A 27-year-old Singaporean man lured a 14-year-old girl into providing sexual services in exchange for money, cigarettes, and alcohol.

On Jun. 2, the accused, Hazim Bin Yazid, pleaded guilty to one count of commercial sex with a minor under 18, Shin Min Daily News reported.

Another charge of offering monetary or material benefits to a person under 18 in exchange for sexual services will be considered by the judge during sentencing.

Money, cigarettes, and alcohol

Hazim frequently used Telegram and other social media to send messages to communicate with others.

He would ask those he messaged if they wanted to ride on his motorcycle and he also used the messaging chat app to seek prostitutes.

In September 2025, the 14-year-old contacted Hazim via Telegram requesting a motorcycle ride.

Although she had already found someone by the time he replied, the pair continued communicating.

The girl then told Hazim that she and her female friend needed money to buy cigarettes and alcohol.

They admitted that they were both under the legal age of 18 and asked him if he could help them purchase the items.

Hazim asked if the two were willing to provide sexual services.

He then said he was willing to pay S$100 to S$200 for them to buy cigarettes and alcohol, but they would have to perform oral sex on him.

The girl agreed, saying her female friend, a 12-year-old, would accompany her, and they would decide whether to proceed when they met.

Meet-up

In court documents seen by Mothership, the trio met up on Sep. 17, 2025.

Hazim drove his company’s van to a multi-storey car park in Bukit Batok.

He parked it at a higher level, which was a less congested area.

He then arranged a private hire car for the girls that took them from Hougang to Bukit Batok.

When the girls arrived, Hazim invited them to sit in front of the passenger seat of the van and asked their ages.

They were underaged girls.

He then asked if the girls were willing to perform oral sex on him.

The girls refused, but the 14-year-old girl offered to give him a handjob in exchange for money, cigarettes and alcohol.

The 12-year-old offered to keep a lookout.

After the act was completed, Hazim gave them S$100, cigarettes and a bottle of liquor.

He then arranged for another private-hire car to send them to a mall in Serangoon.

Hazim was arrested on Nov. 4, 2025.

It was not disclosed how the police became aware of his crimes.

Jail term of at least five months

The prosecution sought a minimum jail term of at least five months and argued that Hazim's should not just be fined for his actions.

The prosecution stated that the the accused was aware the girl was a minor, but still allowed her to satisfy his sexual desires.

Hazim also faces another charge involving the 12-year-old girl, whom he attempted to lure with cigarettes, alcohol, and money.

While the provision of cigarettes to a minor is an offence, which was not prosecuted in this case, the prosecution cited it as an aggravating factor in sentencing.

As Hazim’s original lawyer had withdrawn representation, the case has been adjourned to Jun. 29 to allow him to enter his plea.

The judge is expected to deliver the sentence that day.

Hazim could face a jail term of up to seven years, a fine, or both.

For Kartini Mohd Kamil, the blue pattern painted on the wall of her Bedok home is now one of the many memories left behind by her son, Lutfi Adib Yusof.

“I still remember how he did it. It has become a very precious memory for us,” Kartini, 56, told Berita Harian (BH), while holding back tears.

Her son, whom she described as cheerful, loving and helpful, died in a road accident near Machap, Johor, at around 5am on May 31.

The accident happened slightly over a week before his passing-out parade (POP) on Jun. 7.

“The light of my life”

Speaking to BH, Kartini said that Lutfi was a cheerful child who had many friends.

“Many people told me he was someone who liked to help others,” she said.

“He was truly a good son. Since young, he loved singing and playing music. He played the guitar, then asked me to sing along with him, and we recorded the singing.”

She added: “In whatever he did, he would give it his all. Now, all of this is left as memories.”

Kartini said Lutfi had been supportive of her even when he was young and she was going through a divorce.

When she later remarried, Lutfi accepted it and gave his blessing, she said.

“He was truly the light of my life,” Kartini said.

Loved music, went for umrah with his mother

Lutfi had loved singing and playing music since he was young, according to BH.

He had also performed umrah, a minor Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, with his mother when he was 12.

Kartini said she still remembered how Lutfi was once featured in BH when he was in primary school, after taking part in a youth outreach programme at Tampines West Community Club.

These memories have taken on new meaning for the family after his death.

Last journey to Port Dickson

Lutfi’s eldest brother, Muhammad Ashraf Yusof, 28, told BH that Lutfi had left home for Johor Bahru and reached a motorcycle workshop at around 10:30pm.

There, he changed his motorcycle exhaust and waited for his friends.

However, the group was delayed and told him they would only arrive after 3am. Lutfi was supposed to meet his friend at BPoint in Johor Bahru.

Lutfi later decided to continue the journey to Port Dickson alone, without waiting for his friends.

He then went to Machap to refuel.

His friend, Shahrul Nizam Nor Rizal, 24, and the others later saw Lutfi’s location near a petrol station in Machap through the Life360 app.

“As Lutfi was not replying to messages, we tried contacting workshops in the area that we usually visit to ask if anyone had seen him,” Shahrul said.

He added that Lutfi was riding his motorcycle at the time, and he believed someone would recognise it.

The group eventually contacted a Malaysian man who was in the area.

“The man told us he had seen someone riding my motorcycle and that the motorcycle appeared to be having problems,” Shahrul said.

A video shown by Lutfi’s family showed him lying by the roadside, according to BH, wearing a bright blue jacket and a white helmet. The video was recorded by the same Malaysian man.

“I knew he was going to leave us”

Kartini said that on the morning of May 31, she had felt unusually still.

She told BH:

“Usually when I wake up in the morning, I would wash the dishes or hang out the laundry. That morning, I just sat still and stared blankly. I myself did not know why."

She said she was reciting prayers when the house phone rang — something she said rarely happened in the morning.

The call was from her daughter, who told her that Lutfi had been in an accident.

“In my heart, I kept praying that we would be able to see him in time. When we arrived at the hospital and saw everyone crying, deep down, I knew he was going to leave us,” Kartini said.

“Lutfi is gone. I wanted him to go peacefully. We could not keep wailing or act irrationally.”

Lutfi’s body was buried at Pusara Aman in Singapore at around 11am on Jun. 1.

Motorcycle believed to have broken down

Preliminary investigations found that the accident happened at the North-South Expressway in Batu Pahat, Johor.

Lutfi was believed to have been travelling to Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, when the motorcycle he was riding developed mechanical problems.

He then stopped in the emergency lane before a lorry travelling in the same direction lost control and crashed into the motorcycle.

Lutfi suffered severe head injuries and died while being taken to Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital.

The 45-year-old lorry driver was not injured.

A 51-year-old man was arrested on a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Chicago, U.S., for behaving in an unruly manner.

The man, identified as Juan Gabriel Reyes, allegedly choked an off-duty flight attendant, attempted to open an emergency exit door, tried to break into the cockpit, and attempted to urinate onto the lavatory floor, CNN reported.

The incident took place on May 31 on a flight on Frontier Airlines, an American ultra-low-cost carrier, 45 minutes after departure from San Juan.

Disruptive

According to an arrest affidavit, Reyes reportedly became disruptive and wanted to get off the plane.

He then apparently made attempts to open an emergency exit door.

After being prevented from doing so, Reyes purportedly approached the cockpit and began “shoving his shoulder aggressively on the pilot’s door”.

A flight attendant ushered Reyes away from the cockpit door and permitted him to use the lavatory on the way back to his seat.

Reyes allegedly attempted to urinate onto the lavatory floor.

Off-duty flight attendant sat in his row

He was then escorted to a new seat.

An off-duty flight attendant volunteered to sit in his row.

When the off-duty flight attendant relocated his belongings and went to the lavatory, Reyes tried to grab his bag off the floor.

When the off-duty flight attendant told Reyes to stop and moved to a seat across the aisle, Reyes reportedly “got on top of the victim” and “grabbed the victim by the head and choked him”.

Restrained

Several passengers and on-duty flight attendants proceeded to restrain Reyes.

In a TikTok, passengers and flight attendants were seen restraining Reyes using flex cuffs.

@isamarrsilvaa Frontier Puerto Rico To Chicago Flight Delay, Emergency Stop At Miami #frontierairlines #puertoricotochicago #miami #intoxicaded #flightattendants ♬ original sound - Isamarr Silvaa

A man wearing a black t-shirt that said “Jiu-Jitsu”, which appeared to be merchandise from the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), was seen on top of Reyes.

A passenger was heard saying, “Chill out, bro,” in response to Reyes, who was shouting while being restrained.

A flight attendant then instructed the man to tie the flex cuffs behind Reyes' back.

“The strap’s too tight,” the man said.

Reyes was heard shouting expletives in protest.

“You already broke out once,” another passenger said in response.

“You’re not gonna die,” he added.

With the help of other passengers, Reyes was eventually restrained.

According to CBS News, one of those who helped restrain Reyes was Josh Longood, a former mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter.

"I knew he was gonna do something crazy so I restrained him and then, like, put him against the window and kinda safely controlled him so he couldn't hurt anybody," Longood said.

Diverted

The flight was eventually diverted to Miami International Airport and landed at about 11:55pm.

Reyes was taken into custody by the local police and turned over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for questioning.

The flight proceeded to Chicago a few hours later, Frontier Airlines said.

Reyes was charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants and assault within maritime and territorial jurisdiction.

The life expectancy for Singapore residents was 83.9 years in 2025.

According to the Department of Statistics (SingStat), this is a 0.2-year increase from 83.7 years in 2024.

Higher than pre-pandemic peak

This is also higher than the pre-pandemic peak of 83.7 years in 2019, and an improvement of 1.0 year from 82.9 years in 2015.

Respectively, resident male and female life expectancies at birth were 81.8 years and 86.0 years in 2025.

This is an improvement of 0.3 years for males and 0.2 years for females from 2024.

Over the past 10 years, male life expectancy improved by 1.3 years from 80.5 years in 2015, while female life expectancy improved by 0.9 years from 85.1 years in 2015.

Improvements for residents aged 65

Singapore residents who are 65 years old in 2025 can expect to live to 86.6 years.

This is an improvement of 0.2 years from 2024 and 0.8 years from 2015.

Male residents aged 65 in 2025 can expect to live to 84.9 years, an improvement of 1.0 years from 2015.

Female residents, aged 65 in 2025, on the other hand, can expect to live to 88.1 years, an improvement of 0.8 years from 2015.

Newborn babies

Expected survival rates of Singapore resident newborns continued to improve between 2015 and 2025.

The proportion of newborn boys expected to be alive at age 65 years increased from 89.0 per cent to 90.3 per cent, with a larger improvement in the proportion expected to be alive at age 85 years, rising from 42.3 per cent to 47.6 per cent.

Newborn girls showed better survival rates.

The proportion expected to be alive at age 65 years increased from 93.6 per cent to 94.4 per cent, while the proportion expected to be alive at age 85 years showed a larger increase from 59.0 per cent to 64.3 per cent.

An elderly man in his 60s suffered a heart attack while swimming at Serangoon Swimming Complex.

He was rescued by a lifeguard on duty, who performed cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.

The man was later conveyed to the hospital.

Lifeguard seen performing CPR

According to Shin Min Daily News, the incident occurred at around 7am on Jun. 3, 2026.

When a pool user, Zhang (transliteration), arrived at Serangoon Swimming Complex at around 7:12am, she was informed by the staff that the pool was temporarily closed.

Zhang said she saw an elderly man lying by the poolside.

A lifeguard was seen performing CPR on the man.

Another female lifeguard was seen monitoring the elderly man's condition.

According to Zhang, the elderly man was not responsive and the atmosphere was tense, Shin Min wrote.

"There were quite a few members of the public watching from the entrance. Some were also in their swimming attire. They were swimming at the time before being told to exit the pool by the staff," Zhang said.

Conveyed to hospital

When Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers arrived, they took over the CPR effort, Zhang said.

About 10 minutes later, the elderly man was put on the ambulance.

He was apparently unconscious at the time.

Zhang also shared that there were at least five police officers at the scene.

They were seen speaking to the two lifeguards.

The pool had already been reopened to the public by the time Shin Min visited at around 10am.

In response to media queries, SCDF said they received a call for assistance at 7:05am.

One person was sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, according to SCDF.

In a statement, a SportSG spokesperson said that an incident occurred at the ActiveSG Serangoon Swimming Complex.

“Medical assistance was promptly administered to the affected individual by our lifeguards and staff, in accordance with our emergency response protocols,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that SportSG is in touch with the next-of-kin and understand that the individual is currently receiving medical care.

A woman was sentenced on Jun. 3 to four months’ jail and ordered to pay S$5,000 in compensation after she pulled off her domestic helper’s headscarf while the two were in a lift.

According to CNA, the woman, 55-year-old Hasnah Hashim, pleaded guilty to two out of five counts of causing hurt, with the remaining charges taken into consideration during sentencing.

She also slapped the 32-year-old Indonesian domestic worker on a separate occasion.

What happened

Court documents seen by Mothership stated that the offences took place in August 2024 when Hasnah was still the victim's employer.

On Aug. 23 that year, both women had gone to the market in the morning and returned home at about 7:23am.

As the victim reached the ground-floor lobby, she entered a lift first and pressed the button to close the doors just as Hasnah was entering.

Hasnah managed to stop the doors from closing and stepped into the lift.

Angered by the incident, she grabbed the victim’s headscarf with both hands and pulled it down forcefully.

In the process, she also pulled the victim’s hair, causing her pain, and removed the headscarf, which the prosecution said caused humiliation as it was worn for religious purposes, CNA reported.

The incident was captured on video and later submitted as evidence in court.

The victim lodged a police report later that day and was taken for a medical examination.

She was found to have a 2cm bruise on her upper lip, which stemmed from an earlier incident three days prior, when Hasnah slapped the victim after she mistakenly placed a packet of tofu in the freezer.

Charge sheets further revealed that Hasnah had, on separate occasions in August 2024, hit the victim’s forehead with a mobile phone, pinched her thigh and pulled and twisted her ears.

These incidents formed the remaining charges that were taken into consideration for sentencing, CNA reported.

The prosecution added that the victim has remained unemployed since Aug. 23, 2024.

It said she had been unable to secure work as prospective employers were concerned that her employment could be disrupted if she were required to testify in court.

Her last drawn monthly salary was S$882.

Sentencing

The prosecution sought a jail term of between four and six months, and a compensation order of S$8,500.

This included S$1,000 for pain and suffering and the remainder for loss of income.

It noted that the victim had lost about S$18,500 in earnings over roughly 21 months of unemployment, but cited precedent in arguing against full compensation for the entire period.

According to CNA, Hasnah’s lawyer sought a three-month jail term, arguing that his client was remorseful and deserved leniency.

He also submitted references from her former domestic helpers, who described a positive working relationship, to show that she had generally been a good employer.

The defence further said Hasnah had spent about S$14,600 on the victim’s lodging and food during the period she was not working, and proposed a compensation order of S$1,000.

However, the prosecution argued that accommodation and food expenses were separate from the victim’s loss of earnings.

The judge ultimately ordered Hasnah to pay S$5,000 in compensation, comprising S$1,000 for suffering and S$4,000 for loss of salary, and sentenced her to four months’ imprisonment.

If convicted of voluntarily causing hurt, one can be jailed for up to three years, fined up to S$5,000, or both.

As the offences were committed against a domestic worker, Hasnah faced double the maximum penalty.

The National Parks Board (NParks) has confirmed five leopard cats in the Changi area through a survey, and plans to relocate them to suitable habitats in other parts of Singapore from the second half of 2026.

The potential relocation sites may include nature areas such as nature reserves, NParks announced in a Jun. 3 press release.

In identifying these sites, NParks consulted the Singapore Wildcat Action Group (SWAG) and mammal researcher Marcus Chua from the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum of the National University of Singapore, and considered ecological needs such as the availability of forest cover and suitable prey.

The three parties will discuss whether to keep or separate the five leopard cats in the relocation, the Director of the NParks National Biodiversity Centre (Terrestrial), Zhou Boyi, told the media on Jun. 3.

He added that NParks will not be revealing the exact relocation sites, citing concerns about human disturbance and illegal activities such as poaching.

NParks made this announcement with SWAG ahead of the Festival of Biodiversity, happening on Jun. 6 and 7.

Leopard cats in Changi

The mainland leopard cat is an adaptable wild cat species native to Singapore and other parts of Asia, according to NParks.

Locally, the species is listed as critically endangered. To NParks' knowledge, there are currently less than 20 individual leopard cats on the Singapore mainland, Zhou added.

NParks said that it has been aware of occasional leopard cat sightings in the Changi area since 2019.

To better understand their presence and the distribution there, the agency facilitated a survey by SWAG along the Changi coast from July 2025.

Using 18 motion-sensor camera traps, the team confirmed the presence of five leopard cats — two adult males, one adult female, and two juveniles.

When asked how the creatures got there, Zhou said it was possible that some from the established population in Pulau Tekong might have swum across the sea to colonise the Changi area.

Protecting their welfare

NParks decided to relocate the leopard cats from Changi as part of biodiversity conservation efforts for the species.

Speaking to the media, the co-founder of SWAG, Vilma D'Rozario, described the sighting locations as near a lot of construction and roads where heavy vehicles pass.

There was a leopard cat roadkill in Changi in 2019 that raised the SWAG's concern about the welfare of the animals there.

Additionally, with the upcoming developments to the Changi landscape over time, relocation is required to better support the species' health and welfare, NParks stated in the press release.

Leopard cats generally require access to relatively large, contiguous forested areas to meet their daily ecological needs, NParks added.

D'Rozario added that she does not encourage people to look for the leopard cats in Changi, to avoid disrupting the relocation process.

Further assessments before relocation

Prior to any relocation and release, veterinarians from NParks and Mandai Wildlife Group will first assess the leopard cats to ensure that they are in good health.

"Any relocation, if carried out, will be undertaken progressively and carefully, with ongoing monitoring, and with the animals’ welfare and long-term survival as the primary considerations," the agency said.

Zhou also noted other possible risks such as stress during the recapture and the transportation, and the challenges of the animals adapting to the new environment.

"To mitigate this risk, what we will put in place is to ensure that the travelling and handling operations will be undertaken by trained professionals, and we will also have a vet on standby throughout the trapping period," he said.

Starting January 2027, the starting monthly salary of new local bus captains will increase by S$450, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on Jun. 3, 2026.

This will be accompanied by a S$2,000 increase in the first-year sign-on bonuses.

Bus operators have also collectively agreed to make a one-time adjustment to the salaries of all in-service bus captains, LTA also said.

The announcement was made in a joint news release with the major bus operators and the National Transport Workers' Union (NTWU).

Average monthly salary increases to more than S$4,000

The increments, funded by the government, are meant to attract more local bus captains and are implemented in consultation with the National Transport Workers' Union, LTA said.

With the increments to the starting salary and first year of sign-on bonus for new local bus captains, LTA estimated that most local bus captains can earn S$600 more per month in their first year of service.

Taking into account increases to the basic pay, overtime, allowances and bonuses, the average monthly salaries of new local bus captains will effectively increase to more than S$4,000, according to LTA.

One-time salary adjustment for in-service bus captains

The bus operators — SBS Transit, Go-Ahead Singapore, Tower Transit and SMRT — have also collectively agreed with the NTWU to make a one-time adjustment to the salaries of all in-service bus captains.

This is to manage "wage relativity, improve retention and recognise the contributions of in-service bus captains", LTA said.

The bus operators will also continue to improve the attractiveness and safety of the bus captain role, such as by reducing split-shift assignments and shortening continuous driving time on long bus routes, LTA added.

Strong pipeline of captains needed to deliver enhancements: LTA

LTA explained that a "strong pipeline of bus captains" is needed to deliver bus connectivity enhancements and sustain essential public bus services.

Since the launch of the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme in July 2024, there have been 33 new or extended bus routes and improvements to over 60 existing services, LTA noted.

However, the bus captain workforce is ageing.

For every local bus captain recruited, two are leaving the industry due to resignation or retirement, according to LTA.

The proportion of local bus captains has also declined from 54 per cent in 2021 to 41 per cent in 2025.

Commitment to take care of public transport workers: Jeffrey Siow

On the announced starting pay and sign-on bonus adjustments, Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow said that they reflect "our commitment to take care of our public transport workers".

"A larger pool of bus captains will also allow us to improve working conditions, including shift arrangements, and make bus driving a more sustainable career," Siow commented.

Siow had previously shared in a parliamentary written reply in February 2026 that the government was reviewing the starting salary of bus captains.

In March, Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Member of Parliament Yeo Wan Ling, who is also NTWU's Executive Secretary, shared during her remarks in Parliament that the starting basic salary of new bus captains was around S$2,250.

A significant amount of income depends on overtime, Yeo said at the time.

The major bus operators had also previously announced a S$20,000 sign-on bonus for Singaporeans and permanent residents.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth came to Singapore to speak on May 30 with a clear message: U.S. allies needed to spend more on their national defence.

3.5 per cent was the number cited to be considered a “model ally” and be given priority for weapons systems, defence infrastructure collaboration, to name a few things.

Those who fell under that number were accused of freeloading on the back of U.S. taxpayers.

Sic vis pacem

Hegseth referenced that old Roman aphorism “Sic vis pacem, para bellum”, or as he said in English: “those who long for peace must prepare for war.”

Peace is achieved through deterrence, and words do not deter, he might say.

So in front of a conference audience, he advocated: Less conferences, more combat power.

"Sorry to say this here, but more ships, less Shangri-La."

Left unsaid (because it didn't need to be said out loud) was the implication that those countries should buy American.

But East Asia spends more and more every year on its security, IISS estimates that from 2025 to 2026, Asia’s spending grew by 3.5 per cent.

It's not weaponry that East Asian countries yearn for.

It's dialogue and transparency.

With all due respect to the SecDef, Asia needs more Shangri-La Dialogue and fewer ships.

Interlocutor

From the very first moments of 2026 SLD, at Vietnam President To Lam's keynote speech, he lamented a lack of strategic trust, causing states to “interpret one another's actions through a lens of mistrust and anxiety.”

“Where trust declines, defensive measures may even be perceived as provocation.”

To Lam called for transparency, dialogue and substantive information sharing to reduce misunderstandings, a call that was echoed by Australian defence minister Richard Marles in reference to the safety of Australia’s undersea cables.

Since 2024, there have been numerous occasions where undersea cables in the Baltic Sea and the Taiwan Strait were cut under suspicious circumstances.

As this Centre for Strategic and International Studies document details: China is often accused of being responsible for such cuts, the Baltic incidents occurred with China-flagged ships, but as the report itself admits: accidents are common.

In his address on May 30, Marles called on China to be transparent about its maritime operations, saying that it would be a meaningful contribution to regional stability.

Japan and China

China for its part was notable by its so-called “absence”.

For the second year in a row, Minister of National Defense Dong Jun did not make an appearance, but its delegation was impossible to miss.

A fairly large group, they took part in breakout sessions at a fairly high level, including a Major General and a former Ambassador to the United States.

They also made their presence felt by asking questions during plenary sessions, including one incident of chiding Japan’s defence minister for supposedly not apologising for Japan’s Second World War atrocities in Asia, as it did in Australia.

The Guns of August

China and Japan's mutual antagonism is pertinent because it appears as if they are being drawn into what is known as a security dilemma.

A security dilemma describes a situation where two or more countries are suspicious of each other’s military intent and lack the means through which to defuse those tensions.

Instead of engaging in diplomacy to resolve said tensions, they take the logical precautionary step to increase their own security, usually by arming themselves with ever more and ever more advanced weaponry.

Every single weapons purchase, training scheme, or military exercise is interpreted by the rival as a move with offensive potential that must be responded to, drawing both sides into a never-ending spiral of militarisation and conflict, resulting in a situation where war feels all but inevitable.

It can be a scary thought because (and yes, this is what the dilemma is), the very thing a country feels is necessary to ensure its safety is the same thing that endangers it.

The entire pre-First World War period is rife with moments which are explained by the security dilemma, such as the naval arms race sparked by the completion of the battleship HMS Dreadnought.

The excellent book, The Guns of August, documents the final month before the war, where multiple empires took actions that they knew would antagonise other nations, but felt compelled because they could not otherwise assure their security.

And for that, they were drawn into a war they did not want, which ultimately destroyed almost all of them.

So there is literally a historical precedent for fewer ships and more dialogue.

The finger of blame

And so, the week just before SLD saw the Financial Times publish a startling report which detailed China President Xi Jinping “railing against Japan’s remilitarisation” to U.S. President Donald Trump.

And within my group chats, an idea circulated: maybe Xi doesn’t know about the security dilemma.

Of course he is probably fully aware of it, but on Sunday morning, Japan Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi gave a speech that seemed to confirm the dilemma’s spiral was in full effect.

Koizumi turned the finger of blame around and pointed it at China saying “There is a country that has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers. Japan has neither of such weapons.”

“And yet Japan is labeled ‘new militarism’. Isn’t it strange?”

Guns and ships

The Philippines National Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr similarly took to the SLD stage to condemn China’s behaviour in the South China Sea, with China biting back later that same day.

And to harken back to the fewer ships theme: one of the friction points between Japan and China is the JS Izumo, a ship that Japan claims was a helicopter carrier when launched in 2015, but China said was an aircraft carrier.

Well, that ship can now launch the F35B short take off stealth fighter, so China had a point.

But China launched its own aircraft carrier… in 2012, the PLANS Liaoning, so another instance where more ships are the literal problem.

As a citizen of Southeast Asia, the best-case scenario here is that it is a security dilemma and that none of these countries actually wants conflict with each other.

But the security dilemma shows that not wanting conflict is not enough. The opposing sides need to find ways of communicating where they do not assume the worst of each other.

To jaw-jaw

And this is where we get back to Hegseth’s words.

East Asia doesn’t really need motivation to spend more on weaponry and national defence, the motivation can be generated at a moment’s notice.

What the region needs are more opportunities to convince each other that they do not intend the worst, that security measures are, in fact, precautionary, not aggressive.

As the former First World War veteran and UK PM Winston Churchill once quipped, “To jaw-jaw is better than to war-war”, and Churchill was not exactly known as a peacemonger.

Breaking the spiral

When regional leaders call for more transparency, dialogue and information sharing, it is a call to break the spiral of aggression the dilemma encourages.

All parties involved clearly need more opportunities to show each other that, regardless of the current level of competition, regardless of historical harms, in the present moment, they mean no outright hostility.

Spending more money on weaponry doesn’t achieve this, and instead deepens the spiral and the dilemma.

Asia’s military spend, to underline the point, is not the issue, the continent is spending ever more money, year after year, decade after decade, and there are no indications that it will go down.

There are already quite enough ships, so let's try more Shangri-La Dialogues.

An Indonesian woman staying in Singapore went viral for posting her pre-wedding photo shoot on Instagram, complete with a head of broccoli as her bouquet.

On May 28, Nadia Loewito, who is in her 30s, shared pictures of the unique take on classic florals.

She captioned her post, "I'm thinking cauliflowers for the wedding".

"For the girlies who don't want to break the bank for a traditional bouquet, let me put you on broccoli bouquets! (They're so easy to [do-it-yourself] DIY and cost less than S$10."

Loewito told Mothership that the choice of bouquet was due to a mix of aesthetics and practicality.

"I’ve always thought a head of broccoli naturally looks like a perfect little green bouquet."

Ribbons, pearls, and broccoli

Loewito said she did not expect her post to gain traction, "watching it spark so much curiosity and viral debate has been a really surprising experience".

In her post, Loewito said the simple project only requires "satin ribbon, some adhesive pearls, and a head of broccoli".

She added in her photo captions that she had a head of broccoli in both her pre-wedding and engagement shoot.

"I genuinely think they're so adorable and chic (optional: have them for dinner afterwards)."

Loewito told Mothership that she did a quick search on Pinterest to see if anyone had tested the idea.

"Once I saw a few fun examples, I decided to just go for it."

She said that the whole process of decorating the broccoli took less than 10 minutes.

She added, "It was incredibly quick and easy. Honestly, nature did most of the heavy lifting with the shape."

Zero-waste option

Loewito told Mothership that she "loved the idea of a zero-waste option" that you can actually cook and eat afterwards.

When asked whether the couple consumed the broccoli after the shoot, Loewito said she and her soon-to-be husband, Sheratan, brought it home and air-fried it.

According to Loewito, who is a former wedding photographer, she had seen almost every traditional floral arrangement and wanted something abstract and avant-garde for herself.

However, when she looked into her wishlist, she could not justify the cost of the bouquets, which were expensive and would not last past the shoot.

Instead, she chose to pivot to the broccoli bouquet, calling it "the perfect way to express my love for unique aesthetics without the traditional price tag".

Recession indicator?

The top liked comments on the post said: "This is a recession indicator" and "Is this rage bait?"

When asked about her thoughts on the comments, she said: "The 'recession indicator' comment was hilarious, but it definitely wasn't that deep! I just see it as a fun, sustainable alternative to traditional flowers."

Some commenters also wondered if the bouquet was a joke.

Loewito took it in good stead, she said: "People were wondering if it was a joke, or assuming my partner just wouldn't buy me real flowers."

"I’d love to set the record straight: it definitely wasn’t a joke or rage bait. It was 100% my choice, and I genuinely preferred a broccoli bouquet over traditional florals!"

Broccoli to take backseat in wedding

The broccoli will not be making a comeback for the wedding, according to Loewito.

According to a separate Instagram post, she is currently in the midst of planning her 2026/2027 wedding.

However, she said its cousin, the cauliflower, may make an appearance.

She said: "I’m seriously considering cauliflower for that classic white, bridal vibe."

"My comment section has also been flooded with brilliant ideas like squash blossoms and mini purple cabbages, so I’m keeping my options open."

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