Before they even had a large family to raise, Luke insisted on buying a "big round table" that fits 10.

For him, mealtimes are precious bonding opportunities.

Now, he and his wife, Lay Hui, are raising nine kids together.

Took things as they came

Luke, an interventional radiologist, and Lay Hui, a housewife, did not plan for such a "large family".

"We just took it is as it came," Lay Hui shared in an interview for GovTech's 10th anniversary.

The couple's kids are named in alphabetical order. Again, not something that was planned.

"When we had Amanda, we couldn't decide what name to choose. So we just said, 'Okay, let's start with A'," the housewife shared.

Their large household turns heads, such as when the family shows up at church and takes up the entire pew, Luke shared.

While their large family is out of the norm, Lay Hui shared that they have recently found families who also have nine or ten kids.

No easy feat

Lay Hui frankly admitted that it is no easy feat.

On a school day, Lay Hui has her hands full being the "Grab" driver, going in and out of home to fetch the younger ones to school and later back from the MRT station.

Their oldest children are now in university or National Service, the couple shared.

When it comes to chores like laundry, dishwashing or mopping the floor, it's all hands on deck.

Lay Hui also tries to preserve the children's books, getting them to write on "rough paper" instead so the books can be reused as hand-me-downs.

Joy times nine

That being said, having nine kids is not without joys.

Tools like GovTech's LifeSG app help make admin matters, such as managing birth certificates and accessing ChildSG credits, easier.

It also came in handy when their oldest boy and third child had to go off for national service, the first in the family to do so.

For Luke, it all comes down to Lay Hui's resilience.

"As a woman, as a mother, to be able to have such a big family, to manage everything. I think, in itself, it's a celebration and success story," Luke commented.

"The children can say very interesting things and do things unexpectedly that make you feel, 'Oh, actually it's a blessing to have them around'," Lay Hui reflected.

Now, Lay Hui says that the absence of just one of the nine is palpable.

"Even when one is not at home, it's very quiet," she shared.

While kids can be kids and you cannot expect them to be "quiet all the time" or "do their homework every day", Lay Hui acknowledges that "[they themselves] are also not perfect".

"It has its challenges, but the joy is just seeing them grow up. And the joy is times nine," Lay Hui concluded.

A 35-year-old man who hit the buttocks of his infant daughter repeatedly and threw her onto a mattress was sentenced to nine months' jail.

The Straits Times (ST) reported that the man, who started abusing the infant when she was nine months old, pleaded guilty on Aug. 18 to two counts of ill-treating a child.

He cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the victim's identity.

First incident

Court documents seen by Mothership stated that the abuse took place in a flat the man shared with his then-wife, the victim, as well as the couple's daughter who was two at the time.

On Jul. 2, 2024, the first incident occurred when the victim was nine months old.

At the time, the man had been working on his computer in a room.

His daughter, who was in a cot nearby, woke up shortly and began to cry.

The man got up from his chair, shone his phone at the victim’s face, put her on her back, and shouted at her to be quiet.

He then hit her with one of the pillows before throwing it at her. The man then got up from his seat and yelled at her again after she continued crying.

He also turned her to her side, and hit her bottom nine times.

The second incident took place a few months later on Nov. 29, 2024, when the man smacked his daughter's buttocks.

He then picked her up and threw her onto the mattress in her cot.

This incident, as well as the previous one, had been captured by a motion-activated camera in the house.

Divorced

At the time, the man's wife attempted unsuccessfully to stop him from abusing their child.

The woman subsequently made a report against the man in December 2024.

His lawyers said the couple got divorced a year later on December 2025, ST reported.

The man's two daughters are now cared for by his former wife, and since December 2024, he has had no contact with three of them.

He was diagnosed with major depressive disorder after the offences, and it was a minor to moderate contributory link to his committing the offences, his lawyers said.

A goldsmith store in Genting Highlands, Malaysia was robbed in under two minutes, with robbers making off with over RM1.7 million (S$534,778) of jewellery.

The incident occurred at SkyAvenue Mall in the morning of Aug. 17, according to The Star and New Straits Times.

Pahang police said initial investigations found that the suspects, believed to be three men, had travelled to Genting Highlands in a BMW before carrying out the robbery at 11:40am.

The masked suspects were armed with an axe and crowbars.

They reportedly pried open and smashed display cases before stealing five trays carrying 81 pieces of jewellery weighing 2.5kg.

After leaving the store two minutes later, they were seen heading down from the Highlands.

No security guard on duty

No customers were inside the store at the time, but two employees, a man and a woman, were on their shift.

A third employee was on her break.

It was found that no security guard was on duty at the time.

No suspect has been arrested to date.

A manhunt is underway.

Kallang Distripark will be redeveloped for private housing and is being prepared to do so.

It is currently a privately owned disused rubber factory converted into a warehouse site, The Straits Times reported.

On Aug. 14, Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) published a proposed amendment to its Master Plan.

This involved introducing new roads, as well as carving up the site into several housing plots and a new neighbourhood park.

Private development proposal

A URA spokesperson said in response to Mothership's queries that the proposed amendments are to facilitate a private development proposal received by the agency.

The spokesperson said: "The specific use for the Reserve site has yet to be determined. More details, including the development timeline will be shared when ready."

URA has engaged the owner on the potential to retain one of the warehouses as a heritage marker within the proposed future park, the spokesperson added.

Noting that studies on this proposal are ongoing, the spokesperson added: "Where physical retention is not possible, agencies will work with the owner and relevant stakeholders to document and commemorate the history of the place through heritage interpretation initiatives, such as digital documentation or storyboards."

According to ST, the 13-hectare site has been zoned for housing since as early as 2003.

It is owned by entities associated with Lee Rubber Company, whose founder was Lee Kong Chian, a Chinese entrepreneur and philanthropist.

With a portion of the site being freehold, the rest is on a 99-year lease expiring in 2067, ST reported.

It added that its attempts to reach Lee Rubber Company for comment were unsuccessful.

3 housing plots

ST reported that three iconic octagonal buildings, the Lee Rubber Godowns, are included at the site.

The site will see three housing plots being introduced at the site under proposed plans, with two meant purely for residential use.

Located adjacent to Kallang Bahru, the larger one is about 3.6 hectares in size, sitting largely on freehold land.

Property analysts estimated the site to yield about 1,200 condominium units, ST reported.

According to analysts, the other residential plot can have about 450 to 550 condo units built there.

The proposed zoning for the third housing plot on leasehold land includes commercial use on its first storey.

ST reported that it is about 2.4 hectares in size, with analysts estimating that it can contain about 600 to 800 condo units.

The rest of the site includes a 2-hectare park, new roads to facilitate access to the planned housing developments.

It also includes a 1.8-hectare reserve site where a specific use has yet to be determined.

Retiring, said Ng Eng Hen, was a decision made to "reclaim [his] life before politics".

The former Defence Minister, who announced his retirement from politics in 2025 after nearly 24 years of service, told Lianhe Zaobao that he is now "in a good place".

"I keep my mind active... my five grandchildren [are an] absolute delight.

My wife and I, we were very fortunate. [Our] children allow us to go out with them, and we take them out quite often."

Asked about his absence from any post-retirement work, such as sitting on boards, Ng reiterated that he is "retired from politics".

"I've been working very hard for 40 over years... It's my Liberation Day," he quipped.

He added that he wanted to "reclaim" the life he had before entering politics, including visiting hawker centres and taking short holidays with his family.

No need for actualisation

Ng was speaking at a coffee shop in Toa Payoh, before leaving for Canberra, Australia, to receive the Officer of the Order of Australia award on Aug. 18.

The award is conferred on individuals who have demonstrated distinguished service of a high degree to Australia or humanity at large.

Away from the formalities of the trip, Ng said he was looking forward to eating Vietnamese pho there.

"I cannot tahan too much angmo jiak (western food)," he quipped. "After two to three days, I’m dying already... I just like Asian food."

On the topic of post-retirement work, Ng acknowledged that he had received "a few requests" to join boards or take up directorships, but said he had no need for further "actualisation".

"If I haven’t actualised by now, I can’t believe I could do more actualisation," he said.

"But do it if you think it adds value."

Receiving international awards

Ng was also asked what receiving international honours meant to him and to Singapore.

Earlier in March 2026, he was presented with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesverdienstkreuz) by German Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius.

This was in recognition of his contributions towards strengthening defence ties between Singapore and Germany.

"I’ve been Defence Minister for 14 years, so I suppose I had the advantage of length to see that relationship come to fruition," Ng said.

He was also quick to note that such recognition was not solely a reflection of an individual minister’s work, but also of the broader efforts of the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

A more uncertain world

Finally, Ng reflected on the changing global security environment, noting how the relationship between the United States (U.S.) and China had evolved.

"Previously I thought, yes, there were tensions between U.S. and China, but the U.S. was a stabilising force," he said.

"As I dealt with both U.S. and China, my conclusion is neither wanted war. But it's changed."

He pointed to shifts in U.S. trade and foreign policy as a major change.

"Now, trade is weaponised, supply chains are weaponised, and because of that systemic risks have gone up," he said.

Against such a backdrop of changing global rules, he said Singapore should focus on maintaining internal stability and building partnerships with other countries.

"We’re better off preparing for internal stability, forming partnerships, so that when times are hard we can at least ensure some supply chains," he said.

A Choa Chu Kang resident accidentally dropped her phone down her block’s rubbish chute but, thanks to a town council worker, was able to retrieve it.

Her daughter, Shalini, later took to TikTok to share the moment the worker found and returned the phone.

Accidentally threw it down the chute

Speaking to Mothership, Shalini said her mother was clearing and disposing of some kitchen items when she accidentally wrapped her phone together with a table cover.

Without realising her phone was inside, she threw the bundle down the rubbish chute.

A few minutes later, she realised her phone was missing and notified Shalini.

She was worried about losing important contacts and photo memories, Shalini said.

Decided to look for help

The mother and daughter went downstairs to look for town council workers for help, but did not see anyone around.

Shalini then found the town council’s contact details on the notice board at the void deck and gave them a call.

"The officer understood my issue and said a worker will arrive in 10 minutes, but he’ll only open the chute. We’ll have to find it ourselves, so we went with gloves just in case," she said.

When the worker arrived, he opened the chute and pulled out the basket.

Luckily, the chute served only two residential units, one of which was theirs.

"We found the table cover just on top and the worker helped to open it up and got the phone for us," Shalini said.

Thankful

Shalini said they were grateful and touched by the worker, as this part of his job was "not a pleasant one".

"My mom was very touched with his kind demeanour, he barely spoke but was all smiles while helping," she said.

In the video, her mother was seen taking a selfie with the worker after he retrieved her phone.

They also gave him a small monetary gift as a token of appreciation, which he accepted after they insisted.

Shalini also wrote a compliment to the Town Council, accompanied by the picture her mother took with the worker.

Commenting on how her video had gained attention online, Shalini said: "I’m sure he’d be so delighted and happy that he played a significant part both in our society and people’s lives. Thanks to him and fellow such workers who don’t get much but contribute greatly to our country."

The driver of a Singapore-registered car was seen fighting with Malaysian police officers on the road leading to Woodlands Checkpoint past midnight on Aug. 16, 2026.

An eyewitness, Aeric, 40, told Mothership that the fight happened around 12:08 am and should have been "quite fresh" when he witnessed it while he was stuck in traffic.

Aeric said he was not sure why the men were fighting and noted that it did not seem like anyone was injured in the fight.

When asked if the fight caused a traffic jam, Aeric said: "Not really causing a big jam because the traffic was not so 'heavy' at that time," but said it did cause some disruption.

Officer flung motorcycle helmet into driver's face

According to videos provided by Aeric, the driver and police officer were seen arguing and tussling.

The confrontation grew increasingly heated, with the officer eventually flinging his motorcycle helmet at the driver's face.

The helmet made contact with the driver before flying in the opposite direction.

The driver staggered and straightened himself before pushing and kicking the officer.

Another police officer stepped in to separate the two men.

But the men continued to provoke and fight each other.

Eventually, the men were led back to the driver's car, where several officers were directing traffic into the rightmost lane.

Two male Chinese nationals, aged 43 and 50, were arrested for their suspected involvement in a case of housebreaking and theft.

On Apr. 2, at about 12:30am, the police were alerted to a case of housebreaking and theft along Tai Gin Road in Balestier, where a temple was broken into.

Cash amounting to between S$300 and S$400 was allegedly stolen from the donation boxes.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the pair had apparently entered the premises and used a card affixed with adhesive tape to remove cash from the temple’s donation boxes.

Through follow-up investigations and the aid of surveillance footage, officers from Tanglin Police Division established the men’s identities.

Both men purportedly left Singapore on the same day as the offence.

On Aug. 16, they returned to Singapore and were arrested.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the two men allegedly used the stolen cash.

Both men will be charged on Aug. 18 with the offence of housebreaking and theft with common intention.

Offenders are liable to a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.

The police advised property owners to secure all doors, roller shutters, windows and other openings with good quality grilles and padlocks when leaving the premises unattended, even for a short while.

They should also refrain from keeping large sums of cash and valuables on the premises, and install a burglar alarm, motion sensor lights and/ or CCTVs, to cover the access points, while ensuring that they are tested periodically and are in good working condition.

A shooting at a high school in the southern Philippines has left two people dead, including the suspected shooter.

Officials say the situation has since been brought under control.

It happened on Aug. 18 at a high school under the Ateneo de Zamboanga University, in the southern city of Zamboanga, CNA reported.

Both of the dead were students

Speaking to DZMM radio, Zamboanga mayor Khymer Adan Olaso said both casualties were students, and that one of them was the gunman.

He said a "high-powered firearm" had been used.

Reporters at the scene said the suspect was a student, and that the shooting happened in a classroom.

University says there is no longer an active shooter

Ernald Andal, who heads the university, said the shooting had ended and that nobody else had been killed or reported hurt.

He said: "As of now, we confirm that there are two fatalities. There are no more active shooters."

Andal said the university was in touch with the authorities and would share more once it had further information.

He said: "We do not want any of these things to happen. We wish to prioritise the safety of all our students."

Police were still working to secure the campus, according to regional police spokesperson Major Shellamie Chang, who said she had no further details to give at that point.

A woman, 42, a Chinese national, was sentenced to three months’ jail after repeatedly punching her colleague, a Singaporean woman, 60, in the face.

The victim suffered a nasal fracture.

Wang Lina pleaded guilty to one count of voluntarily causing hurt and was sentenced on Aug. 17.

She was also ordered to pay approximately S$2,175 in compensation to the victim.

Beautician

In court documents seen by Mothership, Wang worked as a beautician at the True Harmony beauty salon located at City Link Mall at the time of the offence.

The victim was Wang’s colleague who worked as a receptionist.

On Feb. 11, 2026, at about 2:30pm, both women were on duty, and their supervisor was absent.

The victim temporarily oversaw store operations, including managing appointments and assigning beauticians to customers.

Massage oil

At the time of the offence, Wang was serving a customer and gave the customer a free sample of massage oil.

As Wang was still relatively new to her role, the victim approached her and questioned her actions.

After Wang explained that she wanted to promote the massage oil to the customer, the victim agreed and allowed her to carry on.

Shortly after, another customer arrived and requested Wang’s services.

As Wang was still promoting the massage oil, the victim assigned another beautician to attend to the customer.

Wang objected to the work arrangement and argued that the victim should have assisted and taken over the sale of the massage oil so she could serve the other customer.

She claimed the victim made things difficult.

Both women argued on the spot, and Wang reportedly swore at the victim.

The victim confronted the accused and asked her who she was directing the vulgarities at.

The pair continued shouting at each other and moved toward the back of the salon.

The argument then escalated into a physical fight.

Fight

At about 2:39pm, Wang punched the victim's face multiple times.

Another female colleague heard the commotion and went to check.

She saw the victim trying to protect herself with her hands.

She immediately stepped in to separate the two.

The victim's nose began to bleed, and she became unsteady on her feet.

She then alerted the police to the incident.

Nasal bone fracture

The victim subsequently sought medical attention at a hospital that evening.

A computed tomography (CT) scan of her head and face revealed that she had sustained a comminuted nasal bone fracture.

The victim was given five days of medical leave.

She incurred medical expenses amounting to S$2,174.98.

Wang was arrested on Apr. 21.

After being charged on Apr. 22, she was remanded as she was unable to post bail.

Initiated altercation

The prosecution sought three to three-and-a-half months’ jail for Wang.

They argued that Wang initiated the altercation by “directing vulgarities at the victim”.

“Throughout the assault, the victim did not retaliate and was reduced to shielding herself from the accused’s blows. There is no indication that the accused would have ceased the attack of her own accord,” the prosecution said.

Wang’s lawyers argued that the witness “only saw a portion of the altercation and not from the start”.

“The accused claims that she only intended to cause simple hurt in the heat of the moment due to the stress/ provocation but did not intend or foresee causing a fracture (grievous hurt),” they said.

Wang’s lawyers had sought a reduced charge for Wang.