After returning home late and getting drunk, a man in Singapore woke his three children up as he felt they did not respect him.

The 48-year-old man and his 47-year-old wife have a son, aged 16, and two daughters, aged 15 and nine.

The man threatened to beat them when he was dissatisfied with their answers to his questions.

His wife intervened and stopped him, but her husband grabbed her hair, dragged her to the living room, and started assaulting her.

The eldest son eventually called the police to save his mother.

The man has been sentenced to 13 weeks in jail, reported Shin Min Daily News.

There is a gag order on his identity to protect the identity of the victim.

Came home drunk

In the early hours of Apr. 19, 2026, the man returned home from work with a bottle of whisky.

While drinking, he told his wife that he felt no one in the family respected him.

He grew increasingly angry and threatened to hit her one day.

As the conversation escalated into an argument that lasted until about 3am, the man woke his three children and gathered the family around the dining table.

Demanding an explanation for what he saw as their lack of respect, he remained dissatisfied with their responses and threatened to "smash" his youngest daughter's face if she lied.

Terrified, the nine-year-old began to cry.

Wife intervened but got beaten

When the wife saw that the man had frightened their child, she immediately intervened to stop him.

However, he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to the living room.

He then slammed her head against the corner of the sofa and threw her against the wall twice, causing her to fall to the ground.

The man continued the abuse further by kicking her in the back and punching her in the chest and face several times.

Upon seeing this, the eldest son immediately called the police.

The police later arrested the man when they arrived.

Although the wife was injured, she reportedly refused to be taken to the hospital.

Expressed remorse

During the hearing, the man said he was not an alcoholic and claimed he had never treated his children that way before.

He expressed remorse for his actions, apologised to his wife and children, and promised not to reoffend.

The man also said he was the family's sole breadwinner, working two jobs to support them.

He pleaded for leniency, saying a jail term would leave his family in financial hardship and asking the judge to allow him to return home as soon as possible.

A 58-year-old Singaporean man drank a litre of beer over six hours and crashed his car into Suntec City’s Fountain of Wealth.

Then Shing Chong was sentenced to five weeks’ jail and a 30-month suspension from driving.

He pleaded guilty to one count of driving dangerously and was sentenced on Jul. 14, CNA reported.

Drink

On Jul. 12, 2024, at about 5pm, Then drove to Suntec City from his home to meet his friend.

They ate and drank at a bar.

They got more beer when more friends joined the gathering.

Between 6:15pm and 12am, Then consumed about a litre of beer.

At 8:51pm, he sent a message to a valet.

Then did not reply when the valet responded.

Post-gathering

Then left the bar and retrieved his Porsche after the gathering.

Dashcam footage revealed that the gantry barrier had lifted for his car to pass, but Then failed to move for about nine to 10 seconds.

Focus

He then lost focus while driving along Temasek Boulevard.

He failed to comply with road signs, which showed that he had to turn left into a roundabout.

He continued driving straight and cut through three lanes of the roundabout.

As a result, he crashed through the barricade at the Fountain of Wealth.

His vehicle plummeted to the basement.

Three construction workers were working at the basement at the time, with two of them near the accident site.

The trio ran away to avoid getting hurt.

Damages

A barricade, planter boxes, and flooring were damaged after the car fell to the basement.

The repairs cost about S$64,580.

A lorry crane was deployed to remove the damaged vehicle for towing.

The Porsche's top and engine hood crumpled, and the right bumper got ripped off.

Then did not undergo any tests for intoxication, as he was hospitalised after the crash.

He subsequently made full restitution of S$74,000.

Mandatory treatment order

The prosecution sought two to four weeks' jail and a 36-month driving suspension.

Then’s lawyers requested for their client to be assessed if for his suitability for a mandatory treatment order (MTO), by drawing a link between his major depressive disorder and the incident.

His lawyers argued that their client had made full restitution, and his level of alcohol intoxication was not established.

The judge said the number of rounds of psychiatric examinations would not answer the questions, and the lack of evidence could not determine if the accused's depression outweighed the intoxication effects, CNA reported.

The judge added that psychiatric illness should be shown through documented symptoms before the offence.

There also should be evidence that the offender was not significantly impaired by alcohol, the judge added.

However, none of these factors applied to Then, it was noted.

Then was only diagnosed with major depressive disorder after the offence.

He also only told IMH and his psychiatrist that he had taken either an antihistamine or a sleeping pill before having alcohol on the day of the incident.

The judge declined to call for an MTO suitability report.

For driving dangerously, those convicted could face a jail term of up to 12 months, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.

Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo joined a group of seniors in Tampines for a community screening of "Dear You", the Teochew-dialect film at the centre of several questions in Parliament.

"There was laughter, there were touching moments, and perhaps most importantly, the film brought everyone together and sparked conversations about family and memories," wrote Neo in a post on social media.

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He singled out the phrase "做人要有情义" — roughly, that one should live with loyalty and heartfelt regard for the people around them — as his personal takeaway.

Neo added that the film was a reminder that Singapore had been built by "the hard work of an earlier generation".

The culture, community and youth minister wrote that this was the reason his ministry and heritage organisations had been encouraging young Singaporeans to get to know their dialect heritage while promoting Mandarin.

"We do not have to choose one over the other—they each have a place in telling the Singapore story."

"Grateful for the many volunteers who serve our community, and North East CDC and partners for the opportunity for our seniors to enjoy this film," said Neo.

"Dear You" discussed in Parliament

The interest and issues surrounding the film "Dear You" were addressed in parliament on Jul. 7, including a discussion on the relevance and effectiveness of the Speak Mandarin Campaign and restrictions on dialect content.

In response to questions raised by Member of Parliament (MP) Cai Yinzhou and Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Eileen Chong Pei Shan, Acting Minister for Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth David Neo said the campaign was introduced to promote a common language among Singapore's Chinese community.

Neo said the long-standing campaign has enabled Chinese Singaporeans from different dialect backgrounds to communicate more easily, while preserving access to Chinese culture through a shared language rather than separate dialects.

When asked by Aljunied GRC MP Kenneth Tiong if he had watched either the Teochew or Mandarin-dubbed version of the film, Neo quipped that "ministers have no time to watch movies".

Neo then went on to answer Tiong's question on dialect classes, saying that the ministry and clan associations work together closely and they will expand classes to more people if there is demand.

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Home affairs minister K Shanmugam and manpower minister Tan See Leng have said that they will be donating to charity the damages awarded to them in the Bloomberg defamation lawsuit.

They shared their intention in separate Facebook posts on Jul. 14 evening.

Both ministers succeeded in their defamation suit against Bloomberg and its reporter over a December 2024 article on Good Class Bungalow transactions in Singapore.

They were awarded S$230,000 each in damages following a court decision on Jul. 14.

Shanmugam on why he brought lawsuit

In his post, apart from noting his intention to donate the awarded damages to charity, Shanmugam also laid out the court's verdict, which found that Bloomberg and its reporter had defamed the ministers.

He also explained why he decided to bring the lawsuit against the finance and media organisation as well as its reporter.

Shanmugam said that if outlets like Bloomberg could "get away with publishing lies and falsehoods about public officers, it will set a new norm".

"It will mean that anyone wanting to serve the public will have to face an additional obstacle — that well-funded organisations like Bloomberg will use lies to attack them, put them down and seek to destroy their reputations," the minister wrote.

"This happens in many countries, and as a result, many good people do not come forward to serve the public. Public interest as a whole suffers in these countries," he added.

Shanmugam also wrote that he had brought the lawsuit despite having to "subject [himself] to public scrutiny and cross-examination in Court".

Welcome court's judgment: Tan

Tan wrote in his post that he welcomed the court's judgment, which "vindicated" his position that the Bloomberg article was defamatory.

"From the outset, this case has been about protecting my integrity and reputation, and the standing of the office I hold," the Minister for Manpower wrote.

He commented that political office holders must discharge their duties "with integrity" and "be open to scrutiny and legitimate criticism".

"Equally, media reporting should be fair and accurate, particularly where it concerns allegations that can seriously damage an individual’s reputation," he continued.

A woman in eastern China fractured four of her mother-in-law's ribs after accusing the older woman of neglecting her grandchildren to pursue a relationship of her own.

Her husband has also been criticised online for defending the attack instead of condemning it.

The case, which took place in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, was first aired on Zhejiang Television's mediation programme "Qiantang Uncle Mediator" and has since fuelled heated debate on mainland social media over childcare obligations and family violence.

What triggered the confrontation

After losing their father, a man named Jiao and his elder brother remained in their hometown, while their mother, surnamed Shen, moved to Jiaxing with their elder sister, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), citing a local television report.

As Jiao and his wife held jobs in separate cities and had two young children between them, they eventually turned to Shen to look after the kids.

Trouble began when the couple's son used the household's home surveillance system to tell his mother he wasn't feeling well, adding that his grandmother had refused to check his temperature despite this.

Worried, Jiao's wife boarded a high-speed train, reaching Shen's home roughly an hour later.

Shen explained that the boy had been acting up and was hard to manage, and mentioned she was also nursing a toothache.

When her daughter-in-law suggested a hospital visit, Shen turned the offer down, saying she would rather go see her boyfriend instead — allegedly declaring:

"I would rather die than look after the grandchildren."

The exchange eventually escalated into physical violence.

Jiao's wife assaulted Shen, leaving her with a bruised face and four fractured ribs, a medical diagnosis later found.

According to reports, this was not an isolated incident. Shen had allegedly been assaulted by her daughter-in-law on previous occasions over the same childcare grievance.

Husband blames mother

Rather than condemning his wife, Jiao defended her conduct.

He did not dispute that his wife had done wrong but instead pinned the blame squarely on his mother.

Jiao called his own mother "immoral" and insisted she "deserved" the beating, according to SCMP, accusing her of valuing her romantic relationship over her grandchildren.

He added that, given his own financial strain, Shen owed him either hands-on childcare or a monthly allowance.

Sister says mother deserves her own happiness

However, Jiao's elder sister publicly disagreed with her brother on the television programme, arguing that their mother, a low-paid sanitation worker who had endured years of hardship, deserved the chance to find companionship in her later years.

She said, as quoted by Sing Tao Daily:

"My mother toiled hard her whole life. Now that she can find a considerate companion in her later years, as her child I feel very supportive of it."

She added that despite her limited income, Shen had transferred more than 100,000 yuan (S$19,070) to her two sons over the years.

For her part, Shen insisted she had no wish to take on her grandchildren's upbringing, and said the assault left her unable to work or keep supporting Jiao financially.

Legal experts weigh in

A lawyer cited by SCMP noted that Jiao's wife could be charged with intentional injury causing minor bodily harm, an offence carrying a jail term of up to three years.

Ma added that the duty to raise and educate children rests legally with the parents rather than grandparents.

This meant that, since both Jiao and his wife were able-bodied and employed, Shen was under no legal obligation to look after the children.

The incident has drawn fierce criticism on mainland social media, largely directed at Jiao and his wife rather than Shen.

One commenter wrote:

"Jiao has failed both as a son and as a father. If he cannot raise his own children, why did he have them?"

Another said: "However aggrieved you may feel, violence solves nothing. The moment you strike someone, the law is no longer on your side."

Singapore comedian Abigail Chay, 67, held an "afterlife farewell ceremony" on Jul. 10 as a celebration of life, friendship and the importance of planning for the inevitable.

The event, held at Centre 42 Black Box Theatre, was attended by friends, fellow entertainers and well-wishers.

More commonly known as a "living funeral", such ceremonies allow family and friends to celebrate someone's life while they are still alive.

They are often held by people nearing the end of life, though Chay told Mothership her health was perfectly fine, apart from some digestive issues.

One of Singapore's most prominent transgender entertainers, Chay first gained popularity after appearing in the local sitcom "Under One Roof" in 1995.

A celebration of life

Speaking to Mothership, Chay said the idea for the ceremony came about spontaneously during a conversation with a fellow actress and friend, Joey Swee.

Rather than celebrating only milestones such as birthdays and weddings, Chay said she also wanted to commemorate her eventual passing.

Saying that death can approach anyone suddenly, Chay expressed how she wanted to be able to experience celebrating her life with her loved ones before that moment comes.

Chay later approached funeral services provider Nirvana Memorial Garden, which embraced the idea and organised and sponsored the ceremony.

While some people were initially sceptical of the concept, Chay said those closest to her understood why it was meaningful.

During the ceremony, well-wishers first paid their respects to a flower altar with Chay's photography, while Chay waited behind the curtains to watch.

Then eulogies were delivered by longtime friend and director Garrick Wong, talk show host Ah Hao and other friends, who shared heartfelt memories and paid tribute to Chay's impact on their lives.

At the end, Chay came out from behind to give her own speech.

"It is a privilege to witness my own farewell ceremony," Chay said.

"I got to see people talking about me in their eulogy, and it was so heartwarming that people actually feel that way about me positively."

Encouraging conversations about afterlife planning

Beyond celebrating her life, Chay said she hoped the ceremony would encourage people to make arrangements for their end-of-life wishes and to have open conversations about death.

"The idea is to encourage people not to be afraid of death," she said.

“There is nothing taboo about afterlife planning. Only when you can deal with death, will you know how to properly live your life.”

She added that preparing for death, both physically and mentally, allows people to appreciate life more fully and live with fewer regrets.

After experiencing her own farewell ceremony, Chay said she now hopes to "live my life like it's my last day", embracing every moment and making the most of the time she has left.

Chay has also recently performed in a Chinese-language talk show, 人生终点站 (The Final Station of Life), which explored themes of life and death.

She also hosts a Facebook Live talk show on ghost stories, with one taking place this Thursday (Jul. 16).

A 26-year-old man was arrested in connection with a case of voluntarily causing hurt by a dangerous weapon.

The arrest occurred on Jul. 13 at about 6:15pm at Block 508 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8.

According to Shin Min Daily News, the man was suspected to have used a knife to cause injury in Ang Mo Kio about two weeks ago.

About seven or eight police officers were seen escorting the man from the scene.

The man was seen with tattoos on his face and neck.

He was subsequently taken away in a police vehicle.

A second-floor resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Shin Min that she saw multiple police vehicles arrive in the evening, but did not hear any commotion in the block.

She claimed that the man lived with his family and that she had not previously heard any quarrels.

Stepfather of man speaks to media

When Shin Min visited the man’s unit, his stepfather said he only found out that the police had arrested his stepson after returning home from work.

He refused to disclose further information.

In response to queries from Mothership, police officers conducted follow-up investigations into a case of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon at Block 508 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 and arrested the man.

Police investigations are ongoing.

In 2025, a Singaporean couple in their mid-30s packed up their belongings, relocated to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and sold their Housing and Development Block (HDB) flat in Yishun.

In a YouTube video posted on Jul. 5, 2026, Rachell Tan, 36, and her husband Sean Lee, 37, shared why they decided to make the move.

The couple, who co-run an e-commerce business, had lived in their four-room flat in Yishun for around six years.

However, they revealed that relocating was not their first choice initially.

But as curveballs go, they now live in Desa ParkCity in KL, a gated township.

Home is a 135 sq m (1,453 sq ft) three-bedroom condominium apartment that they bought for around RM1.7 million (S$539,000), reported The Straits Times.

Considerations

Even before fulfilling the five-year Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) for their flat, the couple had already started discussing what to do next.

They considered several options, including staying put, selling the flat to upgrade to another property, or relocating overseas.

Their goal was to be able to retire in their 40s, reported ST.

Lee and Tan had only envisioned relocating to Kuala Lumpur in about 20 years or so when they were in their 50s, for a slower pace of life.

Initial plans

One of their initial plans was to sell their flat and buy a condominium unit.

In this scenario, they would rent out the purchased condominium while renting an HDB flat to live in themselves, allowing them to "enjoy the capital appreciation" of the private property.

Realistically, however, Tan admitted that she was unsure how many people could follow through with such a plan, as many would naturally want to live in the property they had bought.

At the time, the couple were also deciding between renting another place or moving into the home of Lee's mother, where there were spare rooms available.

They eventually leaned towards staying with Lee's mum for a few months before finding a new place to live.

Mum's place

Rather than spending around S$36,000 a year on rent elsewhere, the couple thought they could use that money to renovate Lee's mum's house instead.

Once they moved out, the renovated rooms could be rented out to generate passive income for her.

However, towards the end of the renovation works, Lee's mum lost her job and no longer had a source of income, changing the couple's plans.

They decided not to move into her house so that she could rent out the spare rooms instead.

As a result, the couple postponed their move and continued living in their own HDB flat.

Around the same time, they viewed several potential homes in Singapore but could not find one they liked.

Just for fun

That was when they decided to look at properties in Malaysia.

"'Just for fun... Just for fun,'" Lee recalled.

To their surprise, they found homes they genuinely liked, and what began as a casual idea, gradually turned into a serious plan.

After moving to KL

After deciding to relocate, the couple had to choose whether to sell or rent out their Singapore home.

The couple had initially bought the 900 sq ft resale flat, which was around 30 years old, for about S$268,000, which they considered affordable because of its age.

They ultimately decided to sell the flat due to lease decay and concerns over potential maintenance issues that could come with renting out an older property.

They sold the Yishun flat for S$520,000, almost double the price they bought it for, reported ST.

How has it been?

In the video, Tan said they have enjoyed the move thus far, describing it as an opportunity to experience a new environment and constantly discover new things.

The estimated monthly expenditure has decreased by at least 30 per cent, ST reported.

"Sometimes you can plan all you want in life, but life can just turn 180 degrees," Tan said. "Then you just have to adapt and go with the flow."

A fitness corner in Fernvale, near Jalan Kayu, was turned into a public laundry rack.

Shirts, shorts, towels and even underwear, were spotted hanging on multiple exercise equipment from hangers, preventing residents from using the public facilities.

The fitness corner is near Block 414A Fernvale Link.

The incident came to light after photos were posted to the Facebook group Complaint Singapore.

The caption on Facebook read: "I came across this scene at the public fitness corner near Block 414A Fernvale Link and couldn't help but wonder if I had missed an announcement. Since when did outdoor exercise equipment become a communal clothes drying rack?"

The post added: "These fitness stations are installed for everyone in the neighbourhood to exercise and stay healthy, not to dry personal laundry. If one person starts doing this, what's stopping others from following? Before long, will the entire fitness corner become an open-air laundry area instead of a place for residents to work out?"

Reactions online

One commenter urged the town council to install clear "No Drying of Laundry" signs, issue written warnings to first-time offenders, and take enforcement action against repeat offenders where permitted under the applicable by-laws.

Another commenter, however, saw the lighter side, joking that having a towel readily available after a workout was actually quite convenient.

Town council responds

In a statement to Mothership, an Ang Mo Kio Town Council (AMKTC) spokesperson said the town council was aware of the incident.

It has since deployed its team to put up advisory notices at the fitness corner to remind residents not to dry laundry on the equipment as it inconveniences others and blocks access to the shared facilities.

The spokesperson added: "We seek the co-operation of all residents to use our shared community facilities responsibly and with consideration for others, so that these amenities remain accessible, clean and enjoyable for everyone in the neighbourhood."

A man who financed a criminal syndicate that sold anonymised WhatsApp and WeChat accounts to scammers has been jailed four years and fined S$52,000.

Ronnie Low (Liu Luoli), 50, was sentenced on Jul. 14 after pleading guilty to three charges, including being a member of a locally-linked organised crime group (OCG) and engaging in a criminal conspiracy to acquire benefits of criminal conduct, reported CNA.

Two further charges were taken into consideration for sentencing. If Low cannot pay the fine, he will serve an additional five months in jail.

The SIM cards seized from the syndicate's premises were linked to 2,393 police reports and a total of S$51 million in losses across a range of scams, according to court documents seen by Mothership.

How the syndicate began

The operation traced back to mid-2022, when Alvin Kok Jun Keat, then 31, was looking for ways to earn fast cash and came across an "SMS modem".

This is a device capable of receiving multiple SMS messages sent to pre-registered SIM cards, with the messages retrievable through a connected computer, court documents showed.

Kok devised a business plan around the device: setting up anonymous WhatsApp and WeChat accounts using pre-registered SIM cards, then activating them using one-time passwords (OTPs) received through the modem.

Customers who bought these accounts could conceal their identities while using them for criminal purposes, including scams.

He imported an SMS modem from China and sourced pre-registered SIM cards through Telegram, hiring an unidentified person to advertise the service on the platform.

He then charged US$30 (S$38.50) for 30 days' use of a WhatsApp account, or US$10 (S$12.80) for a WeChat account, with all payments made to a cryptocurrency wallet.

Low's role as financier

Low was introduced to Kok in October 2023 by his friend, 47-year-old Tan Shay Howe, after Kok went looking for investors, according to court documents.

Kok told Low the business was profitable and guaranteed him S$15,000 to S$20,000 a month in returns.

He had asked Low for S$100,000, but Low invested only S$40,000, as he did not have the full sum in cash. Tan separately invested S$25,000 for a cut of the profits.

Low received roughly half of the syndicate's monthly net profits after operating costs, salaries, SIM card top-ups and rental, were deducted.

In total, he made about S$92,651 from the syndicate's illegal activities over the roughly seven months he was involved, of which at least S$6,000 went towards personal expenses such as food and drinks.

Court documents stated that Low knew the business was illegal and that customers were likely using the accounts to carry out scams, and that he was aware payments were made in untraceable cryptocurrency.

The raid and scale of losses

The syndicate's operations shifted twice more — first to a private property on Meng Suan Road in November 2023, then to an empty office space above a car repair workshop on Toh Guan Road in March 2024, after Tan took over the business from Kok when their relationship soured.

On May 29 2024, the police's Anti-Scam Command raided the Toh Guan Road premises and seized 24,000 SIM cards, 27 SMS modem devices, seven monitor screens, seven mobile phones and seven central processing units.

Between November 2023 and May 2024, the syndicate generated S$887,477 in sales profits.

The seized SIM cards were linked to 2,393 police reports made between January and May 2024, with investment scams accounting for the single largest share of losses at S$24.1 million from 392 reports, closely followed by job scams at S$23.2 million from 1,173 reports.

The syndicate's customers were based mostly overseas, including in Malaysia, Myanmar and Cambodia.

Prosecution and defence arguments

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jordon Li sought at least 52 months and two weeks' jail, along with the S$52,000 fine, arguing that Low was a financier of "an elaborate and highly successful illegal business" who had knowingly participated in the syndicate for around seven months.

Li told the court, according to CNA, that Low took "the lion's share" of the profits despite limited day-to-day involvement, which reflected his position at the top of the group's hierarchy.

Li cited the Singapore Police Force's Annual Scams and Cybercrime Brief 2024, noting that scam and cybercrime cases rose 10.8 per cent to 55,810 in 2024, with victims losing at least S$1.1 billion.

Low's defence lawyers sought a lighter sentence of 39 months' jail and the same fine, arguing that Low's role never went beyond that of a "passive financier", unlike Tan, who progressed from investor to owner and operator of the business.

One of the lawyers told the court, as cited by CNA: "If not, everyone is a key player. If everyone is special, no one is."

He added that Low had been in Dubai for most of the period and had no involvement in the syndicate's operations.

The judge acknowledged that Low was not involved in running the syndicate, but noted that his financing had allowed the group to scale up its operations.