Today merges with CNA to become long-form weekend digital magazine; 1 man found dead after fire outside Potong Pasir flat: Singapore live news

A humble fishball stall at Silat Avenue is shuttering due to the high monthly rent.

Zhong Xing Foochow Fish Balls & Lor Mee opened in 1942 and has been operating since. The family business is now run by second-generation owners 68-year-old, Madam Wang, her husband, and her elder brother.

Madam Wang started helping out with the shop after completing secondary school.

The rent will see a considerable increase and to find out why, read on.

Global popstar Taylor Swift cancelled her Vienna shows earlier this month after a thwarted terror plot was revealed.

Now, more details have emerged about the plan concocted by the ISIS-connected group.

During the annual Intelligence Summit just outside Washington DC, CIA deputy director David S. Cohen said, "They were plotting to kill a huge number, tens of thousands of people at this concert, I am sure many Americans."

Around 200,000 people were expected to attend the three shows.

Three people have been arrested, including a 19-year-old Austrian who is considered the main suspect.

For more details on the terror plot, read here.

Japan is about to face its strongest typhoon of the year, with the storm approaching southern Kyushu.

Authorities have issued the highest warning level for wind and storm surges, and advised tens of thousands of people to evacuate.

"It is expected that violent winds, high waves, and storm surge at levels that many people have never experienced before may occur," said the top government spokesperson.

With the approach of the storm, Toyota has also suspended production at all 14 of its factories.

For more on how Japan is preparing for the typhoon, including cancelling flights, read here.

To say that the "very demure, very mindful" internet trend has monopolised our feeds is an understatement.

The phrase was popularised by TikTok creator Jools Lebron, who also shared that the success of her reel has allowed her to fund her gender-affirming care.

However, she hit a snag earlier this week when she said that someone else had filed a trademark registration application for the phrase.

In a now-deleted video, she said, "I’ve just invested so much money and time into this and I feel like I did it wrong. I feel like I didn’t try hard enough... I just feel like I dropped the ball."

Her predicament garnered lots of sympathy from netizens who voiced their support.

Thankfully, she found a solution.

On Tuesday (27 Aug), Lebron posted a video and said, "We got it handled. Mama got a team now."

To find out more about Lebron's comments on the trademark issue, read here.

The National Technological University (NTU engaged two experts to assess Gaia after reports of mould.

In a statement released on Wednesday (28 Aug), the findings concluded that condensation and exposure to rain were the primary causes of the mould issue at Gaia.

The mould was mostly found on the air-conditioning supply grilles and furniture surfaces in the affected rooms. Condensation occurs when the external humid air comes into contact with cooler indoor surfaces, such as when windows and doors of the offices are opened for prolonged periods.

Associate Professor Tham Kwok Wai, a global expert in Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation, and Engineering Control for Mitigation of Airborne Disease Transmission, said the Mass Engineered Timber (MET) used in the construction of the building did not contribute to the mould growth.

He explained that the timber met certified regulatory standards and is treated with protective sealants.

Associate Professor Shinya Okuda, an expert in the use of timber in buildings and an award-winning architect, agreed with this.

Okuda added that the mould on site "has not penetrated the timber structure".

Tham also said that mould is pervasive in Singapore due to its warm tropical climate and can grow on any surface if the environment is conducive, such as in dark, damp, and poorly ventilated areas.

Both experts are from the College of Design and Engineering at the National University of Singapore and were not involved in the Gaia project.

Several sustainable maintenance approaches have been recommended, all of which NTU has accepted and will implement.

In the next three weeks, rooms and spaces at Gaia that are affected by mould will undergo chemical cleaning, followed by mould testing, to ensure the mould is eradicated. To minimise the resurgence of mould, daily wiping of the air-conditioning supply grilles in all rooms will be carried out, as these are areas prone to condensation.

Spaces and corners that have low airflow will be cleaned monthly. Both exterior and interior building surfaces, including structural pillars, will be inspected, cleaned, and maintained regularly.

Any visible cracks in wood surfaces will also be patched and resealed to prevent moisture penetration and subsequent mould growth.

To find out more about NTU's findings, read here.

Digital media outlet Today will merge with CNA from 1 Oct, Mediacorp said in a statement on 28 Aug.

After the merger, Today will become the digital long-form weekend magazine of CNA. Mediacorp explained that this will allow Today's content to be served on CNA's "significantly larger" audience in Singapore and overseas.

"TODAY will focus on producing analytical features on current issues under the well-regarded Big Read brand; ground up news features; engaging human interest interviews; as well as opinion pieces every weekend to supplement CNA’s current suite of daily digital offering," they added.

Mediacorp editor-in-chief Walter Fernandez said the merger comes in a post-Covid landscape "defined by a global surge in news fatigue coupled with active news avoidance".

"These trends have been exacerbated by changes to the algorithm of selected social media platforms to de-emphasise news by reducing its discoverability. At the same time, the overlap between the Today and CNA digital audiences has also increased significantly over the past two years," shared Fernandez.

The merger will not result in any staff cuts. All TODAY staff will be offered roles in CNA.

To find out more about the merger, read here.