What appeared to be a disagreement betwen two colleagues turned into a stabbing incident in a residential area on a Friday morning (Jun. 5) in Chongqing, China.

Professor allegedly stabbed university vice president to death

The victim, Liao Linqing, 60, is the vice president of Chongqing University of Technology, according to Caixin.

Police revealed that Wang, the alleged perpetrator, stabbed his colleague Liao, to death with a knife in their residential compound.

Online reports have found that Wang, 58, is an associate professor in Chongqing University of Technology's computer science department, reported Sinchew.

Claimed he was "acting on behalf of heaven"

In videos circulating on social media, Wang was recorded saying that he was "acting on behalf of heaven to rid people of this scourge", referring to the victim.

He also claimed that Liao had been reported by students online and had caused many students to develop depression.

A resident living in the area shared that he saw police tape put up near the scene and police officers were already present at around 7am.

The university has not released an official statement regarding the incident.

Top image via @Byron_Wan/X

Starting today (Jun. 6), PayNow users will no longer be able to see or set nicknames when sending or receiving money.

Say goodbye to "676767", "giga chad" or "scubaaaaa".

Instead, masked names are the unchangeable default.

But why, how and what now?

Here's the stuff you need to know about the new feature change to PayNow.

Change? What change?

Starting Jun. 6, 2026, the PayNow nickname feature for retail customers will no longer be available.

Read this if you need more context:

So, instead of "676767" or whatever the latest Gen-Alpha slang word you might be using as your PayNow nickname, PayNow will now only display selected letters of your name to a payer during a PayNow transfer.

For example, if your name is Jonathan Tan Jun Jie, PayNow will display JonatXXX TaX JuX JiX instead.

This applies to those who have not set a nickname as well.

About 30 per cent of PayNow users are currently using nicknames.

Why the change? I loved being "bling daddy" on PayNow!

Too many scammers.

Scammers have been exploiting customisable nicknames to impersonate legitimate businesses, government agencies, or even your friends to trick victims into transferring money.

Think you're sending money to your secondary school friend Alysha? Nope. It might be someone pretending to be Alysha.

Discontinuing the PayNow nickname feature removes one way in which scammers can trick victims.

Why not use full names then? Why more Xs than my ex?

The nickname option was previously available to PayNow users who preferred more privacy.

Displaying partial names seeks to strike a balance between a reasonable level of privacy and giving sufficient confidence that the payee is the intended recipient, which helps to fight impersonation scams.

"X" was chosen to hide certain letters because it is a generally recognised alphabet to represent something concealed or misleading.

It also has a visual resemblance to a cross-out mark.

The name display format was tested through industry and consumer studies.

By the way, Hong Kong's PayNow-equivalent system also displays a partial name.

Ok, so what about those people who wanted privacy? Are we taking that away from them?

The reason for the change is not to shift away from privacy, but to remove scammers' ability to exploit the nickname feature.

The display of a partial name will still afford a reasonable level of privacy.

At the same time, there is enhanced privacy for the majority of PayNow users whose full names are currently displayed.

Fine. Do I need to do anything?

Nope. Your nickname is already gone, and the masked full name is already in use.

However, you just need to get used to seeing the changes to your payee's nickname when making payments to him or her.

Again, here's what PayNow display names might look like now.

All other aspects of receiving and transferring money via PayNow remain unchanged.

Omg. Does this mean I will now be safe from scams?

There is no magic bullet for the plaguing issue of scams.

It's best to remain vigilant.

The discontinuation of PayNow nicknames is part of a comprehensive set of anti-scam safeguards, including the setting of transaction limits, cooling-off periods, fraud surveillance and ongoing consumer education.

All these are continually enhanced and fine-tuned to combat the ever-changing ways and methods employed by scheming scammers.

Omg again. What if the scammers make use of the new display format to harvest my name for scam purposes?

There are already safeguards in the PayNow system to detect and prevent mass harvesting of names.

Participating institutions continually monitor the scam landscape, and while the risk of name harvesting is not new, these safeguards have been stepped up in light of the name format change.

A 38-year-old man in Bangkok, Thailand, was arrested after sexually harassing his mother over text while high on drugs, reported Bangkok Post.

The mother, 57, had asked for help from Gun Jompalang, a Thai influencer with around 10 million followers, who shed light into her issue in several Facebook posts, which had gone viral.

Man told neighbours he and his mother were married

Chat records between the mother and son posted online showed the man repeatedly asking her for sex, even suggesting that they go to a hotel.

The messages also contained suggestive content such as the son saying that his mother "hasn't had sex in many years", and that he had "seen everything already".

Bangkok Post reported that Gun had claimed the man told neighbours that he and his mother were a married couple.

In a home inspection conducted by Gun with police officers on Tuesday (Jun. 2), multiple small holes were found in the bathroom wall and were believed to have been made deliberately for spying purposes.

Son was allegedly high on drugs

The mother eventually lodged a complaint with authorities under Gun's guidance.

According to Thai media outlet Khaosod, the mother was worried about her safety and her son's wellbeing, as his behaviour had grown more disturbing, violent, and was also hallucinating at times.

She also shared that her son had been taking drugs since he was 17.

During police questioning, the man allegedly admitted to sending a text message asking his mother to have sex with him.

He appeared to be hallucinating and speaking incoherently after being arrested, according to the police, and he had admitted to using methamphetamine on Wednesday morning.

The man has been charged with sexual harassment, and is facing up to two years in jail, or a fine of up to 40,000 baht (S$1,570) or both, if convicted.

Top image via Gun Jompalang/Facebook

On Jun. 4, 2026, police officers from the Anti-Scam Command arrested two men and two women, age between 26 and 38, in the vicinity of Tuas for their suspected involvement in fraudulently registering SIM cards.

Another three men, aged between 30 and 65, are assisting in investigations.

SIM cards were to be used by overseas scammers

This was part of an enforcement operation against errant retailers engaged in the registration of postpaid SIM cards which were subsequently used by overseas syndicates to perpetrate scams.

Preliminary investigations by the police revealed that the 34-year-old man and two women had used the information of actual customers to pre-register for additional postpaid SIM cards and the 26-year-old man was in the process of being taught to do so.

The mobile lines that were registered were subsequently used in impersonation scams.

The four arrested will be charged in court on Saturday (Jun. 6) for the facilitation of fraudulent registration of SIM cards that facilitate criminal activity.

This offence carries a fine of up to S$10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or to both.

If convicted, the individual may be liable to caning of up to 12 strokes.

Scammers may be caned

The police takes a serious view of SIM cards being misused as a conduit for crimes and will not hesitate to take action against retailers who fraudulently register additional SIM cards without authorisation, allowing others to use their SIM cards, helping other individuals to register or holding multiple SIM cards without a legitimate reason.

Under the Facility Restriction Framework, individuals involved in such mule related offences, whether they are under investigation and assessed to be at risk, or have been warned, issued with composition sums, prosecuted, or convicted, may be prohibited from subscribing to new mobile lines to prevent further facilitation of scams.

With effect from Dec. 30, 2025, scammers and members or recruiters of scam syndicates will face mandatory caning of at least six strokes, which can go up to 24 strokes.

Scam mules who enable scammers by laundering scam proceeds, providing SIM cards and providing Singpass credentials will face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes.

A woman was sentenced to four years' imprisonment on Friday (Jun. 5) for allowing her teenage son, then 15, to use methamphetamine.

The mother, 52, pleaded guilty to two charges, including exposing a child to drug utensils and methamphetamine consumption, according to The Straits Times.

Son discovered drug utensils at home

From Jan. 2025 to Jun. 2025, the woman and her husband, the stepfather of the boy, had provided him with drugs, and left various drug utensils in the Yishun flat they lived in where he could access them.

All parties in this case cannot be named due to a court-imposed gag order.

In Jan. 2025, her son, who was 15 at the time, found drug utensils that had been left in the sink and asked his mother about them.

She told him they were used to smoke methamphetamine, reported CNA. She started smoking methamphetamine in 2022.

DPP Etsuko Lim said this led the teenager to consider trying the drug himself.

Teen smoked meth every two to three days

Over the following months, the teenager smoked methamphetamine every two to three days, using drug utensils that his mother and stepfather left in the living room.

He also obtained the drug from the couple.

The woman's conduct reinforced her son's drug-taking habit, prosecutors said. She neither warned him about the dangers of drug abuse nor instructed him to stay away from the drug utensils.

The court also heard that she had given her son a drug utensil on one occasion.

Arrested by CNB

The woman was arrested by officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on Jun. 23, 2025.

CNB officers found drug utensils in the flat. The woman admitted that although the utensils belonged to her husband, she also used them to consume methamphetamine.

At the time of her arrest, she was smoking methamphetamine once or twice a week.

Sentenced to four years' jail

The prosecution sought a jail term of between three years and 12 months and three years and 14 months.

She said tat the woman's irresponsible misconduct reinforced her son's drug consumption habit, reported ST.

On Jun. 5, the court sentenced the woman to four years' imprisonment.

District Judge Brenda Choo agreed with the prosecution that there was a strong need to protect children from exposure to drugs and that deterrence should be one of the main sentencing considerations, according to CNA.

In this case, they did not only expose their child to drugs, but also permitted him to consume them, she said.

The offence of knowingly or recklessly exposing a child to controlled drugs or drug paraphernalia is punishable by up to 10 years' imprisonment.

Having previously been admitted to the Drug Rehabilitation Centre, the woman also faced between three and 10 years' jail, a fine of up to S$20,000, or both, for consuming methamphetamine.

Top image from Daniel Kaesler/EyeEm via Getty, Mothership

A 39-year-old man has been arrested for his allegedly stealing a parked car at an open space carpark along Lorong 4 Toa Payoh.

According to a police news release, the police was alerted by the victim to the incident at about 1:50pm on Jun. 5.

The man was caught within two hours after being identified by ground enquiries and images from police cameras.

The victim's car was also recovered.

The alleged thief will be charged in court on Jun. 6 for the theft of a motor vehicle.

If found guilty, he may be jailed up to seven years and fined.

In their press release, the police also advised vehicle owners on a number of crime prevention measures, including parking vehicles in well-lit areas and not leaving keys or transponders unattended.

Valuables should also be removed from vehicles before owners leave their vehicles, while windows should be wound up and doors should be locked even when owners leave their vehicles for short periods.

A Singaporean man staged traffic accidents to get cash settlements from innocent counterparty drivers to fund his luxurious lifestyle.

28-year-old Danial Ali Liaqat Ali was associated with at least 73 road traffic accidents, most of which were staged from September 2019 to January 2024.

On Jun. 5, he was sentenced to 32 weeks' jail and fined S$6,000 after pleading guilty to 12 charges, according to The Straits Times (ST).

For 48 months after his release from prison, he will also be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver's license.

During sentencing, another 25 charges were taken into consideration.

Engineered near collisions

According to court documents seen by Mothership, Danial would identify opportunities to engineer a near collision or an actual collision with another vehicle.

Typically, this would be done by driving dangerously close, failing to brake, or deliberately accelerating into other vehicles to cause side-swipe collisions.

After each staged incident, he would approach other drivers, falsely represent that a genuine accident had occurred, and demand private cash settlements.

The settlements from drivers ranged from S$180 to S$1,500.

Court documents stated that he devised this scheme to sustain a lifestyle that was disproportionate to his less than S$4,000 monthly salary.

Faked accidents

Using the same modus operandi, Danial faked accidents and demanded settlements.

On Jul. 19, 2023, at about 11am, Danial drove dangerously close to a victim's car before both cars stopped at the road traffic junction of Cantonment Road and Keppel Road.

Danial, who was in the right lane, left a larger space in front of his car.

While the victim was filtering into the space in front of his car, Danial drove his car forward and claimed that a collision had taken place.

Danial deceived the victim into believing a genuine collision took place, and he demanded a private settlement for the alleged damages.

The victim handed over S$180.

He repeated the scheme on Jul. 20, 2023, and Dec. 5, 2023, and induced other victims to hand over S$300 and S$400, respectively.

Broken side mirror

On Nov. 5, 2023, along Geylang Road, Danial tried to overtake a vehicle that was changing lanes.

He drove behind the car and attempted to overtake the victim, who slowed down.

The victim's car collided with Danial's side mirror, breaking it.

Danial lied and said that the victim was the cause of the accident and dishonestly induced the victim to hand him S$300.

According to court documents, Danial also failed to report 29 other accidents that happened between Mar. 31, 2023, and Jan. 2, 2024, to the police.

Cheated employer

While working at Cedele as an assistant outlet manager, he created his own membership account and keyed in his own contact number to collect points from customers' purchases.

From Oct. 18 to Oct. 27, 2025, he accumulated 70,000 membership points and redeemed a S$100 voucher from Cedele.

On Oct. 31, 2025, he received S$100.50 in cash from a paying customer, placed S$0.50 in the cash counter, and misappropriated the other S$100 for his own use.

On Feb. 12, 2026, his bail was revoked, and he was remanded.

In the prosecution's address on sentence, the deputy public prosecutor (DPP) noted several aggravating factors, including the sheer danger he posed to vehicles on the road, his premeditation, and persistence.

The DPP said, "The accused was in essence turning the road into a private minefield."

"It was fortuitous that none of the drivers fell to any serious or fatal injury."

According to ST, Danial said he was remorseful in mitigation.

Court documents did not state the total amount he had received from the fake accidents and if he made any restitution to the victims he swindled.

With her wedding less than a week away, Yes 933 DJ Hazelle Teo opened up about the emotional toll of planning a wedding and broke down in tears over the negative comments online.

Teo and her fiancé James Wong shared their experience on their English video podcast The Couple's Classroom, giving viewers an unfiltered look at the lead-up to their big day.

"18 Excel spreadsheets"

The couple said the process was nothing like what they had imagined.

Teo said in the video:

"I always thought, ‘What's the big deal? It’s just one day.’ As of now, I have 18 Excel spreadsheets.”

For her, the hardest part was staying emotionally afloat throughout.

Arguments and stress were inevitable, she said, on top of managing both wedding logistics and filming commitments.

Wong described the experience as "decision fatigue", explaining that despite having a team handling the logistics, every decision still needed to go through the two of them before anything could proceed.

Wong likened the experience to a marathon, describing it as long and exhausting but ultimately meaningful.

He said the weeks leading up to the wedding had been full of unexpected highs and lows, but called the whole experience a miracle.

Tears over online hate

In the podcast, Teo opened up about how episodes five to seven of The Couple's Classroom featured stories that were deeply personal to them, and it was those episodes that drew the most backlash.

The negative comments ranged from people telling them to "reconsider their marriage over differing love languages", to others openly saying they were "waiting for the couple to divorce".

But it wasn't all bad.

Teo has also received kind words from friends, family, and strangers who approached her to say they had learnt a great deal from the podcast.

Despite that, Teo broke down in tears recalling the difficulties.

She revealed:

"I lost sleep. Every time I woke up, I would think, 'Are there still many people online who hate me?'"

Whenever she felt low, Wong would drop everything, no matter how urgent, sit her down, and patiently talk her through her feelings.

Star Awards win changed her perspective

The turning point came when she clinched a spot in the "Top 10 Most Popular Female Artiste" category at Star Awards 2026.

Even then, the hate online did not stop.

But it gave her a moment of clarity even though the harsh comments still kept coming after the award.

But it was then that Teo realised she could never please everyone, and that no matter what she shared, whatever her struggles, her failures, or her wins, there will always be critics.

She said the choice of how to respond was ultimately hers to make.

Filming the show also left her feeling more grounded in who she is.

She said she now feels freer to be herself and tell her own stories, without worrying about what others think, knowing that alongside the negativity, there is also plenty of love coming her way.

A 60-year-old Singaporean man was charged with two counts of burglary after breaking into an unlocked private residence in Bartley and stealing S$400 and a watch valued at S$38,900.

Tan Sun Heng pleaded guilty to one of the charges on Jun. 4, Shin Min Daily News reported.

The other charge will be taken into consideration during sentencing.

Debt

On Feb. 28, 2026, Tan was having dinner and drank three bottles of beer at a coffee shop in the How Sun area off Bartley Road.

He then went to a neighbourhood in the How Sun estate.

At the time of the offence, he needed money urgently to repay debts and to cover his daily expenses.

In charge sheets seen by Mothership, at about 8:45pm, Tan attempted to enter a house which had a secured gate.

At about 8:57pm, he successfully broke into another house after he found that both the main door and metal gate were unlocked.

Inside the house, Tan found the homeowner”s wallet on a table and took S$400 in cash in denominations of S$50, S$10, S$5 and S$2 notes.

He also took an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch valued at S$38,900.

Recorded

Tan was filmed by a domestic helper.

The homeowner, surnamed Wong, told Shin Min that she and her husband were out at the time of the incident.

When her family returned home at about 9pm, a domestic helper from a neighbouring unit ran over and showed them a video, asking if they recognised Tan.

Tan was apparently loitering outside their home, and the domestic helper thought that he might be a relative or an acquaintance.

After confirming with her husband that Tan was a stranger, Wong called the police.

Wong said she haa since installed a lock on the outer iron gate.

Spent cash

Tan later spent all the cash.

He also attempted to pawn the Royal Oak at a pawn shop in Bencoolen, but the shop refused.

Tan was eventually arrested.

Past criminal record

The prosecution urged the judge to order Tan to be evaluated to determine his suitability for reformative training or be given a deterrent jail sentence.

Tan has a previous criminal record of multiple thefts and burglaries, the court heard.

He was unrepresented and said he had nothing to add.

The judge ordered a suitability report and adjourned the case to Jun. 26 for sentencing.

The 22-year-old man, who died while allegedly racing his younger 19-year-old sibling in Johor, Malaysia, was given a final send-off on Jun. 5.

The funeral cortege was made up of about 30 friends and family, Guang Ming Daily reported.

Angry reactions

Photos and videos of the send-off were met with backlash online.

Some commenters said they would be absent from the funeral if the deceased was someone related to them.

About the incident

The younger sibling, who survived the multi-vehicle collision that killed five people in total, has been remanded for a further four days to facilitate a murder investigation.

The fatal crash involving two luxury cars has sparked fresh outrage in Malaysia.

The 19-year-old driver was in a Mercedes-Benz A250 at the time of the crash on the Kluang – Simpang Renggam highway in Johor.

He has been identified as a university student in Singapore.

He tested negative for drugs.

The deceased 22-year-old was driving a BMW 530e.

Four others who died from one family

Among those who died were four members of the same family in one other vehicle.

Several others were injured, including two children.

A few other vehicles appeared badly damaged post-accident.

The Malaysian government has called such accidents a “serious public health challenge” on the country’s roads.

BMW and Mercedes speeding

Kluang police said the BMW was spotted travelling “fast and recklessly” alongside the Mercedes before it lost control.

The BMW crossed into the opposite lane, struck four cars and plunged into a ravine.

The case was being investigated under sections of the Road Transport Act covering reckless or dangerous driving and causing death by reckless or dangerous driving.

A first-time offender faces five to 10 years in jail, a fine of RM20,000 (S$6,402) to RM50,000 (S$16,006) and at least five years’ disqualification from driving.

Backlash to such incidents

Malaysia's transport minister, Anthony Loke, urged police to speed up the investigation for referral to the Attorney General’s Chambers.

“This kind of driving is very irresponsible and completely unacceptable,” Loke said in a statement on Jun. 2.

“A driving licence is not permission to drive as you please to the point of causing disaster to innocent people,” he added.

The crash set off a firestorm in Malaysia, which has lasted for days.

Fatal road accidents and incidents of reckless driving have been condemned, but negative reactions have been exacerbated by the public perception of lax enforcement in Malaysia.

The Malaysian transport ministry previously said road crashes kill an average of 18 people a day.