A man in Singapore, Huang Bocan, was sentenced to life in prison for fatally starving and beating his 19-year-old sister, Huang Baoying, in 2021.

Post-trial, the parents of the siblings have expressed regret.

Speaking to the media after the Nov. 5 court hearing, they said in Mandarin that Bocan was a mature person who took care of his sister.

A close family friend who accompanied them at court added that Bocan would often take his sister out and buy her drinks.

The siblings were very close, the friend added.

However, over four months from February to May 2021, Bocan and two other accomplices subjected Baoying to "full-blown torture and abuse", in the words of the prosecution.

How they met

The four of them met in 2018 through a nutritional health products company run by Chee Mei Wan, one of the co-accused and Bocan's girlfriend at the time.

In 2020, they all moved into the home of the other co-accused, Lim Peng Tiong, at Clementi West Street 1.

As a form of "punishment", Bocan, Chee, and Lim confined Baoying to a toilet, deprived her of food, and beat her on multiple occasions until she died on May 5, 2021.

They "tortured her in cruel and inhumane ways", the judge said when delivering the sentence on Nov. 4.

Lim was previously sentenced to 14 years and 11 months' jail for culpable homicide not amounting to murder while Chee's case was still pending.

Smart and did good deeds

When asked about Bocan's personality, his parents said he had a "kind heart" and often did volunteer work overseas.

"He always did good deeds," the family friend said.

Bocan's father recalled that his son was very good to him and his wife as he would give them money before the Covid-19 pandemic.

His parents, who work at a factory, shared that Bocan was smart and did well in polytechnic, getting a GPA of 3.9.

He received a scholarship to study a computer-related degree at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

After Bocan was sentenced on Nov. 4, the parents were granted permission to speak to him for a while.

They shared with reporters that Bocan told them to take care of themselves as they were getting old.

Cut off communication

The Huang siblings moved into Lim's house in 2018 after a rift with their father about the health products they were buying from Chee's company.

Outside the courtroom, their father told reporters they spent a lot of money on the products.

They spent about S$1,000 to S$2,000 per month, according to court documents.

When they moved out, the parents did not know where they were staying.

The siblings did not give their parents the address, the family friend said.

They would not answer the parents' calls and messages either.

The parents said their main way of checking in on their children then was through Chee, whom they referred to as "coach".

Regretful

As Bocan and Baoying were good children, their parents did not worry much about them, and focused on their own work.

This made their mother feel regretful.

She urged other parents to put more emphasis on their family and children, and not focus only on work.

United States defense secretary Pete Hegseth may be the first casualty of the fallout following the Republican Party's resounding midterm election defeat.

CBS News, citing "multiple sources familiar with the matter", reported that President Donald Trump has been canvassing his advisors on whether Hegseth should stay in his job.

Blaming the war with Iran

Hegseth, along with head of U.S. Central Command Admiral Brad Cooper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine appear to be taking the blame for their roles in the Iran war.

Vice President JD Vance has pinpointed the war as a major reason for the Republican Party's catastrophic losses at the polls.

According to CNN, Vance's assessment is shared by many Republican lawmakers and allies, who are arguing that Hegseth played a central role in convincing Trump to launch the attack against Iran without an exit strategy.

Yet, when asked if he would replace Hegseth, Trump told reporters, "No, I think he's doing a very good job".

Hegseth to the Senate?

Hegseth is also likely to face impeachment proceedings, with Thomas Massie, an anti-Trump Republican congressman, planning to trigger a vote to impeach Hegseth next week.

Democrats were already attempting to remove the controversial defence secretary before the mid-term elections.

Hegseth may, however, find a soft landing should he leave his post.

CBS News reported that he could be appointed to fill Tennessee's Senate seat, which will be vacated by Marsha Blackburn when she takes office as governor.

As with the People's Action Party (PAP) Central Executive Committee (CEC) election on Oct. 25, there was no major shake-up to the appointments that make up the ruling party's highest decision-making body.

All eight top spots were retained by their incumbents.

Education minister Desmond Lee continues as party Chairman, social and family development minister Masagos Zulkifli as Vice-Chairman, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as Secretary-General and defence minister Chan Chun Sing as the Assistant Secretary-General.

The status quo appointments for the PAP's 39th CEC signal the party's preference for stability and emphasis on leadership consolidation at this stage, analysts said.

That doesn't mean renewal, which PM Wong has often stressed is needed, isn't underway.

It's just taking place elsewhere in the party organisation, like the PAP HQ Executive Committee (ExCo).

No changes to the top eight spots

While party cadre elects the CEC members, the CEC members parcel out the appointments among themselves.

They also decide who to co-opt.

The absence of changes in the CEC's top eight spots meant the party leaders echoed the voting pattern of the over 2,000 party cadres during the party elections on Oct. 25.

This shows that the party leaders and cadres are aligned on the position that stability and status quo is important at this stage of the electoral cycle, just over a year since GE2025, said Eugene Tan, political analyst and Professor of Law at Singapore Management University (SMU).

"It’s about the party’s emphasis on leadership consolidation at this stage," Eugene Tan added.

Teo Kay Key, senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, commented, "It is possible the party leaders might have taken the cue from the results of the [party] elections."

Independent analyst Felix Tan found the outcome unsurprising.

He offered two ways of looking at it.

First, it reflects a preference among cadre members for stability and continuity amid growing regional tensions and global political and economic uncertainties.

Second, it could be a subtle indication that the party is not quite ready to embrace PM Wong's call for newer and more diverse voices within its leadership.

"I would hesitate to call it a rebuke, but it does suggest that the pace of renewal may be more gradual than some had initially expected," Felix Tan said.

Observers had also been watching for whether another assistant secretary-general (ASG) will be appointed. None was.

For Eugene Tan, not appointing another ASG could reflect PM Wong's intention to not distract from the immediate tasks at hand.

"Had a second ASG been appointed, that could set tongues wagging and trigger over-exuberant discussion on who in the 4G team would be appointed deputy prime minister(s) after Gan Kim Yong," Eugene Tan said.

Felix Tan said that it suggests a preference for maintaining the status quo, rather than change for change's sake.

Stability at the top a norm

Until recently, it was normal to see little to no major change in the PAP CEC's top posts even as the CEC's composition shuffled.

For example, the top CEC appointments did not change across the 32nd to 34th CEC, from 2012 to 2018, under then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Following retirements, some changes were made in 2018 in the 35th CEC. The 36th CEC retained the same appointment holders.

It was only in the 37th CEC in 2022 that the top posts saw significant changes.

That year, the party created a new Deputy Secretary-General post for Lawrence Wong, who was then the PM-in-waiting.

Then party chairman Gan Kim Yong, now DPM, also retired from the CEC, with Heng Swee Keat taking over as party chairman.

In 2024, Lee Hsien Loong stepped down as party chief at the end of the 37th CEC, paving the way for Wong to take over as Secretary-General in the 38th CEC.

The next significant change came in 2025 when then-party chairman Heng retired and Desmond Lee took over.

In that same shuffle, Ong Ye Kung took over from K Shanmugam as party treasurer, and Chee Hong Tat rose to assistant treasurer. Faishal Ibrahim was also co-opted.

A year later in 2026, Faishal resigned from the CEC and Zaqy Mohamad was co-opted after taking over as the acting minister for Muslim Affairs.

The 39th PAP CEC's status quo appointments thus represents a return to the norm.

In other words, the dust may finally be settling after the party spent the past four years and more navigating a leadership transition, seeing through PM Wong's first general election as party chief and managing Faishal's resignation.

Jeffrey Siow, Jasmin Lau

Four spots remained vacant on the CEC and were up for co-option.

Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow was co-opted, along with Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs Sim Ann and labour chief Ng Chee Meng.

Notably, Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau was not co-opted.

Both Siow and Lau were on the ballot of 19 candidates put to cadres for voting at the Oct. 25 party elections.

Eugene Tan said that he would not read too much into the co-option of Siow but not Lau.

"The fact that Lau was among the 19 nominated for the CEC election is significant," he added.

Sim's and Ng's co-option were not surprising, said analysts.

Renewal still taking place elsewhere in party organisation

That things are status quo does not mean renewal has paused. It continues, but this time in the PAP HQ ExCo.

"It is the salient theme in the CEC appointments with several leaders, elected in GE2025, being given appointments within the PAP HQ," Eugene Tan pointed out.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo will take over from Tan See Leng as chair of the Seniors Group.

Neo was not part of the team previously.

However, he was the founding group chief of the Silver Generation Office, part of the Agency for Integrated Care.

Goh Pei Ming will take over as Climate Action Group chair, replacing Koh Poh Koon, who stepped from political office in June 2026.

Similarly, Goh was not on the team previously.

Both Neo and Goh were promoted in July's cabinet reshuffle.

Dinesh Vasu Dash was made assistant organising secretary of the HQ ExCo.

The rest of the HQ ExCO is unchanged, with Chan continuing as chairman.

"The younger leaders are given opportunities to engage in party work and the PAP HQ ExCo is one platform by which they are exposed to such opportunities of working closely with the party rank and file," Eugene Tan commented.

Teo Kay Key suggested that placing younger leaders in lower party appointments could also be a way to test whether they measure up in party leadership roles.

The HQ ExCo sits beneath the CEC in terms of hierarchy in the party's organisations.

Its various committees organise activities and engage communities based on their specific focus areas, such as seniors, mental health, and climate change.

Their work is sometimes tabled in parliament for debate.

The HQ ExCo was proposed and formed by Goh Chok Tong in 1985.

Writing in his book, "A History of the People's Action Party, 1985-2021", Shashi Jayakumar noted that Goh's impetus for forming a HQ ExCo was for it to assist the party's organising secretaries and HQ staff "to think out and implement ways and means of ensuring that the Party continues to enjoy popular support and occupy political high ground".

Seen this way, appointing younger leaders to chair HQ ExCo committees could also be the party's way of giving them a hand in shaping the party's policy stances.

Aljunied and Sengkang representation

The fourth person co-opted to the 39th CEC was PAP Serangoon branch chairperson Chan Hui Yuh, who contested as part of the PAP slate in Aljunied GRC in GE2025.

PAP Sengkang branch chair Lam Pin Min is now absent from the CEC, leaving the GRC unrepresented on the party's executive body.

"Rotation is the explanation," Eugene Tan said.

He pointed out that there are three constituencies where the PAP is not the incumbent. They are Aljunied GRC, Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC.

"The PAP probably wants the different constituencies to be represented in turn on the CEC," Tan surmised.

Teo Kay Key made a similar suggestion, but said that it could also be a way to test Chan for future leadership positions.

Lam was co-opted into the 38th CEC, while Victor Lye, who contested in Aljunied GRC, was co-opted into the 36th CEC.

In the 37th CEC, PAP Aljunied GRC candidate Alex Yeo was co-opted.

Felix Tan remarked that it might have to do with how the PAP has weighed its electoral prospects.

"Given the controversies surrounding the Workers' Party and some of its senior leaders, the PAP may see an opportunity to improve its electoral prospects in Aljunied at the next general election," he said.

However, Tan noted that the electoral outcome will ultimately depend on the candidates fielded, their engagement with residents and whether voters see a compelling reason for change.

The end of one transition and onto the next?

Preceded by a period of numerous changes, the status quo outcome of the 39th PAP CEC elections and appointments may mark an end of one period of transition.

This calm and quiet might not last long, however.

As it is, leadership and party renewal is still ongoing, and may soon reach the upper echelons of party leadership once more.

Before the next general election, due by 2030, there may be two more PAP CEC elections — in 2028 and 2030.

By the next GE, senior figures like Senior Minister K Shanmugam and foreign affairs minister Vivian Balakrishnan will be 70 or older.

PM Wong himself has admitted that they have reminded him of their need for successors.

Nobody can say for certain if senior figures like them will stay on in the CEC after the next party election in 2028.

"We can expect the pace of change to pick up in 2028, and even more so in 2030 should the CEC election take place before the general election," Eugene Tan remarked.

Felix Tan echoed this, saying that while there might be relatively few changes to the PAP CEC for the time being, we may see more significant changes as the next GE approaches.

"Any changes introduced closer to the election may also carry greater significance, particularly in signalling how the PAP intends to position its next generation of leaders," he added.

Teo also expects to see more changes moving forward.

"However, there seems to be a possibility that the PM might want to have more stability especially in the face of more volatile international and economic environment, to ensure that the leadership core remains consistent," Teo said.

Three former full-time national servicemen (NSF) pleaded guilty in court on Nov. 5 to using criminal force against one of their roommates when they were serving in the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in 2023.

As a form of group hazing, they had pinned down the victim on his bed and taken turns rubbing their genitals against him.

One of the offenders also targeted a second victim in that same year.

A gag order prevents the identification of both victims and the offenders, as well as the location where the offences took place.

Incidents

The three men were identified as B1, B2 and B3 in court documents seen by Mothership.

B1 and B2 are Singapore permanent residents, while B3 is a Singapore citizen.

Court documents also noted that B1 is aged 25, B2 is 23, and B3 is 26. Both victims are aged 21.

At the time of the offences, all five men were NSFs serving as field instructors in the SPF.

First victim

The three offenders shared a bunk room with the first victim.

Sometime between August and September 2023, the victim was lying on his back on his bed while playing games on his phone.

The group, who was also in the room, approached him and pinned him down on the bed by holding his arms and legs.

One member of the group then exposed his genitals and tapped it against the victim's forearms and legs, while the other two continued holding him down.

The other two offenders then took turns doing the same.

Court documents noted that the victim felt embarrassed and disgusted by their conduct.

Second victim

B3 was also accused of using criminal force against another 21-year-old victim.

On Oct. 10, 2023, the victim approached another person for cleaning supplies as his bunk was due for an inspection.

He then approached B3's room but hesitated at the entrance, having heard that more senior field instructors, namely B1, B2 and B3, had a habit of harassing servicemen from other teams or companies.

B3 noticed him standing at the room's entrance and attempted to physically drag him into the bunk, but let him go after the victim resisted.

The victim then returned to his own bunk.

About two hours later, B3 went to the victim's room to retrieve the cleaning supplies.

The victim was seated in front of a computer at this time, court documents noted.

B3 approached him and held him by the neck, then licked it with the intention to annoy him.

The victim was noted to have felt violated and disgusted by the act but did not react as he saw B3 as a senior and person with authority.

2nd incident

A second incident occurred on Oct. 25, 2023, when B3 went to the victim's room at about midnight to speak with another person.

The room's lights were switched off at this time, and the victim was lying on his bed using his laptop.

After his conversation, B3 approached the victim and placed his hand on the victim's laptop, ignoring the victim's repeated attempts to push his hand away.

He then brushed his hand over the victim's singlet before twisting his nipple under the shirt.

The victim was shocked by this gesture and was unable to react out of fear of B3's authority, the court noted.

Arrests and charges

All three offenders were arrested on Dec. 16, 2025, and released on bail the same day.

They pleaded guilty to a charge of using criminal force against the first victim, while B3 faced additional charges involving the second victim.

The Deputy Public Prosecutor sought a Short Detention Order and Community Service Order for each of the three men.

According to CNA, their defence lawyer said his clients have expressed guilt and remorse, and have apologised to their various victims.

Two of the offenders have also reportedly attended counselling.

Sentencing has been adjourned to December.

For using criminal force against another person, an individual can be jailed up to three months, fined up to S$1,500, or both.

A community cat at Onan Road reportedly died after being attacked by two dogs, described as huskies, in the early hours of Nov. 1.

According to eyewitness accounts relayed to Mothership, the dogs allegedly ran out of a nearby house after its gate was left open.

Two people working nearby shared details of the incident with Mothership. Neither witnessed the attack, but one arrived at the scene shortly afterwards.

The National Parks Board (NParks) has confirmed to Mothership that it is investigating the incident.

Feeder reportedly stepped in to rescue the cat

Marvin, a bartender who works in the area, told Mothership he was heading home when he came across the cat and her feeders outside 293–295 Onan Road at around 12:20am on Nov. 1.

He estimated that he arrived about 10 minutes after the reported attack. According to him, a male feeder had tried to rescue the cat from the two dogs before he got there.

“When I saw the cat, she had already drawn her last breath,” Marvin said.

Dogs’ caretaker paid for cremation

Marvin said he called to arrange the cat’s cremation, and the service provider arrived within 30 minutes.

A man from a nearby house also approached the group, identifying himself as someone who was looking after the dogs for a friend, according to Marvin. The same man later paid for the cat’s cremation.

Feeder had cared for cat since 2020

Marvin said one of the cat’s feeders knew her as “Good Girl” and had been feeding her since 2020.

To a kitchen helper working in the area, who alerted Mothership to the incident, she was “Meow Meow”.

Although he had only worked there for a few months, he said he had grown fond of the cat, who often came over to him to be petted.

“I jokingly say I’m her OSIM,” he said.

NParks investigating

Marvin told Mothership that he had since spoken to NParks and shared his account with the agency.

Responding to Mothership’s queries, Jessica Kwok, NParks’ group director for enforcement and investigation, said the agency received feedback on Nov. 1 regarding an incident involving a community cat and two pet dogs at Onan Road.

“NParks has spoken to the feedback provider and investigations are ongoing,” she said.

A 27-year-old Singaporean man who devised a scheme to cheat victims of their money by having them sit in rigged mahjong games was sentenced to two years' jail on Nov. 5.

Marcus Ang Yi Sheng pleaded guilty to eight of 41 charges, including multiple counts of conspiring to cheat, criminal intimidation and gambling-related offences.

The remaining charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

The group is estimated to have made about S$100,000 from the scheme.

How the scheme worked

From April 2024, Ang created fake profiles on dating apps such as OkCupid and Tinder, posing as a woman, according to court documents seen by Mothership.

He then chatted with victims and invited them to play mahjong.

Once a victim agreed, one of Ang's female accomplices would pose as the woman in the profile, and either host the game or act as the victim's "date".

According to a report by CNA, the games were held at locations including a Housing Board flat and SAFRA Toa Payoh.

The other players at the table were all co-conspirators, who colluded to make sure the victim lost.

Each player had a role depending on where they sat:

• One player would "defend" against the victim;
• Another would complete a winning hand as quickly as possible, or "throw" tiles to the third player; and
• The third would aim for the biggest hand possible to maximise winnings from the victim.

Ang also set up a WhatsApp group to coordinate games and hand out commissions.

He paid each co-conspirator a commission of S$300 to S$500 per scheme.

At least 28 victims

No fewer than 28 games involving at least 28 different victims were arranged between April and June 2024, according to court documents.

Ang was assigned to play in 18, but subsequently only took part in 12.

After losing a game, one victim was pressured to pay S$26,000.

If he did not, Ang threatened to go to his workplace and report him to the police for allegedly raping an accomplice.

The victim later filed a police report.

Ang was arrested in June 2024 and released on bail, reported CNA.

However, he was remanded again after re-offending.

Though he was offered bail, he reoffended again and was remanded once more.

Sentencing

The prosecution sought 25 to 27 months' jail for Ang, along with a S$15,000 fine.

Meanwhile, his lawyer asked for 19 to 21 months' jail with a fine of S$15,000.

Earlier in October 2026, one of Ang's co-conspirators, 31-year-old Olivia Chin Hui Zhen, was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment and fined S$3,000.

She pleaded guilty to four charges of conspiracy to cheat and one charge of unlawful gambling, with another 32 charges taken into consideration.

The cases involving the rest of the group are still pending.

For conspiracy to cheat, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.

For unlawful gambling, an offender can receive up to six months' jail, fined up to S$10,000, or both.

For organising unlawful gambling, an offender can be jailed for up to seven years and fined up to S$500,000.

What was supposed to be a fun children's Halloween party turned into something of a nightmare for an 11-year-old and his mother when the child returned home with bruises and a swollen head.

The 11-year-old was apparently punched around 20 times and hit on the head with a phone by another boy at the party.

The boy had allegedly gotten angry after losing in a video game and vented his frustration on the 11-year-old, who was not part of the game.

He was later diagnosed with a concussion at the hospital

"Something bad happened"

In a series of videos on social media, the 11-year-old's mother, who goes by Cali, shared that her son was attending a Halloween party on Oct. 31 on the invitation of a schoolmate.

She said she booked a cab and sent her son to attend the party alone as she had to stay home to take care of a three-month-old newborn.

"At that time, this felt like a completely normal parenting decision. He has been to many parties by himself. And everytime everything appeared fine," Cali shared.

However, he came home and complained that "something bad happened at the party".

At first, Cali hoped it was something ordinary, like a lost phone or getting into an argument.

"But no, this time he did not mean any of those things," Cali said.

He told Cali that he had been attacked at the party by someone his own age.

He also said he had been punched in the face repeatedly around 20 times and was struck on both sides of his head with a phone.

"Nothing was done to provoke this action. The attack was so sudden that he froze," Cali said.

Concussion

Back home, Cali's son complained of lightheadedness and dizziness, and Cali found that both sides of his head were swollen.

His nose was also bruised, according to Cali.

Eventually, they took him to the hospital.

"I was imagining costumes, trick-or-treating, sweets and children having fun," the mother said.

Cali shared that while the host parent did not inform her of what happened, it was because her son had told the host not to as he wanted to tell Cali in person.

This added to her "mum guilt", knowing that her son was being considerate and did not want to stress her out, despite what he had gone through.

Cali also explained that the host parent was in the midst of sending another child off to the taxi stand when the incident occurred.

Consequences

In an update on Nov. 3, Cali shared on Instagram that her son was diagnosed with a concussion.

Cali expressed her indignation at what her son had to go through and at the prospect that the child who attacked her son may not face consequences.

She claims to have been told the incident did not constitute an arrestable offence.

According to her, her son did not retaliate during the attack and waited until he got back home before letting out his emotions.

"If my son behaves properly like a proper person and a responsible human being, the consequences of that is suffering a concussion, I don't think that's right," Cali commented.

Apart from being in pain, her son will also have to sit out of physical activities for the next six weeks.

This would disrupt post-exam and travel plans, Cali shared.

Responding to Mothership's queries, the Singapore Police Force confirmed that a report was lodged and that investigations are ongoing.

Cali told Lianhe Zaobao that the boy who attacked her son was of the same age.

The boy had allegedly gotten angry after losing in a mobile game and attacked Cali's son.

Cali said that her son did not participate in the mobile game.

Speaking to Mothership, Cali said that at the moment, her son still has bruises on his face and is still experiencing headaches and bouts of dizziness.

He is not sleeping well either due to the pain from his wounds.

She said she remains worried about whether her son will be alright.

Elon Musk, known for his vocal support for the Republican Party, reportedly spent US$445.7 million (S$568.8 million) on Republican midterm election campaign efforts.

According to OpenSecrets, a nonprofit that tracks political campaign spending and lobbying, this made him the top political donor in the U.S. this election cycle.

He was the largest donor by a wide margin, exceeding the second-biggest donor by nearly US$300 million (S$382.8 million).

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The Guardian also reported that Musk's election spending began to ramp up from April 2025, but jumped by a staggering US$300 million from July to October 2026.

They also recorded that Musk spent more on this election cycle than every top Silicon Valley donor – including himself – spent on the 2024 presidential election combined.

His efforts seem to have ultimately been in vain, as Democrats recorded a historic win across the nation, gaining control of Congress and making headwinds even in diehard Republican stronghold states.

Responding to the result, he tweeted on Nov. 4, "Guess my election-interfering space lasers didn’t work this time".

He also added, "Data centers in space looking pretty appealing right now".

Though he initially put out a slew of tweets calling for Americans to "vote red", he has since deleted them as of Nov. 5.

Super PACs

Musk's donations went mostly towards his super PACs (political action committees).

According to OpenSecrets, super PACs are a kind of campaign funding organisation in the U.S. allowed to raise and spend an unlimited amount of money on political campaigns.

The caveat is that they cannot donate directly to the political candidate, and cannot coordinate their spending with the candidates that they benefit.

In other words, political candidates cannot overtly direct the activities of a super PAC.

Musk's super PACs mainly focused on producing ads attacking Democratic candidates, reported The Guardian.

Musk previously worked closely with the Trump Administration, helping to enact deep cuts in federal government spending, notably foreign aid.

Texas

But other than possible business interests, Musk found a personal stake in the elections, most of all in Texas where he resides.

Originally from Democratic-leaning California, Musk declared in 2020 that he would move to the Republican stronghold of Texas in opposition to pandemic-related restrictions on Tesla factories, reported NBC.

He also moved SpaceX and X's headquarters to Texas in 2024, citing a Californian law that barred school districts from making it mandatory for parents to be notified of their child’s gender identification changes.

Texas appeared a state that would provide both corporate benefits and a similar ideological outlook.

Per The Guardian, America PAC – which Musk directly controls – spent the most in Texas compared to any other state, totalling US$34.7 million (S$44.3 million).

Attacks on Talarico

The ads mostly focused on attacking Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico.

Musk also incessantly tweeted about Talarico during the election cycle, with much of it accusing him of supporting the transgender community.

"Talarico will vote to trans your kids," one read. Another went, "Talarico is a far left extremist".

Ultimately, Talarico won his contest, becoming the first Democratic candidate to win statewide office since 1994.

In his campaign, Musk's spending became a rhetorical boon for Talarico, which he frequently invoked in his campaign rallies.

Characterising it as a David-versus-Goliath battle, Talarico accused Musk of trying to "buy" a Senate seat.

He also suggested that Musk was interested in Texas' resources to support his data centre infrastructure, declaring in a speech:

"Elon Musk wants our land. He wants our water. He wants our tax dollars. He wants his very own personal United States senator. He is trying to buy Texas.

But on Nov. 3, we are going to deliver a crystal clear message to the world’s first trillionaire: Texas is not for sale.”

A 28-year-old man was allegedly kidnapped in February 2026 in Jimbaran, Bali, Indonesia, while on holiday with his 25-year-old girlfriend.

Both are Ukrainian.

Igor Komarov’s remains were discovered weeks after his kidnapping on a beach situated on the Indonesian island.

His girlfriend, Yeva Mishalova, has since spoken up on the incident.

Podcast

In a podcast uploaded on Oct. 26 with Ukrainian influencer Basil Tymoshenko, Mishalova spoke about her final interactions with Komarov.

She said they were taking motorcycle lessons and were enjoying their holiday in Bali.

On the night of Komarov’s disappearance, Mishalova was apparently watching American Netflix drama “Bridgerton” in her hotel room.

Motorcycle training

According to Mishalova, Komarov left for motorcycle training between 8pm and 9pm.

He had said he would return shortly.

“I’ll text you in half an hour. Order me a club sandwich,” he apparently told her.

At about 9:30pm, Komarov returned to collect his helmet and said his instructor wanted to take him beyond the hotel grounds to practise “cornering”.

Mishalova was “washing” her hair at the time and barely saw his face, but warned him that riding outside the hotel in the dark sounded dangerous.

“No, no, kitten, kitten, don’t worry. I’ll be back soon,” he told her.

At about 10pm, Komarov messaged Mishalova and then stopped replying an hour later.

Recordings

At about midnight, Mishalova received voice recordings from an unknown sender.

The sender also sent her videos of Komarov’s injuries and demanded that she send cash.

“They started sending videos and saying, ‘10 million, 10 million, 10 million’,” she said.

In the podcast, Mishalova recounted what the alleged kidnappers did to Komarov.

“First they beat him very badly. Then there was what they did to his fingers. Then his ribs,” she said.

“I don’t know who exactly cut off his fingers, who broke his ribs, or who did everything else. They all did it together. All of them. Every single one of them took part. They’re not human,” she added.

Mishalova also claimed she had additional unpublished videos of Komarov’s torture which she possessed.

“I’m trying not to listen to them again now, because they’re the last things he said,” she said.

Videos of Komarov’s torture and pleas allegedly begging his father to pay his abductors' demanded ransom of US$10 million (S$12.8 million) were circulated online.

Cover up

Mishalova said she apparently posted old photos on Instagram while the search for Komarov was ongoing to prevent her parents from finding out about the incident.

She claimed that she wanted to stay in Bali to help find Komarov.

“I understood that if my parents found out, they would do everything to get me out of there, and I wasn’t leaving without Igor,” she said.

Incident

The alleged kidnapping occurred on Feb. 15, The Sun and AFP reported.

Komarov was reportedly kidnapped while riding on a motorcycle with a friend and was forced into a car by a group of assailants.

His friend was left behind and later lodged a police report regarding the incident.

Mishalova claimed that the motorcycle instructor Komarov was with had left Thailand the day after the kidnapping and alleged he was likely an accomplice.

Komarov’s remains were discovered by locals on Feb. 26 near Ketewel Beach in the Gianyar regency of Bali, Jakarta Globe reported.

Subsequent searches led to the discovery of additional body parts, including his head, torso, arms, and legs, along a nearby river and coastline.

Local police identified the remains as belonging to Komarov through DNA samples taken from the dismembered body and compared with those of his mother.

The police later arrested the man who had rented the car used in the kidnapping.

An international manhunt is also underway for six suspects, including Russian, Ukrainian and Kazakh nationals, who were allegedly involved in the incident.

Business dealings

Komarov was reportedly the son of a wealthy Ukrainian businessman.

In May, private investigators working with Komarov’s family announced a £75,000 (S$107,817) reward for information leading to the suspect’s capture.

Investigators said the incident was professionally organised and suggested possible involvement of intelligence services.

The videos circulated online depicted Komarov admitting involvement in fraudulent call centre operations targeting Russians.

However, Mishalova claimed Komarov’s business dealings involved metals and grain and were legitimate.

“Someone who is being tortured will say absolutely anything,” she said.

“Even if they’d written ‘I am Elon Musk’ on that piece of paper, he would have read out that he was Elon Musk,” she added.

Investigations are ongoing.

More than 95 per cent of transactions at Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) reverse vending machines were refunded on the spot as of October 2026.

A considerable proportion of unsuccessful transactions appeared to be due to users being unfamiliar with the refund process, said Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary in Parliament on Nov. 4.

He was responding to questions from MP Lee Hong Chuang about unsuccessful refunds at reverse vending machines and measures to improve the refund process.

Refund processing time reduced to 10 working days

Since Oct. 1, scheme operator BCRS Ltd has been progressively rolling out a digital refund portal to streamline the processing of unsuccessful refunds.

Instead of emailing the company, users can access a pre-filled online form through a QR code to submit their personal details and request a manual refund.

Under the new process, refunds are expected to be made within 10 working days, down from 13 working days previously.

Authorities may consider further penalties

Lee also asked what safeguards would protect consumers who had returned their beverage containers but encountered machine or system errors, and whether there would be a mechanism for immediate manual verification and resolution.

He also asked whether service standards would be established for machine reliability, maintenance and refund processing times, and whether penalties or other corrective measures would be imposed if these standards were not met.

In response, Janil said BCRS Ltd was already subject to service and reporting standards covering availability and reliability.

He added that the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) would continue working with the operator to improve its processes, including those involving refunds.

The authorities would also consider introducing further penalties if necessary.