A 25-year-old female Chinese tourist's stay at a resort in Sabah, Malaysia, took a dangerous turn when she narrowly escaped being sexually assaulted.

HK01 reported that she managed to get away from the alleged perpetrator in the wee hours of Sep. 19 and had to hide overnight in the bushes before being rescued.

The perpetrator was reportedly an 18-year-old security guard at the resort the woman was staying at. He was later arrested by local police.

Man broke in

According to HK01, the woman, Huang (transliterated), stayed at the resort while travelling alone in Malaysia.

The man then allegedly broke into her room while she was asleep, and she reportedly woke up to him grabbing her hand and undressing her.

They wrestled when she fought back; Huang eventually managed to escape by tricking him into the bathroom to take a shower.

In the process of her escaping, however, the guard reportedly dragged the woman by her hair and attempted to force her on the ground.

Escaped, discovered by staff

Huang then fled into some bushes located on a mountain near the resort and hid there, according to China Press.

She was bitten by ants and mosquitoes, and staff did not discover her until morning.

The man, who was worried about the resort's surveillance cameras, did not chase after her.

Images published on HK01 showed Huang suffered multiple wounds from the ordeal.

Investigation

Following the incident, Huang alleged that the resort contacted her but did not offer her any compensation plan, other than a small sum for medical fees and three nights' accommodation at an alternate hotel.

The woman has since retained a lawyer to resolve the matter.

She added that local police were investigating the man and found he was a foreign national, HK01 reported. He is alleged to have entered Malaysia illegally and was staying without valid documents.

The police said they would take action against employers hiring illegal immigrants or individuals without valid work permits.

According to HK01, Huang said on Oct. 15 that the man had been sentenced to two years' jail for trespassing, while the investigation for sexual assault remains ongoing.

Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Downstreaming and Energy Transition Bahlil Lahadalia has threatened to stop energy exports to countries that "disrespect" it.

Speaking at the official launch of a natural gas infrastructure on Oct. 22, Bahlil said he "will conduct an evaluation" into energy export contracts Indonesia currently has with other countries, according to Antara.

He also urged countries that have issues with Indonesia to discuss them amicably and resolve the problem on the principle of mutual respect.

Bahlil, who is also Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, was quoted as saying, "Don’t come begging when you need something, but when there is another issue that can actually be discussed, behave like a relative who has no manners. This is what we do not want."

Conversely, he said that he is willing to draw up contracts with countries that have respectful and mutually beneficial relationships with Indonesia, even if there is currently no existing one.

However, he did not name any specific country.

He emphasised Indonesia's adherence to its national sovereignty, which he described as a long struggle.

Indonesia in 'survival mode'

Earlier on Oct. 21, Bahlil mentioned considering not extending gas exports to neighbouring countries as Indonesia is supposedly in "survival mode".

"So, if other countries have different perspectives for us, they should be careful. I may also consider not extending my gas exports to neighbouring countries," he said in Jakarta, according to Kompas.

"Because we have to survive, we must first meet our domestic needs."

He added that other ministries will also implement measures aligned with this goal, echoing Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's earlier calls for his country to safeguard its natural resources and prioritise national interests.

"Now it is politics based on strength. Those who are strong will survive, and we can see what happens in the Middle East and elsewhere; those who are weak will perish," Prabowo said on Oct. 21.

According to The Straits Times, Indonesia exported natural gases to several countries in 2025.

Japan received about 3.8 million tonnes, followed by China with about 3.79 million tonnes, while Singapore received the third most natural gas with 3.22 million tonnes.

Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong also cited Indonesia as one of Singapore's main sources of natural gas, with existing contracts set to expire by the end of 2028.

Eight-month-old baby Trevor Neo passed away on Sep. 2, 2024, after enduring abuse from his parents for almost the entirety of his life.

His mother, Chloe Gan Ci Xuan, 23, was sentenced to 15 years and 3 months in jail, while his father, Neo Jia Ming, 27, was sentenced to 16 years in jail for causing his death.

The court heard that the couple frequently smothered and shook Trevor to stop him from crying.

They would also abuse him 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 treated the act of shaking him like a laughing matter during this incident.

Trevor was later brought KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), where he was hospitalised from Jan. 18, 2024 to Jan. 23, 2024 for observation.

Joked about shaking baby

This is an excerpt from court documents of some of the messages the couple exchanged:

Neo: Itr u shake the baby like I do like that when he cry

But don't very violent ah

Damage the brain

Later become autistic

Gan: f**k

Neo: My mum go right

Why fk

Gan: i nearly shake the head alm 180 degree

Neo: :) later stupid stupid only ma

Gan: but he's asleep

Neo: Concussion ma

Gan: walao

don't scare me leh

Neo: Confirm concussion bro

I just scared got brain damage only

Nvm la

Gan: ?

Neo: 26 jan can know

Soon

My mum on the way up

I saw her

Gan: oh

she come so early?

ehh bb

what i say sia

Neo: ?

Gan: when she ask why he cough

gg

Neo: ...U better pray he so power can cough

That's coughing for 8 more days

Gan: now I scared it may affect him on and off

if its left untreated

Neo: No choice ma, u dk how u still do

U just gentle shake shake only

Don't too fast

Gan: he never drink any milk till now cuz I shake until he damn shag alr

HAHAHAAH

Neo: ... U just monitor lo

He cry use your own method

Don't do my one

U f**king useless cannot copy one

The moment u do he start coughing like fk alr

Treated abuse like laughing matter

During the court hearing, High Court Justice Hoo Sheau Peng noted that the couple treated the abuse almost like a "laughing matter".

Trevor spent nearly the entirety of his life enduring abuse before losing his life, she said.

While she acknowledged that the couple was overwhelmed by the task of taking care of the baby and was not overly prepared for parenthood, she pointed out that they were well supported.

Family members took care of Trevor on the weekends and a nanny took care of him on weekdays.

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.

Related stories

A woman allegedly looked up pornography on her phone less than two minutes before a three-vehicle crash that killed a man in Utah, U.S..

Christine Chao, 44, from California, was charged on Oct. 20 with automobile homicide, a second-degree felony, KSL reported.

The crash occurred on June 12, 2026, on the northbound Interstate 15, where traffic had slowed because of ongoing construction.

According to charge documents cited by KSL, Chao allegedly drove into the back of a slower-moving vehicle, causing it to crash into another vehicle in front.

“Officers did not observe any brake marks on the road to indicate the defendant slowed before the crash,” the documents stated.

Scott LaVar Lichfield, 66, was seated in the back of one of the vehicles. He suffered a head injury and later died, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.

Chao allegedly admitted to officers that she was at fault, the charge documents stated.

Investigators seized her phone and obtained a warrant to examine it.

The examination allegedly showed that she had accessed pornography website "XVideos" less than two minutes before the collision, KSL reported.

Victim a devoted father and grandfather

Lichfield had celebrated his 39th wedding anniversary with his wife just a day before the crash, according to his obituary.

He is survived by his wife and five children.

Lichfield's family remembered him as a devoted father and grandfather who enjoyed reading, watching films, playing chess and building Lego with his grandchildren.

Unsatisfied with her experience at a beauty salon, a content creator took to Instagram to criticise its business practices, calling it a "scam".

Beauti Instinct, the salon located in Far East Shopping Centre, sued her for defamation and won.

However, the judge did find that Mok had genuinely felt trapped and had misgivings about the salon.

Mok Wai Kwan, who goes by Vivian Mok on Instagram, was ordered to pay S$15,000 in damages, according to a judgment dated Oct. 15.

Series of Instagram stories

In February and March 2025, she posted a series of Instagram stories about the salon after doing several treatment sessions there since 2020.

The salon argued that Mok’s stories alleged that they were cheating customers and operating under deceptive business practices.

On the first day she posted about the salon, she pinned the stories as a highlight on her Instagram page and titled it "SCAM !!"

Among other things, the Stories described the salon as “HELL”, and said it should be reported to the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE).

Mok also claimed she was "completely trapped by this unethical business model", but could not report the salon as she still had a lot of unused credit with them.

The judge ultimately found that Mok had genuinely felt trapped and had misgivings about the salon, but could not support her statements that the business was unethical.

Experience at the salon

Mok received treatments at the salon on 26 occasions between 2020 and 2025, beginning with a six-session Silk Peel Glow Facial package for S$488.

She said that during her first visit, the salon's director, Cheang Norita, told her the Silk Peel treatment was unsuitable on its own because of her sensitive skin and that she would need additional treatments.

Cheang disputed Mok's account, saying she had presented several options, including allowing Mok to proceed with the package she had already bought.

Mok subsequently signed up for a S$1,000 trial membership, then purchased a S$5,000 Gold membership, and a further S$6,624 worth of packages.

Allegations on Instagram

From Feb. 13, 2025, Mok posted a series of Instagram Stories about her experience with the salon.

The allegations include facing pressure to sign up for increasingly expensive memberships, an inconsistent explanation of credit usage, and a lack of transparency over pricing and refund policies.

She later pinned the Stories to her Instagram profile as a Highlight titled “SCAM !!”.

Among other things, the Stories described the salon as “HELL”, said it should be reported to the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), and referred to what Mok called an “unethical business model”.

Mok changed the Highlight's title from “SCAM !!” to “BEWARE!!” on Apr. 11, 2025, before eventually removing it.

The court found that a reasonable viewer who viewed the Stories directly, without the “SCAM !!” Highlight title, would understand them as alleging that the salon had unethical business practices or an unethical business model.

Those who viewed them through the Highlight while it was titled “SCAM !!” would additionally understand Mok to be accusing the salon of being a business designed to cheat or defraud customers, the judge found.

At around the time of the posts, Mok had 8,223 Instagram followers.

Her Instagram analytics showed that the Stories were viewed 401 times by 265 unique accounts.

The “SCAM !!” title was available for about two months, while the Stories themselves remained accessible for about five months before being removed in around July 2025.

Truthfulness of her account

Mok argued that the statements in her Stories were a truthful account of her personal experience with the salon, and that she posted them in good faith to warn others.

This experience included alleged pressure to sign up for increasingly expensive memberships, an inconsistent explanation of credit usage, and a lack of transparency over pricing and refund policies.

The judge accepted that Mok's experience with the claimant as narrated in the Stories was true, and that she had genuine misgivings.

Not proven salon was unethical or attempting to cheat customers

However, the judge found that while Mok might have considered the salon’s business practices unsatisfactory, she had not proven that they were unethical or attempting to cheat customers.

Mok had accepted that she was not forced to buy memberships, and had benefited from receiving treatments at discounted member rates.

She had also agreed that the salon was not only interested in making money without concern for customers' well-being, which the judge found contradictory to her portrayal of the business as unethical or a scam.

Furthermore, the court rejected Mok's defence of fair comment. It found that statements including "SCAM !!" and that the salon "should be reported to CASE" would be understood as statements of fact rather than comments.

Issue of motive

Given the contradictions, the judge found that Mok did not genuinely believe what she stated in her Stories.

"At best therefore, this was a case of buyer’s remorse," the judge said.

But they were not persuaded that Mok had a dominant motive of harming the salon or some other improper motive.

After she had posted the Stories, the salon reached out seeking an "open conversation", but Mok declined, saying that there was nothing to talk about unless the salon was willing to discuss a refund for its services.

The judge noted that the issue of refund was only raised when the salon reached out, and thus did not believe Mok's motivation for publishing the Stories was to exact a refund.

No damages for alleged loss of business

After considering the relevant factors and comparable cases, the judge awarded Beauti Instinct S$15,000 in general damages.

However, the court did not agree with the salon's argument that Mok's Stories led to a drop in sales and new customers, as it had not proven that the decline was caused solely by the Stories.

The judge therefore declined to award special damages.

They also rejected Beauti Instinct's request for an injunction, finding no evidence that Mok was likely to repeat the defamatory allegations.

Mok's response

Following the verdict, Mok told Mothership that she had posted her genuine thoughts on the matter based on her own experience, and sought to resolve the matter amicably before it proceeded to trial, she said.

As the salon asked for what she felt was "an extravagant sum", she decided to defend herself in court.

The salon proceeded to argue for S$75,000 in damages.

She said she was glad the court found that such substantial damages could not be justified, and that the alleged business losses were not proved.

Singapore actor Nick Teo shared that he recently decided to donate his stem cells, and ended up saving the life of someone he had never met.

In an Instagram post on Oct. 21, the Mediacorp star revealed that he had signed up for the procedure "a while back" at the encouragement of his wife and fellow actor Hong Ling, who also donated her stem cells.

A stem cell transplant can help treat people with certain blood disorders including leukaemia.

Simpler than expected

Teo addressed some rumours and concerns about stem cell donation.

Among them is the concern that stem cell donation affects the donor's fertility, which Teo said he understands but went ahead anyway.

"Here I am, about to start a family of my own," he added.

The 37-year-old is expecting his first child with Hong Ling, after she experienced a miscarriage in 2025.

About how scary the procedure might be, he shared that although he was initially nervous, he realised afterwards that it was "much simpler" and not as scary as he had thought.

It began with giving himself a few injections to increase the stem cells in his blood. Hong Long helped him with the first jab.

"The actual donation was a little like donating blood," lasting about six hours, he shared.

Life-changing

Teo felt that it was "six hours well spent", using a small part of his life to give someone else a second chance at theirs.

After taking a few days to recover, he was back at work, even filming action scenes.

He encouraged others thinking of donating their stem cells to give it a go.

"A simple swab could lead to something life-changing. You never know whose life you might save!"

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by 张奕恺 Nick (@nickk_teo)

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has warned countries that he said had insulted Indonesia over its forest and land fires, adding that he would expose the companies from those countries.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Oct. 21, Prabowo called for an investigation into corporations suspected of contributing to the fires, according to CNBC Indonesia.

"As for certain countries that like to insult Indonesia, when the time comes, we will expose their companies," Prabowo said.

Prabowo did not identify the countries he was referring to.

Threatens to revoke companies' permits

Prabowo said the fires were not solely caused by natural factors, but also by human activity.

He called on the police, Attorney General's Office and Forestry Ministry, assisted by the military and intelligence agencies, to investigate corporations suspected of contributing to the fires.

He also said members of the public had caught individuals deliberately starting fires, which he described as a form of "environmental terrorism".

Prabowo said the actions of those responsible for the fires had endangered the health of millions of Indonesians, adding that the government was working hard to tackle the blazes through various measures.

"We cannot take this lightly," he said.

He added that the authorities would thoroughly investigate the fires and revoke the permits of companies found to have violated regulations.

Prabowo also defended Indonesia against criticism from other countries.

“Indonesia is a courteous and patient nation. We have often been insulted, but believe me, we will not tolerate being continually provoked,” he said.

Police investigating 98 corporations

According to Katadata, Indonesian National Police chief Suyudi Ario Seto had earlier said that foreign parties were suspected of involvement in the forest and land fires.

Speaking at a press conference at the Merdeka Palace on Oct. 19, Suyudi said some of the parties were from neighbouring countries.

He did not identify the countries involved or provide further details about their suspected involvement.

Suyudi also said police were investigating 98 corporations in connection with the fires.

"Investigators are still gathering evidence, so we will certainly name suspects in the near future," he said.

Singapore and Malaysia offer assistance

Singapore and Malaysia have offered assistance to Indonesia in tackling the forest fires, but Indonesia has yet to accept the offers.

According to an earlier Mothership report, Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Dudung Abdurachman said on Oct. 19 that the country was still capable of managing the fires.

Singapore offered firefighting and cloud-seeding assistance, while Malaysia proposed sending aircraft and personnel.

Sengkang Town Council is banning pickleball on certain courts and limiting play durations from Nov. 1.

The measures are intended to tackle noise complaints from the sport, said Sengkang Member of Parliament Abdul Muhaimin in an Instagram post on Oct. 21.

New measures

According to the post, courts deemed too close to residential blocks, or that received an unspecified percentage of votes from residents, will be banned.

Nine courts will remain usable:

• Anchorvale Vista, near Block 310B,
• Anchorvale Vista, near Block 312A,
• Aspella, near Block 275B,
• Compassvale North Gate, near Block 262C,
• Rivervale Gardens, near Block 120D,
• Rivervale Bank, near Block 121B,
• Rivervale View, near Block 161,
• Rivervale Shores, near Block 175 and
• Rivervale Haven, near Block 197.

However, pickleball players will only be able to utilise the courts between 10am and 7:30pm from Nov. 1.

Courts allowing pickleball will contain signage that will also indicate the permitted play hours.

Pickleball court lines will be painted on the grounds of these courts.

Courts where pickleball is banned will contain signage indicating so, and pickleball court lines will be removed from their grounds.

Multiple factors

The two new measures were voted on by residents as the most acceptable ones.

According to the post, pickleball survey data, alongside on-site research by the town council, contributed to the changes.

The factors considered included distance between the courts and residential areas, feedback from residents, the sound frequency of pickleball games and the site layout and environmental features.

"Balancing the diverse needs of residents can be challenging," the post wrote.

"Through the pickleball survey and the introduction of new measures, SKTC hopes to support residents who enjoy active lifestyles while also respecting the needs of those who value a quieter environment for rest and recuperation."

Other estates have done the same

Sengkang is the latest town council to introduce measures tackling noise complaints from pickleball games.

In 2025, Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council banned pickleball in its community badminton court after receiving feedback from residents on the noise disturbances caused by the sport within the estate.

Courts in certain HDB estates, like Ang Mo Kio, have also implemented time restrictions of 9am to 9pm on court usage.

Mountbatten, meanwhile, announced in early 2026 that it would introduce foam-ball-only pickleball sessions in morning and evening games amidst rising noise concerns.

Zeng Ze Qun, a 23-year-old Chinese student at the National University of Singapore (NUS), was arrested after he was caught filming his female housemate in the shower.

According to Shin Min Daily News, the 22-year-old female student and Zeng had rented a private accommodation in the west of Singapore.

Caught filming

On Aug. 18 at about 9:25pm, Zeng was eating dinner in the kitchen when he realised that his housemate had gone to shower.

He kept his unfinished food in the refrigerator and slipped to the toilet, where he put his arm through the window and started filming with his phone.

The woman noticed this and screamed, before she dressed herself and left the bathroom, Shin Min reported.

Hearing her scream, Zeng stopped filming and fled to a nearby mall.

He quickly deleted the videos he had taken to cover up his crime.

He eventually returned home, where he was arrested by police who had arrived at the scene.

Filmed her 10 times in two months

According to charge sheets, Zeng had recorded the female resident a total of 10 times between Jun. 20 and Aug. 18.

He filmed her while she was in the shower and when she was undressed in her room.

The court has issued a gag order that prevents identification of the victim.

Zeng testified that secretly filming others made him feel excited, and he used it as a way to relieve academic pressure and anxiety, reported Shin Min.

He would delete the videos he took about a week after he filmed them; the police were unable to recover these videos from his phone.

The prosecution urged the judge to hand Zeng a jail sentence of at least six and a half months.

Meanwhile, the defence counsel noted that he is in his final semester of his Master of Science programme at NUS, and requested that Zeng be allowed to defer his sentence so that he may complete his studies, as reported by Shin Min.

Zeng pled guilty on Oct. 20, and will be sentenced on Dec. 16.

A wanton mee stall in Toa Payoh has suspended its business after one of the owners was recently diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer and has now started chemotherapy.

Pin Xiang Wanton Mee, located at Toa Payoh Lor 4, has become a neighbourhood favourite since it began serving customers in 1993.

The notice put up at the shuttered stall, shared on Facebook on Oct. 20, simply stated that the closure was "due to personal circumstances".

It was a "difficult decision", and the owners are "unable to confirm if or when [they] will return", the notice added.

The diagnosis

He Mei Fa, 57, who runs the stall with his 52-year-old wife Ye Xue Ying (both names transliterated), revealed to Shin Min Daily News that he got the news on his birthday on Oct. 5.

Ye's birthday fell on the following day.

The couple could not believe it when they learnt about his diagnosis.

Despite having high blood pressure and diabetes, He had always thought he was still rather healthy.

But he started losing weight earlier in the year, and by October, he was feeling unwell and fatigued. After a health checkup, the doctor told him he had cancer.

Although it came as an unexpected blow, He is determined to face his cancer with a positive mind, and even jokingly asked his doctor whether he could still continue to run the stall.

He understood, however, that he needed to get healthy to support his family and not worry them.

Support from his family

His wife, who was devastated by his diagnosis, is his greatest source of support, Shin Min reported him as saying.

To allow him to rest during his treatment, the couple decided to suspend the stall's operations.

After finishing one round of chemotherapy, He would get tired more easily, but has felt no major impact on his daily life.

As his original plan to visit Xinjiang with his wife was cancelled, he hopes to take her to Finland after his recovery.

His older daughter described He a great father who used to take her and her sister cycling and to the library when he was free.

"He often said that we weren't wealthy, but since we were young, he signed us up for piano, drawing, and swimming lessons," she said.

Concern from customers

Over the 30 years that Pin Xiang Wanton Mee has been in operation, the stall often sees long queues of customers, according to Shin Min.

Many of their customers have become friends, and would even invite them to go on trips together, He shared.

A regular customer posted on Facebook that he was "really affected and sad to hear that Uncle fell sick", and wished that he would get well soon.

Speaking to Shin Min, He said he was grateful for the customers' concern, and hopes to reopen the stall when he gets better.

He added that he had talked to his two daughters about a potential takeover of the business in the future. If they are willing, he would help them out.