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Singapore Friday sermons temporarily shortened due to heat and haze

evening · · thread: Severe Weather Alerts Issued for Argentina and Central United States

2 sources · Singapore · 2 of them are linked to a state

Who reported this

  • CNA Singapore · Centre · State-affiliated · Mediacorp, wholly owned by Temasek Holdings
  • The Straits Times Singapore · Centre-right · State-affiliated · SPH Media Trust; management shares under the NPPA

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.

Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.

Every source for this story reports from Singapore.

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) has announced that Muslim Friday prayer sermons will be temporarily shortened starting August 21. This adjustment is a response to challenging weather conditions, specifically hot weather and the haze. The first sermon, which typically spans six to seven pages, will be reduced to under four pages until further notice to ensure worshippers remain comfortable.

According to the Meteorological Service Singapore, daily maximum temperatures for the second fortnight of August are expected to range between 33 and 34 degrees Celsius, potentially reaching 35 degrees Celsius on some days. The service also warned that Singapore could experience hazy conditions if fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan intensify, with winds blowing from the southeast or southwest.

As of Friday afternoon, the 24 hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) ranged from 60 to 74, which is categorized as moderate. Air quality is considered unhealthy when the PSI exceeds 100. The Straits Times further noted that one hour PM2.5 readings remained within the normal band as of 2 p.m. on August 21.

How each side framed it

Centre
The center outlet focused on the official announcement and the general weather forecast provided by the Meteorological Service.
Centre-right
The center-right outlet provided additional institutional context regarding the role of the mufti and more detailed technical data on air quality indicators.

Sources

100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.