GE2020: False information circulating on treated ballot papers, self-inking pens, says ELD The Elections Department Singapore noted that the introduction of the self-inking pens is to allow voters to indicate their choice on the ballot papers clearly and easily. SINGAPORE — False information is making the rounds claiming that the ballot papers and self-inking pens provided for voters for the General Election have been treated so that the marks made on the ballot papers “become invisible” after several minutes, the Elections Department Singapore (ELD) said on Tuesday (July 7). In a press statement, ELD said that the false information has been circulating online and on instant messaging platforms. “First, the marks made using the self-inking pens are permanent. In fact, the ink is oil-based, and water and temperature resistant. Similar pens have also been used in elections in other countries, including the Republic of Korea,” ELD said. It added that the ballot papers that will be used on Polling Day this Friday “are no different from the ones used in past elections and are printed under tight security conditions”. “It will not be possible for the ballot papers to be put through any additional treatment under such a tightly controlled environment,” ELD said. Full story at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/ge2020-false-information-circulating-treated-ballot-papers-self-inking-pens-says-eld

Coronavirus: Italy's death toll overtakes China's A lockdown imposed on 12 March in Italy has been extended Coronavirus has killed more people in Italy than in any other country, after deaths there rose by 427 in a day. The number of deaths now stands at 3,405, which is more than in China where the virus originated last year. There have been 3,245 reported deaths in China, but there have been questions over the reliability of its data. A lockdown imposed on 12 March in Italy has been extended beyond the original 25 March end date. Nearly all Italians have been told to stay at home. Despite these measures, the number of new cases and deaths has continued to spiral. There have been 220,000 cases of the virus worldwide with more than 9,000 deaths. China confirmed it had no new domestic cases on Wednesday for the first time since the outbreak began, a major milestone. But it reported 34 new cases among people who had recently returned to the country. The number of cases in China - more than 81,000 - is still far higher than in Italy, which has 41,035. Full story at https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51964307

All of Italy is in lockdown as coronavirus cases rise (CNN) Italy has been put under a dramatic total lockdown, as the coronavirus spreads in the country. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced that he is extending restrictions already in place in the north. "All the measure of the red zones are now extended to all of the national territory," Conte said at a press conference on Monday evening as he also announced a ban on all public events. The Prime Minister said the move was taken in order to protect the population, and especially the most fragile individuals. His announcement came at the end of a chaotic day that saw prison riots across the country. Smoke billows from a rooftop of the Regina Coeli prison in central Rome on Monday. Ninety-seven people have died of the novel coronavirus since Sunday in Italy, bringing its total number of deaths to 463. The country has 9,172 cases so far, the most of any European country. Over the weekend, blanket travel restrictions were announced in just certain areas. The rest of the country will now join the northern provinces under lockdown -- one of the toughest responses implemented outside of mainland China to get the Covid-19 pandemic under control. The coordinator for intensive care in the crisis unit for the northern Lombardy region told CNN that Lombardy's health care system was "one step from collapse" despite efforts to free up hospital beds. "We are now being forced to set up intensive care treatment in corridors," Antonio Pesenti said. "We've emptied entire hospital sections to make space for seriously sick people." He described seeing "a tsunami of patients," adding that there could be 18,000 patients in hospital by the end of the month if the virus continues to spread. Full story at https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/09/europe/coronavirus-italy-lockdown-intl/index.html

Dr M did the right thing by resigning, says Sarawak minister KUCHING: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad did the right thing by resigning as Prime Minister, says a Sarawak minister. "What he did is the correct and noble thing to do. If the coalition government that he leads is in a shambles and not with him, he could either dissolve Parliament or tender his resignation to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong," state Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (pic) said. He then said the King would have to see who among the MPs had the confidence of Parliament to lead the government. "I strongly believe the King has got the person in mind as he has met many party chairmen and leaders to seek their opinion. From this feedback, the King will decide. "It could be Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail or even Tun Mahathir again," he said when contacted on Monday (Feb 24). The PBB vice-president also said he did not think Dr Mahathir's resignation would have much effect on Sarawak. He said Sarawak would support any leader who had the state's interest at heart. "The Chief Minister has stated it. GPS will not be in any coalition but will support anyone who can bring good to the nation and Sarawak," he said, referring to the state's ruling coalition Gabungan Parti Sarawak. Asked if GPS was open to working with PAS should the party be part of a new Federal Government, Karim pointed out that PAS was once a partner with DAP in the former Pakatan Rakyat alliance. "There are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies in politics," he said. Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/02/24/dr-m-did-the-right-thing-by-resigning-says-sarawak-minister

Trump is just 67 votes away from being an ex-President and it's freaking him out (CNN) - Hillary Clinton's nearly 66 million votes in the 2016 election weren't enough to defeat Donald Trump. But just over 0.0001% of that could end Trump's presidency. That's the reality of what Trump faces if he is formally impeached by the House of Representatives later this week, as is expected, prompting a removal trial in the Senate. In such a trial, the Constitution simply requires two-thirds of the Senate, in this case 67 senators, to vote to convict and remove -- then it's goodbye Trump. Trump's fate lies in the hands of 20 GOP senators -- the number needed to join the 45 Democratic senators and two independent senators, who normally side with Democrats, to vote to convict him and end his presidency, assuming they all vote to remove Trump. Yes, it's a huge long shot that 20 Republican senators will vote to send Trump packing, especially given Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's statement last week saying there's "no chance" that Trump will be removed. But as a former trial lawyer, I can tell you that jurors don't always do as expected. And there's always the possibility that more incriminating evidence is revealed about Trump between now and the start of the trial. Even the most secure of US presidents would be unnerved at the prospect that their political demise is only 67 votes away. And while Trump has been called a lot of things, "secure" is not one of them. This is the same Trump who just days ago took to Twitter to despicably mock 16-year-old climate change activist Greta Thunberg, likely because she beat him out for the title of Time magazine's "Person of the Year." Adding to Trump's stress level are comments like the one made by former GOP Senator Jeff Flake, who recently declared that there would be "at least 35" Republican senators who would vote to remove Trump if ballots were kept secret. That number may be a bit high, but Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy stated a few weeks ago that he thinks there are at least five GOP senators already likely to vote with Democrats. Any doubt that Trump is running this math through his head over and over, trying to figure out if he mocked or angered enough Republican senators that could spell his political doom? Of course, what gives Trump protection is that his GOP base backs him solidly, and any Republican senators who vote to remove Trump could expect to receive their wrath. And while the Trump campaign publicly claims that impeachment will help Trump win in 2020 by firing up his base, Trump's own Twitter is a glimpse of a President in full panic mode. On Thursday, Trump unleashed a barrage of 123 tweets during the House Judiciary Committee debate on the articles of impeachment, many commenting on the hearings, including one instance where he accused two Democratic members of the House of lying. That set a record for the most tweets by Trump in a single day, eclipsing his record of 105 tweets set just days before, on Sunday, where he also took aim at the impeachment process numbers. Full story at https://edition.cnn.com/2019/12/15/opinions/trump-votes-impeachment-obeidallah/index.html

Donald Trump's son tweets alleged name of whistleblower who triggered impeachment inquiry Donald Trump Jr has made regular appearances at Republican fundraisers and local campaign events since his father won the White House Credit: AP Photo/Richard Drew Donald Trump’s son has tweeted the name of the alleged whistleblower whose complaint about the US president’s behaviour towards Ukraine kick-started the impeachment inquiry. For days now conservative websites have been publishing stories claiming to have discovered the identity of the CIA officer who filed a complaint about Mr Trump’s behaviour.  Amid a backdrop of growing partisan attacks on the whistleblower’s credibility, the president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, posted one such story that named the individual and questioned their motives. After an immediate backlash, Donald Jr doubled down on his action, writing on Twitter: “I love the outrage about me tweeting an article about the ‘alleged’ whistleblower.” The Telegraph has not independently verified the identity of the whistleblower, who has asked to remain anonymous, and is not publishing the name. The move comes on the back of a chorus of vitriol from Mr Trump and his supporters directed at the whistleblower, including demands for the person to be named and allegations about their links to Democrats. The whistleblower, who comes from the intelligence community, filed a detailed complaint alleging that Mr Trump had pressured Ukraine to launch an investigation into Joe Biden, the former US vice president who could be the Democratic nominee for the 2020 presidential election. Full story at https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/11/06/donald-trumps-son-tweets-alleged-name-whistleblower-triggered/

BreadTalk Group gets regulatory nod for Food Junction buyout Mainboard-listed food and beverage player BreadTalk Group has obtained regulatory approval for its buyout of Food Junction, paving the way for the group to become the third-largest food court operator in Singapore. In a statement on Tuesday, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) said it had found that the combined market share of the parties post-merger remains below 20 per cent. This puts the market share "considerably lower" than those of the larger food court operators such as NTUC Kopitiam and Koufu. The CCCS said that the transaction will not lead to a substantial lessening of competition within the relevant markets in Singapore. Instead, the merged entity may be able to "better compete" with the other larger food court operators post-merger. BreadTalk Group will operate the third-largest food court chain in the city-state following the acquisition, behind the NTUC Foodfare-Kopitiam partnership and Koufu. Food Junction has 15 outlets in Singapore and Malaysia, with one more to open in Johor in early 2020. BreadTalk Group runs 16 food courts under the Food Republic brand on both sides of the Causeway. Full story at https://www.singaporelawwatch.sg/Headlines/breadtalk-group-gets-regulatory-nod-for-food-junction-buyout

Student charged with taking illicit videos is on 'indefinite suspension': Yale-NUS College Brandon Lee Bing Xiang, a Yale-NUS student who has been charged with taking illicit videos of several women, is shown in a photo posted on Humans of Yale-NUS Facebook page. The link has since been inaccessible. SINGAPORE: Yale-NUS College student Brandon Lee Bing Xiang has been on "indefinite suspension" since March while under investigation for insulting the modesty of a fellow student, the institution said on Friday (Oct 4). Lee was charged on Tuesday for taking shower and upskirt videos of women at the college between August 2017 and March this year. "He was immediately suspended the day after the college was notified about the incident in March 2019," said Yale-NUS College Executive Vice President (Academic Affairs) Joanne Roberts, in response to CNA's queries.  "The college is in the midst of reviewing the case and will mete out appropriate disciplinary actions based on the evidence on hand." "He is on indefinite suspension during the investigation and disciplinary process." The college has reached out the affected female student to "render the necessary support", said Prof Roberts. "The matter is currently before the courts and it would not be appropriate for the college to comment further on Lee’s case," she said. The offences occurred either in a classroom or a shower cubicle at the liberal arts college, the charge sheets showed. Lee is accused of targeting at least four women, according to court documents. Prof Roberts said the colleges "takes a serious view of allegations of sexual misconduct" and has an "established process to firmly address such matters". Full story at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/yale-nus-student-brandon-lee-upskirt-shower-videos-suspension-11969824

The Hong Kong government tried to ban face masks. Protesters are already defying it. A demonstrator offers face masks during a protest against a government ban on face masks in Hong Kong on October 4, 2019. Laurel Chor/Getty Images The Hong Kong government has invoked a colonial-era law to ban face masks in an attempt to crack down on the months-long protest movement that’s gotten increasingly tense in recent weeks. Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s embattled chief executive, announced the ban Friday. “The decision to enact an anti-mask law is not easy one, but it is a necessary decision considering the situation today,” Lam said at a press conference. The law, which went into effect Saturday at midnight local time, bans protesters from wearing any sort of mask or face covering, including paint, at any public gathering, including both lawful protests and unlawful assemblies. Those who violate the ban could face up to one year in jail and a fine of HK$25,000 (about $3,200 US dollars), according to the Hong Kong Free Press. The rule will exempt people who wear face coverings for their job or for religious reasons. Lam relied on a 1922 law that gives Hong Kong’s leader additional powers in times of emergency. The statute predates the handover of Hong Kong — once a British colony — to the People’s Republic of China in 1997, and hasn’t been used since 1967, the Hong Kong Free Press reports. Lam denied that the face mask ban meant that Hong Kong was in a state of emergency, though she warned that “freedoms are not without limits.” But so far, the ban has only galvanized those opposed to Hong Kong’s government. Protesters — in face masks, of course — continued to demonstrate after Lam enacted the ban. Protests broke out across Hong Kong Friday night into Saturday, with more businesses and transit stations vandalized, and clashes with police turned violent. Masks have been a feature of the Hong Kong protests since the beginning Demonstrators wear masks for both practical reasons — the masks protect against tear gas, which the police have used against protesters — and more symbolic ones. Since the start of these protests in June, the movement has valued anonymity above all else. Protesters organize online and closely guard their real identities, and their disguises — whether face masks or hoodies or face paint — allow them to protest in public with less fear of reprisal from school or work or family. Masks also protect them from being recognized on CCTV cameras around the city, which could be used to identify them and arrest them. (The government argues that this allows the protesters to act with impunity.) But given that masks are a defining element of the protests, it seems impossible to institute an all-out ban. It may deter some people from protesting, but it almost certainly isn’t going to prevent the most committed of the demonstrators. It also may have the effect of increasing solidarity against the government, as even those not actively participating in the unrest may view the Hong Kong government’s steps as far too harsh. In other words, the measure is likely to infuriate the very protesters most likely to cause disruptions and chaos across Hong Kong, and it also makes their cause look more just, and necessary. Full story at https://www.vox.com/world/2019/10/4/20898568/hong-kong-protests-face-masks-ban-carrie-lam

Some Singaporean undergrads pull out of exchange programme to Hong Kong universities amid unrest SINGAPORE — Some students at the Singapore universities who had been planning to go on exchange to Hong Kong have put their plans on hold following the outbreak of protests in the city. The protests escalated over the weekend, forcing the cancellation of all flights at Hong Kong International Airport on Monday (Aug 12). Although the airport reopened on Tuesday, protesters continued to occupy the airport and many flights remained cancelled or delayed. Two universities here reported a small number of students pulling out of their exchange programmes to Hong Kong, while one said that all its students were going ahead despite the unrest. The National University of Singapore (NUS) told TODAY in an email response on Tuesday that of the 130 students who are expected to participate in its student exchange programme to Hong Kong, fewer than 10 have withdrawn. Meanwhile, the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) said that so far, three students have requested to withdraw from their exchange programme to Hong Kong. The university said that it typically has more than 40 students going to the city on exchange each academic year. An NTU spokesperson said that these students may re-apply to go to Hong Kong for their exchange programme during the next recruitment exercise in November. The Singapore Management University (SMU) said that of its 17 students headed to Hong Kong for their exchange programme in the coming semester, none had indicated their intention to cancel or postpone their trips as of last Friday. “We will continue to monitor the situation, maintain contact with our partners in Hong Kong, and take guidance from the travel advisories released by (Singapore's) Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA),” said an SMU spokesperson. Full story at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/some-singaporean-students-cancel-their-plans-study-hong-kong-amid-unrest

Honestbee names Ong Lay Ann CEO amidst management changes Honestbee has appointed Ong Lay Ann (pictured) as the new CEO. He will be taking over from interim CEO Brian Koo, who took on the role in May after co-founder and CEO Joel Sng exited the company. Koo will remain as the chairman of the board at honestbee. Ong brings with him close to two decades of leadership experience in IT, commodities, real estate and infrastructure. He currently holds directorships positions at an Australia-based industrial conglomerate holding company Weststar Industrial, and ISDN Investments, the investment and trading arm of SGX-listed ISDN Holdings. According to Ong, it is a huge privilege to lead honestbee and while the company has faced recent setbacks, he believes there are still immense opportunities to be met. He added that the management team will focus on bringing value to its customers, shareholders and partners. Koo said that Ong is an “exceptional business leader that has been brought on board due to his track record in turning ailing businesses around”. He said the team at honestbee has confidence that Ong has what it takes to restructure the business, build consumer confidence and employee morale, repair relationships and bring the brand to greater heights. His appointment comes amidst co-founder and CTO Jonathan Low resigning from his positions. Low co-founded the company in 2015 and has been instrumental in the company’s growth over the last four years. He led the engineering team in both Singapore and Taiwan, supporting the development of honestbee’s products over the years. “It is my privilege to have worked with some of the best talent during my time here. The decision to leave honestbee was made before Ong had come on board. However, I have full confidence that Ong will help honestbee enter its next phase and recover from its recent setbacks,” Low said. The company recently has underwent several changes in management and operations. VP of marketing, Christina Lim exited the company couple of weeks ago. In her one-year stint with honestbee, Lim was tasked to lead the marketing team to ramp up its integrated efforts to drive brand awareness and loyalty across all its business verticals. Lim said to Marketing that in the interim, she will be focused on consulting work for companies which include start-ups. Just last week, honestbee also confirmed that there have been delays in paying salaries but did not clarify if it was for existing staff members or those that have left the company, after about 10% of its global headcount were laid off in May this year. Full story at https://www.marketing-interactive.com/honestbee-names-ong-lay-ann-ceo-amidst-management-changes/

Robert Mueller Submits To Subpoenas, Agrees To Testify In Public | NBC Nightly News

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam’s “sincere” apology wasn’t sincere enough Facing the people. In her third press conference in nine days during what has been the most tumultuous period of her time in office, Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam today (June 18) acknowledged the controversies and anxieties that the extradition bill has caused, conceded that she has to “personally shoulder much of the responsibility,” and offered her “most sincere apology to all people of Hong Kong.” Still, she repeatedly refused to completely withdraw the hated bill—which would allow Hong Kong to send suspects to mainland China once it becomes law—a major and as yet unmet demand from protesters. However, she pledged that the legislative process for the bill would not resume unless “anxieties and fears” over the bill can be resolved. Of the five main requests demanded by protesters—the bill’s withdrawal; Lam’s resignation; an investigation into police violence against protesters; retracting the designation of the protest as a “riot,” and an assurance that no protesters will face criminal charges—Lam delivered on one when she stood by the police commissioner’s decision yesterday (June 17) to retract the designation of the protest as a riot. However, those who are accused of attacking the police with bricks and metal poles will still be charged for rioting. A change in tone Her statements mark a dramatic change in tone since June 10, when Lam effectively ignored the calls of an estimated 1 million demonstrators who had taken to the streets the day before to protest a hated extradition bill that would allow Hong Kong to send suspects to mainland China to face trial. “There is very little merit to be gained to delay the bill,” she said. “Hong Kong has to move on.” Lam’s decision to defiantly press ahead with the law brought popular anger to a boiling point, and by Wednesday (June 12) last week, tens of thousands had occupied major roads in the city as they demanded the bill to be withdrawn. The protests turned violent as police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at the largely peaceful demonstrators, engulfing Hong Kong in its worst political upheaval in years. Many accused the police of using excessive force, including against journalists. That evening, local broadcaster TVB aired a pre-recorded interview with Lam, who once again came across as aloof and arrogant. In comments that were later widely ridiculed, she compared accepting protesters’ demands to withdraw the extradition bill to a mother giving in to her spoiled children’s demands. Lam’s paternalistic attitude only served to further inflame the public. Still, Lam refused to budge. It wasn’t until until Saturday (June 15) that she again addressed the press and changed course slightly, saying she would indefinitely suspend—but not withdraw—the controversial bill. The concession was unlikely to have satisfied protesters’ demands to have the law scrapped altogether, but it was her other comments during the 75-minute press conference that infuriated the public. Her refusal to condemn or apologize for the police force’s aggressive tactics, and her insistence that protesters were violent rioters, disappointed many. She also stood by the police’s description of Wednesday’s protests as a “riot,” which carries much heavier jail terms than those for lesser charges. On Sunday (June 16), an estimated 2 million people returned to the streets to vent their anger, marking the eighth consecutive day of protests of varying sizes. Protesters again demanded that the extradition law be completely withdrawn, for the characterisation of the protests as a riot to be retracted, and for Lam to resign. That evening, Lam apologized through a statement written in third person issued by the government. But again, she said nothing of the protesters’ other demands. Full story at https://qz.com/1646660/extradition-law-hong-kong-chief-carrie-lam-apologizes-again/

Huawei asks court to rule US security law unconstitutional In this Monday, May 20, 2019, photo, shoppers visit a Huawei store in Beijing. Chinese tech giant Huawei has filed a motion in U.S. court challenging the constitutionality of a law that limits its sales of telecom equipment. (Ng Han Guan/Associated Press) SHENZHEN, China — Fighting to maintain its access to major markets for next-generation communications, Chinese tech giant Huawei is challenging the constitutionality of a 2018 U.S. law that bars it from selling telecoms equipment to U.S. government agencies and contractors. In a motion filed late Tuesday in eastern Texas federal court, Huawei argues for summary judgment in the case in filed in March against the U.S. government. It says the law violates a constitutional prohibition against “trial by legislature” of individual entities. Congress thus acted unconstitutionally when it “adjudicated Huawei’s guilt and blacklisted it,” the motion argues. The motion comes as the U.S. and China are embroiled in a broader trade war in which both sides have imposed billions of dollars of punitive tariffs against each other’s products. Chinese state media suggested Wednesday that the country’s rich supply of rare earths — key elements for high-tech manufacturing — could be used as leverage against the U.S. in the dispute. Huawei is the biggest global maker of network equipment and enjoys a lead in 5G, or fifth-generation, technology. It also is the No. 2 maker of smartphones. The Trump administration says the company can be legally compelled to spy on behalf of the Chinese government and is thus a threat to international cybersecurity. “This decision threatens to harm our customers in over 170 countries, including more than 3 billion customers who use Huawei products and services around the world,” Huawei’s chief legal officer, Song Liuping, said at a news briefing Wednesday. Huawei, whose U.S. headquarters is in Plano, Texas, said in Tuesday’s motion that the U.S. national defense law that punishes it as an alleged agent of Beijing’s ruling Communist Party also violates its rights by presuming its guilt without a fair trial. The summary judgment motion seeks to accelerate the legal process to give U.S. customers access to Huawei equipment sooner, Huawei said in a statement. Song said the “state-sanctioned campaign” against the company will not improve cybersecurity. “Politicians in the U.S. are using the strength of an entire nation to come after a private company,” he said. “This is not normal.” But just because something might strike us as not quite fair or outright wrong doesn’t necessarily make it unconstitutional, said Steven Schwinn, a professor at John Marshall Law School in Chicago. He said Huawei’s arguments, while strong on U.S. lawmakers’ punitive intent, fall short constitutionally. Schwinn and other legal scholars aren’t sanguine about Huawei’s chances. “Given that this relates to national security we can expect the courts to be fairly deferential to the government and we ought to think of that as the thumb on the scale in favor of the government in all of these claims,” he said. The presiding judge has scheduled motions through Sept. 10 so Schwinn said it was unlikely the case would be dismissed before then. Separately, the U.S. Commerce Department this month placed Huawei on its “Entity List,” effectively barring U.S. companies from selling their technology to it and other Chinese firms without government approval. Huawei relies heavily on U.S. components, including computer chips, and about one-third of its suppliers are American. The backdrop is China’s longstanding huge trade surplus with the U.S. and complaints that Beijing and Chinese companies use unfair tactics to acquire advanced foreign technologies. The most recent round of negotiations between Beijing and Washington ended earlier this month without an agreement after President Donald Trump more than doubled duties on $200 billion in Chinese products. China responded by raising tariffs of 5% to 25% on $60 billion worth of American goods. Full story at https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/huawei-asks-court-to-deem-us-security-law-unconstitutional/2019/05/29/db08812a-81c7-11e9-b585-e36b16a531aa_story.html

Hyflux gets 2-month reprieve, in talks with more investors Hyflux had asked for a four-month extension on its debt moratorium, saying it was in discussions with other potential investors. ST FILE PHOTO The High Court yesterday allowed debt-ridden water treatment firm Hyflux two more months of reprieve from its creditors - until Aug 2 - as the company continues to work with several investors to nail down a new restructuring plan. Hyflux had asked for a four-month extension on its debt moratorium, saying it was in discussions with other potential investors. This was in addition to talks with United Arab Emirates utility Utico for a $400 million investment and Mauritius-based investment fund Oyster Bay Fund for up to $500 million. A third potential investor, said to be a large desalination company, had issued a letter of interest for certain assets in Algeria, Oman, the Middle East and North Africa. Four more companies were also in discussions over a potential investment. They were a large power sector player in Asia looking to merge with Hyflux group, a fund whose corporate strategy included turning around distressed firms, a major Asia-based nuclear and civil engineering contractor, and a major waste treatment player. The company said it hopes to select an investor by mid-June. Utico has informed Hyflux that it wants a binding agreement signed by June 17, while Oyster Bay is in advanced talks on a binding agreement. While Justice Aedit Abdullah said he was "concerned about giving a four-month (extension) at a go", he told Hyflux to "assure the investors I will be amenable, if progress continues to be made, to a further two-month extension" beyond Aug 2. "As I have indicated previously, the position now is different from when the application (for moratorium) was first made. Therefore, any extensions will be much more controlled," he added. The order was passed as an earlier court-sanctioned protection from creditors expired yesterday. Full story at https://www.straitstimes.com/business/hyflux-gets-2-month-reprieve-in-talks-with-more-investors

Huawei’s phone business would be decimated without Google’s Android There’s no possible upbeat scenario Huawei P30 Pro. Photo by Vlad Savov / The Verge The news from Sunday night that Google would be complying with a US government edict and suspending business with Huawei is one of the most dramatic moments in Android’s history. Huawei, China’s most prolific smartphone vendor, had started 2019 with explosive double-digit growth and was on a path to eclipse Samsung as the world’s number one phone maker by the year’s end. Without Google’s Android support, however, that’s simply not going to happen — not in 2019 or 2020 or any other date in the future. Whether this proves to be the most consequential moment in Android’s history has yet to be determined. This could all be just a short-lived scare tactic from a Trump administration trying to demonstrate to the Chinese government its willingness to take drastic measures. Or Huawei might be left on the US blacklist indefinitely, spawning a wide variety of potential scenarios, none of which bode well for the company’s future as a smartphone vendor. As things stand, Huawei is losing its licensing agreement with Google for the provision of Google Play Services and access to the Google Play Store on new Huawei Android devices. Existing customers won’t be affected, though without Google resuming business with Huawei, they also won’t get any further Android OS updates. (Honor, Huawei’s wholly owned subsidiary, looks to be subject to the same fate). This is devastating to Huawei’s hopes of selling any smartphones outside of China. Huawei still has the option to use the open-source variety of Android, but Google has been gradually whittling all of the attractive components away from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). The genuine full-fat Android experience of today — featuring Google Maps, YouTube, and, most crucially, the full ecosystem of third-party Android apps — is dependent on Google’s licensing assent. Deprived of Google’s software, Huawei would be selling featherless chickens to smartphone buyers used to having Play Store access. In Europe, even the finest hardware wouldn’t convince consumers to buy a phone without an app ecosystem. Google wields enormous market power through its Play Store, significant enough for the European Commission to conduct an antitrust investigation. In its native China, Huawei already operates without the Play Store, owing to Google’s absence from the market. But even there, Huawei would suffer from not having a close working relationship with Google. All of its fellow Chinese rivals would get earlier access to the next version of Android while Huawei would have to wait for the AOSP code to be made available to the public. The Chinese consumer is probably the least sensitive to operating system updates and upgrades, given how WeChat has evolved to be an OS and ecosystem atop Android, but Huawei would still be at a disadvantage in one of the world’s most competitive phone markets. There’s no positive spin to this situation for Huawei. Trying to sell smartphones without Google’s cooperation in the modern age is a spectrum that goes from bad to disastrous. Windows Phone, Palm OS, MeeGo, Symbian, Bada (later Tizen), and BlackBerry OS are just a few of the mobile OS corpses that Android’s rise has produced. App-less operating systems simply do not stand a chance against the contemporary iOS-Android duopoly. Putting a brave face on the situation, Huawei’s official response has been to underline its contributions to the global popularity of Android, reassure current Huawei and Honor phone owners that they’ll continue receiving security updates, and promise to “continue to build a safe and sustainable software ecosystem.” Notably, there’s no mention of Android in the closing of Huawei’s remarks. Huawei has been aware of the possibility of hostile action from the US government for years, and its consumer division boss Richard Yu recently disclosed that it’s developed its own alternatives to Android and Windows. On the mobile front, that could be a fork of the AOSP flavor of Android or an entirely new operating system, built up from scratch. In both cases, Huawei would have a mighty struggle to convince any app developers to build apps for its separate platform. If Amazon, with all its clout and influence, couldn’t do it for the Amazon Appstore on Android, Huawei stands even less of a chance. Rational app developers are hardly going to flock to a new platform that’s born of adversity and thrust into a maelstrom of political conflict. Full story at https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/20/18632266/huawei-android-google-ban-phone-business-future

Intel, Qualcomm, and other chipmakers reportedly join Google in Huawei ban Huawei has been stockpiling chips to prepare for this eventuality Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge Huawei’s bad weekend is turning worse as the company’s American suppliers are all falling in line with a US government edict banning them from doing business with the company. Bloomberg now reports that Intel, Qualcomm, and Broadcom, three of the world’s leading chip designers and suppliers, are cutting off their dealings with Huawei, effective immediately. Nikkei reports that German chipmaker Infineon Technologies has also suspended shipments to Huawei, as have US memory chip makers Micron Technology and Western Digital. The chip suspensions follow the earlier news of Google abruptly rescinding Huawei’s Android license and halting its access to Google Play Services and the Play Store, effectively dumping it out of the Android smartphone market and forcing the Chinese company to develop its own version atop the barebone open-source edition of Android. According to Bloomberg’s sources, employees across the major US chipmakers have been informed that their companies will freeze their supply deals with Huawei until further notice. Intel provides Huawei with server chips and the processors for its laptop line, while Qualcomm figures less prominently in providing modems and other processors. Huawei’s actually quite well insulated from the Qualcomm impact, as it builds its own mobile processors and modems. Another Bloomberg report suggests Huawei has also been preparing for this eventuality by stockpiling chips from US suppliers to last it at least three months, which should be enough time to tell if the current measure is a scare tactic or a permanent imposition from the US government. Nikkei’s sources suggest that Europe might be falling into line as well. “Infineon decided to adopt a more cautious measure and stopped the shipment. But it will hold meetings this week to discuss [the situation] and make assessments,” said one source speaking to Nikkei. European chipmaker ST Microelectronics is reportedly discussing its continued shipments to Huawei this week as well. Huawei has been developing in-house alternatives to Android and Windows, specifically to try and address a situation such as the present one. Microsoft hasn’t yet commented on whether it will continue to provide the Windows operating system for Huawei laptops, but odds are that it too will respect the US government’s orders. The effort by the US government to sideline Huawei has been going for a long time, and the company was last year unceremoniously rebuffed in its effort to enter the US phone market. The current escalation is part of an increasingly hostile trade dispute between the Trump administration and the Chinese government, with the former trying to force a renegotiation of the trading relationship between the two. Source: https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/19/18632075/intel-qualcomm-huawei-ban-us-chipmakers-report

Huawei responds to Android ban Photo by Vlad Savov / The Verge Fresh off the sledgehammer blow of having its Android license revoked by Google in response to US government demands, Huawei has issued its first, limited response, which leaves more questions open than it answers. In a statement emailed to The Verge, Huawei underscores its contributions to the growth of Android globally — which most recently saw the company’s Android phone sales growing by double digits while every other leading smartphone vendor was shrinking or stagnant — and reassures current owners of Huawei and (subsidiary brand) Honor phones that they will continue to receive security updates and after-sales service. That promise also covers phones that are already shipped and in stock at stores globally, but no additional promises are made beyond that. “Huawei has made substantial contributions to the development and growth of Android around the world. As one of Android’s key global partners, we have worked closely with their open-source platform to develop an ecosystem that has benefitted both users and the industry. Huawei will continue to provide security updates and after-sales services to all existing Huawei and Honor smartphone and tablet products, covering those that have been sold and that are still in stock globally. We will continue to build a safe and sustainable software ecosystem, in order to provide the best experience for all users globally.” Google has already said that owners of Huawei phones will retain their access to the Play Store and continue being able to update their apps. The big thing that’s being written out of their future, however, are further Android OS updates from Google. To get those back, Huawei phone owners and fans will have to hope for a resolution in the US-China trade dispute, which has been the trigger for Huawei’s current blacklisting by the US government. For its part, Huawei has been making preparations for an eventuality of losing access to software from US companies like Google and Microsoft, and it has been developing an in-house operating system alternative to Android. That may be what the company hints at in the final paragraph of its statement when it says it will “continue to build a safe and sustainable software ecosystem.” Sustainable being the key word. Source: https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/20/18632234/huawei-android-ban-response-google-security-updates

Honestbee to stop food delivery service in Singapore An Honestbee delivery staff looking at a phone. (Photo: Honestbee) SINGAPORE: Honestbee will stop its food delivery service in Singapore as part of a strategic review of its business, the company announced in a media advisory on Wednesday (May 15). It will also suspend its laundry service, honestbee confirmed, with both services set to stop on May 20. About 400 delivery staff, many who work part-time, will be affected by the company's latest move since co-founder Joel Sng stepped down as CEO earlier this month. Its grocery delivery service and physical supermarket, habitat by honestbee, will continue to operate, the company said. "The decision was made to optimise the business structure, and to drive better focus and alignment with honestbee’s current strategic priorities," the firm added. More at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/honestbee-halts-food-delivery-service-singapore-laundry-11534662

Court dismisses application from seven unsecured banks to be carved out of Hyflux debt moratorium SINGAPORE: The Singapore High Court on Tuesday (May 7) denied a group of seven unsecured banks the go-ahead to be carved out of the debt moratorium to file an application to have Hyflux and Hydrochem placed under judicial management. The court cited that Hyflux made a credible case by saying that granting the carve-out would have an adverse impact on the company’s restructuring efforts and ongoing projects. The group – comprising Mizuho Bank, KfW IPEX-Bank, Bangkok Bank, BNP Paribas, CTBC Bank, The Korea Development Bank and the Korea Development Bank, Singapore Branch – is collectively owed a total of S$648.7 million. However, Justice Aedit Abdullah said the unsecured banks are given the liberty to file the application again, based on the progress of Hyflux’s restructuring process and the fact that “things can change”. He added that he would “leave the sword hanging above Hyflux’s head” and keep the company on a tight leash. The High Court also granted the company a five-day extension on its debt moratorium, originally set for May 24. Hyflux will be able to apply for a further extension to the court-sanctioned protection from creditors when it appears before the court on May 29. In the meantime, Hyflux will have to file an affidavit by May 24 to provide an update on the restructuring process.  Full story at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/court-dismisses-carve-out-hyflux-hydrochem-debt-moratorium-11511730