Trump and Kim lookalikes hold 'summit' in Singapore

While access to the historic summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will be tightly restricted, hundreds of Singaporeans got the next best thing on Saturday when two lookalikes showed up at a downtown mall.

Hong Kong-based impersonator Howard X, who has attracted worldwide attention in recent months for his impression of Kim, appeared on stage with Trump lookalike Dennis Alan.

During a promotional event dubbed the "real" Trump-Kim summit, the men waved at shoppers as they walked through the crowded Bugis Junction mall.

The duo shook hands and embraced on stage, hamming it up for onlookers who whipped out mobile phones.

But selfies came at a cost: those wanting a souvenir shot had to download the app the pair were pushing, and pay Sg$15 ($11) for pictures with both lookalikes.

"Thank you for all the donations you have been making to North Korea, well, me. I really really appreciate it, because we are really cash-strapped," Howard X said as dozens lined up for their turn with him.

Chen Ziyang, 28, who was queueing for a picture, said the impersonators had "almost 99 per cent resemblance to the real Kim and Trump".

The men have tie-ups with several local businesses and will also make an appearance at a seafood restaurant.

Like the real-life leaders, fake Kim and Trump are no strangers to controversies of their own.

On Friday, Howard X said he was questioned for two hours by an immigration officer when he arrived at the city-state's Changi Airport ahead of the real summit on Tuesday.

When he previously appeared at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea with the same Donald Trump lookalike, he was escorted out by security after waving and dancing in front of North Korea's cheerleaders.

http:// www.asiaone.com/singapore/trump-and-kim-lookalikes-hold-summit-singapore

>>1684656

I guess not, 2 guys earning a buck and maybe 15 minutes of fame. But most importantly it keeps people busy. Just cracked me up how the citizens play along with it.

Orchid could be named after Trump and Kim in Singapore

Uniquely Singaporean 'orchid diplomacy' could mark historic occasion, says expert

Perhaps any flowering of peace in the historic meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un here next week could be marked with a key feature of Singapore diplomacy - the naming of an orchid after them.

Though the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has not confirmed any move to name orchids after the two leaders, such a gesture would not be inconceivable, as other luminaries often have blooms named for them.

During Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's state visit to the White House in August 2016, he presented US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama with purple-tipped yellow blooms called the Dendrobium Barack and Michelle Obama.

Chinese President Xi Jinping's shows tiny red flecks on a bright pink background and Nelson Mandela's is a bold yellow-orange with pointed tips.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the latest to have an orchid named after him here.

The Dendrobium Narendra Modi had twisted petals of mahogany with reddish-brown sepals and deep purple tips.

Botanists, media and analysts are curious to learn if Singapore will extend its "orchid diplomacy" to Trump and North Korea's Kim, who will meet for the first time in a summit on Tuesday at the Capella Hotel at Sentosa.

Mr Nicholas Fang, director of security and global affairs at think tank the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said the host country might well do this on the sidelines of the event, as a gesture of goodwill and friendship.

"This kind of soft diplomacy is something that is uniquely Singaporean," Mr Fang told Reuters.

"Whether it will be one orchid for each of the leaders or one that marks the joint nature of the summit, we will have to wait and see."

BOTANIC GARDENS

The special orchids are displayed in the Botanic Gardens, the only such tropical site figuring on the world heritage list of culture agency Unesco.

There are more than 200 orchids named after dignitaries that are on display at the VIP Orchid Garden.

The National Parks Board's website (NParks) said that orchid diplomacy serves as a gesture of friendship to promote goodwill between Singapore and other countries, and it plays an important role in building bilateral ties.

https:// www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/orchid-couldl-be-named-after-trump-and-kim-singapore

PM Lee to hold separate meetings with Kim Jong Un, Donald Trump before Singapore summit

SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will hold separate meetings with US President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un ahead of the two leaders' historic summit on June 12.

He will meet Mr Kim on Sunday (June 10), while the meeting with Mr Trump will take place on Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Both leaders are expected to arrive in Singapore on Sunday before their highly-anticipated summit at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa on Tuesday.

Mr Trump is likely to stay at the Shangri-La Hotel, with Mr Kim residing at The St Regis.

Mr Trump, who was in Canada for the G-7 summit, tweeted at 4.58am (Singapore time) that he is on his way here, where "we have a chance to achieve a truly wonderful result for North Korea and the world".

He added: "I look forward to meeting him and have a feeling that this one-time opportunity will not be wasted!"

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, in an interview with Singapore reporters in Beijing on Saturday after his five-day trip to Washington and Pyongyang, said both the US and North Korea want peace on the Korean peninsula.

"I have met both sides, I see sincerity on both sides, I see a desire, a willingness to escape the constraints that have applied for the last seven decades - so with goodwill and creativity let's see what they come up with," he said.

https:// www.straitstimes.com/politics/pm-lee-to-hold-separate-meetings-with-kim-jong-un-donald-trump-before-singapore-summit

Viral photos of 'seized' Birkins, Rolex watches aren't from Najib's home, but stock photos

PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Several viral photos of luxury watches, handbags and stacks of cash supposedly seized from former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's residence are fake.

A quick Google Image search reveals that several of these viral images are stock photos.

One image showing a tray of six gold Rolex watches is widely shared on social media site Pinterest while another image of luggage filled with stacks of US currency is from a June 2016 robbery case that happened in the US.

The most widely distributed photo is of 27 multi-coloured Hermes Birkin handbags laid out neatly on what looks like a living room floor.

This photo was previously shared on Sarawak Report's Facebook page saying it was an unverified photo purportedly of designer bags belonging to Mr Najib's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, estimated at RM20 million (S$6.76 million).

On Saturday (May 19), Singapore-based luxury goods store Shopfirstluxury debunked the photo clarifying that it was taken in their showroom.

"If anybody receive this broadcast (viral photo), please just don't spread it again using this picture," Shopfirstluxury wrote on its Instagram.

"In this fast information era, let's be a responsible news reader, and think twice before sharing to your friends and family," it added.

he photo of the collection of expensive handbags went viral several days after polling day at the same time when several Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia members lodged a police report claiming they had information about an alleged attempt to transport and hide up to 50 Birkin handbags allegedly belonging to Madam Rosmah in a luxury residence in Kuala Lumpur.

Police had been searching six premises linked to Mr Najib in their investigations into the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal since May 16.

On May 18, police seized 284 boxes filled with designer handbags, watches, jewellery and cash in various currencies from three condominiums at Pavilion Residences in Kuala Lumpur.

The police have been photographed transporting luggage and orange boxes containing the designer handbags seized from the raid, but have not released any verified images of the seized items.

https:// www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/viral-photos-of-seized-birkins-rolex-watches-arent-from-najibs-home-but-stock-photos