Singapore
Friday, November 3, 2017 – 18:28
Off-duty policeman, 33, dies in motorcycle accident along MCE; fellow officer arrested
The Straits Times
Others
Pipe leak affects water supply at Tampines bus interchange, food court
SINGAPORE: A pipe leak at a construction site in Tampines affected water supply to Tampines bus interchange, as well as a food court at Eastlink Mall on Friday (Nov 3).
National water agency PUB said it was alerted to the leak at around 6am at the site at the junction of Tampines Avenue 4 and Tampines Central 2.
Signage beside Tampines Hub directing pedestrians away from the area of the leak. (Photo: Matin Akmal)
In a Facebook post, PUB said it “immediately” sent service crew and contractors to the site and that repairs were underway.
“To facilitate repair works, a 20m stretch of lane at Tampines Central 2 (towards Tampines Hub) is temporarily closed,” it added.
Alternative water supply was being provided to affected businesses and PUB workers were seen on-site with water bags and wagons.
In an update at 4.15pm, PUB said operations to draw water from other unaffected pipes have “normalised water supply to customers who had earlier experienced poor pressure”.
It added that repair works are expected to be complete by the end of the day.
There have been several instances of pipe leaks of late. In late September, a burst pipe in Bukit Batok West caused a “fountain” of water that shot up to three storeys high. Weeks later, another pipe burst nearby in Bukit Batok East resulted in a jet of water that went up to four storeys high.
There have also been reports of pipe leaks in the Serangoon and Tanjong Katong areas.
Trio of thrillers kick off ONE: HERO’S DREAM preliminary bouts
There were three exciting preliminary bouts to kick things off at ONE: HERO’S DREAM, inside the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar on Friday, 3 November.
With athletes from all around the world competing, there was an abundance of talent and styles on show to intrigue martial arts fans.
The pace picked up as the undercard bouts went on, setting things up perfectly for the stacked main card.
Unrelenting pressure clinches victory for Jomary Torres
Nita Dea started the bout on the front foot, but as she stepped in with her first punch, she was double legged and taken to the ground. It would start a torrid round for the Indonesian, and really set the pace for the rest of the atomweight bout.
The Philippines’ Jomary Torres did not give up any position once she had it, dominating from the top throughout the opening stanza. It almost swelled to a crescendo at the end, but the bell saved Dea from a tight rear-naked choke.
Round two followed a similar pattern, with Torres meeting no resistance in her takedown attempts. However, the YONGKING product did manage to find some success with her reversals, albeit short-lived. Torres landed hard ground and pound with punches and elbows, and again ended the second coming close to a finish from the back.
The third was the most back-and-forth of all the rounds, with the Filipino still hitting her takedowns, but Dea managing several reversals to top position. A well-timed strike saw Dea’s knee crunch into Torres’ face in the middle of the round, but she stuck to her guns and saw out the end of the contest, escaping a triangle choke as the final bell rang.
It was a clear decision victory for Torres, but her opponent showed great heart to keep competing until the final bell.
Hard-hitting Zhang Ze Hao out-strikes a striker
India met China in a fast and furious matchup between Bala “The Tulunad Warrior” Shetty and “The Ghost” Zhang Ze Hao. Although it was the former who was billed as the striker, being an eight-time India national Muay Thai champion, it was Shetty who found himself slumped on the canvas after a crushing left hook separated him from his senses.
Both athletes were throwing with full power from the opening bell, but “The Ghost” was more accurate, and visibly wobbled Shetty on multiple occasions, while also mixing takedowns and ground and pound into his arsenal. Each time, Shetty managed to find a way up, but he was leaving his chin exposed.
The Chinese athlete saw the opening, and let rip with a thunderous left hook as Shetty worked to his feet from a ground onslaught. It dropped him back to the mat with a thud, and the follow-up right forced the referee to step in after just 2:01 of the opening round, handing an exciting victory to the young Chinse Action MMA Academy standout.
“Supermom” strikes again
Both strawweight competitors came in with excellent grappling credentials, but “Supermon”Miao Jie was the one that intended on using them.
Her opponent, Australia’s Amira Hafizovic, wanted to strike, but this eagerness led to her downfall as she pressed forward too much, giving Miao the chance to clinch and take her down with a powerful hip toss.
Straight from the takedown, “Supermom” went for the armbar, but her Australian foe fended it off well and almost escaped, showing her own expertise.
However, Miao’s high-level BJJ ability came to the fore, as Miao transitioned to the opposite arm and locked in another tight armbar to get the tap early in the first.
The victory marked Miao as a huge threat to anybody in the strawweight division, and even ONE Championship’s women’s division as a whole. After all, the 45-second rear-naked choke was the fastest finish in ONE women’s history, having broken Miao’s own record by four seconds.
Friday, November 3, 2017 – 18:19
Others
Suspicious object found at Penang Road is a toy resembling a grenade, say police
SINGAPORE: A suspicious object was found along Penang Road on Friday afternoon (Nov 3) has been found to be a toy that looks like a hand grenade, police said.
“The item has been established to be a toy, resembling a hand grenade,” police updated on Facebook at about 5.30pm.
Channel NewsAsia understands that a grenade-shaped item was found outside Singapore Shopping Centre at the junction of Penang Lane and Penang Road on Friday afternoon.
An eyewitness said that he saw six police cars in the area.
“We are attending to a case of a suspicious item reported along Penang Road,” police said in a tweet at 4.20pm.
They asked members of the public to avoid the area and not to speculate on the case. Police also said that Penang Lane has been closed to “facilitate police operations”.
Police investigate a suspicious item reported at Penang Road on Friday (Nov 3). (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
A cordon was placed near the corner of Orchard Road and Penang Lane, obstructing traffic. A large area of Istana Park was also cordoned off with police tape.
Across Penang Lane, near Dhoby Ghaut MRT station, officers were seen directing pedestrians away from the area.
Men in green jumpsuits and police were seen entering the cordoned off area with equipment. Later, an officer was seen picking up a grenade-shaped item and removing it from scene.
The cordons were removed and Penang Lane was open to traffic at about 5.30pm.
A large part of Istana Park was cordoned off. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
A suspicious item was found at Penang Road on Friday (Nov 3). (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
Crime Scene Investigation and K-9 Unit vans were seen on the scene. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
Suspicious object found at Penang Road; police urge public to avoid area
SINGAPORE: A suspicious object was found along Penang Road on Friday afternoon (Nov 3).
“We are attending to a case of a suspicious item reported along Penang Road,” police said in a tweet.
They also asked members of the public to avoid the area and not to speculate on the case.
Police investigate a suspicious item reported at Penang Road on Friday (Nov 3). (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
Channel NewsAsia understands that a grenade-shaped item was found outside Singapore Shopping Centre at the junction of Penang Lane and Penang Road.
A cordon has been placed near the corner of Orchard Road and Penang Lane, obstructing traffic. A large area of Istana Park has also been cordoned off with police tape.
Men in green jumpsuits were seen entering the cordoned off area with equipment.
Across Penang Lane, near Dhoby Ghaut MRT station, officers were seen directing pedestrians away from the area.
A large part of Istana Park was cordoned off. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
Police said that Penang Lane has been closed to “facilitate police operations”.
An eyewitness said that he saw six police cars in the area.
A suspicious item was found at Penang Road on Friday (Nov 3). (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
Crime Scene Investigation and K-9 Unit vans were seen on the scene. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
This is a developing story, please refresh for updates.
BJJ world champion Alex Silva is on the verge of greatness
If you’re looking purely on athletic credentials, Alex ‘Little Rock’ Silva looks a surefire star in the ONE Championship strawweight division, and could be as little as one win away from a world title shot.
The Brazilian holds a second-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, as well as a Copa Do Mundo BJJ World Championship.
Now, as a coach at Evolve MMA in Singapore, he’s rounding out his game among some of the best Muay Thai strikers in the world as he works his way towards a challenge for the ONE Strawweight World Title.
He’s in the perfect spot to launch his title campaign, but things were much tougher during his childhood in Ubatuba, Brazil, as he had to cope with bullies in the only way he knew how.
“Growing up as a kid in Brazil, you have to be think quickly on your feet,” he said. “I have great parents who really looked after me. They owned a little convenience store and worked a lot. I would help them run the shop as a kid.
“People always tried to bully me at school, but I always fought back. My parents had to come to school almost every day because I was in fights. That is actually why I started martial arts, to learn to protect myself.”
Like many kids of his generation, Silva’s first experience of martial arts came through the silver screen, and the martial arts movies of the time. But the high-speed action of the movies was fictional, and it took seeing the real-world application of Brazilian jiu-jitsu to inspire Silva to take up serious training.
“I was interested in martial arts since I was a kid,” he explained. “I loved martial arts movies, especially Bruce Lee. I did kung fu and capoeira first, but once I saw Royce Gracie, I wanted to learn BJJ.”
Silva took to the art like a duck to water. He progressed through the belt system and earned his black belt in 2007, eventually upgrading it to a second-degree black belt. He also picked up a Brazilian National Championship and the Copa Do Mundo Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship, excelling at the grappling art.
“I love BJJ, because it changes people’s lives,” he explained. “It changed my life, and I have seen it change the lives of my students. Some people might think it looks weird at first, but once they try it, they get addicted. It is a lifestyle.
“BJJ gave me a lot of good things in life. It gave me confidence, made me healthy, and most of the friends I have are because of BJJ. It is amazing in helping people gain confidence and opening people up.”
After five years as a black belt, Silva sought out a new challenge, and swapped the mats for the cage as he looked to pursue a new competitive career.
Switching from pure grappling to the multi-discipline action of the cage offers a real leap in skillset, but Silva said it wasn’t as big a transition as some would believe.
“I feel like I have been doing martial arts my whole life,” he said. “I have over 250 BJJ matches, so after a while I was looking for the next challenge.”
Silva headed to Asia and started progressing up the strawweight ladder. Now, with a record of 5-1, he’s one of the best martial artists in the division.
His most recent outing saw him defeat former world title challenger Roy Doliguez via third-round armbar at ONE: THRONE OF TIGERS to demonstrate his readiness to challenge the division’s best, and eventually, go for the title.
“It went the way I expected,” the Brazilian says. “I knew he was a tough guy, having competed for the belt before. I knew he had heavy hands, and that his grappling was good, because he had never been submitted until he met me.”
Silva’s next matchup will see him take on undefeated veteran Hayato Suzuki, a Japanese champion who also defeated a former world title challenger. In his last contest, Suzuki finished Joshua Pacio via first-round rear-naked choke.
The pair will meet at ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD in Manila. It is a contest that is likely to determine the next challenger for the ONE Strawweight World Title, currently held by Yoshitako Naito.
“For me, every match is important,” said Silva. “Every match is a title shot for me. Every time I step into the cage, it is a big deal for me. All my matches are important, and I always give 100 per cent.
“I know I will be champion eventually, but actually my goal is to be the number one martial artist in my division in the world. That is what I focus on, but obviously, with that comes the belt.”
Friday, November 3, 2017 – 15:02
Others
Fans throng Apple stores across Asia for launch of iPhone X
SINGAPORE: Apple’s flagship iPhone X hit stores in Asia on Friday (Nov 3), with the company predicting bumper sales despite its eye-watering price tag.
Around 300 customers waited overnight outside Singapore’s Apple store, the first shop in Southeast Asia to sell the new model.
People queue overnight for the iPhone X launch outside the Apple store in Singapore November 3, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su
Supakorn Rieksiri and Kittiwat Wang, both 22, said they had flown in from Bangkok on Thursday to pick up pre-orders of two phones each.
“With all the different features like facial recognition and the bigger screen, it’s all quite worth it,” said Rieksiri, adding that the second handset was a gift for his mother.
In Hong Kong, buyers who had pre-ordered the phone online queued to pick up their new purchases, saying they were willing to pay for what they saw as a landmark model.
“It’s the 10th anniversary phone – anyway, other phones like the Samsung are not much less,” said banker Tony Yeung, 35, as he queued outside the Apple store in Hong Kong’s Festival Walk mall.
“It’s convenient. You can unlock the phone just by holding it up to your face in bed after you wake up,” Yeung added.
He said he had bought two of the 64GB version, costing HK$8,588 (US$1,100), one for himself and one for his wife. The 256GB model costs HK$9,888.
Apple is setting an ambitious goal for itself to reinvent the smartphone as it strives to fend off fierce competition from rivals, especially in China AFP/FRED DUFOUR
Student Keith Li said all his friends were changing to the new phone and had set aside money for it. Li, 22, had traded in his old phone to help him meet the cost.
The flagship handset features facial recognition, cordless charging and an edge-to-edge screen made of organic light-emitting diodes used in high-end televisions.
It marks the 10th anniversary of the first iPhone release and hits about 50 markets around the world Friday.
APPLE PROFITS, SHARE PRICE SOAR
Apple said on Friday its net profit rose 19 per cent from a year ago to US$10.7 billion in the fiscal fourth quarter to Sep 30. Revenues were up 12 per cent to US$52.6 billion.
Release of the earnings figures pushed Apple shares up more than 3 per cent to US$173.20.
Apple is setting an ambitious goal for itself to reinvent the smartphone as it strives to fend off fierce competition from rivals, especially in China.
The iPhone is its main profit driver, accounting for more than half its revenues.
An attendee uses the Face ID function on the new iPhone X during a presentation for the media in Beijing, China October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Apple closed out its fiscal year posting a full-year profit of US$48.35 billion, up 5.8 per cent, on revenues of US$229 billion, a rise of 6.3 per cent from the previous year.
In the latest quarter the firm was able to reverse its fortunes in China, boosting overall sales by 12 per cent in the Greater China region. Sales were up in other regions except for Japan, which saw an 11 per cent revenue drop.
Smartphone sales climbed by about a million units to 46.7 million in the three months winding up the California company’s fiscal year, according to the earnings report.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook called it a “very strong finish” to 2017.
Full card of bouts announced for ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT
ONE Championship returns to its home of Singapore for ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT with a stacked card and an historic moment, as it bids a fond farewell to one of its most dominant champions.
The event features two world title bouts, with Singapore’s own Angela Lee and Japan’s Mei Yamaguchi set for action in the main event.
The bout is a hotly-anticipated rematch for the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Title, and will be accompanied by Ben Askren’s final title defence as he takes on former lightweight titleholder Shinya Aoki in the co-main event.
The two title bouts have been joined by a deep card of exciting matchups that are sure to keep the fans in the Singapore Indoor Stadium on the edge of their seats.
America’s Andrew Leone (8-3) returns to action against BJJ world champion Leandro ‘Brodinho’ Issa (14-6), in an exciting clash of contenders that has possible implications at the sharp end of the ONE bantamweight division.
Leone lost out to ONE bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes back in August in Macao, and is desperate to earn himself a rematch
Evolve MMA’s Issa, meanwhile, returned to the promotion this summer with a submission win over former world title challenger Toni Tauru. Now he’s looking to make his own run towards gold.
Issa’s teammate and knockout specialist Amir Khan (8-2) already holds the record for the most knockouts in ONE Championship history, and the 22-year-old sensation will look to continue his meteoric rise with victory over seasoned Australian Adrian ‘The Hunter’ Pang (22-10-2).
Pang lost out against Roger Huerta in his last outing, but that split-decision loss came almost one year ago. Now Pang is back, and he’s looking to kickstart another winning run by scoring his 23rd professional win on 24 November.
Also on the card, Chinese featherweight star Li Kai Wen (6-3) is a man on a mission as he looks to position himself for a rematch with newly-crowned ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin Nguyen. Li lost out to ‘The Situ-Asian’ a year ago, and the striker wants to exact revenge and capture the ONE championship belt.
He’ll look to deliver a statement victory against Ahmed Mujtaba, a 6-1 prospect who made his ONE Championship debut last November with victory over Benedict Ang. His second outing saw him lose out to Keanu Subba, but now he returns to action looking to get back to winning ways against an established star of the division.
The Singapore fas will also lend their backing to Tiffany ‘No Chill’ Teo as she looks to extend the perfect star to her career. She’s currently 6-0, and looking for a seventh straight win when she takes on Indian wushu champion Pooja Tomar (3-1), who makes her ONE Championship debut in this event.
Former Singapore Olympic swimmer ‘Mighty’ May Ooi is also scheduled for action, as she makes her second appearance for ONE Championship when she takes on Cambodia’s Vy Srey Khouch.
French fan-favourite Arnaud ‘The Game’ LePont (11-5) returns to action after an extended sabbatical away from the sport. The 37-year-old veteran is set to face Filipino lightweight Richard ‘Lion Heart’ Corminal, whose four career wins have all come via knockout.
China’s Yang ‘The Pugilist’ Fei will make his ONE Championship debut against veteran Waqar Umar of Pakistan, and also on the preliminary card is China’s Miao Li Tao, who will face off with Cambodian Kun Khmer exponent Sim Bunsrun.
Friday, November 3, 2017 – 14:09
Others
Channel 8 actor Xu Bin weds girlfriend of 3 years
SINGAPORE: Local actor Xu Bin wed his girlfriend of three years at a banquet in Orchard Hotel on Friday (Nov 3), entertainment website Toggle reported.
The China-born, Singapore-based actor and his Chinese girlfriend Evelyn Wang Yifei held a 27-table banquet in the hotel, the first of three wedding ceremonies planned. The two other banquets will be held in Xu’s hometown of Fujian on Jan 13 and Wang’s hometown of Wuhan on Jan 28.
Evelyn Wang Yifei and Xu Bin at their wedding banquet in Orchard Hotel on Nov 3, 2017. (Photo: Toggle)
Local artistes who attended the wedding include Pan Ling Ling, Chew Chor Meng, Kimberley Chia, Ya Hui, Ian Fang, Chen Shucheng and Zhu Hou Ren as well as celebrity couples Fann Wong and Christopher Lee, and Hong Hui Fang and Zheng Ge Ping.
Xu’s groomsmen included his NoonTalk labelmates Zong Zijie, Timothee Yap and Damien Teo.
Fann Wong was quoted by Toggle as saying: “Marriage is a very blissful stage. Please enjoy it well!” Christopher Lee added: “Xu Bin has set a good example for the other young actors by getting married at this age.”
Celebrity couple Christopher Lee and Fann Wong at the wedding of Xu Bin and Evelyn Wang. (Photo: Toggle)
Pan Ling Ling, who plays Xu Bin’s mother in the TV series 118, said: “I’m welcoming a ‘daughter-in-law’ today! Marriage isn’t easy; you need to accept everything about each other, both the good and the bad.
“I asked him whether I’d be becoming a grandmother soon when he told me that he’s getting married, but he said, ‘No lah’. I hope his life is filled with happiness as I love this son of mine very much. He’s a very caring person both in reel and real-life. Today will be the first time I’m seeing my daughter-in-law – I’ve only heard her voice prior to today!”
Local actress Pan Ling Ling and her husband Huang Shinan at the wedding. (Photo: Toggle)
The 28-year-old Xu and Wang, 27, met at a friend’s birthday party when Wang, who is a Beijing Film Academy graduate, was studying business in Singapore. He proposed to her on actor Darren Lim’s yacht at Sentosa earlier this year.
Xu announced the news of his marriage in early October and posted a clip of their pre-wedding photoshoot in Maldives on his website.
Born in Fujian, China, Xu moved to Singapore 16 years ago. He is known for starring in popular Channel 8 dramas such as 118 (2014) and You Can Be An Angel 2 (2016).
