Singapore Musings

Perhaps the greatest utopia would be if we could all realize that no utopia is possible; no place to run, no place to hide, just take care of business here and now. -J Carroll

By Veni,Vidi,Vixi

Airlines
Saudia Wants To Become A "Big Four" Gulf Carrier
boardingarea.com - Matthew
First there was Emirates. Then there was Qatar Airways. Then there was Etihad. Collectively, these carriers are known as the “ME3” or the three big …
Special Education
Postman who threw away mail in Ang Mo Kio has special needs: IMDA
channelnewsasia.com
SINGAPORE: A postman who threw away mail belonging to residents has been found to have special needs, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) …
I.M. Pei
Legendary Architect I.M. Pei Passes Away at 102 Years Old
My Modern Met - Kelly Richman-Abdou
On May 15, 2019, famed Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei passed away at 102 years old. Renowned for his avant-garde approach to architecture, Pei has produced some of the world’s most well-known modernist
Huawei
Huawei’s tactic to win back supremacy
news.com.au
Chinese tech giant Huawei, and the millions who use their popular smartphones, could soon be relying on a second rate “plan B”.
Creative to launch Outlier Gold true wireless headphones with software Super X-Fi at CEE 2019
hardwarezone.com.sg - Kenny Yeo
This is Creative's first headphone to support software Super X-Fi.
United States
Muslims of early America
aeon.co - Sam Haselby
Muslims came to America more than a century before Protestants, and in great numbers. How was their history forgotten?By Sam HaselbyRead at Aeon
Niki Lauda
Niki Lauda, Austrian Formula 1 legend, dies at 70
BBC News
http://vod-pro-ww-live.akamaized.net/av_pv7_pa3/modav/bUnknown-586e016f-80fc-4893-8a0f-cfb7efcd4c56_p079v8vq_cUnknown_1558429982882.mp4?__gda__=1558510371_fb7d5c800917fc308f4a4a9782a367b1 Three-time Formula
News
Bomb-laden drone from Yemen rebels targets Saudi airport
Associated Press - By JON GAMBRELL
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Yemen’s Iranian-allied Houthi rebels attacked a Saudi airport and military base with a bomb-laden drone Tuesday, an assault acknowledged by the kingdom as Middle East
Huawei
'There will be conflict': US has underestimated Huawei, says founder
The Guardian - Lily Kuo in Beijing and agencies
The founder of Huawei has said the US “underestimates” the Chinese telecom makers’s strength and that conflict with the US is inevitable in the quest to “stand on top of the world”. Ren Zhengfei said company
Tech Industry
Sniffer Drones Will Start Patrolling the World's Busiest Shipping Ports
Bloomberg - Jack Wittels, Ann Koh
Teams of drones are about to start policing the skies of some of the world’s busiest shipping ports. Their target? Environmental rule-breakers. It …
Huawei
US ban on Huawei a ‘cynically timed’ blow in escalating trade war, says firm
The Guardian - Lily Kuo in Beijing Julian Borger in Washington
The US ban on sharing technology with Huawei is a “cynically timed” blow in the escalating trade war between the US and China, the Chinese firm’s top executive in the UK has said. Huawei denounced Donald
Opinion (UK)
North Queensland is just at the sharp end of what’s happening across Australia
The Guardian - Jason Wilson
There’s a real question after this election as to whether Australia knows any other way to be People in a district which was rich during the boom and presented with no real alternative prospects voted
Labor Party
What the Bloody Hell Just Happened in Australia?
slate.com - By Rachel Withers
A shocking election upset has confused Australians searching for answers. The polls were wrong. The pundits were wrong. The party insiders were wrong. …
Prabowo Subianto
Indonesian troops on alert as Widodo wins more than half of votes
The Guardian - Kate Lamb in Jakarta and agencies
Heavily armed troops are on high alert in Indonesia amid fears of civil unrest after the incumbent president was declared the winner of last month’s election in a surprise early announcement by the election
Amazon Web Services
Whole Foods is banning plastic straws, but you can still buy plenty on Amazon
Quartz - Alison Griswold
Amazon-owned Whole Foods Market will remove plastic straws from stores in the US, the UK, and Canada by July, the company said today. Whole Foods is also switching to smaller plastic bags in its produce
Students
Some parents say the removal of mid-year exams has no bearing on their children’s learning at home. Others, however, say
channelnewsasia.com - Faris Mokhtar
SINGAPORE: For those growing up in Singapore, it has become a rite of passage that they go through not once, but at least twice a year: The dreaded …
Dji
DHS warns of 'strong concerns' that Chinese-made drones are stealing data
CNN - By David Shortell, CNN
Washington (CNN) — Chinese-made drones may be sending sensitive flight data to their manufacturers in China, where it can be accessed by the government there, the US Department of Homeland Security warned
Huawei
As Huawei Loses Google, the U.S.-China Tech Cold War Gets Its Iron Curtain
The New York Times - By LI YUAN
China has spent nearly two decades building a digital wall between itself and the rest of the world, a one-way barrier designed to keep out foreign companies like Facebook and Google while allowing Chinese
Huawei
Huawei has lost immediate access to Android and Google (Updated)
Android Authority - Tristan Rayner
Update #4: May 21, 2019 at 08:00 a.m. ET: Huawei is “working closely” with Google on a solution to the recent U.S. restrictions placed on it, according to Reuters earlier today. Huawei’s representative
Bob Hawke
Former Australian PM Bob Hawke 'a good friend of Singapore': PM Lee
channelnewsasia.com
SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday (May 17) expressed his condolences over the death of former Australian prime minister Bob …
Chinese Communist Party
China pushes inter-ethnic marriage in Xinjiang assimilation drive
channelnewsasia.com
BEIJING: China's fractious far-west region of Xinjiang has changed its university entrance exam rules to give children from mixed families a leg-up …
Singapore
Singapore and New Zealand ink agreements to strengthen ties, deepen cooperation in key areas
channelnewsasia.com - Jalelah Abu Baker
SINGAPORE: Singapore and New Zealand on Friday (May 17) signed a partnership agreement to bolster cooperation in trade, defence, and science, …
First, business class air travellers to pay higher departure levy out of M'sia
todayonline.com
Singapore
Nigerian involved in million-dollar international money laundering scheme jailed in Singapore
channelnewsasia.com
SINGAPORE: A Nigerian man involved in a scheme to swindle Citibank in New York City was jailed and fined by a Singapore court on Thursday (May 16) …
Singapore
Singapore to spend a few billion dollars on air traffic services in coming decades: Khaw
channelnewsasia.com - Olivia Siong
BEIJING: Singapore expects to spend a few billion dollars over the next few decades, to continue providing high standard air traffic services that …
Islamic State (ISIS)
Three temples, including Batu Caves, on alert after Malaysia foils ISIS threat
straitstimes.com
PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Three temples in Kuala Lumpur have tightened security following the arrest of four suspects linked to an …
Indonesia
Technology will never replace teachers: Ong Ye Kung
straitstimes.com - YIP WAI YEE
SINGAPORE - Technology has changed various industries in Singapore, including education, but it will never replace teachers here, Education Minister …
Science
Despite Measles Warnings, Anti-Vaccine Rally Draws Hundreds of Ultra-Orthodox Jews
The New York Times - By KIMIKO de FREYTAS-TAMURA
[What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] MONSEY, N.Y. — An ultra-Orthodox rabbi falsely described the measles outbreak among Jews as part of an elaborate plan concocted
Abortion
These 25 Republicans – all white men – just voted to ban abortion in Alabama
Guardian US - Erin Durkin and Max Benwell
Alabama’s new law mandating an almost blanket ban on abortion, the strictest in the United States, was passed by this group of exclusively white, male politicians. The Alabama law will disproportionately