When 28-year-old Singaporean Noor Alimna joined U.S. reality show "90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way" with her 49-year-old American boyfriend, she didn't expect their relationship to "blow up" back home.

Known as Ally on the show, she raised eyebrows by revealing their 21-year age gap and her pregnancy, which she'd kept a secret from her parents.

More jaws dropped when it was revealed that her boyfriend, Jonathan Wheeler Pearce, was a divorced father whose ex-wife still lived in his house.

Despite the mixed reactions so far, Ally told Mothership in an Oct. 19 interview that she "[doesn't] let it get to [her]".

"I feel like I get sooo much hate from Singaporeans because obviously I'm doing something that's taboo," she acknowledged.

The tech analyst also addressed speculations that she was dating Pearce for his money.

"Honestly, if I was a gold digger, I'm really bad at it, because where's the gold?" she quipped.

Start of their love story

Setting the record straight, Ally shared that she was not looking for anything serious when she first met Pearce.

She had just come out of a toxic four-year relationship and was left with a huge amount of debt.

To "have fun", she would often travel to Malaysia, where things were more affordable.

It was there that she met Pearce at a bar in December 2023, while he was in the country on a business trip.

Initially, Ally was not interested in him.

But sparks eventually flew as the pair kept in touch and continued to hang out.

Making long distance work

The couple subsequently got together and maintained a long-distance relationship, travelling between Singapore and the U.S. to see each other.

As someone whose love language is physical touch, Ally found the arrangement difficult.

She often shared her struggles with Pearce, and the couple eventually decided that she would move to the U.S. on a K-1 visa.

The visa allows the foreign-citizen fiancé(e) of a U.S. citizen to enter the country and marry their sponsor within 90 days of arrival.

The application process typically takes about a year.

But their plans took an unexpected turn when Ally discovered she was pregnant in August 2025.

They submitted a request to expedite the visa process, but it was rejected.

Ally, who described herself as having a typically Singaporean "kiasu" mindset, told Pearce that they needed a plan B.

Their solution? Have Pearce move to Singapore instead.

This eventually became the premise of the show, which follows Americans who move abroad to be with their partners.

The couple had initially applied to appear on the original 90 Day Fiancé, which follows couples in which one partner travels to the U.S. on a fiancé visa to live with their future spouse.

Cultural differences

Ally said one of the couple's biggest differences lies in their mentality, rather than their age gap, as many might assume.

These differences became more apparent when Pearce moved to Singapore, as seen in the show.

"I think in Singapore, we are primed from a young age to be able to plan ahead... but he is not at all. He'll just take things as it goes," she said.

Their differing approaches to planning have caused some friction, as seen in one episode when Ally confronted Pearce about not having found a job before moving to Singapore.

But on the whole, she said that Pearce, who owns a U.S. business that designs and manufactures sonar equipment, has been good at adjusting to life in Singapore.

She added that he is a "breath of fresh air", and that their age gap has not gotten in the way of their emotional and mental connection.

"This guy is so kind, so caring. He's so chivalrous, he's such a gentleman... Also very good at sex," she quipped.

Family and faith

Another major hurdle for the couple is Ally's relationship with her parents, whom she described as religious and strict.

As the "black sheep" of the family, Ally said her parents are accustomed to her rebellious nature.

When she introduced Pearce to them, they "loved" him almost immediately. But they told him that he would need to convert to Islam if he wanted to marry their daughter.

"I'm not religious... [but] I really want my parents' blessings when it comes to marriage," she said.

When she spoke to Pearce, he told her that he is open to converting because he is willing to do whatever it takes to marry her.

The episodes aired so far have yet to reveal her parents' reaction to the pregnancy, although viewers can expect to see them in upcoming episodes.

Previously, Ally revealed that her parents did not know about the pregnancy.

"Every time I went to visit them, I would dress in very baggy clothes... I [told] them that I was  gaining weight from stress," she laughed.

More to come

Despite the backlash, Ally hopes viewers will continue following their journey with an open mind.

While some issues — like her pregnancy — may seem taboo to Singaporeans, she maintains that they "made a baby out of love" and that he's already an "amazing father" with his existing kids.

"I feel like our journey is a very unique one, and there is so much love between us," she said.

"I hope people can actually see our situation as something that is more on love, instead of letting external factors determine whether we are a great couple together."

The traffic police in Singapore warned pedestrians against jaywalking for their own safety.

In a Facebook post on Oct. 19, the traffic police urged pedestrians to use designated crossings, including zebra crossings, signalised pedestrian crossings, overhead bridges or underpasses.

The post was accompanied by photos of pedestrians who were approached by traffic police officers.

The photos were taken along Serangoon Road in Little India, as well as Park Street in the central business district (CBD).

No jaywalking regardless of road width

The photo in CBD showed an officer and two pedestrians beside a one-way, single-lane road.

Behind them were two signs informing pedestrians that they were not allowed to jaywalk, despite the road being only one-lane-wide.

The post's caption read: "Enforcement action has been taken against pedestrians who jaywalk, Traffic Police will not hesitate to take firm action against offenders."

"Always follow traffic signals and check that it is safe before crossing," it added.

During an anti-jaywalking operation along Serangoon Road near Boon Keng MRT in July 2026, those caught were offered a composition fine of S$50, The Straits Times reported.

The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has imposed a S$1 million fine on Singtel for mobile service disruptions on Mar. 16, 18, and 19.

The incidents affected about 720,000 of Singtel’s mobile consumer and business subscribers, IMDA said in a Oct. 20 media release.

The scale and impact of the disruptions were thus significant, factors which the IMDA considered when determining how much the penalty would be.

Following investigations, IMDA concluded that the incidents were within Singtel’s control to prevent, and that they were not due to a cyber-attack.

Mar. 16 incident

Thousands of users were affected by the service disruption on Mar. 16 that went on for more than nine hours, beginning before 11am.

Singtel updated at 8:55pm that day that all 4G and 5G mobile services had been fully restored, but some customers would continue to experience issues.

IMDA found that this incident was caused by a chiller system failure at a Singtel Exchange, which led the mobile network equipment at the Exchange to overheat and shut down.

The chiller system failure happened because Singtel's vendor did not follow standard operating procedures to reopen a manual valve controlling water flow after a scheduled maintenance.

Singtel also did not actively monitor its manual valves or water flow to the chiller system, IMDA added.

The authority believes the disruption could have been prevented if Singtel had implemented robust frameworks, procedures, and systems to better monitor the operations of its chiller system at the affected Exchange.

Mar. 18 and 19 incident

Singtel CEO Ng Tian Chong previously said that the disruption on Mar. 18 occurred after the company undertook network reconfigurations to "further stabilise and optimise performance" following the Mar. 16 incident.

During this process, a brief surge in network traffic caused further disruption, but it was resolved within an hour, according to Ng.

IMDA's investigations showed that the disruptions on Mar. 18 and 19 arose after 5G mobile traffic was redirected from the affected Exchange to another Singtel Exchange following the earlier service disruption.

There was an increase in the 5G mobile traffic load, as well as a disabled network packet optimiser and a software bug at the other Exchange.

They resulted in intermittent connectivity for some Singtel subscribers during the evenings on both days.

This disruption could also have been prevented if Singtel had exercised greater diligence to ensure that the second Exchange was able to handle the increased traffic load, IMDA said.

Singtel's efforts

In determining the financial penalty, IMDA also took into account Singtel's response to the disruptions.

The company cooperated fully during the investigations, and worked to progressively restore its mobile services for affected subscribers, IMDA said. This included restoring 4G services first.

The authority also noted the "goodwill rebates" of S$5 to S$10 that Singtel proactively extended to affected subscribers, which added up to about S$8 million in total payout.

Singtel has since taken remediation measures to prevent such disruptions from occurring again.

They include enhancing maintenance procedures and monitoring for the chiller system, rectifying the systems in the other Exchange, and conducting exercises to better test its network failover effectiveness.

Previously in December 2025, IMDA also fined Singtel S$1 million over a service outage in 2024 that lasted more than four hours and affected about 500,000 subscribers.

A woman who regularly tipped her GrabFood delivery driver received a sweet surprise when he turned up with a chocolate drink to thank her.

Speaking to Mothership, the woman said she works on Sentosa island, where she has often struggled to get a delivery rider for her food orders.

She regularly experiences cancellations on her orders after prolonged waits, she explained.

However, one delivery driver, surnamed Chong, had become a familiar name. By her estimate, he had handled about 70 per cent of her Grab orders.

Tipped him for reliable deliveries

The reader told Mothership that Chong consistently delivered her orders on time and followed her delivery instructions.

To show her appreciation, she began giving him trips ranging between S$3 to S$5, a habit that she has maintained for about a year so far.

What she did not expect was for him to return the gesture.

On Oct. 18, Chong delivered her lunch order from Hebat Penyet at VivoCity, along with an extra treat: a chocolate drink from Kenangan Coffee.

A screenshot of their Grab chat showed that he had left the food and drink at the delivery location, then sent her a photo.

In his accompanying message, Chong explained that the drink was his treat because she had previously tipped him generously.

“last time u give a lots tips,” he wrote, adding: “this kenangan coffee is treat u 😁”.

The reader identified the drink as a Signature Double Chocolate Frappe, priced on Kenangan Coffee's menu at S$7.50.

For the reader, the tips had been a way to recognise his reliable service.

"[I] didn't know that it meant something to him,” she told Mothership.

Two teenagers were arrested for housebreaking and theft on Oct. 19.

The police said in a news release that they were notified around 7:15am that day about a case of housebreaking and theft at a minimart located along Jalan Bukit Merah.

About S$2,100 in cash and 290 packets of cigarettes valued at about S$3,000 were reported stolen.

Through ground enquiries and images from police cameras and CCTVs, officers identified the two teens and arrested them within 10 hours of the report.

S$462 in cash and 203 packets of cigarettes were seized.

The two will be charged in court on Oct. 21 with the offence of housebreaking and theft with common intention under Section 451 read with Section 34 of the Penal Code 1871.

If found guilty, they could receive a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.

The police also advised property owners to take precautions and adopt crime prevention measures, such as:

1. Securing all doors, roller shutters, windows and other openings with good-quality grills and closed-shackle padlocks when leaving premises unattended.
2. Refraining from keeping large sums of cash and valuables in the premises.
3. Installing a burglar alarm, motion sensor light, and/or a CCTV to cover the access points to the premises, and ensuring that the devices are kept in good working condition.

Two Singaporean women were charged in court on Oct. 19 for abusing their domestic helpers in separate cases.

Saloni Neeraj Samnani, 50, faces six charges involving two maids, while D G Carole Ann, 49, faces one charge involving one maid.

Saloni Neeraj Samnani

According to charge sheets, Samnani allegedly physically abused one helper on Jun. 24, 2023.

This included hitting her arm, kicking her legs, using a metal ladle to hit her shoulder blade and head, and using a broomstick to hit her legs.

As a result, the victim sustained a cut on her lips and bruises on her arms and legs.

In a separate incident that same month, Samnani is also accused of threatening to put chilli in the victim’s eyes and turn off the water pipes so that she would not be able to wash her eyes.

Samnani also allegedly called her an "anjing", which translates to dog in Malay, and threatened to force her to eat pork and tell her family.

According to charge sheets, she also said, " I swear I make you eat pork one day … you are not Muslim … In the food I put pork. You see … I will tell your family you eat babi (pig) also."

Another domestic helper allegedly suffered abuse

Another domestic helper also allegedly suffered abuse under Samnani between September and December 2023.

Sometime during these months, Samnani allegedly used vulgarities against the second victim, like "b*stard" and "ugly, rotten, full of sh*t inside".

She also threatened to turn her phone off, preventing her from contacting her family.

Samnani said that, "You will see what happens to your family. And you will not know because your handphone will be off. You will not know anything. That’s my promise."

On Dec. 14, 2023, Samnani allegedly used a metal spoon to hit the second victim's forehead, causing a 2cm by 2cm contusion.

She also allegedly poured water on her head in a separate incident.

Samnani faces four counts of violating the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) and two counts of voluntarily causing hurt.

D G Carole Ann

Carole Ann, meanwhile, is accused of physically abusing one domestic helper on Apr. 8, 2025.

She allegedly punched the victim once on the cheek, causing her to suffer from cheek pain and a headache.

Both cases were adjourned and will be heard again on Nov. 10.

For voluntarily causing hurt, an offender can be jailed up to three years, or fined up to S$5,000, or both.

Under section 73(1) of the Penal Code 1871, the court may double the maximum penalty for an employer convicted of an offence against a domestic helper for voluntarily causing hurt.

Under POHA, for intentionally causing harassment, alarm, distress or humiliation, an offender can be fined up to S$5,000 or jailed up to six months or both.

An ex-army captain who met his former Republic of Singapore Navy chef ex-boyfriend and sexually abused a then 15-year-old victim in a Punggol carpark was jailed for 17 months on Oct. 20.

The Straits Times reported that 41-year-old Chaw Chia Jun pleaded guilty to one count of producing child abuse material and two counts of sexual penetration involving a minor under 16 years old.

An earlier report mentioned that Chaw's co-accused and ex-boyfriend, 26-year-old Owen Toh Wei Song, was sentenced to 12 months' jail on Sep. 22 after pleading guilty to a charge of sexual penetration of a minor.

Two other charges — one under the same provision and another for filming the act — were taken into consideration for sentencing.

Charge sheets and court documents seen by Mothership stated that both men are Singaporeans, with a gag order on the boy's identity to protect him.

MINDEF response

In response to Mothership's queries, a MINDEF spokesperson had previously said the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) "holds its service personnel to high standards of discipline and integrity".

"Service personnel who commit offences will be dealt with in accordance with the law."

MINDEF added that Toh was suspended from all duties following his arrest in 2024, was subsequently released from regular service, and is no longer with the SAF.

Mothership understands that Chaw is also no longer in the employ of the SAF.

Met on online forum

Around April 2024, the secondary four student searched for ways to make friends online.

He was directed to a website that described itself as an online forum intended for mature Singaporean gay men.

According to court documents, the victim browsed through profiles on the forum and selected Toh's.

The profile contained a link to Toh's Telegram profile, and the victim initiated contact.

Asked for personal particulars in early conversations

In their early conversations on Telegram, Toh asked the victim for his personal particulars, including his age.

Toh found out that the victim was a secondary school student about to sit for his N-Level examinations later that year.

According to court documents, the accused did not ask the victim to produce identification, nor did he take steps to independently verify his age.

Their conversations then switched to sexual topics.

The victim told the accused that he was interested in bondage and blindfolding and was keen to explore it. Toh said he was not experienced in that area but knew his ex-boyfriend, Chaw, was.

The two men had been in a relationship for about one year between 2021 and 2022, but remained in contact after their breakup.

Toh asked the victim if he was comfortable meeting Chaw, and the victim agreed. Subsequently, Toh messaged Chaw and told him about the boy's interests.

He also told the boy that Chaw was 32 years old.

Caressed victim's thighs

Toh then arranged a meeting date between all three.

Sometime before Jun. 5, 2024, Chaw drove to Yio Chu Kang MRT station, where he picked up Toh and the victim. While Chaw was driving, he caressed the victim's thighs.

Chaw parked at the uppermost deck of a multi-storey carpark in Punggol where there were no other vehicles and no one else in the vicinity. They alighted from the car, and Chaw told the victim to strip fully naked.

Court documents stated that the victim did so in the open, appearing nervous and shivering slightly.

Toh performed a sex act on the victim while Chaw filmed the act on his phone. When Chaw asked the victim to do the same to him, the victim declined.

More sex acts ensued, including between Chaw and the victim, before they returned to Chaw's car.

A few days later, Toh asked Chaw for a copy of the recording; Chaw sent the recording over, and Toh saved it to his desktop computer.

Report filed

On Oct. 23, 2024, at around 12:13am, the victim lodged a police report at his neighbourhood police centre.

This happened after his mother and sisters grew concerned over his behaviour and the gifts he'd received from an adult man.

They confronted him, and the victim admitted what had happened.

Investigations led to the arrests of Toh and Chaw.

Chaw was arrested on Oct. 23, 2024, and Toh was arrested on Oct. 25, 2024, before being released on bail the same day and charged in court on May 25, 2026.

Prosecution's address

In seeking a global sentence of 17 to 21.5 months' jail, the prosecution highlighted the following aggravating factors.

Firstly, the prosecution argued that the victim was situationally vulnerable and the accused offended in concert with an adult co-offender.

Secondly, the offence involved gratuitous degradation as court documents stated that Chaw had told the victim to strip fully naked and he did so in the open, appearing nervous and shivering slightly.

Thirdly, the offence was filmed as it was committed.

Noting that the accused had been sentenced to jail for three distinct offences, the jail terms for at least two of the offences must run consecutively, the prosecution said.

As such, it submitted that the sentences for the first and fourth charges should run consecutively.

The prosecution also submitted the following about the global imprisonment term.

Firstly, it is proportionate to the accused's overall criminality and in keeping with his past record and future prospect.

Secondly, it should be backdated to Oct. 23, 2024, which was the accused's date of arrest, but exclude the period where the accused was released on bail.

Singaporean actress Sharon Au has shared her thoughts on the recent unrest in France, stressing the importance of distinguishing peaceful protesters from those who resort to violence.

In a Facebook post on Oct. 19, Au, who has been living in Paris for nine years, said she had received numerous messages from family and friends concerned about her safety.

"I am safe, and fortunately away from the areas affected by the unrest," she assured them.

Her comments came after widespread demonstrations across France escalated into violent clashes, looting and property damage by fringe groups.

According to Reuters, approximately 550,000 people joined demonstrations across the country, protesting against rising living costs and declining public services.

While many marched peacefully, violence broke out in several cities, including Paris, Lyon and Marseille.

"Understanding anger does not oblige us to justify violence"

Au said she had spent the past three days resisting the urge to comment on the unrest, acknowledging that she did not fully understand the grievances behind the demonstrations.

She pointed out that she had neither grown up in France nor experienced its public education system, and therefore could not claim to understand the frustrations of French students, teachers and families.

"Nine years of living in Paris have taught me many things. But nine years do not entitle me to pass judgment on an entire nation," she wrote.

Au acknowledged France's longstanding tradition of dissent and said she respected the right of its people to protest, strike and challenge authority.

However, she questioned how the destruction of businesses and public property could contribute to building a better society.

"I respect that (the right to dissent), even when I do not always agree with the methods. But I struggle to reconcile the pursuit of a better society with the destruction of the very society one seeks to improve."

She added that the consequences of such destruction ultimately fall on ordinary people, including those already struggling financially.

Au also stressed the importance of distinguishing peaceful protesters with legitimate grievances from those who take advantage of public anger to engage in violence.

"Understanding anger does not oblige us to justify violence," she wrote.

"Paris is still home"

Reflecting on her experience as a Singaporean living abroad, Au said Singapore and France have very different approaches to public order, collective action and civic responsibilities.

Living in France had challenged many of her assumptions, something she said she was grateful for.

Au acknowledged that democracy could be "uncomfortable, messy, imperfect, and deeply frustrating", but stressed that freedom should also come with responsibility towards others.

Despite the unrest, Au reaffirmed her attachment to the French capital.

"Paris is still home. Even on days when I struggle to recognise her."

Protests in France

The unrest follows weeks of student-led demonstrations across France over deteriorating school conditions and concerns about the country's education system.

Students aged between 15 and 18 have been protesting issues from late September, such as teacher shortages, ageing school buildings and an opaque university admissions process.

However, the movement has since expanded into broader protests about rising costs of living and declining public services, marking the country's worst civil unrest in years.

A 64-year-old Singaporean tourist, who was exposed to tear gas during a protest in Lyon, later recovered and continued his holiday.

Ricky Low, 49, carried the world on his shoulders, providing for his ailing mother, his wife who lived with a genetic condition, and a son with autism.

His software engineer job afforded him a good pay, but the hours were long even after flexible work arrangements.

This left him with little time to care for those who relied on him.

Low eventually left his 14-year career as a software engineer and made the switch to become a taxi driver.

He now makes three times less than before, but has the flexibility to spend time on what matters — his family.

Low told his story in an National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) article.

Making time for his family

Low's wife lived with mitochondrial disease, a genetic condition where the body's cells are unable to produce sufficient energy.

At the same time, he had to care for his ailing 83-year-old mother and 10-year-old son with autism.

He tried flexible work arrangements at his old job, but some workdays still stretched till 3am to 4am.

"I was tired and I somehow also felt I needed to be around them more," Low said.

In May 2024, Low made the switch.

Changing circumstances

He left his 14 years as a software engineer behind and became a taxi driver.

While Low had intended for the taxi job to be temporary while he explored jobs in another industry, he had to reconsider due to his mother's care needs.

On his last day at the software engineer job, Low's mother suffered a blood clot which cut off circulation to one of her legs.

This warranted an amputation.

Apart from his mother, Low's wife also needed more care.

Hand tremors and mobility difficulties made everyday activities, like holding a spoon and fork, difficult.

Flexibility with time

Given these needs, driving a taxi gave Low flexibility in more ways than one.

With the job, Low had a car which he could use to take his mother to her medical checkups, as he continued to make an income.

"It made more sense for me to drive a taxi," he said.

"I have the car to bring them around. I have the flexibility. I can come back at a moment's notice," he also explained.

The career switch was not without trade-offs.

Low estimated that he made three times more as a software engineer.

Low's priorities did not change, however.

"It was quite an adjustment having such a huge pay cut," Low said.

"But I could be there for my family physically. It's just about finding the right balance between work and family, but family comes first," he added.

Low's mother passed in July 2024.

His wife passed this year, aged 47.

The right balance

While some of his family circumstances have changed, his need to provide for his 10-year-old son remains.

Today, Low plans his schedule around picking up his son from school, lunch, and rest time.

"Monday to Friday, I pick him up from school. Then we go home and have lunch together," the 49-year-old shared.

On the weekends, Low sets aside time to spend with his son, such as going grocery shopping together or swimming.

As a ComfortDelGro driver-employee, Low gets a basic pay, CPF contributions, and benefits like medical and annual leave.

ComfortDelGro's driver-employee scheme is part of NTUC Women and Family's C U Back at Work programme, which helps individuals with caregiving responsibilities transition back into the workforce.

Low drives full-time from Monday to Thursday, and rents the car at a subsidised rate for the remainder of the week.

All told, the career switch and flexibility of his current job allow Low time to spend with his family while providing for them.

"With the right support, I don't have to choose between providing for my family and being present for them," Low said.

A car crashed into a landed home and knocked down a portion of its outer perimeter wall in Katong on Oct. 18.

The home was also the premises of Liu Fu Si Fang Cai, a home-based dining business.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police said that they were alerted to the incident at 11:25am that day.

They stated that the car was believed to have self-skidded along Tembeling Road and crashed into the wall, though no injuries were reported.

The 37-year-old driver is assisting with ongoing investigations.

Business not affected

Speaking to Mothership, homeowner and chef Henry Lau said that no one was at home when the incident occurred.

Lau received a call from his neighbour at 11:28am that day informing him of the accident, and subsequently contacted his younger brother to help him settle the matter as he was overseas.

In a video shared by Lau, a car can be seen ramming through the wall at a high speed, hitting some trees in the process.

The video was sent to him by his neighbour.

He was also contacted by the car's insurer. Lau stated that part of the wall, the landscaping, and a swing was damaged.

More pressing, however, was his discovery that the electrical meter had been destroyed by the crash, leading him to worry that his freezer and chiller would be affected.

As such, he initially put a customer's booking for Oct. 20 on hold, fearing the worst.

Thankfully, checks revealed that most of his electrical equipment was functioning, and he will be able to proceed with business as usual.

Lau added that does not expect further disruption to his business unless further issues are discovered.

According to Lau, Liu Fu Si Fang Cai has been in business since 2018.

They operate on a monthly-reservation balloting system, serving Chinese zichar-style dishes.