When the bus Neo Ying Ying was riding suddenly came to a hard stop, she did not think much of it.

It jolted her a bit, but she went back to listening to her music on her AirPods.

Then, she noticed that the bus captain was slumped over his seat — but the bus was still moving slowly.

"My first instinct was to go and check out the situation," Neo recalled. "I just rushed forward... I think [the bus captain] needed some help."

Another passenger, Ng Lihui, also went forward to help. She found the handbrake and brought the bus to a stop.

Along with a third passenger, they stayed with the bus captain until the ambulance arrived.

A medical emergency

Speaking at an Oct. 16 appreciation ceremony, the two women recounted the events of that day.

The incident took place onboard the bus 854. As it approached a bus stop along Hougang Avenue 3 that afternoon, the bus captain fell ill.

He appeared to have fainted, Neo recalled. Both Neo and Ng were on their way home at the time.

Mothership understands that although he had managed to hit the brakes first, his foot lifted slightly off the pedal when he became unresponsive.

This made the bus start to move again.

Pulling the brakes

A man waiting at the bus stop saw that the bus captain was slumped in the cabin. He banged on the front door to alert the passengers inside.

Ng, 40, recalled feeling calm and scared at the same time.

The bus had hit a curb and was not moving fast, she explained, but still she felt anxious not knowing what would happen.

Thanks to a large sticker, she found the handbrake right beside the bus captain's seat, and climbed in to pull it.

Meanwhile, Neo, 18, had got on the bus after a driving lesson, which she believed was why her instinct to help kicked in fast.

She attended to him and called for an ambulance.

The two women were not the only ones who stepped forward. The bus captain operating a bus behind them, Toh Tiong Huat, also noticed the commuter at the bus stop who was banging on the front door.

Quickly, he went over and showed Ng the button to contact Tower Transit's control centre.

He then returned to his bus, as a long line had formed by that time.

Worried for the bus captain

After the bus came to a stop, "the only worrying factor [was] the uncle", Neo said.

She described how the elderly man had some foam around his mouth.

Another passenger, a young man whom Neo said looked to be around her age, joined them to lift the bus captain out of his seat to lie down on the floor, as advised by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) on the phone.

Over the roughly 20 minutes' wait for the ambulance, the bus captain began regaining consciousness, though he would stare at Neo blankly.

The three of them stayed with the man until the ambulance arrived.

"I just hope that Uncle will recover," Neo said.

As he looked around the same age as her grandfather, his condition made her feel "very sad".

"I think [when the bus captains are] working, they get very tired," she said. "We know how they always wake up very early.... maybe three plus [in the morning]... So I think maybe it caused like a strain on his health."

"After that I went back and hugged my Ah Gong and my Ah Ma... I felt very sad, so I gave them a big hug."

Mothership understands that the bus captain is currently recovering at home.

Presented with awards

Tower Transit Singapore, which operates the bus involved in the incident on Sep. 14, previously commended the passengers for their quick action.

They recently identified Neo and Ng, as well as the captain of the SBS Transit bus who also provided assistance, to express their thanks.

On Oct. 16, Tower Transit and the Public Transport Council organised a ceremony where Minister of State for Transport Baey Yam Keng presented tokens of appreciation to all three.

Asked how she felt to receive praise from the community and at the appreciation ceremony, Ng said she was grateful.

She did not initially think about coming forward as one of the passengers involved, and did so only at the encouragement of her family and friends.

"I don't think we we needed any appreciation," she said. "It could have gone unknown."

At the ceremony, Baey urged the man at the bus stop and the third passenger who also provided assistance to come forward so that the authorities could thank them too.

"The good work of these five individuals really shows us what we can all do as a person looking out for others," he said.

An elderly cobbler in Holland Village has continued to show up for work despite the haze and slowing business.

Real estate agent Lynn Loh shared an Instagram video of the cobbler on Oct. 15 and called for people to support him if they can.

“Despite the haze today, this elderly cobbler uncle is still at his usual spot in Holland Village, patiently waiting for customers.”

Loh said she later learnt that the man had been repairing shoes for decades and continues working to earn a living.

Business has been slow

In the video, the cobbler can be seen seated on a small stool with a table in front of him, where several items and what appear to be shoe-repair tools are laid out.

Text over the video said: “Business has been very slow.”

Loh encouraged those in the area to bring shoes, sandals or slippers in need of repair to the cobbler instead of throwing them away.

“Sometimes, a little support from each of us can make a big difference to someone else’s day," she said.

“Let’s help keep uncle’s little business going.”

According to Loh, the cobbler can be found in Holland Village near Wu Chun Po Bakery, opposite Raffles Holland V and close to Lor Liput.

She listed his operating hours as 11am to 8pm daily.

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Back in the Philippines, 35-year-old Jo majored in political science, obtained a scholarship, and even worked in a law firm for eight years.

But around two years ago, she came to Singapore to work as a domestic helper.

Coming to Singapore wasn't her original plan, Jo told Mothership. She'd initially planned to work in Europe, and applied for jobs for around a year.

But to no avail.

"I went to dozens of interviews but got no confirmation... So, at that time, I kept praying and asking God, ‘Where do you want me to go?’"

After a year of countless rejections, she decided to give up on her European dream and apply to Singapore instead.

Jo said she was confirmed after just two days of waiting and arrived in Singapore in less than three weeks.

She described her role as a domestic helper as an "honourable stepping stone", and added that she is blessed to have her current employer who is "very nice" and "very supportive".

Couldn't complete her degree

Back in the Philippines, Jo majored in political science in university under a full scholarship.

The scholarship required her to work as a student assistant. But due to a medical condition that prevented her from carrying out her student assistant duties, she eventually had to give up her scholarship.

Jo was therefore unable to complete her degree as she could not financially support her education.

Having to withdraw from university did not stop her, though.

Wearing many hats

Jo shared that she took on “all kinds of jobs” before coming to Singapore, doing almost all of them “just to survive”.

These included working at a hospital intensive care unit, a call centre, and a law firm.

It was at the law firm where she learnt to draft affidavits, go to court, and prepare documents.

This eventually sparked an interest in becoming a contract executive and quantity surveyor in the construction industry, which she calls her "dream" job.

Studies when she can

Jo shared that some people doubted her ability to pursue her studies because of her limited resources and her position as a domestic helper.

“They doubt that I can finish my engineering class. That I’m so ambitious to take [it] when I’m just a helper,” she said.

Despite others’ lack of confidence in her, Jo remains steadfast in working towards her dream.

She spends her days off and rest time to earn technical qualifications and skills, including attending courses and obtaining certificates relevant to the field.

She is currently pursuing two engineering diplomas, which she expects to complete in about two months, and is enrolled in three courses certified by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) to support her career transition.

She also has completed several other courses offered by overseas universities and hopes to one day study law at the University of London.

"I dream of working in one of the most important work roles in the construction industry... as a contract executive and quantity surveyor," she said.

Jo declined to share details about the financial costs of her studies.

Daily work

Asked how she balances her work as a domestic helper with her studies, Jo shared that she multitasks, often studying as she works.

Sometimes, she even dreams about the tasks she needs to complete.

Jo added that her employers are very supportive, and her work hours are manageable enough that she can set aside time to study.

"That's why it's a blessing to have [my employer], because not all bosses are the same, and I'm very grateful to find someone who cares for me."

Still, she acknowledged that the journey to her dream is tough.

"I've traded days off, parties, meeting friends, rest hours... just to earn my technical skills," she said.

The dream

Jo said she lost her dad when she was 19, and her mum when she was 33.

Her mum's passing was especially heartbreaking, as she was busy working in healthcare in the Philippines at the time.

“When my mother died, I wasn’t there. I was serving other patients, not knowing my mother was suffering…

I lost interest in [healthcare] because I had served hundreds of patients, but I wasn’t there when my mother needed me.”

But she believes they would be "fully supportive" of her decisions, if they were alive.

She also shared that she is actually appreciative of the people who doubt her and look down on her, as they have motivated her to work harder.

"Challenges are just part of the learning curve... The biggest risk, is not taking any risk."

A 66-year-old minibus driver was arrested after a 77-year-old woman died in a hit-and-run accident along the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) on Oct. 16.

In response to Mothership’s queries, the police said they were alerted at about 7:10am to an accident involving a minibus and a pedestrian along the PIE towards Changi.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene by a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) paramedic.

Driver left scene before police arrived

“The minibus driver had left the scene before police arrived, said the police.

He was subsequently arrested for driving without due care and attention causing death.

Police investigations are ongoing.

@user1271442181701♬ original sound - Buddy 😎

Enforcing actions against companies involved in causing transboundary haze will not be easy, but Singapore “must try” in order to protect Singaporeans, said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu.

Fu was speaking during the government’s Oct. 16 press conference on the ongoing transboundary haze situation.

During the conference, the minister named seven Indonesian companies that will be sent preventive measure notices under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA).

Of the seven, three companies — PT Bumi Andalas Permai, PT Bumi Mekar Hijau and PT SBA Wood Industries — were served similar preventive measure notices in 2015.

National Environment Agency (NEA) previously said that investigations into those companies are still ongoing.

Previously, a Greenpeace report linked Singapore-listed palm oil companies Bumitama Agri and First Resources, as well as privately held First Borneo Plantations, to Indonesian plantation concessions.

What do the notices do?

These notices inform the seven companies to deploy firefighting personnel to stop and prevent the spread of any fires on land owned or occupied by them, discontinue, or not commence any burning activities on such land.

They must also submit action plans to NEA to extinguish any fires on their lands and/or prevent their recurrence.

At the press conference, Fu was asked what the effect of the preventative measure notices was, what Singapore could actually do to enforce them, and if the firms involved would comply.

Fu replied that Singapore would “keep all options open,” and options such as “fines or charges” were “all within our realm of consideration".

Enacted in 2014, the THPA allows the Singapore government to issue a fine of up to S$100,000 to an entity found guilty of causing haze for every day or part of a day that there is haze pollution in Singapore.

Fu shared that the government continued to learn from the 2015 enforcement cases and would improve on them.

"We will continue to monitor the situation and the companies' responses to these notices where warranted."

Who are the companies involved?

The seven companies are located in Sumatra, Fu said.

As to their owners, links and relationships, Fu said such information cannot be disclosed at this time as they have to be investigated.

CNA reported that of the seven companies named by NEA on Oct. 16,  three of them — PT Bumi Andalas Permai, PT Bumi Mekar Hijau, and PT SBA Wood Industries — were identified as suppliers to Asia Pulp & Paper, which is part of Indonesia’s Sinar Mas group.

These three had similarly served preventive measure notices in 2015.

PT Bumi Andalas Permai is also facing a lawsuit filed by Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry over allegations that it deliberately caused fires on peatlands.

Diplomatic implications

Another report by CNA highlighted the difficulties faced by Singapore when taking legal action against companies responsible for the current haze situation.

Some legal experts pointed out that there could be diplomatic implications for such actions.

The National University of Singapore’s (NUS) associate professor Jolene Lin said Singapore — being on the receiving end of the harmful effects of forest fires — may have the right to take legal action.

But previous attempts to use the THPA in 2015 led to unhappiness in Indonesia, with some saying that Singapore “was infringing upon Indonesia’s sovereignty”, she added.

Associate professor of law Michelle Lim of the Singapore Management University similarly noted the issues with taking legal action against companies operating in the territory of “a close and powerful neighbour".

Even Singapore’s ability to obtain information about the companies and their actions depends on what Indonesia would facilitate or allow, she said.

The issue of tackling haze is expected to come up in the next Parliament sitting in November, with Workers' Party (WP) MPs He Ting Ru and Kenneth Tiong having said they have raised a motion and filed questions respectively.

Most employees at a dinner and dance (D&D) event look forward to cash prizes or other lucky draw benefits.

However, a migrant worker in Singapore got something different — a reunion with his family members whom he had not seen in four years.

At the annual D&D event organised by mechanical crane company Pollisum, Russel Jagathesh, 47, was invited on stage to receive a prize.

Unbeknownst to him, his company had secretly flown out his wife and two children from India.

Ahead of the D&D event, the company selected Jagathesh through a lucky draw among employees whose families had submitted videos to express their appreciation for their loved ones working abroad.

During the event, selected employees were invited on stage to view the videos that their families had recorded for them.

However, for Jagathesh, the event emcee instructed him to close his eyes and turn around.

When he looked back, he saw that his family had entered the hall and walked on stage.

"Couldn't believe" it

Jagathesh, who works as a mechanic for Pollisum, has been with the company for 14 years.

Speaking to Mothership, he said that he "couldn't believe [his] eyes" when he saw his family walking on stage, adding that being away from them was one of the hardest parts of working abroad.

When his family was contacted, they initially thought the invitation was a scam.

At the time, his son did not even have a passport, and had to apply for one without his father's knowledge.

“Having them here, even for a few days, meant more to me than any cash prize. It was a moment I will never forget.”

The company sponsored not just their flight tickets, but their accommodation and expenses for a four-day, three-night stay.

Jagathesh was also given four days off to spend time with his family, and a S$500 allowance to spend on their trip.

He took them to visit the Merlion, the Singapore Oceanarium, and the Singapore Zoo.

Other prizes

While other employees at the event did not receive such prizes, Pollisum allocated a sum of S$150,000 for cash rewards for approximately 400 employees.

Every employee received a cash reward, with more opportunities to win larger prizes in various activities.

First-prize winner Lee Kar Yoong, 34, won S$13,810 after successfully completing a cash-counting challenge.

Lee, a Malaysian who had been working in operations for Pollisum for the past five years, recently obtained his Singapore permanent residency (PR).

He said that he has been saving up for a HDB flat for the past three years, and that the money would go towards that goal.

"I am very grateful for this opportunity," he added.

A 20-year-old competitive bodybuilder died in 2024 after taking a banned weight-loss substance.

State Coroner Adam Nakhoda ruled the youth’s death a substance-related accident on Oct. 16, CNA reported.

The youth, who was a polytechnic student at the time, cannot be named due to a gag order.

Investigations could not establish where he obtained it or whether he knew what he was consuming.

Died from DNP toxicity

The youth died on Dec. 22, 2024 from dinitrophenol (DNP) toxicity.

He had complained of difficulty breathing and was hospitalised the same day.

Despite treatment, he deteriorated and suffered a cardiac arrest.

He could not be resuscitated.

DNP is listed under Singapore’s Poisons Act and is prohibited for use as a weight-loss agent because of toxicity concerns, CNA reported.

The Straits Times reported that it has no legitimate medical use in humans and no effective antidote.

It is falsely marketed by illegal sellers as a fast and safe weight-loss drug.

Toxicology tests conducted after his death detected a fatal amount of DNP in his system.

The substance was found in samples of his stomach contents, and the coroner found it probable that he had consumed it shortly before his death.

Had been stressed over competitions

The youth had been training intensely for bodybuilding competitions and hoped to become a professional bodybuilder.

His mother also planned to open a gym for him to run so he could pursue his passion, the report noted.

He would spend long hours training intensely, and was very disciplined about his diet while preparing for competitions.

During a clinic visit in August 2024, he reported struggling with uncontrollable binge-eating, which he attributed to the stress of preparing for competitions.

He sought and was prescribed weight-loss medication, but that medication was not linked to the DNP that caused his death.

In the early hours of Dec. 22, 2024, he was admitted to hospital after experiencing heart palpitations and difficulty breathing.

While at the hospital, the youth had told hospital staff he had taken “fat burners”.

It could not be determined whether the youth knew he was taking DNP.

A medical report cited by the coroner said bodybuilders may use medicines off-label in pursuit of a muscular, “shredded” physique.

Bodybuilders are also highly vulnerable to muscle dysmorphia, said the report.

Source of DNP unknown

During investigations, police found 34 types of medication and other substances at his home, but none contained DNP.

Many were used to manage the side effects of performance-enhancing steroids, and some were prescription medications for conditions there was no evidence the youth had.

Police seized the youth’s mobile phone during investigations, but were unable to unlock it.

As a result, they could not establish where the substances he had been taking, including the DNP, came from, ST reported.

The coroner said his family knew he had been taking supplements, but did not question him as they trusted him.

Mother questions how he obtained drug

In court, the youth’s mother questioned how her son had been able to obtain DNP.

She raised the possibility that he could have been “encouraged” or coerced to take it while preparing for a bodybuilding competition.

He was “under tremendous pressure to keep to a certain weight and a physique”, she added.

She also said there was a person from the bodybuilding community behaving suspiciously at her son's wake.

Despite the mother's concerns, the coroner said there was no evidence that DNP had been given to the youth against his will.

Police did not suspect foul play.

He advised the mother to make a police statement, adding that the inquiry could be reopened if the new information warranted it. She agreed.

A follow-up court session is scheduled for Oct. 26.

The judge said that the youth's drive and dedication to his sport was apparent, and called his death a "profound tragedy".

A senior government official with Cambodia's mines and energy ministry reportedly grew irate when he saw his wife driving another man in a car, thinking that she was having an extra-marital affair.

He gave chase and whipped out a pistol to shoot at them.

One of the bullets struck the man.

The man turned out to be his son.

Mistaken

According to Khmer Times, the incident occurred on Oct. 14 at 8:20pm in a village on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Residents reportedly saw a Toyota Prius being chased and rear-ended by a Ford.

When the vehicles reached a dead end, the vehicles stopped and the parties in them began to argue.

The government official then whipped out a pistol and fired several shots, with one round striking the man in his abdomen.

He then rushed over and realised that he'd struck his own son.

The official reportedly believed that his wife was having an extra-marital affair, according to Sin Chew Daily and Cambodian news platform TNAOT.

When he saw her driving with another man in her car, he decided to confront them.

The son was rushed to the hospital, while the official was subsequently arrested by police.

A Singaporean man was seen jumping over the rooftops of Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), prompting some backlash and criticism.

He was captured in a TikTok video on Oct. 12, with the caption reading, "Saw a siaolang (crazy person) flipping over a roof at my hotel at @rwsentosa".

@deeenester Saw a siaolang flipping over a roof at my hotel at @rwsentosa 😱 @Red Bull Singapore ♬ original sound - ROLI Create

Some users were quick to decry his actions, with many saying his stunts were illegal and calling for the police to arrest him.

Unbeknownst to them, the poster was in fact the man featured in the video — a parkour practitioner with nearly two decades of experience.

He was also performing parkour legally, as part of a collaboration between RWS and Red Bull.

Who is he?

In response to Mothership's queries, Denester, whose real name is Koh Chen Pin, revealed that he has been practicing parkour since 2007.

Originating in France, parkour is a sport that involves traversing an environment through acts like vaulting, jumping, or rolling.

He first came across the sport while watching the movie "Yamakasi" — based on the real-life group which popularised the sport — with his secondary school friends.

Inspired, they imitated what they saw in the movie, practicing at void decks and playgrounds.

He eventually stumbled upon an online forum called parkour.sg and met with other "traceurs" — the term for a parkour practitioner — which became his proper introduction to the sport.

While he received guidance from other community members, he claimed that the process was very much "trial and error" as tutorials and lessons were less common at the time.

He added that he would watch online videos and study other athletes frame-by-frame.

The actual video

Now 32, Koh runs his own academy, Lion City Parkour, with the goal of introducing people to parkour in a safe and accessible way.

He also clarified that his stunts at RWS were performed legally, as part of a collaboration between RWS and Red Bull.

The video featured various locations around the resort and showcased how the athletes maneuvered and traversed the grounds, using an array of tricks such as rolls and flips.

He was one of four international parkour athletes who were part of the video project, with the others being from Australia, the Netherlands, and Thailand.

" title="Dom Tomato vs Noa Diorgina: The Ultimate Freerunning Showdown at Resorts World Sentosa" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">

Calling it a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity, Koh revealed that the video was an idea that he'd nursed for "many years" now, with RWS and Red Bull giving him the chance to make it happen.

From storyboarding to completion, it took five to six months for the video to be completed and posted.

It was "no simple feat", he added, listing obstacles such as permits, insurance, and budgets.

Koh later uploaded a behind-the-scenes video detailing how the video was filmed over multiple days, with safety briefings that began as early as 6am.

The danger?

Despite all his precautions, Koh often gets comments online criticising him for undertaking such dangerous feats.

In response, Koh told Mothership that he has learnt to "take them with a pinch of salt".

"I can understand how they may think it’s me playing with my life, but I know for sure I worked really really hard on myself to be able to ‘play with my life’ like that.

I know how much I treasure my body and life, more than any online commenters would know!"

On his social media accounts, Koh regularly posts videos practicing parkour around HDB estates, traversing structures around the void deck or scaling walls multiple storeys high.

He claims that these "concrete jungles" are "amongst the best parkour spots in the world".

He also emphasised that he does his best to leave the space intact, wiping the area down with wet wipes after he is done.

While he has had run-ins with members of the public, he added that complaints are getting less common as parkour is gaining recognition internationally.

In fact, he often receives positive reactions from the public.

"I do think they can tell it takes a lot of practice to be able to execute the things that I do!"

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A South Korean army officer has been suspended for two months after he left his post multiple times without permission, verbally abused other soldiers, and delayed approving their requests for leave.

Left base without permission

According to Korean media, the officer had driven out of the military base in a private vehicle 64 times during weekday working hours over a 10-month period.

He did so without applying for leave or informing his commander.

A guard commander testified that the officer frequently gave excuses such as needing to feed his lizard or wash his car, as reported by The Korea Herald.

He was also found to have delayed 698 requests for outings, overnight passes, and leave submitted by 26 soldiers between October 2023 and November 2024.

As a result, some soldiers were unable to obtain military-supported train tickets and had to pay for their own transportation.

The officer also verbally abused soldiers who asked him for leave approval.

In one instance, he told soldiers to get lost after questioning whether the military base was a community service centre.

Upheld suspension

The officer proceeded to file a lawsuit against his unit commander to overturn his two-month suspension.

However, the Busan District Court dismissed his lawsuit.

The court noted that the severity of his misconduct could have warranted dismissal from military service under disciplinary regulations, and the multiple violations could have justified expulsion, which also cuts retirement benefits.

His two-month suspension was upheld.