The Miss World 2009 Contestants

Storm Warriors Movie

Personal review:

just lots of fighting and lame plot. I feel a little like I'm just watching an episode of "Feng Yun" on tv. the only thing that stands out to me is the sound effects. kinda loud though. watching it once is ok. watching it twice would be a torture.

Here's the full trailer:

Fiona Xie quits acting

Fiona Xie quits acting to pursue photographic career


SINGAPORE : Singapore actress Fiona Xie has announced that she will leave MediaCorp for Hong Kong to pursue a career in photography.

This revelation quashes rumours that she is leaving because she was pregnant or has become a kept woman.

"The rumours are so ludicrous that I don't even feel hurt. If I wanted to become a kept woman and leave the business, I would have left eight years ago," she said, explaining that she had gotten a number of sleazy propositions when she was fresh in the business.

Rumours started flying in July after Xie abruptly withdrew from Channel 8 drama serial "Together" citing "personal reasons" and then totally disappeared from our radar. She was recently seen hosting food documentary series "Singapore Flavours" which debuted on Channel U last month.

The 27-year-old actress explained in an interview published on this weeks's 8 Days magazine that she did not set out to avoid the media but was simply weary of the complications speaking to them would bring.

As for the "personal reasons" for rejecting the role, Xie said she could not find her character's voice though she admits that she gave it up partly because of her Australian-American boyfriend.

According to the actress, her boyfriend did not like the script as it contained too many kissing scenes, so she turned it down.

"He wanted me to ask for amendments to the script so I have less kissing scenes. I know that is impossible but I don't want him to be unhappy," she explained.

Xie's 23-year-old squeeze is an enigma. They first met on the set of Kelvin Tong's supernatural thriller "Rule #1" in 2007 and have been dating for a year, and he is reportedly an art enthusiast who lives like royalty in Hong Kong, but everything else about him remains a mystery.

The actress who has been dubbed one of MediaCorp's Seven Princesses, was named Best Newcomer in her first year and was twice voted one of the top ten most popular actresses by viewers at the annual Star Awards.

Her decision to drop everything and base herself Hong Kong will force her to bid goodbye to her annual salary of about S$500,000. However, it will afford her greater control over her life and gives her the freedom to choose what projects she wants to do.

She said that while she is concerned that this loss of income might affect the livelihood of her mother and her younger brother, Dylan, who is sill studying, she is determined to get a fresh start in Hong Kong. The actress, who had recently embraced Christianity, has no regrets.

"What's the good of being in a place that brings out your worst?" Xie said.

"I left to truly experience living," she added. "To get rid of the cocoon, and to spread my wings!"

- CNA/ha

ZoukOut 2009

SINGTEL PRESENTS ZOUKOUT 2009
Saturday 12 December 2009, 8pm-8am
Siloso Beach @ Sentosa, Singapore



Tickets On Sale Now. Check here for more details.

The Beacon of Love, Great Music and Unforgettable Memories!
The most anticipated outdoor dance music festival of the year is back on the pristine palm tree-lined Siloso Beach, for the ninth year, bringing forth a spectacular voyage of rapturous music, dancing, art and lots of festivities.

Inspired by Greek mythology’s illustration of the legendary aquatic nymphs’ irresistible allure, with seafarers captivated by the mythical temptresses’ enchanting melodies and voice, the Sirens’ call beckons the collective buoyant vibes of partygoers at ZoukOut 2009.

ZoukOut - Asia’s distinctive and largest outdoor dance music festival returns to be the beacon of community spirit celebrating love, respect and all in all, ever-lasting good moments!


Surf’s Up! Wave House Sentosa comes aboard
With a record breaking 26,000 party revellers in 2008, ZoukOut 2009 extends its venue to incorporate Siloso Beach’s latest lifestyle attraction, Wave House Sentosa, and will house one of ZoukOut’s stages! Offering exhilarating rides akin to the Wave Houses found in North America, Chile and South Africa, thrill seekers can look to make a wild splash and get their adrenaline fix whether surfing the tube, jumping waves or performing gravity defying flips and stunts.

International release of “Defected In The House ZoukOut Singapore ‘10” with Defected Records
Following the successful release and sell out of ‘Zouk in the House’ in 2008, Zouk teams up again with globally recognized brand, Defected Records, a key player in the international dance music scene to launch a special “Defected In The House ZoukOut Singapore ‘10” 2-CD compilation!

As a continuation in shaping Singapore’s dance music scene globally, Zouk, being Asia’s only super club aims to stand apart with this co-branded international release that will feature tracks mixed by Simon Dunmore, Defected Records’ head honcho and Zouk’s very own resident, djB who will lend his own signature flair to the collaboration.



It’s always the stellar LINE-UP that leaves us in AWE! SNEAK PREVIEW!!
Having been voted Number One twice by DJ Mag in the Top 100 DJ poll, with 30 million listeners tuning in to his radio show and constantly sold out gigs globally,Armin Van Buuren sets to headline ZoukOut 2009! With his remarkable rise to fame, garnering several accolades for ‘76’, ‘Shivers’ and ‘Imagine’ artiste albums and his successful Armada Music label winning over more and more fans internationally, Armin will rock the decks at ZoukOut with his well known and best loved uplifting, euphoric sets.

With dance-floor smashers from the likes of Martin Solveig, Bob Sinclair, Ame and Kings of Tomorrow, Defected label owner, Simon Dunmore, plans to get all house music lovers grooving with his exceptionally infectious and high-spirited sets. 10 years on, Defected Records has established itself as one of the premiere dance labels in the world, with a whole string of successes behind it. Having captivated and inspired audiences around the world, look out as house connoisseur Simon Dunmore plays a special set with percussion extraordinaire Shovell and Yasmeen, who lends her stirring vocals, all ready to bring the house down.

ZoukOut debutants, also literally defined as new blood in the dance music scene, The Martinez Brothers, Chris (17 years old) and Steve (20 years old) who have been flying the house flag at Pacha (NYC & Ibiza), Cielo (NYC) and Social Club (Paris), will bring the party to fever pitch with their high-energy sets they are celebrated for.


The ‘Live’ element at ZoukOut 2009, Miss Kittin & The Hacker promises to be the commanding addition to the line-up. Being pioneers that paved the route for the electroclash movement and producing one of most exciting electro pop tracks at the turn of the century (2001’s “Frank Sinatra”), their celebrity followers include Karl Lagerfeld and the (in)famous Marilyn Manson. The pair now returns with new perspectives and seemingly complementary extremes, to unmask a perfectly accessible and evocative sound, debuting at ZoukOut.

Cheapest and costliest iPhone plans

THE iPhone battle will enter a red-hot tripartite phase tomorrow.

Telcos StarHub and MobileOne (M1) announced yesterday that they would be selling the iPhone here from tomorrow, breaking SingTel's 15-month monopoly on the phone.

StarHub will sell the latest model of the device, the iPhone 3G S, at no cost or up to $668.

M1 will retail the same model for free or up to $658.

The cost of the iPhone drops with more expensive subscription plans. Also, the 32GB version of the iPhone 3G S will cost more than the 16GB version.

Both telcos will also sell an older model of the phone, the iPhone 3G.

SingTel, the first telco here to offer the iPhone, started selling the older iPhone 3G in August last year. It began offering the iPhone 3G S in July, at no cost or up to $678, depending on the subscription plan.

Both newcomers have thrown in features into their plans that could hot up competition for the Apple device.

M1 is offering a 'tariff rebate' of $350 to $1,000, to be paid over 12 months, to existing iPhone users who sign up for an M1 iPhone plan.

StarHub and M1 are capping Internet surfing charges on the iPhone, so users do not have to pay beyond a certain amount even if they exceed the amount of free data provided by the two telcos' iPhone subscription plans.

JJ Lin to make comeback in mid-December after ill health with new album

Wednesday, December 9

JJ Lin to make comeback in mid-December after ill health with new album

Piling work stress and recurring gastric problems in the beginning of this year affected homegrown singer JJ Lin's vocal cords and delayed his comeback to the music industry. After a year's recuperation and hiatus, he said he gained back his strength and vocal ability, and he will releasing his latest and eighth music album in middle of December.

The 28-year-old belted out a portion of his new song from the album, titled 100 Days, to prove his recovery at a recent press conference.

The singer confessed that he was afraid that he would never being able to sing again, and harboured thoughts of cutting ties with the outside world. He managed to cope during the gloomy period with the support of his family, and friends, and said that their encouragement and support gave him the strength to make a comeback.

And what's a comeback without new rumours? JJ was recently sighted accompanying his female manager to the gynecologist, sparking off speculation of an illicit relationship between the pair. He clarified that he was "merely bringing her to the doctor.

"I am very good friends with my manager. During my lowest days, we went through a lot together and grew closer. My manager sacrifices so much for me and that has caused some problems amongst her own family."

2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa: Calendar

June 2010

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
7	8	9	10	11 [1] RSA - MEX [2] URU - FRA	12 [3] ARG - NGA [4] KOR - GRE [5] ENG - USA	13 [6] ALG - SVN [7] GER - AUS [8] SRB - GHA
14 [9] NED - DEN [10] JPN - CMR [11] ITA - PAR	15 [12] NZL - SVK [13] CIV - POR [14] BRA - PRK	16 [15] HON - CHI [16] ESP - SUI [17] RSA - URU	17 [18] FRA - MEX [19] GRE - NGA [20] ARG - KOR	18 [21] GER - SRB [22] SVN - USA [23] ENG - ALG	19 [24] GHA - AUS [25] NED - JPN [26] CMR - DEN	20 [27] SVK - PAR [28] ITA - NZL [29] BRA - CIV
21 [30] POR - PRK [31] CHI - SUI [32] ESP - HON	22 [34] FRA - RSA [33] MEX - URU [36] GRE - ARG [35] NGA - KOR	23 [37] SVN - ENG [38] USA - ALG [40] AUS - SRB [39] GHA - GER	24 [42] PAR - NZL [41] SVK - ITA [44] CMR - NED [43] DEN - JPN	25 [45] POR - BRA [46] PRK - CIV [48] SUI - HON [47] CHI - ESP	26 [49] 1A - 2B [50] 1C - 2D	27 [51] 1D - 2C [52] 1B - 2A
28 [53] 1E - 2F [54] 1G - 2H	29 [55] 1F - 2E [56] 1H - 2G	30

July 2010

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
			1	2 [57] 5 - 7 [58] 1 - 3	3 [59] 2 - 4 [60] 6 - 8	4
5	6 [61] A - C	7 [62] B - D	8	9	10 [63] L1 - L2	11 [64] W1 - W2

More information:

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup

GST Offset Package

The GST Offset Package is a set of comprehensive measures announced in Budget 2007 to help Singaporeans with the increase in GST, with more for lower-income Singaporeans. The GST Offset Package will cost the government $4 billion over 5 years. It includes among other schemes, the GST Credits, Senior Citizens' Bonus, U-Save rebates and Top-Ups to Post-Secondary Education Accounts schemes.

As announced in Budget 2009, the Government will double the amount of GST Credits and Senior Citizens' Bonus that Singaporeans will receive in 2009 to help them cope with living expenses during the current economic downturn. Singaporeans will receive the additional payout of GST Credits and Senior Citizens' Bonus on 1 March 2009. The Services & Conservancy Charges (S&CC) and Rental Rebates will also be enhanced.

You can use the Household Benefits Calculator below to calculate all the benefits that you and your household stand to receive in 2009!

313@Somerset

About 313@somerset
313@somerset is one of the first major fully integrated retail developments undertaken by Lend Lease in Asia. It is a significant milestone for the Lend Lease Group as it marks its first green field development in Asia and its first development in Singapore’s premier shopping street – Orchard Road.

Fashion
Embracing Singaporeans’ passion for fashion, 313@somerset will assemble an exceptional range of leading global and local brands that will deliver a unique, expansive and aspirational mid level fashion offer including Zara, Uniqlo, Forever 21, New Look and Esprit.

Food
The 3 unique dining precincts will create a landmark entertainment offer catering to all tastes and appetites:

Discovery Walk
This unique themed precinct directly linked to the Orchard Road strip will offer an enviable clustering of restaurants and lounges including Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant, Kamado Japanese Wood Fire, Central Hong Kong Café, Flying Chillies and Trattoria Cuccina Italiana . This “Walking Street” will reflect a relaxed ambience and sanctuary from the Orchard Road bustle.

Food Hall
Located on B3 and anchored by Cold Storage Specialty and Guardian Health & Beauty, the Food Hall is ideally positioned to offer a convenient one-stop shop for every day fresh food produce and a wide selection of takeaway foods and casual restaurants including Din Tai Fung, F.I.S.H., Hot Tomato Café & Grill, Paradise Inn, Tarafuku Seafood Market & Restaurant and The Muthu’s Flavors.

Food Court
Situated on Level 5, the Food Court will be the next generation food dining experience with the largest Food Republic outlet including 21 stalls and 5 mini-restaurants, reflecting a predominantly Asian influence.

Lifestyle
Indulging the Singaporean market’s fascination with all things new, 313@somerset will assemble an eclectic mix of leading lifestyle stores including HMV, EpiCentre (Apple Premium Reseller), Stadium, Starhub and Harris Bookstore.

Levels
8 retail levels in total
3 basement levels (B3 to B1), with direct access to Somerset MRT station at B2
5 levels above ground (L1 to L5)

Retail
177 outlets

Street Frontage
95 metres direct frontage to Orchard Road
70 metres direct frontage to Somerset Road

NLA
294,000 sq ft of retail offer

Parking
228 car park bays on L6 & L7

More information:

http://www.313somerset.com.sg

Kelly Poon waves off rumours about her impending departure from the music industry

Kelly Poon waves off rumours about her impending departure from the music industry

Currently based in Taiwan, homegrown singer Kelly Poon was recently said to be leaving the music industry for greener fields. Rumours are circulating that the perky lass has decided to return to Singapore and to her previous air stewardess job due to her minimal income in Taiwan.

Unfazed by the ongoing rumours, an optimistic Kelly honestly shared, "I was awoken by a phone call from the company. I really got a shock when I heard of such news!

"I love singing so much - why would I give up?" the jovial singer exclaimed.

The 26-year-old clarified on the rumours and shared that her current contract with Universal Music would come to an end by next year. She is currently discussing her future plans with the company and has been meeting with other record companies and agencies.

"Please, to say that I am going to stop singing and return to my air stewardess job I'm always saying this! The meaning behind this is if I were to really leave the music industry one day, I will return to my air stewardess job because that is a job I enjoy doing!"

Despite her non-admission, Kelly confessed that she yearns to have a change in environment. She earnestly hopes to return to living in Singapore as her family members and friends are all located here.

Apart from that, there have been other news reports which talked about Kelly's monthly allowance of a meager S$500. She burst into laughter upon hearing the news and said, "There is nothing wrong about it! My living and food expenses are taken care by the company. I'm only responsible for that little expenditure I have. So, I really only spend that little bit of money!"

The petite singer has released two music album since she arrived in Taiwan four years ago. Although she is not a household name yet, Kelly does not put herself down and is further spurred on by it instead, "I will continue to work hard!"

Kelly was recently spotted fronting a Taiwanese McDonalds commercial and was reportedly handsomely paid for her stint. On that note, the bubbly singer giggled and said, "Yeah, it's not bad! That's why, how can I possibly leave the entertainment industry?!"

More information:

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/xin/20091202/ten-312-kelly-poon-waves-rumours-impendi-3c1b9bc.html

Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009

Runners » Race Information Date : Sunday, 6 December 2009 Start Point : Esplanade Drive, The Esplanade Bridge End Point : St Andrew’s Road, The Padang Enquiries : 65 6248 6033 Race Categories Individual Categories Start Time Full Marathon (42.195km) 5.30 am Half Marathon (21.1km) 6.45 am 10km - Men 7.45 am 10km - Women 8.30 am Wheelchair Race (10km) 9.00 am Kids Dash (750m) Start Time Between 10 - 13 Years Old 10.30 am Between 7 - 9 Years Old 10.45 am Between 4 - 6 Years Old* 11.00 am 3 Years Old And Below* 11.30 am *Only one parent/guardian with an identification tag will be allowed to accompany any child 6 years old & below. Team Categories (4 to 6 participants per team. Each participant must complete 10KM. Start Time Team - Men 7.45 am Team - Women 8.30 am Team - Mixed - Men 7.45 am Team - Mixed - Women 8.30 am For the Team – Mixed category, at least one scoring member has to be from the opposite sex Registration Fees Category Early Bird 16 Jul – 5 Aug Promo 6 Aug – 26 Aug Normal 27 Aug –7Oct Direct Mailer 16 Jul – 26 Jul 16 Jul – 5 Aug Full Marathon $45.50 $65.00 $75.00 $85.00 HalfMarathon $36.40 $52.00 $58.00 $65.00 10KM $31.50 $45.00 $50.00 $55.00 10KM - Team $189.00 $270.00 $300.00 $330.00 Kids’ Dash $10.50 $15.00 $18.00 $20.00 Prize Money Runners participating in the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 stand to win up to US$193,900 worth of prize money! Full Marathon Position Open Singapore Veteran Men's (US$) Women's (US$) Men's (S$) Women's (S$) Men's (S$) Women's (S$) 1st 35000 35000 4500 4500 1250 1250 2nd 19000 16000 3000 3000 750 750 3rd 10000 7000 1500 1500 750 750 4th 6000 5000 900 900 200 200 5th 4500 3500 700 700 200 200 6th 3500 2500 200 200 200 200 7th 2500 2000 200 200 150 150 8th 2000 1500 200 200 150 150 9th 1500 1100 100 100 100 100 10th 1300 1000 100 100 100 100 11th 1100 700 12th 800 500 13th 700 14th 600 15th 500 Half Marathon Position Men's (S$) Women's (S$) 1st 1000 1000 2nd 700 700 3rd 300 300 10KM Position Men (S$) Women (S$) Wheelchair (S$) 1st 500 500 300 2nd 300 300 200 3rd 100 100 100 Team Position Men (S$) Women (S$) Mixed (S$) 1st 1000 1000 1000 2nd 750 750 750 3rd 500 500 500

More information:

http://www.singaporemarathon.com