Some may find comfort of home in a tub of gelato — and it appears Pope Francis isn't too different. To welcome the 87-year-old pontiff, a fridge in his residence in Singapore was stocked with the icy treats. Pope Francis stayed several days in a retreat centre tucked in a sleepy estate in Punggol during his visit to Singapore from Sept 11 to 13. On Monday (Sept 16), AsiaOne had the opportunity to take a look inside his room at the St Francis Xavier Retreat Centre, amid preparations for Chancery archival of items used in the trip. «It was a special request by the Vatican team to fill the fridge up with gelatos,» Helen Seah, property manager of the retreat centre, told AsiaOne.  «Apparently, the Holy Father's favourite treat is gelato.»

A woman who was caught on video using her body to block a car at the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link on Sunday (Sept 15) has spoken out about the matter. The woman, surnamed Zhuang, said that she and her husband had been forced out of their lane earlier by the other driver. Facebook user Elexio Kim had uploaded dashcam footage of the incident, which shows the woman signalling to a Toyota Prius driving on leftmost lane to cut in front of the car. But Zhuang told Chinese publication 8world that the clip did not show the full story, adding that she and her husband were not queue cutters. The woman explained that they had just exited a toll booth and had joined the leftmost lane when a black car from the right lane tried to cut into their lane. «My husband felt that [the space] was too tight and there wasn't a safe distance between the cars, so he didn't let the other driver cut in,» she said.

SINGAPORE — A restaurant in North Bridge Road with ties to a Malaysian conglomerate embroiled in an alleged child abuse case in Malaysia has denied having direct involvement with the investigations. In a statement on Facebook on Sept 15, Mihrimah Restaurant said that Global Ikhwan Services and Business (GISB) Holdings, which has links to the religious sect Al-Arqam that is banned in Malaysia due to its deviant religious teachings, serves only as its business consultant. The restaurant added that it is concerned about the potential reputational impact on its business due to the investigations. The eatery serves Malaysian-inspired dishes including roti canai. The Malaysian police have rescued 402 children from 20 welfare homes in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan linked to GISB, where some children had allegedly been sodomised by their caregivers and forced to do the same to others. Some children were also physically abused, Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain said on Sept 11.

LYON, France — Over four days, 19-year-old Victoria Cheong's task was to create eye-catching visual displays for the windows and interiors of shops and department stores, to maximise sales. The third-year student in experiential product and interior design from Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) did so well, she beat 13 others from around the world to win a gold medal in the visual merchandising category at the biennial WorldSkills international competition. This was the first time Singapore has won a gold in this skill area, and it was one of two gold medals for the Republic at the contest of vocational skills, which was held in Lyon, France. The event was held from Sept 10 to 15. The Singapore contingent also won four silver medals, two bronze medals and 11 medallions of excellence which are given to competitors who score 700 or more points, but are not awarded a gold, silver, or bronze medal. Overall, China emerged top with 49 medals, 36 of which were gold, while Korea came in second with 10 golds among its 32 medals.

Yishun residents have been breeding birds and planting illegally in the turf area in front of Block 272 Yishun Street 22. Stomp contributor Anonymous shared a video tour of the ground floor of the block where several birds can be seen inside a large coop on Sept 6. Bird noises can be heard throughout the video. «Around six pigeons were in the chicken coop,» said the Stomp contributor. «We are not supposed to keep pigeons or chickens in HDB estates due to the risk of bird flu and noise pollution.» The Stomp contributor added that residents had dug up the ground to grow their own plants. «A mess of banana trees was planted. One white rooster was brought in and released to roam around. It crows from 4 am to 8 am at the void deck daily.» The Stomp contributor claimed a resident had been breeding the birds for decades. «When I moved in a few years ago, my neighbours told me the rooster crowing had been an issue for many years,» recalled the Stomp contributor, who also shared a photo of the notice by Nee Soon Town Council informing residents that digging and planting in the turf area was disallowed.

SINGAPORE — French bulldog Wangcai started life with a slew of chronic health issues. First-time dog owners Jackie See and Judyvein Cheng bought the male dog as a four-month-old puppy in 2018 for $4,800 from a local backyard breeder. Soon the married couple discovered Wangcai had mites, stomach issues, a yeast infection and rashes. «As first-time pet owners, we felt anxious and helpless. We kept going to the vet to find out what was wrong and constantly switched from premium kibbles to a hypoallergenic diet from the clinic. We spent between $2,000 and $3,000 (on the vet visits and food), but his condition did not improve,» Cheng, an event organiser, told The Straits Times. Wangcai was also given cytopoint, an antibody used to treat atopic dermatitis, a chronic condition he was diagnosed with which causes dry, itchy and inflamed skin, but his condition worsened. «He was scratching more and that led to some open sores and bleeding every day. He also developed hives, redness in his groin, 'armpit' area and between his toes, rashes on his belly, fur loss and scabs and dandruff-like flakes,» Cheng said.

LYON, France — A nosy handyman tests your professionalism. Attendees of a wedding party create a ruckus in the hotel lobby. A distraught guest crumbles in panic after losing her passport. These were the nightmare scenarios that Rachel Yu, 19, had to handle as a competitor in the hotel reception skill area of the 47th WorldSkills Competition in Lyon, France, being held from Sept 10 to 15. Unlike other participants from Singapore who learnt about this competition when they enrolled in the Institute of Technical Education or a polytechnic, Yu found out about it while still in secondary school. She was introduced to the competition, dubbed the «Olympics of vocational skills», when she was in Secondary 4 at Marsiling Secondary School, during a visit to Republic Polytechnic (RP) for its open house. A lecturer there piqued her interest when he spoke about an RP student who represented Singapore in the hotel skill area when the competition was held in Switzerland. «At that time, I had not taken my O levels yet. But I told myself that I was going to get into RP, get into the School of Hospitality and be a WorldSkills competitor.»

SINGAPORE — A senior employee with the Housing Board and the director of a construction company who were accused of corruption have each been granted a discharge amounting to an acquittal. This means that Tan Siam Chua, 61, an HDB senior estate manager, and Liong Ah Chye, 62, the director of Liong Construction, cannot be charged again with the same offence. On Sept 16, the day the trials for both men were slated to start, the prosecution applied to withdraw the charges against them. Deputy Public Prosecutor Eunice Chew did not elaborate on this in court. The Straits Times has contacted the Attorney-General's Chambers and HDB for more information. In September 2023, Tan was handed one charge of abetting corrupt transactions with agents. Liong was charged with one count of corrupt transactions with agents. He was accused of giving a false quotation from his company, through one of his employees, to an HDB senior estate manager, upon instigation from Tan. Speaking to The Straits Times after the hearing, Tan said: «I'm happy my name has been cleared. It is a relief for me and my family.»

Some Yishun residents have expressed worry that a «foreign beggar syndicate» may have infiltrated the country. Shin Min Daily News reported on Saturday (Sept 14) that a group of police officers had arrested a disabled man who sold tissues around an HDB estate in Yishun, while other residents reported seeing at least two other tissue sellers with disabilities in the vicinity. The incident occurred on Friday at about 8am around Block 846 Yishun Ring Road, an onlooker told the Chinese evening daily. According to the eye-witness surnamed Deng, he'd seen a group of police officers speaking to the disabled man. «The man was missing his left arm, and also the lower half of his right arm. A woman had called the police after seeing him selling tissues under the HDB blocks,» said Deng. The woman told Deng that she'd felt sorry for the disabled man and called the police in hopes that they'd be able to help him. However, the man ended up being led away by police.

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — On Day One of Pope Francis' visit to the Asia-Pacific, I called him «Your Holiness», unsure of how he would react if I misspoke. But on Day 12 — the last day of moving as a unit of about 150 as part of his entourage — «Papa Francesco» and «Santita» are no longer awkward terms for me. «Papa Francesco,» I said, my words opening a press conference that would round up the arduous 12-day tour with Singapore as its last leg. I was the first reporter to ask a question. We are not in a room somewhere in the Vatican City, but 10km above ground on a chartered Singapore Airlines flight conveying the pontiff — who has not been away from the Vatican City this long in his 11-year tenure — from Singapore back to Rome, Italy.  A few minutes earlier, the rear section of the plane was abuzz with activity as some among the approximately 80 Vatican-accredited media personnel rolled out wires across the floor of the Airbus A350-900 plane to catch a clean audio feed. Portable speakers were also brought out and placed on overhead stowage bins to combat the loud droning sounds of a plane in motion.

The family of a man who was killed in July while attempting to help an injured motorcyclist is looking for witnesses to the accident. Muhamad Sabri, 35, was travelling along Seletar Expressway (SLE) towards Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) on the early morning of July 28 when he exited his vehicle to assist a man who had collided with a private hire vehicle. The private hire driver surnamed Zhang told Shin Min Daily News then: «I think the motorcyclist was trying to switch lanes and somehow hit my right rear door and then fell to the ground. I immediately got out of the car to help.» He added that «the situation was quite hectic» and that another motorcyclist had helped him move the injured man to the road shoulder. «Unexpectedly, about three minutes later, I heard a loud sound and realised that the male driver who had just gotten out of his car was hit by another black car and had fallen on the rightmost lane,» the 43-year-old added.

A forested area near Kranji MRT station has become the turf of illegal sex workers offering their services to migrant workers. A car factory employee surnamed Zhang told Shin Min Daily News that he was walking through the woodland on his way to work last weekend when he spotted two tall «beautiful women» standing at the entrance of a trail next to a drain. «They ogled me and even waved and called me over. It's obvious they're soliciting customers,» said the man. He added that he often sees migrant workers loitering around the area at night and believes there is a hidden brothel in the jungle. Acting on the tip-off on Thursday (Sept 12), a Shin Min reporter retraced Zhang's route and found a migrant worker standing by the drain at about 9pm. The worker was seen looking around him and appeared to be waiting for someone. The reporter returned at about 10pm and saw migrant workers surrounding two «beautiful women» wearing low-cut tops and tight bottoms. Subsequently, one of the «women» and a worker headed into the bushes.

The gloomy weather could not dampen the excitement of the nation's para-athletes as they embarked on a celebratory parade through town on Saturday (Sept 14). About a hundred fervent supporters had turned up at the OCBC Aquatic Centre in the morning to cheer on the 10 Team Singapore Paralympians before the bus parade started. Speaking to the media, swimmer and double gold medallist Yip Pin Xiu said she was «very excited» for the bus parade. The 32-year-old had previously participated in a similar event back in 2021. «It's a really nice experience because you get to be on the bus with your fellow teammates, and you get to see all these Singaporeans come out and support you,» she added.

SINGAPORE - A make of snowskin yam mooncakes from Malaysia has been declared not fit for eating after the confection was found to have unsafe levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. This is the second time in as many days that the seasonal snack has been recalled due to food safety issues. On Sept 13, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) in a statement said levels of the E. coli bacteria detected in Baker's Cottage's snowskin signature yam mooncake exceeded limits allowed under Singapore food safety rules. As a precaution, SFA has directed the importer, Ewayz, to recall the affected mooncakes, which involve products with a Dec 31, 2024 expiry date, the statement added. E.coli, a foodborne pathogen, is usually found in the intestines of people and animals. Foodborne pathogens can be introduced during the production process when cross-contamination occurs, said the statement. According to the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, most types of E. coli are harmless, but some types can make people ill.

SINGAPORE - Singapore-headquartered e-commerce platform Qoo10 and its logistics subsidiary Qxpress are under police investigations, following complaints by vendors about delayed payments of thousands of dollars each and disruptions to deliveries by Qxpress. In response to queries from The Straits Times, the Singapore Police Force said on Sept 12 that reports were lodged against Qoo10 and Qxpress, and that it is investigating. Qoo10, which is backed by the likes of private equity firm KKR and e-commerce giant eBay, did not respond to ST's requests for comments. Both KKR and eBay declined to comment. Vendors told ST that Qoo10, which also has operations in Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and Hong Kong, has failed to pay them on time. A spokesman for a haircare retailer, which declined to be named, said Qoo10 owes the company nearly $32,000. He added that the retailer removed its listings from the platform on Sept 12. «Previously, we were still able to receive payment from Qoo10, albeit with slight delays,» he said.

A 28-year-old man was arrested on Thursday (Sept 12) after smashing a window and throwing items down from a flat on the eighth floor. The police told AsiaOne they received a call for assistance at Block 608 Bedok Reservoir Road at about 12.30pm that day. Shin Min Daily News had received a tip-off from a member of the public, who provided a video showing a resident breaking a window, causing glass shards to fall to the ground floor. Another video reportedly showed the man tossing a single size mattress out of his window. A Shin Min reporter who visited the scene noted that two TV sets and other items had also been thrown down. The handcuffed man was taken away in a police vehicle at about 2.30pm. A neighbour living on the same floor as the man told the Chinese evening daily that he was surprised by the commotion as the latter appeared to be an ordinary person and would greet other residents too. The police said that a 28-year-old man was arrested for rash act endangering the life or the personal safety of others. No injuries were reported, and investigations are ongoing.

Stay in the know with a recap of our top stories today.  1. 'It's an honour and privilege': Punggol residents in awe of being neighbours to Pope Francis during his stay On Wednesday (Sept 11) afternoon, 84-year-old Annette Zhao joined hundreds of people braving the pouring rain to welcome Pope Francis in a sleepy Punggol estate.  The retired teacher managed only to catch a brief glimpse of the 87-year-old pontiff as his Hyundai Ioniq 5 arrived at St. Francis Xavier Retreat Centre for a private meeting with members of the Society of Jesus...» READ MORE 2. Edwin Tong thanks Pope Francis, says his visit has galvanised communities and youth

The lead boat of the Invincible-class (Type 218SG) submarine is home. A homecoming ceremony for the Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN) Invincible was held on Sept 13 at Changi Naval Base. She was received by Fleet Commander, Rear Admiral Kwan Hon Chuong, senior RSN officers and submariners.  The Invincible was launched in February 2019 and is the first of four Type 218SG built by the RSN, Defence Science and Technology Agency and German shipbuilder thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (tKMS). 

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong expressed his gratitude for the Papal visit and its impact on various communities in Singapore, especially the youth. Speaking at the interfaith dialogue with Pope Francis held at Catholic Junior College (CJC) on Friday (Sept 13), Minister Tong recalled his first meeting with the pontiff in January 2022 at the Holy See in Vatican City. During this meeting, the two discussed the importance of peace and harmony in multi-religious societies as well as the past 200 years that the Catholic Church has been in Singapore. Addressing attendees comprising of students, religious leaders and youth leaders amongst others at CJC, Minister Tong stressed the value of religious harmony in setting a foundation for a cohesive Singapore. «We are one of the world's most religiously diverse countries, and religion is an important part of life for many Singaporeans,» he explained. «We have put in place laws, policies and structures that foster racial and religious harmony and gather strength in diversity.»

SINGAPORE — The next time a major earthquake or cyclone hits the region, Singapore will be able to deploy a World Health Organisation (WHO)-certified emergency medical team (EMT) within 72 hours. To qualify as a WHO EMT, the team has to be fully self-sufficient during its deployment. This means that the EMT must generate its own electricity and clean water, manage all its medical and waste disposal, and arrange its own accommodation. «Self-sufficiency is important for EMT because you have a small life-saving window immediately after a disaster. The first hours and days are critical,» said Sean Casey, WHO's programme area manager for emergency operations and regional EMT focal point. «Being able to deploy quickly and to be self-sufficient if there are no local facilities operational, there are no hotels to stay in, there is no food in the market... and to provide high quality clinical care to the standards that any of us would accept for ourselves or for our families is one of the core principles of EMTs,» he added.

It's been a harrowing journey for this couple - but it's culminated in a joyful event that they will remember for the rest of their lives. A homemaker, who only wished to be known as Laura, had gone through multiple health scares throughout the year before she attended the Papal Mass on Thursday (Sep 12), she told AsiaOne in an interview at the National Stadium in Kallang. She was attending the mass with her husband, named Shaem, a 47-year-old security consultant and of Hindu faith. «This year has been a very spiritual year,» the 43-year-old Catholic said. «I had a lot of health scares this year,» she explained. «I think I grew closer to God - my family, my daughters, we've all gotten closer to God.» Recounting the incidents that left her and her family shell-shocked, Laura told AsiaOne that the scares began when she went for a mammogram earlier this year. «During the check, they also detected a few spots, so I had to go for even more [checks],» she said. She underwent a nail-biting period of tests - thankfully, they didn't discover any illnesses within her.

One passenger on board a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight in Hong Kong was offloaded and handed to the authorities due to his angry outburst. According to aviation tracking website Flightradar24, flight SQ897 taxied close to the runway at the Hong Kong International Airport but turned back. The plane was bound for Singapore.  The flight, which was set to take off at 8.25pm on Tuesday (Sept 10), only departed three hours later at 11.23pm, according to the Hong Kong Airport Authority's website. It eventually arrived in Singapore at 2.48am on Wednesday, according to the Changi Airport website. This delay had been caused by a passenger who allegedly lost his temper after his request for alcohol before take-off was denied by cabin crew, reported Hong Kong-based online platform HK01 News. Upon assessing the situation, the cabin crew contacted the control tower and requested to turn back. They also called the police to assist them in managing the unruly passenger, reported Taiwan-based news channel TVBS.

In this episode of What do you think?, AsiaOne heads to the streets to ask Singaporeans their thoughts on the recent public transport fare adjustments. From Dec 28, adult fares for travellers will see an increase of 10 cents per journey, while concession card holders will face a 4-cent increase per journey. The revision also included an extension of concessions for graduating students, allowing them to enjoy concessionary fares for four months after the end of their course of study. Following the announcement, some Singaporeans expressed mixed reactions on the increase. While some interviewees shared that they did not feel that the revision was reasonable, as it adds to their rising cost of living, most interviewees AsiaOne spoke to felt that the adjustment was justified if it helps to maintain and improve our public transport system. Additionally, some interviewees we spoke to were aware of existing concessions available and how such support were helpful for those who need it. Watch the full video to learn how Singaporeans are reacting to the change.

Pope Francis has commended Singapore for its rapid development, but called for «special attention» to be given to the most vulnerable in society. In his speech at the National University of Singapore's University Cultural Centre on Thursday (Sept 12), the 87-year-old pontiff noted the Republic's «growth and resilience». «Those arriving here for the first time cannot fail to be impressed by the mass of ultra-modern skyscrapers that seem to rise from the sea,» he said in Italian. Speaking to an audience which included members from social welfare groups and religious orgnaisations, the Pope also commended the various policies to improve quality of life here, and in particular the most vulnerable. These include through public housing measures, the «high quality» education and an «efficient» healthcare system. The Pope said: «I hope that special attention will be paid to the poor and the elderly, whose labours have laid the foundations for the Singapore we see today. »As well as protecting the dignity of migrant workers. [They] contribute a great deal to society and should be guaranteed a fair wage."

A three-year-old boy was saved from a flat fire by his nine-year-old brother, who also called the SCDF (Singapore Civil Defence Force) for help. The SCDF said in a Facebook post on Tuesday (Sept 10) that they were alerted to the blaze at a flat in Block 104 Jalan Bukit Merah at about 11.20am that day and extinguished the flames with a water jet. Two persons had evacuated from the unit before SCDF's arrival, and about 35 residents from the 9th to the 11th floors were evacuated by SCDF as a precautionary measure. Speaking to Shin Min Daily News on Tuesday evening, the occupant of the flat, surnamed Liu, said his 3-year-old son might have been playing with a lighter in the bedroom, and accidentally set the mattress on fire. «My nine-year-old son was also at home then, but he likes to play with his phone and likely didn't notice that his younger brother was playing with fire,» said the 71-year-old. Liu said his older son immediately took the boy outside when he noticed the fire and called the SCDF for help.

One passenger on board a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight in Hong Kong was offloaded and handed to the authorities due to his angry outburst. According to aviation tracking website Flightradar24, flight SQ897 taxied close to the runway at the Hong Kong International Airport but turned back. The plane was bound for Singapore.  The flight, which was set to take off at 8.25pm on Tuesday (Sept 10), only departed three hours later at 11.23pm, according to the Hong Kong Airport Authority's website. It eventually arrived in Singapore at 2.48am on Wednesday, according to the Changi Airport website. This delay had been caused by a passenger who allegedly lost his temper after his request for alcohol before take-off was denied by cabin crew, reported Hong Kong-based online platform HK01 News. Upon assessing the situation, the cabin crew contacted the control tower and requested to turn back. They also called the police to assist them in managing the unruly passenger, reported Taiwan-based news channel TVBS.