2 taken to hospital after fire at Great World Serviced Apartments; COE prices mixed, slight dip for Cat A and B: Singapore live news
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A unit at Great World Serviced Apartments caught fire on 21 Aug. (PHOTO: Facebook/Singapore Civil Defence Force)
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A unit at Great World Serviced Apartments caught fire. About 150 people were evacuated while two were taken to the hospital. For more information on the cause of the fire, read here.
COE prices ended mixed after the second bidding exercise in August 2024. Cat A and B prices saw a slight dip. For the full breakdown of COE prices, read here.
Chinese game Black Myth: Wukong is a global hit. But while its success has been lauded domestically, it has drawn controversy from reviewers abroad over censorship. To know more about the controversy behind Black Myth: Wukong, read here.
Fujikawaguchiko has quietly taken down the black net that blocks the view of Mount Fuji. City officials say the measure has been effective so far, but they'll monitor the situation and are ready to put it back up if it changes.
Cristiano Ronaldo broke YouTube records with the launch of his channel. He even surpassed Lionel Messi's channel within two hours.
Former Philippine mayor Alice Guo reportedly spent a month in Singapore after fleeing the Philippines. She is accused of being a spy for China and is under investigation for her ties to Chinese crime syndicates. Guo is also linked to two foreigners convicted in Singapore of money laundering.
Sitting too long on the toilet can lead to an uncomfortable condition known as hemorrhoids. To find out another potential cause, read here.
Thailand reported its first suspected case of a dangerous mpox strain in a European traveller. He is believed to be infected by the Clade 1 variant, which is deadlier and more transmissible.
Singapore is investigating how a radical Bangladeshi worker managed to enter the country and give an illegal sermon. Law Minister K. Shanmugam also explained that his passport looked to be valid and it was under a different name.
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Bryan Lim
Singapore investigating security breach after radical preacher entered and gave illegal sermon
Singapore is investigating how a radical Bangladeshi worker managed to enter the country and give an illegal sermon. Law Minister K. Shanmugam also explained that his passport looked to be valid and it was under a different name. (PHOTO: Reuters/Edgar Su)
A Bangladeshi national entered Singapore and preached to migrant workers without a permit on 9 Aug and left the following day.
The preacher, Amir Hamza, was previously arrested by his government for alleged terror links. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Aug 21 that they're investigating Amir Hamza and those involved with the event.
MHA said in a statement, "Amir Hamza’s sermon propagated extremist and segregationist teachings that were dangerous, and detrimental to Singapore’s communal harmony."
As for how he entered the country, MHA explained that they are aware of him and his background but he used a passport which bore a different name from that in its databases to gain entry.
Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam said that the passport looks to be valid, but with a different name, and that's how he "slipped through".
Shanmugam added that there has to be a balance between protecting Singapore's security and maintaining a visitor-friendly experience at Changi Airport. Thus, it's impossible to interview every arriving individual about their motives for visiting.
"We cannot work backwards in this, but we have to see what has happened,” he said.
“We will look at it, but bearing in mind that we need to make sure that we balance the security needs with the needs of the economy too.”
Chinese game Black Myth: Wukong is an instant global hit. But its success also comes with controversy
Chinese game Black Myth: Wukong is a global hit. But while its success has been lauded domestically, it has drawn controversy from reviewers abroad over censorship. (PHOTO: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
The Chinese-developed game Black Myth: Wukong has seen international success.
The game saw more than 1.04 million concurrent players on Steam within an hour of its official release on Tuesday (20 Aug). It has garnered widespread praise among critics, though its not without its flaws.
Despite its meteoric rise, the game has also drawn brickbats regarding its censorship around reviews. When overseas reviewers were invited to preview the game, they were required to adhere to a set of guidelines which some inferred to be a sort of self-censorship.
The New York Times reported, "The list of forbidden subjects laid out in a document under ‘Don’ts’ — politics, ‘feminist propaganda’, COVID-19, China’s video game industry policies and other content that instigates negative discourse."
Developers from Game Science, the company behind Black Myth: Wukong, have also been exposed for sexist behaviour. There have also been misogynistic social media posts made by founder and CEO Feng Ji and Yang Qi, the game’s artistic director.
To know more about the controversy behind Black Myth: Wukong, read here.
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Bryan Lim
2 taken to hospital after fire at Great World Serviced Apartments
A unit at Great World Serviced Apartments caught fire. About 150 people were evacuated while two were taken to the hospital. (PHOTO: Facebook/Singapore Civil Defence Force)
A unit on the 18th floor of Great World Serviced Apartments caught fire on 21 Aug.
When the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived on scene, black smoke was emitting from the unit. No one was in the unit, according to a post on the SCDF Facebook page.
The fire was extinguished with a water jet. Due to the fire, the kitchen was damaged and the rest of the house sustained soot and heat damage.
About 150 people had already evacuated before the SCDF arrived. Another two people from neighbouring units were taken to the hospital because of smoke inhalation.
Thailand has first suspected case of dangerous mpox strain
Thailand reported its first suspected case of a dangerous mpox strain in a European traveller. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
Thailand reported its first suspected case of a dangerous mpox strain in a European traveller.
The 66-year-old male arrived from an unnamed African country. He is believed to be infected by the Clade 1 variant, which is deadlier and more transmissible.
The head of the Department of Disease Control is awaiting lab results to confirm the strain, but has said definitively that it's not the Clade 2 variant.
Thailand previously detected 800 cases of the Clade 2 variant.
For more on this mpox case in Thailand, read here.
Bryan Lim
This 1 toilet habit makes you more prone to an uncomfortable condition
Sitting too long on the toilet can lead to an uncomfortable condition known as hemorrhoids. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
Sitting too long on the toilet can lead to an uncomfortable condition known as hemorrhoids.
A gastroenterologist explained that sitting on the toilet for a prolonged period of time leads to blood pooling in the blood vessels of the anus and it can cause hemorrhoids.
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the anus and rectum and it's a treatable condition. You should always seek medical attention when dealing with one.
Ex-Philippine mayor accused as China spy fled to Singapore: Report
Former Bambam mayor Alice Guo reportedly spent a month in Singapore after fleeing the Philippines. (PHOTO: Mayor Alice Guo/Facebook)
Alice Guo was supposedly in Singapore for a month after she fled the Philippines.
The former Philippine mayor is under investigation for her ties to Chinese crime syndicates and is also linked to two foreigners convicted in Singapore of money laundering.
Guo reportedly arrived in Kuala Lumpur on 18 July before flying to Singapore on 21 July. It was also reported that she was in town to visit her parents who arrived in Singapore from China on 28 July.
She then seemed to have left for Batam, Indonesia on a ferry on 18 August.
The Straits Times spoke to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) about Guo’s trip but they only confirmed that she wasn't in the country.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr is investigating how Guo managed to flee the country and warned that "heads will roll".
Taylor Swift broke her silence on the Vienna terror plot. She said it filled her with "a new sense of fear" and stood by her decision to remain silent till now. (PHOTO: TAS2024/Getty Images)
She just finished the European leg of her hugely successful concert tour, but Taylor Swift is not done.
In fact, she is speaking now.
Swift addressed the foiled terrorist attack that led to the cancellation of three Eras Tour shows in Vienna on Instagram today (22 Aug).
She wrote that the cancellations were "devastating" and the reason for it filled her with "a new sense of fear". Swift had previously said a concert terror attack was her biggest fear after the ISIS bombing of an Ariana Grande concert.
"But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives," added the pop star.
Swift also seemingly addressed the vocal online crowd that demanded for a statement and slammed her silence since the threat was unveiled.
She said, "Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows.
"In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to."
Swift's final show for the European leg was at Wembley Stadium on (20 Aug) where she brought out Florence Welch as a surprise guest, and dropped the music video for her new single, I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.
To see her whole statement on the terror plot, read here.
Bryan Lim
Cristiano Ronaldo has the biggest YouTube channel launch, beats Messi's channel in 2 hours
Cristiano Ronaldo broke YouTube records with the launch of his channel. He even surpassed Lionel Messi's channel within two hours. (PHOTO: AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Football legend Cristiano Ronaldo smashed YouTube records with the launch of his channel, UR.
He reached 100,000 subscribers within 55 minutes of its launch and surpassed the one-million mark in 90 minutes.
Ronaldo also overtook Lionel Messi's channel – with 2.16 million subscribers – in two hours, and doubled that amount four hours after his launch.
He has some videos up on his channel, including one where he referred to longtime girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez as his wife.
Japanese town quietly reverses Mount Fuji-blocking barrier decision
Fujikawaguchiko has quietly taken down the black net that blocks the view of Mount Fuji. City officials say the measure has been effective so far, but they'll monitor the situation and are ready to put it back up if it changes. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
On August 15, the city officials removed the black net that was blocking the view of the mountain, though it's unclear if it's permanent.
The plan, initially, was to remove it due to strong winds but officials say there's no timeline on putting it back up.
The net was installed in May because that spot went viral on Instagram and TikTok and drew many tourists who didn't clean up after themselves.
City officials feel that the net has been "effective" because there are "no more people staying long in the area". However, they added that security patrols are in the area monitoring and they'll put the net back up again if status quo changes.
Martha Stewart has finally weighed in on the 2024 election and endorsed a candidate.During the 2024 Retail Influencer CEO Forum on Tuesday, Stewart shared that she would definitely be tuning in to the evening’s debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump: “Oh, you bet.” But for the first time this go-round, she also said who she’s voting for: “Kamala,” she said, with an emphasis on its correct pronunciation.Stewart supports Harris because she wants a president “who doesn’t hate New York” and “
Laura Loomer has threatened legal action against comedian Bill Maher after he suggested that the MAGA provocateur was in an “arranged relationship” with former president Donald Trump.“I should sue Bill Maher @billmaher for Defamation. This is beyond the pale and it’s a complete and blatant lie,” she said on X. “I have never in my life seen such a coordinated attack by the mainstream Media, the White House and leftist personalities to target a private citizen and investigative journalist simply b
Rod Stewart made an intervention in the race for the White House on Friday with a plea for aid for Ukraine—and by implication an attack on Donald Trump.The veteran British singer used an appearance at a stadium concert in Cleveland, Ohio, to call explicitly for continued support for Ukraine, calling the Russian invasion “evil” and displaying pictures of the toll it has taken on the country’s people.Stewart, 79, has rarely spoken on political issues in public—but has recently become a Trump criti
WASHINGTON (AP) — It was almost time for the presidential debate, but Kamala Harris’ staff thought there was one more thing she needed to know. So less than an hour before the vice president left her Philadelphia hotel, two communications aides got her on the phone for one of the strangest briefings of her political career.
A Democratic strategist who helped organize a “White Dudes for Harris” call said he is fighting back against a subpoena from Republican House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on Friday. “I am objecting to the subpoena issued by Jim Jordan and the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee in its entirety. This subpoena serves no legitimate…
CNN’s Fareed Zakaria sat down for an exclusive interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss who he will share his peace plan with and details of a phone call two months ago with former President Donald Trump. Watch the full interview on “Fareed Zakaria GPS” this Sunday, September 15 at 10am ET on CNN.
The "Real Time" host also mocks the fighting between right-wing figures Laura Loomer and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene The post Bill Maher Says Trump’s Racist Haitian Conspiracy Theory Is ‘Like Noah’s Ark, if Noah Was a Fat A-hole’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
