Pope Francis flew to Singapore on Wednesday for the final leg of his trip through Asia, arriving in one of the world’s richest countries from one of its poorest after a record-setting final Mass in East Timor.
Pope Francis is welcomed by dancing children at Singapore Changi International Airport on Sept. 11, 2024.
The 87-year-old Pope, who is on the longest and farthest trip of his pontificate, ditched his prepared remarks to speak off the cuff in his native Spanish, as he often does when he's around young people. It was an apparent reference both to East Timor’s past, as a colonial possession of first Portugal and then Indonesia, but also its current attractiveness to international commercial interests eager to develop its natural gas reserves.
The huge turnout in East Timor was a testament to the devout Catholic faith of its people and their reverence of the church, which strongly backed the Timorese's fight for independence. Francis praised the Timorese for having not only built up their country from scratch, but reconciled with Indonesia after securing independence in 2002.
East Timor remains one of the poorest in the world, with around 42 per cent living below the poverty line. It struggles with high levels of unemployment and malnutrition. Nearly two-thirds of the country’s citizens are under 30 years old, making youth job creation a high priority. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says his party will put forward a non-confidence motion when Parliament resumes 'at the earliest possible opportunity' with the aim of triggering an early federal election.Jagmeet Singh's top adviser says the NDP leader is not particularly eager to trigger an election. But Anne McGrath, Singh's principal secretary, says there will be more volatility in Parliament and the odds of an early election have risen.
During its glossy product announcement event on Tuesday, Apple unveiled a new role for its latest AirPods Pro model: medical device.Over the course of an acting career that spanned more than six decades, James Earl Jones' voice became an indelible piece of his work as a performer.Taylor Swift, one of the music industry's biggest stars, endorsed Kamala Harris for president shortly after the debate ended on Tuesday night.
'Beautiful in its own way': New forest emerges in Jasper National Park, bringing protection and new opportunities Halton Regional Police say they have disrupted a group believed to be responsible for the theft of at least 40 vehicles in Halton Region and the Greater Toronto Area worth over $3 million.York Regional Police have released surveillance footage showing a violent struggle between a victim and two would-be carjackers in Markham as they search for the suspects.
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