Pope Francis to visit Singapore from Sept 11 to 13 - The Straits Times

Pope Francis’ visit to Singapore is part of a 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific region. PHOTO: AFP

SINGAPORE - Pope Francis will visit Singapore from Sept 11 to 13, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore confirmed on April 12.

The Pope will also celebrate mass, which is tentatively set to take place on Sept 12.

In a statement on its website, the Archdiocese said it was sharing the news of the Pope’s visit, which was confirmed by The Holy See, with great “jubilation and thanksgiving”.

Cardinal William Goh, the Archbishop of Singapore, said of the visit: “It has been 38 years since we had a visit from the Vicar of Christ to Singapore, when Pope St John Paul II honoured us with a visit on 20 November 1986.

“It is my hope that this visit of the Holy Father, Pope Francis, will bring renewed fervour to all Catholics in Singapore, uniting them in faith and mission, especially in these most challenging of times.”

The Archdiocese statement added: “As we prepare for His Holiness’ visit, let us, as a community, pray for the continued health and safety of the Holy Father and ask the Lord to grant us a truly meaningful and grace-filled visit.”

Earlier on April 2, a spokesman for Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “Singapore welcomes a visit by Pope Francis.”

The tour, which had been earlier scheduled for August, will mark only the second papal visit to Singapore.

The Singapore Government, the Holy See and local church officials are discussing details of Pope Francis’ visit.

More information about the visit will be released progressively to the public at www.popefrancis2024.sg

There are about 243,000 Roman Catholics in Singapore, according to the 2020 census.

Pope Francis’ visit to Singapore is part of a 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific region. He will also visit Jakarta in Indonesia from Sept 3 to 6, Port Moresby and Vanimo in Papua New Guinea from Sept 6 to 9, and Dili in Timor-Leste from Sept 9 to 11, according to the Vatican.

Reports of an Asia-Pacific tour first appeared in January in two Catholic media outlets: America and EWTN Vatican. 

On March 31, Indonesia’s Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas confirmed that Pope Francis would visit Indonesia on Sept 3.

Outgoing Indonesian President Joko Widodo reportedly invited the pontiff to visit Indonesia – which has the world’s largest Muslim population, numbering about 242 million – in June 2022, as part of efforts to promote religious tolerance.

The last papal visit to Singapore was almost 40 years ago, when the late Pope John Paul II drew thousands of Roman Catholics during a brief stopover in 1986, which lasted just five hours.

In January 2022, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong was granted a brief audience with Pope Francis during a working visit to the Vatican City. His visit was to reaffirm bilateral ties with the city-state and came a month after the Roman Catholic Church marked its 200th anniversary in Singapore.

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2024-04-12 10:29:33Z
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Exodus to Thailand continues after fall of key Myanmar border town - CNA

MAE SOT, Thailand: A stream of people, some fearing air strikes, queued at a border crossing to flee Myanmar early on Friday (Apr 12), a day after the strategically vital town of Myawaddy near Thailand fell to anti-junta resistance that is gaining strength.

The loss of the town robs the junta, already grappling with an economy in free fall, of vital earnings from border trade while strengthening rebel groups such as the Karen National Union (KNU) that led the assault on Myawaddy, analysts say.

"I am afraid of air strikes," said Moe Moe Thet San, a Myawaddy resident who crossed to Thailand with her son, who is about five years old.

"They caused very loud noises that shook my house," added the 39-year-old mother, one of those gathered at the single fully-operational border crossing at Mae Sot, who said the sound of bombs drove them to leave home, fearing for their safety.

"That's why I escaped here. They can't bomb Thailand," she added.

Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara is set to visit Mae Sot, just across the Moei River from Myawaddy, on Friday to assess matters after Myanmar's embattled junta lost yet more territory in the latest round of fighting.

Junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun told Myanmar media some of its troops had surrendered because they were accompanied by their families and talks with Thailand for their return were in progress.

He did not respond to a telephone call from Reuters to seek comment.

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2024-04-12 08:01:00Z
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Pope Francis to visit Singapore in September 2024 - The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore

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1. Pope Francis to visit Singapore in September 2024  The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore
2. Pope Francis to visit Singapore from Sept 11 to 13  The Straits Times
3. Pope Francis to visit 4 Asian nations in September  Vatican News
4. Indonesia Welcomes The Upcoming Visit Of Pope Francis | Portal Kementerian Luar Negeri Republik Indonesia  Kementerian Luar Negeri
5. Pope Francis to visit Singapore in September  TODAY

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2024-04-12 08:27:14Z
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China tourists detained in bedding shop over lack of purchases - South China Morning Post

In a viral video filmed by one of the tourists, some of her fellow travellers are sitting on the beds and others are lying on them. Salespeople appear to be standing guard to prevent them from leaving the shop.

A video filmed by a member of the group shows them sitting and lying on beds inside the shop. Photo: Baidu

“This is the shop that sells latex mattresses in Xishuangbanna. We arrived at noon and we’re still here,” the tourist who filmed the clip said.

“The group of 37 tourists is not allowed to leave,” she added.

It is not clear precisely how long the group was detained in the shop, but it is thought to have been several hours before they were eventually released.

The tourist explained that they each spent 3,979 yuan (US$550) to join the group tour to Yunnan that was managed by Liaoning Youde International Travel Service.

“I hadn’t expected that all of our activities in Xishuangbanna would be about shopping,” she said.

Once the clip was shared online, it went viral and triggered an official probe.

Details of how the group was finally allowed to leave the shop are not known.

The next day, the local market supervision and administration bureau made an announcement on its WeChat account.

They said the shop is owned by the Taisi Dika Sleep Technology Company and that a local travel agency, Faxian Zhilv, was responsible for conducting the group tour on behalf of Youde travel service.

As a result, Taisi Dika was ordered to cease trading, and the local tourist guide was fined 10,000 yuan (US$1,400). An investigation into the travel agencies continues.

The story has caused an outpouring of anger on mainland social media.

People being forced to shop while on group tours is a perennial problem in China. Photo: Shutterstock

“It sounds so horrible,” one online observer said.

“Is this an illegal detention?” another asked.

Incidents involving tourists travelling to Yunnan and being forced to shop by tour guides are common.

In February, a family of five was told to leave a tour bus by the guide after they refused to buy a gold bracelet for 50,000 yuan (US$7,000).

In August last year, a tour guide in southwestern China was investigated after a video emerged of him “threatening” sightseers and bullying them into shopping while on an eco-tour.

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2024-04-12 01:00:26Z
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US top diplomat Blinken asks China, Saudi Arabia, others to rein in Iran on Israel - CNA

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has asked China's foreign minister and other counterparts to use their influence to dissuade Iran from striking Israel, the State Department said Thursday (Apr 11).

Blinken spoke by telephone over the past day to his Chinese, Turkish, Saudi and European counterparts "to make clear that escalation is not in anyone's interest and that countries should urge Iran not to escalate", State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

Blinken also spoke by telephone with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant "to reiterate our strong support for Israel against these threats", Miller said.

Iran's clerical leadership has vowed to retaliate after an Israeli strike on Apr 1 levelled an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus, killing seven members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards including two generals.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Thursday that Israel would respond directly to any attack by Iran.

“A direct Iranian attack will require an appropriate Israeli response against Iran," Gallant told US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, according to remarks issued by his office.

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2024-04-11 19:39:00Z
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Cambodia to push forward with plans to build US$1.7 billion canal, says PM Hun Manet - CNA

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia will push forward with controversial plans to build a US$1.7 billion canal, linking its capital Phnom Penh to the sea, Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Thursday (Apr 11).

The Funan Techo canal is the latest Chinese-backed infrastructure project in Cambodia, which received billions in investments as one of Beijing's closest regional allies under former leader Hun Sen.

The planned canal has raised concerns from academics in neighbouring Vietnam that it could facilitate travel by Chinese warships near the Vietnamese coastline.

Hun Manet dismissed those concerns during a speech in Takeo province, where the proposed 180km waterway would cut through, ending in the coastal province of Kep.

"The canal is a historic project that will provide benefits to our people," he said.

Cambodian officials say the construction of the canal will begin later this year with Chinese funding, although details remain sparse.

The canal – measuring 100m wide and 5.4m deep – would connect Phnom Penh with Cambodian ports on the Gulf of Thailand, bypassing Vietnam's traditional route.

Hun Manet rejected media reports citing two researchers at a Vietnamese state-backed institute that suggested the canal would allow Chinese warships to travel closer to the Vietnamese border.

"We will not allow (any country) to use our country as a base against another country, let alone a military base," he said.

He added that the canal would be too shallow for a warship. The prime minister said the canal would provide an economic boost, benefiting millions.

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2024-04-11 11:37:19Z
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CNA Explains: South Korea's opposition won a landslide election vote. Now what? - CNA

What does the result mean for the Yoon administration?

Dr Jong Eun Lee, assistant professor of political science at North Greenville University, said voters have chosen to hold the ruling party and Mr Yoon more accountable. 

He added: “A lot of South Korean voters seem to have been frustrated that President Yoon seems to always emphasise his legal (and) political principles, and is not willing to find the middle ground or negotiate compromise.”

The resounding electoral defeat “confirms the people's discontent with the Yoon Suk Yeol government and their performance for the last two years,” Prof Shin, who is also director of the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, told CNA’s Asia First on Thursday. 

“And now facing a larger opposition in the parliament, it's a big challenge for Yoon and his government to run the country for the next three years.”

However, President Yoon can still exercise his veto power over parliament Bills.

“So what will happen is that the opposition will probably keep passing Bills, and be more aggressive in pushing for their policy agendas. And Yoon may have to continue to veto and there'll be some stalemates,” said Prof Shin. 

“Then it's very hard to implement any policy reform or agenda in this kind of situation. It's likely to continue in the coming three years.”

Mr Yoon, who took office in May 2022, has already vetoed nine contentious Bills passed by the DP, including one for a special counsel investigation into his wife and First Lady Kim Keon-hee's alleged involvement in stock manipulation. 

Dr Lee told CNA938 on Thursday that the opposition party will renew their efforts to investigate President Yoon’s government.

“In the next three years, will he continue to exercise his veto power against the National Assembly?” said Dr Lee.

“He could, but what would be the public reaction? Would they blame the National Assembly, or would they blame the president for continuing to block the laws passed by the National Assembly? 

“So that's going to be a burden that President Yoon would have to think about for every single legislation passed by the National Assembly they oppose.”

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2024-04-11 08:43:00Z
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