An eight-year-old Japanese girl, Hirata, who was an idol trainee, died from myocarditis on Sep. 25 after contracting the flu.

She had been part of a Japanese pop idol agency, Dianna Project.

The entertainment agency posted a notice on its website on Sep. 28, announcing the eight-year-old's passing.

According to Sin Chew Daily, the girl was born on Apr. 16, 2018.

She had participated in performances on Sep. 20, just five days before her passing.

According to a post on her X account, she passed on Sep. 25 at around 4am.

After news of her passing was made public, Hinata's family wrote a post on social media thanking her fans and staff from the agency for their support, Sin Chew Daily reported.

The family shared that she had spent a third of her lifetime as a trainee and had cherished those around her.

They also expressed the hope that Hirata would remain in everyone's hearts as a "forever idol".

At least S$18,000 has been lost to social media impersonation scams involving payments of fake youth exchange programmes via compromised WhatsApp accounts.

At least eight cases have been reported since September 2026.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) released an advisory on Sep. 28 to alert members of the public against this scam variant.

Modus operandi

In this scam variant, scammers would gain access to students’ WhatsApp accounts to impersonate them, police said.

They would pose as the students and contact the students’ parents, claiming that they have been selected for a youth exchange programme or AI-related course.

They would then claim that payment was required to secure a place.

To lend credibility to these claims, victims were provided with consent forms bearing different institutions and agencies’ names and logos, police said.

Some victims were told that the fees are subsidised and will be refunded.

The victims will also be told to make payment through a PayNow QR code.

Some were also asked to make additional payments, as the scammers claimed that the initial payment had been processed incorrectly and would be refunded.

SPF said the victims only realise they have been scammed after verifying these requests with their children or receiving alerts from their banks.

At least eight cases have been reported since September 2026, with losses amounting to at least S$18,000.

The police asked the public to take precautionary measures, including enabling two-step verification on WhatsApp and checking for scam signs with official sources such as the ScamShield Helpline (1799).

Suspected scam victims should also contact their bank immediately to report and block any fraudulent transactions, and lodge a police report.

Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad was seen visibly overcome with grief as he prepared to lay his late wife Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali to rest.

She passed away on Sep. 28 at the age of 100, leaving behind her husband and seven children.

Overcome with emotion

An Instagram video by Sinar Daily showed Mahathir overcome with emotion as he laid her to rest.

Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim bersalaman dengan Tun M ketika tiba di Masjid As-Syarif sebelum memberi penghormatan terakhir kepada Jenazah Allahyarham Tun Dr Siti Hasmah. pic.twitter.com/QYhV9o3wda

— Scoop (@Scoopdotmy) September 28, 2026

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was also present and shook hands with Mahathir before he paid his last respects to Hasmah.

She died at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur at about 9:25am on Sep. 28, according to Free Malaysia Today.

The news was confirmed by her son Mokhzani Mahathir, The New Straits Times reported.

Mahathir also posted about his wife's passing on his Instagram.

On Facebook, the Malaysian Agong (king) Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar expressed condolences to Hasmah's family for their loss.

Born in 1926 in Klang, Selangor, Hasmah was one of the first Malay women doctors in Malaysia after studying medicine at Singapore's King Edward VII College of Medicine in the 1950s.

That was also where she first met Mahathir, who is now 101.

Under Malaysia's Ministry of Health, Hasmah became the first woman to be appointed the State Maternal and Child Health Officer in Kedah in 1974.

Later as the prime minister's wife, she continued to advocate for family planning, mental health, drug abuse prevention, and more.

Following the announcement of her passing at Malaysia's Parliament, a brief Islamic prayer was held in her honour, the Malay Mail reported.

A Singapore-registered car was caught on video ramming into a food stall in Johor Bahru, and Malaysia police are tracking down the driver.

In a widely-shared video from Facebook group Community Roda Johor, a Mercedes-Benz hatchback with a Singaporean licence plate was seen driving recklessly in the parking lot of a Malaysian food street in the late hours of Sep. 27.

Allegedly swung pipe at bystander

According to the New Straits Times, the Johor Bahru police confirmed that they received a report on Sep. 28 at 2:27am.

The 41-year-old person who lodged the report claimed that he was eating at a porridge stall when a man approached him and allegedly swung an iron pipe at him.

He managed to dodge the blow.

He told the police that the man appeared to be intoxicated and got back into his car when members of the public tried to intervene.

The suspect then rammed into the stall's tables and chairs, prompting onlookers to run out of the way.

He then drove off.

The Johor Bahru police stated that the case is being investigated under Section 279 of the Penal Code for reckless driving, which carries up to six months' imprisonment or a fine of up to RM2,000 (S$625), or both.

It is also being investigated under Section 324/511 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means.

Under those provisions, if the suspect is found guilty, he could be jailed for up to 10 years, fined, or both.

The suspect is still being tracked down, and the Johor Bahru police urged members of public with information to contact their headquarters.

A 22-year-old worker died after falling from a height at a Build-To-Order (BTO) construction site on Sep. 28.

In response to Mothership's queries, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) said the incident took place at about 4:15pm at the Tanjong Rhu Riverfront II worksite.

Separately, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said the worker had been carrying out concrete casting works with co-workers using a mobile concrete pump on the 12th storey when the incident occurred.

Investigations are ongoing.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call for assistance at a construction site in Tanjong Rhu Road at around 4:20pm.

The person was pronounced dead at the scene by an SCDF paramedic.

Investigations are ongoing

HDB expressed its condolences to the worker's family and said it will provide the family with the necessary support and assistance, together with the contractor, BHCC Construction Singapore.

"We are saddened by the fatality and extend our heartfelt condolences to the deceased’s family. Together with the contractor BHCC Construction Pte. Ltd. Singapore, we will render all the support and assistance needed to the family."

All works on site have been suspended until further notice.

HDB said it takes the incident seriously and that safety at its worksites remains a top priority.

The agency added that it is working with the contractor and assisting the authorities with their investigations.

It will also continue working with industry partners to strengthen workplace safety at its worksites.

According to MOM, concrete casting equipment has to be inspected before use, work activities must be properly supervised, and measures must be implemented to prevent falls when work is carried out at a height, as general safety requirements.

A 24-year-old man in Singapore has died after he was conveyed unconscious to hospital following a bout at the National Stadium more than two weeks ago.

The police confirmed on Sep. 28 that the man subsequently passed away following the event.

The cause of death remains unknown to the public.

They also said a police report was lodged on Sep. 13 at about 8am, after the man participated in the AMC 13 Fight for Hope tournament on Sep. 12.

The tournament took place over three weekends in August and September.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) previously said they received a call for assistance at 1 Stadium Drive at about 7:05pm that day.

A person was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

The man had trained at Muay Thai gym Inspire Fitness Asia.

No foul play is suspected based on preliminary investigations.

Investigations are ongoing.

What was reported previously

The Singapore Muaythai Association (SMA) confirmed on Sep. 17 that an incident had occurred during the tournament.

SMA had said in its Instagram post: "Medical assistance was administered by the on-site medical team before the individual was conveyed to the hospital for further medical attention."

It added that it was working with relevant parties to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and launching a formal review.

SMA subsequently denied claims made online that the fighter had been knocked out: "Both athletes were present during the announcement of results and walked off the ring unassisted. There was a medical emergency later."

The Fight for Hope tournament was organised by SMA to raise funds and awareness in support of Breast Cancer Foundation Singapore.

A Singaporean man in his 30s said he may lose S$157,000 of the S$368,000 he transferred to an Indonesian woman's company.

According to the man, this was done across 84 bank transfers to her corporate account, which she is said to solely own.

This was done to fund the production of padel sports gear in Bali, Indonesia.

Speaking to Mothership, the man, who wished to remain anonymous, said the transfers took place between February 2026 and August 2026 before he lodged police reports in Singapore and Indonesia on Sep. 19.

84 bank transfers

The man, who visits Indonesia regularly, came to know of the woman who allegedly operated under a false name.

The man, who plays padel for social purposes, has friends who own padel courts in Indonesia.

Padel is a racket sport combining parts of tennis and squash.

Sometime in February 2026, he visited Batam, Indonesia, and was playing padel with friends, when they introduced him to the woman, Mariie.

Later, at a cafe in Batam, she asked if he was keen to participate in the production of padel gear.

The two purportedly came to an understanding of a proportionate divvying of profit to production.

For example, he would get 90 per cent profit for footing 90 per cent of the production bill.

Over the course of more than half a year, he made 84 bank transfers amounting to S$368,000.

The man told Mothership that 25 production batches were reportedly never delivered. This was expected to net him a profit of S$394,000.

Small batches first

He told Mothership that the items ordered included padel covers, towels, bikinis and mugs, with clients ranging from individuals to Pilates studios and padel courts based in Bali.

"...She builds trust by saying let's do a small batch first and let's keep it informal, no agreement, nothing. So small batch, the money came back," the man said, adding that the woman also provided proof of her supposed company information.

The arrangement started in February 2026.

Money for the first few batches came back, he said.

However, he felt something was off.

Given that the factories for producing the items were supposedly based in Indonesia, the man said it was weird that the receipts and invoices were in English.

Scammed

Trouble began in June 2026 when he noticed that things had started to "slow down".

On top of that, there were allegedly clients ordering items in large quantities, such as 2,000 towels and bikinis.

But the man only realised he might have been scammed when a Pilates studio in Bali supposedly ordered 300 padel covers and 300 padel cover bags.

It was said to be a collaboration between the studio and the supposed padel business, he said.

He added that there is a trend where people in Indonesia would play padel and go for Pilates afterwards.

The owner of the Pilates studio, however, told him that she had never made such an order.

He also found older reports of what appeared to be the woman allegedly involved in another case of embezzlement.

Following this, the woman has allegedly continued to operate with a Singapore-based number, the man added.

While he has since made police reports in Singapore and Indonesia, he believes the woman is still at large.

Responding to Mothership's queries, the Police confirmed that a report was lodged and are looking into the matter.

The woman did not immediately respond to Mothership's request for comment.

A 69-year-old Singaporean man has been convicted of breaching a protection order taken out by his neighbours after he sang and struck metal outside their flat for about 11 minutes.

Heng Choo Hwi, whose trial began earlier in August 2026, was convicted in court on Sep. 28, 2026.

He had contested a charge of breaching the order by making loud noises outside his neighbours’ home on Feb. 5, 2026.

Sentencing has been adjourned to Oct. 21, 2026.

Background to the case

It was reported that Heng initially had a friendly relationship with his neighbours, a married couple, Alvin Chan and Sheryl Seet.

However, their relationship later soured, with the couple alleging that Heng had repeatedly harassed them.

In December 2025, they applied for an expedited protection order against Heng, which took effect on Jan. 19, 2026.

The order prohibited him from discharging or placing liquid in the common corridor, making abusive or insulting gestures towards the couple, and deliberately making loud noises in the immediate vicinity of their flat.

Heng claimed that the order had not been properly served on him.

However, CCTV footage showed him seated outside his unit with several items as a man approached him and showed him some documents.

The man was a process server who had gone to serve Heng with the protection order.

Weeks later, Heng was accused of breaching the order.

Singing and striking metal objects

According to court documents seen by Mothership, at about 5:35pm on Feb. 5, 2026, Chan called the police and reported that Heng was singing and striking metal objects outside his flat.

Chan also told the court that when he returned home from work, Heng saw him and began banging cans loudly and singing.

He said the noises continued even after he entered his flat.

The prosecution sought two to three weeks' jail for Heng, saying that the victims had felt "extremely uncomfortable and unsafe", CNA reported.

Heng was unrepresented in court and listened to proceedings through a Mandarin interpreter.

He told the court that he was working part-time and if he went to jail, he would lose his job.

As such, he sought a fine instead.

If convicted of breaching the expedited protection order, Heng can face up to six months' imprisonment, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.

Judge rejected arguments

Heng had earlier argued that he had the liberty to do his "own things" outside his Yishun flat.

According to CNA, the judge rejected his arguments.

The judge said an individual's liberty is subject to the law, including court orders such as the expedited protection order.

Heng also claimed that he had left the protection order in a basket containing old newspapers, which was later cleared by the town council.

As such, he had not read the order, Heng said.

He further claimed that town council staff refused to return the documents when he asked for them back.

The judge was unconvinced by Heng's account, noting that Heng had acknowledged that the documents were important.

It therefore made little sense for him to have left them outside his flat, the judge said.

The judge also rejected Heng's explanation that he had "trusted" the security in Singapore, noting that the area outside his flat could be accessed by members of the public.

He found it "implausible" that the town council would have thrown away Heng's court documents and newspapers despite his protests.

The judge found that the prosecution had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted Heng.

4 people were arrested on Sep. 23 at around 1am after a fight outside a restaurant in Geylang.

A video uploaded on  Complaint Singapore showed at least three people engaged in a physical altercation on the pavement, with one person pinned to the ground.

Two people in red uniforms appeared to be trying to break up the fight.

This purportedly took place outside a restaurant called “Dong Bei Jiao Zi Wang” at Geylang Road.

In a statement to Shin Min Daily News, a female employee of the restaurant stated that those involved in the fight had not been customers of the store.

“They are not our customers, and I am not aware of what happened.” She said.

Another owner of a nearby grocery store stated that although he had not witnessed the situation for himself, they are used to drunk customers causing trouble, especially on the weekends.

The police confirmed that they had received a report, and stated that three men aged between 30 and 42 and a 31 year-old woman were arrested. The woman and one of the men were taken to the hospital, Shin Min reported.

Investigations are still ongoing.

The police will be charging a 30-year-old man in court on Sep. 29, 2026 for his involvement in communicating false message and obstructing the course of justice.

According to a police news release, preliminary investigations revealed that the man had created an AI-generated image depicting a crocodile at Pandan Reservoir and sent it to his colleague.

The man subsequently deleted the image and the related application in an attempt to conceal his actions.

Public advised to exercise caution

On Aug. 20, 2026, national water agency PUB was notified that a crocodile had been sighted at Pandan Reservoir.

Members of the public were advised to exercise caution in the area while water activities at the reservoir were suspended, the police said.

PUB and the National Parks Board (NParks) also deployed resources to conduct search and capture operations in the area.

Subsequently, PUB discovered that the photograph provided in relation to the reported sighting was fake and the matter was referred to the police on Aug. 21.

Offence

The man will be charged with the offence of communicating false message under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act 1906 and obstructing the course of justice.

The offence of communicating false message carries a jail term of up to three years, a fine up to S$10,000, or both.

The offence of obstructing the course of justice carries a jail term of up to seven years, a fine, or both.

Police advisory

The police said they will not hesitate to take action against anyone who communicates falsehoods.

Apart from causing fear and inconvenience caused to members of the public, such falsehoods also result in public resources being unnecessarily deployed to deal with these incidents, the police said.

The police also urged the public to act responsibly and refrain from circulating false information or edited images that could cause unnecessary public alarm.

"The public should also not submit fabricated or manipulated information, including AI-generated or digitally altered images, to the police or other government agencies while presenting such information as authentic."