A 23-year-old influencer allegedly involved in prostitution and drugs was arrested after her mother-in-law reported her to the police.

The mother-in-law had been worried for her three grandchildren as their mother would allegedly consume drugs in front of them.

She held a press conference on Oct. 18 to expose her, hoping that her grandchildren’s future would not be affected by their parents’ behaviour.

Pregnant

The influencer became pregnant with her first child in 2020, when she was 17. She married her husband and had two more children.

She has three sons aged six, five, and two, according to Sin Chew.

Her mother-in-law, Huang Ling Wei, alleged that sometime in 2024, the influencer had hidden drugs in a candy box, which her son found and consumed.

The boy suffered from seizures and foamed at the mouth.

His parents took him to the hospital, but refused to disclose what he had ingested until the blood report came in two hours later.

The hospital found drugs in the child’s system after the blood test.

He spent four days in intensive care and eventually recovered from the incident after two to three weeks of hospitalisation, Oriental Daily reported.

In another incident, the influencer was filmed using an e-vaporiser in the presence of their children.

They suffered from breathing difficulties, insomnia, and headaches as a result of breathing in secondhand toxic fumes.

Huang said that the Social Welfare Department subsequently intervened and issued an injunction prohibiting the influencer from having unsupervised contact with her children.

Huang’s son was also arrested and jailed for drug and child abuse.

Huang and her eldest daughter subsequently took custody of the children.

Drugs and explicit photos

Huang suspected that the influencer had taken to various platforms to sell drugs, prostitution services, and explicit photos.

Huang said the school later learned through other channels that her daughter-in-law had publicly admitted on social media to taking drugs and engaging in prostitution, and contacted her about it.

Between June and August 2026, Huang said that her family was harassed and locked in their house on three separate occasions, trapping her family inside.

She suspects these incidents to be related to the influencer’s debts and drug-related disputes, Oriental Daily reported.

In September, the influencer forced her way into the house and took a photo with one of her sons, using it to build up an image as a good mother, Huang claimed.

Gathers evidence for police reports

Huang said that she had attempted to report her daughter-in-law to the police multiple times, but had not been arrested, citing insufficient evidence.

She subsequently resorted to secretly purchasing the influencer’s drugs and explicit content and made another report against the influencer.

Following investigations, the police arrested the influencer at a residence in Maluri, Kepong.

On Oct. 18, Huang held a press conference and exposed her daughter-in-law’s actions, hoping to protect her grandchildren.

Calls for the end of crow culling practices in Singapore were made after officers from the National Parks Board (NParks) were seen shooting the birds outside Aljunied MRT Station.

The jarring scene appeared to garner the attention of members of the public within the station, according to a clip of the incident circulating on social media.

Two officers were seen standing next to a green fence on the grass, one holding a gun pointed at the sky, while several dead crows lay scattered around.

Netizens took to the video's comments section to express their views on the matter, with many calling out the "inhumane way" of culling.

An ongoing online petition to end urban bird culling has also since regained traction.

It argued that repeated attempts to bird cull in Singapore "may not adequately address underlying root causes".

Common methods used to cull birds like pigeons, such as using chemical baits, may also lead to detrimental effects on the larger ecosystem, the petition wrote.

As of Oct. 21, it has garnered 2,573 signatures.

Crow shooting resumed in March

In response to a Mothership query, NParks' Group Director of Wildlife Management How Choon Beng said that as of October 2026, crow shooting operations have expanded to over 20 districts across the island from the initial nine.

Culling resumed on Mar. 24, and over 2,500 crows have been shot since.

The operations are expected to be rolled out to more sites after studies are conducted.

How also emphasised that house crows are an invasive non-native species to Singapore and pose a threat to the nation's native biodiversity.

"They can cause various disamenities such as noise, soiling, and hygiene issues, and are also particularly protective of their young and may attack residents when they sense that their young are threatened."

Safety measures taken

Addressing the shooting operation outside Aljunied MRT station, How said it had been actively managing the crow population in the area through a range of measures prior to the shooting.

These have included more frequent crow nest surveys and removed and crow trapping, which saw the removal of more than 70 crow nests and trapping of more than 100 crows between January 2025 and April 2026.

However, as the highly adaptable birds can become trap-shy, crow shooting was introduced as an additional measure.

"The operation was carried out in accordance with strict safety protocols, including cordoning off the shooting zone and putting up signage at access points to warn the public not to approach," How confirmed.

He added that safety personnel were also deployed for public safety and to maintain control throughout the operation.

Some residents support shooting

According to Lianhe Zaobao, some residents supported the shooting.

A waiter at a nearby restaurant said that before shooting operations began, hundreds of crows would nest in the open space every evening, making loud cawing sounds, though they did not impact the restaurant's business.

Another resident reported being attacked by crows two years ago on his way home.

"The crows have been 'kings of the trees' for a long time, which is very annoying," he said.

A third interviewee said that residents have grown used to seeing the crows and avoid the space where possible.

While she acknowledged others' opinions that shooting may be cruel, she pointed out that the method had worked much more effectively than other prior measures.

We are now in the fourth quarter of the year – in other words, travel season.

Visiting new locations can be fun, but one pain point about travelling is the need to exchange money at the right time, to catch the best rates.

So if Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam or Thailand are on your list of travel destinations, here’s some good news.

Local remittance and money exchange company Transend has rolled out automated money exchange machines across MRT stations in Singapore, so you can now skip the queues ahead of your trip.

Think of an ATM machine, but for foreign currencies.

In light of my upcoming trip to Thailand, I decided to test out one of the machines located at Bedok MRT station to withdraw some Thai Baht. Here’s how it works:

First, I entered my desired baht sum to check out the exchange rate, which was S$1 to 25.71 baht; a rate comparable to those of the money changers found on CashChanger.

After inputting the amount for a thousand baht, a QR code was generated to be scanned with my PayNow app.

Voila.

The entire process took less than two minutes — it’s certified convenient.

Five MRT stations, seven currencies

Currently, the machines have been deployed at four stations: Bedok MRT station, Serangoon MRT station, Punggol MRT station and Woodlands North station,  home to the Singapore terminal of the upcoming Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link.

From end November onwards, you will also be able to find a kiosk at Harbourfront MRT — the closest stop to catch your ferry into Batam, Indonesia.

As they are located within MRT stations, each kiosk operates in line with Singapore’s public transport hours, typically from 5:30am to 12am.

Up to seven currencies from favourite travel hotspots can be bought at the kiosks:

• Malaysian Ringgit,
• New Taiwan Dollar,
• South Korean Won,
• Indonesian Rupiah,
• Japanese Yen,
• Vietnamese Dong and
• Thai Baht.

To make things even more convenient, payment at the machine can be made via PayNow or cash.

Making travel convenient again, one machine at a time.

This branded article by Transend made this writer want to plan for that next getaway to JB.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has released N95 masks from the national stockpile to support retailers in managing demand amidst the ongoing haze episode, it said in response to media queries on Oct. 20.

Sufficient supplies

MOH said that it is aware that there has been increased demand for the masks and that some members of the public are concerned about the availability of such masks.

According to MOH, checks showed that retailers and retail pharmacies have sufficient supplies in their warehouses.

However, some stores may temporarily run low on supplies while they restock their stores, MOH said.

MOH assured the public that it maintains a stockpile of N95 or equivalent masks, and said it has released the stockpile to support retailers in managing demand.

More masks at retail outlets by end of week

The public can purchase N95 masks (or equivalent) from all NTUC FairPrice outlets, as well as pharmacies such as Guardian, Unity and Watsons, MOH advised.

Other masks equivalent to N95 are KN95, FFP2 and KF94.

MOH also said it is working with Cold Storage, Giant and Sheng Siong for N95 or equivalent masks to be made available for purchase progressively at all their outlets by the end of the week.

"We urge individuals to purchase N95 masks (or equivalent) in quantities that are sufficient only for their own consumption, in order to avoid wastage," MOH said.

More information can be found on MOH's website or its social media pages.

Buy only what you need: Grace Fu

In an Oct. 20 Facebook post, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu similarly assured the public that Singapore's N95 or equivalent mask supplies are sufficient to meet demand.

The post showed Fu visiting Fairprice's warehouse, where stocks of the appropriate masks could be seen.

Fu also encouraged the public to buy only what they need.

"Masks can be reused as long as they are not soiled or dirty, damp, damaged or out of shape," Fu said.

According to MOH's advisory, vulnerable persons are advised to wear a mask outdoors if the 1-hour PM2.5 reading is at or above 151, or Band 3 (High).

For healthy persons, mask-wearing outdoors is advised if the 1-hour PM2.5 reading is at or above 251, or Band 4 (Very High).

A woman, 26, died on Oct. 15 after falling from a multi-storey carpark in Yishun.

According to a video on Facebook, the woman was seen standing on the ledge of the carpark while emergency responders called out to her from above.

She climbed down and hung off the ledge, with her feet suspended in the air. An inflatable safety life air pack was deployed below her.

In response to Mothership's enquiries, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed that they received a call for assistance at 1:35pm that day.

The SCDF stated that they deployed a safety life air pack, but the woman unfortunately fell to the ground.

They subsequently conveyed her to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital where she passed away.

The police stated that they do not suspect foul play, and that investigations are ongoing.

Some users on Facebook speculated that she was a domestic worker, with a few claiming that she ran away from her employer's home.

The information is still unverified.

Helplines

If you or someone you know are in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear:

• National mindline.sg Hotline: 1771 (24 hours)
• National mindline.sg WhatsApp: 66691771 (24 hours)
• SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767
• Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
• Centre for Domestic Employees: 1800 225 5233 (24 hours)
• Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training: 1800 339 4357 (24 hours)
• HOME (migrant worker): +65 6341 5535  (WhatsApp / Viber / SMS)
• HOME (domestic worker): +65 9787 3122 (WhatsApp / SMS / Call)
• SHECARES@SCWO: Call: 8001 01 4616 | WhatsApp: 8985 5528 (For targets of online harms)
• National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH): 1800-777-0000

A Singaporean couple has been sentenced to jail on Oct. 21, 2026, for causing the death of their eight-month-old baby.

Chloe Gan Ci Xuan, 23, was sentenced to 15 years and 3 months in jail, while Neo Jia Ming, 27, was sentenced to 16 years in jail.

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

Gan was seen crying in court on Oct. 21 as the judge read out the sentences.

Judgment

The case was presided over by High Court Justice Hoo Sheau Peng.

The judge also presided over the case of four-year-old Megan Khung, who died at the hands of her mother, Foo Li Ping and Foo's boyfriend.

Calling the case tragic, Hoo compared Gan’s actions to Foo's.

Trevor spent nearly the entirety of his life enduring abuse before losing his life, Hoo noted.

Hoo said the couple was overwhelmed by the task of taking care of the baby and was not overly prepared for parenthood.

However, the judge noted that the couple seemed well supported by family members, adding that Gan moved back with her parents during her confinement period.

They also engaged a nanny to take care of Trevor on weekdays and relatives helped on weekends.

Neo’s two uncles living in the same flat also took care of Trevor on one occasion while the couple went out for dinner.

The couple was not left on their own, Hoo said.

Notwithstanding their "youth and inexperience", they must be held accountable for their actions, the judge said.

She also explained that while Neo did not cause baby Trevor's eventual death, he was the first to begin shaking him to lose consciousness, and Gan followed suit.

What couple did

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

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.

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.

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.

A 25-year-old Malaysian man is believed to have been trapped in a scam centre in Myanmar for six months after accepting a "well-paying" job offer overseas.

The man, known only as Cheng, was allegedly forced to work long hours and subjected to physical abuse.

His family was also allegedly asked to pay US$40,000 (S$52,000) to secure his release, according to The Star.

Offered "well-paying" customer service job

Cheng, who previously worked in Singapore, met a man while attending a car show in Penang, Malaysia.

The pair bonded over their shared interest in cars, according to Oriental Daily.

The man subsequently offered Cheng a desk-bound customer service job overseas, promising him a good salary.

Having experience working in the service sector in Singapore and hoping to find a stable job, Cheng accepted the offer.

Allegedly forced to pay S$52,000 to leave job

However, Cheng realised the offer was far from the truth when he arrived in Myanmar to sign the employment contract.

According to Daniel Khoo, chairman of the Malaysian Community Crime Care Centre's Pahang branch, one of the terms in the contract was to pay US$40,000 (S$52,000) if Cheng wanted to quit the job early.

Unable to afford the penalty, Cheng was allegedly forced to remain at the centre, where he was subjected to long working hours and physical abuse, The Star reported.

He is believed to be confined at a scam centre located in a jungle area near the Thai-Myanmar border since April this year.

His personal phone was also allegedly confiscated, preventing him from contacting his family.

Managed to contact family in July

According to Oriental Daily, Cheng used a phone at his workplace in July to contact a friend for help.

He subsequently reached his family through Instagram.

His family reportedly received a video which shows people using multiple mobile phones and men being beaten.

Khoo described the footage as "graphic".

Family lodged police report

Cheng's older brother lodged a police report in Johor Bahru on Jul. 31 after the family received messages about Cheng.

According to Oriental Daily, the family last contacted Cheng through WeChat on Jul. 18.

They also learnt that he had left Malaysia on Apr. 17.

A Malaysian police official confirmed with The Star that a report had been lodged and investigations were ongoing.

A female relative said the family had reached out to the Malaysian embassy for assistance but remained uncertain about Cheng's whereabouts and condition.

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.