One of the Malaysian tourists who filmed herself mocking locals in China for body odour in a now-deleted TikTok has issued a statement refuting the criticism.

The user, @ekyn.wong, who was referred to as Nur Asyiqin binti Dalil in a statement from her lawyers posted on her account, has also pursued legal action against people who have defamed her.

She has since disabled comments on her TikTok account.

Statement

In her statement, Asyiqin said she has taken legal action against “any parties who have made defamatory statements, baseless accusations, provocations, or spread false information that has damaged my good name, reputation, and integrity.”

“Any parties who continue to spread defamatory or false information may face appropriate legal action,” she wrote.

Asyiqin also added that legal proceedings were underway.

Lawyer’s statement

In her lawyer's statement, certain “irresponsible parties” were alleged to have made posts and comments containing accusations, insults, and defamatory statements against Asyiqin.

“As a result of these publications and videos, our client, her family, and those close to her have received various forms of criticism, insults, condemnation, threats, and harassment from members of the public and other parties,” the statement read.

Details of Asyiqin’s businesses were reportedly revealed and spread, apparently damaging her and her family's reputation.

The statement also said that the video uploaded by Asyiqin was “her own personal views” and was not intended to represent the views of the individuals shown.

Asyiqin apparently “fears for her own safety and that of her family because internet users have shown various negative reactions, including threats and abusive remarks”.

Additionally, the statement said:

“Our client will take firm action and will not compromise in pursuing legal measures against any party who continues to publish defamatory statements, make baseless accusations, or spread personal information about her and her family.”

Background

In a now-deleted TikTok that was reposted onto Threads, Asyiqin was in a group queuing with other tourists while boarding a bus in China.

One woman was seen covering her nose, and another could be heard shouting at those around them.

"It smells so bad! Did none of you shower?" one of them said in Malay.

One of the women also questioned the locals' grooming habits.

In another video, the group were heard making comments about an e-hailing driver.

"I think he really smells bad. We already showered, you know. Chinese people smell bad. Lazy to shower." One of them said.

The video has garnered backlash and criticism for their conduct, with netizens calling their behaviour embarrassing and disrespectful.

A 15-year-old Malaysian girl was allegedly robbed and sexually assaulted during a morning run in Tumpat, Kelantan in Malaysia after she became separated from her 10-year-old brother.

She was found injured near bushes in the Parit area at around 11am by a member of the public and was rushed to hospital, Sin Chew Daily News reported.

Siblings got separated

The victim reportedly left home with her younger brother to exercise in the morning.

The brother fell behind during the run, searched for his sister, but could not find her, and assumed she had already headed home.

Their grandmother, identified by the alias Ro Qiya, 74, told Sin Chew: "He told me he was tired and had fallen behind during the jog. He looked for his sister but couldn't find her."

She added: "He thought his sister had already gone home, so he came back alone."

According to China Press, the grandmater said she received news at noon that her granddaughter had been found near the bushes.

"I hope the perpetrator is brought to justice"

She told Sin Chew: "This news shocked our whole family. I cannot imagine what my granddaughter went through. She is a good child, very filial to her parents. I hope the perpetrator is brought to justice."

The victim, the second of three siblings, is currently receiving treatment at Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital in Kota Bharu.

Police confirm investigation

Malaysia police confirmed the case is being investigated for rape and robbery with hurt.

A former science teacher in the U.S. state of Georgia is facing multiple charges after allegedly molesting six teenage students.

According to New York Post, new court documents reveal she also had an OnlyFans account that students allegedly used to blackmail her for better grades.

Maris Nichols, 25, was a science teacher at Douglas County in Georgia when the alleged offences took place, according to WSB-TV.

How the case unfolded

Nichols was initially arrested after allegedly having sexual contact with a student in a classroom closet and a parked Hummer, according to the New York Post.

Two weeks later, she was re-arrested on 11 additional charges, including child molestation, evidence tampering and grooming involving five other students.

What the search warrants revealed

According to the New York Post, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office has served over a dozen search warrants in the case, covering Nichols, Snapchat, OnlyFans, AT&T, and multiple students and families.

Investigators are also seeking surveillance footage from a golf course where she allegedly met up with a teenager, as well as genetic material and fingerprints linked to two students.

The warrants also revealed that students who discovered her OnlyFans account allegedly used it to pressure her for better grades, according to WSB-TV.

Investigators also reported that Nichols allegedly pressured a student to delete their communications shortly before her first arrest.

Background

Nichols was a graduate of Liberty University, a private institution in the U.S. with a strict policy prohibiting sexual activity outside of marriage, according to the New York Post.

Haidilao Singapore is going big on coriander with food and drinks centred on the garnish.

It announced limited-time coriander-based menu items available at its outlets from Jun. 18, 2026.

The limited-time menu consists of an Extra Coriander Soup Base, Coriander Spritzer, and Coriander Cocktail.

Coriander itself will also be available.

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Extra Coriander Soup Base

The Extra Coriander Soup Base features a "deeply infused" coriander profile delivering a "pronounced" herbal aroma.

It is crafted for diners seeking a “more adventurous hotpot option”.

The menu also includes a “refreshing” Coriander Spritzer, as well as a Coriander Cocktail, an alcoholic beverage.

Haidilao Singapore will also introduce a “Coriander Lover Honour Certificate”, an in-store photo moment for guests who order any coriander item from the menu.

Guests will be invited to take a commemorative photo with the certificate alongside their hotpot spread.

The Malaysia ringgit weakened to a six-month low against the Singapore dollar on Jun. 19, with the exchange rate touching RM3.20 per S$1.

Foreign exchange charts showed that this was the ringgit's weakest level against the Singapore dollar since November 2025.

The currency had previously weakened to RM3.33 per Singapore dollar in June 2025.

U.S. Federal Reserve

The drop comes after the U.S. Federal Reserve's announcement on Jun. 17 that the federal funds rate would remain unchanged at 3.5 to 3.75 per cent.

Following that, the US dollar index rose about 1 per cent, CNN reported.

This is expected to put pressure on Asian currencies.

The Singapore dollar is currently trading at S$1.29 per US$1 while the Malaysian ringget is trading at RM4.14 per US$1.

The United States has accepted Singapore's request to buy 18 Common Fire Control Systems (CFCS) upgrade kits for its M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), in a deal worth an estimated US$73 million (S$94.3 million).

The deal was announced in a press release by the U.S. State Department on Jun. 15.

The CFCS controls launchers and manages weapons systems through the use of digital processing, sharpening targeting accuracy and overall operational effectiveness.

Responding to queries from CNA, Singapore's Ministry of Defence (Mindef) described HIMARS as a land-based precision strike asset that has formed part of the SAF's arsenal since 2010.

The ministry noted that the system remains a key part of the SAF's operational capabilities amid its ongoing modernisation efforts, and will be upgraded to keep pace with evolving operational and training needs.

The proposed deal also covers support equipment, technical documentation, spare parts, training, and various forms of U.S. government and contractor assistance, engineering, logistics and field office support.

The State Department said the sale "will not alter the basic military balance in the region" and added that it would strengthen Singapore's ability to address current and future security challenges.

It described Singapore as a "strategic partner that is an important force for political stability and economic progress in Asia".

What is HIMARS?

The HIMARS carries a single pod of six Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) rockets and can launch the full range of MLRS munitions.

According to Mindef's website, its Guided MLRS M31 Unitary rockets are 227mm surface-to-surface weapons that use inertial guidance and GPS assistance, each carrying a 200-pound class high-explosive warhead designed for precise, lethal strikes.

The system can hit targets up to 70km away, takes under 20 seconds to prepare for firing, and can release a full load of six rockets within 45 seconds.

Part of wider upgrade

This latest deal follows a separate HIMARS-related acquisition that MINDEF confirmed in April 2026 — the purchase of M30A2 GMLRS Alternative Warhead pods, in a deal the U.S. State Department valued at roughly US$83.1 million (S$107.4 million).

In a speech at the Committee of Supply back in March 2025, then-Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen had said the SAF's HIMARS launchers would be upgraded with more advanced rockets.

On this latest sale, the U.S. State Department said it would have "no adverse impact on U.S. defence readiness".

Five months after giving birth via C-section, Ezzah Haa Meed, 34, completed her first set of 10 pull ups in her life.

It is an impressive feat for any new mother, much less someone brand new to proper strength training just a year ago.

When Ezzah started training in 2024, she had not set out to pursue physical results, but simply to feel like herself again.

Like many mothers, her life had revolved around work, responsibilities and raising her children. Somewhere along the way, the active, energetic version of herself slowly faded into the background.

"I felt like I really lost touch with myself," she said.

Then, just two months later, she found out she was pregnant with her third child.

Meanwhile, for 55-year-old Nitin Gokhale, a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in 2020 threatened to put an end to pursuing the hobbies he loved.

The seasoned mountain trekker had spent more than three decades running marathons, playing racquet sports and scaling mountains around the world, but was forced to grapple with the possibility of never doing so again.

For the first time in years, he found himself wondering, "Can I go back to my active life?"

Learning to trust her body

Before meeting her personal trainer Jordan at Fitness First in July 2024, exercise had always been on Ezzah's list of things she would get around to "one day".

She had been active in her school years, but adulthood and motherhood later took precedence.

Even when she began her gym journey, she embodied the mindset of "let's just give it a try and see where it gets me," she said.

Initially, Ezzah’s focus was simple: learn proper techniques, build strength and create healthy habits.

Then two months in, she found out she was pregnant with her third child.

While for many women, pregnancy is often accompanied by caution, uncertainty and a long list of restrictions, Ezzah learnt to safely adapt her training to support her changing body.

“It's not necessarily a time that you see yourself as fragile…I think it was quite empowering,” she said.

She became fascinated by what her body was still capable of doing, rather than what it could no longer do.

As training sessions evolved, exercises, expectations and progress gradually shifted as well.

Looking back, Ezzah credited that period of her life with fundamentally changing the way she viewed herself.

"It really made me realise how remarkable the female body is," she said.

"Every phase of life, before pregnancy, during pregnancy and after pregnancy, demands a newer version of you."

The physical benefits were obvious – she felt stronger, more energetic and better equipped to manage the demands of everyday life.

But mentally, she also found that each small milestone became proof that there was still untapped potential within her.

"When I saw progress, not just with pull-ups but with other exercises, it gave me a lot of motivation to continue," she said.

From C-section recovery to Hyrox

When Ezzah delivered her third child via C-section in June 2025, it took all of six weeks for her to return to the gym.

She was surprised by how quickly her body responded, eventually achieving 10 pull-ups by October.

Training also became a dedicated time to reset mentally, reconnect with herself and temporarily step away from the persistent demands of motherhood.

The confidence Ezzah had gained in herself later pushed her beyond the gym.

In April 2026, she completed her first Hyrox race alongside Jordan, which has remained a favourite fitness memory of hers, she said.

"Usually, I'm the one struggling while my PT looks annoyingly unfazed during training sessions," she laughed.

"This time, I finally got to witness him break out in sweat too."

The experience also gave her the momentum to challenge herself further.

"Instead of feeling like I've completed something, it left me even more motivated to keep improving, get stronger and eventually beat my previous race time."

She would gladly do Hyrox again, maybe even solo the next time, she said.

In reflecting on that first leap of faith she took in starting her fitness journey, she said, “that decision, I think, changed many other things.”

Starting again from zero

For Nitin, the ACL injury he sustained while playing badminton in 2020 threatened not only his mobility, but also a way of life he had grown familiar with.

At his peak, the avid mountain trekker has had a stellar track record of scaling heights in the mountaineering world, from Malaysia’s Mount Kinabalu to Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Nepal’s Everest Base Camp.

Multiple doctors had advised him against returning to trekking, squash or any of his usual activities, which was a discouraging initial diagnosis for a man who had spent more than half his life engaging in them.

Then one doctor at Singapore General Hospital, who happened to be an ultramarathon runner, gave him the vote of confidence.

“50 per cent is surgery, 50 per cent is physio[therapy], or basically how you put [in] your effort,” Nitin was told.

Post-surgery, Nitin leaned on Rajiv, his personal trainer at Fitness First since 2018.

The pair were used to high intensity training focused on endurance and strength, as preparing for treks had been the primary focus of pre-surgery workout sessions.

In the year after the surgery, they “started from zero”, working on rebuilding leg strength that Nitin had lost.

Instead of cardio and core training, the focus was now on the basic act of finding balance.

Asked about his training with Rajiv, Nitin said he was a trainer who could “understand your goal and specifically target those exercises which help you to improve your endurance, at the same time your strength.”

Rajiv was also “the best torture person”, Nitin added with a laugh.

“He is…never kind of, “No, you should not do that”. He always pushes the limit,” said Nitin, who added that his trainer had a flair for adjusting training methods according to the goal.

Returning to the mountains

The pair persisted with foundational training for two years and it paid off.

By 2023, Nitin finally made his second ascent to Everest Base Camp as a “test” of whether his leg strength had returned to normal.

This was later followed by multiple 10km runs and multi-day treks, including the Himalayan Langtang Valley in Nepal which he described as “not that tough”.

While the summit was 4,700 metres in height and the trek involved walking on an edge along a river, his only comment on it was calling it “a beautiful one”.

For now, Nitin’s next goal is a half-marathon, something he has not attempted for five years.

Scaling higher mountains of up to 7,000 metres also sits next on the list of what he wants to achieve.

It starts with you and stops at you

Like Ezzah, Nitin’s fitness journey had been marked by a desire to reclaim his identity.

Asked about his perception of fitness goals, he emphasised that fitness is a personal target that should change according to the circumstances, and also a mental challenge.

“It starts with you and stops at you,” he said.

“You set your own goal to be fit, and you define your own baseline and your own goals about what fitness is.”

This branded article by Fitness First motivated this writer to hit the gym.

Singapore's first dedicated wellness attraction, Therme Singapore, is set to open at Marina South in 2030 with more than 20 pools and water features, 18 waterslides, and over 70 treatment rooms.

First announced in November 2025, Therme Singapore will span more than 720,000 sq ft. of gross floor area—roughly nine football fields—across seven floors and a basement.

It is projected to draw around 2 million visitors a year at full capacity, with about half expected to come from overseas.

Therme Group marked the project's groundbreaking on Jun. 19 at the IMBA Theatre at Gardens by the Bay, with Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu as guest-of-honour.

18 waterslides and "drinking-quality" pools

The visitor experience is organised into three zones: Play, Relax, and Restore.

The family-focused Play zone gathers the water attractions—indoor and outdoor pools, a wave pool, a dedicated children's pool, and 18 waterslides running to a combined length of about 1.8km.

Relax leans into rest, with mineral pools, hydrotherapy and terrace pools set among tropical planting.

Restore is the wellness-and-treatment end of the development, built around saunas, steam rooms, cold plunge pools, and massage rooms.

All told, there will be more than 20 pools and water attractions, over 70 treatment, sauna and wellness rooms, and around 86,000 sq ft. given over to food and beverage.

The indoor environment is designed to hold a steady tropical climate year-round, with indoor air targeted at around 30°C and pools at around 32°C.

Therme also says its pools will run on a continuously monitored, multi-stage treatment system that keeps water quality at a standard comparable to drinking water—a step up, it argues, from conventional public bathing facilities.

The design reflects what Therme Group's founder and chief executive Robert Hanea calls a new form of "social infrastructure", making wellbeing something that is “accessible, joyful, and integrated into everyday city life”.

400 jobs, including "sauna masters"

Therme Singapore is also expecting to create around 400 jobs, spanning construction, engineering, facilities management, operations, and hospitality.

Some of these are specialised roles such as sauna masters, also known as "Aufgussmeisters", who lead sauna rituals.

To build that pipeline, Therme Singapore has signed memorandums of understanding on Jun. 19 with the Institute of Technical Education and Republic Polytechnic, covering skills development, internships, and employment pathways for graduates.

Mah Bow Tan, Chairman of Therme Group Asia and Therme Singapore, said the project's value would not be measured by the visitor experience alone.

"Beyond the visitor experience, Therme Singapore is also about people, creating jobs, developing new capabilities, and supporting Singapore's tourism, hospitality and wellness sectors.”

200,000 plants and a coastal park

Sustainability features heavily in the design. Therme Singapore is aiming to be developed as a BCA Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy building, with rooftop solar panels, smart irrigation, and water-recycling and ultrafiltration systems threaded through the development.

Nature is woven throughout as well. The main development is set to hold more than 200,000 plants across 200 species, including orchids and native Southeast Asian varieties, along with more than 250 trees and palms.

Beyond the building, a coastal park of almost 4 hectares will connect Therme Singapore to Marina Barrage, opening up public access to the waterfront.

The park alone is planned to feature over 350,000 plants and more than 650 trees and palms.

Mah said the development must be distinctively Singaporean, and not "another successful concept imported from overseas".

“It must be of Singapore. It must respond to our climate, our culture, our food, our traditions, our way of life.”

Wellness tourism a "key growth area" for Singapore: Grace Fu

In her address, Fu positioned the development within Singapore's tourism strategy, noting that wellness tourism is a key growth area under the country's Tourism 2040 vision, with the S$1 billion facility set to become Singapore's first dedicated wellness attraction and Asia's first large-scale thermal wellness destination.

Adding that Therme Group has established its regional headquarters in Singapore from which it will run its pipeline of projects across Asia, the minister said that this reflects a "strong confidence in our economy and ecosystem".

A domestic helper in Singapore was burned with an iron by her employer's mother-in-law after she got angry at the helper for placing the iron near a wooden cabinet.

The defendant, Chen Longying (transliteration), pleaded guilty on Jun. 15 to one charge of abuse of the domestic worker.

The victim, a 28-year-old Burmese, had been working for Chen, 67, since Jul. 11, 2024, Shin Min Daily News reported.

At the time of the incident, Chen lived with her husband, son, daughter-in-law, and two grandsons, and Chen's daughter-in-law was the victim's legal employer.

This was the victim's first time working in Singapore.

Hot iron

On Sep. 6, 2024, at 6:30pm, the helper was ironing clothes at home and had placed the unplugged hot iron on the floor after.

Chen noticed that the iron was placed very close to the wooden cabinet and got angry, scolding the helper for being careless.

The helper reportedly argued that the iron wasn't hot, which made Chen even angrier.

She then grabbed the iron from the floor, placed it on the helper's right arm for about two seconds, and asked her if it was hot.

The helper then insisted that it wasn't hot, and Chen pressed it on her arm for another two seconds.

When the helper began to cry and apologise, Chen reportedly refused to accept it and ordered her to continue doing the housework.

Accustomed to corporal punishment: Defence

During the court hearing, Chen's lawyer said that she grew up in China, where she was "accustomed to corporal punishment".

It was also revealed that she was suffering from severe depression at the time of the offence.

The domestic helper's injuries were serious enough to require 90 days of medical leave, Shin Min reported.

She did not seek immediate treatment after sustaining the burn injuries and was only taken to a clinic two days later through arrangements made by the employment agency.

The prosecution urged the court to impose a prison sentence of between 18 and 21 months.

The prosecution also asked the court to order Chen to compensate the helper, including S$10,000 for emotional and mental distress and a further S$1,000 for two months of lost income.

Following the incident, Chen had reportedly already paid the helper S$10,000 as a gesture of apology.

The Korean police are investigating a former candidate for the Busan mayoral elections over suspicions that an attack he supposedly experienced during a campaign event was actually staged.

Jeong Yi-han, 38, ran for mayor of Busan under the Reform Party and lost in the Jun. 3 elections, finishing third with 1.56 per cent of the votes.

On Apr. 27, his team claimed that while greeting voters near a metro station, he was hit by a drink cup a man threw out of a car window, The Chosun Daily reported.

According to his team, Jeong lost his balance trying to avoid the cup and fell, and was taken to a hospital run by his father.

He was also diagnosed with a concussion.

Collusion suspected

After the purported attacker was arrested the day of the incident, he confessed to the police, saying he "committed the crime in a fit of rage".

Jeong visited the man after he was discharged from the hospital two days later and requested leniency for him from the police.

He was then seen returning to the campaign trail wearing a neck brace.

Through investigations, the police found that Jeong and the alleged attacker knew each other, and they spoke over the phone before the Apr. 27 incident.

The police thus began to suspect the two may have colluded to stage the incident.

While the campaign was still ongoing, the police investigated the incident quietly to avoid influencing the vote, The Korea Herald reported.

On Jun. 4, the day after the election, they searched Jeong’s campaign office.

Possible charges

The police are reportedly reviewing possible charges against Jeong, including obstruction of official duties by deception, dissemination of false information, and violations of election law.

The authorities also received a report claiming that the hospital Jeong was admitted to falsely diagnosed him with a concussion, according to The Chosun Daily.

After Jeong lost in the mayoral elections, he announced his retirement from politics and left his party by submitting a withdrawal request online.

The leader of the Reform Party Lee Jun-seok apologised over the police investigations in a Facebook post on Jun. 18, saying he felt "infinite responsibility", and pledged full cooperation with the authorities.