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Banned Sharapova to sharpen business skills at Harvard

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LOS ANGELES – Maria Sharapova plans to make good use of the time on her hands thanks to a two-year doping ban from tennis.

The Russian star, a savvy businesswoman whose commercial interests include her Sugarpova brand of candy, indicated on social media on Monday that she would be attending a Harvard Business School course.

Sharapova posted a photo of herself in front of a sign for the prestigious school on her Facebook page.

“Not sure how this happened but Hey Harvard! Can’t wait to start the programme!” she wrote, adding a graduation cap symbol.

Sharapova, 29, has vowed to appeal a two-year doping ban stemming from a positive test for meldonium, which was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list in January.

The former world number one and five-time Grand Slam singles champion has said she had been prescribed the drug for 10 years, and did not realise it had been banned as a potential performance enhancer.

While the scandal rattled some of her numerous sponsors, many, including apparel giant Nike, have stuck by her.

She remains one of the world’s highest earning sportswomen.

She topped the Forbes list for 11 years before tennis rival Serena Williams surpassed her on the list released in June with $28.9 million in total earnings over the past 12 months to Sharapova’s $21.9 million.

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Tuesday, June 28, 2016 – 10:50
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British media calls England loss to Iceland worst in its football history

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LONDON – England’s football journalists left their readers with no illusions on Tuesday after their side’s Euro 2016 hopes were crushed by Iceland, describing the 2-1 loss as the worst in their history.

Goals from Ragnar Sigurdsson and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson were enough to lead the tiny nation to a quarter-final clash with hosts France, with the loss costing England manager Roy Hodgson his job.

British media held nothing back on Tuesday with the headlines proclaiming the loss as not only “embarrassing” but also “the ultimate humiliation.”

Many referred to England’s shock 1-0 loss to the United States in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil in their post-match reports, though they felt the result in Nice would now surpass that as their worst in international football.

“This was England’s most humiliating night in international football: far worse than the 1950 World Cup defeat to the USA in Belo Horizonte,” Paul Hayward wrote in The Telegraph.

“Defeat here in Nice was always going to be a deeper trauma. This one came in the era of the Premier League as global industry.”

The Guardian’s Daniel Taylor also compared Monday’s result to the 1950 loss in Belo Horizonte and suggested England’s allusions to being one of the powerhouses of world football now needed to be questioned.

“Hodgson’s reign will be defined by a result comparable to losing to the United States in the 1950 World Cup,” Taylor wrote. “The now-familiar inquest will begin again in a country that likes to see itself as football royalty.”

The Daily Mail’s Martin Samuel described the loss as a “seismic wave” for English football and felt that Hodgson probably should have been sacked after the side’s group phase exit at the 2014 World Cup.

“What a waste the last two years have been,” Samuel wrote. “Hodgson should have gone in 2014, when England lasted two matches at the World Cup. He wasn’t the man then, he isn’t the man now.

“There has been much talk of progress, promise and a strong culture of responsibility, but under pressure, that all evaporated.”

While Hodgson was blamed for having a seemingly incoherent plan for the tournament with no clear idea on his strongest side or how to play the game, the players and the culture of the English Premier League were also criticised.

“The reason why the nation struggles to feel empathy or connections with many of these players is the ego,” Ian Herbert wrote in The Independent. “Too famous, too important, too rich, too high and mighty… that is this England.”

Read also: England dumped twice in a week

The Guardian’s Dominic Fifield also criticised the more experienced players in the squad, who had not shown any leadership or stepped up to help their younger team members.

“Hodgson had needed his most established players to excel if the team were going to make an impression,” Fifield wrote. “In the end they simply wilted like the rest.”

The BBC’s chief football writer Phil McNulty also felt the players would need to take a look at themselves under a new manager.

“The ultimate responsibility lies with the manager but, make no mistake, he was badly let down by players capable of so much better,” McNulty wrote.

“Hodgson will take the blame and has paid the price but these highly paid Premier League players should not escape criticism.”

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Tuesday, June 28, 2016 – 10:41
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Brexit No. 2: England loss to Iceland in Euro Cup worst in its football history
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Higher operating costs push up university hostel fees

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At NTU, monthly rental for a non air-conditioned double room increased from S$155 to S$245 from 2009 to 2016; an air-conditioned single room rose from S$280 to S$395 over the same period.

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Brexit No.2: England thrown out of Euro 2016

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NICE, France – No one thought they stood a chance, but Iceland stuck to their guns and pulled off one of football’s biggest shocks, dumping England out of Euro 2016 and forcing their manager Roy Hodgson to quit in disgrace.

Ragnar Sigurdsson and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson claimed their place in sporting history with the goals that secured a 2-1 win on a hot, humid night in Nice for the smallest nation ever to play in a major tournament.

“They thought this would be a walk in the park,” said Sigurdsson of England’s attitude.

But Iceland, with a population of just 330,000, joyously claimed a quarter-final match against hosts France, just after Italy beat Spain 2-0 to set up a last eight clash with Germany.

The exit from the European Championship finals left fans of England — population 53 million and with the world’s wealthiest football league — reeling with a similar sense of desperation as the loosing “Remain” camp of Britain’s ‘Brexit’ referendum.

England’s players were stunned. Hodgson read out his resignation statement within minutes of the final whistle.

Iceland’s players celebrated in joyous disbelief with their 3,500 fans in the stadium.

Captain Aron Gunnarsson, who plays for Cardiff in the English league, said Iceland had been turned “upside down” by the win.

“It’s just a proud moment and something we’ll treasure for the rest of our lives,” he said.

“We always believe. That’s our attitude.”

Wayne Rooney put England ahead from the penalty spot inside five minutes. But Sigurdsson equalised within 75 seconds and Sigthorsson shot Iceland ahead with a goal that embarrassed England goalkeeper Joe Hart.

England never showed any belief and Hodgson, 68, had to take responsibility.

“I’m extremely disappointed of course about tonight’s result and ultimately our exit from the competition. We haven’t progressed as far as I thought we were capable of, and that’s obviously not acceptable,” he said in his resignation statement.

“We are in the results business,” he added. “Now is the time for someone else to oversee the progress of this young, hungry and extremely talented group of players.”

England’s performance ranks alongside some of the most dismal at major tournaments. England already feature on the list of shame with their 1-0 defeat to an amateur United States side at the 1950 World Cup.

England, ranked 11th in the world, were left cursing by Hart’s blunder that led to Iceland’s second goal as Sigthorsson’s tame shot could easily have been stopped.

“We will get a lot of flak and we deserve it,” Hart said.

“We will learn from this and try and bring English football back to where it belongs. We have put it in a low place.

“The next manager has a tough job on his hands. We worked hard but with no success. That is how this team will be remembered.”

Hart was by no means the only one to blame for the defeat to the world 34th-ranked Icelanders however.

“It’s embarrassing for us,” admitted England captain Rooney.

“We know we’re a better team. We’re the ones on the pitch. You can’t just say it’s Roy Hodgson’s fault or one player’s fault. We’re all in it together so we all have to share that responsibility.”

The English Football Association quickly said it was “disappointed” by the defeat.

“We back Roy Hodgson’s decision to step down as England manager and will discuss next steps imminently,” the FA said in a statement.

Former England captain Gary Linker called the result “the worst defeat in our history”. He added on Twitter: “England beaten by a country with more volcanoes than professional footballers. Well played Iceland.”

Earlier, Italy dumped defending champions Spain out of the contest. Their 2-0 triumph ended a 22-year run without a win over their rivals. They face world champions Germany on Saturday in Bordeaux.

Spain’s coach Vicente del Bosque was also forced to fend off questions about his future after watching Giorgio Chiellini and Graziano Pelle goals sink his side and take revenge for their 4-0 hammering by Spain in the Euro 2012 final.

Chiellini forced home the first goal from close range after goalkeeper David de Gea could only parry Eder’s fiercely struck free-kick. Pelle volleyed in a deflected cross in injury time.

“It has been and is a great era for Spanish football,” said del Bosque defiantly.

“We have Italy ahead of us for the World Cup qualifiers in Russia and we have to prepare for that,” he added.

“I don’t think an era has ended. Spanish football is very well structured — there are good academies, very good players and very good clubs.”

Italy manager Antonio Conte said team work and a united spirit had inspired their win.

“Right from the outset since I took over I have said that the only route forward to achieve a semblance of success is to try and be a like a club team,” said Conte, who will take over Chelsea at the end of the tournament. “We have to be a collective.”

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Tuesday, June 28, 2016 – 10:28
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England humiliated by Iceland

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ENGLAND 2

ICELAND 1

England are out of Euro 2016 after suffering a humiliating 2-1 defeat to Iceland on Tuesday morning (Singapore time).

Having arrived at Euro 2016 among the favourites, falling at the last-16…

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30 SkillsFuture Study Awards for power sector launched

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The bond-free award offers early- to mid-career Singaporeans in the power sector S$5,000 to be used for training expenses, says the Energy Market Authority. 

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NOL to be delisted after France’s CMA CGM crosses 90% ownership threshold

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The French container shipping firm now holds 90.68 per cent of Neptune Orient Lines, and says it will proceed to delist the Singapore company.

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Fire engulfs SIA plane's wing after emergency landing in Singapore

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Singapore – Flames engulfed the wing of a Singapore Airlines plane after it made an emergency landing at the city’s main airport on Monday, with dramatic footage showing plumes of black smoke billowing from the aircraft.

The carrier said the Boeing 777-300ER en route for Milan turned back about two hours into the flight from Changi Airport following an engine oil warning message.

The blaze was put out by airport emergency services and there were no injuries to the 222 passengers and 19 crew on board, SIA said in a statement.

One passenger, who posted video footage of the incident apparently shot from a window seat, described the tense moments waiting for emergency crews to control the blaze as a “so-close to death” experience.

For several moments, the video showed the plane’s right wing ablaze before the view was completely obscured by foam as firefighters battled the fire.

Read also: Singapore Airlines plane catches fire

The wing was left blackened and melted after the fire was extinguished.

“After reaching Changi Airport, as the plane was landing, the engine burst into flames!!!! Huge fire was burning!” Facebook user Lee Bee Yee said in a post accompanying the video clip.

“It was a heart wrenching 5 mins! Waiting for the fire engine and fire fighters to put out the fire! They shot foam and water into the fire and eventually it was put out!” Lee added.

“I thank God I am alive! I going home to hug my kids.”

SIA said in a statement Flight SQ368, powered by a GE Aviation engine, was en route from Singapore to Milan when an engine oil warning message forced it to turn back to the city-state about one hour and 45 minutes into the flight.

“The aircraft’s right engine caught fire after the aircraft touched down at Changi Airport at around 6:50am,” it said.

“Passengers disembarked through stairs and were transported to the terminal building by bus.”

The airline said it would “be cooperating fully with the authorities in their investigations”.

Passengers were transferred to another flight that left for Milan at 10:30am Singapore time, a spokesman told AFP.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong put up a Facebook post thanking Changi Airport and SIA for their quick response.

“Relieved that all onboard were safely disembarked… SQ and CAAS (Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore) are investigating the cause, and will get to the bottom of the matter,” he wrote.

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Tuesday, June 28, 2016 – 08:59
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Post-90s women in China top online sales of snacks

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WOMEN in China, especially those born after 1995, are the biggest buyers of snacks sold online, a report revealed.

Some 65 per cent of snack buyers are females, data show.

Most of them are snapping up biscuits, dry fruits, nuts and chocolates.

The report, by CFNData, is based on data collected by online marketplace Alibaba.

Last year, snacks took about 30 per cent of the total sales volume of China’s food industry, and more snacks were bought online than offline retail stores.

The Association of Food Industries in the US estimates that China will eat up snacks equivalent to 480 billion yuan (S$97.9 billion) by 2018, taking the crown of being the world’s first in snack consumption.

Imported snacks are especially welcomed by the group.

And while post-90s females are the biggest snack consumers, they are followers rather than “trend initiators”.

“Females aged 29 to 50 are considered the real foodies, given their experience in scouting snacks that have the potential to become popular,” the report reads.

As to the geographical distribution of the buyers, data shows that most snacks were bought in first- and second-tier cities. The top three spots go to east China’s Zhejiang, Jiangsu and the southern Guangdong province.

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Tuesday, June 28, 2016 – 08:49
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Apprentice breaks new ground in S'pore film

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THIS week, a Singapore film, Apprentice, opens in our cinemas. It deals with the death penalty.

In this sophomore feature, following his well-received debut Sandcastle, Boo Junfeng tackles the subject of capital punishment. It has garnered praise around the world, with a standing ovation at Cannes.

How will the Singapore audience respond to such a film on its home turf?

A friend who just watched Finding Dory asked me: “Is Apprentice any good?”

Before I could answer, he ventured with more questions: “Did you enjoy it? Should I watch it?”

The straightforward answer is: “I enjoyed it and you should watch it.”

But it is no Finding Nemo or Ah Boys To Men and there is nothing straightforward about Apprentice. Nothing cut and dry or black and white about it.

In cold hard shades of grey, it shows the dark corners and cruel space in and around a prison. Alongside, it unravels the emotions under the calm surfaces of people inhabiting this space.

Watching this film, if you notice the look and feel is less parochial and local while still unmistakably Singaporean, you will have uncovered a significant precedence this film has achieved.

The genesis of this film is grounded in Singapore.

But it would take Boo five years to make it.

Apprentice is officially a five-team co-production: Singapore-Germany-France-Hong Kong-Qatar. Post-production work was done in France, Thailand and Singapore.

The script took three years to write. The casting was “colour-blind” as in it did not matter if the actors were Chinese, Malay or Indian.

When Malaysian actor Wan Hanafi Su was cast as the hangman and Singaporean actor Fir Rahman as the apprentice, their dialogue was then decided to be in Malay. The casting process took a year.

The result is a seamlessly universal film while staying steadfastly a Singaporean product. For the longest time, we have been wondering how a Singapore film can travel. This is perhaps the most rational answer.

The breakout directors, someone like Lee Ang, started out this way. His Wedding Banquet and Eat Drink Man Woman were produced from Taiwan but the film-making processes were organically international.

The creative process of Apprentice was also both complete and inclusive with producers from Singapore, Thailand and Spain. The script was also developed at the Jerusalem Film Lab.

But is Apprentice any good? Singapore films have been polarised into commercial movies and arthouse films. The former led by Jack Neo and the latter by Eric Khoo.

In recent years, younger and bolder Singaporean film-makers are exploring beyond bread-and-butter issues, and blurring the line between commerce and art.

While Apprentice may not be a commercial film, it is mainstream and is quietly powerful.

It deals with a bold subject matter and throws up pointed questions.

Not all questions are answered – Boo leaves more than a few elements hanging.

Apprentice invites you into a filmic landscape of people in captivity and the people watching over people in captivity.

The narrative is paced like an ordinary day.

Within minutes, the audience feel they are really in a prison space. For a hanging scene, the pace is measured but expedient.

Like real life, when even the most significant event will come and go, life goes on. This realism is the biggest creative achievement of the film.

Immersing in this created reality also makes it an enjoyable experience. It reflects the steady grasp of the director and how he has matured as a film-maker.

When a Singapore film about a maid won the best film at the Golden Horse Awards, I saw a symbolic changing of the guards. Ilo Ilo was the metaphorical baton passed from the pioneers to the next generation of film-makers.

While the pioneers are still active and breaking new ground, the recent success of 7 Letters signals the acceptance of mainstream quality films that do not pander to the lowest common denominator.

Apprentice is set to run with this baton to critical and hopefully commercial success.

And the stage is set for the emergence of Singapore films that cross racial and cultural boundaries.

myp@sph.com.sg


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Tuesday, June 28, 2016 – 08:44
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