The United Nations (UN) held an election on Nov. 3, 2026 for five open seats on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the 2027-2036 term.

The ICJ is the UN's principal judicial organ that settles legal disputes submitted by states in accordance with international law and giving advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it.

Ambassador for International Law, Rena Lee, made history by becoming the first Singaporean to be elected as an ICJ judge after securing an “absolute majority” in votes.

The 57-year-old is also the first Southeast Asian woman to be elected into the world court.

Voting was conducted in both the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and UN Security Council (UNSC) at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Lee received 151 votes out of 191 votes in the UNGA and 13 votes out of 15 votes in the UNSC, according to a joint press release from Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Law.

Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Law Minister Edwin Tong were both in New York to support Lee’s candidature.

"This is particularly meaningful for a small state like Singapore. At a time when international law and the rules-based multilateral system are under increasing strain, Rena’s election underscores the importance of strong international institutions and the contributions that small states can make on the world stage," Vivian said.

"Singapore has long been a staunch defender of an inclusive and rules-based international order. For international law to truly work, it must be anchored in institutions that are trusted, credible and effective. The ICJ is one such institution. For it to remain strong and effective in upholding international law, its bench must continue to comprise well-qualified Judges who serve with integrity. I am confident, without reservation, that Ambassador Lee will rise to the challenge and make a meaningful contribution to the Court," Tong said, according to the press release.

Who is Rena Lee?

A seasoned international law practitioner, Lee was appointed the Ambassador for International Law in 2023.

Prior to that, she was the Ambassador for Oceans and Law of the Sea Issues and Special Envoy of the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Lee was named among the 100 most influential people by Time magazine in 2024 as a result of her leadership in steering complex negotiations for over five years, which culminated in the adoption of the historic High Seas Treaty.

The treaty provides the world's first binding global legal framework to protect marine biodiversity.

Lee was also the Chief Executive of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore from 2020 to 2025.

Statutory intervention was required for 687 child abuse cases in 2025, according to Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli.

These cases involved children aged up to six years old.

Of these cases, three involved serious injuries, and none involved a child death.

The numbers were provided by Masagos as a written parliamentary reply to Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Kenneth Poon, who asked about the statistics of child abuse cases reported in Singapore from 2021 to 2025.

Poon's questions asked for the number of substantiated cases of child abuse or neglect involving children aged three and below, and of those cases, how many resulted in serious injury or death.

He also asked what proportion of these numbers involved concerns previously reported to child protection agencies.

Two child deaths from 2021 to 2024

Masagos added that from 2021 to 2024, there were two child death cases due to abuse or neglect that resulted in prosecution.

The two cases were the abuse and deaths of eight-month-old Trevor Neo on Sep. 2, 2024, and two-month-old Zabelle Peh on Jan. 13, 2023.

Neither child was known to MSF's Protective Service prior to their deaths.

The driver, allegedly involved in the fatal hit-and-run crash in Tampines that killed a man and his pregnant wife on a motorcycle, was disqualified from driving until March 2032.

Muhammad Zulfiqar Abdul Aziz, 30, allegedly drove a blue Audi that hit a car and motorcycle travelling straight along Tampines Avenue 8 towards Pasir Ris Drive 8 on Oct. 29 at about 10:35pm.

His was disqualified from driving for six years from March 2026 to March 2032, charge sheets showed, according to The Straits Times.

Zulfiqar allegedly fled the scene after the crash, along with a woman who was a passenger in his car.

He had been convicted twice before, once in November 2021 and once in July 2025, of driving while under disqualification, ST reported.

Slapped with nine charges

He was slapped with nine charges on Oct. 31:

1. Dangerous driving causing death,
2. Dangerous driving causing hurt,
3. Driving under disqualification,
4. Failing to stop after an accident,
5. Failing to render assistance after an accident,
6. Using a motor vehicle without insurance coverage,
7. Using a deregistered vehicle,
8. Using a vehicle without a licence, and
9. Exhibiting a false licence plate.

This was after Zulfiqar allegedly drove dangerously and failed to keep proper control of the vehicle while making a left bend, causing the car to drive through a centre divider, metal railings and into the opposing lane of traffic into a car and motorcycle.

The judge found the accused to be a flight risk and he was not offered bail.

His case will be heard again on Nov. 27.

Boy orphaned as a result

The motorcyclist and his pregnant wife died after being taken to hospital.

The couple, both 24, leave behind a son, aged six.

The offence of dangerous driving causing death can result in a jail term of up to eight years.

The offence of using a deregistered vehicle can result in a jail term of up to two years and a S$20,000 fine.

Former radio DJ Daniel Ong is closing his restaurant, Dan’s Steaks, at Serangoon Garden.

And he is appealing for customers to show up for one last hurrah before it closes for good.

In an Instagram post on Nov. 2, Ong thanked customers who had visited the restaurant after learning about its planned closure.

He said he was "overwhelmed" by the support received.

Located at 12 Maju Avenue, the restaurant has been open for more than five years.

While it can be busy on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, weekdays have been different, Ong said.

“Some weekdays, the restaurant is practically empty,” he said.

He also said a restaurant cannot survive on just "three good days" of business.

Ong asked customers to visit the restaurant from Mondays to Thursdays to support the business in its last days.

He also hoped to give his employees a good final run before the restaurant shuts down.

No GST and new specials

To encourage more customers to visit, Dan’s Steaks is offering meals without Goods and Services Tax (GST), alongside returning crowd favourites and new specials.

Customers can also expect a more relaxed dining experience on weekdays, Ong wrote.

Ong said he has been helping out at the restaurant almost every day as the team prepares for its closure.

The exact closure date has yet to be confirmed by Ong.

A 61-year-old man has been arrested in Hong Kong following a suspected drink-spiking incident involving Japanese former AV actress-turned-DJ Mao Hamasaki at a private party in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The man was arrested in Central on Nov. 2 on suspicion of administering a harmful substance with intent to injure, according to RTHK.

The 33-year-old woman, also known as DJ Mao, was taken to hospital after becoming unwell in the early hours of Nov. 1.

Became unwell after drinking at event

According to RTHK, police received a report shortly before 5am on Nov. 1 involving a woman who became unwell after consuming a drink at a bar along Mody Road in Tsim Sha Tsui.

She was conscious when taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment.

HK01 reported that Hamasaki had been invited to perform as a DJ at a Halloween event before moving to another venue for a second performance.

Became unwell during DJ performance

In a post on X, Hamasaki said she had consumed a couple of shots of an orange-flavoured cocktail before her second DJ performance.

She recalled noticing a cloudy substance at the bottom of her glass but assumed it was orange pulp.

About 40 minutes to an hour later, she began performing.

Hamasaki said her memory subsequently became hazy and she experienced severe dryness in her eyes.

While performing, she later toasted with customers using the same orange-flavoured drink.

Shortly after finishing the drink, she said her body began to stiffen.

She said she could no longer move her arms or legs and had no memory of what happened next.

"The next thing I knew, I was in an ambulance," she wrote in Japanese.

Hamasaki said she was told that hospital drug tests had returned positive results in four categories.

She did not specify which substances were detected.

Hamasaki recovering, says she will cooperate with police

Hamasaki attributed the incident to her own lack of caution and thanked those who had reached out to express concern.

She added that she had regained consciousness and was recovering steadily.

She also expressed hopes of raising awareness about drug abuse prevention to prevent similar incidents.

Hamasaki said she would cooperate with Hong Kong police after being discharged from hospital.

Suspect detained for questioning

According to RTHK, the 61-year-old man was detained for questioning after his arrest on Nov. 2.

HK01 reported that police were still investigating the relationship between the man and Hamasaki, as well as the suspected motive.

皆さんお騒がせしてます💦

本当に自分の不注意でやられてしまいました。

そして、沢山連絡ありがとうございます！

今香港の病院で治療中でして、意識もはっきりと戻り着々と回復に向かっております！

午後から精神科のお医者さんにも見てもらえるみたいで何事もなければ退院できそうです！

Xでは自分からなにも発信してなかったので

大まかに説明すると

香港のハロウィンイベントにDJとして参加させてもらい、その後にまた他の場所に移ってまたDJする予定だったのですが

2件目のDJ前にオレンジジュース味のカクテル？みたいなショットを2杯ほど口にしました。

この時にショットグラスの底には確かに何かが濁っていて溜まっていたのですが私がてっきりオレンジジュースの果肉なのかなとか思いだいぶ油断してしまっていました。

その後40分〜1時間？ほど経ってDJを開始し、この時はまだお酒飲んで楽しい😆状態でした。

その後DJ開始してからは記憶が少し曖昧なのですが、目がひどく乾く感覚があったのを覚えています。そのあとにまたDJ中にお客さんと、例のオレンジジュースで乾杯したのですが、飲みきってすぐに私の体が硬直し始めました。足も腕も体が全部動かなくなってそこから記憶はありません。

気づいたら救急車にいました。

痙攣を起こしていたそうです。

そこからは病院の方がすぐに処置してくださり、無事に今この文章が書けてます。

本当に自分の不注意と油断でした。海外には行き慣れていると、すっかり安心しきっていました。

病院にて薬物検査で4項目に陽性反応出ていたそうで、とても危険だったと病院にも言われました。そして病院についてからは意識も戻っていたのですが、すごくすごく不安で不安で辛くて辛くて、でもその辛い理由もわからずひたすらしんどいしんどいと言ってました。

沢山取り上げていただきありがとうございます。拡散するべきだと私も思いました。

本当に油断は禁物です。少しでも異変を感じたのにまあ大丈夫でしょうと自分を過信してしまいました。皆さんがコメント欄で仰ってる通り、自分で開封したもの、そして少しでも席を立ったりして飲み物が放置された状態が少しでもある時は飲み物は取り替えましょう。それか、自分の飲み物は自分で常に持っておきましょう。

今回の件で、私は人生で初めて薬物というものに直面しました。そして、その恐ろしさと害悪を身をもって痛感しています。今後は、二度と私のような被害者を出さないためにも、薬物乱用防止（禁毒）の啓発や注意喚起を、自分にできる形で少しでも多くの人に発信していきたいと考えています。

今後退院をしてからは現地の警察の方と聞き取り調査が始まるので、この件は私の口から発信するのはこのツイートで最後にさせてもらいます！

皆さん本当に沢山の心配と温かいメッセージをいただき、本当にありがとうございました。皆様の言葉にとても救われています。

まずはしっかり体を休め、現地の警察にも協力して手続きを進めてまいります。

また元気な姿で皆さんの前でDJができるよう、しっかりと回復に専念します。皆さんも海外や夜のイベントの際は、どうかくれぐれも気をつけてくださいね！

— 浜崎真緒® - DJ Mao - Mao Hamasaki® (@Hamasaki_mao) November 2, 2026

As Singapore takes on the Asean chairmanship in 2027, it will work with other member states to establish a haze control centre in Indonesia, said environment minister Grace Fu in parliament on Nov. 3.

The centre, which will be named the Asean Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACCTHPC), will be responsible for coordinating the management of land and forest fires and transboundary haze.

It will only come into effect after six Asean member states have ratified the establishment agreement of the centre.

Tackling the root problem

Singapore will submit its ratification "in the next few days", said Fu, who also encouraged other Asean member states to do so.

She added that the centre's implementation will be part of efforts to strengthen the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP).

The AATHP is the key framework for Asean member states to work collectively in preventing, monitoring and mitigating land and forest fires and the resultant haze.

Singapore has also hosted the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) since 1993, which has provided member states with regional weather, climate and haze assessments and information, as well as advised on regional alert levels.

By using this system, Singapore acted ahead of the 2026 dry season, said Fu.

It also warned member states to step up vigilance and strengthen regional cooperation ahead of time.

"Where preventive measures fail, Singapore stands ready to assist Indonesia where needed and welcomed," she said, reaffirming Singapore's agreement with Indonesia on environmental cooperation signed in June 2026.

Aid includes support for Indonesia's firefighters and operational support for cloud seeding.

As Indonesia said it was able to handle the situation and not require foreign assistance on Oct. 19, Singapore respects its sovereignty, Fu said.

But beyond that, she added that Singapore will also work with member states to enhance the implementation of other Asean sectoral initiatives to tackle the root causes of transboundary haze.

Initiatives include sustainable land and peatland management, and guidelines on crop burning, said Fu.

Human activities leading to haze

Earlier in her speech, Fu explained to the House that human activities are the primary sources of peatland and forest fires.

She said that healthy peatlands are wet ecosystems that do not burn spontaneously, but human activities such as draining of peatlands and slashing and burning practices can cause the fires.

The El Nino conditions in 2026 also caused a longer dry season in the region, making fires easier to start and become more intense.

A traffic accident involving a bus, van, and a car occurred at Choa Chu Kang on Oct. 30.

According to a video posted online by Instagram account @sgfollowsall, the car was seen to have collided with the right side of the bus, around the driver's cockpit.

The van was seen next to the car, with the hood severely damaged.

Wreckage was strewn around the crash site.

In response to Mothership's enquiries, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed that they were alerted to an accident around 5:50pm that day.

They said the 54-year-old van driver and a 29-year-old female bus passenger were conveyed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

The car driver, 68, is assisting with ongoing investigations.

A young nursing assistant was killed while providing medical assistance to a few teenagers who were injured in a clash between two rival groups in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Kanokrat Yottiwong, who worked in the observation ward at a Chiang Mai hospital, was off duty at the time.

This was shared in a tribute post on Facebook by the Faculty of Medicine at Chiang Mai University, where she had studied.

The clash

The incident happened along a highway at about 12:05am on Nov. 1, after the teenagers got into a motorcycle accident.

The local police later found that the two rival groups had had a dispute on social media, then decided to meet and fight it out, Thaiger reported.

Patrol officers broke up the fight, but the teenagers continued to chase one another along Chiang Mai's Highway 11, also known as the Superhighway.

They attacked one another in their vehicles, and several gunshots and explosions were heard, Khaosod reported.

Stopped to help

Yottiwong was riding past the scene on her own motorbike when she noticed that some people were injured and stopped to help them.

While she was providing assistance, a pick-up truck knocked her down.

She was critically injured and later passed away.

According to local media, the truck was driven by a member of one of the rival groups.

The driver told police he did not see Yottiwong because he was driving with his head lowered to avoid getting shot at by the other group, Khaosod reported.

But the police questioned his account and suspected he might have been speeding at the time.

Police investigations are ongoing to identify the people involved.

"Although she was not on duty at the time, her inherent kindness and generous spirit led her to step forward to help those in need — an act that ultimately resulted in her passing," the Chiang Mai University's Faculty of Medicine wrote in their post.

Related stories

Singaporean actor Chew Chor Meng is leaving Mediacorp after 36 years.

In an Instagram post on Nov. 3, the 57-year-old reflected on his 36-year acting career, thanking those who supported him over the years.

The Celebrity Agency, which managed him, also shared in an Instagram post on Nov. 3, thanking the actor for his years of dedication.

Chew began his career with Mediacorp after winning the talent competition Star Search in 1990.

His notable roles include Ah Bee in the long-running sitcom Don’t Worry, Be Happy, and You Yongfu in Wok of Life.

Gratitude

The actor also shared a compilation video of moments from his acting career, saying he has no regrets and only gratitude.

He thanked those who had given him opportunities, support and encouragement throughout his career, as well as audiences who had accompanied him over the years.

“My time on stage is over, but the wonderful life goes on,” Chew shared.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rafael 周初明 (@chewchormeng)

In 2008, Chew revealed that he had been diagnosed with Kennedy's disease and has been open about the challenges of living with the condition.

Outside of showbiz, Chew has also made a name in the F&B business, having co-founded Tam Chiak Kopitiam and 888 Mookata.

The U.S. has hit Iran again, according to US officials speaking to CBS.

The BBC reported that American strikes were launched at Qeshm Island, an island in the Strait of Hormuz, with Iranian media reporting explosions on the island on Nov. 2.

U.S. officials called the strikes "limited", saying that they were in response to Iran firing on a U.S. aircraft.

Just a few hours before reports of the strikes, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that a deal with Tehran "could happen".

"Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible."

He also told Axios that he was "in no rush" to decide whether or not to resume strikes on Iran.

Talks between Iran and the U.S. were underway, but beset by friction on both sides.

On Oct. 31, Al Jazeera reported Trump as saying that there were still nuclear sites in Iran that the U.S. wanted to deal with, while Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly met with senior military leaders to prepare for "maximum deterrence".

Midterms

The strike comes just before the conclusion of the U.S. midterm elections, which determine control of the legislative branch of the U.S. government.

Polling shows that the Democratic Party is the favourite to win back the House of Representatives, and possibly the U.S. Senate.

The BBC reported that Trump has been facing falling polling numbers and internal pressure from his party to put an end to the war in Iran.

If the Republican Party loses control of both houses of the U.S. legislative branch, Trump will no longer be able to pass legislation with the same ease.

This affects domestic policy, forcing him to reconsider controversial bills.

The Associated Press previously reported that sources said Trump was planning to strike Iran again after the conclusion of the midterms, with Trump making promises during campaign efforts that the war would soon come to an end.

He made a speech on one campaign stop, saying: “Somebody asked me before, when will the war in Iran end? I said, ‘Whenever I want it to end.’ It’ll be very quick, but we have to have it end properly, with total and complete – a total statement, they will never have a nuclear weapon.”

On another occasion, Trump also mooted the idea of attacking Iran's Pickaxe Mountain, which is believed to be linked to Iran's nuclear programme.