On Sep. 16, the United States Federal Reserve voted unanimously to raise its benchmark interest rate by 0.25 per cent.

The decision comes against the wishes of U.S. President Donald Trump, who criticised the move and demanded on social media that the interest rates be lowered “and fast”.

The conflict between Donald Trump and the Chair of the Federal Reserve would be unsurprising if it were a year ago.

But the current chair, Kevin Warsh, is Trump's own nominee from earlier this year.

What does the rate increase mean? How was it decided upon, and what is the political background behind Walsh's decision?

Raising rates

In a statement released by the Federal Open Market Committee, the 12-member group that effectively decides what interest rates are set at, the primary reason for the increase was in order to support a “timely return” to the committee's 2 per cent inflation goal.

Interest rates are considered a critical indicator of how U.S. economic performance, and hence the health of the global economy.

This could be seen in how the U.S. stock market reacted immediately to the news, falling initially, before recovering as trades assessed the news, as the Wall Street Journal reported.

Higher interest rates, make borrowing more expensive, benefiting lenders and making things more expensive for people and businesses borrowing money.

CNBC reported that the Fed also signaled that it was not yet done, and that it was likely to raise rates one more time before the end of the year, where as the WSJ suggested that traders had been expecting two more raises, hence the recovery was an indication of relief.

The BBC quoted Fed Chair Kevin Warsh as saying that inflation had been too high for too long and that raising rates was a “sober” and “responsible” decision.

The U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics puts the current inflation rate at 3.4 per cent, and it has not been below the 2 per cent target since 2021.

Fighting inflation, but also growth

Higher interest rates mean that the cost of major items of household spending will go up, such as mortgage rates for home buyers.

U.S. consumers are increasingly using debt to purchase items such as vehicles or even home goods, and increasing interest rates will make such spending more expensive.

But at the same time, years of high inflation have exacerbated a cost-of-living crisis in the U.S., and the present moment is a timely reminder of why the Fed, and other central banks like it, are given so much power to rein it in.

However, just as crucial is the impact higher interest rates will have on business.

Higher interest rates make it more expensive for businesses to borrow money, effectively slowing economic growth as companies find it harder to expand and customers find it harder to make purchases.

How did Trump react?

Trump was apoplectic.

He took to Truth Social to declare that interest rates should be 1 per cent or less, and that the US had the best credit in the world.

Resorting to all caps, he demanded: “LOWER THE INTEREST RATES FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND FAST!”

But when he spoke to the press later, he absolved Warsh from blame, saying that the 12-member board he was part of was “very hostile” and “very political”, and that Warsh “might as well vote with the board, because it's not going to matter.”

Is this chair taken?

Warsh is Trump’s own pick for Fed chair, after feuding for the entirety of 2025 with Jerome Powell, Warsh’s predecessor.

Powell, also pursuing lower inflation, resisted Trump’s urging to either lower interest rates or quit his position early in order to enable Trump to nominate a Fed chair who would.

But the Fed Chair is not the only person who determines interest rates.

That is done by the FOMC, made up of Warsh as the chair, but also the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the heads of the various regional reserve banks.

Powell, as the former chair, remains on the board, also against the wishes of Trump.

There are a few moments of irony regarding the ongoing bad blood between Trump and Powell: Trump famously threatened to fire Powell earlier in 2026, an action he’s not allowed to take.

One irony is that Powell spent most of the first year of Trump’s second term not raising interest rates, unlike Warsh, who has raised them within six months of taking office.

The other irony is that Trump literally only has himself to blame for Powell’s appointment; he nominated him in 2017 during his first term.

A hawk in dove's clothing

Although the BBC suggested that some had feared Warsh would simply rubber-stamp Trump’s demands in his role, it was noted at the time of his nomination that Warsh was a “relatively safe choice”, a former financier with central bank experience.

The Guardian, at the time of Warsh's nomination, quoted an expert as saying that Warsh was "one of the better outcomes".

Warsh was also known for having strong views on monetary policy, even being classified as a "hawk", someone more willing to use interest rates to fight inflation, although the closer he got to being appointed, the less he emphasised those views, as reported by Morningstar magazine.

When asked by the press about what message the move had for the president, Warsh simply chuckled and said: “I’ve got nothing for you on a discussion with the president.”

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max launched in Singapore on Sep. 18, 2026.

Wait

When Mothership arrived at the Apple store in Orchard at about 5:35am, a long queue had already formed.

More than 120 people were seen in line.

Those in the queue were issued a wristband a day before on Sep. 17, which allowed them to get in line to purchase the phones.

According to a security staff managing the crowd, the queue started forming in earnest at about 4am.

The Apple store was set to open its doors at about 8am.

Open

Ten seconds before the doors opened, Apple staff started a countdown.

Once the store opened for business, customers were seen inspecting the new phones and making purchases.

The first customer to get his hands on a new iPhone 18 Pro Max was Hector Yong, a 19-year-old student.

His brand new phone came in the “Glacier” colourway.

Yong said he felt “very honoured” to be the “first in Singapore” to try the new phone and was mainly excited about its features.

“I am very particular about its display, to see that the iPhone has cut down the dynamic island, I am quite happy to see,” he said.

Yong added that he had been queuing for the phone since 11pm overnight.

Another customer, Vu Tran, a 30-year-old Vietnamese national who works in construction, was a returning customer.

He had bought the previous year's iPhone and came back to Singapore for this year’s iteration.

Tran added that he flew in to Singapore to also help his “wife and mum” get their hands on the new phones.

He was at the launch with his friends.

Observations

One man was seen collecting at least 33 iPhones.

When Mothership reached out to him, he declined to comment.

He was likely picking up the purchases on behalf of others.

Mothership understands that each person is limited to buying two iPhone 18 Pro and two iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Another man was also seen purchasing the phone in cash.

Out of stock

The phones ran out of stock before 10am.

But the phones were still available next door at Courts Nojima at The Heeren.

They are limited to one set per customer.

A line could be seen outside Courts.

Price

The new phones come in four new colourways: Burgundy, Glacier, Silver, and Black.

Here is the price list for the iPhone 18 Pro:

256GB: S$1,899

512GB: S$2,199

1TB: S$2,799

2TB: S$3,699

Here is the price list for the iPhone 18 Pro Max:

256GB: S$2,099

512GB: S$2,399

1TB: S$2,999

2TB: S$3,899

A woman took to social media to describe her experience with a funeral provider in Singapore, which she had engaged to handle her father's cremation.

She alleged that after she decided to terminate the provider's services upon learning about a past incident involving the company, her father was handed over to a new funeral provider with clothes stained with urine.

She also alleged that the original cremation booking for her father was released after she terminated the provider's services, resulting in the new funeral provider having to secure another slot.

"All I could do was trust"

Speaking to Mothership, the woman, surnamed Low, said the incident took place on Sep. 1.

She said she had opted for a direct cremation for her father and was quoted S$1,480 for the service by Harmony Funeral Care (HFC).

HFC subsequently collected her father's body at about 5am that day, and Low said she trusted it to handle his final arrangements with care.

"When they took him away, I trusted them. As his daughter, there was nothing else I could do," she said.

"I couldn't follow him behind those doors. I couldn't see where he was being kept. I couldn't see how he was being treated. All I could do was trust."

Decided to terminate their services

According to Low, she later learnt about a 2019 incident involving HFC, in which an employee had allegedly collected the wrong body from an embalmer, resulting in the wrong body being cremated.

HFC and its director subsequently apologised for the distress caused by the incident.

Learning about the incident frightened her, Low said, as cremation is irreversible.

"I had already lost my dad," she said. "I could not bear the thought of anything else going wrong with his final journey."

As such, she decided to terminate HFC's services and engaged another funeral provider.

Father's clothes were allegedly stained with urine

Low said her father had a urine bag attached to him when HFC first collected him.

Before they took him away, she said she had specifically asked if the urine bag could be removed and handled properly.

According to Low, HFC assured her that it could.

She said her father was wearing green when he was collected and that she was later informed he had been changed into another set of clothing.

About 10 hours later, at around 1pm or 2pm, his body was handed over to the new funeral provider, Low said.

During the handover, the new provider took photographs of her father so that Low could confirm his identity.

However, the photographs showed that the clothes he had been changed into were visibly stained with urine, she said.

Low said she believed the staining occurred because her father's urine bag or body had not been handled properly during the changing process.

The new funeral provider subsequently offered to clean her father and dress him in a fresh suit, she said.

"It may sound like something small to other people, but to me, as his daughter, it meant everything. Seeing my dad properly dressed again gave me at least a little comfort during one of the most painful days of my life."

Cremation slot allegedly released

Low also alleged that after she terminated HFC's services, the cremation booking that had been made for her father was released.

As a result, the new funeral provider could not simply take over the original booking and had to secure another slot, she said.

Fortunately, they eventually secured another slot later that night.

"Imagine already grieving your father and suddenly having to worry about whether he could even be cremated that day," she said.

Low also noted that HFC had retained her S$800 deposit.

"My dad is not a parcel you collected"

Low said the experience had made her reflect on the trust families place in funeral service providers during a particularly vulnerable period.

"After everything that happened, I deserve transparency. But more than the money, what hurts is the lack of communication and compassion," she said.

"My dad is not a parcel you collected at 5am. He is not a booking. He is not a cremation slot. He is my father."

Low said she chose to share her experience so that other grieving families would not "blindly assume everything is okay behind the scenes".

"I'm sorry, Dad. I really tried to settle everything properly for you. I just wanted to send you off peacefully and find you a beautiful final resting place," she said.

"I hope you know that choosing direct cremation never meant I cared any less. I love you. And until your very last journey, you deserved to be treated with dignity."

Funeral provider responds to the allegations

In an Instagram post on Sep. 15, HFC responded to the allegations and provided its account of what happened.

HFC said the family had indicated that they wanted the deceased to be dressed in the same clothes he had been wearing after washing and preparation.

When the deceased was collected that morning, there was no visible leakage or staining on his clothing, the company said.

HFC explained that for a direct cremation without embalming, which was the service selected by the family, final washing and preparation would be carried out closer to the viewing and cremation.

This was because natural post-death changes, including possible fluid leakage, could occur, it added.

However, HFC said it was later informed that another funeral provider would be taking over before it had the opportunity to carry out the washing and preparation.

It claimed that the handover was subsequently documented in the family group chat, along with photographs.

No concerns about stained or soiled clothing were raised in response to the handover, it added.

On the cremation booking, HFC said it had secured a slot at around 9am and paid the required booking fee.

At 11:41am, it was contacted by the incoming funeral provider regarding a possible change of funeral provider, HFC said.

The company then contacted the family, who confirmed the change at 11:59am.

As the booking had been made under HFC's arrangements and responsibility, it could not simply remain under HFC while another provider managed the funeral, the company said.

The booking was therefore released as part of the transfer of arrangements, it said.

HFC also addressed Low's allegation that it had retained her S$800 deposit.

The company said the deposit was non-refundable, as stated in the signed agreement.

By the time the arrangement was terminated, HFC said it had already incurred costs and committed resources towards manpower, transportation, care and safeguarding, the cremation booking and other operational matters.

HFC said it understood that funeral arrangements take place during an "exceptionally difficult and emotional time" and respected the family's experience and decision to change providers.

"At the same time, we believe it is important that the facts and context from our records are also shared," the company said, adding that it is not their intention to discredit the family’s experience or engage in a public dispute.

"Above all, we extend our sincere condolences to the family," it said.

Cremation booking cannot be transferred: NEA

In response to Mothership's queries, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said there are no restrictions on a next-of-kin (NOK) changing funeral service providers (FSP).

Cremation applications are made online via NEA's ePortal and can be submitted by either the NOK or the FSP.

If an applicant cancels a cremation booking, the vacated slot is released and made available on the ePortal for booking on a first-come, first-served basis, NEA said.

However, a cremation booking cannot be transferred.

Should the applicant wish to retain the booked slot, they can contact NEA for assistance with cancelling and rebooking the same slot, NEA said.

Autonomous ride-hailing service Waymo is set to come to Singapore by 2028, marking its first entry in Southeast Asia.

The company announced the expansion on Sep. 18 during a press event where Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow was the Guest-of-Honour.

An independent subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, Waymo was the first company to launch a self-driving public robotaxi service in the U.S. in 2020.

The expansion to Singapore is in partnership with the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the Land Transport Authority (LTA), Waymo said in a press release.

Self-driving cars in Singapore

Siow welcomed Waymo’s entry as Singapore’s newest autonomous vehicle (AV) operator, saying it brings “world-class technology and operational expertise” to Singapore.

He also noted that it will create new transport options for Singaporeans as well as strengthen our ecosystem and create new capabilities and jobs.

Just a few days prior, on Sep. 14, Grab had announced that it will be expanding its AV fleet from 10 to 50 vehicles over the next six months and also broaden its AV service coverage beyond Punggol.

It was the first to launch an autonomous public ride service in Singapore earlier this year, in April 2026.

Phased roadmap

Waymo said it will introduce its fully autonomous, all-electric ride-hailing service in Singapore via the Waymo app by 2028.

An initial fleet of all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles is expected to arrive in the coming months, it said.

Mapping and validation activities are scheduled for 2027, with trained autonomous specialists conducting initial manual driving to adapt the Waymo Driver to local road geometry, monsoon weather patterns, and more.

Waymo Driver is the company’s driving technology that controls a vehicle from pickup to destination without needing a human behind the wheel.

Bringing fully autonomous technology to any city requires “rigour, patience, regulatory approvals alongside extensive engagement and collaboration”, Waymo said.

The company said they are applying the same methodical, safety-first framework that has guided their growth across the U.S.

Waymo was also working to launch in Tokyo, London and Munich.

Complementing S’pore’s transportation ecosystem

Waymo said it will complement Singapore’s public transit network and aim to bridge first-and-last-mile transit gaps across residential and commercial hubs.

“In our existing commercial service territories, many riders enjoy using Waymo to connect to mass transit, including more than a third of riders in San Francisco who are picked up or dropped off near transit stations,” it said.

Their 100 per cent electric fleet also directly supports the Singapore Green Plan 2030, the company noted.

Currently, their fleet prevents an estimated 480 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide from road travel every week.

On mobility protection, Waymo say its custom sensor suite of lidar, radar, and cameras provides a 360-degree view that detects and predicts the movements of pedestrians, cyclists, and active mobility users.

It is designed to ensure “cautious, predictable interactions” on dense urban streets, the company said.

"Singapore has built one of the safest, most efficient, and most forward-thinking transportation ecosystems in the world. Their focus on reliability, sustainability, and human-centric progress directly mirrors how we have built Waymo’s technology and service," said Tekedra Mawakana, co-chief executive officer of Waymo.

Support for drivers

In a press release, LTA said the government will continue to work closely with tripartite partners and operators to provide more support for drivers.

This builds on the manpower transition package announced in parliament in July 2026.

For instance, LTA said it will support drivers to acquire new skills and assist willing drivers to pivot into new roles created by the growing AV sector.

“The government is committed to helping drivers prepare for the autonomous vehicle transition early and will not allow autonomous vehicle deployment to run ahead of our ability to retrain and support affected drivers,” LTA said.

LTA stated that Waymo’s deployment supports Singapore’s approach to expand the range of autonomous mobility services and provide commuters with more transport options.

LTA said it will work closely with Waymo to ensure that all deployments meet safety and regulatory requirements and build public trust in autonomous vehicles.

Joanna Wietrzyk, the Australian Hyrox athlete who continued the race in Beijing despite experiencing faecal incontinence, has apologised for what happened.

In an Instagram post, the 24-year-old said she did not expect to fall ill mid-race and regretted not stepping off the track.

She apologised for the discomfort and disruption caused to those affected.

She also announced that she will retroactively withdraw from the race and forfeit the points she earned.

Wietrzyk won the Pro Women division at Hyrox Beijing.

She did not choose to quit the competition and the organisers did not take her off the race either.

Opinions were divided.

Some praised Wietrzyk for her determination, while others felt that she did not think about public hygiene and the impact on participants who would be using the same stained route after her.

It did not help that Wietryzk posted "a win is a win", showing a lack of remorse after the race, and Hyrox defended her in its very first response.

Hyrox's co-founder followed up with an apology to those affected and acknowledged their public hygiene concerns.

Hyrox also reportedly refunded affected participants.

Joanna Wietrzyk's apology in full

Personal statement: I want to offer my sincere apology to the people of China, my fellow competitors, the spectators and the HYROX organizers for what happened during the race in Beijing.

I felt completely fit and healthy at the start of the race, with no reason to expect any illness. Looking back, I regret the decision to not have stepped off the track. I recognize that I should have made a different choice. I take responsibility for my decision to continue and am deeply sorry for the discomfort and disruption it caused.

I know my actions had an impact beyond myself, and I am genuinely sorry to everyone who was affected. I am learning from this experience and will carry those lessons with me, including remembering that there is more to life than racing and knowing when it is right to step away. On reflection, I have decided to retroactively withdraw from the race and forfeit the points I earned.

Thank you to those standing by me, both as an athlete and as a person, during this time, and to everyone who has reached out with kindness and support. It means more to me than I can properly express right now. I will be taking some time to recover, reflect and look after myself and my family away from the noise.

A 22-year-old Singaporean woman flew a drone for commercial purposes without a licence or a permit.

She was placed on 12 months’ probation and ordered to complete 50 hours of community service.

Ong Siqi faced 31 charges under the Air Navigation Act, Shin Min Daily News reported.

She pleaded guilty to four charges and was sentenced on Sep. 16.

The other charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

Salesperson

At the time of the offences, Ong was a salesperson at JD Works Pte Ltd, a supplier of commercial and industrial equipment, including solar panels.

The company director bought a DJI Mini 2 Pro that weighed approximately 249g.

He allowed employees to use it for recreational purposes, provided they complied with the relevant regulations.

However, Ong used the drone for commercial purposes without his knowledge.

Between Mar. 13 and Jul. 10, 2025, Ong operated the drone without necessary permits for commercial purposes on 10 separate occasions.

Survey

In charge sheets seen by Mothership, on Jul. 10, 2025, at about 10:33am, Ong operated the drone near Jalan Demak at Upper Changi Road East.

Ong was conducting a roof survey for a client interested in the company’s solar panel products and services.

Ong needed an unmanned aircraft licence and a Class 1 activity permit to operate the drone in the area, which she did not have at the time.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) detected drone operations at the location and subsequently dispatched auxiliary police officers to the scene.

On Aug. 26, 2025, at about 12:40pm, Ong flew a drone for about two minutes near Macpherson Road, within 5km of Paya Lebar Air Base aerodrome, for recreational purposes.

She did not have a Class 2 activity permit applicable to the drone model at the time.

Bond

Ong’s parents were required to provide a S$5,000 bond to ensure good behaviour during her probation period.

The conditions of her probation included a curfew from 11pm to 6am.

Avelogic's HR and payroll system was hit by a cybersecurity incident that affected its clients, including 48 mosques, four madrasahs, the Islamic Learning Hub and Management Office (ILHAM), and Mosque-Madrasah-Wakaf Shared Services (MMWSS).

In a statement on Sep. 17, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) said that a police report was made and no ransom was paid.

MUIS ensuring employees get their salaries on time

Concerned about the impact on affected organisations and their employees, MUIS said it is working with the institutions to ensure employees receive their salaries on time.

"Alternative payroll arrangements are already in place, and there has been no disruption to religious or public-facing services," added MUIS.

MUIS also said it will continue to support the affected community sector organisations to ensure essential HR and payroll functions continue without disruption.

No evidence large amount of data was taken from system

Meanwhile, Avelogic is continuing investigations and assessing the situation's wider impact.

It has since recovered the compromised data, and independent cybersecurity experts have been engaged to investigate the incident.

"Based on the investigation to date, there is no evidence that a large amount of data was taken from the system," the statement said.

It added that data stored in the affected system is also encrypted as an additional layer of protection.

"Investigations and security checks are ongoing, and the system will only resume operations after the relevant safeguards and checks have been completed."

About three hours after his flight departed Singapore for Taipei on Sep. 14, passenger Ethan heard the pilot come over the intercom and inform everyone that they had to return to Singapore due to "operational issues".

"I was quite confused by what was going on," he told Mothership.

"Some people were panicking a bit, as apart from the pilot saying the plane didn't have any technical issues, there was no further explanation about what the 'operational issue' was."

A flight attendant he sought answers from did not have more details to share.

At about 5:50pm, about five hours after the plane took off, it landed back in Singapore.

In response to Mothership's queries, a Scoot spokesperson similarly explained that flight TR872 was diverted because of "operational reasons".

A replacement aircraft was deployed for the affected passengers, and it departed Singapore for Taipei at 8:05pm that same day.

Re-accommodating passengers

According to Ethan, the passengers were initially told that they would receive some meal vouchers to be used at Changi Airport upon arrival.

However, when they reached Singapore, ground staff allegedly said that there were no meal vouchers due to the short interval between the original and the replacement flight.

Passengers were given light refreshments at the boarding gate instead: a chocolate croissant, potato crackers, a bread roll, and a small bottle of water.

Ethan took the replacement flight to Taipei, where he said Scoot provided a complimentary hot meal, with the choice of either a three bean tofu curry with rice or a braised chicken with rice.

Apart from this replacement flight, affected passengers were also offered options to either book an alternative Scoot flight, or request for a full refund should they choose not to continue with their travel, the Scoot spokesperson told Mothership.

Those who had booked their original flight through travel agents or partner airlines were advised to contact them directly for assistance.

Inconvenience

The flight diversion disrupted Ethan's travel plans as he originally wanted to continue south to Chiayi city after arriving at Taoyuan International Airport on the same day.

However, as he ended up arriving past midnight, he had to book a hotel near the airport instead, delaying his journey to Chiayi to the next day, which led to "further complications" on his trip.

The Scoot flight TR872 was also a connecting flight for some passengers who would be continuing their journey from Taipei to Seoul, South Korea.

According to FlightAware, this flight to Seoul took off after 2am on Sep. 15, ultimately delaying the arrival by 7 hours and 39 minutes after the originally scheduled time.

The Scoot spokesperson emphasised that the safety of their customers and crew is their top priority, adding that the airline apologises for the disruption and inconvenience caused.

Leong Sze Hian, 72, a Singaporean who ran in the 2020 general election and blogs about politics and finance, forfeited S$45,000 on Sep. 17, 2026 as he was the bailor for lawyer Lim Tean, 61.

This was after Lim had allegedly absconded to Malaysia instead of turning himself in to start his jail term.

Bailor said he fulfiled obligation

Leong argued against the forfeiture, CNA reported.

He said he had contacted Lim the day before he was due to surrender at the State Courts on Aug. 3.

According to Leong, Lim had assured him he would turn himself in after saying something about jobs in Singapore.

Lim's lawyer also told Leong that Lim had transferred two cases to him, which gave Leong reason to believe Lim would not run away.

Leong argued that he and his wife were in poor health, according to CNA.

However, the judge ruled that Leong had failed to fulfil his obligations as surety.

S$15,000 of S$45,000 was in non-monetary security, which refers to the pledging of items, such as jewellery and watches, as bail.

Two men who allegedly helped Lim leave Singapore illegally were charged in August 2026.

Who is Lim Tean?

Lim was sentenced to jail for three months and one week for practising law without a valid certificate.

He was found to have been practising as a lawyer without a valid certificate for about two months in 2021.

He had attended court hearings on 32 occasions during that time.

A district court in February 2025 sentenced him to six weeks' jail and a S$1,000 fine.

The High Court then increased his sentence to three months and one week's jail.

The judge said the initial sentence was "manifestly inadequate".

After he allegedly ran away while on bail, he was arrested by the Royal Malaysia Police on Aug. 6.

He was handed over to the Singapore Police Force on Aug. 11.

He is now in jail and has not been charged for his alleged abscondment.

Lim was convicted in July 2024.

Lim was declared bankrupt in April 2026.

He was fined S$30,000 that month for how he handled a former client's money.

Lim is the founder of Peoples Voice and secretary-general of the People's Alliance for Reform.

He contested Potong Pasir SMC during the 2025 general election in a three-way fight.

He finished with the least number of votes.

Relationship between Leong and Lim

Previously, in 2020, Lim had represented Leong in a defamation suit brought by then-prime minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Leong lost and had to pay Lee S$133,000 in damages.

Leong was issued a Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) correction direction in 2024 for his Facebook post about housing grants.

A 42-year-old man in Singapore was arrested for drink driving after the car he was driving mounted a kerb along Raffles Avenue and hit a female pedestrian.

According to Shin Min Daily News, the incident took place at around 10pm on Sep. 16, near Esplanade Mall.

The female pedestrian was reportedly a tourist from China who was travelling with a group of colleagues.

Woman suffered a spinal fracture

A witness told the Chinese-language newspaper that he saw a woman lying on the ground after she was hit.

She appeared to be conscious but was occasionally touching her lower back, the witness said, adding that several passers-by stepped forward to help her and called for an ambulance.

One of the woman's colleagues, surnamed Zhou, was also injured in the incident.

Zhou told Shin Min that the group had been walking to catch a bus when the accident happened.

According to him, his colleague, who was walking ahead, was struck by the car.

She then collided with him as a result of the impact, causing him to hit a concrete bollard by the roadside.

He also suffered an abrasion to his arm.

Zhou said he initially thought his injuries were minor, but was later taken to an ambulance after experiencing chest tightness and dizziness.

He was later admitted to the hospital and discharged the following day.

Zhou said his female colleague suffered more serious injuries.

Doctors told her that she had suffered a spinal fracture and required surgery, he said.

He added that her family had been notified and were on their way to Singapore from China.

Driver arrested

When Shin Min reporters arrived at the scene, they saw a Mercedes-Benz sedan that had veered onto the side of the road.

Airbags had been deployed, and the front of the vehicle was heavily damaged.

The driver, who was wearing a white shirt, was questioned by police at the scene and was later escorted away at around 11pm.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police said they were alerted to an accident involving a car and two pedestrians along Raffles Avenue at about 10pm.

Separately, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed that a 40-year-old woman and a 41-year-old man were taken to the hospital while conscious.

The 42-year-old male driver was arrested for drink driving and is assisting with investigations.

Driver reeked of alcohol

Speaking to Shin Min, another witness said the driver did not immediately check on the injured woman after getting out of the vehicle, but instead ran towards the bushes at the back.

The witness claimed that the driver reeked of alcohol and appeared to be trying to remain composed.

The same witness also alleged that the driver attempted to shake hands with a police officer when officers arrived, but the officer did not respond.

Zhou similarly said the driver appeared disoriented after getting out of the vehicle and did not seem to realise that he had hit someone.