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Straits Times
12 minutes ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Today in Pictures, Aug 11, 2025
A Red Lion parachutist approaching an open field beside Junction 8 in Bishan, as part of 2025 National Day heartland festivities on Aug 10, 2025. The Red Lions team is best known for its free-fall displays at the annual National Day Parade. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
Wales Online
18 hours ago
- Wales Online
Small village surrounded by world class waterfalls has a pub that sells unbelievable scallop sandwiches
Small village surrounded by world class waterfalls has a pub that sells unbelievable scallop sandwiches If you're walking the famous Four Waterfalls walk, this pub should be on your agenda for afterwards Inside the pub is the perfect mix of traditional and cosy (Image: Ruth Mosalski) There are few things greater in life than a walk followed by a pub lunch and a pint of cider. Luckily, Wales has so many incredible walking routes, whether you're in the hills of Bannau Brycheiniog or Yr Wyddfa, climbing The Sugar Loaf, Consti or the Garth, wherever you are, you should never be too far from a great boozer either. Except we know the hospitality industry is struggling, and with the deadly combination of running costs rising and our flexible income shrinking, there is a depressingly high number of good, rural pubs closing. If you've watched the latest series of Clarkson's Farm you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Beautiful stone buildings, with decades, if not centuries of stories, bust ups and boozing, are being lost, left abandoned all over the country because keeping a pub running is seriously hard work. The renovated historic pub from the outside (Image: Ruth Mosalski) So, when you find a good one, well you need to spread the word, so let me share with you the Red Lion in Penderyn. Personally, my demands are simple. Good food, whether pub classics, or something fancy, served with a good drop (in my case, a local cider or good chilled Pinot Grigio, but for my husband, good ales), is all you need and if you've been on a long walk, you've definitely earned those, right? Having spent the morning walking round the Four Waterfalls, and taking a very chilly dip in Sgwd y Eira, my husband's booking of the Red Lion in Penderyn was an excellent shout. View of the Sgwd Yr Eira waterfall in Bannau Brycheiniog (Image: Edd Mitchell/ GettyImages) The 9km walk in the Beacons is legendary, and to our shame despite it being an hour from our home, we'd never done it in full. In fact this part of the world is known as "waterfall country" where there are a host of stunning publicly accessible waterfalls. Setting off early to beat the crowds, and as a bonus bagging one of the handful of free parking spots available, our three hour ramble was complete in time for a lunchtime trip to Penderyn, just a few miles away. Plus, our aching thigh muscles needed a breather. Home of the famous distillery, somewhere we've taken visitors for tours not once, but twice, as we sat looking at the menus we said we couldn't quite believe we'd never heard of this pub. The pub has, in its current form, been here since the 1800s. Its website explains the rest: "By the mid 1970's it was in a very sorry state. Most of the building was derelict with cinder floors and only two rooms still in use; a small bar and damp lounge. "The roof's back was broken and there were over 30 vessels of various types catching the water coming in. "However in 1978 it was sold to Keith & Beryl James and so began a love affair with a building which has continued 7 days a week, 365 days a year to this very day. The bond with the building is so strong that their last holiday was in fact in 1977. "Over the last 40 years a substantial and sympathetic renovation has been undertaken to restore the Red Lion to it's former glory. Every penny of savings, pensions and turnover has been ploughed back in to the building by family to develop the '…little hidden gem….' customers love today." Keith and Beryl's daughter Natalie joined the pub in 2015, and this family's love affair continues. Given we'd travelled to it via a road which would generously be described as single track, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. The walk, the clambering, the swimming, would have seen me happy with a plate of scampi and chips but chef had other ideas. But I can tell you for certain, that as we sat down and opened the menu, I did not expect to see "compressed watermelon" or squid with Thai basil charred lime and pickled cucumber. Nor did I expect a scallop sandwich, or a Barti Ddu Rum chocolate delice. But the dish that makes my mouth water even just thinking back was the scallop sandwich. The scallop and bacon sandwich, served with fries and coleslaw was the star of the show (Image: Ruth Mosalski) Now, a £20.50 price tag for a sandwich may sound a lot, but I love fish, plus the description included a host of my favourite things - bacon, fennel, radish, pea and mint mayo and charred gem - check, check and check. So that was ordered, without a second look and we also added three dishes from the "small plates" menu, which range from £11 to £12.20, but you can get three for £30 at lunchtime. We also added on a side, of what was billed as crispy curry leaves, more of that later. The dishes all came together, and in a good amount of time for us to enjoy the first sips of our drinks but with that anticipation a rumbling tummy can bring. Pork belly small plates with peanuts, spring onion and soy dressing (Image: Ruth Mosalski) While I ate the sandwich last, it was, by far, the standout dish. Seriously well cooked, juicy scallops, were inside a bread roll with a good chew, thick bacon, plus the vegetable garnishes and sauces. The saltiness of bacon and sweetness of scallops is a well tested flavour combination, and adding it in a sandwich with the other ingredients, it was decadent and divine. We both pointed out we'd have wanted more of the pea and mint mayo squished in there, but when you did get a mouthful of that, it was divine. The chips were coated in paprika, and the coleslaw, the last thing I went to eat was left, partly through my overordering, but partly as it was a little too heavy on the onions. The cauliflower (£11) with miso puree, pickled radish, chilli oil, chickpeas and viola flowers was by far the best of the three small plates we picked. Sweet, but with chunks of soft cauliflower and crispy chickpeas, it not only looked beautiful but tasted it too. My second favourite dish of cauliflower with edible flowers and chickpeas (Image: Ruth Mosalski) While they were my standouts, there were a couple of others that didn't quite live up to the billing, but with a few tweaks absolutely could and were still perfectly acceptable pub grub. The crispy pork belly (£11) with toasted peanuts, chilli and soy dressing and spring onions, was the best of the rest. The larger pieces of pork held their succulence and fell apart when cut, but their smaller compatriots were a little on the dry side. That said, the huge peanuts and dressing were delightful. The squid, which was promised with pickled cucumber, thai basil, hazelnuts, charred lime and a lemon and garlic aioli promised big hitting flavours. While the squid itself was prepared and cooked well, I wanted that cheek sucking punch of the double citrus, and I didn't get it. It may be my Polish roots but I love anything pickled. Seriously pickled but this cucumber though had barely seen the vinegar enough to make me as giddy as seeing it on the menu did. There is not a pickled product I wouldn't eat, and yet I did leave some of the cucumber on the plate. Plus, for £12.20, it just felt a little small, even for a small plate. The squid itself was great, but it didn't quite deliver on punch (Image: Ruth Mosalski) Billed as a "bit on the side" I was fascinated by the sound of "crispy curry leaves" served with rocket, seeds and fennel. It sounded amazing. It was, in reality, a salad, and I had to hunt for the curry leaves within the, granted, big pile of leaves and seeds. Double, or triple the quantity of those fragrant leaves, and half the amount of dressing, this dish could be a knockout. As it was, it was a salad, not quite the intriguing proposition on the menu. We shared a pudding - which with a £12 price tag I imagine lots of people do - but the Barti Ddu rum chocolate delice was a great ending to the meal. The richness of the delice was countered by both the rum and the coffee soil. The vanilla ice cream something of a palate cleanser after the chocolate too. The Barti Ddu rum chocolate delice pudding (Image: Ruth Mosalski) All in all, I'm really glad we found this pub. The decor and its staff were great. It was the right mix of a traditional pub but done up with enough modern touches it didn't feel dark, dank or dingy. The staff were lovely, seating us earlier than our booking, and prompt with service and with big smiles, and no judgements at our large lunch order. This place is clearly hugely popular and its location means if you're a return visitor to the waterfalls, or going for the first time, you should absolutely visit. It's got a huge and beautiful beer garden, a pop up pizza spot The Little Lion, and has, I've since learnt, hosted street fooders like The Beefy Boys too. Article continues below It oh so nearly delivered on every count, but I wouldn't mind popping back for that sandwich any time. The Red Lion in Penderyn recommends bookings. Food is served at lunchtime and in evenings between Wednesday and Saturday with a Sunday lunch menu from noon until 4.30pm.
New Paper
5 days ago
- Sport
- New Paper
Each NDP 2025 leap 'feels like 5km run': Veteran Red Lion
After executing a perfect landing on a large open field in Bishan, Red Lion Leonard Tan was drenched from head to toe. When asked if he was soaked because he went through clouds while free-falling through the sky, Master Warrant Officer Tan said: "Most of it is sweat. The stress and fatigue level of one jump is equivalent to a 5km run. Mentally and physically, I feel like I just ran 5km." MWO Tan was speaking exclusively to The Straits Times on July 30 after a practice jump in Bishan. He is one of seven Red Lions taking part in the 2025 National Day heartland celebrations, and will jump from about 1,830m and land at the open field beside Junction 8 in Bishan at 4pm on Aug 10. Despite being the most experienced Red Lion this year, with the highest number of jumps - 3,020 jumps over a 25-year career - MWO Tan, 48, said he reminds himself to never be complacent and to always keep focused on the jump ahead. "The jump itself is around six minutes, but we have to prepare ourselves for around six hours. A lot goes behind the scenes," he said. Training is key, and preparation for the Aug 10 jump began as early as April. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY For instance, to prepare for the 9.15am jump on July 30, MWO Tan woke up at 3am. "I had a small bite, attended several safety briefs and returned to our base camp to prepare our equipment. Then we headed to the airbase to coordinate with the pilots on how our jumps will be," he said. "In the aircraft, I would visualise how I would exit the plane and execute the canopy moves, all the way until I landed. "So by the time I land, I would always feel a lot of relief because of the humongous amount of stress there was before jumping out of the aircraft," he added. Before each jump, everything from wind speed to the amount of clouds in the sky are monitored to ensure the safety of the Red Lions. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY Before each jump, everything from wind speed to the amount of clouds in the sky are monitored to ensure the safety of the Red Lions. For instance, for display jumps, surface winds cannot exceed 13 knots (24kmh), which is classified as a moderate breeze on the Beaufort scale. Visibility is another factor. MWO Tan said: "When we are on board the plane and can't see the show arena or the landing spot due to clouds, the plane will make another round... If we still can't see the arena, we will call off the jump." Training is also key, and preparation for the Aug 10 jump began as early as April. "Due to limited airspace in Singapore, the Red Lions pivot to high-intensity training in Thailand for about three weeks to rehearse the display routines. It takes at least 30 jumps to prepare for an event like this," said MWO Tan. A childhood dream All preparations now, no matter how tough, feel worthwhile to MWO Tan, who has dreamt about being a Red Lion since he was a boy. "It's been a childhood aspiration of mine. When I was young, I lived in Bedok, and from my HDB flat, I could see the horizon above Bedok Reservoir. At times, I would see an aircraft flying over the horizon and it looked like it was (pooping), but it was actually a parachutist jumping from the rear of the aircraft," he said, with a laugh. "I was very curious (about) what that was, and my parents told me that those were army parachutists doing their training. That really struck me, and inspired me to want to be a parachutist," added MWO Tan. Eventually, he made the cut in 2000. But his first training jump did not go according to plan. Smiling sheepishly as he recalled his first jump, MWO Tan said: "It was not a very positive jump because I didn't pull my parachute. So I was actually tumbling all the way from the aircraft. "Luckily, there was (an) automatic activation device that activated my parachute. When I landed, I got a warning letter, and I was nearly out." It taught him a valuable lesson "to be more consistent and not to be complacent, especially since parachuting is not for the faint-hearted". "It is a bit of a risky sport if you do not know what to do, so we need to be very sure of our drills and prepare ourselves well." Since then, MWO Tan has made more than 3,000 jumps, with National Day 2025 marking his 10th display jump to celebrate the nation's birthday. One of his most memorable jumps was in 2006, when he landed at the former National Stadium in Kallang. "It was iconic to me because the old National Stadium was shaped like a bowl. So in the air, it acts like a speaker and amplifies the crowd cheering. Even at 3,000 feet (914m) high, I could hear Gurmit Singh speaking as the emcee. I thought, wow, I'm so high but I can still hear the crowd, and that struck me - to do an even better show for the nation," MWO Tan said. The jump on Aug 10 will be MWO Tan's first at a heartland event. The jump on Aug 10 will be MWO Leonard Tan's first jump at a heartland event. PHOTO: NDP 2025 EXCO "In the heartland, you get closer to the audience, which is something I look forward to," he said. Despite being so experienced, each jump for MWO Tan is still as exciting as the first. "I enjoy every single jump, from the first to the last. I anticipate myself to be making another 1,000 jumps," he said. When asked what Singapore looks like from above the clouds, MWO Tan said: "You can see the whole of Singapore from 10,000 feet (3,048m). It is a priceless feeling and, at times, even tearful because when I jump out, it brings back memories of where my roots are. I feel very appreciative of the people who brought me up to where I am today. "So to me, whenever I jump out, the feeling is always the same. It is like jumping back home."
Straits Times
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Brazil beat Colombia in shoot-out in Copa America Femenina final thriller
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Brazil's Marta celebrates scoring their third goal in the Copa America Femenina final against Colombia on Aug 2. The match ended 4-4 before Brazil prevailed 5-4 on penalties. QUITO – Brazil successfully defended their Copa America Femenina crown by defeating Colombia 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out on Aug 2 to claim their ninth continental title after a roller-coaster final in Quito ended 4-4. The decider at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado saw Colombia take the lead three times, only for Brazil to respond on each occasion. Brazil great Marta forced extra time with a late equaliser and the veteran struck again in the 105th minute to seemingly seal victory. But a resilient Colombia found yet another equaliser to send the encounter to penalties, where Brazil's experience ultimately prevailed. 'I think women's football has been growing a lot. I think the trend is for it to be more competitive. Everyone here deserved a match like this. Congratulations to Colombia too,' Brazil's Amanda Gutierres said. 'This means a lot. I think it's Brazil's job. It's that mentality of never giving up. That's a source of pride for Brazil. I think it means a lot to Brazilians.' Both teams created early chances but the breakthrough came in the 25th minute when Colombia's Linda Caicedo capped off a tidy passing move with a composed low finish from close range. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore LTA, Singapore bus operators reviewing Malaysia's request to start services from JB at 4am Singapore Despite bag checks and warnings, young partygoers continue to vape in clubs in Singapore Singapore President Tharman meets migrant workers who saved driver of car that fell into sinkhole Singapore Now flying solo, Acres CEO Kalaivanan Balakrishnan presses ahead with wildlife rescue efforts Opinion The charm – and drawbacks – of living in a time warp in Singapore Singapore Ong Beng Seng to plead guilty on Aug 4, more than 2 years after trip to Qatar with Iswaran Business Decoupling to save on tax? You may lose right to property if ties go awry Singapore NDP 2025: Veteran Red Lion says each leap 'feels like 5km run' Brazil got the equaliser in the dying moments of the first half when Angelina stepped up to calmly convert a penalty after the video assistant referee confirmed a foul by Jorelyn Carabali on Gio Garbelini. Colombia regained the lead in the 69th minute via a Brazil own goal, defender Tarciane attempting a routine back pass to goalkeeper Lorena but unaware that she had already charged off her line to collect the ball. Gutierres equalised for Brazil again 10 minutes from time with her sixth goal in the tournament, a fierce strike off Garbelini's pass, but striker Mayra Ramirez restored Colombia's lead by netting after a quick counter-attack eight minutes later. Las Cafeteras were within touching distance of their first continental title until Marta, introduced as a late substitute, delivered a moment of magic with a stunning equaliser six minutes into stoppage time, forcing the game into extra time. Marta struck again in the 105th minute when she tapped in a fine cross from Angelina but Colombia turned things around again as Leicy Santos' brilliant free kick sailed into the top corner in the 115th minute. The penalty shoot-out mirrored the drama of the match, with Colombia taking the early advantage after Angelina's miss. However, when Manuela Pavi failed to convert and goalkeeper Lorena saved Leicy Santos' effort Brazil held the advantage. Marta had the chance to seal victory but Katherine Tapia's save sent the shoot-out to sudden death, where Carabali's miss finally handed Brazil their ninth continental title. REUTERS
Straits Times
03-08-2025
- Straits Times
A funeral shines a light on the Bangladeshis thriving in the NYPD
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The killing of Mr Islam has ripped through the New York Police Department with ferocity. NEW YORK - Inside a three-story Bronx mosque, dozens of New York City Police Department officers sat cross-legged on the floor. They were silent during a somber occasion: the funeral of one of their colleagues who had been killed in uniform just days before. The slain officer, Mr Didarul Islam, was shot on the night of July 28 after a gunman entered a Park Avenue office building in Manhattan and sprayed bullets across the lobby and then a floor upstairs, killing four people. The killing of Mr Islam, who was awarded a posthumous promotion, has ripped through the Police Department with ferocity. But the death had a particular resonance for the department's fast-growing community of Bangladeshi American officers. Mr Islam immigrated from Bangladesh about 16 years ago. In the past decade, the number of Bangladeshi Americans who have flocked to the Police Department's ranks has exploded, marking the latest chapter in the long story of immigrant groups that have found a home – and a foothold in America – in the nation's largest police department. 'Being police officers, it's a way to help the New Yorkers, to help the community,' Sergeant Ershadur Siddique, president of the Bangladeshi American Police Association, said in an interview. 'It's to show that we are part of America, we are part of New York City, and being a police officer in New York City – it's known in the world that we're the best in the world – so it brings pride,' he said. The association, one of many fraternal organisations within the department, now includes nearly 1,000 of the roughly 34,000 uniformed members of the force. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore LTA, Singapore bus operators reviewing Malaysia's request to start services from JB at 4am Singapore Despite bag checks and warnings, young partygoers continue to vape in clubs in Singapore Singapore Ong Beng Seng to plead guilty on Aug 4, more than 2 years after trip to Qatar with Iswaran Singapore NDP 2025: Veteran Red Lion says each leap 'feels like 5km run' Business Decoupling to save on tax? You may lose right to property if ties go awry Singapore Lessons learnt from Singapore's love-hate relationship with e-scooters Opinion At UN's Wipo, Singaporean Daren Tang strives to create an equal music for haves and have-nots Asia Mass grave with over 100 skeletons in Sri Lanka brings up old wounds Among them are an inspector and four captains, as well as 1,500 civilians who work for the department, making it the second-fastest-growing fraternal organisation, according to a spokesperson for the organisation. Many Bangladeshi Americans have also found work as traffic enforcement agents, a job that Mr Islam often encouraged residents in his Bronx neighbourhood to consider, according to a neighbour. The Police Department has long served as a harbour for immigrants in New York who are seeking good pay, security and benefits. Irish Americans for years made up such a large portion of the department's total personnel, including numerous police commissioners, that they came to stand for the face of the force. But the department, once known for being overwhelmingly white, has steadily diversified over the decades. Nearly 12 per cent of its uniformed officers are Asian, a figure closely mirroring the percentage of the city's total population, according to the US census and Police Department data. About 33 per cent of uniformed officers are Hispanic, and 17 per cent are Black. Among civilian Police Department employees, 17 per cent are Asian and 45 per cent are Black. The force's immigrant and minority fraternal groups have also grown in number. Today they include the New York Dominican Officers Organisation, the fastest-growing group, and the Pakistani American Law Enforcement Society, among numerous others. The Bangladeshi American Police Association was founded in 2015 with a mission of fostering upward mobility within the department, recruiting new officers and building connections with New York City's Bangladeshi American community, which has nearly tripled to more than 100,000 New Yorkers in the past decade. Those who are employed by the Police Department founded their fraternal association in part to combat Islamophobia that ran rampant in the United States in the wake of 9/11, according to one of its founders, Mr Shamsul Haque. It was started to 'dispel the misconception that you are Muslim and there is somehow a connection to terrorism,' Mr Haque said on July 30 during a news conference with Mr Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor. That mission remained especially resonant on July 28. In the hours after the shooting, there was a torrent of misinformation online declaring the massacre an act of Islamic terrorism and blaming Mr Mamdani, who is Muslim, as was the slain officer. For many of the association's members, the officer's killing has been felt deeply and doubly – the loss of a fellow service member joined with the loss of a compatriot. 'I speak as someone who feels like a family member grieving,' Mr Haque said on July 30 during the news conference. 'More than a fellow officer, he was one of us, and losing him feels like losing a brother.' For many in the Bangladeshi American community, Mr Islam's death has also elicited warring emotions, with officers and civilians saying they feel suspended between pride for his heroism and overwhelming pain at his loss. 'He died in the line of defense. That's a very honorable death,' said Mr Hossain Mohd, an engineer who is Bangladeshi and came to watch the transfer of Islam's body from the medical examiner's office to the Parkchester Jame Masjid on July 29. 'He did something for the country. That's something to be proud of.' Officer Mohammad Salam, who grew up with the detective in the same neighborhood in Bangladesh and worked with him years later at the 47th Precinct, was also at the mosque. After the transfer of Mr Islam's body, he stood outside its doors in a sea of loved ones and fellow officers and recalled his fallen friend with emotion. 'I'm really proud of him. He was a great kid,' Mr Salam said. Mr Islam, he said, had embodied the best of the Bangladeshi community in the force. 'They try to help the community; they try to improve their lifestyle,' he said, adding: 'They also make their family proud.' NYTIMES
