Employees who lose their job positions in Singapore are considered to have been retrenched, even if they have been asked to reapply for roles overseas in the same organisation.

This is according to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).

NTUC also said it was concerned about practices where employers present reapplications as "new opportunities".

This comes after apparel retailer H&M announced in May that it would move its regional headquarters from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

It asked its East Asia staff, including those in Singapore, to reapply for roles as part of a restructuring exercise.

NTUC expresses concerns about such practices

Responding to Mothership's queries, NTUC said it was concerned about practices where workers are asked to reapply for roles locally or for roles that have moved overseas, with these being presented as new opportunities.

NTUC also said that if these practices result in a worker's role in Singapore becoming redundant, such arrangements are recognised and treated as retrenchment.

"When a worker's employment is with a local company, and if that position or employment is lost due to redundancy, the worker's relationship with the local entity ends," NTUC elaborated.

In response to Mothership's queries, MOM said, "Should an employee lose his job as the role has been made redundant in Singapore — for example, where the role no longer exists or has been shifted overseas — this would constitute a retrenchment."

MOM also said that this applies regardless of whether the employee has applied for an overseas role and the outcome of the application.

H&M says it is "committed" to supporting affected colleagues

When asked by CNA for its response to NTUC's expression of concern, an H&M representative reiterated that the company is "fully committed to supporting all of our colleagues in any organisational changes and will continue to fulfil [its] obligations according to local labour law requirements".

It was previously reported by CNA that H&M employees who unsuccessfully reapply for the new roles will face "mutual separation" in accordance with local labour laws.

Employees across the affected region, including Singapore, may reapply for 178 roles.

Four of these roles appear to be based in Singapore and serve legal functions.

MOM shared that H&M had submitted a mandatory retrenchment notification within the required timeline.

When a retrenchment occurs, employers with at least 10 employees are required to submit a mandatory retrenchment notification to MOM within five working days after notifying affected employees of their retrenchment.

On a layover, a Scoot flight to Singapore, an Indonesian national molested the female passenger beside him while she was asleep.

He was 20, while she was 17 at the time of the incident on Apr. 15.

He touched her inappropriately on her thigh, back, abdomen, hip, butt, and breasts, with skin-to-skin contact.

Despite her attempt to move her body away from the man, he continued to touch her, causing her to feel scared and violated, according to court documents.

On Jun. 3, Ariel Lhudfiyan Muarifin pleaded guilty in court to one charge of using criminal force with the intent to outrage a person's modesty.

He was sentenced to jail for one year and three months, and three strokes of the cane.

A sudden urge

Ariel, a resident of Central Java, was working as a construction worker in Okinawa, Japan, at the time.

He took a Scoot flight from Okinawa to Singapore around 9:15am on Apr. 15, planning to return to Indonesia through Singapore.

On the plane, the victim sat in a seat labelled A, which typically indicates a window seat on Scoot flights. Ariel sat in the next seat labelled B.

They both fell asleep as soon as they reached their respective seats, but Ariel woke up shortly after and noticed that the victim's left forearm and left leg made contact with his body, he claimed.

He described the victim as "quite pretty", and said their body contact caused him to have the sudden urge and desire to touch her.

Not deterred

Ariel first stroked the victim's thigh with his hand, then moved to her abdomen, hip, and breast.

This lasted for about 30 seconds, the victim said.

She tried to slide her body away from him, but he was not deterred.

He continued to touch her inappropriately, including sliding his hand down her pants and underwear to stroke her butt.

When the victim turned to look Ariel, he had his eyes closed. As she was wary of him, she also closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.

The touching went on for about another five minutes and only stopped after she opened her eyes. His eyes were closed again when she looked at him.

According to court documents, the victim, feeling extremely scared, violated, uncomfortable, trapped, and helpless, got up from her seat and told an air stewardess what had happened.

Scoot subsequently made a police report that a passenger was molested onboard, and Ariel was arrested at Changi Airport Terminal 1 about two hours after the plane landed in Singapore.

Sentencing

The prosecutor sought a sentence of between 14 and 16 months in prison, along with three to five strokes of the cane.

Ariel pleading guilty early in the proceedings entitled him to a sentencing discount of up to 30 per cent, which is taken into account in this proposed sentence, the prosecutor said.

The prosecutor argued that the degree of sexual exploitation was high, the circumstances of the offence were aggravated, and the harm caused to the victim was at least moderate.

"The accused did not act on impulse or in a moment of confusion — rather, he weaponised his proximity to the victim on the flight and repeatedly outraged her modesty, persisting even after she expressed discomfort," the prosecutor said.

A 30-year-old man was charged in court on Jun. 4, 2026, for voluntarily causing hurt to a 55-year-old man on a public bus.

Muhammad Asyraf Said allegedly assaulted the older man, Alan Sim, after snatching a cap bearing an Israeli national emblem that he was wearing, the Singapore Police Force said in a press release on Jun. 3.

Asyraf arrived in person at court on Jun 4 at around 9:20am.

He was unrepresented in court.

His next hearing is scheduled for Jun. 18.

The offence of voluntarily causing hurt carries an jail term of up to three years, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.

Allegedly snatched cap bearing Israeli national emblem

Asyraf is accused of voluntarily causing hurt to Sim at the bus stop beside Blk 121D Rivervale Drive by punching and kicking him.

This caused the victim to suffer a contusion on his chest and abrasions over his face and forearm, charge sheets showed.

According to SPF, preliminary investigations revealed that Asyraf had allegedly snatched a cap bearing the Israeli emblem, which Sim was wearing.

Both parties were not known to each other.

55-year-old warned for display of foreign national emblem

The 55-year-old was also given a stern warning, in lieu of prosecution, for displaying a foreign national emblem.

"The police takes a serious view of any act of violence," SPF said.

SPF also advised members of the public against the public display and wearing of articles associated with foreign conflicts.

SPF also reminded members of the public "not to import overseas conflicts into Singapore" and to "express their views in a lawful and responsible manner".

"The police will deal with offenders sternly in accordance with the law," SPF said.

Anthropic, the American artificial intelligence (AI) company behind the AI tool Claude, has released several job openings in Singapore, indicating plans to establish operations here.

Four open roles

As of Jun. 4, Anthropic's careers page currently lists four Singapore-based roles spanning finance, product support and economic research.

Among the vacancies is an Asia-Pacific accounting lead, a senior finance position responsible for overseeing the company's regional accounting and financial operations.

The role will manage accounting functions across Anthropic's legal entities in the Asia-Pacific region, including statutory reporting, payroll, procurement and finance systems.

The successful candidate will report to the company's head of international accounting in Dublin, as well as serve as a key liaison with auditors, entity boards and external service providers.

Anthropic is also recruiting two product support specialists.

The roles involve providing customer support and developing deep expertise in the company's suite of AI products.

In addition, the company is seeking a regional research economist to work with governments, academic institutions and industry partners to study AI's economic impact and assess policy responses.

The role will contribute to the development of Anthropic's Economic Index, including research on AI adoption, usage and its broader effects on regional economies.

According to the job listing, the research economist position offers an annual salary ranging from S$307,200 to S$331,200.

Salary details for the other Singapore-based roles were not disclosed.

The job postings also state that employees are expected to spend at least 25 per cent of their time working from one of the company's offices.

When contacted by The Straits Times (ST), Anthropic declined to comment on whether it plans to open an office in Singapore or provide details of its hiring strategy.

International push as demand for AI solutions grows

Founded in 2021, Anthropic has expanded internationally, establishing offices in markets including Japan, South Korea, India and Australia.

The company's investors also include the Singapore sovereign wealth fund, Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC).

GIC first invested in Anthropic in September 2025 as part of a US$13 billion (S$16.6 billion) fundraising round.

In February 2026, GIC led the company's US$30 billion (S$38.5 billion) Series G funding round.

Anthropic later completed a Series H fundraising round, which reportedly valued the company at US$965 billion (S$1.2 trillion), surpassing the reported US$852 billion valuation of rival OpenAI (S$1.1 trillion).

A 35-year-old Singaporean man used a pinhole camera concealed in an air freshener can to film his female colleagues using the toilet.

Iskandar Kamaruddin pleaded guilty to four charges: two counts of voyeurism for recording two unidentified women urinating in the toilet on Oct. 22, 2025, one count of criminal trespass for entering the women’s toilet with the intent to commit a voyeurism-related offence, and one count of installing the air freshener camera to enable himself to commit voyeurism.

Another four voyeurism charges, involving four recordings of three other victims, were taken into consideration for sentencing.

At the material time, Iskandar was working as a medical technician at a company whose office was located in a building in Singapore.

Planned to film female colleagues in toilet

Iskandar formed the idea sometime in September 2025 to hide a camera in the toilet to record videos of his female colleagues relieving themselves, according to court documents seen by Mothership.

He bought a pinhole lens camera concealed in an air freshener can, as well as a cylindrical miniature-sized camera.

He intended to place the air freshener camera on a sanitary waste bin in a cubicle, and the miniature camera overhead within a smoke detector.

However, he needed an excuse to enter the toilet to install the cameras.

He approached the female cleaner in charge of the floor and lied to her that he had been tasked to take charge of maintenance and repair of the office’s toilet facilities.

The cleaner did not doubt him.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Dillon Kok said:

“In truth, the accused was never assigned to take charge of any facility, and this was entirely beyond his job scope.”

Installed camera in women’s toilet

Sometime between Oct. 20 and Oct. 22, 2025, Iskandar approached the cleaner again and lied that he needed to check whether there were any maintenance issues with the toilet.

The cleaner led him to the toilet and saw him making “perfunctory checks” at a cubicle before she left to stand at the door, according to court documents.

Iskandar then installed the air freshener camera in a cubicle by placing it on top of a sanitary waste bin before angling the camera lens towards the toilet bowl.

He did not install the miniature camera as there was no smoke detector above the cubicle.

The toilet was used exclusively by female employees of the company.

Camera captured two women urinating

After installing the air freshener camera, Iskandar set it to record videos upon motion detection.

He intended to return to the toilet some days later to retrieve the memory card.

On Oct. 22, 2025, at about 8:05am, an unidentified woman entered the cubicle where the camera had been installed.

She saw the air freshener but thought nothing of it.

After she removed her bottom garments and urinated into the toilet bowl, the camera recorded a video of her urinating.

A “close-up view” of her buttocks and private parts could be clearly seen in the video, according to the court documents.

At about 12:38pm the same day, another unidentified woman entered the same cubicle and was recorded in the same manner.

Cleaner found camera inside air freshener

Sometime before 3pm that day, the cleaner opened the lid of the air freshener can to check if it was empty.

She saw the camera inside and immediately alerted her colleagues.

Several company employees inspected the device and determined that it was a concealed camera.

They tried to access the memory card but could not do so, and left the device and memory card on a table while deciding what to do next.

Later that afternoon, Iskandar saw the air freshener, camera and memory card on the table.

He then “surreptitiously took away the memory card and kept it without anyone noticing”, according to court documents.

When employees later discovered that the memory card was missing, they informed the building manager, who called the police for assistance.

Iskandar was arrested on Oct. 30, 2025.

A search of his residence was conducted the same day, and the police recovered the air freshener camera’s memory card and the miniature camera from his bedroom.

Prosecution sought 7 months’ jail

Deputy Public Prosecutor Dillon Kok sought a total sentence of seven months’ jail for Iskandar.

For the voyeurism offences, the prosecution submitted that Iskandar’s culpability was moderate, as the offences were planned and premeditated.

The prosecution said that the use of concealed and disguised cameras to record unsuspecting victims was hard to detect and “particularly aggravating”.

In its sentencing address, the prosecution added:

“The accused, by his perverse acts, had recorded five of his female colleagues in their private moments in the toilet cubicle

“He had carefully selected an inconspicuous device that would not look out of place in the toilet and orchestrated his entry to the toilet with deceit.”

The prosecution further said that even after the device was found, Iskandar attempted to evade identification by taking away the memory card without anyone noticing to avoid being identified as the person who planted it.

Iskandar bin Kamaruddin was sentenced, according to CNA, to 28 weeks’ jail on Jun. 3.

Malaysian authorities have instructed police to investigate a fatal crash in Johor as a murder case after the incident claimed five lives, including those of a family of four.

According to the New Straits Times (NST), the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) has directed police to classify the investigation into the crash at Simpang Renggam as murder and reckless driving causing death.

The directive follows preliminary police findings that two brothers, aged 19 and 22, were allegedly driving at high speed before one of their vehicles crashed into several others along Jalan Renggam-Simpang Renggam on Jun 1.

AGC reviewing case

In a statement, Attorney General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar said that police had been instructed to investigate the case under both classifications, reported NST.

However, he said a decision on what charges, if any, will ultimately be brought can only be made after the AGC has reviewed the findings of the police investigation.

Dusuki said the tragedy was regrettable and noted that previous enforcement efforts in fatal crash cases did not appear to have fully curbed dangerous driving.

Under the previous charge of dangerous and reckless driving, if convicted, the accused could face up to five years in jail and a maximum fine of RM15,000 (S$4,800).

However, a murder conviction carries the possibility of a death sentence, or a jail term of up to 40 years and a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane.

Family of 4 among those killed

The crash occurred at about 1pm and involved five vehicles.

Police said a BMW 530e allegedly lost control before colliding with a Proton Wira, a Toyota Vios and a Perodua Alza.

Four people travelling in the Toyota Vios died at the scene.

The BMW driver later succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital.

The victims in the Toyota Vios were identified as Mohd Aiman Mohd Rashid, 36; his wife Nor Azlina Abd Latif, 33; her mother Semek Mat Soh, 73; and his 10-year-old niece Nur Airish Syifa Sidek, reported NST.

The family had been travelling from Melaka to Kota Tinggi when the collision occurred.

Younger brother arrested

The BMW driver was believed to have been travelling with his younger brother, who was allegedly driving a Mercedes-Benz A250 while racing.

Police arrested the 19-year-old and obtained a two-day remand order to facilitate investigations.

The teenager was reported to be studying at a university in Singapore.

Authorities are investigating whether the two brothers had been racing prior to the crash.

Transport minister calls for swift investigation

Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony Loke has called on police to complete their investigations quickly and submit the case to the AGC.

In a statement, Loke said the crash should never have happened and stressed that those responsible should face appropriate legal consequences, reported NST.

He added that holding a driving licence does not give motorists the right to drive in a manner that endangers the lives of others.

Earlier, the four members of the same family who died in the crash were laid to rest in Terengganu, with more than 200 relatives and friends reportedly attending the funeral.

One domestic helper in Hougang was left in despair after finding out that a pair of MLB sneakers she had saved up to purchase was stolen.

Her employer, Tay, told Mothership that the incident happened on May 17 at Block 616 in Hougang Ave 8.

His helper had saved up for about seven months to buy the sneakers, which were worth around S$100.

After realising that the shoes had been stolen, they checked the CCTV camera and discovered that a woman had taken the shoes at around 6:30 am that morning.

Stolen shoes

According to the CCTV footage provided by Tan, a woman dressed in a black long-sleeved top and a white skirt walked to the unit while covering her face with her right hand.

She squatted down in front of the shoe cabinet by the door, then took a pair of sneakers.

This happened in the span of 30 seconds.

Tay said his helper had cherished the shoes a lot and had taken great care of them.

Police report filed

Tay later filed a police report.

He also realised that similar cases had happened in Hougang during the same period.

This included a case on May 13 at Block 830 Hougang Central, where two women were filmed taking two pairs of newly bought Uniqlo pants from a laundry rack outside a flat.

They were allegedly seen going through a shoe rack located outside an HDB flat at Hougang Avenue 9 that same day as well.

Tay claimed that one of the two women resembled the woman who had taken his helper's shoes.

He expressed that he was lucky as he was able to capture the act on camera and encouraged those who may have encountered a similar theft in Hougang around May to report to the police.

The police confirmed with Mothership that a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing.

The Singapore police are appealing for information on the whereabouts of 62-year-old Ngoo Boon Huat.

He was last seen in the vicinity of Block 121A Edgedale Plains in Punggol on Jun. 3 at about 4am, and was wearing a blue and white singlet, dark coloured shorts, and white sandals.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness.

All information will be kept strictly confidential, the police said.

A 27-year-old Singaporean man lured a 14-year-old girl into providing sexual services in exchange for money, cigarettes, and alcohol.

On Jun. 2, the accused, Hazim Bin Yazid, pleaded guilty to one count of commercial sex with a minor under 18, Shin Min Daily News reported.

Another charge of offering monetary or material benefits to a person under 18 in exchange for sexual services will be considered by the judge during sentencing.

Money, cigarettes, and alcohol

Hazim frequently used Telegram and other social media to send messages to communicate with others.

He would ask those he messaged if they wanted to ride on his motorcycle and he also used the messaging chat app to seek prostitutes.

In September 2025, the 14-year-old contacted Hazim via Telegram requesting a motorcycle ride.

Although she had already found someone by the time he replied, the pair continued communicating.

The girl then told Hazim that she and her female friend needed money to buy cigarettes and alcohol.

They admitted that they were both under the legal age of 18 and asked him if he could help them purchase the items.

Hazim asked if the two were willing to provide sexual services.

He then said he was willing to pay S$100 to S$200 for them to buy cigarettes and alcohol, but they would have to perform oral sex on him.

The girl agreed, saying her female friend, a 12-year-old, would accompany her, and they would decide whether to proceed when they met.

Meet-up

In court documents seen by Mothership, the trio met up on Sep. 17, 2025.

Hazim drove his company’s van to a multi-storey car park in Bukit Batok.

He parked it at a higher level, which was a less congested area.

He then arranged a private hire car for the girls that took them from Hougang to Bukit Batok.

When the girls arrived, Hazim invited them to sit in front of the passenger seat of the van and asked their ages.

They were underaged girls.

He then asked if the girls were willing to perform oral sex on him.

The girls refused, but the 14-year-old girl offered to give him a handjob in exchange for money, cigarettes and alcohol.

The 12-year-old offered to keep a lookout.

After the act was completed, Hazim gave them S$100, cigarettes and a bottle of liquor.

He then arranged for another private-hire car to send them to a mall in Serangoon.

Hazim was arrested on Nov. 4, 2025.

It was not disclosed how the police became aware of his crimes.

Jail term of at least five months

The prosecution sought a minimum jail term of at least five months and argued that Hazim's should not just be fined for his actions.

The prosecution stated that the the accused was aware the girl was a minor, but still allowed her to satisfy his sexual desires.

Hazim also faces another charge involving the 12-year-old girl, whom he attempted to lure with cigarettes, alcohol, and money.

While the provision of cigarettes to a minor is an offence, which was not prosecuted in this case, the prosecution cited it as an aggravating factor in sentencing.

As Hazim’s original lawyer had withdrawn representation, the case has been adjourned to Jun. 29 to allow him to enter his plea.

The judge is expected to deliver the sentence that day.

Hazim could face a jail term of up to seven years, a fine, or both.

The Hong Kong school principal, Lee Cheuk Hing, who was involved in a bus dispute in Singapore, has been fired.

This follows a previous update where the principal had tendered his resignation.

He also released a tearful apology for his actions.

According to The South China Morning Post, the school rejected his resignation.

In his resignation letter, Lee requested that his final day be Aug. 31.

Instead, they fired him.

The management committee said that if Lee were to remain as principal, it would "gravely disrupt" the school's operations and prevent teachers and students from "moving forward as soon as possible".

The statement also mentioned Lee's "vulgar" behaviour and how it contravened guidelines for teaching staff.

Here is what happened previously: