When rich college kids dump designer items worth over $1,000
Valentino sneakers that retail for US$980 (S$1,255). A Tovala toaster oven, originally US$390. A Clear Home Design Lucite table, which would have cost US$899 – except in this case, it was free.
Ms Lena Geller found those items, and many others, in the dump of her apartment building in Durham, North Carolina, after scores of Duke University students had moved out at the end of the spring semester.
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Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Ukraine orders more evacuations as Russia steps up pressure
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A firefighter working at the site of a Russian drone strike in the town of Druzhkivka, in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, on Aug 2. KYIV - Ukraine on Aug 14 ordered more evacuations in the east, from a town close to where Moscow's army recently made a swift breakthrough, as it steps up pressure ahead of the US-Russia summit. 'We began the mandatory evacuation of families with children from the town of Druzhkivka,' said Donetsk regional military administration head Vadym Filashkin, adding that four more villages near the town were also ordered to evacuate. He added that 1,879 children were remaining in the settlements. Earlier on Aug 14, Russian forces claimed to have captured the village of Iskra and the small town of Shcherbynivka in Ukraine's Donetsk region, which the Kremlin claims to have annexed in September 2022. Russian forces had on Aug 12 swiftly advanced by up to 10km in a narrow section of the front line near the towns of Dobropillia and Druzhkivka. This was their biggest gain for a 24-hour period in over a year, according to an AFP analysis of data from the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW). On Aug 13, Ukraine ordered evacuations from Bilozerske, another town not far from where the Russians were advancing. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Over 100 people being investigated for vape offences, say MOH and HSA Singapore Bukit Merah fire: Residents relocated as town council carries out restoration works Singapore askST: What to do in the event of a fire at home Singapore Jalan Bukit Merah fire: PMD battery could have started fatal blaze, says SCDF Singapore askST: What are the fire safety rules for PMDs? Asia AirAsia flight from KL to Incheon lands at wrong airport in South Korea Asia India and China work to improve ties amid Trump's unpredictability Singapore From quiet introvert to self-confident student: How this vulnerable, shy teen gets help to develop and discover her strength
Straits Times
7 days ago
- Straits Times
Espionage on show: A sneak peek into the new vault at Washington's International Spy Museum
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The museum, which opened in the Penn Quarter neighbourhood of Washington in 2002, moved to a bigger space in L'Enfant Plaza in 2019. WASHINGTON – To get into the International Spy Museum's new fourth-floor vault, you bore a hole in the ceiling, lower yourself using a rope and put a guard to sleep with a drug-tipped dart after taking down the surveillance camera with just two keystrokes. Okay, they just let you in. The museum, which opened in the Penn Quarter neighbourhood of Washington in 2002 and moved to a bigger space in L'Enfant Plaza in 2019, has more than 10,000 objects in its collection, including statues, pens, disguises, listening devices and books used all over the world in the service of professional espionage. Suitcases and radios in the vault of the International Spy Museum in Washington. As with most museums, a vast majority of the objects in its collection are not on display. PHOTO: ALYSSA SCHUKAR/NYTIMES As with most museums, a vast majority of those objects are not on display. And until a few weeks ago, they were far away, stored at a location outside the capital – making it a challenge for museum historians to reach the objects for study and preservation. In 2020, the museum began consolidating its collection in its new building, a project that it completed in 2025. Many of the artefacts in the vault came from one man: Mr H. Keith Melton, a founding board member of the museum, who became one of the world's renowned spy collectors. He is not a former intelligence agent himself. Rather, he made his money as one of the country's largest McDonald's franchise owners. A condition of his donation, which he first pledged in 2016, was that the collection would eventually be moved to the museum itself, said Mr Melton. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore SAF regular serviceman dies after being found unconscious at Hendon Camp swimming pool: Mindef Singapore Police search operation spotted in forested area near Greenleaf Place in Bukit Timah Asia 2 Malaysian tourists critically injured after being set on fire in Bangkok Asia Train derails in Thailand, multiple injuries reported World Trump says he will meet Putin on Aug 15 in Alaska Singapore He studied architecture to chase childhood dream of designing an NDP stage Life The crypto bros are back: 'The hubris never really left' Asia 'Very nerdy' hobby of doujinshi self-publishing is a growing billion-dollar market in Japan 'To properly care for, maintain, catalogue, access the artefacts, they needed to be on the premises,' he said in an interview. 'You can't deal with it remotely. Artefacts need care and feeding and vigilance, and they need to make sure they're not deteriorating.' The collections team at the International Spy Museum recently opened the doors to its den of secrets, offering a reporter and photographer a look at tools of the trade that, like much of spycraft itself, are kept out of public view. There are roughly 4,000 books in the vault, most of them donated by Mr Melton. Per Ardua Libertas, a World War II-era briefing book created by MI9, a wartime branch of British intelligence. The book is among the most treasured in the museum's collection. PHOTO: ALYSSA SCHUKAR/NYTIMES The most treasured of these is a World War II-era briefing book created by MI9, a wartime branch of British intelligence, to get Americans up to speed on its top secret espionage innovations. It includes designs for cameras disguised as cigarette lighters, coat buttons and gold teeth concealing compasses, and maps printed on clothing. Ms Laura Hicken, the museum's collections manager, estimated that there were fewer than 20 copies of this book in the world. Among the museum's newest acquisitions are original courtroom sketches by William Sharp, an illustrator who died in 1961. Illustrator William Sharp's courtroom sketches of the trial of Rudolf Abel, a Soviet spy shown standing at right. PHOTO: ALYSSA SCHUKAR/NYTIMES One is of Rudolf Abel, the Soviet spy who operated undercover in the United States for almost a decade and who was portrayed by English actor Mark Rylance in the 2015 Steven Spielberg thriller Bridge Of Spies. In the drawings, Sharp portrayed Abel as looking stressed. 'For us, where so much of our history is told through gadgets and weapons and concealment devices, this is so incredibly personal and such an intimate look into the consequences of the things we cover,' Ms Hicken said, referring to the sketch. A mini-motorcycle that British spies could unfold in seconds after parachuting behind German lines during World War II. PHOTO: ALYSSA SCHUKAR/NYTIMES The museum, which is recognised by Guinness World Records as the world's largest espionage museum, has come under criticism in the past for sanitising the unethical behaviour of spy agencies. Another set of Sharp-penned sketches is from the trial of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, who were arrested in 1950 for espionage and executed in 1953. The drawings feature Judge Irving R. Kaufman, who sentenced them to death, and an unguarded Ethel Rosenberg, whose culpability has come under doubt in the last decade. The museum has also received gifts and loans from international governments. A code sheet and a pen capable of injecting a paralysing agent are among the items on loan from the South Korean government, which said they were seized from a North Korean spy. PHOTO: ALYSSA SCHUKAR/NYTIMES The South Korean government, for example, lent items said to have been seized from a North Korean spy who crossed into the south. Among these is a pen that, when clicked a certain way, would have been capable of injecting a paralysing agent into an unsuspecting victim, as well as a code sheet that spies could use to communicate with someone equipped with a counter code sheet. The German government lent an army propaganda rocket from the early 1940s. These were launched over Russian soldiers on the battlefield, where they would eject pamphlets encouraging them to abandon Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. A World War II-era German propaganda rocket containing leaflets encouraging Russian soldiers to abandon Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. PHOTO: ALYSSA SCHUKAR/NYTIMES According to a translation, the pamphlets inside the rocket say: 'Red Army men! You will not experience peace, you will not return to your home. Stalin will not allow this because he knows that any Red Army soldier who has been in Europe will pose a threat to the Stalinist system.' A couch that once belonged to Robert P. Hanssen, a former FBI agent who spied for Moscow during and after the Cold War, sits atop a shelf. PHOTO: ALYSSA SCHUKAR/NYTIMES Sitting on top of a large shelf is a couch that belonged to Robert P. Hanssen, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent who spied for Moscow off and on for decades. Hanssen died in 2023 in his Colorado prison cell. Mr Melton also persuaded Hanssen's family to donate other items, including a suit and watches. A short, heavy fighting knife called a smatchet that was used during World War II by British and American forces. PHOTO: ALYSSA SCHUKAR/NYTIMES The museum has no shortage of knives, some of which are hidden in spatulas and boots. But there are less subtle blades, including one developed by the Office of Strategic Services, a precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) , to be a combat weapon. 'There are a lot of challenging elements to our collection because so much of it was meant to kill or destroy or distract,' Ms Hicken said. 'We have powders that were meant to be tipped into gas tanks that would essentially erode the gas tank very quickly, so you could disable somebody's vehicle.' A display delves into the history of Tony Mendez, the CIA officer known for orchestrating the rescue of American diplomats from Iran in 1980. PHOTO: ALYSSA SCHUKAR/NYTIMES Also in the vault are several items that once belonged to Tony Mendez, the celebrated CIA officer who was played by American actor Ben Affleck in the 2012 Academy Award-winning movie Argo. Mendez was particularly known for disguises, exfiltration and forgery. Disguises in the vault of the International Spy Museum. Many of the artefacts in the vault came from one man: H. Keith Melton, a founding board member of the museum, who became one of the world's renowned spy collectors. PHOTO: ALYSSA SCHUKAR/NYTIMES One drawer in the vault includes wigs he designed and a pair of shoes with lifts inside to make the wearer appear significantly taller. In addition, there is a self-portrait of Mendez, a former board member of the museum, depicting several aspects of the Argo story, which involved his plan to rescue American diplomats trapped in Iran in 1980. Ms Laura Hicken is the collections manager at the International Spy Museum. PHOTO: ALYSSA SCHUKAR/NYTIMES 'Everything in our collection is two things,' Ms Hicken said. 'The purse actually conceals a camera. The pen conceals a microdot viewer. The shoe has a knife in it.' NYTIMES
Straits Times
7 days ago
- Straits Times
'Last' meals: How durian, chilli crab, and KFC bring comfort to the dying
SINGAPORE – In nearly four decades in the kitchen, chef Rathakrishnan Ramaiyan has received all sorts of requests. Less sugar, more relish, no dairy, softer fish. For the most part, nothing too out of the ordinary. Perhaps the most memorable came in November 2017, when a priest's aide stepped through the doors of The Black Sheep Cafe, a French restaurant then located in a quiet corner off Upper Thomson Road, and ordered a bowl of French onion soup with super soft onions. Super soft because the soup was intended for the bedside of Father Louis Loiseau, a 91-year-old priest whose life had begun in France and was ending in Singapore. Craving something familiar, the ailing priest had asked specifically for chef Ratha's onion soup. Chef Rathakrishnan Ramaiyan once cooked for a dying priest, who wanted a French onion soup with extra soft onions. ST PHOTO: LUTHER LAU And so, a routine was established. Over the next two months, his aides dropped by the restaurant twice a week to pick up the special order. When their messages stopped in January 2018, chef Ratha knew that his customer had died. Cooking for the dying is an act fraught with emotion for the 56-year-old chef, whose restaurant has since moved to Norris Road. While being able to supply Father Loiseau with a final taste of home was a bittersweet honour – 'I don't care for a Michelin star. This was my Michelin star,' he says – his unexpected role as a sort of culinary death doula has, at times, taken a toll. 'It's quite hard to have someone walk into your restaurant and announce that they're going to die,' he says, having encountered several such instances over the years. It is his restaurant regulars flock to after a bad diagnosis, his beef cheek, duck confit and red wine which they savour as a last indulgence. But he is certain that his calling is to feed people and extend hospitality however and whenever required. Whether in times of sorrow or joy, celebration or contemplation. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore SAF regular serviceman dies after being found unconscious at Hendon Camp swimming pool: Mindef World Trump says he will meet Putin on Aug 15 in Alaska Opinion This US-India spat is going from bad to worse Asia 2 Malaysian tourists critically injured after being set on fire in Bangkok Life The crypto bros are back: 'The hubris never really left' Asia 'Very nerdy' hobby of doujinshi self-publishing is a growing billion-dollar market in Japan Asia Asia and the world think Trump's US 'has lost its mind': John Bolton Singapore Senior Gentlemen's Circus debuts to engage older men to stay active 'We celebrate and console one another with food, it is a token of love and concern, especially in very food-centric cultures such as what we have in Asia,' says Dr Paul Victor Patinadan, an assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University's School of Social Sciences, who studies end-of-life care. 'All these thoughts, feeling, values, beliefs, traditions and memories coalesce in the simple medium of what we eat and how we prepare it.' Because food is such an evocative medium, it makes for a compelling metaphorical full stop at the end of one's story. This idea that a lifetime of experiences and preferences can be distilled into a few dishes, in part, explains the morbid fascination with the last meals of death row inmates. What about those meeting a more peaceful end, with no firm expiry date – what do they crave at the end of life? Here is how food breaks up the monotony of twilight, cushioning the end with fluffy buns, creamy durians and the effervescence of a familiar can of beer. One last party Madam Mary Ho's favourite foods include chilli crab. PHOTO: ST ANDREW'S COMMUNITY HOSPITAL It is the second last Thursday of July and Madam Mary Ho has just about had it with plain porridge. All week long, the 83-year-old has been living off bland meals that excite neither her taste buds nor her stomach. 'Usually, I have a pretty good appetite, but this week, I was told that I have to restrain myself,' she grouses. Nonetheless, she has obediently complied – 'I've been so good!' – spurred by the thought of Saturday. Saturday, her daughter Elisa Soon tells her, is the goal, for that is when the entire extended family, all her nine siblings and four children, will reunite at St Andrew's Community Hospital (SACH), where Madam Ho, who has endometrial cancer, is staying. Though the widow, whose husband died in 2011, is used to being alone, nothing makes her day like a bowl of fish soup bought by her daughter, or her sister's homemade bird's nest soup – thick, slippery spoonfuls of jelly, so unlike the 'watery, overpriced' slop sold in stores. Heartburn has made eating difficult lately, but she hopes the cleanse will help her enjoy the feast her family is preparing. On the menu is chilli crab, popiah, fried hokkien mee, roast pork and other dishes summing up a lifetime's love of food and cooking. St. Andrew's Community Hospital patient Mary Ho wanted to have a final gathering with her family members, complete with her favourite dishes, before she died. PHOTO: ST ANDREW'S COMMUNITY HOSPITAL 'I don't know how many years it's been since we had everyone together like this. We're happy we have the chance to do this while she's still alive. Not all families get the chance to say a proper goodbye,' says Ms Soon, 54. The IT consultant and her three siblings are based overseas, but take turns flying back to Singapore to keep their mother company. Far from dulling the senses, the prospect of death seems to whet the appetite of some terminally ill patients. According to Dr Angel Lee, 61, medical director at SACH, it is not unusual for patients to have cravings at the end of life – anything from hawker fare to wine and cheese. 'We try to involve the families in honouring such requests. After all, serving someone their favourite food is an act of love and mealtimes are social events as much as providing nutrition. Even when patients cannot consume much, the mere taste may be adequate for many,' she says. Ambulance Wish Singapore, a non-profit organisation supporting the terminally ill, has also received several wishes involving food as part of outings, staycations, gatherings or even photoshoots. Time is the biggest constraint in fulfilling these wishes. With the threat of the patient's sudden decline looming overhead, the team has to work fast and stay nimble. For instance, in the case of Mr Chua Thiam Soon, a 63-year-old who suffered from pancreatic cancer and liver metastasis, the original plan to take him out for a meal had to be scrapped when his condition deteriorated. Instead, the June 14 gathering he requested was held at Assisi Hospice, where he spent his final days. There was a roast piglet brought by his brother, as well as fish soup and hor fun from Hong Kong Street Restaurant. Eleven relatives and friends showed up to celebrate his life and sing an early birthday song. He died a month later in July. Ms Elaine Chin, 35, assistant manager (programmes and services) of Ambulance Wish Singapore, believes strongly in the power of a wish. 'We've witnessed patients holding on until Wish Day and, on the day itself, surprising us with their energy and radiant smiles,' she says. While some begin to decline, having found peace after fulfilling their final wish, others show signs of improvement, buoyed by the reprieve. Take the example of Mr Chan Siew Teck, a 71-year-old resident at Ren Ci nursing home in Woodlands diagnosed with mixed dementia and colon cancer, who has been given less than a year to live. In July, nursing home staff took him to Chinatown, where, though unable to speak, he was able to express his wish to have a sip of beer. For a moment, with an ice-cold Heineken in front of him, it was almost as if he were decades younger again, congregating with old friends over a pint. 'He was very alert, in fact more alert than usual,' observes his wife, Mrs Chan Kim Choo, 71. 'He was very happy throughout the session.' Nothing off limits? Assisi Hospice patient Yeo Kok Hoong, who has lung and brain cancer, enjoying the fried chicken he requested. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO There are those who baulk at the idea of a sick man drinking beer or tucking into a box of fried chicken with relish, saving the crisped-up, oil-slicked skin for last. Fine as a one-off extravagance perhaps, but should their regular diet not consist of more tightly controlled items? Yet, wander through the halls of Assisi Hospice on any given Tuesday and you might just catch a whiff of KFC. Or peer into a palliative care ward at Methodist Welfare Services' (MWS) Bethany Nursing Home in Choa Chu Kang and spy, by the bed closest the window, one resident savouring soon kueh. Her eyes are closed, her jaw busy. Her features have relaxed into an expression of satisfied bliss. It is lunchtime for Madam Chua Lian Tee, 85, and today, her daughter has brought some of her favourites. Madam Mary Ong, 60, watches on indulgently as her mother polishes off everything. She pats her stomach when done. 'Full? Got space for ice cream?' Her mother nods: Always. A stick of durian ice cream is unwrapped and placed in her eager hand. 'She eats better than me,' remarks the delivery driver, the fifth of eight children. She recounts how her mother devoured half a box of durians a few days ago. Madam Chua Lian Tee, 85, tucking into a stick of durian ice cream brought by her daughter. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN Madam Chua has always been a foodie. She used to be a great cook before dementia hit in her 70s, as her daughter recalls. These days, with chronic kidney disease necessitating the use of a wheelchair, her meals are whipped up by others – the cooks at the nursing home where she has resided since August 2024, as well as her children, who drop in every day with a treat or two. She can have whatever her heart desires – laksa, duck rice, moonlight hor fun – as long as she can chew it. 'I'm not worried about whether it'll affect her health. Food makes her happy and I do my best to bring her what she enjoys,' says Madam Ong. The family nearly lost Madam Chua when her blood pressure suddenly dropped a year ago. Any remaining time, in Madam Ong's view, is a bonus. In this endeavour, the family has the support of nursing home staff, who emphasise that in the case of end-of-life care, the focus is on the quality of life, not prolonging it. Food, as a conduit of dignity, plays a crucial role in cultivating meaning. 'In nursing homes, there's so much you're not allowed to do, so letting them decide what to eat is a small way of returning independence to them,' says Ms Eva Yeo, 36, an assistant senior medical social worker at MWS. Madam Mary Ong and her siblings take turns to deliver food to their mother. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN In the case of patients with no next of kin, social workers might step in to sponsor a few meals on occasion. Assisi Hospice, on the other hand, ropes in volunteers. It formalised the arrangement in 2023 by launching the Food Buddy programme, in which volunteers procure 'outside food' for palliative care patients who have specific cravings. Every week, a doctor and speech therapist assess the condition of patients enrolled in the programme to determine if it is safe for them to have 'outside food' that day. They also provide specific dietary instructions for volunteers to follow if necessary. The food is sourced from nearby hawker centres or shopping malls – Junction 8, for instance, or one of Toa Payoh's coffee shops. 'I usually run to two or three places and try to get here by 11.30am in time for lunch,' says retiree Benjamin Chan, 60, a volunteer at the hospice since 2018. On Tuesdays, after delivering the food, he spends 30 to 45 minutes by the bedside of various residents, chatting about the food and their memories of these dishes. Because he never knows when their last meeting will be, he tries to make every moment count. 'There are certain people I seriously miss talking to. They are so fun, so inspiring. But at the end of day, at least I can feel like there's something good I've given to them. So, there are no regrets there,' he says. These are the moments he wishes he could have had with his father and godmother, who died before he was able to say goodbye. Hard as he tries, however, he knows that he cannot fulfil everyone's wishes. Those with more far-flung cravings have to settle for a similar dish from a nearby stall, while others, who cannot decide on a particular dish, force him to play mind-reader. Sometimes, patients have a specific craving but struggle with the texture of a dish. In such cases, Mr Chan proposes an alternative: soto ayam with shredded chicken instead of chunks of sambal chicken, maybe – something with a similar kick but more manageable form of protein. Food Buddy volunteer Benjamin Chan delivering KFC to Mr Yeo Kok Hoong. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO Likewise, staff at Dover Park Hospice make modifications to certain foods so patients with physical disabilities can still enjoy the experience of consuming these dishes. For example, thickener might be added to coffee or tea to aid swallowing, and those unable to digest food are encouraged to chew and then spit out certain ingredients so they can enjoy the taste without compromising their safety. To Ms Quek Yanting, 36, nurse manager at Dover Park Hospice, it is important to go the extra mile to help these patients retain a sense of self. 'It is a deeply emotional gesture of remembering something, a sense of comfort. Coffee might have been something that they used to take every morning before going to work, or it might be their favourite beverage.' For her team, anything goes, as long as it does not choke the patient. MWS, on the other hand, takes autonomy a step further. Patients who desire something that might pose a choking risk or inflame his or her diabetes can still get their wish – after they sign an indemnity form. 'Ultimately, we respect the patient's choice, even if it's not a healthy decision,' says Ms Yeo. 'The care team has an obligation to inform them of the risks of certain foods, but ultimately, it's up to the patient, if he or she has the mental capacity to decide. This is our way to returning some autonomy to them.' Sometimes, it is this – the proffering of choice, the gathering for a meal – that counts. Madam Mary Ho with her extended family on July 26. PHOTO: ST ANDREW'S COMMUNITY HOSPITAL In the end, despite her best efforts, Madam Mary Ho could only pick at the spread before her on July 26. But she did get to spend her last weekend surrounded by family, before she died the following Saturday. 'It meant the world to me to have everyone together,' she said after the party. 'The food was delicious and well received, and while I couldn't eat much, simply seeing my loved ones enjoy the meal brought me great happiness.'
