'Market psychology' contributing to higher prices in HDB resale market, says Desmond Lee; Putien Singapore absorbing GST and waiving service charge: Singapore live news
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Minister Desmond Lee partially attributed higher prices in the HDB resale market to psychological factors, saying that the flats which sell high make headlines and capture the public's attention. This is why the Government introduced new cooling measures to lower HDB loan limits.
The Putien Group in Singapore announced that they're absorbing the nine per cent GST and waiving the service charge. This move has been in the works since January.
Jennifer Lopez has filed for divorce from Ben Affleck after two years of marriage. There have been rumours of issues with their marriage, with Affleck reportedly moving out in May. For more on their split, read here.
A live mantis shrimp attacked a Chinese diner when she attempted to cook it in boiling soup. To watch the video, read here.
Olympic medallist Zhou Yaqin was spotted helping out at her family restaurant in China and waiting on tables. Netizens praised her for being humble, but some were sceptical. She shot to fame because of her reaction to her fellow winners biting their medals. To watch the video, read here.
Swiping through videos could make you more bored, according to a new study. To understand why, read here.
Donald Trump offered Elon Musk a spot in his administration, and described the former as "smart" and "brilliant". The Tesla founder didn't directly respond to Trump's offer, but posted an AI-generated meme instead. To find out more, read here.
Baan Kanom Thai is opening a new concept in Tampines. It'll serve their beloved Thai pancakes, along with savoury items like the Thai Omelette Rice. To find out more about their menu and location, read here.
A Malaysia Airlines flight returned to KLIA after 70 minutes in the air. The flight was suspected of encountering 'cabin pressure issues'.
The Australian government on Wednesday (21 Aug) cleared the first phase of the $26 billion AAPowerLink project that aims to export solar power from Australia to Singapore. For more on this ambitious renewable power project, read here.
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Bryan Lim
'Market psychology' contributing to higher prices in HDB resale market, says Desmond Lee
Minister Desmond Lee said "market psychology" is a contributing factor to the high prices in the HDB resale market. This is why the Government introduced new cooling measures to lower HDB loan limits.
At a media briefing on 20 Aug, Lee explained that HDB flats that sell high make up a small proportion of transactions but capture public attention and have been making headlines.
Over the last 1.5 years, flats that cross the million-dollar mark make up about two per cent of all resale transactions.
This has caused Singaporeans to be concerned about the affordability of resale flats. Flat sellers are raise expectations about how much their flat is worth, while flat buyers are anxious about securing one before prices get higher.
Lee said such market dynamics can cause the resale market to run out of line with economic fundamentals, causing a bubble. He also pointed out that due to the cyclical nature of the property market, those who buy at a higher price are often hit the hardest when the market cools.
S$26 billion plan to export power to Singapore approved by Australia
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.
Malaysia Airlines flight makes safe return to airport after suspected cabin pressure problem
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.
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.
Bryan Lim
Skipping through videos is likely making you more bored, study suggests
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.
Bryan Lim
Chinese Olympic medallist returns from Paris to help in family's restaurant
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.
Bryan Lim
Mantis shrimp attacks Chinese diner at hotpot restaurant
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.
Bryan Lim
Jennifer Lopez files for divorce from Ben Affleck
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.
Putien Singapore absorbing GST and waiving service charge
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.
‘With crime at record levels, with terrorists and criminals pouring in, and with inflation eating your hearts out, vote for Donald Trump,’ Republican nominee pleads
Loomer, an extremist commentator known for making racist remarks and promoting baseless conspiracy theories, has been spending time with Trump on the campaign trail recently
China announced steps against nine U.S. military-linked firms on Wednesday over U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan, freezing their property within China, in the latest move to put added pressure on the United States to halt its arms sales to the island. China has repeatedly called on the White House, an important international backer and arms supplier for democratically-governed Taiwan, to refrain from formal dealings with the island's leadership.
Hundreds of pagers carried by Hezbollah members blew up nearly simultaneously in an attack that tops a series of covert assassinations and cyber-attacks in the region.
BEIRUT/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli warplanes carried out late on Thursday their most intense strikes on southern Lebanon in nearly a year of war, heightening the conflict between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah amid calls for restraint. The White House said a diplomatic solution was achievable and urgent, and Britain called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The U.S. is "afraid and concerned about potential escalation," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told a briefing.
Anna Sawai, the lead actress from FX’s historical drama “Shogun,” which just swept the Emmys with 18 wins on Sunday night, used to rock the stage as part of the girl group Faky. After making history as the first Asian actress to win outstanding lead actress in a drama, Sawai joked about celebrating by “drinking with her castmates” and trying to forget her problems for a while. Digging up Sawai’s past: Before Sawai became acting royalty, she was the OG leader of Faky, a former five-person J-pop girl group known for their singles “Better Without You” and “You.” She loved being part of the group but left in 2018 to chase her acting dreams, saying, “I had to quit to actually start [acting].
NEW TAIPEI, Taiwan (Reuters) -The model of pagers used in detonations in Lebanon were made by Budapest-based BAC Consulting, Taiwanese pager firm Gold Apollo said on Wednesday, adding it had only licensed out its brand to the company and was not involved in the production of the devices. At least nine people were killed and nearly 3,000 wounded when pagers used by Hezbollah members detonated simultaneously across Lebanon on Tuesday. Images of destroyed pagers analysed by Reuters showed a format and stickers on the back that were consistent with pagers made by Gold Apollo.
Prince Harry will soon be returning to the UK, however when he flies back his passport will be carrying a different name – discover what the Duke of Sussex's real name is