East meets west in the latest music video from Malaysian singer-songwriter Yuna, for her latest single Crush, featuring US singer Usher.
Yuna and Usher first met back in 2014, but no plans for a collaboration were made…
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MMA no threat to Thailand's Muay Thai: Asia league
Bangkok – The rise of mixed martial arts is not a threat to Thailand’s traditional Muay Thai kickboxing, Asia’s largest cage-fighting organiser said Monday, as the kingdom prepares to host its first major bout.
“It’s like saying Italian food would be a threat to Thai food,” Kamol Sukosol Clapp, ONE Championship president Thailand, told AFP at a gym in Bangkok.
“People are afraid of new things but I don’t see it like that at all. I see it as complementing each other,” he added.
In recent decades MMA has gone from a niche sideshow to a multi-billion dollar industry and one of the world’s fastest growing sports, with Asia no exception.
But while many top fighters have long trained in Thailand, drawn to the country’s famously aggressive kickboxing style, traditional Muay Thai practioners and government officials remain wary of MMA with some arguing it should be banned entirely to protect Thai culture.
Next month Thailand is set to host its MMA debut when the ONE Championship, Asia’s largest organiser, puts on an event at a 10,000-seat arena in Bangkok.
But the move has ruffled feathers.
Last month Sakol Wannapong, governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand, hit out at the event saying it should not be allowed.
“To have such a sport event staged in the country should be declared illegal,” he told local media. “It is not a sport. It is so cruel.” The May 27 fight is expected to go ahead, having secured the support of the Sports Ministry.
Sukie said sceptical views of the fighting style have slowly begun to change among many Muay Thai masters and local fans alike.
“If we were to try this four years ago it just wouldn’t have worked,” he said. “But the timing is right now.”
One of the two title fights in Bangkok will see a highly decorated Muay Thai veteran, who switched to MMA in 2014, defend his strawweight champion belt.
Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke, a diminuitive 37-year-old fighter known for his speed and stamina, fought more than 300 Muay Thai bouts before making the switch to MMA where he has a 6-0 record.
He faces Japan’s Yoshitaka Naito, 32, a Shooto trained fighter who is also undefeated with 10 victories to his name.
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China Press, Facebook screengrabs
Asian Winter Games: No winter athletes, no problem!
Tokyo – Asia’s Olympic body on Monday appealed for all Asian countries – even tropical and desert ones with no winter sport athletes – to take part in the 2017 Asian Winter Games.
The Olympic Council of Asia has 45 National Olympic Councils under its wing and its vice-president said all should participate in next year’s edition in Japan.
Hot and steamy Malaysia and Singapore field athletes for skating events while Kuwait, where summer temperatures regularly top a mercury-busting 45 deg C, has an ice hockey squad.
All three have competed in past Asian Winter Games. But a lack of athletes should not be a barrier, the OCA said.
“Even NOCs with no winter sports athletes are very welcome to the Asian Winter Games in order to prepare your athletes for future Winter Games,” said Wei Jizhong, the organisation’s vice-president, according to a press release.
“The OCA encourages all NOCs to try your best to send your athletes to the Sapporo Asian Winter Games,” he said, speaking in the city on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido where the 2017 games will take place.
“The importance is not getting medals,” he stressed. “The importance is participation, as is the motto of the International Olympic Committee.”
The Sapporo Games are set for February 19-26 next year, with five sports and 11 disciplines such as cross-country skiing and figure skating.
Around 1,500 athletes and team officials from around 30 countries will take part in the Games, up from 430 in the inaugural edition in Sapporo in 1986.
Man jailed eight years for killing daughter-in-law in Tampines flat
An 82-year-old man who stabbed his daughter-in-law to death at their Tampines flat in August 2014 was jailed eight years on Monday (April 25).
Char Chin Fah, a retiree, pleaded guilty to one count of culpable homicide not…
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Bukit Batok by-election: 5 Political Donation Certificates issued
SINAGPORE – Surprise names could emerge in Bukit Batok on Nomination Day this Wednesday (April 27), with the Elections Department (ELD) having issued the Political Donation Certificate for the Bukit Batok by-election to the five individuals who applied for…
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Mercy Relief raises S$300,000 for Kumamoto quake victims
“Being able to raise S$300,000 in such a short time reflects the generosity and kindness people in Singapore have to give when other countries experience a crisis,” says the humanitarian non-governmental organisation.
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Man in 2-hour stand-off with police at Changi Airport T3 arrested
SINGAPORE – A man was arrested after creating a scene at Changi Airport Terminal 3 on Monday morning (April 25).
According local reports, the man was in a 2-hour stand-off with police as he stood on top of the roof of a check-in counter and refused to come down.
In a tweet from an eye-witness at 9.06am, Charlotte Corday posted: “There’s some rando(m) nutter standing on top of a check-in counter at Changi airport and no one seems to care.”
From photos posted on Twitter, the man was in a striped shirt and jeans, but did not have any shoes on.
In a later photograph, he was spotted with an umbrella and he had surrounded himself with some carton boxes.
Traveller Ms Cai, 35, who was at the airport at that time, told Shin Min Daily News that she had no idea how he got up there, but she estimated that he was probably standing 3 or 4m above ground.
According to Shin Min, some airport staff had attempted to persuade him to come down. They climbed up to talk to him but he waved his umbrella at them.
“He took off his shirt agitated,” said Ms Cai.
Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call at about 10am and had sent a fire engine, a red rhino, two fire bikes, an ambulance and two support vehicles.
However, it was reported that the man eventually came down by himself, ending the stand-off.
He was apprehended before the SCDF arrived and their assistance was not needed.
While it is not known why the man had done this, it is understood that he was being repatriated back to Vietnam after being told he was supposed to make a work trip to Dubai.
maryanns@sph.com.sg
Jeffrey Xu: I feel sparks between me and Felicia Chin
Looks like there’s another celebrity couple in the making at MediaCorp TV.
Actor Jeffrey Xu, who denied being actress Felicia Chin’s mystery man in February, finally confessed his feelings for her after snagging his first popularity award, reported entertainment site Toggle. He also felt there were sparks between them.
A few weeks ago, the Shanghai-born actor had promised to give the actress a kiss should he win his first Top 10 Most Popular Male Artiste award.
At the Star Awards 2016 Part 2 show on Sunday night, he had to fulfil his pledge after winning the award. He gave her a hug before receiving his trophy on stage, and then a kiss on the cheek while speaking to reporters.
Talk about them dating surfaced when a YES 933 deejay saw them in the streets together, reported Toggle. The two dismissed the rumours then, insisting they were “just good friends”.
However, AsiaOne understands from a credible source that the two have been seeing each other since the beginning of the year. Fans have also suspected that the pair are an item after seeing social media postings of each other for a few months.
In the first award show held a week ago, Chin, who was Star Search 2010 champion, openly thanked Xu when she won her Top 10 award. Likewise, Xu thanked her when he received his award last night.
During a media interview after the show, Xu finally confessed he had feelings for Chin, Toggle reported. He declared: “I like Felicia.” But he added that he would “still need some time”, just like her.
The 27-year-old actor explained: “We’re still in the stage of getting to know each other. As for whether we’ll take things to the next level remains to be seen, but I’m thankful for everyone’s care and concern.”.
He said his hug for Chin on national television was to express his gratitude to her for helping to change his “career and life” after they began working together on the set of Life – Fear Not.
He added: “We have similar religions, similar careers and (I feel) there are sparks between us. I feel very comfortable being with her,” he added.
In a separate interview last night when both of them were together, Chin praised him for having a “good character” and for being a nice guy.
Just like him, her answers were indirect, Toggle noted.
“I have never not liked him…We get along well, my mum and (softball) coach like him too. We’re at the stage of getting to know each other and I’m really happy that he has won this award tonight,” she said.
When the media pressed him about the kiss he had promised to give her, he asked for her permission to do so. Nodding approvingly, Chin said: “I think it’s okay – it’s just a peck on the cheek.”
After Xu gave her the kiss, he promised to “inform everyone of good news” should they decide to take their relationship to the next level.
“I’ll leave it up to God,” he added.
So what do you think? Is this the beginning of #Feffery?
chenj@sph.com.sg
Read also: Felicia: Oh my God, I look naked!
The New Paper, The Straits Times, MediaCorp, Chanel, JFS
Instagram screengrabs
Internet screengrabs
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Ooo.. is this the start of a new celebrity romance ? Actor #JeffreyXu gives actress #FeliciaChin a kiss on the cheek pic.twitter.com/YlWo9y03Hb
— Straits Times Life (@ST_LifeTweets) April 24, 2016
Bukit Batok by-election: Police issue rules for campaign activities
Candidates or election agents for the General Election may apply to hold outdoor or indoor election meetings, and for the use of a vehicle fitted with loudspeakers from Nomination Day on Wednesday (Apr 27), announced the police on Monday.
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New NUH study developed to understand why people develop diabetes
SINGAPORE – With the Government having recently declared a “war on diabetes” to tackle the costly health problem, researchers at the National University Hospital (NUH) are now embarking on a large-scale study to collect and analyse data, which will be used to…
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