Eight current tenants at The Animal Lodge — a facility for animal shelters, pet breeders and pet boarders — will not have their leases renewed when they end, as they did not meet the minimum requirements of the latest tender exercise.

The exercise, completed recently by the National Parks Board (NParks), was conducted for the 35 existing commercial tenants at the facility, the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) said on Sep. 1.

The leases of these tenants, which comprise pet breeders, boarders, and a pet crematorium, will expire on Dec. 5, 2026.

Of those unsuccessful in meeting the tender requirements, seven are dog breeders, and one is a pet boarding operator. AVS did not name these tenants.

The 27 tenants that successfully met the tender requirements will continue to operate at The Animal Lodge at 59 Sungei Tengah Rd, with tenancies that can be renewed for up to three terms till Dec. 5, 2035.

The exercise also comes after AVS decided not to renew the tenancy of Singapore's largest no-kill shelter Animal Lovers League (ALL) at its space at The Animal Lodge following reports of neglect and mismanagement.

Why this exercise?

AVS decided to conduct a targeted tender rather than an open one, to allow existing tenants to bid for their current units before considering new entrants.

They took this approach to minimise disruption and displacement of these animals, so that their health and welfare can be protected with the continuity of services.

The outcomes of the tender are final with no room for appeal, AVS said.

How were they assessed?

Since November 2025, AVS regularly engaged tenants on the tender exercise to guide them on licensing requirements, tender specifications, evaluation criteria, and best practices.

Then, tenants were required to submit proposals for the exercise to demonstrate how they would enhance the living environments, health, and welfare practices for their animals beyond baseline regulatory requirements.

These proposals were assessed holistically against both price and quality criteria.

The quality criteria cover three main areas: animal health and welfare standards, husbandry practices (to maintain the housing and design of their space), and the business' regulatory track record.

According to AVS, all of the tenants met the baseline requirements, but only those who went "above and beyond" these requirements succeeded in getting their lease renewed.

For instance, organising a health check-up for the animals once a year would just meet the baseline requirement, while doing two or more annually would be surpassing it.

Other examples of proposed plans that exceeded requirements are renovations to improve the animals' living environment, and anti-slip coating to make it more comfortable for animals to move around.

Two successful tenants, cat breeder ChubbyBuddy and dog breeder Wellfond Pets, told reporters that they included plans for renovations and frequent health check-ups in their proposals.

"All proposals were evaluated against the same criteria to ensure a fair and consistent assessment," AVS said.

Supporting the transition

For the eight unsuccessful tenderers, AVS will work with them to facilitate a smooth transition to relocate and/or rehome the animals properly under their care.

The agency will also monitor those who were successful throughout their tenancy, to ensure that what they proposed on paper will translate to actions.

"This holds tenants accountable for maintaining the standards they committed to," AVS stated in a press release.

Tenants who fail to meet the standards may face consequences, such as the possibility of non-renewal at the next tenancy review.

Following the completion of the exercise, AVS will also review the future use of The Animal Lodge, taking into account industry needs and operational considerations.

Subsequently, AVS may make units available through future tender exercises, including opportunities for new businesses to participate.

Authorities in Thailand's resort city of Pattaya have stepped up vice raids ahead of the arrival of nearly 5,000 U.S. sailors and marines from the USS Abraham Lincoln and two other naval vessels.

The sailors have been deployed at sea in the Middle East for more than 270 days.

It was previously reported that the sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln had attempted to jump overboard amidst deteriorating conditions involving food shortages and plumbing woes.

Gruelling deployment

According to Reuters, the aircraft carrier is scheduled to dock in Pattaya on Sep. 2.

It will continue its journey home on Sunday (Sep. 6).

The aircraft carrier originally left California in November 2025 for the South China Sea, before being re-routed to the Middle East ahead of the U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran in February.

Since then, it has been out at sea on a record-setting deployment.

Its deployment was supposed to end in May, but has been repeatedly extended, BBC wrote.

Families of the sailors aboard eventually raised concerns about the mental health of those on board.

The sailors reportedly faced declining living conditions, with shortages of basic supplies, water contamination and plumbing issues.

Some of the sailors considered jumping overboard, families said.

Respite in Pattaya

Now, the over 5,000 sailors on board will finally get some respite in Pattaya.

Preparing for their arrival, a Thai provincial governor told AFP that about 600 officials will be providing security, The Guardian reported.

Pattaya's mayor said that 40 buses will transport the sailors to the beach resort city and back.

Apart from logistical arrangements, local authorities have also taken steps to curb vices.

Renowned streets known for bars and revelry, like Soi 6, have been designated by local authorities as "off-limits" to the U.S. sailors, Khaosod wrote.

The sailors have also been barred from cannabis shops and water-based activities.

Over the weekend, local authorities detained 40 to 50 people for suspected prostitution amidst stepped-up crackdowns, Reuters wrote.

Prostitution is illegal in Thailand.

"We are doing our best, but it is difficult," Pattaya's police chief was quoted as saying.

A 31-year-old Singaporean man was sentenced to six weeks’ jail and fined S$1,000 after he was drunk in a cinema and kicked a police officer.

Daryl Tang Jun Wen faced five charges consisting of using criminal force, being drunk in public, trespassing, public nuisance, and possession of a weapon.

He pleaded guilty to two charges and was sentenced on Aug. 31.

The remaining charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

Cinema

In court documents seen by Mothership, on Jun. 28, 2025, at about 11:48pm, Tang went to watch a movie at the Shaw Theatres cinema at Waterway Point.

He hid a 750ml bottle of Dewar’s whiskey in his backpack and drank it alone while watching the movie.

After the movie ended, he remained in the cinema and continued drinking.

On Jun. 29, 2025, between about 12:48am and 3:17am, while intoxicated, Tang repeatedly kicked the cinema seats and became hostile towards cinema staff when he was asked to leave.

He also slammed doors and trespassed into the box office area.

Despite multiple requests from cinema staff to leave the premises, Tang refused to comply and continued his disruptive behaviour.

At about 3:17am, cinema staff called the police for assistance.

At about 3:19am, two police officers were dispatched to the cinema and found Tang seated.

When approached, Tang refused to cooperate.

He declined to explain what had occurred, and did not provide any identification or particulars.

The police officers then requested additional support.

While awaiting additional officers, Tang moved around inside the cinema and displayed aggressive behaviour by standing in front of the police officers and clenching his fists when they attempted to question him.

After additional support arrived, the police officers arrested him.

They found the whiskey bottle, but Tang refused to answer whether it belonged to him.

He also reeked of alcohol and verbally admitted that he had been drinking.

Kick

Tang was then placed on a medical stretcher for transport to the police vehicle.

Tang kept placing his feet on the ground to obstruct movement and kicked around along the way.

Some police officers walked alongside the stretcher to lift his legs to prevent him from doing so.

They also issued him verbal warnings multiple times.

Tang proceeded to kick one of the police officers once on his left elbow with his right leg.

The police officer moved away while his partner applied appropriate force to restrain him and issued a verbal warning.

Tang apologised.

After placing him inside the vehicle, Tang continued shouting and moving around, despite numerous verbal warnings to sit properly.

The police officers then escorted him to the Regional Lock-Up at Woodlands Police Headquarters.

Investigations revealed that Tang’s blood alcohol level was 153 mg/100ml.

He was arrested at about 5:20am and held in police custody until he was released on bail on the same day at about 8:51pm.

The police officer sought medical attention at Woodlands Hospital at about 7.18am.

He was diagnosed with a left elbow contusion.

The police officer declined analgesia or a medical certificate, and was discharged on the same day.

Weapon

In a separate incident, on Jun. 1, 2024, the police received a call from Tang about a fight.

During the call, he used several vulgarities while speaking with the operator and refused to provide his name when asked.

Investigations revealed that, sometime on or before Jun. 1, 2024, Tang was drinking at an unknown bar located in the Cuppage area.

At about 8:16am, police officers arrived at the scene to respond to Tang.

They entered a restaurant at Cuppage Road and found him seated, appearing to be drinking with an unknown Chinese male.

Tang then started hurling various vulgarities at the unknown Chinese male and accused him of wanting to hack him.

He then alleged that a “bunch” of individuals wanted to attack him.

Tang then told the police officers to take a walk with him, and also repeatedly used vulgarities when speaking with the police officer.

Police officers noticed he was intoxicated.

Tang then started speaking incoherently and slurred his speech, and approached various passers-by.

He then told police officers he had tried to enter the restaurant kitchen to get a chopper, but a staff member stopped him.

The unknown male staff on duty at the restaurant also informed police that Tang was displaying incoherent and belligerent behaviour and he refused to sell him more alcohol.

During questioning, Tang walked in and out of the restaurant and confronted other patrons and an unknown male staff member, causing some patrons to leave.

Police officers later retrieved a black Leatherman tool from Tang’s pocket.

He incoherently explained that the tool was used for work, but admitted that he felt threatened and would have wielded the weapon to “stab”.

He was arrested at about 9:10am, held in police custody at Central Division Regional Lock Up, and released the following day on Jun. 2, 2024, at about 12:59pm.

During investigations, the accused admitted that there was in fact no fight.

Violent tendencies

The prosecution sought six to seven weeks’ jail and a S$1,000 fine for Tang.

They noted that Tang was intoxicated during the offences.

The prosecution also argued that Tang “displayed violent tendencies by attempting to enter the kitchen” to take a chopper.

A driverless vehicle seemingly belonging to FairPrice Group was spotted along the roads of Singapore, months after the supermarket operator announced plans to trial autonomous vehicles (AVs) to transport goods between its facilities and suppliers.

In a TikTok video posted on Aug. 31, a blue AV bearing the FairPrice Group logo was seen travelling on the road.

Trial announced back in April 2026

In April 2026, FairPrice Group announced that it was trialling the use of an AV to transport goods from beverage supplier Pokka’s warehouse in Benoi to its distribution centre — a roughly 6km round trip distance.

This came a few months after the Land Transport Authority (LTA) approved its use of AVs on designated routes between its distribution centres back in October 2025.

The group said the trial was part of its efforts to strengthen its supply chain operations and improve the efficiency and consistency of restocking its supermarkets.

It said that if the trial was successful, it would explore rolling out similar AV routes with its other suppliers in Singapore.

"FPG’s supply chain is the foundation of our entire organisation, and fundamental in helping us keep daily essentials within reach for all in Singapore," said FairPrice Group's Group CEO Vipul Chawla.

"This pilot represents an important next step on our journey to embed innovation beyond our business, across our value chain to drive greater operational and sustainability outcomes for ourselves and our partners."

Total of 7 AVs

According to The Straits Times, the AV used in the trial with Pokka is owned by FairPrice Group.

The company said it also has six other similar vehicles, which are used to transport goods within its distribution centres.

It added that the AVs make more than 100 trips a week, carrying ambient (non-frigerated) produce, packaged products, and other essentials.

The AV used in the trial is about the size of a typical family car and can carry up to three pallets, with a total load of up to 1.5 tonnes.

This is more than the 800kg to 1 tonne typically carried by smaller electric vans, but less than the 22 pallets that can be transported by a conventional diesel-powered container truck.

It travels at speeds between 30km/h and 40km/h on the designated route and is instructed by a warehouse operator using a smartphone application.

During the trial, the AV travels on public roads and encounters different driving conditions, including filtering across lanes and navigating traffic junctions, FairPrice Group said.

Upon reaching Pokka’s facility, the vehicle is designed to park itself in an open area near a loading bay, where a forklift operator loads up the pallets.

As the AV does not have a steering wheel or cabin for a human driver, a safety operator follows it in a van and can intervene remotely if necessary.

The operator also monitors how the vehicle interacts with other road users and responds to potential hazards, such as road works.

The data collected is shared with the AV's developer to help refine the vehicle's software, and is also provided to LTA.

When the trial was announced, FairPrice Group said the safety vehicle would be removed after the trial, subject to LTA's approval.

A 17-year-old Singaporean boy was sentenced to a minimum of one year of reformative training for attempting to extort a girl and assaulting multiple boys in separate cases.

The boy faced four charges, including extortion and voluntarily causing hurt.

He pleaded guilty to three of the charges and was sentenced on Aug. 28.

One other charge was taken into consideration during sentencing.

As the accused was under the age of 18 at the time of the offences, his identity cannot be disclosed as a gag order was imposed under the Children and Young Persons Act.

Extortion

In court documents seen by Mothership, the accused and the girl became acquainted on Telegram sometime on Jun. 1, 2023.

The girl was 12 years old, while the accused was 14 years old at the time of the offence.

After a few days, the accused asked the girl to send him explicit photos of herself.

The girl complied with his demands and sent him a video of herself performing a sexual act.

The accused replied to her by sending her an image of his genitals.

A few days later, the accused asked for more explicit images from the girl.

She agreed and sent the accused two explicit photographs of herself.

The accused also asked the girl if she was interested in engaging in sexual intercourse, which she turned down.

On Jun. 14, 2023, the accused asked the girl to send more explicit photographs of herself, and she refused.

She also asked the accused to delete the photographs and video she had sent him earlier as she was worried he would disseminate them.

The accused proceeded to threaten the girl by stating that he would disseminate her explicit photographs and videos if she did not pay him S$50.

He then increased the amount to S$60 shortly after.

The girl felt alarmed.

However, she decided not to pay the accused.

She informed her parents and lodged a police report.

Group chat

On May 20, 2024, the accused’s classmate, identified as "Danish" in court documents, was unhappy that a boy, the victim, was sending his own nude photos to others.

The victim was 14 years old, and the accused was 15 years old, at the time of the offence.

The classmate told the accused and two other individuals about it.

One of them created a WhatsApp group chat and added two other classmates.

The victim’s nudes were circulated in the group chat without his consent.

The accused and a classmate discussed beating the victim up in the group chat.

Toilet

On May 23, 2024, the accused and the classmate posted in the group chat that they would confront the victim at a toilet on the third level of their school during recess.

After seeing the post, one of them went to the toilet to look for the accused, the classmate, and the victim.

The accused told him to close the toilet door and keep watch.

While they were in the toilet, the accused and the classmate confronted the victim and challenged him to a fight.

They took turns beating him up by punching and kicking him multiple times.

The victim attempted to fight back, but he did not use much strength.

At some point, they forced the victim against the wall and rained multiple blows on him.

The incident was also filmed.

The video of the assault lasted more than three minutes.

The victim was then asked to strip naked, kneel and apologise, which he complied with.

The classmate then placed a rubbish bin over his head and kicked the bin while it was over his head.

Other individuals also joined the assault.

At one point, a teacher had entered the toilet, and the accused signalled them to stop.

They then shifted the victim to another toilet located on the fourth floor and continued beating him up.

At one point, one of them hit the back of the victim’s neck with a foldable floor signboard stand.

The victim fainted and convulsed as a result of being choked.

At about 2pm, after school ended, the accused and the involved persons told the victim to follow them.

They led him to a multi-storey car park.

They then took turns to beat up the victim.

The accused asked the victim to kneel and apologise, and kicked him in the abdomen as he apologised.

At one point, the victim was asked to drink one of the involved persons’ urine, which he did before vomiting.

One of the involved persons recorded the assault and posted the video on his Instagram account, allowing only a group of close friends to view the video.

The Head of Department of Student Management of the school came across the video, which led to the discovery of the offences.

Injuries

The victim went to the hospital the following day, on May 24, 2024, and was discharged on May 25, 2024.

He sustained abrasions and bruising on his body, facial swelling, dental injuries and mild acute kidney injury likely due to dehydration.

A police report was lodged on May 24, 2024.

Other assault

In a separate case, a 14-year-old boy at the time of the offence, who was another victim, showed a photograph of their female friend to the accused and another person involved in the previous assault.

The accused knew that their female friend was unhappy with the victim.

Either the accused or one of the persons involved in the previous assault asked another person involved to contact the victim to meet at a void deck.

On Aug. 26, 2024, at about 3pm, the accused met up with persons involved from the previous assault and other friends, including the female friend.

When the victim arrived and saw the group, he attempted to flee, but the accused chased after him and forced him to return.

They brought him to another location and beat him up.

The accused forced the victim to kneel and apologise to the female friend before he could leave.

Before he left, one of them threatened the victim not to tell the police or his parents about the assault.

The victim went to the hospital the following day on Aug. 27, 2024, and was discharged with five days of medical leave.

He sustained tenderness to his chest, back, thigh and arms with bruising on his right knee.

The accused was arrested on Nov. 19, 2025.

Blatant disregard

The prosecution sought a reformative training report to be called for the accused.

They argued that the accused “demonstrated blatant disregard for the law”.

They stated that he committed a “further violence-related offence shortly after the rioting offence” while he was still under police investigation and breached a 12-month conditional warning issued for the attempted extortion offence.

Reformative training

Reformative training is a rehabilitative sentencing option.

According to Singapore Prison Services, young offenders may undergo psychology-based correctional programmes, family and education programmes, employability skills training and personal development programmes, based on their rehabilitation needs.

They are also subjected to a strict regime that can include counselling sessions and foot drills.

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong wrapped up his visit to Uzbekistan on Aug. 31, addressing the Uzbek parliament, the Oliy Majlis.

SM Lee has been in Uzbekistan since Aug. 27, after spending four days in Kazakhstan beforehand.

He was visiting at the invitation of Uzbek president Shavkat Mirziyoyev, back when the two men met in January 2023 while Mirziyoyev was visiting Singapore.

SM Lee spoke about his delight in visiting Uzbekistan, having read about its great cities as a child; he was saying how he had immediately accepted the 2023 invitation and how, after all these years, he had finally made it there.

Similarities beyond differences

Singapore and Uzbekistan differed greatly on the surface, being vastly different in size and in geography, but had significant similarities, both sitting along critical trade routes between China, and the Middle East and Europe.

In Uzbekistan's case, it was the Silk Road which allowed cities like Samarkand, Bukhara and Tashkent to prosper as they opened themselves up to travellers on the trade routes.

Singapore similarly prospered, being situated along the maritime silk route, with its modern incarnation having grown as a free trade port.

SM Lee reflected on the meeting that he had had with the Uzbek president when the latter visited in 2023, after which he realised that Singapore and Uzbekistan, at a fundamental level, face many similar challenges.

Both were tackling these challenges through similar strategies, and therefore had much to gain from exchanging views and learning from each other's experiences.

Multilateral cooperation

SM Lee noted Uzbekistan, in the past decade, had undertaken important reforms and opened itself to the world.

Uzbekistan and Singapore had both benefited greatly from the rules-based international order and from the multilateral trading system, as did many countries in the world.

But now it faced the erosion of that multilateralism, with rivalries and tensions between major powers growing, and many countries emphasising resilience and security over economic interdependence in response.

SM Lee cautioned against responding to such an environment of greater uncertainty and fewer opportunities by closing up.

Smaller countries like Singapore and Uzbekistan, he said, will always have to do business with the world, and closing ourselves off and turning inwards is simply impossible.

We must remain open and outward-looking and seek like-minded partners who will work with us to support and uphold multilateral rules.

In 2023, Singapore co-sponsored a resolution tabled at the United Nations by Uzbekistan on behalf of the Central Asian States called "Central Asia in the face of environmental challenges: strengthening regional solidarity for the sake of sustainable development and prosperity."

On the face of it, SM Lee said that this was a remote concern for a country like Singapore, but that when dealing with global challenges that affect us all, all countries are neighbours to one another.

He also welcomed Uzbekistan's chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement, saying that while the global environment was very different from when NAM was first founded, its basic objectives of enabling countries to preserve their independence and constructive relations with all remained relevant.

Connectivity between regions

SM Lee said that both countries could work together to link up Central Asia to Southeast Asia and grow cooperation between the two regions.

Singapore had long been seen as a gateway to Southeast Asia, and Uzbekistan was increasingly becoming a gateway to Central Asia, and it made sense to strengthen links between the two regions.

He welcomed Uzbekistan's early accession to ASEAN's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, due to take place later this year in Manila, and hoped that other Central Asian states would do more with ASEAN as well.

Singapore will take up the chair of ASEAN in 2027, and it hoped to identify more opportunities for ASEAN to engage with partners beyond its traditional networks.

Bilateral Connections

SM Lee was also keen to highlight what more could be done with each other bilaterally.

On Aug. 28, SM Lee witnessed the signing of a joint statement formalising Singapore and Uzbekistan's intention to launch negotiations on a free trade agreement, as well as a memorandum of understanding to build an agribusiness facility in Tashkent.

He said that partnerships need not be confined to traditional sectors, suggesting shared challenges such as water management or areas where Singapore had developed expertise, such as fintech and financial technology.

He also spoke about cooperation in building institutions and developing people, saying that Singapore was happy to share its own experiences where it was relevant, and that several hundred Uzbek officials had come to Singapore for exposure and immersion.

These officials had received training in public administration, civil aviation, and urban development, and the two countries were exploring launching a dedicated programme for senior Uzbek government officials on leadership and governance.

New possibilities

SM Lee said that smaller countries had to continue to strengthen partnerships and cooperation globally, regionally, and bilaterally.

“This will help us to navigate the uncertainties and hazards safely, spot and exploit opportunities which will arise, and deliver better lives and brighter futures for our people.”

2027 would mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Uzbekistan, and SM Lee said that both countries should celebrate what they had achieved together and “work to create new possibilities for our partnership.”

Golden Village in Singapore will screen the award-winning 1990 film “Days of Being Wild” from Sep. 11 to 13, 2026 in commemoration of the late Hong Kong actor Leslie Cheung’s 70th birthday.

Cheung, whose birthday falls on Sep. 12, passed away on Apr. 1, 2003, at the age of 46.

“Days of Being Wild” will be screened at Golden Village VivoCity, Suntec City, Cineleisure, and Century Square.

The film will be shown in a newly restored 4K version and presented in Cantonese, its original audio.

English and Chinese subtitles will be available.

Tickets are priced at S$22 and will go on sale from 3pm on Sep. 2 via Golden Village’s sales channels.

Audiences who purchase tickets during the three-day screening period will be eligible to redeem a limited-edition A3 movie poster at selected locations, while stocks last.

By famed director Wong Kar Wai

Released theatrically in Hong Kong on Dec. 15, 1990, “Days of Being Wild” is acclaimed filmmaker Wong Kar Wai's second directorial feature film.

The film’s synopsis read:

“Hong Kong, 1960. A sweltering hot summer. York (Leslie Cheung), an amoral disillusioned and cruel young man is kept in luxury by his foster mother, a retired courtesan, who gives him everything but the one thing he needs to know - the identity of his natural mother. A self-obsessed man, desperately seeking his true identity, York plays carelessly with his lovers, a lonely submissive bargirl (Maggie Cheung) and a beautiful club dancer (Carina Lau) and his friends, before leaving them all for the Philippines in search of the truth that has been denied, and may ultimately destroy him.”

The film also stars iconic Hong Kong stars including Maggie Cheung, Carina Lau, Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung, Tony Leung, and Leslie Leung.

“Days of Being Wild” also marked Wong’s first collaboration with cinematographer Christopher Doyle.

Wong is known for iconic films, such as "Chungking Express", "Fallen Angels", and "In the Mood for Love".

The Singapore government will be sending humanitarian supplies and personnel to support Nepal's ongoing relief efforts.

This follows severe flash floods along the Nepal-China border on Aug. 26.

In a press release on Aug. 31, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) is deploying a team to Nepal, including officers specialising in disaster victim identification.

The deployment aligns with Nepal’s request.

The Singapore government will also deliver humanitarian assistance, including civilian and Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) supplies.

This is on top of the Singapore government’s contribution of US$100,000 (S$127,171) to the Singapore Red Cross’ (SRC) public fundraising in support of the relief efforts on Aug. 28.

To date, the SRC has raised about S$1 million.

MFA added that its crisis response team has been deployed to Nepal since Aug. 27 to render consular assistance to affected Singaporeans there.

MFA also said the Singapore government will continue to work closely with the Nepal government to provide humanitarian assistance.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan spoke with Nepal Minister for Foreign Affairs Shisir Khanal on Aug. 31 to convey Singapore’s condolences to Nepal.

Vivian also commended the Nepal government’s disaster relief efforts and expressed appreciation for its assistance in the search for missing Singaporeans.

According to the United Nations, the death toll from the flash floods in Nepal has reached 903 as of Aug. 31.

More than 4,200 people remain missing.

At least nine Singaporeans remain missing.

More than 10,000 people have been rescued, including 252 foreign nationals.

A 41-year-old GetGo driver who was arrested following the fatal Geylang pasar malam crash in 2025 will be charged in court on Sep. 2, 2026, for driving under the influence of etomidate and dangerous driving causing death.

A 66-year-old pasar malam stall attendant had died after the car crashed into her stall while she was manning it.

Accident

According to a Sep. 1 police news release, the police were alerted at about 11:45pm on Jul. 11, 2025, to an accident involving a car and a woman along Pipit Road, near Block 52A Circuit Road.

Investigations revealed that the car driver had lost control of the car.

The car surged forward, crashing through a car park barrier before crossing the two-lane Pipit Road, the release stated.

It then mounted the kerb before colliding into a temporary night market stall along the roadside.

Following this, the stall attendant was pronounced dead at the scene by an SCDF paramedic.

Fled scene, identified

However, the driver, then 40, did not render assistance to the woman.

Instead, he allegedly abandoned the vehicle before fleeing the scene with another male passenger, the release stated.

Officers from the Traffic Police (TP) established the identity of the car driver through extensive ground inquiries and with the aid of images from CCTVs.

They arrested him on Jul. 12, 2025, within 15 hours of the accident.

Preliminary investigations further revealed that the man did not possess a valid driving licence and had used a vaporiser containing etomidate before driving.

The vehicle was rented using the account of the male passenger, who possessed a valid driving licence.

No further action will be taken against the passenger as he has passed away from an unrelated road traffic accident.

Offences

The release noted that the man will be charged in court for the following offences.

Driving under the influence of drugs

If convicted of driving under the influence of drugs under Section 67(1)(a) of the Road Traffic Act 1961, he could be given a fine ranging from S$2,000 to S$10,000, or jailed up to 12 months, or both.

In the case of a second or subsequent conviction, the offence carries a fine ranging from S$5,000 to S$20,000, and a jail term of up to two years.

Offenders may also face disqualification from driving all classes of vehicles.

Dangerous driving

If convicted of dangerous driving under Section 64(1)(b) of the Road Traffic Act 1961, he could be given a fine ranging from S$2,000 to S$10,000 or a jail term not exceeding 12 months or to both, in addition a fine not exceeding S$5,000 or a jail term not exceeding 12 months, or both.

Offenders may also face disqualification from driving all classes of vehicles.

Dangerous driving causing death

He will be charged with dangerous driving causing death under Section 64(1)(b) of the Road Traffic Act 1961, which carries a jail term of not less than one year and not more than two years, in addition to a jail term of up to eight years.

Offenders may also face disqualification from driving all classes of vehicles.

Driving without valid driving licence

The man will also be charged with driving without a valid driving licence under Section 35(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1961, which carries a fine of up to S$10,000, a jail term of up to three years, or both.

Repeat offenders are liable to a fine of up to S$20,000, a jail term of up to six years or both. The vehicle may also be forfeited.

Using vehicle without insurance coverage

The man will also be charged with the offence of using vehicle without insurance coverage under Section 3(1) of the Motor Vehicles (Third-Party Risks & Compensation) Act 1960, which carries a fine of up to S$1,000, or a jail term of up to three months, or both, and disqualification from driving all classes of vehicles.

Failing to stop and provide particulars after an accident

If convicted of failing to stop and provide particulars after an accident under Section 84(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1961, he could be fined up to S$1,000, or jailed up to three months, or both.

Repeat offenders are liable for a fine of up to S$2,000, or a jail term of up to six months, or both.

Failing to render assistance after fatal accident

If convicted of failing to render assistance under Section 84(3) of the Road Traffic Act 1961, the man could be fined up to S$3,000, or jailed up to 12 months, or both.

Repeat offenders are liable for a fine of up to S$5,000, or a jail term of up to two years, or both.

Offenders may be disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles for at least 12 months.

A 43-year-old Singaporean man, who repeatedly raped his stepdaughter from when she was 16, was sentenced to 22 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane on Sep. 1.

According to a report by CNA, the man, who cannot be named due to a gag order protecting the victim's identity, pleaded guilty to four charges of rape.

Nine other similar charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

He raped the teenager in the back of his delivery van and at their one-room flat, while his wife and six other children were asleep.

When the abuse came to light, the victim’s mother and siblings did not believe her, and she was subsequently placed in a welfare home.

Raped the victim in delivery van

Court documents seen by Mothership stated that the man lived in a one-room flat with his 42-year-old wife and their children.

His wife had seven children – four from her first marriage, including the victim, who is her eldest child, and three with the offender.

The couple married in 2015, when the victim was nine years old.

The family slept together in the same room. The victim’s mother and two of her siblings slept on a bed, while the victim and three other siblings slept on separate mattresses on the floor.

The offender slept on another mattress in a corner of the room.

He had also installed two CCTV cameras in the flat, which he allegedly used to monitor the children.

He had sole access to the footage through his mobile phone.

In June 2023, when the victim was 16, the man began sending her lewd text messages.

He would also confiscate her phone when she refused to engage in sexual acts with him.

That same month, the victim accompanied the man, who worked as a delivery driver, on his rounds.

While they were at a car park in Tampines, she was sorting parcels at the back of his van when he locked the doors and switched off the lights.

He then climbed to the back of the van and raped her, despite her pleas for him to stop.

He returned her phone to her afterwards.

Between July and December 2023, he raped her at least five more times in the van.

Told the victim to eat pineapples after she missed her period

The man also raped the teenager at their flat while the rest of the family was asleep.

The victim would comply as he threatened to confiscate her phone.

One time, she cried silently and covered her face with a soft toy during the assault.

The man raped his stepdaughter at least 12 times between June 2023 and February 2024, occurring at least once or twice a month.

On one occasion, when the teenager missed her period, he told her to eat pineapples to prevent a pregnancy or induce a miscarriage.

He regularly demanded sexual acts through text messages.

He had configured some of the messages to be automatically deleted after they were read, or would remotely delete them through cloud access to the victim’s phone.

However, the victim managed to take a screenshot in February 2024.

She felt helpless throughout the nine-month ordeal and was unable to physically stop her stepfather as he was stronger than her.

She also did not confide in her mother as she feared that her mother would not believe her.

Stepfather laughed it off when confronted

After the last rape on Feb. 13, 2024, the victim decided that she could no longer endure the abuse.

She confided in her boyfriend, who advised her to tell her mother.

The teenager then showed her mother the screenshot of the messages from her stepfather.

When confronted by his wife, the man laughed and denied the allegations.

Instead, he suggested that it was the victim who was the one who had sent him lewd messages.

The victim subsequently told her school teacher, who referred her to a school counsellor.

The counsellor reported the matter and a police report was lodged.

Police later seized the man’s phones, which contained recordings and screenshots from the CCTV cameras he had installed in the flat showing him sexually abusing the victim.

The man was placed in a drug rehabilitation centre from March 2024 to September 2025 for drug consumption.

He was then transferred to Changi Prison and has since been remanded for the rape offences.

Victim pressured to drop the case and placed in welfare home

The prosecution sought 21 to 23 years' jail for the man and 24 strokes of the cane, describing the man's sustained abuse as having fractured the family unit.

Instead of receiving the support she needed, the victim was pressured by her mother to drop the case and was removed from the family's home and placed in a welfare home, it said.

The prosecution added that the victim’s hurt and isolation were compounded when her mother asked her to withdraw the case.

It also said the offender had exploited his position as her stepfather and damaged the family unit.

The prosecution noted that the victim had been robbed of her sense of safety and bodily autonomy, as well as the security of her home.

The man had also sent the teenager messages that desensitised her to the nature of his acts, and isolated her by getting her to accompany him on his delivery rounds.

He also manipulated her by repeatedly threatening to confiscate her phone, knowing that the threat would work against her.

According to CNA, the defence argued that the man had shown no lack of remorse and had consistently maintained that he wanted to plead guilty.

His lawyer also added that the offender wished to finish serving his sentence and reunite with his children.

In sentencing, the judge noted the offender’s abuse of his position and breach of trust as the victim’s stepfather.

The victim had also hesitated to report the offences because she was concerned about her younger siblings and how doing so would affect her relationship with her stepfather, the judge added.

For each count of rape, the man could have been jailed for up to 20 years and fined or caned.