

Heavy vehicles must be fitted with speed limiters and display the corresponding labels on windscreens, the traffic police said.

Those found exceeding speed limits are to undergo inspection to verify that their limiters are functioning properly.

Non-compliant lorries are not allowed to be used on roads.

Their road tax cannot be renewed and they may face reduced insurance coverage.

Lorries registered in or after January 2018 with a maximum laden weight of between 5,001kg and 12,000kg must have a speed limiter installed by Jan 1, 2027.

Older lorries registered before 2018 should have been fitted with speed limiters in 2026.

A 20-year-old woman is set to plead guilty on Sep. 14, 2026, for her alleged involvement in the sexual exploitation of minors.

The Straits Times reported that the woman was given five charges in total, which includes trafficking for the purpose of exploitation and the facilitation of commercial sexual services.

On Aug. 3, she told the court that she intends to admit to her offences and does not plan to engage a lawyer.

Gag order on woman

The woman is accused of exploiting two 16-year-old victims where she allegedly facilitated the provision of commercial sexual services and profited from such arrangements, according to ST.

She is accused of recruiting one of the victims for sexual exploitation, as well as knowingly living in part on the earnings of the other victim's prostitution.

According to ST, the woman also allegedly received S$1,435 in connection with the exploitation of a trafficked victim.

She cannot be identified due to a court-imposed gag order as naming her could lead to the identification of the victims.

ST reported that it was not stated how the woman and both victims are related.

8 men charged

She was among nine people who were charged in court on Aug. 3 for their suspected involvement in the sexual exploitation of minors.

Eight other men were each charged on Aug. 3 with obtaining commercial sex from one of the 16-year-old girls.

Their alleged offences took place in February 2024, ST reported.

They are Muhamad Haziq Bakatiar, 23, Irham Hussaini Mohamad Hussain, 24, Syahirul Daud Abdul Razak, 26, Muhammad Ameerulah Noor Mohamed, 27, Wilfred Ang Shui Lai, 34, Muhammad Ngasri Sengngari, 36, Muhammad 'Aizat Khalis Daud, 38, and Fazal Hanafi Abdul Hameed Chaudhry, 41.

Geylang Bahru

ST reported that Ang is accused of paying a victim S$100 to perform a sex act on him at a Geylang Bahru staircase landing.

'Aizat was charged over allegedly paying the victim S$150 to have sex with him in a Geylang Bahru parked car.

Fazal is accused of paying S$80 for a victim to perform a sex act on him at a Geylang Bahru staircase landing.

Alleged sex acts

ST reported that Haziq allegedly paid the victim S$50 to have sex with him at a Bedok North staircase landing.

Irham and Syahirul are each accused of paying the victim S$130 and S$30, respectively, to perform a sex act on them at the same staircase landing on different occasions.

Ameerulah allegedly paid a victim S$30 to have sex with him inside a van at a multi-storey car park.

Ngasri was given two charges after he allegedly paid a victim S$300 to have sex with him on two separate occasions.

One took place in a handicap toilet and the other occurred at a staircase landing.

An earlier report mentioned that following an investigation into the sexual exploitation of both minors, officers from the Specialised Crime Branch of the Criminal Investigation Department arrested the nine individuals.

Penalties

The police said on Aug. 2: "We take a serious view of offences involving the trafficking and sexual exploitation of children and young persons.

"We will spare no effort to investigate and bring to justice those who recruit, exploit or profit from the exploitation of minors, as well as those who obtain the commercial sexual services of minors."

Both the charge of exploitation and the charge of knowingly receiving payments connected to a trafficked victim carries a fine of up to S$100,000, a jail term of up to 10 years, and up to six strokes of the cane.

In addition, under the Women's Charter, any person who knowingly lives wholly or in part on the earnings of the prostitution of another person shall be liable on conviction to a fine of up to S$100,000, and a jail term of up to seven years.

Under the penal code, any person who obtains, for consideration, the sexual services of a person below 18 years of age is liable on conviction to a jail term not exceeding seven years, a fine, or both.

As for the possession of obscene films, they are liable on conviction to a fine of up to S$20,000, a jail term not exceeding six months, or both.

An 80-year-old woman in China has allegedly been filling bottles with tap or river water and selling them as branded mineral water outside an animal park in Shanghai, China.

This has reportedly been going on for 30 years, Sin Chew Daily reported.

'Fake water' tasted strange

The incident was brought to light when one tourist spent 10 yuan (S$1.90) to buy two bottles of water from her on Jul. 29, China Press reported.

After drinking the water, the tourist found that it tasted strange and realised one bottle was labelled with the manufacturing date of September 2025 and the other being February 2024, according to setn.com.

The tourist suspected that the woman was selling "fake water".

Already exposed, hard to dissuade

Prior to this, several Chinese media outlets have exposed the woman's actions as early as September 2025, Sin Chew Daily reported.

At the time, the bottled water she sold allegedly contained cloudy liquid and sediment.

Following this, local law enforcement officers were said to have repeatedly advised the woman against doing so.

However, it was difficult for them to take coercive measures due to her age and the way she would supposedly "lie down on the ground" each time they tried to dissuade her.

Officials noted that they would contact the village where she lived and try to prevent similar situations from taking place again.

The yen has risen against the Singapore dollar after the United States stepped in to help prop up the Japanese currency on Jul. 30.

Compared to the rate of 126.7 yen per S$1 on Jul. 29, the yen surged to 122.7 per S$1 on Jul. 31, and further to 122.19 per S$1 on Aug. 3.

This coordinated intervention between the U.S. and Japan to prop up the yen was the first since 2011, when they acted to weaken a strong yen following a major tsunami in eastern Japan.

On Aug. 2, U.S. President Donald Trump described the move as "a signal of friendship" between the two countries.

"They have a weakening yen, and they wanted a little bit of help. And we’re always there for Japan," he said on board Air Force One, as quoted by CNN.

Weakening yen

The joint action "countered excessive volatility and disorderly movements in the Japanese yen in recent months", Japan’s Finance Minister Katayama Satsuki said in an Aug. 3 statement.

The yen had been depreciating in 2026 due to increasing energy costs arising from the Middle East conflict, as Japan relies heavily on imported energy, and because of its relatively low interest rates.

On Jun. 30, it hit a 40-year low against the U.S. dollar, and its weakest level against the Singapore dollar.

Pledging further support

The U.S. did not state how much yen they bought in this intervention, but a Reuters photo showed that a notepad in front of U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a cabinet meeting on Jul. 30 read, "To Do: Buy Japanese Yen $5-10 bil".

Posting about the move on X on Aug. 3, Bessent committed that the U.S. "will not hesitate to participate in further joint intervention".

Trump said on Aug. 2 that supporting the yen would be "good for the world economy", adding that the U.S. would benefit financially from the move.

According to CNN, the U.S. has interests in shoring up the yen because a weaker U.S. dollar would make American exports more affordable for foreign consumers.

Wheelchair users and disability advocates have raised concerns over the "First to Board, First to Use" bus trial by the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

The trial runs from April to October 2026.

It allows 10 bus services to open their priority bays as shared spaces for wheelchair users, mobility aid users and parents travelling with children in strollers.

Disabled People's Association: "A wheelchair doesn't fold"

The Disabled People's Association (DPA) weighed in on the trial in an Instagram post on Jul. 26, drawing a stark distinction between strollers and wheelchairs.

DPA wrote: "A wheelchair doesn't fold. A stroller usually does. For wheelchair users, that bay isn't a preference — it's often the only way to travel accessibly and affordably."

It added: "Better bus designs can serve wheelchair users and parents with strollers. Removing an access need shouldn't be the trade-off."

The DPA also noted that wheelchair accessible vehicles were "scarcer, slower to book and far more expensive", hence for many wheelchair users, “the bay is not a seat preference, it is the only accessible and affordable way to get around”.

While extending empathy to parents with strollers, the association called for bus designs to incorporate flexible spaces for strollers, rather than removing existing accessibility features to solve what it described as a "comfort problem".

The DPA also pointed out that many wheelchair users only found out about the trial through social media, and urged authorities to consult affected groups before implementing the policies.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Disabled People's Association (@dpa.sg)

Singer-songwriter Sky Shen speaks up

Local singer-songwriter Sky Shen also shared his concerns on Instagram.

He is a motorised wheelchair user with muscular dystrophy.

He said: "Public transport is a huge part of daily living, and is essential for many of us for getting around."

While acknowledging LTA's efforts to improve commuter quality of life, Shen said the trial would have real consequences for wheelchair users.

He said:

"The new policy will result in wheelchair-users being left behind at bus stops, waiting for extended periods of time, and significantly impacts our ability to participate in normal life — all for 'increased convenience' for passengers with strollers, who could have made space so that both parties could take the bus at the same time."

He added: "This conversation is a sensitive and important one, and one that we must engage in if we want to build a more inclusive home for all."

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by SKY 沈于翔 (@skyshenmusic)

LTA responds

In response to Mothership's queries, LTA said the trial came about after feedback from parents who struggled to fold a stroller while minding their children alone.

"The six-month 'First to Board, First to Use' trial was introduced to understand how such an approach could work to meet the needs of different commuter groups, including both wheelchair users and families with young children," LTA said.

LTA added that it has been working with various social service agencies, including SG Enable, Handicaps Welfare Association (HWA), and SPD, as well as the public transport operators, to enhance accessibility on public transport.

It plans to gather feedback, including from the DPA, to better understand their concerns and experiences and "to find a balanced way to move forward together".

LTA also said it has heard the concerns raised by wheelchair users about wheelchair bay usage, as well as the challenges that families with young children who use strollers face, so the trial's purpose is to recognise how different needs can be balanced in a way that is fair and practical.

"Based on our observations from the trial so far, we have not encountered conflicts between wheelchair users and families with strollers on the trial services," LTA said.

LTA said it will "consider all views received before deciding on the way forward".

A 56-year-old Singaporean motorcyclist was killed after he allagedly crashed into the rear of a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) on the North-South Expressway near Kulai, Johor.

What happened

According to The Star, Kulai police said they were alerted to the incident at around 2:05pm on Aug. 2.

The accident reportedly occurred at 44.6km mark of the southbound carriageway.

At the time, the deceased was travelling south with two Malaysian motorcyclists, aged 39 and 57.

According to local police, the deceased lost control of his motorcycle before crashing into the rear of the MPV, which was driven by a 32-year-old Singaporean woman.

Videos circulating online

Videos of the aftermath of the incident have circulated online.

They showed a motorcyclist, still wearing a helmet, lying motionless on the road beside a motorcycle.

At least two other motorcycles could be seen at the scene.

The Singaporean rider was pronounced dead at the scene, The Star reported.

The 39-year-old Malaysian motorcyclist suffered a fractured right thigh, while the 57-year-old sustained minor injuries.

Both were taken to Kulai Hospital for treatment.

The case is being investigated.

Anyone with information is urged to contact investigating officer Inspector Mohd Ruslan Mohamed at +6013-3063710 or visit the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Division at the Kulai district police headquarters.