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Empty auto showrooms may be the most obvious economic indicator. © Reuters China's economic slowdown just got real. The world is well aware that Asia's biggest economy is growing at its slowest pace since 1992. The 6% growth in gross domestic product recorded for July to September reflects a rapid weakening of demand from abroad as the trade war damages production. Yet three developments last week suggest China may be in more trouble than President Xi Jinping's government admits. First, warning signs are flashing over corporate profits. Beijing's official data on GDP, inflation and production often generate doubt, but China Inc.'s deterioration is unmistakable. Last week, the Nikkei Asian Review detected cratering profits in the first nine months of 2019 across a broad range of pivotal industries. Carmakers, commodity producers, bricks-and-mortar retailers and some property developers are in the red -- dramatically, in certain cases. These are all the sectors any government would target to support growth, yet each is caught between U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war and Xi Jinping's attack on financial excess. Along with the trade fallout, industries including autos are smarting as the government cuts subsidies. Empty auto showrooms may be the most obvious economic indicator: Nikkei reported a year-on-year drop in net profits of almost a third at 161 auto-related domestically listed companies in the first nine months of 2019. More broadly, said research company Shanghai DZH, aggregate net profits of more than 3,600 nonfinancial names fell 2.2% during that period. This is not an epic decline, but it belies the conventional wisdom that growth is stabilizing. Instead, Xi's team has a traction problem. Traditional pump-priming -- public works spending, tax cuts, local-government debt issuance -- is not working its magic. This has the central bank springing into action, our second indication China Inc. is reeling. In recent months, the People's Bank of China stayed largely in the background as GDP dipped toward 5% territory. That changed last week when Governor Yi Gang cut interest rates on one-year loans. That was not a massive easing -- from 3.3% to 3.25%. Yet PBOC watchers are now wagering on reductions in the benchmark lending rate. So far, says analyst Andrew Batson of Gavekal Research, the PBOC has been focused on "selective easing," or incremental rate moves to reduce strains in credit markets. "It is almost as if their plan is to kill economic pessimism by inflicting the infamous death by a thousand cuts," he says. The five-basis-point cut in one-year rates hints at a more assertive posture. It is a balancing act, though. Since taking the helm in March 2018, Yi has sought to wean state-owned enterprises and banks off excessive stimulus. The concern is that banks would resume lending to their riskiest borrowers; bad loans jumped 4.3% in the third quarter. The concern is banks would resume lending to their riskiest borrowers. © Reuters The trade war is forcing Yi's hand. Factory prices are veering toward outright deflation. Not Japan-like "lost decade" stuff, but the 1.2% drop in producer prices in September year-on-year is more alarming than the fall in corporate profits. The third indicator of trouble is that Xi wants to make a deal. In recent months, Trump tried to claim Washington and Beijing were on the verge of a giant trade pact -- only to see Beijing deny it. Last week, it was Xi's team moving markets with talk of detente. On November 7, both sides confirmed tariffs may be rolled back in a "phase one" trade deal. It is far from the comprehensive redesign of Sino-U.S. dynamics Trump promised -- more like a face-saving strategy than the realignment of advantages or incentives. Yet it would be a boon for export-dependent Asia and trade-battle-weary markets. Like Trump, Xi is keen to rack up his own wins on the global stage. A clear one last week was French leader Emmanuel Macron jetting to Beijing. In decades past, European leaders would raise global concerns on trade, climate change and Iran with the American president. Macron seeking an audience with Xi instead had plenty of geostrategic symbolism. Emmanuel Macron seeking an audience with Xi Jinping had plenty of geostrategic symbolism. © AP Ending outright trade hostilities would buttress China's trustworthiness as a more stable partner than Trump Nation and would set China aside from the anti-free trade crowd. That crowd includes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who last week wrecked India's standing in this regard by rejecting the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership trade deal. Japan's Shinzo Abe is squandering Tokyo's capitalist street cred in his bilateral brawl with South Korea. In the short run, a truce with Trump relieves pressure on China's all-important export sector so that Beijing can keep growth north of 6%. Longer term, it allows Xi's team to prepare China Inc. to dominate the future of automation, renewable energy, biotechnology and self-driving vehicles. Neither outcome is likely, though, if Xi limps into the new year. Warning signs emanating from corporate China demand immediate attention. The good news is that the PBOC seems to be on the case, as does Xi's trade negotiation team. It is no sure bet, though, that Xi and Trump will suspend the hostilities. Trump's policies are a study in chaos and incoherence. One thing is clear: China must act assertively to get ahead of mounting risks to its economic trajectory. Source

Singaporean who grew up in Hong Kong gets jail for defaulting on NS for almost 5 years By Lydia Lam 05 Nov 2019 04:07PM (Updated: 05 Nov 2019 05:36PM) SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man who spent most of his life in Hong Kong was sentenced to nine weeks' jail on Thursday (Nov 5) for defaulting on his National Service (NS) obligations for almost five years. According to his defence lawyer, 22-year-old Jonathan Lee Han Wen was born in Singapore but went to Hong Kong with his parents when he was a month old. He was soon after granted permanent residency in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, where he lived with his Singaporean mother and father, a British citizen with Hong Kong permanent residency. Lee studied there and later pursued a degree at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom, said defence lawyer Ashwin Ganapathy. As a Singapore citizen, Lee successfully applied for five Singapore international passports and travelled to places like China, Taiwan, Japan, and Hong Kong with them. He had known about his NS obligations since he was in primary school, said the prosecutor, with his aunt and mother telling him about "the need for Singapore boys to serve NS". His mother had chosen to give birth to him in Singapore, as she wished for him to have Singapore citizenship to allow him to return to the country "as a place of relative stability", the court heard. NS DEFERMENT APPLICATIONS REJECTED His mother repeatedly applied for NS deferment until her son turned 21 years old, pending renunciation of his Singapore citizenship. She was rejected, with the Central Manpower Base (CMPB) explaining that Singaporean men have to fulfil their full-time NS obligations before a request to renounce citizenship can be considered. Lee spent a total of four years, eight months and 30 days outside of Singapore in default of his NS obligations under the Enlistment Act, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Gabriel Lim. During this time, he returned for pre-enlistment documentation and medical screening, but again left the country and chose to remain outside Singapore to pursue his bachelor's degree. His name was put down in the police gazette and stop list twice - the first in 2014 and again in 2017. When he returned to Singapore in September last year, he reported to CMPB and later reported for enlistment into NS. Lee pleaded guilty to four charges under the Enlistment Act on Tuesday. The prosecution had asked for at least nine weeks' jail after adjusting it down to take in Lee's voluntary surrender and guilty plea. LEE HAD "LITTLE OR NO LINKS" TO SINGAPORE: DEFENCE Mr Ganapathy asked for no more than that amount, saying that his client "did not think much" of a letter from CMPB regarding his NS obligations when he was 16 years old. He said Lee realised it was an offence to evade NS obligations only when he was in the middle of university studies, when his mother told him that he could be jailed if he evaded NS. "Out of sheer panic, our client went to the university's student-relations management and informed them of his predicament," said the lawyer. He was told that he could not defer studies for two years and could defer only for a year. If he did not re-enrol after this, he would be deemed as having withdrawn from the course and would not have his fees refunded. The court heard his father had paid about S$230,000 for his studies. Lee decided to finish his university education before serving NS after his father told him he should complete his studies first. "It is clear that our client had little or no links to Singapore," said the defence. "Our client, a Hong Kong citizen who never thought of living in Singapore, could not comprehend why he had to disrupt his life and education to serve a nation he never once considered home." Lee renounced his Hong Kong permanent residency status on Nov 20, 2018. The lawyer said Lee wished only to serve his sentence, finish his NS obligations and return to Hong Kong to start life afresh. Lee could have been sentenced to jail for up to three years, fined a maximum S$10,000, or both for each charge. "UNFAIR ADVANTAGE" The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said in a statement on Tuesday that it takes a firm stand against those who commit offences under the Enlistment Act. "All male Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents (PRs) have a duty to serve NS and it is important that NS has the support and commitment of all Singaporeans," said MINDEF. "If we allow Singapore Citizens or PRs who are overseas to evade NS or to choose when they want to serve NS, we are not being fair to the vast majority of our national servicemen who serve their country dutifully, and the institution of NS will be undermined," it added. In Lee's case, MINDEF said, he chose to "wilfully" remain overseas to pursue his university studies despite being aware of his NS obligations, returning to serve only in September last year after he completed his studies. "In doing so, he had gained an unfair advantage vis-à-vis his peers who served dutifully when called upon to do so," said MINDEF. The ministry also noted that Lee had returned to Singapore in January 2017 to renew his passport. After it was renewed, he defaulted again to continue his university studies, said MINDEF. Thirteen defaulters, including Lee, have been sentenced to jail since the High Court set out the sentencing framework for NS defaulters in 2017. Source

Daughter of Maxim’s founder hits out again at Hong Kong protesters, saying she has lost hope in the next two generations Annie Wu doubles down on earlier remarks at a UN meeting in September, this time in an interview with pro-Beijing Global Times Her views have led to protesters targeting Maxim’s businesses in a campaign of vandalism Kimmy Chung Published: 6:18pm, 4 Nov, 2019 Updated: 11:06pm, 4 Nov, 2019 The daughter of the founder of restaurant chain Maxim’s has doubled down on earlier remarks against Hong Kong’s protesters, saying she has lost hope in the city’s next two generations and that young people have no idea what they are doing. Annie Wu Suk-ching, 71, made the remarks in a hard-hitting interview with the pro-Beijing Global Times, as Hong Kong nears five months of anti-government protests which were sparked by the now-withdrawn extradition bill. In September, Wu had denounced the campaign at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, saying “the views of a small group of radical protesters do not represent the views of all 7.5 million Hongkongers”. Her comments enraged protesters, fuelling a campaign of vandalism against Maxim’s outlets and franchises it operates, such as Starbucks Coffee, Jade Garden, Genki Sushi and Simplylife. Maxim’s distances itself from ‘rioters’ comments by founder’s daughter In her latest interview published on Monday, Wu said: “I think we have lost two entire young generations. “I have given up hope [on these youngsters] and will not waste my time talking to them, as they have no idea what they are doing and what they should do ... Their brains have been occupied by other ideas and that is irrevocable.” Anti-government protesters vandalise a Simplylife outlet belonging to the Maxim’s Group. Photo: Felix Wong In September, students from the Chinese Foundation Secondary School in Hong Kong launched a protest saying Wu had made verbal threats to expel and fire striking students and staff in a meeting with them. She is a former supervisor and a serving member of the school’s sponsoring body. The school later clarified that students with parents’ permission to boycott classes would not be punished. Hong Kong’s protests have frequently spilled into malls and in some instances, turned violent with restaurants and shops trashed. Photo: Reuters In the Global Times interview, Wu also slammed civil servants in the city, saying there were flaws in the system. “They do not know how to deal with a crisis, having no capability or experience,” she said, adding that civil servants were among those arrested by police amid protests. “Are these civil servants supposed to be working for the government or taking to the streets?” Wu said she expected Hong Kong’s economic downturn to last at least three years, with tourism the worst hit. A Starbucks outlet in Wan Chai is vandalised by protesters. Photo: Yujing Liu Her remarks did not sit well with students such as Chan, 22, from the University of Hong Kong, who suggested Wu was overestimating her authority. “I don’t think she has done much for youngsters. I wonder if she is eligible to say she has given up hope on us,” he said. “She has been enjoying the protection of her elder generation, and the support of Hongkongers who have spent much on her brand, in climbing up to that social status.” He said the vandalism on Maxim’s outlets happened only because protesters had failed to move the government despite exhausting all peaceful means. Separately, businessman Christopher Chuang Tze-cheung launched a HKD$10 million reward for any Hongkonger who could offer a solution for the ongoing unrest. The head of TGM Group, which owns extensive financial technology businesses on the mainland, said he would only entertain livelihood issues and not political ones, and applicants could submit their proposals for a vote. Source

Mahathir says Singapore refuses to build new bridge although Malaysia ‘willing to sacrifice’ for it to ‘buy cheap water’ Jessica Lin Malaysia’s Prime Minister is bewildered. On Thursday (Oct 31), PM Mahathir Mohamad officially announced the going ahead of a cross-border system with Singapore called RTS Link, but he made clear that he did not see the RM3.16 billion (S$1 billion) as a complete solution to the congestion problem. Instead, he believes a new bridge would give Malaysians travelling to Singapore on motorcycles greater ease of access, since bikes are not allowed on the RTS. “The RTS will only solve part of the congestion issue because many motorists from Johor, in particular motorcyclists, cannot bring their motorcycles into the RTS and they would find it hard to travel to work,” The Star quoted him as saying. “We want to build a bridge but Singapore does not want to agree,” he added. Malaysia’s state news agency Bernama said in its report that the PM had expressed “bewilderment” over Singapore’s rejection of the idea of a bridge, which he said would solve the causeway congestion issue especially during weekends and holiday seasons such as Hari Raya. According to Bernama, the 94-year-old premier also said: “In the year 3000, I will not be around. By that time, there will be 100 million people in Johor wanting to go to Singapore…still there will be no new bridge..so I don’t see how we can be so accommodating to Singapore without Singapore not accommodating us.” “We may improve efficiency but as long as there is no bridge, we will not be able to solve the problems at the Johor Causeway,” he said. It its report, Bernama stated that around 70,000 motorcycles pass through the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex – which is linked to Singapore’s Woodlands via the Causeway – every day. “You just see, we are willing to sacrifice money to support Singapore so that they can buy cheap water for themselves but when we want to build a bridge to solve traffic problem, they refuse to have the bridge…I don’t know why,” he was quoted as saying. According to The Star, Mahathir also said the state of Johor was being more generous with Singapore than it was with Melaka. “We are subsidising the people and the government of Singapore but Johor sells Melaka water at 50 sen. It is treating the other state in Malaysia with less generosity compared with Singapore,” he reportedly said. Mahathir also expressed interest to continue negotiations in its long-time dispute with Singapore over water price, saying: “One day of delay in discussing this matter means we lose millions, in fact it can even reach a billion ringgit.” Under the 1962 Water Agreement, Singapore is entitled to draw 250 mgd of raw water from Johor at three sen per 1,000 gallons, while Johor is entitled to buy 5 mgd of treated water from Singapore at 50 sen per 1,000 gallons. However, Singapore has been supplying Johor with a much larger volume of treated water – 16 mgd – at the same price, which Singapore has said is heavily subsidised, and just a fraction of the cost of the water treatment. In April, The Straits Times quoted Singapore’s PM Lee Hsien Loong as saying at a joint press conference held with Mahathir that he understood the Malaysian leader’s perspective, but that he hoped Mahathir would also be able to see why the agreement was “such a sacrosanct item” to Singapore. In a joint statement released after their meeting, the prime ministers said: “Both sides will seek amicable solutions, including the possibility of dispute resolution through arbitration on a mutually agreed basis.” Source

4 people arrested over 'SG Nasi Lemak' Telegram chat group Image shared by Twitter user Mishap_bella shows the Telegram chat group "SG Nasi Lemak" blocked on iPhone. SINGAPORE: Four people have been arrested for their suspected involvement in a Telegram chat group called "SG Nasi Lemak", the police said in a news release on Tuesday (Oct 15). The suspects, aged between 17 and 37, have been arrested for their "suspected involvement in circulating obscene materials and promoting vice activities" through the group, said the authorities. "Between Mar 15 and Oct 3, 2019, the police received several reports against the chat group for circulating obscene materials and promoting vice activities," said the Singapore Police Force. "Through investigations, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division established the identities of the men and arrested them at various locations islandwide on Oct 14, 2019." More than 10 electronic devices, including a central processing unit, a laptop, a hard disk and several mobile phones, were seized. (Photo: Singapore Police Force) Investigations revealed that a 26-year-old man and a 37-year-old man were the administrators of the chat group, while a 17-year-old and a 19-year-old distributed the obscene materials, said the police. More than 10 electronic devices including a central processing unit, a laptop, a hard disk and several mobile phones were seized. The chat group, which is no longer accessible, is said to have had tens of thousands of members, some of whom shared obscene photos and videos of women. The police earlier this month said they had received reports against the chat group and that investigations were ongoing. The suspects will be charged in court on Tuesday with conspiracy to commit distributions of obscene materials. If convicted, they could be jailed for up to three months, fined, or both. "Members of the public are advised to stop soliciting in any lewd website or joining such online platforms and illicit chat groups," said the police, adding that they take "a serious view" of anyone involved in criminal activities and will continue to take tough enforcement actions against those breaking the law. Source

(Reuters) - A China-based website that allowed for manual installation of Google’s Android apps on Huawei’s newly launched Mate 30 devices went offline on Wednesday after a security researcher highlighted the “backdoor” to sidestep a U.S. ban. Image Source The link to the website, LZPlay, surfaced about 10 days earlier on social media site reddit. “This GMS (Google Mobile Services) installer is ad-free, well-designed, and ONLY works for Huawei devices,” wrote a user. Launched two weeks earlier, Huawei Technologies Co Ltd’s Mate 30 phone uses an open-source version of Android without falling foul of the U.S. ban, but the devices do not come with pre-installed applications such as Google Maps. U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration effectively blacklisted Huawei in mid-May, alleging it is involved in activities that compromise national security, a charge the company denies. Google was among the first U.S. companies to suspend business with Huawei, hobbling the company’s smartphone business outside China as the tech giant lost access to updates to Google’s Android operating system. LZPlay used an undocumented “backdoor” in Huawei’s mobile device management software to install Google software, a security researcher wrote in a blog post on Tuesday. “At this point, it is pretty obvious that Huawei is well aware of this LZPlay app, and explicitly allows its existence,” said researcher John Wu. “Although this ‘backdoor’ requires user interaction to be enabled, the installer app, which is signed with a special certificate from Huawei, was granted privileges nowhere to be found on standard Android systems,” he said. A Huawei spokeswoman denied any relationship with LZPlay. “Huawei’s latest Mate 30 series is not pre-installed with GMS, and Huawei has had no involvement with www.lzplay.net,” she said. Google and Wu were not immediately available for comment. A search of internet registration records showed that LZPlay website was registered in July. It was not immediately clear who took down the website. Huawei announced its own mobile operating system, dubbed Harmony, in August. But analysts are skeptical that it is yet a viable alternative to Android. Source

Android 10: Everything you need to know! The next version of Android is here. It's chock-full of new features, has a renewed focus on privacy, and for the first time in Android history, doesn't have a tasty dessert name to accompany it. ? That's right. Android Q is officially called Android 10, and it's bringing a lot of goodies to go along with it. There's no dessert name — Android Q is just "Android 10" For the last few months, there's been endless speculation regarding Android Q's name. Ever since Android 1.5 Cupcake, every version of Android has had a tasty dessert name to accompany it. With Android Q, however, things are changing. Google is officially done with dessert names and is instead shifting to a simpler numerical naming scheme. As such, Android Q's official name is simply "Android 10." Yes, it's a bit boring, but it's all part of a bigger rebrand Google has for Android as a whole. For the first time since 2014, Google's refreshing the Android brand's look and feel, consisting of a redesigned logo that prominently features a green robot head. Whenever you see the Android logo text, you'll now also see that little robot. While it's cool to see that Google is putting such a big focus on Android's robot friend, its head is the only part that's sticking around — the rest of its body is gone for good. Android as an operating system is staying the same, but its image is changing quite drastically. The logo is cleaner and more playful while dessert names are done for and being replaced by numbers. To get a more in-depth look at what's going on here, be sure to check out both of Andrew's articles on this subject. Say goodbye to tasty treats: Q release is simply 'Android 10' Google redesigns Android brand for first time since 2014, bringing new colors and robot head The iconic back button is gone The back button, a navigation staple of Android, is officially going away with Android 10. Following up on Pie's gesture-based navigation that kept the aging back button around, Android 10 now features a fully gesture-based method of navigation. Swiping up goes home, a swipe up and hold reveals the multitasking menu, and a swipe from the left or right edge of your screen goes back. That's a pretty big shift for Android navigation, but if you aren't ready to commit to 100% gestures quite yet, you don't have to. In addition to the new gesture navigation, Android 10 also allows you to switch back to Android Pie's two-button system and the traditional three-button array. It's unclear if these options will remain on devices like the Pixel 4 that ship with Android 10 out of the box, but at least for phones like the Pixel 3 and 3a that are updated to Android 10 from an older version, it's up to you as to what navigation system you use. How to enable the new gesture system in Android 10 Android 10 gesture FAQ: Understanding how Android's new gestures work There's finally a system-wide dark mode! HOOOORRRAAYYYY!!! After years of begging and praying, Android 10 ships with a system-wide dark theme that can be turned on and off at any time via a Quick Settings toggle. Even better, Google also created a new API that developers can use to have their apps go to a dark theme as well when the system-wide one is turned on. It'll likely take some time for all of your favorite apps to adopt the API, but right out of the gate, most Google apps and the main UI adhere to Android 10's wonderful dark mode. New theming options Being able to customize our phones to the fullest extent is one of the things that makes Android so great, and with Android 10, Google is (kind of) giving users even more ways to tinker with the look of their device. Buried in the Developer Options of Android 10, there's a new Theming section where you can change your phone's accent color. The device default is the iconic Pixel blue, but you can change this to any of the following hues: Black Green Purple Cinnamon Ocean Space Orchid In Beta 2, a new app appeared called "Pixel Themes." While not functional quite yet, it's possible this will be launched alongside the Pixel 4 later in the fall. Live Caption transcribes media locally in real-time Closed captions are crucial for deaf and hard-of-hearing people to understand what's being said in a video, podcast, game, or any other form of media where words are spoken, and to make sure these are available virtually everywhere, Android 10 comes with a feature called "Live Caption." Live Caption is able to provide real-time captions for just about anything on your phone where someone is talking, and the best part is that it happens locally on-device. In other words, no internet connection of any kind is required. You can turn Live Caption on through Android 10's accessibility settings, and for a lot of users, this is a godsend. Big changes for permissions Privacy is a bigger concern than ever before, and with Android 10, Google is implementing some new features for app permissions to help give you a better understanding and more control over what exactly apps on your phone have access to. Apps that ask for your location now reveal a new pop-up asking you if you want to grant location access all the time, only when the app's being used, or not at all. Furthermore, Google notes that Android 10: Gives users even more control over apps, controlling access to shared files. Users will be able to control apps' access to the Photos and Videos or the Audio collections via new runtime permissions. For Downloads, apps must use the system file picker, which allows the user to decide which Download files the app can access. The "Permissions usage" page in Settings has been completely overhauled to show which permissions are being used by how many of your apps, there's the option to filter by permissions to see which apps are using certain ones, and a new UI for the "App info" page. An improved share menu Android's share menu has been a hot mess for a while now. The core functionality is fine, but it's regularly slow to open no matter what phone you're using. Thankfully, Android 10 addresses this. In a blog post, Google noted that "the share UI can load instantly when it's launched" since the shortcuts are "published in advance." Speaking of sharing, Android 10 also introduces something called "Sharing Shortcuts." A Sharing Shortcut allows developers to create a new option in the share menu that will share a file/photo/etc. in a specific part of another app much faster than before. Better support for foldable phones 2019 will be the year that foldable phones finally hit the market, and to ensure the experience of these new devices is as good as can be, Google's optimized Android 10 with foldable-specific features and experiences. According to Google: To help your apps to take advantage of these and other large-screen devices, we've made a number of improvements in Android Q, including changes to onResume and onPause to support multi-resume and notify your app when it has focus. We've also changed how the resizeableActivity manifest attribute works, to help you manage how your app is displayed on foldable and large screens. These changes are obviously meant for developers, but in the end, it should result in Android 10 being optimized correctly for foldables of all shapes and sizes. Here's when you'll get Android 10 Following a public beta that started back in March and received six major updates, Android 10's final build was finally released to the masses on September 3, 2019. As of that date, Android 10 began rolling out to the Essential Phone and Google's Pixel devices, including the newest Pixel 3a and going all the way back to the original Pixel that was released in 2016. At this point, the OTA update should have landed on your phone by now. If you have a handset that isn't a Pixel, you'll need to wait a bit longer for OEMs to optimize Android 10 for their handsets. The date of which you'll get Android 10 all comes down to who makes your phone, what specific model it is, and whether or not it's unlocked or tied to a carrier. To get a better idea of when you can expect Android 10 to land on your specific smartphone, check out our regularly-updated guide below. Source

Image via CentOS CentOS 8 is due for release on September 24 according to the project’s official Twitter account. The announcement comes after a long development cycle which began at the start of May. It’s not clear at this point but we could also see CentOS 7.7 released on the same day or earlier as the project previously announced it was deferring CentOS 8 work to focus on the 7.7 update which will provide security patches for existing CentOS installations. CentOS is a free operating system supported by the community and aims to be compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). As RHEL requires users to buy a license, some prefer to opt for CentOS which provides updates free of charge. One of the drawbacks is that CentOS releases always take a bit longer than RHEL releases to become available while the community tests packages and makes branding alterations and the like. The next version of #CentOS is being released September 24 and will be announced in all the usual places. — CentOS Project (@CentOSProject) September 16, 2019 On Twitter, the CentOS project tweeted a somewhat ambiguous message claiming that the “next version” of CentOS would be released soon. With the previous announcement that CentOS 8 would be deferred in favour of CentOS 7.7, some people started asking which version was the “next version” exactly. Thanks to a response in the mailing list we know that the next version does indeed refer to CentOS 8 and not version 7.7.1908 “which is just around the corner”. If CentOS 8 sticks to the same life cycle as RHEL 8, full support will last until around May 2024 while maintenance updates will be provided until May 2029 – that’s ten years support in all on a freely available operating system. Source

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Huawei Just Started Selling Laptops With A Beautiful Linux OS Pre-Installed Some of the best and most affordable premium laptops on the market are now shipping with Linux pre-installed. More specifically they’re shipping with Deepin, a beautiful and polished desktop Linux distribution which, like Huawei, are based in China. Whether this is a result of the ongoing trade dispute between the United States and China is unknown, but it’s a nice step forward for the proliferation of Linux alternatives promoted by major OEMs like Dell and Lenovo. Let’s get the disappointing news out of the way first. Right now these select Huawei laptops with Linux are only rolling out in China, via Huawei’s official e-commerce store VMall.com. The exact models available with Deepin Linux are the Huawei MateBook X Pro, Huawei MateBook 13 and Huawei MateBook 14. It also looks like you’re stuck with the stock options for each model. Today In: Innovation Now on to the positive news. Huawei has ditched the traditional Windows logo key on these Linux models and replaced it with key that simply reads “Start.” And as you’d expect, these 3 models cost 300 CNY (or about $42 USD) less than their Windows 10 counterparts. As for Deepin, its Chinese origins tend to ignite controversy (and anxiety within privacy purists) in the Linux world, however the distribution is open source and the code is available on GitHub. Politics and privacy stances aside, Deepin is one of the most stunning Linux desktops out there – and it’s also available in English. Deepin’s open source nature does mean that Huawei is free to make alterations to it for their own purposes. One of the main draws for Huawei may be Deepin’s recently added Cloud Sync feature allowing you to sync various system settings to the cloud. This covers network settings (such as VPN and WiFi), sound settings, mouse settings, update settings, power settings, corner settings, theme, wallpaper, launcher, and dock. Definitely useful for installing the OS on multiple machines, or easily regaining your customizations after a clean install. It’s also worth noting that all three of these Huawei laptops run any Linux distribution like a dream, not just Deepin. Could this be a precursor to Huawei offering Linux on select laptops globally? Or perhaps a trial run to gauge interest in alternatives to Windows 10, such as its own open source HarmonyOS? I don’t have the answers, but it should be very interesting to watch things unfold. By the way, if you’re looking for premium laptops from a major OEM that ships a little closer to home, consider Dell’s Developer Edition lineup. Source

Huawei to launch Mate 30 on September 19 without Android OS Huawei to launch Mate 30 on September 19 without Android OS Huawei is set to unveil its next flagship on September 19 Huawei has announced that its next flagship device -- the first one expected to launch without Google's Android operating system -- will launch in Munich on September 19. This weekend, Huawei's official mobile Twitter account announced that the flagship Mate 30 Series will launch in Munich on September 19. The brief video published on the platform features the tagline "Rethink possibilities." Though that phrase could be referring to the new tech that the handset is sure to come equipped with, it's more likely that it's referring to the new operating system that will be powering it. Huawei has been blacklisted by the US and will not be able to use Android OS or other Google services like YouTube, Google Maps, and the Play Store. The company announced its own in-house operating system HarmonyOS last month, stating that it will be able to adapt to any device; it is likely that it will be lacking some smartphone specific operations that Google has had the time to perfect in its Android operating system. In fact, the first device that Huawei confirmed will be powered by HarmonyOS will be the Honor Smart Screen -- the Mate 30 Series is expected to be based on an open-source version of Android. If the rumors prove true, the Mate 30 Series will come in two flavors like the previous generation -- standard and pro -- and will be powered by the last Kirin processors. The specs will be unveiled in full in just a few weeks. Source

Sembcorp Marine secures Cambo FPSO design contract Singapore’s Sembcorp Marine has been awarded a front-end engineering and design contract with Siccar Point Energy for an FPSO for the Cambo field in the UK Continental Shelf. The design will be based on Sembcorp Marine’s Sevan geostationary circular hull, eliminating the need for a costly turret while accommodating a larger number of risers and flexibility for future tie-ins. https://splash247.com/sembcorp-marine-secures-cambo-fpso-feed-contract/

VW Group to pay $96.5M to settle inflated fuel economy lawsuit Kirsten Korosec@kirstenkorosec / 7:14 am +08 • August 31, 2019 VW Group of America said Friday it has reached an agreement with thousands of U.S. customers over alleged inflated fuel economy information on about 98,000 gas-powered vehicles from its four brands, Audi, Bentley, Porsche and Volkswagen. The agreement involves alleged misinformation about fuel economy on 98,000 vehicles, or about 3.5% of the model year 2013-2017 VW Group vehicles sold or leased in the United States. The fuel economy will be restated to reflect a discrepancy of one mile per gallon, when rounded according to the U.S.-specific “Monroney” label requirements, according to the EPA. Most of the vehicles affected by the overstatement of fuel economy were from Audi, Bentley and Porsche, including the 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 Audi A8L, RS7 and S8 vehicles. Other affected models include variants of the Porsche Cayenne, such as the Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo. Volkswagen does not admit wrongdoing under the terms of the settlement. Eligible customers will receive payments ranging from $5.40 to $24.30 for each month the vehicle is owned or leased. The total value of the settlement, which is subject to court approval, is $96.5 million, according to VW. Volkswagen Group of America will also adjust its Greenhouse Gas credits to account for any excess credits associated with the fuel economy discrepancy. Potential claimants will have to submit a claim to receive compensation. However, owners do not need to take any action at this time. Individual class members will receive information about their rights and options (including the option to “opt out” of the settlement agreement) if the court grants preliminary approval of the proposed agreement, according to VW. Source

By Kate Kelland Reuters•August 30, 2019 No 'gay gene', but study finds genetic links to sexual behavior FILE PHOTO: Stonewall uprising anniversary in New York By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - A large scientific study into the biological basis of sexual behavior has confirmed there is no single "gay gene" but that a complex mix of genetics and environment affects whether a person has same-sex sexual partners. The research, which analyzed data on DNA and sexual experiences from almost half a million people, found there are thousands of genetic variants linked to same-sex sexual behavior, most with very small effects. Five of the genetic markers were "significantly" associated with same-sex behavior, the researchers said, but even these are far from being predictive of a person's sexual preferences. "We scanned the entire human genome and found a handful - five to be precise - of locations that are clearly associated with whether a person reports in engaging in same-sex sexual behavior," said Andrea Ganna, a biologist at the Institute of Molecular Medicine in Finland who co-led the research. He said these have "a very small effect" and, combined, explain "considerably less than 1% of the variance in the self-reported same-sex sexual behavior." This means that non-genetic factors - such as environment, upbringing, personality, nurture - are far more significant in influencing a person's choice of sexual partner, just as with most other personality, behavioral and physical human traits, the researchers said. The study - the largest of its kind - analyzed survey responses and performed analyses known as genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on data from more than 470,000 people who had given DNA samples and lifestyle information to the UK Biobank and to the U.S. genetics testing company 23andMeInc. Asked why they had wanted to conduct such research, the team told reporters on a teleconference that previous studies on this topic had mostly been too small to offer robust conclusions. "Previous studies were small and underpowered," Ganna said. "So we decided to form a large international consortium and collected data for (almost) 500,000 people, (which) is approximately 100 times bigger than previous studies on this topic." The results, published in the journal Science on Thursday, found no clear patterns among genetic variants that could be used to meaningfully predict or identify a person's sexual behavior, the researchers said. "We've clarified that there's a lot of diversity out there," said Benjamin Neale, a member at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard who worked with Ganna. "This moves our understanding (of same-sex sex) to a deeper and more nuanced place." Sexual rights campaigners welcomed the study, saying it "provides even more evidence that being gay or lesbian is a natural part of human life". "This new research also re-confirms the long established understanding that there is no conclusive degree to which nature or nurture influence how a gay or lesbian person behaves," said Zeke Stokes of the U.S.-based LGBTQ rights group, GLAAD. Source

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Kim Lim's husband charged in court with gambling offence PHOTO: INSTAGRAM A 29-year-old man, Kho Bin Kai, was charged in court with assisting in remote gambling. Chinese language newspaper Shin Min Daily News reported he is the husband of socialite Kim Lim. Court documents state that Kho had allegedly assisted in remote gambling between July 15 and July 27 this year. He allegedly did so under the instructions of "Ah Leong". Kho had allegedly issued an online account "KBT12" under a website, which was a remote gambling service, to a person named Tan Chun Yong. Kho could also face additional charges later. The case has been adjourned to Oct 8, as the police are doing a forensic examination of several mobile phones. Source

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to review the nation's achievements over the past 70 years and also talk about China's future.PHOTO: AFP PUBLISHED AUG 29, 2019, 3:12 PM SGT BEIJING (BLOOMBERG) - Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a major speech to mark 70 years since the official founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the government announced on Thursday (Aug 29). The speech on Oct 1 will be accompanied by a national day parade showcasing China's advances in military technology, Mr Wang Xiaohui, executive vice-minister for the Communist Party's Publicity Department, said at a press briefing in Beijing. "The purpose is to motivate and mobilise the whole party, the whole military, and all of the people to unite closely around the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee with Mr Xi at the core," Mr Wang said. The speech will be closely watched for hints on China's policy direction, especially with the nation facing pressure on multiple fronts, from the trade war with the US and protests in Hong Kong to a slowing domestic economy. Mr Xi is expected to review the nation's achievements over the past 70 years and also talk about China's future. He used a speech marking the anniversary of China's May Fourth movement earlier this year to urge the country's young people to stay loyal to the Communist Party. The scale of the parade will be larger than those held to celebrate the 50th or 60th anniversaries of the PRC, Major-General Cai Zhijun, who is vice-director of the office for parade organisation, said at the press conference. Keep up with the latest in the region with the ST Asian Insider newsletter, delivered to your inbox every weekday Mr Cai said the parade would show China's "great achievements" in national defence and the "accumulation of power for promotion of national rejuvenation". The parade will include strategic nuclear missiles and advanced fighter jets such as the nation's first stealth fighter, the J-20, the South China Morning Post reported. Installations preparing for the celebration are already being erected in Tiananmen Square and security is being tightened across the city in preparation for the event. The events will include a National Day Gala, an award ceremony and a musical performance, as well as commemorative stamps and coins, Mr Wang said. Source

Fans are furious of the news that at the K World Fiesta just yesterday, there was a man who masturbated during Red Velvet's performance of Power upand the end of it went onto a 16 year old girl. Reveluvs and fans are trying to trend the hashtag #ProtectRedVelvetandReveluvs. Below is the tweet the girl posted, she shows two pictures where the fluid is on what i suspect as the back of her pants and on her sock + shoe.

SIA confirms it has grounded two Boeing 787-10 jets due to engine issues In 2018, SIA became the first airline in the world to fly the Boeing 787-10 aircraft as part of its fleet. Apr 02, 2019 SINGAPORE - Singapore Airlines (SIA) has grounded two of its nine Boeing 787-10 aircraft due to engine issues, the airline said on Tuesday, confirming a report in The Straits Times. The planes are all fitted with the latest Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 TEN engines, an improved version of the Trent 1000 engine which has had issues with premature blade cracking. Sources had told The Straits Times that preliminary checks show that the same cracked blade issue is affecting the new TEN engine. SIA told The Straits Times that during recent routine inspections of Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 TEN engines on the B787-10 fleet, premature blade deterioration was found on some engines. "As safety is our top priority, the SIA Group, in consultation with Rolls-Royce, proactively identified other Trent 1000 TEN engines in the Group's 787 fleet to undergo precautionary inspections. "All of these engine inspections on SIA's 787-10 fleet have now been completed, and a remaining check will be completed on a Scoot 787-9 by April 3. "Pending engine replacements, two SIA 787-10 aircraft have been removed from service." As a result, some flights to destinations served by the 787-10 fleet have been affected. SIA is operating other aircraft for these flights to minimise schedule disruption to customers. However, as the replacement aircraft may have lower capacity, some customers may be affected and they will be contacted accordingly. SIA said: "We regret the inconvenience caused and sincerely apologise to customers whose travel plans are affected, and seek their understanding." The airline said it is working closely with Rolls-Royce and the relevant authorities for any additional follow-up actions and precautionary measures that may be required going forward. Last year, SIA became the first airline in the world to fly the Boeing 787-10 aircraft as part of its fleet. These aircraft are configured with 337 seats in two classes, featuring 36 Business Class seats and 301 Economy Class seats. Separately, SIA's regional arm, SilkAir, has also been affected by the grounding of its Boeing 737 Max 8. The planes have been on the tarmac since March 12, as part of a global precautionary measure, following two crashes involving the aircraft type.

Police arrest 30 women, four men for indecent behaviour at a Bukit Tinggi resort 20 MAR 2019 / 20:41 H. Picture for representational purpose only. KUANTAN: The police arrested 30 women and four men after they are believed to have appeared in public in their undergarments during a motivation programme at a resort in Bukit Tinggi, Bentong, yesterday. Pahang CID chief Datuk Othman Nayan said today the police acted after a photograph of a group of women in undergarments at a field at the resort went viral on Facebook. A preliminary investigation showed that they were members of a group of about 80 people, mainly women, who attended a motivation programme organised by a beauty spa operating in Johor Baru and Kuala Lumpur, he said, adding that all the participants had stayed at the resort from Monday to today. “The 34 people arrested, including those who conducted the programme, are from the spa operating in Johor,“ he said in a statement. He also said that several of the participants from the Kuala Lumpur spa had gone home earlier. Othman said the police found out through questioning that several participants were in their undergarments during the activities under the programme. “Some (nearby) residents had voiced concern over the activities and confirmed that the participants were not in the nude. The residents lodged a police report on the activities,“ he said. Othman advised the participants who have returned home earlier to report at the Bentong Police headquarters to assist the investigation. A similar incident reportedly happened at the resort in early 2017, involving male participants. — Bernama

The new Opel Corsa GSi - driven by passion, optimised for great driving fun. Fuel consumption Corsa GSi in l/100 km combined: 6.4-6.1; CO2 emissions combined in g/km: 147-139 (acc. VO (EG) No. 715/2007) Disover the Opel Corsa GSi: With better vision and visibility, drive up scenic routes in your Opel Corsa GSi along the country side in comfort and next level style. Leather-covered flat-bottom steering wheel and dark-tinted rear windows to impress from the inside out. The sport chassis known from the OPC version and the brakes with red calipers ensure precise athleticism, outstanding handling and short braking distances. Whether you are going solo or with mates, stay tuned and connected with our built-in IntelliLink satellite navigation and infotainment systems. Advanced German engineering has never tasted sweeter.

ADATA Reveals XPG SX6000 Lite: An Entry-Level NVMe SSD ADATA has introduced a new lineup of PCIe SSDs aimed at the entry-level market. The XPG SX6000 Lite drives are based on the same controller as the XPG SX6000 Pro, however they're paired with cheaper NAND that lets ADATA price them a bit lower. The manufacturer touts the SSDs as high-performance alternatives to drives with a SATA interface. Set to be available in 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB configurations, ADATA’s XPG SX6000 Lite SSDs are based on Realtek’s RTS5763DL controller as well as 3D TLC NAND flash memory from an undisclosed manufacturer. The same controller is used for the XPG SX6000 Pro drives launched earlier this year, so the new SSDs are are NVMe 1.3 compatible, support a robust LDPC-based ECC and RAID engines, dynamic SLC caching, and AES-256 encryption. Meanwhile, less is know about the NAND being used, though ADATA's specificaitons make it clear that it'll be lower performing than the NAND used on the SX 6000 Pro. The resulting performance specifications are 1800 MB/s for sequential reads and 1200 MB/s for sequential writes. ADATA’s SX6000 Lite SSDs will start to show up in retail in the coming weeks as the company ramps up their mass production. The entry-level 256 GB model will have an MSRP of $65 in the US, the mid-range 512 GB version will officially retail for $98, whereas the highest-capacity 1 TB flavor will carry a $178 recommended price tag. Though considering how volatile the market of SSDs is, I won't be surprised if we see these drives hit the street at prices tangibly lower than their official MSRPs.

Woot finally out. Main feature is adaptive battery. New navigation buttons and UI. So far feedback is longer SOT. not sure if cpu bug is fixed. Source