'Market psychology' contributing to higher prices in HDB resale market, says Desmond Lee; Putien Singapore absorbing GST and waiving service charge: Singapore live news

The first phase of a plan to export solar power from Australia to Singapore has been approved on Wednesday (21 Aug).

The link involves a 4,300-kilometre subsea power cable connecting a solar farm in Australia’s Northern Territory with more than 20 gigawatts of capacity to Singapore. Both the cable and the solar farm would be more than four times bigger than any others currently in operation internationally.

“This massive project is a generation-defining piece of infrastructure,” said Australia's Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.

For more on this ambitious renewable power project, read here.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH386 was forced to return to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) after encountering a suspected 'cabin pressure issue'.

The flight was en route to Shanghai at departed at 9.14pm on 20 Aug. The aircraft declared a general emergency shortly after takeoff and landed safely at KLIA after 70 minutes in the air.

For more on the suspected issue, read here.

Golden Mile Complex may be gone but some of the popular Thai food outlets there are finding new homes.

Baan Kanom Thai, previously housed within the Thai supermarket in Golden Mile Complex, is opening a new concept at Tampines.

It'll serve their beloved desserts, like the Thai Pandan Pancakes and Coconut Milk Custard, as well as savoury items like Thai Omelette Rice.

To find out more about their menu and location, read here.

If former US president Donald Trump wins in November, he wants billionaire Elon Musk to serve in his administration.

When asked about offering Musk a cabinet or advisory position, Trump said, "He's a very smart guy. I certainly would, if he would do it, I certainly would. He's a brilliant guy."

Musk has been vocal and open about his endorsement for Trump and it's been reported that he has been privately gathering support for him.

The Tesla founder didn't directly respond to Trump's offer, but posted an AI-generated meme instead. To find out more, read here.

When you absent-mindedly swipe through videos or skip ahead because you're bored, you could be exacerbating the situation.

Research has shown a growing trend of boredom in young people, and a new study suggests that such behaviour "actually increases boredom".

The lead study author, Dr Katy Tam, said, "We feel bored when there’s a gap between how engaged we are and how engaged we want to be. When people keep switching through videos, they’re not fully engaging with any one video, and are instead searching for something more interesting."

To learn more about boredom and why it could be concerning, read here.

She may be an Olympic medallist at the tender age of 18, but Chinese gymnast Zhou Yaqin isn't shying away from her humble roots.

Fresh off her victory at the Games, where she shot to fame because of her reaction to her fellow winners biting their medals, Zhou visited her family in Hengyang. There, she was photographed helping out at the family restaurant and waiting tables.

Her actions drew widespread praise from netizens though some said something felt off without any explanation.

To watch the video of Zhou at the restaurant, read here.

It didn't want to go down without a fight.

A live mantis shrimp attacked a Chinese diner when she attempted to cook it in the boiling soup. In the TikTok video, the woman can be seen holding the shrimp by its antenna as she lowered it into the pot.

Upon touching the surface, the shrimp leapt out of the pot and writhed on the table surface. She then tried to pick it up with the chopsticks twice, and it finally latched onto her right wrist with its front appendages.

The woman was in great pain and screamed as someone off-camera tried to remove the shrimp. It was reported that her left finger was also pierced by the shrimp.

To watch the 'great war' between the shrimp and certain death, read here.

They're calling it quits, again. So long, Bennifer.

Celebrity couple Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are splitting after two years of marriage. It was reported that Lopez filed the divorce papers and cited the date of separation as 26 April.

According to sources, the pair experienced multiple issues during their marriage, with Affleck rumoured to have moved out in May this year.

The pair rekindled their romance in July 2021, almost 20 years after they first broke up. They got married in Las Vegas a year later.

For more on the divorce, read here.

Singapore chain Putien is absorbing the nine per cent GST charge and waiving the service charge too.

The announcement was made on their social media on 20 Aug as they declared that prices in Singapore are now at "nett price".

According to The Straits Times (ST), this will be applicable to all restaurants under the Putien Group. This encompasses the 19 Putien outlets, Sam Leong St Chicken Rice at 12 Verdun Road, and Uncle Fong Hot Pot Restaurant at Great World and Suntec City.

Putien Group’s founder and chairman Fong Chi Chung told ST that this move have been in the works since January.

"Over all these years, we have also learnt to control and manage our costs better. Now, we are in a position to return the support that Singaporeans have given to us," he said.

For more on Putien's decision, read here.