10 must-reads for today

The Hong Kong government and China's Foreign Ministry yesterday hit back at British criticism of Beijing's plans for national security legislation in the territory. A British report had said that the proposed legislation was a clear violation of China's international obligations and a breach of the "one country, two systems" formula for the former colony.

As widely expected, the Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix has been cancelled this year, in the light of the severe disruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic. Singapore GP said it was unable to proceed with the event due to the prohibitions imposed on access and construction of the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Works have not commenced and will not be completed in time for the Sept 20 night race.

The Community Development Council Vouchers Scheme will help up to 400,000 lower-income Singaporean households with daily expenses while supporting local merchants and hawkers. The households will be able to collect $50 worth of vouchers in the coming months and use them at participating shops and stalls.

United States President Donald Trump has rejected calls to overhaul law enforcement or cut off police funding, instead backing new training programmes as well as economic development, school choice and improved healthcare in minority communities. Speaking in Dallas at a roundtable discussion, Mr Trump said he was working to finalise an executive order that would encourage police departments to meet "the most current professional standards for the use of force".

Does the "quality" of a lawyer - measured by factors such as years of experience - affect your chances of winning a case in court? Research shows, perhaps, says Professor Simon Chesterman, delving into how big firm lawyers and female lawyers perform in court.

Fake websites pretending to be the legitimate Singapore Pools are scamming punters into revealing sensitive information. The local gambling operator has been targeted repeatedly, and it actively monitors the Internet for phishing websites and fake apps that improperly use its brand.

The Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, in partnership with the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) Foundation, plans to raise $300,000 from the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) community to make a contribution to the migrant worker community in Singapore. This is in addition to a $200,000 grant from the SBF Foundation. The donation will be made to the Migrant Workers' Assistance Fund.

About 25,000 life and health insurance policyholders have applied to their insurers between April 1 and June 5 to temporarily stop paying their premiums for up to six months as part of industrywide relief measures rolled out amid the Covid-19 crisis. Some 90 per cent of the applications have been approved so far, and the deferred premiums totalled $47.6 million.

Professional golf returned on Thursday at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Texas, with players trying to shake off the rust in a surreal atmosphere without fans owing to coronavirus restrictions. But a lack of wind resulted in many low scores, as Justin Rose and Harold Varner III shared the lead on seven-under 63.

Even with the battery starved of electrons from a wall plug, the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHV) never goes completely dead. The car's brain compels it to recover energy at every opportunity and the little blue battery-status icon always shows at least a one-eighth charge. This means that most gentle step-offs from a traffic light can be done on electricity alone.

NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng talks about Singapore's employment future amid a greater sense of anxiety among workers, and how the nation can weather the storm brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. str.sg/blurb423

Tech Editor Irene Tham looks at six commonly asked questions about the TraceTogether Token and app, and addresses concerns over how users' data will be protected. str.sg/blurb424