Neighbourhood discounts for Pasir Ris-Changi residents | The Straits Times
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/community/pasir-ris-changi-residents-to-get-discounted-food-services-under-new-programme
The Straits Times published an article detailing a new community initiative called the **Changi Delights Card**, launched by the Changi Grassroots Organisations to help Pasir Ris-Changi residents manage rising cost-of-living expenses.
The core details of the program include:
### **The Changi Delights Card**
* **The Offer:** More than 100,000 residents are eligible for discounts of **up to 50%** on food, goods, and services.
* **Participating Merchants:** 27 neighbourhood merchants have signed up so far, with more expected to join. Participating businesses will display a **Changi Delights sticker** at their storefronts.
* **Cost:** The cost of providing these discounts is entirely borne by the merchants themselves to help boost local footfall.
* **How to Get It:** Residents can **apply for the card online**, and it will be mailed directly to their homes.
### **Examples of Participating Merchants & Discounts**
* **Cosford Container Park:** Located off Upper Changi Road, offering **10% off** meals at Youngs Restaurant and Bar, and a **20% discount** for vendors setting up at their monthly themed weekend markets.
* **House of Melissa Boutique Farmstay (Changi Village):** Offering a **15% discount** on weekday night stays (regularly $420/night on weekdays, $600/night on weekends) to help boost off-peak traffic.
* **Other Confirmed Merchants:** Rain Tree Montessori Schoolhouse and Anytime Fitness Upper Changi.
### **Other Community Initiatives Announced**
The launch event at Loyang Point also highlighted additional support measures for the area:
* **Expansion of Changi Care Store:** This initiative provides up to $20 worth of monthly essential groceries (like rice, coffee, toothpaste, and detergent) to vulnerable residents. It is now expanding to include eligible households in **Changi Village** and on **Pulau Ubin**.
* **New Community Hub (Coming 2027):** Under the Ministry of National Development’s Estate Upgrading Programme, a new hub the size of two basketball courts will be built to serve private estate and condominium residents in the
**Upper Changi** and **Flora** estates. It will feature a hard-court area for fitness activities and workshops, with design plans currently
gathering resident feedback.
Japan have never gone beyond the World Cup round of 16. But with almost all of Japan’s 26-man #WorldCup2026 squad playing in Europe, could this be their best chance to make history?
https://cna.asia/4eacDF2
The article from Channel NewsAsia (CNA) outlines a massive wave of optimism for the Samurai Blue ahead of the 2026 World Cup, balanced by some severe, last-minute injury heartbreaks.
Here are the full details on why this squad is being tipped to finally break Japan's "Round of 16 jinx"—and the hurdles they have to overcome right out of the gate.
### The Case for Making History
Historically, the Round of 16 has been Japan's hard ceiling. However, football analysts and insiders note that this 2026 team possesses unprecedented depth, maturity, and tactical flexibility.
* **The European Advantage:** Out of Japan’s 26-man roster, **only three players** are currently based domestically in the J1 League. The remaining 23 are playing in Europe—not just in minor leagues, but starting for top-tier clubs in the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League.
* **Fearlessness and Experience:** Experts note that two or three World Cups ago, Japanese players lacked this level of sustained European club experience. Today, they regularly face the world's best players week in and week out, completely eliminating the "stage fright" factor.
* **Giant-Slaying Pedigree:** Over the past 12 months, Japan has notched historic friendly wins against powerhouse nations like **England** and **Brazil**. Combined with their famous group-stage upsets over Germany and Spain at the 2022 World Cup, this squad has proven they can beat anyone on their day.
* **A Tactical "Plan B":** Head coach Hajime Moriyasu was highly praised for his second-half tactical adjustments against Spain and Germany in Qatar. Analysts point out that he has mastered the art of changing game plans mid-match, a maturity Japan lacked in previous tournament cycles.
### Serious Setbacks: The Injury Crisis
Despite the massive hype, Japan’s World Cup preparations have been hit by devastating, worst-case-scenario injuries to three of their absolute most crucial players:
1. **Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton):** The mercurial winger was ruled out before the tournament due to injury.
2. **Takumi Minamino (Monaco):** The experienced attacker was also forced to withdraw.
3. **Wataru Endo (Captain):** In a staggering blow just *three days* before Japan's opening match, the 33-year-old midfield anchor was ruled out of the tournament due to injury and simultaneously announced his retirement from international duty.
**How Moriyasu is adapting:** With Endo out, defender Ko Itakura has been handed the captain’s armband. Striker Shuto Machino (Borussia Mönchengladbach) was called up as a late replacement. Moriyasu is banking on his tactical belief that he has enough defensive cover to drop deep players into central midfield, allowing Machino to solve a depth issue at shadow striker.
Even without Mitoma and Minamino, the attack still boasts elite firepower, led by Real Sociedad's **Takefusa Kubo**, Celtic's **Daizen Maeda**, and Eredivisie top scorer **Ayase Ueda**. Observers stress that Japan historically functions best as a cohesive unit rather than relying on a single "saviour" like a Messi or Ronaldo.
### The Road Ahead
Japan is placed in a highly competitive group alongside the **Netherlands, Sweden, and Tunisia**.
They kick off their campaign against the Netherlands at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Because of the expanded World Cup format, getting through the group stage and the subsequent Round of 32 is considered the "bare minimum" expectation for this group. If they survive those stages, a potential heavyweight knockout clash against Brazil or Morocco could stand between them and a historic qua
rter-final berth.