A Singaporean couple pleaded guilty on Oct. 12, 2026 to causing the death of their eight-month-old baby.

Chloe Gan Ci Xuan, 23, and Neo Jia Ming, 27, admitted to smothering or shaking their son, Trevor Neo, to stop him from crying for almost the entirety of his life.

This eventually led to baby Trevor's death on Sep. 2, 2024, after Gan suffocated him again using her hands and flipped him in his cot.

Neo did not do anything to stop this ill-treatment.

The couple pleaded guilty on Oct. 12 to various charges linked to the death of their son.

At one point during the court hearing, Gan appeared to be crying as she covered her face. Meanwhile, Neo remained expressionless.

Gan is represented by lawyers Josephus Tan and Cory Wong from Invictus Law, while Neo is represented by Johannes Hadi and Seraphine Loh Tian Hui from Eugene Thuraisingam Asia LLC.

The case was presided over by High Court Justice Hoo Sheau Peng, who also presided over the case of four-year-old Megan Khung, who died at the hands of her mother and boyfriend.

What couple did

The court heard that Gan moved out of her parents' house to stay with Neo after learning she was pregnant with Trevor in April 2023.

The couple had married in August 2023 and Gan gave birth to Trevor on Dec. 9, 2023.

She then moved back in with her parents, where she learnt how to take care of the baby with the help of a confinement nanny.

After the confinement period ended in January 2024, Gan and Trevor moved back in with Neo, who shared a flat with his uncles.

A nanny was hired to care for Trevor during the day on weekdays while other relatives helped look after him on weekends.

Shook baby to stop him from crying

Soon after, Gan realised she could make Trevor stop crying or lose consciousness by shaking him vigorously after seeing Neo do so.

The couple took to shaking him frequently to stop him from crying.

At one point, Trevor had to be hospitalised for a week after he lost consciousness from the shaking.

The abuse did not stop at the shaking.

Gan was frustrated about Trevor's crying and would also assault him by hitting his hand, chest, thigh and buttocks, leaving bruises.

Neo did not intervene each time Gan did so.

In April 2024, Neo would cover the baby's nose and mouth whenever he cried for two weeks straight.

Gan also followed suit.

In May 2024, qhen Trevor became strong enough to pull away the blanket Gan used to smother him, Gan began using her hands to press down on the baby until he fainted.

That same month, Gan's mother noticed bruises on the baby and warned them to stop hitting the baby.

The couple did not listen.

Day of fatal abuse

On Sep. 1, 2024, the couple left the baby in Neo's uncles' care while they went for dinner.

The couple came back around 8pm and left Trevor in his cot while they used their phones in the room.

At one point, Trevor started to cry and Gan went over to his cot frustrated as she could not sleep.

She started to press a blanket over his face for close to a minute until Trevor twitched and slowed down.

However, he started to cry again when she lifted her hands.

Gan then continued pressing the blanket over the baby's face and repeated the action about three to four times until she felt her arm trembling.

As she did so, Neo asked her, "How? You want the baby to die? If anything happens, we will go to jail."

Gan replied: "Wait for the baby to make noise first, then you try again."

Pounded on the baby with hand

A minute later, the baby started to cry again, and Gan went over to the cot.

She then covered his face with both hands and pressed down hard, repeatedly pounding one hand over the other.

The prosecutor said Gan did so until she felt her hands losing strength.

At 11:30pm, Neo finished playing his mobile phone game and went to check on the baby.

He realised that Trevor was not breathing and his hands were cold, and woke Gan up to check on him.

Gan went over to Trevor and found him with purple lips and one eye open.

She started to pat him on the back, and the couple later attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the baby but to no avail.

They called a taxi to go to the hospital as Neo did not want to incur the costs of calling an ambulance.

On the way to the hospital, Neo told Gan to keep quiet and "not say anything".

If the police did not get involved, they could continue living their lives and not worry about money anymore, Neo said.

Trevor was later pronounced dead at about 12:20am on Sep. 2, 2024, at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH).

A nurse lodged a police report saying the baby died under suspicious circumstances.

The couple was arrested that same morning.

Other acts of abuse

The court heard that the couple would also abuse Trevor in other ways, such as by slapping, hitting and squeezing him until he turned purple.

In one incident on Jan. 18, 2024, Gan tried feeding Trevor milk, but he did not respond to her when she tapped his chin.

Text messages read out in court showed that the couple communicated about this incident.

In one message, Neo told her to shake the baby as he did, but not to be "very violent", in case it "damage the brain" and the boy "become autistic".

Gan replied that she shook Trevor's head "[almost] 180 degrees". To this, Neo replied: "Later stupid stupid only ma".

Gan also told Neo that the baby did not drink any milk as she shook him until "he damn shagged [already]".

Neo then told her to use her own method instead of shaking when he cries.

Later on, the couple brought Trevor to KKH where he was hospitalised from Jan. 18, 2024 to Jan. 23, 2024 for observation.

No injuries were found on Trevor following medical examinations. He was only 41 days old at this point.

Hit baby

On another occasion sometime before Feb. 18, 2024, Neo covered Trevor's nose and mouth with his hands for about a minute until the baby began vomiting milk and turning purple.

Neo told Gan that he did not want to take care of Trevor anymore, because he was afraid he would kill the baby.

Later, around Apr. 2, 2024, Trevor began crying while Neo was taking him to the nanny's house.

To stop him, Neo put his hand into the baby's mouth and dug around, which caused bleeding under his tongue.

The nanny later saw the injury and asked what happened. Neo lied that he did not know.

When the nanny noticed the bleeding, she insisted that Trevor be seen by a doctor.

The couple then took their son to KKH on Apr. 2, 2024.

A medical examination conducted on Trevor noted local trauma under his tongue with redness.

After they left the hospital, Neo admitted to Gan that it was in fact him who had dug into Trevor's mouth.

Between May and July 2024, about two to three times a month, Neo would also pinch Trevor’s fingers forcefully 20 to 30 times in front of Gan as he wanted to provoke a reaction from Trevor, which he found funny.

Gan did not stop Neo while witnessing the acts.

Between January and July 2024, on numerous occasions, Neo would hit Trevor's hand, thigh, buttocks, and chest.

In one text on Aug. 2, 2024, Neo told Gan: “Btw don’t hit baby at all until Tuesday, Ltr bring to dr, Dr say we abuse, Cause of the bruises.”

Abused wife

Neo also pleaded guilty to abusing Gan between February and August 2024.

The court heard that he had assaulted her at an arcade when he realised she did not wait for him to play a game.

In another incident, he punched her more than 10 times in the head after an argument about pouring lukewarm water into cereal.

Neo also hit her buttocks, stomach and thighs after finding texts she exchanged with a male friend about her intention to divorce Neo.

He also hit her at a bus stop after a trip overseas.

Neo has a prior offence for causing hurt to a toddler while riding an e-scooter when he was 20 years old and was placed on probation.

Cause of death

The prosecution said in court that a preliminary autopsy report stated Trevor's cause of death as cardiorespiratory failure pending further investigations.

However, the final cause of death was unascertained as no anatomical findings or injuries were pointing to a definitive finding of the cause of death.

An Institute of Mental Health (IMH) report revealed that Gan was found not to be suffering from any postpartum psychiatric disorder around March or April 2024.

However, based on information provided by Gan's mother, Gan was found to have been suffering from an adjustment disorder at the time of the offence, which could have had a minor contributory link to the offence.

She was also facing stress about work and money, in addition to stress from caring for Trevor.

However, the report stated that an adjustment disorder would not have impaired her ability to understand the risk of the actions she took.

As for Neo, he was found not to be suffering from any mental illness and not to be of unsound mind.

Neo's defence

The prosecution asked for 15 to 16 years for Neo, while the defence asked for seven years and seven weeks.

The defence claimed that Neo's culpability is less than Gan's.

The prosecution, however, noted that the harm caused is the same.

Neo stood by as the abuse occurred, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Terence Chua said, adding that Gan had learnt how to shake Trevor from Neo and he did not stop Gan because he himself was involved in abusing the baby.

He was also in the room on the day of the fatal abuse, Chua added.

Judge Hoo also noted during the hearing that Neo had taken the abuse almost "as a joke" and "a laughing matter".

On the abuse of Gan, Chua said Neo had hit Gan excessively on many occasions, but she did not lodge a police report.

Gan's defence

The prosecution sought at least 14 to 15 years’ imprisonment for Gan while her defence asked for 12.5 to 13 years' jail.

Gan's defence lawyer, Wong, started by noting that Gan had looked at Neo on the day of the fatal abuse and said: "How? You want the baby to die?"

At this point, Gan was close to her "final breaking point", Wong said.

He also noted that IMH had diagnosed Gan with adjustment disorder during her postpartum period, even though it was a minor contributory link.

He urged for the same adjustment disorder to apply to her ill-treatment charges.

Given that she was around 21 years old during the window of abuse, Wong said she "did not know better" and also did not know she was suffering from the adjustment disorder.

If she had known, she might have sought help then, Wong said.

Wong also added that Gan was not one to use violence, but it was normalised through the spousal violence she received from Neo.

The facts of the case are "clear" on who occupied a "dominant position" at home, Wong noted.

He also added that Gan has expressed remorse.

The case has been adjourned to Oct. 21, 2026.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen emerged victorious at the Singapore Grand Prix on Oct. 11, 2026

This marks his second Grand Prix victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season, following his previous win at the Bahrain Grand Prix, held at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Oct. 4.

The victory was also Verstappen's first at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Claimed pole position

Verstappen started the 62-lap race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit from pole position, having clocked the fastest lap of 1:31.373 during Saturday's (Oct. 10) Qualifying session.

Pole position is the first starting spot at the front of the grid.

He beat Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by just 0.054 seconds, with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton qualifying third.

This was Verstappen's 50th career pole position and his first at the Singapore Grand Prix.

It was also his second consecutive pole position, having topped the timesheets at Sepang the previous weekend.

With Verstappen's victory, the Singapore Grand Prix has now been won by the driver starting from pole position for four consecutive years.

Won S'pore Sprint race

He also won Singapore's first-ever F1 Sprint race on Saturday, before securing pole position for Sunday's main race later that evening.

Unlike a traditional Grand Prix, an F1 Sprint is a shorter race lasting around 30 minutes, with no mandatory pit stops.

Mercedes' George Russell initially took the lead from Verstappen but crashed on the opening lap, allowing the Red Bull driver to regain first place.

Verstappen finished ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in second and Lewis Hamilton in third.

Championship standings

Following his Singapore Grand Prix victory, Verstappen sits fourth in the 2026 Drivers' Championship standings with 221 points.

Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli still leads the 2026 Drivers' Championship with 340 points, followed by teammate George Russell with 238 points.

The next Formula 1 race will be the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, from Oct. 23 to 25.

Singaporeans, including pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, should remain vigilant, follow the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MFA) travel advisories and register with MFA, said Senior Minister of State of the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) Zaqy Mohamad on Oct. 11.

His comments come after a strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Oct. 10 killed at least 12 people and injured more than 300.

In an Instagram post, Zaqy, who is also Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, said he was "deeply saddened" by the recent attacks.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families," he wrote.

"Every innocent life matters. Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure cannot be justified."

Zaqy said he hoped for an end to the violence and for peace and stability to prevail in the region.

He also noted that Saudi Arabia is home to Makkah and Madinah, the two holiest cities in Islam.

"I understand the concerns of Singaporeans, especially those with loved ones there or planning to perform Umrah. I urge Singaporeans, including our pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, to remain vigilant, follow MFA’s travel advisories and register with MFA," he said.

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Attack on Saturday was the third in the week

Iran-backed Houthis were reportedly behind the attack on Saturday, with a Saudi-led military coalition calling it a "war crime" and vowing to respond to it.

The Saudi civil aviation authority said that some of the injured were in "critical condition", and that damage to the airport was being assessed.

All flights were diverted from Riyadh and operations at the airport were temporarily suspended.

The strike came a day after authorities said three Saudis were killed in two Houthi attacks on two Saudi airports on Oct. 6 and 7.

A Saudi-led coalition was formed in 2015 after Arab countries joined forces to stop the Houthis from taking over Yemen.

A temporary ceasefire was brokered in 2022 but it began to unravel in July this year, after the Houthis seized strategically important stretches of the Red Sea coast.

The Saudi-backed Yemeni government launched an offensive this week to retake the territory.

The Houthis have since declared Saudi airspace a zone of military operations and warned airliners to avoid it.

The 2026 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix drew a crowd of 301,294 fans, marking the second-highest attendance on record since the Marina Bay circuit was added to the F1 race calendar in 2008, organisers announced.

The record attendance was clocked despite the haze which has blanketed the country.

The highest attendance was recorded in 2022, with 302,000 fans turning up to watch the drivers race for first place on the street circuit.

This year's race saw the debut of the sprint format in the Marina Bay circuit, with Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen slated to start at pole position after he finished ahead during the qualifiers.

After taking his first win this season at the Bahrain race, which was held last weekend at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, Verstappen will be looking to glide along the high for a second victory later tonight.

Behind him on the starting grid are Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who are undoubtedly looking to put the brakes on the Dutchman's first-ever Singapore Grand Prix win.

The 2026 Singapore Grand Prix, the 17th edition of the race, flags off at 8pm.

Indonesia's head of Government Communications Agency, Syahganda Nainggolan, said the government understands the concerns of Malaysia and Singapore over the haze caused by the forest and land fires in Indonesia.

In a report by Kompas, Syahganda said the fires are "beyond human error" and a natural phenomenon.

"We hope our neighbours understand that this is beyond human error; this is truly nature," he said to the media on Oct. 10.

The government continues its efforts to explain the haze situation to both Singapore and Malaysia, as well as the measures being taken to address it.

"When there's no haze, we send oxygen"

"We're not just sending over the haze. When there's no haze, we send oxygen. The oxygen from Singapore and Malaysia is from our forests, right?" he added.

Syahganda said that Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had sent a delegate through his foreign minister to discuss the forest fires with Indonesia's foreign minister.

"We are going into detail about the discussions so that we can overcome this situation together. This was just a few days ago, I will look into it."

Indonesia appreciates Singapore & Malaysia's readiness to help

According to The Star, Anwar had also spoken to Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto and expressed his concerns over the haze situation.

Previously, Minister for Sustainability and Environment Grace Fu said that she has been in touch with her Indonesian counterparts to offer her support and that Singaporeans "stand ready to assist".

In an Oct. 10 report by the Straits Times, Indonesian officials expressed their appreciation for Singapore's and Malaysia's readiness to help tackle the haze.

The acting spokesman for Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency, Berton Panjaitan, told ST that in terms of assistance from neighbours, ground personnel is preferred over aircraft.

Visibility is low, Berton explained, suggesting conditions might hinder aircraft operations.

With the national Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) now in full swing, a couple of issues have now cropped up seemingly as a result of high usage volume.

Users complained that the machines are often full and have become foul-smelling.

In response to queries, the scheme operator BCRS Ltd. said that the reverse vending machines are serviced and cleaned at least once daily.

Full bins

One user, Guo (transliteration), 57, told Shin Min Daily News that he has seen residents arrive at the BCRS reverse vending machines at Maxwell Food Centre and Whampoa Food Centre with bags of cans and bottles.

However, the machine would light up in red, leaving them unable to return the recyclables.

Guo said many people would show up with large bags of at least 200 bottles and cans.

"The machine would fill up quickly, frustrating those behind in the queue as they cannot return the recyclables," he continued.

Guo also shared that his friend had, on five occasions, encountered a "red light" at the vending machine in Pasir Panjang Hawker Centre, leaving the friend frustrated.

Guo told Shin Min that members of the public would like to support the recycling effort via the scheme.

However, he was concerned that issues with the reverse vending machines might put people off from participating.

"I think the machines need to be treated the same as trash bins. It should be cleared at least once a day," Guo opined.

When Shin Min visited the reverse vending machine at Maxwell Food Centre on Thursday (Oct. 8) afternoon, the machine was functioning normally.

A note on the machine also told the public they could go to the nearest machines if it was unavailable.

A QR code allowed users to check on the machine's status and capacity.

Stench

Apart from capacity issues, users have also complained online of a foul smell emanating from the reverse vending machines.

One user wrote on Facebook that the smell is similar to that of rubbish chutes.

On top of that, flies were also seen at the machine.

Other commenters shared similar observations about smell at the machines.

Machines are cleaned and serviced at least once daily: scheme operator

Responding to media queries, scheme operator BCRS Ltd. said it has received public feedback about odour from the machines.

Referring to a Sep. 30 factsheet, it said that all reverse vending machines are cleaned and serviced at least once daily.

It also said that it works closely with partners, including supermarkets, to ensure bins in the machines are cleared promptly during peak periods.

"Users can help keep machines operating smoothly by ensuring that containers are empty, and, where possible, rinsed before returning them," BCRS said in the factsheet.

"Users are also encouraged to keep the area around return points clean and not leave unreturned containers, litter or spill waste on the ground, so that the return point remains pleasant and accessible for everyone," it added.

A fire broke out at a coffee shop in Bukit Batok in the wee hours of the morning on Oct. 11.

What happened

In response to Mothership's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to a fire at Block 413 Bukit Batok West Avenue 4 at about 3:50am.

The fire involved the contents of three food stalls at a coffee shop on the ground floor.

SCDF conducted forced entry into the coffee shop and put out the fire using two water jets.

About 30 people from the affected block were evacuated by the police and SCDF as a precaution.

One of them was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

MP Lee Hong Chuang went down to the scene

In a Facebook post, Hong Kah North MP Lee Hong Chuang said he went down to the scene to check on and speak to affected residents.

He said there appeared to be no significant impact on residents living on the second floor, although the floor of one unit was slightly warm.

"I advised the family to exercise extra caution and keep their little one away from the kitchen floor for the time being, as young children's skin can be more sensitive to heat," he said.

Lee added that beyond the physical damage, the lives and livelihoods of those affected must be remembered.

"Behind every stall are hardworking individuals and families who need some time to clear up and start over again.

My thoughts are with the coffee shop owner, all the stallholders, their workers and everyone affected by this unfortunate incident."

He also thanked SCDF, the Housing and Development Board, Jurong East-Bukit Batok Town Council, the police and Hong Kah North grassroots organisations, among others, for their support in this incident.

A group of residents from the Indonesian island of Borneo are taking the Indonesian government to court, accusing it of negligence in the handling of the forest fires that have resulted in thick haze across much of Southeast Asia.

Negligence accusations

According to the Associated Press, the residents are from West Kalimantan, and they call themselves "Nafas Kalbar", which translates to "Breath of West Kalimantan".

They filed their case last month in Pontianak, the capital city of West Kalimantan.

They accuse the government of negligence in handling the forest fires and of allegedly failing to supervise firefighting operations, their lawyer said.

In total, 27 individuals and agencies, including Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto, are being accused.

The first hearing took place on Oct. 8.

None of the accused attended.

According to The Guardian, the group's lawyer said, "We feel sad and regretful about their absence... But on the other hand, we also understand that perhaps this haze condition caused them to be unable to land in Pontianak."

The hearing was adjourned until Oct. 21.

A representative of the plaintiffs commented that the government had ignored warning signs of the fire.

Fires have been raging for more than three months

The forest fires that have blanketed the region in haze have been raging for more than three months, AP wrote.

They have led to school closures for about two months now in West Kalimantan, the lawyer said.

The haze has also disrupted transportation there.

The head of the West Kalimantan Indigenous Peoples Alliance, who goes by Tono, said that the lawsuit is not intended to fault the government, but to urge the state to fulfil its responsibility to protect the people and environment.

The fires are worse this year due, in part, to drier conditions brought on by El Niño.

Water shortages have also made firefighting more challenging, according to AP.

Haze blankets Singapore, Malaysia

As a result of the haze, schools in Johor, Malaysia, have also been ordered to close.

Singapore has similarly announced plans to close schools should the Pollution Standards Index cross into the "Unhealthy" range.

The haze has also triggered protest by environmental activists in Malaysia.

Leaders from both Singapore and Malaysia have expressed a readiness to provide assistance to Indonesia to tackle the ongoing haze issue.

Student Care Centres (SCCs) and Kindergarten Care (KCare) Centres will remain open even if schools close due to the haze, according to a notice sent to parents on Oct. 10 through the Parents Gateway platform.

According to a screenshot of the notice provided by a Mothership reader, it outlined enhanced haze mitigation measures for schools and educational institutions.

The notice was apparently sent to parents of secondary school students.

What happens when the PSI exceeds 200?

When the 24-hour PSI enters the "Very Unhealthy" range of 201 to 300, lessons will continue in well-ventilated enclosed spaces with air purifiers switched on.

Schools will also:

• Avoid outdoor activities and strenuous indoor physical activities;
• Minimise after-school activities; and
• Ensure students eat indoors during recess.

Teachers will also keep an eye out for students who are unwell or have pre-existing lung or heart conditions, and medical attention will be provided if necessary.

Arrangements have also been made for students to take their examinations in enclosed spaces such as classrooms or halls, where air purifiers will be provided.

Those who are unwell and unable to sit for their exams can apply for Special Consideration through their schools.

More information can be found here.

What happens when the PSI exceeds 300?

The Ministry of Education (MOE) would also consider closing MOE Kindergartens, Primary, Secondary and SPED Schools if the next day’s PSI forecast enters the "Hazardous range", which is above 300.

Junior Colleges (JC), Centralised Institute and the JC sections of IP Schools will remain open with enhanced haze mitigation measures.

Any decision to close schools will be announced around 8pm the day before, through schools and MOE's official channels.

SCCs and KCare centres will operate from 7am to 7pm during the closure.

Affected students will switch to home-based learning, while MOE Kindergartens will provide home-based activities for parents and caregivers to do with their children.

Examinations affected by the closure will be rescheduled, and the rescheduling will be announced together with the closure.

"We will monitor the situation and provide updates as needed," the notice read.

"Please check Parents Gateway regularly or contact the school's General Office directly. Thank you for working with MOE to safeguard our students' well-being and continued learning."

Education Minister Desmond Lee said earlier on Saturday that he understood many parents were concerned about the haze, especially those with children who have medical conditions or are sitting for national examinations.

"I assure you that the health and well-being of our students and staff remain our top priority," he said.

As of 3pm on Oct. 11, the 24-hour PSI reading sits in the "Unhealthy" range.

The west and central regions recorded the highest readings, at 153 and 148 respectively.

A police vehicle was involved in an accident along Geylang Bahru Road towards Bendemeer Road on Oct. 10.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police confirmed that the incident took place at around 7:45am that Saturday.

No injuries were reported, and the 31-year-old male officer who was driving the vehicle is currently assisting with investigations.

In photos of the incident shared on the Facebook group SGRV Front Man, the police vehicle appeared to have struck a green divider and mounted a kerb.

Several police officers were shown standing nearby.

A video of the aftermath was also uploaded onto TikTok.